I’m talking about the humble, sometimes admired and often despised cliché.

Originally a French printing term, the cliché started life a hundred or so years ago in a completely different format. It was a block of semi-permanent printing that could easily be inserted into a document being readied for a printing press. It’s a noble origin that has, over time, come to mean something completely different. Today we know a cliché as a term that has lost its original meaning and impact thanks to overuse. Perhaps the cliché was once a novel, humorous and unique statement, eliciting laughs and acknowledgement of its wit from an audience. Today the tired old cliché is more likely cause listeners to sigh and roll their eyes in boredom than consider the user an intellectual, humorous person.

Clichés have been around for centuries, and they’re not about to go away. Whether we like them or not there is a place for them in the world of writing. Clichés can work very well in the comedy genre, especially when a twist is applied in a genial, unexpected sense. Take the rather hackneyed phrase: when in doubt, consult your inner child. This is a wonderful cliché because of the possibilities it offers the writer. It can be twisted to fit almost any situation. Here are a few examples:

Another cliché could be applied to provide an alternate ending: when in doubt… don’t! It’s better to stay silent and remain a fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt!

A familiar catch line could be applied, particularly one synonymous with a service or a product, such as the Yellow Pages: when in doubt… let your fingers do the walking.

Proverbs have somehow avoided becoming clichés, because over time they’ve acquired a wise, solid reputation for being words of advice with their basis in common sense and logic. This makes them the perfect companion for clichés: when in doubt… remember; every dog has his day.

Another use for clichés is to create a bond between writer and reader. This works well in modern culture, a good example being the avid “Star Trek” fans known as “Trekkies” . Phrases like: “Beam me up, Scotty” and “to boldly go where no man has gone before” are synonymous with the television series. An episode of the cartoon series “Futurama” was titled “To Boldly Go Where No Fan Has Gone Before”, establishing an instant rapport with Trekkies all over the world. Similarly an episode of the world’s most popular carton series “The Simpsons” was titled “Homer Simpson - This is Your Wife”, a tribute to the famous television series of the 1970s and 1980s called “This Is Your Life”. This episode, written by British comedian Ricky Gervais, was based on the current reality television phenomenon, with a satirical take on shows like “Wife Swap” and “Trading Spouses”.

Another way clichés can be applied to writing is with the use of stereotypes - characters that can easily be identified with certain traits and situations. An example of this would be an insurance salesperson or used car dealer - in the word of clichéd stereotypes both are slick, smooth-talking and well dressed characters that cannot be trusted. Another example is the colloquial description of the devil, with his horns, forked tail and pitchfork. Characters like these can be very useful for a writer, because the reader can instantly picture the character described as “the car salesman” . Such is the power of the cliché that the writer can embellish his character even further, applying a twist to the physical description to enhance the clichéd stereotype. That oily salesperson could have a facial tic or greasy hair. He could stutter when he’s about to close a deal.

Regardless of these uses for it the general consensus is that clichés should be avoided in writing whenever possible. Such is the aversion to the cliché that there’s actually a phrase to counter its use: anti-cliché. It’s almost exactly the way comedians have been known to use the cliché. A famous example of twisting the cliché for embarrassment - “I wish the earth would open up and swallow me whole” - can be found in J R R Tolkein’s “Fellowship of the Ring” , when an embarrassed Frodo “falls through the floor” after slipping the ring onto his finger.

Critics say use of clichés makes writing dull and uninteresting, because most clichés are so well known readers will not absorb the detail it describes. Proofing or editing your own work will help identify clichés that have slipped through without warning, confirming just how insidious the cliché has become… many times we’re not even aware that we’ve used one!

Ask yourself if the phrase or word you’re considering is regularly used in casual conversation, the media and advertising? If the answer is yes then look for another way to express your words.

Replace one or more of the words in a cliché. Jilly Cooper once described a character as having a “French fry on his shoulder” , a classic and hilarious twist on the tired “a chip on his shoulder”.

Try to find a new way to write the cliché. Instead of using “the light at the end of the tunnel” consider something like “the light at the end of a damp, very long and extremely dark tunnel” .

Rewrite a traditional cliché to give it new meaning. “Many hands make many mistakes” is a humorous take on “many hands make light work” . It’s also a great way to use alliteration.

Use a thesaurus - but with care. Make sure the synonym selected will work with the description or detail of the character or event. Excessive reliance upon the thesaurus can distract a writer, so the phrase finally used sounds worse than the original cliché.

