ER(Emergency Room) Seasons 1-15 DVD Boxset

ER follows the medical personnel and patients in the emergency room of Chicago's fictional County General Hospital. Created by best-selling author Michael Crichton ("Jurassic Park") and produced by John Wells ("The West Wing"), Christopher Chulack ("Third Watch"), David Zabel ("JAG"), and R. Scott Gemmill ("Jonny Zero"), the Emmy Award-winning series has completed fourteen seasons as one of television's highest-rated dramas. The doctors and nurses of County's ER confront the daily challenges of a busy urban hospital, including overcrowded waiting rooms, staffing shortages, and the impact of life-and-death decisions. While they teach the next generation of doctors, each must tackle the demands of their personal lives, at times unsuccessfully

Buydvdhere is derived from our ‘Power Sell’ shop from ebay, since ebay has more limitations and more fees we decided to launch our own web site, the dbuydvdhere has steadily grown as we’ve cut the middleman between Manufactories and Buyers based on honesty.Since our launch of the website,our goal has remained the same: to let more people enjoy more great episodes at lower cost, to deliver the unforgettable shopping experience for our customers.
www.buydvdhere.com focus on DVD business for almost 10 years, We provide large range of DVDS, TV series in competitive price and high quality.our price is lower than the market,you can sell the dvd in your own country, we support a lot of DVDS, Here's some of the hottest selling items. We have hundreds more of items that haven't been added to the catalog but we are working very hard at it. If you have a title that you don't see here please tell us immediately. We sure have it.
Why choosing buydvdhere?
1 Deal directly with the manufactures, much cheaper than those on Ebay
2 We sell official products only and no bootlegs!
3.Buydvdhere will be a not bad choice for you to enjoy them by yourself, present them to your friends, sell them out or dropship(dropshipping)
them to your clients.
Welcome to our site: www.buydvdhere.com to leave a message!
Product List:
1.Scrubs Seasons 1-8 DVD Boxset http://www.buydvdhere.com/scrubs-seasons-18-dvd-boxset-p ... $46.21
2.HOUSE DVD Boxset http://www.buydvdhere.com/house-md-seasons-15-dvd-boxset ... $49.07
3.Cold Case DVD Boxset http://www.buydvdhere.com/cold-case-seasons-16-dvd-boxse ... $54.99
4.Gilmore Girls DVD http://www.buydvdhere.com/gilmore-girls-seasons-17-dvd-boxset-p-1901.html $45.21
5.Doctor Who DVD http://www.buydvdhere.com/doctor-who-seasons-14-dvd-boxset-p-2204.html $41.23
6.Grey's Anatomy DVD http://www.buydvdhere.com/greys-anatomy-seasons-15-dvd-boxset-p-2701.html $39.99
7.That 70s Show DVD http://www.buydvdhere.com/that-70s-show-seasons-18-dvd-boxset-p-2684.html $41.23
8.One Tree Hill DVD http://www.buydvdhere.com/one-tree-hill-the-seasons-16-dvd-boxset-p-2725.html $41.23
9.Navy NCIS DVD http://www.buydvdhere.com/navy-ncis-seasons-16-boxset-p-2651.html $45.21
10.Boston Legal DVD http://www.buydvdhere.com/boston-legal-seasons-15-dvd-boxset-p-1869.html $45.02
11.Star Trek Voyager DVD http://www.buydvdhere.com/star-trek-voyager-seasons-17-boxset-p-1952.html $47.07
12.FRIENDS DVD http://www.buydvdhere.com/friends-seasons-110-dvd-boxset-p-2218.html $59.21
13.Prison Break DVD http://www.buydvdhere.com/prison-break-seasons-14-dvd-boxset-p-1893.html $45.23
14.Walt Disney's 100 Years Of Magic DVD http://www.buydvdhere.com/walt-disneys-100-years-of-magic-dvd-boxset-132-dvds-p-1920.html $115.07
15.The Simpsons DVD http://www.buydvdhere.com/the-simpsons-seasons-120-dvd-boxset-p-1998.html $105.07
16.South Park DVD http://www.buydvdhere.com/south-park-complete-seasons-113-dvd-boxset-p-2197.html $52.07
17.P90X 13DVD http://www.buydvdhere.com/p90x-13dvd1nutrition-plan1fitness-guide1quickstart-guide1workout-p-2428.html $39.07
18.LOST DVD http://www.buydvdhere.com/lost-seasons-15-dvd-boxset-p-2716.html $49.07
19.Criminal Minds DVD http://www.buydvdhere.com/criminal-minds-seasons-14-dvd-boxset-p-2692.html $43.07
20.Two And A Half Men DVD http://www.buydvdhere.com/house-md-seasons-15-dvd-boxset-p-2274.html $47.21
21.Curb Your Enthusiasm Seasons 1-7 DVD Boxset US$42.07 http://www.buydvdhere.com/curb-your-enthusiasm-seasons-17-dvd-boxset-p-2090.html
22.The Apprentice Seasons 1-8 DVD Boxset US$69.07
http://www.buydvdhere.com/the-apprentice-seasons-18-dvd-boxset-p-2806.html
23.Buffy The Vampire Slayer Seasons 1-7 DVD Boxset US$49.07
http://www.buydvdhere.com/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-seasons-17-dvd-boxset-p-2212.html
24.Ghost Whisperer Seasons 1-4 DVD Boxset US$41.07
http://www.buydvdhere.com/ghost-whisperer-seasons-14-dvd-boxset-p-2278.html
25.True Blood Seasons 1-2 DVD Boxset US$29.99
http://www.buydvdhere.com/true-blood-seasons-12-dvd-boxset-p-2758.html
26.Mash Seasons 1-11 DVD Boxset US$45.07
http://www.buydvdhere.com/mash-seasons-111-dvd-boxset-p-2174.html
27.Insanity 60 day workout DVD US$39.23
http://www.buydvdhere.com/insanity-60-day-workout-dvd-p-2770.html
28.Weeds Seasons 1-5 DVD Boxset US$38.07
http://www.buydvdhere.com/weeds-seasons-15-dvd-boxset-p-2773.html
29.America's Next Top Model Seasons 1-13 DVD Boxset US$64.07
http://www.buydvdhere.com/americas-next-top-model-seasons-113-dvd-boxset-p-2647.html
30.ER(Emergency Room) Seasons 1-15 DVD Boxset US$95.07
http://www.buydvdhere.com/eremergency-room-seasons-115-dvd-boxset-p-1934.html

Expelled The Movie - Ben Stein Exposes Flat World Academics By Rev Michael Bresciani

No movie review in history as far as I know starts with instructions about how to watch the film. Expelled is a documentary and contains hundreds of interviews and deep conversations with some of the most highly regarded minds of the time. It has a rhythm and a depth that requires full attention and you may want to forgo the popcorn, soda and other distractions.

You will also discover something radically different about this film from the audience reaction. It has been reported that people applaud sometimes throughout the film and in some theatres it ends with audiences rising to give it a standing ovation.

I found myself applauding along with other theatre patrons when I saw the film. It was proof solid for me that while Americans are being asked to get the nonsense of religion out of their heads the idea of an omnipotent creator God is still firmly planted in their hearts.

Frivolous lawsuits are being thrown at the producers of the film from animation companies and John Lennon widow Yoko Ono. Neither suit seems to have any foundation but the flak from every academic quarter is ample proof that a nerve has been touched. Is the film fair, is it reasonable, and is it intelligent? Not only is the answer yes, yes and yes but the film is yet something much more, something rarely found in a documentary. It is emotionally charged.

Ben Stein is marvelous in the film. Known more as a comedian he doesn’t poke fun at anyone and rarely resorts to humor throughout the documentary. It is clear from the outset that he is not arguing or contending with others views but only imploring them to seriously ponder their own unquestioned assertions. He does this with a straight face and the fewest words possible. The result is obvious; these questions are no joke.

Near the end Stein is found quietly standing alone with his own thoughts in the middle of a holocaust museum. His thoughts are narrated in the background and they are perhaps the most profound moments of the film. Stein has conducted himself discreetly and some might say masterfully throughout the documentary so at the films conclusion nothing is lost.

The heart of the movie is easy to see. Academics have for a generation now fed us the idea that the big bang theory and the subsequent lightning hitting the primordial ooze is the only way to go when it comes to the question of how life began.

The rapid rise in intelligence in this generation has caused completely unforeseen phenomena that academicians are not prepared for. It is not just faith in God that makes the question bubble to the surface but our own enlarged understanding of the complexities and vast intricacies of our own universe. The admonition to question all authority that academics so blithely espoused to young minds a generation ago has returned to bite them on the butt. It is the intelligent that are questioning the not so intelligent refusal of the intelligencia to give some credence to intelligent design; not doing so is just dumb.

