Meet U.S

part II

OK so as I promised I'll try to show you some curious things about America in general. I mentioned earlier about the diversity which distinguishes this country. Time for a little presentation of the most popular things, places, people etc. Let's start from Bagel:)

Bagel - In NYC you can find it everywhere, it's as famous as hot dog. New Yorkers eat them either plain or with cream cheese and smoked salmon from Nova Scotia, Canada called Nova Lox. What is the most interesting thing for us is that bagel was invented in Cracow. Apparently some young baker accidently stuck his finger in some dough. I think I don't have to tell you guys that it's kind of bread roll with a hole in the middle. It's kind of popular thing in Poland too..I think.

Central Park - also very popular, but this time it is a place in NY. This great park in the centre of big city is the main attraction not only for tourists, but also or especially for people who live there permanently. It occupies an area of 700 acres and was opened in 1857. It is some kind of escape for inhabitants of this really crowded city.

What is worth mentioning is that this is completely artificial creation. Before that, very long time ago there were there big swamps, very disliked place by Americans. And one more time we can find there some Polish accent. Near the Turtle Lake we can find a monument of Wladyslaw Jagiello on a horse. I heard it was created especially for the Polish pavilion on some international exhibition organized in NY. But because of second world war it couldn't return to Poland so King Jagiello Monument Committee gave it to NYC.

'Elvis left the building' - everybody knows the king of rock and roll. But maybe not all of you know this phrase. First time It was it used by the manager of Elvis after the concert when the audience didn't want to leave the place of a show given by this great artist. Soon it became a catchphrase usually used when you missed the highlight of some event.

John Doe - it's not name of a real person:) it's like Jan Kowalski in Poland. It can be any male whose identity is unknown or must not be revealed. If we want to talk about a woman in that way we would use Jane Doe.

Miranda Warning - this phrase you probably heard hundreds of times: ' You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you.' These are words read by US police officers to every person under arrest. In each state it sounds a little bit different but there are things which have to be said. Name of this practice comes from the name of Ernesto Arturo Miranda, a kidnapper whose right to remain silent was violated.

Route 66 – a legendary American road, opened in 1926, led from Chicago to Los Angeles. Fifty nine years later it was removed from maps and replaced by a highway system. But parts of this road still exist, they're marked as 'Historic Route 66'. It's now kind of icon and it has its own section in the National Museum of American History.

if you're interested enough:) check this out:

http://www.logo24.pl/Logo24/1,85827,8068324,Route_66___Droga__ktorej_nie_ma.html

Greyhound – a carrier, Americans say it's the cheapest one. I had an opportunity to travel with them and I wouldn't say it is that cheap but maybe it depends on where you are from. The Logo of this carrier is very popular, simply running greyhound, you probably have seen it many times. The company serves over 3,700 destinations in the US, Canada and Mexico. However, it doesn't have a good reputation, mostly because of bizarre drivers and clapped out buses. ..I can say this statement it's not so far away from true:)

Maybe there is a thing I didn't mention and you would like to see or try in U.S?

Have you ever travelled with the Greyhound? Do you share this opinion about it?

Could you imagine what things Americans would find attractive in Poland?

sources:

http://www.used-buses.net/bustypes/greyhound_bus.asp

http://holidays.syl.com/en/hotel/2713/Route+66+Motel/

http://www.logo24.pl/Logo24/1,85827,8068324,Route_66___Droga__ktorej_nie_ma.html

Meet U.S.A

Meet United States of America

part I

I would like to tell you a little about the United States. I was never a big fan of this country also referred to as the world economic power. However, I spent in New York my last holiday so I had an opportunity to understand better this country. I realize that New York is rather like completely a separate region which doesn't resemble the "true U.S". Still I met there American people who were coming from different parts of the United States. I have to say I had the wrong picture of this place in my mind. But let's start from the beginning. I found some basic information and I'd like to share it with you.

Area: 9,826,675 km2 (pretty big right?:)

Population: 309, 345, 000

Political system: federal constitutional republic

Political division: federal union of 50 states

Language: English ( however it's not ordained by law, there is no official language at federal level )

Capital: Washington D.C.

