Entertainment online

Now let’s take a 60GB iPod photo, which has a lovely colour screen. It also allows you to store thousands of photos. It’s easy to use interface allows you to browse through your pictures at an impressive speed. You can connect the iPod photo to your television and use the slideshow. .Imagine what it’s like to always have say a months worth of non-stop music playing in your back pocket. Being able to play this music on your home or car stereo .Or through your headphones in the train or on your bicycle.

If you like an mp3 player at the size of a packet of chewing gum, the iPod Shuffle is the answer. At the moment they come in 512 MB or 1 GB size, and a 2 GB and 4 GB iPod shuffle have been announced. Don’t be fooled by its small size as it sounds just as impressive it’s bigger brothers. The iPod shuffle has no LCD display like the iPod, iPod mini and iPod Photo. The iPod mini is a smaller colourful version of the normal iPod and come in 4GB and 6GB at present.

Not only the iPod itself is fantastic, but there are literally tons of super cool accessories available for this device.

For instance, one accessory called Roadtrip, made by Griffin Technology, is a dock you can fit in your car. The dock has a built in FM transmitter and will send out the music being played by the iPod through an FM signal. My car radio picks up the signal and blasts it out my car speakers.. How cool is that?!! You simply get in your car, slot in your iPod and turn the ignition key and off you go. The Roadtrip draws its power from the cigarette lighter. It can also draw its power from USB. That way you can use it to route the sound of your computer to your home stereo.

Another accessory for instance is AirClick, a remote control for your iPod or iPod mini. You can even get card readers so you can transfer the photos from your digital camera directly to your iPod. How handy is it to have 60 GB of storage with you if you like photography?

Since I bought my iPod I have been enjoying music more than ever before! I would like to recommend it to any music lover, its well worth the money.]]>

Today, Satellite TV offers an impressive amount of choices for the avid television fanatic. From newly released movies to your favorite sports game, satellite television has the capabilities to take you where you want to go and farther.

What makes Satellite TV so different than basic cable? Just one viewing experience would reveal a sharper picture quality and much larger selection of channels along with helpful customer service and reasonable prices.

When shopping for the best satellite TV retailers, be wary of scammer’s advertising "Free Satellite Television" promising the best deals, installation, subscriptions and many more unbelievable promotions. If a website offers you a deal which seems too good to be true. Most likely, it is.

In order to insure a legitimate company, go with a satellite TV provider with a positive and well-known reputation.

Shopping online for satellite TV usually proves advantageous to customers through free gifts and exclusive promotions offered only online. Go ahead, take advantage of the offers and convenience of ordering online. Just remember to take caution as with any other online purchase. Here are a few tips to discern a great provider from a scammer:

1. The longer the satellite TV provider has been in business, the better.
2. Check to see if the web page is security enabled.
3. Beware of hidden fees.
4. Guarantees are always a plus.
5. Customer service is readily available and easily accessible.
]]>

The dream started with a young man, Col. M. Lewis Clark, grandson of Gen. William Clark, the explorer. He visited England and France in 1872 and decided that he would start a racetrack in Kentucky to revive the state’s horse breeding industry. Development began soon after the trip on 80 acres he obtained from his two uncles, John and Henry Churchill. Funding was through membership subscriptions that sold at $100 a piece. The track was officially opened on May 17, 1875. Four races were held that day and the winner of the featured race, the Kentucky Derby, was a horse named Aristides. Two African Americans, Oliver Lewis and Ansel Williamson, trained and jockeyed Aristides. Throughout the years, the Kentucky Derby became the focal event for Churchill Downs.

Eventually, the Kentucky State Fair held activities at Churchill Downs, but the main attraction was then and still is today betting on that special horse to win. In 1875, the prize for winning was $2,850. The purse jumped to $5,460 in 1890 with Riley leading the pack as the thoroughbreds crossed the finish line. The winner of the Kentucky Derby in 1896 was Ben Brush with the first-place prize money totaling $4,850. The winner’s purse would remain at that figure for the next 17 years.

