Worldwide Appeal of JRock and KPop: Proof of Universality of Music?

As of this writing, Asian groups are hitting the global charts. Korean pop groups and Japanese rock bands are landing in markets and cultures previously dominated by Western music.
Videos of KPop girl bands (that's Korean pop, for the uninitiated) such as Wonder Girls, are viewed in their millions on YouTube. Their single, "Nobody", is an international hit. Meanwhile, the pioneers of JRock (ie., Japan rock) and visual kei - XJapan - held concerts in America, with tour dates on various cities of the United States.
Without a doubt, Asian music has achieved mass appeal on a worldwide scale. And their fan following from countries other than Japan and Korea are growing. But KPop and JRock remain to be objects of curiosity.
Although their music is rooted in contemporary Western forms - rap, hip-hop and R&B (rhythm and blues) for KPop, and punk, rock and metal for JRock, their lyrics are mostly in their own national language. Meaning, their non-Korean and non-Japanese fans do not understand the message to the songs! It is as if the global slogan of the present-day youth is "Never mind the message; just dig the music!" They do not comprehend the lyrics of the songs. Yet, they come in droves to hear them in concerts. And even download them legally and are paying for it. Shocking, yet true, the "kids of today" even look and dress like their idols. The Japanese subculture of Cosplay (again costume play, for the uninformed; where fans dress up likes their favorite anime/cartoon characters) is also a global phenomenon.
The question, therefore, are both trends a proof of the so called "universality of music"? Of music being the universal language?
A friend of mine would beg to differ. He says, both are examples of "cultural imperialism", where a culture from an economically dominant country directly and indirectly influences and subjugates the culture of more backward nations. In simple terms, he views KPop and JRock as the domination of Western music over the cultures of Japan and Korea.
I do not agree. Though I recognize the "pressures" - direct and indirect - of economic questions (such as Western monopoly over the production, distribution and advertising in the global music industry) on cultural issues between nations, his view concentrates only on the issue of "musical form".
I believe that if we follow his logic, the only pure and true music (and culture in general) would, then, be "ethnic music" (or the ethnic culture) of different nations. Such opinion, I think, is "narrow puritan-ism".
Music - and culture - is continually evolving inasmuch as people of different backgrounds intermingle and interrelate with each other. National cultures are dissolving a multi-racial and global melting pot, facilitated by the development of the Internet and other means of modern technology. Truly, there is only one race - the human race.
Yet, American dominance in the relationship of nations could not be denied. The influence of Western music over Asian music is a by-product of America's global economic triumph after World War 2.
But more essential question to me is not the "form" of music but its message or its "substance". A debate in musical form should be regarded as mere comic pursuits. On a lighter note, my sister and I made a website that pits JRock fans against KPop addicts but only for the mere fun of expressing oneself. But that is another story. Hence, more important than the medium (musical form) is the message.
Sadly, art (and music in particular) are in an industry driven, primarily, by profit. It is in the business not to promote artistic freedom and expression but to make money out of talented (sometimes not-so-talented) people.
But there are a "chosen few", who may come from different - even contrasting - musical forms but are given the opportunity to truly express themselves, even if such expression is not profitable. To paraphrase guitarist and industry veteran Eric Clapton, he says in his autobiography that the percentages in the music industry are still the same: says, the percentage are still the same: 95% rubbish and 5% pure. And who are we to disagree? "Clapton is God", says the graffiti in late sixties London. And God can't be wrong, right? (smiles)
So we go back to the question, is the global appeal of JRock and KPop a manifestation of the universality of music? Yes, but only partly. Because when they use different gimmicks such as having Korean girls wear skimpy short shorts to sell their songs, that is when music takes a backseat and "profit" takes charge over the steering wheel. But still, they are fun to watch, aren't they? Pervert! (smirks) #

