VampireS SUMO

Barson Huey, the debut album from Sanjo and Chandrani launched in New Delhi recently, represents an encouraging trend being witnessed on the Indian music scene. Like the albums put out by Rabbi and Indian Ocean, Barson Huey is an intensely acoustic album, rich with earthy instrumentation created using six and twelve string wood guitars. The songs themselves are refreshingly different with memorable tunes and deep insightful lyrics. What is thankfully missing is the standard bundle of tin-can techno rhythms, computer generated loops and other synthesizer-based sounds that characterise much of pop music these days.

The ten tracks on Barson Huey offer a refreshing potpourri of brilliant song-writing, excellent melodies, complex arrangements and intricate instrumentation, rounded off with great vocals and backing vocals. Even though the album will inevitably be classified under the Indipop category, a more accurate description of the music would be fusion. This element of fusion comes from the blend of inherently Hindi songs with diverse Western influences ranging from pop, rock and country to reggae, flamenco and salsa.

The artistes behind the album are Sanjo and Chandrani. Sanjo is, in effect, a one-man army. In the course of this project, he has worn many hats… almost all the hats, actually. He has composed the music and arranged it. He has played all the musical instruments needed to make the songs come alive. Sanjo’s oeuvre includes the six-string acoustic guitar, the twelve-string acoustic guitar, the electric guitar, bass, keyboards, flutes, harmonica, tabla, drums, bongos and various other percussion instruments. Then he has also sung the songs and provided backing vocals in a number of tracks. And rounded it off by supervising the studio production and mastering processes. It is this ability to close the loop that makes Sanjo the consummate musician he is.

His partner, Chandrani, is equally talented. A trained classical vocalist, she has a special talent for writing sensitive, evocative, emotionally charged lyrics that add immense depth and meaning to the songs that she crafts. Since her childhood, Chandrani has always had a lyrics-centric way of listening to songs. It’s the words that she focuses on first. If these pass muster, the song as a whole gets a hearing. Otherwise she just passes it by. Her tastes are very well-defined — she doesn’t believe in wasting time on stuff that she doesn’t care for. And she applies this stringent, exacting yardstick to her own songs as well. She is her own worst critic.

Thus, as a lyricist, Chandrani demonstrates an admirable ability to use words as constructs for expressing ideas and emotions powerfully and meaningfully. Songs like the title track, Barson Huey, along with others like Sapno Ka Ek Shahar, Aanchal, Shayad Kabhi and her own favourite, Palkon Pe Tha, demonstrate this aptitude for making the lyrics look sparse and deceptively simple, while the underlying conceptual framework is complex and multi-layered.

In the studio, Chandrani is an amazingly versatile vocalist, doing lead vocals, backing vocals as well as harmonisations. She often multi-tracks, harmonising with her own voice, thereby providing both the lead vocals as well the backing vocals for some of the songs.

Chandrani is also the de facto Project Manager for the album. She is proactive and her managerial skills are considerable. Sanjo recalls the various roadblocks the project hit along the way and says that without Chandrani as a driving force, Barson Huey may never have happened.

Interestingly, Chandrani initially joined the project with a very limited role — as a singer; she was supposed to do the female vocals and also provide backing vocals. A colleague of Sanjo’s, Gaurav was the lyricist on the project. However, after completing just four songs, Gaurav (in his own words) faced a “personal tragedy” — he got married! While there is no known correlation between bachelorhood and song-writing skills, his marriage actually put paid to his role as a songwriter. That’s when Chandrani stepped into the lyricist’s shoes — quite effortlessly, as a matter of fact — and completed the remaining six songs. And thus, Barson Huey stayed on track.

To connect with fans and enable them to listen to sample tracks, the producers have also launched a website (www.musicbysanjo.com) with short bio-sketches of the artistes, lyrics of the songs, plenty of photographs and Mp3 downloads of clips of all the songs.

So what the future hold for this dynamic twosome? Sanjo and Chandrani have no intention of being a one-album duo — they have already finished working on the material for their second album. Sometime during the summer of 2006, they will be back in the recording studios to produce the new songs. The as yet unnamed album is slated for release later this year.

(Taffa is a New Delhi-based music producer who specialises in finding new talent and releasing their debut albums. His company, Shaman Productions, is named as a tribute to the album Shaman by Carlos Santana - one of Taffa’s guitar idols.)