In 1913 there was a slight increase in prize money, but the following year the winner’s proceeds skyrocketed to $9,125. That same year Old Rosebud won by a hefty 8 lengths, setting a track record of 2:03 for the 2/5-mile oval. By 1915, the Derby had developed a reputation as a premier sporting event due to a 3-year publicity push. The Golden Jubilee Derby in 1924 featured a purse of $52,775. Through the years, the prize money continued to grow. In 1970, Secretariat became the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years, with a Derby win timed at 1 minute, 59 seconds. The net for Secretariat’s owners was a whopping $127,800. In May of 2004 the winner of the Derby took home a record $5,854,800.

While Churchill Downs was the hub of betting, racing, and other activities, it went through leadership changes quite frequently. Col. M. Lewis Clark and his Louisville Jockey Club started the annual show in 1875. Although the first Kentucky Derby had been a success, there were financial problems. In an attempt to provide a more secure financial situation, the race was incorporated under the New Louisville Jockey Club on November 24, 1894. William F. Schulte became president and Col. M. Lewis Clark was appointed the presiding judge.

Tragedy struck with the suicide of Clark in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 22, 1899. Financial problems plagued the track again and former mayor, Charles Grainger, Charlie Price, and Matt J. Winn took over on October 1, 1902. The first sign of profitability was in 1903. The Kentucky Jockey Club took over all 4 racetracks in Kentucky in 1918-1919. Churchill Downs-Latona became the legal name of the track in 1937 after the sale of several of the other racetracks. October 6,1949, marked the death of Col. Matt J. Winn, the man credited with making the Kentucky Derby the most prestigious race in the world. Bill Corum took over the helm and modernized the track.

The Kentucky Derby was televised for the first time on May 3,1952. In December of 1958, Bill Corum died and was replaced by Wathen Knebelkamp. Under new direction, Churchill Downs underwent more renovation. Also, the City of Louisville tried to purchase the racetrack, but the aldermen had the final word and wouldn’t allow it. Around 1968 there was another battle for ownership of Churchill Downs and this time the Derby Protection Group became the highest bidder.

Lynn Stone was named the new president in 1970. He was successful in fending off 2 more attempts to take over the racetrack. But when financial problems arose, Stone resigned in August 1984, to be replaced by Thomas Meeker. Through the good leadership of Meeker, Chairman Warner Jones, and the current Chairman William Farish, Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby have flourished.

Besides the controversy related to takeovers and changes in leadership, there were legal issues as well. In 1908, betting began to be a problem to the point that the Louisville city administration was cracking down on bookmakers. A loophole made it possible to continue the parimutuel betting that Col. Clark had imported in 1875 from France. Problems arose again and there was a government ban on horseracing in 1945, but VE Day changed everything and the Derby continued on June 9th of that year.

As was noted earlier, African Americans have played a key role since the first race and have made major contributions throughout the derby’s history. Alonzo Lonnie Clayton was an early jockey who, at in 1892 the age of 15, rode Azra, making him the youngest jockey to achieve victory. Erskin Henderson was the 6th African American to win the Kentucky Derby, riding Joe Cotton in 1885. Babe Hurd rode Appollo in 1882 and won. George Garrett Lewis, another African American, jockeyed Fonso in the 1880 Derby. These are 4 of 15 African Americans who won the Kentucky Derby and have their names enshrined in the Kentucky Derby Museum.

In addition, women jockeys have been active in the Derby; the five who have run for the roses are Patti Cooksey, Diane Crump, Julie Krone, Andrea Seefeldt, and Rosemary Homeister. Also, It has been fairly common throughout the years that women have been owners.

The Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs have become the hallmark of first-class horseracing by dealing with adversity and making adjustments. The Derby is a horserace unlike any other in terms of prestige, excitement, and quality competitors. Those who have played an important role in making the Derby a yearly tradition include the jockeys, trainers, breeders, administrators, owners, and those magnificent creatures, the horses that have run for the roses for 130 years. The brainchild of Col. M. Lewis Clark is much more than a horserace. It is an American institution.]]>

It is always nice to see how the other half lives, take for instance there is the

Life of Luxury: the George Hamilton way.

This is a TV show which looks at the lives of the Super Rich in which the first episode looks at the PlayBoy Mansion, a collection of multi-million dollar homes, hip-hop half-billion dollar empires and some queens of shopping.