The Most Popular Genres

A rhythmic music packed with rapping and rhythmic talk is known as Hip hop. This genre of music is characteristic of its rapping, braking and dancing etc. Today Hip hop music is very popular and is performed in events and clubs. Millions of people the world over consider this type of music as one of their favorite genres.
There are numerous AM and FM radio stations that offer free online streaming of the newest Whang and R&B. House music is a genre of electronic music. This music is used especially for dancing. Though Beats form the most important part of house music other genres like jazz, blues and bass are also added to it. Downloading of this music online is called streaming house music. Hip hop was originally introduced as a substitute to disco. However, over the years it became smoother and softer. In addition to disco music, Hip hop is influenced by gospel also. Due to the popularity of this genre, thousands of artists have come up with this type of music.
There are numerous websites that offer newest strike and R&B online. Music lovers now prefer to listen to music like hip hop, rap, romantic, R&B, pop and country etc. The latest songs can be found out from the websites and can be downloaded. The internet has become the venue for numerous musicians to popularize their songs and to show their talent. Streaming house music also is very easy through internet. Nowadays, it is done fast and is very easy. The latest type of R&B music is characteristic of its newest strike. Hip hop music is in fact an improved version of Dj music. In its original form it is purely an electronic music and speech was incorporated into to it later. The rap music which is very famous now is a combination of electronic music and words of rap and fusion of beats etc.
In these days, rap music has the maximum number of fans everywhere in the world. Funk, rap and Whang are mixed in contemporary R&B. Earlier, R&B used to be a mixture of jazz and blues. However, in recent times R&B has also become a combination of the new genres like Whang, funk etc. As a result R&B has emerged as a modern music instead of containing only rhythm and blue. In the background, R&B has rhythmic beats and all leading artists are now experts in this type of music. The popularity of all the new genres goes on increasing.

Audacity of Deceit - Part III - What Must Be Done to Save Our Shining City on a Hill

 

The relentless onslaught of government betrayals appears to be awakening Americans from their apolitical slumber. As they become painfully aware of how they are being dictated to, hobbled, and silenced, they are also astonished to know there are more regulatory departments restricting their lives than there are members of Congress who are willing to protect their constituents' inalienable rights. They see that their congressmen's failure to live up to their oaths of office transmute "equal justice under the law" into a disturbingly distorted myth, rather than a reassuring reality.
A senator, whom I question often about the constitutionality of his legislating against the will of The People, retorts like clock-work that government is charged with Americans' general welfare. Had he studied the Federalist papers, he would have understood that, as a servant of The People, he is charged with protecting The People's freedoms, as delineated in the Bill of Rights. Oddly, he appears to be blind to the fact that the government's role in securing their general welfare (a concept which he grossly misinterprets), simply, but firmly, refers to those limited legislative powers itemized in Article I of the United States Constitution, as well as the Federalist papers, which discuss the Founders' intention substantiating those powers.
Duty bound to rebut, I have countered to the senator that "general welfare" was never meant to be the linchpin to redistributed wealth (that which is extorted from those who earn it and handed to those who do not). I have repeatedly reminded the august senator that general welfare solely refers to the most fundamental needs of a free and independent people, so they may be free to pursue their own individual happiness unhindered. Those fundamental needs boil down to secured borders, protection from enemies foreign and domestic, free interstate commerce, and fair taxation. These are the umbrella needs of a free people, which provide them uplifting opportunity to make their own way. I then remind my non-representative senator that long-term welfare payments generally kill the work incentive of those who might otherwise enjoy the dignity of providing for themselves. Sadly, the senator remains steadfast in his utopian dream world.
