If you are in charge of creating the family budget, chances are, you’ve had the unfortunate experience of having a brilliant budget plan that isn’t executed well. This happens to many families and couples, and with a little attitude tweaking, you can solicit the help of your family in making your budget work.

Create a family budget vision. Talk to your spouse and children about whatever budgetary constraints you are facing, or whatever financial goals you intend to set. By being completely honest about the bills and loans you have to pay, or your intention to save a certain amount of money for a family emergency fund (or a college fund, for that matter), you can help your family understand better your collective financial situation. This will allow them to change their perspective on purchases they make, and will help you make sure that whatever money crunching strategies you utilize won’t be counteracted by a subsequent spree by your teen.

Another good technique is to create a list of usual expenditures per member of your family. Together, identify which items you can do away with in order to save up some extra money from your monthly income. By doing this altogether, you are making your family participate better and see the contributions they can make into making your family’s finances better.

Should your child have the habit of continuously asking for money for minor and oftentimes unnecessary purchases, you can let your children learn to manage their own week’s allowance. With their limited money to budget, they will realize the value of money.

Put a cap on the amount of expenditures you make in a week. The best way to do this is set aside a fixed amount of cash that you will spend for a week. By putting this limitation on your spending, you are forced to prioritize spending on the most essential over other things.

Make it easy for your family to save more. How often do you eat out? Most family budgets are blown over because of the frequency of dining out and the accompanying exorbitant expense of that activity. Eating at home will reduce your expenses, not to mention allow for your family to bond over cooking at home. Do you spend on routine purchases like coffee and newspapers? Cut back on the latte and the paper, and put aside the amount you would otherwise spend. Your family’s collective saving will surprise you.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to create a most efficient driving route, as well as grouping together activities into one car trip. This way, you can save a lot on time and even on gasoline and car expenses.

Summary:
Do you ever notice piano players using awkward fingering when playing piano?

Believe it or not, this is a rather controversial topic.

There are people who strongly believe in proper fingering for piano pieces. There are also those who are firm believers in free-style fingering.

Let me share with you my own perspective on this topic.

Though the length of fingers differ from person to person,
we all have thumbs that are shorter than the rest of our fingers.

...


Keywords:
hand coordination, proper piano fingering, play piano, making music


Article Body:
Do you ever notice piano players using awkward fingering when playing piano?

Believe it or not, this is a rather controversial topic.

There are people who strongly believe in proper fingering for piano pieces. There are also those who are firm believers in free-style fingering.

Let me share with you my own perspective on this topic.

Though the length of fingers differ from person to person,
we all have thumbs that are shorter than the rest of our fingers.

As a rule (or rule of thumb), the thumb is the strongest finger
of all. Thumb, index finger (2nd), and long finger (3rd) are the most used fingers for piano playing. The fourth finger and fifth finger are weaker fingers.

Below are four fingering tips that I have worked up as general
rules:

1. Never use the thumb to play a black key. The exceptions are
a) when you are playing a piece that has all black notes.
b) when you are playing a group of keys where there are black
and white keys. For example if your right hand
is to play Bb, D, and F together in Bb major chord root position, your thumb will play Bb (black note) in this case.

Thumbs are not meant to be used for black key because of its length. The most used fingers for black notes are the 2nd and the 3rd fingers. If you are playing certain scales that start with a black key such as Bb major, Eb major, Ab major, etc. You will use 2nd or 3rd finger to play the first scale note instead of the thumb.

2. When playing melody with the right hand, if there are keys that are out of reach, you may move the hand to play the note. If the key is only a couple steps down from the thumb, you may use the thumb as an anchor and cross the second finger over to reach the note on the left side of the thumb. You do not need to move the hand. Only move the second finger over.

Once the second finger plays the key, the thumb will soon follow to cross over to play other note left of the key.
Suggestion: practice the scale well to know what finger to follow.

3. Same rule applies to left hand.

4. Watch other experienced pianists whenever possible, look at
their fingering and imitate their movements. I suggest you watch those players who are well trained classically as they have spent many years going through the structured repertoire and virtuoso training that help built a firm foundation.

One important point: The function of good fingering is to ensure smoothness of musical passages.

