Program To Make Music

When do you get your best thoughts? When does the name you've been trying to remember pop into your head? When do you come up with the solution to the problem you've been scratching your head about for days? When does that million dollar idea come to you?

So many different answers from so many people... "In the middle of the night." "When I'm just waking up." "When I'm driving home on the freeway." "When I'm taking a shower."

What is the common thread relating these times? -- You weren't pressing to be creative, to solve the problem or to remember the name. Your brain (left side) was either preoccupied in some "no brainer" activity or it was bypassed, as in sleep or in the time just before or just after sleep. (Specifically the REM stages).

Thinking "outside the box" is the popular expression used to refer to using the brain in more than usual analytical ways or to look at situations with a different, fresh perspective. If you could create the same state of mind in which you are more create, more intuitive, access information more effortlessly, in other words create that "outside the box" mindset, would it be worth it? For people like Thomas Edison, who created literally hundreds of inventions and innovations while, in what he called "conscious naps," that process came naturally. Einstein developed the physics and possibilities of space travel (of light actually bending) when he dreamed of himself as a rodeo cowboy riding a beam of light in a large circle starting at an origination point and around back to that same starting point in the universe.

These and so many other pioneers of thought in the arts, science and business pay attention to the things that others dismiss as coincidence. The thinkers see why things can work, not why they can't and they explore the possibilities with curiosity, enthusiasm and expectation. When having found a useful idea, they develop it into a system that can be replicated and relied upon. This information is then usually studied and duplicated by others and sold in university programs, courses like mine, books and recordings. And that's just fine. However you come upon an idea that works for you, your life is improved.

Here's an idea that many have used to solve problems, come up with creative input and to make more insightful decisions. If you like the idea, use it for 2-3 weeks consistently to get past the "newness" and self limiting premature evaluation of the concept. The payoff can be huge in what you accomplish, but in a larger scope you will have an effective system you can use often.

1) Define an issue, project or question you would like to resolve. (developing a piece of music or writing, resolving a relationship problem, getting to the next level of performance, remembering a past situation a name from the past., etc.)

2) As you are about to go to sleep, write down, at the top of a blank pad of paper, what you want your mind to address. This focuses and clarifies any ambiguities.

3) As you lie down to sleep, go through a short series of relaxation exercises to relax, still and focus your mind.

4) When you feel peaceful and concentrated, repeat the goal you have written on the top of the paper, silently to yourself. Let go of thought and the pressure to perform by creating a pleasant vacation spot in your mind. You will probably fall asleep quicker than usual and enjoy more (free association) REM sleep. Your mind will work as usual through your sleep pattern. In the REM portions of it, (about 20% of total sleep time) your mind will, no doubt, focus on your desired result and, like the student who retrieves information in a test better when relaxed, your mind will follow through with your request.

5) When you wake up, probably with no particular recollection of anything important, induce a little mental relaxation and then imagine a large screen in from of you. In your hand imagine a remote control that will turn on images of what you desired to accomplish within your dreams. Push that imaginary button and you will probably see a steam of relevant pictures on the screen you are imagining before you. OR...Sit up, get hold of the pad near you, a pen or pencil and start writing anything that comes to mind. Don't judge what you are thinking and writing. Sometimes you will get clear images and meaning and sometimes you will get thoughts seemingly unrelated to your intent. Keep going, you still may find meaning. Most dreams are metaphorical (images that represent the real issue) and your recollection may be the same. Once you have thought of or written what's on your mind, you can think through what you've put together. Maybe it will all be for nothing. But maybe you do come up with a breakthrough or solution or a better way. If it's going to come sooner than later, why not sooner?

Growing up in North America and in most westernized cultures, we have been indoctrinated with the concept, "In order to get a good job, you need a good education." Indeed with the world shrinking, the global community is now latching on to this principle. Today we're going to talk about the real purpose of education - YOUR purpose of education... is it to merely to survive or do you want to thrive?

There's no question that in this age of information and communication, a minimum standard of education is an absolute requisite just to exist. Those of us who are able to read these words simply cannot imagine what it must be like to be illiterate and try to function in this world. Yet for many reasons, an unsettlingly large part of the world's population remains uneducated. The primary purpose of education then would seem to help us get by.

Are We Serving This Purpose of Education?

Thankfully, many - if not most - nations around the world have laws that make education freely available to everyone. With three basic styles readily accessible - formal, non-formal and informal learning - there is a method of education to suit just about anyone. All that's left to do is for an individual to decide his or her own purpose of education and what amount is necessary to survive and/or thrive.

Let's take a brief look at the three systems of schooling and see how they are currently serving an individual's purpose of education.

How The Formal System Serves The Purpose of Education

The formal system is perhaps the most familiar, not to mention the most accepted form of education among the industrialized nations. It's the system responsible for 'getting a good education in order to get a good job' rationale. While there are no guarantees for anyone to live 'happily ever after', there's no question that those who successfully survive formal education have a definite advantage in today's world.

Survive is the key word here. For those with a purpose of education of getting a piece of paper, formal education can be a very long process... impossibly long! In my own experience, approximately 2,000 students enrolled at my college back in 1971. Four years later, only 40 of us graduated with a Bachelor Degree.

Today, I am moving away from the main discipline that decorates my diploma. At least I had 30+ years to apply and earn a living from what I learned. Not everyone is so lucky. Stories abound of over-qualified degree holders, flipping hamburgers and parking cars because there is no work for them in their field.

So does the formal system serve the purpose of education? If we're talking basic survival, then it's definitely 'Yes'! Is it worth all the years of boring 'mandatory' courses to chase a degree that might not even be worth the paper it's printed on? Talk about a leading question!:)

The Non-Formal System and the Purpose of Education

The non-formal system is similar to the formal in that both have a common goal of obtaining a piece of paper - either a diploma or certificate - that supposedly eases entry into the working world. The advantage of the non-formal system is that it offers individuals a little more flexibility in terms of location and scheduling.

Students may enroll in part-time or full-time courses taking place during the day or on evenings and weekends, giving the ability to work around current jobs and/or childcare and other responsibilities. Alternative distance learning and self-study programs are also available for those who require the utmost versatility.

As mentioned, stringent requirements of attendance, assignments, tests and a list of co-requisites still exist in order to pass each course. Individuals must carefully consider all factors to determine if this systems satisfies the purpose of education, and ultimately if it is worth it in the long run.

Informal System Is Best for the Purpose of Education

Yes, I'm biased and I know that many will disagree with me. That's the whole point of initiating and stimulating this discussion!

I was trained in the formal system for 16 years and taught a formal system of education for over 30 years. That's why I can say that the INFORMAL system is for me, by far, the best to suit most people's purpose of education. The informal system is like a giant buffet. You get to choose the exact courses that will serve your immediate needs. You assimilate the material and apply it as you like.

Rinse.

Repeat.

There are no certificates or diplomas to chase. Nothing to prove to anyone other than the results you show from having studied something you are passionate about. No taking unnecessary courses that have absolutely no meaning or interest to you. (For example, as a music education major in college, I was required to take courses such as biology and political science. What a waste of my time, especially with the latter subject!)

Mind you, would I want to be operated on by a doctor who studied only informally? Of course NOT! The point of this article is to question the purpose of education - does it help us to survive and thrive in 2009 and beyond? Put another way, do we all need to strive to become doctors in order to survive and thrive?

