Magazine Source. Org
Need something good to read? Find it here.

Learn More

subscription
discount
sport
read
magazine

Add This Feed to
Your Homepage

Magazine Source

Reading Poker Hands by Stanley Majors

Reading Poker hands will dramatically increase your win percentages, but learning this skill is not an easy task. It takes hours of play, a good memory and an attentive eye. Reading poker hands is not the most important part of any poker armoury, and it's not very useful for low stakes poker rooms either. Players at this level are not very skilled making them unpredictable and harder to read. But as you become more experienced and start to move up to higher stakes games you'll begin to find that your opponents will actually be reading your play. And if you don't learn to read their hands you'll be at a big disadvantage. This skill can only be developed through experience but by following these tips you should be able to accelerate your learning. How often do you track the actions of your opponents, guessing what he is holding begins by reading his bets. Often players forget who actually raised or checked in the Flop or Pre-Flop. Keep a close eye on the betting in the early rounds and use this information to add to in later rounds...Read more: Reading Poker Hands

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Stanley Majors is an experienced online poker journalist who writes articles on a range of poker topics. His numerous articles found on Texas Holdem Net ,provide useful and factual poker information and insight.

A NEW MAGAZINE IS UNDERWAY TO PROMOTE ATLANTA TALENT by Tareesha Adams

MEDIA CONTACT:Tareesha AdamsToll-free 866-853-8539Email: media@atlantatalentmagazine.comA NEW MAGAZINE IS UNDERWAY TO PROMOTE ATLANTA TALENTA Tremendous Opportunity for Undiscovered Performers to Receive International ExposureATLANTA — May 2, 2005 — Today JAPCi Publications announced that it is currently developing Atlanta Talent Magazine®, a how-to entertainment career guide providing maximum industry exposure for rising stars. This indispensable resource and exposure platform caters to entertainers, industry professionals and entertainment related companies in or from the Metropolitan Atlanta area and its surrounding Georgia counties. Currently, the electronic prototype of Atlanta Talent Magazine can be viewed on the world wide web at www.AtlantaTalentMagazine.com. JAPCi also announced that just one year after publishing the online prototype, the website already generates more than 20,000 viewers each week. Print distribution will begin in January 2006.“Thank you for making me a star” wrote 10-year old Ti-Yanna Trotman of Heritage Elementary School after reading an article in Atlanta Talent Magazine complimenting her stellar performance in a recent school play. THE MISSION--------------------[1] To display the region's most talented models, singers, rappers, comedians, actors, dancers, poets, producers, DJs, writers, musicians and bands.; [2] To also display the region's most dynamic and highly respected entertainment industry professionals who make things happen behind the scenes. [3] To connect these exceptionally talented individuals with entertainment companies seeking ripe artistic or experienced talent.DEVELOPMENT STAGE--------------------Initial phases of research, development and analysis are complete for the new periodical. JAPCi will now begin building business and marketing plans in order to pursue investors, partnerships, sponsorships and joint ventures. ABOUT THE EDITOR--------------------Managing Editor Joy Adams possesses a balanced blend of education, creativity and business expertise. She has a solid track record in corporate sales, a Bachelors Degree in Marketing and Accounting; and experience managing talent where she successfully secured a contract with Ebony Magazine’s Fashion Fair road show. Joy is passionate about the performing arts, business excellence and helping others. #####MEDIA CONTACT:Tareesha AdamsToll-free 866-853-8539Email: media@atlantatalentmagazine.com

About the Author

Adams conceived Atlanta Talent Magazine in 2002 and incorporated in 2004.

Editor of EQ Magazine to Speak at Indie Music Week by Daniel Harrington

Editor of EQ Magazine to Speak at Indie Music Week

Nashville, Tennessee - Indie Music Week has announced that Mitch Gallagher, Editor of EQ Magazine, will be participating as an Indie Music Week panelist. IMW, taking place in Nashville March 11-12, will feature three industry panels of Major and Independent A&R, promoters, label executives, producers, journalists, and entertainment attorneys, and will wrap up with a Music Industry Summit.

Mitch Gallagher, the Editor of EQ Magazine, began his music career almost 25 years ago with a background including degrees in music and graduate studies in electronic music composition and classical guitar. Author, journalist, teacher, touring and studio musician, recording engineer, project studio/multimedia production company owner, studio consultant, and award-winning composer; Mitch is considered one of the leading experts in music technology and recording. After serving as Senior Technical Editor of Keyboard magazine from 1998 to January 2000, Mitch assumed the Editor’s chair at EQ. A published books author as well, his books Make Music Now! (Backbeat Books) and Pro Tools Clinic: Demystifying LE For Mac and PC (Schirmer Trade Books) are available in fine bookstores everywhere.

“Mitch Gallagher has been helping unsigned and Indie artists for years through his work at EQ Magazine, his books, and his unrelenting desire to advance the creation of great music. We’re honored to have him as a panelist,” says Indie Music Week President Jonell Polansky.

Other confirmed panelists include Nashville Star and Sony Music’s Tracy Gershon, Danny Kee from Warner Bros. Records, Performing Songwriter magazine’s Abby White, Amy Stevens of Vivaton Records, Lyric Street Records’ Kirk Boyer, Larry Shell of Broken Bow Records, Bradley Collins of BMI, international music rights expert Marghie Evans, and the Nashville Association of Professional Recording Services (NAPRS). In addition to the industry panels, Indie Music Week will also feature two Artist Showcases to be held at Nashville’s famous Douglas Corner Café.

To attend Indie Music Week 2005, please visit IndieMusicWeek.org for registration information. The early registration fee for Indie Music Week is $99, with 50% fee discounts for music industry students and a 25% discount for industry professionals and members of industry professional organizations. Early registration ends March 4th, and registration fees will increase to $125 (with all discounts still applying.) To be an Indie Music Week sponsor, please visit IndieMusicWeek.org or call 615-292-1337.

ESPN the Magazine by David Chase

10 Great Ezine Content Tips To Increase Your Sales And Readership by Ken Hill

1. Write articles that provide your readers with a list of tips.

Depending on the topics your ezine covers, your tips could be on customer service, autoresponders, or you could provide your subscribers with a list of tips that help them to increase their sales or market their businesses more successfully.

You could also provide your readers with a list of your top tips on a specific subject such as "Top 7 Ways To Promote Your Website" or "Top Ten Ways To Promote Your Ezine."

2. Write "how to" articles.

This type of article shows your reader step by step how to reach an objective such as how to write effective ad copy, get repeat traffic, or how to write effective metatags.

3. Publish interviews.

Contact experts on the topic your ezine covers and request interviews. Most people will agree as it provides them with promotion of their businesses at no cost. Publish your interviews in article format or use the popular Q&A formula.

4. Write articles that focus on a current hot topic, trend or that are "seasonal" in nature such as how to increase sales during the holidays.

5. Provide polls for your subscribers to partake in.

Publishing polls will help you to increase the number of people that read your ezine because your subscribers will be interested in seeing the results.

Your polls can also be used to help you decide on changes in your content, publishing schedule, or to decide on new things to add to your ezine.

6. Provide your subscribers with resources related to your ezine's topic such as places to promote their businesses, ezines, etc.,

You could add these in a recommended resources section. You could also provide a list of your favorite resources such as your top 5 books/ebooks on ezine publishing, marketing or web design with a brief description of each of your resources.

7. Publish an editor's note at the beginning of each issue.

Use your editor's note to increase your profit by announcing any new sales or discounts you have on your products or services.

Also use your editor's note to increase your credibility by providing tips on the topic your ezine covers and by telling your subscribers how you've helped your clients or customers.

8. Provide endorsements within your ezine for your products from respected experts in your field or list testimonials from your satisfied customers.

9. Add an "Ask The Editor" section.

Write out thorough, detailed answers to your subscribers' questions within this section.

This will increase your status as an expert in your field, which will lead to more sales of your products.

You can also use questions you get from your subscribers to get ideas for articles that your subscribers will enjoy and that will keep them reading your ezine.

