Orlando Luxury Villas - Enjoy Your Orlando Vacation at Half the Price

Orlando luxury villas offer you all you could wish for in accommodation during your Orlando vacation. When most people book their vacation in Orlando, they check up on what hotel accommodation is available and on the room prices. They rarely think about Orlando vacation villas or condos. Why is that?

When you book a vacation you want to have a good time, and have everything looked after for you. You want a maid to clean your room and fresh towels every day. You want coffee-making facilities in your room, an ice machine in the corridor and a mini bar, not to mention a trouser press and everything else that you consider 'luxury'. You likely consider renting a villa to be self-catering, and you have no intention of cooking on your vacation.

Well here's reality! Orlando luxury villas are available that can provide everything you can get in a hotel - and a lot more. OK, no room service or maid, but how dirty are you going to get that it's a big chore to tidy up now and again. Let's have a look at two different situations and compare them to hotels. We shall compare services, facilities and prices, and then you can decide which you would prefer.

1. A Couple with Two Children

a) The Hotel

If you book a hotel for your Orlando vacation, you get a small TV in a corner, one or two chairs if you are lucky and a small en-suite bathroom. You can drink in the expensive bar, or use the instant coffee and kettle provided. Would you be happy with your two children having their own hotel room? Would you be worrying if they were safe, or what they were doing? Perhaps you will decide to book one family room so you are all together.

Compare that with home! You are meant to be on an Orlando vacation where you should be enjoying more luxury than you get at home. Yet you are living in one room. How can you possibly believe that living in one room for your entire vacation is luxury? Sure, you will be out most of the timer. But not all the time! In fact you are likely staying out to avoid going back to your hotel room. Great vacation!

b) The Orlando Vacation Villa

Orlando luxury villas offer you a room for everybody - your kids can each have their own room. Each has a TV and DVD player. You have a pool and Jacuzzi, and three bathrooms, in addition to a huge lounge with LCD widescreen TV, fully fitted kitchen and a pool deck to chill out on after a hard day at Disney World.

If you don't like cooking for yourself then you don't have to - Orlando has some fabulous places to eat, from gourmet and ethnic restaurants to fast food such as KFC and Taco Bell. You have your own coffee machine, not instant, and can put a snack together when you are hungry without expensive room service.

Guess the price for the 3 bedroom Orlando vacation villa? $145 a night for the whole party. Compare that to two hotel rooms. If you went with friends and their family, you would share $200 for four 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms in a resort villa a pool and loads of sports facilities. All just 5 minutes from Disney. Still prefer that hotel?

2. Party of 7 Couples Let's say seven of you are having an Orlando vacation - you would need 7 hotel rooms, and likely have to go back to your individual rooms at the end of the night or sit in a bar drinking at hotel prices.

You can rent 7 bedroom luxury Orlando vacation villas that offers you a TV and DVD in every room, air hockey and full sized pool table, free play games arcade, fee internet, Xbox and Playstation . . . Guess what that would cost a day for 10 minutes from Disney World? $325! You can get better Orlando rental villas at up to $500, but for 14 adults you are talking about an average $30 each a day. Still prefer that hotel room?

You can find vacation villas in many areas of Orlando, at a wide range of prices, but those above are typical. Few people who have tried them go back to booking hotels, and if your vacation is to last seven days or more, it really is a no brainer, particularly if there is a group of you. You have the option of a hotel room or a luxury villa at a lower price.

You don't live in one room at home, your vacation should be something you experience only once a year and so should be something special, so why live in one room on your vacation. Orlando luxury villas will provide you with what you deserve on your Orlando vacation, so get out there and check them out!

Mark Whichard is an Orlando tourism expert and writes frequently about attractions in and around Orlando. He is the proprietor of Disney Rents Vacation Homes and you can get great deals on Orlando Vacation Home Rentals at this website http://www.disneyrents.com

Family Room Decorating Ideas

The family room is a room for many uses. Whether you are watching television, playing games, or just gathering for conversation, your family room should be a relaxing atmosphere designed as a multi-purpose room.

Most family rooms are designed around a media center with a television, stereo, game systems, or your family computer. And with all these electronics comes movies, CD's, or games. It is essential to have storage for these items with good organization. there are many pieces of furniture specifically built for organizing these items. A lot of entertainment centers are designed to hold not only the television, but separate space to store DVD's, stereo's, or video games.

However, the flat screen television has become more popular, especially since it doesn't take up so much space. A lot of homes have the flat screen television mounted to the wall, especially over the fireplace as the focal point of the room. You can even purchase different style frames for your flat screen television for added decor. In this case, when the television is mounted to the wall, separate storage pieces can be used for your movies and such. DVD/CD racks, or shelves which mount to or lean on the wall are great options for storage.

But don't get too wrapped up in trying to make your television or media center the focal point in your family room. It isn't really necessary. Really, almost everyone has a television now, so why make it your focal point when it really isn't a special piece? It isn't the focal point in my family room. I just prefer to have a nice ornate mirror or large framed photos above my couch, with decorative candle sconces on each side. Having decorative lamps on end tables that are on each side of the couch help pull together the focal point. Large figures or statues, or large vases with artificial floral or bamboo stems can be used at one end of your sofa instead of having lamps at each end.