For decades The People have cried out against corrupt governance, but with little avail. Today they writhe in pain and fear of what the socialist Obama Care act portends for our personal lives and the instability of our now-fragile nation. This administration intentionally acts against The People's stated will. It is now common place to have airborne drones surveilling our activities from above. Insultingly, the despots parrot that the National Security Administration fully complies with the fourth Amendment. Our cavalier IRS denies any wrongdoing to the allegation of its targeting conservatives (otherwise regarded as the illegal tampering of our last presidential election).
We are being fed lies from the highest federal authorities about the Benghazi slaughter of American citizens, and the Fannie Mae coercion of our bankers that resulted in the completely avoidable housing market collapse of 2008, because of which we scurried like frightened mice, as our imperial president dismissed the shareholder rights of law-abiding investors, in favor of his supporters. We are denied free choice when it comes to our children's education. Conservative Constitutionalists have been branded as terrorists, while - my personal favorite - jihadists and communists (sworn enemies of our Nation) have been installed within our federal government. Holding true to his boss' modus operandi, Holder has recently advised state governors to feel free to enforce only those laws of which they approve. As a further insult to all Americans, Holder decries the racist injustice of voters having to show their personal photo I.D.s, while we are still reeling from the DOJ's dismissal of the case against the New Black Panthers for 2008 voter intimidation.
Stunningly, We, The People, have allowed ourselves to be pitted against our fellow Americans, heeding the left's cries to ensure equal rights according to one's skin color, sexual preference, and genitalia. That guy in the Oval Office is certainly keeping his word; he is seeing to it that our shining city on a hill is being transformed through the manipulation and selective enforcement of national law. Compiled with his most recent decision to defang America by decreasing its military forces to dangerously low pre-WWII levels, this sly Marxist in Chief is achieving his dream of reducing our international status to mediocrity, and placing all Americans in unnecessary jeopardy.
All these are sins against a trusting nation, and I did not even mention the impending economic collapse caused by an insatiable appetite to appease by spending money we do not possess. Even more frightening, our legislative branch refuses to rein in this exalted executive officer in order to stop his lawlessness. Further, his majesty's cabinet appointees rule us as haughtily and incompetently as King George III did, until that sea-changing day in 1776 when we said "Enough!"
As law-abiding Americans, we are morally charged with the civil responsibility of thwarting these anti-American actions. Gratefully, the Founders foresaw the oppression and obliteration of the Constitution as potentially quite real. Not so much because they were soothsayers, but because they lived within the very same circumstances in which we find ourselves today. They fought vehemently amongst themselves, but, ultimately, set their conflicting ideologies aside. In deference to securing our shining city on a hill for future generations, they did come to terms on how each generation might be equipped to defend itself against an all-too-powerful ruling class. That defense is Article V of our most exceptional Constitution. Our Founders repeatedly warned us about an ever-growing, tyrannical government, which, if not held in check by its people, could be relied upon to one day destroy all Constitutional rights.
We must carefully review what we, as a nation, have endured at the hands of power-hungry, dishonorable men. By understanding why we are where we are now, and what lies ahead, we equip ourselves for strong remedial action to more soundly secure our shining city on a hill. Realizing that most of our representatives care little that they pledged to protect and uphold our Constitution, and that they hold office merely to deceive and connive in order to enrich themselves, we can no longer trust that a supply of fresh blood in the Senate, House, Oval Office, and/or Supreme Court will return us to Constitutional adherence. Although these replacements are critical, the only way to secure our chances of putting our Nation back on a solid track is to simultaneously embark on the road to America's next Convention of States. Planned wisely, that Convention will serve as the vehicle by which to reverse the left's morally twisted exploitation of our sacred rights.

