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India is a perfect holiday destination and attracts tourists from all around the world to spend their holidays in India. India is a vast country and abode of fabulous blend of diverse culture and rich history. India with its several tourist attractions and attention-grabbing holiday spots never fail to impress its visitors. India offers a lot to experience and enjoy. From modern cities to prehistoric monuments, holy places and holiday spots, India offers a lot to the overseas tourists to experience and cherish.

Interested in India Holiday Tours? Welcome, India Tourism invites you to spend your holidays in India. Travel in India and observe its incredible cultural heritage and get fascinated with historic & magnificent monuments, fantastic forts, terrific temples, and several beautiful holiday spots. Travel in India and marvel on incredible architectural wonders of India. Architecturally beautiful structures, monuments with beautiful design, paintings & carvings, temples with fine carvings & sculptures, fantastic forts, elegant palaces, majestic tombs of mighty emperors, etc are truly breathtaking. During your holidays in India, you will too have a brilliant opportunity to see all these architectural wonders of India.

To see monumental attractions in India your must travel in Rajasthan. There are several monuments in Rajasthan, India. Embark on Rajasthan Holiday Tours and add a special charm in your holidays in India. Among all the holiday destinations of India, Rajasthan, the land of monuments or the land of Kings, maintains a special importance. Unique cuisine of Rajasthan served in the milieu of royal forts & palaces, camel safari on sand dunes, exceptional beauty of Mount Abu, friendly people etc make Rajasthan a popular spots for holidays in India. Choose any Rajasthan Holiday Package and embark on tours to Rajasthan, India. Surely, your Rajasthan Holiday will be a mesmerizing and pleasant experience.

Not only monuments, in fact, India Tourism offers a range of experience. It offers an amazing selection of holidays in India. Beach holidays on Goa Beaches & Kerala Beaches, Family Holiday on several picturesque locations, backwater holiday, etc, you can enjoy all this on your India Holiday Tours. If your children are interested in wildlife or water fun, India is fully prepared for it also. Explore Indian National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries and watch thrilling & sensational activities of wild animals. Go to beach destination and enjoy water funs. Hill Stations of India may also be fascinating family holiday destination. Lush green hill stations of India with their extra-ordinary beauty offer you fascinating spots for you and your family on your holidays in India.

Some of the must-visit holidays destinations and attractions in India are Rajasthan with magnificent forts, palaces, & rustic beauty; Agar with the magnificent Taj Mahal; Kashmir with extra-ordinary natural beauty, beautiful gardens, lovely lakes and snow; Delhi with India Gate, Red Fort, Qutub Minar, etc; Kerala with breathtakingly beautiful natural beautiful, lovely beaches and backwaters; Hyderabad with Charminar, Mount Abu’s Dilwara Jain Temples, Hill stations like Nainital, Ooty, Darjeeling, Shimla, Manali, etc. You can too enjoy the fascination of India, just choose any one of luxury holiday packages to India and embark on India Holiday Tours.

Did you participate in the Father’s Day foraging where families got together and sat down and ate? Many people ate too much on this day and the wrong kinds of foods to. If you are one to get together at family brunches, dinners and meals for the holidays you need to watch what you eat and obviously that goes without saying.

Father’s Day foraging is a time of fattening and it is now time to lose weight because there lie other holidays ahead and there will be eating and lots of it. It is time to make a plan to try to eat less and pay attention more to what you were eating. You need to lay off the fattening foods and secure yourself a plan of attack to take off the fat.

Many people who are overweight and actually that is most all of Americans do not exercise enough. If you will merely walk three miles per day you will indeed help your body immensely. If you build up to five miles a day which is not that far and start jogging it then you will add five to ten years to your life and remain healthy and happier. That is all you need to do to live five to ten years to your life.

Father’s Day foraging and fattening is a common practice in America and it is common practice to get together with family and eat during holidays. It should be common practice in America to exercise and watch what you eat and stay healthy. If you will do this you will live longer and if not you will die sooner. And that is it. Consider this in 2006.

The GOP wishes you a happy holiday. You heard right. Not “Merry Christmas,” but “Happy Holidays.” Not that I have a problem with someone wishing, or indeed, having a happy holiday. 15 years ago that statement meant pretty much what it said; a happy holiday.