One thing I discovered during my experience with digital photography after 20 years of shooting film, and I teach this point in all the many seminars that I’ve put on to hundreds of other full-time pros, is that digital photography is very well suited for the portrait photographer. So why are we the last to jump on the band wagon? Many commercial shooters have known about and mastered the use of digital in their business′s for far longer than the portrait photographer.

My guess is that we’re afraid. Afraid of the learning curve and afraid that the quality just isn’t there unless we spend an ungodly amount of our hard earned cash on some scary looking gigantic array of confusing and awkward, let alone “how am I going to learn how to use this stuff” equipment.

Truth is, you can easily get away with as little as a 3.5 megapixel camera. I know, I used my Canon D30 for the first eight months of my digital journey. That camera created more memories, more sales and more wall portraits that I ever thought imaginable.

Whoa, wait a minute you say, wall hangings? Can’t be!! When I put on my seminars I routinely display many large wall samples for all to see, with some of the older samples I created with the 3.5 megapixel camera; and the reaction I get is usually disbelief.

Listen. The quality is there. I’ve proven it over and over and I know anyone can replicate the same results. Yes, even with a 3.5 megapixel camera.

You′ve just got be careful, that’s all. We have a collection of images at our studio, even large wall hangings captured with our dinky little D30, and they are “jaw-dropping” stunning. I know other photographers who have had amazing results as well. I know that it works and file size is secondary.

There are many reasons, but I’ll work with the main list. Here they are:

*Quality. The quality of images captured with a high quality lens, properly exposed and well posed is more than enough, even if you shoot JPEGS. Yes, JPEGS. Over 90% of the more than 30-40,000 exposures I put through my camera every year is shot in JPEG mode. Why? Why would anyone in their right mind shoot in such a “low quality″ mode? The answer is simple: It works.

I like to compare JPEG’s to shooting with portrait film. It is slightly softer (although not even noticeable to the human eye) and muted, ideal for skin tones, right? Besides, we slap on “softar” filters in front of these outrageously expensive lenses and degrade the image even more. Don’t bother. Shoot with a good lens, in JPEG mode, expose properly, pose and create as usual, and it will all come together. Add any effects later.

Look at what else portrait photographers have been doing to their finished images besides purposely degrading the image with “softars”. We retouch the surface of the print, sometimes extensively. We canvas mount. Add texture sprays.Oils. Linen laminates…on and on.

My point is simple. Portrait photographers do not need to create the very sharpest, highest resolution images available. If they have in the past, they’ve always degraded the image through these other means. It’s kind of ironic don’t you think? You can still shoot in RAW mode if you wish, but it isn’t really needed.

If we needed the absolute highest quality image at capture we would have all been shooting with Kodachrome 64 or Velvia on a 4″x5 camera. But we don’t. JPEGs work. I have many 30″ prints, and even a 70″ print, that was captured in JPEG. And they look amazing. Your can too.

*Control. People want their photos fast. We live in a drive-through world and minutes count. In our studio we create a slide presentation for our sessions and we show them to the clients within 20 minutes of every shoot. Clients love it. They get to see the results instantly. If you fight this you’re fighting basic human nature. We want, want, want, and want to see it sooner than later. Sales go up, the client is already in the studio ready to see the images, and ready to spend. Their is ample evidence that when you show the images sooner, and you create large projected images, which is a cinch with digital, sales go up. Digital gives the portrait photographer more control over the sales process, and ultimately it means more profits.

*Retouching. Let’s face it, people want to look good. What used to take hours and whole lot of aggravation with spray booths, smelly and dangerous lacquers, is now possible with absolute ease. Even when I decided to farm out all my retouching because I had had enough, it still took weeks or months, and huge retouching bills.

Not to mention the loss of control I had over the retouching aspects. It was up to the subjective interpretation of the retouching artist to enhance the images the way I wanted them retouched. Now, with a few basic skills, and all those years of retouching experience all transferred over to the new darkroom, my computer, I can easily retouch to any degree I like. In mere minutes. With absolute astounding results. This ultimately translates to satisfying a basic need that needs to satisfied in our clients, their vanity. They want to look good, and they want it fast.

*Innovation. I could go on for days when it comes to what new products, ideas, services, sales processes, packages, etc, etc…I have been able to create because of digital photography.

Suffice it to say for now that I am excited and alive again with passion about my photography and about the possibilities. When you apply the power of digital, and get a handle on it in your workflow, you can create new and exciting products like never before.

