Leopold Blog

November 22, 2011
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A Fresh New Year – The Legend of the Sleeping Giants

Ancient legend foretold of a sacred time of renewal of the human spirit. The Muses of Inspiration granted a blessing on earth and created a window of time when human beings can create a fresh start. During this phase, all the mistakes, regrets, missed opportunities and errors in judgment are purged from the human memory in the primordial fires. It is a time when all fear of failure is transformed into strength of character and clarity of purpose. With proper preparation and humility we are told the human soul can make a request of the universe and our inner being: to transmute the flame of regret into the torch of dreams fulfilled and ignite the fire of burning desire in the heart of the seeker.

The legend was concealed to prevent its power from being used for less than honorable purposes and was hidden in the heart of each new being born on the earth. Each new baby is born with the spark of truth and the germ of their life’s purpose on earth. If the human pursued their heart’s desire, the spark would begin to glow and take hold and lead the seeker to success. If the human took the path of least resistance and settled for a less than glorious life, the ember would grow cold and life would be empty, no matter the achievements. There was only one magical time of year when all sparks could be renewed and unite into a glorious blaze of triumph, at the birth of the New Year.

The Legend of the Sleeping Giants

As each year of human existence passed, the flames of truth buried in the hearts of humanity grew dimmer and dimmer. The nine sister Muses, the guardians of inspiration for the human race, were saddened. Did the humans not know that their lives were meant to be a blessing, full of love and abundance? Why did they live like insects, small and insignificant; did they not remember they were Giants, with the power to manifest wonders? Could they not see how beautiful and glorious they are? Why did they choose suffering over joy? How could they create poverty over wealth? Why did they choose anger over love? Did they not know that they had the power within them to create a magical world of joy? It was as if a veil of sleep had fallen on earth and humans became the victims of life instead of the original intention, which was to be the Victor. All a human had to do was follow their heart’s desire, protect their thoughts from negativity and focus on love.

The nine sister Muses being of one mind declared a moratorium on Strife and set out to create a remedy to aid the sleeping human race. They called upon the qualities of the Ancient Ones to restore balance on earth:

They besieged Mnemosyn (Memory) to free the minds of humans from the past. With a blank slate each spirit could start anew. The Muses requested the following gifts to be bestowed on humankind.

Eros (Love) fills the heart with compassion, first for self, and with that peace comes unconditional love which flows to others.

Himerus (Desire), who lives in delight, breathes new life on the spark of truth in each heart and renews the passion for life.

Father Time granted a window in which humans could purge the past. By the stroke of midnight on December 31st each year, the past must be completed and all issues must be burned in the fires of regret for the rebirth of spirit to occur.

The Muses called on the collective strengths, wisdom and powers of the ancient Gods and Goddesses to support the humans in facing their fears, making amends and forgiving themselves.

Zelus (Emulation) granted humans the ability to recognize their gifts and qualities in others and the vision to find their mentors.

Cratos (Strength) fortified the human will with courage to face the things that must be faced for the human spirit to grow.

Eos (Dawn) promised a new beginning every 24 hours and Helious (Sun) gave warmth and encouragement. Soliel (Moon) promised rest and recuperation of the body.

Eunomia (Order) reminds humans of the first law of abundance, order in all things, for as within our hearts and mind, so is our outside world revealed.

Dike (Justice) reminds humans to forgive all debts, right all wrongs and release those who have hurt us. For as we forgive are we forgiven.

Eirene (Peace) provides the silent mind in which we can hear our inner voice guide us to our unique truth.

Charities (Graces) endows the human spirit with gentleness, so that we tread lightly on this earth and bless those we encounter.

And when the sister Muses saw the stage was set for a glorious rebirth of humanity, they made this decree:

“Every human who accepts these gifts, lets go of the past and blesses each other with forgiveness and grace will be released from the pain of their past errors. They will be granted the guidance and protection of Metis (Thought) and receive the gifts of Nike (Victory) in the year to come.”

The Muses cautioned humankind to guard their dreams from the effects of negative people and events. “Tell only one who will hold your vision as dearly as you hold it when you are nurturing the seeds of possibility. Build a fortress around your mind so only positive thoughts are entertained. The laws of the Universe govern the results. Whatever thoughts you plant will reap a harvest. Be vigilant to plant thoughts of love and positive energy to reap a harvest of abundance.” And so Calliope, the chief of all the Muses sent this blessing to earth:

“Children of the Universe, the time of renewal is upon you. By the stroke of midnight on December 31st you must complete the cycle of the past, forgive yourself and your brothers and sisters, be thankful for your blessings and stake your claim on your future.”

