Mar 31

The era of the ultimate and real gung fu was about 1975 to 1985, give or take a few years. Of course, the time period could probably include the time period of 1985 to 1995, because that is when those movies hit the late night TV circuit. And, of course, chop sockies forever, because we can now get them on Amazon, though we should make sure it is a clean copy and that we have a good DVD player.

One could make argument that Bruce Lee provided the first kung fu flick with Enter the Dragon, and they wouldn’t be wrong, for his movies started the flood of kung fu flicks in America. The first real chop sockie kung fu flick, however, would have to be Five Fingers of Death, with the amazing and inspiring Lo Lieh. Lo Lieh, who thrust his broken fingers into cauldrons of red hot stones until he could inflict a terrible revenge.

The main chop sockie movie maker, though there were hundreds of movie makers during those years, would be the Shaw Brothers. They churned out thousands of these flicks, and they convinced the world that if you had an idea and believed in yourself, you could learn real Shaolin gung fu. The main man of Shaw Brothers productions was a young star name of Gordon Liu.

Gordon Liu knew real gung fu, and rumor has it he was adopted into a family of movie makers. One brother was the director of his magnificent masterworks, and the other brother was involved with stunt work. I think that was how it all worked out.

Among Mr. Liu’s incredible movies, and I will name three of them here, was The Master Killer, also known as Thirty Six Chambers of Death. Mr. Liu always played endearing fools, tilting at windmills, who, through Kung Fu, somehow reigned supreme by the last reel. The Master Killer was his entry into the field of kung fu flicks, and it propelled him right to the top.

One of his gems was Return to the 36th Chamber, where he plays, surprise of surprises, an endearing fool. The plot is silly, the acting is farcical, but the idea that one can learn kung fu from the common tasks of life is incredible. And, when our bumbling fool returns to his village, entirely disillusioned, only to find out what those nefarious monks have done to him…well, the phrase ‘I Do Know Kung Fu’ becomes a clarion call and inspiration to all kung fu students everywhere.

My favorite of Gordon Liu’s movies is an epic titled Fists of the White Lotus. Our endearing fool is betrayed, practices his moves for ten years so he can have revenge, only to find out that the bad guy has also had ten years to practice his moves. This movie inspired Bak Mei of Kill Bill fame (played by Gordon Liu) and far outshadows such well meaning epics as Crouching Tiger and Kill Bill and that ilk.

The originals movies, you see, provide innocence and inspiration that are undeniable. You want to learn the real stuff of gung fu? Go find these movies, be inspired, and live life the way real heroes live it.

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Mar 30

The hi-hat drum samples of today are as varied as they are underappreciated. Think about your favorite songs for a moment. You can probably hear the kick and snare working away in memory, but it can be very hard to keep track of the hi-hat. The truth is, most hi-hats (hats for short) are just supporting acts to the snare and kick combinations that dominate our attention, but they are nevertheless an essential part of most music production projects, so underestimate them at your peril!

The two mistakes often made by music producers regarding the hi-hat are not made exclusively by amateurs, but also by so-called music production veterans and beat making professionals.

The first mistake concerns volume. The role of the hi-hat drum samples is often overstated and overemphasized by many expertly arranged songs. The human ear, it is claimed, has gained a perception of the frequencies that hi-hats occupy throughout evolutionary stages. Apparently some aerial predators made noises that had the same frequencies, and we can therefore hear it above its actual volume.

A good way to go about combating this incongruity is to mix the hat to the point where you think it sounds just about right, and lower it about two decibels further. Any listener will still be able to pick it up due to our superior perception of this sound, so don’t worry about ‘mixing it out’ these drum samples.

The second mistake that we’re going to look at is a pretty big one. Most of us are in the music production game to really make something that sounds good, but if you’re trying to achieve authenticity with your drum samples, there are certain things you really need to avoid and be wary of. With hi-hats, certain physical limitations prevent rhythmic operations that are perceived in a lot of rap songs. For instance, having a consistent hi-hat pattern playing one hit every 16th is all good, as that can be achieved. But coupling it with a cymbal hit or open hi-hat once a bar and not stopping the hi-hat? Physically impossible for most drum-sets, especially if the snare and toms also hit at the same point. How many arms does your drummer have? If you want to have a believable drum track, you must really pay attention here. If you produce dance music or other music where it is understood that the sample track is not supposed to be realistic, you can do whatever sounds good.

You can also go with the default drum samples patterns in programs like Toontrack EZ Drummer and BFD, as well as others. These programs usually include patterns that were really tapped out by a professional drummer on an electronic drum set and do not include these mistakes. You can learn a great deal using programs like this.

