Copyright © 2015 Bert N. Langford (Images may be subject to copyright. Please send feedback)
Welcome to Our Generation USA!
Entertainment (in General)
Herein, you will find a variety of topics covered under this Web Page, which comprises any form of entertainment except for those Genre covered separately for the Media, Music, Sports, TV, Movies & Stage, Technology, the Internet, Festivals, and the Paranormal.
Art Museums
YouTube Video of the Guggenheim Museum Exhibit "ZERO: Countdown to Tomorrow, 1950s–60s"
Pictured: LEFT: The Guggenheim Museum, New York City; RIGHT: J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
An art museum or art gallery is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art. Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection.
Paintings are the most commonly displayed art objects; however, sculptures, decorative arts, furniture, textiles, costumes, drawings, pastels, watercolors, collages, prints, artist's books, photographs, and installation art are also regularly shown. Although primarily concerned with providing a space to show works of visual art, art galleries are sometimes used to host other artistic activities, such as performance arts, music concerts, or poetry readings.
Click here for a List of Art Museums around the World, presented alphabetically by country
Paintings are the most commonly displayed art objects; however, sculptures, decorative arts, furniture, textiles, costumes, drawings, pastels, watercolors, collages, prints, artist's books, photographs, and installation art are also regularly shown. Although primarily concerned with providing a space to show works of visual art, art galleries are sometimes used to host other artistic activities, such as performance arts, music concerts, or poetry readings.
Click here for a List of Art Museums around the World, presented alphabetically by country
Auto Museums in the United States
YouTube Video of the Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles
Pictured: Petersen Automotive Museum, LA & Indianapolis Speedway Hall of Fame
An Automobile museum is a museum that explores the history of automotive related transportation. The above link provides a listing of Automotive Museums presented alphabetically by Country then by Museum.
Ballet
YouTube Video of Mikhail Baryshnikov Performing Live
Pictured: Margot Fonteyn and Mikhail Baryshnikov.
Ballet is a type of performance dance that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia.
It has since become a widespread, highly technical form of dance with its own vocabulary based on French terminology. It has been globally influential and has defined the foundational techniques used in many other dance genres. Becoming a ballet dancer requires years of training.
Ballet has been taught in various schools around the world, which have historically incorporated their own cultures to evolve the art.
Ballet may also refer to a ballet dance work, which consists of the choreography and music for a ballet production. A well-known example of this is The Nutcracker, a two-act ballet that was originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a music score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Ballets are choreographed and performed by trained artists. Traditional classical ballets usually are performed with classical music accompaniment and use elaborate costumes and staging, whereas modern ballets, such as the neoclassical works of American choreographer George Balanchine, often are performed in simple costumes (e.g., leotards and tights) and without the use of elaborate sets or scenery.
It has since become a widespread, highly technical form of dance with its own vocabulary based on French terminology. It has been globally influential and has defined the foundational techniques used in many other dance genres. Becoming a ballet dancer requires years of training.
Ballet has been taught in various schools around the world, which have historically incorporated their own cultures to evolve the art.
Ballet may also refer to a ballet dance work, which consists of the choreography and music for a ballet production. A well-known example of this is The Nutcracker, a two-act ballet that was originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a music score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Ballets are choreographed and performed by trained artists. Traditional classical ballets usually are performed with classical music accompaniment and use elaborate costumes and staging, whereas modern ballets, such as the neoclassical works of American choreographer George Balanchine, often are performed in simple costumes (e.g., leotards and tights) and without the use of elaborate sets or scenery.
YouTube Video of Top 20 Funniest Super Bowl Commercials of All Time (Best Funny Superbowl Ads Ever Made 2018)
Pictured: Two Commercials Found on YouTube
Click on the blue hyperlink above for a YouTube Video of the Funniest Commercials of all time.
"Best places to Live and Work in the U.S. at Any Age" as reported by Sunset Magazine.
YouTube Video of Snowboarding the North Bowl at Bridger Bowl Ski Resort in Bozeman Montana
Pictured: San Francisco, CA and Bozeman, MT
Whether you are looking to start your career, put down roots, or relax, we have the a spot for you. Find your best place to live at any age.
To compile our list of the West’s best places to live and work (6 winners and 18 runners-up), Sunset editors hit the road (and the phone) to talk to the real authorities who know these places best: the people who live there. Once we found our semifinalists, we asked Sunset readers to vote on their favorites—and got more than 19,000 responses. One of these places is just right for you.
To compile our list of the West’s best places to live and work (6 winners and 18 runners-up), Sunset editors hit the road (and the phone) to talk to the real authorities who know these places best: the people who live there. Once we found our semifinalists, we asked Sunset readers to vote on their favorites—and got more than 19,000 responses. One of these places is just right for you.
The 10 Funniest Web Sites on the Internet
By Mark Sullivan, PCWorld Sep 16, 2007 10:00 PM
YouTube Video: Ellen's Funny Websites- World Wide Whaaaat?
Pictured: The Institute of Official Cheer
Along with sex and shopping, comedy is one of the biggest drivers of traffic on the Web. Especially now that a lot of regular people know how to post their homemade video and audio to the Web (along with clips from TV or radio), there's an awful lot of funny stuff online.
After months of exhaustive research, including lie-detector tests performed on laboratory rats, we've gathered a list of the funniest sites on the Web. Visit these sites and try not to laugh. Also, you'll notice we've left off sites like Comedy Central and College Humor, which are funny but a little overexposed.
After months of exhaustive research, including lie-detector tests performed on laboratory rats, we've gathered a list of the funniest sites on the Web. Visit these sites and try not to laugh. Also, you'll notice we've left off sites like Comedy Central and College Humor, which are funny but a little overexposed.
Break Dancing
YouTube Video of Breakdancing Competition
Pictured: Forms of Break-dancing.
B-boying or breaking, also called breakdancing, is a style of street dance that originated primarily among Puerto Rican and African American youth, many former members of the Black Spades, the Young Spades, and the Baby Spades, during the mid 1970s.
The dance spread worldwide due to popularity in the media, especially in regions such as Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United Kingdom. While diverse in the amount of variation available in the dance, b-boying consists of four kinds of movement: toprock, downrock, power moves, and freezes.
B-boying is typically danced to hip-hop, funk music, and especially breakbeats, although modern trends allow for much wider varieties of music along certain ranges of tempo and beat patterns.
A practitioner of this dance is called a b-boy, b-girl, or breaker. Although the term "breakdance" is frequently used to refer to the dance in popular culture and in the mainstream entertainment industry, "b-boying" and "breaking" are the original terms. These terms are preferred by the majority of the pioneers and most notable practitioners.
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The dance spread worldwide due to popularity in the media, especially in regions such as Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United Kingdom. While diverse in the amount of variation available in the dance, b-boying consists of four kinds of movement: toprock, downrock, power moves, and freezes.
B-boying is typically danced to hip-hop, funk music, and especially breakbeats, although modern trends allow for much wider varieties of music along certain ranges of tempo and beat patterns.
A practitioner of this dance is called a b-boy, b-girl, or breaker. Although the term "breakdance" is frequently used to refer to the dance in popular culture and in the mainstream entertainment industry, "b-boying" and "breaking" are the original terms. These terms are preferred by the majority of the pioneers and most notable practitioners.
Click Here for further amplification.
Circus including a List of Circuses
YouTube Video of Sneak Peek at LUZIA by Cirque du Soleil
Pictured: Cirque du Soleil Performers
A circus is a company of performers that may include:
The term 'circus' also describes the performance which has followed various formats through its 250-year modern history. Philip Astley is credited with being the 'father' of the modern circus when he opened the first circus in 1768 in England. Early circuses were almost exclusively demonstrations of equestrian skills with a few other types of acts to link the horsemanship performances.
Performances developed significantly through the next fifty years, with large scale theatrical battle reenactments becoming a significant feature. The 'traditional' format, whereby a ringmaster introduces a varied selection of acts that mostly perform choreographed acts to traditional music, developed in the latter part of 19th century and continued almost universally to be the main style of circus up until the 1970s.
As styles of performance have changed since the time of Astley, so too have the types of venues where these circuses have performed. The earliest modern circuses were performed in open air structures with limited covered seating. From the late 18th to late 19th century bespoke circus buildings (often wooden) were built with various types of seating, a centre ring and sometimes a stage.
The 'traditional' large tents, commonly known as 'Big Tops' were introduced in the mid 19th century as touring circuses superseded static venues. These tents eventually became the most common venue and remain so to the present day. Contemporary circuses perform in a variety of venues including tents, theaters and casinos. Many circus performances are still held in a ring usually 13 m (42 ft) in diameter. This dimension was adopted by Philip Astley in the late 18th century as the minimum diameter that enabled an acrobatic horse rider to stand upright on a cantering horse to perform their tricks.
Contemporary circus has been credited with reviving the circus tradition since the 1980s when a number of groups introduced circus based almost solely on human skills and which drew from other performing art skills and styles.
- clowns,
- acrobats,
- trained animals,
- trapeze acts,
- musicians, hoopers,
- tightrope walkers,
- jugglers,
- unicyclists,
- as well as other object manipulation and stunt-oriented artists.
The term 'circus' also describes the performance which has followed various formats through its 250-year modern history. Philip Astley is credited with being the 'father' of the modern circus when he opened the first circus in 1768 in England. Early circuses were almost exclusively demonstrations of equestrian skills with a few other types of acts to link the horsemanship performances.
Performances developed significantly through the next fifty years, with large scale theatrical battle reenactments becoming a significant feature. The 'traditional' format, whereby a ringmaster introduces a varied selection of acts that mostly perform choreographed acts to traditional music, developed in the latter part of 19th century and continued almost universally to be the main style of circus up until the 1970s.
As styles of performance have changed since the time of Astley, so too have the types of venues where these circuses have performed. The earliest modern circuses were performed in open air structures with limited covered seating. From the late 18th to late 19th century bespoke circus buildings (often wooden) were built with various types of seating, a centre ring and sometimes a stage.
The 'traditional' large tents, commonly known as 'Big Tops' were introduced in the mid 19th century as touring circuses superseded static venues. These tents eventually became the most common venue and remain so to the present day. Contemporary circuses perform in a variety of venues including tents, theaters and casinos. Many circus performances are still held in a ring usually 13 m (42 ft) in diameter. This dimension was adopted by Philip Astley in the late 18th century as the minimum diameter that enabled an acrobatic horse rider to stand upright on a cantering horse to perform their tricks.
Contemporary circus has been credited with reviving the circus tradition since the 1980s when a number of groups introduced circus based almost solely on human skills and which drew from other performing art skills and styles.
Card Games
YouTube Video of Poker Game Texas Holdem Las Vegas Casino Video of Dealer dealing Cards to Players round a Card Table
Pictured: Playing Poker & Pinochle
A card game is any game using playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, be they traditional or game-specific. Countless card games exist, including families of related games (such as poker). A small number of card games played with traditional decks have formally standardized rules, but most are folk games whose rules vary by region, culture, and person.
