Throughout history mesmerizing women known as muses bewitched artists and inspired them to create works of great beauty. CNN spoke discount oakley to some of the world's most famous modern-day muses and artists to find out what it takes to ignite the spark of creativity. Hailed as the queen of burlesque, Dita Von Teese has topped best dressed lists all over the world and performed at exclusive events for high-end fashion brands. Her look, which references the golden age of Hollywood, has inspired designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier and Christian Louboutin. Apart from being a muse, the statuesque beauty also creates lingerie and fragrance of her own. Dita says: " It's really clear Oakley Sunglasses Wholesale to me that anyone who ever placed me in the position of a muse did so because they appreciated that I always stayed true to my own Oakley Sunglasses Discount Code personal style."Interviews by
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Can Syrias lost generation be saved - CNN.com
(CNN) -- In many ways, Musab Al-Jamal makes for an unassuming rebel.
His mission is seemingly innocuous. He merely wants to educate the swarms of college-aged Syrian refugees who have been forced to abandon their studies while fleeing Syria.
"The universities in Syria are basically like prisons for students," says Al-Jamal. "They capture or arrest anyone who opposes the regime. On the other hand, universities outside the country often don't accept Syrian students, or the students can't pay the fees or speak the local language."
To some, it may seem like access to higher education is hardly a priority for the that have fled Syria since the conflict started three years ago. To Al-Jamal and his fellow academics, however, it is a seminal component in one day rebuilding a broken country.
"If (the students who left their studies) come back to Syria ignorant and illiterate, they won't be able to help their country," he says.
A former law professor from Damascus University, Al-Jamal joined other faculty ousted from the ravaged country to start offering lectures to students in liberated regions inside Syria, and in neighboring countries.
In 2013, he set up the , an academic institution housed in an apartment building in Reyhanli, a Turkish town near the Syrian border. It offers 13 majors, including law, psychology and business.
The university is mainly funded by Al-Jamal himself, and a host of academic volunteers donating their time and expertise to the cause (Al-Jamal gives them a one-time payment of $1,500 when they sign up). Any student with the means contributes $280 per semester for their education.
"The amount is mainly symbolic," admits Al-Jamal. "It barely covers 10% of expenses."
It's difficult to discern how many Syrians have had to abandon their studies since the conflict started, though, according to Keith Watenpaugh, an associate professor at the , and the co-author of , the number likely exceeds 100,000.
"Our major concern is that the longer this conflict goes on, the more you're creating a lost generation of college students," he says.
'Studying is holy'
Today, Syria's universities -- like many of the country's social institutions -- are, essentially, collapsing. Watenpaugh estimates they're operating at 50% capacity, hampered by security issues, fleeing faculty, and broken-down infrastructure. Often, he notes, students have to cross battle lines just to attend classes.
Male students -- who were once exempt from military service -- are now pressured into it. For those reasons, there is little impetus for those inside the country to continue their schooling. It's a marked change from how education was treated in recent decades.
"I think something that is often lost on people who are only coming to think about Sryia post-conflict is how important education was as a place where different minorities and genders mixed. Syria was a place in which education could be accessed by anyone who received the requisite score on an exam," says Adrienne Fricke, a human rights consultant and co-author of Watenpaugh's study.
"There's long been a deep commitment to education, and it's not just window dressing. Historically providing educational access was considered one of the things the Ba'ath party did really well."
For those students forced to give up their schooling, their commitment to higher learning hasn't diminished, even if their opportunities to pursue it have. On a research trip to in Jordan last April, Watenpaugh recalls meeting a group of female engineering students who smuggled their computers out of oakley vault the country.
"We asked them how supportive their parents were, and Oakley Closeouts if they would let them go abroad to study. They all answered yes. One woman said, 'in our house, studying is holy.'"
Overcoming obstacles?
The challenges facing those who want to continue their education are fierce.
"They range from the prosaic, like not having a transcript, or maybe just having a photocopied one, to the substantive, like having to choose between tuition and taking care of family," says Watenpaugh.
Neighboring countries don't always make it easy. Jordan, for instance, is hostile to refugee institutions that risk becoming permanent. In Turkey, there's the added barrier of language.
On top of everything else, space is limited, both at foreign universities, and at the Free Syrian University, which can accommodate little more than 800 students -- a fact that keeps Al-Jamal awake at night.