Roselle Kefir - A Healthy, Delicious and Probiotic Water Kefir Soda

 

Here's good news for soda lovers! You can now enjoy a soda drink that is both healthy and delicious-the roselle kefir.
Most of us are aware of the hazards of drinking soda regularly. A regular 12oz can of soda contains 39g of sugar, which works out to about 10 teaspoons of sugar, usually in the form of high fructose corn syrup. Numerous studies have shown the link between the regular consumption of soda to various modern-day diseases. Diseases such as diabetes, kidney damage, fatty liver, pancreatic cancer, cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Diet soda are no better. Using artificial sweeteners such as aspartame may contain no calorie but they certainly do not fare any better. A report published in the journal 'Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism' in 2013 showed that diet soda drinkers suffer the same exact health problems as those who opt for regular soda.
Most people loves soda for its 'fizzy feel' and its taste. Many go for soda when they are thirsty too. They find it to be a refreshing drink. Actually, instead of rehydrating us, drinking soda leaves our body in a more dehydrated condition.
Water kefir soda
An excellent replacement to soda is the water kefir. It is less well-known compared to its cousin, the milk kefir. Yet, it is an antioxidant drink that is probiotic. It contains numerous enzymes, vitamins and minerals unlike soda which contains synthetic caramel coloring (cancer causing substance), phosphoric acid (makes you lose minerals) and caffeine.
Many different water kefir flavors can be made with the usage of various fruit such as oranges, apples, pineapples, berries and so on. One little known water kefir soda that is delicious, refreshing and nutritious is the roselle kefir, accidentally discovered by the author.
Beneficial Roselle
Consider the roselle. It is a flower belonging to the hibiscus family. Roselle is used in different parts of the world in alternative healing. In India, Africa and Mexico, all above-ground parts of the roselle plant are valued in native medicine. Infusions made from roselle calyces or seeds are prescribed as a diuretic, to stimulate bile production and to treat fever. In Senegal, roselle extract is recommended for use to lower blood pressure. In East Africa, the calyx infusion, called "Sudan tea", is taken to relieve coughs.
Roselle contains one of the highest content of Vitamin C. It contains 3 times more Vitamin C than blackcurrant and 9 times more than citrus fruit. It is also found to have rich anti-oxidant properties (anthocyanins). The fresh roselle calyx has been found to contain vitamin D, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and vitamin B2 Complex, Vitamin A, Niacin and Calcium.
Roselle Kefir
Fermenting roselle juice with water kefir grains make a truly delicious water kefir drink. Even the little juniors love this refreshing drink. I have children as young as the age of 2 asking for more after tasting it for the first time. Another 10-year old was begging me to teach his mom how to make it!
Some comments on the roselle kefir:
"Tastes like sparkling wine!"
" Fizzy carbonated grape juice."
" My children loves it and drinks it like water."
"It's delicious and refreshing especially on a hot day"
"This is something my children would drink"
Get the little ones hook on water kefir soda like roselle kefir before they get hooked to hazardous soft drinks. With water kefir, there is no worry as to how much they consume daily as water kefir aids our digestion and absorption of food as well as strengthens our immune system. In fact, water kefir has been highly recommended as a probiotic source in the popular GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) Diet. This is a special diet targeted at healing the guts for children with autism or related conditions.
Making this probiotic enzyme rich drink is very easy. The basic method is to place some water kefir grains in a glass jar of water with some sugar, cover the jar, leave it for 24 hours, strain it and you are done! The ready-made drink can then be flavored with the addition of some fruit juices and kept in the fridge for a delicious fizzy water kefir soda to be enjoyed by all in the family.
As for roselle kefir, all you need to do is to place the water kefir grains to a jar of roselle juice, leave for 24 hours and strain. Keep it bottled airtight in the fridge for an additional day to increase its fizziness. It certainly is superior to any soda drink both in nutrition and taste! Who needs soda anymore?

CY Wong is a natural health enthusiast who firmly believes in educating before medicating. She has also been experimenting and researching kefir since 2008. You can check out her website at , where she provides much information on  and how to make both milk and water kefir. She has also written an ebook entitled "Make Kefir Successfully"

Should I Stay, or Should I Go? (Part 2)

 

In a recent article, I wrote about how young couples-or at least those in the early stages of couple-dom face the prospect of relocating together. The advantage for those couples is that whether one or both is interested in relocating, they have the benefit of making that decision without the complications of marriage, children or other long-term commitments.
Of course, that's not always the case. Plenty of couples come to me far into marriage and/or child-rearing with a dilemma: one wants to move, whether for a new job opportunity, to be closer to extended family or another reason, while the other does not. They're invested in staying together, but they've reached an impasse. In these difficult cases, what's the best approach to deciding how to make the best decision for everyone? No two situations are exactly alike, but here are a few suggestions that usually represent a good start.
COMMUNICATE EARLY
For starters, the moment you see a potential change on the horizon-or at least one worth considering-open the dialog with your partner. Don't delay. Maybe you've heard of a new company in another state with a job opportunity you've always dreamed of. Instead of pondering the hypotheticals all on your own-yes, even if you're afraid your partner will be dead-set against it-broaching the subject early on is a far better strategy. If nothing ever comes of it, it's still a good idea to get everyone's feelings on the table rather than wait until you have a job offer in hand or you've made up your mind about what's best for you and your family. As an added bonus: you'll know where both of you stands if a similar situation should arise in the future. It's also good for building trust and transparency in the relationship.
TRY TO SEE THINGS FROM YOUR SPOUSE'S PERSPECTIVE
Once you've broached the subject, be 100 percent respectful of your partner's feelings and concerns. Each of you has both practical and emotional reasons for feeling the way that you do. To use the above example, the partner who's looking for career advancement may worry that their partner doesn't truly support their ambitions or even believe in their future. The other, meanwhile, may have stronger emotional attachment to their circle of friends, extended family in the area or the city you live in, or have negative perceptions of the new city under consideration.
While discussing it, then, it's imperative that you be willing to listen carefully and validate your partner's emotions. If either of you feels dismissed or belittled, walls will start to go up, and rational, we're-all-in-this-together attitudes can go out the window.
NEGOTIATE
This isn't exactly a business decision between you and your partner, but some of the same principles can apply. Each of you can do some research, either separately or together, about the pros and cons of moving versus staying as well as compromises that can be made. Assuming there's a raise involved, does it more than cover the potential of a higher cost of living in the new location? If you have children, have you made a realistic assessment of how their lives would be impacted?
Each of you needs to make a "wish list": what neighborhood you would consider, what kind of home you would want (equal in size and amenities to your current home, for example-or maybe better), etc. For that matter, if you're moving for a job opportunity, you need to keep your partner's interests in mind during the negotiating process.
If you're going to make a change-or not-that satisfies both of you, it needs to be a joint decision from start to finish. It could mean the difference between driving a wedge between you and bringing you closer... and for couples, the latter is always a good move.