This is especially important in the piano work of Bach
(prelude, fugues, and others) and many Classical composers.
Very often, a slight change in piano fingering could cause a
disruption of the whole phrasing.

For improvisational and accompaniment pieces, strict piano
fingering becomes less critical. In fact, every time I improvise I use different fingering combination. This is because my mood and rhythm change when I improvise, this also affects the combination of fingers I use.

If you pay attention to musical pieces edited by different
editors, you will notice a change of fingering as well. I have noticed that the same "Sonatina" piece composed by Clementi have different fingering suggestions under different editors.
Some editors use the 2nd finger more often, while others choose
the 3rd finger.

In conclusion: if you are improvising, pay less attention to
which finger you are using. As long as you abide by the above
rules and ensure a smooth flow of musical passage, you are fine.

If you get too critical about fingering, it distracts your musical thoughts and flow. After all, it is music that you are conveying.

Piano playing gets rather complicated when you are trying to
balance both hands, keep a steady tempo (rhythm), make sure
the pedals are going in at the right time, listening to the music,.....

Have fun making music!

Summary:

A new set of clubs for beginners is really not necessary; in

fact the higher end clubs can be a hindrance on your game. Golf

is unique in the fact that the sport requires a group of

instruments, and equipment to play in full. Many sports like

baseball or basketball just require a few items that are used by

an entire team. Golf being an individual sport this aspect

changes into a need for the right set of clubs.

Keywords:

golf, golfer, golfing, golf club, golf skills, golf tips

Article Body:

A new set of clubs for beginners is really not necessary; in fact the higher end clubs can be a hindrance on your game. Golf is unique in the fact that the sport requires a group of instruments, and equipment to play in full. Many sports like baseball or basketball just require a few items that are used by an entire team. Golf being an individual sport this aspect changes into a need for the right set of clubs.

Golf clubs are broken down into sets of complete or incomplete, as well as irons, woods, drivers, putters, wedges, and hybrids. Golf clubs can be purchased in any combination of the above, but typically for beginners it is good to start with the entire set. Also women's clubs are sold as sets, but typically differ from men's clubs in size. Golf clubs in sets typically come with a bag that has stands on it, so it can rest on itself while you are taking your shots. Also golf sets occasionally will come with tops for the heads, as well as towels, umbrellas, and even balls.

Golf club sets can be purchased at a number of places. In order of price, most expensive to least, you can buy clubs at a pro shop; this will be your most expensive option. You can also buy clubs at sporting good stores, or golf specialty stores. For those bargain shoppers you can purchase a full set of clubs at Wal Mart, or even your local thrift store. For the internet shopper's eBay offers a great selection of new and used golf club sets.

The cost for a set of clubs can vary from less than $100 for an entire set, to over $10,000 for the high end clubs. Typically golfers can buy a decent set of clubs for $400 depending on where they are shopping. High end clubs are often bought in singles, thus making it more costly to purchase a set. One driver can cost over $1,000 at a local pro shop.

The term you get what you pay for isn't true in the world of golf clubs. Unlike cars, or computers, typically golf clubs can be beneficial at a low cost. Further, many prefer cheaper clubs, or used clubs, because they offer a more standard weight and grip. Golf clubs are uniquely made out of several different materials, and can vary depending on a user's preference. The cheaper clubs have a level feel to them, and don't offer too much of any one element. If a beginner spends a large amount of money on an ultra light driver, it could be too light for them to learn the basics of their swing, this actually prohibiting them from learning the basics.

Overall it's important to start off with a modest set of clubs until your game advances to levels that call for new clubs. Plus with all the money you save you can buy your significant other a set, and make a date at the course.

IPods have been a great market hit since their appearance in 2001, almost 5 years ago. Since listening to music is one of the favorite activities of today’s individuals, the constant evolution of this device was an important request, so the new product presented a diverse range of new features, accessories and capacities. The iPod evolved from a simple and basic music player to a sum of music player, recorder, and photo viewer and now to a both music and video device.

