1952 marked the beginning of the modern day guitar revolution. It was in this year that Les Paul and Gibson teamed up to create the Gibson Les Paul electric guitar. Whether you are aware of it or not, you have probably experienced this guitar in someway or another. You may have gone to a live a show and seen your favorite musician playing it or you've heard it on your favorite record, this guitar is a staple in the music industry and has been since its creation all those years ago.

The story of the guitar's burth is a little different depending on who you ask. Les Paul is responsible for adding elements to the guitar such as the trapeze-style tailpiece. Les Paul was a very popular Jazz musician at the time. When the guitar was created, Ted McCarty was in charge of Gibson. There are claims that the guitar was completely designed before Gibson ever talked to Les Paul. Gibson did this to get an endorsement for their new guitar from a well known jazz and pop guitar player.

Despite the legendary status the Les Paul has these days, believe it or not, it was rejected when it was first introduced. Les Paul's prototype was called 'The Log' and it was rejected when he submitted it. His thought was to put electronic pickups onto a solid guitar as opposed to the semi-hollow bodies that were popular then. His unique design spurred the industry in a new direction and expanded on the idea of the electric guitar that became wildly popular. Since then, Les Paul's guitar has gained traction with guitarists through the decades to finally rise to icon status.

The rich, storied history of the unique Gibson Les Paul electric guitar still attracts guitar enthusiasts and collectors to this day. The unique tone spectrum of the guitar is used by many studio musicians. Many notable musicians use this guitar still today. Some notable users have been: Chet Atkins, Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, The Edge, David Grohl, Eric Johnson, Ted Nugent, Keith Richards and many, many more. It has a rich clientele that continues to grow, making this guitar one of the most landmark electric instruments to hit the market.

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Iron maiden, The band won ‘best live band’ last night to the delight of headbangers everywhere. (UP THE IRONS!). I went to Maiden’s twickenham gig in June last year, and there were 5 seperate full-sized merchandise stands around and inside the venue which were always packed. one of the music industires dirty secrets: bands dont make money on album sales generally, but on touring and merchandise sales. For bands like Iron Maiden and Metallica who sell thousands of t-shirts at concerts this is a very sweet piece of pie, considering twickenham holds 55,000 people for concerts, and a t-shirt was £20 each, not knowing the sales figures we cant really do the maths -im betting its a HUGE number in the five figure region. But when they were a smaller band in the late 70’s early 80s Merch sales were keeping them on the road until 1983’s ‘number of the beast’ exploded and took them to the next level as a band. Cannibal Corpse’s bloody imagery that is shown on their t-shirts have kept them making a living out of their music and on tour for years.

Promotional merchandise can also help get your bands name out there.

People will buy cool looking merchandise to wear/ display, out in public, which will be seen by other people, and if they also like the design/ logo, they may come to a gig or at least check out your myspace page. The more people are exposed to your logo, the more can become interested and quickly become merch buying fans. Unless your a die hard fan, most people will buy one copy of the album (why would you need anymore?) but 2 or 3 t-shirts to wear out.

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The Dixie Chicks, featured on the Grammy’s 2007, are still getting the cold shoulder from conservative Southern Radio for mouthing a political opinion. Actually it was a personal attack on President Bush. They still haven’t learned.

Martin Sheen (remember his duct taped mouth?) has been relegated into the shadows. He appears in the new movie – The Departed – but you only see him for 2 seconds in the commercials for the flick and he is not mentioned in a starring role. Director Martin Scorsese has hidden Sheen in the shadows. Does he hope that conservatives will be tricked into spending their money on the movie, or buy or rent the DVD?

I could go on about the financial backlash each of these people is feeling and how they should not be penalized for exercising free speech but that is not the issue here.

Actor Richard Widmark said it best. When asked about politics he said – “Performers should perform and then shut up”. I believe that he understood his obligation to not use his position and popularity as a pulpit to express his political views. I believe that he understood that he could easily sway the opinions of gullible star-struck fans towards a political position that he favored or decried. Richard Widmark performed and then kept his mouth shut about politics.