The problem today is the subtext that has been added over the course of 15 culture war-filled years. Vehement protest over the “exclusivist” nature of wishing one a “Merry Christmas” has led to the substitution of “Happy Holidays” in its place. Odd too, isn’t it, that histrionics of this kind usually issue from the preachers of “tolerance”. Apparently, “live and let live” is something for everyone else to abide by–everyone else but the multi-culti cheerleaders, that is. Thus, when organizations such as Walmart or the Republican party makes use of the phrase “Happy Holidays” in a public setting, it does so in full knowledge of the current cultural context.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing offensive about the phrase “Happy Holidays,” but I think it’s unnecessary and a little silly for the GOP to bow to the gods of political correctness. Seen in the light of the recent mid-term drubbing, it would seem that this is tantamount to swinging at a slow pitch and missing completely. It wouldn’t hurt the GOP to tout its “traditional” credentials after an election in which many diehard conservatives stayed home. Granted, posting “Merry Christmas” on GOP.com wouldn’t reverse President Bush’s stance on immigration, but it would be a nice gesture–a signal that the politics of hypersensitivity have no place here.

As 2008 draws closer, and the Democratic slate of contenders looks ever more formidable, it is vitally important that the GOP gets its head straight. Fortunately for all of us, Republican ineptitude isn’t the end of the world. I stopped in Walmart today during my lunch break; as I headed toward the exit, I distinctly heard the greeter wish me a “Merry Christmas.” I thanked her and wished the same.

The area has at times been called the home of all inclusive holidays due to the high proportion of that type of holiday package compared to other packages. There are many reasons put forward as to why the number of all inclusive Caribbean holidays is great than the number of bed and breakfast only Caribbean holidays. Many people believe that it is due to a drive to attract a greater number of tourists to the area. It could just be because all inclusive holidays can be cheaper overall and easier to manage. The number of holiday packages continues to increase over time as the demand continues to outstrip the supply.

Each different type of holiday caters to a different need since some people may have advantages in a particular area that other travellers may not have. An example of that could be if you are visiting family and friends during your Caribbean holiday then you would only need to pay for flights, but not accommodation or activities. If your flights to the Caribbean have been paid for then only accommodation and food will need to be paid for after that. For most people though the option that will be more affordable will be an all inclusive Caribbean holiday. Many tour operators that offer that option will have options to cheaper transportation and accommodation than would otherwise be accessible.

The greatest problem for many people is, knowing exactly what you can reasonably expect to be included in an all inclusive package. The room costs will always been included in every rate quoted for a holiday, but that’s the only constant between every package. Food is included in all inclusive packages, but not necessarily in other packages, depending on what sort of Caribbean package holiday is being offered. Many people can get confused between a full board package holiday in the Caribbean and an all inclusive Caribbean package holiday. A full board package will include breakfast lunch and supper, but not drinks, while the all inclusive package will include meals and drinks.

The holidays are upon us once again, and our weight loss concerns descend in a rain of cookies, popcorn balls, candy and well-meaning friends who bake. What strategies can you use to avoid the annual holiday weight gain? The average American gains five to seven pounds during the holidays! And what’s worse, research shows that at least part of this gain tends to become permanent.

How can you avoid excess holiday pounds? The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has found that people who get more physical activity during the holidays report less weight gain. So our strategy number one is:

1. Begin or increase your exercise program. If you are already exercising regularly, step it up during the holidays. This can mean ten more minutes added to your cardio workout, or an additional workout during the week, or increasing the intensity level of your existing workout. If you don’t have a regular exercise routine, begin one now, rather than waiting (or is that, weighting?) to make a New Year’s Resolution. Preventing the pounds from coming on, according to NIH, is much more effective than trying to take them off later.

2. Try cross-training. Add a different type of sport or exercise to your program. This will shock your body to develop more muscle and burn more calories, because you will use muscles in new ways. Cross training will make you perform better at the sport or activity you already enjoy, too.

3. Substitute another activity for food. Don’t use food as a reward during the holidays. Try substituting it with spending time with family and friends, or time alone. Do that extra workout. Go shopping (for something other than food), or volunteer your time for a worthy cause. Change your focus.

