Squidoo : Lenses by poddys

My Pet Peeves Those Things That Annoy Me

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:11:29 -0600

Pet Peeves, Annoyances, Grievances, Frustrations, call them what you will... This is a comprehensive list of Pet Peeves that a number of people have added, plus many of my Pet Peeves that I enjoyed getting off my chest. It's a wonder the list isn't a mile long, and it really feels good when you can vent about something that has been winding you up. So what are Pet Peeves anyway? PET PEEVES are those little things in life that really annoy or frustrate you. It can be things that aren't designed or made correctly, or things that people do that just frustrate the heck out of you. So what drives you crazy? Cell phone users are one of the biggest pet peeves that many people have these days. So many people are either loud and rude on their cell phones in public, or use them while driving. And why do some people insist on trying to eat a meal on a plate with a fork while driving too! The world is going crazy - and it's driving the rest of us crazy at the same time. Driving! Now that's another Pet Peeve! There are so many bad drivers around. We have all seen them, maybe even been one... To let people know your Pet Peeves, just add to the list below. As well as adding your Pet Peeves, be sure to vote for the most annoying things on the list. And tell your friends if you like this lens. So go on, tell us what gets on your goat. It can be something serious, or something really funny. Do crotchety old people get you down? . We could all do with some more laughter, so please add your Pet Peeve to the list. Hot topics right now are rude or inconsiderate cell phone users, and rude people in general.

Enid Blyton Creator Of The Famous Five

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:18:03 -0600

Enid Blyton published a phenomenal number of books, over 700 in fact, from the Noddy stories for younger children, to the better known Secret Seven series for those a little older, and probably her best known works, The Famous Five and the Adventure Series. To most Americans she is unknown, since her books really didn't make it across the Atlantic Ocean in a big way, but to us as children growing up in England in the 1950's, 1960's and even the 1970's, she was our world. Her books were to us in England the equivalent of The Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew in the USA, and every one was full of what us boys and girls wanted - spooky places, secret passages, smugglers, kidnappings, strange goings on, and once you started reading it was impossible to stop. My interest in Enid Blyton, aside from thoroughly enjoying her books while growing up, is that about five years ago I discovered much to my surprise that she wrote many of her books in Dorset which is where I grew up. In fact Brownsea Island with it's castle in Poole Harbour as well as Corfe Castle in The Purbeck Hills were the inspiration behind Kirrin Island in the Famous Five series. I decided therefore to create this lens on Enid Blyton and to give it a focus on her connection to Dorset. I began this project in 2009, however due to other projects taking priority I did little other than create the outline for this lens until August 2011, having decided that it was time to complete the set of lenses that I began on Dorset, the best known being my lens on Bournemouth, which has won both Lens Of The Day and Purple Star awards on Squidoo. I realise that what is missing in the sections about the life of Enid Blyton are photographs, however due to copyright issues I have not been able to include many at this point in time. I hope to rectify this in the future. Thanks very much to Anita Bensoussane from The Enid Blyton Society for helping me with editing and checking that the details are correct.

Religious Jokes The Best Religious And Church Humor

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:12:54 -0600

I love Religious Jokes, I find them really funny. I wonder if His Holiness The Pope or the Archbishop Of Canterbury like Religious Jokes? Do you think that The Pope approves of people telling jokes about the church? Religious Jokes can be really funny. It doesn't matter whether they are Church Jokes, Bible Jokes or Baptist Jokes, are something that everybody likes. There are even some really funny Jewish Jokes these days - jokes for just about everyone. Whenever The Pope makes an official visit to a country, that raises a renewed interest in Pope Jokes of course, and more people than ever before are enjoying Christian Jokes. Some Religious Jokes can be crude too, which not everyone likes. But... Just for you... this Religious Jokes lens features only clean Religious Jokes, suitable for all audiences. On this Religious Jokes page you will find all types of church humor that shows you the funny side of religion from a lot of different angles. Some religious jokes are totally blasphemous, featuring Jesus, Mary, The Pope, various Vicars, Ministers and Priests, Monks, Nuns, Adam and Eve, Moses and of course the ever popular Bill Clinton or Bill Gates, who in various scenarios either go to Heaven or Hell. You also never know what's in the Family Bible. There is always something funny happening in Church, Chapel or Temple, whether it's a funny sermon, someone falling asleep in the church congregation, or maybe it's a child's view of religion or God. Church humor is something we all ought to be able to laugh about. If you look carefully in this lens, you might even find some video clips of farting preachers... And then what about those naughty Monks and Nuns in the Monasteries and Convents - there must be something going on or there wouldn't be any jokes about them would there. We don't even spare the Buddhist Monks here. Our Religious Jokes are not for everyone - you need to have an open mind to appreciate some of these religious jokes, but they are here for your enjoyment. If you are offended by any type of Religious Joke, please surf elsewhere. But if you are a fun loving person who enjoys looking at life from the funny side, find yourself a pew and make yourself at home. For more Religious Jokes visit THE LAUGHLINE RELIGIOUS JOKES INDEX Wow my lens got the Cool Site Of The Day award for 18th May 2008. For some more good laughs, I invite you to visit THE LAUGHLINE a great collection of some of the best jokes around, and if you enjoy these Religious Jokes, don't miss the sequel MORE RELIGIOUS JOKES.

Bournemouth Guide All About Bournemouth

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:47:25 -0600

If you are looking for information on Bournemouth or things to do in Bournemouth, this Bournemouth Guide will hopefully answer your questions. But firstly, for those of you who are unfamiliar with the town that I grew up in, I will answer the question "Where is Bournemouth?" Bournemouth is one of the finest seaside towns on the South Coast of England, and yet if you live outside of the UK, chances are that you have never heard of Bournemouth. To the British public, however, Bournemouth instantly makes you think of the seaside, the twin piers (Bournemouth Pier and Boscombe Pier), the fine golden sand of Bournemouth's Beaches, or maybe a stroll through The Pier Approach Pleasure Gardens. The beaches at Bournemouth are not made up of coarse sand or pebbles like those at places like Southsea or Brighton. Bournemouth beaches are made of the finest golden sand, making them some of the best in Britain. Bournemouth Beach is one of the Top 100 Tourist Attractions in the UK according to Trip Advisor, and is also the only place in the UK where you can have your Wedding Ceremony right on the beach. Since it's birth in Victorian times, Bournemouth has been a place for older people to retire to or to visit on holiday. Since the 1970's Bournemouth has also been home to a number of International Language Schools and so has also a large population of students from all over the world. Bournemouth is also home to some famous people, with a number of celebrities living in places such as Westbourne and of course Sandbanks. Do You Need To Find Somewhere To Stay In Bournemouth? As well as providing a lot of information on Bournemouth and the surrounding area for tourists, Bournemouth Hotels will help you to find accommodation, whether it's hotels, guest houses or rental properties in the Bournemouth area that you are looking for. There are many hotels in Bournemouth as well as guest houses and also a good number of places to rent. So whether you visit Bournemouth on vacation or on business, there is no shortage of places to stay. Memories Of A Visit To Bournemouth Fond memories might come flooding back of the splendid views of the Cliffs, or the many Chines along the Bournemouth coastline. If you like to go to concerts, shows or the Pantomime, or if you have attended one of the major conferences that are held in Bournemouth, you might instantly think of the Bournemouth Pavilion, or the more modern Bournemouth International Centre (known locally as the BIC) which is an integral part of the town centre. If you are a railway enthusiast, you might even recall the grand old Bournemouth Belle, which used to bring visitors to the town in the good old days of steam. Football supporters will be well aware of AFC Bournemouth, struggling to stay in Division Two in 2008 due to a financial crisis. But whatever the word Bournemouth makes you think of, it has to be related to the seaside. So whether you are familiar with Bournemouth or not, I hope that you will read on and learn more about this wonderful seaside town. This Lens Is A Winner Of The Coveted Lens Of The Day Award The Squidoo Lens Of The Day Award for 19th November 2008 goes to this lens about Bournemouth. I put of lot of time into creating this page about the town where I grew up, actually I put a lot of myself into it too, so it's really nice to see it recognised. Thanks so much to Megan at Squidoo HQ and for everyone who visited this lens and helped it get this much coveted award. This Lens Is A Winner Of The New And Rare Purple Star Award A Purple Star was awarded to this Bournemouth lens on 1st May 2009. This page was handpicked by Squidoo's editors as one of the most remarkable pages on the entire site. So if you like it, please remark on it, blog it, share it with a friend, and know you're spreading the word about something really exceptional on the web. Money-off Vouchers and Deals for Popular Restaurants, Shops and Attractions These are invaluable if you are going to be spending time in Bournemouth

Jokes For Baby Boomers

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:42:30 -0600

Jokes about Old People are really popular and also really funny, as long as you can see the funny side of getting old. I hope you enjoy this great collection of Baby Boomer Jokes. I firmly believe that as you get older, it's important to laugh and to be able to look on the bright side of life. As we get older our health begins to deteriorate, and we become the butt of all kinds of jokes about old people and getting older. So what are we to do about it? Well I don't know about you, but I love old people jokes, and I am determined to try and keep on laughing up to the day I die. Being born in the 1950's I am still not classified as officially "old" as in "ancient", but I am slowly and surely getting there, and being one of the Baby Boomer Generation, I am determined to not give up without a good laugh first. The term BABY BOOMER is used to describe a person that was born between 1946 and 1964. Following World War II, both North America and Europe experienced an unusual spike in birth rates, with troops returning home from the war, changes in lifestyle, better health care etc. This phenomenon is commonly known as the baby boom. Now that the Baby Boomers are starting to hit retirement age, this is causing concern for governments as regards their ability to fund healthcare and other needs as the percentage of the population that is officially old steadily increases. It simply had to happen - we are all getting older, yet at the same time we are reluctant to let go of our youth. We are the generation that grew up with Woodstock and the Hippie years. We saw the introduction of the mini-skirt, the music and dance revolution of the 50's and 60's, and now us Baby Boomers are trying to hold on to our youth for as long as possible. And so, you find men in their 60's sporting pony-tails and dressing like surfing-dudes, grandmothers wearing skirts so short and with skimpy tops that make even their children cringe, and a fortune being spent on revatilization products that will help us retain our youth, if only in outward appearance. This is the age of plastic surgery, Botox and a whole lot of other "solutions" for reducing the signs of ageing. So welcome to OUR WORLD - the world of the Baby Boomer. Getting older certainly has it's problems, but it also gives rise to plenty of jokes about getting old, ageing, the the problems people have dealing with it. This is what this lens is all about - BABY BOOMER JOKES. I hope the jokes and stories you find on this page will help keep you smiling. Don't forget - smiling uses more facial muscles than frowning and helps prevent wrinkles! You might be surprised as well at how many jokes their are about old people and peanuts, or tour buses and travel hiccups. Now you just sit right down and enjoy the jokes. No No. Not that chair. That chair is far too low, you will never be able to get up again. How about this one instead? That's better. I hope it doesn't hurt your back... Sit up straight now, don't slump... Ok, now be quiet and concentrate on the jokes... If like me you are concerned about working until you are into your 70's because you don't have enough to make ends meet unless you work, you might want to take a look at JSK Marketing which is a blog that has some very good ideas for adding to your income through the internet. Photo of the Old Folk courtest of Pedro Ribeiro Simoes on Flickr.

Zecharia Sitchin Author Of The Earth Chronicles

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 14:44:27 -0600

Is Mythology just a lot of made up magical stories from the Dawn of Time, or could the Gods of Ancient Times have been real beings? As a result of a lifetime of research, Zecharia Sitchin has uncovered evidence that shows it is likely that the Gods Of Old did exist. Have you ever wondered how man evolved thousands of years ago, what the truth might be behind mysterious ancient places, myths and legends, why there are descriptions of flying machines in ancient texts from around the world, and many things that we just can't explain. Zecharia Sitchin (sometimes mis-spelled Zechariah Sitchin or Zacharia Sitchin) was an accomplished Jewish Scholar whose knowledge of modern and ancient Hebrew, other Semitic and European languages is second to none. He spent much of his life studying the Old Testament and the history and archeology of the Near East, researching and re-translating many of the ancient tablets from the most ancient cities of Sumeria, Babylon and Arcadia (now mostly in Iraq). Zecharia Sitchin's revelations about the colonization of Earth about 450,000 years ago by peoples from Nibiru (often referred to as Planet X), a 12th planet in our solar system have proved to be highly controversial in the scientific and religious world. As fantastic as his theories might sound at first, the compelling evidence that he brings into play from the ancient documents that he has translated, chronologically verified in many ways by the Old Testament, are very logical. If you believe what Zecharia Sitchin is telling us from the ancient stories that he has interpreted, mankind was created by an alien race called the Annunaki, who genetically created us from a blend of prehistoric man and themselves. This lens was awarded a Purple Star on 21st January 2010. Image of Zecharia Sitchin taken from The Official Website Of Zecharia Sitchin.

Golf Jokes And Funny Golf Stories

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:17:30 -0600

Golf jokes are something that is passed from golfer to golfer, on the fairway as well as in the clubhouse after a round of golf. The game of Golf has spawned a whole collection of great golf jokes, and this lens is a selection of some of the best funny golf jokes to be found. Only the clean golf jokes are to be found here though. Click HERE if you are looking for Dirty Golf Jokes. Playing Golf is one of the most popular pastimes, especially in the USA. The Game Of Golf takes a lifetime of practice, you need the right equipment, plenty of time, and not least plenty of money too, as a round of Golf can cost a small fortune these days, especially on a championship Golf course . Like pretty much everything else in this world, there are plenty of jokes about the game of Golf. Many Golf Jokes are based on women trying to get into what was traditionally a man's game. The word GOLF is said by some to have originally stood for: Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden. Other Golf Jokes satirically involve various religious figures coming back to earth and playing golf, with some hilarious outcomes. Golf Jokes also involve Priests, Vicars, occasionally Monks and also Nuns. Then once in a while, either a Genie or a Leprechaun pops up in a Golf Joke. Golf Jokes are never boring, often highly original, and frequently some of the best jokes around. For some more good laughs, I invite you to visit THE LAUGHLINE a great collection of some of the best jokes around. The Squidoo Open image is one of many wonderful Squidville images from talented lensmaster Steve Thompson and is used under a Collective Commons License.

What's Your Favorite Breakfast Food?

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:18:20 -0600

Breakfast is according to some the "Most Important Meal Of The Day", and there are all kinds of Breakfast foods, some that are good for you, and some that are not so good. The best breakfast food for your body just might not be the best that your brain tells you that you want though. While your body is telling you that a nice bowl of oatmeal might be nice, your brain could be craving pancakes and maple syrup, bagels and cream cheese or a sugary donut. I didn't always eat as healthy as I do nowadays, but as I have got older, I understand the importance of trying to stay healthy, and starting the day off right (well most of the time) is a good way to help keep your body in shape and to prevent problems later in life. I have to admit that the breakfast plate you see here, of Bacon, Sausage, Baked Beans, Fried Egg and Bubble & Squeak (left over potatoes and vegetables fried up in the skillet) isn't that healthy, but this is the type of breakfast most of us of my generation grew up with in England. I also grew up with Bread and Dripping, dripping being the fat and juices collected from the roasting pan after our Sunday Roast. This was let to go cold in a bowl, and you would spread the fat onto bread or toast, ideally finding a nice lump of jellied gravy at the bottom, topping with salt and white pepper. Now I have to admit that this was something the little porky me looked forward to in the morning, but apart from the fact it's completely unhealthy, nowadays it's hard to find a roast large enough to give some decent dripping. These days I usually start the day at home with a glass of Orange Juice, then when I get to work I have a Banana and a mug of Green Tea. About an hour later I have a good bowl of Oatmeal, with Apple Sauce in it. This saves having to add sugar. Sometimes I substitute Honey though for the Apple Sauce. So that is my way of staying healthy, filling up with good warming filling food. I am curious to find what you deem to be a good way to start the day, or are you a Cappuccino, Bagel or Donut person?

The Daily Joke - February

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:54:06 -0600

The Daily Joke for February has a joke for every day of the month. We all could use some more laughter in our lives, that can't be denied. Sometimes all we read or hear about is bad news, sad news, it drags you down. With a joke for every day in February, keep coming back to this lens to help drive the blues away and make you smile. Don't leave it at that - if you enjoy the jokes, please share this lens with your friends and get them laughing too. If you don't find the jokes funny, go ahead and share it with those people that you don't like... So, the best medicine for the blues is some good old fashioned jokes - and believe me some of these are probably as old as your great-grandmother - but the old ones are sometimes the best ones. Here you are going to find some good excuses for laughing. I hope to post daily, or if I don't make it, please submit a joke (in the guest book) for everyone to read. I also have another daily jokes list that has been going for more than 10 years on Yahoo Groups. You are also welcome to join my mailing list there at THE LAUGHLINE Enjoy and please pass the lens to your friends if you like it.

Limericks For Saint Patrick's Day

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:38:31 -0600

This Limericks For Saint Patrick's Day lens is a tribute to some great writers on Yahoo Voices and is comprised completely of original Limericks and Poems that have been composed by writers on that site in honor of Saint Patricks Day. I hope that you enjoy them. Each Limerick or Poem has a link to the original article on Yahoo Voices so please feel free to click and see what other great articles these authors have written. Before We Go Further, Exactly What Is A Limerick? According to Wisegeek a limerick is a five-line humorous poem with an AABBA rhyme scheme. It is about 500 years old, and held to have first been used as a distinct form at the end of the sixteenth century. The limerick was popularized by Edward Lear in A Book of Nonsense, which includes many limericks as well as other poems, for example "The Owl and the Pussy Cat." Leprechaun image courtesy of CKSINFO.COM

The Daily Joke Collection

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:07:36 -0600

Humor is the spice of life in my opinion. Fun and Laughter help reduce stress, and also help to keep you happy and healthy. Everybody loves a good laugh, and everybody needs a good reason to laugh once in a while. I have always enjoyed listening to people tell jokes, and enjoyed telling jokes too. One of the first things I did after joining Squidoo as a lensmaster was to create a series of lenses that had daily jokes for every month of the year, and this lens is an index of all the humor and jokes lenses that I have created. The jokes and humor collection is growing with every month, so I thought it would be a good idea to list them all in one place, so you don't miss any. I receive lots of jokes in my Inbox every day, and only the best jokes get to appear in my jokes lenses. As well as the Daily Joke lenses, of which there is one for each month of the year, I have lenses for specific joke categories, such as Religious Jokes, Golf Jokes and Baby Boomer Jokes, plus My Claim To Fame and My Pet Peeves. I hope you have time to visit them all and that you and enjoy them. Webmasters - Please contact me if you would like to add Reciprocal Links between this Daily Jokes index page and your site. Because this is a lens that is about Jokes and Humor, the site you request must likewise be a Humor site, and also CLEAN since I keep this a clean lens.

The New Forest Hampshire UK

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:47:06 -0600

If you haven't heard of The New Forest before, I hope that by the time you have read this page, you will not only know where The New Forest is, but also know how it came to be, to know what places there are to see in The New Forest, and I hope you will also want to visit there one day. The New Forest is an old forest (over 1,000 years old), yet also one of England's newest National Parks, which was created in 2005 to help preserve this beautiful area of Southern England, that has thousands of acres of woodland and heathland, with horses, deer, cattle and even pigs roaming wild, and with many rare varieties of plants, animals and birds that are protected.. The area attracts many tourists annually, as there are numerous places for camping, and for taking walks or cycling across the forest, the secenery and vegetation changing from one part to another. The New Forest is located close to where we live in the city of Southampton and also to where I grew up in Bournemouth, on the boundary of the counties of Dorset and Hampshire, and we love to go walking there. This lens was awarded a Purple Star on 11th February 2012. Map of The New Forest from New Forest Pics

Sandbanks Poole The Best Beaches In England

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:09:35 -0600

Sandbanks is a sandy peninsula located several miles west of Bournemouth in the county of Dorset, in the middle of the South Coast of England. It forms the southern part of the entrance to Poole Harbour, which is the second largest natural harbour in the world after Sydney in Australia. On this page you will find historic hotels and other places to stay in Sandbanks, as well as memories of growing up in Poole and Sandbanks, and the history of Sandbanks complete with some personal photographs. If you are looking for Property For Sale at Sandbanks then you can find that here too. What makes this peninsula that is comprised of sand dunes really special is that Sandbanks Beach is not made of any ordinary sand. Sandbanks Beach is made up of the finest golden sand, and with it being located in the English Channel where the warm waters of the Gulf Stream take away the chill of the sea, it's a wonderful place for both sunbathing and swimming. The beach at Sandbanks is consistently awarded a Blue Flag every year. The Blue Flag Award is an international program that lets visitors know that the beach or marina is one of the best in the world. The beaches at Poole and Bournemouth all have this award. Sandbanks is only a mile long, and at it's narrowest just wide enough for a 2 lane road, with the harbour on one side, and a row of luxury houses on the other. These houses back onto the beach, making it the British equivalent of Malibu in California, and some of the people who have built mansions there in recent years reflect that impression of an exclusive location. This beautiful spot has in the last 20 years become home to more and more of Britain's millionaires. As of 2008, Sandbanks is the fourth most expensive place in the world to buy property, based on land. As a result of the influx of the wealthy, gone are some of the older art-deco homes that were built from the 1930's to the 1960's, and in their place are now multi-million pound mansions, owned by major Sports or Television personalities. Sandbanks forms the northern entrance to Poole Harbour, and is connected to the south side at Studland by the Sandbanks Ferry, which is pulled across the entrance to the harbour on chains, since at full flow the current through the narrow harbour entrance is very fast. As well as the millionaire mansions at Sandbanks, there are also many properties that can be rented, and not all are mega-expensive. There are also some excellent Hotels at Sandbanks which are not overly priced, and if you stay here you just never know who you might bump into. In recent years Sandbanks has become the location for some international beach events, the biggest being the British Beach Polo Championships which are held at Sandbanks every July. All images unless otherwise stated are the property of Tony Payne and may only be used with the owner's permission.