10. At the end of each issue, tell your readers what your next issue is going to be about such as the title and description of your feature article or anything new that you have planned.

This will help you to increase your readership by getting your subscribers to look forward to your next issue.

Article by Ken Hill. Pick up Ken's new informative course on ezine publishing. Discover tips to successfully promoting your ezine including ways to increase your subscriptions by participating in successful joint ventures with other ezine publishers. Pick up your f-ree course today at: mailto:ezinecourse@netpromarketer.com

7 Benefits of Reading Fiction by Jill Brennan

Is your life so busy you’re wondering how you are going to find time to read more, especially when it’s just for ‘pleasure’? Having trouble justifying it, even to yourself? Leisure activities like reading are often the things that slide when life goes into overdrive. And that’s sad because it’s an activity that can make life richer and more enjoyable. A lot has been written about the benefits of reading for and to children. However, there is very little about the benefits to adults in engaging in regular reading. Let me assure you that the benefits for adults do exist and are many and varied. Some of these include: 1. Providing an escape from the day-to-day Fiction is a great way to take a quick immediate break, to be instantly transported into another world. Today you could be in America, in the deep south with Alice Walker’s ‘The Colour Purple’, tomorrow in the Australian bush with Tim Winton’s ‘Dirt Music’, next week in downtown London with Helen Fielding’s ‘Bridget Jones Diary’ and next month in Ireland with Jim O’Neill’s ‘At Swim, Two Boys’. There is no limit to the places fiction can take you. 2. Relaxation There is something about stopping to focus on words arranged for our reading pleasure that is instantly relaxing. Maybe it’s staying still, something that doesn’t seem to happen often enough. Maybe it’s knowing that we are stepping into a secret world that we have to relax enough to enter. Then there is the words themselves. The beauty and rhythm of language has the ability to calm and relax us. 3. Stress relief Taking your mind off your own problems, even for a few minutes, can have a therapeutic effect and be a timely circuit breaker. This is so effective that the National Health System in the United Kingdom has introduced a ‘Reading and You Scheme’. The scheme encourages mental health patients to read more as part of their therapy for reducing stress and overcoming anxiety, depression and social isolation. 4. Stimulates the right side of your brain Reading opens your mind to new possibilities. It stretches your imagination in new and wonderful directions and takes your mind on a wonderful journey through others’ lives. What would you do if you were Jo Becker in ‘While I Was Gone’ by Sue Miller? Would you tell your husband and three daughters about a grisly crime that happened when you were a university student? Or would you try to pretend it never happened? 5. Entertaining Fiction is capable of provoking many and varied emotional responses – it can make you laugh out loud, it can make tears spill onto the page, it can be edge-of-the seat terrifying, it can make you blush with embarrassment, it can challenge your core beliefs. There is a world of emotion in every story and you as the reader get to be part of it. 6. Enjoyable Reading is a deeply satisfying pursuit. The expression ‘curling up with a book’ evokes a warm and cosy image and feels luxurious if you don’t get to do it often. 7. Rejuvenating Reading is an easy and quick way to nourish your soul because it is for the most part a solitary pursuit. And being alone, or at least alone in your thoughts, on a regular basis is crucial to maintaining a sense of self. As I’m sure you know, it’s easier to give to others when you feel fulfilled and your needs are met. Even just a few minutes of reading can keep you going throughout the day. Of course, you know you’ve read something special when you find your thoughts continually re-visiting it. Reading is like exercising – mental and physical benefits flow from a regular routine. So don’t feel guilty about taking time out to read. Its good for you! About the author: If you love escaping into fiction but can't always find 12 hours to indulge in a novel, then you are exactly who Jill Brennan had in mind when she created espresso Fiction! For details go to: http://www.fastfoodforyourmind.com

A Cardinal Trait You Already Know by Keith

Artist: Cardinal Trait Title: You Already Know Genre: Roots Rock Label: Emanon Records Website: http://www.cardinaltrait.com

You have heard the term cardinal sin, well, in reference to music; we have a band called Cardinal Trait hailing from Oklahoma. This is a twist on a negative term to make it more positive and forceful upon first impression. Therefore, we are off to good start right out of the gate. The title of the album reveals a truth right from the beginning of the opening track “Something More.” Their roots rock melodic sound makes you feel all warm and tingly inside, like You Already Know them.

I really enjoyed this album; in fact, I appreciated it immensely because there was not one throwaway track. If you were wondering what this band sounds like, the best way to explain it would be they are a combination of REM, Hootie and the Blowfish and Dave Matthews with a smidgen of the Allman Bros. for good measure. Sounds like heady stuff indeed, however, I did hear all of those influences in their musical output. Each of those bands has a distinct sound and a magnificent reputation for recording quality music. So to say, that they are in good company and going in the right direction is hitting the nail right on the head.

This band has a melodic foundation with a marvelous pop sensibility; they are intelligent, crafty, and very talented at every position in the band. Get ready folks, the south is gonna do it again. They have all the cardinal traits of greatness and I hope you as the listener are curious enough to check them out, if you don’t you will be missing one of the best musical rides of 2004.

Rating-9/10

Credits:

Aaron Vaughn-vocals, acoustic guitar Mark Sullivan-lead guitar, bass Josh Vaughn-drums, backing vocals Will Porter-backing vocals

01. Something More 02. All For You 03. Every Now And Then 04. Flashback 05. So Called Friend 06. Nowhere Land 07. Ardmore 08. White 09. Lately 10. Let Me Be

A Little Summer Reading by Lisa Nirell

Want to have a few laughs during your summer holiday? Don't leave home without these reading "gems" from business columnist Lisa Nirell. A Little Summer Reading

One of the toughest things I have to do as an executive mentor is to convince my clients--most of whom are tough-as-nails, driven workaholics--that they're more effective when they routinely take some time off. Recharging your batteries isn't optional for growth; it's mandatory.

The good news is, the power of escape is at our fingertips. All you have to do is get in your car, fight off the Del Mar Fair traffic, jockey for the last parking spot at the Beach, and stake your claim on the sand.

Or, just close the office door for 30 minutes every day, and savor some classics. When the going gets tough, the tough get reading. With tongue only slightly in cheek, I'd like to recommend some personal favorites, slotted into "traditional categories." Remember: The point is to enjoy. This isn't homework. Laugh a little. 'Tis the season for light clothing, light food, and light reading.

Fiction and Poetry Birth of the Chaordic Age. Dee Hock (1999, Berrett-Koehler) The Founder of VISA International explains the magical birth of VISA’s creation, revealing how chaos and order merged to allow competing banks to peacefully create a $1.25 trillion organization for a time (who can forget the 1998 Department of Justice antitrust lawsuit against VISA and Mastercard?). Hock has a magical way of discussing the impact the “monkey mind” (aka “inner voice” or “doubting Thomas”) on the success of new projects.

Non Fiction The Princessa: Machiavelli for Women. Harriet Rubin (1999, Dell) Rubin offers practical examples of how women, ranging from George Eliot to Golda Meir, have gained power using ease and grace. She outlines a critical distinction between winning the battle versus “besting” your enemy, and demonstrates how a battle strategy defeated Hilary Clinton’s efforts to launch her Health Care Initiative (her own husband’s team was sent in to work against her!). Who needs fiction when you can learn age-old lessons from real-life political drama?

Mystery Cyber Rules. Thomas Siebel, et. al. (2000, Doubleday) Want to learn how to write a company brochure disguised as a hardcover visionary book? Add this flavor of the month from days gone by to your paperweight list! In this high-tech “whodunit,” protagonist Siebel carefully orchestrates twists, turns, and surprises that finally culminate in the revelation of The Secret Of Success. (If you hate spoilers, skip ahead to the next book.) The real twist in the plot appears when Siebel asks a Board member – Charles Schwab – to write the Foreword. Later, the big secret comes out: "Put the Customer First." While the real mystery might be how it took civilization 2000 years to figure this out, Cyber Rules remains a relatively good read. Auctioned copies start at $.09, so hurry and order your copy today.