For the vast majority of us, the answer is a resounding, "NO"! Yet, what is the advice the vast majority of us receive? "In order to get a good job..." with the implication that the only way to do this is through formal education.

Enough already.

In my music studio, I've had students who obtained their advanced performance 'certificate'. Yet they can't play a note for you today. I have other students who didn't care about the paper chase. They just wanted to play for the love of it! And oh, how they can play!

Who would you pay to listen to... the 'paper' boy, or the musician?

I rest my case.

The bottom line is, you don't need a formal or non-formal education to survive and thrive. For most of us, the informal smorgasbord will suit our purpose of education just nicely.

Now I might have just saved some of you thousands of dollars and years of your life if you thought the formal system was the only way to go. (you are very welcome!)

You just gotta Love That Feeling!

First, some realities: If you are thinking that if you get a track played on a radio station that booking agents and venues will come calling to you, it's probably not going to happen. If your sights are aimed at getting played at commercial major market stations, your chances are slim to none (unless that station has a new, local or indie artist program which invites submissions). What radio airplay CAN do for you as a new artist is to help test the waters and see what kind of reception your music will get outside of your home base. That could help you decide which direction to next take your career in.

At the beginning career stage, you need to be proactive at getting airplay opportunities to work in your favor. Here are some essential steps to take:

1. Be brutally honest about your product. Make sure your music is a stylistic fit for a radio market you are interested in. Be certain that your material, vocals and instrumentals are strong enough to be playing side by side with the other, established artists. It also helps to get some feedback from others in the know.

2. Market your product appropriately. Your best chance is at public/community/college/non-commercial radio stations that are receptive to playing new artists and new product. There are resources all over the web that will help you select stations and study their formats and playlists.

3. Follow up on opportunities. Track your airplay and get some comments from those who have played your CD. If there is some strong feedback and consistency in airplay, then do some research in that area about possible interviews or gigs.

I have seen new artists take this approach and eventually become full-time touring artists. However, "eventually" is the operative word here. It took many years of being proactive in contacts and research, building relationships in the industry, releasing subsequent product and perfecting their craft to make it happen.

One release with a little airplay won't be enough to build a career on. But it could be a foundation if you are willing to make the most of it by doing the work and staying the course.

The truth is that if you didn't have any stress in your life you probably wouldn't get a whole lot done. Pressures and looming deadlines can be highly effective motivators to get people moving. Without deadlines, most projects would never get started...and certainly not finished.

But like most things, too much of a good thing can quickly turn bad. And too much stress is a recipe for disaster! I am not going to spend page after page telling you why having too much stress is bad for you. You already know this.

The reality is that you can never eliminate stress from your life. You will always have deadlines and obligations in one form or another. The trick is to not let the pressure of stress get to you. The key is to realize the stressors are there, but to not let them affect you.

It may seem like wishful thinking or simply impossible, but once you learn how to neutralize the effects of stress caused by life's obligations, you will never be a victim of them again. Having said that, here is a tool you can use to manage stress.

The Mayo Clinic has a program to manage stress called the 4 A's.

Here's how it works...

The first A is to AVOID. It may seem like common sense, but if something is stressing you, try to avoid it. If at all possible, get yourself out of the situation. Since avoiding the things that cause you stress may not always be an option, the second A is to ALTER.

For example, if your car is making a funny noise and it is driving you crazy (no pun intended) get the car fixed. If somebody is bothering you or making noise in your office, ask them to stop. Sometimes altering may not be a reality either, so the third A is to ACCEPT. By accepting, you recognize the situation "is what it is" and you agree you will not let it have power over you.

I learned an incredibly simple, yet powerful concept many years ago that has really helped me in life. I learned that you cannot control other people (or circumstances)... BUT you can control how you react to them. While the stressor may still be there, you don't need to let it have control over you. This is often very useful when dealing with personal conflicts with overbearing co-workers or family members.

The fourth A is to ADAPT. So for example, if your office environment is noisy and it bothers you, get a set of noise-canceling headphones and listen to some music to drown out the noise. Or get a sound machine or desktop fountain to create a more soothing noise instead.

Again, those are the 4 A's. They can be an effective technique to help you to avoid stressors before they take control of your life. I bet I know what you are thinking..."Those sound great, but they won't work for me." I know that these things may seem easier said than done, but realize this. All of the anxiety or stress we feel from a situation or event is actually created in our mind, not by the event itself.

If you had a fight with a coworker or boss, if you crashed your car, if you [enter any event here], the event may have happened, but the stress, anxiety or other feelings you are experiencing are not being created by the event...they are created by the meaning you have in your mind ABOUT the event. Once you understand this, stress won't be able to stop you from achieving anything.

The Editor function will enable you take the following actions: resizing, brightness & color manipulation, white balance, backlight correction, frames, balloons, mosaic mode, adding text, drawing pictures, cropping, filters, red-eye removal, blooming, clone stamp.

Some of its key features include a batch editor that can edit multiple photos at the same time, a page editor that unites multiple photos to generate one last photo, combines multiple photos either vertically or horizontally to produce one concluding photo and able to make a final animated GIF format photo from multiple photos. PhotoScape can also print portrait, carte de visited (CDV) and passport photos, lined, graph, music and calendar paper. It has a splitter that slices a picture into multiple pieces, captures a screen shot so you can save it, a color picker that searches and picks a color when the picture was zoomed, renames photo file names by batch and converts RAW to JPG. PhotoScape also have this awesome feature that finds similar faces on the Internet to match with yours.

PhotoScape's new features in this release comprises of an added Clone Stamp (Editor -> Tools Tab), added a Paint Brush (Editor -> Tools Tab) and an added Color Picker (Editor -> Tools Tab & Object tab). It also has an improved Mosaic Filter which has a mosaic pixel size that is selectable, just go to the Tools Tab just below the Editor tab.

PhotoScape also integrated a changed editor -- a region tab name from 'Region' to 'Tools', added a Print button to Viewer and Editor, has added 59 travel icons and 6 makeup icons, a Photo Development Service with FOTO.COM (EU Only), and a photo viewer that demonstrates photos in regular sequence as a1, a10, a2, a3 into a1, a2, a3, a10. At combine, with PhotoScape, the first photo's EXIF information would be saved and PhotoScape run 'R.

And with its new release, PhotoScape now supports 34 languages: English, Korean, Chinese, Traditional Chinese, German, Dutch, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Mexico, Latin America), French, Japanese, Russian, Polish, Italian, Portuguese, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Colombian), Thai, Hungarian, Turkish, Catalan, Slovak, Czech, Norwegian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Swedish, Estonian, Danish, Romanian, Hebrew, Galician, Finnish, Indonesian and Arabic.

PhotoScape was marked as ad-supported software because it offers to change the default search engine for web browsers installed in the system and presents to download or install software or components (Google Toolbar, Google Chrome) that the program does not need to fully function.

But how exactly do we go about improving our mental ability? By strengthening one or more areas of our brain which are lesser developed. If you’re an avid reader, study art. If you love all things musical, increment your nature studies. Are you an athlete? Increase your music appreciation and other areas of intellectual prowess will follow. It may sound strange and illogical, but it works. Here are six of the nine strongest “intelligences” and how they influence personality, character and ability. Note how each one can be strengthened and expanded using simple activities practiced on a regular basis.

