Murry's Blog

Purchasing a keyboard can be as difficult as buying a car. You will want to consider many factors including price, space, quality of sound, ease of use and technology compatibility. Your purpose for having a keyboard is also important to consider. In today’s academically competitive environment, many parents recognize the value of music education for their child. However, purchasing a piano for piano lessons is not always a viable option. Parents looking for ways to provide an affordable music education for their child are considering keyboards as a piano alternative. If this is you, be careful. There are some keyboards that will actually hinder your child’s ability to play!

There are 3 important things to consider when purchasing a keyboard. 1. Width of keys on keyboard 2. Weighted or touch sensitive keys 3. Number of keys on the keyboard.

1. Width of keys on keyboard – You definitely want full-size keys on the keyboard. I have no idea why miniature keyboards are even made. Learning to play piano on a miniature keyboard would be equivalent to learning to play basketball on a 5 foot hoop. Whatever skill you learn would need to be re-learned on the standard size keyboard. If you are going to have to re-learn it the right way, why not learn it correctly the first time? My advice, stay away from miniature keyboards!

2. Weighted or touch sensitive keys – Controlling the tone-depth and volume are techniques every pianist continues to perfect throughout their learning. This technique is one of the most important that differentiates a student from a musician. This quality is what makes a bunch of notes sound like music. Ideally, you will want a keyboard that feels as much like an acoustic piano as possible. There are many different technologies that go into imitating this feel and many piano players will value one over another. Just like every acoustic piano feels a little bit different. In fact, some pianos are more suited for quiet, sustained notes while a different brand piano would play loud, full-sounding notes better, and a third piano may be best for the rhythm section in a jazz band. The different techniques used in playing the piano will vary with each instrument as well as with each keyboard. The important thing is that your budding musician is able to start learning how to manipulate these different subtle sounds.

3. Number of keys on the keyboard – Being use to playing on 88 keys is vital if your child continues in music. I know of a music major in college that was quite proud of herself during a piano proficiency test until one of the judges asked her where middle C was on the keyboard. (This is usually the first note students learn when playing the piano.) As it turned out, she had played the whole piece one octave (8 notes) too high. This was from practicing on keyboards instead of an acoustic piano.

Of course there are many other factors to consider depending on your family and home lifestyle such as portability, how long you plan to have the keyboard, midi compatibility, other sounds and features, and of course cost. Although your keyboard will not increase in value, your practice will continue to improve, making you a better musician, and the value of this is immeasurable. Your first keyboard will be an investment, so choose wisely.

Air pressure plays a crucial part in the amount of gas a vehicle burns, the wear of the suspension, brakes and uneven tire pressure can increase the risk of flat tires and blow outs. Tire pressure Monitoring systems (TPMS) or sometimes referred to as Tire Pressure indication systems (TPIS) was initially offered for luxury vehicles in the 1980s by European Markets. French car-maker Peugeot was the first to make it a standard feature in 2000.

As a result of the major Firestone recall in the late 1990′s, the Clinton administration passed the first piece of legislation geared towards tire-related car safety. The Tire Recall Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation TREAD act, made it mandatory for companies to report to the NHTSA when issuing a safety recall in another country, report accident and death related information, and face criminal charges for failing to do so. As the stages of enforcement for this bill have been met the final enactment requires all new vehicles to be equipped with the TPMS system in 2012 and after.

Now that TPMS is in regular use, many more people have become concerned with using it. While manufacturers have traditionally installed TPMS systems and passed monitoring off to dealers, the market has recently opened up. Not just car manufacturers, but tire companies, auto shops and owners of cars with TPMS systems themselves have had to deal with monitoring and repairing these systems. Since TPMS systems vary, just as any other technology they are constantly improving and updating it, more people need access to these systems. The increased requirement has created a commercial sales market for TPMS systems.

Tire Pressure Monitoring systems which are internal sensors are manufactured into the tire, external sensors can be mounted to the rim, or the tire valve but these are more vulnerable to theft. Either system can be battery operated or not and newer systems utilize electro-magnetic technology to consistently update. These TPMS systems utilize sensors to measure each tire’s pressure individually, all or any combination at the same time and report them to the computer. These systems can also track the tire’s temperatures to sense increased pressure, the limits for these sensors will either be auto-set or in external monitors can be set by the consumer.

TPMS automatically provides a driver with safety, savings on gas, maintenance, tire life and it actually decreases the emissions from a vehicle. These systems have been in use for a long time with industrial size trucks, but now they save the average consumer more money a year!

