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The goblet drum known as the doumbek is shaped as its name suggests, a goblet. This hand drum is widely used in Arabic, Assyrian, Persian, Turkish, Armenian, Balkan, Greek, and Azeri music. It is an ancient instrument, although, the exact period of its origin is not known.

The unique crisp sound of the drum is because of its lean and receptive drumhead and timbre. A player only needs to lightly touch goblet drums for different strokes to produce, including rolls or quick rhythms using the fingertips, in contrast to hand drums like Africas djembe. There are only two basic kinds of goblet drums.

The Egyptian style has rounded edges around the head. The Turkish style drum has an exposed head edge. The exposed edge lets the drummer get closer contact to the head to perform finger-snapping techniques.

But the rapid rolls in the Egyptian style are not appropriate with the Turkish styles hard edge. A doumbek drummer can play it by holding the instrument normally under the non-dominant arm. A seated drummer can also place it between his or her knees.

A low-sustain resonant sound is produced if it is played lightly using the palm and the fingertips. The tone is altered if the fists are moved in and out of the bell. The various rhythms of the goblet drum form the basis of the Middle Easts folkloric, modern music and dance styles.

The goblet drum has two principal sounds. The first is the doum, a deeper base sound created when the head is struck near the center with the palm and the fingers full length. The second is the tek, a sound with a high pitch which is made when the fingertips hit the head near the edge; clearly showing the versatility of the doumbek.

Tags: Music by Benedict Perez
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Since 1986, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe has carried their electric dance duo through more then two decades of success and selling more than 50 million sales worldwide. Their latest album, Yes, has everything that fans have grown to love including the return of Chris Lowe as back up singer. The album is full of state of the art songs and innovative artistry, this album is sure to be another chart topper.

This latest album by the PSB, has something for everyone. With tracks like cool throbbing “Love Etc” which is directed towards the socialite crowd, to the ballad “Beautiful People”, there is something for long time fans and new comers to enjoy.

In the usual PSB tone that you would expect are the sneaky hidden undertones and covert social comments that the fans expect. The great thing about the Pet Shop Boys is there way of conveying their messages in such a way as to be equally as pleasing to both liberal and conservative listeners. Like in Building a Wall where it refers to not so much to keep you out/more to keep me in this could convey a message of immigration or one of intimacy or can just make for nice listening for those who aren’t looking for anything more.

One of my favorite tracks on the album is “Pandemonium”. It is an incredible mix of disco that has a primal feel giving it a head banger appeal.

“Yes” has everything you would expect from a Pet Shop Boy CD. It is danceable, everyday pop with a combination of warmth and irony making “Yes” a must have for ant PSB fan, or fans of pop music.

Tags: Music by Patrick Daniels
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Artist Chuck Rosenthal paints a wide range of interesting artisitc pieces in his own fashion. Whether his subject is a child on a beach, a still life or construction workers, the main characteristic of his style is the attention paid to the warm colors. You wish you were in that painting ” you can feel the sun on your back.

His landscapes and sea scenes could get you through a cold misty winter. They would make any room light up with warmth.

You can almost smell the flowers and taste the fruit of his still life paintings. Rosenthals technique presents sufficient detail to give the viewer the rough feel of the pottery and the cool smoothness of the glass without overdoing it.

Overworking a painting ” too many details, too many brush strokes, often marks the work of beginning artists. Rosenthals art has the look of a professional. There are no overworked paintings in his gallery.

Simple everyday things are the subjects of his paintings, things that give people comfort. The daffodils and irises, apples and grapes in his still life paintings are things people know in the modern world, but are painted in such a way as to take you back to a simpler life.

The people in his beach scenes are ordinary people you might find on a beach if you went tomorrow ” a little girl playing, a young man searching in his bag for a candy bar, a grandmother and granddaughter watching the surf. There is nothing aloof or esoteric here.

But the paintings convey more than the ordinary. Or perhaps, one should say, they elevate the ordinary to a higher plane, inviting the viewer to join in the artists admiration of life and light in the world around us.

To read more about the artist, visit his website www.chuckrosenthalfineart.com. But better than reading about his awards and struggles as an artist, view his gallery page, and see the way this artist views the world. Its fascinating.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by Chuck Rosenthal
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In the printing profession there is a new process called CTP, which stands for computer to plate. It is one aspect of the prepress process and makes use of the prepress equipment called an imagesetter. The older technology was known as CTF, or computer to film. In the computer to film process, the print job goes from the file in the computer directly onto photographic film. The image then is transferred from the film to the photographic plate so that the images can be printed. The computer to plate process eliminates the central step and transfers the image created in the desktop publishing program directly onto the printing plate. obviously, when an entire step is eliminated, efficiency goes up and costs go down.