This generation understands that when science leaves the area of repeatable and observable phenomena and relies on speculation and ‘prior philosophic postulation’ to explain the origins of life they have entered the realm of faith. Physical evidence for evolution remains spurious, sparse and suspect at best so speculation is all that is left to explain what took place four hundred million years ago. The evolution crowd has been thumping “The Origins of Species” with evangelistic fervor that makes the best Bible preachers look tame by comparison. This is what Expelled is about.

The implacability of the evolutionists is compared to the Berlin wall throughout the film. Nazism and communism are also alluded to for the most obvious reasons. A party line must be held and enforced for any kind of fascism to have a reasonable chance to survive. The cost of fascism has always been the loss of freedom. Expelled centers in on this by likening the refusal to include the possibility of intelligent design to incarcerating intelligence not furthering it.

Expelled hones in on the loss of academic freedom, jobs, tenure and respect for many of those interviewed in the film but it also provokes the larger question of the number of young minds lost to this generation because of what is fast becoming rigid Darwinian dogma. Move over inquisitors here come the evolutionists!

One of the highlights of Expelled is the interview with famed atheist Richard Dawkins. It may be the only time you will ever see Dawkins visibly perturbed and almost at a loss for words. Ben Stein managed to pull what might even be considered an admission from Dawkins that some intelligent designer may have created everything but that he, she or it would have to have evolved first. The double talk aside it is a moment well worth the ticket price alone.

Most movies are rated on a scale of one to five or in some cases a scale of one to ten. I will not rate this movie at all. What I will do is rate the ‘must see’ element of the documentary. Whether you are an evolutionist or a believer of “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Gen 1:1) if you consider yourself even nominally intelligent the must see factor for Expelled on a scale of one to ten is twenty.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=251953&ca=Entertainment

The Record Ranch - New Online Venue to Cater to Music Lovers By Robert Benson

The global economy is in shambles. Ask people involved in the music industry and they’ll probably tell you that their industry has likewise been affected. But there is a bright spot: the renewed interest in vinyl records.

Taking advantage of this vinyl revival is eBay veteran Chris Celeste. He believes that eBay should not be the only major online marketplace where people can go to sell records. In fact, utilizing his years of online experience, his experience working in a ‘mom and pop’ record store in the 90’s and his entrepreneurial drive, Celeste has decided to launch his own online auction site: www.TheRecordRanch.com

The goal of the Record Ranch is to have an auction web site that will serve record and music collectors better than any current site and give music buyers and sellers a safe, trusted and reasonably-priced place to do business. Although the Record Ranch could never replace your neighborhood record store, what it can do is cultivate a friendly, vibrant venue that is driven by both knowledgeable sellers and music fans worldwide.

I spoke with web site owner Chris Celeste about his new site and what consumers can expect from the Record Ranch:

Tell me more about the decision to create the site.

“The seeds for a music-only niche auction site were planted a few years back,” said Chris. “I was quite turned off after participating in some music category restructuring discussions with eBay. I guess I naively assumed that the people that managed the categories had some expertise in their respective categories. From then on, I envisioned a site that served collectors and sellers of just music items; sort of a DIY, by collectors-for-collectors type of concept. Fast forward five-plus years and countless ill-researched site ‘tweaks’ at eBay later; it was clear that the time was right to finally take the plunge. Luckily I have a few guys in my corner that have really helped out.”

How many people are involved in the site (do you have partners)?

“There are essentially three. It's me, a web developer and a designer. All three of us have been music junkies forever. The other two play in bands and are also great at their trades. It works quite well.”

Obviously you love vinyl, but what is it about records that make them your format of choice?

“For me, vinyl equals great memories and great sound. I grew up in a household full of records. I remember the record covers of my youth like it was yesterday. When I was old enough, it seemed logical to fill my house full of them too. I have a ton of CDs too, but it's not the same. They're digitized and they collect dust. Vinyl is just a better experience all around,” explained Chris.

You are now in direct competition with eBay; -what will make your site different than this retail giant?

“Well, for starters, The Record Ranch is a manageable venue,” suggested Chris. “EBay is not a manageable venue at this point and compulsive buyers and sellers of music suffer. Quality buyers and sellers are leaving or have left. Their (eBay’s) solutions to issues are never logical, and it's obvious that the folks managing the site have never bought or sold (or shipped) anything collectible in their lives. Did I mention categories yet? While The Record Ranch's format is quite similar to eBay, the way the site is run is much different. Having people running the site who know their trade is obviously a good thing, especially when addressing buyers' and sellers' concerns.”

“The Record Ranch's format is very similar to eBay, but finely tuned to the needs of music collectors. The pricing structure makes it a more affordable venue, especially for casual music sellers who can't qualify for eBay's Power Seller discounts. Basic listings are free. Enhancements such as subtitles and featured space on the home page can be purchased to spice up listings. Sellers also have the option to open a store free of charge. The final value fees are 4% for sold items up to $100, 3% for sold items between $100 and $200 and 2% for sold items over $200. Sellers may choose to accept payment via diverse methods, including Google Checkout, PayPal and checks/money orders.”

“The Record Ranch is made up of “rooms.” There's a CD Room, a 78s Room and so on. Each room's genre subcategories were created with the obsessive fan/collector in mind. For example, if you're a collector of rockabilly 78s, there is a rockabilly subcategory in The 78s Room. This ensures collectors of a certain specific genre of music will find exactly what they're looking for much more quickly.”

Where do you see vinyl in, let's say, ten years from now?

“I think it'll be the same in 10 years as it is now or where it was 10 years ago. Digital media will change and evolve and its proponents will proclaim the death of vinyl once more, only for vinyl to survive and flourish.”

When did you start collecting (I assume you are a collector) and do you have a special stash for personal use (meaning records you would never sell)?

“I guess I realized that I had the collector bug in me in high school when I was the guy who wasn't OK with lending out records. I adopted the 'I'll be happy to tape it for you' mantra back then. As for a special stash, it goes in waves I guess. I've definitely parted with records and regretted it years later. I guess there are some records I've kept for years that aren't exactly rare, but hold special meaning for me. I guess that would be my special stash.”

As a record collector, I am excited to find a new alternative in which to buy records for my collection. Creating a ‘mom and pop’ online venue is just what the record collecting community needs. Let’s hope that the corporate giants in the field welcome this newcomer, because I am sure many vinyl record buyers and sellers will.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=315787&ca=Entertainment

The Record Ranch - New Online Venue to Cater to Music Lovers By Robert Benson

The global economy is in shambles. Ask people involved in the music industry and they’ll probably tell you that their industry has likewise been affected. But there is a bright spot: the renewed interest in vinyl records.

Taking advantage of this vinyl revival is eBay veteran Chris Celeste. He believes that eBay should not be the only major online marketplace where people can go to sell records. In fact, utilizing his years of online experience, his experience working in a ‘mom and pop’ record store in the 90’s and his entrepreneurial drive, Celeste has decided to launch his own online auction site: www.TheRecordRanch.com

The goal of the Record Ranch is to have an auction web site that will serve record and music collectors better than any current site and give music buyers and sellers a safe, trusted and reasonably-priced place to do business. Although the Record Ranch could never replace your neighborhood record store, what it can do is cultivate a friendly, vibrant venue that is driven by both knowledgeable sellers and music fans worldwide.

I spoke with web site owner Chris Celeste about his new site and what consumers can expect from the Record Ranch:

Tell me more about the decision to create the site.

“The seeds for a music-only niche auction site were planted a few years back,” said Chris. “I was quite turned off after participating in some music category restructuring discussions with eBay. I guess I naively assumed that the people that managed the categories had some expertise in their respective categories. From then on, I envisioned a site that served collectors and sellers of just music items; sort of a DIY, by collectors-for-collectors type of concept. Fast forward five-plus years and countless ill-researched site ‘tweaks’ at eBay later; it was clear that the time was right to finally take the plunge. Luckily I have a few guys in my corner that have really helped out.”

How many people are involved in the site (do you have partners)?

“There are essentially three. It's me, a web developer and a designer. All three of us have been music junkies forever. The other two play in bands and are also great at their trades. It works quite well.”

Obviously you love vinyl, but what is it about records that make them your format of choice?

“For me, vinyl equals great memories and great sound. I grew up in a household full of records. I remember the record covers of my youth like it was yesterday. When I was old enough, it seemed logical to fill my house full of them too. I have a ton of CDs too, but it's not the same. They're digitized and they collect dust. Vinyl is just a better experience all around,” explained Chris.

You are now in direct competition with eBay; -what will make your site different than this retail giant?

“Well, for starters, The Record Ranch is a manageable venue,” suggested Chris. “EBay is not a manageable venue at this point and compulsive buyers and sellers of music suffer. Quality buyers and sellers are leaving or have left. Their (eBay’s) solutions to issues are never logical, and it's obvious that the folks managing the site have never bought or sold (or shipped) anything collectible in their lives. Did I mention categories yet? While The Record Ranch's format is quite similar to eBay, the way the site is run is much different. Having people running the site who know their trade is obviously a good thing, especially when addressing buyers' and sellers' concerns.”

