An intoduction into MP3s

If you haven't heard of the MP3 format - where have you been? This compression algorithm, which can pack CD-quality audio into files of reasonable size while maintaining a high level of quality, has been the darling of Internet audio enthusiasts worldwide.

The MP3 format has generated much controversy in the recording industry because of its near-perfect digital music reproductions. With the right tools, users can create MP3 files from audio CDs on their own computers.

Music pirates have been placing these "ripped" MP3 files on the Internet for download, much to the dismay of artistes and recording companies.

However, the fledgling legal MP3 industry has been making great strides of its own. Numerous independent artistes have mushroomed on the Internet, fully utilizing this medium to distribute their songs. Web sites such as GoodNoise and MP3.com also provide countless numbers of free MP3s for download.

The MP3 format is not limited to just music - virtually any form of audio can be encoded into MP3, such as audio books, news broadcasts, speeches, and recordings.

For the listener, the format means new artists who can never seem to get accepted by record labels but turn out to be big hits with the public, can gain exposure for their music on their own Web sites.

The file can be played by an MP3 player (WinAmp is a popular one on the Internet, available from www.winamp.com) on a computer.
It can be transferred to a CD, but CD players can't recognize the MP3 format. (However, there are some CD players now being produced that can decompress MP3 files on the fly and play them. The advantage: A CD, instead of holding 60 minutes of music, can now hold about 150 to 200 songs.)

Small wonder, then, that MP3 is the second-most-frequently used search word on most search engines.

What is MP3?

Developed for movie audio in the early '90s by German researchers, it's a compression technique that shrinks digital audio files to less than a tenth of their original size with no sound degradation.

What does MP3 stand for?

It's short for MPEG (Motion Picture Experts Group) Audio Level 3, which probably explains why it's shortened to three letters.

How do I use it?

A. Find a Web site with MP3 files, then click on the song you want. It'll take about five minutes to download using a 56K modem, provided you have the required new version of Microsoft Internet Explorer and MP3-playing software. (The latest Windows Media Player will do, and is offered for free at some legal MP3 sites.) Each song requires about 3.5 megabytes of hard-disk space.

MP3.com (http://www.mp3.com/): Features downloadable songs and MP3 players, along with answers to frequently asked MP3 questions. Since it's legal, artists either post here because they're unsigned or because their record labels have agreed to let them. Such corporate tolerance usually means the artist needs exposure, so you probably won't find the most popular songs.

Related Information of Interest:

Watching TV Has Never Been More Fun
Have you ever found yourself yelling at the TV after your team just made a boneheaded play and realize there is no one else to share your pain? Or, overcome with emotion when your favorite character died on the O.C., Lost, or 24 and realize there’s not another soul in the room that cares? Have you ever been so engrossed in a show that you would have given anything to be able to interact with the producers, writers, or even the actors? For the past 70 years, television has primarily been an anti-social, one-way device, without an outlet for social interactivity. Well, now that’s changed. Meet BuddyTV.

As more and more people get broadband Internet connections and put computers in their TV rooms (or laptops on their, well, laps) the notion of television as a one-way street is no longer reasonable. While you watch your favorite show, celebrities, experts, friends, family or (possibly) mortal enemies may be providing live commentary at BuddyTV. Everything imaginable is available; live video, live audio, live text, and interactive polls are all part of the BuddyTV experience. In fact, you can broadcast your own, private, live commentary to all your friends and neighbors. The television experience is now a communal one, where people can interact and socialize with both their friends and celebrities.

Television is never going away and it still draws enormous worldwide audiences; the most popular shows in the US drive over 30MM viewers per show. As the world becomes smaller and the global community continues to effortlessly reach across borders and oceans, television must adapt and become a community hub whose programming brings people closer together. It is happening today and it’s exciting, with BuddyTV leading the charge. Watching TV has never been more fun and exciting. Try BuddyTV out and ask youself this: Is this the next evolution of TV?

So, if you want to find our more about The OC or especially about 24, please visit this website BuddyTV Television

Online Degrees - Points to watch out for
Many reputable universities offer online degree courses. An online degree offers students many advantages, especially older students, who may have childcare commitments that need to be accommodated into a study regime. Given that students on a traditional course spend the greater part of their time partying, it is certainly possible to pack the study part of a university education into one or two years.

Employers are naturally suspicious of anything new in the way of qualifications, and there will be a certain reluctance, on the part of some, to accept an online degree as equivalent to a traditional one. This arises because of the wealth of worthless ï¿½life experienceï¿½ degrees that can be obtained for $200 or less from universities that no-one has ever heard of.

