Archive for February, 2010
Violins Through The Ages
Posted by: | CommentsViolins are in the musical family of string instruments, specifically bowed string instruments.
A violin may be acoustic or electric. When someone is just starting to learn how to play the violin, an acoustic type is better to learn on.
As hinted by the name, an electronic signal output is used to make the musical sound on an electric violin, resulting in a sharper sound than that of the acoustic violin.
There are various sizes of violins from 1/16 to 4/4, to accommodate different ages and arm lengths. The 1/16 can be used by a child as young as three years old. There are five more sizes between the smallest and the 4/4, which is a full size for older children and for adults.
Violins went through changes over the years and, as a result, some with a specific shape related to a certain era are the Baroque, Classical and the Modern violins. If a violin has originated from a certain country, it may be put in a classification having to do with that country. When folk music is played on an acoustic violin, it is sometimes called a fiddle, in that case.
History tells us that the first violin was made around the early 1500s and developed by Andrea Amati, who lived in Cremona, Italy. There were differences in this early violin compared to modern violins, namely a shorter, thicker neck, flatter bridge and, of course, the strings were made from a different material than used today (the first violin strings were made of gut). Amati made his violins in matched sets, including a set that he made for the court of Charles IV in France.
It took awhile for the violin to come into popular use but by the middle of the eighteenth century, it had become a part of music ensembles.
A surviving example of Andrea Amati’s violin, circa 1560, has been housed at The Rawlins Gallery of the National Music Museum, one of only fourteen instruments made by Amati that are known to have survived the years.
The National Music Museum is on the campus of The University of South Dakota in Vermillion, SD. If you will be in the area and wish to have the experience of viewing the exhibitions of this high-quality museum, it is open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. More information can be viewed at the museum web site – orgs.usd.edu/nmm/index.html including the hours that they are open and more details on the types of music-related displays that you could see there.
If you are specifically interested in learning more about the historical violins, seven instruments by Andrea Amati have been featured in one of the exhibitions at the National Music Museum. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City (www.netmuseum.org) has also had displays of Andrea Amati’s violins. And yet another in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, England.
Godinger, a maker of beautiful fine crystal, has created a crystal violin figurine, which would be a treasured gift for any violinist, as well as enjoyed by other musicians and by collectors of figurines or crystal items.
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Japan\’s Pro Wrestling Icon: Mitsuharu Misawa
Posted by: | CommentsMitsuharu Misawa died in Hiroshima, Japan earlier this year less than a week before his 47th birthday. Akitoshi Saito hit a back suplex on Misawa, which appeared to knock him unconscious. Medical staff attempted to revive him in the ring, but when CPR failed he was taken to a hospital by ambulance. Initial reports in the Japanese media suggest that he was pronounced dead at the hospital, but a number of eyewitness accounts have speculated that he may have died in the ring.
There\’s at least a small bit of solace in the fact that he died in the ring doing what he loved, and what he did better than just about anyone on the planet. Misawa\’s last moments were spent working the kind of brutally stiff, athletically realistic match that got a generation hooked on Japanese wrestling.
Misawa was a top level high school wrestler, and that got him noticed by All Japan Pro Wrestling majordomo Shohei Giant Baba. He made his professional debut in\’81, and got his first big break in\’84 when he was chosen as the second Tiger Mask replacing Satoru Sayama. In\’90, he had his longtime tag team partner (and occasional rival) Toshiaki Kawada unmask him.
Misawa would wrestle as himself from then on, and become an even bigger star in the process. In June,\’90 he became one of the top stars in All Japan Pro Wrestling when he defeated Jumbo Tsuruta. That match was his first main event appearance at the famous Nippon Budokan. He soon faced Triple Crown Champion Stan Hansen in an unsuccessful challenge for the title, and would become the biggest star in Japanese pro wrestling for the next decade.
He had legendary battles against Kawada, Hansen, Kenta Kobashi, and Steve Dr. Death Williams in singles competition. Misawa would continue as a mainstay in AJPW until the early part of this decade. After the death of Giant Baba, he left to establish Pro Wrestling NOAH. He would serve as the companys president while wrestling a full time schedule until his untimely death.
