West Coast Rhythm Kings

Here are two close up magic tricks that involve a plastic beaker. Both tricks are easy to perform and easy to prepare, yet provide a powerful effect that will entertain your spectators.
Trick 1: The Disappearing Beaker
You show the audience a tray with a small beaker on it. You cover the beaker with a napkin, take hold of the beaker and then remove the tray. Suddenly, you throw the napkin into the air and the beaker has vanished.
The Preparation
Take a small wooden tray and glue a small plastic beaker to the center of the tray. Next take a cloth napkin or a hankerchief and sew a small circle of cardboard (the same size as the top of the plastic beaker) into the center of the napkin/hankerchief.
The Secret
Show the beaker in the center of the tray, them cover it with the napkin so the cardboard circle is over the top of the beaker. As you lift the napkin, hold the cardboard disc in the napkin so that it looks as if you're holding the rim of the beaker. As you remove the napkin turn the tray with the beaker away from the audience and stand it against something behind your table.
Everyone will think that you still have the beaker in your hand. But when you throw the napkin in the air and catch it, they will know that it has vanished.
Trick 2: Beaker Through The Table
A small beaker is wrapped in a sheet of newspaper and then disappears only to reappear under the table.
The Preparation
Gather together a small beaker, a small object that will fit under the beaker and a sheet of newspaper. Make sure that the piece of newspaper is larger than the beaker so that it can be completely covered with extra to spare.
The Secret
Place the small object of interest on the edge of the table. Then place the beaker upside down over the object and finally wrap the newspaper around the beaker. Now ask the audience what is under the cup. This will lead them to believe that you are about to make the object disappear.
Next, lift the paper and the beaker to show the audience that the object is still on the table. As you lift the beaker, move it slowly towards you until it is just clear of the table.
Now let the beaker discreetly slip from the newspaper and land on your lap. The audience should have their attention fixed on the object, so this should be easy to achieve without them noticing.
The newspaper should hold its shape so that your spectators assume the beaker is still in your hand. Replace the paper over the object (still maintaining the shape of the beaker).
Say the magic words and say that the object will disappear. Lift the "beaker" and look puzzled that the object hasn't vanished. Pick up the object and replace the "beaker".
Tell your audience that you can't make the object disappear, so you'll have to try the beaker instead and promptly smash your hand containing the newspaper onto the surface of the table.
The newspaper will squash flat and the audience will gasp. Now you can claim that the beaker has passed through the table and prove it by bringing it out from your lap under the table.

Clerks II is a film that was directed by the comedic mastermind Kevin Smith. Responsible for creating a host of irresponsible adolescent comedies over the past decade, Smith has shown his remarkable sense of humor to the world time and time again with his realistic yet kooky characters. Clerks II is no exception to the rule.
Picking up where the original Clerks film left off, the film focuses on Randall and Dante, the employees of the Quik Stop convenience store and main characters in the first film. Little has changed in their lives, save the fact that they are a decade older; and now, they've found themselves working the same sort of irresponsible job, this time at a fast food restaurant known as "Mooby's". The film pays homage to Smith's legacy of recurring characters throughout the film; fans of his work will notice the guest appearances of several Smith mainstays. The film also adds a few elements on the last one: where Clerks I was shot completely in black and white, giving it a hip art-house feel, Clerks II is completely in color. And fans of Jay and Silent Bob, the notorious wisecracking drug dealers of the films, will be excited to know that the characters are back and in top form. All of the elements that pleased fans of the first film are here, with the characters killing time and lamenting over the woes of pop culture like they never left the convenience store.
While the film has everything necessary to blow audiences away, something just doesn't fit quite right in this film. The comedy is there, but it's a lot more sparing than the original film. Perhaps it's the climate of shock value being decreased over the years, but Clerks II just doesn't fully deliver on the laughs. Clerks I will be a timeless classic throughout the years; Clerks II seems to be more of a throw-away film that you can watch a few times and then ignore. While it's not exactly easy to decide where to place blame in the film, it's altogether possible that the characters have grown into stereotypes of themselves which we are already all too familiar of. Either way, it's not to say that Clerks II is without entertainment value. It can provide an evening's fun, without a doubt, but those expecting a monumental, life-changing moviegoing experience may be a little disappointed. The years of anticipation leading up to this film led it to sit on a very high pedestal amongst the fans of the series, and it hurts to see cherished characters in a tarnished film.

