Black is a great color to use for just about anything, from a fashion ensemble to an interior design. If you use it correctly, it can be the perfect backdrop for any other colors you want to use in life. The key to all of this is learning how to balance black with other colors so that it does not seem overbearing. Here are some tips to help you use black correctly in your life.

Pair with Contrast

Black looks great with bright and pale colors because they contrast the darkness of the color. Have you ever been in a room that was black, navy blue, dark brown, and maroon all at the same time? Probably not. If so, I can guarantee you weren’t in a photo shoot for Better Homes and Gardens. Good designers know that the way to make black shine in all its glory is to contrast it with opposing colors. If you can do this, the other colors should reduce the harsh and somewhat depressing nature of the black.

Multiply and Conquer

Try not to use the black in one specific area. Put little spurts of it all over the place so you don’t end up with a big dark spot somewhere. If you have a large black entertainment system, put black pillows on the couch to tie in the color. This is all a matter of balance.

Light the Surroundings

Use lighting wherever you can to make the black look less daunting. This may seem easy to do in a room but not so easy in an outfit. With clothing, try to pair the black with something metallic that will bounce light off it. Then you will be able to get that dark/light contrast you’re looking for.

Test out some of the theories above the next time you try to work with black, and you should end up with great results in the long run.

Hey there earth lovers! Welcome to This Amazing Planet! That sentence strikes me as kind of odd. It sounds like I’m welcoming you to the planet, like you’re some kind of extra terrestrial. If you are, then by all means, welcome! Otherwise, welcome to this blog with the title This Amazing Planet! That was a lot of exclamation points for one little introduction.

Can you tell that I’m a huge lover of this earth that we live on? That’s such an understatement. I’m literally amazed with just about every aspect of our planet. I’m in love with it’s natural beauty. I’m in awe with it’s magnetic field and the principles of physics that rule it (the Van Allen Belt is fascinating). I drool over space images earth. I melt into documentaries about our evolution. I can’t get enough information about how wonderous this place is. This place that we call our home is so filled with mystery and unanswered questions that pondering the natural world is one of those things you can do indefinitely. It’s one of my favorite musings.

I find that there’s no better place to do so than in the natural world. I love busting out into nature and getting as outdoorsy as possible. I love putting my hands in the dirt, stepping barefoot into the river, and breathing in the oxygen that makes life on this planet possible. While I’m doing all of that, I’m usually pondering the scientific laws that we use to explain the phenomena on earth.

So I’m starting this blog as a place to share my musings, photographs, travel stories and epiphanies about the beauty I come across while I wander around this planet. This summer, I’m headed out to an organic farm on the western slope in Colorado to fully immerse myself in a natural setting for awhile.  I want to plug back into nature for awhile before I take the next step in my journey. I’ll be eating nutrient dense food that elegantly evolved naturally in this world.I might take some time while I’m there to apply for scholarships in Colorado and head back to school to study this place. I hope you’ll join me and join in on the dialogue about what makes this such an amazing place.

What fascinates you about this planet?

In the last decades the 3D cinema was a real hit. Although it was considerably more expensive than normal cinema, the experience you get from attending a 3D movie is much better. Not all movies are great and all but just the feeling that you are there and witnessing everything as if it was happening before you.

Now we even have 3D TV’s. Although there isn’t one in every household, there is a tendency that this is going to be accomplished anywhere in the next 10 or 20 years at most. You will be able to watch any channel you like and feel like you are there. Of course, not all programs are going to be effective in 3D, especially documentaries where there are a lot of pictures of documents and photos of old rulers and I’m sure that you won’t feel any better viewing those in 3D rather than normal TV. But if you choose to watch Bear Grylls (I’m so sorry for him getting fired from Discovery Channel, but that’s another story) and his episodes of survival, I’m sure that you’re going to feel as if you’re a companion of his. Well, yeah, the special TV might not be the only thing that is required to plunge in the atmosphere of the program. Sound is also a very important part of the experience. Though there are sound systems that cost over $10,000 and are extremely close to reproducing songs as if they were played live, they still can’t give you the feeling that you’re at a rock concert or at the opera hall. This is one thing that requires improvement if we want to totally write cinemas off.

The reason why people won’t get 3D TV’s that soon is that they either don’t have the money to buy one or because they think that this greatness talk is just a lot of gibberish and is exaggerated. Though one might say that these televisions are not that expensive, they do require some financial effort if you are to have one in your living room. The next thing is that modern 3-D televisions use a special kind of glasses and if you have some friends over to watch a movie and you don’t have enough glasses to hand out then you might have to spend as much as $30 or $40 per pair. We all know that you won’t have friends coming over every night and this might not be such a good investment. Unless you have a big family and lots of kids who invite friends of their own you shouldn’t get extra glasses (you usually get 3-4 pairs for free with the TV set).