Recent commercial market designs are helpful when you need a replacement, and feature military grade batteries, the sensor supports reporting every 3 seconds. Be sure to look for strong aircraft grade aluminum stems to protect your device, not plastic grades which erode. A particularly appealing design features an adjustable stem, so it can be utilized on virtually any tire. The best part about these replacement tire pressure replacement sensors is that if the valve is damaged, only the valve need be replaced.

Tags people

All relationships are clearly not meant to be. Only a few really deserve your time and your efforts. Sometimes we have clouded judgment and fail to recognize warning signs that are clearly apparent. Everyone deserves to love and be loved in a relationship. Often relationships start out wonderfully and turn sour while dating. You should invest your time with those people who respect you and will treat you well. Yet, sometimes we may overlook some of the warning signs that may save us much heart ache in the end.

1. Physical Abuse – physical abuse should always be a deal breaker. Early signals may be extremely rough play where you end up bruised. Other early signs are pushing, shoving, or playfully hitting you too hard. These are signs that he is physically aggressive and doesn’t mind hurting you.

2. Emotional/Verbal Abuse – name calling (no, we aren’t talking about terms of endearment) such as you’re a fat slob, you’re ugly, or anything that doesn’t promote good will is inexcusable. If such terms are being used towards you, drop that person, they do not respect you. Having that person say that they didn’t mean it, or they were joking isn’t an acceptable excuse.

3. Emotional Rollercoaster’s – avoid people who love you one day, and want to break things off the next day. This person is unstable, and will only continue this cycle as your relationship continues. A person who does articulate mixed messages isn’t emotionally mature enough for a relationship.

4. Lying – you deserve to be in a relationship with a person who will tell you the truth. Avoid anyone who tells outright lies. If they will lie about small things, they will lie about larger things. A person that loves you will respect and not lie to you.

5. Inaccessible – They will not give out phone numbers, address, or employment information. Someone who is not willing to give you a way to contact them is trying to hide from someone. Perhaps they will only give out their cell phone number and nothing else. Perhaps they will only allow you to call at certain times, and not at others. All of these are warning signs that they are trying to keep themselves separate from you.

6. Too Controlling – your partner is overly concerned about activities that you do when you are away from them. They need to know where you are at all times, they may call you several times a day while you are out checking up on you. Be cautious if someone must know where you are at every waking moment, and needs to constantly check up on you. They may need to do this simply because they are insecure, or they may be seeing someone else, and want to verify that you aren’t going to infringe upon that other relationship.

7. You’re the one trying to work on the relationship – if you are the one that has to maintain the contact, apologize, and keeps the relationship going, you are working too hard. Relationships are two way streets; both parties need to be involved. If you are involved with someone who can’t pick up the phone, send an email, or come and see you, move on. The other person isn’t interested in you enough to make the effort.

8. How do they treat others? Does your partner treat other people well? Do they treat servers in restaurants with respect? Do they speak nicely to their own family? Do they talk badly about their friends behind their backs? Remember, the person you are with will eventually treat you like they do everyone else.

These are general warning signs. You may have your own must haves that a potential partner must meet to be in a relationship with you. Make sure you move slow enough to see these warning signals before you fully engage your heart. Above all you deserve a stable relationship with someone that you respect, and that other person respects you. If you must question yourself, ask yourself this, if a friend of yours was relating some of these red flags to you, what would you say? If you would tell your friend its time to move on, move on to someone that will give you the relationship that you desire.

Tags dating, love, partner, people, relationship, Relationships

The Zodiac Month Ahead: Putting Aside Pride

What we all can expect from the forecast of our planetary skies 23 July to 23 August.

A MEDITATION FOR LEO ~John Jocelyn

In the heart of every balanced Leo soul, there is enshrined the love for those who are truly men of merit, whose worth is apparent, for, after all, nobility is the keystone of this exalted force of the Sun, which brooks nothing ignoble.

Sun enters Leo 23 July

The heart of summer’s heat is about to go up one more notch as the Lion organizes us further into the intensities that the Sun casts down upon our earth. Naturally, the collective gravitates to enjoying the pleasures of life, ones that our Lions can purely enjoy basking in. The month ahead captivates our vacation time, wherein that laziness of the Lion can ultimately reign in happiness. But don’t forget, dramatic personas, creative adventures, and initiations will equally prevail and may take the center stage!