Tom Delay’s Life of Luxury over the last six years:

Public documents reviewed by The Associated Press document his 48 visits to golf clubs and resorts; 100 flights aboard private company planes; 200 stays at hotels, many world-class; and 500 meals at restaurants, some averaging nearly $200 for a dinner for two. Not all paid for by Tom Delay.

ARCHESTRATUS: THE LIFE OF LUXURY

ARCHESTRATUS was a Sicilian Greek who wrote a poem that was an actual cookbook describing styles of Greek food in antiquity In travelling throughout the Greek world - Greece, Southern Italy and Sicily, the coast of Asia Minor, the Black Sea - Archestratus shows us how the ancient Greeks were extremely cosmopolitan. His influences - ingredients, combinations of flavours, techniques - are drawn from a wide Mediterranean background, taking in a diversity of ideas unrestricted by the topography of the Greek mainland.

The Life of Luxury: Check out the Robb Report: Luxury Homes

The Robb Report features this Beverly Hills house. The owners, a retired industrialist and his wife, who is a trustee of Los Angeles’ Museum of Contemporary Art, wanted the architect to maintain a simple palette that would not compete with their art collection, which includes a beautiful collection of contemporary art.

The Life of Luxury’s Most Expensive ZIP Codes

From Beverly Hills to TriBeCa, from notorious enclaves of mansions and lush lawns to little-known niches of wealth, this is where the most expensive real estate in the country can be found.

Many of these neighborhoods are rarified places, of course. They are close to beaches and golf courses and prime yacht moorings–or at least within spitting distance of the power centers that are the sources of great wealth. they have high tax bases, expensive private schools, exclusive restaurants and they are not all located close to Rodeo Drive.

The Life of Luxury; Some Expensive Must-Have Items

We must be getting richer. Designer items are becoming more and more popular, we are no longer happy with a cheap watch but want an Omega or a Tag Heuer.

According to the Federal Reserve, the net wealth of American households hit a high at the end of last year, increasing from $46.59 trillion in the third quarter of 2004 to $48.53 trillion in the fourth quarter. Rising real estate and stock prices helped push the country’s household net worth up 4% between the third and fourth quarters. You can now buy a $67,000 hand-crafted bathtub; Luxury is no longer confined to the affluent. To enhance people’s lives they are willing to pay more for luxury items like expensive perfumes and designer handbags. Sometimes it’s hard to justify spending much more on an item when something considerably less expensive offers the same functionality.

You can, for instance, buy a watch for $10 and you can buy a watch for $20,000 that offers the exact same functionality so where is the rationale for buying the expensive watch? Still, the expensive watches get sold and people are proud to own them. The exclusive maker of mattresses for the British royal family will reject a container of cashmere if it is deemed to be clumpy or defective in any way, says the director for the American division. For each bed, workers cover thousands of springs in calico cotton; the damask cases are hand-woven in Belgium If you have to ask how much these mattresses cost you can’t afford them.

Life of Luxury: living on your own Cruise Ship

The World is the only private luxury community at sea. It is a Cruise Ship built with apartments and studios for long term residency rather than vacation cruises.

For sale originally were 106 apartments, 19 studio apartments and 40 studios, with square footage starting at 675 for studios and maxing out at 3,242 for a three bedroom apartment with optional jet pool. With the exception of studios, which have more limited amenities, The World’s residential accommodations include fully-equipped kitchens, living room, veranda and all furniture and audio/video equipment. Studios an Apartments can be had from 1.4 million to 4.8 million dollars and annual maintenance costs start at $100,000.

This is a 40,000-ton ship which could easily carry 1,500 passengers but the World Residensea carries an average of 285 guests plus a crew of 252. The passenger distribution is about 40% Americans, 40% Europeans and 20% from other nations. The price of a “home” on board the ship includes furniture, appliances, carpet, draperies, linen, china, cutlery and crystal. Maintenance charges will cover daily housekeeping service, repairs and replacement of appliances, fixtures and fittings supplied by the builder.]]>

As an experienced ‘Interneter’ (definition: One who spends way too much time on the internet) I know that the lack of sign-ups may change. One morning I may awaken to 30 new affiliates in each of my programs. Or at least that’s what my guru friends keep telling me… The SPAM however, ‘ain’t goin’ nowhere.’ It’s just become a fact of internet life. ‘He Who Hath Email, Will Get SPAM.’

