Disney was responsible for the original big screen Mary Poppins, and has now worked with Cameron Mackintosh to bring her back – and on stage. This English nanny captured the hearts of thousands of baby boomers, and is back to do the same with newer generations. Her magical and charismatic character was a joy on the big screen, but watching her live will open your eyes even more!

Mary Poppins first debuted in London in 2004. After two years of anticipation, the show finally made its way to the U.S. in November of 2006. Amsterdam Theatre, in New York, has been the home of the fabulous Mary Poppins Broadway show for over two years. Even now, over 2-years later, the show is still in great demand. This is truly the only way to understand and experience – first hand – the magical essence of the story of Mary Poppins.

The original stories, of Mary Poppins, were from a book series written, and published in the 1930’s. In 1964, Walt Disney changed the character a bit, to make her a little more charismatic, and introduced Mary Poppins to the big screen. This phenomenal musical quickly caught the attention of audiences of all ages – it is a great family story. Even today, over 40 years later, “a spoonful of sugar” and “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” are still well known lines from the musical.

Mary Poppins is known for coming to the rescue of the Banks family. The Banks’ are your family where the kids need more attention and discipline that the parents can provide. At first, the kids are a bit disappointed in having a strict nanny; however, her charm quickly turns their opinions around. By the end of the movie, the entire family has changed – for the better and is disappointed to see an end to Mary Poppins’ visit. Regardless, the combination of cast, script, and music brought this musical to life – even on the big screen.

An entire team of people – Disney, Mackintosh, Julian Fellowes, Richard Eyre, George Styles, and Anthony Drew – determined that it was time to bring this Nanny back, and give her a bit of a modern day appeal. Even though the Broadway show has a more modern feel, with some new songs, audiences are still enthralled by the story and Mary Poppins herself.

Ashley Brown is playing the role of Mary Poppins, and Gavin Lee the Part of Bert (the dad). Both actors do a phenomenal job making audiences believe that they are these characters. Other cast members – as well – have done an outstanding job pulling off the entire show. The abundance of ticket sales, and audience reviews, proves that the Broadway show – and the story – is once again a hit!

In 2008, Mary Poppins began touring London, but will end come to an end this year (2009) in April. The show has made appearances at many popular theatres such as Theatre Royal, Edinburg Playhouse, Palace Theatre, Manchester, and the Wales Millennium Center. In the U.S., they will begin touring in March of 2009 with no scheduled end date. Their touring schedule currently includes cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and St. Louis. In 2010, the production will begin touring in Holland with – again – no scheduled end date.

Even if you do not know who Mary Poppins is, this is a fascinating story that audiences of all ages will enjoy. Mary Poppins brings her magic alive right in front of you eyes. Don’t miss the chance to see this stunning performance in a city near you.

There is nothing that effects our health more than what we consume and the air we breathe. Our diet is critical to the level of energy we have and our overall moods. Our diet is also responsible for many health conditions we could face such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes and liver malfunctions.

Equally as important as the food that we eat, is the air that we breath.Upper respiratory infections, eye conditions, sinus and ear nose and throat illness can be caused by polluted air. Long term inhaling of this unclean air can cause damage to the brain, liver and kidneys and ling cancer.

Fortunately, we can take control of the quality of air we breathe with a Honeywell Air Purifier. The air in our homes can grow stale and constant. Newer homes are well built making them almost air tight and fresh air rarely comes in. An air purifier in the home will reduce contaminates to ensure that you and your family are always breathing in clean, refreshing air.

The most common type of air purifier uses a filter. There are many varieties of Honeywell Air Purifiers that all use HEPA filters and can remove 99.9% of airborne particles. The air passes through the filter which traps contaminates, and comes out clean through the other side. In order for this type of air purifier to work, the air actually has to pass directly through the filter.

Therefore,several purifiers are often required throughout the house. The honeywell air purifier types also require that the filter is regularly replaced.

A different type of air purifier is known as an ionized machine. This works under a different principle than the hepa filters. Ionized particles are sent into the air, contaminants, dust, hair etc. attach to the ionized particles and drop to the floor. To be swept or vacuumed up.An ionized purifier can cleanse a larger area, faster. The filter does not need to be cleaned or changed as often.

Which machine you choose will be a personal preference. Filter machines that suck the air through them tend to be cheaper to buy. The ionized machine is more expensive up front but costs less to run. But whichever machine you should happen to choose, you will be making a wise investment for your future health.

Every time you flush the toilet or empty the tub or sink, the water disappears. Have you ever wondered where that water goes? If you live in a large city, it probably goes to a sewage treatment center or sewer. In Canada, a quarter of the population lives in smaller communities or rural areas where such systems are not set up. For these Canadians, and many other people all over the world, a septic system is used to process and discard of wastewater. A septic tank treats the wastewater and releases the usable portion back into the ground. Septic systems are also referred to as onsite wastewater systems.

How Does a Septic Tank Work? A septic tank receives the used water created from regular household use and treats it until it is at a safe level. Then the tank returns the usable portion known as the effluent to the groundwater system

How is the Septic Tank Made? Septic tanks are watertight structures usually made from concrete, fiberglass or polyethylene. Historically, septic tanks have also bee made out of materials such as wood or steel. If you live in a very old home and you suspect it may have a steel septic tank, be mindful that rust may deposit on your tank. If this is the case, you will have to eventually replace the tank. In the event that your home has a wood septic tank, it is eventually going to rot if it is not rotting already. In this case, you will also need to replace your septic tank.

