Look Like A Celebrity On A Budget By Clair O'Hara

Celebrities are everywhere. Open a magazine and you'll be greeted with celebs and their designer clothes, gleaming teeth and perfect make up. As most of you know, these celebrities have a huge entourage who can help them look their best, and lots of airbrushing tools to transform them of course! Celebrities wear fantastic designer dresses to dazzle and to endorse, and for the majority of us normal folk, it's impossible to afford celebrity designer clothes without missing our monthly mortgage repayments.
Thanks to the increase in online fashion retailers selling celebrity-inspired clothing, we can now afford to dazzle like a celeb without being homeless. These cheaper online retailers are often called 'throwaway' fashion stores because the clothing is so cheap but imitates the latest trends from the catwalk and from the red carpet. The term 'throwaway' doesn't give cheap online fashion retailers the best name - it gives the impression the clothing is lacking in quality. But if you compare the quality of cheaper online retailers to more expensive stores on the high street you'll see the quality isn't dissimilar.
It's a good to mix and match designer pieces with throwaway fashion, this way you are getting the best of both worlds. For example, you could team a piece of expensive jewellery with a celebrity-inspired dress for a tenner, and look glamorous and sophisticated. By chopping and changing your accessories you can transform the same dress into lots of different outfits.
You can't escape celebrities - in magazines, on the television and on billboards - but for the majority of us, it's impossible to afford all of the designer clothing they endorse. You can still look and feel like a celebrity even with cheaper imitations. Online fashion retailers make 'copies' of the latest celebrity trends, and most look exactly the same.
By shopping online you are more likely to find a bargain, try a simple search of "celeb dresses" and you'll see what the internet has to offer in terms of cheap dresses. Choosing cheaper items means you can buy more, so instead of buying one expensive dress, you can buy a dress, a pair of shoes and a bag - a completely new outfit. Or you can just save the money you would have spent. Shopping online also gives you a much wider choice - there are hundreds of shops to choose from and hundreds of thousands of dresses to browse through. Whether you're after a glitzy party dress to paint the town red, or a pretty maxi dress for a summer's day - you will be spoilt for choice by the selection online.
Although cheaper fashion retailers tend to get a bad name because of the cheap labour that goes into producing the clothes, you'll find a lot of the retailers have ethical standards where they make sure those producing their clothes are getting a fair wage. And also, people tend to forget that more expensive high street stores don't actually have any ethical standards in place, and they are charging more for their clothes!

Clair O'Hara is writing on behalf of Love Sasha, an online women's fashion retailer selling cheap celeb dresses and party dresses.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6894453

Best Chukka Boots for Women in 2012 By Claire Boyd

Of all the things certain in this modern world, 'women's shoes' is not a far-fetch thought. Taking comfort in the splendor and beauty of shoes is like a fairytale that no girl ever seems to grow out off. Men take comfort in such thought, not having to ponder too much when stuck on a moment of gift ideas.
However, when women and shoes are associated, people typically consider heels in the picture. That might be the case most of the time, but recently, more interesting and unexpected favorites have been making its mark-like boots.
Comfort is a huge factor why more and more women make it a point to own a pair of chukkas. Chukka boots for women are very 'in' these days that major shoe companies have manufactured their own take on the classic trend. If you are one of those who has been smitten and want to join in on the fun, read on as we unveil the top chukka boots for women in 2012:
1. Clarks Women's Desert boot - Clarks is known to be chief makers in the shoe industry. This pair is everything classic that a chukka boot should be. The overall look does not disappoint from its leather outer material to its clean-cut construction. Women who are not afraid to go bolder and even more masculine in their fashion statement adore this design. While the outer look promises durability, the comfort level is just as impressive once you take it for a walk.
2. Vans Women's Chukka Boot Core Classics - Vans has successfully integrated its trademark playful approach to a classic chukka. Active women are sure to be ready for the outdoors with the comfort of this casual yet classy pair. It offers more flexibility than the other chukka boot designs thus allowing for more movement and long walks. Getting one for yourself will go a long way.
3. Frye Women's Erin Chukka - with more than a century of history from quality-shoe production, Frye has managed to add another top-selling design for chukka boots for women. The look very much incorporates the masculine features of a chukka boot with the feminine details that has impressed plenty of women. The soft outer material ensures delicate comfort for the feet. The interesting addition is its subtle yet effective approach on the boot-heels. Followers of this pair give high rates for its stylish approach and major comfort level.