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Mar 29

A hemorrhoid is an enlarged vein in the anus caused by pressure or other factors such as excess weight. Hemorrhoids cause bleeding, swelling and pain in the sufferer. Hemorrhoids are classified as either internal or external. External hemorrhoids often cause itching and burning, while internal hemorrhoids are marked by intense pain and bleeding. Many people use over-the-counter treatments to relieve symptoms of hemorrhoids. Doctors deal with hemorrhoids through various procedures, such as banding hemorrhoids. Natural methods can also be used to treat hemorrhoids.

The best hemorrhoid home remedy is a better diet. If your current diet lacks fiber, or if you do not drink enough water on a daily basis, constipation and hard stools can cause or aggravate a hemorrhoid. Healing is difficult when still suffering from constipation or painful stools, so taking water soluble fiber or drinking more water may be needed. Eating more vegetables, especially dark green colors like spinach and kale, will also help with hemorrhoids by softening the stool.

When treatment is required, you should do the following to help minimize the pain and any possible infection of the hemorrhoids. Sit in a hot tub of water for 10 to 20 minutes, also known as a sitz bath. Keep the anal area clean, by using a mild soap. Only dab the area after having a bowel movement. Do not use harsh rubbing of the area. Keep the hemorrhoids and anal area dry. You may use a talcum powder and some tissue to help absorb the moisture.

There are ways that may help prevent hemorrhoids, such as, eating a high fiber diet. When you eat a high fiber diet or bran, or rouhage, it helps to retain more water in your stool, allowing the bowel movement to be softer and easier for you to pass. When you have the urge to have a bowel movement do not prevent it from happening, drink plenty of liquids and exercise to help the bowl movement to be more frequent.

In looking for a way to stop hemorrhoids pain you should try and ascertain the reason for the problem in the first place. A big cause of hemorrhoids is constipation. If you are having trouble eliminating your stools, and are straining to do so, that could be the reason for the hemorrhoid episode. There are many effective natural cures for constipation. One of the easiest and most effective natural laxatives is apple cider vinegar. Drink a cupful of warm water with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in it when you notice you are having trouble, and before you now it you will get relief. The swelling will go down when you are no longer straining and the hemorrhoids pain will go away.

People have found many ways to help ease and temporarily relieve the hurt of painful hemorrhoids. None of these methods are permanent and they will occasionally have to go through the process again. There are very few methods, whether it be medical or natural, relieves all symptoms at once or in a timely matter. A new natural treatment is known to cure and help prevent painful hemorrhoids. Calmovil helps by dissolving blood clots within the hemorrhoid while strengthening veins. In addition to stopping bleeding, Calmovil also has anti-inflammatory effects. Although there are very many ways to help relieve hemorrhoid and hemorrhoidal pain, for fastest relief, Calmovil is the route to take.

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Mar 28

People who are trying to loose weight must include cardio exercises in their workout regime to achieve great results. Cardio exercise helps you to maintain a great figure by burning the maximum amount of calories from your body. Cardio exercises are best for those people who can not afford expensive exercising equipments. Some best cardiovascular exercises that you can follow are jogging, rowing, swimming, step aerobics, rock climbing, skipping and brisk walking.

If you want you can also use special equipments like stationary bike, treadmill and the elliptical trainer for performing these exercises. Cardio exercises are extremely beneficial for the whole body because they strengthen the heart and reduce a large amount of calories. In this article, I would mainly like to tell you about the various benefits of cardio exercises.

1. Strengthens the heart :
You will see that although cardio exercises have various benefits their greatest merit is that they help in strengthening the heart. If your heart is strong then it would surely pump blood in a more efficient manner.

2. Reduces health risk :
People who are obese or fat are at a higher risk of getting health problems than those people who are fit and slim. If you also want to achieve a slim and sexy body then it is highly essential for you to follow a good cardio work out session. This would surely help in reducing health risks like cancer, high blood sugar, heart attacks and strokes.

3. Helps in reducing stress :
If you are practicing cardio exercises on a daily basis then this would surely help in reducing your stress level. One great advantage of cardio workouts is that it promotes wellness and helps in reducing stress and anxiety.

4. Your stamina is increased :
It is a known fact that cardio exercises not only helps in reducing your weight but they can also rejuvenate your mind, body and soul. These exercises would reduce fatigue and would strengthen your muscles for a better exercising experience.

5. Increases your lung capacity :
Cardio workout session can improve your speed providing you healthy heart and lungs. Your lungs would surely work with a better capacity and efficiency if you are performing these exercises on a daily basis.

6. Keep your arteries clean :
Cardio exercises helps in keeping your blood arteries clean by increasing the level of high density lipoprotein cholesterol and reducing the levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Well these are some great things that you must surely keep in mind about cardiovascular exercises.