Science Fiction The Road Ahead. Bill Gates (1995, Penguin) Wherein Mr. Gates describes his future dream home: “A house that tracks its occupants in order to meet their particular needs and combines two traditions: Unobtrusive service, and that an object we carry entitles us to be treated in a certain way.” (Does this mean I can program the bulletin board to refuse to give my husband the Mercedes keys when he's just going to the grocery store? Sign me up!) The title appears to have been a mix-up; I am convinced that it really meant to say, George Orwell goes to Redmond. Still an amusing read after all these years.

Children’s Books The One Minute Millionaire. Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G. Allen. (2002, Harmony) Here’s a novel idea for an industry that once prided itself in get rich quick schemes, high margin products and services: What if you gave away a percentage of your profits each year to mentor young people, or to support worthwhile non-profit endeavors? The storybook layout of this book keeps things entertaining and light, yet the messages are compelling. If you want to create new prosperity possibilities for yourself and your family, read on--especially the story about Millionaire Michelle.

What Should I Do With My Life? Po Bronson (2002, Random House) Two years have passed since we saw early signs of the dot-com collapse's impact on millions of careers. This turn of events inspired Bronson to listen to the life stories of more than 900 people who have challenged their own career choices. "What makes this a children's book," you ask? Many of Bronson's subjects dug deep into their childhoods to remind themselves of what fuels and inspires them.

Isn't that what summer is all about?

Lisa Nirell, President of Nirell & Associates, mentors high-tech entrepreneurs and executives to accelerate growth. Lisa also writes for ComputerWorld, San Diego Daily Transcript, and Software Strategies and has served on three Boards of Directors. For more information, visit www.nirell.com.

About the Author

Lisa Nirell, President of Nirell & Associates, advises high-tech entrepreneurs and executives who want to accelerate growth. With more than 20 years in software, consulting, and sales, Lisa has served on 3 Boards of Directors and has published in ComputerWorld and Software Strategies. For more information, visit www.nirell.com.

Are ready to buy a portable mp3 player? by Syd Johnson

Recently, it seems like everyone looking to get a portable mp3 player. Like most new electronics, prices continue to drop and manufacturers continue to add more features. If you are like me and want to have music with you all the time, then a portable mp3 player would definitely be something to add to your wish list this year. So what exactly does a portable mp3 player do?It basically stores your music files in a compressed format on a mini hard drive. In fact, the hard drive space on some top of the line mp3 players like the Apple iPod can easily rival the space on a low end desktop PC. It is the genius of the design, and of the mp3 format that allows you to carry so many tunes on your player. Mp3 files are music files that have been compressed to about one tenth of their actual size.To listen to the music, you need a player that takes the file and slowly decompresses it without losing any of the sound quality. This is what you get with an mp3 player. A portable mp3 player just takes it to the next level by adding an enormous amount of space. If you buy one of the 40Gig iPods for example, you can store about 10,000 songs on the system. Not bad for something that can easily fit inside a purse or jacket.So how do you pick the best mp3 player?You pick one based on your daily needs and your budget. Mp3 player are not cheap. Considering the amount of engineering it takes to get that music into such a small box, it’s a wonder they don’t cost more than they do. If you are a very active person who wants to take your player with you everywhere you go, experts recommend that you consider the flash memory models.You won’t be able to store as many songs as on the jukebox model, but it’s a good way to get a stereo on the go. If the price is right and the sound is good, then a flash memory player is great for people who like to workout and stay active. It will stand up a little bit better to all the wear and tear on your system. If you want to get the player, but don’t plan on using it while working out, then there is the jukebox model. Either one would be a good gift for friends and family, or for your self.You can find more pictures and information on the many different brands of portable mp3 players at any major music retailer

About the Author

This article may be freely distributed as long as there's an active link to http://www.rapidlingo.comSyd JohnsonEditor

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Syd Johnson is the Executive Editor of RapidLingo.com, Web Articles Guide. This article may be freely distributed as long as the author's bio is included with an active link to http://www.rapidlingo.com

Are you thinking of Buying a LCD TV? Then you should read this... by The eme team

The LCD television is great in small placesThe LCD television will fit where larger TVs can not. The term LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Diode. If you want a flat panel TV, you can choose either a LCD TV or plasma TV. It is in the electronics that the LCD differs from the plasma TV.How does the LCD make a picture?LCD TVs are available in a few variations. The first is the conventional LCD panel, but isn’t only used in televisions. LCDs are used in many other electronic technologies like microwaves, digital clocks, calculators, and stereos. In the television, the LCD comes in the design called Twisted Nematic (TM). It is a naturally twisted crystalline structure that reacts to electric currents in predictable manners. The currents cause it to untwist to different degrees based on the voltage given. These TN crystals are stuck between panes of polarized glass and the untwisting allows different amounts of light to pass through.Most agree that if you are purchasing a flat television panel smaller than 37”, you should buy a LCD TV. Larger LCD panels tend to not be as crisp. You will find that the plasma TV is better, if bigger. There are two exceptions if the room is very bright, the LCD is superior and LCD also is more resistant to burn in from sources like computers and TV video game consoles. LCD can burn out but occur much less than earlier models. Many models are now High Definition (HDTV) capable as well.The life-span of the LCD is tremendous as well and outlasts your old CRT TV. This makes it a great investment and valuable in your house.Want to read more about Electronics? Visit electronicsme.net or electronicsme.com for the latest articles on televisions, digital still cameras, and notebook computers.Written by the eme teamElectronicsme :: The latest reviews of television, laptops and digital cameras!andElectronicsme :: Where electronics are made easy!

About the Author

Written by the eme teamElectronicsme.net: Where electronics are made easy! The latest articles on televisions, laptops and digital cameras.andElectronicsme.com: Where electronics are made easy! The latest news, reviews and comparisons of electronics, photography, and computers.

BitTorrent is an ingenious way to download files by swapping portions of the file until you have the complete item ready for download. by Syd Johnson

BitTorrent picks up right where many other networks like Kazaa have left off and take the file sharing game to another level. BitTorrent was created to be used by people in the film industry to send massive content files from one location to another.To accommodate many users and not tie up their bandwidth, the software sends the information to you by trading pieces of the file from multiple users along the way. To add a file, you create a generic BitTorrent file name, upload the information and then anyone looking of that type of media can try to download it.It gets a bit tricky however because the BitTorrent file system uses their own BitTorrent extension.It’s not like a Kazaa system where you can simply type in the name of a person or of a move and have all the search results returned in a format where they are easily identified. It takes a little bit of work to get used to the system but it seems to be working quite well since so many users have been using it lately.Here’s a quick rundown of how it works:1. A user wants to share a file, so he or she creates a .bitTorrent file which identifies the file and blocks of content that are included in the file.2. You upload it to one of their super nodes to be shared.3. A user will see this file, take the file and look into it, to make sure that they are getting the right thing and then notify the server that they are ready to do a download.4. The server then checks for all users that have that full file and will swap out bits and pieces until you get your entire download.It’s almost like the server chops all the files into mini matching pieces. So, if you have an 80% download for example, you can just find another user with the matching 20% and copy it.The technology makes it possible to transport huge content files like movies across internet computer networks. This has brought the BitTorrent network into the already contentious fight between copyright proponents and those who want to continue to trade anything on the file sharing networks free of charge.The ability to send movies to users in very little time for example, made them pretty threatening. The Motion Picture Academy or MPAA recently filed suit and most of the major BitTorrent servers are now offline. Mirror servers are still working outside the U.S., but it is unclear if the service and concept will survive.

Converting Newsletter Readers Into Website Explorers by Mike Morgan

All the experts agree, if you want visitors to explore your website, you have to give them a reason; without one, they'll click away from your site. If you publish an email newsletter and own a website, here's an interesting way to promote viewing of your website's pages among your newsletter readers.

Sprinkle (actually, "hide") trivia tidbits throughout the pages on your website. They can be in body copy, image captions, advertiser copy ... anywhere. Then run a quiz in your newsletter, letting your readers know the that all of the answers are somewhere on your site. Offer a prize to the first person to email you with all the correct answers.

