Entertainment & Recreation

High End Audio - not just for audiophiles

2011-07-25T03:19:00.000-07:00

Computers have made setting up high end stereo systems more complicated than ever. Back in the day, setting up a high end audio system was easy. All you really needed was a good receiver, a record player, and some top quality speakers. Even once the tape deck and cd player came around, it wasn't too hard to set up a really killer high end home stereo system. Nowadays, however, there are so many different audio products in so many different music formats that it has gotten very expensive and very difficult to figure out what musical system is best for you.

When you first set up a high end audio system, there are some really serious choices that you have to make. The biggest one is how digital you want to go. Every high end audio system, of course, makes some use of solid-state technology, but some them make it more important than others. A lot of serious technophiles, especially the ones who play games on the computer, like to run their entire sound systems through their PC. Other people prefer a more traditional approach, focused around a high-quality stereo receiver. Eventually, high end audio gear will move more and more towards the home computer, but for many reasons the two haven't been integrated yet. For my money, the best way to do it is to set up your stereo around the receiver, But who knows how it will change in a couple years.

Another issue is how you want to use your high end audio system. Do you want to listen to music, or do you want to watch movies more? There are high end home theater speakers that you can buy, but they are designed more around providing realistic soundtracks to movies then reproducing musical sounds. Don't get me wrong - this is serious, high end audio gear that will work well for everything. Nonetheless, a lot of it has gotten very specialized recently. It used to be that good speakers were good for everything. Now, you are increasingly asked what you will use them for.

My favorite high end audio gear to play with is in my car. The great thing about high end car speakers is that they are so simple to work with. A high end car audio system is a pretty unambiguous thing. It will work well for anything you are likely to listen to in the car. I wish that home audio equipment was that simple!

Why are Today’s Pop Music Lyrics so Self-Obsessed?

2011-07-09T15:47:00.000-07:00

If you've been wondering lately about how today's pop music seems to be rather excessively about being self-centered, you aren't alone. Industry observers can't help but wonder about how pop music lyrics these days seem to be all about the individual - be it Taylor Swift wondering about why a boy can't see that he belongs with her or Rihanna screaming about why she can't find a boy who makes her feel like she's the only woman in the world, the world of pop music seems to be turning inward like never before.

The reason this seems to chafe with many people of course is that pop music lyrics haven't always been about narcissism or self-love. A study by psychologists in this matter in the Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts psychology journal feels that whereas songs in the past used to be more about society, about friends and family, about feelings, songs today seem stuck on explicitly making everything about oneself. They call it a 21st century health condition - obsessing too much over the significance of one's own grand self.

Using software to analyze pop music lyrics from all the top 10 songs over a 27 year-period starting with 1980, they found that songs near the beginning of the period they were looking at had a tendency to use words like “we” or ”us” a lot. Today, it's mostly about “me”. But of course, narcissism doesn't just stop at promoting oneself over everything else. People dislike narcissism because it usually comes with a gallon-can of meanness. And that, as everyone knows, is in abundant evidence in today's songs.

Pop music lyrics these days are about anger, about open cursing, foaming-at-the-mouth rage. In fact, rage today, is what young people feel identifies closely with freedom. Kanye West, a self-obsessed personality if ever there was one, makes his narcissistic meanness especially evident with lines like “You can't tell me nothing”; other pop stars like Pink love to rant and curse onstage.

Certainly, pop music lyrics may tend towards narcissism today; but not everyone is buying it. Music sells far less today than it ever did before. And one reason it doesn't sell as well is that there are far more outlets available today for indie bands. And of course, today's top 10 stars cater mostly to the team crowd. There is a vast market of grown-ups who just don't get represented on the charts. They listen to music from a long time ago because they will have no part of faddish bubblegum pop.