“The Record Ranch's format is very similar to eBay, but finely tuned to the needs of music collectors. The pricing structure makes it a more affordable venue, especially for casual music sellers who can't qualify for eBay's Power Seller discounts. Basic listings are free. Enhancements such as subtitles and featured space on the home page can be purchased to spice up listings. Sellers also have the option to open a store free of charge. The final value fees are 4% for sold items up to $100, 3% for sold items between $100 and $200 and 2% for sold items over $200. Sellers may choose to accept payment via diverse methods, including Google Checkout, PayPal and checks/money orders.”

“The Record Ranch is made up of “rooms.” There's a CD Room, a 78s Room and so on. Each room's genre subcategories were created with the obsessive fan/collector in mind. For example, if you're a collector of rockabilly 78s, there is a rockabilly subcategory in The 78s Room. This ensures collectors of a certain specific genre of music will find exactly what they're looking for much more quickly.”

Where do you see vinyl in, let's say, ten years from now?

“I think it'll be the same in 10 years as it is now or where it was 10 years ago. Digital media will change and evolve and its proponents will proclaim the death of vinyl once more, only for vinyl to survive and flourish.”

When did you start collecting (I assume you are a collector) and do you have a special stash for personal use (meaning records you would never sell)?

“I guess I realized that I had the collector bug in me in high school when I was the guy who wasn't OK with lending out records. I adopted the 'I'll be happy to tape it for you' mantra back then. As for a special stash, it goes in waves I guess. I've definitely parted with records and regretted it years later. I guess there are some records I've kept for years that aren't exactly rare, but hold special meaning for me. I guess that would be my special stash.”

As a record collector, I am excited to find a new alternative in which to buy records for my collection. Creating a ‘mom and pop’ online venue is just what the record collecting community needs. Let’s hope that the corporate giants in the field welcome this newcomer, because I am sure many vinyl record buyers and sellers will.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=315787&ca=Entertainment

Useful Halo 3 Equipments By Edwin A Steven

There are many types of equipments available in Halo 3. Some of the equipments are used for defense while others are for inflicting damages on the Covenant troops. The equipments are scattered throughout the missions.

The Bubble Shield when dropped will generate a dome-shaped force field around the player. It can protect anyone inside the Bubble Shield by preventing gunfire from penetrating the shield. However, anyone including the enemies can just walk through it. Grenades except the Spike grenades, just bounces off the shield. The shield will fade after about 30 seconds or when it suffers high amount of damage. The shield can be deactivated immediately by destroying the device. You can use the Bubble Shield when you suddenly find yourself under fierce gunfire.

The Portable Gravity Lift when activated will generate a force field, which will propel upwards, anyone who steps on it. It is great for reaching high perches or scaling walls. You can use the Gravity Lift to jump to a higher ground to escape from a pursuing Chieftain. You need it to jump up to a high platform to get the Cowbell Skull in The Ark mission.

Another useful equipment is the Cloaking device. With this device, you can be invisible for around twelve seconds. It is great when you are facing weapon-wielding enemies in a narrow walkway or trying to get out of a tight spot. It is best to move quickly away after activating the Cloaking device. You can still melee and toss grenades without being visible, but firing your weapons will affect your visibility.

The Invincibility device is another equipment to get out of tight situations. Once activated, you will be impervious for ten seconds, to all forms of attack including a strike from a Gravity Hammer. However, falling from a great height will still kill you.

The Power Drain is another useful equipment when you want to disable vehicles. Tossing it in the direction of a vehicle can temporarily stop the vehicle. Toss the Power Drain into a group of Brutes to soften them up, and then followed by grenades or a volley of shoots.

The Trip Mines, which are laid on the ground, will explode with a big blast if the enemies step on it. You can also shoot at it when the enemies are near to the Trip Mines. The mines are most effective when placed on a narrow corridor or doorway, where it is impossible to avoid.

The Auto Turret is only found in the last mission. When activated, it can automatically fire lasers at the enemies. It can be used to prevent the enemies from attacking you from a specific direction, while you take care off the enemies in the other direction.

The Flare is not so useful. It is used to emit a bright light to cause a temporary distraction. However, if you activate the Flare, you will also be affected - causing you to be temporarily blind, as well.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=250473&ca=Entertainment

Halo 3 Tips: Halo 3 Weapon Systems By Sean Hinsinger

Grenades: Some people are unaware that when your running forward and throw a nade, that it goes further than if your standing still or running backwards. So the grenades have a momentum behind them, if your running backwards you have to aim higher if you want them to go far at all. It's a good habit to throw random nades, what I mean by this is throw nades where you think an opponent may be although you cannot see him, or if you see an opponent running behind a wall and you can throw an anticipation nade. A good way to interpret what i mean is to say it in steps: 1. get a visual of your opponent(s) 2. Throw a grenade where your opponent could be in the next 3-5 seconds. 3. If you have trouble doing this accurately, practice in a custom game with your teammates. At the start of a match, random nades can help you to get control of certain areas of the map. Your enemies won't run over the frag grenades unless they can't avoid them, practice timing your grenades from the beginning of your matches.

Battle Rifle: This paragrpah will explain how to use the BR and avoid being out BR'ed. When in a BR battle, jumping between shots can cause your opponent to miss a Shot depending on the angle and the elevation. So if your shooting at your opponent who is exchanging the same amount of shots as you, after the 2nd shot jump and using the left thumbstick, hold left or right. You don't want to just jump straight up in the air, that would make it easier for your opponent to shoot you. Adjusting to the host is probably the hardest thing to do, because with it being different every game the delay can change drastically. Like when your shooting someone and from your point of view, the shots are registering, meaning they look like their doing damage but in reality they are not. Some players become confused and think theyre just missing, when on a local connection the shots would actually hit and be effective. So don't think that your not a good shooter just of the 'host' factor. Yes host has a big advantage over everyone else, alot of people don't realize it, but the host in a halo 3 game can get away with alot more than he or she would not hosting. You also have to 'lead' your shot, meaning if your opponent is moving eastward on your screen, you have to put your aimer slightly in front of the direction he's running, so on the right side of his head, almost like your shooting in front of him and he's running into the bullets. REMEMBER NOT ONLY TO JUMP in those BR battles, but to have a solid and effective strafe. When strafing in a BR battle, dont always go from right to left. Switch it up a bit, one fight you can do a basic strafe, and maybe the next fight try something different like once to the right, once to the left, and jump back to the right again. Dont be afraid to improvise! Not only is it your shot that counts, but an effective strafing motion that throws off your opponent's shots.

Sniper Rifle: This is the weapon most people have trouble using, also being the weapon everyone wants to be good with. Too many factors come into play with this weapon, vibration, sensitivity, size of tv, type of tv, knowing when to use no zoom, 5x zoom and 10x zoom. For starters, make sure you download the gametype from the gamertag (prohalotips com) BR Arena. This is a gametype that has a secondary sniper rifle and will help every aspect of your sniping. Things to remember...when sniping, always remember that a slow sensitivity will be most accurate for sniping, but a high one can also give you those 'clutch' snipes you desire. Chances are, by you reading this guide your not ready for a higher sensitivity for sniping, beginner skill sniper users should always practice forge created snipe gametypes. Don't jump right into matchmaking and think your ready to start sniping effectively, this is a long process that most pros have spent years to conquer. A good tactic to use when sniping would be to zoom in on an area where you think an enemy might be or is moving in a certain direction. Kind of like your anticipating that he will be where your zoomed in which is step one, so your waiting for your opponent to expose himself. It seems easier to snipe when your already zoomed in waiting to see him, as opposed to seeing an opponent and risking him also being able to see you.

Mauler: This close range weapon is good for those up close and personal battles, when used as duels or alone, the effects can be devastating not even giving your opponent a chance to react. When only weilding one, simple just shoot and melee right after for almost an instant kill on any host. A good way to utilize this weapon is to keep it concealed until your ready to use it, your opponent is less likely to get within melee range of you if your mauler is in your hand. This weapon is similar to the sword in that aspect, it is a feared melee range weapon and can be best used when concealed until ready for use.

Shotgun: This weapon pretty much is the easiest to use, there is nothing technical when using this weapon. You shoot your opponent anywhere up close and he will fall

Sword: Ever get those pesky sword games, well there is a simple way to win those sword battles with ease. Simply run up to your opponent and tap 'B' or melee repeatedly. This will cause your recovery from swinging the sword to react faster for the next melee. While your opponent will still be waiting to recover from his lunge, you will be already on your second swing, this will boost your kill/death ratio in a sword game by alot. A huge tip that most people overlook about the sword. When you pick up a sword, keep it concealed. When an opponent sees that you have a sword, he or she is going to try to stay as far away from you as possible, and thats not what you want since the sword is only used for close range. The sword has evolved from Halo 2, now when you switch to the sword it takes a second before you can use it. So you have to pull it out a little more early when you anticipate using it.

