HAPPY 2008!!

Video is the Future of the Internet...

Business is all about supplying a service and or product that meets a need of an individual or group of people. Hence, companies large and small have three basic things they must accomplish. First they must know the needs of their potential clients. Second, they must have a great solution to meet that need. And third they must have an effective way to communicate that solution to that target customer base.

Most established businesses have existing products and services that fulfill a certain need. The challenge is, in order to grow it must find a way to effectively reach more people and convincingly articulate to them that its products will best suit their needs. In other words, once you have a product, it’s all about Marketing. Successful marketing does two things. First, it reaches a large number of prospective clients, and at the same time it convinces them that you have the best solution for their particular need.In terms of potentially reaching the most people, more and more companies are turning to the Internet. The popularity of the Internet has exploded over the past decade, and continues to grow. According to the most recent Nielsen/NetRatings in 2005 there are now 221,437,647 Internet users in the United States alone, and an additional 667,243,484 users worldwide. The Internet today can link the needs of almost a billion people to the solutions of any given business. The goal for any business using the Internet should be to present a convincing message that its products and services are exactly what the viewer is looking for.

In the past, this has traditionally been done by means of websites with written texts and still images. Today’s technology however is changing this trend forever. Streaming media, and more specifically, streaming video is the hottest and most exciting media development on the web today. Through the use of streaming video a business can essentially transmit a clear interactive and engaging message on-demand, to any Internet connected device in the world.

Streaming video combines the best attributes of web-based media with the persuasive nature of broadcast media. In fact, recent studies now confirm that streaming media marketing substantially increases brand recall, brand awareness, and positive brand perception. Incredibly, in a study by Vpoll Surveys, marketing with video media was shown to produce response rates of up to 60 percent, compared to just .01 percent of print media.

Practically every business that is using the Internet to display its products and services can benefit from video streaming. The cost of incorporating streaming to an existing website is a fraction of broadcast or even print media. And the results speak for themselves. The applications are limitless, but examples include product demonstration and instruction, virtual tours and testimonials. Steaming media is affordable, effective, and is only going to grow in importance and impact to those doing business on the web. Take a step into the future and enrich your web site, grow your business and escalate your profits and income with streaming media…it’s a sound business decision.



About the author:
Ryan Dennis has an MBA in International Business. He currently owns and operates a small business with annual sales of 1.4 million dollars. He is also Senior Director of Marketing for Streamline Productions, whose mission is to help business owners maximize their marketing effectiveness by bringing their products and services to life! You can contact Ryan by e-mail: Ryan@websitestolife.com or by visiting www.websitestolife.com

Top 10 Most Expensive Paintings Ever...

1. Garçon à la Pipe by Pablo Picasso ($ 104,100,000)
Garçon à la Pipe is painted during Picasso's famous Rose Period, a period in which Picasso preferred cheerful orange and pink colours. The oil on canvas painting, measuring 100 × 81.3 cm (slightly over 39 × 32 inches), depicts a Parisian boy holding a pipe in his left hand. The record price paid for this painting in an auction at Sotheby's New York on May 4, 2004, was a bit of a surprise.
While aesthetically pleasing, the painting is not made in the Cubist style that Picasso is so renowned for. Many even state that the record price was more due to the artists name than the quality of the painting.

2. Portrait of Dr. Gachet by Vincent van Gogh ($ 82,500,000)
This painting by the Dutch Impressionism master Vincent van Gogh suddenly became world-famous when Japanese businessman Ryoei Saito paid $82.5 million for it at auction in Christie's, New York. Saito was so attached to the painting that he wanted it to be cremated with him when he died. Saito died in 1996 but the painting was saved. Vincent van Gogh actually painted two versions of Dr Gachet's portrait. You can view the other version, with a slightly different color scheme, at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

3. Au Moulin de la Galette by Pierre-Auguste Renoir ($ 78,000,000)
Bal au moulin de la Galette, Montmartre is an 1876 painting by French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir. On May 17, 1990, it was sold for $ 78,000,000 at Sotheby's in New York City, New York to Ryoei Saito, who bought it together with the Portrait of Dr Gachet.

4. Massacre of the Innocents by Peter Paul Rubens ($ 76,700,000)
This painting by Peter Paul Rubens, painted in 1611, is the only one painting in this list which was not painted in the 19th or 20th century. It was sold to Kenneth Thomson, 2nd Baron Thomson of Fleet for $ 76,700,000 at a 2002 Sotheby's auction.

