North And South Trilogy DVD

North and South is a wonderful four hour adoption of the famous novel by Elizabeth Gaskell about Margaret Hale a middle class woman who is forced to the Northern Ireland town of Milton and start her life over there after her father leaves the clergy. Margaret and her family are forced to adjust to the town’s customs and the personalities of one family in the town who looks down on the lower class residents.

Excellent Performances

North South has an excellent cast of actors who are well known by fans of British Television shows and movies.

Richard Armitage is excellent in North And South as John Thornton, a man who run his families cotton mill with an iron fist and doesn’t think twice about beating up any of his workers. Margaret gets used to dealing with John Thornton but still finds it difficult to deal with Hannah his mean mother (portrayed by Sinead Cusak) and sister Fanny (portrayed by Jo Joyner).

The cinematography is well done and the acting in this series is what I would call A list as all of the actors deliver what many critics have said are the best performances of their lives.

This story also deals with the struggle of the mill workers as they fight with the owners to get better working and living conditions. It really is a glimpse into the past and gives you an idea of the struggle that fueled the industrial revolution.

Great Story

North And South is set in 1855 Victorian England, an era that anyone who is a fan of books like: Pride And Prejudice, Emma or any Charles Dickens classic will know well.

This DVD set is edited well and contains many more scenes that were edited out in the original BBC airing due to commercials and other regulations.

You will love North And South trilogy DVD and should make them a part of your movie collection.

Not A Pretty Picture

Smokers can pick and choose from a variety of reasons as to why they ought to give up the old coffin nails. They are constantly told about the effects on their health, and about the money they could be saving, but most people (non-smokers included) won’t be swayed by such logic. If you really want to get someone to quit smoking, you’ll have to get in touch with a much more meaningful part of him or her: Vanity.

Touching a Nerve

People tend to have a very strong response to an assault on their personal appearance. Anyone who doubts that doesn’t have to conduct much of an experiment to verify it – just tell someone they look terrible today, and see if they ever speak to you again. The effects of smoking on one’s looks can be dramatic, and are undeniable. Throwing it one’s face, so to speak, could be an effective means of pushing them into giving up smoking. The trick is to add a needed measure of diplomacy.

Squint In The Mirror

However it gets said, there’s no denying the fact that smoke from cigarettes can constrict the capillaries in parts of the face, causing premature creases and wrinkles, not to mention a grayish pallor and sallow skin. Cigarettes will also never be confused with breath-fresheners. Nicotine-stained fingers somehow lack beauty. The lingering smell on one’s clothes and hair (what medical experts refer to as “third-hand smoke”) completes the rather unattractive package.

Certainly, nobody should take a mean-spirited approach to convincing someone to kick the habit, any more than one would do so in encouraging someone to go on a diet. Concern for the smoker’s well being has to be balanced with an effective argument, whichever one works the best, or else it will get lost amidst a sea of well-intentioned nagging.

Looking to quit with the help of Ecigs?

Who Asks Whom?

One of the oldest and most perplexing questions pertaining to dating is why women never have to ask men out. There is a distinct difference, it should be noted, between a woman asking a man to go out on a date and getting a man to ask her out. The latter is merely another form of feminine guile. The former is something so forward that it remains, like the Loch Ness monster, the stuff of unseen legend.

Stay In Your Lane

Most dating advisors will tell women that they should never ask a man out on a date, as it represents a threat to masculinity. Women are much better off, they say, charming the guy into asking her out. Even in the event that a gentleman appears too shy to ask, an interested female should still avoid being the one to broach the subject, if only because of the clear breach of etiquette.

Shoe On The Other Foot

How do women feel about it? The ones who have asked men out on dates say that they’ve noticed an opportunistic streak at work, wherein the men won’t turn down what they feel is an “easy” situation. Men seem to take advantage of the women who ask them out, without too much concern for their feelings. It doesn’t look desperate, exactly, but it is clear that men perceive themselves as wanted by an aggressive woman if she does the asking, and they’re likely to treat her accordingly.

If conventional wisdom applies, then whoever does the asking out would seem to be on the hook for the bill. That flies in the face of traditional dating, though, in which men are expected to pay for the evening out. So when a woman asks a man out on a date, isn’t she really asking for a free meal and entertainment? That doesn’t square with the rules of social politeness in general.

For more information check out dating expert Neil Strauss.

BMX Games Aren’t Just For Kids Anymore

BMX (that’s bicycle motocross, for those who didn’t know), is sweeping the nation. Kids on bikes, right? Not necessarily. Adults are getting into the action as well. It’s a rough and tumble sport out in the real world. But for those of us who could break a hip just stepping off our front porch, we can still join in the fun of the BMX games via our computers.

Just For Fun I Hopped on Bgames.com

Bgames.com has a little something for everyone. Purely in the interest of research, I played a few of the games offered on this site. They are an absolute hoot! I haven’t had that much fun since I played the fruit slot machines (again, purely for research) online. Apparently the name “Bgames” stands for big games because there were more things to play on that web site that I’ve ever seen on any web site. Puzzles, shooting, board games, dress up, games for kids, classic games and more; there is never an excuse to be bored if you have a computer.

BMX Games Online Offer the Fun and Excitement Without the Broken Bones

Even if it weren’t for broken bones, the cost of real BMX competition is outlandish. Online, you can jump bikes, or cycles (I even saw one with cars, which is not exactly in keeping with the name) over courses designed specifically for BMX; or you can hit the road and jump over city street type obstacles for nature’s obstacles. You can pull off stunts that you would never dream of attempting in real life.

One word of caution; some of the games on Bgames.com appeared a little violent. That’s not something I have to be concerned with but if you’ve got kids you might want to check it out for yourself before they play.

Looking for BMX games online?