Clint Eastwood Movies And Collectibles

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:03:08 -0600

If you enjoy Clint Eastwood movies, and he has made many classic movies, this page highlights the best of them, as well as making available to you some unique Clint Eastwood collectables courtesy of eBay. Born in 1930, Clint Eastwood had proved himself time and time again to be one of the legendary Hollywood actors of the 20th Century. Clint became popular in the 1950's as Rowdy Yates in the television western Rawhide, and from there played a number of Western roles, notably in the Spaghetti Westerns of the 1960's, movie classics such as A Fistful Of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, The Good The Bad And The Ugly. He then moved on to play San Francisco cop Harry Callahan in the Dirty Harry movies, and then to more of a comedy role in Every Which Way But Loose and the sequel Any Which Way You Can, co-starring with Clyde the Orangutan. Clint also showed off his singing talents in the 1960's western musical Paint Your Wagon, in which he starred with Topol and Lee Marvin. Whether it's in a wartime role, as in the classic World War Two comedy Kelly's Heroes, as a convict in Escape From Alcatraz, or a pilot stealing a top secret Russian plane in Firefox, just a few of Clint Eastwood's many roles, he has the ability to adapt and to play every role in a unique and extremely talented way. See Also: Clint Eastwood on Wikipedia Clint Eastwood photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Dirty Golf Jokes

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:33:09 -0600

Dirty Golf Jokes are a fact of life. Men love to play golf, and men love to tell dirty jokes. It's only logical then isn't it that there are so many funny golf jokes that are also dirty. We are men after all, and the world just wouldn't be the same if we didn't tell dirty jokes. Even a lot of ladies love dirty jokes these days, but as always there are those who don't, and that's understandable too. For those of you who really don't enjoy dirty jokes, whether they are about golf or not, I highly recommend the companion page to this one, Golf Jokes, which has nothing but clean golf jokes. Whether you are going to stick around here and read the dirty golf jokes, or whether you head off to my other lens and read the clean golf jokes, I hope that you enjoy the selection that I have for you and that you have a good laugh. The Squidoo Open image is one of many wonderful Squidville images from talented lensmaster Steve Thompson and is used under a Collective Commons License.

One Hundred Years Ago

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:49:34 -0600

One Hundred Years isn't very long ago in the scheme of things, in fact for many of us, it was the time when our Great Grandparents or even Grandparents were alive, and for some of us, our parents were not far off being born. My Mother for example was born in 1918, and my Father in 1922, both sadly no longer with us today, but what a different world they both grew up into, to the one that we know today. One Hundred Years Ago the automobile was still in it's infancy, and the world had not yet been covered in tarmac or concrete roadways to make their journeys faster and less bumpy. What is credited as being the first powered manned flight, by the Wright Brothers, only took place in 1903, and therefore the Age Of Flight was just beginning as well. It was not until 1927 that Charles Lindbergh took that giant leap and made the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. The last one hundred years have seen many discoveries and inventions, some good, some not so good. We now have highly automated cars, planes and trains that can travel at hundreds of miles per hour. Man has flown to the Moon and back. We have been to both the North and South Poles. Nuclear powered submarines can travel around the world non-stop without the need to surface. Radio was in it's infancy, and ship to shore telegraphy using Morse Code was just beginning to be introduced. It would be a few years before every house had electricity, let alone radios. Although John Logie Baird had demonstrated the television back in 1876, it would be the 1930's before commercial broadcasting began. So much has been achieved in such a short time, and yet only 100 years ago, before the unimaginable First World War, life was very different, yet changing faster than in any other time in history. The articles and images used below are all more than 100 years old, and as such I have been advised by the national Library Of Australia that they are now out of copyright, and may be reproduced. This lens has been featured at The Homeschool Club on Facebook.

Top 25 Tom Hanks Movies

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:54:14 -0600

Tom Hanks is an American actor who has appeared in more than 61 movies and other productions. It's not easy to create a list of the Top Tom Hanks Movies, since there are so many movies that could be categorized as Tom Hanks best. I have done my best to create a Tom Hanks Movies List that features his Top 25 Movies. I hope you agree with my selection of the best Tom Hanks movies. He is also a highly talented producer of movies and television shows, which include The Pacific, John Adams, Mama Mia, Evan Almighty, The Polar Express, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Band Of Brothers and From The Earth To The Moon. In addition, Tom Hanks has directed the following classic productions: Band Of Brothers, From The Earth To The Moon, That Thing You Do, Vault Of Horror I, Fallen Angels, A League Of Their Own and Tales From The Cript. This lens was awarded a Purple Star on 12th December 2010. This lens was inspired by Top 20 Tom Hanks Movies (photo of Tom Hanks courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Irish Jewelry For St. Patricks Day

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:27:58 -0600

St. Patrick's Day is a great time for Irish folk everywhere to celebrate, and what better way to show someone Irish that you love them than by giving the gift of a wonderful item of Irish jewelry. Irish Jewelry and Celtic Jewelry in general is wonderfully crafted and comes in great designs, with something to suit every taste. Irish Silver Jewelry has been popular since the craft began in the early 17th century, and Claddagh Rings make a great gift item for any woman who has an Irish heritage. I hope that you find something here for that special person, or maybe for yourself. If not, I hope that this page at least gives you some ideas. Image from Shopirish.com

History Of The Hovercraft

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 08:05:02 -0600

The Hovercraft is a unique vehicle, that allows travel over water, flat land and marshland, with the hovercraft floating above the ground on a cushion of air. This is something that no other vehicle can do, and best of all it's a British invention. Experiments with vehicles that could hover were undertaken in the early 1900's according to Wikipedia, and in 1915 Dagobert M�ller from Austria built the world's first air-cushion vehicle. It was not until the 1950's however that the first modern hovercraft was designed by Sir Christopher Cockerell, using the movement of air to create the hover effect. The photograph above is of one of the craft operated by Hovertravel who operate the only active public hovercraft service in the UK, from Southsea to the Isle Of Wight. Unless otherwise stated, all photographs are Copyright Tony Payne (Poddys) and are not for use without permission.

Best Reviewer Adsense Revenue Sharing

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 01:55:49 -0600

Best Reviewer is a web site that allows it's members to share in the advertising revenue from it's Google Adsense adverts. It's very easy to set up an account with Best Reviewer, and members benefit not only from the Google Adsense Revenue Sharing, but from back links that point to their Squidoo lenses, blog postings, or whatever other links they build into the documents that they publish on best Reviewer. Reviews are quick and easy to create, making this a very simple and easy way to earn money online, as you will see if you read on.

Bennie And The Jets by Elton John

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:11:06 -0600

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is arguably the best of Elton John's albums, originally a double album (LP) released in 1973 that includes a number of his best known earlier hits, which include Funeral For A Friend, Candle In The Wind, Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting and of course Bennie And The Jets. The album was released while I was at university, and I can recall a number of occasions where a group of us sat around late and just listened to now classic albums like Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Frampton Comes Alive. I saw Elton John perform in concert in the late 1990's at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. He put on a great solo show, just him and the piano, and he played for over 2 1/2 hours. When he played the first chord of Bennie And The Jets, followed by a 5 second silence, everyone in the packed audience knew what song was coming next, and the whole concert was an amazing experience. So do you know all the lyrics to Bennie And The Jets? Whether you do or not, I hope you will read on and learn more about this classic Elton John Hit.

Top 15 Leonardo DiCaprio Movies

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:01:05 -0600

Whether it's playing lovesick artist Jack Dawson in Titanic, the great Howard Hughes in The Aviator or an elusive impersonator in Catch Me If You Can, Leonardo DiCaprio has played a number of different roles, and has definitely not fallen into the stereotype fold. With great performances in some of his earlier movies, like Titanic and What's Eating Gilbert Grape, and more violent roles in later movies like The Departed and Blood Diamond, pretty much everyone loves at least one Leonardo DiCaprio movie, if not most of them. This is a list of what I feel are the Top 15 Leonardo DiCaprio Movies. This lens was inspired by Top 15 Leonardo DiCaprio Movies (photo of Leonardo DiCaprio courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Famous People From Bournemouth

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:31:42 -0600

Who would think that there were so many famous people from Bournemouth or with a connection to Bournemouth. It was not until I was doing research on my Bournemouth lens that I discovered that the list is rather large. Growing up in the Bournemouth area I never realised that it was the home to so many famous people. Years ago I never thought to associate Bournemouth with famous musicians, actors, authors or other celebrities, but today with the advent of the internet, it's possible to see just how many famous people have a connection with Bournemouth. This Squidoo lens is going to focus not only on famous people who were born in Bournemouth, but on famous people who have lived in the area as well. With Bournemouth being a popular seaside town on the South Coast of England, and a highly desirable place to retire to as well, there are many well known people who either have now or have had in the past a connection to Bournemouth. Even our next door neighbours had a connection to showbusiness, and my Mum excitedly called me one day to say that Bruce Forsyth and Morecombe And Wise had visited next door. Sadly we no longer live in the affluent village of Lilliput, on the edge of Sandbanks. My Mum sold the house that I grew up in in 1978 for �25,000. Today it's worth well over �600,000. If only we knew back then. But back to the lens, and Famous People from Bournemouth. I hope you enjoy exploring the list, and if you find that you know someone with a Bournemouth connection who is no on it, please let me know. You can add details of other people from Bournemouth that I have missed after you vote in the Poll below. Please also don't forget to sign the visitors book so I know you dropped by, and if you did enjoy this page, a Thumbs Up or a share to Twitter/Facebook is always appreciated. If you would like to learn more about Bournemouth, please visit my Bournemouth lens, which has won both Lens Of The Day and Purple Star awards. (Photograph of Bournemouth Beach and Pier courtesy of Wikipedia)

More Religious Jokes

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:34:34 -0600

For those who love Religious Jokes, funny jokes about church and religion, I hope you enjoy this great selection of new jokes. My first Religious Jokes page has been so popular, I thought that it was time to create a second chapter in the Book Of Religious Jokes. It's time to get start gossiping about the church congregation, the naughty ministers, vicars and priests as well. Time also to dig up some more Catholic and Pope jokes. I hope you enjoy this new collection of Religious Jokes. Please don't forget to let me know by participating in the Polls and by signing the Guestbook. Don't miss the videos on Dave Allen On Religion. He was a very clever and insanely funny comedian.

Titanic Movies

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:11:18 -0600

The sinking of the Titanic on 14th April 1912 was an event that made news around the world, and in a few weeks we will be commemorating the centenary of the loss of this great ship. People were stunned to hear that the largest ship ever built, one that was claimed to be unsinkable, had gone to the bottom of the ocean, and taken with it over 2,000 poor souls who froze to death in the bitter waters of the North Atlantic. This tragic event is one that has fascinated people for the last 100 years, and has resulted in a number of movies being made, as well as many documentaries. This page will introduce to you the best and the worse of the movies about the Titanic, as well as the documentaries that have been produced about her. The Titanic At berth in Southampton is from the-titanic.com

Our House by Madness

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:20:54 -0600

Our House In The Middle Of Our Street Our House In The Middle Of Our Street Our House is one of the many hit singles from Madness, who are an English pop/ska band from Camden Town in Northwest London that formed in 1976 and were one of the most prominent bands of the late-1970s 2 Tone ska revival, achieving most of their success in the 1980's. The core of the band formed in 1976 and included Mike Barson on keyboards and vocals, Chris Foreman on guitar and Lee Thompson on saxophone and vocals. They later recruited John Hasler on drums and Cathal Smyth on bass guitar. They were joined later that year by lead vocalist "Dikron". This six-piece lineup lasted until part way through 1977, when Graham McPherson (better known as Suggs) took over the lead vocals after seeing the band perform in a friend's garden. The lineup further changed when they dropped Smyth, who was poor on bass guitar, replacing him with Gavin Rogers, an acquaintance of Barson. Next, McPherson was kicked out of the band for too often choosing to watch football instead of rehearsing, and finally, Thompson left the band after Barson criticised his saxophone playing. After changing their name briefly to Morris and the Minors (a play on words of the famous English car the "Morris Minor"), the band renamed itself as Madness, paying homage to one of their favourite songs by ska/reggae artist Prince Buster. In 1979 their debut album One Step Beyond was released by Stiff Records, and gave rise to the hit singles One Step Beyond and My Girl. One Step Beyond stayed in the British charts for 37 weeks and reached #2. The band didn't want to release any more singles from the album, feeling that they had already released the best material, however they were persuaded to release more tracks on an EP. The result was the Work Rest and Play EP, which was headlined by the song Night Boat to Cairo. The EP reached #6 in the UK singles chart. The band's second album, Absolutely, released in 1980, reached #2 in the UK album charts. Absolutely generated some of the band's biggest hits, including Baggy Trousers, which reached #3 in the UK singles chart, Embarrassment which reached #4, and the instrumental Return of the Los Palmas 7 which climbed to #7. In 1981, the band's third studio album, 7 reached number 5 in the UK album charts and contained three hit singles, Grey Day, Shut Up and Cardiac Arrest. This album was a change in direction from the past. Suggs' vocal performance changed significantly, and his strong Cockney accent from the previous albums had been watered down. The album strayed from the ska-influenced sound of One Step Beyond and Absolutely, and moved towards a more conventional and mature pop sound. Near the end of 1981, Madness released one of their most recognised songs; a remake of Labi Siffre's 1971 hit It Must Be Love". The song climbed to #4 in the UK, and in 1983, the song peaked at #33 in the US charts. In 1982, Madness released their only number 1 hit to date, House of Fun which they played live on the '80s series The Young Ones. The compilation album Complete Madness also reached #1. In November '82, Madness released their 4th studio album, The Rise & Fall. The album did well in the UK, but didn't get an American release. Instead, many of the albums songs were included on the US compilation Madness, including Our House, which was their most internationally successful single to date. Our House reached #5 in the UK music charts and #7 in the US charts. In 1983, their single Wings of a Dove reached #2 in the UK charts, followed by The Sun & The Rain. Their following album, Keep Moving reached #6 in the UK album charts, and two singles from that album reached the top 20 in the UK music charts. The album received some good reviews, with Rolling Stone Magazine giving the album four out of five stars. In early 1992, It Must Be Love was re-released and reached #6 in the UK singles chart. Following that, the singles compilation Divine Madness was released and rechaed #1 in the album charts. Madness then announced plans for a reunion concert, Madstock, which was held at Finsbury Park, London in August that year. The original Madness lineup reunited, performing together for the first time since Mike Barson left the band in 1984. Over 75,000 fans attended the weekend festival, and during One Step Beyond, the vibrations of the crowd jumping up and down in time to the music caused an earth tremor which measured over 4.5 on the Richter scale. A subsequent live album was released, and the associated single, The Harder They Come got to #44 in the UK, with the album reaching #22. The band continued to reunite for annual UK Christmas season tours and held three more Madstock festivals; in 1994, 1996 and 1998. The band are still performing in 2008, with their most recognised lineup of seven members, although their lineup has varied slightly over the years. This song, Our House by Madness is also the theme song for the new ABC primetime show Opportunity Knocks. It's great to see this song revived and I hope it helps bring the music of Madness to a whole new generation.

Proud To Be British

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:56:47 -0600

Were you born in either England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland? If so, that makes you British. Are you proud to be part of the heritage that made Britain GREAT? Hopefully like me you are proud to be British, even if the British Empire no longer exists, and our country is sadly just a poor reflection of the great power that it used to be.

International Calling Cards For Low Cost International Calls

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:07:14 -0600

DON'T PAY INFLATED COSTS TO YOUR LONG DISTANCE PROVIDER WHEN YOU MAKE INTERNATIONAL CALLS! Now it is possible to buy Cheap Phone Cards to place international calls. In the past people usually avoided making international phone calls unless they absolutely had to because of the cost, but in this age of advanced technology there are many ways in which the cost of making international calls can be greatly reduced, in fact it can be even cheaper than calling within the country if you pick the right option. With the low rates I am about to reveal to you, there is no longer any excuse to not call family and friends overseas. Image courtesy of best-of-web.com Most people in the past also used to have a phone at home (more commonly known these days as a landline), whereas the trend these days is for more and more people to have a cell phone and no landline at all. This page will, I hope enable you to pick the right options for you, and to help save you money when making international calls. Getting straight to the point, you can't go far wrong with ALMOST FREE PHONE CALLS when choosing a plan for making international calls from almost any country. You may see hundreds of adverts for calling cards, prepaid calling cards, international calling cards, prepaid phone cards, international phone cards etc, but know that not all prepaid calling cards are equal - some will save you money, and some will cost you dearly. Right now for example I am paying 1.3 cents/minute to make calls from the USA to the UK with 1 minute rounding and no extra costs. That gives me 26 hours of calling for $20, from either a landline or my cell phone. I have had this price for over 2 years, it's not a special rate, it's the rate all the time. You can get rates as low as 0.6 cents/minute though, if you are happy with a 3 minute rounding. If you see an advert that says 1,000 minutes for $17.95 that looks good to you, right? WRONG! The rate I pay gives me over 1,500 minutes for that price. Don't be fooled by large numbers advertized on other cards, where they might charge you $1 to make a call. Not bad you might say, considering you could be paying 25cents or more a minute for using your cell phone. Read on to see how you can do this yourself. There are no catches, it's just a matter of searching for the right calling card that suits your needs. And it's saving me a small fortune. Before I forget, there are also some ways to call overseas for FREE, like MSN Live or Skype, but they mostly rely on you calling from a computer to a computer. I am going to add sections on this also very soon, so if you are a member of Squidoo and want to be notified of the updates, please either join my fan club or add this lens to your favorites. BECOME AN AFFILIATE and earn money by promoting calling cards and also when you buy your own.

Have You Ever Seen The Rain by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 16:43:30 -0600

Have You Ever Seen The Rain was written by John Fogerty, whose writing talents were behind so many of the Creedence Clearwater Revival hits from the 1960's and 1970's. The song was released in 1970 on their album Pendulum and rose as high as number 8 in the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart in 1971. It is thought that the lyrics for the song are making a reference to the Vietnam War, with "bombs raining down from the sky". John Fogerty was called up by the Draft Board in 1966, but was fortunately able to enlist in the Army Reserve and not have to go to war. Another band member, Doug Clifford had also been called up at the same time, and served in the United States Coast Guard Reserve. Following their military discharge in 1968, all four members of the band, John Fogerty, Doug Clifford, Tom Fogerty (John's older brother) and Stu Cook, all left their jobs to focus on the band as a full time career. Their second album, Bayou Country which was released in 1969 signalled their success, with hits like Proud Mary and Born On The Bayou. A little know fact is that Creedence Clearwater Revival played at Woodstock, however because John Fogerty thought that their playing sounded sub-standard, they appear neither on the Woodstock film or the Original Soundtrack. The band broke up in 1972, but John Fogerty's career in the music industry is still going strong as a solo artist. You can learn more about Creedence Clearwater Revival from Wikipedia.