Many games that are not generally placed in the family of card games do in fact use cards for some aspect of their gameplay. Similarly, some games that are placed in the card game genre involve a board. The distinction is that the gameplay of a card game primarily depends on the use of the cards by players (the board is simply a guide for scorekeeping or for card placement), while board games (the principal non-card game genre to use cards) generally focus on the players' positions on the board, and use the cards for some secondary purpose.
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Many games that are not generally placed in the family of card games do in fact use cards for some aspect of their gameplay. Similarly, some games that are placed in the card game genre involve a board. The distinction is that the gameplay of a card game primarily depends on the use of the cards by players (the board is simply a guide for scorekeeping or for card placement), while board games (the principal non-card game genre to use cards) generally focus on the players' positions on the board, and use the cards for some secondary purpose.
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Collecting and Selling Trade Cards
YouTube Video of Mickey Mantle 1967 - 500th Home Run as aired on WPIX-TV, 5/14/1967
Pictured: Trading Cards for Mickey Mantle & Jerry Rice
A trading card (or collectible card) is a small card, usually made out of paperboard or thick paper, which usually contains an image of a certain person, place or thing (fictional or real) and a short description of the picture, along with other text (attacks, statistics, or trivia).
There is a wide variation of different types of cards. Modern cards even go as far as to include swatches of game worn memorabilia, autographs, and even DNA hair samples of their subjects.
Trading cards are traditionally associated with sports; baseball cards are especially well-known.
Cards dealing with other subjects like Pokémon are often considered a separate category from sports cards, known as non-sports trading cards. These often feature cartoons, comic book characters, television series and film stills.
In the 1990s, cards designed specifically for playing games became popular enough to develop into a distinct category, collectible card games. These tend to use either fantasy subjects or sports as the basis for game play.
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There is a wide variation of different types of cards. Modern cards even go as far as to include swatches of game worn memorabilia, autographs, and even DNA hair samples of their subjects.
Trading cards are traditionally associated with sports; baseball cards are especially well-known.
Cards dealing with other subjects like Pokémon are often considered a separate category from sports cards, known as non-sports trading cards. These often feature cartoons, comic book characters, television series and film stills.
In the 1990s, cards designed specifically for playing games became popular enough to develop into a distinct category, collectible card games. These tend to use either fantasy subjects or sports as the basis for game play.
Click here for further amplification.
Cruise Lines
YouTube Video: Largest cruise ship in the world to set sail in 2018 from Miami
Pictured: Norwegian Cruise Ship & P&O Cruises
A cruise line is a company that operates cruise ships and markets cruises to the public. Cruise lines are distinct from passenger lines which are primarily concerned with transportation of their passengers.
Cruise lines have a dual character: they are partly in the transportation business, and partly in the leisure entertainment business; a duality that carries down into the ships themselves, which have both a crew headed by the ship's captain, and a hospitality staff headed by the equivalent of a hotel manager.
Among cruise lines, some are direct descendants of the traditional passenger lines, while others were founded from the 1960s on specifically for cruising. The business has been extremely volatile; the ships are massive capital expenditures with very high operating costs, and a slight dip in bookings can easily put a company out of business. Cruise lines frequently sell, renovate, or simply rename their ships just to keep up with travel trends.
A wave of failures and consolidations in the 1990s has led to many companies to be bought by much larger holding companies and to operate as "brands" within larger corporations, much as a large automobile company holding several makes of cars. Brands exist partly because of repeat customer loyalty, and also to offer different levels of quality and service.
For instance, Carnival Corporation & plc owns both Carnival Cruise Line, whose former image were vessels that had a reputation as "party ships" for younger travelers, but have become large, modern, yet still profitable, and Holland America Line, whose ships cultivate an image of classic elegance.
A common practice in the cruise industry in listing cruise ship transfers and orders is to list the smaller operating company, not the larger holding corporation, as the recipient cruise line of the sale, transfer, or new order. In other words, Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America Line. for example, are the cruise lines from this common industry practice point of view; whereas Carnival Corporation & plc and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., for example, can be considered holding corporations of cruise lines.
This industry practice of using the brand, not the larger holding corporation, as the cruise line is also followed in the member cruise lines in Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the list of cruise lines, and the member-based reviews of cruise lines.
Currently the largest (in terms of passenger market share) cruise lines or brands, not holding corporations, include:
Click on the following for additional information:
Click here for a photo gallery of some of the amenities a Cruise Ship can offer as reported by ABC News.
Cruise lines have a dual character: they are partly in the transportation business, and partly in the leisure entertainment business; a duality that carries down into the ships themselves, which have both a crew headed by the ship's captain, and a hospitality staff headed by the equivalent of a hotel manager.
Among cruise lines, some are direct descendants of the traditional passenger lines, while others were founded from the 1960s on specifically for cruising. The business has been extremely volatile; the ships are massive capital expenditures with very high operating costs, and a slight dip in bookings can easily put a company out of business. Cruise lines frequently sell, renovate, or simply rename their ships just to keep up with travel trends.
A wave of failures and consolidations in the 1990s has led to many companies to be bought by much larger holding companies and to operate as "brands" within larger corporations, much as a large automobile company holding several makes of cars. Brands exist partly because of repeat customer loyalty, and also to offer different levels of quality and service.
For instance, Carnival Corporation & plc owns both Carnival Cruise Line, whose former image were vessels that had a reputation as "party ships" for younger travelers, but have become large, modern, yet still profitable, and Holland America Line, whose ships cultivate an image of classic elegance.
A common practice in the cruise industry in listing cruise ship transfers and orders is to list the smaller operating company, not the larger holding corporation, as the recipient cruise line of the sale, transfer, or new order. In other words, Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America Line. for example, are the cruise lines from this common industry practice point of view; whereas Carnival Corporation & plc and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., for example, can be considered holding corporations of cruise lines.
This industry practice of using the brand, not the larger holding corporation, as the cruise line is also followed in the member cruise lines in Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the list of cruise lines, and the member-based reviews of cruise lines.
Currently the largest (in terms of passenger market share) cruise lines or brands, not holding corporations, include:
- Carnival Cruise Line,
- Royal Caribbean International,
- Norwegian Cruise Line,
- MSC Cruises,
- Costa Cruises,
- Princess Cruises,
- AIDA Cruises,
- Celebrity Cruises,
- and Holland America Line.
Click on the following for additional information:
Click here for a photo gallery of some of the amenities a Cruise Ship can offer as reported by ABC News.
Social Networking on the Internet
Video About Social Media on the Internet
Pictured: Facebook Logo & eHarmony Web Page
Online social entertainment blends entertaining interactive functionality and content including live video streaming, video chat communications, multi-player gaming, music and videos streaming, with social networking service such as social graph management, forums, reviews, ratings, and geo-location options.
It is the foundation for a more immersive, interactive, enriching and engaging content consumption experience through social channels. Social entertainment is distinct from social networking websites in that the former is based fundamentally on immersive engaging experiences with functionality, content and people, while the latter is based primarily on building and maintaining relationships with other users.
Typically, social entertainment is defined by the individual sites dedicated to a particular type of entertainment experience incorporating basic social networking services.
Within the realm of social entertainment, online content is tightly intertwined with social features. These interactions around the content create a highly personalized experience for users which, in turn, drives a virtuous cycle of ongoing consumer engagement for service providers. In this sense, social entertainment refines the paradigm established by social networks, in which interactions with others are central and reasons for interacting with them are secondary.
Types of Services:
A social entertainment service is an online service, platform or website which links back to social networking websites to help connect users and has begun to facilitate audience acquisition. While these websites may not yet be recognized as entertainment companies, they are leading the way in terms of adding value to the consumer experience of entertainment online.
The majority of users polled in both the UK and US felt that social networking websites provide better value than music, gaming and television companies alone. Due to this shift in audience interaction, traditional media companies are acquiring social components to stay competitive.
The main types of services offering social entertainment are split into two categories: live platforms and packaged Internet platforms. The main differentiating factor between these categories is that one offers their experience through an exclusive real-time online experience and the latter has broadened the user experience by the inclusion of mobile platforms.
Live Platforms:
These services may also create an interactive experience that is fundamental to a dynamic online social environment. The level of audience interaction with a social networking service or social graphic continues to make an impact on the entertainment in which these audiences partake.
Some examples for this type of online social entertainment service is
Packaged Internet Platforms:
A hallmark of social entertainment is that it can also be accessible across connected mobile device platforms. Social entertainment providers who prioritize development of mobile applications for a range operating systems (iOS and Android in particular) and display sizes will be best equipped to meet user expectations of anywhere, anytime access and to exceed expectations of a deep, rich content experience. Examples of these packaged social entertainment platforms are MySpace and Warner Bros.
History:
The evolution of the online social entertainment experience is ongoing, and the social networking service span a wide variety of content types and genres and a diverse array of social experiences.
As an evolution of social networks online, social entertainment websites have grown exponentially. In 2010, Edelman released a study revealing that seventy-three percent of 18- to 24-year-olds in the US and 61 percent in the UK see social networks as a form of entertainment. Fifty percent (US) and 56 percent (UK) of respondents aged 35–49 also consider social networking websites to be a main source of entertainment.
See Also:
It is the foundation for a more immersive, interactive, enriching and engaging content consumption experience through social channels. Social entertainment is distinct from social networking websites in that the former is based fundamentally on immersive engaging experiences with functionality, content and people, while the latter is based primarily on building and maintaining relationships with other users.
Typically, social entertainment is defined by the individual sites dedicated to a particular type of entertainment experience incorporating basic social networking services.
Within the realm of social entertainment, online content is tightly intertwined with social features. These interactions around the content create a highly personalized experience for users which, in turn, drives a virtuous cycle of ongoing consumer engagement for service providers. In this sense, social entertainment refines the paradigm established by social networks, in which interactions with others are central and reasons for interacting with them are secondary.
Types of Services:
A social entertainment service is an online service, platform or website which links back to social networking websites to help connect users and has begun to facilitate audience acquisition. While these websites may not yet be recognized as entertainment companies, they are leading the way in terms of adding value to the consumer experience of entertainment online.
The majority of users polled in both the UK and US felt that social networking websites provide better value than music, gaming and television companies alone. Due to this shift in audience interaction, traditional media companies are acquiring social components to stay competitive.
The main types of services offering social entertainment are split into two categories: live platforms and packaged Internet platforms. The main differentiating factor between these categories is that one offers their experience through an exclusive real-time online experience and the latter has broadened the user experience by the inclusion of mobile platforms.
Live Platforms:
These services may also create an interactive experience that is fundamental to a dynamic online social environment. The level of audience interaction with a social networking service or social graphic continues to make an impact on the entertainment in which these audiences partake.