Collecting 80s Pop Culture

2011-06-17T11:29:00.000-07:00

If you were born in the 1970s or 1980s, you may think about things from your childhood which are now a part of 80s pop culture. There are iconic toys that many adults now collect because they remember them fondly from growing up at that time. As with any other decade, there are clothing styles, decorating styles, color themes, fads, music trends, and historical events that will make anyone who grew up then wistful for days when things were not so complicated. Being a kid means less responsibility and more time to enjoy all of these things.

If you are into 80s pop culture, there is probably a personal reason for what you collect or what you may want to collect. There were two main music trends in the 80s of note. There was the hair metal of the late 80s and then the electronic, techno-pop of the early 80s. There was other music, especially pop music, that was big then, but the before mentioned created the biggest buzz. Most people liked one or the other, but usually not both. You can go out and find old albums and other band collectibles of your favorites if you remember either of these and want to connect with your youth.

Another collectible from 80s pop culture could be clothing accessories and jewelry. There were a lot of trends in these areas that died off and may be coming back around now. The colors were bright neons like pink and green and some pastels. The belts were hung off the hips. They started small and ended up being very oversized and vibrant. Colored pearls were popular for a while, along with wearing tons of bracelets of all sizes and colors all at once on each arm. Earrings and hair items were also large, colorful, and sometimes came in geometric shapes.

Toys are huge in 80s pop culture collectables. There are too many different toys that were popular to name them all, but you probably had your most favorites. You can find many of them online, though they are going to cost more now than they did then. Just a few of the most loved collectables are Rainbow Bright, My Little Pony, Transformers, He-Man, Weeble Wobbles, Strawberry Shortcake and friends, and various trendy toys that you may not even remember until you see them.

80s pop culture collectables can be anything you want them to be. If you remember something fondly, chances are good that you can look online and find what you seek. You may even want to see what you can find in consignment stores that deal in older toys and items, and you can even see what your parents may have saved in their attic. There are newer versions of these older toys on the market as well, though to be honest, they are not the same as the original. However, you may smile to see your children playing with something you use to play with, even if it is a newer and different version than you remember.

What I Like About Action Movies

2011-06-01T04:39:00.000-07:00

For as long as I can remember, I have been a film buff. I like movies of all kinds, from suspense, to comedies, to documentaries, and everything in between. Of all of the different cinematic genres, however, action movies still hold a special place in my heart.

From the time I was a boy, I remember my father going to the video store and picking up a handful of movies for us to watch over the weekend. I remember that one of the first films I ever saw was Rambo: First Blood, a great action movie starting my favorite actor from that time period. It was amazing, because I think I was only six years old, but I still remember getting a lot out of it and really enjoying the movie. The reason I say it is amazing is because I can watch it today, 27 years later, and I still think it is great.

Another film from that era starred one of the greatest actors in action movies history, Arnold Schwartzenegger, and that movie was Commando. I always thought the way that Arnold lived was so cool, out in the woods, alone. Today the idea does not seem so appealing to me, but back then, it was all I wanted to do.

One of the action movies that will always hold a special place in my heart is Lone Wolf McQuade. This was for a couple of reasons. First, it was set in my home state of Texas. Second, the main character was a Texas Ranger, which I have always admired. Third, and most important, is that it was a movie that my father and I watched together, and both of us really liked.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was one of the action movies that my brother really enjoyed. I remember him actually making up a game that we both played outside in which we were characters from the movie. He set up obstacles and traps from which we had to escape.

Even in today's era of action movies, such as The Bourne Identity or Transformers, there is a level of excitement that most other genre's fail to achieve. What I mean by that is, while other types of movies might be just as interesting or even better overall, they don't seem to keep you on the edge of your seat the way that action movies do.

Action movies will always have a place in my heart because I rarely see one where I don't feel like it was at least fun to watch. They keep your mind occupied, and they take viewers into a world that most of us have never seen before. I think that those are some of the things that make them so special.

Golf and Business: Manners Matter

2010-09-14T06:05:00.000-07:00

Good manners in golf are like good manners in everything else. It is just a matter of putting yourself in someone else's shoes. If this is true for casual social situations then it is especially true for a sport like golf.

