Sharps ‘n Flats

A newbie to the World of Warcraft would want all the orientation that could be had, this Shaman guide is to help the player smoothly into the complex but fun game of the World of Warcraft so far as the Shaman is concerned. So what exactly are the Shamans?

The Shaman in the World of Warcraft is a hybrid damage dealer that possesses an assortment of attributes and could play simultaneous roles. The Shamans could play as the healer, as the warrior and could create damage to groups even from a distance. As they could perform all these, they are often considered very versatile and multi-functional. Even with these attributes, the Shamans are not actually better than other characters. Even so, the Shaman’s contribution to the game will be appreciated, even sought after, as the game progresses. A Shaman for instance cannot fight as well as a warrior does. It can’t heal faster than the Priest or fight well from a distance like the Warlocks. Because the Shaman has a mix of attributes, it makes for good standalone character in the game. It is very important to have a Shaman by your side as the game progresses as its abilities are increased.

Attributes that characterize the Shaman:

{The Totem} – The totem defines the Shaman which it gets after undergoing a set of quests that has to be completed. There are various totems that a Shaman acquires and the totems are based on the race that was chosen; the totems have their own potencies and could spell a good amount of damage when the proper totem is selected. When the totem is engaged, the Shaman will only be on a stationary position, its spell then only affects those that are within the totem’s range. This seeming disadvantage though could be offset when the Shaman uses up to four different totems with different attributes at the same moment. Care is also to be observed in developing the Shamans’ abilities through his totems. Depending on how the talent points that are earned and spent will define the capability of the Shaman and could very well influence the results of the game. As there is no ideal development for the Shaman, to focus heavily on one tree could diminish his ability in other areas. In developing the Shaman the player must first adopt a strategy on how the Shaman will be played as this will greatly affect his affectivity especially during the end games.

{Spells} – The Shaman’s spells are based on the elements. Used well, it could cast weapons buffs, healing and damage.

{Talents} – The Elemental talents are mainly for advancements of the offensive atacks. The development of this talent then is when you want your Shaman to gain maximum damage output and critical strikes.

Enhancement talents are used when you want to be effective at melees and for totem enhancements. Because mana is not used in casting spells during the earlier stages of the game, this is a preferred mana talent when only starting. On later portions of the game, other more powerful weapons are learned and earned.

The Restoration talents are largely used for healing and restoration. Multi-level heal spells though could be obtainable to the Shaman as the game progresses and as more talents are earned.

Often, the Shaman is the least appreciated character in the earlier parts of the game. Partly, this is because the Shaman could be considered as a ‘jack of all trades’ and has no specific specialty at any one function. This Shaman guide then might help the player as it is in the later stages of the game where the abilities of the Shaman are actually sought after and respected.

graphic novels

Online is not just for watching videos or listening to music. There are several ways to read comic books online, too. Fans can check databases to buy what is missing in their collections, they can preview a free comic book before buying or they can digitally download books for their computer, their iPod/iPhone or their Nintendo DS. The comic book industry is even experimenting with creating DVD-versions of their best comic series, which will offer yet another way to share the stories.

Many fans just want to read comics for free. After all, that’s what the internet and peer-to-peer is all about, right? There are a few databases offering graphic novels for free. Manga comics, like Naruto, Bleach, Love Junkies, Pokemon and Vampire Knight can be found at www.mangafox.com and www.mangavolume.com, for instance. More than three hundred conventional classics from DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, Vertigo, Wild Storm and Oni can be found at www.lorencollins.net/freecomic. Fans looking for “Golden Age” comics can find comic book series like “Tales of Horror,” “Out of the Shadows,” “Jumbo Comics,” “Exciting Comics” and “The Perfect Crime” (with characters like Ibis the Invincible and Blue Beetle) at www.comicweb.com/onlinecomics.htm. Other comics from that time period, like “Baffling Mysteries,” “Strange Fantasy,” “Underworld,” “Famous Funnies,” “Forbidden Worlds” or “Whiz Comics” can be viewed at www.goldenagecomics.co.uk. Additionally, for fans of DC comic book characters, the first five issues of each major series are being offered as free PDF downloads at www.ugo.com.

