Today, masks have a whole new role to play. Nowadays, they are used entirely for entertainment. Birthday parties for young children have to come with the whistles, the party hats, and the many kinds of masks. And even adults are not left far behind in the case of masks. People wear masks at costume parties, particularly around Halloween, and move around pretending to be someone they are not. Masks provide us the opportunity to wander around without being recognized. Even though we are aware that we will have to go back to being ourselves the moment the party is over, there is great joy in being somebody else for a while.

Perhaps that is the reason why Halloween has become one of the most popular events in the calendar year for adults of all kinds. People today plan in advance to make heads turn at the next Halloween party. As a result, they start planning their gory and gruesome costumes quite a few months in advance. Costume shops start stocking the outfits from even before that. And which costumes are in high demand? Scary clowns, vampires, and zombies top the list.

Of course, costumes only complete part of the Halloween party picture. One cannot forget about the masks. These days, the emphasis is on finding a realistic Halloween mask — not a difficult task anymore. This is because the masks of today are made of materials like silicon. As a result today’s silicon Halloween masks seem a lot more real. For instance, the zombie Halloween masks that are available these days seem to be much scarier. The flesh appears real, and the fake blood looks much less fake. Masks have come a long way since their days on the stage. And these days, they have become a lot more popular.

Among the many kinds of contact lenses you can buy are: novelty, colored, crazy, Halloween, special effects, theatrical, costume, scary, glow in the dark, wild eyes, mirrored, black, white, and red. All correcting contact lenses must have a valid prescription from an ophthalmologist or optometrist.

With planned-replacement lenses, the doctor works out a replacement schedule tailored to the needs of each patient. Rigid gas permeable contact lenses are more durable, resistant to deposit buildup, and generally give a clearer, crisper vision. Some doctors prescribe disposables as planned-replacement lenses, which are removed, disinfected, and reused before being discarded.

Soft lenses are easier to adjust and are much more comfortable than rigid lenses, because they conform to the eye and absorb and hold water. There are differences in the water content and shape of the lens between different brands. Soft lenses have the added benefit in that soft lenses aren’t as likely as rigid lenses to pop out or get foreign material like dust underneath.

Soft contact lenses are made of soft, flexible plastics that allow for oxygen to pass through to the cornea. Rigid lenses generally give you more clear vision. There are several types of lenses including: soft contact lenses, rigid gas permeable lenses, extended wear lenses and disposables.

Rigid gas permeable lenses tend to be less expensive over the life of the lens since they last longer than soft lenses. People who have good distance vision but need help for reading can get a monovision reading lens for one eye.

Check to see if you have a health insurance plan that includes vision coverage. When you place your order make sure your lenses are available and not out of stock, because you’ll need them now. When you receive your order, if you think you’ve received an incorrect contact lens, check with your doctor or eye care professional right away; don’t accept any substitution unless your eye care professional approves it.

Before you buy online, check to see if there are any testimonials at the online supplier’s website. You can buy contact lenses from an eye doctor, on the Internet, from an optical store or a warehouse club. When you place your contact lens order, request the manufacturer’s written patient information for your contact lenses; it’ll give you important risk and benefit information as well as instructions for use.

Ask about prices at your doctor’s office when you have your eye examination, or during a follow-up visit after you get your prescription. Always ask what rebates are available. Carefully check to make sure the company gives you the exact brand you ordered, the name of the lens, the power, sphere, cylinder, if any, axis, if any, diameter base curve, and peripheral curves, if any.

Basic rule: never swap your contact lenses with anyone else. The FDA has approved extended-wear lenses for use up to seven days before removal for cleaning; but there are risks with use of extended-wear lenses even for one night. Soft extended-wear lenses bind down on the closed eye, but they are porous and allow some tears through during sleep; because they have so little form, their binding has very little effect on the shape of the eye.

Under the binding down of a rigid contact lens during sleep, the flow of tears and oxygen to the cornea is reduced; lack of oxygen leaves the eye vulnerable to infection. To be sure your eyes remain healthy you shouldn’t order lenses with a prescription that’s expired or stock up on lenses right before the prescription is about to expire; it’s much safer to be re-checked by your eye doctor. Be aware that extended-wear (overnight) contact lenses – rigid or soft – increase the risk of corneal ulcers, which are infection-caused eruptions on the cornea that can lead to blindness; symptoms include vision changes, eye redness, eye discomfort or pain, and excessive tearing.

Laser surgery and its risks can be frightening and too expensive for some people; contacts can provide a safe, comfortable and time-tested alternative. Make sure to visit a reputable eye doctor for a complete eye examination once a year, or more frequently if needed. Ordering contact lenses online has never been simpler with, and sometimes without, a credit card.

Conquering the FEAR of Networking

One of the main reasons connecting with new people at a ‘networking function’ is so tough for so many is FEAR.  We are at times paralyzed by internal questions:

What will people think when I walk across a room and approach them to start a conversation?  Will they think I am stupid, boring, pushy?  How’s my breath? 

It can be intimidating to approach someone and start a conversation.  Ralph Waldo Emerson knew the way around this universal fear, but most of all he knew the way through it: “Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain.”  