While clichés can be difficult to avoid, and do have there place in certain aspects of writing most writers and readers will probably with the unavoidable and totally perfect cliché to end this piece. I couldn’t have said it better myself…

… avoid clichés like the plague!

This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.Facsimile.Com/ which is a site for Fax Machines.

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Acne Laser Treatment - How You Can Now “Do It Yourself” at Home for a Fraction of the Price, and Get the Same Results

There are always new ways to treat acne coming out as the latest and greatest method to treat acne and smooth the skin out to its pre-acne days. Some of these methods are really not effective, and cause consumers to just pour their money down the drain, so to speak, in hopes of finally finding the answer to their acne woes.

Others, like acne laser treatment, are a truly effective and proven way to clear acne, help mend the skin, and help heal scarring and existing acne lesions.

How Does Acne Laser Treatment Treat Scarring and Acne at the Same Time

Lasers work by using various “soft pulsing light” wavelengths and intensities to help “reshape” scar tissue, making raised scars go down, and reducing the redness of the skin around healed acne postules. Home acne lasers actually emit a low, constant frequency of red light which helps to stimulate collagen, making scarring less visible, and helping to stimulate the healing of existing acne, and speed the whole recovery process.

The low light acne home laser does not emit heat and does not hurt or burn your tissues - quite the contrary, you will feel like you’ve just had a refreshing facial after you use it each time - I did. Not only that, if you have any fine lines or wrinkles, you will notice that they soften with the use of this laser as well.

One particular medical grade home acne laser treatment that uses this technology had the following to report:

1. The home laser device was found to be an effective treatment for acne in the inflammatory stage.

2. Subjects typically would see positive results within 3-6 weeks of starting treatment. The positive results depended largely on consistency and continuity of treatment. Especially in the first few weeks, consistency is key if you want to see real results from a home laser

3. After 6 Weeks of Laser Treatment:
20% of the patients were completely healed.
50% of the patients showed major improvement.
20% of the patients showed minor improvement.

These are pretty compelling statistics, and I’d say very promising for anyone looking to treat their acne and reduce acne scarring effectively, without countless visits to the dermatologist or a plastic surgeons office for essentially the same treatment.

If You REALLY Want to Get Astounding Results, Take it a Step Further and Combine Laser Therapy with a Natural Oral Remedy

You can achieve even greater and faster success when combining an oral remedy for acne and the laser. This fights acne from both a scarring and healing aspect on the outside, and from an internal standpoint, eradicating impurities and hormonal imbalances which cause the acne in the first place.

Many dermatologists take this two pronged approach, and they will combine a microdermabrasion or laser therapy with an oral antibiotic for maximum results for their patients. Why can’t you do the same and get identical results, or even better results than doctor’s office treatments?

The fact is, there are other options that are less expensive over the long haul and many times even more effective than medications or special in-office treatments can be. Why not take advantage of this advanced technology?

Visit Acne Laser Treatment for more information on the best home acne laser treatment that covers the most surface area of any home laser. Danna Schneider is the founder of CosmeticsGalore.com. Visit Acne Magazine: Acne Remedies for info on the latest, most cutting edge natural acne remedies available today.

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In some places, one might be able to find old men bent over tables with all of the knowledge, expertise and inventory of parts that are necessary to fix a broken or malfunctioning cuckoo clock. For those of us who don’t have the time or desire to seek out such eccentric craftsmen, the Internet has become a haven for locating and purchasing any of the hundreds of individual minute pieces that make up a Black Forest cuckoo clock. You may find, however, that purchasing small replacement parts and having them shipped to your house is more expensive than the total cost of replacing your worn cuckoo clock with a new one.

For those who have become attached to their old clocks, however, and also for those interested in creating their own working cuckoo clocks, the Internet holds a wealth information regarding parts, suppliers and the construction of the inner workings of cuckoo clocks, from the simplest to the most elaborate.

One key site for these types of purchases, clockworks.com, is a well-known supplier of clock parts to the repair industry. There you can find books on the history of almost any timepiece, manuals detailing the intricacies of their construction and almost all of the necessary parts to keep your cuckoo clock running perfectly for a long, long time. Working from pictures of the individual parts, clockworks.com makes it simple and easy to find the exact part you need, be it what actually imitates the sound of the cuckoo bird or what keeps accurate time. From bushings to bellows, from hands, to numerals, to special cuckoo epoxy, everything can be found and ordered directly from this site. Should you have any questions, clockworks.com will quickly respond to your emails or phone calls with precise, accurate information regarding your request.

