| Guitar Hero II can be riff riot
In publishing the Guitar Hero series, Activision has legitimized faux jamming and made it about a hojillion times more fun than strumming air. The series has finally made its way to the powerful Xbox 360 with a slew of new songs, a fancy-schmancy new X-Plorer guitar controller and the promise of much more downloadable content to come via the online Xbox Live service. I've heard these phrases muttered recently in reference to Guitar Hero II (muttered by folks who didn't get past Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box" on Easy mode, by the way): "Why not get a real guitar and learn to play for real?" "Every skill can be trivialized." But I submit that mastering GHII can improve your guitar skills. In fact, learning some of the more complex riffs possible on a real guitar might actually be easier than flowing through the rapid successions of notes thrown at you in GHII's Expert mode.
Spain and Iraq, Four Years On
Former Prime Minister Aznar dragged Spain into a war of aggression by the United States and the United Kingdom against Iraq. Shortly afterwards, his political party lost the elections thanks to Spain's illegal and damaging behaviour. But the final account has yet to be squared. Hundreds of thousands of dead, millions of refugees, a country wiped out over four years (and counting) demand that the Azores photo-op be repeated, but this time with the same actors in the dock before a tribunal for crimes against humanity. Prime Minister Zapatero helped Spain avoid the moral collapse and political and military failure that the United States has sought out in Iraq. In better keeping with its international weight and with the old tactic of lighting one candle for God and another for the devil, he abandoned his predecessor's imperialist dream and limited himself to proposing to the world an alliance of civilizations--while sending troops to Afghanistan and Lebanon.
Amish, non-Amish children enjoy playing together
This morning we are having a light drizzle. Most of the week, except Tuesday, we have had snow. But it seemed not to stick around very long. Temperatures went down as far as the lower 20s one morning earlier this week. It’s the middle of April, so surely the warm weather will return soon? On Tuesday the temperature went up to 55 degrees, which was quite a treat after all the snow and cold weather. Sisters Verena and Susan, the three youngest children and I spent the day helping sister Emma prepare for church services. With the weather being nice we did a big laundry for her, taking all her curtains and chair covers outside to dry. Everything dried so nice. We had so much to dry that we couldn’t do it all at once, the lines were completely filled ... We then cleaned all her windows and screens and the curtains.
Suns Can Learn Much from Game 1
Good: Steve Nash knows when to put the hammer down. He did it both as a scorer and distributor. Early in the third quarter, Nash answered every Laker bucket with one of his own. He took it upon himself to keep his team in the game until his running mates caught up with his level of play. That is the difference between this year, and the two previous. Bad: Boris Diaw needs to brush up on his jump shot with Phil Weber. He was appropriately aggressive, but just couldn't find the bottom of the net. If he can recapture his all-around effectiveness, the Suns won't have to worry about the Lakers hanging around and/or being in control. Good: Barbosa/Marion/Stoudemire all put together runs at different points of the game. With some of the "chemsitry issues" coming to surface late in the season, it had to be refreshing to see multiple Suns filling the stat sheet.
Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll Profiles
Melissa Reyes stands out from the rest of the crowd with her attractive exotic features and distinctly trimmed physique. This fresh and young performer has a fiery passion for singing and dancing, evident in her inclusion on Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll. Sassy and daring, she exudes confidence and poise in all her endeavors, which upshots fans to hoard around this singing sensation. Born in Cypress, California to doctor parents, Melissa Reyes previously appeared in several music videos like "U Got Me" by B5, "3 Freaks" by DJ Shadow and "Deal With It" by Corbin Bleu. In addition, she did a number of concerts and shows as a member of the dance group called Team Millenia. Reyes auditioned for and made the final round on the reality competition Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll.
A Lullaby for Future Generations of Plunket Babies
Poet Bill Manhire and composer Eve de Castro-Robinson have combined their talents to create a new musical piece, incorporating a lullaby, to celebrate Plunket's centenary. These Arms to Hold You will be performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Lyrica children's choir and will premier at the Made in New Zealand concert in Wellington on 25 May. Kaye Crowther, New Zealand President of Plunket, said the commission was a wonderful way to celebrate a milestone in the health and care of children and their families. "As parents we sing lullabies, nursery rhymes and family-favourite songs to our children, virtually from their birth. Our children experiment with music from an early age, often their first 'musical instrument' a spoon and cooking pot, creating their version of a drum.
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