Category: General

Where the Unknown Music Roams – Expand Your Music Library

You’ve heard all your favorite music and artists on your local radio station. You’ve tuned in while hoping to hear something new and exciting. Unfortunately, the radio stations usually play the same tunes over and over. This causes other musicians to get left out in the cold. You may never hear of many fabulous rock singers, R and B artists, jazz professionals and Gospel greats if you only listen to what your radio station has to offer. Here are some tips to show you how to expand your music library with great songs you’ve probably never heard before.

Where Did The Music Go?

If hundreds of singing groups and musicians submit their songs to producers each year, but only a few get chosen, then where do all these amazing musicians go? Where and how are their songs being heard? Do they just give up? In the past, many of them would likely quit playing or singing all together once they were rejected in the mainstream music industry. But nowadays, a new avenue of getting their sensational music to the public has arisen; it’s called the World Wide Web!

There are now thousands of hip songs available online today that will probably never make it to the radio stations. The artists’ names will probably never be mentioned in the mainstream music industry. But, that doesn’t mean the songs are cheesy or that the artists have bad singing voices. It simply means they didn’t get chosen to be in the top music charts. Their music might be wonderful, but was overlooked or got lost in the crowd of other musicians and bands.

A Variety of Music

This happening isn’t limited to only one certain type of music or musician. Almost any type of music can fall victim to getting tossed in the “rejection” pile. This includes jazz, Latin, pop, R and B, hip hop, reggae, rock, folk, comedy, Gospel, blues, techno, spoken word, rap, etc.

No matter what your taste in music, there are probably thousands of artists who never made it in the big-time that you would enjoy listening to their music. Your music library can grow with great music CDs from these singers so you can listen to many different songs whenever you want instead of being limited to the over-played music on the radio.

Music on the Web

There are specialty websites online that focus on publicizing music and artists that have never been heard before. You can go online to listen to unique sample music, buy CDs, and buy merchandise. These artists are great even though they never made it big. You can usually try their music before you buy it to be certain it is right for you. So, there’s nothing to lose, but lots of amazing music to gain.

Music for Your Business

If you own a business where music is played often, you can also play some “unknown” music over the loud speaker for others to hear. Your customers will be amazed at all the distinct songs they hear in your store. You’ll be the talk of the town!

Whether it’s rock, jazz or hip hop you enjoy, or if it’s Gospel, country, folk, or some other type of music, you can expand your music library in no time with many great tunes that never made it to the top!

Pleasure And Empowerment Through Art Therapy.

They say that art imitates life. It is a medium of expression of one’s creativity. It conveys a whole lot of ideas and feelings. Art is a product of human activity that stimulates the senses and evokes different types of emotions. It is the mind’s interpretation of what it perceives, and expresses it in symbols, words, drawings, music, dance, plays, etc. It comes from the mind of its creator. If art imitates life, and an expression of human activity, then art can help us understand an individual’s state of being through his works.
Some artists paint on canvasses while others find satisfaction in something deeper: the art of inner healing. Artists who are knowledgeable about human development, psychological theories, clinical practice, including spiritual, multicultural and artistic traditions have discovered the healing potentials of art. Art therapy is the therapeutic use of art by people who experience a variety of challenges in life, such as stress and anxiety, emotional problems, depression, illnesses, and other health conditions. It is also for people who seek personal development and fulfillment.
Art creations and its processes increase self-awareness and the ability to cope with struggles in living which include coping with symptoms, stress, and traumatic experiences. Art therapy helps to enhance cognitive abilities and provides life-affirming pleasures. In art therapy, creation may start with an urge to make a doodle or sketch, or with a certain feeling, dreams, memories or just a plain idea. The next step is to give it a physical form with the use of a clay or paint or any tool one would like to use for his creation. This is a creative play that provides a means to express something that has no word, or is not yet understood.
There are a number of reasons why people come to art therapy. Most people who are grieving a loss of a loved one, undergoing depression, trauma, sexual abuse, and drug or substance addiction find relief and courage through creative expression. Others who are mending broken relationships, exploring their dreams, or seeking for renewal and meaning in their lives have found the depth of art therapy to be very helpful and effective.
Art therapy can provide a deep sense of safety as it becomes to be a trusted place to consider these private images or expressions. Picture, sculptures and other forms of art offer a kind of nourishment, healing insights, and a fresh respect for one’s creativity. There are people who prefer to work in silence. But there are also times when a unique dialogue between a client and a therapist takes place. The finished art work remains as a source of further reflection after the session. For art therapy, creativity, its process and the experience is given more emphasis than coming up with a beautiful product. A drawing of an ugly picture can be an important expression. Just the act of picking up a crayon and making a mark can be a powerful expression to some people who have not done any art since grade school. Engaging in artworks can evoke feelings and relive memories of those days
Art therapists with proper training have also become professionals in the field of aesthetics and therapy. They are experts about the healing potential of art. They use art in treatment, assessment and research. They provide consultations to allied health professionals and work with people of all ages, individuals, couples, families, groups, and communities. Services are provided individually or as part of clinical teams in different locations and settings that include mental health, rehabilitation, medical and forensic institutions; community outreach programs; wellness centers; schools; nursing homes; corporate structures; open studios and independent practices. To experience and to regain creativity can be empowering, as well as pleasurable. Connecting creativity with therapy greatly helps in exploring the struggles and challenges of daily normal life.

