The Value of a Drummer
Copyright 2006 Daniel N Brown
Drums are the backbone of most bands. Because of this fact the other musicians rely very heavily on the drummer to provide a strong beat that will keep a song together. A drummer who is off beat, or off tempo, will lead the entire band astray. Therefore, if the drummer is weak, the whole band will be weak. Since the drummer provides the foundation for the other musicians to follow, the drummer is the anchor of the band.
Being the anchor of the band, the drummer must have confidence. Confidence is what makes a good drummer a great drummer. When you have confidence in your ability to play and confidence in your instrument, success is inevitable.
Many wanna-be musicians are drawn to the drums for the opportunity to learn an easy instrument. Even though the drums are one of the few instruments that can be self-taught, the drums are not easy instruments to play. The techniques and concepts relating to drums are fairly easy to understand, but learning to play the drums takes great coordination, a sense of timing, and patience. All of which can be developed with time.
If you are a drummer in a band, then you are the anchor of the band. The other musicians are relying heavily on you to provide a strong beat that will keep everything together. Other musicians may be able to cover their flaws when playing their instruments as a group, but not you. Everything you do behind your set will not only be heard, but felt. There will be nowhere to hide if you are a poor drummer!
The drummer is vital to a band, and a great drummer can make up somewhat for other musicians who may not be at the same level of expertise. So, continue to practice daily, and never be satisfied with your level of progress.
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Dan Brown has been drumming since 1976. Sign up for his FREE weekly newsletter and get tips, ideas, articles, and merchandise!
http://www.dbdrumtips.com/
To Pee or Not To Pee
The eternal question of wetsuit urination
If it hasn't happened to you already, it will. You descend to 15 feet, and you'll feel the sudden urge. You can't hold it. And there's no way you can get to a bathroom without spoiling the whole dive. So you consider – if I'm in the water, my urine will just dissipate and dissolve and disappear. Is it OK to whiz in the wetsuit?
The simple answer is "yes". Take a leak.
The truth is, there is no health risk to watering the neoprene. Many people do not realize that urine – unlike feces - is sterile, unless you have a urinary tract infection. It contains a lot of dissolved bodily waste (mainly nitrates), but poses no health risk to you. The only symptom of wetsuit whizzing is temporary warmth in your vicinity. But beware, if your urine is dark (a sign that it is probably strongly odorous as well), you might get a reaction from other divers, especially if they happen to swim through your "yellowish cloud of warmth."
As a frequent diver, your best strategy for dealing with this common situation is counterintuitive: drink more water. A hydrated diver can urinate in their wetsuit and their urine will not be dark or smelly. You have surely noticed the difference between your morning pee and your pee after (or during) a long night of drinking. Dehydration is very common, yet minimal dehydration is tolerated and goes unnoticed by most people because of the symptoms are fairly mild. If you are properly hydrated, your urine is clear and odorless. A practical diver should drink plenty of fluids the night before and the morning of a dive, to ensure adequate hydration.
You may hear divers joke about "warming the wetsuit". The warmth offered by wetsuit irrigation is comfortable, but temporary. Yes, when you pee you will feel warm initially, but in the end it will actually lower your overall body temperature.
You might notice that even though you relieved yourself before the dive, you need to go again when you get down to 20 feet. Why do you need to pee again? You may be experiencing a phenomenon called immersion duiresis: as a response to an increase in pressure, your body feels compressed and your kidneys start to produce urine.
Since you already rinse your wetsuit after each dive, you don't need to be concerned about odor from your underwater urine. An unrinsed wetsuit develops its lovely stink from algae and crud in the water, not from your urine. Tinkle away!
Ian Scott is an experienced diver and freelance writer for http://www.thescubaguide.com (THE scuba diving resource) – which offers information every scuba diver can use. Information on scuba gear, scuba diving equipment and more.
Shark Attack
It seems as each summer passes there is an increase in the number of shark attacks being reported throughout the world. Some would believe this must mean there is an increase in the number of sharks attacking people in the water. Figuratively speaking, an increase in the population could result in an increase in attacks and more people to damage. Realistically, it means our shark attack reporting system has become more efficient.
Your odds of being attacked by a shark in the water are quite small. More people are injured and killed on land while driving to and from the beach than by sharks in the water. Shark attack injuries are also less common than injuries afflicted on the beach, such as spinal cord damage, jellyfish stings, dehydration, and sunburn. More people require sutures as a result of sea shell lacerations on their feet than shark bites.
You have a better chance of being hit by lightning, dying from a bee sting or being hit on the head by a falling coconut, than you do of being attacked by a shark.