The Importance of Bootstrap Theme in DotNetNuke 7.2

Bootstrap is a free collection of HTML, CSS and Javascript code created by Twitter to aid web designers to create rapid and consistent websites. Bootstrap offers several powerful tools that can be a huge advantage to a DotNetNuke 7.2 skin developer.
Some of these include:
- Various layout options: Bootstrap allows us to work with a variety of layout options such as the grid system, this grid system allows us to create pane layouts extremely quickly.
- Default modern text and button styles.
- A selection of handy javascript plugins such as popups, animated menus, and a responsive carousel.
Bootstrap is theme-able and extensible framework with a number of sites dedicated to providing high quality designs. So now we have the building blocks to make our site look the way we want but with a foundation that every designer, programmer, and content administrator is familiar with and can re-use in every project and page. Out of the box the Bootstrap framework supports responsive design for a mobile website. So with a minor amount of effort you can turn a desktop design into a user friendly mobile website without duplicating content.
Bootstrap allows for true responsive (fluid) layout as well as adaptive (what I call step-down) layouts. I tend to like to use the adaptive layout as I feel it still gives me a bit of control on my layout for each targeted screen size.
There are several grid frameworks out there that give you some tools to structure your responsive skin. There are several grid frameworks out there that give you some tools to structure your responsive skin. However, Bootstrap is not just a grid system. It also has a lot of different components that are available to help in making the process much easier. Instead of having to create controls and JavaScript for things such as a collapsible menu on mobile view, if you structure your menu as Bootstrap does, it just works! Of course, you can still customize your menu on top of what is there with your own CSS and JavaScript, but it really just simplifies things quite a bit.
The Bootstrap website has a great tool for customizing your Bootstrap package for whatever configuration you have. As I mentioned previously, there are quite a few components in Bootstrap and including the whole mess can really provide some overhead that you just don't really need. You can go through the Customize page and un-check all of the components that you feel you will not be using. Also, on this Customize page, are quite a few variables that can be adjusted to fit your project. For example, column and gutter widths for each step in screen size and colors for the components that you included in your package.

Alice is a writer and publisher who reviews best resources on Cheapest ASP.NET Hosting or other information in associated with Unlimited Windows Hosting, If you're looking for best Windows ASP.NET hosting, cloud hosting