1. Verbal - Linguistic Intelligence

People whose brains are highly developed in this area are avid readers, like to write and
do crosswords. They are also successful language learners. To expand your skills in this
intelligence, do crosswords, word finds and other word games and puzzles. Delve into poetry or write essays and articles. (Now there's an idea) Try some verbal - linguistic types of activities online at:

• Puzzle Maker website http://www.puzzlemaker.com

• Hot Potatoes website for creating puzzles
[http://web.uvis.ca/hrd/halfbaked/]

2. Visual - Spatial Intelligence

If you love flashy colors, are an artist who paints, draws, creates or crafts, then your brain is highly - developed in this area. If you're not, then learn to draw, cartoon or do jigsaw puzzles and you'll increment stimulation to this part of your brain. Visit these websites for more info and to try your hand at some visual - spatial activities:

• Crosswords Kit home page http://www.crosswordkit.com/

• Jigsaw puzzle free downloads http://zone.msn.com/deluxegames/

3. Musical - Rhythmic Intelligence

Musicians, singers, rappers and poets unite! You're all focused in on the musical - rhythmic intelligence. These people typically play a musical instrument, sing, whistle, and hum. They love limericks and music in all its forms. You who aspire to greater mental facility could take music lessons, learn and recite nursery rhymes to your children, take a music appreciation course or simply add more music to your everyday life. Online check out these sites to get started:

• Live international music feeds http://www.live365.com

• Live International music feeds http://www.radiotower.com/

4. Logical - Mathematical Intelligence

If you're into computers then your brain is lodged here. Structured and organized you revel in order and neatness. Likely you'll be at ease with numbers too. Bookkeepers, accountants, Statisticians and software programmers are strong in this intelligence. Should you wish to strengthen in this intelligence, solve mysteries, learn computer logic or programming or play strategic board games like chess, checkers, backgammon or Monopoly, anyone? Get a jump on revving up this intelligence playing games at:

• Free online games http://zone.msn.com/en/root/default.htm

• Free game downloads http://www.freeworldgroup.com/game.html

5. Bodily - Kinesthetic Intelligence

This is the reign of the jocks as this intelligence features innate love of motion and movement. They dance, tap, ballet or play a sport well. Do you go hiking? Swimming? Are you a ballroom dancer, cyclist or marathoner? Any type of athletics will help serve your mental and physical development. Take up surfing, learn ballroom dancing, train for a triathlon or improve your cooking skills to make yourself smarter. At the very least, you could go to the neighborhood gym for regular workouts, or take a brisk walk everyday. Your mind (and your body) will thank you as you improve your health and fitness levels – and get smarter.

6. Naturalist Intelligence

Nature lovers snugly reside here. They love animals, gardens, flowers, sunsets and the sea. Veterinarians, animal trainers, horticulturalists, environmentalists and biologists are often strongest in this intelligence. From simply going regularly for nature walks to the formal study of biological sciences will deepen your mental strengths in this intelligence. The pleasures of orchids and roses await you. Simmer in the secrets of medicinal plants, work with or enjoy horses, bees, birds or fish. Volunteer at the zoo or involve yourself in activities that take and keep you outdoors. Ideas abound online beginning with these offerings:

• Sea World online http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/animal-bytes/index.htm

• Ed Web homepage http://www.edwebproject.org/

By working regularly on activities in these areas, your collective intelligence, that is your overall ability to think, create, solve problems and execute mental processes, will grow. So have some fun while you make yourself smarter.

No, I did not get over weight but I did lose all the endurance that I had gained. Working out really does stink. You work, work, work, and when you stop you loose months of training. Aagh! I hate that. So I thought why is this? Why train so hard if you're only going to stop?

I read through training manuals of various artists and each and every one of them came to the same conclusion. One must make their training fun in order to stick to it. I love reading Bruce Lee's martial art training books. The guy literally ran for miles every day and he said that he had to mix up his running in between miles for him to keep going. Bruce Lee would literally go skipping down the street to keep it fun.

I believe this to be true. So make your exercising fun or you're going to stop. So when you run on your treadmill maybe increase the speed or levitation. I found out that with any stationary workout device the television works great to keep your mind preoccupied. Put on your favorite movie or program. I remember running to a television episode and found out that I had ran over six miles. I later tried to do it without and found that I bored myself to death.

You can be creative with your training. I love using a card deck to aid my productivity. You make each suite an exercise. Shuffle the deck, draw a card, and whatever you pull you do the exercise to the number you pulled. Music can also get you fired up. Go on a country bike ride or go run through the park.

Think of ways to train yourself. Like I said make it fun. Your body is like I said your body. Do you really want to lose all you earned. You obtained something great don't lose it.

If you're in the process of buying one or seriously considering having an MP4 player, take note of the following tips:

1. Select the most trusted brands. You may have heard of MP4 players that are coming from China or other countries that don't have specific brands in them. Honestly, they cost way lesser than the well-known brands that are available, such as Apple and Creative. But when it comes to quality and durability, you will have better chances with the latter two than those that are made of some unknown company. There's even the possibility that you won't have any warranty for it. If you do, then it's going to be for a very short time only. Your MP4 player may also not last for long. In a matter of months, it will already show signs of technical errors and failures.

2. Know the files that you're going to store in them. The basic rule here is that if the files are small, you don't need much memory capacity for your MP4 player. This also means that you won't have to spend a lot for it. If you're just going to transfer some of your MP3 files along with short video clips, an 8GB MP4 player is already a very good choice. But if you're planning to save an entire film or a TV program, you definitely need an MP4 player with a memory that's a hundred or more. The files will also determine the kinds of screens you should look for. Music and video clips only demand small screens, while movies need bigger ones so you can see images properly.

3. See if there are other features that you can use. To stick with basic is okay, yet if you want to make the most out of your money, you may also want to settle for one that has a number of helpful features. For example, today you can already find MP4 players that allow you to connect to the Internet or read your cards. There are even some of them that can already record TV shows or come with ports for input and output devices.

4. Do some research. Before you hit the stores, you should already have a clear idea of what you're going to purchase. If there are things that are unclear to you, visit the official website of the product or go to message boards and read discussions of other users. You will discover that there are still several things that you don't know about MP4 players but can be helpful in coming up with a good buying decision.

As a mere mortal, does your attempt to maintain a peaceful balance between family and fitness look a little less harmonious? Are you wracked with guilt when your fitness obligations interfere with family time? Do you regularly feel stressed, pulled in countless directions, or overwhelmed trying to maintain balance between obligations of work, fitness and family?

Balance. What does it mean to have balance in your life? Is it possible to do it all and keep everything in balance? Imagine a gymnast on a balance beam. You can picture her with eyes fixed on one spot, they're focused, yet in constant motion; while shifting weight from side to side, teetering, moving and making tiny adjustments to counteract the pull of gravity. That visual alone reminds us that the act of maintaining balance requires we make constant adjustments, be focused, yet remain flexible.

All of us want and hope for balance. But doing "it all" means something, and sometimes everything, will suffer a little. Balance is to understand and rate what things are important and what things you should let slide. Happily married for 14 plus years, I'm a mother of two young children, a friend, a daughter, a chauffeur, choreographer, business woman, author, clothing designer, program director and fitness professional. Regularly someone asks me, "How do you do it all?" I always reply, "I don't". I do those things that I deem best support my family and weigh all decisions against that mark first. I used to feel "inadequate" if someone dropped by home unexpectedly and it was not in perfect order. Then my father-in law, in his tell-it-like-it-is wisdom assured me, "You raise a family, not a house." I love it! For me, that one comment took the pressure off. It gave me the permission to relax and put my priorities into perspective. If it comes to it, I will miss a deadline at work before I miss a football game. I will disappoint a "fan" who really doesn't know me, before I would dream of disappointing my child. As much as each and every opportunity dangled in front of me might feed my ego, my first obligation is to make sure my family knows they are more important than all the money, fame or approval in the world. For me, what my family thinks of me is more important than the admiration of people who probably won't remember me 10 years from now. Perfection in all areas of life doesn't exist. Balance is the most we can hope for. Without truly identifying what is important to you, it is difficult to achieve balance.