Gravity hammer: This weapon seems to be very odd in consistency, and feels like it works best when you play on a good host. This weapon is good for taking down enemies that use the shotgun on maps that have the invisible wall doorways. The hammer is only found on two maps, epitpah and guardian. Best used around corners when your opponent's are unaware of your presence, running out in the open with the hammer is a definate way to get yourself killed. Just like the sword and the mauler, keep it concealed if you can until your ready to use it.

Rockets: Last but not least everyones fave. When using rockets I have a couple of tips. 1-Aim at the feet not the person. Also aim at anything near the enemy like a wall tc... 2-Jump when shooting rockets. You will be surpris how much this will help your aim with them. 3-after firing a rocket it is generally a good idea to switch to another weapon like a br to finish off the kill if ir only took down their shields. Make it a habbit to do this everytime.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=250691&ca=Entertainment

4 Digital Pianos For Novice Piano Players By Terje Ellingsen

Are you a novice or beginning piano player and you're looking to buy a digital piano? Keep in mind that digital pianos are not all alike. The sizes of digital pianos vary, as well as their weight and quality. If there is one thing you need to know about digital pianos, it is that a lot of the digital pianos being sold today have a weighted-key action. Compared to previous models of digital pianos, the digital pianos of today are more portable, although they have to be tuned like traditional pianos.

To help narrow down your search, we've picked and reviewed four digital pianos that are best suited for amateurs and beginners like you.

1. Let's take a look at the Yamaha P120. This is a great replica when looking and listening to a grand piano. Another great thing about P120 is the fact that the weight of the keys sound surprisingly close to the grand piano. An added advantage of this device is that you have the option of setting the keys. They can be set to hard, medium or soft and it weighs around 40 pounds. The Yamaha is certainly an art piece; in addition, the two grand piano settings offer impressive and realistic sounds that cannot be ignored. The P120 also offers you the harpsichord and the organ setting, and these are also very realistic. The only downside of the Yamaha P120 is that there are too few whistles and bells.

2. Next one on the list of digital piano reviews is the Roland HP137. If you are a beginner and are looking for something to practice then this digital piano is for you. The reason being is that the keys are awfully lighter and that makes it unrealistic. This device is best suited for amateurs or beginners that are still learning the piano and the keys. You will be offered the electric piano, grand piano, pipes, and harpsichord. In addition, there are eight demo songs to practice on. The Roland HP137 portable enough so it takes up less space. It also comes with headphone jacks so when you are practicing that masterpiece, you are the only one that can hear it.

3. Next, is one of the many digital piano reviews on the Casio CPS-85. This is a great for its portability and also for the fact that it not heavy at all. The Casio has the feel of an upright piano and can be a great tool for practicing. The only thing is that the keys are light. The CPS-85 comes with two options: piano 1 - high sound and piano 2 - more relaxed. The vibraphone and the harpsichord provide you with enjoyment while you practice and play your favorites.

4. Kawai MP9000

This digital piano has wooden keys, and similar to the grand piano, it has a bounce-back action since two hammers are located on top and below the keys. Compared with the three other digital pianos, the Kawai MP9000 is heavy; it weighs approximately 100 pounds. If you're into jazz and classical music, go with this digital piano.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=254123&ca=Entertainment

Watches For Modern Sporty Women By David H. Urmann

Women should know the basic guidelines for choosing the best GPS watches to use before buying one. The features of the best GPS watches for women available in the market should also be primarily identified.

Several GPS watches for women are designed to provide comfort and meet the demands of the user. Aside from giving the benefits of Global Positioning Systems, it has emerged to be particularly useful for women who are always on the go. Most of the GPS watches for women are designed for sports activities like hiking, trailing, running and fitness. However, some women want GPS watches intended for non-sporty women, while others continue to search for GPS watches perfect for non-sporty men and women alike.

Here are a few guidelines to choose the best GPS watches for women:

Generally, it has to be:

•Lightweight
•Waterproof or water-resistant up to 100m
•Highly readable via a large display
•With an altimeter or can record height elevation
•Bundled with a barometer or can provide info on the temperature and forecast weather
•With a digital compass
•Bundled with route planning thru personal computers
•Capable of measuring speed
•Capable of measuring distance
•Scratch resistant
•Comfortable or ergonomically wrist-hugging
•Integrated with easy to push buttons
•Equipped with alarms, timers, calendar, stopwatch
•Incorporated with long battery life
•Bbundled with USB rechargeable features and full factory warranty

Specifically, if the woman is a competitive runner or one who trains to run, she would need the following features:

•Sufficient lap memory
•Virtual trainer allows user to meet training goals
•Virtual competitor/runner allows user to race
•Heart rate monitor

Other wise if she is a casual runner, aspiring to do it for fitness purposes:

•Calorie burnt measure or consumption

Today, women are provided with technology that allows them to be busy even while on the road. As one tech tool officer quoted, women are buying all these gadgets because these devices are functional. Also quoted that, almost half of the customer’s of GPS gadgets are women. Several GPS watch dealers include Casio, Garmin, Nike, Magellan, Timex, Silva and Suunto. Other features include MP3 players, compatibility with web maps, and multi window displays.

•Silva Tech4o Accelerator Women's Runner Pedometer Watch

It records speed, distance and calorie burned less the foot pod. It also includes dual time zones, daily timer and back light. It is showcased with a pink colored wristwatch, tight enough to motivate running or walking. It counts steps with a pedometer function.

•Silva Tech4o Accelerator Women's Hiker Pedometer Watch

It records speed and distance performance on trail. Similar to the abovementioned it also includes daily timer, backlight and pedometer function.

•Silva Tech4o Accelerator Women's Trail Runner Pedometer Watch

Compared to the hiker series, it has an enhanced accelerometer and can be used in and outdoors. It is also equipped with a highly accurate pedometer, personal profile, chronograph and alternating time zone functions.

•SUUNTO Women's Lumi Sportif Wristop Computer Watch

This watch is designed for versatile outdoor use. It has a memory log of all the outdoor activities. It also includes a 4 language function: Spanish, French, German and English. It is customizable to different colors and worn as purse accessory. The strap is made of elastomer perfect for women’s size.

•TIMEX Women's Ironman Triathlon Sleek 50-Lap Watch, Navy Blue

This watch is slim and sleek designed for women. It has a memory of 50 laps and a 100 hour chronograph. It stores training workouts with dual time zones. It has night mode function and a night light. It weighs .9oz and strap is made of resin.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=313168&ca=Entertainment

What is So Special About Guitar Hero? By Jerbob Johnsen

Can someone please tell me what is so special about Guitar Hero? I was mingling around in Target over the weekend at two different locations and at both stores, I saw people buying Guitar Hero. Granted, I don't know if they were on sale but with the holiday season rapidly approaching, it made sense to grab them while they were still on available on the selves.

Teenage boys and I image girls as well have played air guitar for years. With air guitar, you didn't need to know how to play but only how to look really cool. Since the introduction of the game Hero Guitar, the closest thing to the real thing is this game.

I have to admit, the concept is pretty neat and simple. Yeah, I know all the programming wasn't that simple but to use it is another story. I got to looking around and found that not only was the guitar controller available, then you have wireless controllers. The number of accessories available will cause your head to swerve. If you got a teenager at home, then they are hinting for you to buy every accessory available for guitar hero on the earth. They will just die if they don't get it.

Being an aging baby boomer, I still love my rock and roll. Ok I own up to it, I still play a mean air guitar but only if I am the only person in the room. Rocking with CCR brings back a lot of memories, Vietnam, and wild times of the sixties. If we only had the Guitar Hero back then!

This game is so popular you can even find guitar face covers for the guitar controllers. Some of these designs are pretty impressive and reminds me of the real guitars you could spend a small fortune on. I guess if you are going to do some serious guitar game playing, then you would your gear to reflect how you feel and not embarrass you.

What ages are best suited for Guitar Hero? After watching and learning, it appears that if you can pick up the guitar controller and hold it like a guitar, then you are old enough to start rocking. It seems, this game has no age limit. If you think about it, that is impressive. No wonder, they are flying off the shelves.

I am wondering if I should go buy me one. Of course, I could use the excuse that I am buying it for my granddaughter. Naturally, I would have to open the box and try it out to make sure it work perfectly before giving it to her. I can't take the chance of giving her a defective gift, could I? I have to dig into my closet and get out my bell bottoms and tie died shirt, dark sunglasses and some flashing strobes and I would be ready to really check this instrument out. Now if I could only get my wife to go along with this, I could be rocking shortly better than I did with my favorite air guitar.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=317616&ca=Entertainment

Choosing a Drink Coaster For Your Home By Sarah Martin

When choosing a drink coaster you might want to choose a designer one that somehow suits your décor or the occasion you are celebrating.