world famous artist

I've had some interesting conversations this past week and wanted to take a step back to discuss health insurance in general. I'm slowly learning that the vocabulary regarding health insurance is very foreign to some folks and they are having difficulty understanding the terms that are used. I want to take this opportunity to educate folks on some of the basics and how it pertains to you, the consumer.
So lets start off with the basics of insurance terminology in its most simple form- in regards to how it plays out in the medical world.
Premium- this is the amount of money you pay to have health insurance (your safety net), can be paid monthly, quarterly, or all at once.
Deductible- this is the amount of money that you must pay before your insurance even begins to cover costs. There are fine details associated with this but in my mind, this is how I think about it. These can vary from a few hundred dollars to $10,000, depending on what kind of insurance that you have.
Co-insurance- after you have paid the entire amount toward your deductible (the amount of money you pay prior to your insurance actually kicking money in), your co- insurance represents the amount of dollars you are still responsible for. Let's use an example to demonstrate this. If you see a doctor and the bill is $100, the first hurdle is whether you have paid your deductible yet or not. If you have paid the deductible amount, the insurance carrier will pick up a portion of the bill and the rest you will owe. If your Co-Insurance is 20%, then you are responsible for 20% of the bill. In this case its $20. If your Co-Insurance is 35%, then you are responsible for $35. The higher the co-insurance, the more money you will have to kick in for medical services.
Out of Pocket Maximum- this is the amount of money in a given YEAR, that you will likely need to pay on top of health insurance. Some plans include your deductible towards this amount. Some do not. The other fine detail here is that your insurance carrier can deem certain services not included in this out of pocket maximum. For example, if you really hurt your knee and need an MRI, your insurance carrier can say that the MRI is not a covered service meaning that they will not pay for it. The MRI bill will come to you on top of all the other bills that you have accrued.
IN- Network/ OUT of Network- This seems to be the area of most confusion for most patients. The simplest analogy I use is to think of discount membership stores like Costco or Sam's Club. When you have a membership to either place, the products they sell have been approved by Costco or Sam's, at an agreed price, and then the you the consumer can purchase it from the store, typically at a discounted rate. If a product that you want is not at Costco or Sam's, then you are going to pay full price at another store. IN- network means that the doctors office has agreed to terms set by the insurance carrier, and you the patient only pay a pre-determined amount of money based on these negotiations. Most times- your charge is a nominal fee. OUT of network means that your doctors office is NOT a part of the insurance plan. The fees associated with this visit are ultimately your responsibility and sometimes your insurance carrier pays you back for services rendered. NEVER assume that your doctors office is IN NETWORK. I always assume OUT of network coverage until I see it in writing.
Co-Pay- The amount of money that you must pay at the doctors office. Think of this as an entry fee. Primary care doctors have a low copay. Specialty doctors and the Emergency Room have high Copays. The copay is devised as a financial barrier. The insurance company and the medical practice wants to make sure that you the patient are coming in for something truly medical related. You would be surprised at how many people that have $0 co-pays come to the doctor for a hang nail, or non medical related issues. It's a way of allocating resources as well. For every hang nail, there is also a sick patient that may have not been seen. Some patients have commented to me about copays in the past, thinking that this money goes straight into our pockets as supplementary income. Rest assured, I tell them, the amount of money collected barely covers the electricity bill.
So in essence, the question I hope that many of you are asking yourselves, is what's the point health insurance? It does not provide any health benefits. There seems just to be layers of payment schemes. So why get health insurance? You need to start thinking of health insurance like car insurance. Most of us get car insurance to help protect us from financial woes if we total our car or get into a serious car accident. It offers a layer of financial protection for us. We still get our oil changed, brakes fixed, tires rotated, get our maintenance done at our own expense. This is how I view health insurance. It's there to help pay for medical services if you should get really sick or really hurt. It will offset a majority of costs that you may have been responsible for. In the event of a serious accident or surgery like appendicitis, those with high deductible insurance plans will burn through the deductible within hours of such an event. It will offset the bill of $20-30K coming to greet you 30 days later.
The last point I will leave you with came out of a patient conversation this past week. There is a perception out there that doctors receive discounted rates for our own healthcare insurance and coverages. The assumption is based on the fact that since we are in the medical arena, that insurance carriers cut doctors a break. Nothing could be farther from the truth. For years, I paid, through my former group, $6000 per year ($500/month) for my own health insurance, something I rarely used. I was not given a higher level of coverage than any of my staff. The only difference is that I also was responsible for paying for their premiums as well. Realizing over time at my cost for this, I switched myself to a high deductible insurance plan with an HSA (health savings account). The HSA or health savings account is a tax deferred account where I can set money aside for any medical needs, separate from any bank or retirement account. For me, this was the most cost effective solution. This coupled with a subscription pay primary care group such as Flat Rock Health Seattle covers all my bases for health, wellness, and serious injuries.
Now that you are empowered with this terminology, I hope that each and everyone of you will understand some of the insurance company jargon. I hope that this will allow you the ability to make informed decisions for you and your family regarding your safety net (health insurance).

Dr. Ani Das

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