Some examples for this type of online social entertainment service is
Packaged Internet Platforms:
A hallmark of social entertainment is that it can also be accessible across connected mobile device platforms. Social entertainment providers who prioritize development of mobile applications for a range operating systems (iOS and Android in particular) and display sizes will be best equipped to meet user expectations of anywhere, anytime access and to exceed expectations of a deep, rich content experience. Examples of these packaged social entertainment platforms are MySpace and Warner Bros.
History:
The evolution of the online social entertainment experience is ongoing, and the social networking service span a wide variety of content types and genres and a diverse array of social experiences.
As an evolution of social networks online, social entertainment websites have grown exponentially. In 2010, Edelman released a study revealing that seventy-three percent of 18- to 24-year-olds in the US and 61 percent in the UK see social networks as a form of entertainment. Fifty percent (US) and 56 percent (UK) of respondents aged 35–49 also consider social networking websites to be a main source of entertainment.
See Also:
- Distributed social network
- Geosocial networking
- List of virtual communities with more than 100 million users
- Mobile social network
- Personal network
- Social identity
- Social network
- Social network aggregation
- Social software
- User profile
- Virtual community
- Web 2.0
Entertainment Venues in the United States, Listed Alphabetically
Youtube Video of the Most Terrifying Roller Coaster Rides
Pictured: Six Flags over America and the Caesars Palace Las Vegas Casino
Click here for a list of roller coasters ranked by height, speed, length, inversions, and steepness.
Click Here for A Listing of Entertainment Venues found in the United States
Click Here for A Listing of Entertainment Venues found in the United States
Farmers Market
YouTube Video: Los Angeles Farmers Market and The Grove, Fairfax District, Los Angeles, California, USA
Pictured: "Farmers Market in Lansing Michigan" by Pattymooney" and Farmers' market in Layyah, Pakistan by Kamran Ali.
A farmers' market (also farmers market) is a physical retail market featuring foods sold directly by farmers to consumers. Farmers' markets typically consist of booths, tables or stands, outdoors or indoors, where farmers sell fruits, vegetables, meats, and sometimes prepared foods and beverages.
They are distinguished from public markets, which are generally housed in permanent structures, open year-round, and offer a variety of non-farmer/producer vendors, packaged foods and non-food products.
Farmers' markets exist worldwide and reflect their local culture and economy. Their size ranges from a few stalls to several city blocks. In some cultures, live animals, imported delicacies unavailable locally, and personal goods and crafts are sold.
Click on any of the following for amplification:
They are distinguished from public markets, which are generally housed in permanent structures, open year-round, and offer a variety of non-farmer/producer vendors, packaged foods and non-food products.
Farmers' markets exist worldwide and reflect their local culture and economy. Their size ranges from a few stalls to several city blocks. In some cultures, live animals, imported delicacies unavailable locally, and personal goods and crafts are sold.
Click on any of the following for amplification:
- History
- Benefits
- Fraud
- Regional emphasis: Canada and United States
- Management
- Product categories
- See Also
- USDA Farmers Market Facts & Statistics
Famous Concert Halls in U.S.
Video of CATS, the Musical on Broadway, NYC
Pictured: Fox Theater in St. Louis and the Broadway Theater District in NYC.
A concert hall is a cultural building with a stage which serves as a performance venue and an auditorium filled with seats.
While early halls built in the 18th and 19th century were designed for classical, orchestra, concerto and opera concerts and ballet performances, halls built in the 20th and 21st century were often built to accommodate a wider range of performance types, including musicals.
In the 2010s, popular music such as rock music and traditional music such as folk music are also performed in these venues.
Many concert halls exist as one of several halls or performance spaces within a larger performing arts center. In many towns, the concert hall is combined with a convention center.
Concert halls typically also contain orchestral rehearsal rooms. Many larger cities have both public and private concert halls. Particularly in smaller cities with fewer alternative venues, concert halls may also be used to accommodate other activities, from theatrical performances to academic presentations and university graduation ceremonies.
This list does not include other venues such as sports stadiums, dramatic theaters or convention centers, which may occasionally be used for concerts.
Click here for a listing of Concert Halls found in the United States:
While early halls built in the 18th and 19th century were designed for classical, orchestra, concerto and opera concerts and ballet performances, halls built in the 20th and 21st century were often built to accommodate a wider range of performance types, including musicals.
In the 2010s, popular music such as rock music and traditional music such as folk music are also performed in these venues.
Many concert halls exist as one of several halls or performance spaces within a larger performing arts center. In many towns, the concert hall is combined with a convention center.
Concert halls typically also contain orchestral rehearsal rooms. Many larger cities have both public and private concert halls. Particularly in smaller cities with fewer alternative venues, concert halls may also be used to accommodate other activities, from theatrical performances to academic presentations and university graduation ceremonies.
This list does not include other venues such as sports stadiums, dramatic theaters or convention centers, which may occasionally be used for concerts.
Click here for a listing of Concert Halls found in the United States:
Favorite Tourist Attractions in the United States
YouTube Video of New Years Eve 2015 in NYC's Times Square
Pictured: NYC Times Square & San Francisco's Fishermans Wharf
A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure, adventure and amusement.
Types of Tourist Attractions can include natural beauty such as beaches, tropical island resorts with coral reefs, hiking and camping in national parks, mountains and forests, are examples of traditional tourist attractions to spend summer vacations.
Other examples of cultural tourist attractions include:
Factory tours, industrial heritage, creative art and crafts workshops are the object of cultural niches like industrial tourism and creative tourism. Many tourist attractions are also landmarks.
Tourist attractions are also created to capitalize on legends such as a supposed UFO crash site near Roswell, New Mexico and the alleged Loch Ness monster sightings in Scotland. Ghost sightings also make tourist attractions.
Ethnic communities may become tourist attractions, such as Chinatowns in the United States.
In the US, owners and marketers of attractions advertise tourist attractions on billboards along the side of highways and roadways, especially in remote areas.
Tourist attractions often provide free promotional brochures and flyers in information centers, fast food restaurants, hotel and motel rooms or lobbies, and rest area.
While some tourist attractions provide visitors a memorable experience for a reasonable admission charge or even for free, others can have a tendency to be of low quality and to overprice their goods and services (such as admission, food, and souvenirs) in order to profit from tourists excessively. Such places are commonly known as tourist traps.
Within cities such transport tourist attractions as rides by boats and buses (City Sightseeing, etc.) are very popular .
Click Here For a Listing of the Top (attended) tourist attractions in the United States.
Types of Tourist Attractions can include natural beauty such as beaches, tropical island resorts with coral reefs, hiking and camping in national parks, mountains and forests, are examples of traditional tourist attractions to spend summer vacations.
Other examples of cultural tourist attractions include:
- historical places,
- monuments,
- ancient temples,
- zoos,
- aquaria,
- museums and art galleries,
- botanical gardens,
- buildings and structures (e.g., castles, libraries, former prisons, skyscrapers, bridges),
- theme parks and carnivals,
- living history museums,
- ethnic enclave communities,
- historic trains
- and cultural events.
Factory tours, industrial heritage, creative art and crafts workshops are the object of cultural niches like industrial tourism and creative tourism. Many tourist attractions are also landmarks.
Tourist attractions are also created to capitalize on legends such as a supposed UFO crash site near Roswell, New Mexico and the alleged Loch Ness monster sightings in Scotland. Ghost sightings also make tourist attractions.
Ethnic communities may become tourist attractions, such as Chinatowns in the United States.
In the US, owners and marketers of attractions advertise tourist attractions on billboards along the side of highways and roadways, especially in remote areas.
Tourist attractions often provide free promotional brochures and flyers in information centers, fast food restaurants, hotel and motel rooms or lobbies, and rest area.
While some tourist attractions provide visitors a memorable experience for a reasonable admission charge or even for free, others can have a tendency to be of low quality and to overprice their goods and services (such as admission, food, and souvenirs) in order to profit from tourists excessively. Such places are commonly known as tourist traps.
Within cities such transport tourist attractions as rides by boats and buses (City Sightseeing, etc.) are very popular .
Click Here For a Listing of the Top (attended) tourist attractions in the United States.
Forms of Entertainment over the Years
YouTube Video of How to Play Pinochle
Pictured: Reading a Book and Playing Bingo
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience, or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousands of years specifically for the purpose of keeping an audience's attention.
Although people's attention is held by different things, because individuals have different preferences in entertainment, most forms are recognizable and familiar.
Storytelling, music, drama, dance, and different kinds of performance exist in all cultures, were supported in royal courts, developed into sophisticated forms and over time became available to all citizens.
The process has been accelerated in modern times by an entertainment industry which records and sells entertainment products. Entertainment evolves and can be adapted to suit any scale, ranging from an individual who chooses a private entertainment from a now enormous array of pre-recorded products; to a banquet adapted for two; to any size or type of party, with appropriate music and dance; to performances intended for thousands; and even for a global audience.
The experience of being entertained has come to be strongly associated with amusement, so that one common understanding of the idea is fun and laughter, although many entertainments have a serious purpose. This may be the case in the various forms of ceremony, celebration, religious festival, or satire for example. Hence, there is the possibility that what appears as entertainment may also be a means of achieving insight or intellectual growth.
An important aspect of entertainment is the audience, which turns a private recreation or leisure activity into entertainment. The audience may have a passive role, as in the case of persons watching a play, opera, television show, or film; or the audience role may be active, as in the case of games, where the participant/audience roles may be routinely reversed.
Entertainment can be public or private, involving formal, scripted performance, as in the case of theater or concerts; or unscripted and spontaneous, as in the case of children's games.
Most forms of entertainment have persisted over many centuries, evolving due to changes in culture, technology, and fashion. Films and video games, for example, although they use newer media, continue to tell stories, present drama, and play music.
Festivals devoted to music, film, or dance allow audiences to be entertained over a number of consecutive days.
Some activities that once were considered entertaining, particularly public punishments, have been removed from the public arena.
Others, such as fencing or archery, once necessary skills for some, have become serious sports and even professions for the participants, at the same time developing into entertainment with wider appeal for bigger audiences.
In the same way, other necessary skills, such as cooking, have developed into performances among professionals, staged as global competitions and then broadcast for entertainment.
What is entertainment for one group or individual may be regarded as work by another.
The familiar forms of entertainment have the capacity to cross over different media and have demonstrated a seemingly unlimited potential for creative remix. This has ensured the continuity and longevity of many themes, images, and structures.
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Although people's attention is held by different things, because individuals have different preferences in entertainment, most forms are recognizable and familiar.
Storytelling, music, drama, dance, and different kinds of performance exist in all cultures, were supported in royal courts, developed into sophisticated forms and over time became available to all citizens.
The process has been accelerated in modern times by an entertainment industry which records and sells entertainment products. Entertainment evolves and can be adapted to suit any scale, ranging from an individual who chooses a private entertainment from a now enormous array of pre-recorded products; to a banquet adapted for two; to any size or type of party, with appropriate music and dance; to performances intended for thousands; and even for a global audience.