If you are throwing an event and want designs that are very neutral then consider images of fruit. These are coasters with photographs and paintings of lemons, apples, strawberries, and even pomegranates.

Another neutral drink coaster motif is that of vehicles. You can get a drink coaster set with pictures of antique cars, model T type cars and modern race cars. You can also get ones with pictures of fire trucks. Fishing boats, sailing vessels and old fashioned pirate ships are also popular motifs on drink coaster. A drink coaster with a picture of an antique bicycle or tricycle on it is quite elegant.

For a more natural take on the drink coaster (http://www.thirstycoasters.com/servlet/-strse-Themed-Gift-Sets/Categories) consider an image like the seashell which is universal, beautiful and part of Mother Nature’s.

You can get a drink coaster set that has many different types of seashells all in one set. Beach scenes and images of waves crashing against the sands and rocks are also popular drink coaster images as are pictures of ocean washed pebbles or river pebbles.

Animals are also a very common image to be found on coasters. It is hard to go wrong with a picture of a horse, cat or puppy. You can also get famous animal cartoon coasters that feature such popular animated creations as Snoopy, Garfield. Tweety and Bugs Bunny.

When it comes to animation every cartoon character ever invented can also be had because the big film companies consider them to be promotional tools. Sometimes they even give this type of thing out for free at the movies.

However Disney has made the cartoon drink coaster a very sought after thing and you will find all kinds of different variations of it online including ones that have images of the most popular female cartoon characters like Cinderella, Pocahantas and Snow White. You can also find coasters with male characters from the world of Disney on them such as Shrek, Prince Charming and Aladdin.

Abstract drink coasters (http://www.thirstycoasters.com/servlet/-strse-Name-Drops/Categories) are also quite common and you can’t go wrong choosing them. You can get them in all kinds of patterns and colors. Just about every color to match every type of décor. You can get Mandalay, star shapes, kaladeiscope patterns, polka dots, string shapes. You name it, it is probably available as a coaster pattern.

If you are having a party of some kind you can usually get a drink coaster that suits your theme. For instance if you are throwing a bachelor party it is quite easy to get one that suits the occasion and that perhaps has something like pictures of sexy women on them.

When looking for the right drink coaster try and find a brand that is durable enough that you can just pop it in the dishwasher. This is best for keeping your drink coaster free of bacteria. The porcelain glass and plastic ones are best for this.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=314602&ca=Entertainment

How to Make Your Drawings Realistic By Enigma Valdez

Learning how to make your art more realistic may be easier than you think. The first thing you do, is to begin to see objects in this world as simple shapes. About 80 percent of art is thinking and seeing things like an artist. The other 20 percent is technical skill. There are a handful of basic shapes. These are, circle, square, rectangle, and triangle. As you look at the screen of your computer monitor to read this article, you can boil down the computer monitor as a square.

Now, taking this further into a 3 D world, the circle becomes are ball or sphere, the square becomes a cube, the rectangle becomes a rectangular cube or cylinder and the triangle becomes a pyramid. So as you begin to draw animals, flowers, bodies, and faces of people, you basically first draw out the basic shapes. These shapes are a lot easier to draw and put down on paper than trying to draw all of the complex details all at once.

For example, if you’re drawing a portrait of a person, you draw out the basic shapes. Then, after you’ve got the shapes, you work on the shading. Shading is the magic behind your realistic drawings. Shading is what makes your drawing come to life from 2 D to 3 D. There are different types of shading techniques. One of them is crosshatching.

One of the most important things in drawing and illustration is crosshatching. Crosshatching is shading with two or more sets of intersecting parallel lines. These are graded markings that indicate shaded and light areas in your drawings or paintings.

When you learn the basics of drawing, it will show in your quality of drawings and art. This takes a great amount of practice, especially if you’ve never done this before. To practice, create a column of about 5 blocks. With a 2B pencil, make the last block on the right as dark as possible. On the other end, you want to keep that block white. In between, you create a graduation from dark to light.

As you do this notice how you lighten up on the pressure of the pencil as you increase the lightness of the value. Start by doing a linear cross hatch. Make your lines as close together as possible. Go slow. Don’t try to rush. Take your time and do it right. Lines can be crosshatched in four different directions; horizontal, vertical and 2 diagonals. For light tones, use only two different directions. For darker tones, you want to use all four directions.

After you’ve done that, repeat. Try it with spacing the lines wider apart. Also, try it by spacing the lines closer together. You can also change the pencils to a 2 H or a 6 B to see how different your results will be. Keep your pencils sharpened. If your pencils are dull, you’ll also get different results. Be sure to do this slow and take your time. You want your hand to be able to be accurate and precise. This takes time and practice.

Creating realistic drawings and illustrations can be fun and profitable. Shading and crosshatching are just two key elements of creating realistic drawings. Remember, the key to getting good is practice, practice and more practice. Also don't forget to have fun with this.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=313957&ca=Entertainment

History of Drums By Enigma Valdez

Drums have been around forever. Another name for drums is called a membraphone. This is because drums are really an instrument that makes sound by striking a membrane. Drums consist of the body which is hollowed out. Then, a membrane of some sort is stretched over the end of that drum. Pegs are tightened and loosened to create different tones. Most people think that the body of the drum makes the sound, but it’s actually the membrane that makes the sound.

Drums date as far back as 6000 BC. Mesopotamian excavations have unearthed drums that date back as far back as 3000 BC. Markings on the walls of caves in Peru depict drums. The Native American Indians made drums out of gourds and wood. They used these for their ceremonies and spiritual rituals. Drums have played and important role in many ancient societies and were used for more than just music.

As the uses of drums evolved, drum kits were developed. A drum kit is basically a group of various toned drums. It was found that one person could play more than just one drum at a time. He or she could play several simultaneously. This is also called double drumming. Tom toms and cymbals were invented in China and they were then added to the regular drum kits. Later, more people got creative and added percussion instruments like wood blocks, cowbells, chimes and things. By the time 1930’s rolled around, the standard drum kit had taken shape. This drum kit consisted of a bass drum, foot pedal, large hanging cymbals, hi-hat, snare and tom toms.

Later on during the 1960’s, rock drummers expanded the drum kits, which are the normal standard of today. More cymbals and toms were used as well as another bass drum to increase speed. Electronic drums were also created. Electronics drums are cool in a way because they can create sounds that traditional drums can’t. So then, we had the synthesized drum sounds that you hear in many styles of modern music of today.

If you’re a beginner and you’re wondering what you should have in your drum kit, here’s a list of items:

1. Snare
2. 3 toms, high tom, low tom , floor tom
3. Bass drum
4. Ride cymbal
5. Crash cymbal
6. Hi-hat

If you're wondering how much a drum set will cost, the answer is a little complex. Some drum sets can be as cheap as $100 or $200, while others can cost as much as $10,000 or more. As with anything, you get what you pay for. You want a drumset that's sturdy enough to endure years of playing. If you're planning on becoming professional and going on the road, doing performances, you'll want to invest at least $700 and up on it.

On the other hand, if you're just planning on keeping it a hobby, then you may can get away with $200 or $300 sets.

These are the basics. You can always add more things like Chinese cymbals, a cowbell, etc. If you don't have a drum kit yet, don't let that stop you from practicing. All you need is a couple of drum sticks (they cost about $3 to $10 at the music store) and a wood block. Main thing is that you practice your rhythm and the basics like paradiddles and basic beats. If you're a complete greenhorn, then this is going to take you enough time to learn until you can save up for a set. Until then, keep on rockin'.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=313937&ca=Entertainment

Independent Music Isn't Dead. It's The Only Thing Left By Nick Bognar

If you haven't been reading the trades for the last couple of years, you might be saddened to know that the music industry--at least, the music industry as it has been molded over the last 40 years--is crumbling.

The cause of death is a pretty simple one: You and I and everyone we know have been stealing records for almost ten years now, remorselessly and relentlessly. As much as we all hate to listen to Lars Ulrich cry into Bob Rock's silk ascot, it's true. It's illegal, and we've been doing it because we assume that we are justified because our jobs aren't as much fun as emptying Hetfield's dishwasher and flipping mansions for profit. We rationalize our theft by telling ourselves that it's ludicrous that someone should make millions (MILLIONS!) for creating art while we have to roll up our sleeves and wake up for our jobs every day.

We're not exactly right about that, though. The reason Lars, Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Kelly Clarkson and all of those goobers are justified in making millions off their art is the same reason why LeBron James is worth millions for playing a game: If they weren't making millions off of it, their promoters would be making many more millions off of it while the artists lived on Ramen. In short, if Dave Grohl writes a song that a million people want to hear, that fact by itself doesn't justify a million dollar paycheck. But SOMEONE is going to make a million dollars selling that record. It might as well be Dave. If LeBron James averages 74 points a game for a whole season, that's going to lead directly to someone selling a billion hideous Cavs jerseys. Shouldn't LeBron get a piece of that? Shouldn't LeBron get a BIG piece of that?