Most shark attacks occur quite close to shore in water 6-10 feet deep, on a sandbar or between sandbars. These are areas sharks are known to feed in and they may get caught in low tide. Swimmers who are splashing and playing in these areas may be mistaken as prey. Underwater locations such as drop offs and walls are also likely attack sites as natural food sources also congregate in these areas. When a shark has attacked a diver, the shark has most likely mistaken the diver as prey or has been unexpectedly startled by a diver.
There are two types of attacks that usually involve divers in deeper waters; "bump and bite" attacks and "sneak" attacks. These types of attacks are less common than surface attacks, but result in greater injuries and the most fatalities. "Bump and bite" attacks are characterized by the shark initially circling and often bumping the victim prior to the actual attack. "Sneak" attacks are characterized by the strike occurring without warning. Repeat attempts to bite are not uncommon and multiple or sustained bites are normal for these types of attacks making these injuries usually quite severe, frequently resulting in death. Rather than being a case of mistaken identity, these attacks most likely occur as a result of feeding or antagonistic behavior.
If you are a diver, here are a few tips to help you avoid shark attacks during your dive:
• Swim in a group. Sharks are less likely to attack a group of divers and are more likely to attack a lone diver. Keep in mind you should at the very least, have a dive buddy with you during all dives.
• Avoid the water at night, dawn, or dusk. Sharks hunt at night. If you love night diving, dive with a group and make sure you have a dive lamp.
• Do not go in the water if you are bleeding. If you start to bleed while scuba diving, attempt to stop the flow of blood as soon as possible. Sharks have an incredibly sensitive olfactory system and can smell and taste blood and other bodily fluids and trace the scent back to its source. Menstrual blood may also attract sharks, but there is no indication of increased attacks on menstruating women. Many women dive safely while menstruating and until controlled tests involving non-menstruating and menstruating women occur there is no definitive or scientifically proven data that states women are at more risk of shark attack during menstruation.
• Do not wear shiny jewelry. Shiny jewelry may look like small fish to a shark.
• If you see a shark during a scuba dive, stay calm, stay quiet, and stay where you are. Most sharks are merely curious and will leave on their own. If a shark begins to get too interested in you and is moving closer and closer, it is safest to leave the water. Swim quickly and smoothly, watching the shark the entire time and keeping your dive buddy within an arm's reach.
Ian Scott is an experienced diver and freelance writer for http://www.thescubaguide.com – a site that offers information every scuba diver can use. Information on scuba diving trips, scuba tanks and more.
Drums are the backbone of most bands. Because of this fact the other musicians rely very heavily on the drummer to provide a strong beat that will keep a song together. A drummer who is off beat, or off tempo, will lead the entire band astray. Therefore, if the drummer is weak, the whole band will be weak. Since the drummer provides the foundation for the other musicians to follow, the drummer is the anchor of the band.
Being the anchor of the band, the drummer must have confidence. Confidence is what makes a good drummer a great drummer. When you have confidence in your ability to play and confidence in your instrument, success is inevitable.
Many wanna-be musicians are drawn to the drums for the opportunity to learn an easy instrument. Even though the drums are one of the few instruments that can be self-taught, the drums are not easy instruments to play. The techniques and concepts relating to drums are fairly easy to understand, but learning to play the drums takes great coordination, a sense of timing, and patience. All of which can be developed with time.
If you are a drummer in a band, then you are the anchor of the band. The other musicians are relying heavily on you to provide a strong beat that will keep everything together. Other musicians may be able to cover their flaws when playing their instruments as a group, but not you. Everything you do behind your set will not only be heard, but felt. There will be nowhere to hide if you are a poor drummer!
The drummer is vital to a band, and a great drummer can make up somewhat for other musicians who may not be at the same level of expertise. So, continue to practice daily, and never be satisfied with your level of progress.
------
Dan Brown has been drumming since 1976. Sign up for his FREE weekly newsletter and get tips, ideas, articles, and merchandise!
http://www.dbdrumtips.com/
To Pee or Not To Pee
The eternal question of wetsuit urination
If it hasn't happened to you already, it will. You descend to 15 feet, and you'll feel the sudden urge. You can't hold it. And there's no way you can get to a bathroom without spoiling the whole dive. So you consider – if I'm in the water, my urine will just dissipate and dissolve and disappear. Is it OK to whiz in the wetsuit?
The simple answer is "yes". Take a leak.
The truth is, there is no health risk to watering the neoprene. Many people do not realize that urine – unlike feces - is sterile, unless you have a urinary tract infection. It contains a lot of dissolved bodily waste (mainly nitrates), but poses no health risk to you. The only symptom of wetsuit whizzing is temporary warmth in your vicinity. But beware, if your urine is dark (a sign that it is probably strongly odorous as well), you might get a reaction from other divers, especially if they happen to swim through your "yellowish cloud of warmth."