Venus enters Leo 28 July

Venus enjoys the spotlight with our Sun though its’ journey with the Lion through 21 August. Affections turn to finding faithful, inspiring, and whole-hearted responses. Harmony can be sought through creative activities, warmth of approaches, and dramatic expressions, especially artistic ones. Take note of how noble and generous dispositions can bring pleasure where Leo rules your Zodiac Pie, and forget about indiscriminate reactions.

Mercury enters Virgo 28 July, Retrogrades 02 August

As our Messenger touches upon Virgo, the collective is granted valid, diligent, practical, and discriminating energies to communications and mental capacities. While efficient, well-structured, articulate, and detailed-oriented methods of expressions ideally can emerge, as Mercury begin it’s station before retrograde these ideals can be challenging to meet. As Mercury will Retrograde 02 to 26 August, be sure to check-in with the Leo/Virgo piece of your natal birth chart- which points to the area of life where you can anticipate this period of reworking to occur within. While revisiting in Leo, it is wise to examine how authority, creativity, dignity, and humility live where the heart of the Lion rests.

Mars enters Cancer 03 August

Our Warrior planet cools off in the sensitivities of the Crab through 18 September. While Mars governs over desires, these can be strongly felt in the Cancer area of life. Look to what possible initiations occurs from the recent Solar Eclipse upon 01 July, and seem what motivations can be furthered upon here. You may find that instinct, feelings, imagination, memory, and domestic energies are fueled with emotion throughout this passage where Cancer affects you.

What brings forth nobility starts within the heart of being humble; the very act of putting aside pride allows our earth to shine within its’ glory.

Tags Communication, love

4/5 stars

This album is a long time coming. Everyone by now knows how much I dig their first release.

As the opening track hits the laser on the CD player or the computer program pumps out the first beat, the listener feels encouraged that this will not be another sophomore assembly line of junk.

Matthew Shultz has a voice that is as unique as his word configuration that separates Cage The Elephant from other rock bands. Brad Shultz has the counter; with every strum and flick of the chords he compiles an original sound. Together, they admittedly “turned away from fear-based writing.” This has opened them up to recording what other people want to hear from them. When bands take these risks, fans will relate and follow, but most of all they buy tickets.

Cage has spent an extended period of time on the road and with that, like most bands, they leave the creative process in the rearview. Brad tells a story on their web site as to Matt’s crazy approach to getting inspired.

Many songs show the growth the band has had musically. Lyrically, life inspires the greatest lyrics and once Matt released the demons of life’s changes, he was able to dig through and find his writing. “Always Something” tells small stories of how twists and turns in life can make you sit up and take notice. What came to mind was the film “Crash ” that circles the lives of so many people who, in either a small or large way, contribute to circumstances they may never realize they had an impact on.

The first single, “Shake Me Down”, moves along with punk undertones that bring the 70′s alive. Matt’s slow melodic vocals grow with his “oooh’s” then build when the band kicks in with pounding punk sounds that grab the listener.

The rhythm section of Daniel Tichenor (bass) and Jared Champion (drums) have laid down some incredible rock foundations. At times it feels that the layers of guitar become their own voice in the mix. When the vocals do kick in, you have a rock album for the masses.

The slower songs such as: “Rubber Ball”, “Flow” and even “Right Before Your Eyes” never really release the listener. These tracks only allow for a momentary rest before you get pulled back in to the chaos. This song sequence grinds through every fiber of your body leaving the listener wanting to replay it one more time.

RUSTYSCAGE.COM/MUSIC

Tags people

“What’s wrong with you that you can’t forget about that…I haven’t hit you in five years.” Sound familiar?

Abusers think that once they offer up an apology that you should get over it. While it’s true that with time, domestic abuse victims can heal…the legacy of playing the violence card lives on.

Shattered Trust and Physical Abuse

Once you introduce violence into an intimate relationship, the dynamics radically change. The imbalanced “power and control” within the relationship intensifies and influences everything, because it’s constantly there.

She knows what he is capable of and the threat of his physical violence remains. This threat becomes her reality despite his apology.

In many respects a fundamental piece of trust is shattered, which cannot be undone. You cannot take back what has been delivered, even though you are genuinely sorry.

The Legacy After the Violence

Abusers need to accept the legacy of their violence. And domestic abuse victims need to come to grips with this legacy in their own way.

It’s not about getting her to “forget” about it or “get over it.” Rather, it’s about discovering how to rebuild in the context of this legacy.