Visit CHUKKA BOOTS WOMEN to check out all the chukkas for girls in 2012.

Luxor News - Jane Akshar News, events and Egyptology from Luxor, copyright Jane Akshar

Camels and horses in Luxor

Luxor isn’t just tombs and temples but camels and horse drawing carriages as well. These camels were being taken for a ride rather than the other way round. Whenever I see this I wonder how on earth they manage to get the camels in the back of the truck.

Get Paid to Play Video Games: No Gimmicks! By Kevin Jaxon

Gaming has become such a lucrative market. Many online games even require a monthly subscription and allow game makers to continually profit on their games. Very popular games even market to their players both in and out of game to make even more money. It's unfortunate that all of this money goes to the game makers and without you, the player, this would be impossible. It's simply not fair and I believe a change is due. But how do you as a player make money from the games you play when many games will ban you for various ways of making money?
Gaming has become so popular that in some countries it's considered a sport. People love gaming, from computers to consoles and even now smart phones. People play for competition, they also play to relax and unwind and now they can even get paid. People have known about beta testing video games for a long time, there is nothing new there. But what about getting paid to do tasks in game, as in: game tasks. Think of it like they're errands you would do for a friend in the real world, but instead in the virtual world, and for a few dollars.
Think about it, people pay for services in the real world all the time. Iron my clothes, wash my car, mow my grass. We constantly out source things we don't want to do. This same ideology can be witnessed in video games. People don't want to spend vast amounts of time so they buy and sell in-game currency. Unfortunately this is against the terms of service of most games and will get you banned. However, you can still make money by doing things that won't get you banned.
New players need help with all sorts of things. They'd like to be run through instances, taught how to PVE and PVP and they'd love to read your guides. You are only limited by your creativity. Imagine you're a new player and you don't have a lot of time, what would you pay for? They're just like every other consumer with needs, so let's appease them.
Now there are websites that allow you to offer a service, such as running players through an instance and so on. What you do is up to you, be creative, but most importantly, get paid to play video games! The process is simple: someone purchases your service and the money goes to the website for holding until the service is complete and then the website dispenses the money to you. Registration is free and you don't need to supply personal information so it's really a no-risk situation for you.