But what is required to switch from CTF to CTP? It takes an upgraded infrastructure and a redesigned workflow. In designing this new work flow, the central concentration needs to be on preventing bottlenecks in the process and keep the process moving smoothly. But the infrastructure is equally important. Thinking back to when you first acquired your computer system, you may expect that purchasing a new system will break your bank. However, this may not be true. Nowadays, the prices of new desktop computers have dropped significantly, making this purchase more in line with what you can afford. In addition, the increased speed of new computers will raise the efficiency of your shop measurably. In time, the new computers will seem to pay for themselves as you are able to increase throughput. In retrospect, you will see your old system for what it was: an albatross around your companys neck, weighing it down.

But lets return to the work flow issue. How can CTP technology improve your work flow? Here are some ways:

First comes job acceptance and preflighting. This step consists of checking the files that the customer has sent you to make sure that the fonts and graphics are structured according to the customers requirements.

Next consider image acquisition. Are any scanning or digital photography operations required? This step might include color correction, file format conversion, and other image manipulation.

Next comes the phase of prepress operations. This phase involves preparing the job so that it is compatible with your specific press type.

Electronic imposition is the heart of the prepress operation. It consists of bringing together the actual page files and imposing them onto the printing flats and transferring them to the raster image processor.

As you near the end of the process, you need to be able to create proofs. The proofing step is essential because it ensures the accuracy of the final product.

The final step is a sort of a finishing-up process that takes care of the files and the databases to ensure that everything is archived correctly.

This may seem like a complicated process, but dont forget that that big middle step has been eliminated. If you streamline your process and convert to CTP, you wont see just a return on your investment (ROI). You will ensure your ability to remain in business (RIB).

Tags: Writing & Speaking by Chuck R Stewart
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By far the most interesting subject and hobby for me has always been digital photography. I love everything about photography and have since I can remember. My parents caught on when I was quite young and got me first camera when I was only 6. I almost immediately was attached to the thing and whenever I could, would take pictures all the time. The thing never left my side. There were even moments when my dad would get angry with me because I would manage to have it in the theatre or other places that would be generally very strict about not having a camera within sight of your person. I guess this is why the first thing that popped into my head when I started to get older was how I could sell my digital photos. I figured I had been taking pictures long enough and loved it so much that maybe I could make some extra cash if I could sell some.

I talked to my friends first since they are usually my go to people for advice. Most of them had the same idea and asked me if I had looked online at all to see if there was any where that I could sell my pictures. Well I hadn’t which makes me laugh a little only because I was so caught up in the idea that I didn’t think about choosing of course possibly the most obvious of choices.

It wasn’t until later that I found something I particularly liked. It turned out that there quite a few different venues that I could have chosen for selling my photos. Nothing really seemed to be more likely or less likely for me right off the bat. However I slowly began crossing some possibilities off of the list.

There really are quite a wide range of websites and other services available for helping you sell your pictures. The one that i wanted to use to sell my digital photos went by the name of ifp3 Advanced Photo Websites.

It is a site that actually allows you to customize your own look and feel of a site you want. Then you upload your images, create a shopping cart for the customer to use and your pretty much ready to go. It isn’t a bad site at all and I found it to fit my personal needs quite well.

It really just depends on what you are looking for as far as a service goes. If there is anything that I could say when it comes to selling your own work is just to keep an open mind and really to have an idea about what it is you want to do with your work.

I didn’t have to just give someone else my photographs and hope they were displayed in a manner I thought was appropriate and conducive to actually selling them. After all this is the end goal that I was striving for. Well I got my website up and my photos have been selling well.

If you have been asking yourself how to sell my digital photos than perhaps I would advise following my path.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by Danny Haberg
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Online casino games are a riot in this digital age. They offer a wide variety of benefits for people who like playing any online casino game, from slots to poker to roulette. And although playing for fun is fine, many are looking to win the big bucks. Many people use many different tactics when playing online casino games to win. They may be highly useful in helping you win the big bucks as well.