Golf is a social sport. Playing a round of golf with someone can be an excellent way to get to know them. This is particularly useful in business when you need to decide whether you want to establish a business relationship with someone you do not know very well. What better medium to do this than a round of golf where you see your potential client or business associate in a competitive situation. You get to see how they perform under pressure and how they react to both success and disappointment.

You are probably wondering what this has to do with golf etiquette. The goal of good manners in golf is to make sure everyone has a chance to enjoy their game without disruption or distraction from other players. The last thing you want to do in this situation is to be annoying.

Let's review a couple of important golf rules for etiquette and see how this plays out.

First, don't talk during someone else's shot. I know that among some of your close friends it may be okay to joke and wise crack about their swing, but it is best not to make a habit of it. When you are playing a round with business associates or office mates, talking or being otherwise distracting during their shot is considered rude. If you engage in this type of behavior you may find yourself omitted from the short list of golf partners for the next trip to the club.

Next, you need to acknowledge that everyone is entitled to play at their own pace, but you should also be thoughtful of your golf partners as well as other golfers playing on the same course. Take your time for your shot but don't waste a lot of time between shots. Try to figure out your next club choice while your partners are making their shots. Don't wait until it is your turn to begin to think about your next shot.

This same type of awareness also applies to other golfers on the course. If another golf party is coming up behind yours, playing the course more quickly than your group, it is good form to invite them to play through. This prevents them from having to wait for you at each hole throughout the remainder of the course and also eliminates the pressure of them "breathing down your neck" while you make your shots.

Finally, we have to acknowledge that golf is a frustrating game much of the time. For instance, it is easy to become angry when your shot lands in the water hazard for the third time in six holes.

When things are not going your way you need to have the presence of mind to remember that you want to show your golf partners how you deal with setbacks as well as with success. Stay calm and make a self-deprecating joke about your skill if you need to. Just remember that any embarrassment you suffer in that moment will not be as bad as the embarrassment you feel later if you give into your anger and toss all of your clubs into the water hazard.

Stay cool and stay alert to your own actions as well as the actions of those around you and try to make their experience as pleasant as you can. Doing so will ensure the your business-related golf activities will be both useful and enjoyable.

Mixing Boards: A Basic Overview

2010-09-07T06:06:00.000-07:00

Years ago, you know, back when life was simple, you’d attend a dance in your local town and see the band set up, each with their own amp which they would plug in, make a couple of adjustments to and were ready for the show. But as times and technology changed, that did to and now most bands have moved to a more sophisticated means for sound quality. Now instead of each musician controlling their own sound, it’s run through a central point, called a mixing board, sound board, or just plain mixer. This article is intended for those wanting to gain some understanding of what audio mixing boards are, and what they do.

In very basic terms, a mixing board is an electronic device that has a number of input channels that receive input from different sources. These channels operate independently of one another allowing for each to be controlled or adjusted differently. As such, the overall sound coming from the individual channels can then be 'mixed together' prior to output, and thus the term mixing board. So, if you had a 6 channel mixer, you could receive input from up to 6 instruments, microphones, or some combination of each, adjusting each to create a specific, desired sound.

Controls on the board enable the person running the board to alter the input. Aspects of the sound which can be altered include such things as volume, placement of the sound within the mix, (meaning if it's set left, right or centered, in efforts to create a complete surround-sound effect,) the brightness or clarity of the sound referred to as tonality, as well as other dynamics such as echo and reverb.

For example, if one of the channels was receiving its input from a bass guitar, in most cases you would want the sound coming out of that channel to have more low-end, deeper sounds than the channel carrying the lead or rhythm guitar. Or, you may want to have an echo effect on the lead vocalist’s microphone, but either non-existent or present but to a lesser degree for the backup vocalists. Because each channel is controlled independently, this is possible.

As noted above mixing boards are used in live performances, but they are also used in various other places such as recording studios, film post-production, broadcast studios, both radio and television, by DJs and in karaoke venues . Because the needs for each of these are so diverse, mixing boards come in a range of sizes, functionality and price to meet the need.