My Claim To Fame

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:19:08 -0600

Do you have a claim to fame, anything you have done to give you notoriety? Your claim to fame might be the result of having someone famous in the family, or as a friend, having met a famous person, or having taken part in a special event, appeared on television or in a movie, or (heaven help us) on a show like Jerry Springer... Andy Warhol once said that everyone should have their 15 minutes of fame. Well I can't guarantee you 15 minutes, but this is your chance to let the world know about something that you did that makes you someone special. Just browse through the sections below and I think you just might be amazed at some of the claims to fame that some of our Squidoo lensmasters have, and just how many of them have claims to fame as well. Are you ready to be added to the list? You can let me know what you feel gives you a Claim To Fame by adding to the guestbook (It's just below the Table of Contents, or CLICK HERE). The best Claims To Fame will be given their own section on THE WALL OF FAME as the list grows - and it is growing nicely! Don't forget that this is your lens - it's up to you, the "not so famous" people of the world to help define it and to make it great. Your Claim To Fame doesn't have to be anything that made you famous throughout the world. What did you do (or can you do) that will make us go "ooooo" or "wow" or just make us fall about laughing... Grateful thanks to Janusz for creating the Wall Of Fame Banner and Button

The Daily Joke For January

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:17:04 -0600

Jokes are a great way to brighten up your day, and I hope this collection of funny jokes will help to make you smile. Everyone needs a reason to laugh. If we didn't laugh then the world would be a dull place. Not only that, if people didn't laugh, their facial muscles wouldn't get much of a work out, well except for when they were eating, so growls and scowls would probably stick on their faces. Just looking at all those grouches would spoil your day before it started wouldn't it! So come on, take a joke or two in to start the day right. It's just as important as having a good breakfast. Give those facial muscles a good work out. The Daily Joke for January has 31 great jokes, funny jokes that are guaranteed to set you laughing and to raise a smile. If you like this lens and the jokes, please can you rate it, share it, and leave me a comment in the guestbook to let me know you were here and what you thought of this lens. For some more good laughs, I invite you to visit THE LAUGHLINE a great collection of some of the best jokes around.

The Daily Joke March

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:20:25 -0600

The Daily Joke is a Joke A Day for every day of the month, and this page has a joke for every day in the month of March. We could all use a lot more laughter in our lives right? You love funny jokes right? That's what I thought - I knew you would agree with me... Inside this lens you will find a different joke for each day in the month of March. If you like humor and love funny jokes, this lens, please keep coming back as I add new jokes to keep the laughter flowing all through the month of March. So, the best medicine for the blues is some good old fashioned jokes - and trust me some of these are probably as old as your great-grandmother - well at least as old as mine - but the old ones are sometimes the best ones. A lot of care is taken to try and find jokes that are really funny, and it's not easy to find the funniest jokes, something that will make everyone laugh, because not everyone finds the same funny joke funny. Funny thing jokes aren't they? Do as the doctor ordered, and dose yourself up with The Daily Joke, A Joke A Day, and help drive the blues away. And if you have a friend who needs cheering up, copy the link for this page and email it to them. That ought to help brighten their day too. And just to make sure this lens is suitable for all audiences, the jokes are all clean jokes, so come back regularly for the daily clean joke. Here you are going to find some good excuses for laughing. I hope to post daily, or if I don't make it, please submit a joke (in the guest book) for everyone to read. I also have another daily jokes list that has been going for 5 years or more on Yahoo. You are also welcome to join my mailing list there at THE LAUGHLINE Enjoy and please pass the lens to your friends if you like it. WOULD YOU LIKE TO CREATE PAGES LIKE THIS? You can by joining Squidoo. It's FREE to join, and you can create pages like this one simply and with no programming experience required. CLICK HERE to join Squidoo and create your own first lens.

Leonardo DiCaprio Movies And Collectibles

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:53:16 -0600

Leonardo DiCaprio has a lot of adoring fans around the world, and it's no wonder, with the wonderful characters that he has portrayed in movies like Jack Dawson in Titanic, Catch Me If You Can, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, and more recently Inception. Few actors can portray a famous person quite as well as Leonardo DiCaprio did with his portrayal of Howard Hughes in The Aviator, and he is set to do it again playing the notorious former head of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover in the upcoming movie J. Edgar. This lens was inspired by Top 15 Leonardo DiCaprio Movies (photo of Leonardo DiCaprio courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

YMCA by The Village People

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:57:13 -0600

YMCA was the first big hit for The Village People, and one that has become a classic to be played at parties and karaoke events all over the world ever since. The YMCA lyrics are easy to learn, and together with the YMCA dance, are guaranteed to get everyone onto the dance floor. The Village People are a concept disco group formed in the late 1970s. The group is well known for their on-stage costumes as for their catchy tunes and suggestive lyrics. Original members were: police officer (Victor Willis), American Indian chief (Felipe Rose), cowboy (Randy Jones), construction worker (David Hodo), leatherman (Glenn Hughes) and Military man (Alex Briley). For the release of "In the Navy", both Willis and Briley appeared temporarily as sailors. Originally created to target disco's primarily gay fan base by featuring stereotypical gay personas, the band's popularity quickly brought them into mainstream. The group is seen by some music critics as less serious for their camp style, appearance and musical choices. Village People scored a number of disco and dance hits, including their trademark "Macho Man", "Go West", the classic club medley of "San Francisco (You've Got Me) / In Hollywood (Everybody is a Star)", "In the Navy", "Can't Stop the Music", "Sex Over the Phone" and their biggest hit, "Y.M.C.A.". Collectively, the Village People have sold 85 million albums and singles. The group also recorded new materials under the name "The Amazing Veepers". Don't forget to watch the hilarious video clips of people dancing the YMCA (or trying to) and please vote for your favorite, and feel free to add one too. 1977-1979 The group was created by Jacques Morali, who was a French musical composer. He had written a few songs when he heard Victor Willis singing background vocals in a studio. Morali approached Willis and told him, "I had a dream that you sang lead on my album and it went very, very big." Willis agreed to sing on the first album, Village People. It was a success, so Morali and his business partner, Henri Belolo, (under the collaboration Can't Stop Productions), decided to build a real group around Willis for a stage act to showcase and perform their disco music creations. They took out an ad in a trade magazine band which read: "Macho Types Wanted: Must Have Moustache." The first recruit, Indian Rose, Morali literally bumped into on the streets of Greenwich Village. Rose was a bartender who wore jingle bells on his boots. He was invited along to take part in the sessions for the first album. Alex Briley (who eventually took on the soldierman persona) was a friend of Willis'. The other three, Mark Mussler (construction worker), Dave Forrest (cowboy) and the original leatherman, were quickly replaced, respectively, by Dave Hodo, Randy Jones and Glenn Hughes, who all had more experience as actors/singers/dancers. Leatherman Hughes had first been been spotted as a toll collector at the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. Early on, one of the group's songwriters, Peter Whitehead, even performed with the group for a brief time. Despite the French songwriters, the songs lyrics were all in English as Morali and Belolo used American lyricists. On the first album, they brought in songwriting legends Phil Hurtt and the aforementioned Peter Whitehead. For the next three albums (and on other Can't Stop Productions such as Ritchie Family and Patrick Juvet) lead singer Willis was the lyricist. The band's name references New York City's Greenwich Village neighborhood, at the time known for having a substantial gay population. Morali and Belolo got the inspiration for creating an assembly of American man archetypes based on the gay men of The Village who frequently dressed in various fantasy attire.[citation needed] While the song "Macho Man" put them on the map, their 1978 anthem "Y.M.C.A." made them one of the most successful disco groups. In 1979, the United States Navy considered using "In the Navy", another Village People hit, in a recruiting advertising campaign on television and radio. They contacted Belolo, who decided to give the rights for free on the condition that the Navy help them shoot the music video. Less than a month later, Village People arrived at the San Diego Naval base. The Navy provided them with a warship, several aircraft, and hundreds of Navy men. The Navy later canceled the campaign. Their fame reached its peak in 1979. The Village People were featured on the cover of Rolling Stone, Vol. 289, April 19, 1979. Willis left the group at the end of 1979, and the group's downfall began. 1980-1985 Ray Simpson, brother of Valerie Simpson (of Ashford & Simpson), stepped into Willis' shoes in time for the group's highly anticipated 1980 feature film Can't Stop the Music, directed by Nancy Walker, written by Allan Carr and Bronte Woodard, music and lyrics by Jacques Morali (although Willis penned the lyrics to "Milkshake" and "Magic Night") and starring Steve Guttenberg, Valerie Perrine, Jean-Claude Billmaer, Bruce Jenner, and the Village People. By the time it was released, however, disco had waned and the movie "won" the Worst Picture and Worst Screenplay prizes at the 1980 Golden Raspberry Awards in March 1981 and was nominated in almost all the other categories. Despite that, the song, "Can't Stop the Music" became a Club Play chart hit and moderate radio hit. The soundtrack also featured the talents of "David London", who under his real name Dennis "Fergie" Frederiksen went on to become the future lead singer of Toto and one of the main contributors to the Village People's next album. The group was one of the featured guests on a November 22nd, 1980 episode of Love Boat, (7th episode of season 4), entitled "Secretary to the Stars/Julie's Decision/The Horse Lover/Gopher and Isaac Buy a Horse". At the end of 1980 Randy Jones left the group to be replaced by Jeff Olson. In 1981, with the popularity of disco long gone and New Wave music on the rise, Village People replaced its on-stage costumes with a new look inspired by the New Romantic movement, and released the New Wave album Renaissance; It only attracted minor attention and produced no hits. Victor Willis returned to the group briefly in late 1981 to help out on the album Fox on the Box which was released in 1982 only in Europe but did have limited release in the U.S. in 1983 under the title In the Street. Miles Jaye had taken over for Ray Simpson as lead singer by 1983 and contributed an extra track to In the Street. Mark Lee replaced Hodo in 1982. Although their last album containing new material, the 1985 dance/Hi-NRG release Sex Over the Phone, was not a huge commercial success, it fared better in sales and club play than their Renaissance album. The "Sex Over the Phone" music video, due to the rise of video on the Internet, has become a viral video phenomenon. The Sex album featured yet another new lead singer, Ray Stephens. Py Douglas came in to sub for Stephens for some of the group's appearances in 1985. Some information extracted from Wikipedia

Colin Firth Mr Darcy

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:21:37 -0600

Actor Colin Firth is probably best known right now for his Oscar winning performance in the leading role in movie The Kings Speech, but the role that first brought him to the attention of adoring female fans around the world is undoubtedly that of Mr Darcy in the 1995 BBC Television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride And Predudice.

Fight Back At Spam

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:20:17 -0600

If you didn't think that you can fight back at Spam, this page shows you how, and as a result of spamming you, the owners of those web sites will pay a price for their actions. Spam is everywhere these days isn't it. Not only do we find dozens or even hundreds of Spam emails in our Inbox, the Spammers are also now promoting their websites through Guestbooks and Forums. Whether you are a lensmaster on Squidoo, have your own Blogs or Web Sites, participate in Forums or write articles on other Author Sites, chances are that you have seen numerous comments from Spammers, advertising their junk all over the place. You might think that there is little that we can do to stop this, but that is not strictly true. There are in fact various tools in place that can be used for reporting Spam websites, and the more that people that use them, the more the awareness of Spam web sites will grow, and this will greatly reduce the amount of money that they earn from these sites. While we can't stop the Spammers from promoting their sites, we can help to make it a waste of time for them to do so. Are you ready to help join me in fighting back at the Spammer? Then read on...

Movie Riddles - Guess The Movie From The Rhyming Clues

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:35:33 -0600

Who doesn't like movies, and who doesn't like trivia based on the movies, especially when the questions set the little grey cells thinking and the movies are often really well known, but you can't quite figure out which ones they are. Right, the two of you who put your hands up can leave. The other 998 of you - just follow me, and enjoy these fun Movie Quizzes, where you have to guess the movie from the rhyming clues. I hope you enjoy these movie quizzes, which I originally published on Yahoo Contributor Network, but which I think work really well on Squidoo. Please take the polls, and feel free to leave comments to let people know what you think about each set of movies. Above all, have fun, and if you enjoy these riddles, I am sure others will too if you let them know about this page.

Childrens Book Characters Quiz

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:07:34 -0600

How well do you know your characters from classic children's story books? If you think you are up to it, why not have a go at these free quizzes to see how well you do. This page is intended for children of all ages - well at least old enough to be of reading age, but anywhere from there up to the point where you become too old to read and to remember the books that you loved when you were growing up. Like me I imagine that you too grew up with your favorite books, and for me Children's Adventure Stories were my world. I loved reading about children investigating mysteries and visiting strange ruined castles, or going off exploring, which were the kind of thing that most of us never got to do in real life. I hope you enjoy the quizzes, and I hope you are able to solve most if not all of them. If you have children (or grandchildren) and you see some books listed here that bring back memories from your childhood, these books still make a very good read today. They might thank you for introducing them to the adventure stories that you grew up with. Intro image courtesy of Pickpocket Books

Dorset - England's Historic South Coast

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 08:11:23 -0600

Dorset is one of England's prettiest and most historic counties and lies in the middle of the South Coast. It is bordered by Hampshire to the east, Devon to the west, Wiltshire to the northeast and Somerset to the northwest. Dorset scenery varies considerably form the north to the south. In the south you have the beautiful beaches that stretch from Christchurch to Bournemouth, Sandbanks and across the Purbeck Hills to Swanage, the Chalk Cliffs of the Jurassic Coast, plus historic towns such as Lyme Regis and Dorchester. In the northern part of Dorset you have wonderful old towns such as Wimborne, Sherborne and Shaftesbury together with rolling hills and fields full of crops and wildlife. Dorset has a history that goes back many centuries. The landscape is covered with Iron Age burial mounds and hill forts, the remains of Roman Settlements and roads, and many other features of interest. Despite all of this, Dorset is relatively little know to most Americans, so hopefully this lens will help to increase the awareness of this wonderful county in England where I was born.

Your Song by Elton John

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:14:18 -0600

"Your Song" was one of Elton John's early hits, and left the world without a doubt as to the superstar quality of this talented singer/songwriter. Sir Elton John was born in Pinner, Middlesex in England on 25th March 1947. His real name is Reginald Kenneth Dwight, he changed it to "Elton John" in the mid 60's, in homage to Bluesology saxophonist Elton Dean and Long John Baldry. He was a musical prodigy and started playing the piano at the age of 3. At the age of 11, he won a junior scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music and for the next five years, he travelled into central London to attend Saturday classes at the Academy, in addition to attending Pinner County Grammar School. At 15 he had become a weekend pianist at a local pub, playing the old sing-a-long songs that used to be popular in pubs in those days, everything from Jim Reeves to the old wartime songs. Elton played as a backing musician for a number of bands in the late 1960's, and together with Bernie Taupin he began his songwriting career. His first album, "Elton John" was released in the Spring of 1970, but the first single "Border Song" barely made in into the US Top 100. THe second single from that album, Your Song made it into the Top 10, and from that point Elton was on his way to super-stardom. His subsequent great hits, including Rocket Man, Levon and Honky Cat all did well in the charts, but his most famous album has to be Goodbye Yellow Brick Road which includes the hits of the same name as well as Funeral For A Friend and the most famous of all Candle In The Wind written in tribute to Marilyn Monroe.

Funny Spam Comments

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:10:52 -0600

Spam Comments are so annoying and frustrating, but they can also be really funny as well. When it comes to Spam, few people like it, but it is a fact of life that in today's world if you have any web pages or even just an email address, you are going to receive spam comments at some point. One of the problems is that there are programs and scripts that the spammers use to automagically post their comments to guestbooks, as well as to comment on published articles on people's blogs and forums. It's hard to stop this, although the use of Captcha's has been quite successful, and spam filters like Akismet in Wordpress have been extremely successful in filtering spam comments on Wordpress based blogs, and sending them to a spam folder, where they await manual approval or deletion. However this lens is not concerned with how to prevent spam and how to deal with it. This lens is a light hearted look at some of the spam comments that we receive on our guestbooks and articles, and for us to wonder what on earth they were thinking. With a lot of spammers not being native speakers of the English language, the wording and grammar of some of the comments is often just hilarious.

Proud Mary by Tina Turner

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:52:16 -0600

If you think Tina Turner, the most iconic song of hers is the now legendary version of the Creedence Clearwater Revival hit Proud Mary, and if you have ever seen Tina Turner strutting across the stage belting out a performance of this song, it's something not easily forgotten. Needless to say this song is on the playlist for all of Tina Turner's live shows. Originally written by John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival and released by them in 1969, Proud Mary is still one of the greatest hits by the band. Tina Turner did her first cover of this as a duet with her then husband Ike Turner in 1971, and it was released as a single off their "Workin' Together" album, reaching #4 in the pop charts. Tina Turner's working of this song is very different to the original Creedence one, starting off slow, almost like a ballard, and then exploding into a true rock song that has everyone up and on their feet. After some early successes in the 1970's with her husband Ike, things fell apart due to his drug abuse and physical abuse, however it wasn't long before Tina's solo career took off big time. In 1975 she released her first solo album titled "Acid Queen" which was timed to release with the movie version of "Tommy" by The Who, in which she played and sang the "Acid Queen". The early 1980's saw her return to fame with some great concert performances, and songs like What's Love Got To Do With It, Let's Stay Together and Private Dancer. So sit back, crank up the volume, hit play on some of the videos below, and sing along to Tina Turner and her classic hit "Proud Mary". More information on Tina Turner and Proud Mary is avalable at Wikipedia which was a source for some of the information above.

Cheap Sunglasses by ZZ Top

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:16:57 -0600

Cheap Sunglasses is one of the Greatest Hits by ZZ Top, an American hard rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. The group members are Billy Gibbons (guitar, vocals, harmonica), Dusty Hill (bass guitar, vocals, keyboards), and Frank Beard (drums, percussion). The band holds the distinction of being among the few rock bands still composed of its original recording members for nearly 40 years, and until September 2006, they had the same manager/producer, Bill Ham. ZZ Top reached peak commercial success in the 1970s and 1980s, scoring many hit songs during that era, but they remain together today and are still touring and releasing albums. ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. Nearly as well-known as their music is the group's image: Gibbons and Hill are almost always pictured wearing sunglasses (a nod to their 1979 song "Cheap Sunglasses"), similar if not matching clothing, and their trademark chest-length beards (Ironically, in spite of his own surname, Beard almost always sports just a moustache). In 1984, the Gillette Company reportedly offered Gibbons and Hill US$10 million apiece to shave their beards for a television commercial but they declined, stating "We're too ugly without 'em". See (Wikipedia for more information)

The Daily Joke - October

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:35:31 -0600

Do you love Funny Dog Pictures? If so, that is what you will find plenty of here. Funny dog pictures are really popular these days, and I hope I have been able to create a collection that will put a smile on your face. The Daily Joke is a series of monthly lenses that were created to help give you a reason to laugh every day of the month. These usually have a joke for every day of the month, but I thought for September I would do something a little different, with a selection of some of the funniest dog pictures that I have in my collection. Well this proved to be so popular that I decided to repeat the subject for October, so here are even more funny dog pictures. Thanks very much to AJ2008 for sending me many of these wonderfully funny pictures. Do you think that dressing up dogs makes them look cute, or is it ridiculous:? Sit back and enjoy, don't be afraid to laugh out loud, and please forward this lens to your friends if you do like it and think they need a good laugh too. Once you have browsed through all the pictures, don't forget to vote for your favorite. You can only vote if you are a member of Squidoo, so if not, click on the link in the Visitor Book below to join Squidoo. It's FREE, a lot of fun and highly addictive. I guarantee you will like creating your own lenses. Don't Miss The Bonus Video - Dogs In A Busy Restaurant - After The Pictures

Angelina Jolie Movies And Collectibles

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:20:35 -0600

On this page you can find details of one of the most beautiful women in the world, Angelina Jolie. As well as pictures of Angelina Jolie, there are details of her Movies on DVD, and Angelina Jolie Collectables such as Autographed Photographs etc. It's hard to believe that there is anyone who hasn't heard of Angelina Jolie, but how much do you really know about her, other than her looks and her role as Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider movies? Angelina Jolie is the daughter of Jon Voight, who is best known for his lead role in the 1969 movie Midnight Cowboy. She was born Angelina Jolie Voight on 4th June 1975. Her first acting role was alongside her father in Lookin' To Get Out at the age of 6, but it wasn't until 1995 that she got her first leading role, in the movie Hackers. Angelina won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1999 movie Girl Interrupted, but it was her role as Lara Croft in the movie Lara Croft : Tomb Raider that really set her on the map. The 2005 movie Mr. & Mrs Smith in 2005 was a huge success, and teamed her up with Brad Pitt, who she is now living with. You would never guess that at the age of 14 Angeline had dreams of becoming a funeral director, and used to go around dressed in black. Most people are aware of her more recent roles in movies such as The Bone Collector in which she starred with Denzel Washington, Gone In Sixty Seconds co-starring with Nicolas Cage, and she was also the voice of Lola in the 2004 animated movie Shark Tale and Master Tigress in the 2008 animated movie Kung Fu Panda. It seems that as Angelina Jolie gets older she just gets hotter, and one of her hottest roles was as Olympias, the mother of Colin Farrell in the 2004 movie Alexander. The movie itself had a rough ride with the critics for it's focus on homosexuality, but throughout the movie Angelina Jolie just smouldered. Angelina's latest movies are Salt (2010), The Tourist (2010), and Kung Fu Panda 2 which is in post-production and scheduled for release in 2011. It is rumored that Angelina will be starring in a remake of the movie Cleopatra which is in pre-production and scheduled for release in 2013. As well as being one of Hollywood's best known actresses, Angelina Jolie is also the United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees and she has done a lot of humanitarian work in third world countries. Angelina first became aware of the scope of the humanitarian crises in the world when she was in Cambodia filming the first Tomb Raider movie. She has since visited many third world countries, and donated millions of dollars in aid. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (popularly known as "Brangelina") have three children of their own, as well as having adopted three more from third world countries. You can find out more about Angelina Jolie's life, loves and humanitarian work on Wikipedia. Photograph of Angelina Jolie is from Wikimedia Commons

Barracuda by Heart

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:03:54 -0600

Heart are one of the few bands led by women to have achieved success in the world of rock and roll. Founded in 1974 in Seattle and led by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, Heart first saw success in Canada, with their blend of Folk and Hard Rock music. They are ranked #57 on the VH1 100 Greatest Artists Of Hard Rock and i> which is one of their best known songs, reached #11 on the Billboard Top 40 in 1977. This song was rated by VH1 as the 34th Best Hard Rock Song of All Time. Heart's best known album is probably their 1975 release Dreamboat Annie which led to their other great hits Crazy On You and Magic Man. The band is still touring, I saw them about 5 years ago in Florida, where they put on a great performance.