5. Portrait de l'Artiste sans Barbe by Vincent van Gogh ($ 71,500,000)
Portrait de l'artiste sans barbe ("Self-portrait without beard") is one of many self-portraits by the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, that he painted in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France in September 1889. The painting is a oil painting on canvas and is 40 cm x 31 cm (16" x 13"). Van Gogh painted this just after he had shaved himself. This is an uncommon painting since his other self-portraits show him with a beard. The self-portrait is one of the most expensive paintings of all time since it was sold for $71.5 million in 1998 in New York.

6. Rideau, Cruchon et Compotier by Paul Cézanne ($ 60,500,000)
This painting by Paul Cézanne, painted in ca. 1893-1894, sold for $ 60,500,000 at Sotheby's New York on May 10, 1999 to "The Whitneys". Whitney, born into one of America's wealthiest families, was a venture capitalist, publisher, Broadway show and Hollywood film producer, and philanthropist.

7. Femme aux Bras Croisés by Pablo Picasso ($ 55,000,000)
This painting, painted in 1901, was a part of Picasso's famous Blue Period, a dark, sad period. The painting depicts a woman with her arms crossed staring at the endless nothing. The beautiful different tones of blue ofcourse are typical for the period Picasso was in. Femme aux Bras Croisés was sold for $ 55,000,000 November 8, 2000, at Christie's Rockefeller in New York City. With four paintings by Picasso in the top ten, we can name him without a doubt the most expensive painter ever.

8. Irises by Vincent Van Gogh ($ 53,900,000)
With 3 paintings in this top ten, van Gogh is also a main supplier of expensive paintings. Vincent van Gogh painted this at Saint Paul-de-Mausole in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France in 1889, only one year before his death. In 1987, it became the most expensive painting ever sold, though this record has since been surpassed. It was sold for $ 54,000,000 to Alan Bond.

9. Les Noces de Pierrette by Pablo Picasso ($ 51,670,000)
Les Noces de Pierrette was also painted in Picasso's Blue Period, a period in which he suffered from poverty and depression. This painting was sold to a rich Chines businessman for $ 51,670,000 at Binoche et Godeau in Paris, France, on November 30, 1989.

10. Femme Assise Dans Un Jardin by Pablo Picasso ($ 49,500,000)
The only painting in this list by Picasso that is actually painted in his world-famous Cubism style. Pablo Picasso painted it in 1938, only a few years before World War II broke out. The woman he painted was one of his mistresses, Dora Maar. Femme Assise Dans Un Jardin by Pablo Picasso was sold at on November 10, 1999, for $ 49,500,000 at New York City's Sotheby's. The auction was very hectic because three anonymous phone bidders tried to win the painting.

2005 Artinthepicture

About the author:
(You are free to distribute this article as long as you retain a working link to our website).

Salam Aidiladha...

Cats That Glow!

South Korean scientists have cloned cats that glow red when exposed to ultraviolet rays, an achievement that could help develop cures for human genetic diseases, the Science and Technology Ministry said.

Read more here.

Cool Meanings...

Cigarette:
A pinch of tobacco rolled in paper with fire at one end & a fool at the other.

Love affairs:
Something like cricket where one-day internationals are more popular than a five-day test.

Marriage:
It's an agreement in which a man loses his bachelor degree and a woman gains her master

Divorce :
Future tense of marriage

Lecture:
An art of transferring information from the notes of the lecturer to the notes of the students without passing through the minds of either.

Conference:
The confusion of one man multiplied by the number present.

Compromise :
The art of dividing a cake in such a way that everybody believes he got the biggest piece.

Tears:
The hydraulic force by which masculine will power is defeated by feminine waterpower.. .

Dictionary:
A place where divorce comes before marriage.

Conference Room:
A place where everybody talks, nobody listens & everybody disagrees later on.

Ecstasy:
A feeling when you feel you are going to feel a feeling you have never felt before.

Classic:
A book which people praise, but do not read.

Smile:
A curve that can set a lot of things straight.

Office:
A place where you can relax after your strenuous home life.

Yawn:
The only time some married men ever get to open their mouth.

Etc:
A sign to make others believe that you know more than you actually do.