I've applied this "healthy balance" concept to my own life and work. It's a vision that as a business owner I work to instill in my employees. I know what works best for me, but I was curious to see what tips other multitasking fitness professionals might have, including those without children. So I went to a few individuals who I most admire for their commitment to balance and asked for their tips. Granted, you may not recognize their names, but at the moment they're willing to trade international name recognition for harmony. Aside from their tips, I found two really reassuring bits of news I want to pass along to you: 1. Symmetry is within your reach and 2. Anything you want to do, you can and should when the time is right. Here are some practical tips to aid you in evaluating, creating and maintaining balance.

1. Prioritize, in writing, the most important areas of your life based on your current situation. So many skip this all-important first step or fail to re-visit this question on a regular basis. Though you may believe you have prioritized your values, goals or agendas in your mind; to list them on paper helps to clarify their order and re-evaluate your activities. Our top priority is often easy to identify, it's numbers 2, 3 and 4 priorities that sometimes over-lap in our minds and fluctuate depending on changing circumstances. Writing down your priorities makes it easier to navigate tough decisions. Julie Voris, an Instructor in Carmel, Indiana said, "I feel blessed to work in fitness. I give my all each time I teach, but my family has to come first. My girls will only be young for a short time. Because I recognize that I no longer teach afternoon classes. I prefer to teach mornings while all my girls are in school, and be there when they return. I keep afternoons free to volunteer in their classrooms. It's tempting to want to teach those primetime classes and consider other opportunities. I remind myself that when my girls are older new opportunities will be there."

As circumstances change, so too will your priorities and therefore should your schedule. Any shift in circumstances, work-load, family, finances, health, etc. should require you revisit your written list of priorities. For many, the recent loss of a job or a portion of income has necessitated a return to the work force. Be flexible when tough times require it.

2. Create a calendar or list of your regularly scheduled activities. List everything, including leisure time and sleep. Closely estimate the amount of total time each activity requires. For example, when listing a class or client, be sure to include set-up, cleanup and drive time.
3. Star those activities that support one or all of your top 2 or 3 priorities. These are the items we should fight to keep on our list and maybe add more!

4. Underline neutral activities. Neutral activities are those which neither take from nor support your priorities. Some examples of neutral activities might include Saturday morning coffee with your girlfriends, art class, watching television, surfing the internet, training for a marathon or a fitness competition etc. These are activities that you could give up if needed, but should be evaluated for their "peace of mind" value. Never underestimate the refueling power of mindless down time or time pursuing your joy, something few A-type personalities allow for.

5. Next, boldly circle the activities or obligations that contradict your present order of priorities. This is going to take some courage. In some instances, it takes a non-objective 3rd party. Here's a personal example; One of my weekly activities was a late evening class at a club 35 minutes away, at a rate of pay far less than I normally earned. I had the class for years and felt that the students, who had become my friends, would "perish" if I gave up the class. Even though my obligations as Mom were tugging at me, I felt I'd be letting everyone down if I gave up the class. I kept thinking of the few friends who had recently joined the club just for that one class. I was keeping this self imposed obligation out of guilt, a sense of pride

and to be honest, ego gratification! It took a friend to point out that by keeping the class I was actually hurting my young family in terms of loss of time with them, loss of income and the increased stress that it caused by knowingly staying in the circumstance. Giving up that class was far less painful than I imagined. Much to my surprise, not even one student "died". In fact, it's rumored that life went on and they eventually fell in love with a new instructor.

Now, when I personally struggle with the decision to get a sub or give up a class I remind myself that at the end of my life, it will be my family at my bedside, not my Saturday morning Turbo class.

6. Make an "Immediate Action" To- Do List: Each item which you bravely circled now needs to be removed. These aren't areas that you're going to "try to do better". It's time to take specific action. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. The change doesn't have to be permanent, but it should be immediate. If the act of relinquishing responsibility, inconveniencing others, or change has you frozen in your tracks, look at your top three priorities and find the courage to endure a few uncomfortable moments for lasting piece of mind.

Jenelle Summers, Team Beachbody Coach, Fitness instructor and Music Coordinator for Powder Blue Productions from Toledo, Ohio realized immediate action was needed if she was going to continue teaching after her son started school. "Rushing to pick up my son from school, only to go straight to the club for a class made me feel stressed and my son began acting out, which made matters even worse. I'm not a morning person, but I was convinced that it would be in the best interest of my son to teach early morning classes. I called my coordinator the next day and began replacing my evening classes with 6:00 a.m. workouts. Even though I thought I would never see my fitness friends, many of them made the shift with me. I feel so much better about doing what I love and that my family doesn't have to pay the price."

7. Make a "Transitional" To-Do list: Sometimes changes should be gradual. If, for example, your number one priority is to quit your current job and work a full-time fitness career; quitting your "day job" tomorrow might make it tough to fork over the car payment at the end of the month. Consider a gradual transition. Speak to your employer about the possibility of working just 5-10 less hours per week. If that's not an option, propose a flexible work schedule that allows you to do personal training or pursue fitness opportunities during prime time hours. When I first moved to California I was working 40 to 50 hours a week at my "day" job. I felt unmotivated, uninterested and overworked. It was causing me major stress and the inability to grow my personal training business. Though I knew it was a stretch, I convinced my employers to allow me to try a flex schedule and work 10 less hours per week. They agreed. The part time hours allowed me to pursue a career in health and fitness, without losing all of my income, while I built my fitness business. Because of that transition, my personal, professional, spiritual and financial life has flourished.

8. Openly communicate your priorities with others. This serves as both a constant reminder to yourself and a means of personal accountability. In communicating your priorities, you also establish your boundaries. "I openly express my priorities so those who I work with always know and respect where I am coming from." Barbara Brodowsky, group exercise instructor for YMCA, Lancaster, CA. Not only does this keep you accountable, put people are clear about your direction and will refrain from pressuring you to do things outside of your priorities.

9. Take cues from the people closest to you: Sometimes we are too close to a situation to be able to make clear decisions. Listen to the questions and comments of those you most trust and admire. Has your significant other suggested that you look tired, seem distant, stressed or stretched too thin? Has more than one friend suggested you lighten your load or spend less time working out? Have you seen a change in the behavior or mood of one or more family members? Projects consultant for AFAA and Powder Blue Productions, Amy Nestor agrees, "When every day begins to feel hectic, rushed, and stressful and my mind feels like it's racing, I know it's time to take a look at what I'm doing. I also take cues from my family. When my normally happy son seems cranky, needy and unruly, I now recognize that he is responding to feelings he's picking up from me."

10. Practice saying, "Can I get back to you on that?" If you know you should say "No" more often, yet find yourself saying, "Yes" just to be accommodating, try using "Thanks for thinking of me! Can I get back to you on that?" Just a few days will give you the time you need to evaluate the opportunity to see how it fits with your priorities and if need be, politely decline.