I’ve seen it and experience it every week in our busy little small-city studio. The proof ultimately boils down to net profits, doesn’t it?

After all, we are in business first, and creative artists second, right? Right? Are you with me on this one? We are in business to make money and survive. We need new and exciting angles, ways to stay afloat, so we can pay our bills, keep the bankers happy and provide for our families. No one can predict will total accuracy how digital photography will ultimately evolve, but my betting dollar is with it all the way. I’m not taking any chances.

Anyone remember when colour film and paper was introduced as a mainstream commodity? I don′t, I was just a wee lad, but I heard stories about the many studio owners closing their doors and packing it in because they didn′t want to keep up with the demand and latest craze that colour film and colour paper had created. Dinosaurs. Every last one of them. Their loss, all because of a thick head and mis-guided egos. Don′t be a dinosaur.

My biggest discovery: Who the true expert is!

Ultimately the true expert in our business is not ourselves, or our peers. The real expert is the client. They open up their hearts and wallets and fork over hard earned cash for the memories we create for them. Do they care if it is shot on a JPEG? In RAW mode? Do they care if we use the biggest, best, strongest, fastest computers and software?

Of course not. When you get into your clients head and listen to the conversation that goes on these things are totally irrelevant.

Far more important to her, and to us, is the fundamentals of good photography. In a whirlwind of technological advances nothing seems to ever stay the same. Truth is, the fundamentals of good photography will never change. That’s where is all starts.

Master that and you have 99% of your digital photography challenges mastered.

Robert Provencher has been a professional portrait and wedding photographer for over 25 years. Robert has authored several manuals on digital photography and photogaphy marketing.
nobsphotosuccess.com nobsphotosuccess.com

Day One of the 2006 men’s tournament featured a little of everything. There were blowouts, close calls for some high seeds, some pointspread ‘nightmares’ and as always, upsets. The NCAA defines a major upset as the winner being seeded five or more places beneath the loser.

Using that definition, Montana and Texas A&M’s wins (both 12-seeds) over Nevada and Syracuse (both five-seeds) fit the bill, as does Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s (11-seed) win over sixth-seed Oklahoma. Alabama’s (10) win over Marquette (7), falls short.

My free play for Friday is on Southern Illinois over West Va at 2:45 ET. I just missed a 3-1 NCAA Thursday, as Wilmington blew an 18-point second half lead vs George Washington. I do have a big Friday in store, including my 20* NCAA 1st Round Game of the Year. Check the purchase picks page for all my BKB plays in both CBB and the NBA for Friday.

As far as pointspread upsets go, only Montana’s win over Nevada is of note. The Wolf Pack opened a seven-point favorite in that game and were bet down to 5 1/2. Oklahoma was a three or 3 1/2 point favorite over Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Marquette a two-point choice over Alabama, so neither of those outcomes should be considered much of a surprise. In the case of the Texas A&M/Syracuse game, Syracuse opened a one-point choice but A&M closed a one or 1 /2-point favorite.

Texas A&M and Montana’s upsets came in the now-famous (or infamous) 5/12 matchups. Washington (also a five-seed), avoided the curse by beating 12th-seeded Utah State, 75-61. The last of the four 5/12 matchups will be played tonight at 7:10 ET, when Pittsburgh takes on Kent State. Pitt, the five-seed, is favored by 6 1/2 points.

Duke was the only one of the four No. 1 seeds in action on Thursday and the Blue Devils did little to dispel the notion that they are no more than a two-man team. Redick and Williams each scored 29 points, accounting for all but 12 of Duke’s points in an uninspiring 70-54 win over Southern. The remaining three No. 1 seeds (U Conn, Villanova and Memphis) all play Friday.

Three high seeds, No. 2 Tennessee. No. 3 Gonzaga and No. 4 Boston College, were lucky to win on Thursday. Tennessee needed an off-balance jumper by Lofton with 2.9 seconds left to get by 15th-seeded Winthrop. Gonzaga, a three-seed, needed a late comeback and a 35-point effort from Adam Morrison to get past Xavier (14), 79-75. The win extended the Bulldogs’ winning streak to a nation-best 19 games but it should be noted that the team is just 7-12 ATS in those wins.

As for BC, the Eagles trailed Pacific (13) 71-65 with just under three minutes to go but somehow forced OT. Pacific also took a six-point lead in the first OT but again BC tied it. In the second OT, the Eagles outscored the Tigers 14-2, leaving Pacific bettors (at plus-eight) shaking their heads.