Top 10 Computer Games By Danny Gilbert

Starcraft
Starcraft ranks in at #10 on this list. An amazingly popular game, it was released in 1998 and is still being played. Starcraft is a RTS game that pits the Zerg, Protoss, and Terran against each other. Each have a unique play style utilizing their strengths and weaknesses.
SiN Episodes: Emergence
At #9 SiN Episodes is a game you might have never head of. It's a continuation of the game SiN, released in 1998. It was released on Steam, and is unique in the fact that it was the first game created by a major developer that was released without a publisher. SiN episodes is a FPS game that takes place some time in the future in a mega city. You play the roll of a cop who has been injected with an experimental "Super Soldier" drug that is looking for the cure. It plays like many other source games, so if you enjoy them, you will probably enjoy SiN, along with it's many easter eggs. The best part though? The primary villian is a lady by the name of Elexis Sinclaire.
Sins of a Solar Empire
#8 is another game you may or may not have heard of. Sins of a Solar Empire is a pretty epic RTS game set in space. Released in 2008 with an expansion in 2009 and another in 2010, Sins has become a popular game among the RTS crowd. The basis of the game is to colonize planets through one of 3 methods: Through force, as par in a RTS game, buying them(with a ton of money), or through a religious coupe. This makes things a little interesting, as you have to make sure your people actually like you. You have the ability to build massive space fleets, and the unique feature to zoom in as close as a spaceship window, and far enough out to see multiple galaxies. Though not much real use, it's a very interesting feature.
Age of Empires 2
#7 is my favorite RTS game(you may notice there are a few on this list). It pits ancient civilizations against each other in a battle to the death (or whatever else, with all the custom maps). Age of Empires had awesome fan made maps that changed the play style. One good example was Archer Blood. In this custom map, each user got a fortress and and tower. You spawned archers at a constant interval with upgrades coming depending on how many kills you got. The final goal being to destroy the enemies tower. There were also games like the reenactment of Helms Deep. Overall it was a solid base RTS, even without custom maps, giving many choices of different civilizations, each with unique bonuses.
Battlefield 3
At #6, battlefield 3 is a pretty standard FPS game. The story line is forgettable, if you even do it, but multiplayer is addicting. Like Battlefield 2 before it, there are lots of maps, and plenty of guns. As well as fighting as a grunt, you can get in a tank, LAV, hummer, jet, or helicopter. It's got a nice ranking system where the more you play with a particular gun, the more upgrades you get for it. You can play as anything from a scout sniper to a combat medic, with each roll getting unique weapons and unlocks. There's not a lot more to say, other than it's pretty.
DOOM 3
#5 is the third shooter on this list, and the third version of the classic game, DOOM. Set on mars in the future, you, as the original space marine, have to fight your way through demons to save the day. Doom is meant to be a scary game, and they went about achieving this in different ways. First of all, pretty much everywhere you go is covered in gore, so this might be a reason it's rated M. The second way is through sound. Id, the makers of Doom, use many creepy, almost not there sounds, partnered with the fact that you hear people getting killed, either over the radio you carry, or by being close to their location. Finally, they use lighting. The complex you're in has been ravaged by demons, and thus not all the lights work. There's flickering, shadows, and just plain dark spots. To combat this you have a flashlight, but in the original game, you can't use the flashlight and a gun at the same time, forcing you to either see what's coming after you, or defend against what's coming after you.
The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
#4 is a new game, released 11/11/11. It's set 200 years after Oblivion, putting the player in the province of Skyrim on the continent Tamriel. Skyrim is a large RPG game that gives you plenty of freedom with your character. Want to be a giant nord with a battle ax? A sneaky elf with daggers? A furry with a klepto problem? What about a giant furry with daggers? It's all possible in Skyrim. Skyrim has a nice, though rather short main quest, with a massive amount of side quests and land to explore. Also, like Oblivion and Morrowind before it, there are plenty of mods, with more being constantly added. The best part however is that almost nothing is bolted down, and you can steal massive amounts of stuff until your home looks like this.
The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind
#3 is another Elder Scrolls game. Again, set in Tamriel, but this time in the province of Morrowind, more specifically the island of Vvardenfell. The main story line is rather nice, with plenty to do and lots of side story lines as well. Getting into guilds is much harder than with Skyrim, and require a lot more questing, going into dungeons, etc. The game was absolutely beautiful at release in 2002, pushing computers to the limit, and can still look nice now with mods. The game world is amazingly detailed with plenty to do, and there are massive amounts of mods that add to it, from tiny houses to entire new lands. Coupled with the mods, the immersion and ability to consume time rivals that of an MMO. Which brings us to:
World of Warcraft
#2, World of Warcraft has been the MMO since 2004. Built upon the game world of Warcraft 3 and it's predecessors, WoW is a huge MMO giving users thousands, if not millions of things to do, from collecting pets to killing the opposing faction. WoW is split up into two factions at war, the Alliance and the Horde, each with it's unique races. Between the land masses of Kalimdor, the Easter Kingdoms, Northrend, and Outlands, there is plenty to explore. WoW has 3 expansions out, with a fourth on the horizon. Although it's no longer at it's peak after nearly 8 years, WoW still has 10 million active players, more than any other paid MMO. If you haven't tried it yet, you can now level up to 20 for free. It's worth downloading just to give it a shot.
Diablo 2
Number 1 on the list is another Blizzard game. Diablo II was released in 2000, with it's Lord of Destruction expansion released in 2001. Diablo is a multiplayer RPG. Not really an MMO, as you can only play with 7 other people at a time. You fight your way through 4(5 with the expansion) different unique areas over three difficulties to progress, gain gear, and reach level 99. It's easily re-playable and fun to use all the different classes. Every map is generated when you load the world, so it's very hard to get the same layout twice, keeping the gameplay fresh even though it's the same areas. I, along with countless others, have spent way too much time on Diablo II, and will probably spend countless more hours on it considering blizzard is still releasing patches for it. The dark, grungy feel of the game is amazing. With a simple interface and ease of play, it makes it an easy game to get hooked on.