And with this gift received and acted upon, the embers in the hearts of humankind started to glow and burn brightly. The Muses and the heavens saw our lights burn brighter and brighter as we reached out and touched the lives of all around us. We traded our weapons for plowshares to feed each other, we shared our gifts with those less fortunate and with each life that was renewed with love, the gifts of abundance and joy filled the lives of all humankind.

May this next year bring you all the love, health, wealth, passion, happiness and fun that you deserve.

Please feel free to pass this legend on to all those that you love and admire. Together we can heal each other, one soul at a time. We would love to know how far our little story goes and who it touches, so if it touched you, please email me

For a free step-by-step guide to my New Year ritual for Awakening the Sleeping Giants, visit http://www.distinctivelydiva.com/muse.html .

November 22, 2011
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Improve Your Blowjob Techniques And Put on A Power Performance TONIGHT

We still have discussions about it even to this day. What is the one complaint that men have when it comes to receiving oral stimulation? This topic even had a few of us girls at happy hour wondering if we were actually performing perfectly or are our partners just there for the ride (we all think we are Super Duper at it). So we’ve asked a few real men in our social network (OK, so we polled the men we knew on Facebook) what would be the perfect way for a woman to perform mind-blowing fellatio. Most of the men admit as long as their partner is willing to go down they are happy, but The top complaint men had were TEETH. Do people still have problems buffering those pearly whites? Apparently so. So here’s what the fellas are saying:

Watch your teeth! Must you still be reminded? OK. Many people don’t like to have their sensitive skin scraped when they are in the throes of passion. Here’s a tip to prevent grinding against your partners magic stick. Let your mouth fill with spit (yes the wetter, the better). Pull your lips under your teeth as if you need to shave your upper lip and go down, down baby.

Offer to give head – Be warned: You must be confident to do this. Confidence is sexy. Although this may seem simple enough to do, but a lot of men still feel like they have to ask for oral pleasure. Besides, when you’re exceptional at your talents, show off! Who can turn down a great offer.

Take it to the top – The head of the penis is extremely sensitive. Use your tongue to firmly caress the entire bulbous mound. Unlike some women who prefer a gentle approach, men tend to prefer a more vigorous touch.

Juggling acts belong in the circus – Be easy on the boys (the nut sack or scrotum). The testes are very sensitive. Yes you can gently, and we cannot stress this enough, gently massage his balls, but too much and you may find your aggressive attempt at seduction leaving your partner quivering in pain.

Please keep your hands inside the ride When you have the skill to delicately massage his balls in your mouth, remember to stroke the shaft. Keep your well lubricated hands all over him.

Send a bing-bong to his ding dong. When you have him inside of your hot, wet mouth make some noise. No, not any kind of noise. Don’t worry about what your mother said about making noise while you have something in your mouth. Make that delicious sound of slurping and humming and moaning you get while you are licking and sucking. Wait, we need a break… OK, what were we talking about? Oh yeah, you want your partner into it, so you need to be into it as well. A nice hum from your mouth while performing oral sex can simulate the gentle vibration he would get from a mini vibrator.

Go for a happy ending. Put it in your mouth. Not into swallowing your partner’s load? Play with his cum in your mouth. Blow big semen filled bubbles. Or let him release himself on you. It’s like they get to see their hot naughty fluids for the first time.

BONUS: Rub it in. Go on, rub his semen on you. Using his semi erect penis, massage all of his creamy semen all over your face. This bold seductive act shows him that you love every inch of him. If you’re daring, you can even lightly tap your face if he is still leaking to get every last drop.

November 22, 2011
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Photography Poses – The Missing Ingredient

You’ve read all the “best digital camera” articles, got the best price on your first digital camera, and even glanced at its owner’s manual. Are you itching to take some shots of your family, or what?

Slow down, soldier. Before you take 200 shots that seem great at the time, but then upon review of the final picture are less than what you expected, let’s prepare. Prepare?!?! I’ll bet you thought charging the battery was the hardest part of taking great photos, didn’t you? Sorry to disappoint you, but if you want to improve your photo results 50% in 2 minutes, let’s review some basic advice of the pros.

There are two categories of GENERAL ADVICE which applies, regardless of whether you’re using a digital camera to take family portrait poses, baby pictures, pet portraits, group pictures, funny photos, or even maternity portraits. The first category is…

“Good Planning” Advice for Photography Poses

1) Prepare For The Event

Prepare for the event by thinking about every photograph you want to take and what kind of photography pose or poses you would like to capture. Consider who, where, how, and the type of environment.