It was not fun to have had NC-Wilmington, either. The Seahawks were 2 1/2 or three-point underdogs versus George Washington but led 64-46 with 11:11 left in regulation. GW used a 19-0 run to help send the game into OT and then Wilmington blew an 85-81 lead with 2:06 left, before losing 88-85!

Day One also had its share of blowouts as Wichita State began the day with an easy 86-66 win over Seton Hall, Florida had little trouble with South Alabama (76-50) and UCLA posted the day’s largest margin of victory, beating Belmont by 34 points (78-44).

The Big East set a record on Sunday when it received eight bids but yesterday was hardly a good day for its schools. Besides Seton Hall and Syracuse losing, Marquette lost to Alabama (90-85), giving the Big East an 0-3 Thursday. Alabama’s win gave the SEC a perfect 4-0 day (Fla, LSU and Tenn also won), while the ACC (Duke and BC), the Big-10 (Illinois and Indiana) and the Pac-10 (UCLA and Washington) all went 2-0.

There are 32 more first round games Friday (all on CBS), beginning with Davidson vs Ohio State (12:15 ET) and ending with the latest scheduled tip-off, UAB versus Kentucky at about 9:45 ET.

The NIT is also playing, although it’s hardly getting much ink. After home teams went just 4-4 SU (3-5 ATS) in the tourney’s eight opening round games on Tuesday, home teams have ruled the day in the first round. Wednesday, home teams went 6-1 SU and 5-2 ATS and last night, were a perfect 4-0 SU and ATS! Of note, all four visiting teams last night were playing their second game in three days, while the home team was playing for the first time.

The NIT’s first of four No. 1 seeds played last night, as Michigan beat UTEP, 82-67. Two more No. 1 seeds play tonight, Louisville hosting Delaware State at 7:00 ET (Cards are favored by 16 points) and Cincinnati hosting NC-Charlotte at 8:00 ET (Bearcats are favored by 6 1/2 points.)

Again in tonight’s action, all four visiting teams will be playing their second games while the home teams are playing for the first time. Tonight however, the visitors do have an extra day of rest. The NIT’s final No. 1 seed (Maryland) plays tomorrow for the first time, four days after the tournament began!

Miami came back from a 25-point deficit last night against the Celtics (trailed 59-34 in the second quarter) to win, 107-104. It matched the league’s largest comeback win this year. Miami has now won 13 of 14 games and is a season-high 22 games above .500 at 43-21. However, the Heat are in no danger of catching the Pistons, as they trail Detroit by 8 1/2 games in the Eastern Conference.

Seattle beat Philly last night (anyone care?) and despite Kevin Garnett’s 22nd consecutive double-double (he owns a league-best 51 on the year!), the T-wolves lost to the Warriors, 105-97. It marks Minnesota’s seventh straight loss (tying New Orleans for the longest current losing streak), its eighth straight road loss and its 21st loss in its last 24 road games!

Tonight’s NBA schedule contains 11 games, highlighted by Ron Artest’s return to Indianapolis (Kings at Pacers) and a huge Western Conference showdown, the Suns at the Spurs. The Kings lost their first two games with Artest but have since gone a remarkable 15-5 SU and 16-3-1 ATS! At 33-31, the Kings are now in the 7th playoff spot out West, just two games behind Memphis. As for the Pacers, they occupy the East’s sixth playoff spot, 4 1/2 games inside the “cut line.” The game tips at 7:05 ET and the Kings are favored by 1 1/2 points with a total of 194.

The Spurs recently beat the Suns in Phoenix 117-93, but Nash missed that game, as did Barbosa. Phoenix comes into this game winners of 14 of their 16 and with a record of 19-10 (19-9-1 ATS) on the road. The Spurs have gone 23-5 since losing to Detroit back on Jan 12 and are 28-4 at home this year, although just 17-15 ATS. San Antonio is favored by 5 1/2 points (205 1/2).

Ness Notes is available by 1:00 ET Monday through Friday. Larry’s feature story, “32-to-16″ will run Saturday and Sunday.

Larry Ness is a documented member of the Professional Handicappers League.
Read all of his articles at procappers.com/Larry_Ness.htm procappers.com/Larry_Ness.htm

I like to think that I am a bit more mature now. Don’t we all? I’m not sure it is really true, perhaps it’s just a change of perception.