Flag: 'The stars and Stripes' (50 white stars represent fifty states of America and the thirteen red and white stripes - original 13 colonies that declared their independence from the British Empire in XVIII century)

President: Barak Obama (as probably everybody know this info)Vice president: Joe Biden

National anthem: The star-spangled Banner (written by Francis Scott Key, 1814)

Religion: it's officially a secular nation, constitution of USA guarantees freedom of religion and even forbids the establishment of any religious governance

Coat of arms: The Great Seal (bald eagle holding 13 arrows and an olive branch in its talons, which means: 'a strong desire for peace, but will always be ready for war')

and a few extra info at the end

Largest city: New York

Largest state: Alaska

Longest river: Missouri

Highest mountain peak: Mount McKinley

If these information is not new for you I hope in the next parts I will surprise you with some new unknown facts.

In fact America is full of surprises. We can find there the things that we would loved and also those which we would hate. It's this famous diversity of USA. People very often call it 'the melting pot' in which so many various cultures co-exist. You can make your dreams come true there or find yourself out on the street. There's as many threats as opportunities. You just need to know what you like to do.

Have you ever been in U.S?

According to information I have listed, do you think you could live there?

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_United_States

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States

http://s302.photobucket.com/albums/nn109/morning40oz/?action=view&current=greatsealofUS.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:George_Washington_French_Empire_mantel_clock.jpg

Electronic music - Drum’n’bass Part 3

Drum and bass in Poland and worldwide

One of the most famous Polish d'n'b artists are CLS & Wax who produce mainly liquid funk. They released their tracks on Hospital Records and many other labels. Sonic Saturation is also a duo present in the international music industry; it releases music on the Strictly Digital netlabel. Ros and his project 'Sabbia' collaborate with jazz artists, vocalists and numerous producers. His Addiction Records label is responsible for deep jazz and atmospheric sounds. Simba released his remix on Uprising Records. DeeJay Delta is another representative of the Polish d'n'b – he released both in Poland and abroad. Symptom – a producer from Wrocław – presents clownstep sounds. His 'Turboganja' and 'Cocaine' were released on the American label Assasin Records. When it comes to harder styles, a crew from Łódź seems to be the best – Yabol, Pylon and Soccom who love techno-dnb which is a mixture of d'n'b and looped sequences originating from techno music. They released on Sinuous, Nerve and Venom inc. It is also important to mention Switch Technique, artist from Pniewy. His hard/darkstep sounds are an international brand; he produced music together with the famous DJ Hidden.

Although d'n'b has its roots in the UK, tit has established itself globally. There are big scenes in other English-speaking countries as well (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, US). It is also popular in Europe and in South America. São Paulo is referred to as the “d'n'b Ibiza”. Brazilian d'n'b is sometimes called "sambass", its style is original. In Mexico and Venezuela, artists combine the sound of d'n'b with experimental music. Asia also has a scene, for instance in Indonesia, Hong Kong, Japan, Shanghai and Singapore.

Famous international producers and DJ's are for example: Ed Rush (UK), Makai (Germany), B-Complex (Slovakia), D.Kay (Austria), Noisia (Holland), Hive (US), Dieselboy (US), Black Sun Empire (Netherlands), Teebee (Norway), Evol Intent (US), Camo & Krooked (Austria), andMuffler and Physics (Finland).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JYUICpaxNE

Polish drum and bass producers - CLS&Wax - Quite Perfect

Discussion:

1. Do you think that electronic music might become popular in Poland so that it would not only exist in the so-called underground?

2. What do you prefer and why - commercial pop music or less popular underground genres?

On behalf of Wojciech Czajkowski (s4554)

Electronic music - Drum’n’bass Part 2

The History

In the late 80s and early 90s, a new music style appeared called Rave which was a fusion of sampled and syncopated beats, breakbeats or other samples from many different music genres and, sometimes, samples of music or dialogues from films and TV programs. From around 1992, some tracks made of high-tempo breakbeats, with heavy bass lines and Jamaican music samples, were called “jungle techno” and later on just “jungle”. It became popular as a separate music style and was often played at parties and on pirate radio in the UK.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqL61DEjJEY

An oldschool jungle track with samples from Jamaican music

The popularity of d'n'b at its best time was similar to several other dance genres in the UK, for example hard house. But towards the turn of the 2000 its popularity became smaller since speed garage delivered several hit albums. It was characterized by high tempo and heavy bass lines with drum and bass but, on the other hand, it followed the existing characteristics of "house music". Its fresh style was an advantage in the media. London DJ C.K. says, "It is often forgotten by my students that a type of music called "Garage House" existed in the late 1980s alongside Hip House, Acid House and other forms of House music." He continues, "This new Garage of the mid 90s was not a form of House or a progression of Garage House. The beats and tempo that define House are entirely different. This did cause further confusion in the presence of new House music of the mid 1990s being played alongside what was now being called Garage."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN247VkxaE4

Some DJ mixing oldschool speed garage music from vinyls

Anyway, the birth of new subgenres and related styles such as liquid d'n'b brought many new artists coming up with fresh ideas and techniques, being a support for the constant development of the genre. Till today, d'n'b often appears in the commercial media and pop culture (TV), as well as it is a starting point for the next styles - grime and dubstep.