The most important new feature of the latest generation of iPods, meaning the 5th generation, is the video. Basically, these inventive and technologically advanced, yet small devices support both MPEG-4 and H.264 videos at significantly high resolutions, which are not far from a VSH tape. Actually, in more precise terms, the H.264 codec can play video at frame rates up to 30 frames per second, video bit rates as high as 768 kilobits per second and pictures as big as 320 pixels wide by 240 pixels high. Comparing the iPod video with the TV 27 FPS or the movies 24 FPS, it is obvious that the small device it is much better. Regarding the audio qualities, comparing to a CD quality, the iPod video is superior. On the other hand, the MPEG-4 video supports a bit rate of 2,500 kilobits per second and pictures as big as 480 pixels wide by 480 pixels high, meaning three times the size of the actual screen (in comparison with the H.264 video, which supports pictures the same size as the screen pf the iPod).

The reviews on this item are so far, excellent – the quality of the motion images is great, with almost perfect colors, even when the device is connected to a TV set in order to watch a video. Even more, watching the videos on the actual iPod is possible due to a larger screen, which also allows the high visibility of sharp texts and photos. Still, even though the battery is claimed to last around 20 hours, which is an evolution since the last iPod model, the battery is much rapidly consumed when watching videos.

The range of improvements since the last model of iPod is impressive: the new video iPod comes with a new design, but in the same black and white colors and with a new set of accessories, which range from world clock, smaller earphones and a thinner slipcase to AC adapter and FireWire cable. Concerning the new package design, the iPod video comes with a new look: the box is flat and in a square shape; the color of the new box is black with silver accents, such as the Apple logo and the text.

The latest generation of iPods surprised the market in many ways: from the video capacities to the other improved features since the last model in 2005 and from the design and package changes to the wide and evolved range of accessories that are available together with the new iPod video. The evolution of the iPod shows an increased interest in constantly developing this device and always considering the needs and desires of the consumer. It is expected that the next generation of iPods to be even more optimized, with a lot of changes in the video settings and a longer capacity of the battery when watching videos.

One of the most pleasant trees you can possibly maintain is a cherry tree. The word Cherry is derived from the name of an ancient city in Turkey. It describes both the tree and the fruit it produces. A cherry fruit is classified as a “drupe”. In the center it has a single hard core that holds the seed. The outside of the fruit is smooth and might have a small groove down one side. There are hundreds of different varieties of cherry.

There are two main groups that cherries can fall under. It is either a wild cherry or a sour cherry. Wild cherries are generally used for plain eating, and originated in Europe or western Asia. Usually if you buy a bag of cherries from the store, you can guess that they are wild cherries. The other type, sour cherries, also originated in Europe and western Asia. These are less pleasant to eat, and are used more in cooking situations, including the production of jam or jelly.

Cherry trees aren’t just known for their delicious fruits. They are also popular for their beautiful flowers or blossoms. The clusters of flowers that appear in the spring are rather breathtaking, and have inspired many a song or poem.

If you’re looking to plant a cherry tree, you might consider black cherries. It is best known for being the tallest tree available, and producing beautiful white clumps of flowers. The fruit, which becomes ready to pick in the summertime, is small and black. The only negative aspects about this tree are its vulnerability to certain caterpillars, and the tendency for the fruits to fall on their own and stain concrete. That’s why it is best to keep them over grass rather then near a sidewalk.

Another one of the most beautiful types of trees is the purple leaved plum. Contrary to its name, it isn’t a plum but rather a larger type of cherry. Its tree is most recognizable for its strikingly purple flowers. Through the course of its flowering season, they usually change from deep purple to light pink. Either way, you’ll probably be the only one on the block with such a colorful tree. One of its strong points is that it is particularly resistant to pests.

The Amur Chokeberry is most recognizable for its golden bark on the trunk and branches. When its flowers bloom in the middle of spring, they are very small and white. These trees specifically require moist, but well-drained soil. If your yard can’t supply that, then this is probably a tree you should skip. This tree is one of the most susceptible to pests and diseases unless you live in a very cold climate. It is one of the most high maintenance trees, but the cherries are delicious and the flowers are some of the lushest.

No matter what your yard or soil situation is like, you should have no problem finding a cherry tree that will do well in your area. They are a great thing to add to your yard, and when it flowers it will take the breath away from everyone that looks at it. It works great as a focal point for any garden. So go to your nursery today, and enquire about what types of cherry trees are known for doing well in your region. You’re bound to find something you like.