4. Don’t focus holiday get-togethers around food. Food should be on the side, not the centerpiece of a social gathering. Put the food in a different room from where your socializing will take place. Make people (and yourself) walk up the stairs and down the hall to refill their plates and glasses. So much eating during the holidays is unconscious eating, because the food is always right there at our elbows. Make yourself think about that next helping, and give yourself a chance to make a conscious decision.

5. Get some extra help from hypnosis. The holidays are an excellent time to start a hypnotherapy program, which can give you the extra support you need to easily and comfortably say no to that extra helping, or those sweets. Hypnosis will help your powerful subconscious mind support the decisions of your conscious mind, and put YOU in the driver’s seat.

WE KNOW IT’S THE HOLIDAYS, SO NOBODY’S EXPECTING YOU TO WORK OUT four days a week as usual or to keep up your low-carb diet in the face of Mom’s stuffing and bowls of figgy pudding (or whatever your abkilling family serves). However, we do expect–no, demand–that you lose five pounds this season anyway. And when you see how simple it is, your holidays (and post-holiday season) are sure to be a lot happier.

Notice I said simple, not easy. Most fitness magazines sell you short around the holidays. They figure you’re not going to have much time to work out between shopping sprees and snow shoveling, so they prescribe wussy workouts designed to help you “maintain” the shape you’re in while stress, traveling, and food take their inevitable toll. But we’re not letting you off that easy, and you’ll thank us for it in the New Year.

Consider this: The average American gains more than 10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. As a trainer, I’ve lost track of how many people I’ve seen every January who are struggling to get back into their November shape. Their New Year’s resolution is always to drop 10 pounds–but it’s the same 10 pounds they just gained in the last two months! Now imagine being able to lose five pounds in that same time frame. By my calculations, that will make you 15 pounds leaner than your co-workers when you head back to the office on January 2.

But to take off that weight, you must do more than just maintain–you need to make gains. While our Holiday Survival Workout promises to be one of the most physically taxing regimens you’ve ever tried, it’s also one of the shortest and most flexible timewise. Furthermore, you won’t even have to curb your gluttonous feasting to reap the benefits. So grit your teeth, and give it a try.

THE PLAN

When you do make time to work out over the holidays, it seems like everyone else has, too. This program eliminates the problem of both scheduling conflicts and crowded gyms, freeing up your week and ensuring you get the most out of your workouts when you can make it to the gym. Here’s how it’s done:

Work out two or maybe three times a week. When you’re busy, one of the worst mistakes you can make is trying to stick to your regular routine. Before you know it, you’ve missed a day or two, and–because you figure by then that your momentum is blown–you quit. Instead, switch to our plan. All we’re asking is two days out of your week. Choose any two days to work out–as long as they’re not back-to-back (you’ll need at least a day to recover between sessions).

Pick one weight and stick with it. You’ll be doing what’s called a “barbell complex”–a method used by Eastern European weightlifters to increase their work capacity and strip their bodies of excess fat. It combines the benefits of lifting and cardio, and it works like a circuit. You’ll do five barbell exercises, performing one after the other with no rest in between, using the same weight for all. That’s right–grab one barbell, load it up, and use it for the entire workout. Not only will it be enough to work you like a dog, it will keep you from having to compete for equipment or space. Also remember that the goal here isn’t superheavy lifting–it’s survival. You must choose a weight that lets you keep up the pace and complete all the repetitions for each exercise (see “Pound It Out” at right). Don’t worry if it seems like you’re not “bombing” each muscle group–these exercises work a lot of muscle at once, and the speed with which you’ll have to transition between them will give you plenty of stimulation to stay strong and get you lean. As a result, your whole workout will last, at most, 10 to 12 minutes.

pound it out

See how much you’ll be lifting with a “light” barbell

Picking the right weight is crucial, so err on the lighter side by choosing the greatest load you know you can handle on your weakest exercise. For example, in Workout A, you may not be familiar with the muscle clean. In that case, be conservative and slide 25 pounds on both sides of the barbell. That will still be enough weight to make the other exercises difficult–just wait till you get to the fourth set.

Since you’ll be performing six reps of five exercises, your training volume for just one complex will be 30 total reps. With 25 pounds on each side of an Olympic barbell, the total weight will be 95 pounds. Multiply 95 pounds by the 30 reps–you will have lifted a total of 2,850 pounds with every muscle in your body in about one minute of work. Repeat this three or four times, and you’ll be calling Santa’s sleigh to take you home.

