Movie Hub30 Dec 2008 11:36 pm

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes and 12 Emmys, including two by Della Reese for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, Touched By An Angel built a sizeable and loyal audience with its upbeat themes and inspirational storylines. The brainchild of John Masius, creator of Providence (1999) and writer for such hit series as St. Elsewhere (1982) and LA Law (1986), Touched By An Angel follows in the footsteps of Michael Landon’s successful series Highway To Heaven, which chronicled the exploits of a single angel who wandered across the United States providing support for lost souls in need of aid. Touched By An Angel is quite similar, but the series uses multiple angels to achieve its purpose. Like Highway To Heaven the series utilizes a contemporary setting and modern problems, allowing the show reach a broad audience who enjoy its themes of love, hope, and redemption…

Touched By An Angel follows the exploits of several angels sent to Earth as “caseworkers” so as to bring God’s message of love, peace, and hope to the distressed people of the world. When the series begins, Monica (Roma Downey) is a novice caseworker still in training (having just been promoted from “search & rescue”). Assisting Monica, and a caseworker in her own right, is Tess (Della Reese) who lends the wisdom of her many years of experience in dealing with the problems afflicting humanity at large. Together, these two angels interact with people on Earth, easing the burden of each soul with which they come into contact. In later seasons, Monica and Tess would be joined by Andrew (John Dye), the Angel of Death who also fills in as a caseworker to help lighten the load, and in the final two seasons (2001-2003), Gloria (Valerie Bertinelli) would join the trio as a regular recurring angel character… Overall, Touched By An Angel filled a desperately unmet need along the TV programming landscape. With much of today’s programming fixated on sex, violence, and “reality,” the hour-long CBS drama provided deeply probing family-oriented content which always left its viewers with a positive and upbeat feeling…

The Touched By An Angel (Season 1) DVD features a number of touching episodes including the series premiere “The Southbound Bus” in which Monica is prepared for her first case since being promoted from angel “search and rescue”. While on the southbound bus, she befriends a young boy named David who tells her the story of his sister and mother’s death in a car accident. But when Monica is hired as David’s nanny, she soon learns the truth. David’s mother is still alive, and Monica’s assignment is to reunite her with her family… Other notable episodes from Season 1 include “Cassie’s Choice” in which Monica and Tess help a teenager deal with the birth of her child and the decision of whether or not to give her baby up for adoption, and “There, But for the Grace of God” in which Monica is stripped of her angelic powers in order to learn a lesson of her own while on a case working with several homeless individuals…

Below is a list of episodes included on the Touched By An Angel (Season 1) DVD:

Episode 1 (The Southbound Bus) Air Date: 09-21-1994
Episode 2 (Show Me the Way Home) Air Date: 09-28-1994
Episode 3 (Tough Love) Air Date: 10-12-1994
Episode 4 (Fallen Angela) Air Date: 10-19-1994
Episode 5 (Cassie’s Choice) Air Date: 10-26-1994
Episode 6 (The Heart of the Matter) Air Date: 11-02-1994
Episode 7 (An Unexpected Snow) Air Date: 12-07-1994
Episode 8 (Snow) Air Date: 12-14-1994
Episode 9 (Fear Not!) Air Date: 12-25-1994
Episode 10 (There, But for the Grace of God) Air Date: 02-25-1995
Episode 11 (The Hero) Air Date: 03-04-1995

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Touched By An Angel (DVD).