Japanese pro wrestling served as a gateway drug for many into shoot fight sports and MMA. Before the Internet, fans would trade videotapes to stay up on the latest matches from Japan and along with Jushin Thunder Liger and The Great Muta Keiji Mutoh it safe to say that Misawa is one of the wrestlers most responsible for getting a generation of American fans hooked on the product. For American fans at the time\”and with the WWE at its creative low point\”the All Japan and New Japan Pro Wrestling product was nothing short of a revelation.
Ross Everett is a freelance writer and respected authority on World Cup betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.
How To Move Objects With Your Psyche
Posted by: | CommentsIf you\’re ever in a bar or party and want to do a quick trick that will impress anybody, and get you a few drinks, this article is for you. This trick quickly and easily captivates anyone, and despite being incredibly simple to learn, nobody will figure out how you do this. This is a close up magic tricks, and only requires on simple prop that you can easily borrow from somebody if you don\’t have one. It\’s best done in an environment with some background noise.
Here\’s how the trick looks to your friends. You tell them you have recently developed some telekinetic abilities. You can tell them you were hit by lighting, or a lamp fell in the bathtub while you were taking a bath or something. You skills are fairly new, so you are still working out the kinks. You can only repel small objects with the power of thought. You haven\’t yet learned how to lift up X-Wing fighters like Yoda.
You ask if somebody has a cigarette. Put the cigarette on the table, and begin to summon your newly found telekinetic skills. Hold your hand cupped behind the cigarette, and it will mysteriously roll toward you. You place both hands on either side of the cigarette, and it moves away from you. Drop your hands, and head, and command somebody to bring you a beer so you can recharge your mental powers. If you\’re lucky, you\’ll be three sheets to the wind without paying a dime.
Here\’s the secret. When you have your hand cupped behind the cigarette, simply blow into your hand. Your breath will swirl from your hand, and push the cigarette. Holding both hands on either side of the cigarette, it will naturally roll away from you. Most people are afraid to try this to fear of getting caught, but it almost never happens. With the right set up, people will be looking at the cigarette and not your face.
It is a good idea to practice before hand, so you know exactly how to position your lips, and how to quickly blow without detection. Also make sure you aren\’t doing this in an area with any transient wind, like from an overhead fan or an open window. Like any other simple trick, this works best with a long, convoluted setup, and then quickly doing the trick and removing the prop. Be careful not to spend too much time \”in position\” than you have to. After a few practice sessions, you\’ll expertly be able to blow your breath without detection from others.
It goes without saying that the best place this works is in bars or parties, and when you are talking about something other than magic. Just covertly introduce the idea of you suddenly having psychic powers. Place the cigarette on the table in front of you, and get on with your patter for a while before you do the trick, that will increase their focus on the cigarette itself, and not you. A great way to cover yourself, is to act surprised every time the cigarette moves, as if you still can\’t believe your telekinetic powers. Have fun with this.
To learn the shockingly easy secret of Magic Tricks Revealed, head on over to Miles Sunkest\’s Magic Tricks Revealed page now.
New Orleans Stays Unbeaten With Win Over Miami
Posted by: | CommentsWith an offense that can strike as quickly as the New Orleans Saints\’, they\’re never out of a game. The Miami Dolphins found that out the hard way on Sunday as the Saints came roaring back from a 21 point deficit to win going away 46-34. Drew Brees threw for 298 yards and a touchdowns, though gave up three interceptions as New Orleans remained undefeated at 6-0 despite trailing in a game for the first time this season.
Adding insult to injury for NFL betting enthusiasts who backed Miami as +6 home underdogs, the Saints continued their rampage against the pointspread with a late game interception return for a touchdown to cover. New Orleans is 6-0 against the number this season, while Miami dropped to 2-4 against the spread. The 80 combined points sailed OVER the posted total of 47\’. It was the fourth OVER in six games this season for both teams.