Thinking back, I was very naive and, yes, immature in the past. My first camera was a Zenit E. It weighed a ton but it took photographs. After I had bought it and loaded the film, I set about taking photographs.

I didn’t stray far. No further than my house really. The result was a hundred or so pictures of my cat, the garden vegetation and any human that dared to come near me.

I felt on top of the world. I had made it at last. When, a few months later, I set up a darkroom in my bedroom, I felt that my talents were complete.

Only ther weren′t. because my pictures lacked sparkle and charm. They suffered from overexposure, underdevelopment and poor composition together with every other possible photographic mishap you could name.

I couldn′t see it then, but I can now.

And so the trend continues. I convince myself that I am open minded and certainly can see and appreciate the superb works of others. But I still wince a little when constructive criticism comes my way. I laugh it off and take it full on in the face of course, but inwardly, I seethe. A bit.

I don′t like to be told the best way to do things because I think I know it. I have read books and gone on courses. I even teach photography. But I still find that others can improve my images. I just don′t always agree with their efforts.

Although 30 years on from my Zenit E, I still retain the skeleton of that same immaturuity that blighted me then. I guess it will be with me till I die. I just won’t really notice it.

Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site theshutter.co.uk theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at thephotographysite.blogspot.com thephotographysite.blogspot.com

Are you interested in a career in Casino Management? With training, you can be on your way to an exciting career in the field of hospitality and gaming management.

What They Do:

Gaming managers perform a many vital functions on the casino floor. They generally oversee that casino operations are conducted properly under house rules and in accordance with federal gaming laws. Casino managers are responsible for monitoring staffing, establishing casino policies, and resolving customer complaints. They handle the distribution of “ comps” (free hotel rooms, meals, etc. that are offered to players), keep track of money at the tables, and monitor credit that might be extended to players.

Training:

To work in Casino Management, you need to earn a hospitality management bachelor’s degree with an emphasis on casino management and gaming. This type of degree can lead to a career as a gaming manager, gaming supervisor, gaming surveillance officer, or similar career. In a hospitality management degree program, you will learn about the hospitality industry while specializing in the casino and gaming industry. Classes in your concentration may include gaming management, gaming law, casino marketing, and tourism marketing. You training will prepare to manage the day-to-day operations of your establishment. To succeed in gaming management, you will need to have excellent communication skills and leadership capabilities.

Earnings:

When you earn your degree with a concentration in casino management, you can potentially earn a very nice living. Casino managers often are paid salaries in excess of $100,000 annually. The BLS states that employment in gaming services, including gaming managers and supervisors, is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations through 2014.

Mary Hart is an in-house writer for Online-Degrees-Today.com and has been writing about online-degrees-today.com/business-degrees/business.shtml online business degree programs since 2004. To find out more information about earning your online-degrees-today.com/business-degrees/casino-management.shtml online degree in casino management, click here.

Lets take a little look at my AFC South Game of the Year play on the Titans versus the Texans. The most intriguing thing about this matchup is that Vince Young returns home, which will probably create more pressure for him than anything else. But I don’t think he’ll press too much in front of his 100 family and friends and just fall apart.

The other intriguing thing about this matchup is that Tennessee won the first meeting at home so Houston will look to bounce back with a home win of its own to even the season series.

To give you a handicapping crash course, there are many factors in favor of both sides that must be taken into consideration before arriving at our winner. Let’s have a look at some factors in favor of both sides for this week’s big matchup.

Fist off, we can always look at things with “the what have you done for me lately” standpoint. Tennessee is 7-1 ATS after the first month of the season this season. That’s looks pretty good, but the fact that this game is on the road in a revenge situation doesn’t make this stat trend invincible.

Tennessee is just 4-15 ATS when playing a bad team with a winning percentage between 25% and 40% in the second half of the season the past 14 seasons. This system is more complex and is more tested by time favoring the Texans.

Lets look at two more:

Tennessee is 9-1 ATS after gaining 200 or more rushing yards in their previous game the past 14 seasons. This system play is a little bit stronger than our first in favor of Tennessee, especially since Houston’s rushing defense is just average.

Tennessee is only averaging 18.4 points per game and Houston is 9-1 ATS when they allow 15 to 21 points over the last 3 seasons with Houston winning these game outright on average by 2 points. Houston isn’t known for it’s defense, but the “D” is just giving up 20.2ppg at home this season. So if Houston can moderately hold down its opponents, it has covered 90% of the times the last 3 years.