But obviously, everyone's not satisfied with that explanation. If we were, we wouldn't be burning the hell out of everything we even sort of liked and filesharing all day. The result is that millions and millions of dollars are failing to make their way into the music industry.

It's only bad news for a few people. Your favorite millionaire activists will still be able to sell records. Kanye and Tom Morello and Gwen S. aren't going anywhere. As long as there's an Us Weekly, they will still sell records and fill the Staples Center, and that's pretty good news for communists and fourth-graders everywhere. Fountains of Wayne are going to have to start sleeping at Days Inn, but they'll still be OK. Their bosses, though, the ones who had a different diamond-encrusted grill for each Wu-Tang album release, who insisted on feting Frances Bean's eighth grade graduation on a hovercraft in the Aegean (I'm making this up; I wasn't invited), who had millions and millions of dollars at their disposal for promotion and production and street teams and advertising and risk-taking, THOSE guys are dying off like the dodo.

What that's going to do is polarize music in a pretty serious way. On one side, there will be a tiny nucleus of megabosses at the labels. Their stables -once full of hundreds of acts that had good songs but no following or who had been working their way up for years- will be cut down to only the very biggest sellers. That part of the industry will always be there.

On the other side will be everyone else. They call this 'leveling the playing field.'

So while you won't ever get that bazillion-dollar record deal that would set you up for life, pretty much no one else will either. Which will mean that everyone will have a much better chance of being appreciated for their work and merit rather than their valuable connections and/or label support.

Now, I want you to take a deep breath and say this out loud: 'I am not in this for the money.'

If that statement made you cringe, if you gagged a little bit at the thought that you were never going to live on the expensive side of Mullholland Drive, then I strongly urge you to go back to school and get an MBA and possibly your Series 7. There are a lot of great ways to make money, and music isn't one of them (it never really was anyway).

If it was easy for you to admit this, then the death of the music industry just made your life a lot easier. Now that files are shareable and the internet is wide open, you will have an easier time being heard than anyone who ever came before you.

Now that there is no way to protect data, the only way to real financial success in music will be live shows, the experience of which can't be replicated in e-file. In order to get those live shows happening, you've gotta get people listening to your stuff. In order to get people to listen to your stuff...you're gonna have to give it away for free.

Save up your money. Make a demo. Recording software is cheaper than ever. Then, by god, burn it onto CDs, post it free on the internet (Harvey Danger staged a relatively huge comeback doing this very thing), and ask every person you know to listen to it and pass it on. If you are worried about making $10 off your CD, then you're looking at things too narrowly (or you should be the president of TVT). If you're working at having a legacy and possibly getting booked at the big venues, then you need listeners.

These days, when you book a show, promoters rarely ask for your website anymore. Instead, they want your MySpace address. The reason for this is simple: MySpace shows the number of fans, listeners, and daily traffic you have. That's critical information for someone to have when they feast or starve based on the number of people who come through the door. The more people you can get to listen to your music--and again, it's never been easier--the better shot you have at leaving a mark on the music world and maybe making enough of a buck to quit Jiffy Lube.

The playing field has changed. In the next decade, the live venue will be the scoreboard that determines success, and the major money maker for musicians everywhere. The major label deal is trundling out like a Studebaker. Record sales are only for people whose fanbases can't operate Limewire (my parents, for instance, just love Josh Groban, and he makes a killing at Sam Goody). With less money for labels to cram music down people's throats, the internet is wide open for you to shout your message to everyone. It's all up to you. Put your music out for free. Get listeners. Get a buzz. Book the shows. Draw the followers. This is the new success, and it is within your reach.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=258719&ca=Entertainment

Independent Music Isn't Dead. It's The Only Thing Left By Nick Bognar

If you haven't been reading the trades for the last couple of years, you might be saddened to know that the music industry--at least, the music industry as it has been molded over the last 40 years--is crumbling.

The cause of death is a pretty simple one: You and I and everyone we know have been stealing records for almost ten years now, remorselessly and relentlessly. As much as we all hate to listen to Lars Ulrich cry into Bob Rock's silk ascot, it's true. It's illegal, and we've been doing it because we assume that we are justified because our jobs aren't as much fun as emptying Hetfield's dishwasher and flipping mansions for profit. We rationalize our theft by telling ourselves that it's ludicrous that someone should make millions (MILLIONS!) for creating art while we have to roll up our sleeves and wake up for our jobs every day.

We're not exactly right about that, though. The reason Lars, Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Kelly Clarkson and all of those goobers are justified in making millions off their art is the same reason why LeBron James is worth millions for playing a game: If they weren't making millions off of it, their promoters would be making many more millions off of it while the artists lived on Ramen. In short, if Dave Grohl writes a song that a million people want to hear, that fact by itself doesn't justify a million dollar paycheck. But SOMEONE is going to make a million dollars selling that record. It might as well be Dave. If LeBron James averages 74 points a game for a whole season, that's going to lead directly to someone selling a billion hideous Cavs jerseys. Shouldn't LeBron get a piece of that? Shouldn't LeBron get a BIG piece of that?

But obviously, everyone's not satisfied with that explanation. If we were, we wouldn't be burning the hell out of everything we even sort of liked and filesharing all day. The result is that millions and millions of dollars are failing to make their way into the music industry.

It's only bad news for a few people. Your favorite millionaire activists will still be able to sell records. Kanye and Tom Morello and Gwen S. aren't going anywhere. As long as there's an Us Weekly, they will still sell records and fill the Staples Center, and that's pretty good news for communists and fourth-graders everywhere. Fountains of Wayne are going to have to start sleeping at Days Inn, but they'll still be OK. Their bosses, though, the ones who had a different diamond-encrusted grill for each Wu-Tang album release, who insisted on feting Frances Bean's eighth grade graduation on a hovercraft in the Aegean (I'm making this up; I wasn't invited), who had millions and millions of dollars at their disposal for promotion and production and street teams and advertising and risk-taking, THOSE guys are dying off like the dodo.

What that's going to do is polarize music in a pretty serious way. On one side, there will be a tiny nucleus of megabosses at the labels. Their stables -once full of hundreds of acts that had good songs but no following or who had been working their way up for years- will be cut down to only the very biggest sellers. That part of the industry will always be there.

On the other side will be everyone else. They call this 'leveling the playing field.'

So while you won't ever get that bazillion-dollar record deal that would set you up for life, pretty much no one else will either. Which will mean that everyone will have a much better chance of being appreciated for their work and merit rather than their valuable connections and/or label support.

Now, I want you to take a deep breath and say this out loud: 'I am not in this for the money.'

If that statement made you cringe, if you gagged a little bit at the thought that you were never going to live on the expensive side of Mullholland Drive, then I strongly urge you to go back to school and get an MBA and possibly your Series 7. There are a lot of great ways to make money, and music isn't one of them (it never really was anyway).

If it was easy for you to admit this, then the death of the music industry just made your life a lot easier. Now that files are shareable and the internet is wide open, you will have an easier time being heard than anyone who ever came before you.

Now that there is no way to protect data, the only way to real financial success in music will be live shows, the experience of which can't be replicated in e-file. In order to get those live shows happening, you've gotta get people listening to your stuff. In order to get people to listen to your stuff...you're gonna have to give it away for free.

Save up your money. Make a demo. Recording software is cheaper than ever. Then, by god, burn it onto CDs, post it free on the internet (Harvey Danger staged a relatively huge comeback doing this very thing), and ask every person you know to listen to it and pass it on. If you are worried about making $10 off your CD, then you're looking at things too narrowly (or you should be the president of TVT). If you're working at having a legacy and possibly getting booked at the big venues, then you need listeners.

These days, when you book a show, promoters rarely ask for your website anymore. Instead, they want your MySpace address. The reason for this is simple: MySpace shows the number of fans, listeners, and daily traffic you have. That's critical information for someone to have when they feast or starve based on the number of people who come through the door. The more people you can get to listen to your music--and again, it's never been easier--the better shot you have at leaving a mark on the music world and maybe making enough of a buck to quit Jiffy Lube.

The playing field has changed. In the next decade, the live venue will be the scoreboard that determines success, and the major money maker for musicians everywhere. The major label deal is trundling out like a Studebaker. Record sales are only for people whose fanbases can't operate Limewire (my parents, for instance, just love Josh Groban, and he makes a killing at Sam Goody). With less money for labels to cram music down people's throats, the internet is wide open for you to shout your message to everyone. It's all up to you. Put your music out for free. Get listeners. Get a buzz. Book the shows. Draw the followers. This is the new success, and it is within your reach.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=258719&ca=Entertainment

What Drumset Should You Buy? By Enigma Valdez

“What Kind of Drum set should I buy?” or “What’s the best brand to buy?” are probably two most frequently asked questions. Even some professional players get it a little confused when it comes to making a decision on what to buy sometimes. This guide should help you figure things out and help you make the right decision.

