Archive for 26th January 2012

The Air Hogs Hawk Eye: Your Child’s Personal Eye in the Sky

Photography isn’t limited to teenagers, adults, and professionals. Even at a young age, children can become exposed to the exciting world of photography and video recording. Air Hogs, a toy manufacturer, has released the Air Hogs Hawk Eye, a fun and interesting toy that even teenagers might be interested in. It is a remote controlled helicopter, but what sets it apart from other remote controlled toys in the market today is its video recording capacity.

Yes, the Air Hogs Hawk Eye has a camera that allows users to record 5 minute videos and capture 640×480 pixel photographs. Users can take clear photos even if the helicopter is hovering mid-air thanks to its Steady-Fly Technology. This keeps the helicopter balanced, which avoids users from capturing shaky and/or blurred videos and photographs.

The fun doesn’t stop when users bring the Air Hogs Hawk Eye back down. The helicopter comes with a USB cord that allows users to upload the videos and photographs onto their personal computer. They can also access a video editing program on the manufacturer’s official website. This program can help them improve the quality of their videos and even add extra sounds and texts. Finally, parents won’t have to worry about spending for hundreds of batteries just to keep their children entertained; the helicopter charges when it’s linked to a computer.

The helicopter weighs less than a pound, which allows children to carry it without any effort at all. It is also quite portable, since it is about 10 inches tall and 9 inches long. The helicopter itself rests on the remote controls, so kids can easily keep it on their bookshelf after taking it for a spin outside.

The Air Hogs Hawk Eye comes with the helicopter, a USB cord, the charger and controller, and the instruction sheet. The helicopter comes in silver or black, and the remote control is shaped like the controls of the Playstation. The camera is placed on the front of the helicopter, which is shaped like a small video camera. This toy is perfect for children 8 years old and above. This toy comes with a small ball, which makes it unsuitable for children 3 years old or younger.

One previous user has found the helicopter easy to control. The main controls to fly the helicopter are the “lift” controls and the “left/right” stick, which controls the helicopter’s flight direction. The “Trim” control helps balance the helicopter and makes it travel in a straight line.

However, another user cautions future buyers in handling the toy carefully, since the helicopter blades can be rather fragile. Parents should also read the instructions carefully before letting their children to use the helicopter, especially the instructions regarding the helicopter’s controls. This can prevent children from crashing the helicopter on their very first try. This remote controlled helicopter offers children the chance to explore their talents in photography by capturing amateur aerial shots, or it can pass as a simple toy that can keep the child preoccupied for hours.

Are you looking for more information regarding Air Hogs Hawk Eye? Visit http://www.asontvstore.com/category/toys today.

The Step2 Flip n Doodle Allows Your Toddlers to Discover Their Inner Picasso or Van Gogh

Some artists are made, not born. There is one product that can help one’s child to develop their artistic side even at a very young age. Previous buyers highly recommend the Step2 Flip n Doodle, which is an art desk that can be easily turned into an easel. The easel can be flipped over to serve as the table for the art desk. The easel has a metal board that can be easily wiped clean, which provides children as young as 2 years old a place to scribble on, instead of running their crayons all over the house.

Parents love the number of storage spaces provided by the Step2 Flip n Doodle; the art desk has drawers, trays, and small shelves where their child can store his/her art supplies and paper. The desk also has a small storage area at the back where they can keep a few books. The desk comes with storage bins and a storage space for coloring books. Finally, a small 11 inch stool completes the set. The stool has a wide base, which prevents kids from toppling over easily. Kids can hang their finished artwork on a clip that is attached to the easel, so that every member of the family can see what they’ve been doing for the past few hours.

The Step2 Flip n Doodle can help kids improve their artistic tendencies, and most parents and grandparents who have bought this product highly recommend it to others. They love the ease with which a 2 year old can flip the easel over to turn it into his/her art desk, and how the entire product can be assembled easily as well.

Aside from doubling as an art center, kids and even their parents can place other toys in the storage bins. The Step2 Flip n Doodle is very sturdy even if a screwdriver is the only tool needed to put the parts together. However, parents advise future buyers to use an electric screwdriver if they want to assemble the art desk faster. This seems to be a favorite among parents and grandparents, since most buyers have bought more than one unit for their children or grandchildren.