For amateur musicians, the great thing with the diversity is that it has opened the door for them to purchase their own mixing board to do their own recordings in their own homes or garages. Some mixing boards even have CD burners built right in so they can record, mix and burn the CD all on the one device. Others have USB ports allowing for easy transfer to computers to burn CDs there. For young high-school entrepreneurs, it has opened the door for them to venture into the DJ arena.

As stated earlier, this is just an overview of what mixing boards are. If you are really interested in learning more, you can go on to study how depending on the type of mixer, it can mix sounds in either analog (continuous) or digital (discrete unit) signals. How the channels can be stereo or monaural. The input format the channel is capable of receiving from (i.e., XLR, RCA, quarter-inch jack plug). From there you can learn about channel equalization (EQ), auxiliary-sends, panning control, faders, gains, metering, and on and on the list goes.

Whether learning any of that is of interest to you is for you to decide. However, after all is said and done, as one on the receiving side of the board, suffice it to say things sound a whole lot better when the one on the controlling side, knows how to work it.

Some Fun Things To Do In Cincinnati, Ohio

2010-08-25T23:15:00.000-07:00

Visiting Cincinnati, Ohio, is a wonderful experience and there is something to do every season. The Spring brings a trip to the Krohn Conservatory, the Summer, a trip to Kings Island, and the Fall, the WEBN Labor Day Riverfest fireworks. Each of these events are worth visiting on their own. Cincinnati is a town of many suburbs and a growing population. There are many hills and overlooks and over 4000 restaurants and dining places to unwind and relax. Cincinnati is in the southwest corner of Ohio and is bordered by the Ohio River.

Krohn Conservatory is a place devoted to the plant world and showcases over 3,500 plants. It has a devoted rainforest section as well as an arid plant section. The Krohn Conservatory is an architecturally rich space built in 1933 with a waterfall to walk behind and glass domed ceilings that let in the light and air for plants and people alike. The place has several theme shows each year. For instance, this summer, the butterflies of Japan are let free and are able to be viewed along with the Rainforest area. There is no charge for general admission; however, some donation is appreciated and for the special shows, a nominal fee may be charged. The permanent displays include a Desert Area, a Tropical Area, and Orchid display. Easter brings a special fragrance from all the bulbs on display and at Christmas time, the Poinsettia Room is filled with red blooms and many Christmas gift plants. There is a gift shop as well and many benches along the paths to take a rest and enjoy the sights.

For more information, call 513-352-4080. The Krohn Conservatory is located at 1501 Eden Park Drive, off Rt 50E about two miles outside downtown Cincinnati.

Summer heat brings Kings Island to mind. This amusement park covers 364 acres of wet and wild fun. The park has 14 official wild roller coasters and has been the stomping grounds of many devoted thrill seekers for years. The park hosts a variety of events and shows for all ages including a water park for families, food booths of all kinds, and many gifts and souvenir booths. The Cincinnati foodstuffs are well represented by LaRosas pizza, Skyline chili, Graeter's Ice Cream, and Starbucks as well as the normal hamburgers and hot dogs and desserts. Kings Island is well known for its blue ice cream. There is a replica of the Eiffel Tower and every evening as the temperature cools down a little, the night sky is bombarded with terrific fireworks about nine o'clock. If you want to stay and make several days of visiting Cincinnati and Kings Island, there is the Great Wolf Lodge right on the grounds.

For more information, the number is 513-574-7500. Kings Island is about 20 miles northwest of downtown Cincinnati off I-71.

Every September, the banks of the Ohio River, both in Ohio and Kentucky, become the home to over 1.5 million people visiting booths all day and capped by the best fireworks that many have ever seen. This is Cincinnati's end of summer Labor Day celebration called Riverfest and is held on the first Sunday in September. The booths have any type of food desired, and music stages are set up to play all day providing many types of music. A local radio station, WEBN, composes a music tribute that matches the booms of the fireworks and presents a very loud and thrilling evening event, starting with the battle of Ohio and Kentucky. Each side of the river sees which can be the loudest right before the fireworks will begin. This is a very large display of fireworks which are very costly, but well appreciated by all the fans on the river. Lucky boat owners can be right on the river as the colors and sounds surround the hills and waterway.