The experience of being entertained has come to be strongly associated with amusement, so that one common understanding of the idea is fun and laughter, although many entertainments have a serious purpose. This may be the case in the various forms of ceremony, celebration, religious festival, or satire for example. Hence, there is the possibility that what appears as entertainment may also be a means of achieving insight or intellectual growth.
An important aspect of entertainment is the audience, which turns a private recreation or leisure activity into entertainment. The audience may have a passive role, as in the case of persons watching a play, opera, television show, or film; or the audience role may be active, as in the case of games, where the participant/audience roles may be routinely reversed.
Entertainment can be public or private, involving formal, scripted performance, as in the case of theater or concerts; or unscripted and spontaneous, as in the case of children's games.
Most forms of entertainment have persisted over many centuries, evolving due to changes in culture, technology, and fashion. Films and video games, for example, although they use newer media, continue to tell stories, present drama, and play music.
Festivals devoted to music, film, or dance allow audiences to be entertained over a number of consecutive days.
Some activities that once were considered entertaining, particularly public punishments, have been removed from the public arena.
Others, such as fencing or archery, once necessary skills for some, have become serious sports and even professions for the participants, at the same time developing into entertainment with wider appeal for bigger audiences.
In the same way, other necessary skills, such as cooking, have developed into performances among professionals, staged as global competitions and then broadcast for entertainment.
What is entertainment for one group or individual may be regarded as work by another.
The familiar forms of entertainment have the capacity to cross over different media and have demonstrated a seemingly unlimited potential for creative remix. This has ensured the continuity and longevity of many themes, images, and structures.
For further amplification, Click Here.
Gambling
YouTube Video: Why This Woman Won $8 Million Jackpot from Casino But Only Got $80
Pictured: Playing the Slots at Your Local Casino & Gambling at the Horse Track
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of value (referred to as "the stakes") on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods.
Gambling thus requires three elements be present: consideration, chance and prize. The outcome of the wager is often immediate, such as a single roll of dice or a spin of a roulette wheel, but longer time frames are also common, allowing wagers on the outcome of a future sports contest or even an entire sports season.
The term gaming: in this context typically refers to instances in which the activity has been specifically permitted by law. The two words are not mutually exclusive; i.e., a "gaming" company offers (legal) "gambling" activities to the public and may be regulated by one of many gaming control boards, for example, the Nevada Gaming Control Board.
The word gaming is used more frequently since the rise of computer and video games to describe activities that do not necessarily involve wagering, especially online gaming, with the new usage still not having displaced the old usage as the primary definition in common dictionaries.
Gambling is also a major international commercial activity, with the legal gambling market totaling an estimated $335 billion in 2009.
In other forms, gambling can be conducted with materials which have a value, but are not real money. For example, players of marbles games might wager marbles, and likewise games of Pogs or Magic: The Gathering can be played with the collectible game pieces (respectively, small discs and trading cards) as stakes, resulting in a meta-game regarding the value of a player's collection of pieces.
For further amplification, click here.
Gambling thus requires three elements be present: consideration, chance and prize. The outcome of the wager is often immediate, such as a single roll of dice or a spin of a roulette wheel, but longer time frames are also common, allowing wagers on the outcome of a future sports contest or even an entire sports season.
The term gaming: in this context typically refers to instances in which the activity has been specifically permitted by law. The two words are not mutually exclusive; i.e., a "gaming" company offers (legal) "gambling" activities to the public and may be regulated by one of many gaming control boards, for example, the Nevada Gaming Control Board.
The word gaming is used more frequently since the rise of computer and video games to describe activities that do not necessarily involve wagering, especially online gaming, with the new usage still not having displaced the old usage as the primary definition in common dictionaries.
Gambling is also a major international commercial activity, with the legal gambling market totaling an estimated $335 billion in 2009.
In other forms, gambling can be conducted with materials which have a value, but are not real money. For example, players of marbles games might wager marbles, and likewise games of Pogs or Magic: The Gathering can be played with the collectible game pieces (respectively, small discs and trading cards) as stakes, resulting in a meta-game regarding the value of a player's collection of pieces.
For further amplification, click here.
Frisbee
YouTube Video of Teaching a Dog to Catch a Frisbee in Mid Air
Pictured: A dog catching a frisbee in the air and a man throwing a frisbee at the beach.
A frisbee (sometimes called a flying disc) is a disc-shaped gliding toy or sporting item that is generally plastic and roughly 20 to 25 centimeters (8 to 10 in) in diameter with a lip, used recreationally and competitively for throwing and catching, for example, in flying disc games. The shape of the disc, an airfoil in cross-section, allows it to fly by generating lift as it moves through the air while spinning.
Frisbees are thrown and caught for free-form (freestyle) recreation and as part of many flying disc games. A wide range of frisbees variants are available commercially. Disc golf discs are usually smaller but denser and tailored for particular flight profiles to increase/decrease stability and distance. The longest recorded disc throw is by Simon Lizotte with a distance of 263.2 meters.
Disc dog sports use relatively slow flying discs made of more pliable material to better resist a dog's bite and prevent injury to the dog. Flying rings are also available; they typically travel significantly farther than any traditional flying disc.
There are also illuminated discs meant for nighttime play — they are made of a phosphorescent plastic or contain battery-powered light-emitting diodes or chemiluminescent glowing sticks. Others whistle when they reach a certain velocity in flight.
Lift is generated in the same way as a traditional airfoil. The rotating frisbee has a nearly vertical angular momentum vector, stabilizing its angle of attack via gyroscopic action. If the disc were not spinning, it would crash to pitch. When the disc is spinning, however, aerodynamic torque instead leads to precess about the spin axis, causing its trajectory to curve to the left or the right.
Most discs are designed to be aerodynamically stable so that this roll is accurate for a fairly broad range of velocities and rates of spin. Many disc golf discs, however, are intentionally designed to be unstable. Higher rates of spin lead to more stability, and, for a given rate of spin, there is generally a range of velocities that are stable.
Even a slight deformation in a disc (called a "taco," which in extreme cases looks like a taco shell) can cause negative effects when throwing long range. A disk can be checked for these deformations by holding it horizontally at eye level and looking at the rim while slowly turning it.
The term frisbee, often used to generically describe all flying discs, is a registered trademark of the Wham-O toy company. Though such use is not encouraged by the company, the common use of the name as a generic term has put the trademark in jeopardy; accordingly, many "Frisbee" games are now known as "disc" games, like Ultimate or disc golf.
Frisbees are thrown and caught for free-form (freestyle) recreation and as part of many flying disc games. A wide range of frisbees variants are available commercially. Disc golf discs are usually smaller but denser and tailored for particular flight profiles to increase/decrease stability and distance. The longest recorded disc throw is by Simon Lizotte with a distance of 263.2 meters.
Disc dog sports use relatively slow flying discs made of more pliable material to better resist a dog's bite and prevent injury to the dog. Flying rings are also available; they typically travel significantly farther than any traditional flying disc.
There are also illuminated discs meant for nighttime play — they are made of a phosphorescent plastic or contain battery-powered light-emitting diodes or chemiluminescent glowing sticks. Others whistle when they reach a certain velocity in flight.
Lift is generated in the same way as a traditional airfoil. The rotating frisbee has a nearly vertical angular momentum vector, stabilizing its angle of attack via gyroscopic action. If the disc were not spinning, it would crash to pitch. When the disc is spinning, however, aerodynamic torque instead leads to precess about the spin axis, causing its trajectory to curve to the left or the right.
Most discs are designed to be aerodynamically stable so that this roll is accurate for a fairly broad range of velocities and rates of spin. Many disc golf discs, however, are intentionally designed to be unstable. Higher rates of spin lead to more stability, and, for a given rate of spin, there is generally a range of velocities that are stable.
Even a slight deformation in a disc (called a "taco," which in extreme cases looks like a taco shell) can cause negative effects when throwing long range. A disk can be checked for these deformations by holding it horizontally at eye level and looking at the rim while slowly turning it.
The term frisbee, often used to generically describe all flying discs, is a registered trademark of the Wham-O toy company. Though such use is not encouraged by the company, the common use of the name as a generic term has put the trademark in jeopardy; accordingly, many "Frisbee" games are now known as "disc" games, like Ultimate or disc golf.
Horseback Riding
YouTube Video of a Quarter Horse running against a Thoroughbred
Pictured: Horseback Riding on a Trail (Dan Heller) and Racing Horses on Quarter Mile Track
Equestrianism (from Latin equester, equestr-, equus, horseman, horse), more often known as riding, horseback riding (American English) refers to the skill of riding, driving, steeplechasing or vaulting with horses. This broad description includes the use of horses for practical working purposes, transportation, recreational activities, artistic or cultural exercises, and competitive sport.
Horses are trained and ridden for practical working purposes such as in police work or for controlling herd animals on a ranch. They are also used in competitive sports including, but not limited to,
(See additional equestrian sports listed later in this article for more examples.) Some popular forms of competition are grouped together at horse shows, where horses perform in a wide variety of disciplines. Horses (and other equids such as mules and donkeys) are used for non-competitive recreational riding such as fox hunting, trail riding or hacking.
There is public access to horse trails in almost every part of the world; many parks, ranches, and public stables offer both guided and independent riding. Horses are also used for therapeutic purposes, both in specialized paraequestrian competition as well as non-competitive riding to improve human health and emotional development.
Horses are also driven in harness racing, at horse shows and in other types of exhibition, historical reenactment or ceremony, often pulling carriages.
In some parts of the world, they are still used for practical purposes such as farming.
Horses continue to be used in public service: in traditional ceremonies (parades, funerals), police and volunteer mounted patrols, and for mounted search and rescue.
Riding halls enable the training of horse and rider in all weathers as well as indoor competition riding.
Horses are trained and ridden for practical working purposes such as in police work or for controlling herd animals on a ranch. They are also used in competitive sports including, but not limited to,
- dressage,
- endurance riding,
- eventing,
- reining,
- show jumping,
- tent pegging,
- vaulting,
- polo,
- horse racing,
- driving,
- and rodeo.
(See additional equestrian sports listed later in this article for more examples.) Some popular forms of competition are grouped together at horse shows, where horses perform in a wide variety of disciplines. Horses (and other equids such as mules and donkeys) are used for non-competitive recreational riding such as fox hunting, trail riding or hacking.
There is public access to horse trails in almost every part of the world; many parks, ranches, and public stables offer both guided and independent riding. Horses are also used for therapeutic purposes, both in specialized paraequestrian competition as well as non-competitive riding to improve human health and emotional development.
Horses are also driven in harness racing, at horse shows and in other types of exhibition, historical reenactment or ceremony, often pulling carriages.
In some parts of the world, they are still used for practical purposes such as farming.
Horses continue to be used in public service: in traditional ceremonies (parades, funerals), police and volunteer mounted patrols, and for mounted search and rescue.