However, this art desk also has its downsides. First, the shelf located at the back can’t be reached by smaller or shorter kids, so they may have to get up and walk around the desk to get the things that they need. The art desk only comes in one color combination (white, blue, red, and orange), so it may not match the color of a kids’ room. The easel clip may not hold the paper well, but some parents have solved the problem by using tape. Finally, the art desk may be too small for children 5 years old and above, so parents may have to check the product’s dimensions before buying one.

If these disadvantages are only minimal, then parents or grandparents can go ahead and buy one for their beloved children or grandchildren. Not only will they get to keep everything in one place, the kids will be kept busy for hours on end without having to doodle on the walls and furniture.

Are you looking for more information regarding Step2 Flip n Doodle? Visit http://www.asontvstore.com/category/toys today.

Airbrushing For Fun and Profit

Houston, TX: Airbrush artist Ray Gatica has been airbrushing for over thirty years. When he started airbrushing back in the seventies in Phoenix, Arizona, back then before computers there was a lot of work and business for artist and airbrush artist. For entrepreneur/artrepreneurs there was a lot of commercial signage, hand painted graphics work to go around and make a fun, decent living.

Back then, Gatica had to learn the airbrush by trial and error. Today after, twenty years of that trial and error I am able to offer airbrush lessons to anyone wanting to learn it. Back then; I don’t remember ever seeing any one offering airbrush lessons. He remembers the frustration when he couldn’t figure out where to begin troubleshooting to address the problems, inherent with the airbrush. He also had to learn about friskets, appropriate supplies and materials, like frisket material, plastic shields. He didn’t know anything about any of that. When buying airbrush, the customers would get a little user guides and manual with instructions, but reading, and doing, are two very different things to Gatica.

He started by painting his own motorcycle, and then he went on to painting friend’s bikes, motorcycles along with painting airbrushed graphics on cars and trucks. “The airbrush paid for itself very quickly,” says Gatica. He also painted large commercial signs on trucks and small billboards.

Back then, paints were a lot harder to work with. And, because they were either oil-base or very harsh, lacquer paints, they weren’t very fun. They weren’t as workable as the current urethane paints of today. I don’t know when they came into being but I wish I would had them back then in the seventies. They are the ultimate paints for the airbrush.” Gatica says.

Along about the same time, he was learning the airbrush; he also started taking art lessons at a local community college, (Glendale College). There he studied life drawing, graphic design and illustration.

In the late seventies, he got the urge to move to Connecticut. There he continued his airbrushing but on a different avenue than what he was used to in Arizona. No longer doing too much of the art and graphics on cars, motorcycles, etc., he started getting business from commercial print shops and photographers – where he would edit and touch-up photos and other print media with photography inks. By that time he had learned about the Paasche AB airbrush and it had become his primary tool for what he did. This was a small, turbine driven airbrush that was designed for small photo touch-up jobs. This machine is designed to use fine viscosity paints like inks and watercolors especially made for photo retouching. “It is an intriguing little machine”, says Gatica. Unfortunately, as time went on less and less work came for this, due to the emergence of the computers. Now all this is done with photo editing programs like Photoshop, which has almost rendered the airbrush obsolete.

Mean while, during all the commercial work Gatica always kept painting art with the airbrush and has developed his own style of art. His art and illustrations is contemporary, modern; realism with a hint of impressionism.

Going full circle: Gatica came to Houston Texas in the early nineties. He is still, airbrushing commercially, and for fun. He has started painting on metal again using urethane paints (with the viscosity similar to fine inks and watercolors), which he finds to be the ultimate paints for the airbrushing and creating art. He creates art on metal and still paints on motorcycles, vans and truck. He also provides airbrush lessons for those who need them. You can get more information on this at AirbrushMagic.net. There is a link with lessons information.

He has given airbrush lessons at Micheal’s Art and Crafts stores in Houston. Today he offers private airbrush lessons on a one-on-one basis.The lessons encompasses the basics, trouble shooting, and actual painting with the airbrush. See more on this at the following link: http://www.airbrushmagic.net/airbrush-lessons.htm.

You can see his art on a couple of his various websites: www.airbrushmagic.net, www.Gaticaart.com. He can be contacted at 281-441-9714 or emailed through any of the above sites.

Airbrush Artist has been airbrushing for over twenty years. During the years he has done airbrush photo-retouching, rendering and illustrations. Today he provide airbrush lessons. You can see our works at http://www.AirbrushMagic.net, and http://www.GaticaArt.com.