Progress Agents committed to cracking the networking code get all the butterflies in their stomach to fly in formation and then soar above their comfort zone to a new, more expansive comfort zone.  Don’t make business networking more complicated than it needs to be.  Develop strong networking skills so you can make connections without being rattled and intimidated.  The more intimidated you are by the process, the less appealing you are in the process.

Emerson’s advice will help you overcome the fear of meeting new people.  Use Nike’s formula and Just Do It!  This is important stuff!!  These new contacts may eventually become strategic partners, customers, employees, employers, or even best friends.  Remember, most people enjoy offering assistance, information, and advice.  No one is getting voted off the island at the end of the event. 

Zig Ziglar often uses a popular acronym for fear.   He says fear stands for:  False Evidence Appearing Real.   Right on, Zig.  Resist the popular notion that networking is all fake sincerity and pushy behavior.  That is just not so.

Networking is not about arm-twisting.  It is not trying to get someone to do something that does not make sense for them to do.  It is not scary old backslapping sales shenanigans.  The simple fact is, most people are cool and want to meet you.  You will not find Eeyore or Oscar the Grouch at most networking events. 

I do need to mention, though, that no matter how cool, giving, and funny you are, there are going to be some folks who just don’t get it.  They are not interested in anything or anybody, and are always bummed out.   

My quick advice is: Move on.  Do not let their flawed human thing rock you.  Really, who can honestly say they enjoy talking to a negative blowhard?  People like this expect the worst and that is exactly what they get. Somebody forgot to tell them that you create your own reality and if you expect bad stuff to happen, bad stuff happens.

You know the people I am talking about – the ones who look and act like they just ate a big steaming bowl of “ Catcher in the Rye.”  They’re irritable, easily agitated, restless types who love a good argument.  Chances are, they are not feeling too wonderful, either.  They have no personal curb appeal.

They need a little Monty Python.  They need to “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.”  Progress Agents have discovered that changing the way they look at things makes life easier in all aspects.  Think of Oscar the Grouch types as just nice people who have not yet been taught how to cope with life’s stresses and challenging moments. 

Progress Agents always set a good example for faultfinders to follow.  We adopt the “live and help prosper” philosophy, and we are not quick to make judgments.  It is vital to not take responsibility for these people or take their Holden Caulfield impression personally (Holden is the hilariously agitated protagonist and narrator of the JD Salinger novel, The Catcher in the Rye). They are probably bummed at the whole wide world.  They may have been like this for most of their lives and they are probably not going to change just because you chatted with them for five to eight minutes at a business mixer.

But most people are cool, nice, enjoyable, and are there to connect.  If they are not, they are making a far worse impression than you are.  Shrug it off.  Do not let these sad sacks curb your enthusiasm.

Have fun.  Enjoy the process.  Life is too short (for you and everyone else).

Crack the Networking CODE.

Be Progress.

Holiday trips are dandy and exciting, but when unseen scary creatures of the night hitchhike with you, the word holiday goes down the drain. Furniture flying, creepy sounds reverberating, horrific images of paranormal all around—If the whole universe decided that Halloween is your unlucky star, these are least of the things you would encounter on your trip. On the other hand, if the universe really hates your guts, your hotel experience while on a trip might just be your worse nightmare.

So before deciding on where to spend your long exotic Halloween weekend and mark up the holiday fright, read a roundup of the scariest hotels in Asia that would really make you wish you hadn’t gone out of the house this Halloween

Buma Inn (China)
The Chinese really take this paranormal stuff seriously. Anyone would when the paranormal event includes scary creatures of the night going berserk. Buma Inn in Beijing is haunted by a rampaging ghost out to take revenge. Apparently, a guest in the inn years ago was poisoned by the hotel chef. Guilt-stricken, the hotel chef consequently killed himself after the crime. The horror didn’t end there. Until now, the restless ghost of the murdered guest haunts the hotel looking for the chef who poisoned her.

The Savoy Hotel (India)
Positioned in one of India’s capital, Mussoorie, The Savoy Hotel became the inspiration of Agatha Christie’s novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. The hotel doesn’t only offer luxury, but an unwavering supply of fright, as well. Its former owner, Lady Orme, who allegedly died of poisoning, is said to be haunting the opulent hotel. This scary creature of the night was reportedly seen aimlessly wandering the halls of her former hotel.

Tambun Inn (Malaysia)
The Tambun Inn is one of the favorite hotels in Ipoh, Malaysia. Apparently, wandering tourists are not the only ones crazy about the hotel. Scary creatures of the night are said to be haunting the hotel, as well. Many accounts of ghostly events have been documented. Some of these accounts mentioned about lights turning on and off, sounds of whispers and eerie cries heard in the inn. There was also a report about a ghost of an old woman spotted within the vicinity of the inn.

