CT Harrison just called to let me know that he was making another television appearance, this time on cable’s PAX network. Not surprising. It has been said that if you throw enough “stuff” at the wall, sooner or later something is bound to stick. And CT has displayed remarkable resilience with his throwing arm. After knocking on doors from Nashville to Los Angeles I suppose that he has every right to become discouraged at the results of his efforts. But he doesn’t. He just keeps on.

What makes a person that focused on his goal … his love of music? “My sister left home when I was just eight years old.” CT recalls. “She left behind her Gibson Les Paul copy guitar. That was enough for me!” he remembers. “I used to sit in the living room for hours playing that thing to an 8-Track of Johnny Cash’s ‘Man In Black’.” Note: If you don’t quite remember 8-Tracks ask Mom and Dad. “I would pretend I was Johnny Cash and the crowd was cheering for ME. Later, I also fell in love with the drums. After playing air drums every waking hour of every day my folks finally bought me a drum set. I guess this whole course was set right there.”

CT was born in Las Vegas, Nevada where he was adopted at 11 months old after stays in several foster homes. He grew up on a farm near Roswell, New Mexico where he attended East Grand Plains Elementary School, T. Mesa Middle School and finally Goddard High School. “I wasn’t a great student, but I did OK… and my love of music continued to develop.” CT offered. While other Country Music hopefuls were waiting tables in Nashville, CT had his share of “day jobs”. “My first after school job was in a butcher shop and I absolutely hated it! Next, I held a brief job at the local Radio Shack”. CT seemed to embrace variety and jobs as a contractor, surveyor, psychiatric technician, nurse’s aid, reservationist and several stints as a Disc Jockey followed.

But CT wasn’t just working… he was listening as well. He had his ear to his Country favorites Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, Gary Allen, Pat Green and his idol, Chris LeDoux. CT mused, “When I listen to what I’ve recorded, I can hear bits and pieces of all of them.” And CT’s discography continues to grow. “Waiting For The Other Heart To Fall was a 5 song EP that I really enjoyed recording. The season seemed to take over next and we released CT’s Country Christmas. My current project American Outlaw is perhaps our biggest undertaking to date.”

CT does reserve some time for relaxation. “I fish, camp and when darkness falls it’s straight to the honky tonk dance floor.” And all wrapped in a steady diet of Country music. His fantasy? “I’d travel to Scotland and visit old castles, Loch Ness and do some ghost hunting, in season, of course.” as a grin swept across his face. “I really love ghost hunting.”

CT’s chosen genre of Country music has always been about lovin’, leavin’, drinkin’ and fightin’. I asked CT which he feels has most impacted his career. “Bar brawls.” he answered without the slightest hesitation. “One night in Farmington, New Mexico 5 pipe liners got me down in the parking lot. It took the better part of a month to recover but heck, that was FUN!”

Bob Huntington works in property management in Ruidoso, New Mexico. Visit his websites at http://www.casasderuidoso.com and http://www.ruidosocentralreservations.com. Bob also authors the blog Visiting Ruidoso at http://www.visitruidoso.blogspot.com.

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My name is Greg Ryan. I am a fitness expert, professional bodybuilder, personal, trainer to movie stars, former employee of Kathy Smith and over 50, 000 hours of paid personal training sessions under my belt. For the last twenty years I have been able to continually make progress, stay consistent and have some fun in my quest to be in better shape. One very important technique you need to learn is how to monitor your heart rate. I have been able to keep my body fat low for years because I am efficient, not because I know it all.

Here is what I mean:

Low Body Fat Technique #2: Work your heart smarter not harder!

One of the most neglected parts of any workout program is not making the most
out of your cardiovascular training time. Cardiovascular training is when you
exercise your heart at a certain level of effort. Something is better than nothing, but
just going through the motions just to say you’ve done it, is not working smart.

One of the most important and effective things you can do to lower your body fat is
to monitor your heart rate as you exercise. How do you do that and what is the right
rate for you?

You do that by taking your heart rate during your workout. While performing your
cardiovascular workout begin by taking your pulse at the eight minute mark and
then in ten minute increments there after.

How you determine your heart rate is to complete the heart rate zone formula:

220-age x 60-85 % - Target heart rate zone.

The simplest way to do this is to determine your heart rate zone top number and
bottom number. Second divide both numbers by six. This will give you to small
numbers to make sure you strive for in a ten second period. If you are too low, beef
it up. If you are too high, you will burn muscle. Stay in the zone and you will be
surprised how the body fat will start coming off.

