Start The New Year...Now!
Start Your New Year Now!by Shawn LeBrunCertified Personal TrainerWell, the holidays are fast approaching us and before we know it,2004 will be here.And so will our love/hate relationship with New Year's Resolutions.But I'm challenging you to do something different this year:Start Your New Year's Resolutions NOW!That way, when the rest of the world is hesitantly crawling to thegym, knowing the pain they're about to endure....You'll already be in the best shape of your life!In fact, if you start now and focus on the "right" way to exerciseand eat, you can achieve your best body ever by the first of theyear.I really try to stress to clients that getting in thebest shape of your life is based upon 2 things:1. What you do2. How you do it.That's it.And, much like a mathematical formula that has anabsolute certain outcome, getting in the best shape ofyour life can almost be approached with the samecertainty.Because as I've learned through my own training as wellas training clients, fitness has a cause and effectrelationship.It's dependent on:1. Knowing the right approach to cardio, weighttraining, and nutrition2. And then taking actionOf course there are other variables, like your effort,intensity, age, genetics, etc...But for the most part, it really boils down to:***Knowing what to do***Taking action and doing it.Now it's up to you to take the action, consistently, toget exactly what it is you want.No wavering, no missing workouts, no negativeself-talk, no negative and tired thoughts.All of those will hold you back from getting the bodyyou want.Start to become more aware of how your subconscious is tryingto sabotage your fitness results.For example, you want to lose 10 pounds but every time you seea piece of homemade bread, you give in to temptation.Or you want to gain 5 pounds of muscle yet fail to eat the rightfoods at the right times.If you let it, your subconscious will prevent you from reaching yourfitness goals.So be more aware of what you're thinking AND what you're doing.It's the combo of the two that's important.So, instead of waiting like everyone else to start getting what theywant, start now.Don't wait 2 more months to achieve the body you'd like to have.Get it before the others even start!Start the New Year off differently this year--Already HAVE the bodyyou want to have.Accept my challenge--Start Your New Year Now!------------------------------------------------------------Get your best body ever by New Years! Users of my fitnessprograms have told me they've had "Ah Ha" moments reading them.Like "why haven't I been doing THAT all along?Let's see that little light bulb come on over your head ;-)http://www.shawnlebrunfitness.com------------------------------------------------------------


Articles For Christmas
Articles For ChristmasBy Stephen SchochetThe following three articles have good tie-ins forpublishers looking for Christmas Content:A Miraculous MovieBy Stephen SchochetIt was originally called The Big Heart. Daryl Zanuck the shrewd headof Twentieth Century Fox couldn't buy the image of Santa Claus in acourt room. But like so many ventures Miracle On 34th Street (1947)came about because of passion, in this case that of Director GeorgeSeaton who had gone to New York on his own and made arrangements withthe real Mr. Macy and Mr. Gimbel to film inside their departmentstores. Impressed by Seaton's commitment Zanuck gave the show a greenlight.Who would play the little girl who didn't believe in Santa Claus?Seaton agonized over it, until the assistant director remembered anamazing child prodigy from Santa Rosa, California who could cry oncue. Her name was Natasha Nikolaevna Gurdin renamed Natalie Woodafter director Sam Wood . The same Natalie Wood who would later goout on a hotel room ledge and threaten to jump when her boyfriendElvis Presley ignored her to play poker with Memphis Mafia. The samegirl who would infuriate fellow cast members of West Side Story(1961) with her tardiness, her refusal to learn simple dance stepsand her insistence on long lunch breaks to visit with her analyst.But the seven-year-old Natalie had none of the typical child starprecocious behavior, she gained the respect of her co-stars on theMiracle set with her professional demeanor, earning the nickname One-Take-Natalie.Like all filmed on location movies there were logistical problems.The sequence where Santa was taken to Bellevue was done withoutpermission. The famous hospital would not cooperate with Hollywoodbecause they had been portrayed badly in earlier films, they were notswayed by the sight of a sickly, freezing cold Santa Claus (EdmundGwenn) bundled up under blankets in a car, waiting to shoot hisscenes. The filmmakers were forced to shoot only the car approachingthe building's entrance and edit the rest later. Another difficultywas getting permission to shoot the Macy's parade from the apartmentdwellers on 34th street which had to be done right the first time,there could be no retakes. The film crew paid the ladies of the houseto place the cameras in their windows. Then their husbands came home,complained about the inconvenience and demanded their own equalshare. Most difficult to film was the sickly but determined EdmundGwenn who would win an Oscar for playing Kris Kringle. He sufferedfrom a bladder control problem but couldn't stand the thought ofsomeone