You may freely repost the sample quiz without any resource box. I would appreciate, however, some sort of a link to my website Bison Creek Author Services in your newsletter or on your site. If you need ad copy lines for a newsletter link --

"Author services, including sales copy writing, free article posting, manuscript readings, reviews and testimonials--for writers just like ourselves: long on vision, but way short on funds. Bison Creek Author Services http://bisoncreek.com"

Sample quiz begins below ============================================================

1. How many ways are there to make change for $1 (US)?

2. In most advertisements, what time is displayed on watches?

3. According to Al Capone's business card, what was his profession?

4. A cat has how many muscles in each ear?

5. Four English words end with "-dous": horrendous, tremendous, stupendous, and ____________?

6. What is the only English word that ends in the letters "-mt"?

7. What is the longest one-syllable word in the English language?

8. How many ridges are around the edge of a U.S. dime?

9. How many dimples are on a regulation golf ball?

10. What is the only U.S. state with a one-syllable name?

11. What is the only known sound that does not produce an echo?

Answers 1. 293 2. 10:10 3. used furniture dealer 4. 32 5. hazardous 6. dreamt 7. screeched 8. 118 9. 336 10. Maine 11. a duck's quack

Mike Morgan is a freelance writer, owner of Bison Creek Author Services , and moderator of Article Post-Short Pieces, for short articles and fillers,

Do I have to Read it? by C. Bailey-Lloyd/LadyCamelot

Often when I run across a good novel, or even after I've written an interesting piece, myself; I'll offer the stories or summaries to my teenagers Usually, their first response is, "Do I have to read it?" And many times, I will reply, "No, you don't have to read it, but I bet you'll find it interesting." While time has evolved, kids and adults alike, are less inclined to check into local libraries for literary enjoyment. As a stark awakening, I find that most children eagerly seek other forms of entertainment in the forms of multimedia such as video games, cable television, film and yes - the Internet, too. While movies, TV, and the Worldwide Web are phenomenal means of artistic and informational conveyance, they do not adequately serve the human imagination. My first real interest into in-depth novels began when my 5th grade teacher, Mr. Drozdowski introduced our class to William Shakespeare's play, MacBeth. I found Shakepeare's works intriguing and viewed his literature as a renewed breath in poetical, literary expressionism. I further immersed myself in other literature like the Nancy Drew series, Jack London's "Call of the Wild," and Alexandre Dumas' "The Count of Monte Cristo." When we pick up a book, we actively engage and submerse ourselves in the story's plot. Books allow us to conjure the mind's unlimited imagination. When we read a book, it enables us to become creative in thought, as we hold complete power as to what the imagination's eye sees. Whether it's an evil-looking, Cruella DeVille-type, Lady Macbeth; or as in Hans Christian Andersen's, 'The Little Mermaid,' we could invision an impeccable beauty with long, flowing aquamarine hair. The mind's eye is infinite. Today, we virtually have the world at our fingertips. If you are ready to dive into fantasy, sci-fi, drama, philosophy, heroism, suspense, mystery or whatever interests you, there is a world of literature that will not only open your eyes, but will pull you into its characters, its sorrows and laughter...and sometimes, it may even make you believe in fairytales! If you haven't done so already, visit your local library or bookstore and get ready for the thrill of your life! It's waiting for you now. ©Do I have to Read it? by C. Bailey-Lloyd aka. LadyCamelot Public Relations' Director & Staff Writer www.HolisticJunction.com www.MediaPositiveRadio.com

About the Author

C. Bailey-Lloyd aka. LadyCamelot Public Relations' Director & Staff Writer www.HolisticJunction.com www.MediaPositiveRadio.com

Free Online Card Games -- Getting Ready for Las Vegas by Tom Howze

Free online card games that can be played over the Internet are great for practice to increase your skills or to just have fun with. Being able to take advantage of playing free card games on your computer like poker and video poker can even prepare you for making cash in the future.

Poker is becoming a popular choice of what people are playing now, in particular Texas Hold'Em. Playing for free is the best way to begin learning poker for a person who has no experience. The largest poker room on the Net has around 70,000 simultaneous players who play for real money and approximately 7 million registered users who enjoy playing for fun at the time of this writing. With all the offerings of "play for fun or for real", it would be a good idea to look at your intentions when choosing a place to play at should you be thinking of eventually playing for cash. You can always find places that give the option to play at no cost, but some places do not offer the option to play for real money.

Video poker is very common in Las Vegas casinos as well as with online casinos. The casinos on the Internet can be played for free, plus you can find others places to play at no cost on Yahoo! Google and MSN. But when you play certain ones like "Jacks or Better", it is a good idea to study what the payout scale is on the variety you are playing. The goal should be to find a free version that has the same odds as your favorite in Las Vegas, so you can use it to perfect your skills for winning. Keep in mind that just because you see a Jacks or Better sign on the machine in a land based casino or on your computer does not mean that the payouts are all the same. This especially holds true in land based casinos even if the signs in a group of machines are exactly the same. Payout percentages can vary from lows of 92.6% to over 100% for Jacks or Better. Now if you have a hard time locating a no cost version of your favorite, you can purchase software programs for under $40.00 that will not only let you play your favorites, but offer tutorials and counsel your play to help you get better at it.

Sometimes manufacturers of slot and video poker machines will offer versions of their video poker that can be played with no cost to the player. These are the same businesses that build the machines for Las Vegas casinos so you can really have a good time with what they periodically offer for "test play".

Okay, now let's talk more about Las Vegas. People spend millions having fun in the casinos there, but why should the fun stop when you leave? It is so easy to find poker software programs for Texas Hold'Em today. But with a little searching you can buy software which features Pai Gow Poker, Caribbean Stud Poker and Let It Ride. And if you like the slots there are also sites that sell CD's for the actual Blazing 7's, Double Diamond, Popeye, Blondie, Betty Boop slots and more. You do have to pay one time for it, but you will play for hours with no further cash outlay and be ready for the next trip. Have fun and good luck!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tom Howze is a webmaster for 9 sites that relate to 2005 World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour events and updates along with resources for free online card games .

How Great Newsletters Adapt To Perfectly Match Their Readers by Michael Green

Article Size: 684 words (body). Pre-formatted to 60 character width.

You may republish this article, but must keep the resource box and copyright at the end.

============================================================

Getting Your Newsletter Read How Great Newsletters Adapt To Perfectly Match Their Readers

By Michael Green

============================================================

One exciting feature of newsletters - frequently overlooked by their editors - is the ability to shape the content to *perfectly* match the readership’s interests and passions.

In fact, newsletters can achieve a form of near perfect synergy with their readers and that’s something rarely experienced with other products or services.

How is this incredible close-fit possible? If you publish your own newsletter or EZine then please read on…

EDITORS MUST GET INSIDE THEIR READERS HEADS You see, a newsletter editor is in a unique position of power, but most fail to capitalize on their in-built advantage.

Editors tend to think of their publication as simply being there to impart knowledge and information to their readership on whatever subject they are headlined to cover. That’s fair enough. Informing readers is an important part of any newsletter!

But…in order to really satisfy your reader, you need to know what information the reader would like to see covered and published. And that means getting a ton of feedback all the time!

HERE’S YOUR MASSIVE INBUILT ADVANTAGE And here’s the incredible advantage that you have as a Newsletter or EZine Editor over just about every other product or service out there. Put simply:

"YOU CAN ASK YOUR READERS EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT TO READ ABOUT…….THEN GIVE IT RIGHT BACK TO THEM!"

Publishing a newsletter shouldn’t be a 'one-way' street. You’ve got to discover what kind of material your readers want to read and the easiest way to do that is to simply ask them the question.

INVITE RESPONSE AND SEND OUT REGULAR SURVEYS There’s no mystery to gathering the feedback either. Every Newsletter should invite its readers to send in feedback.

If you’re writing an electronic newsletter (EZine) then invite your reader to click *reply* and send in comments. If your newsletter is in print then include a response mechanism such as a fax back, tear-off slip or at the very least a contact address for you as the editor.