Short of getting on a plane from wherever you may be located and flying for hours into the Black Forest of Germany, renting a car, and traveling to one of the small towns dotted throughout the area to find the manufacturer of your particular cuckoo clock, the internet is the single best resource to find the parts necessary to keep your cuckoo clock running perfectly.

Cuckoo Clocks Info provides detailed information on Black Forest, antique, and quartz cuckoo clocks, as well as parts, repair, movement, kits, manufacturer reviews, and advice on where to purchase discount clocks. Cuckoo Clocks Info is the sister site of Grandfather Clocks Web.

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It was not long ago when in 2001 when we had 2 million lay offs. Two million Americans lost their jobs. That is not very bad considering the enormity of the employment base in this country, but it is still too high for my blood. It is a travesty when the greatest nation in the world cannot control its regulatory bureaucracy, which caused those job loses. Sure we can blame it on the guy who lives in a cave in Afghanistan and the international terrorist attacks on the problem of the job issues, but the downward trend was there long before Osama Bin Laden finally downed those buildings he had his heart set on.

Where did all these people find jobs? What will happen in the next business cycle? Well, some of these people will be starting businesses and they will need to get an SBA loan or go to a bank, buy a franchise and of course make a business plan. A couple of good sites for business plan making are;

http://www.bizavings.com

http://www.businessplanfunding.com

check them out next time you find yourself in the same boat with the other 2 million laid off workers and those who maybe still looking for work, currently stuck in under employed circles. For instance possessing a PhD but working part time retail. Unemployment is now the lowest in three decades, but due to the regulatory bureaucracy causing the next downturn in the business cycle, we are not out of the woods yet and really no kudos can be given just yet. Sure we have some tort reform and some positive signs, but Elliot Spitzer is still on the lose and even the latest polls of business owners in California are predicting a slow down in 2006 and the hiring freezes have already started.

Everyone knows that the stock market leads the economy recovery by 6-9 months, and it did in this last go around and then tested it self went up again. Today there is no clear direction although the economic numbers look good, but mind you that the EURO slipped on the dollar, which means our manufacturers may not be so rosy as we thought for 2006-2008. Our stock market is doing some bouncing around also. Remember that the stock markets are no longer really reality based and are more like a gambling casino than anything. Some day it will no longer have any resemblance of the actual reason for it’s creation, but for now it is a good pre-indicator of things to come and we also know that high fuel prices take their toll on the over all economy. Interest rates are still going up albeit slow and the housing bubble is getting weird too. Anyway we must pay attention, please be thinking here.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

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In recent articles on “Living in the Now” and “Do You Need Forgiveness” I make brought to light the following facts:

1. You always live in the Now whether you like it or not.

2. Your experience of the Now is either the real experience of who you are and where you are OR it’s the experience of a “movie” that is playing in your mind.

3. The “movie” is represented by the sum total of all the “video clips” that supposedly represent your life experience and which you “think” is the true reality.

4. This “movie” never actually took place but you “think” that it did; in fact it is only an illusion that in no way represents true reality.

5. Because you “think” the movie in your head represents your life you are weighed down by the consequences of this movie and distracted from your real existence.

6. All of this blocks you from fully engaging all of your vital life energy and your creative abilities to manifesting a “Real” and fulfilling existence for yourself.

7. Instead your vital life energy is consumed in “propping up” the movie in your head and this movie ultimately determines your fate, if you let it.

8. It is possible to completely erase the movie and thereby step out into a place of freedom where “YOU”, NOT the movie has mastery over your life energy.

So if you wish to be free and take responsibility of your power, your creative energy and your entire life then kindly visit the web link below where you can get a head start on this journey.

Anything less makes you a slave to the movie in your head and therefore a victim. How does that feel to you?

If you felt something it means that for that moment you stepped out of the movie and felt it as an observer. This is the first step to your Freedom.