As a former working journalist, paid by my station and network, I delivered the news and “shut up” about my personal political views. No one knew whether I was Republican, Democrat, Independent. I voted in nearly every election and I had friends in the political parties because I reported the news and “shut up”. All politicians got equal time on every issue. My job was to give them a pulpit because each was recognized as a political expert.

Those of you of my generation will remember Walter Cronkite. He was called – “The Most Trusted Man in America”. Why? He earned that designation because no one knew his politics. He never tilted a story, hiding his political opinion, as is the practice among many TV anchors today. He stepped out of his neutral role only once. He went to Viet Nam and saw the carnage for himself and spoke out against the war. It was done in a way that was thoughtful and fact-based. It was not a shoot-from-the-lip opinion.

Actors and musicians are hardly recognized as having the credibility of a Walter Cronkite. They perform and entertain for a living. Yes, they have a political opinion. Most of us do. But, expert opinion? I think not. Just because Mainstream Media gives them a bully pulpit does not validate their opinion in the slightest. In fact, it should make you question the motives of Media. Why would they put these people on-air and in print? Why not give my plumber or garbage man the same visibility? Their opinion is just as valid isn’t it?

Where do I personally stand on this? I will make this admission – I do not pay to view, own, rent, or listen to any performer who publicly states a political opinion, regardless of that opinion. I really don’t care about their opinion. I only care about their misuse of their position and my wife and I have decided we will not support them with our money. If their name is mentioned in the credits of a film or on a CD cover – sorry.

Now, I am not proposing a blacklist. Far from it. I don’t like blacklisting in any form. I don’t like boycotts or protest marches either. I believe in changing things through the political system through the power of the ballot box and the power of money.

If you agree with the performers, you have every right to spend your money to support them. If you do not agree with them, you have every right to reject them.

For me – performers should perform and then shut up.

Jim DeSantis

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Here’s the thing: I’m a New Yorker. And in New York, it is amazingly difficult NOT to spend a lot of money, just on the basics! As a student of Harv Eker, I am trying to limit my expenses to 50% of my after-tax income, and I have to tell you, that is really hard to do. Harv isn’t the only one to suggest this either: almost every money-management guru gives the same advice. Simplify your expenses.

The fact is, if you want to become financially free, you must do two things: increase your passive income and decrease your expenses. Once your passive income is equal to or greater than your expenses, you are financially free. The concept is simple enough — and in other articles I address creating passive income (the easiest and fastest way to do this would be by renting your rooms). But how do you simplify your expenses? Especially when you look around and you don’t see a way HOW? Here are a variety of ways you can still live a decent life and be a bit more frugal at the same time.

Food & Toiletries

• By far, making lunch at home was one of my biggest savings! I made lunch and snacks and bought them to work.
• Instead of buying shower gel, go back to soap bars. They last longer and are much cheaper.
• Don’t wash your hair every day, and when you do wash your hair, only wash it once. That saves lots of shampoo.
• I made my own coffee at home — or cut it out altogether and put that money aside in your financial freedom jar. One guru calls that the “latte factor.”
• As a nation, we eat out a whole lot more and buy convenience foods to just heat in the microwave — but these can be expensive. Cooking may take time, but it does save you lots of money.
• Buy generic! I was so opposed to this, and one day I ate some potato chips that my boyfriend bought. Seriously? They didn’t taste different from the name brand. Try it. Ok, some things may be non-negotiable, but you’d be surprised what is. Your grocery bill will go way down.
• Take the effort to cut coupons, take advantage of sales, and go to discount warehouses, like Sam’s Club or Costco.

Heat & Electricity

• If you don’t already have one, get an electric thermostat with a timer, so you can change the temperature automatically during specific times of the day. Lower the temperature when the family is out of the house.
• Use space heaters and lower the heat in the rooms you use. Use an electric blanket at night.
• There is plastic covering you can get at the hardware store and cover your windows. That keeps the heat in the house.
• Make sure your boiler and hot water heater are maintained properly.
• Wear layers of clothing and keep the heat lower.
• Use kitchen and bathroom vents sparingly in the winter
• Replace regular light bulbs with compact fluorescents
• Wash laundry in cold or warm instead of hot
• Use a clothesline instead of using the dryer
• Use a ceiling fan instead of an air conditioner.