Premium Bond and ERNIE

Premium bonds are bonds that do not pay interest. They do something much better. You purchase premium bonds and let it sit just like in a savings account. Each month there is a lottery and if your bond number is picked, then you have a chance to win over a million dollars. Over one and a half million cash prizes are given away each month and if your bond number is picked, you win from fifty British pounds to well over a million pounds. The great thing is if you do not want to participate in the program anymore you can take back your money like it was never invested at all. This program is so popular that over a third of the population of Great Britain participates in it.

Unlike the American lottery system where numbers are picked randomly from ping pong balls, Great Britain uses ERNIE to generate numbers from premium bonds. ERNIE is a random number generator hardware system and has been around since 1957. ERNIE first generated the bond numbers by picking up on signal noise from a bank of neon tubes. It was the size of a mini van and could only generate about 2000 numbers an hour. The first number generator lasted almost seventeen years and was replaced by an updated version in 1972.

The computer age came to age in the eighties and in 1988 ERNIE 3 was invented. The generator was about the size of a personal computer but ran at no where near the speed personal computers run today. It took ERNIE 3 almost six hours to generate the numbers for the monthly lottery. ERNIE 4 is being used today and it came of age in 2004. Working at speeds five hundred times as fast as the original model, ERNIE 4 uses thermal noise instead of the noise from neon lights. It can compute over a million numbers and hour

Once the numbers are generated, a staff of hundreds validates the generated numbers with real bond numbers that the numbers match. Once matched, prizes are allotted to the public. The machine is checked over monthly to ensure proper validation and to keep the system honest. With over a million and a half winners monthly, the machine keeps every thing running smoothly. The investments pay off as winners are awarded their prizes depending on the order that their premium bond number was generated.

ERNIE is so popular in Great Britain that the machine actually receives cards on holidays such as Christmas. Jethro Tull, a poetic singer and song writer even wrote mentions ERNIE in his song, “Thick as a Brick.” The magic of ERNIE and the thrill of lottery and a chance to win a million has the majority of the population of Britain investing more and more. The idea that your money can earn more than a mere one or two percent that savings accounts earn has the British public flocking to the bank to let ERNIE make them a million.

The Expanding E85 Fleet of General Motors

The E85 movement, which is based on an alternate fuel consisting of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, is getting an additional boost thanks to a recent decision by General Motors to expand its existing line up from 9 models to 14. This increase will mean that General Motors, which already has nearly 2 million E85 vehicles on the road, will be able to produce as many as 400,000 E85 vehicles per year. For proponents of alternate fuel sources, the decision by General Motors is certainly a welcome one. Let’s take a look at GM’s expanding E85 fleet and what this could mean for you, the fuel conscious motorist.

E85 has been around for well over a decade now, but has only recently has it been the focus of such widespread attention. Credit gas prices exceeding $3 per gallon for interest in E85 and you can see why General Motors is continuing to expand its line up to meet the demand for alternate fuel sources.