But, you have to push yourself. You can not slack off on this. Just getting on the
treadmill for a nice little stroll only satisfies the mind and not the body. Do not
neglect this part of your workouts. It could make or break your success.

The goal is to maintain your heart rate in the zone for 20 to 40 minutes.

START LOSING WEIGHT THE RIGHT WAY FOR GOOD TODAY! FREE MINI COURSE click here http://www.resolutions.bz - Discover the common sense way to lose weight with out dieting that the doctor’s DON’T want you to know. Greg Ryan is a best selling author, former employee of Kathy Smith, and high profile fitness expert.

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Welcome to article number 4 in our series “Bodybuilding Sins That Cause Back Pain and Missed Workouts”. In this article we are going to talk about how bodybuilders tend to create massive muscle imbalances and what you can do to not be one of them.

If you missed the first article, you can read it by clicking on the link below.

Here’s a breakdown of the articles to look for:

1. Article:1 - Choosing The WRONG Exercises
2. Article:2 - Training Variations for Pain Relief and Maximum Results
3. Article:3 - Targeted Stretching
4. Article:4 - Targeted Exercises
5. Article:5 - Rest, Recovery, and Injury Prevention

Article:4 - Targeted Exercises

What is a Targeted Exercise and Why You Need To Be Doing Them?
While performing three different exercises for each area of the chest may sound “targeted” and it may work great for targeting the chest itself… this is NOT what we mean by targeted…

What we are talking about is choosing exercises with more than just size increases in mind… remember, there is far more to muscle than just how it looks… You can be really big, but also weak, slow and inflexible.

To drive this point home some more, remember the “Turtle Back Syndrome” we covered in article #1? So many body builders are plagued with this gruesome condition and they don’t even know it! Are you?

The Turtle Back condition is a direct result of too much focus on building up the pecs and lats and not enough focus on the upper back. Also, the lack of focus on flexibility in the chest and shoulders makes it even worse…

Not only does this look stupid, but it sets you up for back, neck and shoulder problems like rotator cuff tears and the like… and I know you don’t want any of those!

So by targeted, we mean exercises that will not just develop muscle strength and size, but more importantly work towards correcting muscle imbalances which will mean less pain and missed workouts, better performance and function, and most of all better and balanced total body development!

So How Do You Find Out Which Ones You NEED To be Doing?

As we discussed in the previous article on “Targeted Stretching”, it’s very important to know before hand what stretches you actually NEED to be doing… the same applies to exercises…

and the ONLY way to find out what specific areas you need to target is to perform physical evaluations so you can pin point the weak muscles that need strengthening and the tight muscles that need stretching.

We have developed a series of simple assessments you can do yourself to identify the muscles imbalances you have…

and while they are intended for people suffering from back pain or sciatica, as a bodybuilder you stand to benefit greatly because you train so hard, you are far more likely to experience injuries like bulging and herniated discs, rotator cuff tears, knee pain, etc…

Plus, even if you don’t have any pain or injuries now, it would be very wise to learn how to assess yourself so you can target your training now before you create an injury, which not only will slow down your training and progress, but it can also become a life-long struggle with pain and a serious loss of your strength, size and fitness.

So be sure to check out our website to learn more about how you can quickly and easily identify and eliminate any muscle imbalances you have.

Article by Jesse Cannone, CFT, CPRS, CSPN and Steve Hefferon, CMT, CPRS of Lose The Back Pain, If you’ve got back pain or sciatic pain, you’ve gotta check out their website.

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I’ll never forget a piano course I took when I was attending the Community College of Philadelphia. It was a “class” piano course where about 20-25 people were seated around keyboards. Each keyboard had headphones and we were supplied with a standard piano textbook.

The course lasted 4 months or so and I learned how to play triads with both hands. I also learned how to read treble and bass clefs.

I can’t say that I was thrilled with this course. In fact, I remember thinking how boring it was. And dry. Why couldn’t we learn something that would allow creativity in?

I guess most “teachers” don’t think you can be creative in music until you spend about 2 years learning what they consider to be the basics. This is all nonsense and only serves to mystify music and make it inaccessible to the masses.

I can only say that during the 16 weeks or so of attending this class, I learned that I didn’t really want to play the piano. Why? Because I wasn’t having fun! And fun is the impetus for further exploration. It seems like common sense to me. Yet this idea of actually enjoying the process of making music eludes music teachers at the college level.