There are many wonderful sights and places to visit in Cincinnati. Cincinnati is a very friendly Midwestern town with a family atmosphere. It is a very clean town and lodgings are abundant, but reservations must be made well before the bigger festivals such as Riverfest. If a fun time of shopping, restaurants, events, and other amusements are desired, it would be hard to beat Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Great Motorcycle Debate! Helmet Or No Helmet?

2007-04-03T21:15:00.000-07:00

The debate rages on....!
In this corner you have the freedom camp! Their anthem is something like: "Don't force your stupid helmet laws on us 'cause you're taking away our freedom to choose! I should have the right to decide these things for myself! There's nothing like feelin' the breeze on the open road!"
In the other corner, are people who are afraid they might have to watch or have watched their sons (or some significant other) suffer and/or die because they weren't wearing a helmet.

One Mother's Story
Not only am I the mother of a motorcycle rider, but I'm also someone who has been a motorcycle fan for most of my adult life. My son comes from a family of motorcycle enthusiasts, racers and even has relatives that have been involved in motorcycle manufacturing so we're not novices to the pros and cons of motorcycle riding and the helmet wearing debate.

The Phone Call
It was Sept 28, 2003 when the call came. You know, the one that every mother dreads might happen someday! Well, my someday had arrived. It was the Orlando Medical Center telling me my son had been seriously injured etc. etc. etc. Your mind goes blank and you temporarily go deaf part way through one of those calls so I didn't get all the details. By the way, I live in Massachusetts to make matters worse and at the time had very little money. I managed to get some money and made it to Florida and will never forget my first sight of my son in the ICU. I'll spare you the gory details.

What To Expect
They always try to minimize the prognosis at first, since he was still unconscious, we had to wait to see the extent of brain damage. Yes, they used those words. He had surgery on both sides of his brain--bilateral hematoma. Don't you just love expanding your vocabulary? The projections ran the gamut of possibilities but we had to wait till he woke up.

"The Miracle"
He woke up! The first few days were quite challenging since his personality was very combative at first. He ended up being a very lucky young man due to many factors which I like to think of as "The Miracle".
First, his accident happened at night as he was entering his condo complex which means he had just entered the gate and was going slow. No-one knows exactly what happened but he apparently lost control right there. The nearest unit with a view of the gate was quite a distance away but that's where the second part of "The Miracle" kicked in literally! The horn got stuck! Someone ended up looking out of their window and calling for help! The third part was that the Life Flight helicopter arrived quickly and delivered him to Orlando Medical Center. Finally, one of the best Neurosurgeons in the state was on call and available when my son was brought in. If any of these factors hadn't occurred, he would have died...alone, in the dark, until someone drove into the condo complex.

Residual Effects
It took a while for his personality to get close to his normal sweet self. (My term, not his!) He lost hearing on one side and lost his sense of taste. His short term memory is still spotty but vastly improved from the first few weeks after the accident. He does get headaches but that could be from the stress of running his own pool building business. Yes, he was able to resume his business after a few weeks. He met a wonderful girl and got married and last year had a beautiful son who, of course is a miracle!

So What About The Helmet Debate
I've always worn a helmet even when there were no helmet laws. My son and some other relatives wore them when required by law but if left to their own choosing didn't always wear a helmet. Florida didn't have a helmet law in 2003 so he wasn't wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. Would he wear one now? Yes, if he ever gets another motorcycle.
So what about everyone else? I certainly don't presume to tell the world how to live. I'm writing this to give the "freedom camp" something to think about. My son's accident was not on a highway at high speed but, when getting your head clobbered on the pavement/curb, it doesn't take much speed to break your brain! It's the only brain you have and I've seen a lot of people who weren't as lucky as my son and had much more permanent brain damage.