taking his place in the parade. The children who stood on thesidewalk waving at Santa never saw the long tube under his cloak.Overcoming his initial reluctance Daryl Zanuck who was famous for hismemos, made suggestions to improve the film's story. The motherDoris, played by Maureen O'Hara was too cold, she would scare a manlike Fred (John Payne) off, she had to be made warmer to the audienceby explaining that she had been burned by an earlier relationship andthat's why she didn't want her daughter believing in Santa Claus.Zanuck also felt that they shouldn't overdo the scenes where Macy'semployees recommend that their customers go shopping at Gimbels, justsome simple dialogue was enough to get the point across. But despitethe loud cheering by preview audiences when Santa Claus was declaredsane in the courtroom scene, Zanuck never had full confidence in thefilm. He put it in theaters in July, the busiest time of year formoviegoers, and told his marketing staff to hide from the public thatthe film was about Christmas.One reference in the Miracle script that's now dated was when KrisKringle's psychiatrist mentioned a man in Hollywood who passedhimself off as Russian Prince and owned a restaurant. It was a dig atMike Romanoff, a colorful fraud whose Rodeo Drive eatery was a funsanctuary for Hollywood's most notorious figures. One night FBI headJ. Edgar Hoover was dining at Romanoffs when he was approached by anactual jewel thief named Swifty Morgan. "Like to buy these gold cufflinks?" Amused, Hoover offered $200. "Oh come on John the reward ismore than that!"Stephen Schochet is the author and narrator of the audiobooksFascinating Walt Disney and Tales Of Hollywood. The Saint Louis PostDispatch says," these two elaborate productions are exceptionallyentertaining." Hear RealAudio samples of these great, unique gifts atwww.hollywoodstories.com.Its A Wonderful MovieBy Stephen SchochetIts A Wonderful Life (1946) began as a short story called "TheGreatest Gift". Writer Philip Van Doren Stern was unable to sell itto a publisher, so he sent the tale out as a long Christmas card tofriends. His agent subsequently sold the fable to RKO pictures,where it went through several transformations. In one version alosing political candidate contemplated suicide, only to have anangel convince him to stick around and do good works. Finally itfell into the hands of Director Frank Capra who cried when he readit, said it was the story he had been looking for all his life, andpurchased it to be the first project for his new production company,Liberty Films.To play the unassuming savings and loan clerk, Capra wanted JimmyStewart who he had previously worked with in You Can't Take It WithYou (1938) and Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939). But coming backfrom World War II, the thirty-seven year old Stewart was no longerthe easy going man about town he had been in the thirties. Theformer Academy Award winner for The Philadelphia Story (1940) had leda thousand men in bombing missions in the European theater in hard tomaneuver B-24s. The loud engines damaged his hearing, in later yearspeople when people would greet him and he would fail to respond, somewould mistake his deafness for a cold personality. He was uncertainafter five years away from the screen if he still wanted to be in themovies. Sometimes the profession seemed so humiliating. In 1943 whenStewart had tried to stay in the best hotel in Madrid, he was turnedaway because he was an actor. He went back to the air force base,got his Lieutenant Colonel's uniform and then they let him in.When he returned to Southern California in 1945 Stewart took thingseasy. He refused to re-sign with his old studio MGM, despite tearfulrequests to do so from the hammy Louis B. Mayer. He was content tospend time flying kites and building model planes with Henry Fonda.When Capra came to make his pitch Stewart looked bored, out of it,causing the Director to lose confidence. "Well Jim, it's about asavings and loan clerk who wants to commit suicide. There's an angelnamed Clarence who shows him what life would have been like withouthim. . . aw forget it, it's a stupid idea." Capra was turning toleave when Stewart put his hand on his shoulder. "Frank, if you wantme, I'm your man." At least that's how the film's publicists told it.Stewart was morose and insecure as filming began. Since he went offto serve, Hollywood had found new leading men like Kirk Douglas andGregory Peck who were seven years younger than he was. Some scenescalled for the now graying actor to still be in high school. He feltridiculous and considered plastic surgery. But he was helped greatlyby his co-star Donna Reed who encouraged him throughout. In theromantic scene where George (Stewart) and Mary (Reed) declared theirlove for each other, Capra joked that Stewart was so nervous hewrapped a phone chord around them so he wouldn't run away. James wasalso helped by the film's villain Lionel Barrymore who was confinedto wheelchair because of crippling arthritis. "Son, I want you tocheer up. Don't you know you make people happier being a movie starthan you ever did shooting at them in a plane."In the 1930's Capra had toiled at Columbia Pictures which was ruledby the autocratic Harry Cohn, long considered the meanest man inHollywood. The Mogul kept the entire studio electronically bugged,displayed