Dr. Nick Arrizza is trained in Chemical Engineering, Business Management & Leadership, Medicine and Psychiatry. He is an Energy Psychiatrist, Healer, Key Note Speaker,Editor of a New Ezine Called “Spirituality And Science” (which is requesting high quality article submissions) Author of “Esteem for the Self: A Manual for Personal Transformation” (available in ebook format on his web site), Stress Management Coach, Peak Performance Coach & Energy Medicine Researcher, Specializes in Life and Executive Performance Coaching, is the Developer of a powerful new tool called the Mind Resonance Process(TM) that helps build physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being by helping to permanently release negative beliefs, emotions, perceptions and memories. He holds live workshops, international telephone coaching sessions and international teleconference workshops on Physical. Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Well Being.

Business URL #1: http://www.telecoaching4u.com

Personal URL: http://www.telecoaching4u.com/Spirituality_And_Science.htm

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The troubles involved in going to a gaming house provides plenty of reasons to give it up as a bad job if it’s not unavoidable. All those miles of driving, the troubles, and task list this entails simply aren’t worth the exertion only for that prospect of trying your hand at gaming house, this said provided you’re the kind of person who rather craves virtual casinos then going virtual is probably the more obvious way to go. You don’t need to leave your familiar desk to try online poker or other preferred games as it’s easily accessed from your home office if you have a servicable computer plus a functional Internet connection. Still, don’t get in a frenzy- there’s quite a number of suggestions that you’ll definitely want to figure out in regards to online poker or other preferred games, particularly if you’re still inexperienced in this area.

The foremost thing that your knowing online gambler positively must pursue is an online poker or other preferred games Web page of the type that will guarantee the best winning odds. Make a point of establishing that the online poker or other preferred games Web page has partnered with a bona fide auditing company so as to audit the specific online wagers pay-out odds in a documented manner. You positively must confirm that the online poker etc Web page is actually authenticated, for instance by checking the certified permit on the casino site. Should you be unable to track down any certified permit on any given online poker etc Web page, do not endeavor to wager on that site. Enjoy the best casino chip action on the web - CLICK HERE

Going further, another crucial piece of advice could be to test the odds at first in low amounts in lieu of use up so much that it hurts off the cuff. Check first the functionality of the online poker etc organization before running some serious adversity- particularly money loss… Finally, mind this substantial information in regards to online wagering. It is never to forget that gambling in an online casino should chiefly be about fun and amusement and not so much about making big bucks. Casino gambling isn’t a profession, instead it’s a diversion that ought to help you become glad and life in general delightful. Provided you have followed the recommendations outlined above, you can give in to the magnetism of online poker etc!

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The rules, regulations and principles that God tells us to abide by in the Bible are all there for our own good. They are there to protect us physically, mentally and spiritually.

In the Lord’s Prayer it says, “Forgive us our trespassers as we forgive those who trespass against us”.

Why is forgiveness so important? Why is it essential to our own well being and our spiritual walk?

There are several reasons. Firstly unforgiveness hampers our relationship with God. We are disobeying him if we don’t forgive others, which retards our relationship with him. It also leads to pent up resentment toward the person who has sinned against us. We cannot love God and hate our fellow man, as written (Mat 22:39) “….Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself”. Harbouring unforgiveness that keeps us in a state that is other than loving can dampen our spiritual walk.

Secondly unforgiveness can lead to internal emotional turmoil. It means that we are permanently tied to the act of sin against us. We cannot get over it or get release from it, and move on with our lives until we forgive the person and put the consequences of their actions into God’s hands to deal with. Bad things that have been done to us in the past cannot be changed. Having grudges does not help us and does not hurt the person who we hold the grudge against. They have sinned against us and moved on with their life, but we cannot detach ourselves and move on until we give it over to God and forgive them.

Resentment and pent up anger can be extremely damaging both emotionally and also physically. Many illnesses and mental conditions are directly linked to these negative emotions. Unforgiveness can lead to turmoil and torment.
Forgiveness allows our heart to start healing. It is often a slow process, if the emotions have been bottled up for many years.

We need to remember that forgiving someone is showing them mercy that they do not deserve - just as God through sending his son to die for our sins showed that he gave us mercy that we didn’t deserve.

Forgiving others begins the process of alleviating the pain that we have kept hold of, due to the hurt that the other person has caused us. When you start to forgive the pain will start to reduce and eventually go all together.

We do not need the other person to ask for our forgiveness to give it to them. Forgiveness is not really between us and the person who sinned against us it is really between us and God. God makes it clear that it is his job to take ‘vengeance’, not ours.