Committee:
Individuals who can do nothing individually and sit to decide that nothing can be done together.

Experience :
The name men give to their mistakes.

Atom Bomb:
An invention to end all inventions.

Philosopher :
A fool who torments himself during life, to be spoken of when dead.

Diplomat:
A person who tells you to go to hell in such a way that you actually look forward to the trip.

Opportunist:
A person who starts taking bath if he accidentally falls into a river.

Optimist :
A person who while falling from Eiffel Tower says in midway See I am not injured yet.

Pessimist:
A person who says that O is the last letter in ZERO, Instead of the first letter in word OPPORTUNITY

Miser:
A person who lives poor so that he can die rich.

Father:
A banker provided by nature.

Criminal:
A guy no different from the rest... Except that he got caught.

Boss:
Someone who is early when you are late and late when you are early.

Politician:
One who shakes your hand before elections and your Confidence after.

Doctor:
A person who kills your ills by pills, and kills you with his bills.

What Exactly Is MP4?

You know most of the time you find yourself downloading all kinds of stuff, including mp4’s, mp3’s and the like, but what about the technical end of it. What is MP4?

Mp4’s or rather the term mpeg-4 was developed by ISO (International Organization for Standardization). It is a format specific for multimedia, the most common uses are for digital audio and video, and it is a certain type of container that holds all this information. It can contain other data as well such as subtitles and still images. You should also note that mpeg-4 is identical to QuickTime MOV format. In fact any kind of data can be inserted into MP4.

MP4 is getting more and more popular. In fact, it is now very popular to people who use the latest iPod players and PSP owners. This type of file compression is now providing a way to store DVD quality movies at a very small size. This type of file compression is known as the MPEG4 format.

Because most users may get confused at the initial concept of what MP4 is, it is what is in the MP4 that is even more confusing since the extension has been used primarily for music tunes and not movies. Therefore, what is stored in an MP4 is more than you can imagine for the most part. In addition, those other extensions have been used for MP4’s, (which is audio from an iTunes store), to m4a (which includes such things as chapter markers, images, and hyperlinks). In addition, of course m4b (which has the ability to work with IPODs, where m4a files cannot. So most of the time when you find a file with the extension of mp4 or m4v, then they have both the audio and video aspects.

Let us not forget of course that they can contain codec’s as well. Therefore, as you can see there is much to learn about what MP4 is, so let's summarize;

§ MP4 Can include and contain audio, video and also still images (like pictures), and all kinds of other data, making it a diverse file to use.

§ MP4 can contain other types of competing technology e.g. ogg, vob, ratdvd, divx media format, Matroska (mkv) and others to name a few.

§ In addition, how about some of the compatible hardware or software that mp4’s can work with? Such as in software: Amarok, Banshee music player, 3ivx, foobar2000, GOM player, iTunes, Media player classic, QuickTime player, Realplayer, VLC media player, and so forth, as for hardware: Kiss 1600, Apple iPod, PSP (playstation portable), Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Nokia.

Therefore, to answer the question what MP4 is, well, it is technology at its best!

Indeed, the MP4 technology can now make entertainment much more convenient than ever before. So, next time you think of downloading your favorite movies to your computer to transfer to your portable multimedia device, try thinking of MP4. Just make sure that your multimedia devices are capable of reading the MP4 format.

The Author
Sandra Stammberger

How To Play A One Octave MIDI Pedal Board

Arranger keyboards such as the Yamaha Tyros 2 and the Korg PA800 are becoming extremely popular since the massive decline in electric organ sales. These arranger keyboards provide automatic bass lines, which is fine if you are playing basic triad and seventh chords. With a MIDI pedal board you can divert the bass note in the auto chord system to the bass pedal note you want and still keep the rhythmic effect or you can play your own bass line with no auto features added at all.

All exercises in this article should be practised on a one octave pedal board and you should be sat down at a keyboard with the MIDI pedal board placed directly underneath the keyboard. The pedal board should be placed so that top C on the pedal board is level with Middle C on the keyboard. Depending on the length of your legs, you can make small adjustment to the placement of the pedal board to suit. You should be able to play bottom C and top C with out any discomfort.

So here are the five top tips to help you to play the bass pedals.

1 Line your left leg up with G on the pedal board. You can then use your leg below the knee to swing to the left of G and play bottom C then swing all the way back up to play Top C. Try to keep the top part of your leg, above the knee, still.