2) Take Multiple Photographs

Take multiple shots of each pose (remember, digital memory is reusable, a.k.a. “free”). Regardless of what you say or do, people will blink. And don’t count on spotting small problems on the tiny camera LCD screen (even on full magnification); which leads to…

3) Check LCD Screen

Check the digital camera’s LCD screen for general framing of the picture, any movement, visibility of faces, and the histogram. Note that you can think up a fantastic photography pose; arrange everyone perfectly; and, have the photograph “frozen” (no blinking, and no shaking of the camera)…but, when you check it out in the LCD, you see 2 drunks fighting in the background! And, my favorite…

4) Funny Phrases

Have some funny phrases handy to use just before you take the photo. Don’t use it when setting up for the shot. And, don’t use the same phrase all the time. Throw in funny anecdotes, phrases, names, words that you know your family will find more amusing than “cheese.” A natural smile looks four times better than a fake one. The second category is…

“Location” Advice for Photography Poses

Taking indoor family photography, is very different than outdoor family photograph (duh!). For INDOOR pictures…

1) Wide Angle

You will tend to use the wide angle more often than your telephoto setting. Pay particular attention to your “end people” (those farthest to the right and the left in your viewfinder), and verify there is enough space in picture, so that if cropping is required, the end people don’t have to lose a limb.

2) The Flash

Flash considerations are critical. Do not be outside your “flash range.” For example, if at ISO 100, your flash can properly illuminate 12 feet, don’t attempt any photography pose that requires anyone to stand at 14 feet (unless, of course, it’s evil cousin Ira who you want to appear in darkness).

3) Plan “B”

If you need to be further away than your flash allows, here are 2 things you can try…First, increase the ISO setting (but not so much as to produce to much noise), or second, move to a significantly brighter location.

4) Watch Your Background

If there are distracting features, change your settings to blur the background (see the Techniques page). The best photography pose in the world won’t look right with a distracting background. And finally…

5) Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall

If there are mirrors or reflective surfaces in the background and you can’t find a different location, only take the picture in such a way that the flash is not perpendicularto the surface, but at an angle (unless you want a nice photo of your flash).

Outdoor family photography has completely different issues. For OUTDOOR photography…

6) The Sun

Avoid photographing in direct sunlight, or in mixed light and shade, especially faces. Optimal lighting results from a slightly overcast sky.

7) Shade

When photographing in shade, use fill-flash (see terms) when necessary. And, really finally…

Beauty

If practical, take the picture at one of the beautiful natural settings near you. Imagine the result of a creative photography pose captured in a stunning environment. Can you say: “Over the mantle!”?

To see some sample pictures including more photography tips, go to http://www.best-family-photography-tips.com/photography-pose.html.

November 22, 2011
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Fool-Proof and Effective Long Distance Relationship (LDR) Tips

Are you currently engaged in a long distance relationship (LDR)? If you are, then perhaps you’ve already encountered some ups and downs. Long distance relationships are very much different from the ordinary relationships that men and women usually have. It’s very important that you share beautiful times together but if you’re separated over an extended period, it can be difficult for both parties to adjust. In this article, you will discover some of the best long distance relationship tips that you can use in your present situation.

Step One: Ask Youself

Long distance relationship tips can be very useful if you follow them carefully. To start with, you need to answer these questions first. It would help a lot if you answer the questions truthfully and you can also write it down. Here are the questions:

What are the things that you like or love about your loved one?

When you think about your loved one, what do you feel?

What are your favorite experiences and moments together?

What are you planning to do once you’re together again?

What are the things that your loved one does that makes you happy?

You can also send these questions to your partner so that he/she can also answer them. Try to pick a schedule when you can read the answers alone and do this regularly. You can read it before going to bed or perhaps once per week; that will depend on you. If you keep on reminding yourself about the things that you miss about your loved one, you will always remain passionate and hungry about him/her despite the distance that separates you both.

Step Two: Make Time for Each Other

Make sure that when you have time to talk to each other, make it more fun. Talking over the phone is an excellent way to catch up on things. It’s typical to hear about the problems both of you encountered for the week or month but after that, you need to talk about fun things. Plan the phone call so that you can make it naughty and fun.