The $1.99 “ComicZeal” program allows iPhone and iPod Touch users to download, convert and read comic books on their portable devices! The program is fast, smooth and versatile, allowing easy resizing. Comic book series can be viewed in “landscape” or “portrait” mode and changing the page is as easy as tapping a button at the bottom of the screen. If the comic reading gets interrupted, “ComicZeal” remembers where the reader last left off. One of the best features is that the program comes with a converter so all comic files can be quickly converted to the resized format.

One more way to read comic books is in “Motion Comics” format, which includes limited movement, music, pans and zooms to bring the story to life. “We want people to see these stories through as many distribution points as possible,” explains Marvel Comic Books. Marvel has teamed up with Stephen King to create “N,” as well as the character “Ultimate Spider-Man.” DC Comics have released “Watchmen” and “Batman Adventures” as Motion Comics. These issues can be purchased for Microsoft Xbox and Verizon VCast! The world of comic book art and story telling is always growing, and it seems the new technology compliments this genre quite well.

As a busy mom and business owner, audiobooks have become one of those modern day conveniences that have added so much joy to my daily life (while they free up some of my precious time).

Here’s why I love audiobooks even more than listening to new music, and why you might want to start an audiobook habit of your own.

1. Audio books help you get monotonous tasks get done. When I have something to do that I dread (repainting the living room, for example) I always treat myself to a brand new audiobook download from audible, where I have a monthly membership that allows me to download two books each month. A fresh new audio book really helps motivate me to do those tasks, large and small, that I simply don’t like. Once you’re into a juicy novel, the time just flies by. The latest version of Amazon’s new wireless reading device will even read to you.

2. They make great use of car time. If you have a long commute, put in a seminar, a language immersion tape, or a motivational download. While listening to music is simply entertainment, by the end of a month or two with audio books you could have learned new vocabulary in a second language, gotten a better understanding of investment strategies, or have simply enjoyed a few wonderful novels.

3. Audiobooks motivate you for exercise. Dedicate an audio book that is particularly suspenseful and intriguing just for the time that you spend on the treadmill or the elliptical. You’ll be dying to get back on the machine tomorrow to find out what happens next.

4. Audiobooks helps keep your kids entertained. If you have a long road trip coming up, get a good fantasy story that you can all listen to together. When kids are listening to an audiobook, they are more likely to be entertained while still looking out the window and enjoying the scenery around them (rather than zoning out with the DVD player.) For the kids, it really helps if you can find a download with a fantastic narrator, so pay special attention to the comments from other readers before you download a book for the entire family. 

5. It’s a great way to learn new things. Some people learn best by hearing information. If that’s you, you owe it to yourself to seek out information in spoken form. Even some textbooks are available in an audio format.

6. You can find and share audiobooks at low cost. Look for discounted audiobooks at used bookstores or thrift stores. Check out books on CD at your local library or online.

You can also get select titles free through Project Gutenberg as well as through LibriVox. (A quick google search will give you the direct URLs.)

You can purchase audiobooks individually through various websites, including iTunes and audible.  If you find that you are downloading more than one paid audiobook each month, you’ll probably save money by paying for a monthly subscription to an audio download site, such as audible or simplyaudiobooks.

the stamps

The Stamps of China are soaked in history — from the celebration of Communism to commemorating leaders like Mao Zedong. In any country with two opposing factions and an ever-changing landscape, there’s bound to be a lot of printing errors and recalls, which makes many rare China stamps worth a considerable amount of money. While it was a slow hobby to take shape, there are now over 18 million stamp collectors in China and some very fascinating stamps to obtain.

Overprints of China stamps were common during the early 1900s. An overprint is the addition of text after a stamp has already been printed (usually to raise the price in relation to inflation). Because of the ever-changing economy, some stamps from that time period — such as the Sun Yat-sen — rose in value up into the thousands of dollars.