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Movie Hub30 Dec 2008 08:47 pm

Nominated for 30 Emmys, including seven for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series, Star Trek: Voyager continues the rich tradition of the original 1960s Star Trek franchise. Created by former L.A. police officer Gene Roddenberry, the Star Trek TV series morphed into a franchise famous for the unprecedented fanatical devotion of its fan base. Lasting only three seasons during its original network run, Star Trek struck gold with its syndicated reruns, launching a number of motion pictures featuring the original cast as well as novels, comic books, collectibles, and reams of Star Trek-related memorabilia. The third spin-off from the original Star Trek series, Star Trek: Voyager premiered in January 1995 to modest critical acclaim, but experienced great success with television viewers, slowly increasing its ratings as the series progressed. Following on the heels of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), the series precedes Star Trek: Enterprise (2001) while boasting an all-star cast that includes veteran actress Kate Mulgrew (whose past TV appearances include such shows as Dallas, Cheers, and Murphy Brown). Yet instead of pursuing the classic Star Trek mission to “boldly go where no one has gone before,” Star Trek: Voyager is more about going where the crew has been before…

Star Trek: Voyager follows the exploits of the crew aboard the starship USS Voyager. As the series begins, the Voyager is on a Federation mission to capture a rogue ship of Maquis rebels (a race first introduced in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine). While in pursuit of the Maquis, the Voyager enters a system known as the badlands, and both ships are instantaneously transported to the Delta Quadrant over seventy-thousand light years away on the outskirts of the galaxy. Soon, both the Maquis and the crew of Voyager learn they were brought to Delta Quadrant by the Caretaker, a mysterious force overseeing the safety of the Ocampan race who live in the shadow on an impending threat from the vicious Kazon. When the Kazon destroy the Maquis ship, the Voyager crew merges with the Maquis crew to defend themselves from the Kazon. Having destroyed the device which could bring them home, the crew of the Voyager - led by Capt. Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), and the crew of the Maquis ship - led by Commander Chakotay (Robert Beltran), must work as a united front in order to meet their mutual goal of finding a way home…

The Star Trek: Voyager DVD features a number of exciting episodes including the series premiere “Caretaker” in which the Federation starship USS Voyager, led by Capt. Kathryn Janeway, is unexpectedly transported 70,000 light years away while pursuing a band of Maquis rebels through an area known as the badlands. The Voyager’s new destination is the Delta Quadrant, an uncharted region of the galaxy overseen by the Caretaker and threatened by the colonial aggression of the Kazon… Other notable episodes from Season 1 include “The Cloud” in which the Voyager accidentally injures an alien life form while searching for an ingredient to boost its energy supply, and “Learning Curve” in which members of Commander Chakotay’s ragtag Maquis crew are given a Starfleet Academy tutorial on how to act properly aboard the Voyager…

Below is a list of episodes included on the Star Trek: Voyager (Season 1) DVD:

Episode 1 (Caretaker: Part 1) Air Date: 01-15-1995
Episode 2 (Caretaker: Part 2) Air Date: 01-15-1995
Episode 3 (Parallax) Air Date: 01-23-1995
Episode 4 (Time and Again) Air Date: 01-30-1995
Episode 5 (Phage) Air Date: 02-03-1995
Episode 6 (The Cloud) Air Date: 02-10-1995
Episode 7 (Eye of the Needle) Air Date: 02-17-1995
Episode 8 (Ex Post Facto) Air Date: 02-24-1995
Episode 9 (Emanations) Air Date: 03-13-1995
Episode 10 (Prime Factors) Air Date: 03-20-1995
Episode 11 (State of Flux) Air Date: 04-10-1995
Episode 12 (Heroes and Demons) Air Date: 04-24-1995
Episode 13 (Cathexis) Air Date: 05-01-1995
Episode 14 (Faces) Air Date: 05-08-1995
Episode 15 (Jetrel) Air Date: 05-15-1995
Episode 16 (Learning Curve) Air Date: 05-22-1995

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Star Trek: Voyager (DVD).

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Travel30 Dec 2008 06:35 pm

Hotel Urbis Centre is a 3 star hotel in Tarragona, located in Plaza Corsini n10

Hotel Urbis Centre Tarragona is located in the very center of Tarragona; we provide triples rooms for 3 persons and quadruple rooms for 4 persons. Hotel Urbis Tarragona is fully renovated.