Ironically, elementary school teachers know that their students MUST HAVE FUN first or they won’t be interested in learning more. Children spend their time in musical activities that inspire imagination and create a sense of joy. How interesting that this same educational technique is not employed for the grown ups among us.

Of course I’m not saying that adults should spend their time skipping and hopping on musical notes to learn them. What I am saying is that it’s important that joy and love of music be placed before theory and discipline.

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music’s online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!

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When you are just starting out playing cricket it’s not always straightforward to choose what you need to buy. If you go into a sports equipment store & ask them what you require, you will most likely finish up getting a great quantity of kit that you don’t need. So, it’s best to fathom what you will require prior to you going shopping. That way you are more likely to receive what you demand, as opposed to what the shop owner believes you need.

Below, is more or less a detailed cricket equipment inventory, you don’t need everything on this list, as many organisations will lend you kit in particular at junior level:

Cricket whites, cricket bats, balls, helmets, gloves, batting (wicket keeping) inner gloves, wicket keeping gloves, batting pads, wicket keeping pads, box, chest pad, arm guard, inner thigh pad, cricket boots (bowling boots; batting boots), box (groin guard), stumps and bails. Find great offers on cricket hats.

For most of the sports meetings you take part in you will require your own set of whites. Cricket whites consist of white cricket trousers and a cricket shirt. It is very important to check that you acquire an excellent pair of cricket trousers as well as a good white cricket shirt and jumper as it can easily turn cold if you are standing out on the field for a considerably long time particularly if you are going to play in England (the start and end of the cricket season are the coldest).

If you can not hire kit from your club the other most crucial items of equipment are a cricket bat and box. A high-quality cricket bat is vital if you hope to score many runs & is a very personal piece of equipment, spend several hours selecting your bat, if possible you would be recommended to go to a shop and pick one up before you buy in order for you to know how it feels to play with. As soon as you know what you want you can often procure bats online much cheaper). You need a good box to protect your groin from the ball, as getting hit down below’ is particularly painful, so investing in a good box before you start is a defiant must - you can’t bat without one.

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Despite our wallets being squeezed by the credit crunch, it seems that sales are booming for broadband bundles offering free mobile broadband devices. Although consumer budgets are tight at the moment we still have a demand for the latest mobile broadband technology.

Mobile broadband embedded laptops with the latest 3G broadband technology are high in demand. With the many great deals being offered by the ISP’s laptops with mobile broadband are seen as a good value, easy to use alternative to other mobile broadband devices such as the USB dongle.

For some providers such as Vodafone and Orange recent sales of deals inclusive of laptops embedded 3G broadband have overrun the sales of offers with free laptops with external USB devices. The latest offerings appear to be with the Asus Eee range which is perfect for mobile broadband.

Orange is offering the Eee PC with broadband for £24.47 a month. It comes with built-in mobile broadband. 3GB usage inclusive, no landline or connection charges and for those who remain fashion conscious despite the tightening of our financial belts the laptop comes in a choice of black or trendy pink. The most recent offer to come from T- Mobile Broadband gives mobile broadband customers signing up to a 24 month contract a free wireless enabled Asus Eee 904HD laptop with an 80GB hard drive, a card reader, built-in webcam and Windows XP Home Edition.

For an informed choice of all the latest offers and deals and to find out what would suit your individual requirements and budget the best a good place to look is Broadband Genie.

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Country Music originated in early 20th century among the whites in Rural areas of West and South. The roots of this music lie in Ballads, English songs and Folk Songs. The term Country Music replaces what is popularly called Hill Billy Music.

Country Music has been associated with cowboy hats and boots. The fact is that apparel has got nothing to do with it. One of the veterans, Travis Tritt does not wear a hat. Country Music is a genre that means different things to different people. If you look over at their interpretations, you will find for some it is Johnny Cash’s weather beaten crooning or Shania Twain’s prancing-pony burlesque. Right since the beginning of the 21st century, Music Industry is divided and quite fractured as to what really the Country Music is. Most people say that, when they hear it, they know its country or its not.

The relationship is one if hate and love, either fans love it and hate other genres intensely. If you have met some hardcore country fans, you will notice, they will always find a way to hear it, no matter what state country radio currently finds itself in. Even if an artist’s presence on country radio represents a certain kind of success or acceptance, there’s no doubt that “real” country is always happening in the margins, in clubs and coffeehouses, and on smaller labels or self-produced records.