April Jokes - A Joke A Day For April

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:24:06 -0600

Laughter is good for the soul, and reading jokes or telling someone jokes are excellent ways to make someone laugh. This is why I came up with the idea for The Daily Joke - a joke a day for April. What better month to have a collection of really funny jokes than April. This month begins after all with April Fool's Day on the First Of April, and with Easter often falling in April, there are usually a lot of Easter Jokes and Easter Bunny Jokes going around at this time of the year. A joke is the best medicine for the blues - some good old fashioned jokes - and believe me some of these are really old fashioned too - some are probably as old as your great-grandmother - but the old jokes are sometimes still the best ones! Watch for the occasional bonus funny picture or funny video too - they aren't in the index. Inside this lens you will find a different joke for each day in the month of April. If you like this lens, please keep coming back as I add new jokes to keep the laughter flowing. I take a lot of care to try and find jokes that are really funny, and it's not easy to find the funniest jokes, something that will make everyone laugh, but I hope you enjoy this collection of daily jokes and will forward the lens to your friends (plus the occasional star rating or adding to your favorites is always welcome). Just to make sure this lens is suitable for all audiences, the jokes are all clean, so come back regularly for the daily joke that won't hopefully offend anyone. I also have another daily jokes list that has been going for 5 years or more on Yahoo. You are also welcome to join my mailing list there at THE LAUGHLINE and on my humor web site THE LAUGHLINE where you can find thousands of the best jokes, funny pictures and great videos too.

Low Rider by War

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:39:21 -0600

War was an American funk band from California, who were best known for their hit songs "Low Rider" and "Why Can't We Be Friends?". The band were formed in 1969. and War was the first and most successful musical crossover, their music fusing elements of rock, funk, jazz, Latin music, R&B, and even reggae. The band also crossed racial and cultural barriers with a multi-ethnic line-up. The band's diverse musical influences and laid back style have helped retain their popularity, leading to sales of over 50 million records to date. War was originally the brainchild of veteran record producer Jerry Goldstein, (My Boyfriend's Back, Hang on Sloopy and I Want Candy) and rock legend Eric Burdon, ex-lead singer of the top British band of the time, The Animals. Eric Burdon & War began playing live shows and immediately found themselves in front of sold-out audiences throughout Southern California before entering into the studio to record their debut album Eric Burdon Declares "War". The album's key track, the Latin-flavored Spill the Wine, was an immediate worldwide hit and launched the band's career. Their career highlight was in 1975 with the release of their album Why Can't We Be Friends?. This album included Low Rider, as well as the title track, both of wihch were hits. The only original member in War's current lineup is Lonnie Jordan (keyboards). On Monday 21st April 2008 Eric Burdon & War reunited for the first time in 37 years to perform a one-time-only concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Low Rider was also sampled by The Beastie Boys for their track Slow Rideon the 1986 album Licensed to Ill. It has also been used in 10 movies, including the Cheech and Chong series, Robots, 21 Grams, Dazed and Confused, Paulie, Beverly Hills Ninja, A Knight's Tale, Gone in Sixty Seconds, The Young Poisoner's Handbook and Friday.

Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 03:11:44 -0600

Sledgehammer is one of Peter Gabriel's best known hits, and was released at a time when music videos were beginning to become popular on new music oriented television channels like MTV. The music video for Sledgehammer had a lot of innovative special effects, which was probably highly influential in it's being so popular. Peter Gabriel is an English musician who first achieved fame as the lead singer of the super-group Genesis. Peter went on to collaborate with many other musicians, and he has been the driving force behind WOMAD, which has helped to promote World Music. He was born Peter Brian Gabriel on 13 February 1950, in Chobham, Surrey, England. With his unusual hairstyles and stage costumes, including a full length dress with a fox's head for the classic 1972 Genesis track Supper's Ready from their album Foxtrot, both Peter and Genesis soon gained recognition for their unique musical style and content. Having recorded The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, a highly successful album which followed the first Genesis American tour, Peter left to pursue his own solo career. His first solo success was the single Solsbury Hill. That was followed with several years with no more hits, until 1980, when both Games Without Frontiers and Biko charted, both from his 3rd album. Peter's next chart topper was in 1982 with Shock The Monkey, followed by Sledgehammer in 1986. Sledgehammer was undoubtedly a success because of the accompanying music video, which was the music video of the year, a great achievment at a time when music videos were in their infancy. For more information, see Wikipedia

The Daily Joke for December

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:53:52 -0600

The Daily Joke for December just couldn't be anything other than Funny Christmas Pictures. I have a lot of Funny Christmas Cartoons in my collection, and I thought that it would be good to share them with you so that you can also get a laugh out of them, which I hope you will, and will forward this to your friends so they can laugh too at these Funny Christmas Pictures. Everyone loves Funny Christmas pictures, especially when they are about Santa Claus and his Sleigh, Reindeer, Snow and Snowmen, and Christmas Trees. Christmas is such a great festive time of year, so join in the fun and have a laugh on me. Don't forget, there are plenty more jokes, funny stories, and funny pictures where this came from. All my Daily Joke lenses are listed in The Daily Joke Lensography so please don't forget to drop by whenever you need a good laugh. You can also see this collection and more at The Laughline Christmas Jokes which is a part of The Poddys Directory

Classic British Television Comedies

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 03:13:05 -0600

British Television Comedy Shows are popular the world over, and many have withstood the test of time, still being funny thirty years or more after they were first seen by viewers. Featured here are just a handful of the wonderful British Television Comedies that we here in the UK have enjoyed for many years. Some of these you may not be familiar with in the USA, but some you will no doubt also love, especially those that have been shown on PBS, like Are You Being Served, Keeping Up Appearances, Allo Allo and of course classics like Benny Hill and Monty Python's Flying Circus. Others that you may not be familiar with were actually hit shows in the USA, having been cloned from the original British version. Among these are shows like Sanford and Son (Steptoe & Son), All In The Family (Till Death Us Do Part) and Three's Company (Man About The House). (photo of an old television set courtesy of Noisecult on Deviantart)

Tony Payne On Yahoo Voices

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 03:12:02 -0600

Yahoo Voices is according to them: The official digital library of Yahoo Contributor Network. It contains more than 2 million articles, videos, and slideshows created by a diverse community of topic experts and enthusiasts. All contributors to the site earn money based on the amount of traffic their published content receives. Associated Content was closed and was replaced by Yahoo! Voices in December 2011. I joined a great band of writers on 12th January 2010 back when Yahoo Voices was Associated Content and since that time I have written and published over 700 articles and slideshows. This Squidoo lens is a showcase for the articles that I have written on Yahoo Voices. I hope that you have time to browse my list of articles and to read a few of them.

Super Heroes Gone Wrong

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:21:44 -0600

When October comes around, people start to think about Halloween and Halloween Costumes. Super Hero Costumes are very popular these days too. Super Hero costumes can be fun to wear if you are going to a Halloween fancy dress party, but there are some people who shouldn't be seen in super hero costumes like the ones you are about to see. I feel sorry for their pets as well. I hope you enjoy this collection of Super Heroes Gone Wrong. Just be sure that if you or your kids are going to dress in Super Hero Costumes for Halloween or for a Fancy Dress Party that you don't end up looking like some of these below. I think that in some way everybody wants to be a Super Hero. The idea of being that invincible being with super powers who is capable of saving the universe appeals to even the least macho of males, and the power and muscular physique of a super hero also appeals to the ladies as well. Not all people are built to be Super Heroes though. Even Clark Kent in his civilian clothes has nothing on the people you will see in this lens. Superman would have a heart attack if he were to see some of the attempts people made to look like a Super Hero. So be prepared for some of the most unlikely Super Heroes to appear on your screen.... enjoy... And next time you think it's time to don a Super Hero Halloween Costume - think before you make a fool of yourself... Are you ready to turn into Superman, Spiderman, Batman or Wonderwoman... And Before You Leave Us... Please don't forget to sign our guestbook, and look at our featured lenses on Halloween Costumes by other lensmasters... Photo of Super Santa courtesy of Istolethetv on Flickr

Picture to Burn by Taylor Swift

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 03:14:56 -0600

Taylor Swift is an extremely talented singer-songwriter whose first album the self titled Taylor Swift shot up the Country Music charts soon after it's release on October 24, 2006. Who would have thought that a 16 year old Country Singer Songwriter could have a huge hit with her debut album, but Taylor Swift did just that, reaching fifth place in the Billboard Top 200, and staying at the top of the Country Album Charts for 24 weeks in a row. Not only was her debut album an enormous success, it gave rise to 5 hit singles, the first of which Tim McGraw firmly establishing her as a talent to be reckoned with. After that there followed Teardrops On My Guitar, then Our Song, this track Picture To Burn and finally, Should've Said No. Taylor Swift is not only a highly talented singer and songwriter, she is a charismatic drop dead gorgeous blonde, a combination that has let to her quickly reach superstar status. Her music easily crosses over from Country to Pop, and as such her fan base has quickly spread worldwide and she is well known outside of the Country Music genre. Image from Captivated Designs on Flickr used under a Creative Commons License

Offbeat News Where The Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:45:49 -0600

Offbeat News is a weekly article that is published on Associated Content every Wednesday. In today's world, as well as the tragic and sad news items that are featured on the mainstream news channels, often unheard of are a myriad of other events from around the world that are truly bizarre. The best of these Odd But True and Weird News items are pulled together every week into the Offbeat News articles, which are gaining more and more followers with each issue, and getting rave revues. The truth is stranger than fiction, and every day new weird news stories emerge from around the world, proving that life is really bizarre, and what we once thought of as being weird is now all too often becoming the norm. I don't think that there is need for further introduction, and so I will leave you to get acquainted with Offbeat News, and I hope you enjoy your journey into the world of the Bizarre.

Dancing In The Dark by Bruce Springsteen

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:47:14 -0600

Dancing In The Dark is one of the best known hits by Bruce Springsteen, who is an American singer/songwriter, who was born on the 23rd September 1949 in the town of Long Branch, New Jersey. Best known for his own style of Heartland Rock, full of American sentiments, Bruce both records and tours with his own band, the E Street Band. His capability in expressing everyday problems has resulted in numerous awards, including eighteen Grammy Awards and an Academy Award, along with a dedicated following around the world, and is known to them simply as THE BOSS. His most famous albums, Born To Run and Born In The USA have helped propel sales of his music to over 65 million albums in the USA alone. Bruce first felt the desire to become a musician at the age of 7, having seen Elvis on TV. he bought his first guitar at 13, and played in several local bands while art high school. In 1969 he formed a band that performed in clubs and colleges in New Jersey, and which gathered a small cult following. by the early 1970's the musicians he regularly played with would form the core of what has become the E Street Band. Bruce signed a recording contract with Columbia Records in 1972. His initial songs were slow to catch on, his being compared by the critics to Bob Dylan Born To Run was released in August of 1975, and Bruce immediately found success. This album did not generate any hit singles, however, although even today it is regarded as one of the best rock and roll albums of all time and his finest work. The songs from this are still played by Classic Rock stations around the world. His first top ten single was Hungry Heart from the album The River in 1980, but he is probably best known for his album Born In The USA which was released in 1984. Bruce Springsteen has continued to produce great songs and still tours today, often along with other big names from the music industry. Things I did not know about Bruce Springsteen: By the late 1970s, Springsteen had earned a reputation in the pop world as a songwriter whose material could provide hits for other bands. Manfred Mann's Earth Band had achieved a U.S. number one pop hit with Blinded by the Light in early 1977. Patti Smith reached number 13 with Because the Night (which she co-wrote) in 1978, while The Pointer Sisters hit number two in 1979 with Springsteen's also-unreleased Fire.

The Daily Joke For August A Joke A Day

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:40:04 -0600

The Daily Joke is a good reason to laugh every day of the month. My Daily Joke lenses usually have a joke for every day of the month, but I thought for August I would do something a little different, with a selection of some of the funniest pictures that I have in my collection. Everybody loves Funny Baby Pictures and I decided for the month of August to dedicate this lens to some picture humor rather than just jokes. I hope you will really enjoy this collection, which includes some of my personal favorites. We start and end with the theme for the month - babies. I did my best to put together some really funny baby pictures for you, hopefully you haven't seen most of them before. So sit back and enjoy, and don't be afraid to laugh out loud, and please forward this lens to your friends if you do like it and think they need a good laugh too. THIS LENS IS ON THE ISLE OF SQUID Submit A Review Of This Lens The Isle Of Squid Directory

The Daily Joke - November

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:47:42 -0600

The Daily Joke is a series of monthly lenses with something funny for every day in the month. For November I thought it would be a good time to send out some of the weird news items that seem to come from all corners of the globe these days. I don't think a single day goes by without there being some wacky story about someone doing something unusual, stupid, or some odd event happening. I hope you enjoy the collection that I have for you in November, and don't forget, there are plenty more jokes, funny stories, and funny pictures where this came from. All my Daily Joke lenses are listed in The Daily Joke Lensography so please don't forget to drop by whenever you need a good laugh.

Town Called Malice by The Jam

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:13:59 -0600

Town Called Malice is one of the best known hit singles from The Jam, who were an English mod revival band of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Although they shared the angry young men outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore Mod style neatly tailored suits rather than ripped clothes and incorporated a number of mainstream 1960s rock influences, rather than rejecting them. The raw and energetic beat that one identifies with punk rock was consistent throughout their songs. This song, Town Called Malice is my favourite of all songs by the band. The band had 18 consecutive Top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their breakup in 1982, including 4 number one hits. As of 2007, they remained the best-selling import singles of all time in the UK. They released one live album and six studio albums, the last of which, The Gift, hit number one on the UK album charts. When the group split up, all 18 singles were re-released and all placed within the top 60. The band drew upon a variety of stylistic influences over the course of their career, including 1960s beat music, soul, rhythm and blues and psychedelic rock, as well as 1970s punk rock, pop punk and new wave. The trio was known for its melodic pop songs, its distinctly English flavour and its mod image. The band launched the career of Paul Weller, who went on to form The Style Council and later had a successful solo career. Weller wrote and sang most of The Jam's original compositions, and he played lead guitar, using a Rickenbacker. Bruce Foxton provided backing vocals and prominent basslines, which were the foundation of many of the band's songs; including the hits Down in the Tube Station at Midnight, The Eton Rifles and Town Called Malice. See (Wikipedia for more information)

Poddys Lensography

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:50:17 -0600

Who Is Poddys? I am someone who always wanted to live a simple life, but somehow it has always ended up more complicated than the lives that most people lead. I was born in England and lived here until my 30's, when I spent a year in New Zealand. A handful of years later I moved to the USA, spent 12 years in Indiana, then 3 in Florida, and finally returned to England in the summer of 2009. I am now happily married to my soul mate, Debbie. It's just so frustrating in some ways that we both had to wait half a lifetime to meet each other. But enough about ME here, this is my Lensography, not my Autobiography. If you would like to learn more about me, I have written what was my original Lensography, but turned out to be more the story of my life, on my lens All About Poddys. I can guarantee it's an interesting story, but alas not yet complete.

Taylor Swift Singing Dolls And Other Toys

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 03:15:45 -0600

I wonder how many young girls would be delighted to receive a Taylor Swift Singing Doll this holiday season? Taylor Swift is an extremely talented singer-songwriter whose first album the self titled Taylor Swift shot up the Country Music charts soon after it's release on October 24, 2006. Who would have thought that a 16 year old Country Singer Songwriter could have a huge hit with her debut album, but Taylor Swift did just that, reaching fifth place in the Billboard Top 200, and staying at the top of the Country Album Charts for 24 weeks in a row. Not only was her debut album an enormous success, but with her songs being often about topics that are close to many teenage girls hearts, namely boyfriends and romance, Taylor Swift has a huge following amongst the teenage community. It's not surprising therefore that there are a number of Taylor Swift Dolls, with something that will be guaranteed to please girls of every age. Image from Amazon

The Daily Joke September

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:58:39 -0600

Everybody loves Funny Dog Pictures! The Daily Joke is a series of monthly lenses to help give you a reason to laugh every day of the month. My Daily Joke lenses usually have a joke for every day of the month, but I thought for September I would do something a little different, with a selection of some of the funniest pictures that I have in my collection. Not only will these be enjoyed I hope, but it should hopefully give me a chance to catch up on finding the best jokes ready for October, rather than having to fill in with jokes of a lesser quality. The theme for this month is funny dog pictures. I did my best to put together some really funny dog pictures for you, hopefully you haven't seen most of them before. I'm sure you haven't seen them all, because some are personal pictures. Can you guess which ones they are? So sit back and enjoy, and don't be afraid to laugh out loud, and please forward this lens to your friends if you do like it and think they need a good laugh too. Once you have browsed through all the pictures, don't forget to vote for your favorite too. You can only vote if you are a member of Squidoo, so if not, click on the link in the Visitor Book below to register. It's FREE, a lot of fun and highly addictive. Intro image courtesy of Vitamin Sea

Maggie May by Rod Stewart

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:40:25 -0600

Maggie May was the first major hit for Rod Stewart and turned him into an instant success, both in the UK and around the world. Read on for a brief biography of Rod Stewart and his career in music, the lyrics to the classic hit Maggie May, and some great Rod Stewart Video Clips, CD's, DVD's and memorabilia. You can purchase Rod Stewart CD's and DVD's and more directly from this page. Rod Stewart was born and grew up in London, although with his Scottish accent and tartan clothing you would think that he was Scottish. His parents are mixed Scottish and English. With his distinctive, raspy voice, Rod Stewart became noticed in the late 1960s and early '70s with The Jeff Beck Group and then The Faces and began a solo career in 1969. It is amazing what you learn doing research for a lens. Rod played with a band called Shotgun Express in the early 1960's, members of which included Mick Fleetwood and Peter Green, who went on to form Fleetwood Mac, and also Pete Bardens, who will not be known to most of you, unless you are familiar with the rock group Camel. Stewart sang guest vocals for the Australian group Python Lee Jackson on "In a Broken Dream" in 1970. His payment was a set of seat covers for his car. It was re-released in 1972 to become a worldwide hit. His solo album Every Picture Tells A Story made him a household name when Maggie May hit the charts. It is still even now ranked as one of the top 500 songs that helped shape rock and roll. Rod has gone on to record many other great hits, both upbeat rock songs and ballads, and more recently has recorded an album of great American songs from the like of Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and George Gershwin. Intro image from Spirit Of Rock

How To Add An Image To Wordpress

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:21:08 -0600

Like anything, a task can be daunting until you learn how to do it, and this is very true of adding images to a Wordpress Post or Page. In this tutorial I will give you some ideas on how to prepare your images before you upload them into your Wordpress blog, and then give you a step by step guide that will show you how to add your image to your Wordpress Post. In addition to the basics, there are a few tweaks that you can make when adding an image to your post that will make it appear better, and I hope that this tutorial will help to take away the mystery and allow you to make your blog posts in Wordpress to look more professional. In case you wondered, the same process applies when adding an image to a Page or a Post in Wordpress, so from here on I will refer only to Wordpress Posts. The difference between a Page and a Post in Wordpress? A Page generally contains static information, whereas a Post usually contains the latest entry in a blog.