Cell Phones, Internet, and Communication Utilities

• Avoid pre-paid cell phones, even if you just want the phone for emergencies, unless you are careful to use a plan with minutes that don’t expire. You pay exorbitant rates per minute.
• Never underestimate the minutes your teen may use. Be careful not to get the lowest plan. Constant overages are very expensive overall.
• You don’t necessarily need a home phone if you have a cell phone. With free nights, weekends and long distance, you may save considerably. Be careful with phone plans that have low rates, because the taxes add significantly to the bill.
• For your Internet connection, you don’t have to get the highest rate of connection speed. For the average user, you won’t be able to tell the difference and that can save you $20 a month.
• If you switch to broadband, don’t keep your dialup (unless you travel often outside the country or in rural areas). Also, drop paying for AOL. All AOL features are free if you have broadband.

Entertainment

If you really wanted to be extreme about it, you could cut entertainment out altogether. But that’s not really practical, so here are some ideas.

• First, if you think FREE, you may not get free, but you do end up with “cheap.” Cheap doesn’t mean less fun, either. Sometimes you can have MORE fun.
• If you live in a city, just try walking around. In New York, I have found impromptu concerts by street musicians or just sat in the park and people watched. You’d be amazed how much fun you can have!
• Instead of eating out or going to bars with friends, host a potluck at home or just have friends over for drinks. It’s much cheaper to buy liquor than to buy drinks at the bar.
• For movies, go to matinees or the $2 movie (some communities have them). Yes, those movies are second-run, but hey, it’s worth financial freedom to me. You can also always rent movies.
• Cable. When times are tough, the cable needs to get going. It can get so expensive! If you do need it for the reception, get basic and then rent movies. Buying a great DVD player and renting movies is cheaper than cable in the long run. If you rent rooms in your home like I do, keep the cable — it’s a perk for your tenants that are worth paying for.
• Take your kids to the bookstore and hang out.
• Find free community shows, like Shakespeare in the park or fireworks.
• Take the kids on the subway trip — as far as you can and go explore. In New York, take the train to Coney Island.
• In the summer, there is always a local food festival or street fair.
• Get your kids involved in a community group, like a theatre. They develop skills, make friends and have fun.

Clothing

• For kids, don’t go over the top with the brand names, especially since the kids will grow out of them quickly.
• For adults and older teens, don’t buy really trendy clothes that will only last one season. Buy classical fashionable clothing that will last, and get trendy with accessories.
• Buy shirts and ties or blouses and just one suit — accessorizing is cheaper.
• Buy a few pieces of quality clothing as opposed to lots of cheap clothing. They will last a lot longer.
• This goes without saying, but buy clothing in the off-season and on sale. You will save a tone of money.

Transportation

• A gas saving tip I just learned: put your car in cruise control whenever you can. It has cut my gas bill in HALF.
• If you live in a metropolitan area, try walking around the city as opposed to taking a bus or a train. In New York, you can even get there faster sometimes!
• Maintain your car — tire pressure, oil changes, everything. Preventative maintenance is way cheaper than repairs.
• Never use cheap gas – use quality gas and the correct octane for your car. It may seem more expensive, but it’s cheaper in car repairs in the long run.
• Don’t be afraid to walk, even in the winter. It’s great exercise and it saves a ton of money. Bring a backpack with you for grocery shopping if you need only a couple of things.

The Change Jar
I have a change jar. Every time I pay for something, I always use bills and get the change. I put the change in the jar. You wouldn’t believe how much money you can save! This money could be entertainment money, allowance for the kids, put it in a savings account or saved for emergencies. This change jar has saved my butt many times over the years, and is a great way to have “found” money at the end of the month.

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those are the only ones i could think of hope it helped

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