Artist Keeps Old Tradition of Hand Painting Large Gym, Architectural Graphics and Murals Alive

Houston, TX: Large gym and architectural graphics are a specialty of Houston based commercial artist Ray Gatica. When it comes to laying out and hand painting large gym graphics, the artist uses the old overhead projector and pouncing process which goes back to when big billboards and large architectural graphics and signs were hand painted by accomplished, talented artist who were employed by the likes of Eller Outdoor Co., and other, similar outdoor advertising companies.

Back then, in the seventies and, as recently as the late eighties, all billboards were hand-painted. Back in the seventies, it wasn’t uncommon to look up towards a billboard 70 feet in the air and see a human painting the boards. They used oil paints. Remember seeing the old style Seagram’s 20 X 40 Ft. billboards when they showed fancy, sexy dressed models juxtaposed a Seagram or Bacardi bottle. It was excellent art!

No longer hand painted, these billboards are digitally produced. Most of the outdoor billboard companies today still provide their services, except the billboards are not hand painted any longer – but are digitally designed and created. The printers that print these twenty feet by forty feet billboards are twenty feet wide. The boards are painted on vinyl/media that is virtually indestructible and highly durable. The giant 20 foot-wide printers paint the vinyl very similar to a desktop printers attached to your computer. Finally, they are transported to the site where they are hoisted to about 70 feet in the air and then stretched and tied to the billboard frame.

Gym and Architectural & Signage Graphics: When painting gym graphics, Gatica employees a similar method as the old-timer artist painters that painted the billboards and large architectural graphics back in the seventies and as late as early 1990′s.

Firstly, after the design was created. Then he uses a projector to size the image to the required size. Depending where the design is to be painted the design may need to be put on paper first, so that the design can be transported to the site or billboards to prepare to paint. With the overhead projector, the various pieces of the overall designs were enlarged on to large paper patterns. The pattern’s design lines were then made with a pounce wheel, which leaves a fine perforated line on the pattern. (The pounce wheel is a small-wheeled instrument that is used to transfer a design onto a surface by leaving a perforated line on intended surface. It is the same instrument used by your mother or seamstress when they used to make sewing patterns.) The pattern/s are then placed on the wall where the sign or graphic are to be painted. After placing it properly they would then use a pounce bag (a fine, graphite filled bag) that was tapped on to the front of the pattern’s perforated lines. The perforations in the lines allow the graphite powder to seep through, thus transferring the design to the intended surface- where it would then be painted.

The designs are usually painted in colors specified by the architects or, what the design calls for. When painting the designs in the gym or high locations, Gatica rents a scissor lifts to reach twenty feet in the air in some gymnasiums and interior walls. It usually takes him around ten to fifteen days to prepare, enlarge the designs and paint the work. After the painting is done, Gatica finally cleans up and touches up the designs to sharpen edges to finalize everything.

“It is fun but tedious works” says Gatica, of doing the large works.

Gatica has been involved in the hand painted architectural graphics & signage, murals, and gym graphics for over 15 years. He painted about approximately, 20,000 square feet of interior design graphics at the Texan’s Stadium, 8000 square feet of architectural graphics at Houston SPCA and, 8000 square feet at various Katy ISD, schools.

Gatica’s experience, over the years includes working and subcontracting with architects, school administrations, interior design firms, and commercial painting and construction companies.

Gatica, can be contacted through his website: muralsandbigart.com.

Graphics Artist, has years experience in hand painting over-sized, large murals, canvas paintings, gym and architectural graphics and signage for over twenty years. Samples can be seen at http://www.muralsandbigart.com and http://www.airbrushmagic.net; His non-commercial art can be seen at http://www.GaticaArt.com.

Real Psychics How to Get the Best Psychic Readings

When you think of real psychics then you most probably think of a gypsy caravan with a woman dressed in lots of jewellery wearing a scarf and gazing into a crystal ball. It may have been like this in the past but today it is more up to date than that. You can talk to a real psychic in many different ways, from tarot readings, phone readings, even going to a spiritulist church for a medium reading and also don’t forget the email readings and text readings. People often wonder if psychics are genuine or not but a lot of people believe in psychic readings and rightly so, as most of the psychics out there are genuine. Of course you will always get the odd one or two that aren’t, but overall the psychics are real.

You would be surprised at the types of people who regularly come for readings. The White House first ladies have had their fortunes told over the years as they wanted to know what is going to happen regarding their husband’s political future. Other people such as the queen mother used to consult a psychic. It all depends on what you want to consult the psychic for, as it can be anything from when is the best time to buy a house to if you should have a new hair style. Anything and everything has probably been asked over the years.