We provide very comfortable facilities for our guests, such as a
small book and periodical library and also a media library(many well
chosen videos).

We offer a most generous buffet breakfast with more than 50
choices. Our kitchen uses only very fresh products bought mornings at
the city’s central market, located only 100 m from the hotel.

Our rooms are equipped with: Air conditioning with selfcommander, minibar, 21″ tv, + channel and digital satellite channel, phone with with exterior line, phone in the bathroom, modem conection, hairdryer, weather proof windows with sound isolation…

Each of our rooms has a double bed or two beds, though some have 3
or 4 beds.

Each bathroom has a hairdryer and telephone. New service for guests, spa, jacuzzi, sauna, climate swimming pool. At only 50 meters from the hotel

Salons and private dining rooms with capacity from 10 to 60 people.

Other than AccommodationZ.com, our network also includes Reserver.it (where we list more than 2500 Hotels in Italy with secure online reservation) and Siteseeings.com, where you can make reservations for sightseeings in Italy, tours in Rome and also in the Amalfi Coast.

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Uncategorized29 Dec 2008 11:29 am

This year it is of utmost importance that we pay attention to strengthening our immune systems naturally. Using certain herbs, foods, supplements and homeopathic remedies can help you avoid catching a cold or flu and build your immune system. If you do catch a virus, they can help
relieve the symptoms and shorten the duration and severity of the illness.

What most people don’t realize is how much your daily diet has an impact on the strength of your immune system. If you or your child are eating sweets daily, processed foods, junk food, drinking soda or other sweetened beverages regularly, you are weakening your immunity and will be more likely to catch virus’s. One teaspoon of sugar (soda has about 9-
11 tbsp.) can weaken your immune system for 4 hours. I believe that this is why so many people are now having an extreme difficulty fighting illnesses. (Besides repeated antibiotic use)

Try eating more vegetables, at least 4-5 servings a day! Along with eggs for breakfast, how about a few pieces of steamed asparagus, some spinach, squash or a few tomato slices. Have a salad with lunch, and at least two vegetables with dinner. Fresh fruit can also bolster vitamin C and help build resistance.
Eat berries daily! Especially frozen - freezing berries breaks the cell wall and releases more color pigments containing the beneficial bioflavanoids. Avoid all white flour (eat only WHOLE grains), baked goods, sugary cereals, cookies, cakes, candy, and sweets. You’ll feel so much stronger than you realize!

Good Natural Vitamins a MUST!
It is very important to take a good quality, plant-based not synthetic, multi-vitamin/ mineral supplement daily which supplies you with vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids, proanthocyanadines, bioflavanoids, green foods, enzymes and more.
Taking 2000-4000 mg. of Vitamin C every day will help you fight infections. Eating garlic regularly or taking odorless garlic capsules helps fight viral, bacterial, and yeast infections. Bee propolis is known as Russian penicillin and is often found in natural vitamin
supplements. It is collected by bees to protect the hives from infection.

Super Antioxidants
I HIGHLY recommend using Super Antioxidants daily! Not only because they help reduce the signs of aging, along with aches and pains, but they can greatly increase your immune system, being 20 - 50 times more potent than Vitamin C and E!

Using Echinacea (purple coneflower) herbal extract regularly can help you avoid or reduce the severity and duration of viral illnesses. 40 drops for an adult taken 4-6 times a day at the first sign of a cold can help you avoid it completely. Olive Leaf extract is proven more powerful than penicillin in fighting upper respiratory infections, sinus, strep and throat infections! Those with autoimmune diseases should consider using Astragalus instead of Echinacea to strengthen the spleen and immune system. It is a safe, long term immune system tonic.

Oil of Oregano
My favorite is a high-quality, full-strength Oil of Oregano. It is a very powerful agent against bacterial, viral,parasitic, and fungal infections. I recommend keeping some on hand! It’s an excellent general tonic and immune stimulant. You can take one or two capsules a day, or
place one or two drops of the oil under the tongue to go immediately into the blood and lymph system. 4-5 drops can also be placed in juice andtaken several times a day. This can be your best defense against the flu!