The Current Line Up

GM’s current fleet of E85 vehicles now numbers nine. GM’s Silverado, Tahoe, Impala, Monte Carlo, Avalanche, Sierra, Suburban, Yukon, and Yukon XL currently make up the entire fleet of E85 capable vehicles produced by the automaker. The bulk of GM’s E85 sales have come since 2000, however the automaker had been building E85 capable vehicles for many years prior to the turn of the millennium. DaimlerChrysler and Ford also build tens of thousands of E85 vehicles per year.

Expanding on the Theme

General Motors is planning to add five new models for 2007 including the Chevrolet Uplander, its crossover van offering. Other models have yet to be named, but they will likely include similar sized vehicles.

Shortages Persist/Limited Availability

While E85’s appeal remains strong, limited pump availability and fuel shortages have put a strain on the market. Most of the ethanol currently used is derived from corn a readily available food and fuel source in the U.S. However, refineries and pump availability is limited outside of the Midwest, making E85 totally unavailable in some areas. With GM’s help, new stations and increased capacity are coming online. Fortunately, if E85 is not available in a particular area, each vehicle can still run on straight gasoline.

Fuel Economy and Performance

Another area that must be acknowledged is overall fuel economy. While ethanol does produce a nice boost in overall performance, it does impact fuel mileage reducing it by 25-30% on some models. When E85 prices are 50 or 60 cents lower than gasoline, this is not a problem. However, with E85 demand being high, prices are only 5 or 10 cents lower in most areas. Certainly, consumers could find themselves paying even more overall for fuel by electing to go with E85 at various times.

A Cleaner Environment

Beyond price and fuel economy, there is one huge benefit to using E85: harmful pollutants are greatly reduced. With only a small percentage of gasoline consumed compared to straight gasoline or diesel fuel, greenhouse gas emissions drop significantly which is clearly better for the environment.

A Temporary Fix or a Wave to be Ridden?

Finally, E85 may be considered only a temporary fix especially if other forms of fuel efficient vehicles catch on. Hybrids remain an attractive alternative for some, biodiesel is growing in strength, and hydrogen powered cars are only a few years away. Still, E85 is more then a fad, but it does need some government intervention in order to succeed. Whether the federal government does intervene remains to be seen, but if consumer sentiment continues to rise, that may all become a moot point.

Silver Lotto System Review – Good Or Bad?

I decided to write this Silver Lotto System review after having a chance to look into all of the hype. Is there really a system that can help you to win the lottery? In this brief review I will answer this question and many others you may have, all with the ultimate goal of giving you a good idea whether or not the Silver Lotto System is a waste of your time.

I like to play the lottery, not because I think I can win, but because for the day or so until the drawing it gives me a chance to plan out how I’ll spend the jackpot. When I heard that there was a system out there that could help me to win the Lotto and is more effective that letting the cashier at the gas station do a “quick pick” of my numbers, I was intrigued and skeptical. I decided it couldn’t hurt to learn more about the Silver Lotto System.

Upon looking into it, I found that there are a ton of people who have used the Silver Lotto System to win hundreds of thousands of dollars. I’d never heard of a system that has such a great track record. A system that works for most Lotto games in any country, as long as the games have 5-7 balls and have numbers that are under 70 it can work for you. The Silver Lotto System also has no added costs, so if you’re broke it’s still viable program.

The best part of the Silver Lotto System is the bonus offer. When you buy the program, you get a numbers workshop that is worth more than $150! A system that has worked for many, I highly recommend the Silver Lotto System to anyone who is tired of being poor and wasting money on lottery tickets that don’t give them jackpots.

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GMC to Launch All New Pick Ups Early

Published reports are indicating that General Motors will move up the production of their updated line of GMC and Chevrolet pick up trucks by three months with the new models making their debut in October 2006. Some are calling this move an act of desperation on the part of GM which has been socked by extensive criticism over its product line, while others are hailing it as a bold, strategic initiative. Regardless, this is an unusual move for the world’s number one automaker, one that could help the company get back on its feet. Let’s take a look at the new trucks and what they will offer to you, the consumer.

High gas prices, quality problems, and a perception that the company offers products that no one wants has been plaguing General Motors for much of the past year. With plant closures coming, layoffs pending, and market share decreasing, little good news has been focused on “the general” by the automobile press. Fortunately, GM is battling back with fresh models set to be released including SUVs and trucks, which are the “bread and butter” vehicles of the company. Here is what you can expect to see when the new trucks enter the market in Autumn 2006:

1. Fresh sheetmetal. All new exteriors with a modified and sportier front end.

2. Modified engines. Traditional work horse engines which have powered GMC trucks for much of the past decade are expected to return. However, displacement on demand technology, which shuts down unneeded cylinders at certain times [city traffic being one example] is expected to be incorporated on some motors. This technology effectively increases gas mileage without sacrificing performance.