Riding halls enable the training of horse and rider in all weathers as well as indoor competition riding.
International Halls and Walks of Fame
YouTube Video of Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe gets Hollywood Walk of Fame Star
Pictured: Celebrity Stars who were inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or animals, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or museums which enshrine the honorees with sculptures, plaques, and displays of memorabilia and general information regarding the inducted recipients.
Sometimes, the honorees' plaques may instead be posted on a wall (hence a '"wall of fame") or inscribed on a sidewalk (as in a "walk of fame" or an "avenue of fame"). In other cases, the hall of fame is more figurative and simply consists of a list of names of noteworthy people or achievements. The lists are maintained by an organization or community, and may be national, state, local, or private.
The English-language term was popularized in the United States by the Hall of Fame for Great Americans at Bronx Community College, in New York City, completed in 1900. Its inspiration is the Ruhmeshalle ("Hall of Fame") in Munich, Germany.
The Walhalla memorial in Bavaria, Germany, is an even earlier hall of fame, conceived in 1807 and built between 1830 and 1842. The meaning of "fame" has changed over the years, originally meaning "renown" as opposed to today's more common meaning of "celebrity."
Click here for an alphabetical listing of all halls and walks of fame
Sometimes, the honorees' plaques may instead be posted on a wall (hence a '"wall of fame") or inscribed on a sidewalk (as in a "walk of fame" or an "avenue of fame"). In other cases, the hall of fame is more figurative and simply consists of a list of names of noteworthy people or achievements. The lists are maintained by an organization or community, and may be national, state, local, or private.
The English-language term was popularized in the United States by the Hall of Fame for Great Americans at Bronx Community College, in New York City, completed in 1900. Its inspiration is the Ruhmeshalle ("Hall of Fame") in Munich, Germany.
The Walhalla memorial in Bavaria, Germany, is an even earlier hall of fame, conceived in 1807 and built between 1830 and 1842. The meaning of "fame" has changed over the years, originally meaning "renown" as opposed to today's more common meaning of "celebrity."
Click here for an alphabetical listing of all halls and walks of fame
List of Indoor Arenas in the United States
YouTube Video of St. Louis Blues clinching playoff berth in 2009 and the fans at the Scottrade Center go nuts
Pictured: Madison Square Garden, NYC and Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. An arena is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the lowest point, allowing for maximum visibility. Arenas are usually designed to accommodate a large number of spectators.
The word arena is sometimes used as a synonym for a very large venue such as Pasadena's Rose Bowl, but such a facility is typically called a stadium.
Click here for a list of Indoor Arenas in the United States
The word arena is sometimes used as a synonym for a very large venue such as Pasadena's Rose Bowl, but such a facility is typically called a stadium.
Click here for a list of Indoor Arenas in the United States
List of Outdoor Venues for theatrical or musical performances
YouTube Video of Van Morrison - Live At The Hollywood Bowl
Pictured: LEFT: San Manuel Amphitheater (George, Washington) is the largest outdoor music venue in the United States; RIGHT: The Greek Theater in Los Angeles, CA
An amphitheater is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports.
In modern times, "amphitheater" is sometimes used to describe theater-style stages with spectator seating on only one side, theaters in the round, and stadiums. Natural formations of similar shape are sometimes known as natural amphitheatres.
Click here for a listing of Outdoor Venues
In modern times, "amphitheater" is sometimes used to describe theater-style stages with spectator seating on only one side, theaters in the round, and stadiums. Natural formations of similar shape are sometimes known as natural amphitheatres.
Click here for a listing of Outdoor Venues
The Magic Castle
YouTube Video of Steve Gore performing at the World famous Magic Castle in Hollywood
Pictured: The Magic Castle from the entranceway
The Magic Castle, located at 7001 Franklin Avenue in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, is a nightclub for magicians and magic enthusiasts, as well as the clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts. It bills itself as "the most unusual private club in the world."
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Opera
YouTube Video of Luciano Pavarotti. 1987. Nessun dorma. Madison Square Garden. New York
Pictured: LEFT: The performers from the Atlanta Opera sing the finale of Lucia di Lammermoor. The opera orchestra is visible in the lowered area in front of the stage; RIGHT: The Sydney Opera House (Australia)
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text (libretto) and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. In traditional opera, singers do two types of singing: recitative, a speech-inflected style and arias, a more melodic style.
Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theater, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance. The performance is typically given in an opera house, accompanied by an orchestra or smaller musical ensemble, which since the early 19th century has been led by a conductor.
With the rise of recording technology, singers such as Enrico Caruso and Maria Callas became known to much wider audiences that went beyond the circle of opera fans. Since the invention of radio and television, operas were also performed on (and written for) these mediums.
Beginning in 2006, a number of major opera houses began to present live high-definition video transmissions of their performances in cinemas all over the world. In 2009, an opera company offered an online download of a complete performance.
Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theater, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance. The performance is typically given in an opera house, accompanied by an orchestra or smaller musical ensemble, which since the early 19th century has been led by a conductor.
With the rise of recording technology, singers such as Enrico Caruso and Maria Callas became known to much wider audiences that went beyond the circle of opera fans. Since the invention of radio and television, operas were also performed on (and written for) these mediums.
Beginning in 2006, a number of major opera houses began to present live high-definition video transmissions of their performances in cinemas all over the world. In 2009, an opera company offered an online download of a complete performance.
Amusement Parks in the United States
YouTube Video Diamondback Roller Coaster at Kings Island (Mason, Ohio)
Pictured: LEFT: Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom (Florida): RIGHT: Ride at Six Flags, St. Louis, MO
An amusement park or theme park is a group of entertainment attractions, rides, and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people. Amusement parks have a fixed location, as opposed to traveling carnivals, and are more elaborate than simple city parks or playgrounds, usually providing attractions meant to cater specifically to certain age groups, as well as some that are aimed towards all ages. Theme parks, a specific type of amusement park, are usually much more intricately themed to a certain subject or group of subjects than normal amusement parks.
Amusement parks evolved from European fairs and pleasure gardens, which were created for people's recreation. World's fairs and expositions were another influence on the development of the amusement park industry.
In common language, the terms theme park and amusement park are often synonymous. However, a theme park can be regarded as a distinct style of amusement park. A theme park has landscaping, buildings, and attractions that are based on one or more specific themes or stories.
Despite many older parks adding themed rides and areas, qualifying the park as a theme park, the first park built with the original intention of promoting a specific theme, Santa Claus Land, in Santa Claus, Indiana, did not open until 1946.
Disneyland, located in Anaheim, California, built around the concept of encapsulating multiple theme parks into a single amusement park is often mistakenly cited as the first themed amusement park, but is instead the park that made the idea popular.
Click here for a listing of Amusement Parks in the United States.
Amusement parks evolved from European fairs and pleasure gardens, which were created for people's recreation. World's fairs and expositions were another influence on the development of the amusement park industry.
In common language, the terms theme park and amusement park are often synonymous. However, a theme park can be regarded as a distinct style of amusement park. A theme park has landscaping, buildings, and attractions that are based on one or more specific themes or stories.
Despite many older parks adding themed rides and areas, qualifying the park as a theme park, the first park built with the original intention of promoting a specific theme, Santa Claus Land, in Santa Claus, Indiana, did not open until 1946.
Disneyland, located in Anaheim, California, built around the concept of encapsulating multiple theme parks into a single amusement park is often mistakenly cited as the first themed amusement park, but is instead the park that made the idea popular.
Click here for a listing of Amusement Parks in the United States.
RV Living: For Vacations and/or Retirement
RV Driving Tips by RV Education 101® - YouTube
Pictured: LEFT: Motorhome and RIGHT: Oceanview RV Park, Homer Alaska
A recreational vehicle (RV) is, in North America, the usual term for a motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home. Several definitions exist for RVs and vary by region, including "caravan", "camper van" and "motorhome", but are also used to designate different types of vehicles outside North America, hence "RV" is preferred.
RVs are defined as either motor vehicles or towable trailers, and are primarily intended for leisure activities such as camping and vacations. They are usually found in RV parks or campgrounds, and can be rented in most major cities and tourist areas.
Other RVs serve as traveling permanent homes. People who use their RVs as traveling permanent homes on a full-time basis are commonly referred to as "full-timers".
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For information about the Good Sam Club for RVers (including RV insurance), click here.
For information about RV parks owned by Kampgrounds of America, click here.
RVs are defined as either motor vehicles or towable trailers, and are primarily intended for leisure activities such as camping and vacations. They are usually found in RV parks or campgrounds, and can be rented in most major cities and tourist areas.
Other RVs serve as traveling permanent homes. People who use their RVs as traveling permanent homes on a full-time basis are commonly referred to as "full-timers".
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For information about the Good Sam Club for RVers (including RV insurance), click here.
For information about RV parks owned by Kampgrounds of America, click here.
Aquatic Parks including a List
YouTube Video of Funny but Scared Girl on Water Slide
Pictured: LEFT: Disney World's Typhoon Lagoon is the most visited water park in North America, and the second most visited water park in the entire world; RIGHT: Indoor Water Park (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)
A water park or waterpark is an amusement park that features water play areas, such as swimming pools, water slides, splash pads, water playgrounds, lazy rivers, or other recreational bathing, swimming, and barefooting environments. Water parks in more current states of development may also be equipped with some type of artificial surfing or bodyboarding environment such as a wave pool or FlowRider.
Click here for a list of Water Parks.
Click here for a list of Water Parks.
Marine Mammal Parks
The Complete SeaWorld Shamu "Believe" Show ... - YouTube
Pictured: SeaWorld, San Diego, CA
A marine mammal park (also known as marine animal park and sometimes oceanarium) is a commercial theme park or aquarium where marine mammals such as dolphins, beluga whales and sea lions are kept within water tanks and displayed to the public in special shows.
A marine mammal park is seen as a combination of a public aquarium and an amusement park. Marine mammal parks are different from marine parks, which include natural reserves and marine wildlife sanctuaries such as coral reefs, particularly in Australia.
For a listing of Marine Mammal Parks in North America, click here.
A marine mammal park is seen as a combination of a public aquarium and an amusement park. Marine mammal parks are different from marine parks, which include natural reserves and marine wildlife sanctuaries such as coral reefs, particularly in Australia.
For a listing of Marine Mammal Parks in North America, click here.
Zoos including a Listing of Zoos in the United States
YouTube of Various Animals at the Miami Zoo
Pictured: Lions at the St. Louis Zoo and a Polar Bear at the San Diego Zoo
A zoo (short for zoological park, zoological garden, or animal park, and also called a menagerie) is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred.
The term zoological garden refers to zoology, the study of animals. The abbreviation "zoo" was first used of the London Zoological Gardens, which opened for scientific study in 1828 and to the public in 1857. The number of major animal collections open to the public around the world now exceeds 1,000, around 80 percent of them in cities.