First, for you beginners, let’s look at the different components of a drum set. First you have:

1. Bass drum
2. Snare drum
3. High tom
4. Low tom
5. Floor tom
6. One ride
7. One crash
8. Two hi-hats

Those are just the basics. Now we’ll move on to the hardware and accessories;

1. Snare stand
2. Cymbal stands (includes wing nuts)
3. Hi - hat stand
4. Foot pedal for the bass drum
5. Mount for the tom toms
6. Throne (this is where the King or Queen drummer sits on)
7. Legs for your floor tom (sometimes you’ll have a stand)
8. Drum keys used for tuning purposes

So now that you’ve got the basics down, let’s move on to making a buying decision. In an ideal world, you’d have just one main brand that magically works for everyone. You’d also have enough money to afford to buy it. Drum sets can cost you anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to several thousand dollars , depending on brand name and quality.

Now if you go online to places like Musician’s Friend or Guitar Center or even Ebay , you’re liable to find the following brands: Pearl, Remo, Tama, Gretsch, Mapex, Yamaha, Slingerland, Ayotte, DW, Ludwig, CB700, Premier, Sonor, TKO, Maxwin, Sunlite, and Thor. There are more name brands, but this is just a basic list here. Cymbals also have brand names such as, Solar, Ufip, Paiste, Meinl, CB, Stagg, Sabian, and Zildjian.

Again, you get what you pay for. When you’re making a buying decision, you want to make sure that both the bottom and top heads are on your drums. You also want to make sure that none of the lugs on the drums are missing. You need them to be able to tune your drums. Also, be sure that the exterior drum finish is in good condition. Your hardware needs to be sturdy and all your locking mechanisms need to be secure.

Another thing to look out for is to make sure the drum heads are in good shape. If all the drum heads are bad, then it’s going to be pretty expensive to replace them all.

If you are able to afford to buy a brand new set of high end quality, then by all means do so, but if you’re on a budget and you need to look for a used set, then be sure that you get it from an older player who takes care of his or her equipment. Sometimes you can get an older set that will still last you many years from someone who has given their drum set loving care.

Do a basic search on a drumset on google or look through your local classifieds. Just like buying a used car, if you’re getting a used set, you’re going to have to put some money into it. If you can, take an experienced drummer with you to help you check out your potential drum set. Also, listen to your gut instinct. If something doesn’t “vibe” or it doesn’t “feel” right, then leave it alone. Another thing you want to look for is external clues. What does their home look like. If it’s filthy and dirty, they probably don’t take care of the drumset you’re about to buy. On the other hand, if they are neat and clean, you’re probably in luck. This is not always the case, and there are exceptions, especially if people are renting or living with roomates, so use your head here.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=313947&ca=Entertainment

What Drumset Should You Buy? By Enigma Valdez

“What Kind of Drum set should I buy?” or “What’s the best brand to buy?” are probably two most frequently asked questions. Even some professional players get it a little confused when it comes to making a decision on what to buy sometimes. This guide should help you figure things out and help you make the right decision.

First, for you beginners, let’s look at the different components of a drum set. First you have:

1. Bass drum
2. Snare drum
3. High tom
4. Low tom
5. Floor tom
6. One ride
7. One crash
8. Two hi-hats

Those are just the basics. Now we’ll move on to the hardware and accessories;

1. Snare stand
2. Cymbal stands (includes wing nuts)
3. Hi - hat stand
4. Foot pedal for the bass drum
5. Mount for the tom toms
6. Throne (this is where the King or Queen drummer sits on)
7. Legs for your floor tom (sometimes you’ll have a stand)
8. Drum keys used for tuning purposes

So now that you’ve got the basics down, let’s move on to making a buying decision. In an ideal world, you’d have just one main brand that magically works for everyone. You’d also have enough money to afford to buy it. Drum sets can cost you anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to several thousand dollars , depending on brand name and quality.

Now if you go online to places like Musician’s Friend or Guitar Center or even Ebay , you’re liable to find the following brands: Pearl, Remo, Tama, Gretsch, Mapex, Yamaha, Slingerland, Ayotte, DW, Ludwig, CB700, Premier, Sonor, TKO, Maxwin, Sunlite, and Thor. There are more name brands, but this is just a basic list here. Cymbals also have brand names such as, Solar, Ufip, Paiste, Meinl, CB, Stagg, Sabian, and Zildjian.

Again, you get what you pay for. When you’re making a buying decision, you want to make sure that both the bottom and top heads are on your drums. You also want to make sure that none of the lugs on the drums are missing. You need them to be able to tune your drums. Also, be sure that the exterior drum finish is in good condition. Your hardware needs to be sturdy and all your locking mechanisms need to be secure.

Another thing to look out for is to make sure the drum heads are in good shape. If all the drum heads are bad, then it’s going to be pretty expensive to replace them all.

If you are able to afford to buy a brand new set of high end quality, then by all means do so, but if you’re on a budget and you need to look for a used set, then be sure that you get it from an older player who takes care of his or her equipment. Sometimes you can get an older set that will still last you many years from someone who has given their drum set loving care.

Do a basic search on a drumset on google or look through your local classifieds. Just like buying a used car, if you’re getting a used set, you’re going to have to put some money into it. If you can, take an experienced drummer with you to help you check out your potential drum set. Also, listen to your gut instinct. If something doesn’t “vibe” or it doesn’t “feel” right, then leave it alone. Another thing you want to look for is external clues. What does their home look like. If it’s filthy and dirty, they probably don’t take care of the drumset you’re about to buy. On the other hand, if they are neat and clean, you’re probably in luck. This is not always the case, and there are exceptions, especially if people are renting or living with roomates, so use your head here.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=313947&ca=Entertainment

Halo 3 Tips How To Win On Guardian Lone Wolves By Sean Hinsinger

Power up and weapon spawn times OvS: 3:00 Camo: 3: 00 Sniper : 3:00 Needler: 2:00 Carbine: 0:35 Shotgun: 3:00 Hammer: 3:00 Assault Rifle: 0:20

Normally in guardian almost everyone spawns somewhat close to either a power weapon {shotgun or sniper for example} or powerup. Make it your primary goal to locate the one on nearest you on spawn moment you spawn. In the event that you spawn bottom elbow the vast majority of time someone has spawned closer to the over shield than you have and from much experience I've found it unwise to proceed toward it since you'll no doubt encounter the player who did so while he's invincible.

On guardian the majority of fights occur on either the sniper side of the map or the yellow lift side. Typically not much goes on in bottom green or bottom blue near the man cannon. So the idea is to be on one of those hot spots of the map without engaging every player you see on sight, its better to wait until you see a third or fourth player approaching and by means of taking cover and or running around corners do you best to have the other players start fighting first and the second they do begin to jump in and try to grab a double kill.

The best place on the map use this strategy is around S1 or S2.For example say your down in S1 and you see a player above you and are aware that he has a power weapon of some sort do your best to keep him above you until someone else lifts over to S3 and when he turns his attention to deal with said player come up and attack. Your best bet as far as holding a position in order to clean up kills on this map would be to hold down sniper tower effectively by grabbing the carbine that spawns in S2 and look toward yellow and camo spawn for kills to pick off or towards green for players who you may be able to snipe on spawn should you have that weapon.

Keep in mind that it's incredibly important to constantly check S1 and elbow for people coming who you've already killed from that position and are aware that you are holding there. If you see on radar someone approaching S1 move down the ramp and bank all of your grenades off the wall then rush if you know they've been hit by one, however if possible before fully charging try to know if they have a shotgun or hammer first. Throwing grenades in anticipation of a player being around the corner you throw it or 'Pre nading' as it is called is a big part of this map and the game itself since there are so many corners.

If you are running from under glass towards s1 make sure to toss one to two grenades as you approach the corner in case of a camper. If someone is there who is hit by one of your nades, he will pose much less of a threat. Generally being anywhere in the middle is a very bad idea except for the occasional quick sprint from one side of the map to the other. If you spawn down close to the man cannon always lift up chances are that you'll catch someone at S2 weak. As you lift throw both of you grenades whether you know someone is there or not. If you spawn underneath yellow lift and are for sure that someone is above you do not lift up, instead use the blue jump up or go up the blue ramp toward top blue. Never just lift up top yellow because you are much more vulnerable to grenades from players waiting for you. However if you know that two players above are fighting or just about to engage one another go ahead and lift.