3. New steering. Just as the SUVs will receive new rack and pinion steering when they make their debut in Spring 2006, the large pick up trucks should receive similar enhancements.

4. Interior upgrades. Changes to the trucks’ interior as well as to packages offered will be some of the “inside” changes noticed by consumers.

General Motors has its work cut out for itself as an eroding market share is threatening the very viability of the company. Part of the reason for the move up of production is to thwart the new models expected from Nissan and Toyota that compete directly against the GMC pick ups. Both Japanese automakers have stated that they, too, are moving up the production of their popular full sized pick ups, therefore General Motors is reacting in part to their anticipated moves.

Beyond GMC trucks, the automaker will be releasing the Saturn Sky convertible, revamping its entire line of full sized SUVs, and overhauling several other lines of vehicles in a bid to win over customers. All of these changes are steps in the right direction, but the unanswered question remains this: how will consumers respond? The answer isn’t likely to be known for at least one more year.

What Are The Different Types Of Fine Art Reproduction?

As well as hand painted fine art reproductions on canvas, there are several different mechanical methods of fine art reproduction – none however come close to accurately replicating the color and texture as hand painting does.

Aquaprint: Is a printing process which uses color separation. The colors can be bright but the texture of the finished reproduction art is flat and does not mimic the artist’s brushstrokes.

Artagraph: The artagraph is a special printing method which recreates not only the color of the original, but also the surface texture. This is achieved by taking a silicone mould of the original oil painting and using it in the fine art reproduction. The problem is that not many museum curators or collectors are willing to have their prized masterpieces smothered in silicone, therefore the range of artagraph fine art reproductions is very limited.

Canvas transfer: Canvas transfer art reproductions are basically prints on canvas rather than paper and remain flat, unable to recreate the texture of the artists brushstrokes. First, a lithograph on paper is coated with acrylic emulsion, then when the acrylic is dry, the print is covered with a solution that helps to separate the image from the paper it was printed on. The image is now bonded to the acrylic and free of paper. This film is then carefully bonded to the canvas. Canvas transfer art reproduction’s flat texture can be enhanced by the artist adding some brushstrokes. Canvas transfer reproduction art is subject to color fading, yellowing being a particular problem.

Etchings: The art reproduction image is etched into a copper plate, ink is then applied to the plate. Dampened paper is then laid onto the plate and under extremely high pressure from an etching press, ink is forced onto the paper. This is a popular method of art reproduction for drawings but is not suitable for reproduction art oil paintings

Giclees: Are produced from a color transparency made from the original oil painting usually by taking a photo or using a drum scanner. Today many giclee art reproductions are made with ink jet printers attached to computers and consequently they suffer from inconsistent color reproduction. They are expensive while remaining flat and untextured reproduction art.

Hand painted: This method of fine art reproduction involves a trained artist carefully copying the original oil painting. The artist mimics the exact colors, texture and brushstrokes of the original masterpiece to produce a fine art reproduction that is a stunning replica of the original oil painting.

Lithograph: Basically this is standard offset printing. The art reproduction image is drawn on a litho – limestone or exposed to a light sensitive litho plate. The printing surface is kept wet with a sponge; the ink is then rolled by hand onto the plate or stone. This is a popular art reproduction method for posters but falls to recreate the brushstrokes and texture of oil paintings

Serigraphy: Also known as screen prints. Serigraph art reproductions are produced by creating a stencil on the fabric that is stretched across a frame for each color by a master printer. They can have a thin texture but cannot mimic the heavy texture of oil painting.

Tips For Selecting Highly Collectible Reuge Music Boxes

When you think of collectible Reuge music boxes, think of the best and most exclusive music boxes available on the market. But how you can be sure that you have indeed purchased a highly collectible Reuge music box? We’ll be covering how you can find and select such music boxes in this article.