Table Games

There are several different games to choose from, but if you like the table games then you’re looking for something that has more chance then anything else. Even though you can have the best strategies around, there aren’t any guarantees. No matter what happens you can’t win all the time.

One of the first places people go to for table games is the roulette wheel. You can bet on a number, on the corners, on the sides, odds and evens, black and red, green 0 and double 0, as well as a few others. There are so many different angles to take here it really comes down to where the best odds are and how you can utilize them to your advantage. Your best bet in the beginning is to bet on either red or black.

One of our other favorites is craps. It’s a difficult game to learn for some, but most of it is because of the odds. There are so many different plays available; it takes some time to figure out the best chance of winning. We recommend placing the bet that gives the house the lowest odds.

Card Games

If you’re more of the card playing type, you’ll want to sit at the blackjack and poker tables. Both of these games are more based on strategy, which gives you better opportunities to win consistently.

Bluffing seems to be one of the most effective and useful tactic when playing card games, even online casino poker games. Though your competitor may not see your face, your actions still speak as loud. Bluffing should be done within your budget limits, try not to bluff and bid more than you can afford to pay.

Having Fun with Slots

Slot machines, much like table games, are random and left to chance. However, there are techniques that have proven to increase your chances of winning, because slot machines have a puzzle or mathematical element involved.

Obviously you want to keep a budget, but the best option is to play the maximum amount on the slot machine you choose. Keep track of your budget so you don’t over spend if things don’t go your way. Anyone who plays the online slots swears by this and it’s helped many individuals win huge pots.

Another great technique for playing online casino games like slots is to play the high payout slots that cost from $1 and up. Although penny slots are nice, you will not get the maximum return for your money.

All online casino games deal with chance and tactics, with some more than others. But it is best to look at the odds you have of winning to determine whether they are worth it or if the tactics will even make a difference. Keep in mind that online casino gambling is very addictive and it is important to make wise decisions when playing online casino games.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by Simon M Skinner
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Anybody has to agree that one of the greatest things about internet technology is the ability to download videos for iPhone.

Nobody can argue with this, for sure. The iPhone, as you must know, is an expensive and top of the line gadget that has redefined the meaning of ?entertainment?. With an iPhone, you get to do so many things — you can call your friends or send them text messages, surf the World Wide Web, listen to music, play games, watch movies and videos, and many other things besides.

If you are particularly fond of watching videos, you must be really excited at the prospect of getting to watch your favorite videos any time you want and wherever you please. You see, the iPhone is a small gadget that you can carry with you wherever you are so you get to watch videos while waiting at the bus stop, waiting your turn to be served at your favorite restaurant, or taking a much needed break from work. Really, you don?t have to be glued to your PC just to enjoy your favorite videos, do you?

In order to make video downloads for iPhone you need to sign up with Apples iTunes store first. Signing up requires you to download the iTunes software to your PC. No need to worry of getting viruses and spyware when you download the software. Since it?s from Apple, you can be sure that the software is legitimate and virus-free.

This software enables you to create a library of your chosen video files. Once you have done that, hook your iPhone to your PC and turn it on. The files that you have in your library will be transferred to your iPhone.

If you want more iPhone video downloads, there are many other sites where you can find them. For sure you must have heard of YouTube videos; well, you can download them to your iPhone, too. In order to do so, however, you must have the YouTube to iPhone converter properly installed to your PC. This application is essential as it converts the video files into a format that your iPhone will recognize.

As soon as you have downloaded the converter, launch it. Then go to YouTube and select the video you want to download. Next, open your iTunes library and drag the url of the video into the library. Now, to download the iPhone video, attach your iPhone to your PC.

The iPhone really makes watching videos more convenient than ever. My site can you show you more tips and tricks, including the best sites to download videos for iPhone from.

Tags: Music by Davion Wong
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A recipient of a balloon delivery will be pleasantly surprised when receiving a balloon for their birthday or what ever the special occasion is. Balloon delivery has become very popular. It is possible to find any type of balloon and have it delivered and this can be a great alternative if your friend or family member is not a huge fan of flowers or has a string allergy to flowers.

With so much going on in every day life it can be a challenge to go to the store and find a meaningful gift. Very complex and specially arranged balloon orders may take a few days but most companies have rush orders that can provide next day delivery. With so many options between companies and within each company you will be sure to find the perfect balloons.

