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Usually we spend our free time doing various things; reading, watching movies, using the computer, playing the guitar, meditating, cooking… The empty spaces in a day are soon filled with small activities, amusements, things that pass the time more often than enrich it. The mind is engaged, all the time. Always there is a focal point for the mind, something for attention to flicker towards. Always there are things to distract us, to keep us moving.

Meditation is prescribed as a countermeasure to this constant activity. There, the mind is allowed to relax. Thoughts can make their own way out, and, when one spends a lot of time meditating, over a long period, there can be strong positive effects. But even when meditating, sitting on a cushion for the sole purpose of calming the mind, there can be a purpose. The mind is engaged there, too. There is a direction to this meditation, just as there is to every other activity.

But think of this: Who first discovered meditation? Who was the first person to meditate? And this person, was she doing it for the purpose of attaining enlightenment? Of course not. There was no one to tell her about enlightenment, no one to tell her about God or spirituality. Maybe she did not have a reason to meditate. Maybe she just did it, spontaneously and innocently. And think of this: Did it have the same effect on her that it has on one of us today?

When we sit down to meditate, we do not do it spontaneously. We do it because we have been told it is good for us, because we have been told it will lead us to enlightenment.

Maybe it will. But of what importance is the spontaneity of meditation? Of what importance is our motivation to meditate?

It’s not official but Madonna may be bringing her phenomenally
successful CD, Confessions on a Dance Floor, live to a venue near
you. To date, Confessions has sold nearly 1.29 million copies in the
United States alone. It continues to top sales charts in the UK, and
Madonna was recently recognized as the female artist with the most
number one hits in the UK. It seems almost certain that Madonna’s
fan base will soon be pleading for her to finalize preparations for a
Confessions tour. How do we know Madonna may be preparing
for a tour? While not coming out and making it official, she has
made some statements that hint at the possibility.

In a recent interview, Madonna spoke about some performances
she has booked for the near future. She will be performing at the
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, on
April 30, 2006. She said, “I am especially excited about playing
Coachella before I start my own tour.” In some interviews
Madonna even talked about her vision for her next tour, some ideas
she has for its visual presentation on the stage and what the
Confessions on a Dance Floor show will represent for her.

Madonna’s plans for her tour aren’t specifically connected to
Confessions, but when she says things such as, “I want them (the
audience) to feel like they’re inside a disco ball,” it’s hard to imagine
that her vision doesn’t involve Confessions. Other statements like, “I
want a sound system in surround and the dancers personalities to
come out” indicates that a tour for Confessions is highly likely. So
what is all this excitement about?

Confessions, the fourteenth album/CD created by Madonna, is a
mix of anything you want it to be. It’s about power and
empowerment and love and its costs. In this re-invention of
Madonna herself and the disco-era, she has come back with
possibly the best work she has ever done. There are blogs and
message boards full of comments on Confessions. “I never even
liked this woman and I have to say, this is real good stuff,” one
person noted. Other comments include, “Only Madonna could bring
back disco and dance with the popularity it had in the 1970’s.”

It has been suggested that not only will she tour but that she will
focus, as she has in the past, on dance. Wherever Madonna goes
many others follow. She wants people to “get out of their seats” in
response to the music. She wants them to “have a good time
straight through and non-stop.” Considering that one song on the
CD is a hit single and she co-wrote and co-produced Confessions
with Stuart Price, (Madonna’s musical director on her 2002
Drowned World Tour and last summer’s Reinvention Tour) one
may assume that Confessions on a Dance Floor will be a visually
extraordinary concert.

Madonna, of course, didn’t do this all by herself. The genius forces
of musicality that worked with her on Confessions will no doubt
help her make the tour just as successful as the CD. Assistance
from artisans such as Bloosdhy and Avant (Grammy winners), the
producer of Madonna’s last two albums– Mirwais Ahmadzai, and
co-writer Henrik Jonback will bring the live version of Confessions
to the stage.

Madonna’s part in producing this album comes from her fascination
with post modernism and technology. In talking about the making of
Confessions on a Dance Floor she said, “I’m trying to find the
soulfulness in technology and playing with that. I would prefer to not
have back-up singers. I would rather take my own voice and layer
it and change it and put effects on it so it sounds like a lot of
different tones and timbres.”

Madonna fans know that this artist loves her craft. She is excited
about her music and passionate about bringing it to the stage. If you
haven’t heard the entire CD yet, you are in for a treat. This is the
kind of CD that requires you either find a place to relax and just
listen or occupy a space where you can start moving. There is no
typical break between the songs. This music will make even those
that don’t dance get up and move their feet. The Mistress of Visual
Artistry herself is the only one who can bring Confessions on a
Dance Floor to life on stage. Throughout the world of music, it is
rumored that this tour could start as soon as August or September
2006. Start getting in line for tickets!

This article was written by Rita R. Powers sponsored by http://www.stubhub.com If you’re looking for online tickets for a Musical Show or some Sports Event, look no further than Stubhub.com where fans buy and sell the hottest tickets. Reproductions of this article are encouraged but must include a link back to http://www.stubhub.com

Parties and celebrations don’t need to be a simply an afternoon or just an evening. Why not make a day, or even a weekend of it?