Also always check for the BR that spawns near the entrance of top yellow. If you are running up the hallway leading towards blue room make sure to shoot the explosives on the wall and if you are in the blue room itself be sure to shoot the barrels inside. It's generally a bad idea to run from top blue toward sniper or toward top yellow simply because you become so exposed. It's far better to jump off the side and lift to sniper if you want to head there or to run through blue and jump in yellow if that's the room you see people fighting in. Ultimately you'll do best on guardian if you stay on either yellow side or snipe side of the map and avoid wasting time running around the lower levels.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=249238&ca=Entertainment

Is Mp3 The Death Of The Music Industry? By Sandra Prior

MP3 – short for MPEG audio layer 3 – has generated so much press coverage that entire rainforests have been destroyed to cope with the demand for newspaper, and the hot air emanating from panicky music industry meetings has punched a new hole in the ozone layer.

The reason for the fuss is that MP3, a way of storing CD-quality music in reasonably sized files, is slowly taking over the world – and it’s almost as popular as sex. That claim might sound bizarre, but ‘MP3’ is the second most popular term tapped into Internet search engines by music hungry web users.

A whole new culture has sprung up on the Web, with thousands of sites offering MP3 files for download and hundreds of software companies trying hard to get in on the act by producing players, creators and streamers. Record companies are worried that the technology means the death of the music industry as we know it, while the companies who spotted MPS’s potential in the early days are zooming around in Ferraris and giggling like schoolgirls.

If you’ve ever mucked about with music on your computer, you’ll know that CD-quality WAV files can easily reach sizes of 60MB or more. MP3 files, on the other hand, manage to sound almost identical to the source but only take up 4 or 5MB. Because the files are so small and so easy to make, it’s the logical choice for delivering music over the Internet.

Instead of queuing up to face the surly assistants at your local record emporium, you can browse the Web for the music you want and download it in a matter of minutes. With a range of portable, cell phone and car MP3 players on the market, you don’t even have to lug your computer around with you when you want music on the move.

Musical Mutation

MP3 files are very easy to make, and most music software includes the option to create an MP3 file. Specialist programs go a step further, using a process known as ripping to read music from your CD-ROM drive and turn it into MP3 files. Because MP3 is a proper standard created by the same people behind MPEG video, there’s an incredible amount of software that can play back MP3 files, and most of its available free. Windows media player which comes installed by default can easily play MP3 files and you don’t even need to find another MP3 player.

Although it’s perfectly legal to make MP3 files of your own music, it’s illegal to copy pre-recorded music without permission, even if it’s for your own use and that’s exactly what thousands of people are doing. Countless illegal MP3 sites are offering CD-quality versions of almost every song you can think of, including the latest chart hits and even songs that haven’t been released yet.

Although the record companies are miffed, it’s the phenomenal number of illegal MP3 files that’s responsible for the huge popularity of the format. The scale of illegal MP3 files on the Net is staggering. Stick the words MP3 into a search engine and you’ll get millions of results, and a quick browser will uncover plenty of sites offering several hundred current and recent chart hits together with links to 50 or 60 similar MP3 sites. The files are almost indistinguishable from the CD originals.

MP3’s isn’t just for illegal things. You find spoken word tracks and comedy tracks on many legal MP3 sites and MP3 radio stations. Bands looking for that elusive record deal use MP3 files to get their music heard by as many people as possible.

Record companies have always been suspicious of any technology that could threaten their bank balances. Despite their best efforts, the industry has been largely unsuccessful in its attempts to fight the MP3 pirates. Some record companies have started to realize that the MP3 genie is well and truly out of the bottle.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=257576&ca=Entertainment

Major And Minor Scale Patterns By Jesse Holmes

Each of the previously mentioned CAGED method chord shapes has a corresponding major scale pattern, that include all of the notes played in the different chord shapes.

Scales are essentially what melody lines are created from. Try listening to your favourite songs and identifying which key it is in by which notes in the scale are used. Looking at our first lessons, we can see that once you find the key, you can find which chords are in the song, and in no time flat you should be able to identify either the melody line, or the chord progression.

Practice some solo improvising using the notes in the scale patterns over its corresponding chord or a simple chord progression. Sometimes you can stay in the same scale pattern throughout a chord progression, while other times you might need to switch scale patterns to the corresponding chord.

The best way to practice these scales is just to play them over and over and over and over again. Work on hitting each note cleanly before ever trying to build up speed.

In my basic guitar theory lesson 2, we learned the pattern that every major scale was based on (remember the WWHWWWH), and in lesson 3 we learned that the 6th note of the scale was the relative minor. Knowing this, we have a new pattern for our minor scale. Before, the C scale (CDEFGABC) had the first formula applied to it. Now that we know that A minor is the relative minor of the C scale (6th note in the C scale), there is a new formula for the A natural minor scale (ABCDEFGA) is – WHWWHWW.

We know that each note in the scale has a certain number value (also called degrees or intervals) assigned to them. Since there are three types of minor scales—natural, melodic, and harmonic—the thing that makes them different are their intervals. The natural minor scale degrees compared to the major (C Natural Minor compared to C Major) would be

C Major: C D E F G A B C
Intervals: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

C Natural Minor: C D Eb F Gb Ab B C
Intervals: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8

The natural minor has flattened 3rd, 6th and 7th notes compared to the major.

C Major: C D E F G A B C
Intervals: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

C Harmonic Minor: C D Eb F G Ab B C
Intervals: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7 8

The harmonic minor has flattened 3rd and 6th notes.

C Major: C D E F G A B C
Intervals: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

C Melodic Minor: C D Eb F G A B C
Intervals: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 8

The melodic minor has only a flattened 3rd note, however that is only when going up the scale. Going down the scale, the melodic minor is the same as the natural minor.

Once again, try searching for the most common scale patterns and using them to improvise over your favourite songs and identify the keys they are in.

Learning the major and minor scale patterns will drastically help you when improvising and creating your own melody lines over chord progressions.

Practice makes perfect.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=259918&ca=Entertainment

Acoustic and Electric Guitar - How They Stack Up Against Each Other By Roberto Sedycias

A guitar is a musical instrument, usually with six strings. This six-stringed guitar finds its origin in Spain. It can be played by handpicking or by finger-picks or plectrum. Plastic plectrums find wide usage today. However, the tonal quality is higher when tortoise shell picks are used.

Guitars can broadly be divided into two categories: acoustic and electric.

Acoustic guitars:

Acoustic guitars are generally crafted from wood, be it the low cost laminates or the pure hard wood like spruce, or a combination of both. Acoustic guitars are hollow-bodied and do not need an external amplifier. However, their utility is hampered in bands and orchestras which call for mandatory electric amplification. Amplification can be done through piezo and magnetic pick-ups.

There are many types of acoustic guitars. Among them, classical and steel string guitars are the most popular. The classical guitar is adorned with nylon strings. The strings are plucked with the fingers or finger-nails. Besides pure classical music all kinds of modern music too can be played on it. The music repertoire of the classical guitar is vast and varied. The roots of the classical guitar can be traced back to the lute, the vihuela and the renaissance guitar.

The steel strings of a steel-string acoustic guitar offer a brighter and louder sound. It is essentially larger than the classical guitar to accommodate the tension of the steel strings. A plectrum is a must for playing a steel-string guitar.

Electric guitars:

Unlike the case of an acoustic guitar, pick-ups are a must in electric guitars. Pick-ups convert the mechanical energy to electrical energy. A proper and compatible pick-up is a must for good tonal quality. Pick-ups which have found popularity among most musicians are either electromagnetic or piezoelectric.

The modern day electric guitar is made of solid wood like maple and mahogany. Some plastic material and aluminum alloys are used to give a sleek finish. Jazz, blues and rock-and-roll are the popular versions of music played on an electric guitar.

Lloyd Loar was one of the earliest inventors of the electric guitar but the first commercial guitar was made by Stromberg-Voisinet in 1928. In recent times, the electric guitar has revolutionized the music industry, especially rock music. The American culture is incomplete without the electric guitar.

The thin neck of an electric guitar allows the musician to comfortably hold and play the strings of the guitar. Being lightweight is another advantage of the electric guitar. Sophisticated equipment complements the electric guitar and a variety of effects can be produced like tapping and effects pedals. Modern electronics has a say in the tremendous sound effects that an electric guitar can produce.

Electric guitars can be of many types: solid body, hollow body and metal body. A solid body electric guitar is carved from hardwood and sports a lacquer finish. Pick-ups are used to reproduce sounds, which then pass through an amplifier and are heard from a speaker. Les Paul was one of the earliest inventors of this form of the guitar.

The hollow body electric guitar has a lighter weight and greater resonance. The pick-ups are lined up on the body of the guitar and it has one or two sound holes.

Metal body guitars were first manufactured in the 1950`s, but did not gain much popularity because of their inherent weight problem. Holes were dug into some of their variants which hampered the sound effects of the electric guitar.

Conclusion:

So, all we can infer is that acoustic guitars are a classical musician`s delight whereas an electric guitar is the soul and life of a band.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=317313&ca=Entertainment