Click here for a listing of Zoos in the United States
The term zoological garden refers to zoology, the study of animals. The abbreviation "zoo" was first used of the London Zoological Gardens, which opened for scientific study in 1828 and to the public in 1857. The number of major animal collections open to the public around the world now exceeds 1,000, around 80 percent of them in cities.
Click here for a listing of Zoos in the United States
Major Public Aquariums including a List of Aquariums in the United States
YouTube Video of Georgia Aquarium
Pictured: Aquatic tunnel at the Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta and Large public aquarium at Okinawa Churaumi, Japan.
A public aquarium (plural: public aquaria or public aquariums) is the aquatic counterpart of a zoo, which houses living aquatic animal and plant specimens for public viewing. Most public aquariums feature tanks larger than those kept by home aquarists, as well as smaller tanks. Since the first public aquariums were built in the mid-19th century, they have become popular and their numbers have increased. Most modern accredited aquariums stress conservation issues and educating the public.
Modern aquarium tanks can hold millions of litres of water and can house large species, including dolphins, sharks or beluga whales. This is accomplished through thick, clear acrylic glass windows.
Aquatic and semiaquatic mammals, including otters, and seals are often cared for at aquariums. Some establishments, such as the Oregon Coast Aquarium or the Monterey Bay Aquarium, have aquatic aviaries. Modern aquariums also include land animals and plants that spend time in or near the water.
For marketing purposes, many aquariums promote special exhibits, in addition to their permanent collections. Some have aquatic versions of a petting zoo. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a shallow tank filled with common types of rays which visitors are encouraged to touch. The South Carolina Aquarium lets visitors feed the rays in their Saltmarsh Aviary exhibit.
Click here for a list of Public Aquariums in the United States.
Modern aquarium tanks can hold millions of litres of water and can house large species, including dolphins, sharks or beluga whales. This is accomplished through thick, clear acrylic glass windows.
Aquatic and semiaquatic mammals, including otters, and seals are often cared for at aquariums. Some establishments, such as the Oregon Coast Aquarium or the Monterey Bay Aquarium, have aquatic aviaries. Modern aquariums also include land animals and plants that spend time in or near the water.
For marketing purposes, many aquariums promote special exhibits, in addition to their permanent collections. Some have aquatic versions of a petting zoo. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a shallow tank filled with common types of rays which visitors are encouraged to touch. The South Carolina Aquarium lets visitors feed the rays in their Saltmarsh Aviary exhibit.
Click here for a list of Public Aquariums in the United States.
Social Dance including a List of Dance Styles
YouTube Video of "Dancing With The Stars"Burke & Derek Hough dancing the Jitterbug
Pictured: Jitterbug and Disco Dancing Styles
Social dance (also group-participation dance or audience participation dance) is a major class of dance that encourages dancing in a group. It includes social games based on dancing, for example at weddings, festivals and other social gatherings.
Some have simple words to be sung to the music, which may act as a reminder of the steps - one example is the Hokey-cokey. Some consist of a few simple steps learned either from simple instructions given by a leader or from watching others. Examples are Electric Slide, Macarena, YMCA, and the Chicken Dance.
Participation dance games may have elimination rules that disqualify a dancer or dancers, due to lack of endurance, entering a particular part of the floor, or being of a specific age. Well-known examples are statues and musical chairs.
In "follow the leader" dances a designated leader makes some motions which the rest repeat, in some cases in a chain or a file. Examples are Conga line, Bunny Hop and Finnish dance Letkajenkka, a dance craze in Europe during the 1960s adapted from the Madison, Conga and Bunny Hop dances and played to a Finnish traditional folk dance song.
A mixer dance or dance mixer is a kind of participation game for partner dancers. During well-known dances - Waltz, Foxtrot, West Coast Swing etc. - at certain moments dancers change partners.
For a Listing of Dance Styles, Click Here.
Some have simple words to be sung to the music, which may act as a reminder of the steps - one example is the Hokey-cokey. Some consist of a few simple steps learned either from simple instructions given by a leader or from watching others. Examples are Electric Slide, Macarena, YMCA, and the Chicken Dance.
Participation dance games may have elimination rules that disqualify a dancer or dancers, due to lack of endurance, entering a particular part of the floor, or being of a specific age. Well-known examples are statues and musical chairs.
In "follow the leader" dances a designated leader makes some motions which the rest repeat, in some cases in a chain or a file. Examples are Conga line, Bunny Hop and Finnish dance Letkajenkka, a dance craze in Europe during the 1960s adapted from the Madison, Conga and Bunny Hop dances and played to a Finnish traditional folk dance song.
A mixer dance or dance mixer is a kind of participation game for partner dancers. During well-known dances - Waltz, Foxtrot, West Coast Swing etc. - at certain moments dancers change partners.
For a Listing of Dance Styles, Click Here.
Festivals and Holiday Celebrations
YouTube Video of the Boston Pops Symphony playing with 4th of July Fireworks over the Charles River
Pictured: LEFT: A couple celebrating Valentine’s Day; RIGHT: The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular show on the Charles River Esplanade.
A wide variety of multinational festivals and holidays are celebrated around the world, whether within particular religions, cultures, or otherwise.
Celebrations listed here are celebrated in at least two or more countries; for a list of national holidays, see List of holidays recognized in the United States.
Celebrations listed here are celebrated in at least two or more countries; for a list of national holidays, see List of holidays recognized in the United States.
Comic Books including a List of Comic books by Country
YouTube Video: The Biggest Casper the Friendly Ghost Compilation: Casper, Wendy and more! [Cartoons - HD] (Harvey Comics)
Pictured below:
LEFT: The Avengers #4 (March 1964, published by Marvel Comics), with (from left to right), the Wasp, Giant-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and (inset) the Sub-Mariner. Cover art by Jack Kirby and George Roussos:
RIGHT: Superman as depicted in "The World's Greatest Super-Heroes" (August 2005: Published by D.C. Comics). Art by Alex Ross. Courtesy of WP:NFCC#4), Fair use, Wikipedia)
A comic book or comicbook, also called comic magazine or simply comic, is a publication that consists of comic art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes.
Panels are often accompanied by brief descriptive prose and written narrative, usually dialog contained in word balloons emblematic of the comics art form.
Although comics has some origins in 18th century Japan and 1830s Europe, comic books were first popularized in the United States during the 1930s.
The first modern comic book, Famous Funnies, was released in the United States in 1933 and was a reprinting of earlier newspaper humor comic strips, which had established many of the story-telling devices used in comics.
The term comic book derives from American comic books once being a compilation of comic strips of a humorous tone; however, this practice was replaced by featuring stories of all genres, usually not humorous in tone.
Click Here to see a listing comic books, presented by country in alphabetical order).
Click on any of the following hyperlinks for amplification on the topic "comic books":
Panels are often accompanied by brief descriptive prose and written narrative, usually dialog contained in word balloons emblematic of the comics art form.
Although comics has some origins in 18th century Japan and 1830s Europe, comic books were first popularized in the United States during the 1930s.
The first modern comic book, Famous Funnies, was released in the United States in 1933 and was a reprinting of earlier newspaper humor comic strips, which had established many of the story-telling devices used in comics.
The term comic book derives from American comic books once being a compilation of comic strips of a humorous tone; however, this practice was replaced by featuring stories of all genres, usually not humorous in tone.
Click Here to see a listing comic books, presented by country in alphabetical order).
Click on any of the following hyperlinks for amplification on the topic "comic books":
The Pogo Stick
YouTube Video of Extreme Pogo Stick
Pictured: LEFT: The most advanced Pogo Stick (The V4 Vurtego); RIGHT: Medium Jumparoo BOING! Pogo Stick for Kids 60-100 Lbs. in Red or Blue
A pogo stick is a device for jumping off the ground in a standing position, through the aid of a spring, or new high performance technologies, often used as a toy, exercise equipment or extreme sports instrument.
It led to an extreme sport named extreme pogo or "Xpogo".
It consists of a pole with a handle at the top and footrests near the bottom, and a spring located somewhere along the pole. The spring joins two sections of the pole, which extends below the footpads.
The jumper places his feet on the footpads while balancing on the pole, then jumps up or down with a bending action of the knees to add or subtract energy in the spring. When the spring is at full compression or extension, the jumper is lifted by the recoil of the spring, being launched several inches or feet into the air. This process is repeated to maintain a periodic bounce.
The pogo stick can be steered by shifting one's weight off the centerline of the spring in the desired horizontal direction thus producing horizontal locomotion.
Click on any of the following blue hyperlinks to read more:
It led to an extreme sport named extreme pogo or "Xpogo".
It consists of a pole with a handle at the top and footrests near the bottom, and a spring located somewhere along the pole. The spring joins two sections of the pole, which extends below the footpads.
The jumper places his feet on the footpads while balancing on the pole, then jumps up or down with a bending action of the knees to add or subtract energy in the spring. When the spring is at full compression or extension, the jumper is lifted by the recoil of the spring, being launched several inches or feet into the air. This process is repeated to maintain a periodic bounce.
The pogo stick can be steered by shifting one's weight off the centerline of the spring in the desired horizontal direction thus producing horizontal locomotion.
Click on any of the following blue hyperlinks to read more:
- Inventors
- Popularity
- Xpogo
- See also:
- Commander Keen
- Pogo (dance)
- Pogo oscillation, a dangerous oscillation produced by rocket engines
- Powerbocking
- Space hopper, another kind of bouncing toy
The Ed Sullivan Theater
YouTube Video: Introducing The New Ed Sullivan Theater
Pictured: Ed Sullivan with
LEFT: The Beatles;
RIGHT: Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley (during rehearsals for The Ed Sullivan Show)
The Ed Sullivan Theater (alternatively, CBS Studio 50), located at 1697–1699 Broadway between West 53rd and West 54th, in the Theater District in Manhattan, is a venerable radio and television studio in New York City. The theater has been used as a venue for live and taped CBS broadcasts since 1936.
It is historically known as the home of The Ed Sullivan Show and the site of The Beatles' US debut performance. It has also housed David Letterman's tenure of CBS' Late Show from 1993 to 2015.
The theatre currently houses The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the second incarnation of the Late Show franchise. It is on the National Register of Historic Places, and the interior has been designated a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Click on any of the following blue hyperlinks for further amplification:
It is historically known as the home of The Ed Sullivan Show and the site of The Beatles' US debut performance. It has also housed David Letterman's tenure of CBS' Late Show from 1993 to 2015.
The theatre currently houses The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the second incarnation of the Late Show franchise. It is on the National Register of Historic Places, and the interior has been designated a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Click on any of the following blue hyperlinks for further amplification:
Puzzles
YouTube Video: How a 15-year-old solved a Rubik's Cube in 5.25 seconds
Pictured Clockwise, from upper Left: Rubik’s Cube, Sudoku Puzzle, a life-size Maze, Riddle Puzzle
A puzzle is a game, problem, or toy that tests a person's ingenuity or knowledge. In a puzzle, the solver is expected to put pieces together in a logical way, in order to arrive at the correct solution of the puzzle. There are different genres of puzzles, such as crossword puzzles, word-search puzzles, number puzzles, or logic puzzles.