The evolution of d’n’b can be depicted with the use of the following examples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTRLZgxfGEM

Jungle produced by a popular producer DJ Zinc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcsihKarC6s

Modern liquid d’n’b produced by Lenzman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMNfcOH00TA

A commercial d’n’b track by Chase and Status

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihwzG5-W8tE

A typical modern dubstep track with vocals

Discussion:

1. Listen to the tracks above, they were placed in a chronological order. Does music gain more quality and it becomes better when it goes commercial? Present your opinion.

2. Do you know dubstep? Do you like it? Why did it gain such a great popularity?

3. Will electronic music become more and more popular? Share your opinion.

On behalf of Wojciech Czajkowski (s4554)

Electronic music - Drum’n’bass Part 1

The Music

Drum and bass (abbreviated to D’n’B or DnB) is a genre of electronic dance music which became popular at the beginning of the 90’s. It became a branch of the rave scene in the United Kingdom. The fusion of many different musical genres led to a lot of changes and an overall differentiation in its style. That’s why there are a lot of different opinions on what makes a ‘typical’ drum and bass. There are though some characteristic key features for all styles of drum and bass:

• Drum and bass line elements

Bass line is a sub-bass pattern which can be physically felt (from a powerful sound system) because of the low-range frequencies present. Bass lines in most cases come from the so-called samples or are made with the use of synthesizers. They are often changed with the use of various sound effects, for instance: dynamic compression, flanger, chorus, over-drive etc. The 808 kick drum is also important; it is a bass drum sound sampled from the famous and classic Roland TR-808 drum machine.

http://zelizi.perso.neuf.fr/pics/machines/Roland%20TR-808.jpg

Roland TR-808 drum machine.

When it comes to breaks, the amen break is generally said to have been the most powerful break in d'n'b.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxZuq57_bYM&feature=fvwrel

“Amen Brother” by The Winstons. This is the origin of the amen break – here, it starts in 1:25.

http://cdn.synthtopia.com/content/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/amen-break.jpg

This is how the amen break looks. 

• Tempo

Drum and bass is usually between 160 and 190 BPM; however, it has become faster during its evolution and development. The first d'n'b tracks were about 130 BPM in 1990 and they sped up to 165 BPM in 1993. Since 1996, drum and bass tempo in most tracks has stayed in the range of 170–180.

• Context

Due to the fact that drum and bass has to do with low frequencies which can be handled only by powerful sound systems, it was and is created to be played in clubs. However, you can also listen to mix CDs where a popular DJ or producer mixes live. DJs are often accompanied by one or more MCs.

As it was written above, there is a variety of subgenres within drum and bass:

• Darkstep (oldschool sound of d’n’b made with the use of modern technology)

• Hardstep (a harder style of d’n’b which is full of hard bass lines and heavy melodies)

• Techstep

• Neurofunk (a progression from techstep)

• Atmospheric d’n’b (also called ‘intelligent’ or ‘ambient’)

• Jazzstep (d’n’b influenced by Jazz)

• Jump-up (Light-hearted tunes with loud melodic basslines and often hip-hop samples).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLDRm_WBZ_A

Ed Rush – Glass Eye, darkstep track from a well-known album ‘Wormhole’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEPTMDimvb0

Hardstep track from the label “Renegade Hardware”

There are also some potential subgenres of d’n’b which may also be treated as separate kinds which only share some characteristic features with d’n’b:

• Breakcore (harder and faster)

• Raggacore (harder and faster with ragga motives)

• Ragga jungle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fDgSSU5_K0

Breakcore/Raggacore track by a famous producer Cardopusher

Discussion:

1. Do you know drum’n’bass? Do you like it?

2. Do you think that music which is not made with the use of classic instruments but with the use of synthesizers and samples is of an equal quality?