"I regret that I'm not able to accept the whole Syrian student body, but we don't have the capabilities. We could only do that if we had more funding," he says.
Furthermore, the refugee population, of both students and faculty, is disparate, with many still stuck in Syria. To remedy this, Al-Jamal offers lessons via Skype, Facebook and email.
Interestingly, many of Syria's fragmented student population seem to have a singular focus, according to Fricke: returning home one day.
She says this is evidenced by the fact that courses Best Oakley Sunglasses For Men at the Free Syrian University are taught in Arabic, not Turkish. She also cites the fact that several thousand Syrian refugees in opposition-held areas of Syria and in neighboring countries rallied to take the high school exit exams based on the revised 2011 Syrian curriculum.
According to Fricke, several hundred students chose to take the exit exams recognized by the Syrian opposition government in exile in Libya.
"The primary reason to sit for Syrian exams outside of Syria is because you think you can go back and use them there, especially when it is not clear who outside of Syria will recognize the results," says Fricke.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Best Easter egg hunts around the world - CNN.com
(CNN) -- Searching living rooms and closets for your eggs may be fun the first six times, but if the novelty's wearing thinner than a chocolate egg's foil wrapping, there are more adventurous egg trails out there.
Imperial Easter Nest Hunt (Sch?nbrunn Palace, Vienna)
For a traditional hunt, Austria's beautiful Sch?nbrunn Palace serves as the backdrop for the annual Easter market.
The highlight is an Easter egg hunt, but there are also workshops in marzipan sculpting and flower arranging.
Kids over 20 might enjoy the craft stalls and live jazz.
The Old Vienna Easter market, a short walk away, is equally worth a visit -- if only to see the enormous mountain of 40,000 painted Easter eggs.
; Oakley Closeouts Sch?nbrunn Palace; April 19; 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Capella D.C. Easter Egg Hunt (Washington, D.C.)
This city-wide Easter egg hunt is organized by the Capella Washington, D.C. hotel.
From April 17 to 20, the hotel will post pictures of golden eggs hidden around the city on its , and feeds.
Once intrepid egg hunters have tracked down their golden prey and taken a photo of themselves in situ, they can call a number on the ticket inside the egg and find out what they've won.
Prizes include round-trip tickets from Washington, D.C. to Istanbul with Turkish Airlines and overnight stays at Capella hotels.
, Washington, D.C.; April 17-20
Magical Egg Hunt on Table Mountain (Cape Town, South Africa)
The Easter Bunny, Easter Fairy and Mad Hatter lead the way on this high altitude egg hunt on top of Cape Town's Table Mountain at Top Station.
Egg hunters are provided with clue cards and at Mad Hatter's Tea Party the characters will reveal further clues to help visitors track down the hidden treasure.
The goal is to find the Easter Bunny, hiding somewhere on Table Mountain with an enormous chest filled with chocolate eggs.
; April 20, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; return cableway ticket from $19.50 per adult, $10 per child (4-17)
The Great Egg Hunt at Vaucluse House (Sydney)
Chocolate and hot weather are a recipe for disaster, but this Victorian-themed Easter egg hunt isn't all about the sweet stuff.
Participants start by designing their own Easter basket to use during the hunt.
Eggs are dotted around the beautiful grounds of this historic house, one of Sydney's last remaining 19th-century mansions.
, Wentworth Road, Vaucluse; April 20; 11 a.m.-noon, 1-2 p.m.; $14 per child
Easter Egg-stravaganza, Centreville Amusement Park and Far Enough Farm (Toronto)
Toronto's biggest Easter egg hunt takes place at this popular theme park and farm.
There's an Easter egg hunt and an Easter egg scramble.
Eggs are hidden in the strangest places, from the wheels of a tractor to the theme park's fire station.
The Easter bunny will join forces with the park's Beasley Bear to offer guidance to egg hunters, and there'll also be face painting sessions and Easter basket workshops.
, Centreville Amusement Park and Far Enough Farm; April 18-20; 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; $14 per person with promo code "eggs2014"
Great Egg Safari, Zoo Miami (Miami)
It's not just the Homo sapiens who get to experience some Easter-themed fun at Miami zoo -- the Oakley Sunglasses Wholesale animals get their own Easter eggs too.
The zoo has been holding the annual Easter egg hunt -- or safari in this case -- for several years.
Hunts take place throughout the weekend, but there's also face-painting sessions and chances to meet the zoo's own Easter Bunny.