You Decide
So really, you have a serious decision to make. You could decide it's worth the risk for yourself as an individual because you want to feel the wind (bugs?) blowing through your hair. But, don't forget to ask yourself "How will my mother (fill in the blank with any significant other) feel when she gets that call late one night from an Intensive Care Unit or Emergency Room? Will the first thing she thinks be 'Oh God was he wearing a helmet?' Or will she thank God because she knows you always wear a helmet? Like I said you decide!

Thinking of Learning to Scuba Dive? Nothing to Fear!

2007-04-02T20:56:00.000-07:00

Scuba diving is a marvelous adventure. The weightlessness of the water, the surreal world of life, shape and color, and the amazing discoveries that can be had beneath the surface of the water are unequaled anywhere else on the earth. And with 71% of our planet covered with water, there is truly much to explore.

As with all sports, scuba diving does require some preparation, but the rewards are well worth the effort.

Maybe you have been one of those who have thought of learning to scuba, but have been kept from even trying because of hesitations and fears of one sort or another. This phenomenon is fairly common, and also easily remedied.

One of the most common fears is of being close to marine creatures. If you have been one of those feeling hesitant about this, some simple education can help. Many fears of being in close proximity with creatures from below the surface of the sea have come from years of misinformation from television and movies. These fears are usually unwarranted.

For example, a few of the oceans' inhabitants such as the shy octopus, the giant squid, and the gentle orca, have each been portrayed at different times as terrible monsters. In reality, none of these creatures are a real threat to human beings at all.

Even the shark, commonly considered to be the most dreaded of all of the ocean's predators, is not the terror that Hollywood has made it out to be. In fact, your chances of dying from a bee sting are far greater than from being attacked by a shark!

Sharks have often mistaken a surfer or a swimmer for a seal or an injured fish, and then easily follow nature's instincts and bite, thinking they have a meal. Interestingly, humans don't even taste that good to sharks, so they usually let go after biting. As a diver, when you are down in the same water with the shark, they are more likely to perceive you as a neighbor, rather than dinner.

Another type of fish that has been the cause of fear is the barracuda. Simply remember that barracudas are attracted to shiny things, and remove all your jewelry before diving. You will then discover that the barracuda is just another curious fish. As a diver, you will be more likely to receive a peck from the miniscule damselfish than a bite from a barracuda.

Some varieties of marine creatures can be hazardous to your health, such as the jellyfish, the Portuguese Man-O-War, the lionfish, scorpionfish, and the rockfish. Learn to identify these creatures so you can keep your distance, and they will gladly avoid you. Then be watchful so you don't happen to get caught up in jellyfish tendrils (with painful, though not fatal, stinging cells), and avoid brushing up against a rockfish with its poisonous spines.

Getting qualified diving instruction will go a long way to allaying any fears. A good instructor will assist you in preparing physically and mentally for an enjoyable diving experience. Then, as you dive more often, you will find yourself getting more comfortable in the water, your air consumption rate will drop because your breathing will relax more and more, and you will find yourself wondering what took you so long to start!

The art of fly fishing

2007-03-17T05:48:00.000-07:00

When it comes to fly fishing, tying a knot is not is not the most glamorous of subjects. As any experienced lover of fishing knows, the type of fly makes all the difference when it comes to catching fish. For sports-fishermen, the highest art of fishing is to fly fish.

Normally it takes years of studying these fish, trial and error with different fly patterns, different fishing techniques, different innovation designs and methods with the right focus to get to a place where you understanding these creatures adequately for outstanding results we normally only see the Pro's achieving. Fortunately, with the right focus, we can now be achieving much greater success in much shorter time frames by understanding and taking advantage of these 'Recognition keys', combined with other behavioral patterns of the trout species we are targeting and just some basic skills of fly fishing.