But if for some reason you still have a little fight left in you afterward, you’re more than welcome to do 20 minutes of easy cardio on the machine of your choice. For an even greater challenge, you can do five additional complexes. Do five reps for each exercise on the first, four reps on the second, three on the third, and so on down.

With the summer season approaching and the start of high temperatures, and sunny days, many Soldiers, civilians and their families will engage in outdoor activities. In preparation for these activities, keep in mind safety first by following some of these basic safety tips.

Keep barbecue grills far away from anything that can burn–your homes, cars, dry vegetation. Barbecue grills must never be used inside the home. In addition to being a fire hazard, a barbecue grill can easily cause carbon monoxide poisoning. For charcoal grills, only use starter fluids designed for charcoal grills–never use gasoline. For gas grills, always store the gas cylinder outside and turn off the valve when not in use.

Water sports such as boating, swimming and jet skiing are a great way to cool off. A personal flotation device is the best defense against drowning. Make sure to use them when boating and jet skiing. Swim in authorized areas and use the buddy system. Always be alert to your surroundings.

The safest way to enjoy fireworks is to attend an outdoor display put on by professionals. Fireworks are designed to burn and explode, and injuries caused by fireworks can result in burns, lacerations, amputations and blindness. Even sparklers burn as hot as 1200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Don’t drive while drunk or after consuming two or more drinks in one hour–in fact, Don’t Drink and Drive! Identify a designated driver. The designated driver is the hero–the one who can stop the unnecessary deaths on our highways. Don’t forget to BUCKLE UP!

Seasonal shifts and holidays provide timely reasons to celebrate change and cultures. Integrating art into celebrations serves many purposes, including festive decorating, gift giving, multicultural awareness, and teaching about others’ beliefs, traditions, and festivities. Find the step-by-step instructions for these lessons at www.crayola.com/colorfullearning

Black Bat Silhouette

Baffled about bats? Turn interest in Halloween and natural curiosity about spooky creatures into a timely science lesson. Students research the habitats, habits, shapes, colors, and sizes of bats then represent their scientific findings in a watercolor scene.

Each fall Muslims celebrate the holy month of Ramadan and the festival Eid al-Fir. Students research the date palm, its botanical characteristics, and its role in desert life and Islamic beliefs. Students gain an understanding of the Muslim holiday and visually represent their findings in a scene depicting a Ramadan closing feast.

Diwali Light

Craft a pretend light to mark the end of the Hindu year, and you’ll be ready to learn about Diwali, the festival of lights. Diwali is the one of the most widely celebrated holidays in the world, being the most holy day for Hindus. Diwali celebrations focus on the triumph of good over evil and begin by lighting a lamp called a Diwa.

Bountiful Harvest Wallhanging

There is much to be thankful for during the autumn harvest season. Students identify what they are personally thankful for and create colorful horns of plenty.

Scandianavian Christmas Crown

Christmas is celebrated in many similar and different ways across the globe. Students compare and contrast Christmas traditions. Create simulated Scandinavian Christmas Crowns.

Chanukah Star Garland

There are eight days of Chanukah, the Jewish festival of lights. This celebration commemorates the ancient miracle when a small amount of oil lit a lamp for eight days, enabling the restoration of the ancient Temple thousands of years ago. Students create brightly colored garlands that boast eight glimmering stars.

Boxing Pay Cottage

Boxing Day extends the Christmas giving tradition and is celebrated in England, Canada and Australia. It’s a time for giving gifts to those who help, including postal workers, messengers, and housekeepers. Students research the traditions of Boxing Day and create dioramas that demonstrate the generosity theme of this holiday.

Folded Paper Kwanzaa Kinara

Celebrate Kwanzaa traditions and learn about this African-American holiday. Explore the Nguzo Saba, the seven principles, while making this replica Kinara, a candleholder for the Mishumaa Saba (seven candles). Define and discuss the seven principles of Kwanzaa: umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work & responsibility), ujamaa (cooperative economics), nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity), and imani (faith).