TIP: You can dramatically increase feedback response by offering an incentive to complete your feedback survey. A free report on your subject matter works extremely well.

WHAT TO DO WITH THE INFORMATION YOU GATHER That’s easy. Collate the feedback and establish trends in the requests you receive. You might find, for example, that a batch of readers would like to see more "How-To’s" on your subject. Maybe others crave for readers letters and answers, whilst other readers might want to see more longer (or shorter) articles. You get the drift though. Find out what it is they’d like to see.

What next?

Give it to them. And give it to them in spades...

Start thinking about your readers’ feedback as if that’s their way of going out to vote! They’ve indicated a preference, a particular like or dislike about your newsletter. Now, just like any politician, your job is to reflect that right back to them and give them the information they crave.

SHAPE YOUR NEWSLETTER AROUND THE FEEDBACK Very few editors take the time to really understand what their readership would like to see covered. Fewer still actually do anything constructive with the results.

But if you take the time to do both of these things, you are guaranteed to experience a couple of *great* results:

(1). Your existing subscribers will become increasingly loyal, as they derive pleasure from the fact that your newsletter covers what they really want to know about.

(2). New subscribers will flock to your publication. Why? Well just think of your possible subscriber base as being like a huge lake of fish. They’re all swimming around looking for information (and newsletters) that perfectly cover their interests and presents the information in a format that they would like to receive.

Your newsletter is the bait. If you shape it perfectly around the desires and needs of your existing readership, the chances are your publication will also fit your potential subscribers. Follow the above advice and you will have adjusted your bait to perfectly attract an ever-growing newsletter subscriber base.

Good luck, Michael Green

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The author Michael Green has developed a TOOLKIT for Newsletter Editors called "How To Write A Newsletter". Included is a How-To eBook Manual which describes hundreds of excellent ways to enhance your newsletter publication. The TOOLKIT also includes Copyright Free Articles, DTP Templates and much more. A must for all Newsletter Editors! Check out ===> http://www.howtowriteanewsletter.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael Green spent 12 years building a multi-million dollar business, attributing much of his success to the regular newsletter he published promoting his company. He now devotes his time to educating individuals and organizations as to how to achieve their objectives through newsletter publications both printed and online. He shares his secrets in his new mini-series. Send a blank email to howtocorp@getresponse.com

How to Read Job Ads by Dagmar Rakos

How to Read Job Ads for Beginners and Newcomers:

Here is the translation what you can REALLY expect whenever you see one of these in a Classifieds Careers/Jobs section:

"exceptional positive attitude" -> translation: *Boss is an asshole and a dictator who blows off his top thirteen times a day!*

"willing to work long hours" -> translation: *Forget about your family, or any personal life at all!*

"stamina to work long hours" -> translation: *In other words you are expected to be a cross between a jackass, a camel and an ox!*

"you are a self-starter" -> translation: *We have no idea what we are doing, but we sincerely hope, you will!*

"can work independently" -> translation: *Don't expect any support from us!*

"provide assurance and consulting services to our clients" -> translation: *You are an extremely skillful liar!*

"exceptional organizational skills" -> translation: *We hope we finally get someone who can clean up that big mess we have here!*

"winning positive attitude" -> translation: *Never get bogged down no matter how stupid the management decisions are!*

"ability to work in fast-paced environment" -> translation: *Break? What break…?*

"you feel like an essential member of a corporate family" -> translation: *You are not going to tell our secrets to the tax office, right?*

"you are responsible and dependable" -> translation: *We expect you to keep your mouth shut no matter what you see, what we do/don't do!*

"willing to work hard" -> translation: *Slavery, the legal way.*

"extremely busy environment" -> translation: *We are understaffed!*

"friendly customer service" -> translation: *You are mentally challenged and smiling to it!*

"outstanding customer support service" -> translation: *You have an experience as a lion tamer or at least as a high school teacher!*

"ability to work in a challenging environment" -> translation: *You can always B.S. your way out!*

"positive outlook" -> translation: *What? You expect us to actually pay you for your work…?!*

------------------------------------------------------Want more fun? Download FREE 3Q’s booklet Original Quips, Quacks and Questions http://www.makeyourhobbysell.com/mybooks/3qs-vol1.zip ------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------- Want more fun? Download FREE 3Q’s booklet Original Quips, Quacks and Questions http://www.makeyourhobbysell.com/mybooks/3qs-vol1.zip

How to tell if someone reads your HTML newsletter or ezine by Eric Koshinsky

Title: How to tell if someone opens your HTML newsletter: The ants come marching 1x1 - Hurrah! Copyright Eric Koshinsky, 2003

There is no real way to know exactly how many times your newsletters are read. There is a neat little 'trick' you can use with HTML based newsletters and email so that you can know at least how many times it has been viewed. Compare the number of views the number of copies sent out and you will have a reasonably good idea of how well read your newsletter is. With HTML newsletters and email messages it is possible to tell if the message has been opened.

It all sounds reasonably simple, and actually it really is quite easy. All you need to do is: 1) create a simple 1x1 clear .gif image. 2) Upload the image to your webserver so it is on the internet. 3) Insert the image at the head of your newsletter/email. 4) Mail out your newsletter/email to your mailing list.

Now, when a reader opens your newsletter, the invisible image is loaded, your server's webstats record the hit, and presto, you know how many times your newsletter has been opened.

In a bit more detail.

Create the 1x1.gif file. To do this, any basic image editor will do. Simply create a new .gif image that is 1 pixel X 1 pixel with a transparent background. Jasc software's Paintshop pro is a great and cheap image editor for PC's, and graphicConverter is a great one for Mac. Don't worry, if this seems to be too much of a bother, you can you can simply download the image at the newbie-guides.com download directory. Simply search for 'clear-image'. Save it in a place that is easy to remember. The 1x1 image is invisible when opened!

Upload the image to your webserver

Use whatever ftp (file transfer protocol) software you like and simply upload the file to your images directory. I normally make a special directory only for these images. This way my counter images are in a folder /images/counters/ to keep them seperate from the other images - it just helps keep things more managable.

Insert the image into your newsletter.

Please note that because many article publication newsletters do not allow HTML in the article text, I have placed the different elements on seperate lines. Simply make each HTML statement into a single line should you wish to use it.

This is quite straight forward. Just insert the HTML statement:

at the start of your newsletter, just after the tag.

Of course, if you are using some wysiwyg editor like FrontPage, be sure to insert the image from your webserver, and NOT from your local hard drive!!

Mail out your newsletter as usual.

It is important to keep in mind that you will need to give the my-1x1.gif file a different name every time you send out your newsletter. This way your webstats will track each newsletter seperately. For example if you send out your newsletter twice a month, you might name the counter images: JAN-counter-A.gif and JAN-counter-B.gif for each of the mailings. NOTE: Don't delete the first one, simply copy it and give it a new name for the next mailing. That way the original image will keep recording hits for you!

So, simply duplicate the file, and then rename the file on your server as well as the HTML code in your newsletter. This means you will end up with something like this (inside the 'images/counters' directory on your webserver): JAN-counter-A.gif JAN-counter-B.gif FEB-counter-A.gif FEB-counter-B.gif

In your newsletter the HTML code would be something like:

in your first January mailing and...

in your second January mailing..

If you are worried that all these images will consume all your webspace - DON'T. A typical 1x1.gif uses about 1k of diskspace. Not really something to be overly concerned about!!

Now what you will need to do is check your web server stats to see how many times your image has been 'hit'. Every time an image is loaded through your webserver, it is recorded as a hit. Look to see how many times it has been 'hit' and you know how many times your newsletter has been read!

Just how do you check your webstats? Well I've written another article that explains webstats in more detail, but basically, your webhost package will provide you with all that stats, and a program that will analyze them for you. Two of the most common stat's packages are awstats, and webalyzer. Any reputable webhost will have one (or both) of these installed as part of your hosting package. Simply log into your hosting administration account (which is also where you create email accounts etc.) and use the stat's package they have installed.