11. Identify, and then remove your balance blockers. All of us have self-imposed balance blockers. These are deep rooted feelings that keep us in unhealthy or stressful situations based on fear or insecurities, like the need to please, misplaced guilt, fear of rejection, false appearances, believing that you're supposed to be able to "do it all", perfectionism and more. These items will inhibit your ability to make sound decisions; decisions based on "your" life's priorities.

Here's a sample list of priorities:
1. Time with the kids and especially hubby
2. Reduce debt and decrease monthly spending
3. Transition to a full time personal trainer or fitness coach
4. Help my family become more centered around healthy living
5. Spend more time writing
Warning: Out of Balance
Signs that may signify your life is out of balance:
o Insomnia
o Racing thoughts
o Over or under eating
o Stress and Irritability
o Moodiness
o Forgetfulness
o Headaches
o Nighttime teeth grinding
o Compulsive behaviors
o Loneliness

Most commonly sited ways to
Immediately reduce stress:
o Keep a carefully crafted diligently maintained to-do list
o Restructure unnecessary activities
o Give up obligations or activities you dread
o Get additional sleep
o Let your guard down
o Approach others with forgiveness and love
o Refocus priorities
o Shift classes/clients/personal workouts to least impact the family
o Shift to part-time hours
o Let go of the pursuit of perfection

Thanks for reading!

As previously mentioned, eating for two during pregnancy is a notion that needs to be dispelled. This will only lead to bloating during pregnancy, not to mention excess weight gain. Remember that even though there is a growing human body in your body that you need to nurture, it is just a tiny person so you should not literally eat for two. Instead, your caloric requirements will simply increase for about 350 to 450 calories per day. This can translate to an extra piece of fruit or an extra glass of milk, not a whole meal.

It will also help you to keep track of your weight by having a diet list or inventory. Remember that you need to eat healthy, more so when you are pregnant. Making a list of what you eat will help make you aware if you are putting pounds for good or for worse. If you find yourself eating more sweets than vegetables, then it is time for you to re-evaluate your diet. Avoid too much sweet drinks like juices and carbonated drinks, for the latter will also promote bloating and the production of pregnancy gas. Instead, drink more water to flush out toxins and reduce bloating. Also, avoid snacks with empty calories like chips and junk foods. Instead, to avoid the feeling of fullness in stomach and promote regular bowel movement, eat whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Exercising is also important for pregnant women, since this will help them keep their shape even while pregnant. This will also help reduce bloating. However, the exercise routine should not be something extreme, as this can cause trauma to the baby. To make sure that the routine is beneficial for both mother and baby, you can consult your health care provider regarding the program that is right for you.

Pregnancy can often be stressful because of the discomforts associated with it, so a pregnant woman will often resort to eating comfort foods in order to alleviate these stresses, thereby gaining excess weight in the process. In order to avoid this scenario, try to do something to else to manage your stress levels. You can do some mild exercises, or you can listen to soothing music. If you really can't help munching when stressed, surround yourself with healthy foods, or at least something that has low sugar and fat content. This will reduce the possibility of swelling during pregnancy, and will make it easier for you to regain your original weight prior to pregnancy.

A simple weight loss workout at home would save you a lot of money and would maximize your time. No, you do not need to buy those expensive machines. All you need to do is sweat it out by following this simple guideline.

Pump up the volume and dance! Does it sound like a song? Well, that is what you need. Almost all people groove when they here dance music, so throw in your favorite dance tune and start throwing those hips, arms and legs around. Dancing, aside from it being contributory to good mood, is a good cardio exercise. Dance like you have never danced before. It does not matter if you only know a few steps. You do not need perfect dance moves and routine. Just make sure you sweat and if you like concentrate on those bulky areas you by concentrating your movements to it. Belly dancing is good for the tummy while hip hop dancing is good for your extremities.

So you want to sing too? Okay, sing while burning fats. The triceps can be one of the most difficult spot to trim. Now it is time to grab the mop and make it like a microphone stand. Sing and move, do not just sing alone. If you are listening to a dance tune then you can sing while thinking the mop as your partner. Use your imagination in this weight loss workout program.

Are you tired of looking at the same furniture in their same old places? Then it is time for you to move them. This is great for trimming down fats and toning your muscles. Just be very careful with your back, alright? Lift small and light things repeatedly and fast if you want to tone down your body shape. Lift heavy objects at a slower pace and lesser repetitions if you want to build muscles.

Do you need to buy something? Well, if the local grocery and shops are just near then drop those keys and start walking. Walking is one of the best exercise and should be part of any weight loss workout program. Walking around the neighborhood everyday or even while at the mall could benefit the over-all wellness of a person. If you have time then you could jog around. If you need to stay home then jog in place while watching your favorite television show instead of laying around like a couch potato.

Now this is important: you need to pick lessons from someone who is an experienced teacher and not just an experienced guitarist. When I was a kid I learnt guitar from an excellent guitarist, at least I thought he was good, but looking back I realize he was not such a great teacher.

It took more than two years before I could really call myself a reasonable guitar player. As a guitar teacher now myself, I figure it could have been done in one year.

That's exactly why you need to be careful choosing beginner online guitar lessons. Any competent guitarist can give lessons, but playing the guitar and teaching the guitar are two different things. That's why you need to choose lessons from a guitarist with a long and proven record of teaching.

You need to check that the lessons are clear and simple, and that there are plenty of videos so you can actually see what the teacher's fingers are doing. They also need to teach you tunes, not just give you practice exercises. You need to be playing songs just as soon as possible to make the learning more fun. That will keep you going when the going gets tough.

There need to be jam tracks, so you can play along with a real band and be making real music. Believe me, it's a great experience. It's hard work learning the guitar, but playing songs fairly early on in the training helps with the battle between you, your fingers and the greatest musical instrument in the world.

Online guitar lessons are, in my view, better than having a personal teacher. You can see clearly what needs to be done, you can replay lessons again and again, and you can take lessons just as often as you like. That sure beats traveling to guitar lessons once or twice a week, and the cost is far, far less.

The iPod took the world by storm, and now we have the possibility of a machine which can integrate your on the move entertainment with your cell phone, and even provide access to the internet.

If you are new to the world of hand held entertainment systems, you will probably want to know how to get music from two different sources. You will want to know how to take the music from your own collection and put that onto your new iPhone, and you will also want to know how to access the huge libraries of music available on the internet. You will need a computer to do either of these, but it can be anything fairly recent. From the internet, you can get a software program which will make a copy of your CD music to your hard drive, and then you will need a connecting lead to effect the transfer to your iPhone.

The first step will be to get your existing music transferred. This will not take too long, as the software programs called "rippers" are capable of transferring music at much higher speeds than normal playback. If your hard drive is large enough, you can rip the music from all of your CDs in one go, before transferring it.

The biggest challenge of how to put music to iPhone is with finding reliable sources of music to download from the internet. Many new people get caught in a very dangerous trap, by using P2P sites. These are against the law, and the quality of the downloads is really poor. Often files are not what they are supposed to be, and they can easily contain malware which can be dangerous to your computer. Join a reputable site, where you can pay once for lifetime access, and you will have a completely different experience.

By joining a good site like this, and ripping the tracks from your existing CDs, you will soon find that you have plenty of music to transfer to your iPhone. Connect your iPhone to the computer, use iTunes to make the transfer, and you will learn the last part needed in how to put music to iPhone.