I personally use the Delete-It-And-Forget-About-It Method to deal with SPAM. This time tested method has three basic steps:

1. Select the ’suspected’ spam email (Note: I use the term suspected because according the Internet Law Code Title 12 Chapter 15 Subtitle 3 ‘All spam is innocent until proven guilty by a jury of it’s peers, or until it emails a virus to your whole address book.)’

2. Hit the ‘Delete’ button

3. Move on to the next email

This highly complicated method for dealing with SPAM is not, I have found, for everyone. There are some people who feel that this method lets spammers off too easily. These are people who feel very strongly about SPAM. They don’t just dislike SPAM, they DESPISE it. I’m talking about the kind of people who, judging by their actions, must be allergic to SPAM.

These kind of people prefer the I’m-Going-To-Get-You-If-It’s-The-Last-Thing-I-Do-Online Method. This method involves any or all of the following steps:

1. Quitting your day job so you can have more time to write nasty replies to all the emails that you get that you don’t remember requesting.

2. Doing an exhaustive 30 hour online search for a suspected spammers IP address so you can report them to their ISP. And their hosting services. And their mother.

4. Attempting to get in touch with Tom Ridge, newly appointed Director of Homeland Security, because you think spamming is a form of terrorism.

5. Showing up at suspected spammers front door at 3 AM wielding an AK-47 assault rifle and wearing only WWJD bandana and a mousepad, and shouting, “If I want Spam I’ll buy a can” between gunshots.

However you deal with SPAM is of course your business. I, by nature, am a passive person (by passive I mean lazy) so SPAM doesn’t usually annoy me to the point where I feel the need to take action. I will admit that occasionally though SPAM does get me a little angry. Like when I open my inbox and see that of the 25 unread emails I have, 20 have subject lines like:

* Let Me Show You How To Make An Extra $5000 An Hour Selling Squid!

* Hot Blonde Men Want You!

* Congratulations You’ve Won An All Expense Paid Trip To Uzbekistan

* Do You Know What You’re Children Are Doing Online? (A quick note to all spammers: If you are going to illegally fill my inbox with SPAM at least be kind enough to send me something that might interest me. SPAM about children does not interest me in the slightest bit seeing as I have none. And if I did have kids I wouldn’t care what they did online as long as they stayed quiet and left me alone. Thanks.

* Become A Catholic Priest In Two Short Weeks

* Here Is The Information You Requested On Llama Breeding

These are just a sample of some of the subject lines that I have seen in my inbox. I assume they were SPAM since I don’t remember every requesting any information about any of those subjects. Although the one about selling squid did seem interesting. Which brings me to a question. If you know that an email is SPAM but the subject line is just sooo darn catchy, is it wrong to open the email? Do I become an accessory to spamming? Am I aiding and abetting known spammers? I sure hope not because truthfully every now and then I open an email that I know is SPAM just to see what it’s about. It’s just that some of those spammers have gotten so good with their subject lines that I just can’t help myself. For instance I’m GOING to open emails with subject lines like:

* Free Fried Chicken For Life

* Fast Hemorrhoid Relief

* Drink ALL You Want And Never Get Drunk

* Drew Barrymore and Tara Banks Want To Meet You (Another quick note to spammers: If you were the online law breaker who sent me the unsolicited email about Drew and Tara could you please send it to me again. I think I accidentally deleted it. Thanks. P.S. If you have anything about Angelina Jolie send that too.)

* Even Faster Hemorrhoid Relief

* Stop Premature Balding

* Legally Get Back All The Money You’ve Ever Blown On Women

There are some of you who probably think it’s deplorable that I admit to reading emails that I know are SPAM. You probably think that people like me are the reason spammers keep spamming. You probably think I’m just as bad as the spammers. You’re probably trying to figure out who my ISP is at this very moment so you can report me. All I can say in my defense is: I’m only human. And I only do it on weekends.