As a frequent diver, your best strategy for dealing with this common situation is counterintuitive: drink more water. A hydrated diver can urinate in their wetsuit and their urine will not be dark or smelly. You have surely noticed the difference between your morning pee and your pee after (or during) a long night of drinking. Dehydration is very common, yet minimal dehydration is tolerated and goes unnoticed by most people because of the symptoms are fairly mild. If you are properly hydrated, your urine is clear and odorless. A practical diver should drink plenty of fluids the night before and the morning of a dive, to ensure adequate hydration.
You may hear divers joke about "warming the wetsuit". The warmth offered by wetsuit irrigation is comfortable, but temporary. Yes, when you pee you will feel warm initially, but in the end it will actually lower your overall body temperature.
You might notice that even though you relieved yourself before the dive, you need to go again when you get down to 20 feet. Why do you need to pee again? You may be experiencing a phenomenon called immersion duiresis: as a response to an increase in pressure, your body feels compressed and your kidneys start to produce urine.
Since you already rinse your wetsuit after each dive, you don't need to be concerned about odor from your underwater urine. An unrinsed wetsuit develops its lovely stink from algae and crud in the water, not from your urine. Tinkle away!
Ian Scott is an experienced diver and freelance writer for http://www.thescubaguide.com (THE scuba diving resource) – which offers information every scuba diver can use. Information on scuba gear, scuba diving equipment and more.
Shark Attack
It seems as each summer passes there is an increase in the number of shark attacks being reported throughout the world. Some would believe this must mean there is an increase in the number of sharks attacking people in the water. Figuratively speaking, an increase in the population could result in an increase in attacks and more people to damage. Realistically, it means our shark attack reporting system has become more efficient.
Your odds of being attacked by a shark in the water are quite small. More people are injured and killed on land while driving to and from the beach than by sharks in the water. Shark attack injuries are also less common than injuries afflicted on the beach, such as spinal cord damage, jellyfish stings, dehydration, and sunburn. More people require sutures as a result of sea shell lacerations on their feet than shark bites.
You have a better chance of being hit by lightning, dying from a bee sting or being hit on the head by a falling coconut, than you do of being attacked by a shark.
Most shark attacks occur quite close to shore in water 6-10 feet deep, on a sandbar or between sandbars. These are areas sharks are known to feed in and they may get caught in low tide. Swimmers who are splashing and playing in these areas may be mistaken as prey. Underwater locations such as drop offs and walls are also likely attack sites as natural food sources also congregate in these areas. When a shark has attacked a diver, the shark has most likely mistaken the diver as prey or has been unexpectedly startled by a diver.
There are two types of attacks that usually involve divers in deeper waters; "bump and bite" attacks and "sneak" attacks. These types of attacks are less common than surface attacks, but result in greater injuries and the most fatalities. "Bump and bite" attacks are characterized by the shark initially circling and often bumping the victim prior to the actual attack. "Sneak" attacks are characterized by the strike occurring without warning. Repeat attempts to bite are not uncommon and multiple or sustained bites are normal for these types of attacks making these injuries usually quite severe, frequently resulting in death. Rather than being a case of mistaken identity, these attacks most likely occur as a result of feeding or antagonistic behavior.
If you are a diver, here are a few tips to help you avoid shark attacks during your dive:
• Swim in a group. Sharks are less likely to attack a group of divers and are more likely to attack a lone diver. Keep in mind you should at the very least, have a dive buddy with you during all dives.
• Avoid the water at night, dawn, or dusk. Sharks hunt at night. If you love night diving, dive with a group and make sure you have a dive lamp.
• Do not go in the water if you are bleeding. If you start to bleed while scuba diving, attempt to stop the flow of blood as soon as possible. Sharks have an incredibly sensitive olfactory system and can smell and taste blood and other bodily fluids and trace the scent back to its source. Menstrual blood may also attract sharks, but there is no indication of increased attacks on menstruating women. Many women dive safely while menstruating and until controlled tests involving non-menstruating and menstruating women occur there is no definitive or scientifically proven data that states women are at more risk of shark attack during menstruation.
• Do not wear shiny jewelry. Shiny jewelry may look like small fish to a shark.
• If you see a shark during a scuba dive, stay calm, stay quiet, and stay where you are. Most sharks are merely curious and will leave on their own. If a shark begins to get too interested in you and is moving closer and closer, it is safest to leave the water. Swim quickly and smoothly, watching the shark the entire time and keeping your dive buddy within an arm's reach.
Ian Scott is an experienced diver and freelance writer for http://www.thescubaguide.com – a site that offers information every scuba diver can use. Information on scuba diving trips, scuba tanks and more.