a huge portrait of Mussolini in his office, and used anelectrified chair to give unsuspecting victims sudden jolts. Caprahad sat in it once, received a shock and angrily smashed the chair tobits. When filming began on It's A Wonderful Life, Capra was happyto be free of Cohn, but nervous. Now his own money was part of theinvestment. Known for making movie sets fun places to work, he wasat first crabby and irritable with his cast and crew. Filming asnowy, Christmas movie in over one hundred degree heat in Encino didnot help morale. Many of the heavily dressed actors fainted. Butthere were nice moments. One scene required Mary to throw a rockthrough an old mansion window and make a wish. Capra had a marksmanready off camera but to his delight Reed shattered the glass on herown. She turned to him and said," Why so surprised? Don't you thinkan Iowa farm girl would know how to play baseball?"As the shoot progressed Capra regained his confidence. He disdainedspecial effects when Clarence Oddbody the angel (Henry Travers) didhis magic, preferring to tell the story through his actor's faces.The Director started to believe he was making the greatest movieever. As his mood lightened the Company enjoyed picnics and singingon the set which were hallmarks of Capra's earlier films.Too dark, the Country wanted comedy like Dean Martin and JerryLewis. Too dated, Wonderful Life came off like a depression filmrather than a post war movie. For whatever reason the three milliondollar production failed to make its money back. Capra chose to foldhis tent shortly after the movie's release calling Liberty Films,"The quickest way to go broke a man ever devised." Stewart panicked.The ex-war hero received a phone call from his agent. "Donna Reedloved working with you. She wants to do it again." "No way. Thatgirl is jinxed." June Allyson became his leading lady of choiceplaying his wife five times. Decades later he would praise theperformance of a bemused Donna Reed for making Wonderful Lifegreat. "My God," she told her friends. "He sure didn't say thatwhen it came out."Years passed. From that point on Capra, unwilling to either risk hisown money or work for somebody else directed very few movies .Stewart decided to portray a stronger image on screen. He refused toplay in war movies saying they were unrealistic, choosing insteadhard, gritty Westerns like The Man From Laramie (1954) which helpedto make him rich and surpass John Wayne as the nation's number onebox office star. Reed restored her career by winning an AcademyAward for playing a prostitute in From Here To Eternity (1953) andthen became one of television's most wholesome mothers. And It's AWonderful Life fell into the public domain in 1973 because no onerenewed it's copyright. The forgotten film was shown repeatedly onalmost every cable television station, finally got a huge viewership,and became a perennial Christmas Classic.Stephen Schochet is the author and narrator of the audiobooksFascinating Walt Disney and Tales Of Hollywood. The Saint Louis PostDispatch says," these two elaborate productions are exceptionallyentertaining." Hear realaudio samples of these great, unique gifts atwww.hollywoodstories.com.Walt Disney Is Coming To TownBy Stephen SchochetIn 1923, twenty-one-year-old Walt Disney arrived in Los Angeles freshfrom the disappointment of his first cartoon studio going bankrupt inKansas City. He went to see his twenty-nine-year-old brother Roy inthe Veteran's Hospital were he was recovering from tuberculosis. Roy,a former bank teller and navy man was concerned about his brother'sskinniness. "Hey kid, haven't you been eating? I'm supposed to be thesick one. So now that you're in L.A. what are you are going to dowith yourself?" "I don't know. I've given up on animation. But I'vegot to get into show business somehow. I'll think I'll try and becomea director."Walt who had filmed some newsreel footage in Kansas City, printed abusiness card stating he was a member of the press, which he used tofinagle his way onto studio lots. He had a meeting with a secretaryat Metro. "Yes, I had my own studio in Kansas City, I made cartoonsand live action films perhaps you heard of me?" "No I can't say thatI have. And we really have a lot of people coming here looking forwork and no jobs." Metro was in a state of chaos, Rudolph Valentinowas demanding more money and they had frozen his salary. Because ofthe movie The Four Horseman Of The Apocalypse (1921) Valentino wasnow an international star who was surviving by hunting rabbits in theSanta Monica Mountains. Walt, who would later know great famecombined with money trouble could have identified, but he had his ownproblems.Turned away at Metro Walt decided to go to Charlie Chaplin's studioin Hollywood and ask the great star for work personally. Chaplin hadbeen Walt's hero, when Disney was thirteen he had won a two dollarprize imitating the tramp on stage, not an easy trick. One timeCharlie Chaplin had entered a similar contest and lost.Walt waited all day on the sidewalk for Chaplin to come out but henever did. Disney didn't know that Chaplin buried himself in hiswork, afraid to go home where his 16 year old pregnant wife Lita andher mother were filling his mansion with unwanted relatives, turningthe Beverly Hills estate into the 1923 version of the Jerry Springershow. Or that the liberal Chaplin was