This article should have made it a little easier to get your music onto your Iphone. Check out the links below to see some of the best Iphone download sites.

The PSP will only play music in MP3 format. So you have a few choices when searching for PSP music.

There are plenty of pay-per-download sites out there, such as iTunes. These sites will offer quality downloads, but when you pay a dollar a song it starts to add up when you build a music collection like mine. So this method is not recommended if you plan to download multiple PSP songs.

Another option is to download a free peer-to-peer program, such as Limewire. These peer-to-peer programs are basically file sharing programs where you download the files from other users. The upside is that they can be used for free, the downside is that often the files may be low quality. I've downloaded lots of songs where I've noticed the song wasn't what I downloaded. Another thing to be aware of when using peer-to-peer programs is viruses. Often the files will contain harmful trojans and viruses. This method is not recommended for downloading PSP music.

There are sites out specially designed for PSP downloads. The downloads include PSP music, games, movies, wallpaper, software, and more. So how much do these sites cost to join? It obviously depends on the site, some of them will require you to pay a monthly subscription fee, while others may charge a one-time fee around . The reputable PSP download sites will give you access to unlimited downloads with no extra fees. This can save you a TON of money in the long run.

So, what do you need to look for in a PSP downloading service?

• One-Time Membership Fee - Never pay a monthly fee, only join services which charge a one-time fee.
• Unlimited Downloads - Look for services that don't limit the amount of your downloads.
• Customer Service - Free 24/7 technical support is definitely a plus, who knows when you may need it.

You can benefit in more ways than one by joining a PSP downloading service. With the ability to find all your PSP music, games, movies, and more, it can be a PSP owners dream come true.

1. Pick a style- Know the style of beat you want to make before you start making it. Like rnb,rap,pop, etc. There have been plenty of beats that I made and could not figure out what style it was.

2. Pick A Major Artist- Think of a known artist that you would want to make the beat for. Like if you chose a style a rap, think now what rap artist do you want to make the beat for. Try to imagine that artist on your beat. This will make your hip hop beat-making experience a whole lot easier.

3. Listen To Their Song- Take a listen to the rap artist you are making the beat for songs. See the style. Get a feel for the kind of hip hop beats the artist raps over.

4. Formatting The Song- Very important. formatting is, the intro, verse, chorus, verse, bridge, etc. That's all it is but basically you just change the order around however you feel like it. Turn on the radio and see how your favorite artist formats there song. When instruments come in, when they drop out. The most basic form to start with is, 2 or 4 bar intro, 16 bar verse, 8 bar chorus, 16 bar verse, 8bar chorus, 16 bar verse, 8 bars chorus. This is the most basic beat-making song format. This is very common in rap. If you want an even simpler way, you can create an 8 bar loop and keep it the same throughout the whole song. I have seen this done a lot.

5. Laying down the beat- I have learned that for starters, it's easier to start with the drums. Kick, Snare, Hi hat, are always a good start. Record a pattern for four bars with those first. Then layer that with maybe some toms, cow-bell, symbols, etc. Whatever you want to use. THE DRUMS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT IN MAKING HIP HOP BEATS! Your drums must hit and hit HARD. The best way to get your drums hitting hard is by not using "pitty pat" free kits you downloaded from the internet for free. If your drums are weak, then your beat is going to be weak.

6. Laying Down A Melody- This is where most hip hop beat-makers have the most trouble. Because most eat makers can't play the keys. For starters, you might want to learn basic keyboard skills. The major thing you need to learn are, major and minor scales. After you learn that, try and do different combinations and patterns with the drum beat you have made. Use an instrument like, a lead guitar, horns, clav, something that will stand out. Your melody can be however you want it, but for starters, you could do a 4 bar melody, or an 8 bar melody.

7. Layering The Beat- What is done a lot in beat making is layering. If you have your whole beat finished. You can go and make it sound bigger by layering. All you do is fill in some gaps, do the same pattern you did with one instrument with another instrument. Do this throughout your beat. This will make you beat sound a lot fatter.

8. Pan- Panning is basically having an instrument all the way to the right, all the way to the left, and anywhere in between. You pan for all kinds of different reasons. It gives each track its own little space in the stereo field. There are no rules for panning, put you have to do it. So just try it out and see what you like best.

9. The Mixdown- Very important! Very Important! Very Important! If you have a poor mix on your beat, then you have pretty much wasted your time. When mixing a beat, start with each track individually. Solo each track and make sure it sounds good by itself. EQ it if you have to, but if each track sounds good by itself, the whole beat will sound that much better. DO NOT DISTORT! If your master levels are in the red before you bounce to disc or .mp3, your distorting. Don't worry about if its not loud enough. You never ever ever want to distort. If you are distorting, check any instrument that has boom or low end, Like a kick, bass, sub, etc. these tend to distort more often.

10. The Bounce- Now that you made you're beat, Its the hottest hip hop beat ever, you want to put it on cd or upload it to the internet. When you're exporting a beat for cd, Use .wav file. 44.1 16bit. If you want to upload to the internet use, 320kbps (the highest .mp3 quality) or 128kbps. Most websites wont accept 320kbps because the file size is too big. So go with 128kbps.

These are all just guidelines to help you get started. There are millions of ways to make a beat, But this is just to help you get your feet wet if you don't know where to start.

The best P2P programs are adjudged ?best? due to their high acceptance levels with the P2P network user community. There are several parameters which are critical for acceptance of a P2P File sharing system by a large community of users. One such parameter is the availability of the program at all times. If the server of a P2P network program is switched off, or the mirrors are not able to take the load of high demands of visitors, or file servers are not available, it blocks all the new downloads. This causes a significant effect on the popularity of the network and reduces its acceptance among its users. Yet another parameter is Integrity, which is often compromised by corrupted files which creep in to the network if the network uses donated resources for hosting meta-data. Such corrupted files could be any kind of malware such as spyware, adware, Trojan horses, Browser hijackers, key loggers, data miners and remote installers. A network with some moderators sure helps remove all the malware files from the network and retain the integrity of the program. Moreover, the program should also be efficient in terms of download speed and effective in terms of providing a large number of files for downloading.

These parameters are usually used to judge a P2P program, but can hold different priorities for different users. For example, a user may prefer to download a program that has the most number of music files available even if the threat of malware from that program is higher than others.

Thus, users looking for a good P2P program should check all such programs against the parameters given above and after ascertaining which parameter is most critical to them and which program fares best on that parameter, should choose that program.

Invitations for the iCarly birthday theme can be made in a unique and innovative fashion. Instead of sending the boring traditional invitations, you can send out email invitations! There are a lot of online websites that come with iCarly themed invitations that can be downloaded for free. To add more spice to the invitations, you can add a voice recording or a web cam message inviting friends for attending the party. Bear in mind by sending out such invitations, you are contributing in saving the environment.

Coming to the most important part of the party, which is the decoration. If you are creative enough, you can create some good decorative items and use them to adorn the party hall. If not, you can take the assistance of online website that along with iCarly birthday party favors also sell iCarly party supplies at reasonable rates. You can even make use of curly cues along with colorful and vibrant balloons and streamers for the walls and the ceilings. Posters with wordings like "Welcome to the Web Show" can be hung at the entrance of the venue.

If you are organizing party for little kids, then you need to plan activities that will keep the kids busy till the rest of the guests arrive. You can arrange for a singing and dancing competition so that the kids can shake a leg to their favorite music. In addition to this, you can even show kids a episode of iCarly to pass away the time.