Therapeutic value of Colloidal Silver
Also consider using Colloidal Silver for excellent anti-viral protection! It works great to help avoid or reduce symptoms of colds and flu. The body has an innate ability to rejuvenate and restore itself to optimum health. When taken daily, Colloidal Silver acts as an optimal immune system supporter by helping the body fight invaders. Medical tests indicate no known adverse effects from the use of properly prepared Colloidal Silver, and there has
never been a recorded case of drug interaction with any other medication.
The body does not develop a tolerance to Colloidal Silver and no allergic reaction has ever been recorded.

How Colloidal Silver Works
The presence of Colloidal Silver near an invader disables its oxygen-metabolism enzyme, its chemical lung, so to say. Within a few minutes, the invader suffocates and dies, and is cleared out of our bodies by the immune, lymphatic and elimination systems. Unlike pharmaceutical antibiotics, which destroy beneficial enzymes, Colloidal Silver leaves these tissue-cell enzymes intact, as they are radically different than those enzymes of primitive
single-celled life. Thus, Colloidal Silver is absolutely safe for humans,reptiles, plants and all multi-celled living matter.

Not to be underestimated is the value of maintaining good colon health. The Chinese have long equated respiratory problems with poor bowel function. If waste product is not beingremoved in a timely fashion then toxins build up in the body, and particularly the respiratory system. Be sure to take herbs which perform a good bowel detox, as well as keep the intestines in fighting shape with friendly bacteria, such as acidophilus or bifidophilus. Enzymes are a must. Take a broad spectrum enzyme combination, both with meals and
between meals.

Regular daily exercise and fresh air will also keep your lymph moving and your immune system strong. Try rebounding (jumping on a mini-trampoline) everyday, even if it’s just 2-5 minutes, several times a day.
Be sure to wear a hat when out in the cold. Getting plenty of sleep and daily relaxation to reduce stress will also help. Keeping your self strong and healthy not only protects you from the flu, but many other ills as well.

Gael Riverz is a naturopathic doctor and can be reached at email:drgriverz@hotmail.com Website: www.drgaelriverz.com

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Insurance Offers28 Dec 2008 06:47 pm

With the legal civilisation growing all throughout the world, owning professional indemnity cover is developing into being ever more and more important. If you don’t presently have liability insurance integrated into your building insurance, then now is the right time to look at purchasing better insurance. Here is some advice about why you need insurance, & what to look out for.

What is public liability cover: Professional Indemnity cover is an insurance agreement that protects you from claims that other individuals could make against you in the occurrence of an accident. If somebody damages their belongings or harms themselves in or around your property or business then the public liability insurance will shield you for any fees that could perhaps occur. Cover can range from two-hundred and fifty pounds up to ?1 million. Ask for a public liability quote at InsuredRisks.co.uk.

What are you covered against: Insurance will insure you against accidents or loss that other individuals might experience in or around your house or organisations premises. You are protected from claims from robbers on top of injury that may possibly take place to anyone from falling items or workforce carrying out repairs. If a disaster occurs on your premises & someone claims against you, your insurance contract will help out to pay any costs.

What’s included A number of contents or property insurance policies contain in-built liability insurance. You would be recommended to check with your insurance firm if this is the case, & what level of protection you get. Even if the insurance is built-in, you need to verify that you are correctly covered for any particular accidents that may well happen.

Premiums: The payments that you are likely to have to pay depend on the specific sort of protection you need. If you just insure your house, then premiums are extremely likely to be much lower than if you are protecting a business. Although, premiums are pretty cheap inexpensive the level of protection that you get, & it is therefore critical for any individual running an organisation.

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Movie Hub28 Dec 2008 04:34 pm

Who is Simon Phillip Cowell? What does American Idol and Nasty have in common?