Lola by The Kinks

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 09:19:37 -0600

Lola is one of The Kinks greatest hits, and also one of the earliest hit singles to be about transsexuals and transvestites. Needless to say, despite it's storyline, Lola was a huge hit for The Kinks, and still gets plenty of air-play today. The Kinks were formed in 1963 in North London by brothers Ray and Dave Davies, along with their school friend Peter Quaife and his friend John Start on drums, soon to be replaced by Micky Willett. Their first two singles didn't amount to much, but their third single, You Really Got Me, entered the charts at No. 1 in the United Kingdom and made the top 10 in the United States, boosted by a performance on the U.K. television show Ready Steady Go!. With a loud, distorted guitar riff - achieved by Dave's slicing of the speaker cones in his Elpico amplifier, gave the song its signature, grittier guitar sound. You Really Got Me provided a blueprint for hard rock, and served as template for heavy metal. The group's fourth single, All Day and All of the Night was released in late 1964 and rose to No. 2 in the UK, and hit No. 7 in the USA. In 1965, The Kinks recorded Set Me Free and Tired of Waiting for You, both of which featured a repeated bass guitar riff. Internal problems within the band followed, including fighting on stage, and they fell from prominence for a while, to return with singles such as Waterloo Sunset. They re-achieved their level of fame with Lola in (1970), a clever account of a confused romantic encounter with a transvestite that became both a U.K. and U.S. hit. The song originally contained a reference to "Coca Cola", but the BBC refused to play it as this was considered a violation of their advertising policy. The single then had to be hastily re-recorded with the offending line changed to "cherry cola". The album Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround was their most successful since the mid-1960s. The album also featured the group's final U.K. Top 10 hit, Apeman. Further years of obscurity followed, with numerous changes in line-up, with few chart hits other than Come Dancing in 1983. The Kinks performed the last time in mid-1996. Band members have since been focusing on their own solo projects.

Top 10 Notre Dame Football Books

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:05:40 -0600

The Fighting Irish from the University of Notre Dame are one of the most historic College Football teams in the whole of the USA. This Catholic university located in South Bend Indiana has seen it's historic football team win 8 national championships (11 claimed by Notre Dame), and has the 3rd most wins in NCAA history as at the end of the 2010 season. From it's beginnings in 1887, playing on a muddy field in South Bend, the Notre Dame football team gained recognition, culminating in the legendary 1924 season under coach Knute Rockne when they won their first National Championship. This Squidoo lens features some highly recommended books that will take you through the complete history of Notre Dame Football, with stories and the background of legendary coaches like Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy, Ara Parseghian and Lou Holtz, and Notre Dame historic events such as The Four Horsemen and more. I lived in South Bend from 1994 to 2005, and grew to love going to Notre Dame football games and participating in the whole tradition of game days on campus. Tailgating at Notre Dame on game days is an amazing experience, with hundreds of thousands of fans packing into the campus to enjoy the spectacle that is Notre Dame Football.

The Daily Joke For June

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 02:29:36 -0600

Funny jokes make us laugh, and the whole world needs to laugh more often, don't you agree? I think we could all use a joke a day. One way to make people laugh is to tell jokes, and a joke a day, the daily joke is a great way to do it. My master plan for a happier nicer world to live in is to help spread some humor around, by passing the best jokes and funny stories across the internet. If you would like to help me to make this a happier place to live, you can do so by: 1. Visiting my jokes lenses often 2. Laughing at the jokes 3. Forwarding the jokes to other people 4. Telling the jokes to other people Do whatever you can to help other people to laugh and smile at least once a day. Bring some happiness into other people's lives, and then, maybe then your daily troubles might not seem so bad after all. It's not an easy job trying to find good jokes. So many jokes I receive are old, crude and not suitable for including here, or have been already used in another lens, so I maybe have to read a dozen jokes to find a good one, and it gets harder every day. So sit back and browse the latest selection of jokes, which I hope you will enjoy. And if you do like them, please pass the word around, and also please add a note in the visitor book to let me know you dropped by.

Kashmir by Led Zeppelin

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 02:04:45 -0600

Kashmir is one of the most played tracks from the extensive Led Zeppelin collection, and appeared originally on their now legendary 1975 album Physical Graffiti and is ranked as one of the top 50 classic rock songs of all time. The song actually took three years to complete, the lyrics being originally penned in 1973 by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, and the score gradually came together with help from fellow band member John Bonham. I don't think there are any Led Zeppelin fans who feel that the waiting was well worthwhile. the full story of how Kashmir came to be cam be found on Wikipedia. The double album Physical Graffiti was released in February 1975 and is Led Zeppelin's 6th studio album. As well as Kashmir, the album contains other Led Zeppelin classics such as "The Rover", "Houses Of The Holy" and "Trampled Under Foot".

The Daily Joke July

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 13:25:31 -0600

I love to listen to a good joke or to read a funny joke. Even better I love to share good jokes with my friends. Finding a way to bring more laughter into people's lives is a hobby of mine. I strongly believe that if we can find a way to laugh at the problems that life throws at us, that the day can pass much better than if we just allow the everyday routine to get us down. So please read on, enjoy the jokes, and above all SMILE. All the jokes are clean. You won't find any adult material in this lens. Only the best jokes, the funniest jokes make it here, and I hope most of these jokes are new to you.

Should've Said No by Taylor Swift

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 03:13:31 -0600

Take a Country Singer, add the ability to write songs that fans can identify with, add drop dead gorgeous looks, a great personality, and what do you get? Allow me to introduce to you, the brilliantly talented singer and songwriter, Taylor Swift! Who would have thought that a 16 year old Country Singer Songwriter could have a huge hit with her debut album, but Taylor Swift did just that in 2006 with her self titled album Taylor Swift which shot up the charts, reaching fifth place in the Billboard Top 200, and staying at the top of the Country Album Charts for 24 weeks in a row. Not only was her debut album an enormous success, it gave rise to 5 hit singles, the first of which Tim McGraw firmly establishing her as a talent to be reckoned with. After that there followed Teardrops On My Guitar, then Our Song, Picture To Burn and finally this song, Should've Said No. Taylor Swift is not only a highly talented singer and songwriter, she is a charismatic drop dead gorgeous blonde, a combination that has let to her quickly reach superstar status. Her music easily crosses over from Country to Pop, and as such her fan base has quickly spread worldwide and she is well known outside of the Country Music genre. Image from Wikimedia Commons used under a Creative Commons License

Money For Nothing by Dire Straits

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 08:12:14 -0600

Who can forget the performance of Money For Nothing by Dire Straits at Live Aid, with the haunting introduction to the song performed by Sting: "I Want My, I Want My MTV...". Dire Straits were a great English rock band, formed by Mark Knopfler in 1977. The band comprised also his brother David Knopfler (guitar), John Illsley (bass), and Pick Withers (drums). Although the band was formed in an era when punk rock ruled the charts, their unique style of Rock Music, simpler than the Classic Rock of the 1970's, woowed new audiences quickly. Their first single Sultan's Of Swing immediately put them into the spotlight. By the time their most famous album, Brothers In Arms was released, with the single Money For Nothing which of course was recorded at Live Aid they had reached the top.

Water Sports Angel Blessings

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:10:18 -0600

On 13th February 2011 I was appointed Guardian Angel for all lenses in the Water Sports category, which includes Sailing and Boating, Fishing, Surfing, Kite Boarding, Swimming, Snorkelling and Scuba Diving etc. My goal is to make sure that the best lenses in this category have the opportunity to be recognized and rise to the top, while at the same time keeping Squidoo free of cheap and spammy lenses that don't deserve to be on the site. It you have a really good lens in the Water Sports category, I just might use my magic powers to give it a boost. Really bad lenses on the other hand, and I mean REALLY bad lenses, just might get an anchor tied to them and end up sunk in the depths of the ocean. I am always eager to lend a hand to new lensmasters, so feel free to ask away if you want to know how to make a lens great. You can also look at the top lenses in the Water Sports category, and get some ideas from them as to what makes a good lens.

Adam Sandler Movies And Collectibles

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:59:01 -0600

Few comedians turned actor have the ability to portray a wide variety of great comedy roles like Adam Sandler. Whether it's going back to school as Billy Madison, looking after the son he didn't know he had in Big Daddy, playing a failed hockey player turned golfer in Happy Gilmore, or falling in love with Drew Barrymore in The Wedding Singer or 50 First Dates, Adam Sandler movies are fun to watch time and time again. (photo of Adam Sandler courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

The United States Of America

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:48:08 -0600

The United States of America is a unique country in that it was formed out of the desire for freedom, not out of the desire to conquer another nation. From the discovery of the "New World" in 1492, the USA and it's neighboring Caribbean and Central/South American regions were colonized by the British, Spanish, French, and Dutch. The thirteen original states were under British Rule until the American Revolution. This armed revolt began in 1775, and in 1776 these states joined together to form one union, breaking away from their colonial masters with the Declaration Of Independence. The founding fathers laid down laws based on freedom, and the equality of all men, resulting in t he Bill Of Rights and the Constitution Of The United States. More states were formed over time as pioneers moved out west, the last two that form the current fifty states being Alaska and Hawaii which both joined the union in 1959. By the mid 1800's there had appeared a sharp divide between the northern and the southern states. The northern states were becoming more industrialized, whereas the southern states still relied on agriculture for their livelihood. This divide was deepened further by the issue of slavery, with the majority of the north believing that this should be abolished. The southern states however relied very much on slavery for the harvesting of cotton, and opposed this idea. The political issues resulted in the forming of the Confederacy, and ultimately the American Civil War of 1861-1865. By the beginning of the 20th century the USA was developing into a super power, and ties with Europe were strengthened with their willingness to join in the fight against Germany during WWI. The Great Depression of the 1930's caused economic chaos during which millions of people lost their jobs and were barely surviving. These years also saw the growth of "The Mob" with gangsters such as Al Capone and Bonnie And Clyde. Many old millionaires lost their fortunes as companies went bankrupt one after the other, and at the same time many new millionaires were born, often those who were able to find a way to profit from the misfortune of others. World War II saw the United States withhold from entry into the war, until the Japanese attacked the US Fleet at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on 7th December 1941. Following the victories over Germany and Japan at the end of WWII, the USA became the worlds most powerful nation. This document from the CIA provides an excellent guide to the background, geography and economic make-up of the United States. Links to each state work up as far as Colorado at this time. I will update this as new lenses are added for each state Many thanks to www.schoollibrary.com for use of the USA map.

Eton Rifles by The Jam

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:09:30 -0600

The Jam were an English mod revival band of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Although they shared the angry young men outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore Mod style neatly tailored suits rather than ripped clothes and incorporated a number of mainstream 1960s rock influences, rather than rejecting them. Eton Rifles was one of the Greatest Hits of The Jam, about an incident at Eton near Slough in Middlesex, west of London. The band had 18 consecutive Top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their breakup in 1982, including 4 number one hits. As of 2007, they remained the best-selling import singles of all time in the UK. They released one live album and six studio albums, the last of which, The Gift, hit number one on the UK album charts. When the group split up, all 18 singles were re-released and all placed within the top 60. The band drew upon a variety of stylistic influences over the course of their career, including 1960s beat music, soul, rhythm and blues and psychedelic rock, as well as 1970s punk rock, pop punk and new wave. The trio was known for its melodic pop songs, its distinctly English flavour and its mod image. The band launched the career of Paul Weller, who went on to form The Style Council and later had a successful solo career. Weller wrote and sang most of The Jam's original compositions, and he played lead guitar, using a Rickenbacker. Bruce Foxton provided backing vocals and prominent basslines, which were the foundation of many of the band's songs; including the hits Down in the Tube Station at Midnight, The Eton Rifles and Town Called Malice. See (Wikipedia for more information)

Hungry Heart by Bruce Springsteen

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 03:17:48 -0600

Hungry Heart is one of the best known hits from Bruce Springsteen, who is popularly known by his fans as "The Boss". Bruce Springsteen is an American singer and songwriter; he was born 23rd September 1949 in the town of Long Branch, New Jersey. His unique style of rock is full of American sentiments. Bruce both records and tours with his own band, the E Street Band. His ability to express everyday problems people face within his songs has resulted in numerous awards, including eighteen Grammy Awards and an Academy Award, along with a dedicated following around the world, and is known to them simply as THE BOSS. His most famous albums, Born To Run and Born In The USA have have seen sales of his music to over 65 million albums in the USA alone. Bruce first felt the desire to become a musician at the age of 7, having seen Elvis on TV. he bought his first guitar at 13, and played in several local bands while art high school. In 1969 he formed a band that performed in clubs and colleges in New Jersey, and which gathered a small cult following. by the early 1970's the musicians he regularly played with would form the core of what has become the E Street Band. Bruce signed a recording contract with Columbia Records in 1972. His initial songs were slow to catch on, his being compared by the critics to Bob Dylan Born To Run was released in August of 1975, and Bruce immediately found success. This album did not generate any hit singles, however, although even today it is regarded as one of the best rock and roll albums of all time and his finest work. The songs from this are still played by Classic Rock stations around the world. His first top ten single was Hungry Heart from the album The River in 1980, but he is probably best known for his album Born In The USA which was released in 1984. Bruce Springsteen continues to produce great songs and still tours today, often along with other big names from the music industry.

Bournemouth Hotels And Accomodation

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:13:11 -0600

If you are looking for a place to stay in the Bournemouth area, you have come to the right place, as this page has plenty of Bournemouth Hotels, Guest Houses and Rental Accomodation. The victorian seaside town of Bournemouth and it's surrounding area has a lot of great hotels, rental properties and Bed and Breakfast places, of all types and at prices to cater to every budget, and this page features some of the best hotels in Bournemouth. Bournemouth is a popular seaside town in the county of Dorset on the South Coast of England, and has some of the best beaches to be found in the United Kingdom. Since it's birth as a spa town in Victorian times, Bournemouth has been a place for older people to retire to, and for tourists from all over England to spend their summer holidays.

The United States Alabama

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:08:46 -0600

The State of Alabama is in the South Eastern USA, and it is bordered by Tennessee in the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama was the name of an Indian tribe who inhabited the area when the first Europeans arrived in what is now central Alabama. One of the major waterways in the state was named for them, and from this river, in turn, the name of the state was derived. During the Civil War, Montgomery, the state capital, was the capital of the Confederate States of America. Because of this, Montgomery is known as the "Cradle of the Confederacy." Another of Alabama's nicknames is the "Yellowhammer State." The state probably got this nickname because its Confederate troops placed yellow trimmings on their uniforms during the Civil War. Yellowhammers are birds with yellow patches under their wings. The Alabama landscape includes forest-covered hills and ridges in the north and dense pine forests, rolling grasslands, and low croplands in the south. Huge cotton plantations using slave labor were once common in Alabama, but today cotton is no longer the primary source of revenue, even though it is still an important crop. Much of the land is now used to grow soybeans and corn as well as peanuts and melons and of course livestock. Alabama also is important to the space industry, with the city of Huntsville being known as "Rocket City U.S.A." because it is the site of Redstone Arsenal, Marshall Space Flight Center, and the United States Space and Rocket Center. Famous people who have lived and worked in Alabama include Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, George Washington Carver and Helen Keller. Many thanks to www.50states.com for use of the state map.

Squidblogs Blog About Your Lenses

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:23:39 -0600

Squidblogs is a site that was created so that lensmasters could give a shout out to the world about their lenses, both old and new. The site was created using the highly popular platform Wordpress, and so for most users who are familiar with blogging, creating Posts and Pages on Squidblogs should be easy to get used to. This lens is intended to not only provide information on what you can do with Squidblogs, and how it can help you to promote your lenses, it is intended to act as a tutorial to aid you in using some of the "sweet" features that have been built into the site, so that you can take advantage of them. Don't miss the Squidblogs Tutorials if you want to get the most out of using Squidblogs to promote your Squidoo lenses.

Baggy Trousers by Madness

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 08:00:27 -0600

Baggy Trousers is just one of a number of great hit songs from the British band Madness. Madness are an English pop/ska band from Camden Town in Northwest London that was formed in 1976 and were one of the most prominent bands of the late-1970s 2 Tone ska revival, achieving most of their success in the 1980's. The core of the band formed in 1976 and included Mike Barson on keyboards and vocals, Chris Foreman on guitar and Lee Thompson on saxophone and vocals. They later recruited John Hasler on drums and Cathal Smyth on bass guitar. They were joined later that year by lead vocalist "Dikron". This six-piece lineup lasted until part way through 1977, when Graham McPherson (better known as Suggs) took over the lead vocals after seeing the band perform in a friend's garden. The lineup further changed when they dropped Smyth, who was poor on bass guitar, replacing him with Gavin Rogers, an acquaintance of Barson. Next, McPherson was kicked out of the band for too often choosing to watch football instead of rehearsing, and finally, Thompson left the band after Barson criticised his saxophone playing. After changing their name briefly to Morris and the Minors (a play on words of the famous English car the "Morris Minor"), the band renamed itself as Madness, paying homage to one of their favourite songs by ska/reggae artist Prince Buster. In 1979 their debut album One Step Beyond was released by Stiff Records, and gave rise to the hit singles One Step Beyond and My Girl. One Step Beyond stayed in the British charts for 37 weeks and reached #2. The band didn't want to release any more singles from the album, feeling that they had already released the best material, however they were persuaded to release more tracks on an EP. The result was the Work Rest and Play EP, which was headlined by the song Night Boat to Cairo. The EP reached #6 in the UK singles chart. The band's second album, Absolutely, released in 1980, reached #2 in the UK album charts. Absolutely generated some of the band's biggest hits, including Baggy Trousers, which reached #3 in the UK singles chart, Embarrassment which reached #4, and the instrumental Return of the Los Palmas 7 which climbed to #7. In 1981, the band's third studio album, 7 reached number 5 in the UK album charts and contained three hit singles, Grey Day, Shut Up and Cardiac Arrest. This album was a change in direction from the past. Suggs' vocal performance changed significantly, and his strong Cockney accent from the previous albums had been watered down. The album strayed from the ska-influenced sound of One Step Beyond and Absolutely, and moved towards a more conventional and mature pop sound. Near the end of 1981, Madness released one of their most recognised songs; a remake of Labi Siffre's 1971 hit It Must Be Love". The song climbed to #4 in the UK, and in 1983, the song peaked at #33 in the US charts. In 1982, Madness released their only number 1 hit to date, House of Fun which they played live on the '80s series The Young Ones. The compilation album Complete Madness also reached #1. In November '82, Madness released their 4th studio album, The Rise & Fall. The album did well in the UK, but didn't get an American release. Instead, many of the albums songs were included on the US compilation Madness, including Our House, which was their most internationally successful single to date. Our House reached #5 in the UK music charts and #7 in the US charts. In 1983, their single Wings of a Dove reached #2 in the UK charts, followed by The Sun & The Rain. Their following album, Keep Moving reached #6 in the UK album charts, and two singles from that album reached the top 20 in the UK music charts. The album received some good reviews, with Rolling Stone Magazine giving the album four out of five stars. In early 1992, It Must Be Love was re-released and reached #6 in the UK singles chart. Following that, the singles compilation Divine Madness was released and rechaed #1 in the album charts. Madness then announced plans for a reunion concert, Madstock, which was held at Finsbury Park, London in August that year. The original Madness lineup reunited, performing together for the first time since Mike Barson left the band in 1984. Over 75,000 fans attended the weekend festival, and during One Step Beyond, the vibrations of the crowd jumping up and down in time to the music caused an earth tremor which measured over 4.5 on the Richter scale. A subsequent live album was released, and the associated single, The Harder They Come got to #44 in the UK, with the album reaching #22. The band continued to reunite for annual UK Christmas season tours and held three more Madstock festivals; in 1994, 1996 and 1998. The band are still performing in 2008, with their most recognised lineup of seven members, although their lineup has varied slightly over the years.

Sultans Of Swing by Dire Straits

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 17:17:58 -0600

Sultans Of Swing was the first hit single by Dire Straits from their self titled first album, Dire Straits. Dire Straits were a great English rock band, formed by Mark Knopfler in 1977 and best known for their hits Sultans Of Swing and Money For Nothing. As well as Mark Knopfler, the band comprised also his brother David Knopfler (guitar), John Illsley (bass), and Pick Withers (drums). Although the band was formed in an era when punk rock ruled the charts, their unique style of Rock Music, simpler than the Classic Rock of the 1970's, woowed new audiences quickly. Their first single Sultan's Of Swing immediately put them into the spotlight. By the time their most famous album, Brothers In Arms was released, with the single Money For Nothing which of course was recorded at Live Aid they had reached the top. This song, Sultans Of Swing is a great song from their first album, Dire Straits.