Puzzles are often created to be a form of entertainment but they can also arise from serious mathematical or logistical problems. In such cases, their solution may be a significant contribution to mathematical research.
The 1989 edition of the Oxford English Dictionary dates the word puzzle (as a verb) to the end of the 16th century. Its first documented use (to describe a new type of game) was in a book titled The Voyage of Robert Dudley...to the West Indies, 1594–95, narrated by Capt. Wyatt, by himself, and by Abram Kendall, master (published circa 1595). The word later came to be used as a noun.
The word puzzle comes from pusle, meaning "bewilder, confound", which is a frequentive of the obsolete verb pose (from Medieval French aposer) in the sense of "perplex". The use of the word to mean "a toy contrived to test one's ingenuity" is relatively recent (within mid-19th century).
Genres:
Puzzles can be divided into categories. For example, a maze is a type of tour puzzle. Some other categories are:
Puzzle Solving:
Solutions of puzzles often require the recognition of patterns and the adherence to a particular kind of ordering. People with a high level of inductive reasoning aptitude may be better at solving such puzzles than others.
But puzzles based upon inquiry and discovery may be solved more easily by those with good deduction skills. Deductive reasoning improves with practice.
Makers of Puzzles:
Some notable creators of puzzles are:
History of Jigsaw Puzzles:
Main article: Jigsaw puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles are perhaps the most popular form of puzzle. Jigsaw puzzles were invented around 1760, when John Spilsbury, a British engraver and cartographer, mounted a map on a sheet of wood, which he then sawed around the outline of each individual country on the map. He then used the resulting pieces as an aid for the teaching of geography.
After becoming popular among the public, this kind of teaching aid remained the primary use of jigsaw puzzles until about 1820.
The largest puzzle (40,320 pieces) is made by German game company Ravensburger. The smallest puzzle ever made was created at LaserZentrum Hannover. It is only five square millimeters, the size of a dust grain.
History of other puzzles:
By the early 20th century, magazines and newspapers had found that they could increase their readership by publishing puzzle contests, beginning with crosswords and in modern days sudoku.
Organizations and events:
There are organizations and events that cater to puzzle enthusiasts, such as:
See Also:
Puzzles are often created to be a form of entertainment but they can also arise from serious mathematical or logistical problems. In such cases, their solution may be a significant contribution to mathematical research.
The 1989 edition of the Oxford English Dictionary dates the word puzzle (as a verb) to the end of the 16th century. Its first documented use (to describe a new type of game) was in a book titled The Voyage of Robert Dudley...to the West Indies, 1594–95, narrated by Capt. Wyatt, by himself, and by Abram Kendall, master (published circa 1595). The word later came to be used as a noun.
The word puzzle comes from pusle, meaning "bewilder, confound", which is a frequentive of the obsolete verb pose (from Medieval French aposer) in the sense of "perplex". The use of the word to mean "a toy contrived to test one's ingenuity" is relatively recent (within mid-19th century).
Genres:
Puzzles can be divided into categories. For example, a maze is a type of tour puzzle. Some other categories are:
- construction puzzles,
- stick puzzles,
- tiling puzzles,
- transport puzzles,
- disentanglement puzzles,
- lock puzzles,
- folding puzzles,
- combination puzzles,
- and mechanical puzzles.
- A chess problem is a puzzle that uses chess pieces on a chess board. Examples are:
- the knight's tour
- and the eight queens puzzle.
- Jigsaw puzzles.
- Lateral thinking puzzles, also called "situation puzzles"
- Mathematical puzzles include the missing square puzzle and many impossible puzzles — puzzles which have no solution, such as:
- Mechanical puzzles such as
- the Rubik's Cube
- and Soma cube
- Metapuzzles are puzzles which unite elements of other puzzles.
- Paper-and-pencil puzzles such as:
- Also the logic puzzles published by Nikoli:
- Sudoku,
- Slitherlink,
- Kakuro,
- Fillomino,
- Hashiwokakero,
- Heyawake,
- Hitori,
- Light Up,
- Masyu,
- Number Link,
- Nurikabe,
- Ripple Effect,
- Shikaku,
- and Kuromasu.
- Peg solitaire
- A puzzle box is a puzzle that can be used to hide something — jewelry, for instance.
- Rubik's Cube and other combination puzzles can be stimulating toys for children or recreational activities for adults.
- Sangaku (Japanese temple tablets with geometry puzzles)
- Sliding puzzles (also called sliding tile puzzles) such as the 15 Puzzle. Puzz-3D is a three-dimensional variant of this type.
- Sokoban
- Spot the difference
- Tangram
- Word puzzles, including
- Tabletop and digital word puzzles include
- Wheel of Fortune (U.S. game show) is a game show centered on a word puzzle.
Puzzle Solving:
Solutions of puzzles often require the recognition of patterns and the adherence to a particular kind of ordering. People with a high level of inductive reasoning aptitude may be better at solving such puzzles than others.
But puzzles based upon inquiry and discovery may be solved more easily by those with good deduction skills. Deductive reasoning improves with practice.
Makers of Puzzles:
Some notable creators of puzzles are:
- Ernö Rubik
- Sam Loyd
- Henry Dudeney
- Boris Kordemsky
- David J. Bodycombe
- Will Shortz
- Lloyd King
- Martin Gardner
- Raymond Smullyan
History of Jigsaw Puzzles:
Main article: Jigsaw puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles are perhaps the most popular form of puzzle. Jigsaw puzzles were invented around 1760, when John Spilsbury, a British engraver and cartographer, mounted a map on a sheet of wood, which he then sawed around the outline of each individual country on the map. He then used the resulting pieces as an aid for the teaching of geography.
After becoming popular among the public, this kind of teaching aid remained the primary use of jigsaw puzzles until about 1820.
The largest puzzle (40,320 pieces) is made by German game company Ravensburger. The smallest puzzle ever made was created at LaserZentrum Hannover. It is only five square millimeters, the size of a dust grain.
History of other puzzles:
By the early 20th century, magazines and newspapers had found that they could increase their readership by publishing puzzle contests, beginning with crosswords and in modern days sudoku.
Organizations and events:
There are organizations and events that cater to puzzle enthusiasts, such as:
See Also:
The Many Forms of Popular Entertainment
YouTube Video of Top 10 Funniest Music Videos by WatchMojo
Pictured: Clockwise from Upper Left: Wheel of Fortune Television game show; Exhibition Stand Entertainment; Rigging: The Backbone of Live Events; and Fun VR Tech
Entertainment is any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time, and may also provide fun, enjoyment and laughter. People may create their own entertainment, such as when they spontaneously invent a game; participate actively in an activity they find entertaining, such as when they play sport as a hobby; or consume an entertainment product passively, such as when they attend a performance.
The entertainment industry (informally known as show business or show biz) is part of the tertiary sector of the economy and includes a large number of sub-industries devoted to entertainment. However, the term is often used in the mass media to describe the mass media companies that control the distribution and manufacture of mass media entertainment.
In the popular parlance, the term show biz in particular connotes the commercially popular performing arts, especially musical theater, vaudeville, comedy, film, and music. It applies to every aspect of entertainment including cinema, television, radio, theater and music.
Click on any of the following blue hyperlinks for amplification about each form of entertainment choices below:
The entertainment industry (informally known as show business or show biz) is part of the tertiary sector of the economy and includes a large number of sub-industries devoted to entertainment. However, the term is often used in the mass media to describe the mass media companies that control the distribution and manufacture of mass media entertainment.
In the popular parlance, the term show biz in particular connotes the commercially popular performing arts, especially musical theater, vaudeville, comedy, film, and music. It applies to every aspect of entertainment including cinema, television, radio, theater and music.
Click on any of the following blue hyperlinks for amplification about each form of entertainment choices below:
- Types of entertainment
- Exhibition entertainment:
- Live entertainment:
- Mass media entertainment industry:
- Electronic entertainment:
- Music industry:
- History of entertainment
- Entertainment law
- General Entertainment:
- Acrobatics
- Aerial acts
- Animal training
- Applause
- Beauty pageant
- Celebrity
- Chinese yo-yo
- Circus
- Circus skills
- Clown
- Comedian
- Comedy
- Contact juggling
- Contemporary circus
- Contortion
- Corde lisse
- Cyr wheel
- Devil sticks
- Diabolo
- Equilibristics
- Fire breathing
- Fire eating
- Geisha
- German wheel
- Hand-to-hand balancing
- Hula hoop
- Human cannonball
- Humor
- Horse riding
- Internet humor
- Ice skating
- Impalement arts
- Juggling
- Knife throwing
- List of beauty contests
- List of persons who have won Academy, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Awards
- Magic
- Mime
- New media
- Old time radio
- Performing arts
- Plate spinning
- Radio
- Radio programming
- Rock opera
- Rodeo clown
- Roller skating
- Sex industry
- Show business
- Showstopper
- Sideshow
- Spanish web
- Stiltwalking
- Sword swallowing
- Show jumping
- Teen idol
- Tightrope walking
- Trapeze
- Unicycle
- Ventriloquism
- Notable entertainers
- See also:
Resort Capitals of the United States, featuring Las Vegas and its Las Vegas Strip
YouTube Video: 2018 Best Of Las Vegas HD Video - Shows / Restaurants / Casino
YouTube Video: Visiting Niagara Falls, NY
YouTube Video: Top 10 Ski Resorts In North America (2016) | Forbes
Pictured below: The 2018 Guide To Las Vegas
A resort town, often called a resort city or resort destination, is an urban area where tourism or vacationing is the primary component of the local culture and economy. A typical resort town has one or more actual resorts in the surrounding area. Sometimes the term resort town is used simply for a locale popular among tourists.
The term can also refer to either an incorporated or unincorporated contiguous area where the ratio of transient rooms, measured in bed units, is greater than 60% of the permanent population.
Generally, tourism is the main export in a resort town economy, with most residents of the area working in the tourism or resort industry. Shops and luxury boutiques selling locally themed souvenirs, motels, and unique restaurants often proliferate the downtown areas of a resort town.
In the case of the United States, resort towns were created around the late 1800s and early 1900s with the development of early town-making. Consistent, however, throughout many resort towns includes elements of ambitious architecture, romanticizing a location, and dependence on cheap labor.
Resort Economy:
If the resorts or tourist attractions are seasonal in nature (such as a ski resort), resort towns typically experience an on-season where the town is bustling with tourists and workers, and an off-season where the town is populated only by a small amount of local year-round residents.
In addition, resort towns are often popular with wealthy retirees and people wishing to purchase vacation homes, which typically drives up property values and the cost of living in the region. Sometimes, resort towns can become boomtowns due to the quick development of retirement and vacation-based residences.