, Zoo Miami, 1 Zoo Blvd., 12400 S.W. 152 St.; April 19-20; 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; from $15.95 per adult (13+), $11.95 per child
Bad Eggs Easter Egg Hunt, the London Dungeon (London)
Fed up with cute bunnies and sickly sweet chocolate?
London Dungeon employs an "Egg-cecutioner" to provide clues to the locations of hidden "bad eggs," which reflect the area in which they're hidden.
The egg concealed in the plague room might be covered in leeches; you might spot a fuse sticking out of the egg hidden in the area dedicated to Guy Fawkes.
All participants get an Easter-themed sweet treat and a chance to win theme park passes.
, London Dungeon, Westminster Bridge Road; April 5 -21, Cheap Fake Oakley Sunglasses Outlet from ?17.50 ($30) per adult over 16 years, ?15.95 ($27) per child
The Easter Egg Hunt (Provins, France)
This French Easter egg hunt takes place in the historic town of Provins, in the shadow of its spectacular castle.
About 7,500 chocolate eggs are hidden throughout the town.
Participants must answer a series of historical riddles to find the chocolate eggs, which are then doled out by locals in medieval dress.
, Provins Tourist office, Chemin de Villecran; April 20-21; 2-5 p.m.
Easter Egg Hunt, The Roof Gardens (London)
Participants get unbeatable views over the UK's capital as they explore one of its largest rooftop gardens.
While the gardens' Easter Bunny keeps an eye on the kids, parents can enjoy the Easter Chocolate Trio Cocktail, specially created for the occasion.
, The Roof Gardens, 99 Kensington High St., London; April 20-21; 10 a.m.-noon
The Big Egg Hunt NYC presented by Faberg�� (New York)
Sadly, participants in this glamorous event don't get to take the eggs home.
More than 200 egg sculptures dotted around New York's five boroughs have been designed by famous artists and designers, including Tommy Hilfiger and Caroline Herrera.
Participants must first download The Big Egg Hunt NYC app, which provides clues related to locations of the spectacular, super-sized eggs.
Codes displayed on eggs are used to enter a drawing for the chance to win one of three $48,000 Faberg�� pendants.
And, no, we don't know how much that would sell for on eBay.
; until April 25
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Million-dollar safari -- would you pay up - CNN.com
(CNN) -- How stressed out do you need to be to spend $1 million on a 111-day holiday?
Rhetorical questions come and go, but the latest super-luxe vacation is here to stay, as long as its "attractions" remain -- species close to extinction.
"That money serves to assist the endangered species that potential clients would see," says Will Bolsover, managing director at UK-based Natural World Safaris, which is offering what it's calling a "Journey to Nature's Edge."
Prospective safari-goers (so far no one has booked) will get to gawk at 18 endangered species in 12 countries over 111 days, all from the Hermès-catered splendor of luxury lodgings.
Guests will fly to each destination in first class, meet local conservation experts and have fiddly things like park entrance fees, transport and excursions arranged and paid for.
The $1 million price tag covers two people and Bolsover himself, who'll accompany guests "to ensure everything runs smoothly."
He says his own costs are greatly reduced by partners in the locales.
Ten percent of the fee goes to the conservation projects involved and conservation administration .
"We want to highlight the plight of endangered species on our planet and bring this to the attention of individuals at the same time as them truly experiencing the natural world and the conservation efforts that are ongoing to protect it," Bolsover says.
Super-luxe holiday trend
It's not the most expensive vacation to have been conceived recently.
A $1.5 million was created, and reportedly booked, last year.
Just a few weeks ago a company launched its "Lovers Deep" concept -- converting .
A week on that, at nearly $290,000 per night, would cost more than $2 million.
But at an average of $83,333 per destination -- an example of which is a five-day stay to see mountain gorillas in Rwanda -- this Journey to Nature's Edge falls into the just-think-what-else-you-could-do-with-that-kind-of-money category.
"The $1 million price tag does grab people's attention, however this was the cost when we finalized pulling the trip details together," says Bolsover.
He adds that, despite the high-end price, guests may not be pampered every moment.
"People are prepared to pay a premium to get out and experience something entirely different and this may be staying at the most luxurious property in Botswana seeing some breathtaking game.
"Equally it could be staying at a very basic camp in Hemis National Park in India at minus 30 degrees Celsius with no shower facilities in the hope of catching a glimpse of the elusive snow leopard!"