Up The Junction by Squeeze

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:46:39 -0600

Up The Junction was the first UK chart hit for Squeeze, an English band that hit the charts during the New Wave period of the late 1970s, and continued recording successfully in the 1980s and 1990s. Squeeze formed in London in 1974, and are known for their hit songs Cool for Cats, Up the Junction, Tempted, Black Coffee In Bed, Pulling Mussels (From the Shell), and Hourglass among others. The band broke up in 1999, but reunited for a tour of the USA and UK in 2007, the reunion being so successful that Squeeze now have dates for a 2008 tour of the USA in August (but unfortunately nowhere near Florida). The band's founding members in 1974 were Chris Difford (guitar, vocals, lyrics), Glenn Tilbrook (vocals, guitar, music), Jools Holland (keyboards), and Paul Gunn (drums), with Gilson Lavis replacing Gunn on drums and Harry Kakoulli on bass in 1976. Squeeze's early career was spent perfoming live gigs in the Deptford area of Southeast London, where they were part of a lively local music scene which included other new bands at the time including Alternative TV and Dire Straits. Cool For Cats, their second LP which was released in 1979, spawned four hit singles, the first Up The Junction which was losley based on the 1960's cult film of the same name, then Cool For Cats, Goodbye Girl and finally Slap And Tickle. The first two of these both reached #2 in the UK charts, and between them brought about success worldwide for the band. Jools Holland left the band in 1980 and was replaced by highly-rated singer-keyboardist Paul Carrack, a former member of the British soul-pop band Ace. In 1981 Squeeze released perhaps their best-known album, East Side Story. This was produced by Elvis Costello and Roger Bechirian, and featured Carrack's lead vocals on the radio hit Tempted. Carrack himself left after the release of East Side Story, and was replaced by Don Snow. This line-up recorded the Sweets From A Stranger LP in 1982. Negative reviews, the stresses of touring, and conflicts between band members led the band to break up later that year, after releasing a final single, Annie Get Your Gun. I remember listening to Up The Junction and Cool For Cats and the radio stations were likening the sound to The Beatles. I used to love this band, still do, and it's a pleasure to create this tribute lens to one of their great hits, the song that first endered me to them.

Gift Cards From Amazon Make The Perfect Gift

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:24:07 -0600

A Gift Card from Amazon can often make the perfect gift. How often do you struggle to find a gift for someone? Sometimes nothing quite seems right for them, no matter how hard you try. Many a time I have got really stressed trying to think of what to get someone. I am sure that you have too once or twice. "I Don't Know What To Get Them!" This is something my wife will often hear me say when it gets close to Christmas or birthdays, but an Amazon Gift Card can help to take away all that worry about what to buy, and you know that makes buying gifts a whole lot easier. If you are having trouble knowing what to buy someone for their Birthday, Christmas, or any other special occasion, have you considered buying them a Gift Card From Amazon? If you haven't been to the Amazon.com web site lately, you might be surprised to find that Amazon sell a lot more than just Books these days. For the men, Amazon sells a wide range of Electronic Goods, Music, Movies, Sports Equipment etc, and for the Ladies they sell Clothing, Jewelry, Perfumes and Cosmetics and more. For the Children, Amazon sells just about every Toy or Game that is on the market, and furthermore Amazon prices are not only competitive, they are often lower than other places, and many items ship for free as well. So why not take the pain out of shopping, whether it's for a Birthday or a Holiday Season gift, and let them choose something that they really like. That way everyone is happy, and you know that the money that you spent on your gift has given them something worthwhile.

My Favorite CD's Of All Time

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:39:39 -0600

Many people even years later still find that their favorite music is that which they listened to in their teenage or college years, and the same is mostly true in my case. As well as the music of my youth, which is partly "Pop" but mostly what is now known as "Classic Rock", I have been influenced in later years as the result of my travels, which took me to a number of countries in Latin America, where I fell in love with Latin Music, and then I spent 15 years living in the USA and learned to love Country Music as well. I hope you enjoy the selections that I have for you, a few of which you may be familiar with, but invariably I am sure you probably will not have. I have added videos from You Tube where possible so that you can have a listen and see for yourself. Most of these albums are ones that I can just pick up and listen to at any time, and I know when inside out. Some of the CD's that I have listed below used to be my favorite LP's, and I still have them on vinyl, so you can tell how old some of them are and indeed and how old I am too! Amazon allows you to listen to the tracks on most of these CD's, and clicking on the image of the CD sleeve will take you there.

News From A Weird World

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:36:34 -0600

The world is full of weird news stories these days, those offbeat news stories that make you wonder what people were thinking, or what new "level of stupid" people can aspire to. Every Wednesday I publish a series of articles on Yahoo Contributor Network that highlight some of the really bizarre stories from the past week. The series is appropriately called News From A Weird World, and this lens contains a summary for each of the weekly editions. Prior to September 2010, the articles used to be called Offbeat News, but I decided to change the name to give these stories a more unique identity. You can view the older Offbeat News articles on my lens Offbeat News

Archibald Russell - One Of The Last Tall Ships (under construction)

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 02:09:23 -0600

The Archibald Russell was one of the last great tall ships to be built in Britain. My grandfather sailed on her 1st voyage in 1906. Copyright Notice: Many of the pictures used in this lens are used with authorization from their owners. Credits have been included with each picture, and links to the owner web sites have been added in the References section at the foot of the lens. Please respect the copyright and do not make copies of these images. Lens Under Construction. More information to come (22nd May 2008)

Michael Douglas Movies And Collectibles

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:26:30 -0600

Making movies runs in the Douglas family, with Michael's Dad Kirk Douglas preceding him as a major movie star. Michael Douglas has starred in some classic movies from the 1970's, including two of the best comedy romances of all time, Romancing The Stone and Jewel Of The Nile, both of which he co-starred with Kathleen Turner. His most famous movie is probably Fatal Attraction, where an affair with Glenn Close turns into a psychotic nightmare. Other great Michael Douglas movies include Black Rain, The American President, The Game and Basic Instinct. What's your favorite Michael Douglas movie? (photo of Michael Douglas courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Bad Girls by Donna Summer

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 15:59:44 -0600

Bad Girls is one of the best known tracks by Donna Summer from the late 1970's. Donna Summer was born in Boston, Massachusetts and is an American singer-songwriter and musician who came to fame during the disco era. She is best known for her number one dance hit singles in the late 1970s, and was dubbed the Queen of Disco. Although she is best known for her disco hits, Donna Summer's repertoire has expanded to include contemporary R&B, rock, mainstream pop, and even gospel. She is one of the most successful female recording artists of the 1970s and 1980s, and she still holds the record for having three consecutive double albums hit #1 on the Billboard charts. She was also the first female artist to have four number-one singles in a twelve-month period. During her eartly career she sang back-up vocals for groups such as Three Dog Night, and issued her first album, Lady of the Night, which included the European hit The Hostage. In the summer of 1975, Summer approached music producers Moroder and Bellotte with an idea for a song. She had come up with the lyric Love to love you, baby as the possible title for the song. Moroder was interested in developing the new disco sound that was becoming increasingly popular, and used her lyric to develop the song into a disco track. Donna agreed to record the song as a demo to give to someone else. Moroder was so astounded with her vocals that he insisted she release the single herself. The song, titled Love to Love You, was released in Europe and was a modest success. The song was also her first big hit in America, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in early 1976. Two Gold albums followed, A Love Trilogy and Four Seasons Of Love, but it was the 1977 album I Remember Yesterday and the song I Feel Love that shot her to worldwide fame. In 1978 Donna Summer played a role in the film Thank God It's Friday and released the single Last Dance which became her third US million-selling single and her first Grammy win. Last Dance has since become a standard track on talent shows like American Idol and The X Factor. In 1979 she released the double-album Bad Girls. What made this unusual for a disco album was that it mixed Rock, Funk, Blues and Soul into electronic Disco beats. The album generated three consecutive million-selling singles, Hot Stuff and Bad Girls which both reached #1, and the #2 hit Dim All The Lights. Bad Girls also became her first #1 song on Billboard's R&B singles chart. With her US record sales at an all-time high in 1979, Donna Summer had a run of five US Gold singles (three of which went on to Platinum status) that year alone. Hot Stuff won her a second Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. Donna had continued succes with albums such as the 1983 She Works Hard For The Money but her subsequent releases didn't fare as well. Donna Summer released her first album in 17 years, Crayone in 2008, and she is still active in the music business.

A Walk Around Deer Creek

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 15:53:45 -0600

A walk around the neighborhood where you live often provides a completely different view of the surroundings than if you just drive through in a car. Walking is not only good for helping to keep you fit, it enables you to see the area in much greater detail, to admire the beauty, the houses, flora and fauna, and also to meet more of your neighbors. I am pleased that you decided to come and join me on a walk around Deer Creek, and I hope you enjoy your visit. Deer Creek Country Club is a community on the west side of Deerfield Beach in South Florida. Deerfield Beach is a city on the Atlantic Ocean, at the northern side of Broward County where it meets Palm Beach County. I have been fortunate to live in Deer Creek for almost two years, and it's really a great place to live, especially if you want somewhere that is relatively quite, and safe. Deer Creek Country Club consists of a number of private homes, town houses, and condominiums. I live in one of the condominiums, on the seventh floor of a tower, that overlooks the golf course. You couldn't want for a better view, and with many of the residents being retired or snowbirds (from Canada or the Northeastern USA, they migrate south to spend the winters in Florida), it's fairly quiet too. This lens also features some of the communities that make up the Deer Creek Country Club, including the Deer Creek Golf Club, the Villas D'Este and The Lakes at Deer Creek. You will also find a number of photographs of the local flora and fauna in Deer Creek, in particular the birds, shrubs and trees. I like to try and keep fit, and one way I do this is to take a morning walk around the lake and golf course. This is the story of my morning walks, in photographs from this pretty community in South Florida. This lens was awarded a Purple Star on 21st May 2009.

Tim McGraw by Taylor Swift

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 03:12:42 -0600

Tim McGraw was the first hit single for Country Singer/Songwriter Taylor Swift, and this iconic song of teenage love placed her firmly on the road to success in the music industry. Taylor Swift is an extremely talented singer-songwriter whose first album the self titled Taylor Swift shot up the Country Music charts soon after it's release on October 24, 2006. Who would have thought that a 16 year old Country Singer Songwriter could have a huge hit with her debut album, but Taylor Swift did just that, reaching fifth place in the Billboard Top 200, and staying at the top of the Country Album Charts for 24 weeks in a row. Not only was her debut album an enormous success, it gave rise to 5 hit singles, the first of which Tim McGraw firmly establishing her as a talent to be reckoned with. After that there followed Teardrops On My Guitar, then Our Song, this track Picture To Burn and finally, Should've Said No. Taylor Swift is not only a highly talented singer and songwriter, she is a charismatic drop dead gorgeous blonde, a combination that has let to her quickly reach superstar status. Her music easily crosses over from Country to Pop, and as such her fan base has quickly spread worldwide and she is well known outside of the Country Music genre. Image from Captivated Designs on Flickr used under a Creative Commons License

PFM - Premiata Forneria Marconi

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 01:07:37 -0600

When it comes to Italian Progressive Rock Music, one of the best known bands is Premiata Forneria Marconi. Their music began as a blend of Italian Classical and Folk Music, mixed with the Progressive Rock sounds of the 1970's. from Genesis, Yes, and Emerson Lake And Palmer. Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM) are one of Italy's most influential progressive rock bands. They were formed in the 1960's, achieved worldwide success in the 70's, and made comebacks with a world tour in 2002. Their music is as relevant today as it ever was, and they are playing better than ever. In my opinion, the arrangements of many of the songs on their 2002 Live In Japan double CD are the best ever, better than the originals. The band's name comes from "Premiata" meaning "Number One" and "Forneria Marconi", which was a bakery in Chiari, a small town near Brescia in italy. PFM gained recognition in the early days as a support band to other well known bands touring Italy at the time, like Procol Harum, Yes and Deep Purple. The founding members of the band, Franz Di Cioccio, Franco Mussida, Flavio Premoli and Mauro Pagani are still the driving force behind this legend. You are invited to discover their discography, listen and watch clips from some of their more well known songs, and if you like what you hear/see, I strongly recommend Live In Japan either as a 2-CD set or on DVD. This is the best PFM CD I have heard yet. The concert is great - I added several clips from You Tube on this page so you can get a feel for their unique musical style.

Addicted To Love by Robert Palmer

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 03:09:50 -0600

Addicted To Love is probably the best known song from the late singer/songwriter Robert Palmer. Robert Palmer was an English Singer/Songwriter, born on the 19th January 1949 and sadly passed away on 26 September 2003, in Paris France, of a heart attack. He joined his first band at the age of 15 while still at high school in Yorkshire, and in 1970 he joined the 12-piece jazz-rock fusion band Dada, which featured singer Elkie Brooks. Robert signed with Island records in 1974. His first single was a cover of Little Feat's Sailin' Shoes, which was a minor hit in the UK, but both the album and single reached the Top 100 in the US. He crossed the Atlantic to New York in 1975, where he released his next album Pressure Drop, which contained a mix of Rock and Reggae. His next album failed to chart however, and he moved again, this time to The Bahamas. Double Fun. his next album, released in 1978 , was a mix of Caribbean influenced Rock. Every Kinda People from that album has become one of Robert Palmer's best loved songs. The early 80's saw a mix of success and faulure, but then in 1985 Robert Palmer had his great breakthrough. The album Riptide released in that year featured the number one single Addicted To Love, which earned him a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. The years to come saw a mixed success in the charts, but a growing cult following around the world. Addicted To Love is probably best know by a lot of people for it's use in the 1988 hit movie Cocktail starring Tom Cruise.

Tropical Items On Zazzle

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 04:00:28 -0600

Living in South Florida provides many opportunities to take beautiful photographs of tropical scenes. Whether it's the beaches and ocean, the colorful palm trees and vegetation, or the unique wildlife that you get in Florida, the scope is there to take plenty of great photographs that will make wonderful unique gifts. The Zazzle products I have on display here are from my Tropical product lines, a wide range of ideas with a Tropical theme. So whether you would like Postcards or Gift Cards (and matching Postage Stamps), T-Shirts or Aprons, Bags, Mugs, Mousepads and more, you will find them here. I hope you enjoy viewing my product galleries, and maybe there is something you would like to brighten up your home. How about a Tropical poster or mousepad to brighten up your office or cubicle at work and to make the work day pass better with thoughts of summertime. Or a T-shirt for someone special to remind them of a wonderful vacation past, or one that is yet to come. My Tropical gift range has so many unique uses. Why not purchase our Tropical Christmas Cards in advance to tease your friends up North. I am sure you can find many more ways to use these items.

Brothers In Arms by Dire Straits

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:23:25 -0600

Brothers In Arms by Dire Straits is one of their most famous songs, and comes from the album of the same name, Brothers In Arms. Dire Straits were one of the best known English rock bands from the late 1970's through to the early 1990's. Formed by Mark Knopfler in 1977. The band comprised also his brother David Knopfler (guitar), John Illsley (bass), and Pick Withers (drums). Although the band was formed in an era when punk rock ruled the charts, their unique style of Rock Music, simpler than the Classic Rock of the 1970's, wooed new audiences quickly. Their first single Sultan's Of Swing immediately put them into the spotlight. By the time their most famous album, Brothers In Arms was released, with the single Money For Nothing which of course was recorded at Live Aid they had reached the top. Brothers In Arms from their best selling album of the same name is one of their best known hits. From the growling thunderstorm opening, the sad and evocative electric guitar intro, and the first verse, more whispered than sung, through the slow and steady crescendo of the song's intensity to the closing guitar solo, Mark Knopfler's ode about war, in ancient Scotland and today, "civil" and otherwise, is nothing short of a true masterpiece.

Laugh Away - All Humor Lenses Welcome Headquarters

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 02:32:18 -0600

LAUGH AWAY This group is for all lenses related to Humor, Jokes, Funny Pictures, Funny Videos, Amusing Stories etc. ADULT MATERIAL NOT ALLOWED HERE ABSOLUTELY NO R RATED LENSES

London Calling by The Clash

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 16:00:32 -0600

London Calling is one of the most popular hits by The Clash and continues to get airplay today. The Clash were an English punk rock band, who from 1976 to 1986 were part of the original wave of UK punk rock bands. As well as punk rock, their music included a mix of reggae, funk, rap, dub, rock and roll and rockabilly. For most of their recording career, The Clash consisted of Joe Strummer (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Mick Jones (lead guitar, vocals), Paul Simonon (bass, backing vocals) and Nicky "Topper" Headon (drums, percussion). The group disbanded in early 1986, owing to lack of creative control and the loss of Headon in 1982 and Jones in 1983 due to internal friction. The Clash became a success in the UK with the release of their debut album, but it was the release of their third album, London Calling, released in the UK in December of 1979 that they gained popularity in the United States, when it came out there the following year. The album received wide critical acclaim; a decade later Rolling Stone magazine declared it the best album of the 1980s. The Clash's style and rebellious attitude, along with their music, had a far-reaching influence on rock, alternative rock in particular. Their record label's director dubbed them The Only British Band That Matters, which fans picked up and transformed into The Only Band That Matters. In January 2003 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band wanted to play at the event, but were prevented by the death of Joe Strummer in December 2002. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked The Clash #30 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. See (Wikipedia for more information)

Going Underground by The Jam

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:20:46 -0600

Going Underground was the first single by The Jam and it was released in March 1980. It went straight in at number one in the British charts, a rare achievement at that time, and spent three weeks at the top. It was the first of three instant chart-toppers for the group. The Jam were an English mod revival band of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Although they shared the angry young men outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam had a different image, wearing Mod style neatly tailored suits rather than ripped clothes. They also incorporated a number of mainstream 1960s rock influences, rather than rejecting them. The raw and energetic beat that one identifies with punk rock was consistent throughout their songs. The band had 18 consecutive Top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their breakup in 1982, including 4 number one hits. As of 2007, they remained the best-selling import singles of all time in the UK. They released one live album and six studio albums, the last of which, The Gift, hit number one on the UK album charts. When the group split up, all 18 singles were re-released and all placed within the top 60. The band drew upon a variety of stylistic influences over the course of their career, including 1960s beat music, soul, rhythm and blues and psychedelic rock, as well as 1970s punk rock, pop punk and new wave. The trio was known for its melodic pop songs, its distinctly English flavour and its mod image. The band launched the career of Paul Weller, who went on to form The Style Council and later had a successful solo career. Weller wrote and sang most of The Jam's original compositions, and he played lead guitar, using a Rickenbacker. Bruce Foxton provided backing vocals and prominent basslines, which were the foundation of many of the band's songs; including the hits Down in the Tube Station at Midnight, The Eton Rifles and Town Called Malice. See (Wikipedia for more information)

Piano Man by Billy Joel

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 15:02:43 -0600

Piano Man is an early hit for Billy Joel, and arguably one of his best known and best loved songs to date. Billy Joel is a well known and respected American Pianist and Singer/Songwriter. He was born in The Bronx, New York in 1949. He came from a musical family, and decided to follow that career having seen The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. Piano Man was released in 1973, and was the first in a long line of hit singles for Billy Joel. I saw Billy Joel in concert in late 1987 in Auckland, New Zealand, where he put on an excellent outdoor show at Mount Smart Stadium, with Australia's singer/songwriter John Farnham as the opening act.

Walking On The Moon by The Police

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:14:55 -0600

Walking On The Moon is one of the best hit singles by The Police, who are a highly successful rock band made made up of Sting (vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar, vocals) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion, vocals). The band became popular throughout the world in the early 1980s, although they had started to achieve a strong audience in the UK during the late 1970's. Their first single however, Roxanne, didn't achieve success on it's original release, but the second time around it caught on, and instantly raised them to the level of a top band. Their music is a style of rock, influenced by jazz and reggae music. Their 1983 album, Synchronicity, was number one in the UK and the US. The band broke up in the mid-1980s, but reunited in early 2007 with the announcement that they were undertaking a world tour. The tour was scheduled from the middle of that year on until mid-2008, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of their hit single "Roxanne" and also, to a lesser extent, that of their formation as a group. As was to be expected, the success of the tour proved that the band are still major artists.

Born To Run by Bruce Springsteen

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 08:13:54 -0600

Born To Run is one of the best known hits from Bruce Springsteen, who is an American singer and songwriter; who was born 23rd September 1949 in the town of Long Branch, New Jersey. He is best known for his own style of Heartland Rock, many songs being full of American sentiments and patriotism, Bruce both records and tours with his own band, the E Street Band. His capability in expressing everyday problems has resulted in numerous awards, including eighteen Grammy Awards and an Academy Award, along with a dedicated following around the world, and is known to them simply as THE BOSS. His most famous albums, Born To Run and Born In The USA have helped boost sales of his music to over 65 million albums in the USA alone. Bruce first felt the desire to become a musician at the age of 7, having seen Elvis on TV. he bought his first guitar at 13, and played in several local bands while art high school. In 1969 he formed a band that performed in clubs and colleges in New Jersey, and which gathered a small cult following. by the early 1970's the musicians he regularly played with would form the core of what has become the E Street Band. Bruce signed a recording contract with Columbia Records in 1972. His initial songs were slow to catch on, his being compared by the critics to Bob Dylan Born To Run was released in August of 1975, and Bruce immediately found success. This album did not generate any hit singles, however, although even today it is regarded as one of the best rock and roll albums of all time and his finest work. The songs from this are still played by Classic Rock stations around the world. His first top ten single was Hungry Heart from the album The River in 1980, but he is probably best known for his album Born In The USA which was released in 1984. Bruce Springsteen has continued to produce great songs and still tours today, often along with other big names from the music industry.