A lot of psychics are spot on and these are the ones that people come back to again and again. Some people think that some psychics guess or make things up but have a think, even Police use psychics to help them catch the person responsible who has done a crime and 9 times out of 10 they do find the person who is responsible. Psychics have even found missing persons and have spoken to the dead and then pass that information to their loved ones that they have left behind.

No matter what you make of real psychics, they have their own TV shoes now and many thousands of people ring in and speak to them. There was even a series recently called Most Haunted with teams investigating haunted houses. A lot of real psychics will arrange for you to go and have a private sitting with them but this can be quite costly. If you want a reading you can have one done by phone or email or even texting now.

If you are interested in having a reading by a real psychic then make some enquiries. Ask your family and friends if they know of anyone that they could recommend. Having a reading done is regarded as normal these days and nothing out of the ordinary so don’t feel that this is weird. If you want a reading then have one done by a real psychic as you won’t disappointed and will more than likely be very glad that you took that first step and found an answer to your question.

Rachel Saxon writes for the metaphysical industry and is a Reiki Master. Highly Recommended Psychics Also Mediums And Tarot Reading

Hoover Dam: Sightseeing Tours From Las Vegas

There’s a Las Vegas Hoover Dam tour for every budget. Bus, helicopter, and airplane – they’re all affordably spectacular. If you’ve ever wanted to see this icon of engineering, do it while visiting Vegas.

Hoover Dam is situated only 45 minutes from Las Vegas. The arch-gravity structure has been holding back the Colorado River for more than 75 years. This dam defines what it means to be huge. Check out these facts:

1. It’s 726.4-feet tall, making it the second tallest dam in the U.S. behind the Grand Coulee in Washington state.

2. It’s 1,244-feet long. The dam crosses formidable Black Canyon and connects Nevada with Arizona.

3. It’s 660-feet thick. Before the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge opened in Oct. 2010, the top of the bridge was a two-lane road on which 13,000 to 16,000 cars crossed daily. How popular is Hoover Dam? Between eight to 10 million people visit it annually, coming by bus, helicopter, and airplane.

Bus tours are the most economical way to see the bridge. Trips include hotel pick up and drop off and lunch. The motor coach goes through Henderson and Boulder City, NV, and then along Lake Mead National Recreation Area before descending into Black Canyon. Now starts your Hoover Dam tour, which may include:

1. Strolling atop the dam from Nevada to Arizona.

2. The official U.S. Government’s V.I.P. Discovery Tour of the Interior (takes you to the bottom to see the turbine generators at work).

3. Exploring the Visitor’s Center’s exhibits, movie room, and observation deck.

It’s possible to bundle a helicopter flight, plane ride, or boat cruise into your bus tour package. Trip duration for the basic bus package is 3.5 hours.

Helicopter and airplane air tours are also available. Flights leave from Las Vegas every day of the year. The flight plan includes Lake Mead and Hoover Dam. Helicopters fly at a lower altitude than airplanes, which usually include Hoover Dam as part of a Grand Canyon West Rim air package. Tour duration ranges from 3.5 hours to 5.5 hours. Both packages bundle free hotel shuttle service.

Reserve your tour to Hoover Dam in advance. There are two reasons for this: 1) It’s cheaper; and 2) you’re sure to get a great seat. For the cheapest prices, I strongly recommend you purchase your tour online. Buy direct from the tour operator if you want the best price. I know it sound counter-intuitive, but it’s the company that’s running the tour that will sell it to you at the lowest price.

Las Vegas Hoover Dam tours are perfect for travelers looking for a quick day trip from the Las Vegas Strip. There’s an adventure for every budget. Bus tours are the most economical. Helicopters are best for getting a true bird’s eye view of the dam. Airplane tours include the dam as part of the flight to the West Rim. Hoover Dam’s been fascinating visitors for years. View it airborne or by foot – you will not be disappointed.

Ready to explore Hoover Dam? Travel writer Kelly Kirbee recommends this site for great deals: http://www.grandcanyondaytrips.com/hoover-dam-tours

Traveling With Men’s Toiletry Bags

Toiletry bags have been used over the centuries. They are available in various colors, styles, shapes, and sizes. For women, cosmetic bags can also be considered as toiletry bags. However, it is not only them who need a toiletry bag, men too need one to organize their necessities. Toiletry bags for men are becoming very popular as more and more men are longing to have a good container that can hold their personal hygiene items and toiletries whenever they need to travel.