Step Three: W-O-R-K Equals Success

If you want the relationship to work, you must be willing to do some hard work. The fact is, a lot of relationships fail because of ‘distance’ or ‘extended separation’. However, if you’re compatible, the relationship can work. Such situation is challenging but if you feel secure and you’re happy, everything will work out just fine.

The Final Tip

The secret is communication. Among all long distance relationship tips, this is the most important. Always ensure good communication with your partner. You can send email messages; you can talk through online chat services, or on phone, like Skype. Distance should not be viewed as a rigid boundary. Talk to each other about your setup. You don’t have to talk everyday because both of you may feel suffocated. Just give each other some space and once you talk, make it worthwhile and memorable. Keep on reminding yourself with the answers to the questions above. By doing so, you can withstand the distance that separates you.

November 22, 2011
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Deciding On A Motorized Vehicle For Your Child

Are you thinking about getting your child a small, motorized vehicle? Are you wondering what your best bet is as far as which type of vehicle to get? Well there’s a few different vehicles to choose from. You’ve got motor bikes, ATV’s, scooters, go carts etc. But which one is right for your child?

When it comes to small motorized vehicles, 50cc is where it’s at. Whether it’s a motor bike, ATV, or any of the above stated vehicles, 50 is the size to go with. My personal opinion on which to choose, would have to be the ATV’s. A nice, solid ATV is always a good choice when it comes to safety, reliability etc.

I feel 50cc ATV’s are the way to go for numerous reasons. The most important reason that I strive on is the fact that they are way more safe then a motor bike. And lets be honest, it’s most likely going to come down to a dirt bike or a four wheeler. Why are they way more safe? Well lets point the obvious reason. It has 4 wheels! The odds of tipping an ATV are way less then dirt bikes. Motorized bikes involve more balance and technique to ride.

Starting your child off with a nice, 50cc ATV is most likely your best option for a motorized vehicle. I find getting kids ATVs at a young age will only benefit them for the future. A child who grew up driving ATV’s will be a heck of a lot better at driving a car. Or at least jump in one and know what they are doing a lot faster than someone who has never driven a 4 wheeled vehicle before.

So my overall opinion would have to be go with the ATV. Their the safer, more reliable bet, and could potentially benefit your child in the future. I feel every kid should grow up on some sort of motorized vehicle whether its a mini bike, ATV, go kart, etc.

November 22, 2011
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Celebrate With Butterflies – The Flying Flowers

Make your upcoming event the most memorable ever by adding butterflies to your special day. Butterfly Releases are a perfect way to celebrate all of the important occasions in life. They are wonderful additions to weddings, anniversaries, funerals, memorials, birthdays, holidays, ceremonies, and even corporate events.

Since the butterfly symbolizes new beginnings, releasing butterflies is a wonderful way to add a special touch to celebrations. There is an old Indian legend that is often read at butterfly releases as the guests make a wish and release their butterflies.

Each release will have it’s own unique memories and can become a tradition that is passed down from parent to child. Children and adults alike will marvel as the butterflies are released into the wild. Sometimes the butterflies fly right off and sometimes they linger – maybe to share a special moment with the one releasing them.

Butterflies may be released in their own individual container or they may be released from a mass release container, depending on the occasion and the design you find most appealing. Butterflies should only be released outside on a sunny or overcast day with a temperature of around 70 degrees. A release held in a warm, sunny, flower filled area is best. Nature has given us many beautiful wonders. None are more spectacular and memorable than that of the butterfly in flight. Experience the extraordinary – Release a bouquet of butterflies at your next celebration.

Contact a butterfly farmer near you, inside your state (or nearby state if there is currently no butterfly farming operation in your state), to help you coordinate your extra special occasion for an absolutely beautiful butterfly release. www.butterflybreeders.com

November 22, 2011
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How to Choose the Best Car Hire Company

When travelling to another country, one of the important things that you should look into is your transportation arrangement. You can go on a guided tour if you intend to visit tourist spots with a guide. However, if you are the adventurer type and you want to do things in random or find exciting local tourist destinations on your own, then you should book for a car hire prior to your actual travel date. This way, you no longer have to worry about your transportation when you arrive at your target destination. You can find several companies that offer car for hire but you should know which to pick especially that you have a limited way of finding out if the company is reliable. To help you get the best car hire, take a look at the following tips:

• Choose a car provider that has a wide variety of cars for you to choose from. Whether you are traveling abroad for business or for leisure, the car for hire provider should be able to provide your needs such as an elegant car when attending a business or company event while a more rugged yet reliable car if you intend to visit mountainous regions for breathtaking sites. There are cars that are suited for an individual traveler or with a partner and also cars for the whole family.