I hope I haven’t swayed you one way or the other. That wasn’t the point. The point was to give you a glimpse into the head of this handicapper and to show you that I take these systems and stat trends and apply them to the game, the matchups, the circumstances, etc.

I’m ready to deliver another big game of the year winner this week as I have this matchup down to a science. Feel safe playing this Sunday’s 100% Guaranteed AFC South Game of the Year on Dave Price’s side!

Dave Price is a documented member of the Professional Handicappers League.
Read all of his articles at procappers.com/Dave_Price.htm procappers.com/Dave_Price.htm

The Hero’s Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188 stage template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.

[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY

THE HERO’S JOURNEY:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharses, of which there are usually four).

d) Gives you a universal structural template upon which you can superimpose your situational story. This is why stories such as Alien (1979), Gladiator (2000), Midnight Cowboy (1969), American Beauty (1999), The Graduate (1967) and many others (all deconstructed at the URL below) appear to be different but are all constructed, almost sequence by sequence, in the same way.

and more…

*****Middle Cave Trial*****

The Middle Cave, whichever it is (First Threshold, Road of Trials or beyond) is where the Hero confronts Allies and Enemies. A Trial is not unusual. In Straw Dogs (1971), David finds it hard to work, drives to town and is nearly involved in a car accident, which he skillfully avoids.

Learn more…

WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at clickok.co.uk/ clickok.co.uk/

The Managing Creativity and Innovation MBA dissertation, DIY creativity Audit, Powerpoint presentation and Good Idea generator software can be found at managing-creativity.com/ managing-creativity.com/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

**********************************

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made, the author’s name is retained and the link to our site URL remains active.

Love poems have been written since men and women have been able to communicate with each other. Traditionally, it’s been the realm of the western poet. Not anymore.

Haiku, the age-old poetic form of Japan can also be used to create love poems. For example, consider this haiku:

spring morning –
a strand of her hair
between the kiss

In just a few short words, a picture is created. This is the beauty of haiku. It gives you a snapshot of a present moment - something that has taken place and is precious, but fleeting. The Japanese were and are masters of capturing these kinds of moments.

All it takes are three lines and a subject to talk about. Most modern haiku poets do not adhere to the 5-75 syllable rule. Their main concern is to capture the spirit of the subject the haiku way. And this means using present tense descriptions. The beauty of the haiku poem is that it really captures the present moment better than any form of poetry! And when it comes to love poems, what could be better than a present moment preserved forever with just a few words.

With economy and elegance, haiku take you to the scene.

Usually, haiku are about nature. The term senryu is used to describe a poem like haiku where the subject is the human realm. Both are similar in form and structure.

Edward Weiss is a poet, author, and publisher of Wisteria Press. His 2 books “Bird Haiku” and “Seashore Haiku” are now available and he is currently working on a third. Get haiku in your inbox! Sign up for our FREE daily haiku service at wisteriapress.com wisteriapress.com and get a fresh haiku in your inbox every morning!

While Hollywood delivers summer flops instead of money makers, i.e. Mission Impossible 3 and Poseidon, savvy people in the entertainment business seem to be moving ever closer to changing the way we go to the movies. Bram Cohen, the founder and inventor of the Bit Torrent application, which enables extremely fast downloads of large files, like movies, has been slowly establishing a relationship with some of the Hollywood studios over the past year; and last week it was announced l he had signed a deal with Warner Brothers studios to use his software, bit torrent, to distribute movies and TV shows. Warner is going to sell the movies and TV shows for about $1, under cutting ITunes price for similar downloads.

Bit Torrent has been used by ̢P community for years and although it is legal to use the Bit Torrent application it has been widely used to download pirated movies, TV shows and videos.

Perhaps the real significance of this deal with Cohen and Bit Torrent, is that it will begin the process familiarizing more people with the software. Why is this significant? because the rumor is the next step will be the simultaneous release of movies in all formats. That would mean the simultaneous release on DVD, video on demand via cable and or direct TV, and via computer download. Many people say that is not the future for movies and that computer download in particular would not would not allow for viewing on your home TV. However Netflix has just applied for permission to make movie downloads available to it’s customers in the future. So there must be something happening somewhere in Hollywood. As for the download aspect I’m sure there is an easy fix either by a Tivo type box or by a software application, after all why are all the big companies like Microsoft, Dell and Gateway focusing on home media PCs.