Those interested in booking, or just window shopping, can do so at the .
Would you pay $1 million for a chance to see these endangered species? Let us know below.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Inside the world of rare mountain gorillas - CNN.com
Editor's note: Every week, takes its viewers on a journey across Africa, exploring the true diversity and depth of different cultures, countries and regions. This week, explores Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda (CNN) -- The forest was in charge. I knew it the moment I gazed at its dense green overcoat, searching for cracks of daylight in its chaotic folds. Inspiring in the morning kiss of gentle light rays; sulky under a black afternoon cloud; serene in the falling dusk, as the haze of twilight accentuated its mystery.
I was in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, part of a guided trek to see some of its 300 endangered mountain gorillas. The moment I stepped in I surrendered. It was humid and dark and the dense, feisty foliage that enveloped me was dismissive at times, taunting at others.
All the trekkers were handed a tall narrow stick to help navigate through the slippery slopes. The moist leaves scattered on the soil demanded balance, stinging nettles and hiding holes urged utmost caution, centuries-old greenery wrapped its arms around me, challenging me to hack through the twisted vines and untested trails.
It tripped me over again, slipping, sliding. I grit my teeth knowing the forest was forcing me to want the prize it hid in its shape-shifting bosom. The target: a group of eight gorillas, one silverback and his eight babes.
Three sweltering hours that drew blood and inflicted bruises, yet I pushed on, realizing the Oakley Sunglass Outlet forest would not give me something for nothing. One Olympic obstacle course after the other, crisp slices of machetes hacked the twines, daring the forest to dissuade us.
Three hours of grueling walking scattered with hard landings. No matter how contorted I became, the forest kept a piece of itself handy to cling on to, a mini consolation prize hinting Cheap oakley sunglasses womens that it was, after all, on my side. I could almost hear its heaving chuckles as I disentangled myself from ropes of thorns.
"Keep going," the rangers called out as I felt the sweat dribble down my back. No matter how much I wanted out, I had to push on, because there was Oakley Closeouts no way out without rangers slicing pathways through the wild bush. I received a painful sting from a large black creature with loud wings; I ignored it and walked on with my muddy water-logged shoes, and the threat of rain.
"We're here," the lead ranger whispered, stopping dead still and turning up the drama, punctuated by a light breeze that picked up along with a list of rules of gorilla engagement, which we absorbed.
"Stay seven meters away."
"If you want to cough or sneeze, turn away, you could infect them with your germs."
"One hour only."
It was a rare 60 minutes, the shortest, the most fascinating. I lifted my eyes and there she was, a giant gorilla clinging onto a tree trunk, sucking the bark out of an apparently delicious eucalyptus tree, getting tipsy; sitting in shade, munching shoots and leaves, and then nonchalantly striding by. I observed their powerful arms, elegant posture, and the occasional eye contact made me feel connected.
They are intimidating and gentle, protective and patient, flirtatious and fearsome, at the same time. Protected by a hardcore ring of black backs, a mother nursed a three-week-old gorilla. It was a rare and moving sight. She hid her offspring under her belly, "protection from vultures," we were told.
Immersed in their world, listening to their language, the beat of their group, the simple raw reality of their lives and tribe, I forgot my complex world.
Friday, April 18, 2014
10 – April – 2014 – CNN Belief Blog - CNN.com Blogs
By?Daniel Burke, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor
(CNN) –?A team of scientists has concluded that a controversial scrap Discount cheap oakley of papyrus that purportedly quotes Jesus referring to "my wife," is not a fake, according to the .
"A wide cheap oakleys range of scientific testing indicates that a papyrus fragment containing the words, 'Jesus said to them, my wife' is an ancient document, dating between the sixth to ninth centuries CE," Harvard Divinity School?.
Scientists tested the papyrus and the carbon ink, and analyzed the handwriting and grammar, according to Harvard.
Radiocarbon tests conducted at Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology produced an origination date for the papyrus of 659-859 CE, according to Harvard. MIT also studied the chemical composition of the papyrus and patterns of oxidation.
Other Oakley Sunglasses Online Store scholars studied the carbon character of the ink and found that it matched samples of papyri from the first to eight century CE, according to Harvard.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Oleg Luzhny World needs to support Ukraine in Russia conflict - CNN.com
(CNN) -- Amid the rumblings of war between Russia and Ukraine, just how do you go about your everyday life?