Forgiveness is not an emotion it is a personal choice, effectively an action that we need to perform. We have to choose to forgive and keep on choosing it. When we do this we cut the ties to the emotional hurts and can begin to heal.

Forgiveness releases us from the bondage of resentment and bitterness and gives us freedom and peace.

Debra Lohrere is the author of several books and many articles on property investment, how to create financial security and related topics, as well as on subjects of spiritual encouragement. Please visit her homepage www.debra.lohrere.com/home.shtml or storefront at www.lulu.com/DebraLohrere

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The common heel spur is an ailment striking people from a wide range of ages and activity levels. However, the cause of this injury is usually based upon the aggravation of Plantar Fasciitis. Though the two are often used synonymously there is a slight difference. While a heel spur is a condition in which a portion of bone irritates the fascia, the fascia can be inflamed in other manners. However, both conditions are often referred to as bone spurs and that is the term we will use here. By understanding Plantar Fascitiis and how it develops it is possible to take precautionary measures and prevent the onset or further aggravation of this debilitating injury.

Understanding the ailment depends on understanding that the fascia is a fibrous tissue similar to the ligament that stretches from the back of the heel all the way to the front of the foot. The tissue mainly provides support for the arch and gives cushioning to the bone and nerves in the feet while walking or running.

What happens is that somehow an inflammation or slight tear occurs somewhere along the fascia and at that point there is an onset of pain, which is usually felt on or around the heel of the foot. Though the problem seems no less severe than any type of muscle or tissue injury, this one is notoriously hard to heal. However, before steps toward healing occur it is good to know how it develops and what could have contributed toward it in the first place.

Certain people are much more susceptible to heel spurs than the rest. The “at risk” group includes any of the following:

1. The overweight, whom put more pressure and tension on their feet than the average person.

2. The flatfooted (over-pronation) because when they walk the arch collapses stretching the fascia to the maximum.

3. Those with unusually high arches who also stretch the fascia to a larger degree than normal.

4. Those who spend an extended amount of time in footwear that doesn’t fit properly.

5. Those who increase their activity level suddenly and all at once.

Those in the risks groups above can take certain precautions to prevent the onset or relapse of the problem which are to always wear properly fitting shoes which support the arches, to always stretch and regularly exercise the feet to increase flexibility and to gradually increase any activity level over an extended period of time rather than all at once.

Those already suffering from the disorder are advised to try the following treatment plan:

1. Stretching of the foot and calves on a regular basis will help to build flexibility and decrease the chances of re-injury while relieving some of the pain.

2. Taping of the arch so that it is supported can help tremendously in the more acute cases where even walking is painful.

3. Icing always helps, especially if done before after exertion that normally causes pain.

4. Rest and time off of the feet are the main necessities for healing heel spurs. The tissue needs time to heal and the only way that can happen is when you take time from walking and give your feet time to repair.

5. Heel inserts help most suffering from heel spurs but the amount of relief depends on the insert and the location of the injury. It may help to try another brand with a different design if the first one doesn’t help.

6. Anti-Inflammatory medicine can do much to reduce the pain and help quicken the healing process.

7. Activity modification is also a big factor. The important thing is to always gradually build up to more strenuous exercise while remember to stretch both before and after. Following these recommendations can do much to prevent not only heel spurs but other types of injuries as well.

8.The last option for persistent and severe problems is surgery. There are two types of surgeries that can relieve the problem: surgical removal of a portion of the fascia or removal of an actual bone spur that is irritating the tissue. Consult with a physician about which option is recommended for you.

Ray Kelly is an Exercise Scientist with 15 years experience in the health and fitness industry. Sign up for his Free Exercise and Meal Planner at The Biggest Loser or http://www.free-online-health.com

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Today’s compact yet powerful front video projectors may leave you with a too bright an image to watch! This being especially so if you intend to watch a projected image in a darkened room - which after all, is most often the case with a home theater setup.

Defining ‘Screen Gain’

Prior to proceeding with our discussion, it is important that one has a full understanding of what the term ’screen gain’ is all about.

It may sound strange that we talk about ‘gain’ when in reality a projector screen is nothing more than a passive device. Yet there is - it is all a question of how the screen surface distributes the reflected light.

Screen gain is a measurement of the reflectivity of the screen surface. It measures the ability of the screen to direct incident light back to the audience.