We all have things in our lives that hold some sort of sentimental or monetary value. For some, it is a prized collection of coins or rare books. For others it is an irreplaceable antique or piece of jewelry. It is these things that always require special care and preservation, whether it is a yearly polishing or a consistent cleaning.
The same practice holds true for avid dollhouse collectors. Dollhouses are basically miniature replicas of a large-scale home, equipped with wood furnishings, electrical lights and even miniature pieces of china and crystal. Dollhouses, and their accessories, require the same kind of loving care that a regular home needs.
First of all, you should never place a dollhouse in a room that gets direct sunlight. The suns rays can heavily damage the delicate woods used in making most dollhouses. It can cause paint, wallpaper and fabrics to fade dramatically. And in extreme degrees of temperature changes, it could even end up warping or cracking the wood.
Another thing to keep in mind when caring for dollhouses is to always dust it regularly. Dust collects in our own homes on a daily basis, and the same holds true for dollhouses. All the accessories are so small and intricate that they require a good dusting and polishing to maintain their value and beauty. The dolls, animals or other small figurines you purchase for your dollhouse should also be dusted regularly to maintain their quality.
You should never store a dollhouse in damp climate. Dampness, such as in a basement, can deteriorate the materials used to make a dollhouse. It can also lead to mold development that can be difficult to remove or eliminate from fabrics or carpeting. You should also be weary of storing a dollhouse in the attic because moths or other household varmints could do damage to the house itself or its accessories.
Be sure to keep your dollhouse away from household pets. Pets love to chew and nibble on small objects, and what better chew toy than a piece of dollhouse furniture or a miniature figurine? Small children and toddlers should also be kept away from dollhouses. Children of this age like to put things in their mouths. The small accessories present a choking hazard to younger children who don't understand the value of what they are touching.
Not all dollhouses are going to be detailed enough to go to extreme measures of protection. But for most avid collectors, these precautions are necessary. In fact, one of the best ways to store a prized dollhouse is to have a special case made for it, usually from a clear material. This prevents dust from collecting on items inside the house and it keeps pets and small kids from touching it. And if you are a smoker, a case is a great way to keep smoke from tobacco away from the dollhouse.
Prized possessions need proper care, so it is best to stay on top of keeping your dollhouse in tip-top shape.

All people enjoy one or the other kind of music. Music has a soothing effect on the body and the mind. It also has some healing capabilities which medicine and science have been trying to decipher for years. Music can be enjoyed and learned by people of all age groups. A large number of music schools have come up in the recent years which teach interested persons how to play different types of instruments.
Before you set to buy a musical instrument or even learn one, you need to know about the different types of musical instruments that exist.
a) Wind instruments:
Sound is produced in these instruments when a column of air is made to vibrate inside them. These instruments are further divided into brass and woodwind instruments. The length of the column of air and the shape of the instrument play a major role in determining the frequency of the wave generated. Different tones are produced depending on the construction of the instrument and method of tone production.
b) Percussion instruments:
Sound is produced in these instruments by simply striking them. The sound produced in this case may or may not be of high pitch. The cavity of the instrument surrounding the area where it is struck vibrates and sound is produced. The shape and material of the instrument also decide the type of sound produced form this instrument.
c) String instruments:
These instruments produce sound when the string is disturbed from its original position by the application of force. The length of the vibrating string, the mass, tension and the point at which the string is excited determine the frequency of the sound produced. The tone of sound produced by these instruments can vary depending on the shape and resonating cavity construction of each instrument.
d) Electronic instruments:
Sound is produced in these instruments through electronic means by imitating the sounds produced by other instruments. They resemble keyboards in appearance.
e) Brass instruments:
Sound is produced in these instruments when air is blown into a tube with different length or thickness to generate a wide range of sounds.
f) Keyboard instruments:
These instruments can use any of the above methods to generate musical sounds. Each key in the keyboard can produce one sound or the other. Keyboards are famous for producing a combination of different sounds and can also imitate the sound produced by other musical instruments.