Septic tanks are generally buried underground, and its size will vary on the size and water treatment requirements of your particular home. Tanks may have one or two compartments, depending on where and when it was installed. The septic tank basically consists of a holding tank, which as aforementioned is manufactured out of concrete, fiberglass or polyethylene. The septic tank, (or holding tank) retains all the solid waste extracted from the household water waste. The septic tank is connected to a system of absorption commonly known as a leach field. The leach field then disposes of the effluent liquid (water) into the soil.

An Outline of the Septic System Below is a general outline of the main components of any septic system: – Sewer line, this is the main waste line leading from your home’s plumbing to the onsite septic system – Septic tank, usually buried underground only feet away from the house, the septic tank receives the liquid and solid waste and retains the solids in the tank. Baffles (or barriers) at the inlet and outlet of the tank slow down the flow of liquid passing through the septic tank and stop solid waste from escaping the tank. Tanks with two compartments have extra baffles and thus do an even more effective job.

- Leaching system, also referred to as a ‘drainfield,’ the leaching system is basically an absorption system. The leaching system distributes the effluent into the soil around it. There are a variety of different ways to set up a leaching system, but the most common is a series of underground perforated pipes buried in trenches with good drainage. The type of drainage system used will depend greatly on the type of soil that surrounds the property and the amount of space available for the leaching system.

Now that you have a basic understanding of the components of a septic system and how they work together, not only do you know how a septic tank is made, but also how it works. If you own a home with a septic tank you understand it a little better now and you can go on to read about how to maintain your septic system.

The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most popular teams in the NBA, next to the Boston Celtics that is. Last season, the team was devastated by a loss to the Celtics during NBA finals. The Lakers are still recovering from this loss, yet fans stay loyal. Even with this disappointment, Lakers tickets continue to sell.

The team has been shaded with drama that happens while team members are not playing the game. Luckily, this does not deter their loyal fans! Celebrities line the sidelines, but this is not why the fans follow. It’s the skill of players like Kobe Bryant that keep the fans coming back for more. One player cannot bring a team to victory that the Lakers have seen; instead, it takes the whole team. The current Lakers team consists of skilled players like Lamar Odom, Pau Gaso, Andrew Bynum, Derek Fisher, and Sasha Vujacic.

The Lakers were not always as well known or skilled. In the 1980’s, when players such as Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worth, is when the Lakers began to win big and attract attention. Pat Riley coached the team during this time, and brought them to many championship games – of which they won 5! This is when the team began to have a following.

In more recent years fans seem to be following players like Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. Coach Phil Jackson has led the team to the NBA finals multiple times since the year 2000. The Los Angeles Lakers holds the second highest number of championships in the entire NBA; second only to their rivals the Boston Celtics. They do hold one thing over their rivals; they have the longest winning streak of all NBA teams.

The Staples Center, in Hollywood, is home to the Lakers, along with other L.A. teams. The stadium has 19,000 seats, and during many home games, is sold out! Even though the team shares this stadium, it is known as their home.

Celebrities and fans are loyal to the Lakers and most have been purchasing tickets for years, and continually do so. Celebrities like Jack Nicholson, Chris Rock, Denzel Washington, Dyan Cannon and Andy Garcia are known to frequent Lakers games, if not have season tickets. The team has been named as the most valuable NBA team – by Forbes magazine – after they grossed over $560 million. This number makes the Lakers a more profitable team than the New York Knicks!

The Los Angeles Lakers has 2,905 total NBA wins and have appeared in 29 NBA finals. This puts them just short of number 1 for total wins, right next to the Boston Celtics, but they are on their way there. The team has seen a good number of MVP awards for players like Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. (This team is definitely not lacking when it comes to holding records.)

Even though Lakers tickets are becoming a bit pricey, fans still follow. Even if you are not a fan, watching this skilled team play is worth seeing at least one time in your life. If you ever have the opportunity to see a Lakers game, do it!

You should consider insurance as an investment instead of an expense. It is indeed an investment in your financial future. We work hard to build up our assets to increase our net worth. If you are successful at that, then you need insurance to protect you in case of a catastrophe which could wipe out your assets.

Although, this may sound to you like a horror story, this by far happens to more people than you can imagine. Having full insurance coverage for you and your family is the only way to protect the assets that you have worked so hard for over time. Insurance coverage, such as health insurance, car insurance, life insurance, disability insurance and homeowners insurance, can really make a difference.

It is easy for most people to understand the financial advantage of carrying auto insurance for a vehicle, or homeowners insurance to protect a home. In many cases, having a loan or a lease on these types of property will require you to keep a high amount of coverage as long as the loan is not paid off. At the loan’s maturity however, many will choose to reduce their coverage, and this is not a good idea.

Health insurance is another type of coverage that people sometimes get lackadaisical about. Most people don’t see how health insurance can possibly protect them from financial ruin, but it certainly can. Many people every year lose their homes to foreclosure or bankruptcy due to unpaid medical bills and expenses. Severe illnesses often come without warning, and can bankrupt a family very quickly with huge medical bills.

Don’t assume that just because you are young, that your health insurance coverage doesn’t matter, because it does. The idea of losing everything you own, just to save a few dollars on your health insurance expenses, seems foolish when you look at it like that. You don’t want to save a little in the long run and lose big in the end.