With foreboding and fear, according to former Ukraine football international Oleg Luzhny.
"Everyone is scared about war -- they are very nervous," Luzhny, who enjoyed a successful spell in the English Premier League with Arsenal, told CNN.
More than once during our interview, Luzhny seemed desperate to deliver this message: "It is important the whole world supports us."
He was speaking from his mother's home in Kiev, Ukraine, on Monday, after flying there from London, where he lives with his wife and children.
He wanted to visit following the events of the past few weeks.
Luzhny, who was born in in the western city of Lviv, last held a managerial job with Tavriya Simferopol -- a club based in Crimea, an autonomous region of eastern Ukraine with strong loyalty to Russia.
"Here in Kiev, it's OK but in Crimea and places like Donetsk and elsewhere, people are worried. Where there discount oakley sunglasses is a large population of Russians, they are scared," he said.
"Everyone is scared about war. They are very nervous. It's scary for the children, for the adults, for everyone.
"I hope the world can see what is going on and will speak out."
What he has witnessed on his television screen, and heard while speaking to his friends, has ignited a passion for his country's right to self-determination.
Ukraine has been in chaos since President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted on February 22 following bloody street protests which left many dead and hundreds injured.
A deepening split within Ukraine society has seen those in the western part of the country supporting the interim government and ties with the European Union, while those in the east advocate a Russian presence in Ukraine.
Crimea, where Russia has sent more troops, remains firmly opposed to the new political leadership in Kiev.
Ukraine suspects Russia of fomenting tension in the autonomous region and Oakley Sunglasses fears it might escalate into a bid for separation by its Russian majority population.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the country's interim prime minister, accused Moscow of declaring war and insisted his West-leaning government would not give up the Crimean region.
But as words are traded by politicians around tables and via television screens, among the people, trepidation over Ukraine's future only grows.
"Russia is aggressive against many countries not just Ukraine," said Luzhny, who admitted he did not understand Russian President Vladimir Putin's tactics.
"They went into Georgia in 2008 and now they have gone into Ukraine," added Luzhny, referring to the five-day conflict between Georgia and Russia.
"I don't understand what he is doing or what he wants to Oakley Closeouts gain from doing this.
"Nobody understands why he is doing this, for what?
"He says that it's to defend Russian people, but the Russian people in Ukraine that I know are saying, 'We are OK' -- they don't need any help."
Moscow has defended its parliament's approval to use military force to protect its citizens in the Crimean Peninsula.
In the U.S., a senior White House official told CNN on Sunday that Russian forces "have complete operational control of the Crimean Peninsula." The official said the U.S. estimates there are 6,000 Russian ground and naval forces in the region.
"There is no question that they are in an occupation position -- flying in reinforcements and settling in," another senior administration official said.
The move by Russia has been met with fear and anger in Ukraine while it has also been condemned by world leaders.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged the Russian Federation to "refrain from any acts and rhetoric that can further escalate the situation and instead engage constructively and through peaceful means with Ukraine."
Luzhny, who was part of the famous Dynamo Kiev team of the 1990s which included Andrei Shevchenko and Sergei Rebrov, says he enjoyed his time working in Crimea before leaving in June last year.
He still has friends in the region and while they are all OK, he says that the rise in tensions within Ukraine is unimaginable.
"When I was growing up I never thought this would happen. Nobody would have thought this situation would happen," he said.
"Everybody is surprised because nobody thought for a second that Putin would go into Ukraine.
"Everyone is shocked. Ask anybody if they expected this to happen and they would have said you were crazy and that it would be impossible."
In Kiev, Luzhny says life is returning to normal following the protests which raged for several days.
He is at a loss to understand the decision to move Ukraine's international friendly game with the United States to Cyprus on March 5.
It was originally scheduled for the eastern city of Kharkiv, but Luzhny believes it could still have been played on home soil -- even though the domestic championship has been suspended.
"There is no more trouble in Kiev, it is absolutely fine," he said.
That cannot be said for Crimea and Donetsk, where tension continues to rise as the world waits to see how this situation plays out.
"I don't know what is going to happen next," said Luzhny.
"I think we will see something happen in the next few days because the whole world is watching Putin.
"It is so important that the world sees what is going on.
"We need their support," adds Luzhny in one last plaintive refrain.
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