Although the precise origins of the classical guitar are open to debate, there is plenty of evidence of the existence of similar instruments dating back as early as 5000 years ago. The idea of a hollow body with tensed strings anchored between two points is seen in many instruments, including the violin family, sitar, piano and harp; they all use the string's vibrations to resonate the body and produce sounds. However, because the guitar is fretted, it allows pitch-perfect chords to be played over six strings, which differentiates it from the unfretted (and often bowed) violin family. The guitar as we know it today started to take shape during the Renaissance and Baroque period, when it was used mainly as an accompaniment. Cousins of the guitar are the mandolin, balalaika, banjo and lute. There are enough similarities between these instruments to relate them all, but to give a guitar a unique definition, it would be a six-string, fretted instrument tuned between low E (a thirteenth below Middle C) and the E two octaves above. Of course - these are merely the open-string tunings. Notes approaching two octaves above this are achievable through fretting. This tuning allows the guitar's whole range to be represented on the treble clef, albeit with three ledger lines for the lowest notes.
Playing the classical guitar
The classical guitar is played in the seated position, the curvy shape of the body helping to keep it steady by resting on the thigh. Right-handed players fret with their left hand and pluck with their right, and the highest toned strings are nearest to the ground. If a purely rhythmic sound is required, the guitar can be played using a plectrum strummed across all or some of the strings; the plectrum can also be used to pick out monophonic melodies. More expert players will use their fingers, however. This allows very complex tunes to be played, with bass notes and melodies plating simultaneous. In the hands of a true virtuoso, it can sound to the untrained ear like several musicians are playing at once. Chords can still be played with the fingers, either by simultaneously plucking multiple strings with various fingers or stroking the strings and taking advantage of the instrument's sustain. Playing with the fingernails gives a sharp, almost rasping sound, whereas playing with the soft front of the finger gives a softer tone.
Composers of classical guitar music
The rich history of the guitar and its forebears means that many composers have written music that can be played on a modern guitar with some degree of success. J.S. Bach is perhaps the most well known, and his many pieces written for the lute and even the cello and violin have found their way onto the classical guitarist's repertoire. Bach was predated by Dowland and Narvaez, and his contemporary Scarlatti wrote some enduring music that works well on the guitar. In more modern times, Villa-Lobos, Rodrigo and Segovia have written music specifically to be played on the guitar, and Stanley Myers' classical guitar theme tune to The Deer Hunter proved to be hugely popular.

If you are like me - you will love 'old' stereo equipment, especially valve amplifiers. Some might say landmark manufacturers such as Leak, Quad, Thorens, Garrard, Shure, SME, etc, who made an impact on the development of 'Hi Fi' (does anyone call it that these days?).
My memories of record systems and valve amplifiers go back to pre-33rpm; when our dad had a large collection of 78s. I remember he had an electric record player (very posh!) and by its side resided a small box. In this box lived needles - these were religiously changed every eighth record. Dad kept a pad by the record player and each time it was played he would make a note on the pad!
With the introduction of LPs into our house, the equipment to play them also changed. First, dad bought an HMV valve amplifier/radiogram - of course - but before too long he changed this for separate stereo pieces.
The first set-up he bought in the late 1960's consisted of:
Thorens TD150 record deck; SME 3009 Series 11 Tonearm; Shure V15 cartridge; Leak 30 Plus amplifier; Leak Sandwich 600 Speakers.
I am very proud still to own the Leak 30 Plus Amplifier. I also still have the original packaging and brochure which came with it! The style of instruction inside it is like going back years!
Dad (as dads do!) gave me his cast-offs when he updated, so I continued to use his Leak stuff for a number of years - including the fantastic Leak Sandwich 600 Speakers - boy did they sound good? Regrettably I don't have the speakers anymore.
Over the years some of my friends bought Quad valve amplifiers - which at the time were way out of my range! But it did sow the seeds of interest, and around 10 years ago I was fortunate enough to acquire an un-molested set of Quad 11 valve amplifiers & Quad 22 control unit. Some people in the 80's thought it good to 'Modify' them - a bit of advice - if you want a pair of Quads, do not buy anything but unmodified stuff. The others have been destroyed.
Last year I bought a pair of Quad ESL-57 electrostatic speakers from EBay - unseen and untested. I am pleased to say - like lots of people on EBay - the seller was a genuine person and I now own a great pair. They are not yet operational as we are in the process of some serious renovation work in our home and when completed I will have a 'Listening room' especially for my Hi Fi. I'll keep you updated with progress!
So now my system consists of:
Thorens TD125 Mk11; SME 3009 Series 11 tonearm; Shure M75ED; Quad 11 mono blocks; Quad 22 control unit; Quad ESL-57 speakers.
Currently I am using Tannoy Mercury Speakers - they're good through the Quad 11 valve amplifiers - mind, I do have them on a pair of good quality stands - makes a world of difference.
The Quads are going to the Quad service department for a well earned restoration - so I'll keep you updated with the renovation.