Recently very good different country records have been released by women artists like, the Dixie Chicks’ “Home,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart, knocking Eminem down a bit. The other two, Kelly Willis’ “Easy” and Allison Moorer’s “Miss Fortune,” are also hailed as good country music. These two artists are not quite famous but they have a solid fan following. American Country Music is being popularized by various artists like Rhonda Vincent, Mandy Barnett, Brad Paisley, Hank Williams III and Danni Leigh.

Country Music has an association also, the Country Music Association (CMA), founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members. This was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre. The objectives of the organization are to guide and enhance the development of Country Music throughout the world. They wish to show that it is a viable medium to advertisers, consumers and media. It provides a unity of purpose for the Country Music industry.

The association presents annual wards also. Annual awards are given in the following twelve categories: Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Female Vocalist, Horizon Award, Vocal Group, Vocal Duo, Single, Album, Song, Music Event, Music Video, and Musician.

Country Music is getting lot more world wide attention after the Country Music Annual Awards was shifted to New York.

An academy for this genre, the Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California. It was originally called the Country & Western Music Academy; and was formed by people who wanted to share their love of Country music.

Country Music had a set following earlier but now it is gaining number of fans day by day. Loud tuned ,good lyrics, special effects mark the various concerts held in America by various country artists.

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Burnlounge: to burn or not to burn?

There is now an alternative to pirating music, and start supporting yourself, as well as your favorite artists. This crazy new alternative is here to revolutionize the music industry forever. How you might ask? Well I’ll tell you this. Now you too can set up your own digital music store, best of all you get paid to send your friends and family to download music from your own site. Also, through your own site you have the ability to have others sign up and own their very own personalized ecommerce enable digital music store as well.

Today we are in front of a wave of wealth that is currently an 80 million dollar per year money stream. The number one Wallstreet firm predicts this figure will exceed 4.4 billion dollars in the next 2.5 years. Burnlounge expects it’s retailers and users to be on the top of this transition of wealth.

Now let’s talk what software Burnlounge offers. This unique software enables you to pick the music you want to promote and feature. If you’d like you can personalize your webpage so your favorite users such as family and friends will have personalized playlists which sparks excitement in everyone’s eyes.

Burnlounge currently has partnerships with Universal Records, Sony, AMI, and the newest and most profound to the list Warner Brothers. Having the crme de la crme of the music industry at the top of this game, leaves little room for failure. Using the big guns has it’s perks, such as over 1.5 million songs available to download, and that number is growing rapidly by day.

Here’s what set’s Burnlounge apart from the rest. Burnlounge allows independent artists to sign a licensing agreement for the sale of any music they’d like. Yes, that’s right, Burnlounge allows you to distribute the music you love no matter who that may be with the hard cost of cd’s and reproduction. People around the world will be promoting their favorite music to include your very own personalized retail store online. Burnlounge puts you in the music business, but doing so Burnlounge has established a motto called “fan to fan retail”, because essentially that is what it is. Everybody benefits. You will create revenue from people around the world purchasing music as well as huge cash flow for creating Burnlounge retail communities throughout the world.

Let’s all sit back, relax on our favorite recliner, be revolutionaries for a second. Think about being able to partner with your favorite band or artist and get in on the profit every time someone purchases your/their music. Hmm…sounds great? How about if you are a band and you are able to partner up with your fans and empower them to do what they are going to do anyways which is talking about and selling your music.

Burnlounge claims to have provided a solution to the entire entertainment industry using this technique. We all soon be able to see how this rolls out. Their unique software also provides the opportunity for you to go into business and create an army of retailers promoting and selling their favorite music as well. Included in this software is Burnlounge’s unique and eccentric compensation plan which features some very rewarding benefits.

The Burnlounge community is also held together with the bonfire im tool which is an alternative to instant messengers. It’s purpose is to help keep you in close contact with your fellow music lovers, as well as helping you keep in touch with your retailers and fans as well. Here you may announce an upcoming concert venue, the release of a new single, or you may throw a contest to see which retailer sells the most music within a 3 month period, with this bonfire im helps make it happen in a very simple to use interface. Here you may also set up exclusive chatrooms to get feedback on shows, schedule Burnlounge events, or just create a buzz about some of the latest music creations.