Brutal honesty comes to mind.

He is known as Mr. Nasty or Judge Dread in England. Mr. Cowell was born in Brighton, England. He is as short as you have heard it. It is true he stands only 5′ 9″ (1.75 m) tall as so many contestants have said on Americas American Idol.

For a high school drop out at the age of 16 he sure learned some smarts in the business savvy sectors of the Entertainment industry. Working his way up the latter as a mail boy at EMI.

He is most recently noticed as one of the judges on American Idol and is quoted after being asked if he feels guilty about his harsh criticisms towards the contestants’? Conwell said, “No, what I am doing is kind by telling people who are useless ‘Do something that you’re good at’. So I would only feel guilt if I misled somebody who was terrible.” “We’ve done three seasons of American Idol and by now it is safe to assume that most people know that you have to be able to sing.

But people turn up who can’t sing a note and yet they believe they are the Second Coming.” “Sit in these auditions for three weeks and hear “I Believe I Can Fly” out of tune for the millionth time, YOU try and be nice”

When I first saw Mr. Foul on American Idol I had the same perception of his demeanor at first glance as well but lets be honesty here for a moment; do you remember the iniquitous Keith who sang the dreadful depiction of ‘Like a Virgin’ last year?

Well Mr. Cowell said, “Keith, last year I described someone as being the worst singer in America. I think you’re possibly the worst singer in the world … I’ve never, ever heard anything like that in my life, ever.”

True, and true again. So what does this say when shows like American Idol make untalented nobody’s into somebody’s?

Just imagine as a judge you are induced by untalented, fashion victims, make-up whores, and those working straight out of a vacuum bag sing a song that needs a serious tune-up. I get why he is short tempered and caste as the Meany, but if you want to be taking seriously these contestants need to really work on presenting themselves as a serious artist. Most of them are really in denial and deluding themselves.

With that said, still over exposed contestant’s untalented and talented gather their sleep bags and head back for more and more mockery. Last week’s episode in Chicago took a spin for some unleashing diabolical, explosive attitudes on the judges.

What’s worse is the untalented nobody turned somebody Keith (the Like a Virgin singer last year) and William Hung is only sending a message to Limelight the untalented. This will do nothing and you are only destined to open more doors and statements by Mr. Cowell.

He said, “When you celebrate awfulness it puts you in a slightly uncomfortable position,” then, adding he was nervous “that we’re going to get people coming on the show next year that want to be bad.”

Yes Mr. Cowell, you are right, and right on! Perhaps a bit presumptuous but again I pegged that his demeanor won him a spot on American idol for mere Entertainment. It is as sad as that sounds, because Americans love to watch those plummet down the drain. Absolutely yes, that is TV, and that is Entertainment today; but isn’t that sad? Isn’t it sad that we seek entertainment by someone else’s demise, embarrassment, hurt, and ridicule?

In last week’s Chicago audition, a BBW (Big Beautiful Woman) with an outstanding voice got a thumbs-up from the judges and then the paramount provocateur Simon Cowell suggested the show might consider a bigger stage. Shame on you Simon! She had the looks but some deem she needed a total body work-out for this industry. Mr. Cowell have you heard of Aretha Franklin? Would he have said the same insult behind her back only to be aired and seen by millions? Is this the industries perception of being “All Over talented”?

Also in Chicago, a man with a girly type voice got Conwell’s vicious recommendation: Cowell said, “Shave your beard and try wearing a dress “. Sorry, but I really have to agree with Cowell again. What the heck was he thinking, this show is American Idol, meaning must sell records to those tinny boppers, and I am sorry but I seriously doubt that a cross dresser would be the next American Idol. To add insult to injury his voice needed some serious tweaking, and I am being nice. My advice to him is doing drag, you can make money and not let your talent go to waste, but for the next American idol…NOT!