You will be looking to find your 1x1.gif (whatever you named it). Every stats package displays information a little differently, so you will have to look a little to find your information. Most commonly you will look for something like:

-Top URL, -Most Requested Files, -File hits

Once you find the information, you can check it against your mail out numbers and have a much better idea of how well you are reaching your subscribers and clients.

If you are an astute reader, and I'm sure you are, you'll already know that there are some problems with this technique. As with most things in life, it isn't perfect. The chief problem is one that simply can't be solved, by any technique! That problem is simply that just because your newsletter/email is opened doesn't mean that the reader actually reads your newsletter very carefully - or at all! But then again, there is NO WAY to ensure that someone reads your newsletter - although having a totally skookum newsletter that people want to read certainly helps!

A second problem is that some people, very foolishly, have their email program's 'auto-preview' window pane open all the time. This means that as soon as they click on a message (even if only to delete it), it is displayed at the bottom of their screen. This still records a 'hit' in your webstats, but may not have any real meaning. A 'false-positive' as they say.

The final dilemma is that this won't work with text only email messages and newsletters. The whole concept depends on the image being 'pulled' from your webserver when someone opens the newsletter. This simply doesn't happen with plain text newsletters. Sorry 'bout that!

There is no truly perfect way to know how many people are reading your newsletter as it is sent out. But using this very simple technique you can have a much better idea of how many are being at least opened (and hopefully read) as opposed to simply being deleted or filtered out as spam.