• Opt for car hire provider that can offer you cars in key cities and popular tourist destinations. This is ideal for those who intend to do a series of trips to different tourist destinations in one travel schedule. This way, you only have to contact a single car for hire provider and make a single payment for all your transportation needs in different areas.

• To ensure that you would be dealing with a reliable car service provider, check out the website. This would give you an idea or a background of the car company that you intend to hire your vehicle from. The website should be well presented and visitor-friendly and it would be better if the car hire provider is awarded for delivering quality service to its customers.

• Lastly, the cars offered by the company should be competitive in price. Visit the websites of other car for hire service providers for price comparison. You should also choose a company that accepts major credit cards and other electronic payments for convenient payment methods.

November 22, 2011
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Free Dating – The Real Cost of Free Dating

Nearly every dating site on the internet claims to offer free dating. Running a quick search on google for the phrase ‘free dating’ returns some one and half million results!

Yet is the consumer being mislead? What are the true costs of free dating?

The fact is there is rarely any such thing. Free dating often means the ability to post a profile and recieve messages from members but here the word ‘free’ stops. If a member wishes to contact other members, read messages and use additional features other than merely posting a profile they must ‘upgrade’ their account and this of course comes at a cost.

Is the consumer being mislead? In a way yes. These sites are not really offering free dating, rather the ability to post a profile – if you actually want to use the dating service, that is interact with other members then you must pay an ‘upgrade fee’.

At the same time however it is important to remember the old saying that nothing in life comes free. For the website owner running, maintaining and advertising a dating site costs money and often lots of it. Some of the top dating sites are paying nearly f0.70 per click to advertise their sites – these clicks can quickly add up and lead to spirally costs. To cover these costs they must therefore introduces some sort of subscription fee.

The alternative of course is to offer a free dating site supported by advertising. Unfortunatley the advertising revenue derived from these sites is often far below costs. The consumer ends up suffering in terms of obtrusive advertisng banners or a poor quality service.

The answer then is that there is no such thing as ‘free dating’. That is not to say however the consumer should not shop around. With a vast choice of online dating sites the consumer is in a good positon to seek out the best deal. Often they can benefit from trial free offers or some sites even offer completely free membership to a specific type of user.

November 22, 2011
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Uses for Mixtape Beats

There are all kinds of musicians in the world that have great lyrics in their head or scribbled down on a napkin somewhere by their bed. Unfortunately, those great lyrics will never find a mixtape beat to call home if the artist doesn’t locate an entire band and music studio. Well, that is it how it used to be.

In this age of internet and computer technology, lyricists can write complex lyrics to their heart’s content and never have to worry about the instrumental side of the project. That’s because it’s already taken care of by other artists and websites that specialize in making mixtape beats and rap instrumentals.

Some rap artists may need difference aspects, or genres, of rap beat to make the proper background. There are several to choose from, depending on the style of your lyrics. There are dirty south beats, east coast rap beats, and modern club beats. These three cover almost every type of mixtape beats that are available.

Why Use a Mixtape Beat?

Using a downloaded mixtape beat over creating one of your own offers several advantages. The first is speed. If you’re already got the lyrics figured out but you are in a rush to get the rest of the project completed, then buying rap beats online is the fastest way to go. Even if the lyrics haven’t been written yet, starting the project with the beat can be a very inspiring way to write new and better rhymes.

Another less obvious reason to buy online mixtape beats is because the artist may have come to a block in creating new beats. Shopping around at what others are doing, and even downloading some new material, can be inspiring. Even if the newly bought and downloaded rap beat doesn’t help produce new material as hoped, it can still be helpful. The purchased beat can be used as a background for any song that the artist writes, that is, after all, what the purchase was meant for in the first place.

Another reason a mixtape beat would be used is to shoot a video or movie scene. Many small moviemakers and producers are always on the lookout for free or cheap musical scores to add to their films. These hip-hop instrumentals have become very popular with film students and independents around the world.

Once you’ve bought the Mixtape Beats, you can use the editing equipment already downloaded in your computer to play the beats one by one while you start integrating your own lyrics, making it true hip-hop. Most computers made in the last two years will usually have some form of basic music editor built in the laptop or desktop. If not, some musical editing software can be had at local stores such as Walmart or Best-Buy and cost no more than $50 USD. With the software and more rap instrumentals available than ever before at your fingertips, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to make the most of your lyrics or film.

November 22, 2011
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Who Is The Best Dracula – Lee or Lugosi?