2 When playing the bass pedal with your left foot, keep your leg still and use your ankle to make the pressing motion.

3 Play slowly, on the pedal board, C major scale, C minor scale and a chromatic scale starting with bottom C. Play these scales up and down and repeat ten times.

4 Play this sequence of notes on the pedal board starting with bottom C. C, D, E, F, D, E, F, G, E, F, G, A, F, G, A, B, G, A, B, G, C. Repeat ten times.

5 Play a chromatic scale on the pedal board with left hand chords. Starting with bottom C, play chromatically up to top C and back down again. Repeat ten times.

The important thing to remember when practising the above bass pedal exercises is to play the bass pedals slowly and stay acurate. If you play to fast to start with, you will learn to play the bass pedals wrong. If you start slow and accurate, speed will come later but you must be patient.

If you practice the above exercises every day for six months, you will be playing the bass pedals like a pro.

About The Author
Michael Shaw is an organ and keyboard teacher and sells sheet music and tutor books at his websites: http://www.keyboardsheetmusic.co.uk and http://www.mikesmusicroom.co.uk

The Barbers...

A guy stuck his head into The Village Barbershop and asked, "How long before I can get a haircut?"

The barber looked around the shop full of customers and said, "About 2 hours." The guy left.

A few days later, the same guy stuck his head in the door and asked, "How long before I can get a haircut?"

The barber looked around at the shop and said, "About 3 hours."

The guy left.

A week later, the same guy stuck his head in the shop and asked, "How long
before I can get a haircut?"

The barber looked around the shop and said, "About an hour and a half."

The guy left.

The barber turned to his friend and said, "Hey, Bob, do me a favour. Follow that guy and see where he goes.

He keeps asking how long he has to wait for a haircut, but then he doesn't ever come back."

A little while later, Bob returned to the shop, laughing hysterically.

The barber asked, "So, where does that guy go when he leaves?"

Bob looked up, wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes, and said, "Your house!"

Laughter is the Best Medicine...

Spanish Lesson
A Spanish teacher was explaining to her class that in Spanish, unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine.

"House" for instance, is feminine: "la casa."

"Pencil," however, is masculine: "el lapiz."

A student asked,"What gender is 'computer'?"

Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether "computer" should be a masculine or a feminine noun.

Each group was asked to give four reasons for its recommendation.

The men's group decided that "computer" should definitely be of the feminine gender ("la computadora"), because:-

1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;

2. The native language they use to communicate
with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else;

3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval; and

4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.


The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be Masculine ("el computador"), because:-

1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on;

2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;

3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem; and

4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model.

The women won.

The Old Arab
An old Arab lived close to New York City for more than 40 years. He would have loved to plant potatoes in his garden, but he is alone, old and weak. His son is in college in Paris, so the old man sends him an e-mail. He explains the problem:

"Beloved son, I am very sad, because I can't plant potatoes in my garden. I am sure, if only you were here, you would help and dig up the garden for me.

I love you,
Your Father"

The following day, the old man receives a response e-mail from his son:

"Beloved Father,
Please don't touch the garden. It's there that I have hidden 'the THING'.

I love you, too,
Ahmed"

At 4pm the US Army, The Marines, the FBI, the CIA and the Rangers visit the house of the old man, take the whole garden apart, search every inch, but can't find anything. Disappointed they leave the house.

A day later, the old man receives another e-mail from his son.

"Beloved Father,
I hope the garden is dug up by now and you can plant your potatoes. That's all I could do for you from here.

I love you,
Ahmed."

Job Offer...

A bloke goes into the Job Centre in Chelsea and sees a card advertising for a Gynaecologist's Assistant. Interested he goes to learn more.

"Can you give me some more details about this?" he asks the guy behind the desk.

The Job Centre oppo sorts through his files & replies - "Oh yes here it is. OK the job entails you getting patients ready for the gynaecologist. You have to help them out of their underwear, lie them down and wash their nether regions. Then apply shaving foam and shave off all their pubic hair then rub in soothing oils so they're ready for the gynaecologist's examination.

There's an annual salary of £45,000 but you're going to have to go to Oxford."

"Oh why, is that where the job's at?"

"No - that's the end of the queue."

Check your Website Address...

All of these are legitimate companies that didn't spend quite enough time considering how their online names might appear ... and be misread. These are not made up. Check them out yourself! Read the web-sites names closely!

