blockhead's Blog
Category Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV
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Since its debut in 2000, the Dora the Explorer show has captured the hearts of small children across the world. Dora and her whole eccentric cast of friends have a sort of charm that is not found in many places these days. Indeed, the Dora the Explorer show has the perfect blend of music, adventure, and education to keep kids always interested and waiting to see what happens next. The popularity of Dora comes down to a blend of several elements that draw children in. The first thing about the Dora the Explorer show that appeals to the audience (which consists almost entirely of pre-school children and their parents) is the cast of characters. First, of course, is Dora herself. Dora is basically the essence of what every child wants in a hero. She is brave, loyal, and kind to those around her. Even being so young, she eagerly faces whatever adventures come her way, and follows her curiosity to explore the world around her. She is somewhat unique in American children's television, as she is bilingual. Her traveling companion and best friend is a purple blue and yellow monkey by the name of Boots (named, as one might expect, for the large red boots he wears.) He is equally as adventurous as his human friend, and follows Dora on all of her trips, entertaining Dora (and the audience) with his mischievous streak. Two of the more unique members of the cast of the Dora the Explorer show are Backpack and Map. As their names imply, they are, in fact, a living backpack and map, who help Dora on her expeditions into the unknown. Backpack is about as enthusiastic a bag as one could ever hope to meet. Within his purple body, he stores a never-ending supply of helpful items for Dora?s quests, which he dispenses cheerfully, along with a chorus of the Backpack Song. He, like Dora, is bilingual. Map is equally useful on Dora?s adventures, guiding her to wherever she needs to go. He, too, has his own song, which he recites upon appearance. While both of these characters' songs will most likely prove to be annoying for adults, they are quite perfect for most little kids, which make these two crowd favorites. The last member of Dora's cast is Swiper, the thieving fox. He can usually be found creating trouble until Dora shows up to save the day. The second secret to the success of the Dora the Explorer show is the interactive element. At various points during every episode, Dora will ask the children in the audience for help in some task. For instance, to defeat Swiper, she has the audience repeat the phrase 'Swiper, no swiping!' several times. Other times, she asks the audience for help answering a question, or solving any number of other problems. While there is not ture interaction here (as whether or not anyone actually replies to her makes no difference to the cartoon) it makes children feel that they are really a part of the Dora the Explorer show, which is a large part of what keeps them coming back for more. Copyright ? Jared Winston, 2006. All Rights Reserved. If you are a fan of the highly popular Dora the Explorer, or are a parent that would like to learn more about this entertaining and highly educational cartoon character, then be sure to stop by Dora Fansite, a site dedicated to everything from her cartoon history to reviews of merchandise such as Dora the Explorer games. by Jared Winston
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The Unconventionals
Manager ? Louis Walsh
Odds ? Eliminated The Unconventionals, who had been together for just two months prior to auditioning for the X Factor, impressed the judges during their qualification to the final 12 but fell apart spectacularly on the first live show. Gone were melodious harmonies that had seen them through to the finals and instead the audience were exposed to a horrendous rendition of 'Dancing in the Street' which saw the group eliminated at the first time of asking. The Unconventionals are as follows: Nicola Dawn is 33 years old, from Cheshire and works in promotions. She lives with boyfriend and fellow Unconventional Tom Newman. Nicola has sang for 20 years and has appeared in numerous stage productions including 'Cirque De Soleil'. She has trained in ballet, tap and jazz dancing and appeared in Barry Manilow's choir for the song 'One Voice' at the age of 10. Tom Newman is a 39 year old builder from Kent. He currently lives with fellow band member Nicola Dawn who he has dated for six years. Tom has appeared in a number of television commercials including a Ryder Cup promotion, an Observer newspaper advert and also on stage in the musical The Blues Brothers. Andrew Newey is 38 years old and an usher from Hill. He currently works alongside band member Drew Jaymson at the London Palladium. He has sang for the past 31 years and between 1985-88 had group vocal training at the Italia Conti stage school. Drew Jaymson is a 41 year old usher from Oxford and met band member Andrew Newey during work at the London Palladium. He has appeared in musical productions such as Grease, Mamma Mia and Taboo but feels at 41 years old, this is his last chance to succeed in show business. Elizabeth Ewing is a 37 year old waitress from Scotland. She has 20 years singing experiences and has appeared on stage in productions of Grease and Les Miserables and on television in Taggart, Bob Martin and Gentleman's Relish. Lucy Newton is a 25 year old promotions assistance from Sussex but is vastly experienced on stage and screen. Lucy has appeared in numerous musicals including Fame, Footloose, Joseph, Les Miserables and Taboo and has also appeared in television adverts for the likes of Asda and British Gas. The group all dreamed of succeeding in the music and musical theatre industry and despite an early exit from the X Factor, their profile may have risen significantly enough for them all to fulfil their ambitions. by David Walker  x, factor, free, x, factor, bets, x, factor, betting, x, factor, odds
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The class-act lead man with an unmistakable cat walk and the star of quite a few unforgettable Hitchcock classics, was born in Horfield, Bristol, England on January 18, 1904 and died of cerebral hemorrhage in Davenport, Iowa on November 29, 1986. The soft-spoken handsome Grant infused his roles with an old-world charm combined with a uniquely American sense of humor and vitality. In one scene in ?To Catch a Thief,? he says he ended up in Europe as part of a travelling circus. But in real life and in his much younger salad days, he did tour England as an acrobat and pantomime with Bob Pender troupe. Grant shot 73 films including such unforgettable classics as His Girl Friday (1940), The Philadelphia Story (1940) (he donated all his fee from this movie to the British war effort), Notorious (1946), Penny Serenade (1941), To Catch a Thief (1955), Operation Petticoat (1959), Charade (1963), and the world-classic North by Northwest (1959). Nominated twice for Oscar in 1945 and 1947, he received an Honorary Academy Award in 1970 for his lifetime achievement in motion pictures. Did you know these trivia facts about Cary Grant? 1. He was born as Archibald Alexander Leach. 2. He could've been the first James Bond even before Sean Connery but he turned down the role. He also turned down Gregory Peck's role against Audrey Hepburn in ?Roman Holiday.? 3. His great love in life was the Italian movie star and diva Sophia Loren. 4. He cared a lot about his tan and worked on it year-round. He became the director of Faberge cosmetics giant in 1966. 5. After he died, he was cremated and his ashes were scattered in California. Ugur Akinci, Ph.D. is a Creative Copywriter, Editor, an experienced and award-winning Technical Communicator specializing in fundraising packages, direct sales copy, web content, press releases, movie reviews and hi-tech documentation. He has worked as a Technical Writer for Fortune 100 companies for the last 7 years. In addition to being an Ezine Articles Expert Author, he is also a Senior Member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC), and a Member of American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI). You can reach him at writer111@gmail.com for a FREE consultation on all your copywriting needs. You are most welcomed to visit his official web site http://www.writer111.com for more information on his multidisciplinary background, writing career, and client testimonials. While at it, you might also want to check the latest book he has edited:http://www.lulu.com/content/263630 Sorry, but the blog post could not be located. |