Kids will want to re energize with some food and cold drinks. Some of the food items that are sure to fill the little tummies would be Chili Spaghetti Tacos, Apple or Blueberry pies, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, baby vegetable, cheese cubes, chips etc, Beverages could include smoothies, sodas, fruit juices and many more. In addition to this you might want to order or bake the cake in the form of Sam's remote control, iCarly characters etc. You could also bake pies and include them to the iCarly party favors.

When all the guests have arrived you can start exciting or silly games like a Silly String Fight, Talent Competition, Pie Eating Contest and many more. Make sure you record every games, so that you can also give them away a iCarly birthday party favors to the kids. You can even include Dum charades where you can put several activity cards into a hat and allow the kids to pick out one and enact them for the audience.

Finally you can come to the loot bags or the kids' birthday party favors. If you like to be experimental and stylish, you can include funky notepads and pens with pink or purple feathers. You can even cut and make weird socks like the one Spencer wears, yo yo's, chocolate bars and many more eatables since most of Carly's friends love to munch. Do not forget to attach a thank you note to show your appreciation to the guests.

The iCarly party favors themes are adored and loved by kids of all ages. Your kids will not only enjoy their birthday party but will also remember it for the days to come. They will be eternally grateful for making their dreams come true and you too would love to organize such themes for birthday parties.

Noise.

This is no silent stationary bike. The resistance comes from turning a big fan. That is one noisy fan. If you want more resistance, you just pedal faster. The faster you pedal, the louder it gets. This isn't the machine for you if you want to watch movies or listen to music as you ride. But, that big fan surely can keep you cooler on hot days!!! Also...

No computer.

Computers on many bikes let you enjoy pre-programmed workout routines. There is no computer on the Airdyne, so you get to build your own workouts. Make sure you realize this lack of computer power. Then again, there's no fancy electronics to break down either...

Why would anyone like this machine? Why do they still sell?

Here's the deal... This is one rugged machine that will last and last with little or no maintenance. It's a simple design that helps you get a great workout at home and it's so simple to use. Simple... but not easy. You can get a total body workout with this machine that is better than machines costing hundreds of dollars more.

It's that dual action design that works your arms and shoulders as well as your legs too. That exercise bike workout using your total body is the fastest way I know to get fit and burn fat.

A Schwinn Airdyne upright exercise bike is a noisy stationary bike with no computer. But this is one rugged machine that just encourages the kind of workouts that get you in shape and fit fast and right at home.

Inside the barn however, things were not as quiet as one might think they would be. True there were no horses to plow the fields or cows to provide milk but there were hundreds of barn rats that called the old barn their castle. There were twelve families of rats living in the barn and they were ever so grateful to call it home. So happy were they that they kept it as clean and neat as any rat or field mouse might do. Most of the older rats had lived there for decades and continued to multiply adding to the rat population. Many others had chosen to venture outside the barn to explore the fields and meadows. Rats do have a very active social life despite what most people think and love to enjoy life to the fullest. So it was for the younger rats in this old abandoned country barn.

The most popular female rat was fancy Frieda who spent all of her time reading old cartoons and crafting exotic dresses to wear in her dance performances. She collected pieces of cloth from everywhere and even had mice that were scavengers bringing her colorful bits and pieces daily to add to her priceless collection. She knew and loved cartoon characters and was the best seamstress anywhere around.

Everyone knows if there is a popular female then there has to be a popular male as well. This would of course be the sleek and debonair Sonny Redfern whose magic voice could capture any female rat's heart. Sonny and his band would play their handmade instruments providing rock and roll music for all the rats. Frieda and Sonny kept things really rocking along every weekend. The band used all sorts of things for instruments. Some played sticks, some bottles, some cow bells, some discarded washboards, and some played bongo drums made from forgotten items stored in the barn. There was no instrument however that could woo the girls like the smooth and sexy voice of the handsome Sonny Redfern. Together Frieda and Sonny provided the rats with a jammin good time down in the old forgotten country barn.

Week by week the news spread across hill and dale. It wasn't long before the barn was reeling and rocking to the best of Sonny Redfern and his Rocking Field Rats. Everyone was invited but all females had to bring food. The male rats took turns standing watch for any wicked predators who might happen upon the scene.

No drugs or alcoholic beverages were allowed. The old lamps had to be polished; oil supplied and of course matches to light the wicks. This was also the tasks of the guys. The floor of the stalls had to be swept clean and the stage set each and every week. It was a busy time in the old wooden barn at Johnson's Field Crossing in Middleburg, North Carolina. Middleburg was also known for its sweet ripe cantalopes every summer.

Now it came to be that the news not only spread to the rats but also to the rats that were willing to snitch to the cats in order to save their own hides. Since there were a good number of cats as well who were out to get a fat rat for dinner this was a common practice. There was one rat named Tubby who had only escaped the bite from the teeth of the cat by crying out he could provide even bigger and better rats for the cat to eat. Now in order to carry out this Tubby had to tell the big male cat named Chicko about the shindig held in the barn every Saturday night. Chicko of course told all of his friends in the cat community and they planned to raid the barn the next Saturday night.

All week the rats cleaned, polished, swept, brought oil and matches to the barn preparing for their shindig on Saturday night. They did not know that lots of glowing eyes were watching from a distance taking note of every move that they made. Tubby meanwhile told all the males that he would stand watch all evening and allow them all to precipitate in every dance. They could all bring a date and just kick back and enjoy themselves. Of course all the male rats took Tubby up on his generous offer. Dates were made and the clock was quickly ticking away!

Now it just so happened, Frieda heard Tubby talking to all the male rats. She knew there must be something fishy going on. Tubby only thought of Tubby and no one else. He had to be up to something and she was going to find out just what he was up to. There were two critters Frieda did not trust, one was Tubby and the other was a CAT!

Days went by quickly and it was Saturday morning. Everything was on schedule. Frieda had all of her dresses made and even helped out with the food supply. The stage was set, the lanterns lighted and all the guest had arrived. Each guest was given a program telling of the night's events.

This is what it said:
"Now I want to remind every one of the "House of Mouse Rules." No smoking. No villainous schemes and no guests eating other guests. Tonight, we have a show that won't be forgotten."

A drum roll gave its loud sound to announce the performers. All eyes were on the curtain and I do mean ALL eyes. Tubby stood outside all dressed in red nervously waiting for the unexpected guest to make their move. The band began to play, young female rats began to scream as Sonny came sliding out onto the stage. He took the speaker and began to sing in his deep sexy voice. The crowd went wild with screams of delight. Rats were jumping up and down, waving their hands in the air and clapping to the music.

Tubby gave the signal and all the cats took their positions fixing their eyes on the fat rats they hoped to have for dinner. "One, Two, Three, Go"! Tubby shouted in a loud voice. The cats made a lunge for the barn door.

Suddenly out of no where there came a loud crash and the lanterns all fell off their stands pouring oil and fire onto the barn floor. Rats scurried to and fro to escape the flames. Tubby barred the door and locked it from the outside hoping he would not be eaten by the cats. The cats were locked inside with the flames of fire. The rats scurried under the barn floor into their safety tunnels and then out into the fields. The barn went up in flames in only a matter of seconds. The home of the rats at Johnson Field Crossing was engulfed in flames. No one knows if the cats made it out or not. Frieda put the sling shot back in her dress pocket along with the white round stones used to break the glass in the lanterns.