Learn to Read Piano Music...This Afternoon! by Jan Durrant

Making Music Now's Mini Course A Music Basics Guide for the Beginning Musician Hello! Welcome to the wonderful world of music. Have you always dreamed of being able to learn how to play the piano, keyboard, guitar or any other instrument? Well, your dream is just about to come true with this Free Music eCourse. This dream of yours is not something so far away that it cannot become a reality in a very short while. This is not rocket science but it does take a genuine commitment on your part to read all seven chapters of this Free Music eCourse in order to learn the music fundamentals that will apply to any instrument. Be sure to STICK WITH IT! Make it a point to pace yourself. The course has been written with the intention of going through it in order, with one chapter building on the next. Now that you have laid the groundwork for your plan, let us begin! Whatever instument you are studying or plan to study in the future, each one of those instruments has a history. Let's take a moment to learn a very brief history of keyboard instruments. Did you know that pianos in some form have been around for over 500 years? Some of the first instruments of this kind were called clavichords. They had a very light, metallic sound because the small hand-pounded 'hammers' were made of very light weight metal-like material. These hammers struck strings of varying lengths to create different tones or pitches. The next cousin to the clavichord was the harpsichord invented by Cristofori in Italy around 1450 A.D. This keyboard instrument had a mechanism in it called the plecktrum which 'plucked' the strings and produced a slightly stronger sound than its predecessor. Whether you are playing an acoustic instrument, which is the closest relative to the history just mentioned, or an electronic keyboard, you are now participating in a centuries old musical art form. SOME PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS Piano or Keyboard? Does it matter if you have a keyboard or a piano? Certainly not. The only real difference is that a full size piano has 88 keys (counting both the white and black keys). Keyboards come in several different sizes. Some have 60 keys, some even less. There are also 88 key electronic keyboards and digital pianos that produce very realistic acoustic sounds. Whatever size your instrument may be, remember that the ARRANGEMENT of the keys and the ORDER of the KEY NAMES is the same on both instruments. Rest assured that your basic knowledge of the fundamentals of music can be learned quite effectively either on a keyboard or a piano. The only missing ingredient is your own persistence and determination to persevere through the entirety of the material in this course with regular practice sessions. Do that and your success is assured! SELECTING THE BEST LEARNING PLACE IN YOUR HOME Please take a moment and give serious consideration at to WHERE you practice in your home. Make sure that you are not within earshot of the television. Even if you are used to 'watching TV with your ears' while you do other things, it will definitely be a roadblock to your learning to Play Piano Now! Also, make sure that you can sit down at your piano or keyboard comfortably. If you have a piano and a bench which came with it when you bought it, then you are in great shape. Seating at a keyboard can prove a little more difficult. Just make sure that you are not reaching too high up or stooping down too low for the keyboard. Finding a chair that is the right height is the key. The right height chair will allow your arms to be a an almost perfect right angle (45 degree) from your body to the keyboard. Don't worry too much about this. If you have the wrong height of chair your back will start screaming at you to change your position!!! Please make any adjustments to keep your back straight and your arms at a 45 degree angle and you enjoy hours of music in one seating. PRACTICE GUIDELINES Please practice as long and as often as you like. I am not going to recommend a particular practice schedule for anyone. You will find your own pace. Sometimes people ask me how long it will take to learn to Play Piano Now. I simply answer with the question of how much time are you willing to put into it on a daily basis. Since this is an introductory piano course for beginners, I think it would be very effective to work at 30 to 45 minute intervals on a daily basis. The longer you put in, the more quickly you will learn and progress. However, your mind needs a while to 'soak up' the information and will work best when you have some hours or a day or so in between practice sessions. The main thing is to make up a schedule and stick to it! The longest journey begins with the first step! As a convenience for you I have created a practice chart and placed it below. Please feel free to make copies of this practice chart and use it daily. As I am sure you have heard before, a habit of doing anything takes root much better when we write down the thing that we are doing on a daily basis. Take advantage of this practice chart by placing it beside your piano or keyboard and filling in your practice times on a regular basis. PRACTICE RECORD Week of _____________, 2003 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min Week of _____________, 2003 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min Week of _____________, 2003 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min Week of _____________, 2003 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min Week of _____________, 2003 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min Week of _____________, 2003 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min Week of _____________, 2003 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min Week of _____________, 2003 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min Week of _____________, 2003 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min MUSICAL TERMS Let's begin our musical study with a review of the main musical terms you will need to be familiar with to proceed with your music education. BAR LINE - A vertical line which separates notes into groups DOUBLE BAR LINE - A set of two (2) vertical lines which stand for the end of a piece of music REPEAT SIGN - Double bar with two dots at the end of a section or piece of music which indicates that section is to be played twice. MEASURE - The distance between two bar lines. TREBLE CLEF - The S-shaped symbol which stands for notes played with the right hand. BASS CLEF - The reversed C-shaped symbol which stand for notes played with the left hand. STAFF - The five lines and four spaces of both the bass and treble clefs. QUARTER NOTE - Musical symbol with solid note head and stem which gets one count. QUARTER REST - Musical symbol resembling a sideways W which gets one count. HALF NOTE - Musical symbol with hollow note head and stem which gets two counts. HALF REST - Solid half block sitting on third line of the staff which gets two counts of silence. DOTTED HALF NOTE - Musical symbol with hollow note head, dot and stem which gets three counts. WHOLE NOTE - Musical symbol resembling a circle on the staff which gets four counts. WHOLE REST - Solid half block hanging from the second line on the staff which gets four counts of silence. CHORD - Two or more notes played together. BLOCKED CHORD - Two or more notes played at the same time BROKEN CHORD - Two or more notes from the same chord played in sequence INTERVAL - The distance between two notes on the musical staff EACH FINGER HAS A FINGER NUMBER! 5 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 5 LEFT HAND RIGHT HAND **THE THUMB OF EACH HAND IS FINGER #1 **THE INDEX FINGER OF EACH HAND IS FINGER #2 **THE MIDDLE FINGER OF EACH HAND IS FINGER #3 **THE PINKY FINGER OF EACH HAND IS FINGER #4 WHICH FINGER IS #4??????????? USE CURVED FINGERS AT THE KEYBOARD It is very important to use curved fingers while playing any keyboard instrument. This simply means to try and play on the finger tips instead of on the finger pads. Keep the fingers relaxed while slightly rounding them as if holding a soft ball in the palm of each hand. Hold the ball gently and keep your arms and hands as relaxed as possible while playing. CURVED FINGER EXERCISE Are you ready to play your first piano piece? Let's start with a right hand finger exercise. Place your right hand thumb on any white key in the middle of your piano or keyboard. Then simply place each finger numbers 2, 3, 4 and 5 (pinky finger) next to each other on the next white key. Each finger should have a key of its very own to strike. Never put more than one finger on a key. Now start with your thumb and plan the white keys in sequence. Say 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5- 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 as you play each of those fingers. Repeat this pattern three times. Now place your left hand thumb on any white key of your piano or keyboard and go through the same exercise. Be sure to say the fingers number as above. Say the finger numbers reinforces the fact that thumbs are one and pinky fingers are five. This will especially helpful to you later as you will be saying counts instead of finger numbers. LEARNING THE BLACK KEY GROUPS Take a look at your keyboard and notice the pattern of two black note groups and three black note groups repeating itself all up and down your keyboard instrument. This is the same way that these black note groups look on your piano or keyboard. Please take a moment at your own keyboard and find the two and three black note groups in the following sequence: 2 Black 3 Black 2 Black 3 Black 2 Black 3 Black 2 Black 3 Black (bottom of keyboard) (top of keyboard) When I refer to the 'bottom' of the piano please go down to the left- hand side of your instrument. Obviously, when I refer to the top of the piano please go all the way up to the right hand side of the piano. Using the diagram above, go to your keyboard and practice moving in both upward and downward directions. FIRST FINGER EXERCISES USING THE TWO AND THREE BLACK NOTE GROUPS Following are two finger exercises: The first exercise will introduce the two black note group. Please use finger numbers two and three (remember your right hand thumb is finger number 1, your right hand index finger is finger number 2, etc.). Repeat the finger number sequence below as you practice on your keyboard or just on a table top. Just say the finger number that you are using at that moment. Use your RIGHT HAND FIRST and play evenly. Then use your LEFT HAND and repeat the same pattern: 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 The second exercise will introduce the three black note group. Use finger numbers 2, 3 and 4 on this exercise. Again, be sure to whisper the finger number as you play and keep an even rhythm. Even though these are just finger exercises, it is still very important to practice evenly and clearly without rushing through. Use these two exercises daily to warm up your fingers and develop finger independence and strength. Use RIGHT then LEFT hands: 2 3 4 3 2 3 4 3 4 3 2 3 4 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 4 3 4 3 2 3 4 3 2 3 4 3 Be sure to pracitce doing these finger exercises daily for just a few minutes. It will really help your finger independence and facility in the weeks ahead. INTRODUCTION TO THE WHITE KEYS There are only seven (7) letter names used on the piano: A B C D E F G It is interesting to note here that no matter what instrument you play, whether it is piano, tuba or violin, ONLY the seven letter names above are used in the entire realm of music! There are two very easy ways to visualize and remember the names of the white keys on your piano and keyboard. Remember, the note names on an electronic keyboard are the same as on the acoustic piano. Since it is not possible to include a graphic in this format, simply remember that the 'CDE' note groups in always located directly underneath the two black note group. The letter name 'D' in the white key always located directly inbetween the two black key note groups. ANY TWO BLACK NOTE GROUP on the piano has the letter name 'D' as the white key located inbetween them. Go to your keyboard NOW and start to play all of the C-D-E groups from the lowest (bottom left) to the highest (top right) on your keyboard. Say C - D - E as you play each key. Now we will learn about the F - G - A - B note groups. Simply located any three black note group on your piano or keyboard and realize that the F-G-A-B white keys are located directly beneath them. Directly outside of the three black note groups are 'F' on the left hand side of the three black note group and 'B' on the right hand side of the three black note group. Just fill in the outer 'F' and 'B' with G and A and you are done! Go to your piano or keyboard NOW and find all of the F-G-A-G white keys underneath each three black note group. As above, play slowly and evenly saying the letter names as you play the F-G-A-B groups from the bottom of the piano or keyboard (low left hand end) to the top of your piano or keyboard (top right hand end). Congratulations! You now know ALL of the white key names on the piano! TREBLE CLEF NOTE NAMES Both the Treble and Bass clefs each have five lines and four spaces. Learning the actual note names of each line and space (the spaces between each line) is very simple. Please memorize the sentences below for the Treble Clef Line and Space Notes: Treble Clef Line Notes(starting from the bottom line and moving up) EGBDF Every Good Boy Does Fine (the first letter of each word helps you remember the order of the notes) Treble Clef Space Notes (starting from the first space and going up) FACE Just remember that the treble clef spaces spell the word 'FACE'. Bass Clef Line and Space Notes are as follows: Line Notes: GBDFA Great Big Dogs Fight Animala Space Notes: ACEG All Cars Eat Gas Now you know all the names of the white keys on your piano or keyboard. You also learned today the acutal letter names of each line and space on both the treble and bass clefs BASICS OF RHYTHM WHAT DOES A QUARTER NOTE LOOK LIKE? WHAT DOES A QUARTER REST LOOK LIKE? Both the Quarter Note and the Quarter Rest get one beat. The Quarter Note has a filled in note head and a stem. The Quarter Rest is a vertical musical symbol which resembles a 'W' turned on its side. The Quarter note symbol stands for a note that is played for the length of one beat. In other words, play any key on your instrument right now and simply hold it down while you say 'one'. It is what we would call a short note. The Quarter rest is a musical symbol which stands for one beat of silence. In other words, beats of silence in music are counted just like beats of sound. The only difference between these two musical symbols is that there is complete sound for one beat during a Quarter Note and complete silence for one beat during a Quarter rest in music. Start off your experience in rhythm by simply clapping the rhythm pattern of quarter notes and quarter rests in the following exercise. Make sure that when you say 'one' you ARE clapping both hands together on that beat and when you say 'rest' you are holding your hands apart on that beat. BE SURE TO SPEAK THE WORDS 'QUARTER NOTE' AND 'QUARTER REST' AS YOU CLAP OR MOVE YOUR HANDS APART ON EACH BEAT. 'QN' - stands for Quarter Note 'QR' - stands for Quarter Rest FIRST RHYTHM EXERCISE: QN-QN-QN-QN/QN-QR-QN-QR/QN-QN-QN-QN/QR-QN-QR-QN/ WHAT IS A MELODY? A melody is nothing more than a string of notes played one after the other to create a tune or melody. How many times have you asked someone how a tune goes? Please whistle that tune for me.........Well, that, my friend, is a melody. When you first sat down at a piano or keyboard and tried to pick out the correct sequence of keys to your favorite melody, you were actually playing short melodies or tunes. Go to your instrument now and use the information you have learned today about Quarter Notes and Quarter Rests and make up a new melody all your own! WHAT IS HARMONY? Harmony is simply defined as notes, chords or other arrangements of notes that accompany a melody to make a fully developed piece of music. If one person sings a vocal solo, that would be a melody. Two people singing together is called a duet. When the second person sings different notes than the first person, that would be creating harmony with the melody. So it is in any other musical ensemble. The melody is the part of the music that we remember the most and even sing to ourselves later. One of the most basic forms of harmony in piano music is the chord. A chord consists of two or more notes played together in either hand which can create harmony when played along with any given melody. You will notice that either hand can play the harmony, just as either hand can play the melody. In the Challenge Pieces Section of Play Piano Now (www.MakingMusicNow.com) is a piece entitled ‘Moonlight Melody'. The melody starts out in the right hand, then goes to the left hand in the middle section and, finally, ends up in the right hand again to end the piece. CHORDS A chord is defined as two or more notes from a scale played together at the same time. Chords may be played in either blocked chord form or broken chord form. A blocked chord simply means that two or more notes are played at the same time. A broken chord is created when that blocked chord is just played one note after the other in sequence. The first chord we will study is the C Major chord. The notes of the C Major chord are C, E and G. Try this C Major Chord Exercise by placing fingers 1, 3 and 5 of each hand down on your desk or table top right now(remember that the thumb is finger number 1, the middle finger is number 3 and proceed to the pinky finger which is finger number 5). Press down all three fingers (1,3 and 5) at the same time. You have just played the C Major BLOCKED chord. Use this same table top method right now and similarly press down each finger 1,3 and 5 in sequence (one after the other) to create a BROKEN chord. SPECIAL TIP** Remember, a chord with stems up means the right hand is playing and a chord with stems down means the left hand is playing the chord. Please practice this C Major Chord Exercise with Right Hand Only: 'QR' - stands for Quarter Rest or one beat of silence 'Ch' - stands for the C Major Chord. (Again, use your table top and press down 1,3,5 together for 'Ch'. Say 'Chord' each time you press down your fingers on the table top. Also, when you come to the 'Qr' symbol simply lift your hand off of the table top and say 'Rest') Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch/Ch-Qr-Ch-Qr/Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch/Ch-Qr-Ch-Qr ALL ABOUT INTERVALS An Interval is defined as the distance between two notes (Refer to Chapter 2 of this course: Musical Terms). The first interval to consider is the interval of a Second, notated as '2nd'. The second is also referred to as a 'step' in music reading because it is the distance you can travel on your keyboard or piano from one key to the very next key. It is important to learn to read music by INTERVAL rather than by FINGER NUMBER because the fingerings will not be available on all pieces of music that you encounter. Also, learning to read music by interval enables you to be a much more well rounded pianist because you can start on any given note and read your way through any piece of music. If you concentrated too much on just C Position or Middle C Position, you would soon become less able to read notes in other areas of the staff. Now look at the series of letter names below. This series of letters corresponds with your piano or keyboard. Keys C, D and E are in that sequence right next to each other on your keyboard. Moving from one note to the next either up or down in a sequential manner is moving by Seconds. This exercise is written is centered around the concept of the Second, or step. Place your right hand thumb (finger number 1) on a table top or on your keyboard in front of you. Your thumb will be resting on C, your second finger will be resting on D and your third finger will be resting on E. You will be playing interval or distances of a Second throughout this exercise. Be sure to practice this exercise two different ways: 1. Say the Letter Names as you play. 2. Say 'Step up' or 'Step Down' as it is written on the music. EXERCISE USING AN INTERVAL OF A 'SECOND' : C D E D / C D E D / E D C D / E D C D / C D E D / INTERVAL OF A THIRD The next interval we will learn is the interval or distance of a third or 3rd. This is also referred to as a Skip because we are actually skipping over one note to reach the next note on the piano when we play an interval of a third. Intervals of thirds can be read easily because they go from one line note to another line note. They can also be from one space note to another space note. In the following space note exercise ALL of the intervals of thirds are both either line notes or both space notes. Practice the following exercise using thirds the following three ways: 1. Place your right hand in the C Position (RH thumb on Middle C). You will be using note names C, D, E and F with finger numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4. 2. Say the Letter Name of each note as you play 3. Play again and say ‘Skip Up' or ‘Skip Down' as the music indicates. EXERCISE USING AN INTERVAL OF A 'THIRD': C E C E / C E C E / D F D F / D F D F / C E C E INTERVALS OF FOURTHS AND FIFTHS Larger intervals of fourths (4ths) and fifths (5ths) are also found a lot in music. We will explore these intervals and corresponding exercises later on. Keep in mind that intervals of fourths and fifths can be identified by the larger distance between these two note intervals. The interval of the fourth (4th) involves one line note and one space note with a larger distance between them than you found in the similar interval of the second (2nd). The interval of the fifth (5th) involves either two line notes or two space notes. Again, this interval of a fifth is similar to a third except there is a greater distance between the two notes than there was between the interval of a third. DYNAMIC MARKINGS The vehicle for expression in music comes through the context of dynamic markings. Since the Italians were the ones to first write marks of expression in their music as well as print the first music manuscripts on paper, all of the marks of expression or dynamics are from Italian words. Please look over the list of dynamic markings below and familiarize yourself with them. This is by no means an exhaustive list. Only those basic symbols are included here that pertain to the pieces within the Play Piano Now piano course. DYNAMIC MARKINGS START WITH SOFT AND GO TO LOUDEST: Piano - Italian word for soft. symbol used in music: p Pianissimo - Very soft; symbold used: pp Mezzo Forte - Medium Loud; symbol used: mf Forte - Loud; symbol used: f Fortissimo - Very Loud; symbol used: ff Crescendo - Gradually getting louder; symbol used: < Decrescendo - Gradually getting softer; symbol used: > You can also learn more about the Play Piano Now piano course at: http://www.MakingMusicNow.com All the best in your future musical endeavors, Jan Durrant, Publisher http://www.MakingMusicNow.com Teacher@MakingMusicNow.com