Let’s be fair and give Mr. Nasty, I mean Mr. Cowell the benefit of the doubt. American Idol is pure entertainment. To sit and judge talent takes patience and juicy bias. It’s obvious that many couch potatoes gulp down the idiotic stratagem.

Veronica Kettler - EzineArticles Expert Author

VRONIQUE MARIE KETTLER` is Editor-in-Chief for She Unlimited Magazine. http://www.sheunlimited.com and heads up the community at http://www.sheunlimited.com/forums

Marie also contributes to various magazines and newspapers.

MARIE VRONIQUE is committed to making a difference. Making a difference in the Women sectors online, media and print.

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Uncategorized27 Dec 2008 10:24 pm

Juice fasting is gaining popularity as a great way to detoxify. Many people are interested in getting toxins out of their system so they can live a healthier life. When toxins accumulate in the body, they feel sluggish and also have a poor immune system. Juice fasting, as a cleansing method, can help to people to achieve better health and more energy. It is quite easy to do as fruits are readily obtainable and all that is required additionally is a juicer.

For a beginner to juice fasting, it is important to start out slow and to try it out for one day. By juice fasting, you are limiting your intake to juices only. Fruit juice is high in sugar, so if you are a diabetic or otherwise in need of monitoring your sugar intake you should be cautious of trying a juice fast with fruit juices. Anyone just starting out with fasting should always speak with their doctor first. Also, do not juice fast for prolonged periods like more than 3 days, not unless your doctor agrees that it is safe for you to do so.

The following are sample recipes that can help give you an idea of combinations of fruits and vegetables to use together:

Recipe 1: Vegetable Juice Combo
2 Swiss chard leaves
1/2 beetroot
2 or 3 sprigs of watercress
3 carrots
1 celery stalk
Wash with filtered or distilled water, cut and put in juicer.

Recipe 2: Carrot-Apple Juice
2-3 Green Apples
1 carrot
Fresh basil leaves
Wash with filtered or distilled water, cut and put in juicer.

Recipe 3: Carrot-Vegetable Juice
A handful of dandelion leaves
1 kale leaf
4 carrots
Fresh mint, basil or coriander leaves
Wash with filtered or distilled water, cut and put in juicer.

Recipe 4: Peach Juice
2 or 3 peaches
Wash with filtered or distilled water, cut and put in juicer.

There are many different types of juice fasts. Some diets call for fruit juices while others used less sugary vegetable juices. You can always come up with your own unique combination of fruit and vegetable juice diet recipes.

Sandra Kim Leong posts information on colon cleansing, liver cleansing, kidney cleansing, detox diet , juice fasting and alcohol detox on her site. For updates and more articles, please visit www.Detox-Cleansing.com.

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Uncategorized26 Dec 2008 06:34 pm

Spring cleaning goes beyond normal everyday cleaning. It’s a
major project of home revitalization: to make everything new
by removing dust and dirt, to make sure everything is in
good repair, and to put things in order, so that you will
have everything in your household in working condition for
the coming year.

Here are some tasks that are traditionally included in a
major spring cleaning:

* Put away winter clothes and take out spring and summer
clothing.

* Sweep and vacuum floors, walls, and corners.

* Wash floors and carpets…

* Clean window panes, sills, and frames. Replace thick
winter curtains that keep heat in with light summer curtains
that allow breezes through. Remove storm windows, hang up
screens.

* Brush or vacuum stuffed furniture and remove spots.

* Wash every surface in every room that has accumulated dust
or grime.

I like to finish a spring cleaning by bringing in loads of
spring flowers and placing them in vases in every room.

USE NONTOXIC & NATURAL CLEANERS

With so much cleaning going on, I always make sure to use
cleaning products that are simple, safe, and eco-friendly.

When choosing a cleaning product for a specific job, I use
the least-toxic, most-effective product, in the smallest
effective amount.