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Mar 27

Roller Derby was never really a big deal in the US, but has been around forever and was a staple of the early days of television. It was similar in its promotional format to its better known “sports entertainment” cousin, professional wrestling. It was frequently seen in the same bad timeslots on the same low powered UHF TV stations, and it was run by the same loose confederation of promoters and businessmen that characterized the regional territory era of pro wrestling. That’s where the similarity to wrestling ends–it’s storylines made pro wrestling angles look like high drama. While there is a definite history to the sport–great teams like the LA T-Birds and Bay Bombers, and legendary skaters like Ann Calvello it never really stuck in the public consciousness like the pre-Hulk Hogan era of pro wrestling.

New era roller derby reached a national audience through the A&E reality series Roller Girls. It featured a local, all-girl roller derby league in Austin, Texas and followed the lives of the players on and off the track. While the show was oddly engaging, it was the first clue that many had that such a league existed in the first place. A sport that was never taken seriously to begin with and that was really living on borrowed time since the’60’s before fading into the lowest level of obscurity had been rediscovered and embraced by an eclectic group of young women. They had kept the same essential format, thrown in a healthy dose of burlesque camp and Varga pin-up inspired glamour and made it into their own vibrant subculture. They changed some of the nomenclature and competitive format–in lieu of regularly scheduled games they renamed the competitions “bouts” a la MMA or boxing. The result was a compelling mixture of glamour, toughness and athleticism driven by a healthy dose of punk rock “do it yourself” mentality.

Today, roller derby is a full blown worldwide phenomenon. There are hundreds of local roller derby leagues not only in the United States, but Canada, Australia and Europe. Most of the local groups similarly play up the campy retro pin-up/hot rod iconography and everyone involved sure looks like they’re having a good time. Between teams there’s a vibe of good natured competitiveness and camaraderie.

This organic rebirth and growth of roller derby is a result of young women taking what essentially was TV time filler and made it into their own distaff ‘action sport’. The roller derby circa 2009 is a matriarchal success story. No one is in it for the money, as these local groups are typically run as non-profit organization. The women involved have recreated this sport, and run it, promote it and compete in it on their own terms.

The new generation rollergirls also pay homage to their sports’ pioneers much in the same way that skateboarders give props to Duane Peters and Tony Alva. Many of the individual group websites have sections devoted to the history of roller derby, and the late Ann Calvello–regarded as the Queen of the original Roller Derby–is revered as something of a patron saint. The Texas Rollergirl group featured in the A&E series has renamed their championship the Calvello Cup.

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Mar 26

Brain Injury is a Special Legal Case for those affected and compensation for traumatic brain injuries may be legally actionable. The advice of a competent lawyer should be obtained shortly after the injury takes place. Structural damage to brain tissue is caused with Traumatic Brain injuries.

This type of injury is most often caused by car accidents, but falls, biking, sports injuries and other incidents may also be responsible. Either temporary or permanent impairment is caused annually by the over 50,000 new cases in Canada and over 30,000 of them need hospitalization. The damage may directly caused by the injury or be the result of it. This injury is the leading cause of death and disability in children and young adults. The latter are the dominant class of sufferers amongst whom young men between 14 and 24 have the highest injury rate. The risk among males is twice that of females. Injured victims can need almost a decade of rehabilitation.

Qualified legal counsel should quickly determine whether legal action is should be taken. If the brain injury is caused by another individual, this individual could be held responsible. Consulting a lawyer should take place soon after the event. Lawyers may not charge for any initial consultations required and the Brain Injury Association in the location could recommend lawyers. Making a claim can be a complicated exercise for which specialized assistance is important.

Retaining a lawyer is an intelligent decision

For advice needed on obtaining a personal injury claim or related issues. To investigate circumstances of the injury. To ensure benefits are claimed timely manner with no stone unturned to avoid conflicts between benefits. Advocate for sufferers to ensure rehabilitation and post-hospital planning takes place. Connecting the family to facilities and specialists for long term needs might also be helped by legal counsel. Unscrupulous agents might also be headed off from the family in its time of vulnerability.

A qualified lawyer will bearing a team of experts to focus on the case. There should be clear agreement about legal fees that could be based on time spent or percentage of the recovered amount. Monies from a settlement may not materialize for a few years. It should be noted that Ontario does not permit them contingent fees. Nevertheless, other arrangements maybe made legal assistance needed. The amount may vary. Clients should negotiate contingent fee arrangements.

The lawyer you have chosen should protect against the expiration of time limits. The-lawyer and his team of qualified experts will help to manage the outcome. They could also perhaps reduction of the burden placed on the vulnerable.

Four compensation types are non pecuniary damages, damages for earnings loss, costs of care and special damages. Non-pecuniary damages with inflation, amount approximately 300,000 CD today according to the cap in place since 1977. These damages are awarded where an injury has led to permanent disability. Earnings and earning capacity redress the losses suffered by the injured. Costs of Care: cover amounts needed and what has been needed in similar cases. In general, the rule on benefits is that proof of loss most likely will lead to compensation.

The term limit in jurisdictions is usually final. Do not let it run. A brain Injury is a special legal case that deserves proper attention.

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