TVLand and Nick-at-Night are not the only places we find classic television shows. They are cropping up more and more places. Classic TV collectibles are popular items on auction sites such as Ebay. Enter "Classic television show collectibles" into your Google-powered search engine and you will find around 170,000 possibilities.
Run through a few of those results and you will find everything from classic television DVDs, lunch boxes, costumes, watches, salt and pepper shakers, vintage posters, and dolls. A quick search on Amazon.com found "The Best of Donny and Marie (DVD) Volume 1 (1976)." There are websites and online stores whose sole purpose is to sell classic television paraphernalia. These sites are capitalizing on the baby boomer's affinity for nostalgia. Collectors are scooping up the vintage collectibles.
There are companies who are bringing back the collectibles by manufacturing "New Vintage" collectibles. New metal lunch boxes with Donny and Marie, Superman, The Flintstones, Scooby Doo, and even the Dukes of Hazzard are popping up all over the place. With true vintage lunch boxes going for hundreds of dollars, these "replacements", although lacking authenticity, are an affordable option for those who just want to revisit the good old days of classic television.
The release of classic TV DVDs has made it possible for people to sit back and enjoy hours of their favorite shows from yesterday. The appeal of these shows for many is the "down-home" nature of the comedy. They don't rely on profanity, off-color remarks, or blatant sexual angles for their humor. They remind us of a simpler time. Donny and Marie, Sonny and Cher, The Partridge Family, The Walton's, The Brady Bunch, and many more shows take us back to a time when it was okay to say things like "Gosh" and "Golly." It was more than okay to love your family and country. It was expected. It was safe to turn on the television with the family and enjoy a nice show together.
The collectibles associated with these shows are gaining in popularity. As many from those generations begin to find more time for hobbies and have a little extra disposable income, the collectibles are becoming more desirable. Donny and Marie dolls, which were released in August 1976 with an accompanying "TV Studio", are popular finds. Sonny and Cher costumes are popular at costume parties. The Partridge Family memorabilia is making a strong comeback, as well.
Some of these classic television shows are enjoying a rebirth due to remakes of the originals. The Brady Bunch surged forward after a new generation was exposed to a less-than authentic version of the show in the 1995 version. Even with the tongue-in-cheek style of this movie, many people began seeking authentic Brady Bunch memorabilia and collectibles. The market for these items soared. The same held true for the Scooby Doo collectibles after the 2002 release of the movie. This one was so popular a sequel was made. This remake has brought about a whole new market for Scooby Doo collectibles, new and old alike. After the movie was released classic Scooby Doo DVDs were flying off the shelves. With the popularity of these classic television remakes it is not unrealistic to expect many more to follow.
As with any commodity, as the demand increases, the price will rise. Many collectors search for pieces to round out their collection for a more intrinsic value, rather than simply price. A collection of classic television show collectibles may be worth a substantial amount of money, but it is the nostalgia that holds the true value. You can't put a price on the memories those collectibles will elicit, or the feelings locked deep inside that are released when you hold that Donny and Marie lunchbox just like the one you had as a kid.
To find that special classic TV DVD or other collectible it may be as simple as hitting search on your search engine. Whether it is a find at a garage sale or a purchase off the web, it is the joy of releasing that inner child and finding that peace that simple joys bring that makes classic television collectibles true treasures.
~Ben Anton, 2007