Cleaning products are the only household products regulated
by the Consumer Product Safety Commission under the 1960
Federal Hazardous Substances Labeling Act, which requires
products that contain hazardous chemicals to carry warning
labels. In general, it is best to avoid using products that
say “Danger,” “Poison,” or “Warning,” on the label. Many
safer products carry the “Caution” label, even though they
are acceptable to use. Fortunately, the least toxic products
voluntarily disclose their complete ingredients on the
label, so you can determine for yourself the safety of the
product. There are even cleaning products now made with
organically-grown ingredients.

Nontoxic cleaning actually requires very few specialized
ingredients. I do all of my cleaning with a squirt bottle of
fifty-fifty distilled white vinegar and water, liquid soap,
and baking soda. For laundry I use a natural soap powder and
chlorine-free oxygen bleach. Other substances I have on hand
for occasional cleaning needs are salt, lemon juice, borax,
and chlorine-free Bon Ami scouring powder.

SIMPLIFY YOUR CLEANING

While scrubbing away at your spring cleaning, there are two
things you can resolve to do in the coming year that will
make cleaning easier. These will also reduce the amount of
cleaning products you use, saving resources and money. But
the most important thing to me is that they save time and
reduce the amount of cleaning needed.

First, I incorporate preventive maintenance. I put a cookie
sheet on the rack under a casserole that is likely to spill
over, for example, which pre-empts the need to scour baked
on food from the oven. If the casserole spills, the cookie
sheet can be effortlessly soaked clean in a few inches of
water in the kitchen sink.

I also keep in mind the adage “A stitch in time saves nine,”
which means if you take that first stitch to fix the tear
before it gets bigger, you’ll save having to make nine
stitches later. In cleaning, this translates to wiping up
the spill when it happens, cleaning surfaces before they are
caked with dust and grease, just cleaning as you go while
there’s not much to clean. It’s only when we don’t clean
that we may need harsh chemicals to tackle what would have
been an easy job earlier.

“Clean your room well,” say the Shakers, “for good spirits
will not live where there is dirt.”

Find nontoxic, natural and earthwise cleaning products at
http://www.debraslist.com/cleaning.

Hailed as “The Queen of Green” by the New York Times,
Debra Lynn Dadd has been a consumer advocate for products
and lifestyle choices that are better for health and the
environment since 1982. Visit her website for 100s of links
to 1000s of nontoxic, natural and earthwise products, and to
sign up for her free email newsletters. http://www.dld123.com

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Movie Hub26 Dec 2008 10:11 am

The Chronicles of Narnia, a seven-volume saga for children by C. S. Lewis, reveals a world that exists parallel to our own, populated by men and women, dwarves and talking animals, giants and merpeople, centaurs and fauns, and ruled by a kind but awesomely ferocious and gigantic lion named Aslan. Lewis, who died on the same day as JFK, November 22, 1963, combined the three passions of his lifeclassical mythology, medieval lore, and Christian-based philosophyto create in Narnia a microcosm of the moral struggles our own world faces.

Characters and plot
Along with Aslan himself, the heroes of the Narnia books are the four Pevensie children, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. Taken away from their London home to avoid the Nazi bombings, they are boarded with an elderly bachelor professor in his rambling mansion in the country.

While playing hide-and-seek, Lucy, the youngest at age 8, hides in an old wardrobe filled with racks of overcoats. Moving farther back to escape detection, she pushes her way past the coats, expecting to hit against the back of the wardrobe at any moment. Lucy feels instead the boughs of evergreen trees, hears the crunch of snow at her feet, and sees in the distance the glow of a lamppost just like those she had seen many times back in London.

This marks the beginning of the four siblings’ many adventures in Narnia. Each of the books, though loosely connected to the others, can also stand alone. Eventually we learn where the lamppost came from and how the wardrobe became a portal. We also learn more about Aslan, what it takes to be his friend, and who his enemies are.