After the game, Brees said that his team never lost confidence:
\”There was no doubt on our sideline we would come back and win. They had given us their best shot, and we had played about as bad as we could play. All we had to do was string together a few drives and gain the momentum back. We knew it was going to happen, and it did.\”
Following a rushing touchdown that gave his team their first lead of the game in the fourth quarter, Brees dunked the football over the goal post crossbar:
\”There are times in the game when a team just needs an emotional lift. I felt like I had to do something to get everybody hyped. The first thing that came to mind was to dunk it.\”
Saints\’ linebacker Scott Shanle suggested that the game could portent good things to come:
\”It can be a season-defining win. This was a test we hadn\’t faced yet, and we couldn\’t be happier with the way we responded.\”
A dejected Ricky Williams explained how his team had lost:
\”This was our game to win. We fought and we fought. They just fought harder at the end.\”
Dolphins\’ QB Vonte Davis said the defense was aware that with Brees in the game even a 21 point lead was tenuous at best:
\”With Drew Brees, it\’s like the score is 0-0. We knew they would come back and that it would be a tough game.\”
The Saints will now host the Atlanta Falcons next Monday night. New Orleans is a -9 home favorite with the total set at 53\’. They\’ll then face two struggling teams, taking on the Carolina Panthers at home the following Sunday and playing against the Rams at St. Louis on November 15. The Dolphins will play on the road against the New York Jets this Sunday, with Miami a +3\’ road underdog and the total set at 40\’. They\’ll play at New England the following Sunday before returning home on November 15 to take on the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and highly respected authority on World Cup betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Northern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.
New Orleans Wins First Superbowl In Franchise History
Posted by: | CommentsThe New Orleans Saints used a 14 point fourth quarter to defeat the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 on Sunday to win their first Superbowl in franchise history. Drew Brees broke open a tight game midway through the final quarter with his touchdown pass to Jeremy Shockey, and Tracy Porter scored on a 74 yard interception return as the Colts were driving on the next series to secure the victory. Brees completed 32 passes in the game, tying New England\’s Tom Brady for the all time record in that category.
After enthusiasts had come in early on the favored Colts, a good deal of buyback on the Saints had pushed the line to -4\’ and the New Orleans backers were enriched by their team\’s outright victory. The underdog has now covered three straight Superbowls and taken the money in five of the last seven games. The 48 points scored stayed well under the posted total of 57, which was the highest over/under number in Superbowl history. Five of the last six Superbowls have now played UNDER the total.
In his postgame comments, a fabulously elated Brees gave much of the credit to the city of New Orleans:
\”We play for so much more than ourselves. We played for our city. We played for the entire Gulf Coast region. We played for the entire Who Dat nation that has been behind us every step of the way. It means everything. We\’re here because of their strength and everything they fought through here the last few years. They\’ve given us so much support, so we owe it all to our fans.\”
\”Just to think of the road we\’ve all traveled, the adversity we\’ve all faced. It\’s unbelievable. I mean, are you kidding me? Four years ago, whoever thought this would be happening? Eighty-five percent of the city was under water. Most people left not knowing if New Orleans would ever come back, or if the organization would ever come back. We just all looked at one another and said, \’We\’re going to rebuild together. We are going to lean on each other.\’ That\’s what we\’ve done the last four years and this is the culmination in all that belief.\”
Peyton Manning had little to say after the game particularly about the decisive interception return:
\”Made a great play. Made a great play. Corner made a heck of a play. Certainly disappointing, very disappointing. Disappointing.\”
Saints\’ coach Sean Payton made a bold call at the beginning of the second half when he called for an onside kick. New Orleans linebacker Jonathan Casalis suggested it was a game changing play:
\”We were really excited when he made the call. That changed everything.\”
Payton explained the unusual decision:
\”We\’re going to be aggressive. We\’d seen the onside kick all week and guys executed it well. It turned out to be a big change of possession.\”
The city of New Orleans will celebrate their team\’s victory with a parade. With Mardi Gras celebrations already scheduled to begin shortly thereafter, it could be quite some time before New Orleans returns to business as usual.
Ross Everett is a staff handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is in charge of providing daily free sports picks to Internet sites and broadcast media outlets. He is a widely published freelance writer specializing in sports handicapping, drag racing, wombat breeding and dulcimer building. He lives in Southern Nevada with three dogs and a herd of wombats.