"They don't make 'em like they used to." You hear this said about everything - cars, houses, toys, clothes... Well, they don't make TV shows like they used to, either. If you grew up watching classic TV, you probably have some very fond memories of sitting in front of the television with your family watching some of the classics at night. There are very few modern television shows that the whole family can sit down and watch together. Either they are geared towards kids and the grown ups aren't interested or they are geared for adults and are inappropriate for the kids.
There is good news for families who would like to share some time in front of the television together, though. Many of the classic TV shows are being released on DVD, usually a season at a time. Families can now enjoy TV classics from the 50's, 60's 70's, and 80's on DVD's that include lots of extras like interviews with the cast members and outtakes.
One of the biggest perks of watching the shows on DVD - no annoying commercials. Today, we're used to watching television on our terms. We fast forward through commercials on shows we've recorded on DVRs. When these classic shows first aired, there was no fast forwarding. Viewers had to sit through the commercials or flip the channel (sometimes manually!) often only to find more commercials.
Think about it. You can now introduce your kids to TV classics such as Happy Days, season by season and show them the first time a television show literally "jumped the shark." Retro is cool right now, and it doesn't get much more retro than Happy Days. It was retro from the day it debuted.
What's available on classic TV DVD? Just about anything you're interested in.
Variety Shows. Remember a few years back when Nick and Jessica attempted a Christmas special variety show? If your kids were interested in that, then they would probably be interested in The Sonny and Cher Show or The Donny and Marie Show. Sure these 70's shows were high on the cheese factor, but the performers had some real talent.
Another great variety show from the 70's that the family will love is The Carol Burnett Show. You'd be amazed at how much today's kids appreciate good, clean, funny comedy when they are actually exposed to it.
Some of the best episodes of variety shows were the Christmas specials. Sonny and Cher and Donny and Marie had their share of Christmas specials, but the master of the Christmas special was Bob Hope. Many of his classic Christmas variety shows are available on DVD.
Classic Sitcoms. I Love Lucy. The Honeymooners. The Dick Van Dyke Show. Leave it to Beaver. The Brady Bunch. The Beverly Hill Billies. The Cosby Show. Family Ties. The Jeffersons. Happy Days. Mash. The Monkees. Did you sit around watching these shows (or reruns of these shows) with your family when you were a kid? Chances are you did. All of these classic television sitcoms are available on DVD. Wouldn't it be great to sit back with your kids and a great big bowl of popcorn and watch The Cosby Show's Claire Huxtable tell her husband Cliff to please go upstairs and kill the children? Now that's classic tv.
Classic Drama/Adventure. Most dramas fall into the one hour crime show genre nowadays. They aren't always pleasant to watch and they certainly aren't appropriate for the kids. Adventure type shows like 24 or Prison Break aren't for the kids either. But McGyver. Now there's a show the whole family can watch together and learn a thing or two about how to make a bomb from a piece of chewing gum, a paperclip and a pencil.
Little House on the Prairie. Gunsmoke. Bonanza. The Waltons. Wonder Woman. Murder She Wrote. Columbo. Emergency. The A Team. Mission Impossible. The Lone Ranger. The list of classic drama/adventure tv shows on DVD goes on and on.
Talk Shows. It seems like anyone can get his or her own talk show these days, but they don't last long. The king of all talk show hosts is Johnny Carson and classic excerpts from his late night talk show The Tonight Show are DVD. Show the kids some real talent and real class by introducing them to Johnny.
Instead of renting a movie this weekend for the family enjoy, why not try renting a season of a classic TV show to introduce the kids to?
-Ben Anton 2007