She left the scene with these words: "I thought I saw a puddy cat"....." Ah....That's All Folks!"

You could hear her singing in the distance as she joined the other rats in the field. It went something like this:
"I yam what I yam and I yam what I yam that I yam.
And I got a lotta muscle and I only gots one eye
And I'll never hurt nobodys and I'll never tell a lie
Top to me bottom and me bottom to me top
That's the way it is 'til the day that I drop
What am I?
I yam what I yam and a loyal friend is what I yam!"

They had lost their home but their lives had been saved by the actions of a quick thinking female rat who still read the cartoon section of the aged newspaper in the old barn loft. Ah.... That's all folks!

And if you're not, then there's still nothing more satisfying than seeing daily visitor numbers rise week on week. If nothing else, it proves you're doing something right.

Blogger and WordPress blog platforms make it really easy to quickly add stat programs like Google Analytics and StatCounter through their Admin User Panels. In Blogger's case, you simply need to add a html/javascript gadget and copy and paste the StatCounter tracking code into it. It really is that simple.

However, when I came to add StatCounter stats to my Tumblr account, I found it rather more challenging.

Tumblr is described as "a blogging platform that allows users to post text, images, video, links, quotes, and audio to their tumblelog, a short-form blog. Users are able to "follow" other users and see their posts together on their dashboard. You can like or reblog other blogs on the site and other users can do the same to your posts. The service emphasizes customizability and ease of use" (see Wikipedia)

I've been using Tumblr to collate a fantasy iPod playlist, posting a different music track or video from YouTube each day. I now have a steady stream of fellow music lovers following my posts.

I couldn't find anything in the help pages and most online searches drew a blank.

Then I found, almost by accident, the nugget of information I needed: how to install javascript into your Tumblr template, and so I'd like to share that information with you here.

As with all template changes, please, please make sure you've got a back up somewhere first (expand widgets if you're doing such template changes on Blogger) as things can go wrong and be very very hard to recover from. You've been warned! (But don't let that put you off trying altogether).

So in my case, I wanted to install the custom tracking javascript supplied by StatCounter. Here's what you do.

1 - Log into your Tumblr Account.
2 - Click the "Customise" link.
3 - Click "Theme" and then select "Use Custom HTML".
4 - Scroll to the end of the code and paste your StatCounter code JUST BEFORE the

tags.
5 - Don't forget to click "Save Changes".
6 - Log back into your StatCounter account to check that it is recording visits (unless you've purposefully blocked your IP address from being recorded as a visit).

Jonathan C Crouch

Party planning software is helpful to offer some of the features needed to reduce the time being consumed in planning the party manually. In huge parties, it can be challenging to handle all the numerous details and many segments. Event planning software is really helpful in organizing large parties by breaking down into various different categories all the details. This will permit you to sort out all the details according to your priorities. These categories include sending invitations, booking a venue, obtaining party supplies, decorations, menu planning, party favors, music, party activities and a lot more. The task organizer feature of the planning software permits you to manage countless parties in one time which is better compared to professional party planners.

One feature of this software is budget management program. It contains budget control features and accounting ledgers letting the planners to easily regulate the event within their personal budget. The software will be responsible in adding or re-adding the costs into grand totals or category sub-totals. This will give you an idea if you are way beyond your budget. The event planning software has timetable and to-do list feature too. This will help you out in doing things in the proper order with accurate time. The timetable is helpful in scheduling the tasks even months ahead. One important feature that this software contains is alarm. You just have to set the alarm for each entry and this will serve as friendly reminder since you will receive notice when the task has to be started.

Party planning software includes a stationery program which allows you to print and design reception cards, invitation, table cards, labels, envelopes and many more. This software can also aid you in organizing seating arrangements. It also encompasses a feature that lets you to keep a record of all correspondence related to the event. Some programs can even come with seller database with their complete address, email, phone numbers and website information. The programs of event planning software make it possible for you to form an efficient work flow to attend to all your party planning duties. The planning software can be of assistance in reducing the workload in planning parties and you can also save time and effort since most of the tasks are done by this software.

If you are looking to create beats for rap, hip-hop, R&B or any popular music genre a keyboard may not be your best purchase. Simply because you are buying a great lump of hardware to do a job a simple piece of software could do twice as well.

Think of the cash you will waste buying this unnecessary hardware.

Instead think about streamlining your money, efforts and technology by checking out some of the excellent beat maker software programs that are available online. Many of these cost below 30 or and can be downloaded to your computer or laptop any time of the day or night wherever you are in the world.

The software programs are specifically designed to create beats and some of the best ones on the market are very simple to use yet give professional studio quality results. It can be as simple as selecting your required beat and dropping it into a timeline exactly where you want it to sound. Some of the better software programs allow you to tap your mouse as if you were playing the kit yourself and record it live into the software.

A lot of the programs allow you to go back and edit any errors as well as export your music as an MP3. Imagine having one of your own tracks on iTunes.

So if you are looking for the best affordable keyboard to make rap beats, my advice is to check out some of the more cost-effective software programs that are available online.

The mobile is made with two slides. These are fitted one above the other. The contrasting pink colour is of great relevance for the handset is a first choice among women folk. But, men are also seen to use the mobile. Its dimensions are 88 x 43 x 23 mm and the gadget weighs only 104 gms. This simple dimension makes the gadget very user-friendly and further promotes the femininity associated with it.

This feature-rich handset can be used for entertainment purposes. One can watch videos and pictures on its TFT screen that gives 240 x 320 pixels resolution. The mobile has 8 MB internal onboard memory whereas the its card slot can be accommodated with 2 GB memory card. This memory is used to store ringtones of one's choice. It may be polyphonic and MP3 ringtones. The user can also download wallpapers, music, video files and games on the set. These files can be used for entertainment purposes. The music player is brought to use for playing music files in formats such as MP3, AAC, M4A, eAAC+ and AAC+. There is also a FM radio that entertains people with its diverse radio programs. Videos and pictures can be viewed on the TFT screen. Pictures can also be captured using the 2 MP camera of the phone. This camera can give 1600 x 1200 pixels resolution. Entertainment is also possible due to the presence of exciting games such as sudoku that are preloaded on the handset. More such games can also be downloaded from the internet. The WAP browser is used to surf the net at high speed.

The Nokia 7373 connects with options such as Bluetooth, USB, EDGE and GPRS. These connectivity options help users to seamlessly transfer files to other gadgets either wirelessly or by making use of cables. This mobile can also be used to send files to other compatible devices. It can be used for messaging files to others in the form of SMS, MMS and emails. This messaging service offered by the phone is utilised by the users to send their messages to people worldover.

The Nokia 7373 can be used for long hours as the battery has the capability to give 250 hrs of standby time and 2 hr 30 mins of talk-time. This battery of the gadget gives users the confidence to carry the mobile along with them anywhere they are going. The user can make use of the camera for photography purpose and can listen to music too. The battery gives the guarantee to the users that they can use the functionalities of the handset being relieved of the fear of the battery charge getting elapsed soon.

This Nokia N900 is available with a number of mobile phone deals. Fabulous deals such as 12 months free line rental, 18 months free line rental and cash back offers are offered on the 7373. It means that the user can avail free service for a period of 12 to 18 months. Price of the handset is also kept low. It enables people to buy this high definition phone with all its latest offers. The gadget can be carried with ease and women folk have a special fascination toward the mobile for its enigmatic pink colour. The user finds this mobile very convenient for usage.