Toftaholm Herrgard (Sweden)
Everybody loves a romantic story, but putting scary creatures of the night in the mix might change some people’s mind about liking them. In Sweden, a hotel named Toftaholm Hergard, a love story ala Romeo and Juliet took place between a commoner and a baron’s daughter. However, the baron had his daughter married off to someone else leaving behind her hapless lover. On the day of the wedding, the lover hanged himself from the rafters. His spirit is said to haunt Room 324 where the rafters once were.

The Nottingham Road Hotel (South Africa)
A hotel in KwaZulu-Natal is such a relaxing place that would make any guest want to stay. On the other hand, the guests aren’t the only ones convinced that it’s comforting to chill out in this hotel. A ghost of a former barmaid is still roaming the hotel moving pots around the pub, opening beer tags, and ringing the service bell. The ghost was also said to have deflated the tires of certain guests who, it turned out, are poor tippers.

This has made them very popular, and also because of the extraordinary atmosphere that they provide, they are becoming a top choice for many couples. Still, the most difficult part of having a great Halloween themed wedding is to find a beautiful and high quality Halloween wedding mask to wear on your special day. In this article, I will give you a few tips for finding a mask that suits your needs and makes you stand out and look amazing on your special day!

First of all, there is a wide variety of masks to choose from out there. Although many would think that a Halloween wedding would call for scary masks, many people prefer to make their wedding masks elegant and beautiful.

If you want a great, high quality mask, you can immediately eliminate plastic or rubber masks from your list of choices. They are hot, uncomfortable, and not good enough quality for your important event. Paper mache masks are nicer, but they can be heavy and a bit uncomfortable to wear on your wedding day.

The best Halloween wedding mask choice for you is to get a handmade mask made from a fabric mask, decorated with real feathers, trims, jewels, and appliques. Fabric masks are the best quality, they look the best, and are definitely the most comfortable, which makes them the perfect choice.

If you are having one of these popular themed weddings, choosing a high quality fabric mask is your best bet when you are deciding on your Halloween wedding masks!

The choice of which lens is right for you should be based only on an examination by your doctor or eye care professional, not over the phone. If you’ve always wanted to change your eye color, color contact lenses can provide baby blues, gorgeous greens, heavenly hazels — even various patterns and designs.

Extended wear contact lenses are used for overnight or continuous wear ranging from one to six nights or up to 30 days. There are also a few rigid gas permeable lenses that are designed and approved for overnight wear. The length of continuous lens wear depends on the lens type and your doctor’s evaluation of your tolerance for overnight wear.

Contact lenses are often more complex than they appear to be. If you plan to wear lenses for more than 18 hours for the purpose of eye color change, then buy colored soft lenses. People who have good distance vision but need help for reading can get a monovision reading lens for one eye.

Soft contact lenses are made of soft, flexible plastics that allow for oxygen to pass through to the cornea. There are several types of lenses including: soft contact lenses, rigid gas permeable lenses, extended wear lenses and disposables. Although easier to handle and less likely to tear, rigid gas permeable lenses are not as comfortable initially as soft contacts and it may take a few weeks to get used to wearing the RGPs, compared to just a few days for soft contacts.

Rigid gas permeable lenses tend to be less expensive over the life of the lens since they last longer than soft lenses. Extra-thin soft lenses are on the market for very sensitive people.

Make sure you have a current, valid prescription when you order contact lenses. Always buy from a reputable company; you can buy contact lenses without a prescription, but the company is selling you a prescription device as if it were an over-the-counter device violating FTC regulations by selling you contact lenses without having your prescription. When you receive your order, if you think you’ve received an incorrect contact lens, check with your doctor or eye care professional right away; don’t accept any substitution unless your eye care professional approves it.

When you place your order make sure your lenses are available and not out of stock, because you’ll need them now. Check to see if you have a health insurance plan that includes vision coverage. You can buy contact lenses from an eye doctor, on the Internet, from an optical store or a warehouse club.

Always ask what rebates are available. Rebates may be available from the seller, from the manufacturer, for first-time contact lens wearers and for individuals who buy lenses and get an eye exam. Get a feel for how the retailer handles customer service calls; in case you have a problem after your order arrives.

Microorganisms may be present in distilled water, so always use commercial sterile saline solutions, if you plan to use enzyme tablets in water for disinfections. Under the binding down of a rigid contact lens during sleep, the flow of tears and oxygen to the cornea is reduced; lack of oxygen leaves the eye vulnerable to infection. Extended-wear rigid lenses can cause unexpected, undesirable, reshaping of the cornea.

To be sure your eyes remain healthy you shouldn’t order lenses with a prescription that’s expired or stock up on lenses right before the prescription is about to expire; it’s much safer to be re-checked by your eye doctor. Be aware that extended-wear (overnight) contact lenses – rigid or soft – increase the risk of corneal ulcers, which are infection-caused eruptions on the cornea that can lead to blindness; symptoms include vision changes, eye redness, eye discomfort or pain, and excessive tearing. Always throw away disposable lenses after the recommended wearing period.

Make sure you’ve done your homework before you buy any pair of contact lenses. Remember to use only contact lenses that are FDA-approved and only if prescribed by a licensed eyecare professional. It’s becoming easier and easier all the time to shop online and often the shipping is free.

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