However, most of the employment available in resort towns are typically low paying and it can be difficult for workers to afford to live the area in which they are employed. Many resort towns have spawned nearby bedroom communities where the majority of the resort workforce lives.
Resorts towns sometimes struggle with problems regarding sustainable growth, due to the seasonal nature of the economy, the dependence on a single industry, and the difficulties in retaining a stable workforce.
Click on any of the following blue hyperlinks for more about Resort Cities:
The term can also refer to either an incorporated or unincorporated contiguous area where the ratio of transient rooms, measured in bed units, is greater than 60% of the permanent population.
Generally, tourism is the main export in a resort town economy, with most residents of the area working in the tourism or resort industry. Shops and luxury boutiques selling locally themed souvenirs, motels, and unique restaurants often proliferate the downtown areas of a resort town.
In the case of the United States, resort towns were created around the late 1800s and early 1900s with the development of early town-making. Consistent, however, throughout many resort towns includes elements of ambitious architecture, romanticizing a location, and dependence on cheap labor.
Resort Economy:
If the resorts or tourist attractions are seasonal in nature (such as a ski resort), resort towns typically experience an on-season where the town is bustling with tourists and workers, and an off-season where the town is populated only by a small amount of local year-round residents.
In addition, resort towns are often popular with wealthy retirees and people wishing to purchase vacation homes, which typically drives up property values and the cost of living in the region. Sometimes, resort towns can become boomtowns due to the quick development of retirement and vacation-based residences.
However, most of the employment available in resort towns are typically low paying and it can be difficult for workers to afford to live the area in which they are employed. Many resort towns have spawned nearby bedroom communities where the majority of the resort workforce lives.
Resorts towns sometimes struggle with problems regarding sustainable growth, due to the seasonal nature of the economy, the dependence on a single industry, and the difficulties in retaining a stable workforce.
Click on any of the following blue hyperlinks for more about Resort Cities:
- Resort town economy
- Economic impact of tourism
- Governance
- Click here for examples of resort towns in the United States.
- Click on the following blue hyperlinks for more about:
Dance, including an Outline of Dance Styles
** - American Bandstand
Pictured below:
TOP (L-R): Country–western dance; Jitterbug,
BOTTOM (L-R): Ballroom Dancing; Slow Dancing
- YouTube Video: "Dancing with the Stars" (ABC) Brooke Burke & Derek Hough dancing the Jitterbug*
- YouTube Video: ONE HUNDRED line dance - Wild Country - Voghera 2017
- YouTube Video: American Bandstand 1957 & 1968 - The Stroll, The Diamonds**
** - American Bandstand
Pictured below:
TOP (L-R): Country–western dance; Jitterbug,
BOTTOM (L-R): Ballroom Dancing; Slow Dancing
Dance is a performing art form consisting of purposefully selected sequences of human movement. This movement has aesthetic and symbolic value, and is acknowledged as dance by performers and observers within a particular culture.
Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire of movements, or by its historical period or place of origin.
An important distinction is to be drawn between the contexts of theatrical and participatory dance, although these two categories are not always completely separate; both may have special functions, whether social, ceremonial, competitive, erotic, martial, or sacred/liturgical.
Other forms of human movement are sometimes said to have a dance-like quality, including martial arts, gymnastics, cheerleading, figure skating, synchronized swimming, marching bands, and many other forms of athletics.
Click on any of the following blue hyperlinks for more about Dance:
- Performance and participation
- Origins
- Dance and music
- Dance and rhythm
- Approaches to dance
- Cultural traditions
- Dance education
- Occupations
- Competitions
- Gallery
- See also:
Outline of dance
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to dance:
- Dance – human movement either used as a form of expression or presented in a social, spiritual or performance setting.
- Choreography is the art of making dances, and the person who does this is called a choreographer.
Definitions of what constitutes dance are dependent on social, cultural, aesthetic, artistic and moral constraints and range from functional movement (such as Folk dance) to codified, virtuoso techniques such as ballet. A great many dances and dance styles are performed to dance music.
Click on any of the following blue hyperlinks for more about the Outline of Dance:
- What type of thing is dance?
- Types of dance
- Geography of dance (by region)
- History of dance
- Dance technique
- Dance culture
- Dance science
- Dance organizations
- Dance-related media
- Dancers
- See also:
Dave & Buster's
- YouTube Video: Dave & Buster's Dining Experience
- YouTube Video: Dave & Buster’s | All-New Power Hour™ | All-You-Can-Play Video Games for 1 Hour ONLY $10
- YouTube Video: DAVE AND BUSTERS SECRET GAME HACKS! OVER 150,000 TICKETS!
Dave & Buster's (D&B) is an American restaurant and entertainment business headquartered in Dallas. Each Dave & Buster's has a full-service restaurant and a video arcade. As of May 2020, the company has 137 locations in the United States and Canada, with more announced to open in the near future.
The first Dave & Buster's was opened in Dallas in 1982 by David Corriveau and James "Buster" Corley. Corley had previously operated a bar called "Buster's" in Little Rock, Arkansas, next door to a saloon and game parlor called "Cash McCool's", owned by Corriveau. After opening Dave & Buster's, the two operated as co-CEOs.
In 1989, Edison Brothers Stores purchased a majority ownership in the restaurant to finance further expansion into other cities. Dave & Buster's was spun off from Edison Brothers, and went public with Andy Newman as chairman in 1995. By 1997 the chain had ten locations across the country.
D&B acquired nine Jillian's locations after Jillian's filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in 2004. Seven of these Jillian's locations were rebranded with the Dave & Buster's name, while two were closed following the acquisition. The company announced on December 8, 2005, that it would be acquired by private equity firm Wellspring Capital Management.
On July 16, 2008, Dave & Buster's Holdings Inc, filed with the SEC to again become a publicly traded company. The company had set a date for the Initial public offering IPO of October 5, 2012. However, it pulled out right before it opened.
In June 2010, Oak Hill Capital Partners, in partnership with the company's management team, completed its acquisition of Dave & Buster's from Wellspring Capital Management.
In October 2014, Dave & Buster's launched a second IPO, selling 5.88 million shares at an offering price range of $16–18. The offering raised $94 million, to be used for debt repayments. Shares are traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange using the symbol PLAY.
On March 20, 2020, Dave & Buster's temporarily closed all locations due to the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic.
Operations:
Food and drinks:
Items on the Dave & Buster's menu are offered from early lunch until late night and include pastas, burgers, steaks, seafood, chicken and desserts. The menu is frequently updated to reflect current trends and guest favorites. Some locations serve Sunday brunch. Buffets are available for special events and private parties. All D&Bs offer full bar service.
Games:
Dave & Buster's dubbed their arcade section "Million Dollar Midway" which features interactive games and simulators.
In 1997, Dave & Buster's introduced the Power Card, a declining balance card or 'debit card' that replaces traditional tokens and tickets, and is required to activate most arcade games and can be reloaded at so called "power stations". The Power Card is intended to enable customers to activate games more easily and encourage extended play of games to increase customer spending.
By replacing most coin operations, the Power Card has reduced the technical difficulties and maintenance issues associated with coin-operated equipment. In 2015, Dave & Buster's installed proximity debit card readers that allow guests to simply tap on the readers to play.
Events and sponsorships:
Dave & Buster's is a corporate sponsor of the Ultimate Fighting Championship organization. There are screening rooms for every UFC pay-per-view and episode of The Ultimate Fighter. D&B also sponsors the charity Dave Bevans' Children in the fundraising event "D&B for DB's".
Prior sponsorships include a World Wrestling Entertainment match and a 2009 tour by the rock band Bowling for Soup. The WWE match took place on the July 20, 2009, edition of WWE Raw on the USA Network. It is believed to be the first match on any WWE program to have a specific sponsor associated with it.
Dave & Buster's also sponsors postgame reports of San Jose Sharks games.
Click Here for Official Web Site.
The first Dave & Buster's was opened in Dallas in 1982 by David Corriveau and James "Buster" Corley. Corley had previously operated a bar called "Buster's" in Little Rock, Arkansas, next door to a saloon and game parlor called "Cash McCool's", owned by Corriveau. After opening Dave & Buster's, the two operated as co-CEOs.
In 1989, Edison Brothers Stores purchased a majority ownership in the restaurant to finance further expansion into other cities. Dave & Buster's was spun off from Edison Brothers, and went public with Andy Newman as chairman in 1995. By 1997 the chain had ten locations across the country.
D&B acquired nine Jillian's locations after Jillian's filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in 2004. Seven of these Jillian's locations were rebranded with the Dave & Buster's name, while two were closed following the acquisition. The company announced on December 8, 2005, that it would be acquired by private equity firm Wellspring Capital Management.
On July 16, 2008, Dave & Buster's Holdings Inc, filed with the SEC to again become a publicly traded company. The company had set a date for the Initial public offering IPO of October 5, 2012. However, it pulled out right before it opened.
In June 2010, Oak Hill Capital Partners, in partnership with the company's management team, completed its acquisition of Dave & Buster's from Wellspring Capital Management.
In October 2014, Dave & Buster's launched a second IPO, selling 5.88 million shares at an offering price range of $16–18. The offering raised $94 million, to be used for debt repayments. Shares are traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange using the symbol PLAY.
On March 20, 2020, Dave & Buster's temporarily closed all locations due to the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic.
Operations:
Food and drinks:
Items on the Dave & Buster's menu are offered from early lunch until late night and include pastas, burgers, steaks, seafood, chicken and desserts. The menu is frequently updated to reflect current trends and guest favorites. Some locations serve Sunday brunch. Buffets are available for special events and private parties. All D&Bs offer full bar service.
Games:
Dave & Buster's dubbed their arcade section "Million Dollar Midway" which features interactive games and simulators.
In 1997, Dave & Buster's introduced the Power Card, a declining balance card or 'debit card' that replaces traditional tokens and tickets, and is required to activate most arcade games and can be reloaded at so called "power stations". The Power Card is intended to enable customers to activate games more easily and encourage extended play of games to increase customer spending.
By replacing most coin operations, the Power Card has reduced the technical difficulties and maintenance issues associated with coin-operated equipment. In 2015, Dave & Buster's installed proximity debit card readers that allow guests to simply tap on the readers to play.
Events and sponsorships:
Dave & Buster's is a corporate sponsor of the Ultimate Fighting Championship organization. There are screening rooms for every UFC pay-per-view and episode of The Ultimate Fighter. D&B also sponsors the charity Dave Bevans' Children in the fundraising event "D&B for DB's".
Prior sponsorships include a World Wrestling Entertainment match and a 2009 tour by the rock band Bowling for Soup. The WWE match took place on the July 20, 2009, edition of WWE Raw on the USA Network. It is believed to be the first match on any WWE program to have a specific sponsor associated with it.
Dave & Buster's also sponsors postgame reports of San Jose Sharks games.
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