Nintendo Wii Cheerleader Games

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:17:40 -0600

If you are looking for information about the Nintendo Wii and games about Cheerleading on the Wii, then you have come to the right place. All girls love Cheerleading, and with it's Motion Sensitive Wireless Controllers, the Nintendo Wii lends itself perfectly to Cheerleading and Dancing games. These are the Top Cheerleading games for the Nintendo Wii, the perfect gift for any girl. Not only are these games great fun, especially for a girls party or when they have friends around, but they offer a great workout to help any girl (or her Mom) keep in shape. See also Best Review - Top 3 Nintendo Wii Cheerleader Games

My Girl by Madness

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 03:26:51 -0600

My Girl is one of a number of hit singles by Madness who are an English pop/ska band from Camden Town in Northwest London. Madness formed in 1976 and were one of the most prominent bands of the late 1970s "2 Tone" ska revival, achieving most of their success in the 1980's. This version of "My Girl" is not the same song as the hit by "The Drifters", it's a completely different song as you will see by the lyrics. This is a fun song, with a typically catchy Madness Ska rhythm that will set you moving. The core of the band formed in 1976 and included Mike Barson on keyboards and vocals, Chris Foreman on guitar and Lee Thompson on saxophone and vocals. They later recruited John Hasler on drums and Cathal Smyth on bass guitar. They were joined later that year by lead vocalist "Dikron". This six-piece lineup lasted until part way through 1977, when Graham McPherson (better known as Suggs) took over the lead vocals after seeing the band perform in a friend's garden. The lineup further changed when they dropped Smyth, who was poor on bass guitar, replacing him with Gavin Rogers, an acquaintance of Barson. Next, McPherson was kicked out of the band for too often choosing to watch football instead of rehearsing, and finally, Thompson left the band after Barson criticised his saxophone playing. After changing their name briefly to Morris and the Minors (a play on words of the famous English car the "Morris Minor"), the band renamed itself as Madness, paying homage to one of their favourite songs by ska/reggae artist Prince Buster. In 1979 their debut album One Step Beyond was released by Stiff Records, and gave rise to the hit singles One Step Beyond and My Girl. One Step Beyond stayed in the British charts for 37 weeks and reached #2. The band didn't want to release any more singles from the album, feeling that they had already released the best material, however they were persuaded to release more tracks on an EP. The result was the Work Rest and Play EP, which was headlined by the song Night Boat to Cairo. The EP reached #6 in the UK singles chart. The band's second album, Absolutely, released in 1980, reached #2 in the UK album charts. Absolutely generated some of the band's biggest hits, including Baggy Trousers, which reached #3 in the UK singles chart, Embarrassment which reached #4, and the instrumental Return of the Los Palmas 7 which climbed to #7. In 1981, the band's third studio album, 7 reached number 5 in the UK album charts and contained three hit singles, Grey Day, Shut Up and Cardiac Arrest. This album was a change in direction from the past. Suggs' vocal performance changed significantly, and his strong Cockney accent from the previous albums had been watered down. The album strayed from the ska-influenced sound of One Step Beyond and Absolutely, and moved towards a more conventional and mature pop sound. Near the end of 1981, Madness released one of their most recognised songs; a remake of Labi Siffre's 1971 hit It Must Be Love". The song climbed to #4 in the UK, and in 1983, the song peaked at #33 in the US charts. In 1982, Madness released their only number 1 hit to date, House of Fun which they played live on the '80s series The Young Ones. The compilation album Complete Madness also reached #1. In November '82, Madness released their 4th studio album, The Rise & Fall. The album did well in the UK, but didn't get an American release. Instead, many of the albums songs were included on the US compilation Madness, including Our House, which was their most internationally successful single to date. Our House reached #5 in the UK music charts and #7 in the US charts. In 1983, their single Wings of a Dove reached #2 in the UK charts, followed by The Sun & The Rain. Their following album, Keep Moving reached #6 in the UK album charts, and two singles from that album reached the top 20 in the UK music charts. The album received some good reviews, with Rolling Stone Magazine giving the album four out of five stars. In early 1992, It Must Be Love was re-released and reached #6 in the UK singles chart. Following that, the singles compilation Divine Madness was released and rechaed #1 in the album charts. Madness then announced plans for a reunion concert, Madstock, which was held at Finsbury Park, London in August that year. The original Madness lineup reunited, performing together for the first time since Mike Barson left the band in 1984. Over 75,000 fans attended the weekend festival, and during One Step Beyond, the vibrations of the crowd jumping up and down in time to the music caused an earth tremor which measured over 4.5 on the Richter scale. A subsequent live album was released, and the associated single, The Harder They Come got to #44 in the UK, with the album reaching #22. The band continued to reunite for annual UK Christmas season tours and held three more Madstock festivals; in 1994, 1996 and 1998. The band are still performing in 2008, with their most recognised lineup of seven members, although their lineup has varied slightly over the years.

Squidoo Plexo Module

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:10:58 -0600

The Squidoo Plexo Module is one of those innovations that have really helped to get links added to lenses and it serves a multitude of purposes. As we all know though, the Squidoo Plexo Module is also prone to abuse if it is not set up correctly, and it can lead to lenses getting spammed, often heavily. This lens is aimed at explaining the ins and outs, the pros and cons of the Plexo Module, as well as some useful tips and tricks that will help you to use if more effectively, as well as to prevent spammers for using your lenses as a trashcan for their links. Last but not least, this lens has some recommendations for Squidoo HQ on how the Plexo Module can be improved, and your input as lensmasters is solicited here as well. Enough of the introduction though, and on to the meat about this versatile Squidoo Module.

Anthony Hopkins Movies And Collectibles

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:17:51 -0600

Born in Wales as Philip Anthony Hopkins in 1937, Anthony Hopkins is probably best known for his role as the serial killer Hannibal Lecter in The Silence Of The Lambs, in which he co-starred with Jodie Foster, and which won him an Oscar for Best Actor. Often seen playing a statesman or politician, in movies such as The Lion In Winter, Amistad and Nixon, Sir Anthony Hopkins plays each role and takes on the charisma of each character. Other great performances by Sir Anthony Hopkins include movies like Legends Of The Fall, The Edge, The Mask Of Zorro, Meet Joe Black and Alexander. As to his favorite acting role, Sir Anthony Hopkins says that it was playing Bert Munro in the 2005 movie The World's Fastest Indian. This lens features some of Sir Anthony Hopkins best known movies, as well as books and collectible items related to him. Sir Anthony Hopkins photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

News Of The World by The Jam

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 05:35:03 -0600

This song, News Of The World by The Jam was written about the trashy news that is to be found in the tabloids. The News Of The World is a popular tabloid newspaper that is printed on Sundays in the UK and which closed on 10th July 2011 following numerous allegations of phone hacking by reporters of celebrities, politicians, and even murder victims. The Jam with the distinctive sound of the lead vocalist Paul Weller are an English mod revival band of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Although they shared the angry young men outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore Mod style neatly tailored suits rather than ripped clothes and incorporated a number of mainstream 1960s rock influences, rather than rejecting them. The raw and energetic beat that one identifies with punk rock was consistent throughout their songs. The band had 18 consecutive Top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their breakup in 1982, including 4 number one hits. As of 2007, they remained the best-selling import singles of all time in the UK. They released one live album and six studio albums, the last of which, The Gift, hit number one on the UK album charts. When the group split up, all 18 singles were re-released and all placed within the top 60. The band drew upon a variety of stylistic influences over the course of their career, including 1960s beat music, soul, rhythm and blues and psychedelic rock, as well as 1970s punk rock, pop punk and new wave. The trio was known for its melodic pop songs, its distinctly English flavour and its mod image. The band launched the career of Paul Weller, who went on to form The Style Council and later had a successful solo career. Weller wrote and sang most of The Jam's original compositions, and he played lead guitar, using a Rickenbacker. Bruce Foxton provided backing vocals and prominent basslines, which were the foundation of many of the band's songs; including the hits Down in the Tube Station at Midnight, The Eton Rifles and Town Called Malice. See (Wikipedia for more information)

Stacey Solomon

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:59:25 -0600

Stacey Solomon is a British singer who rose to fame on series 6 of the X Factor in 2009. She was loved as much for her unique and bubbly personality and strong Dagenham accent as she was for her singing voice! Hailing from Dagenham, Essex, mum of one Stacey finished third in the show, but went on to star in the 2010 series of UK reality show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here, in which she was crowned overall winner and Queen of the Jungle! Born into a Jewish family in 1989, Stacey entered X Factor as a single mum of one, determined to create a better life for herself and her young son, Zachary. She's come a long way from her days serving up chips in a restaurant! Watch this space to find out what Stacey gets up to next - will winning I'm a Celebrity secure her a record contract? In the meantime, read on to find out more about Stacey and watch some of her amazing performances on X Factor.

The Lion Of Judah Movie

Sat, 16 Jul 2011 13:40:07 -0600

The Lion Of Judah is a new animated movie that was released in the Spring of 2011 after a delay of almost three years. This film is a heart-warming account of the Easter story as seen through the eyes of a bold lamb (Judah), a lovable pig (Horace), a faint-hearted horse (Monty), a pedantic rat (Slink), a rambling rooster (Drake), a motherly cow (Esmay) and a downtrodden donkey (Jack). These characters are stable friends who are trying to avoid the sacrificial alter during the week preceding the crucifixion of Christ. With epic backgrounds and and a great attention to detail, this is a magnificent period piece. With a blend of drama and humor, the plot follows the animal friends from their stable in Bethlehem to the great temple in Jerusalem, and from there to the hillside of Calvary as these unlikely heroes try to save their friend. The journey takes the viewer seamlessly through the real biblical accounts of Palm Sunday; Jesus overturning the tables in the temple, Peter's thrice denial and with a tense and heart-wrenching climax, depicts the crucifixion and resurrection with gentleness and breathtaking beauty. For Judah, the lamb with the heart of a lion, this is a story of courage and faith. For Jack, the disappointed donkey, it's a pivotal voyage of hope. For Horace, the dirty pig and Drake the ignorant rooster, this is an opportunity to do something inappropriate and get into trouble. Limited information is available about this movie at the current time, the lens will be updated as new information becomes available

Wild West End by Dire Straits

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:55:07 -0600

Wild West End is one of my favourite tracks from the self titled first album by Dire Straits. The song is loaded with the London experience from the 1970's, a time when I was working in London, and I often used to take the Number 19 Bus that is mentioned in the song. I hope you enjoy it. Dire Straits were a great English rock band that was formed by Mark Knopfler in 1977. The band comprised also his brother David Knopfler (guitar), John Illsley (bass), and Pick Withers (drums). Although the band was formed in an era when punk rock ruled the charts, their unique style of Rock Music, simpler than the Classic Rock of the 1970's, woowed new audiences quickly. Their first single Sultan's Of Swing immediately put them into the spotlight. By the time their most famous album, Brothers In Arms was released, with the single Money For Nothing which of course was recorded at Live Aid they had reached the top. This song, Wild West End is a great song from their first album, Dire Straits.

Save Money Shopping Online With Spree

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 08:01:14 -0600

With Spree you can save money when you shop at hundreds of online stores, and you can also earn money by referring your friends to Spree. There are many affiliate programs around these days, but most people either don't manage to make a success out of being an affiliate, or are scared to try since they don't know how to create a website or to add links to a site. In addition, the links keep changing, the merchants in the affiliate programs come and go, and just maintaining your site can become a full time job and/or a nightmare. Not only that, but with a lot of affiliate programs you only get paid when your earnings form a specific merchant reaches a certain level. You might have $10 here and $5 there but only get paid when each one reaches $25 or even $50, which might take forever - or NEVER... With Spree your earnings go into one bucket, whether they come from 1 merchant or 100 merchants. That means you get paid faster and get paid more. I would like to tell you about a way that you can become an affiliate, save money when you shop, and earn money when your referees shop, for a whole lot less work - yet you earn the same level of commission as other programs. CLICK HERE for more information on Spree and to register, or read on and learn more about this great way to save and to earn money. I hope it all makes sense to you and I look forward to seeing you there. With Christmas just around the corner, this is the perfect time to register with Spree and to make sure that you get money back on as many of your online purchases as possible. Once you take a look at their list of merchants, you won't believe how many gifts you can get cash back on. It's not just books and DVD's, it's travel, electronics, computers, clothing, cosmetics, jewelry and so much more.

Who Is Poddys?

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 03:12:46 -0600

I always wanted to travel, but my life ended up being fairly uneventful until I reached my early 30's. This lens is the story of my life, and it was written partly for other people to learn more about me, and partly as a personal project to write down who I am for future generations. I was born in England and spent most of my life there, until 1987 when I spent a year on the other side of the world in New Zealand. I returned to London, and then in 1994 I moved to the USA. I spent 12 years in Indiana, and then relocated to South Florida. In July 2009 I returned home to England, for reasons that those of you who know me will understand, and for those of you who don't, well then you will have to read on to find out. In a nutshell, I am a person who always wanted to travel, but didn't until I was in my late 20's, and then the travel bug hit me. I hope you enjoy my stories as they unravel. So why do I use the name "Poddys"? When I wanted to create my first website, my ex-wife and I thought that we were like two peas in a pod, so we decided to call it poddys. Those times are long gone though, and we ended up more like chalk and cheese, very different in too many ways. But the web site remains, the domain poddys.com is now 12 years old, and I still use "poddys" as my login for a number of sites. However, there is far more to me than that. I hope you will read on, enjoy learning a bit more about me, my life, my ups and downs, my hobbies and interests, and of course my lenses. So please sit back, relax, and enjoy learning a bit about me, and also my Squidoo Lensography. I do hope you enjoy it. SKIP THE FUN STUFF AND GO DIRECT TO MY LENSOGRAPHY CLICK HERE I am going to add photos as time goes on - just want to get the blurb out of the way first... And there is a lot of blurb to add... Read on and enjoy my friend... Actually this is turning into a full blown book already - and I'm only in the early stages... Think I might have to make this a full autobiography at this rate. THIS LENS IS GOING TO BE A WORK IN PROGRESS FOR A WHILE AS I GRADUALLY ALLOW THE STORY OF MY LIFE TO UNRAVEL. I HOPE YOU ENJOY LEARNING MORE ABOUT ME.

The United States Alaska

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:51:33 -0600

Alaska is a Pacific state that is bordered by the Bering Sea to the west, the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Yukon Territory to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the south. It is the northernmost state in the union.. Alaska's flag is eight stars of gold on a field of blue. Russia sold Alaska to Secretary of State William Seward in 1867 for $7.2 million -- that's about 2 cents per acre. Alaska became known as "Seward's Folly" because many Americans thought he had spent too much for what they considered to be a frozen wasteland. When Alaska became the 49th state in 1959, it was the first state to enter the Union in 47 years. It also increased the country's area by a fifth. Alaska has proven to be far from a frozen wasteland however, with an abundance of natural resources. It still has the largest fishing industry in the United States, with it's supply of salmon, halibut, shrimp, and Dungeness crab. Alaska also had gold. The first major influx of Americans to Alaska occurred during the gold rush of the 1890's. In 1968, a huge 10-billion-barrel oil field was found in Alaska at Prudhoe Bay. In 1977, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline was completed to carry oil across the state. At about 800 miles in length, the pipeline cost $8 billion to build. Many thanks to www.50states.com for use of the state map.

Drew Barrymore Movies And Collectibles

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:52:50 -0600

That little girl in E.T. has definitely come a long way. Drew Barrymore has been in the movie business since she was 11 months old, and first came to fame as the little girl in Steven Spielberg's now classic E.T. The Extra Terrestrial in 1982. In her teenage years Drew went through bouts of alcohol and drug abuse and we in rehab on several occasions, but then as she got older, the once wild child developed into a good then a great actress. Drew Barrymore has starred in some great movies, including a re-telling of the Cinderella story Ever After, Never Been Kissed, Scream, Charlie's Angels, and two great movies with Adam Sandler, The Wedding Singer and 50 First Dates. Drew continues to grow as a very talented actress, and I am pleased to showcase a selection of her best movies here, as well as some great Drew Barrymore movie memorabilia, including Original Autographs and Press Kits. (photo of Drew Barrymore courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Black Friday - The Best Online Shopping Day Of the Year

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 03:21:32 -0600

Black Friday bargains can be found without leaving the comfort of your home and we are going to show you some of the best Black Friday Bargains here. You really don't have to fight with the crowds at an unearthly hour in the freezing cold to secure a great deal on Black Friday. Let me show you how... If you don't know already, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving in the USA, and this has become a tradition in recent years for many stores to open early and to offer items galore for sale at the lowest prices of the year. Some stores open as early as 5am, with people lining up to buy the special advertised items hours before the store is due to open. In 2011 some stores have already stated that they will be opening from as early as midnight, to take full advantage of the people who want to snap up bargain gifts for themelves or for Christmas, but it all comes at a price unfortunately. Staff are required to work exceptionally long hours, while customers spend hours not only queing outside the stores, waiting for them to open, then waiting to get in, and finally waiting again for their turn at the checkout. Some people love it, while others just stay well clear as the stress is too much for them.

Tom Hanks Movies And Collectibles

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 01:59:10 -0600

Tom Hanks is one of Hollywood's most respected actors and has appeared in more than 61 movies and other productions. I don't actually know anyone who doesn't like at least one of Tom Hanks movies. As well as being a highly talented actor, Tom Hanks is also the producer of a number of other successful movies and television shows, which include The Pacific, John Adams, Mama Mia, Evan Almighty, The Polar Express, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Band Of Brothers and From The Earth To The Moon. Tom Hanks has also directed the following classic productions: Band Of Brothers, From The Earth To The Moon, That Thing You Do, Vault Of Horror I, Fallen Angels, A League Of Their Own and Tales From The Cript. Many of Tom Hanks movies are too good to not watch more than once, and make great additions to your DVD and Blu-Ray collection. The adventure movies like Apollo 13 or Cast Away are always good to watch at any time, and what better movie for a romantic night in than Sleepless In Seattle or You've Got Mail. Who can't help but feel sorry for him in Cast Away when he loses his only friend, a volleyball he names "Wilson". Both Amazon and eBay have great prices on DVD's and Blu-Ray these days, and the best of these are featured below, as well as some great collectibles that will make any Tom Hanks fan proud to own. I hope you find some Tom Hanks DVD's or Tom Hanks Collectibles that you like. See also: Top 25 Tom Hanks Movies on Yahoo Contributor Network Top 20 Tom Hanks Movies on Best Reviewer

My RSS Feeds

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:48:18 -0600

Where to find Poddys (Tony Payne) on the internet? RSS Feeds are the key to getting found on the internet these days. It's RSS Feeds that allow news and blog articles to be propagated across the internet, and it's RSS Feeds that drive sites like Facebook and Twitter. Since I have a lot of lenses on Squidoo as well as various blogs and web sites, I thought it was time to add a lens that brought all the RSS Feeds for my various sites together into one place. From this lens you will be able to see the latest articles that I have written on all my blogs, as well as places like Best-Reviewer, Redgage, SheToldMe, Yahoo Voices etc. On Squidoo we already have Lensographies (a collection of lenses) and Plexographies (a collection of Link Voting Modules). I would like to introduce you to the new revolution - the Feedography I hope that this lens helps you to learn more about me and what I have been up to on the internet lately. If you like this idea, why not create a Feedography of your own. Don't forget to add it to the list of Feedographies on this lens.

The Daily Joke - May

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:13:38 -0600

Telling jokes, good funny jokes, is great therapy, and there is nothing quite like making people laugh to help create a good atmosphere. If only people could laugh and joke more, this world of ours might be a happier place to live in. People look so much better with a big grin on their face than a frown don't you think? Some good clean jokes, something to make us laugh, is often the best medicine for sadness, to combat stress, and to relieve what might otherwise be a boring or tedious day. So join us here with The Daily Joke, and remember more clean jokes get added every day, so keep coming back throughout the month. The daily jokes here are not in any particular category, they are the best of what I find to add each day. I do also have lenses for jokes in a specific category, like Religious Jokes, Golf Jokes - the list could go on.....

December Quizzes

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:04:14 -0600

Christmas time is the most special time of the year for many people, and I thought it would be a great idea to put together some December and Christmas themed quizzes to see how much people knew about the last of the twelve months in the year. December is no ordinary month of course. Did you know that statistically, one-twelfth of the things that happen during the year, happen in December? Amazing isn't it! As well as being the month when people celebrate Christmas and Hannukah, it's a month where a lot has happened throughout history, as I will proceed to show you through the quizzes and December Trivia that you will find on this page. The month of December is also known as being one where many Americans start the month suffering from PBFSD (Post Black Friday Shopping Disorder). Later in the month many suffer from CDWM (Christmas Day Wardrobe Malfunctions) due to overeating, and end the year with NYEH (New Years Eve Hangovers). But enough of this silliness, and let's get onto the quizzes. Each of the following quizzes has 3 questions with multiple choice answers. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did putting them together. If you do like them, please share this lens with your friends, and come back again as I plan to add more quizzes as time goes on. If some of the questions have you puzzled, you might find some information on them later on this page.

I've Been There

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 15:42:28 -0600

I've Been There" is a novel concept for a lens that I thought up a few days ago. I have been thinking of a way to use some lenses about places throughout the world created by other lensmasters, and the idea for this lens gradually took shape. I thought that it would be a great idea if there was a lens where people could describe places that they have been, and list lenses about those places. So what I have done is provided a means for you to tell the world about places that you have been, adding any stories or tidbits that you think readers might find of interest. Send me your story using the Contact Me link, and also up to 5 lenses about places that you have visited. I will create for you your own section in the lens that tells your story. The lenses can be yours, or they can be from another lensmaster. Just please make sure that they are quality lenses, and feel free to tell lens creators that you used their lenses, and with luck we will all get more exposure and traffic out of this. I know that I am looking forward to hearing about all the different places that everyone has been. I hope that you are too. THIS LENS IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION, SO PLEASE IGNORE THE ODD TYPO OR MISSING SECTION. RIGHT NOW I AM STRUGGLING TO FIND GOOD LENSES ABOUT SOME OF THE PLACES THAT I HAVE BEEN TO, SO IF YOU DO HAVE ANY, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I WILL BE PLEASED TO FEATURE THEM. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ADD YOUR COMMENTS TO THE LENS TO LET ME KNOW ABOUT YOUR TRAVELS. THEY WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE LENS ONCE IT'S READY FOR THE WORLD TO SEE.

War Movie Lenses Blessed By An Angel

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 07:28:08 -0600

Right you 'orrible lot. Look sharp. We can't 'be having no puny war movie lenses on this 'ere Squidoo site. It's not on you see. It's my job to make sure that the best War Movie lenses on Squidoo get properly recognized. The management made me responsible for the War Movie lenses here on Squidoo, and I intend to whip you lensmasters creating War Movie lenses into shape. So, if you are thinking of creating a lens that fits into the War Movie category, make it good, and you could be presented with a Blessing, and have your lens featured on this here lens. Make a scrawny useless lens though, and you could see it dragged around in the mud. Understood squadies? Right then. Jump to it. Let's get lens building. You can see all the Squidoo lenses that have been added to the War Movies category by clicking HERE. I hope to encourage more movies to be adeed to this category by featuring competitions and having monthly topics for lens building, so check the SquidU Forums and also Squidcasts from this lens for updates. 13th February 2011 is when I donned my wings as a Squid Angel, with responsibility for lenses in the War Movies category. DID YOU KNOW that you can create Movie reviews and earn Google Adsense revenue using Best Reviewer, just like these movie reviews below: Top 6 American Civil War Movies Top 6 Civil War Movies (Region 2) Top 5 World War II Air Combat Movies Top 5 World War II Movies

Poole - Dorset UK (under construction)

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:29:04 -0600

Never heard of Poole? Which is quite amazing, since Poole Harbour is the second largest natural harbour in the world, after Sydney in Australia. 21st May 2008 - This is a New Lens and Under Construction. It forms part of a collection of lenses about the South Of England and has been published to allow the inter-lens linking to be compiled. Please check back soon or add to your Favorites to find out about updates.

Tiny Dancer by Elton John

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:10:46 -0600

Tiny Dancer is one of Elton John's most catchy and memorable hit songs, memorable in fact for much more than being a classic Elton John song. This song was a popular choice for a number of contestants in various seasons of American Idol, and is also notorious for some people having thought that the lyrics were actually "Hold Me Closer Tony Danza" not "Hold Me Closer Tiny Dancer". Since his rise to fame with early hits like Rocket Man and Your Song, Elton John has released many now classic albums and much loved hits. I hope you enjoy this lens about Tiny Dancer. Don't miss the videos, and if you do like it, please can you share it with your friends. Madman Across The Water image courtesy of Amazon.com

Rod Stewart: Have I Told You Lately Lyrics

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 08:46:19 -0600

Have I told you lately that I love you Have I told you there's no one else above you Fill my heart with gladness take away all my sadness ease my troubles that's what you do For the morning sun in all it's glory greets the day with hope and comfort too You fill my life with laughter and somehow you make it better ease my troubles that's what you do There's a love that's divine and it's yours and it's mine like the sun And at the end of the day we should give thanks and pray to the one, to the one Have I told you lately that I love you Have I told you there's no one else above you Fill my heart with gladness take away all my sadness ease my troubles that's what you do There's a love that's divine and it's yours and it's mine like the sun And at the end of the day we should give thanks and pray to the one, to the one And have I told you lately that I love you Have I told you there's no one else above you You fill my heart with gladness take away my sadness ease my troubles that's what you do Take away all my sadness fill my life with gladness ease my troubles that's what you do Take away all my sadness fill my life with gladness ease my troubles that's what you do

The United States California

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:15:59 -0600

California is the most populous state in the United States and it is also the third largest in area. Only Alaska and Texas are larger. California lies on the Pacific Ocean and is bordered by Oregon in the north, Nevada and Arizona in the east, Mexico in the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The landscape changes from the beaches in the west, swiftly rising to the mountains of the Sierra Nevada. In the winter it's possible to go both surfing ans skiing in the same day. Mount Whitney is the highest mountain peak in the United States outside of Alaska. In the north of the state, in Redwood National Park, you can see the world's tallest tree, which is about 370 feet in height. As well as the mountain ranges, California also shares Death Valley, which is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere, with Nevada. California is also famous for the Napa Valley, which is one of the main wine growing regions in the USA. The state of California has so much history and so much to see. It was in 1849 that gold was discovered in the state, culminating in the Gold Rush. You have the historic cities of San Francisco in the north with it's famous Alcatraz Prison, Los Angeles in the south with it's suburbs of Hollywood, home of the movie industry, and Anaheim, home of Disneyland. Further south San Diego and it's world famous zoo. Then the beaches, "California GIrls", surfing, skiing in the mountains. There is probably more to do in the state of California than in any other state. Many thanks to www.50states.com for use of the state map.

Colin Firth Movies And Collectibles

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 02:03:35 -0600

In his acceptance speech after winning the 'Best Actor' award for The King's Speech at the Oscars in February 2011, Colin Firth told his fans "I have a feeling my career has just peaked". Colin Firth has gradually gained a lot of recognition in the last few years, through some great acting roles in a variety of different movie genres. Whether it's a period drama, such as the King's Speech, Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice, or Girl With A Pearl Earring, or a comedy like Bridget Jones Diary, Nanny McPhee or A Christmas Carol, Colin Firth plays a believable and also loveable role. Colin's next role we understand will be a world apart from The King's Speech, as he is set to play a character called "Stoker" in a movie that is based on Bram Stoker's "Dracula". Who knows where Colin Firth's career is headed beyond this, but I think that most of us believe that "onward and upward" is the way that it will go. (photo of Colin Firth courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Christchurch - Dorset UK (under construction)

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 14:56:53 -0600

Christchurch is a historic market town at the eastern edge of the county of Dorset, right in the centre of the South Coast of England. The town dates back to blah blah blah... It is famous for it's Priory Church, as well as the ruins of an old abbey and many old buildings. It's been many months since I started this suite of lenses about Southern England, and I am really looking forward to completing them, however time has been my biggest enemy to date, so many things to do and not enough time. I am hoping to get back to work on these as soon as possible.

Travel as an Insider Headquarters

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 04:31:36 -0600

ALL THINGS TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD WITH SQUIDOO All Things Travel is open to any and all travel-related lenses. I hope that you will visit and rate other member lenses. You won't be disappointed, and will surely find a few to lensroll with your own lenses. The group is organized alphabetically by lensmaster name, featuring your lenses that belong to this group. If you have more than five lenses, they will be rotated every time this page is displayed. Thanks for your submissions, and please see below for how to support this group by adding a link to your lenses. NOVEMBER 2009... I started to re-organise this group into areas of the world, and also themes, rather than by lensmaster. Please bear with me as I work on improving the look and feel of this group.

Swanage - Dorset UK (under construction)

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 04:08:12 -0600

Madness - Lyrics and Discography

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 12:23:27 -0600

Madness are an English pop/ska band from Camden Town in Northwest London that formed in 1976 and were one of the most prominent bands of the late-1970s 2 Tone ska revival, achieving most of their success in the 1980's. The core of the band formed in 1976 and included Mike Barson on keyboards and vocals, Chris Foreman on guitar and Lee Thompson on saxophone and vocals. They later recruited John Hasler on drums and Cathal Smyth on bass guitar. They were joined later that year by lead vocalist "Dikron". This six-piece lineup lasted until part way through 1977, when Graham McPherson (better known as Suggs) took over the lead vocals after seeing the band perform in a friend's garden. The lineup further changed when they dropped Smyth, who was poor on bass guitar, replacing him with Gavin Rogers, an acquaintance of Barson. Next, McPherson was kicked out of the band for too often choosing to watch football instead of rehearsing, and finally, Thompson left the band after Barson criticised his saxophone playing. After changing their name briefly to Morris and the Minors (a play on words of the famous English car the "Morris Minor"), the band renamed itself as Madness, paying homage to one of their favourite songs by ska/reggae artist Prince Buster. In 1979 their debut album One Step Beyond was released by Stiff Records, and gave rise to the hit singles One Step Beyond and My Girl. One Step Beyond stayed in the British charts for 37 weeks and reached #2. The band didn't want to release any more singles from the album, feeling that they had already released the best material, however they were persuaded to release more tracks on an EP. The result was the Work Rest and Play EP, which was headlined by the song Night Boat to Cairo. The EP reached #6 in the UK singles chart. The band's second album, Absolutely, released in 1980, reached #2 in the UK album charts. Absolutely generated some of the band's biggest hits, including Baggy Trousers, which reached #3 in the UK singles chart, Embarrassment which reached #4, and the instrumental Return of the Los Palmas 7 which climbed to #7. In 1981, the band's third studio album, 7 reached number 5 in the UK album charts and contained three hit singles, Grey Day, Shut Up and Cardiac Arrest. This album was a change in direction from the past. Suggs' vocal performance changed significantly, and his strong Cockney accent from the previous albums had been watered down. The album strayed from the ska-influenced sound of One Step Beyond and Absolutely, and moved towards a more conventional and mature pop sound. Near the end of 1981, Madness released one of their most recognised songs; a remake of Labi Siffre's 1971 hit It Must Be Love". The song climbed to #4 in the UK, and in 1983, the song peaked at #33 in the US charts. In 1982, Madness released their only number 1 hit to date, House of Fun which they played live on the '80s series The Young Ones. The compilation album Complete Madness also reached #1. In November '82, Madness released their 4th studio album, The Rise & Fall. The album did well in the UK, but didn't get an American release. Instead, many of the albums songs were included on the US compilation Madness, including Our House, which was their most internationally successful single to date. Our House reached #5 in the UK music charts and #7 in the US charts. In 1983, their single Wings of a Dove reached #2 in the UK charts, followed by The Sun & The Rain. Their following album, Keep Moving reached #6 in the UK album charts, and two singles from that album reached the top 20 in the UK music charts. The album received some good reviews, with Rolling Stone Magazine giving the album four out of five stars. In early 1992, It Must Be Love was re-released and reached #6 in the UK singles chart. Following that, the singles compilation Divine Madness was released and rechaed #1 in the album charts. Madness then announced plans for a reunion concert, Madstock, which was held at Finsbury Park, London in August that year. The original Madness lineup reunited, performing together for the first time since Mike Barson left the band in 1984. Over 75,000 fans attended the weekend festival, and during One Step Beyond, the vibrations of the crowd jumping up and down in time to the music caused an earth tremor which measured over 4.5 on the Richter scale. A subsequent live album was released, and the associated single, The Harder They Come got to #44 in the UK, with the album reaching #22. The band continued to reunite for annual UK Christmas season tours and held three more Madstock festivals; in 1994, 1996 and 1998. The band are still performing in 2008, with their most recognised lineup of seven members, although their lineup has varied slightly over the years.

Robin Williams Movies And Collectibles

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:55:47 -0600

Actor Robin Williams was a stand up comic when he was picked for the lead role in the television show Mork And Mindy which aired from 1978-1982. The rest is pretty much history, as Robin's ability to ad-lib and to make every role his own set him on the road to stardom. He has played many comic roles, in movies like Popeye, Mrs Doubtfire, Flubber and Nine Months. He has played loveable characters in family movies like Jumanji, Hook and Jack. Robin Williams has also played nmore serious roles, like Good Morning Vietnam, The Dead Poets Society, The Fisher King, Awakenings, Patch Adams and the dark look into the afterlife of What Dreams May Come. I don't know of anyone who doesn't like at least a few of his movies, so please join with me and help celebrate the work of Robin Williams, Hollywood's Funny Man. Photography of Robin Williams Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The United States Arizona

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 03:25:30 -0600

The State of Arizona is situated in the Southwestern USA and was the last territory in the continental U.S. to become a state, making it number 48. Arizona is bordered by Utah in the north, New Mexico in the east, Mexico in the south, and California and Nevada in the west. Arizona is the sixth largest state in the USA. No one can be sure sure where the state of Arizona got its name. It possibly comes from the Spanish version of the Pima Indian word for "little spring place.", but might also originate from the Aztec word "arizuma," meaning "silver-bearing." The Spaniards first used the name Arizona for their mining camps by the Planchas de Plata mine. Arizona is nicknamed the "Grand Canyon State.", and many tourists come to visit this spectacular landmark every year. The Grand Canyon is recognized as one of the top Seven Natural Wonders Of The World. Arizona has no shortage of historical links either. The Gunfight At The O.K. Corral between Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday with the Clanton gang took place in Tombstone, October 1881. The famous Apache Indian chief Geronimo surrendered in the state in 1885. The state has changed greatly since the days of the "Wild West", but there are still large areas that retain the feel of that era for tourists. The blend of Indian, Spanish and Mexican influences can be seen in the architecture in the state, as well as in it's customs, foods, and the names of it's places. The nickname for Arizona is the "Copper State" as it is a leading producer of Copper. It is also still a leading grower of cotton. This lens was created with the idea that it would become an index of all the Squidoo lenses about Arizona. If you have a lens that is about Arizona, feel free to add it to the list of Arizona lenses below. Many thanks to www.50states.com for use of the state map.

Demi Moore Movies And Collectibles

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 03:17:35 -0600

Demi Moore was born in Roswell, New Mexico on 11th November 1962. She had some minor movie roles and also appeared in the television show General Hospital, but it was the 1985 movie St. Elmo's Fire that first really got her noticed, and then the 1990 movie Ghost in which she starred with the late Patrick Swayze that really placed her in the star category. Demi has played many different kinds of roles, including a tough military lawyer in A Few Good Men, and probably one of her toughest roles in G.I. Jane. Other great Demi Moore movies include Striptease, Indecent Proposal, Disclosure and of course the movie versions of Charlie's Angels. Demi's latest movie role is in LOL : Laughing Our Loud, which is currently in post production and due to be released later in 2011. Photograph of Demi Moore courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Rod Stewart: Forever Young Lyrics

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 08:41:46 -0600

May the good Lord be with you Down every road you roam And may sunshine and happiness surround you when you're far from home And may you grow to be proud Dignified and true And do unto others As you'd have done to you Be courageous and be brave And in my heart you'll always stay Forever Young, Forever Young Forever Young, Forever Young May good fortune be with you May your guiding light be strong Build a stairway to heaven with a prince or a vagabond And may you never love in vain and in my heart you will remain Forever Young, Forever Young Forever Young, Forever Young Forever Young Forever Young And when you finally fly away I'll be hoping that I served you well For all the wisdom of a lifetime No one can ever tell But whatever road you choose I'm right behind you, win or lose Forever Young, Forever Young Forever Young, Forever Young Forever Young, Forever Young For, Forever Young, Forever Young

The United States Arkansas

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 02:29:01 -0600

This lens was created as an index for other Squidoo lenses about the state of Arkansas and places within it. If you have a lens that is about Arkansas, please feel free to add it to the list that is on this lens, and if it's a good lens I will be pleased to also feature it here. Arkansas is situated in the West South Central USA and is bordered by Missouri in the north, Mississippi and Tennessee in the east, Louisiana in the south, and Oklahoma in the west. This region comprising the state was bought by the USA from the French in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase. Arkansas gets its name from an Indian word meaning, "land of downstream people." One of it's nicknames is the "Bear State" because local Indians once hunted brown bears in the region The state capital is Little Rock. Other important cities in Arkansas include Fort Smith, Fayetteville, and Hot Springs. Arkansas fought on the Confederate side during the Civil War, however, in 1864 and 1865, there were both Confederate and Union governments in the state. A dispute over governorship in 1874 practically led to a civil war inside Arkansas. President Eisenhower had to send troops to Little Rock in 1957 to ensure that African American students were allowed to attend a public high school in the state. Racism against African Americans ran high in the 1950's to 1960's with the battles over civil rights. Ex President Bill Clinton was born in Arkansas and later became its governor. . Arkansas soil is fertile, and it's forests provide the raw materials for the lumber, wood product, pulpwood, and paper industries that have become important to the state. In addition to agriculture, the state has vast deposits of oil, natural gas, and bauxite. Ninety-five percent of the nation's production of bauxite occurs in Arkansas. Arkansas is popular with tourists, many of whom visit the scenic Ozark Mountains where you can bathe in hot mineral springs and explore limestone caverns. Hot Springs National Park, which is located in the Ouachita Mountains, is also a popular tourist attraction. Many thanks to www.50states.com for use of the state map.

Led Zeppelin: Thank You Lyrics

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 16:38:30 -0600

If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you. When mountains crumble to the sea, there will still be you and me. Kind woman, I give you my all, Kind woman, nothing more. Little drops of rain whisper of the pain, tears of loves lost in the days gone by. My love is strong, with you there is no wrong, together we shall go until we die. My, my, my. An inspiration is what you are to me, inspiration, look... see. And so today, my world it smiles, your hand in mine, we walk the miles, Thanks to you it will be done, for you to me are the only one. Happiness, no more be sad, happiness....I'm glad. If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you. When mountains crumble to the sea, there will still be you and me.

Air Supply: All Out of Love Lyrics

Tue, 03 May 2011 19:50:13 -0600

I'm lying alone with my head on the phone Thinking of you till it hurts I know you hurt too but what else can we do Tormented and torn apart I wish I could carry your smile in my heart For times when my life seems so low It would make me believe what tomorrow could bring When today doesn't really know, doesn't really know [Chorus:] I'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you I know you were right, believing for so long I'm all out of love, what am I without you I can't be too late to say I was so wrong I want you to come back and carry me home Away from these long, lonely nights I'm reaching for you, are you feeling it too? does the feeling seem oh, so right? And what would you say if I called on you now And said that I can't hold on? There's no easy way, it gets harder each day Please love me or I'll be gone, I'll be gone [Chorus] Ooh, what are you thinking of What are you thinking of What are you thinking of what are you thinking of [Chorus]

Poddy's Squidoo Friends

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 03:52:07 -0600

This lens is a celebration of some of the wonderful lensmasters that I have made friends with on Squidoo, and that I have shared information with, who have blessed my lenses, helped me out, and in some cases become good friends. This is for you, for all of you, in recognition of everything that you have done for me in what is now almost two years since I joined Squidoo. You are listed in no particular order, someone has to come first, and someone has to be the latest addition as well. Thanks you, all of you, I really appreciate the help that you have given me on Squidoo.

Wimbledon Common (under construction)

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 04:35:27 -0600

UNDER CONSTRUCTION When most people hear the word Wimbledon they immediately think of Tennis, but there is far more to Wimbledon than just Tennis. Wimbledon is a great small town on the southwest side of London. It has lots of great shops, it's on the main rail routes out of London to the South Coast, and most of all it has Wimbledon Common, which is a beautiful historic park and worthy of a lens in it's own right.

Emma Of Lulworth Cove (under construction)

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 02:12:56 -0600

First the book, now the movie, to be filmed at Lulworth Cove in Dorset. UNDER CONSTRUCTION http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/latestnews/display.var.2418839.0.film_shoot_would_put_cove_on_the_map.php New movie, book by Ray Stokes, starring Roger Daltry, Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), Sarah Paxton Shooting in November. http://www.hdcinematography.co.uk/articles_46497.html http://www.snitchseeker.com/harry-potter-news/tom-felton-cast-emma-lulworth-cove-updated-58143/