Far too often, what we see is another round of abuse with his insistence that something is wrong with her because she won’t let it go. He will batter her about her inability to heal and her unwillingness to forgive.

However the fact that she is with him after the assault, implies that she is in the process of healing and forgiving his violent transgression. Yet, the threat of his becoming violent again remains and it affects the way she sees him and the way see feels in his presence.

If you are in an abusive relationship struggling with the aftermath of a domestic assault, be patient with yourself and seek patience from your partner as you heal. His task as you are doing this is to accept the legacy of his playing the violence card.

Tags partner, relationship

Human communication is the most complicated process in the world. People regard it as the most difficult course in our life. It is not easy to maintain a good relationship with others. In fact, more and more people have trouble with good communication.

Intimate lovers suffer the same problem

Usually, unfamiliar people and strangers have trouble in communicating with each other. It is the same to intimate lovers. They suffer the same problem. As a matter of fact, it is more difficult to maintain a good relationship between intimate lovers. So, in order to maintain love, lovers should take some efficient measures.

Efficient measures for intimate lovers

Some people complain that there is no efficient way to improve and develop love. In fact, they ignore many important aspects. There are many things that lovers can do to maintain their love. First of all, true love is needed. Then, lovers should pay enough care to each other. Moreover, it is necessary to send special gifts frequently.

True love is needed

In my opinion, true love is the most important element between lovers. It is the foundation of a love relationship. If you don’t love the girl or boy any more, it will be difficult to maintain a continuous relationship. So, you should know your real emotions clearly. If you still love your girlfriend or boyfriend, you should show it. Let her or him know your sincere love. This will do great help to develop your love.

Enough care is required

Enough care is also important for lovers. As a matter of fact, enough care is not only required between lovers, but also parents and children, sisters and brothers, friends, colleagues, etc. In a word, all people need others’ true care. So, you should not look down upon this aspect. Show your care to your lover right now. It is better to take some specific actions to let your lover feel your care. If you ignore it, your love can not last for a long time.

Special gifts are necessary

Romantic surprises are necessary for all lovers. If you want to improve your love, I suggest you create romantic surprise to your lover with special and meaningful gifts. Men should lay stress on gifts. All women are eager for romantic love. So, if a man is planning to please his beloved girl, he can send fancy gift to her in Valentine’s Day. Fresh flowers, chocolates, beautiful accessories are some perfect ideas.

Tags Communication, love, people, relationship, women

Everybody deserves to love and be loved. Love knows no gender, no race and no condition. Every person on this Earth is entitled to it, and everyone should receive it too. If you are single, then you have all the right in the world to get the chance to look for your special someone. But looking for your partner is definitely no picnic, and for people with disabilities, the task might be a bit tougher.

Humans are physical beings, no doubt about that. But to experience love and being in a wonderful relationship doesn’t mean that it’s purely physical attraction. Disabled singles have all the right to want relationships as much as anyone else.

If you are one of those disabled singles, here’s our message for you: Never give up the hope that one day you’ll find the perfect match for you. A great, positive attitude can get you a long way! Plus with a little help from the internet and disabled dating sites, your love and friendship may just be a click away.

We understand that taking the first step towards meeting other people and taking the initiative may sound daunting. However, you need to be bold and learn to take risks so that you can start taking your dating life into your own hands. Even in real life, it’s rare for people to just waltz in your life and knock on your front door. And so in online dating, spontaneous e-mails dropping into one’s inbox fall into the same category.

Most of the time, if you seriously want to get to know someone and make a form of connection with them, then you’d need to make the first move. Do so in online dating! Be brave and bold! If you happen to like someone’s profile and would love to get to know them more, then make contact first. You can “poke” them or send a virtual “smile. ” Send a friendly and bright e-mail. People find it hard to turn away warmth and friendship once they are offered to them. Do not be afraid to make any attempts to honestly connect with someone. You’ll be surprised at how people eagerly return a friendly, honest, warm, and wholesome gesture!

However, if they don’t pay attention to your friendly overturns then don’t dwell on it and move on! There are so many nice and friendly people online that would love to just connect with you! Don’t feel bad about it, nor feel discouraged. Sometimes, rejection happens. But remember that this is part of the dating game, and the next person you were friendly to may be more than willing to return the gesture.

Remember this: A winner is a person who has a positive attitude.