On behalf of Wojciech Czajkowski (s4554)

Fear seekers and roller coasters PART III

A question that I find interesting is why people find joy in riding scary roller coasters? This may be caused by chemical reactions in the brain. The chemicals that cause such reactions are called "neurotransmitters". By chemical reaction, these chemicals allow signals to pass between neurons in the brain. Some scientists believe that some people enjoy activities that cause fear because their brain causes them to have higher levels of a specific neurotransmitter called dopamine, because of fear. According to what I've been reading, I think dopamine is usually related to a human's ability of feeling reward and becoming motivated to do something. When a person's brain chemistry has more dopamine than usual, activities and sensations often become more pleasurable. The person may also even experience euphoria.

http://static.travelmuse.com/docs/artwork/amusement-parks/overview/amusement-parks-overview-six-flags-magic-mountain-tatsu-ride-full.jpg

It’s hard to say which roller coaster is the scariest in the world because they can be compared in speed, height, length, number of loops, or how twisted they are.

Here I’d like to present feelings that are accompanied by G-force:

• -1 g – feeling of tightness inside your head very much like when standing on your hands. It’s safe unless its long. It feels like if you would be falling out of a chair.

• 0 g – weightlessness.

• 1 g – every day load factor.

• 2 g – feeling of heaviness.

• 3 g – movement becomes difficult.

• 4 g – movement becomes practically impossible. The feeling of disorientation.

• 5 g – Possible problems with sight.

• 6 g – Most passengers have problems with vision. Some experience trouble breathing. It’s possible to lose conscience.

Some Discovery video that explaining this process:

http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/time-warp-roller-coaster-science.html

Since we know much more about roller coasters I would like to go back to presenting (mentioned in the first part) Six Flags. Six Flags Magic Mountain, just outside the Los Angeles area, has more rides than any other amusement park in the world. Currently there are 18 rollercoasters, many of them being record breakers. You can find all kind of rides there: the classic wooden variety as well as steel. Carriage or hanging (where your legs are hanging freely). Some attractions drop you from a great height while others send you through complete loop. One of the best ride is Magic Mountain’s X, the first roller coaster in the world that spins in four dimensions at the same time. Those who ride Superman experience 6,5 seconds of weightlessness.

Below, I present a map of this park.

http://mappery.com/map-of/Six-Flags-Magic-Mountain-Theme-Park-Map

Other attractions offer the possibility of purchasing gadgets from movies. During my time visiting this park, I’ve seen many people buying Batman or Superman cloaks and riding on rollercoasters while wearing them. That looked quite amazing. What’s more, it’s even possible to buy a photo of yourself taken during the ride, and afterward take it home as a souvenir or perhaps as a proof.

Not far away there is also another Six Flags park – Hurricane Harbor. This one is dedicated mostly to water entertainment. But it’s not just simply a water park, to the contrary, Hurricane Harbor also features extremely thrilling water rides.

And now some of the worlds records of the roller coasters:

Record	World		Europe Poland
Tallest	Kingda Ka (USA)	137m	Silver Star (germany)	73 m	Tic-Tac Tornado	21 m
Fastest	Formula Rossa (ZEA)	240 km/h	ring°racer (germany)	217 km/h		60 km/h
Longest	Steel Dragon 2000 (Japan)	2479 m	Ultimate (great britain)	2268 m		ok. 700 m
Biggest downfall	Kingda Ka (USA)	127 m	Silver Star (germany)	65 m		20,5 m
Biggest angle of a fall	Mumbo Jumbo (great britain)	112°	Jet Star	ok. 45°
Biggest G-force	Tower of Terror (RPA)	6,3 g	Sky Wheel (germany)	5 g	Tic-Tac Tornado	4,2 g
Biggest acceleration	Dodonpa	2,7 g	ring°racer	2,46 g	-

(table from Wikipedia)

Here is a video of the fastest ride in the World. You can find it in F1 theme park located in Dubai:

And now here are some videos of the most thrilling attractions:

Would you like to try one of them?

Do you personally like fear? Do you find it exciting?

How do you think amusement parks will look like in the future? Do you have any ideas as to what other parks could feature?

Here is some concept art for Dubai’s marvel superheroes’ comics theme park:

http://www.ramascreen.com/dubais-marvel-superheroes-theme-park-concept-art

Do you think this is how the future of theme parks will look like? I wonder if there will ever be a real-life theme park like Jurassic Park, as depicted in the Steven Spielberg film of the same name: