Author: blogger

The 2012 National Black Arts Festival

The National Black Arts Festival is an Atlanta festival that celebrates the art, music, and culture of people of African descent. The family friendly festival is scheduled from July 6-15 and includes activities such as literary, musical, and theater performances, fine arts exhibits, and an international market. Although a few events are ticketed, many of the activities are free.

The main weekend of the festival is July 12-15, with many activities taking place at Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta. Festival attendees can visit the International Marketplace, which will feature artisans from all over the world. Offerings will include paintings, sculpture, clothing, jewelry, and other items. In past years exhibitors have come from such diverse places as Jamaica, Haiti, South Africa, Senegal, Ghana, Brazil, Canada, and India. The kids will be entertained at the Childrens Educational Village. This years theme will be Destination Africa and Beyond. There will be musical entertainment all weekend from the concert stage. Local and international chefs will be giving cooking demonstrations at the Publix Healthy Cooking Pavilion. Attendees can learn to prepare healthy and balanced foods as well as enjoy tasty samples. All of these activities are free to the public.

Several other free events are planned during the festival. City Gallery at Chastain will present JOuvert: At the Devils Playground, featuring the work of Jamaican born photographer Radcliffe Roye. The exhibition, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of Jamaican independence, will run from June 14-July 28. An artist talk is planned for June 30 from 1-3pm. Pre-registration is required for the talk. Jah Music- A Celebration of Traditional Jamaican Music, featuring the Tallawah Mento Band, will take place on June 24 at the Auburn Avenue Research Library. The program is scheduled for 3-5pm, and pre-registration is required.

There will be two free screenings of A Raisin in the Sun at the Southwest Arts Center. This will be the original film version of Lorraine Hansberrys play starring Claudia McNeil, Sidney Poitier, and Ruby Dee. Screening dates are July 6, and a special screening for seniors and students on July 11.

The Hagedorn Foundation Gallery will host an exhibition of intimate photos of Michael Jackson by his personal photographer, Todd Gray. The Gray Room with Act 1 of the Performance Piece, Caliban in the Mirror is scheduled for July 6-August 31. The Coretta Scott King Book Fair will be held on July 11 at the Central Branch of the Atlanta Fulton Library. Attendees will meet award winning author Walter Dean Myers and award winning illustrator Michele Wood. The event is free, but pre-registration is required.

The festival also includes several ticketed events. Those events include a gala fundraiser and tribute to actress Ruby Dee on July 14. The play Guess Whos Coming to Dinner? will run July 10-29. There will be an exhibition of the art of Vivian Schuyler Key at the Hammonds House Museum and the exhibition Rise Up: Hale Woodruffs Murals from Talladega College at the High Museum of Art. A benefit event for the National Black Arts Festival, Slavery By Another Name: The Dialogue is planned for July 12.

A Liberal Arts Degree Program A Well-rounded Education

A liberal arts degree program offers a more well-rounded learning experience than a technical, vocational or business program. These programs introduce students to books as well as the philosophy and science that form disciplined and creative habits of thought. A liberal arts degree program trains an individual how to think rather than what to think and can lead to endless possibilities.

What does a liberal arts education have to do with the realities that graduates will face after college? The development of the capacities for critical thinking associated with a liberal arts degree program education can be extremely practical because these are the foundation on which to draw for decision making, continual learning, and for making a difference in the workplace.

Given the pace of social and technological change, it does not make sense to devote multiple years of higher education to studying one specific area or skill set. A liberal arts degree program will train an individual to think and draw on one’s education over a lifetime, which is much more practical and precious than mastering a field that is constantly evolving. A liberal arts degree program should teach students to figure out what they love to do, improve in that field and provide them with the ability to develop and continue to learn so that are able to adapt to change rather than become victims of change.

A successful liberal arts degree program develops an individual’s capacity for judgment and innovation. Individuals who are able to best reconfigure existing resources and project the results of the future will be the individuals who shape and mold our culture and economy. We are seldom presented will the information we would like, a liberal arts degree program will teach you how to work with what you are given and act accordingly. The ability to think that is developed in a liberal arts context usually results in combinations of flexibility and focus that make for intelligent and courageous risk taking decisions.

Liberal arts degree programs also put an emphasis on subjects that are often over-looked by other educational programs. Liberal Arts programs emphasize the importance of art and athletics in education as well as the importance of core subjects like reading, writing, science and math.

Liberal arts degree programs emphasize the importance of athletics year-round and spring is on different. Some of the sports emphasized by the NCAA and liberal arts programs around the nation include baseball, golf, lacrosse, rowing, softball, tennis and more.

Spring offers more NCAA sports than any other season. The NCAA offers six sports for male athletes and seven sports for women athletes during the spring. Both men and women participate in golf, lacrosse, tennis and outdoor track & field. Men also participate in baseball and volleyball while women also participate in rowing, softball and water polo.

Business programs as well as vocation and technical programs often overlook the importance of athletics and arts in education while liberal arts programs emphasize the importance. Liberal arts degree programs focus on a more well-rounded education and the importance of “how to think”, which enables an individual to thrive in almost any situation.

How To Put Out A Candle Using The Martial Arts!

I can put out a candle with a martial arts power at about two feet now. This article is about the techniques I have been working with. I’m hoping other people out there will want to share their methods, and we can all start putting out candles from across the room.

Now, just to be clear, it is a trick, but there are benefits behind the trick. Mental concentration skyrockets, and you learn different things about how to use the body. The body and the mind are things that we have barely begun to understand.

First things first, there is a very cheap shot way of putting out a candle. If you flick the finger in front of the flame, the flick is enough to disrupt the oxygen and make the flame die. Try it, just hold the hand a few inches back of the candle, then flick the finger as if you are merely snapping the fingers, as if you are flicking off water, and do it on the flame.

Next, I worked on the fist stopping in front of the candle. While there is mental focus involved, this is still a simple rob the flame of oxygen trick. You are robbing oxygen, but it takes mental control of the body to make it work just right.

You have to stop the body precisely, exactly, and with no shake or shiver. This leads one to the conclusion that it is not muscle, but control of muscle, that is important. All those hours of standing in a horse stance in front of a candle do have their physical benefit, but it is the mental benefit that is most real.

When I put out a candle at two feet I use a tai chi stance called Brush Knee, and I work on shifting weight, turning hips, and using all parts of the body as one unit. The most important thing, the thing that showed me gradual and increasing success, was to take all the energy out of my strike. I do it karate style, and I used less force and more mental focus, I do it tai chi style, and my success comes when I can take almost all energy out of the body and move the body from outside.

Yeah, it takes me a while, but as I remove energy from my body, concentrate on not snapping muscle, but emptying frame, I tend to get a little back of my body. I’m not out, a floating, disembodied intelligence wafting through the universe, just a little removed, comfortably removed, seeing my body from a viewpoint a little behind my eyes. The patience and mental resources are quite pitched at this point, because I am trying to move a body without using muscle, except at the lightest points.

Now, there are still problems with what I am doing. In spite of the mental acuity involved, it doesn’t feel efficient. Also, there seems to be a limit, and I can’t get beyond about three feet. But at least there is some success, and time and patience and dedication will give me more.

Martial Arts Benefit – Self-discipline Improvement

Self-discipline is perhaps one of the most difficult traits to cultivate not just in others but especially in ones self. Children naturally find it harder to learn self-discipline because they lack the experience and maturity to fully understand its value. But if you enroll your child in a martial arts school, self-discipline and a lot more positive traits are his to conquer in no time!

Why Its Important for Kids to Learn Self-Discipline and Self-Control Early
While it is certainly your duty as a parent to teach your children how to differentiate right from wrong, its also important to train them early to make such decisions for themselves. If you allow your child to grow up depending on your authority and other external factors to determine the proper thing to do, he shall find himself helpless and incapable of doing whats right even as an adult, much less care about the consequences of his actions.

When you teach your child self-discipline early, they take their first steps to growing up and taking responsibility of their actions. They begin to understand about the things they have to do not just because theyre told but because its right. They will understand, for instance, that homework, house chores, and even eating broccoli, are things they have to do, even if its somewhat unpleasant.

Self-control is naturally intertwined with self-discipline. It is impossible for one to exist without the other. Whereas self-discipline governs ones ability to make decisions, self-control governs ones control over his mind and body.

With self-control, your child learns early that its not right to let their angers rule their thoughts. They also to learn to exercise their will and use mind over matter.

The Benefits of Having Self-Discipline
Once your child attains self-discipline through martial arts, youll be surprised at positive impact it can have in his life.

More Self-Confidence
Greater self-discipline is equivalent to greater progress in martial kids. And with kids, their self-confidence tends to grow every time they move another level and the color of their belt changes.

Better Health
Youll find self-disciplined kids easier to guide when it comes to proper nutrition, too. Your kids will be more willing to listen and obey once you explaining to them the benefits of eating lots of greens and avoiding too much junk food.

If they are struggling with weight problems, youll also find it easier to maintain the proper diet and exercise regime for them. Their martial arts sessions will naturally help in keeping them physically fit as well.

Improved Social Interaction Skills
Self-discipline also helps children develop positive social interaction traits. They become friendlier and although they may become more competitive, they also understand the importance of sportsmanship, teamwork, and equality. They also become more understanding of other childrens differences with them and avoid bullying or ostracizing other kids because of those differences.

Three Tips for Choosing a Culinary Arts College

Attending a culinary arts college has become an especially popular endeavor in recent years, with the rising popularity of television shows like Iron Chef and Hell’s Kitchen. Aside from the television screen, however, there are many opportunities for students interested in the culinary arts. For students interested in this discipline, there are several important factors to consider before deciding on the right school for you. This article will help to explain these factors and the options available to students of culinary arts.

1. School Accreditation
Culinary arts schools, before gaining prestige, must first undergo a series of examinations that look at curriculum, teacher certification, quality of school facilities, and student-teacher ratios. These examinations are often conducted by the American Culinary Federation. The American Culinary Federation is responsible for maintaining a high-quality level of service to students and making sure that all regulations are being adhered to. Schools with an ACF Accreditation are often older, since the process is very long. These schools are often most likely to have the highest quality education for students interested in culinary arts.

2. Cost of Education
Since culinary schools are usually specialized, they are often more expensive than a typical university degree program. However, this is not necessarily true for all culinary arts schools. Students should shop around before deciding on the right school for them. Often, schools also offer scholarships to qualified students, so this is another important factor to consider when looking at a culinary arts college. If you want to specialize in a particular area of culinary arts, be prepared to pay more for your education.

3. Quality of Facilities and Equipment
As a general rule, older colleges are better for students because they have a longer reputation and history. However, these colleges also tend to have more out-of-date equipment. Students should also visit the culinary arts college they wish to attend before applying, so they can examine the equipment available to students. Since culinary arts equipment is always changing, it is important for students to have the best equipment available so they can learn how to use the most recent culinary tools. Knowledge of more recently developed equipment will give students an advantage in the field when applying for jobs.