Count Dracula has always been one of my all time favourite movie monsters. Many actors have played Bram Stoker’s notorious blood sucker over the years, each bringing their own special personality to the part. However, of all these actors, there are two men in particular who have, for me, really stood tall above all the rest: Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee.

Much debate amongst horror fans has gone on over the years as to which of these two fine actors is the best Dracula, and I myself have been involved in such debates many times. When asked who is my own personal favourite Dracula, I have never had any hesitation whatsoever in stating my preference. But more on that later.

So let us look at what particular attributes and qualities each of these two actors brought to the role of Count Dracula, starting with the legendary Hungarian actor Bela Lugosi.

Bela Lugosi first played Dracula in Universal’s classic 1931 movie of the same name. A lot of people actually thought that Lugosi played the Count in a series of films, as Christopher Lee did, but this is actually a misconception, as apart from some stage appearances, the only other time that Lugosi reprised his Dracula role was in the 1948 horror spoof Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein. I first saw Lugosi as Dracula back in the late sixties when, as a kid, I used to stay up late to watch the Universal monster movies I grew to love so much. Although I admired his creepy voice, hypnotically and weirdly staring eyes, and the sheer menace that lurked beneath that aristocratic appearance, I never actually found myself cowering behind the couch in sheer terror. I mean, don’t get me wrong, as I did think that Lugosi was a great Dracula, and it is always his image and mannerisms which are replicated whenever anybody, whether in spoofs or in serious scenarios, does a Dracula impersonation. It’s just that, as was the case with my other favourite movie monsters, Frankenstein’s Monster and The Wolf Man, though I loved watching Lugosi as Dracula, I was never really frightened to any great extent. In a way, I suppose that’s a good thing – a healthy thing – as I have always believed that horror films should always be akin to a good ghost train ride – exciting and fun throughout, but at the end leaving no lasting mental scars as you emerge, safely, back into the real world.

Bela Lugosi, unlike Christopher Lee in the later Hammer films, was not depicted baring razor-sharp fangs. Neither did his eyes fill with blood as he bit his victims. But remember, this was 1931, when horror movies were still in their infancy and filmed in black and white, and though still quite creepy with their mist-shrouded woods and castles, the Universal movies were generally pretty tame compared to today’s gore-soaked shockers. However, there is no doubt that in his day, Lugosi’s Dracula was pretty darned creepy, and his unique portrayal of the vampire count has undoubtedly become an iconic image in horror movie history.

Christopher Lee first played Count Dracula in Hammer’s 1958 production, Dracula (released as The Horror of Dracula in the States). And – boy – did he make an impact on me! Just like the many thousands of other cinema goers back then who saw him for the first time, I was both stunned and terrified to see this awesome new British Dracula – in glorious, vibrant Technicolor – burst onto the screen. With his snarling, demonic visage, blood-red eyes and razor-sharp fangs, Lee’s Dracula was truly the stuff of nightmares to an eight-year-old kid who had never seen his like before! And I loved that cold, sepulchral voice on the rare occasions that he spoke. In fact, Lee’s Dracula was the only one that really frightened me to any great extent. Many’s the time I would watch a Hammer Dracula movie with intermittent coverings of my eyes with my fingers, each time Lee appeared on screen with all that blood in his eyes as he feasted on another helpless female victim. This would often prompt my mum to shake her head wearily and say, “I don’t know, you’ve been looking forward to his Dracula film all night, and yet when it comes on, you spend most of it with your hands over your eyes!” Yes, she did have a point, but then again, if Lee’s bloodthirsty Count hadn’t have made such a powerful impression on me, then the sheer enjoyment factor of these wonderful Hammer films would have been greatly diluted. Nowadays, of course, as a fully grown man, I no longer have a problem watching a Lee Dracula film right through, and certainly don’t shield my eyes anymore when the blood starts flowing.

Christopher Lee went on to play Dracula in six more Hammer sequels, in the last two bringing the character into modern times, and I thoroughly enjoyed every single one. I am pleased to say that I now own them all on dvd, and never get tired of watching them.

Of course, there are many horror fans who have their own personal favourite Dracula actor apart from Lee and Lugosi. For instance, Gary Oldman, who played the Count in the 1992 Francis Ford Coppola movie of the same name, has a large fan following. Max Schreck, the bald-headed actor who starred in the 1922 movie Nosferatu, is another popular Dracula. However, for me, there is nobody that can play Dracula quite like Christopher Lee. He truly was the finest – and scariest – Dracula ever.