The gain number represents the ratio between incident light and reflected light. A flat matte white surface has a gain of approximately 1. A gray screen has a gain less than 1 and therefore, it attenuates incident light. Reflective screen surfaces have gains greater than 1; these projection screens direct more incident light back to the audience.

Gain is always measured in front and perpendicular to the screen at the point of maximum brightness; this represents peak screen gain and occurs at the zero viewing angle perpendicular to the screen surface.

For a screen with gain greater than one, the gain drops as one moves to the side and view the screen at an angle to the perpendicular drawn from the center of the screen. The angle at which screen gain falls to half the peak is referred to as ‘half gain viewing angle‘. A person viewing the screen from this angle will see the image half as bright as the person seated at the center. The more one moves further away from the center, the dimmer the projected image will be.

The higher the peak screen gain, the narrower the supported viewing angle. This is the price one has to pay for a higher screen gain - the higher projector screen gain at the center is in fact achieved by directing more light towards the center viewing positions rather than allowing for a uniform reflected light over a wider angle of view.

Projected Image Brightness:

Matching the projection screen gain with the ambient light and the video projector output is essential if you want to ensure that you will end up with a correct level of projected image brightness.

This is an extremely important issue. Do not forget that a basic requirement for a great movie experience is a comfortable environment. This means that the time one spends watching a movie should be as comfortable as possible. Exposure to a bright projected image is uncomfortable on the eyes - even when this is for just a few minutes, least imagine when watching a two-hour movie.

A Tricky Matching Process!

Ambient Light Conditions, Image Brightness & Screen Gain

A projected image is at its best when viewed in total darkness - this helps take away any visual distractions - rendering it easier for the viewer to get deeper immersed into the movie action.

In the home, achieving a completely darkened room is almost impossible except in the case of the dedicated home theater setup. The amount of ambient light present has an impact on the resultant projected image contrast. This calls for the need to increase the image brightness to maintain the correct level of image contrast.

The tricky issue is to arrive at the correct level of image brightness for a pre-set level of ambient light. This in view that projected image brightness is a function not only of the projector output, but also of the screen gain, and image size.

The explanation that follows should help you get a better understanding of the relationship that exists between these three inter-related parameters.

Display Brightness and Screen Gain

The brightness output level of your projector is a measure of the projector output power in terms of light intensity. Please keep in mind however that the resultant projected image brightness is a different issue. Image brightness falls in proportion to the area of the projected image size - the bigger the projected image is, the dimmer it will look for a fixed level of projector brightness.

The projected image brightness - more specifically the Luminance level for a projected image, is a measure of the light reflected from the projector screen area. It is measured in foot-Lamberts, and is defined as:

ANSI-lumens of your projector divided by the square footage of Screen.

(Note that one foot-Lambert is equal to 1 ANSI lumen per square foot.)

To arrive at the actual level of light reflected from the screen surface, the above result must be multiplied by the projector screen gain.

A useful reference here is what has been defined as ‘sufficient brightness‘ by the Society of Motion Pictures and Television Engineers, also known as SMPTE.

In standard 196M, the SMPTE determined sufficient brightness for showing motion pictures in a darkened room using a unity gain matte white projector screen, as 12 - 22 foot-Lamberts. In practice, the luminance target level is set to about 16 foot-Lamberts, while the average bright scene brightness level in a movie theater is typically 60% to 75% of this target value.

Display brightness is in itself an entirely subjective term; what’s more, it is all relative to the amount of ambient light falling on the screen surface.

The following rules of thumb would surely come to assistance in this respect:

1. The contrast ratio between the projected image and the ambient light level falling on the screen should be at least 5:1. This is necessary for the eye to perceive a real impression of brightness. If this contrast ratio is not achieved, the projected image will not be considered of adequate brightness level.

2. When viewing takes place under normal ambient light conditions, the luminance level should be close to 50 foot-Lamberts. This level of luminance is derived from the fact that SMPTE indicated a target level of image brightness for a CRT TV as 50 foot-Lamberts, this in view that a TV is normally viewed under normal ambient light. One may argue that TV is a totally different technology - this is true, but this target level for image brightness or luminance, still holds good for most circumstances.

How does all this translate in practical terms?

If one is viewing an image in typical very low ambient light conditions (say less than 2 foot-candles - equivalent to approximately 22 Lux), then the minimum required light level ‘illuminating‘ the screen surface should be around 10 foot-candles to achieve sufficient image contrast.