Source: www.isnare.com

Newsletters: Your Readers and You by "Wild Bill" Montgomery

One of the Hottest Commodities on or off the Internet is "Information". In this age of technology people more than ever want to know and they want to learn. I imagine you yourself are reading this in hopes of clicking away with more than you started with. My job as a writer, publisher and editor is to see that you do.

Newsletters provide you with an outlet to a specific group of people, who subscribe and read your publication because they want to gain specific information. It could be Business, Humor or Travel, but nevertheless they are reading your words for a reason. Your job is to supply your readers with the information they are looking for. This my friend is sometimes a painstaking job, with little or no pay and long hours to boot!

This is not a venture to be entered into lightly. Newsletters are not overnight successes. It sometimes takes years to build a respectable subscriber base. Cash flow is almost non-existent at the beginning and for much of the time after that. Your newsletter is an investment in relationships, or better-called "networking". You must earn, gain and keep a certain amount of trust and loyalty from your readers.

Mistake: If you think that you own your newsletter, I here to tell you that you are wrong. Running a newsletter is much like being in a political office. You would not be there if you did not serve your constituents to their satisfaction. They will directly or indirectly dictate to you your requirements in serving them. If you fail so does your newsletter.

Hint: Live up to the responsibility you have taken on. When your readers bestow that trust in you, there is no better way to condemn your newsletter than to violate that trust.

Your job is not necessarily to be liked, but to keep your content up to the standards that your subscribers have come to expect from you. Keep your information content high and your advertising and "noise" levels low. The subject of your newsletter will of course dictate the personality of your newsletter.

As for your Personality in your Newsletter, every newsletter will take on a life of its own. You must control the personality that it portrays. Be careful what personality traits you give your newsletter and how much personality you give it. Remember that your primary goal is to supply information. Save the bulk of your thoughts for welcome messages and editorials. Be careful how you convey your personal thoughts in your newsletter. What could be meant as an editorial thought could be a disastrous mistake that costs you subscribers.

You will find that your readers will write to you with questions, comments, and often complaints. Don't forget now these are the same people that control the fate of your newsletter. Treat them as you would any life giving force. Your subscribers are (99%) intelligent, well-mannered people seeking the wisdom of your print. They will express their own ideas and desires. They will ask you for your input and thoughts. Often this may be impossible, but one of your top priorities should be to respond to your readers with honest, informative information with a touch of your thrown in. Keep in mind that for every 1 malcontented feedback message that you receive there are hundreds or thousands that are happy, but never write. Think about it. How many times do you write just to tell somebody they are doing a great job, as compared to how many times you have written to complain about a product or service? After your subscriber base becomes very large (that's assuming that it will), you will find that many of the questions will be similar. For this you can use a "replicated" or "canned" response. You can save these responses in a special text file as you create them, and call up the file when you need them.

In closing I would like to say that it's your job to get "their" newsletter out on schedule each and every time. Your subscribers will come to expect and yes, demand their newsletter on time and intact. Consider yourself a "Mailman". Neither rain nor shine, nor vacation or sickness shall deter you from your duty. If you are publishing a serious newsletter and are the sole person doing this insurmountable job, do yourself a favor and get a laptop if you haven't already. I myself have published from bed with a fever and all over the country, and you will too!

"Wild Bill" Montgomery http://www.MakingProfit.com We've Featured Over 110 Articles in only one issue of our newsletter. How many do you get in yours? Why Play With Puppies, When The Big Dog Rules! Get The Best In Marketing & Business Information! To Subscribe go to or Email to