The other people don’t get such a TV set because they think that this is all a product of over propaganda and not of such a great effect. Young people are the ones that are mainly mesmerized by the fact of seeing things in 3D as if you’re actually there and since young people don’t earn that much and they don’t get easy scholarships which they can spend on such gadgets. I personally think that it’s really great. There is much yet to come and I think that in 200 or even 300 years there are only going to be 5D cinemas with real world effects.

For the most part, people assume that women always make less money than men, just like Caucasians supposedly make more money than African Americans. This is true in some professions, but I don’t think it is a fair statement across the board. As far as I can see, we have moved past the point of men getting paid more money just for being men. I think now it is a matter of men dominating certain fields more than others. To put this to the test, I did a survey of some salary rates in various careers across the job market. The results were relatively surprising. Here is a look at the careers I researched, with stats coming from PayScale.com.

Gender Based CIA Agent Salaries

A CIA agent is someone who monitors the communications coming into a country to ensure public safety at all times. This person is in charge of picking up on threats that may come about. Here is a chart that shows how salaries vary by gender in this profession:

• Men: $50,250 – $116,843 per year
• Women: $59,141 – $99,031 per year

Gender Based Human Resource Manager Salaries

A human resource manager is a man or women that hires, trains, and fires employees for a company. He or she must establish a team of people that will keep the company working productively. Here is a chart that shows how salaries vary by gender in this profession:

• Men: $49,328 – $80,351 per year
• Women: $45,920 – $70,155 per year

Gender Based Police Officer Salaries

Police officers are in charge of maintaining public safety and ensuring that people follow the law in their communities. Here is a chart that shows how salaries vary by gender in this profession:

• Men: $37,000 – $65,000 per year
• Women: $36,000 – $57,000 per year

Gender Based FBI Agent Salaries

An FBI agent is responsible for conducting federal investigations on criminals, gangs, businesses, and government agents. He or she must go through extensive training to make this happen. Here is a chart that shows how salaries vary by gender in this profession:

• Men: $50,471 – $107,903 per year
• Women: $42,118 – $61,958 per year

Gender Based Corrections Officer Salaries

Corrections officers make sure that the inmates in a detention center remain calm and undisruptive at all times. Here is a chart that shows how salaries vary by gender in this profession:

• Men: $29,881 – $49,025 per year
• Women: $27,452 – $36,001 per year

Gender Based Court Reporter Salaries

Court reporters take notes in a court case so that people can refer to them in the future. Here is a chart that shows how salaries vary by gender in this profession:

• Men: $35,294 – $81,389 per year
• Women: $35,493 – $69,977 per year

Gender Based Marketing Coordinator Salaries

Marketing coordinators take on most of the small roles in advertising agencies, like scheduling or answering phone calls. Here is a chart that shows how salaries vary by gender in this profession:

• Men: $32,258 – $44,672 per year
• Women: $33,540 – $44,942 per year

Gender Based Executive Assistant Salaries

Executive assistants are administrative assistants that work at a higher level, usually under the president or vice president of a company. Here is a chart that shows how salaries vary by gender in this profession:

• Men: $35,415 – $53,119 per year
• Women: $38,474 – $56,287 per year

Gender Based Nurse Practitioner Salaries

Nurse practitioners are nurses that have gone through a graduate degree program. These men and women can take on many of the same duties that doctors do in a place of work. Here is a chart that shows how salaries vary by gender in this profession:

• Men: $72,496 – $96,881
• Women: $68,870 – $85,802

Gender Based Certified Public Accountant Salaries

CPAs work with individuals and businesses to get their finances on track. These men and women often work on taxes, payroll, budget management, etc. Here is a chart that shows how salaries vary by gender in this profession:

• Men: $47,735 – $71,265 per year
• Women: $46,949 – $68,012 per year

Gender Based Paralegal Salaries

Paralegals work under lawyers and judges to make sure they get through their day to day work smoothly. Most people in this profession are women, but there are some men that do this to become attorneys in the future. Here is a chart that shows how salaries vary by gender in this profession:

• Men: $34,011 – $53,832 per year
• Women: $34,893 – $51,827 per year

Gender Based Office Manager Salaries

An office manager is in charge of the staff and the general activity of a business, like a retail store or a construction company. Here is a chart that shows how salaries vary by gender in this profession:

• Men: $34,191 – $53,432 per year
• Women: $33,261 – $50,135 per year

Gender Based Cardiac Nurse Salaries

A cardiac nurse is a man or woman that specializes in nursing for heart patients. This woman works alongside cardiac doctors. Here is a chart that shows how salaries vary by gender in this profession:

• Men: $72,768 – $99,500 per year
• Women: $76,760 – $95,647 per year

So, do men really make more money than women? In some cases, yes. That all depends on the job and the circumstances surrounding it though. You cannot make a general statement about the job market anymore. There are too many factors to think about. As long as you make an effort to get the best paying job possible in your line of work, you should be set for the future.