In conclusion, even though I’ve poked fun at anti-spammers in this article, I do feel that spamming is wrong and illegal. My purpose in writing this article was just to bring a little humor to the otherwise ever-so-serious SPAM table. Whether you’re an avid anti-spammer and a card-carrying member of the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email or a lazy Delete-It-And-Forget-About-It slacker like me, you’ll probably agree that spammers need to stopped. Anyone caught spamming should be punished. And I know the ideal punishment. They should be forced to clean my house and keep my llamas fed while I’m on my 2 month vacation in Uzbekistan with Drew Barrymore, eating fried chicken-hemorrhoid free.]]>

From Ted Nugent to TLC to John Fogerty and Prince, problems with contracts and record companies, accountants and lawyers seem to plague musicians in every era of the evolution of popular music. Do you ever wonder why it happens like that?

Well there are several plausible explanations.

* The eagerness to get going. A young performer or band finally gets that break and has a chance to make a record or get on that break-through tour. In their eagerness to land that all important contract, they agree to some deals that cripple them for decades to come.

* The Wrong Self concept. When an artist is starting out, he or she will tend to see themselves as an amateur with a hobby. Few young performers see themselves as professionals and as successful performers down the road. So when the chance to get a recording contract comes, they have little to loose. That ן¿½what the heckן¿½ attitude can lead to foolish spur-of-the-moment decisions that you can regret months or years later.

* Bad advice. Like it or not, there are crooked people in the world. If your management or accountant is not looking after your best interest, they could easily guide you in a way that is not good for you career. The result could be lost money to you or even the inability to play and perform when your career is in full bloom.

DOING YOUR HOMEWORK

The time to research how the money flows in the music business is not after your first big hit and in the middle of your first big tour. No, even though you may not yet be a huge star, now is the time to get an understanding of the nuts and bolts of the business side of the music business. Here are some topic areas that are worth some research on your part:

* How does an artist get paid for his work in the music industry? Research recoupments, royalties and what you can expect as you begin to get creative material on the market.

* What is the role of the music publishers, Performance Rights Organizations and your management? How much is their ן¿½cutן¿½ and how can you know if they are treating you fairly?

* How can you set up your financial systems so that the money due to you will be safely paid to you even if you are not around to manage it and so that it will be safely cared for and invested.

* Who can you trust and how to verify that you are dealing with solid business people who are looking out for your best interest?

* What about investments? If you begin to see a significant amount of money coming in, should you leave it sitting in a checking account or buy The Dallas Cowboys? Seriously, what kinds of investments are best to protect and grow your financial holdings?

* How do you work with an accountant? Are certain accountants better at dealing with musicians than others are and how to find a good one that you can depend on?

* How do you track and keep tabs on your money even if you are on a busy touring or recording schedule? What kind of reports should you have delivered to you and how should you get them? Is this a place where the internet can help?

Some of these questions you can research by reading articles or online But donן¿½t overlook the knowledge of those who have already set this up or been trough certain ordeals. Discuss these topics with successful bands and musicians and get some references and tips on how to handle the flow of money that will come once your art is discovered.

LEGAL JUNK

Try as we might, there are a lot of legal documents and lawyer stuff involved with a successful musical career. Part of building a business relationship with your agent, your record company, touring agencies and many other business that will be part of your team as your career expands, you will have to deal with that dreaded word]]>

have been exploited by movie production companies for
years. Hollywood has been creating feature length comic
book movies, movie serials and TV shows to continue to whet
our appitites. But as special effect technology and costume
designs became better and better, Hollywood kicked it up a
notch with feature-length high budget productions.
Superman, the Movie and the 3 sequels started in the 1970s
and the ’90s and beyond brought us Batman, The Hulk, the
X-Men and the now infamous Spider-Man, to name a few.

Why all this interest in producing comic book superhero
movies? Big bucks!! The two Spider-Man movies alone have
netted about 800 million dollars apiece in worldwide ticket
sales. That’s not chicken feed. This kind of income could
not be generated without an avid public interest in comic
book movies. So if you feel you are alone in your voracious
passion for your own comic book collection, think again.