1. "Who Represents" is where you can find the name of the agent that represents any celebrity. Their Web site is www.whorepresents.com
2. Experts Exchange is a knowledge base where programmers can exchange advice and views at www.expertsexchange.com
3. Looking for a pen? Look no further than Pen Island at www.penisland.net
4. Need a therapist? Try Therapist Finder at www.therapistfinder.com
5. There's the Italian Power Generator company, www.powergenitalia.com
6. And don't forget the Mole Station Native Nursery in New South Wales, www.molestationnursery.com
7. If you're looking for IP computer software, there's always www.ipanywhere.com
8. The First Cumming Methodist Church Web site is www.cummingfirst.com
9. And the designers at Speed of Art await you at their wacky Web site www.speedofart.com

Submitted by Dean Pearcey.
Thanks to Ian C. Fyvie.

Tips For Preparing For Your Piano Exam

Whether you are a new piano player or a full-time professional, exams can be a strenuous and often daunting task. Each exam has its separate challenges. However, if you prepare for your exams correctly, it could mean the difference between passing and failing.

For this example, let us pretend that we are sitting for a Grade Six piano exam. Let the record denote that I have sat and passed a Grade Six exam. Although admittedly I did not pass it well - this was caused by a severe lack of preparation leading up to the exam. I did not put the time or effort into my preparation for this music exam. I can assure you from first hand experience that you need more than 15 minutes practice three to four times a week to effectively prepare for a Grade Six piano exam!

THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE EXAM
At this time you should be doing approximately one hour's worth of practice a day, five days a week. In your selected pieces you should be able to at least press all of the right notes. This is the time to start developing your pieces from a series of notes to a piano masterpiece. Concentrate on things like expression, dynamics and tempo. Put some feelings and emotion into your pieces.

You should also profusely study all of your theory and scales. Too often scales and theory are neglected at this time and are only revised about a fortnight before the exam. This is a terrible mistake! Remember the more you study now, the more you will retain this information, thus having a better chance of recalling the required knowledge during your exam.

ONE MONTH BEFORE THE EXAM
It is time to up the anti a bit. You should be spending one and a half to two hours practicing a day, six days a week. This is the time to smooth out all of the minor flaws in your pieces of music. Practice things like getting that tricky triplet sounding fluent and making sure you hit the F sharp with your fourth finger rather than the fifth. These issues might seem minor, but it will help you immensely with your exam.

Practice without the sheet music in front of you and see how well you go. During your exam if you rely too heavily on your score, I can guarantee you will stuff up. Learn your music off by heart.

Also, make sure that your exam becomes your number one priority. Do not be distracted by other issues in your life. Do not become distracted by relationship, financial or other issues that might divert your attention from your exam. You will become stressed and worn out, and you will not perform at your potential.

ONE WEEK BEFORE YOUR EXAM
Now is the time to just practice, practice, practice! I would recommend doing between two to three hours per day by now. You should have all of the knowledge required for the exam. It is simply a matter of revising it for your exam.

Whilst we are working and studying hard, we have to remain relaxed. Put it into perspective; it is only an exam. There is no need to worry about it 24/7.

DAY BEFORE YOUR EXAM
Most people on the night before an exam practice for 5-6 hours, studying until some ungodly hour in the morning. This is a big no-no! At maximum you should only play through your pieces once. What I like to do is pretend I am actually sitting for the exam. So I would do my scales first, then my pieces in order, and then do some sight reading.

Don't try to do any last minute revision for your exam. Chances are that you will only put unneeded pressure on yourself and more importantly you will only have a small chance to remember it for your exam. Do not get distracted by other things in your life. Your piano exam is tomorrow - everything else can wait another day.

Relax! It is essential that you get a good night's sleep. I would recommend that you get 8 to 10 hours solid sleep if you can afford the luxury.

MORNING BEFORE YOUR EXAM
Do not do any work, whether it is piano related or not. Do something fun that doesn't require a lot of brain power. Watch a movie. Kick a soccer ball. Do whatever that suits you.

Try to eat a healthy breakfast. However, if you suffer from butterflies in the stomach, which I suffer from immensely, don't try to force anything down. It will only comes straight back up! (Trust me!)