An online degree from a traditional and respected university will get you over this hurdle. You should avoid lesser known universities offering these courses, even if they are accredited institutions. Employers do not have the resources to keep track of which institutions are reputable this year, and which were reputable in the year your degree was awarded. They will play safe and only interview candidates with qualifications from universities they recognize.

School principals and governors are some of the most conservative people on the planet. If you apply for a teaching job with a qualification from some unheard of university, they will assume your hard-earned qualification is an online degree and worthless.

If you are looking into an online education degree, then you need to be particularly careful that it includes some teaching experience in a school situation. Teachers want to be working alongside other teachers who have been through a similar system of training that they went through themselves.

The general perception amongst teachers is that online degree qualifications do not include teaching practice in the classroom. They want to know that you have some teaching experience in the classroom and to see reports relating to that.

These reports are the only relevant reference you have as far as most teachers are concerned. The extent of your knowledge, as measured by your degree is much less important than is your ability to communicate that knowledge to a group of students.

Pete Gallagher, taught Chemistry for 28 years. He has now left teaching to concentrate on writing. These articles are based on an expensive photocopiable resource that he sold to schools to use in staff training. Find more of Pete's work at his EduBackup website. Another source of information on education degrees can be found at this specialist resource site.

Amish Bread Starter
Amish Bread Starter, creating a "Sour-dough" like bread. This starter makes a cinnamon bread, with optional raisins and nuts. From the "e-Cookbook" 65 Amish Recipes available from www.faithsrecipies.biz/amish

2/3 c. sugar
2/3 c. milk
2/3 c. flour
2/3 c. oil
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. sugar
2 c. flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda

Combine ingredients in large airtight container with lid. Store at room temperature, do not refrigerate. Stir every day for 17 days. The recipe makes more than the 1 cup needed. But allows for evaporation.

Now the starter is ready. The following instructions are for either the starter you created above, or received from a loving friend.

For the next 10 days handle starter according to the following instructions.

Day 1, receive the starter
Day 2, 3 & 4 - stir
Day 5, Add 1 cup each flour, sugar and milk.
Day 6 & 7, stir
Day 8 & 9, stir
Day 10, Add 1 cup flour, sugar and milk.
Divide into 3 containers of 1 cup each for friends.

After removing the 3 cups of batter, mix in the following ingredients: Using a fork, beat by hand until well blended.

Add 1 cup raisins and 1 cup nuts (optional).

Grease pans with butter, sprinkle with sugar instead of flour. Bake at 325 for 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes, remove from pans.

Cook books and recipes are found at Faith's Recipes

Easy Egg Salad
Thereï¿½s nothing more enjoyable for lunch on a warm summer day than a cold egg salad sandwich. As long as you keep your egg salad mixture refrigerated prior to use, you can safely make and eat egg salad sandwiches regardless of the weather. Egg salad can also be enjoyed as a topper on green leafy salads, or is especially nice as a side to a tomato salad, complete with buttered whole-wheat toast.

There are many excellent egg salad recipes to be found in cookbooks and on the Internet. However, the key to a tasty egg salad starts well before starting the recipe. To produce an excellent result you need to pay attention to how you boil your eggs. An egg that has been cooked correctly has a soft, tender texture. An over-boiled egg is rubbery and has a harder texture, and is more difficult to mash. If you boil your eggs with the following technique, you will enjoy an egg salad that has a smooth, even texture and taste.

First: you shouldnï¿½t use the very best-dated eggs you can find at the grocery store for any recipe calling for boiled eggs you must peel. If you use new eggs, you may have already noticed that they are much harder to peel than those that are about a week or two old. Researchers are not exactly sure why older eggs are easier to peel, but most believe it is due to a gas building up between the shell and the thin white membrane of the egg. This build-up pushes the shell of the egg away from the inner membrane and makes the shell peel off easier after the egg has cooled.

Second: have you ever boiled your eggs and found after you peeled them that there was a green-brownish layer around the egg yolk? This occurs because of a natural chemical reaction between iron in the egg yolk with sulphur in the egg white. You can minimize this green layer by rapidly cooling your eggs after initial boiling. Here is a brief outline of the cooking technique: place your eggs in a pot large enough to comfortably make one layer of eggs and fill with water to one inch over the top of the eggs. Bring the pot to a boil then take the pot off of the hot burner and let the pot sit with the eggs for 20 minutes to finish cooking the eggs. Then, immediately take the eggs out of the hot water and place in a bowl of ice water to cool off. This rapid cooling will prevent little (if any) greenish icky stuff to form, resulting in a nicer colour and flavour for your egg salad filling!

If you are interested in a step-by-step guide for making some delicious and unique egg salad recipes, visit Irene's Egg Salad website. At this site, you can see the whole process a step at a time and download our free recipe booklet. You will become an egg salad expert in no time at all!