And now a new twist has been added. Directors, screenplay
writers, and even actors are writing for, of all things,
comic books now. Big name Hollywood writers are helping to
sell more comics. For example, Joss Whedon, perhaps best
known for creating Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has written
stories for Marvel in the series Astonishing X-Men. Back in
the 90s, who would have known that all these fan boys had
been hiding in the Hollywood woodworks waiting for comics
to gain some cultural credibility?

If you haven’t followed some of the comic news of the last
several months, Stan “the man” Lee has been fighting his
personal battle with His life long employer, Marvel Comics.
Stan is probably one of the most well known character
creators in the comic book industry. He has characters like
Batman, Spider-Man and the Hulk credited to his creative
imagination.

Seems Stan had a contractual agreement with Marvel for 10%
of any revenue acquired by Marvel from comic book superhero
movies and TV projects centered on Stan characters. But
apparently the high dollar superstructure of the corporate
mind doesn’t want to part with all their income. Now this
is nothing new, but Stan Lee managed to win the first round
for the little guy. The judge presiding over Stan’s case
agreed that Stan should receive his share of the agreed on
profits.

Now maybe Stan will get his share and maybe he won’t.
Sounds like Marvel will be appealing the decision. At any
rate, if there weren’t big bucks involved in the production
of comic book superhero movies, this case would not have
been such an issue.

I believe the near future is going to bring many more of my
favorite comic book superheroes to the silver screen. I
have already started my own DVD collection and as more
comic book superheroes get transferred from the screen to
round disc, I will continue to increase the size of my
collection. Do you think a DVD comic book movie collection
will be worth as much as a comic book collection in the
future? Probably not, but that won’t stop me from building
my collection anyway.

What does the future hold for comic book superhero movies?
It almost seems that we can call the present and near
future the Golden Age of the comic book movie. I spend a
lot of time researching comic book superheros and creating
new content for my comic book site. Is there a movie in the
planning stages for your favorite comic book superhero? A
frequent visit to my site may inform you as to when you can
expect the next comic book movie. See you there.]]>

But I’m not a musician, why should I join?

The earning potential for affiliates is tremendous for anyone, let alone for you being invited at the start as an OWL member! The interest response rate on this has been much higher than anything we’ve seen before. We’re going to be able to recruit both people interested in earning with the affiliate program as well as musicians, music stores, music centers, radio stations and record companies. Members have already been getting high interest from folks in all of those categories!

You can earn very well in the 3×6 force fill matrix, over $4200 a month possible. You get $10 for every direct referral to the platinum plan to be an affiliate, another $10 for every upgrade and direct referral for the Musician Module, and another $10 for every upgrade and direct referral for the Customer Module. Then in addition to all that, you get a 5% commission on every single music project sale from referred Musicians and/or Customers in the state of the art reverse bidding system for music projects. We’re also adding a member profit sharing plan on the compilation CD’s that Music Forte will create and release containing our Musician members, all leading up to the plan to make Music Forte its own record label.

Join us now at http://www.musicforte.com/affiliate/owl

I am a musician, why should I join?

Musicians can post a page about themselves as well us uploaded samples to market yourself to the businesses, stations, customers and other musicians involved. You can submit songs for radio play time on the Music Forte Internet Radio station that will be going live. One of your songs could be selected to be included in the Music Forte compilation CD’s we’ll be releasing. You can bid on music projects that our Customer members will be posting, like a new jingle for their ad, a tune for their website, a band looking for a bass riff, etc. When the customer for the project selects you, you get paid for your music! Sell your old equipment through the Music Mart. You can collaborate or even form a band with fellow Musician members. Submit articles about music or your music stories for cash. You can also be paid well participating in the platinum plan as an affiliate too. Refer your musician contacts, drop flyers off about it at the club you play, drop cards off about it at the music store you frequent.

Join us now at http://www.musicforte.com/affiliate/owl

Music Forte is for Everyone!

Yes. It truly has a mass public appeal. Every platinum, musician and customer member also gets a subscription to Tracks Magazine included! And every member is offered unlimited 6-month sessions of online music instrument lessons on guitar, piano, bass, drums, violin, and much more!

Take advantage of your early invite (a big plus for you with a force fill matrix!), and join with us now at http://www.musicforte.com/affiliate/owl]]>