Why Computer Games Are Offensive By Elizabeth Threlfo

As a video game professional and a gamer I find the term 'computer games' unbelievably offensive. This doesn't mean that I am a console fangirl simply hating on PC games, or that I refuse to develop for anything other than PC. Actually, I am referring to the use of the term by the wider community and its perpetuation of the notion that video games are for children.
My feelings on this matter were in part sparked by the debate for R18+ classification in Australia in recent years. I was following the progress closely for much of last year and was increasingly confused by the constant referral of video games as computer games. In an age where gaming exists on any and every platform one can think of, I am repeatedly puzzled by the use of such a dated term. Games have been beyond the humble home computer for decades so why are they remaining weighed down by such a term? The answer, I find, stems from those who use the term; people who oppose an R18+ classification.
Perhaps this is the primary reason for my feelings on this matter. It seems that every time I see the use of the words they are accompanied by some ridiculous spiel from a family or Christian group about how games are only for children. Or that somehow an R18+ rating system would give children access to sexual, violent or other behaviour that is beyond their maturity. This ideal is dumb, and anyone who plays video games knows this. It shows a great amount of ignorance towards the games and the industry affected by the matter. That said Australia is finally on its way to having an R18+ classification system. While I'll admit I do scrunch up in disdain every time I see 'computer games' used in official government documentation, I'm happy that progress is being made. I know we aren't there yet but with each step we as gamers and game professionals come closer to acceptance by the wider community. You never know maybe the groups and individuals who showed firm opposition will eventually sway to our train of thought. Can you imagine if they even became gamers themselves!
I liken the term 'computer games' instead of 'video games' to my sister's feelings toward 'potter' instead of 'ceramicist'; it is laden with just enough ignorance toward my profession, my interests and the gaming industry as a whole that I find it infuriating enough to rant about it in an article. Unfortunately without a rating system that caters to the maturation of gamers and gaming professionals, my view is not likely to change.

Liz Threlfo - Games designer based in Sydney Australia

American Pickers: The Road Less Traveled Review By Ruff Bismonte

If you have watched the show before, you might also love the game. American Pickers: The Road Less Traveled is a hidden object game that is based upon the hit reality television series American Pickers. From the TV show's Wikipedia entry, it seems to have become the highest rated History Channel debut since 2007 when it debuted last 2010. This makes the show in the level of amazing. But can the hidden object game follow suit? Well, let us review the game and find out.
The game follows the adventures of Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, the same guys who ran the TV series. You help them pick antiques and memorabilia from seemingly worthless junk. Well, if you do not know yet on what these guys do for a living, you must be confused on what picking means. The context clues says it all, they try to find antiques and collectibles all over America, and sell them too at a nice profit back in their headquarters named Antique Archaeology.
As you can see, the whole idea of the TV series makes the perfect setting for a hidden object game. And in the case of American Pickers: The Road Less Traveled, that is exactly what it is. In terms of graphics, I say that the hidden object scenes are made pretty well and while there are some pixel finding involved on highly cluttered areas, it is bearable enough and understandable too considering that you play the role of a picker now, and you must have an eye for rare finds, right?
Another thing that makes this game true to the TV series is the amount of dialogue involved. There is just too many for my taste, so I find coursing through the game a little boring that most of the time, I click through the dialogues just to get to some hidden object action. I understand too that fans of the series should find all of these talk amusing, more informative and fun, so this game may be made especially for them too.
American Pickers: The Road Less Traveled is definitely a good game to start on for beginner hidden object players that like a mix of story time and game time when playing their games. The game is absolutely one that is made for fans of the series, but I do still suggest that players try it out for themselves to see if it is enjoyable enough. You never know, the game might make you an American Pickers fan too.

Download American Pickers and more games at Latest Games for PC.