That approach has been enhanced by the use of innovative strategies, tactics and trout fly construction, which have dramatically raised the bar on fly construction, which have dramatically raised the bar on fly fishing success rates. Most reviews about fly fishing gears will help you The Internet offers lots of sites containing reviews of different angling and fly fishing gear as well. As fly fishing experts write most reviews, you can rely on the information.

one of the most passionate sports among anglers, there are two forms of fly-fishing - dry fly fishing and wet fly fishing. There are some steps that should be taken when one is buying fly fishing gear that make it easier to choose among the thousands of products offered. There are a lot of factors to be taken into consideration when choosing a fly fishing rod.

The making of flies to be used in fly fishing really has developed into something of specialized art form. The art of fly fishing will get in go your blood and you will peruse the quite of the streams or the solitude of the ocean beaches to capture you prey. If your group is flying into a remote outpost or lodge, ask the pilot to do a "fly over" of the lake(s) you will be fishing.

Finding the right spot to fly fish needs load of patience; as there are many fly fishing spots all over the world, you need to carefully choose which best suit you. Choosing the right fishing fly may very well make the difference in the quantity and quality of fish you catch on your next trip.

Lessons learned on the stream are the best tips you can acquire anywhere in your quest for learning fly fishing reel, as a poor reel can frustrate even the most talented fly fisher. The fly reel is very important because it dictates how much control the fisher will have over the line.

Generally, when shopping for fly fishing equipment, it is important that you check all the components including ball bearings, precision, etc. With that said and when all is said and done, a family interested in fly fishing does not need to plan a grand holiday to enjoy the sport. But, a fly fishing vacation is also an outdoor sport that needs careful planning; there are number of things to consider.

South Fork Snake River is a wonderful spot for the fly fishing vacation that you are planning. Yellowstone River make the best of a fly fishing vacation. Armed with the stuff I read,I went about to experience Fly Fishing without even going near a body of water.

Hollywood: How the American Movie Industry Was Born

2007-03-13T21:38:00.000-07:00

Say "Hollywood" and the words film and television are the first to be associated with the place. A district in Los Angeles in the western United States, Hollywood pretty much encompasses what the American film and television industry is all about. Probably all functions that are required to make a film product can be found in this one location. This includes filming in studios, film editing, post-production and even casting of actors.

Hollywood is every actor's dream. It has given fame and fortune to many names and faces for almost a century. The place has produced hundreds of hit movies, making it the movie capital of the world. This is one of the reasons why many aspiring actors across America try their luck out in Hollywood. They gain quite a decent living off of acting for films and various television shows that are produced there.

The name Hollywood was already existent long before it became synonymous to being a movie powerhouse. In fact, Hollywood wouldn't be what it is if it wasn't for a small troop of actors that ventured into it in 1910. The place was a small village just north of Los Angeles. The very first movie to be filmed there was In Old California. After rumors spread out that California was such a great place to shoot movies, directors from all over America began to bring their projects out west into Hollywood. This is how the American Movie Industry was born.

Today, most motion picture productions still happen in and about Hollywood. But major picture houses have had to build their properties in other place surrounding Hollywood because of the lack of real estate. At present, the only studio left within the limits of Hollywood is Paramount Studios. Other landmarks that can be found are the Kodak Theater and the Hollywood Hotel, which is now home to the famous Oscars. The famous Hollywood Walk of Fame can also be found there. Honorees receive a star based on their lifetime as actors and that star is placed into the ground on the walkway. It forever immortalizes them as key contributors to the success of the film industry.

Aside from being the film industry's powerhouse in movie making and television programming, Hollywood is also home to many venues and theaters that host award shows like the Academy Awards. It is popular among tourists and is known to have one of the best nightlife recreation facilities in the world. For the tourists, they also make their way around the area hoping just to catch a glimpse of their favorite stars that are more than likely to appear on the streets. Music studios have also set up their businesses in Hollywood. One of the most famous companies is Capitol Records on Vine Street. So aside from the growing number of actors and actresses, there is also room for musicians to make their mark in entertainment. And entertainment is what Hollywood is all about.