Celebration Party Hats

Speaking Up For What’s Right

Children enjoy creating personalized party hats that can liven up any festivity. Welcome the New Year, celebrate Mardi Gras, honor each child’s birthday, and make every occasion special by combining new Crayola (R) Gel FX markers with kids’ creativity.

Celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. by having students research this leade1 and create dioramas that pay tribute to his historic role in the civil rights movement.

Chinese New Year Dragon Parade

Children research Chinese New Year and create dragon puppets to use in a traditional puppet parade.

Special Delivery Valentine Box

Valentine’s Day is a time for children to communicate thoughts of caring and kindness to each other. Create mailboxes and have every child create a special message for each classmate.

Freedom Train

Black History Month is a great time for students to learn about the Underground Railroad and commemorate its leaders, such as Harriet Tubman. Students construct freedom homes from recycled materials and document the role of this trail to freedom with written journal entries.

Fancy Foil Easter Card

Students research the Christian holiday of Easter and the symbolism of eggs in the celebration of Easter and the rebirth of spring. Students learn about egg decorating in various cultures around the world. Students create an egg-shaped greeting card with cutouts over aluminum foil.

Passover Matzah Cover

Children research the meaning of the Jewish holiday Passover and the symbols used in this holiday’s rituals. Students design matzah covers, using Crayola (R) Fabric Crayons. The matzah cover is used during Seder, the ceremonial dinner which begins rue holy week when Jewish people avoid eating bread. Matzah symbolizes the unleavened bread their ancestors had to bake in haste as they fled from slavery to freedom.

Carp Streamer

Children research ways in which Children’s Day (Kodomonohi) is celebrate in Japan in early May and how symbols are used to communicate different meanings in various cultures. Decorated carp streamers (koinobori) are used in Japan to symbolize personal strengths.

PITTSFIELD, MASS. — After 16 months in limbo, KB Toys has filed a plan to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy with the help of a New York City investment firm. But the plan has some analysts wondering how KB expects to survive in a retail world where toy sales are flat and larger chains rule.

Last month, the 648-store retailer said it would come out of bankruptcy before the holiday season without layoffs or more store closures, a plan that’s raised some skepticism. “I don’t see what benefit it serves for KB to come out of bankruptcy in this environment without making some major changes,” said George Whalin, of Retail Management Consultants. “The conditions haven’t changed since they entered bankruptcy and, if anything, they’ve gotten worse.”

The plan KB presented in federal bankruptcy court last month calls for Prentice Capital Management to give the retailer $20 million in cash and a $25 million credit facility in exchange for 90% of its common stock and all of its preferred stock. The cash and remaining 10% of common stock would be placed in a trust for KB’s creditors, which include toy giants Hasbro and Mattel.

That deal, however, is contingent on the outcome of an auction of KB’s stores and assets slated for July 11. The auction would invite competing bids and could scuttle the current agreement if someone presents KB and its creditors with a better offer.

In either situation, it seems likely that KB Toys ceo Michael Glazer will be replaced once the reorganization is complete. In a prepared statement issued May 17, Glazer said the retailer “looked forward to working with Prentice Capital as it continues to improve the company’s performance and solidify KB’s presence as the largest mall-based toy retailer.”

KB is still the largest mall-based toy retailer but much smaller than the 1,340-store chain that filed for bankruptcy in January 2004. Since then, it’s closed nearly 700 stores, a distribution center and sold its Internet business. In its bankruptcy filing, KB said its sales dropped 10% in 2003 due to price wars between Wal-Mart, Target and Toys “R” Us.

Since it filed for bankruptcy, KB hasn’t discussed its sales results and its few public announcements have been about plans to close more stores. Industry analyst Chris Byrne speculates the chain is still losing money and can’t see how it plans to turn things around.

“They have to find a better way of doing business because they’re never going to win competing head-to-head with Wal-Mart, Target and Toys “R” Us,” said Byrne. He said KB could set itself apart by returning to its roots as a deep discount chain. “They started out as a chain that sold last year’s toys at great prices and maybe they should go back to that.”

The governor’s proposal would ask law officers to pay a larger share of retirement costs, take unpaid time off and give up two paid holidays.

The governor’s budget does not call for reopening talks with unions that represent state workers, but calls for significant concessions in upcoming negotiations as contracts expire.

Among them, the proposal requires workers to pay half of their retirement costs, instead of one-fourth.