The deeper meaning
For those who know to watch for it, Lewis has filled Narnia, not only with interesting characters, majestic scenery, and exciting action, but also with Christian allegory. Aslan himself represents Jesus Christ, “the lion of the tribe of Judah” (Revelation 7:14). The Pevensie children eventually become so much at home in Narnia that they see it as their native land and this world as the place where they are visitors. Lewis, in his books on Christian apologetics, describes the spiritual world as existing parallel to the physical one, having the quality of being, not shadowy and insubstantial as compared to physicality, but more real, more colorful, and much, much more alive.

As Paul explains,

…many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ…. –Philippians 3:18-20 (see also Hebrews 11:13-16).

The Disney movie
The first book of the seven, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, is now the subject of a major motion picture produced by Walt Disney Pictures & Walden Media and directed by Andrew Adamson. At the climax of the story is a beautiful sacrifice, Lewis’s pictures the death of Christ.

If you go to the movie, watch for the breaking of the Stone Table, which symbolizes how Christ’s death and resurrection brought about the end of the Law of Moses by meeting its demands for blood atonement. Watch also for the role Susan and Lucy play in witnessing the death and revival of Aslan, corresponding to the historical role women played as mourners at Jesus’ death and burial and as the first witnesses of His resurrection.

The professor helps Peter and Susan to sort through how to receive Lucy’s testimony about Narnia: if she’s not a liar and she’s not crazy, then logically, she must be telling the truth. This corresponds to the testimony Jesus gave about His own identify, and the testimony His follows gave about Himwhat Lewis elsewhere describes as the trilemma about Jesus: is He Lord, Liar, or Lunatic?

Another significant parallel is this: Aslan’s loyal followers play a significant role in the battle against the White Witch. Like our own spiritual warfare, Christ ensures the final victory, but calls on His followers to engage personally in the fight. For passages relevant to that conflict, see Ephesians 6:10-18; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; 1 Timothy 1:18-20; 1 Timothy 6:12; and 2 Timothy 4:7).

Plans are for six more movies to follow this first one, in which the rest of the history of Narnia unfolds. If they are as faithful to the books and well-conceived and produced as this one was, all of us diehard Lewis fans welcome them as an introduction of Narnia to a jaded world. We hope that viewers will grasp and appreciate the allegorical features as much as they do the surface story. The goal is not only to know about Aslan and Narnia, but to become His friend and subject and to live in His realm forever.

Want to go deeper?
You can do a search for papers going into more detail on the allegory of Narnia, including these three: “The Lion, the Witch, and the Allegory,” “The Wardrobe as Christian Metaphor,” and “Myth Made Truth: The Origins of the Chronicles of Narnia.”

If you want to purchase and read your own copy of The Chronicles of Narnia, they are available in a variety of editions, from the one-volume edition in softcover to the seven-volume boxed set in either hardback or softcover. Available also is the Official Illustrated Movie Companion for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, with photos from the movie and interviews of the director and cast members, as well as E. J. Kirk’s Beyond the Wardrobe: The Official Guide to Narnia. (My blog provides links to all of these, enabling you to access substantial discounts, from 24% to 33% off the retail prices.)

Steve Singleton - EzineArticles Expert Author

* * *
Copyright © 2005 Steve Singleton.

You may freely reprint this article, provided you do not change it and that you reproduce this copyright notice and the information below unaltered.

Steve Singleton has written and edited several books and numerous articles on business management as well as many of interest to Bible students. He has been a book editor, newspaper reporter, news editor, and public relations consultant. He has taught Greek, Bible, and religious studies courses Bible college, university, and adult education programs. He has also conducted seminars and workshops in 11 states and the Caribbean.

Go to his DeeperStudy.com for Bible study resources. Explore “The Shallows,” plumb “The Depths,” or use the well-organized “Study Links” for original sources in English translation. Sign up for Steve’s free “DeeperStudy Newsletter” or subscribe to his DeeperStudy Blog.

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