Here is a great example of success from a well known hip-hop artist who goes by the name “Ludacris”. After shopping around at all the labels he could not get signed. This did not stop him (obviously). He began to sell cd’s through the trunk of his car. Ludacris created a following through word of mouth and it took on an empowering and very persuasive technique called “street teams”. He created over 40,000 self created cd’s before he decided to entertain those offers that poured in from record labels after hearing of his success. He was able to sign the richest record contract up until that date for an independent artist.

Burnlounge allows an independent artist to do what Ludacris did with little to no capital. Burnlounge is changing the game and taking it to another level with a high tech and high touch strategy. Burnlounge is expected to be the first to take an artist platinum without every having a record label or even having an album in stores.

Does this sound good? Wether you are just looking to create a revenue stream or you are just funding your passion, Burnlounge is making a splash to provide a solution to the old school record stores. To the powering of music in creating a new community, Burnlounge is the solution. Burnlounge expects it’s numbers to grow by the hundreds of thousands by mid to late 2006 to include the signing of hundreds of independent artists. Will Burnlounge burn? We will see…

Visit a well known retailer today: www.betterthanitunes.com Visit a well known retailer today Here

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Buying a good paddle is as important as buying a good kayak. There are many different paddles to choose from.

When you are shopping for kayak equipment and accessories, a paddle should be among the first things that you buy. Carlisle kayak paddles are one of the best brands you can get. They are built for several types of kayak adventures. It is easy to find one that works for you.

Recreational Paddles

Carlisle builds recreational paddles in three styles. All three are specifically designed and perfect for recreational use.

The Tripper model is an entry level paddle with a special grip for beginners.

The RS Magic is a standard paddle for recreation. It works for any age and any kayaking skill level and is available in glass or lightweight anodized aluminum.

The RS Magic 2 is made especially for women and children. It is shorter and designed for the average body size. The slightly-spooned design produces smooth and powerful paddling.

White Water Paddles

Magic White Water is Carlisle Designs only whitewater paddle. This paddle is suited for beginners but still strong enough for experts to take into that exciting white water!

All of these various paddle types are perfect for any kayaker. It is easy to find the paddle that is best for your needs right here! Don’t forget that the paddles are in some ways more important than the kayak. Without a good paddle, your boat becomes less useful. Good paddles cut the water better so that the kayak is more able to glide smoothly through the water. Get the most from your kayak and make sure that you buy top-notch paddles that your kayak deserves.

Carlisle has built a sleek line of paddles for all levels of boaters and every kind of use. When you buy your kayak, keep in mind how you are planning to use it. You should do the same thing when you are deciding which paddles to buy. This will help you ensure that you get the best paddles for your kayaking style.

Canoeing and Kayaking Information will help you with great deals, tips and news, information and reviews about all aspects of kayaking.
Copyright www.canoesandkayaks.info
This article can be reproduced in full as long as the resource box and live links remain intact.

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Most of us don’t have a pile of cash in the bank when it’s time to buy a car. And if you have bad credit, you may be worried that you won’t get approved for an auto loan. However, it is possible to get a car loan even if you have a less-than-perfect credit history. Here’s how to find a lender:

ASK YOUR LOCAL BANK

If you’re already a customer, your bank or credit union might be willing to give you an auto loan, especially if you have a solid, positive banking history with them. In many cases, banks are more willing to work with bad credit borrowers than auto dealers, and they’re likely to charge you a more favorable interest rate. Also, your bank may be willing to give you a secured loan, where you use a valuable possession–such as another car or an expensive piece of jewelry–as collateral.

SEARCH ONLINE

Many independent loan companies are willing to lend money to bad credit borrowers for things like houses and cars. Do an Internet search for “bad credit car loan” or “bad credit auto loan” to find a lender that might be willing to work with your special circumstances. However, expect to get charged a higher interest rate–and possibly higher fees–because of your shaky credit history.

PICK THE RIGHT DEALER

Some used car lots offer a buy-here-pay-here option. Essentially, you’re financing your car through the dealer. However, you usually don’t have to go through a credit check. Instead, you drop off your payment (or mail it) to the dealer every week. The interest on these types of loans tends to be high, and most times your car will be repossessed if you skip or are late paying just a few payments. However, they’re a good choice if you have such bad credit that a credit check would eliminate any chance of obtaining a loan. Here is a list of recommended Vehicle Finance Lenders online. It’s important to use a reputable lender online to make sure your personal information is secure.

Even if you have bad credit, it’s possible to get an auto loan. However, you may have extra costs–such as higher interest rates or higher fees.

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