Before, there are only a few styles that are available to choose from, but now that men are getting more stylish, there are plenty of unique choices that one can easily find even over the Internet. Some of the most popular resemble shaving kits and are made of leather. These bags help men keep their toiletries organized in one place, perfect when they are in a hurry.

The tendency of some men when packing their toiletries is to stow them into a zip lock plastic bag and toss into into their travel bag. This is not a good practice though, because a plastic bag can easily get misplaced. Also, this way of packing is not good for bottles with liquid as they can spill, causing a big mess inside the luggage. So to avoid these bad circumstances, using a different bag that is meant to keep toiletries organize is a much better tool to use.

Although there are lots of toiletry bags that seem to be attractive, but it is not only the appearance that one should consider. There are other important things to keep in mind before purchasing a toiletry bag, such as the size, color, and of course the accessories or other features included on the bag.

Choosing a right size of toiletry bag is very important. A toiletry bag is meant to hold several items of a man, therefore it should be in a size that is big enough to accommodate all of those items. When choosing the color, one excellent tip is to go neutral. Neutral colors like brown, gray, white, and black always blend well with any color of outfit or luggage. Some men’s toiletry bags come with a strap. It depends whether one would like to carry the bag over his shoulder or carry it in hand. The pockets inside the bag also vary, therefore a buyer must first try to imagine the items he wants to place inside the bag.

Men’s toiletry bags are not only good for traveling, but they are also good to use at home. One can keep his bathroom neat, clean, and organize simply by placing all his toiletries in a nice bag. It also eliminates confusion as to where you put them.

There are specialty stores that sell all kinds of personalized bags, including personalized sports bags, personalized totes, personalized backpacks, and of course personalized toiletry bags, allowing customers to place their name or monograms on their chosen item. Usually, names or monograms are embroidered onto the bags.

Jnet is an author for a variety of lifestyle issues and topics. For more information on personalized tote bags, visit the website Bags-purses-totes.com. Browse their collection and get a cheap designer bags at an affordable price!

How To Solve Your Financial Problems With These Simple Ideas

Whether you are in debt or you can’t afford the things you want or need, managing your personal finance is an important task that can help you for the rest of your life. If you’re not sure how to handle a budget, read this article for tips on personal finance.

Establish your financial goals first. You cannot determine how to proceed if you have nothing to work towards. Figure out and prioritize what you want to do financially, and then move forward with your plan and goals firmly set in mind.

If you are traveling overseas, be sure to contact your bank and credit card companies to let them know. Many banks are alerted if there are charges overseas. They may think the activity is fraudulent and freeze your accounts. Avoid the hassle by simple calling your financial institutions to let them know.

Don’t do any Forex trading without first analysing the market. In the world of currency trading, any attempt to trade without first examining the market is just pure gambling. Gambling can be fun, but eventually you will lose all of your money. So, study the market extensively before you do any trading.

To keep your credit from worsening, pay back your credit card debt first. Credit card debt is one of the worst kinds of debt you can have. Any time you have extra money to pay off expenses with, focus on getting your credit card debt squared away. This will keep your cards from hurting your credit score.

If you’re fresh out of college don’t buy a home yet. Instead, go ahead and rent an apartment until you have some financial security. The worst thing you can do is pile debt on top of debt when you’re not even certain if you’ll have a career. Be aware of your financial situation as a recent graduate.

The first step in managing your personal finance is to pay down your debt. Debt carries interest, and the longer you hold on to debt, the more interest you will have to pay. You may also pay penaties if payments are overdue. So to rein in the runaway interests, pay off your debts as soon as possible. When you have done that, then you can start saving.

Sell your talents and skills to make a little extra money for a rainy day. Whether you choose to tutor, fix computers, sew the occasional dress, or provide another service, you can put in just a few extra hours a week doing something that you enjoy and see your savings grow rather quickly.

If you are having trouble with money, apply for a credit card at your local bank. Credit cards are very valuable as they allow you additional time to pay back the money that you owe and can go a long way in establishing a firm credit score for benefits in the future.

Knowing how to manage money is a life skill that is necessary whether you are single or you have a family, as it makes it easier to set long-term goals. Buying a house or car is more possible when you know how to budget. Remember these tips and you can manage your personal finances better.