I will say it again, RELAX! Try not to think about your exam. Don't try to think about your theory, scales, pieces, fingering etc. etc. Don't think about what you have and haven't done for your exam. This is only going to get you all frazzled and this will seriously hinder your exam.

30 MINUTES BEFORE THE EXAM
By now you should be at the venue where your exam is being held. Do some ultra-light revision. Look through your music sheets and visualize yourself playing it as you read the notes. Play some 'air-piano.' Test yourself with a couple of theory questions.

Do not under any circumstances talk to other people about the exam. Do not ask each other theory questions. Do not discuss your pieces. Do not talk about previous exams or examiners. This is nothing more than an unwanted hindrance. Take a few deep breaths, relax and focus on your exam.

5 MINUTES BEFORE THE EXAM
Close the books for a moment. Take three deep breaths and focus. Think to yourself that this is just like any other piano practice session. Go into the exam with positive thoughts. Whether you have prepared yourself for the exam as I have discussed above or not, it does not matter now. All you can do now is concentrate on the upcoming task of your exam.

DURING THE EXAM
Two things will be happening to you about now. Firstly, you think you are doing well. Great! Ride on this wave of euphoria until the end of the exam. But you must not slack off! You still have a couple of pieces or a couple of scales or some theory to do. You must concentrate until the end of the exam. A lot can happen between now and then.

The second thing that could be happening to you during your piano exam is that you think you are performing badly. Forget about it! It doesn't matter what has happened. You still have the rest of the exam to impress the examiner. A lot can change between now and the end of the exam.

Another point worth thinking about is just because you think that you have done a bad job, doesn't mean that the examiner knows you've done a bad job. He/She will not pick up every single mistake you make. Just forget what has happened, clear your mind and start again with your next task. Think about what is going to happen, not what has just happened.

AFTER THE EXAM
Congratulations! You have completed your exam! You can now breathe a huge sigh of relief! It's finally over!

Carefully analyse your exam. What did you do well? What do you do badly? What could you have done to improve? Make notes so you can use them as a reference for future exams.

Be careful not to be too confident with your exam. You might be disappointed when you see your results. Conversely, do not be too negative with your exam and think that you have done badly. More often than not you will get a nice surprise!

RECEIVING YOUR RESULTS
After waiting one to two weeks for your results to come back, you would be naturally excited, or at least inquisitive to see your results. Have you done well and/or better than you expected? Have you done worse than you have thought? Either way, read your examiner's comments at least three times. See what they liked about your piano examination and what they didn't. No matter how well you did, you can always improve! Next year's exams are guaranteed to be harder than this year.

Take the assessor's comments on board, but also take your own thoughts on board. Was your preparation leading up to the exam as good as it could have been? Nine times out of ten, if you have done badly you generally know why. Think about why you did badly and improve! Learn from your mistakes. Do not get depressed! It is not the end of the world. There is always next year.

I hope this article was helpful for your preparations for your exam. This is what I personally do when preparing for a piano exam. Obviously, if you have your own routine that works, by all means stick to it. However, if you do pick up one piece of advice from this article and apply it successfully, I will consider this article a success. Good Luck for your exams and most importantly, remember you can only do your best.

About The Author
Christopher Carlin is the founder of the new resource for piano players, Free Piano Sheet Music. He has applied over twelve years of piano knowledge and experience into this article. Visit Free Piano Sheet Music to get free piano sheet music, articles, tools and much much more.

Learn Chinese in 5 minutes...

Dildo - Fun Toi

Ex-wife - Fa Kin Sau

Where´s the restroom? - Ai Pe Nau

I absolutely agree! - No Daut

Jesus Child - Ho Li Boi

Dogshit under my shoe - Stin Kin Puh

Stop teasing me! - Tat Nut Fun

Annoying kid - Hit Tat Boi

Cough up some dough! - Pei Nau

Go for a ride for free - Hit Hai King

I think our friend is homo - He Gai

Your price is too high - Ai No Bai Dam Ting

That was an unauthorized execution - Lin Ching

You are not very bright - Yu So Dum

I am not guilty - Wai Hang Mi

Please, stay a while longer - Wai Go Nao

They have arrived - Hia Dei Kum

Hey, I think we have a serious problem here! - Sum Ting Wong

Having an early orgasm - Kum Tu Suun

Saying the same thing several times - Ri Pi Ting

Are You horny? - Yu Har Dik

You´re just so stupid - Fak Ju

I just get drunk so easy - On Li Tu

Oh, You´ve been smoking as well? - Ju Tu Hai

I´ve got something in my eye - Aut Mai Ai

You explained that before, but finally I understand - Ai See Nau

Listen baby, isn´t that a pretty and romantic sky tonight? - Mun So Brait.

