Archive for September 2011
House MD
House M.D. is also known as House. This series was debuted on American television in November, 2004. This show is based on medical drama. The central character of the serial is Dr. Gregory House. He is shown as a medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at hospital. The name of the hospital is PPTH, Princeton – Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey. Dr. House is shown as an unconventional character. Often he ends up in conflict with his boss, hospital administrator, his diagnostic team and Dean of Medicine, Dr. Lisa Cuddy. Dr. House has got only one true friend and that person is Dr. James Wilson, Head of Department of Oncology. This show has completed six seasons on American Television. House M.D. has got a lot of viewers and is pretty popular among them. This serial is critically acclaimed show. This show was rated in top ten shows in America from its second season to fourth season. This is indeed an achievement for any show.
This serial is very popular and has got a thing to make viewers want more. On the basis of its popularity, the show has been distributed in 66 countries. In fact, in year 2008, House M.D. was the most watched television show in the world. With several awards in its kitty, House M.D. started its sixth season in September 2009. The show received 20005 Peabody Award. This show has been nominated for six Golden Globe Awards and received two of them. The show has always been supported by critics. Dr. House claims to be a Board Certified diagnostician with a double speciality in infectious diseases and nephrology.
This show also shows a lot of similarities between Dr. House and Sherlock Holmes. Holmes apartment was 221B and so is of Dr House. House’s friend whom he trusts the most is Dr. James Wilson and Sherlock Holmes’s best friend is Dr. John Watson. Both Dr. House and Sherlock Holmes characters suffer from drug addiction. Dr. House is addicted to Vicodin and Holmes is addicted to cocaine, morphine and tobacco. Dr House is shown to believe in last name. He wants people to call him by his last name. Also, Dr House calls his team and other people with their last names. Similarly, Sherlock Holmes also used to call everyone by their last names. If we try and look at more things, there can be more similarities between the two of them. The reason is that the creator of the show has got special interest in Sherlock Holmes. He is so inspired with him that adding his characteristics to the main character of House M.D. was inevitable.
Both Dr. House and Sherlock Holmes play musical instruments. Dr. House plays piano, guitar and harmonica.. On the other hand, Sherlock Holmes plays Violin. There many similarities in both the characters, still one can not deny the fact that both have their own place in audience’s hearts. House M.D. is no doubt one of the best drama series with medical background which has won praises from viewers all across.
House Music – A Brief History of Early House Records
In the Beginning
The origins of house music can be traced back to the early 1980′s in Chicago, Illinois. House rhythms were originally rooted in disco, but the music was influenced by a wide range of styles including blues, jazz, soul, R&B, and funk.
Framing the “House”
The coining of the phrase “house music” is a hotly debated topic among musicians and DJ’s. Some say it originated from a club called “The Warehouse” where longtime resident Producer/DJ Frankie Knuckles played his unique brand of dance music until 1982 when the venue closed. Knuckles himself said he first heard the term while passing by a bar on the south side of Chicago that displayed a sign in its window reading “We play house music”. DJ Leonard “Remix” Rroy claims the sign was a reference to the type of soulful music one would play at home.
Another opinion is that the term referenced the creation of music in the homes of pioneering DJ’s and dance producers. These early creations would be recorded using synthesizers, drum machines and sequencers. Others claim that “house” references the correlation of certain tracks with their respective DJ’s, as in the house DJ’s played their own house records.
The Pioneers of House
The Chicago club scene of the early 80′s was fueled by DJ’s spinning various forms of music including disco, hip hop, funk, pop, and R&B. The advent of relatively inexpensive electronic instruments led to many DJ’s producing their own blend of existing songs by mixing in drum machines and effects.
Considered by many to be the first original house music record, “On & On” by Jesse Saunders was released in 1984. The album’s success stimulated a wave of recordings from the early DJ’s trying their hand at producing house music. The music soon branched off into subgenres of house such as deep house and acid house.
With the support of club DJ’s such as Lil Louis, Frankie Knuckles, Ron Hardy, and radio stations like WBMX, house music quickly gained popularity in Chicago. At the same time, house began to spread to neighboring DJ’s and producers of Detroit, Michigan. Artists like Marshall Jefferson helped push house outside of Chicago with his widely popular track “Move Your Body”. From the mid to late 80′s artists like Larry Heard, Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, Farley Keith, and Steve Hurley, continued to popularize the genre.
Today, house music is stronger than ever and can be heard in some form throughout clubs across the globe. The genre has continued to branch off into subgenres including progressive house, electro house, techno house, breakbeat, and the list goes on. House is not just a form of music, but is a religion supported by devoted practitioners the world over.
Bargain Decorating and Furniture Buying Tips
NINE STEPS TO CREDIT CRUNCH DECORATING.
Stylish ways to shop smart during the credit crunch.
1. SALE SHOPS
Check out your nearest HomeSense, the homeware sister to TKMaxx. Also investigate Trade Secrets and National Brands with lines from Laura Ashley, House of Fraser, John Lewis and M&S.
2. ONLINE OFFERS
Annoyed but intrigued by all those 20% off offers that keep being forwarded to your inbox? Sign up to vouchercodes.co.uk, and access them all from one manageable website. Also try secretsales.com – an online sale club with discounts of up to 80% – moneysavingexpert.com, and moneysupermarket.com.
3. USE SHOPBOTS
Price comparison sites sift through retail sites to find the cheapest – but use at least three – from kelkoo.co.uk, pricerunner.co.uk, pricegrabber.co.uk and shopping.com – as not all retailers have relationships with all of them.’
4. GET A STORECARD
…but don’t use it. Many lure you in with a massive discount on your first purchase, which is great if you are furnishing a home. Take out the card, use the discount, access the privilege club, then pay the bill and cut the card up.
5. FREE AND EASY
Check out freecycle.org and pick up other people’s unwanted items. Great if you want old furniture to customise.
6. BE CHEEKY
Many sales personnel will go to great lengths to land a sale so don’t be afraid to ask for a discount. Or offer to pay in cash, which saves them on credit card commission.
7. FACTORY SHOPS AND OUTLETS
Some of our favourites include include Arthur Price, the Fired Earth Outlet, Christopher Wray Lighting, OKA Discount Shop, Portmerion, Sanderson Clearance, Waterford Crystal, Wedgewood and Wesley Barrell. Go to their websites to join the mailing list of your favourites and you’ll get prior notice about special sales and exclusive discounts.
8. OUTLET VILLAGES
With manufacturers increasingly producing merchandise specifically to sell through outlets, they no longer have that ‘last-season’s reject’ vibe. One of the smartest is Bicester Village with the likes of Cath Kidston, the White Company, Bodum, Descamps, Molton Brown, Calvin Klein and Paul Smith at bargain prices. Also try York Designer Outlet, Cheshire Oaks, Ashford and Gunwharf Quays.
9. HIGH DESIGN ON THE HIGH STREET
Savvy shoppers will already know to head to Habitat, who have enlisted the talent of top names such as Paola Navone, David Adjaye, Daisy de Villneuve, Christian Lacroix and Celia Birtwell to add to their already impressive collection. Graham & Brown have produced wallpaper ranges with Basso and Brooke, Barbara Hulaniki and Marcel Wanders, whilst Debenhams have long had collaborations with a Matthew Williamson, Julien Macdonald and John Rocha. House of Fraser stock both Jaeger and Ghost bed linen and Orla Kiely’s new collection for Heals launched last autumn. Designer style at high street prices – what’s not to like?
Visit our decorating archive for more modern decorating ideas.