Attitude is what matters. A positive outlook in life attracts people like bees to honey. Nothing is ever more attractive than an optimistic person’s positive attitude towards life. Sure, it may feel really bad sometimes and there will be days when you feel like you can’t find the strength to smile, but always find it in yourself to get out of those funks. Do not dwell on the negative and instead focus on the wonderful possibilities that online dating may offer you at finding your match!

Tags dating, friendship, love, Online Dating, partner, people, relationship, Relationships, Singles

If you need an online auto repair manual that can help you precisely fix your problem, the internet has an incredible amount of car care information. What you won’t find however, is a Chiltons or a Haynes auto repair manual, because they’re copyrighted material. You don’t need them anyway, because there are a lot of good car repair web sites with individual pages or articles that can solve your specific problem.

In fact, you’ll find articles on all kinds of car fix and vehicle maintenance topics, such as

auto body repairs

automatic transmission replacement

bleeding brakes

car audio systems fix

changing oil

finding the causes for a bearing failure

how to install a replacement ignition system

how to upgrade an exhaust system

troubleshooting car stalling

troubleshooting car starting problems

and much more.

Here is a good place to search for vehicle fix manuals: Go to the search site at 10w40.com and type in the problem you want to solve – and the likelihood of finding the instructions you need is high. On this website you can also post your problem on an advice and discussion board, and get your problem solved almost instantly by an expert in this repair field or by an ordinary person who has experienced your problem and solved it already or might know where to go to get the answer you need. And it doesn’t cost you a cent.

There are many other good websites where you can get an online auto repair manual that will fit your needs. Go to Google.com and type in [the problem you want an answer to]+repair manuals, and you should find lots of valuable vehicle repair resources that might solve your problem.

If you are looking for a used muscle car, there are some factors you should know and consider. You need to critically examine the muscle car’s exterior paint its transmission and history as well.

A muscle car is a a high performance automobile. American muscle cars are loved by drivers for the pure raw power they generate, and yes their stunning beauty. The older the year of make, the rarer and more unique is your muscle car. From the Hudson Hornet to the 1957 Rambler Rebel to the 1970 Plymouth GTX 440 and so on, a muscle car is an owner’s pride and a collector’s delight. Although there has been a decline in production of the muscle cars in the 1990s, there has also been revival of the muscle cars from time to time. The latest could be Dodge’s Charger model re-introduced in 2010 and again in 2011.

If you are looking for a used muscle car for your love of the original or financial limitations, there are some factors you should know and consider. Some recommend that you should have some mechanical skills if you want to buy and own a muscle car. However, with a little deeper look you can make a sound decision to buy or not to buy the vehicle. With “a little deeper look” it means every information possibly available about the car including its VIN, transmission codes, rear end, paint, interior codes, age, number of owners, mileage and any changes made and so on.

Go deeper than the paint, dig up the past!

Naive buyers are easily carried away by the exterior paint while for a smart one that is just where you start looking. There are really good paint job service providers that can easily let you get the impression they want you to. You have to be more than an admirer in such situations. Be like a jealous lover and dig up the past and every minute details. Make sure you get the VIN or Vehicle Identification Number of the vehicle. By knowing the car’s VIN, you can get an ample amount of the car’s history that can help you decide and deal better with the whole purchase.

Get under the hood

If you have a good knowledge of the particular car model, get under the hood and check the engine, oil level and condition, leaks, engine noises, smoke etc. You can also bring along a friend who has a better idea in case you are not so confident. Get inside the car and inspect the interiors including the seats, seat belts, the doors and trunk too. Start the engine and check if the transmission of the car is still smooth. While at it, take a look at the dashboard and all the gauges as well.

Check how long has it run

It is also good to find out how many number of owners have the car served and how have they treated it. The car’s mileage will help you determine how further can it go in future, you don’t want an overdriven muscle car. However, while doing the math here, remember that mileage limit could differ from car to car. If there have been any changes made or parts replaced under the hood, find out what exactly it is and check if the alterations were made correctly.

Take it for a spin

Test driving is a good way to find out how exactly the muscle car performs on the road. While taking it for a spin, try and notice any suspicious signs with everything you come into contact with such as the acceleration, braking and suspension etc. If you are satisfied with them all, proceed to the final stage of the deal – the payment. If you are buying the car directly from the owner, see if the price is negotiable. If you found the muscle car via online ads or at a website listing for affordable used cars, see if the listed price, after the vehicle’s analysis, is still practical. Decide keeping in mind that a bad judgment could put your money and also your safety at risk.

Tags love