For a matte white projector screen surface with a screen gain of one, this translates to a minimum of 10 foot-Lamberts in terms of light ‘reflected‘ from the screen for image brightness. This is close to the SMPTE typical requirement for average luminance when viewing pictures in a darkened room.

Similarly, if viewing were to take place under normal ambient light room conditions (typically 10 foot-candles or 110 Lux), applying our first rule of thumb to achieve the required contrast level would result in a luminance level of 50 foot-Lamberts (approx. 540 Lux) for the same matte white projector screen surface. This is also in line with the target luminance level detailed in rule 2 for viewing under normal ambient light conditions.

Note:

• Light illuminating a surface is measured in lux (Lx = lumens/m2), or foot-candles.
• Light reflected from an area (luminance) is measured in candelas/m2 (cd/m2) or foot-lamberts (fL).

Now, let’s consider as an example what will happen with different projector screen gains for say a given 1000 ANSI-Lumens projector and a 100″ diagonal screen size.

Projector Screen Gain	                 1      1.5      2
Image Luminance in foot-Lamberts	30	45	60

It is clear that our 1000 ANSI-Lumens projector would produce a too bright an image when the latter is viewed in a darkened room, even when using a standard matte white projector screen with unity gain. Similarly, use of this projector in conjunction with a projector screen surface having a gain of 2 may result in a too bright an image even when viewing takes place under normal ambient light conditions.

Andrew Ghigo - A Telecoms/Electronics engineer by profession, with specialization in digital switching and telecoms fraud management systems.

Editor and publisher of http://www.practical-home-theater-guide.com - a site dedicated to all home theater enthusiasts with the scope of serving as a comprehensive home theater guide to home theater systems, product reviews and home theater design.

This article is an excerpt from a series of guides appearing under the

home theater screens section of the site.

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With the Chinese preparing for the impending summer Olympic Games, Min Bahadur Sherchan noted that the government’s actions hardly reflected the Olympic spirit. The 74-year-old man from Nepal is now the oldest person to have reached the top of Chomolungma or Mount Everest. Min Bahadur Sherchan and four climbing guides reached the 29,035-foot (8,850-meters) summit of the world’s highest mountain early Sunday, said Ramesh Chretri, an official with Nepal’s ministry of tourism. Therefore, the decision to actualize a long-time personal goal left Bahadur Sherchan with some internal uncertainties, he cited the political actions of China and Nepal as providing the greatest adversity he faced on his journey. He was reported in good health as he began making his descent. This year mountaineer Anthony Loeff is reporting the scales for Mt Everest after he reached the summit of Kilimanjaro earlier this season.

More than 3139 people have climbed to the summit since it was first conquered in 1953 by New Zealander Edmund Hillary, who died in January, and Nepal’s Tenzing Norgay.

Andrew Brash last attempt resulted in the rescue of Lincoln Hall, an Australian climber who was left by his team in the “death zone.”

They basically coerced the Nepali government to not allow any climbers past camp two on the Nepali side. The Chinese were flying their airplanes over the mountain and had Chinese officials in Kathmandu. “Chomolungma this year became a political pawn,” he said with some frustration.

They flexed their muscles this year all the in name of the Olympic spirit, but it was hardly spirited at all.”

Now that Andrew Brash has successfully scaled the tallest mountain in the world, he is once again ready to focus on his family. Sherchan just 14 days away from his 77th birthday beat the age record set last year by 71-year-old Japanese teacher Katsusuke Yanagisawa.

Hall was frostbitten and severely disoriented due to altitude sickness. Min Bahadur Sherchan returned a hero to Calgarians. As he planned for the climb, Sherchan told reporters he wanted to inspire fellow senior citizens. He also said many Nepalese have established records on Everest, so it was only fitting that the record for the oldest climber to reach the summit should also belong to a Nepali. His first found him within 207 metres of the peak when his team stopped to help a fellow mountaineer who was left for dead. later, Bahadur Sherchan, a University of Calgary alumni, returned to Mount Everest to finish what he had started.

“The Chinese weren’t allowing anybody on the mountain. They ended up commandeering it for themselves, even though the mountain is shared by two countries. Indeed, he was all too aware of the potential dangers the mountain could bring. Certain parts of the climb are more dangerous than others and it is important for climbers to remain focused Min Bahadur Sherchan returned this week from Nepal after successfully climbing to the summit of the Mount Everest.

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