infuriating his United Artistpartner the conservative Mary Pickford by taking forever to finishhis films, sometimes emerging from his editing room with a long beardlooking like Robinson Crusoe. Walt had his own concerns.Once again, Walt used his makeshift press pass to sneak intoUniversal Studios. This was exciting filmmaking! Men dressed likecowboys pretending to shoot at each other and falling over. And acastle. It reminded him of Paris where he had driven an ambulance forthe Red Cross after World War I. Curious, he walked over to questionsome workmen about the structure. It turned out they were buildingthe Court Of Miracles set for The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, starringLon Chaney. Walt who remained star struck all his life, began lookingaround for the famous actor who was known for playing characters whowere deformed, sometimes armless and legless with incredible bodycontortions. Back in the twenties there was a saying, "If you seesomething unusual on the floor, don't step on it might be LonChaney." Suddenly Walt felt a tap on his shoulder. Sitting on a horsebehind him was the famous Austrian director Eric Von Stroheim, knownas the man you love to hate. Completely bald with a monocle, ridingcrop and thick boots, which early film directors working in theHollywood hills wore to protect from snakes, Von Stroheim made animposing figure. "What are you doing here". Walt confessed he snuckin and asked if there was any work. But he was talking to a man whoused to twist the arms of his leading ladies when he wanted them tocry in his films. "Get out now and never come back." Years later,when he had his own studio, Walt went out of his way to give youngpeople a chance to show what they could do.With no other prospects Walt decided to get back into animation butthis time he would get some help. One night in 1923 he returned tothe Veteran's Hospital where Roy was feeling better. Excitedly Walttold his brother about his plans awakening other patients in theward," But I can't do it alone. I don't have your head fornumbers." "I don't know kid, cartoons that's risky. I was thinkingabout getting a safe job at a bank, getting married. I mean I thinkyour talented but. . ." "Ah come on Roy, forget about a job. We'llwork for ourselves. This is better than a job, we can do thisthing." "I don't know. . ." "Ah please." Walt would not take no foran answer. Roy finally agreed to the new venture when one of thesoldiers in a nearby bed sat up and said, "Roy will you go with himalready so we can get some sleep!"Stephen Schochet is the author and narrator of the audiobooksFascinating Walt Disney and Tales Of Hollywood. The Saint Louis PostDispatch says," these two elaborate productions are exceptionallyentertaining." Hear realaudio samples of these great, unique gifts atwww.hollywoodstories.com.


The Best Travel Games
Car travel games are a tradition wherever families take vacations or long trips by automobile. Long drives are always more tolerable with some diversion or entertainment, and reading might not be the best choice, at least for the driver. Why not try some games that everyone in the car can play?
"Blue Car" Travel Games
These are travel classics. Each person guesses how many blue cars will pass in the next ten miles or ten minutes. Of course it can be red cars, or trucks, or whatever everyone agrees to. By the way, it's considered bad form for the driver to slow down, letting more cars pass, so his guess will be the closest.
Another classic travel game involves the alphabet. Everyone tries to spot something starting with an "a", and be the first to call it out ("apple tree!"). Since the Qs and Xes are difficult, they can be skipped. The person with the most "firsts," is the winner.
Educational Travel Games
These are car games that get you thinking, learning something, or at least showing off what you know. In one game, the driver, or another designated host, asks questions like "At what temperature does water boil?" or "What is the Capital of Columbia?" or "If sales tax is 7.6%, what's the total cost of a sweater priced at $22?" If you want the kids to love this one, pay twenty-five cents for each right answer.
In another car travel game, someone looks out the window and randomly selects an object. Everyone in the car then tries to imagine a creative way to make money with it. Overpasses become places to advertise, cows are rented out, and a truck becomes a traveling discotheque.
Other Car Travel Games
Turn on the radio and you can have a game in which everyone tries to be the first to call out the name of the artist when a song starts. You can change the station, so you don't have to wait through a whole song to continue the contest.
In another car radio game, each person in the car chooses a word. Then you turn on the radio. The person whose word is spoken (or sung) first on the radio is the winner.
Finally, have one person in the car start a story with a sentence or two. Each person in turn adds a line to the story. This can get personal, but usually creates a story that has everyone laughing.

Steve Gillman hit the road at sixteen, and traveled alone across the United States and Mexico at 17. Now 40, he continues to travel with his wife Ana, whom he met in Ecuador. His stories, tips and information on travel, can be found at: http://www.EverythingAboutTravel.com