Reuge music boxes are truly special items. The first creator of these fine music boxes was Charles Reuge, who handmade music boxes in a small town in Switzerland. Due to their fine craftsmanship, these music boxes spread far and wide. After his death, his son continued in his footsteps. In fact, the workshop is still there at the same address, in Sainte-Croix, Switzerland.

Collectible music boxes are hand made. The workshop in Saint-Croix in world renowned for producing some of the finest and rarest music boxes around the world, so make sure you are getting the real deal. For the music box connoisseur, it is best to make a trip to Switzerland in order to select the limited edition models that may not be sold at many stores because of their price and limited quantity. You can also ask the locals of that little town if they own any Reuge music boxes. They are likely to own some of the first and best models, maybe even those handmade by Charles Reuge himself. If you are able to acquire such pieces, you are a lucky owner of a rare and highly collectible Reuge music box.

The size of the music box and the tune are also an important determinant in a collectible. Bigger boxes tend to be harder to maintain and keep. The cost to acquire them was also high, making it affordable only to the wealthy. The tune is also important because if you had popular tunes, people would be more willing to buy it than to acquire one that plays an obscure tune especially in the case of non-interchangeable music boxes. The materials used to make good music boxes were rare and expensive, such as rose wood, which made them rather resilient to aging if well-taken care of.

Another good place to check is online specialty stores that sell collectible music boxes. If you do some research you might find a Reuge music box worth collecting. Make sure they are old, in good condition (for its age) and is limited in quantities. It’s a pretty good bet that if you have one from the early 1900s that the music box is hard to find. If you are not an expert at fixing these music boxes, make sure you have an idea what restoring a piece might cost. Otherwise, it’s a lot better to go ahead and pay the premium for a working music box than to take the risk of paying exorbitant restoration costs for a collectible music box. The price will also tell you a lot of things. Highly collectible music boxes don’t come cheap.

Reuge music boxes are items of a highest quality, so any item of any color, size or material can be highly collectible as long as the numbers of items you can find on the market are limited. In fact, at the beginning of the career, Charles Reuge hand made some limited edition music boxes, which now own a special status: highly collectible Reuge music boxes.

The best places to find highly collectible Reuge music boxes are: rare art and collectibles auctions, Saint-Croix and specialty stores.

Since these music boxes can be prohibitively expensive for most, a good strategy is to purchase contemporary Reuge music boxes. They cost a whole lot less than the rare ones and are also easier to acquire.

5 Tips for your Online Marketing Strategy

Online marketing is an incredibly strong tool that nearly every company can benefit from. Online marketing will help you to reach consumers that you would be unable to reach through normal marketing means. It can help you to increase your image, increase the interest in your company, and increase the traffic to your company.

With that being said, online marketing is more than a web ad and an email to a database. Online marketing covers multiple venues and tactics, spanning across the web to provide you with a winning strategy. If you want to have successful online marketing you need to plan out this online marketing strategy.

These five tips will help you to plan out your own strategy. They will help to bring together a cohesive marketing strategy that will be as efficient and effective as possible.

Speak Clearly

You need to make sure that your online marketing tactics speak clearly and concisely. You need to effectively communicate your message to the masses; this means that they can easily understand the message that you are trying to get across. Think about what you are trying to say to your audience and say that in the clearest way possible.

Know your Target

You need to make sure that you understand everything that there is to know about your target market. You want to know how they operate to understand exactly how to market to them. If you do not know your target, you will not be able to effectively reach them with your marketing strategy.

Know your Options

Every good marketing strategy will completely exhaust available marketing options. You need to know your various options, and need to work to understand which of these various options will work for your company.

Work Cohesively

A marketing strategy needs to execute materials that are cohesive. Cohesive marketing tactics will help to create a campaign, making your Internet marketing as effective as possible. Keep the same tone in your writing style and the same design style to create a cohesive look.

Follow Up

In the end, you need to make sure that your online marketing efforts were successful. You need to follow up with your strategy, analyzing your tactics and methods after the marketing campaign is carried out. This will help you to understand whether or not you need to tweak, change, or completely end your online marketing campaign.

These tips make it easy for you to plan out all of the intricate details of your online marketing strategy. They will help you to understand how to speak to your audience, how to narrow in on your audience, and how to bring together an entire strategy. This cohesive campaign and strategy will help to keep your business on track as it reaps the benefits of online marketing.