The press have been mentioning this from time to time but seem to think movie downloading is far off. I would disagree. The new release of King Kong has gone to DVD even earlier than most major movies before it. Which leads one to ask why delay simultaneous release any longer?

The short answer is movie theatres, or I should say the multiplexes that are out there. They still benefit form getting the first crack at the audience and are fighting not to loose that revenue edge. But as Marc Cuban (What business are Theatres In?) and Mark Pesce ( Piracy is good? How Battlestar Galactica Killed Broadcast TV) have written in some recent articles. What business are the theaters really in? and will simultaneous releases really hurt them? or just cause the long over due evolution of the movie theatre business model.

There are two distinct forces that are at work in the world right now. Both are unstoppable and both will eventually change the movie theatre experience as we now know it. The first is the portable media device. The ipod , the cell phone, the blackberry, and other like devices that enable media to be portable and accessible anywhere anytime.

The second is the new culture of choice. What you want, when you want it ,and where and how you choose to consume it. This second concept may not be as clear as the first. It means instead of going to a multiplex in the Mall, with cell phones ringing and teenagers text messaging and gossiping, to see a movie, you might choose to go to a quiet small local cinema. One that caters to your neighborhood or your life style. One that offers matinees for stay at home Moms who can bring small children. One that perhaps has dinner included in a dinner theatre setting in the evening. One that bans cell phones and does not appeal to teens or tweens. Sound unlikely? you would be surprised. Marc Cuban has developed a whole new movie theatre model not unlike those that are springing up across the country. Here is one example:

In rural Connecticut this type of theatre experience is thriving. The small local cinema reborn and catering to two profitable demographic groups, the young family with small children wanting a family night or afternoon with family oriented movies and the older baby boomers seeking a night out with dinner included in their neighborhood. Smart entrepreneurs are developing this small specialized type of movie experience. The demand is there. This is just the next level of choice that is being offered. You can see a movie at home, you can see it at the Mall with your 15 year old friends, or you can see it at a quiet small local theatre with dinner or lunch and your small children. You are still consuming movies the choices are just more numerous and more diverse.

If you think simultaneous release is still far off again just look at what Dell, Gateway, Microsoft and other manufactures are focusing on. The home media center computer. One that does it all and integrates with your TV or home theatre set up. The application to download large media files , Bit Torrent, is already here and is being exposed to a wider audience. Now the application just has to be made easier for the general public to use. I should think that would not be too hard for a room full of engineers.

Skye Conroy works for websitedesignpartners.com websitedesignpartners.com, a small business help and resource web site that provides free information to small businesses who want to start marketing there business on the world wide web. Copyright webdesignpartners,inc.

Articles by Marc Cuban may be found at blogmaverik.com and by Mark Pesce at mindjack.com

Have you ever wondered what secrets professionals know about digital photography to make their digital photos look so good?

I used to find it really frustrating why some people seemed to posses a “look, shoot……brilliant” process with their digital photography. Why did they have it so easy and I had a painstaking time with my own digital photography?

Well I can tell you one thing that’s so incredibly important with digital photography. And that’s simple composition. At first my digital photos were too busy- they had things in the background that were distracting, over exposed and under exposed. There were some aspects of my digital photography that now, I would not even show you- the early photos were too bad.

Now of course going “pro” it’s a whole different story. I have to get it right otherwise I don’t eat! It sounds dramatic but really when you are put under pressure you have to make sure your digital photos are right- in all aspects…..especially your composition.

Let’s imagine a professional photo of a landscape. You have seem them before so think back to the last time you saw a professional landscape photo and think what it was about the photograph that appealed to you.

I can tell you it was a series of things like light, lens, angle etc, but one main, important thing about it was probably the simplicity of the composition. Not too much in the photograph, things are in perspective with each other, the angles and lines compliment each other.

That’s exactly what you need to aim for when doing your own digital photography. Keep what you are taking free of clutter, use good lines and angles and if necessary turn to the rule of thirds. All these things will enhance your digital photography and all make up your composition.
Simple composition is the most under estimated artistic influence in digital photography. You will find that the professional landscape picture has painfully simple composition as its fundamental artistic make up. And you can do the same. Keep it simple with your digital photography and you start to see amazing results.

Keep up the good work,

Amy Renfrey