In November 1952, the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication released a set of four stamps to commemorate “the 35th Anniversary of the October Revolution.” The October Revolution (also known as The Bolshevik Revolution) was led by Vladimir Lenin’s Bolshevik party and the workers’ Soviets and eventually overthrew the government, making way for the USSR. The stamps were issued in celebration of the friendship between China and the Soviets. The first stamp had a picture of China’s Mao Zedong with Stalin on the Kremlin tower; the second stamp portrayed Lenin making a speech at the Second Representatives Conference of the Soviet Unions; the third stamp pictured a statue of Stalin standing at the Lenin Canal; the fourth showed Lenin making a speech. In 1997, a set of these stamps was sold at the Spring Auction of Jiade for $55,000 RMB.

One stamp issued from the collection “To Mark the 40th Anniversary of the Establishment of Jinggangshan Revolutionary Base by Chairman Mao” was recently sold at an auction in Shaghai for $1.5 Million RMB (or roughly $199,880 USD). There were originally four stamps issued, including: Chairman Mao and Lin Biao at Tian An Men, Chairman Mao and his party in Jing gang Shan, the quotation “The political power comes from guns,” and another verse by Chairman Mao. The Jianggangshan base become the birthplace of the Chinese Red Army and is often called “the cradle of the Chinese Revolution.”

In addition to the historical significance of these commemorative China stamps, the controversy surrounding the issuance caused an uproar. Production was canceled and specimens were called to be destroyed. Therefore, the Jinggangshan stamps never made it to circulation and only a very small number exist in the hands of private collectors. In September 1968, after the establishment of Cultural Revolution Revolutionary Committees, the Ministry of Posts issued the “All China Is Red” stamp.

The stamp pictured a red ocean, with workers, farmers and soldiers holding “the Quotations of Chairman Mao” and cheering; at the top, a red map of China with golden letters read “All China Is Red.” The stamps were issued in Beijing for half a day before the China Atlas Press discovered that the Xisha and Nansha archipelagoes were mistakenly missing from the map! Due to its extremely limited number, the “All China Is Red” is one of the most famous rare stamps in the world. Ten years ago, a post office sheet of 50 was displayed at the China Philatelic Expo in Guangzhou City and was considered a “national treasure,” valued at over 10,000,000 RMB.

While there is said to be about 18 million stamp collectors in China, there are millions of members in the Chinese Philatelic Society. The government is eager to begin trade with other stamp collectors, so the stamps are readily available worldwide. Ebay has a list of stamps from Asia and China stamps can also be found at the Chinese Philatelic Information site or ChineseStamps.org. Whether you’re looking for dragons or emperors, you’ll find it in China!

When you collect coins, you want to keep those coins in as mint condition as possible. Mint condition means that the coins don’t have any marks or nicks and that they look just as shiny as they did when they came off the mint. You won’t keep them in mint condition very long if you just keep them in a jar, or in a can beside or under your bed. Some people like to keep them in tiny plastic sleeves but these are hard to keep track of; especially if you have a lot of them. Instead, why not keep your coins in a coin collecting book instead of boxes? A coin book protects your coins by keeping it behind a plastic sheathe. What’s more, your coin collecting book will keep your coins together and the book is a great way to show your collection off to anyone who is curious.

Getting Started With Coin Collecting Book

Some banks sell books, especially when new coins are released. However, you can most likely get coin collecting books from the Franklin mint where the US coins are minted. There are also books sold at coin collecting shows where people love to show off their coin collections, where people love to trade and sell their coins and also love to sell coin collecting reference books where you can learn a lot about coins and coin collecting.

Coin Collecting Book: Types of Books

There are coin collecting books for just U.S. coins, there are coin collecting books for both U..S and international coins and then there are books for more historical coins, such as Roman Empire gold coins and such. There are in fact books for any type of coin you could ever think of. Don’t worry if you only have one or two coins, and not enough to fill an entire book, a book will often give you the incentive you need to get more coins so that you can fill one or even several books that will comprise your coin collection.

Coin collecting is extremely fun and it’s interesting to see the differences in the various coins used as money throughout history. Even if you only have a couple of current coins circulating today, put them in a coin collecting book and keep collecting. Soon, the book will be filled by a good number of coins to start with. Before you know it, you’ll have a collection most collectors would envy and they’ll be perfectly preserved and beautifully displayed in your various books.

The best way is to classify different sections in your book like bible coin collection, Obama coin collection or even valuable coins collection. If you are into foreign coin collecting then you can classify you coins as per country of their origin.