In recent years, it has become a growing trend to buy and watch classic television shows on DVD for your family entertainment. The availability of some of the all-time favorite classic TV shows on DVD and video has become pervasive throughout the U.S. This allows families to not only catch up on the past seasons of the television shows that they might have missed, but to go back to the classics that we and our parents grew up watching. It is now easier than ever to find seasons of shows that were produced 30 or 40 years ago, right alongside the DVDs of the television shows that are currently on the air. America seems to have become infatuated with remembering the characters and situations produced during the early years of television. What are the reasons for the increased popularity of classic television shows?
Classic television enthusiasts represent a large market of consumers. There were many classic sitcoms and variety shows that were aired between the 50s, 60s and 70s, that represent not only a large generation of viewers but a very powerful time in American history. They speak for the events of that age and include social and political commentary that goes right along with when they were made. Therefore, they are nostalgic entertainment and fun to relive. For those that watched these shows when they originally aired, classic TV DVDs allow them to relive that time in their life. For those that were too young to watch them when they first ran, DVDs allow them to appreciate the classics as new entertainment.
Classic television shows now available on DVD and video have created a new way to ensure that these memories are not lost. As more and more popular televisions shows became available on DVD in the 90s, there became a growing interest to see older television sitcoms on DVD as well. Shows like ER, Star Trek and The Simpsons were being sold at a tremendous rate which led to more and more people asking what happened to the other shows they once loved. Few television networks are able to show classic television programs which left a large gap of potential entertainment untapped and potentially gone forever. Without the DVD releases of these shows, the newer generations would have little knowledge about the early time in television history. But by allowing the distribution of these old sitcoms and variety shows through DVD, all generations can watch and love some of the classic shows and entertainers. Sonny and Cher, Donny and Marie and the comedic genius of Bob Hope can now be watched, remembered and cherished by those that remember when they were the stars of television.
In general, home entertainment and the purchase of DVDs has become one of the most popular entertainment expenditures for the American home. With televisions and DVD players become more sophisticated and movie tickets become more expensive, homes are opting to outfit their home to take on the task of keeping the family entertained. This means that more and more shows and movies to watch are also necessary. There is no shortage of network television to watch but there is a shortage on time to watch them all. When families know that they can purchase an entire season of a television shows on DVD in three to six months, they will do so. More and more we are finding families picking up classic television DVDs to watch because they weren't able to watch them when they aired originally. With the television DVD market, it is now possible to follow the storylines of television shows that are on at exactly the same time. This is something that wasn't possible even ten years ago.
Classic television shows are put onto DVDs so that a whole new generation of fans can watch them. Imagine a company that can make money off of a television series even twenty years after it aired. It no longer matters if a television show is currently on the air or not. With the new trend for putting classic television DVDs in consumers' hands, classic shows are able to have a second chance at life. Some viewers can find shows from their childhood and enjoy the nostalgia that goes along with them, or they can teach their own children about the shows that they used to love. In the past, once a television show was no longer on the air, there was no way to see it again. However, now shows can be enjoyed over and over again. These shows are important to many viewers in lots of different ways and by putting these classic television shows on video and DVD, they can be popular for years to come.

The French say, "La Dame a la Licorne", which I think may be best interpreted in English as "The Lady and the Unicorn", also known as the Tapestry Cycle. It is one of the greatest works of art of the Middle Ages in Europe. The original Tapestry Cycle resides in the Musee de Cluny, in Paris, France since 1882.
There are six (6) tapestries that make up the series in The Tapestry Cycle, which was woven long ago in the late fifteenth century in Flanders and made of silk and wool. Six different tapestries depict the six senses: touch, taste, smell, sight, hearing, and "to my only desire" or as the French say, "А mon seu dйsir". We interpret this to be "love" in all languages.
Not so easily grasped is the meaning of the sixth tapestry. To my only desire or as they say in French, А Mon Seul Dйsir - We shall call this our sense of Love. A very good sense indeed. This is the wider of all the other tapestries and the style is slightly different than the rest. Some feel the lady is putting her pearls into a chest as a renunciation of passions that were aroused by the other senses... an assertion of free will, yes? No? Maybe? Or perhaps this sixth sense is "understanding", (Jean Gerson, 1420). And last but not least there is the interpretation of love or virginity. You decide.

One common "thread" within each of these tapestries is a noble lady with the unicorn to her left the lion and to her right. However, some of the series will have a monkey instead of the lion. A pennant and armor are held up by the unicorn and lion which marks the powerful nobleman in the King Charles court, Jean Le Viste, who sponsored the work of art. The style of this work is of mille-fleurs, meaning a thousand flowers. A harmony of colors were used in a limited number of shades to provide poetic enchangment.
Having a reproduction of any of these six (6) series of tapestries is very popular and they are sought after. It can be thought of as that intellectual and educational wall hanging that will enhance your home decor. Regardless, these conversation pieces stir the imagination and bring on the many talks about the different interpretation of each of these six (6) senses in these wall hangings, as well as why these tapestries were sponsored and for what reason or reasons.
A fun tale and a fun time in the telling of these stories. Every tapestry tells a story... do you know the stories? Do you know the tales? It makes for a fun day at the museum, when you can take along Mr. Art History... a friend of mine. If you don't have one... a Mr. Art History that is, you always have some fun in my writings and those of others in telling you a bit of what we enjoy and our thoughts on these fine works of art.