Let´s get outta here and that fast as hell! - Fa Kin Run

Oh, just look at that Ferrari! - Big Boi Toi

I´m just so horny - Ma Dik Big

As I said before, Microsoft sucks! - Fa Kin Kom Pu Da

I told You that´s he´s extremely ticklish! - Jum Pin Hai

Hey buddy, I know it´s winter, but not THAT cold to pee
outdoor - Wai Ju Ding So Tai Nee

Ok listen, this got to look like an accident - Hit Mai Ai

He’s cleaning his automobile - He Wa Shing Ka

This is a tow away zone - No Pah King

Small Horse - Tai Ni Po Ni

Did you go to the beach? - Wai Yu So Tan

It’s very dark in here - Wai So Dim

Has your flight been delayed? - Hao Long Wei Ting

I thought you were on a diet? - Wai Yu Mun Ching

Your body odor is so offensive - Yu Stin Ki Pu

I didn´t know that You knew the lyrics to The Macarena - Wai Yu Sing Dum Song

I got this for free - Ai No Pei

Phew, this bathroom stink! - Hu Flung Dung

Are you harboring a fugitive? - Hu Yu Hai Ding

See me as soon as possible - Kum Hia Nao

Stupid Man - Dum Fuk

I bumped into a coffee table - Ai Bang Mai Fa Kin Ni

I think you need a face lift - Chin Tu Fat

Our meeting is scheduled for next week! - Wai Yu Kum Nao

Staying out of sight - Lei Ying Lo

Great - Fa Kin Su Pah

Being Tagged...

This is the last tag I favour :) It's from Noushy.


FMORT stands for Five Minutes of Random Thoughts. It is a byproduct of a wild whim that played in my mind during one of my day dreaming sessions. In an attempt to bring something productive out of it, I thought of giving it a shape. It is fun to read what people think, when they are asked to think for five minutes of allotted time.

* True.. The earth is sphere.
* Wonder if my money grows.
* If I forget turns off the light and the PC
* If I'm thinking about life
* If I'm finish reading the mags that I just bought.
* How lovely if I could be rich tomorrow morning!
* Should I stay awake every night.
* How nice if everyday is the week end
* Lazy to get to work after a long breaks..
* Thinking buying team Chelsea.
* Wish Malaysia could do better for the next game.
* Thinking about West Bank incident.
* Thinking about going shopping.
* Shit!! it's getting cold now...
* Thinking of re-installing new IM.
* Wanna chat with Bush.. hehehhe
* Get annoyed when someone buzz the doorbell at this time around!
* Errr..times up?Not yet??
* Wish I don't daydream
* I guess time's almost up...
* Will tell Noushy when I finish this
* Thinking about no one right now.
* Wanna tag nobody.
* Hmmmm...times up, that's it.

Newborn Baby Swears While Sleeping..!

Newborn Baby Swears While Sleeping

Social Networking - Do You Practice Netiquette?

Over the years, the beauty of the Internet has opened many different doors pertaining to socializing, networking, and the overall art of communication. Today, computer users of all ages are exploring the possibilities associated with chat rooms, discussion boards, forums, and online personals. Sending emails, instant messaging family and friends, and relaying text messages across the World Wide Web are also popular forms of contact. Despite the fact that users are unseen behind the guise of their computer, there is still a written and unwritten code of conduct that exists about the Internet.

Even in the world of online communication, one may offend, confuse, and irritate the people they send emails to or speak with in a chat room. Just as you participate in face-to-face communication, you are often aware of the way you move your body, execute hand gestures, or raise your voice. When contacting others across the Internet, there are also certain messages conveyed through the way you type out your thoughts. One of the most irritating online habits involves the use of all-caps when typing to others. Not only are long strings of capped words a strain on the eyes to read, but is often viewed as shouting.