Balloons can be personalized or customized if you would like a special message to appear on the balloon. Very complicated request will take a few days to prepare and any rush delivery will probably not be able to be personalized. If you want your balloon to say something special make sure to order it in advance.

You can find balloons for birthdays, graduation, corporate functions, weddings, anniversaries, themed event and much more. There are also many different types of balloons to chose from including giant balloons, helium hoppers, walking balloons, balloon bouquets, custom balloons, tagaloons and popular balloon characters. Rush orders may have a limited number of choices to deal with due to the time constraint.

Many times your balloon order will have options such as including some candy or chocolate, a choice of colorful weights to keep your balloons from floating away, you can have your balloons wrapped, you can chose between Mylar balloons, foil balloons or latex colored balloons, and you can have your balloons delivered next day for rush orders.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by Ben Sparks
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It’s obvious that the Nintendo Wii is already one of the most popular gaming systems ever released There’s lots of incredible games and the features that the NintendoWii offers are amazing. Our favorite feature of the Wii is that you can use Wii game downloads whenever you want to try a new game. This article will show you exactly how and where you can find Wii downloads for your machine.

Once you start using Nintendo Wii downloads you will be able to find the newest games without having to pay for each one. You can download any game you want right from your place and you don’t have to fork over any money!

One quick word of caution – you might find some sites on the internet that say they offer free Nintendo Wii downloads if you download their software. It isn’t safe to use these websites for a few reasons.

Most likely, you will get a virus or some sort of damaging spyware when downloading games from these sorts of sites. You will also find that nearly all of the files don’t even work and the download speeds are really sluggish. It’s annoying having to wait hours for a file to download only to discover the game doesn’t work or it was a virus.

Instead, you will need to join a Nintendo Wii game download membership site that is dedicated to providing Wii game downloads for your machine. There are sites organized by businesses that offer Wii game downloads when you sign up as a member. At these sites you won’t ever have to worry about viruses or incorrect game files.

There’s more than just games available for download to members. Movies and TV shows along with other media files can be downloaded using the same membership.

The price of joining one of these internet sites is typically around $55-$70. Since it costs more to buy just one video game at a store, it’s a fantasic money saver. You will only pay the one time and are then able to download as many games as you desire. Your membership also gives you the programs that are required to transfer the games onto your Nintendo Wii.

Once you start to use Wii game downloads you will save a lot of money and it’s the best way to get all the latest games. One heads up though though – it’s incredibly addictive!

Tags: Games by Grant Dougan
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When you hear the term “film school” a lot of different things may come to mind. That is because there are lots of kinds of film schools, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. While they all teach the business of film and filmmaking in general some may be better than others for you, your lifestyle and what you’re trying to get out of going to film school. By looking into all your options you can ensure you make the right decision and get the most out of your time and education.

University School Film Programs A university that offers a degree in filmmaking and has a separate school where students attend and complete general education as well as film studies. These usually take four years to complete.

The Good: Universities give out scholarships to pay for your education and have lots of money to spend on equipment and resources so you can always have the best things to work with. The professors usually work in the industry part time and teach part time so they are up to date on the latest trends, filmmaking practices and have lots of industry friends they can bring into the class to help teach. They also get the first call on all major internships and jobs to help their students get out of school and right into a career.

Bad: You may not own the films you make while in school because some schools, not all, but some claim ownership because they provided all the equipment and resources for the film to be produced in the first place. While your name is still attached it may not be entirely yours.

College Programs Smaller film schools that are part of a smaller college but still offer degrees of some sort in film.

The Up Side: Getting accepted to the school and film program is simpler since less people apply so you don’t have be already be an amazing filmmaker or a stellar student to get in. You can get more attention if you go here because there are less people in the program.

Bad: Less money from the school means less equipment and likely fewer opportunities to meet with industry leaders and learn from current pros.

Independent Film Schools One year or so programs that concentrate solely on film.

Good: It’s quick so you get done right away and can start working after only a year or so of training. A lot of access is available to pros and real life experience as these take place in popular filmmaking locations and on back lots and production studios.

The Down Side: Study in these is full time so you’ll have to focus just on that and won’t be able to work. The programs are very expensive, often in the range of over thirty grand so you’ll have to have the cash to invest.

More Filmmaking Programs There are also independent filmmaking course that can range from a weekend course to a couple weeks of study but you won’t be able to learn much more than the basics because filmmaking is a skill and takes time to learn and master.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by Gerald Butler
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