For entertaining Children there is a massive amount of options available to keep them active for the entire day. To be honest, it can be so much easier and less stressful to take them out for the day and letting someone else organise their events instead of having all the chaos in your own home, or the hassle of booking allsorts of different suppliers.

Classic Days Out include Tourist Attractions such as Theme parks, Fun Fairs, Amusement Arcades and Activity Play Centres. A more cultured and educational, but equally as interesting day out could include visits to Art Galleries, Museums, Heritage Centres or a local Historic House. Some Zoos or Wildlife Centres are set within the grounds of a historic Mansion House. Many of these combinations are geared towards families – usually including an Adventure Playground to ensure that the children sleep well on the way home!

More energetic children (and “grown up’s”!) may wish to consider a sporting activity – many Leisure Centres can provide activities such as Football or Rugby Days, or hire out courts so you can arrange your own tournaments for Tennis, Badminton or Squash!

You could ask local sports team, for example a cricket team, to provide a days training on their professional sport. Many Golf Courses, Football Grounds or Cricket Greens have a club house to hire, so consider this if you are wanting to combine an active day out with a party supper.

There are a plethora of activities to be enjoyed on the water; take a small group out on a riverboat or punting (don’t forget the lifejackets!), or embark on a days frivolities learning to water ski or wind surf. If some calm is required, a spot of fishing could be called upon. Or just gather up your swimming costumes and enjoy a leisurely afternoon at a swimming pool.

If you’d rather get your adrenaline pumping, why not consider the air?! Many air bases cater for sky divers, parachutists and gliders. Or, if you aren’t too keen on free falling, why not take a scenic hot air balloon ride over the countryside? These rides also make brilliant birthday presents for those people who have everything, as does flying lessons. If your budget doesn’t stretch that far, there are some amazing kites available to buy and fly!

Driving experiences are always exhilarating. Choose a competitive game, such as Quad Biking or Go Karting, perhaps a trip to Silverstone to keep everyone busy. Go Karting and Quad Biking are good fun for both adults and children and no license is necessary! Solo events such as an hour driving a Ferrari or an Off Road Driving experience makes a brilliant present for that Peter Pan man in your life! For more adrenaline pumping action, how about shooting?! Clay Pigeons for the less energetic, or a mad day of Paint-balling or Laser Games for the more active!

Finding an enjoyable evening entertainment to include children can be difficult. A trip to the Cinema or Theatre can be a very welcome way to spend an evening. you get to sit down after a hectic day! If you are still feeling motivated, why not find a Bowling Alley, Bingo Hall or even a venue holding a Musical or Themed Night to stretch the evening out even longer!

There are many types of accommodation you can choose to frequent if you decide to stay away with your family. From a room in a quaint little B&B to camping in woodlands, from luxury holiday cottages to 5* hotels, there is a bed out there somewhere which is perfect for you! Many large theme parks now have associated hotels, or complexes within the grounds to make your weekend even easier, and many tourist attractions will also have recommended accommodation.

For more specifically ‘adult’ entertainment, the evening is your time to shine! Choose from Bars, Nightclubs, Casino’s or Comedy Clubs, or enjoy a more sophisticated evening of Wine Tasting. And if you have had enough and need some quality ‘me time’, remember that you can always use next weekend to hide away in a Health Spa, pampered to within an inch of your life! For more ‘grown up’ entertainments, check out our “Grown Up’s” Birthdays or Stag & Hen sections at www.PartyPages.co.uk

PartyPages.co.uk is the UK’s favourite online Party Directory, the one stop shop for all your party requirements. After 15 years performing as Uncle Wiggy, a prestigious Childrens Entertainer, Barry is an expert on all things celebratory! Don’t hesitate to visit us at http://www.PartyPages.co.uk, or for more information on Barry’s entertaining visit http://www.UncleWiggy.co.uk

It’s not just aspiring singers and songwriters that travel to Nashville seeking fame and fortune in the music business. A new generation of aspiring music management professionals are moving to Music City for a crack at the kinds of music management jobs that can lead them to lucrative careers.

Like most behind the scenes jobs in the music business, music management jobs require a lot of hard work, a passion for entertainment, and powerful people skills. Although a growing number of music business degree programs have popped up – most notably, at Nashville’s Vanderbilt University – experienced music managers can tell you that music management jobs require the kind of real world experience that you can’t find in a classroom.

Music management jobs in Nashville require a willingness to work hard and the courage to use whatever connections you have to get in on the ground floor. Entry level music management jobs require long hours, handling routine chores like handling fan correspondence and monitoring online bulletin boards and blogs for fan activity. Few music management jobs in Nashville are ever posted publicly – most music management companies fill open positions by recruiting from their pools of eager interns.

You don’t have to wait for a music management job in Nashville to open up for you to build experience in the music business, however. Most of the music industry’s most influential managers had little or no direct experience with the entertainment business before working with acts that would become superstars. Working directly with a client can give you the specific experience you need to grow your own music management career.

Whether you build your own music management agency on the foundation of your work with a young and hungry client, or you prefer to punch the clock at a larger, established agency as an intern, direct experience is the path to the very best music management jobs in Nashville.

Joe Taylor Jr. has written four books about the music business for aspiring musicians, including Music Management for the Rest of Us. You can learn more about music management jobs in Nashville at: http://www.musicmanagementfortherestofus.com/jobs/