When typing emails or chatting with others while online, spelling and grammar really does count in not only making people see your side of things, but also promoting intelligent and free-flowing conversation. Usually, glaring spelling mistakes cause a distraction and confusion in correspondences. Additionally, just because you attempt to avoid making spelling errors and lapses in grammar – doesn’t mean you have the right to criticize others for their poor use of the English language. It is highly suggested to ignore the spelling mistakes of others and concentrate on the way you communicate while online.

Additional email etiquette rules include the avoidance of sending or forwarding junk mail and Internet hoaxes, forwarding virus warnings (which are sometimes hoaxes), replying to all recipients of a collectively sent email, and sending unnecessarily large attachments.

There are also plenty of netiquette issues to recognize when communicating with others in online communities (chat rooms and forums). One of the first things to do when joining a chat room, forum, or other online group is familiarize oneself with the rules or guidelines of the service. This practice comes in rather handy and helps one avoid any future online confrontations or misunderstandings.

At all times, your privacy should be protected, as well as other members of the online community. It is unwise to use full names in chat room correspondences and is rude to ask the full names of those you come in contact with. Staying on topic is also a rule of Internet etiquette. For instance, if you have joined a chat room community regarding model airplanes, it is often inappropriate to start sharing your marital problems with others. Using offensive language is warned against and is usually punished (suspension or ban).

When chatting, it is also suggested to keep messages short and present information in the most concise manner. Also, a common practice is to use abbreviations, but not everyone is familiar with the current lingo and this should be kept in mind – the abbreviation of your words and phrases should be used sparingly.

Overall, it is suggested to treat communication across the Internet in the same manner that you like to receive correspondences. Usually, the things that irritate you are the same actions others dislike as well.

by: L. J. Allen

About The Author Linda Allen is the co-founder of
GirlfriendsCafe, a popular social networking site for
women throughout the United States and Canada.

Simple Steps to Better Guitar Tone...

Great guitar tone is something that every guitarist wants. The quest for tone is one of the biggest reasons guitar players drop so much money on amplifiers and effects.

If you've found yourself spending a lot of money lately on various 'sound tweaking' gadgets, take note: the solution to your sound problems just might be closer (and cheaper) than you think!

Whether you want killer distortion or country-twang, the secret of great tone begins with a pure, clean signal.

In other words, no matter how many effects you intend to use, you've got to make sure the basic, unadulterated dry signal coming through your amp sounds just as good as anything else.
The reason for this is simple: every effect you add to that signal brings in a little bit of noise. So, you need to start with as clean a signal as possible so that the cumulative impact of noise and signal degradation from your effects is kept to a minimum.

The first step here is as easy as proper maintenance of your guitar. Not only do you need to keep your strings fresh, and your neck in alignment, you also need to eliminate any sources of buzz or hum coming from faulty cords or poor electrical wiring in your pickups or input jack.

The second step is to run the same maintenance check on your amplifier. Now, the fact is, some amps are just noisier than others. If you can find nothing physically wrong with your amp, it may just be that you need to do upgrades for better tone.

For example, your amp's factory-installed speakers are probably not top-of-the-line. In the case of tube amps, especially, this can make a HUGE difference.

Along similar lines, you might also consider upgrading your tubes and/or the transistors used in the pre-amp stage.

Why?

Because your amp's sound is greatly influenced by the way each of these components responds to the guitar signal. Cheap parts have a slower dynamic response, and can also add unwanted coloration to the signal. This is one reason why some amps will sound great at a lower volume, but start to break up and distort as soon as you turn things up.

Last, but not least, take a look at the effects pedals you currently have in your arsenal. Maybe you've purchased 2 or 3 different distortion pedals, for example, in an elusive quest for that perfect 'crunch'?

There's nothing wrong with owning multiple pedals for the same type of effect; but, if you still aren't getting the sound you desire, it could be that you need to add something very basic into the mix, like an EQ pedal.

A good EQ pedal will allow you to shape which frequencies are emphasized. You can, for example, cut the mid-range for a heavier tone, or boost the highs so that your treble notes punch through.

Try mixing and matching EQ and Volume pedals in different places along your effects chain in order to boost or limit the characteristics of other effects. You'll be amazed how many different sounds you can create with a little experimentation!

By: Beth Miller

About The Author
Beth Miller is an Austin, Texas based musician with fifteen-plus years experience playing the guitar. She currently runs a newsletter focused on honest, no-hype reviews of various guitar-related theory and method training products.

For more information, you can visit her web site at:-
www.guitar-player-reviews.com