Whatever style or color scheme you use to decorate your family room, be sure to keep it comfortable. I wouldn't recommend formal style furniture in your family room since it is a gathering room where people want to relax. And remember, in a room where many gather, there are more spots and stains. Choose furniture with upholstry that is stain resistant or with covers that are easy to remove and wash. Upholstry with dark colors or having leather furniture are great choices for a family room. Adding ottomans or foot rests are also nice pieces to prop your feet up, and they provide extra seating when you
have a lot of people filling the room.

Decorating a family room is very easy. Framed family photos add a nice touch and are great conversation starters when you have guests visiting. Also, neatly placing books on your coffee or end tables will provide reading material when you want to turn the television off, and have a quiet place for reading. And, add a few throws or afghans, not only to add color, but to warm up and relax while watching a movie or reading a good book! And, if you decide to serve food in your family area, having snack tables or serving trays with stands will not only keep the food off of your nice furniture, but are very easy to clean up. And most of these trays with stands can be folded and conveniently stored away.

Using these ideas will create a family room designed for a large group of people to entertain, for a few to gather and have conversation, or for one just to kick back and relax with a good book. Whatever the purpose, make it a multi functional space that is comfortable and includes your own personal style!

For more information visit Home Decorating Ideas where you can learn more about home decorating and get family room decorating ideas.

DVD Storage Cases

DVD storage cases are a must for a person with a penchant for buying movie blockbusters in DVD form. After buying several movies, one can one day find that there is insufficient space to store the DVDs without scratching them. Instead of using a cake box for storing the DVDs, it is better to buy one of the many DVD storage cases available to store the DVDs.

Basically, there are many types of DVD storage cases, the standard-sized DVD case being one of them. These are the cases that commercial DVDs are sold in. They are tough on the exterior, which ensures that the DVD does not get scratched or bent. However, if you need to consider space while buying the DVD storage case, then the space-saving slim DVD case is a better choice. If you have numerous two-part DVDs or need to store more than one DVD per case then you should go in for one of the various double-DVD cases that are available. In addition to providing a tough exterior to your optical media, these DVD storage cases also have plenty of room for cover art to be inserted, too.

Those needing to store more than ten discs at a time should go for the ten-disc DVD storage cases that are available. This is usually found as a handsome black box that matches your home décor. It is made of leather-like material called Koskin, or ballistic nylon, with a thick foam padding to offer additional protection to the DVDs. These DVD storage cases have enough room to hold up to ten DVDs in jewel cases and are easy to pull out by the covers whenever needed. Pricing, too, is rather reasonable for the DVD storage cases. Before actually buying a DVD storage case, it is better to compare prices amongst the various online and offline shops for the best rates available.

DVD Cases provides detailed information on DVD Cases, Portable DVD Cases, Portable DVD Player Cases, DVD Storage Cases and more. DVD Cases is affiliated with In Wall Speaker Wire.

Portable DVD Players For Travel

Many students and young adults enjoy taking along their DVD Player when they are making a trip. A portable DVD player makes it very easy to see your DVD's and since many of the stores offer rentals you can pick up newer movies if you like. Many people prefer to take along their own DVD's to watch while they are in transit. You can watch your own DVD on your player while traveling on board a train, plane or bus. Many portable DVD players operate by battery giving you hours of enjoyment before you need to recharge.

Often couples who go on their honeymoon enjoy having their player with them since a lot of times the place they are staying is secluded without the comforts of TV. In some bed and breakfast establishments a TV is not offered or the reception is so bad that you can only get one station. This prevents the viewer from enjoying movies etc. as the one station might only be a public or paid programming station. The traveler who has brought along their own player with DVD's can enjoy watching during a quiet relaxing time.

Often college students enjoy using a portable DVD player in their dorm lying on their bed relaxing instead of going to the commons room and having to share the TV with other students. When you have a particular movie that you wish to watch without interruption it is very nice to be able to view in the quietness of your own room.

See what I think are the top 10 best portable DVD players on the market today, as well as more of Tom's work all at FINDcollegecards.

DVD Media Storage Facilities For Your Home

DVD media storage is an important part of household and office organization. Proper arrangement and storage prevents clutter and creates an elegant ambiance in any room. DVD storage includes a wide range of furniture like CD storage racks, storage towers, spinning racks, storage cabinets, wall storage and many more. The options are plenty and come in different shapes, sizes, and designs to suit the individual's need and requirement. Besides, there are also portable wallets and hard body DVD cases that provides systematic assortment of DVDs and CDs.

These cabinets are of great use! They have a number of compartments and can store a huge amount of media collections. The cabinets can be categorized as multimedia storage cabinet, cabinets with sliding door and glass, double media storage cabinet, library style storage, espresso storage, modular DVD storage and so on.

This tower collection includes tall racks with wooden side panels, glass or wooden shelf, with or without doors. They have a fine cherry, oak or walnut finish. The rack can be adjusted accordingly. They can store a huge amount of DVD's and are easily available in the market. The towers can also be spinning and has a stylish appearance. Place it in any corner of your home easily as it is light and movable. They are adjustable as well making them very versatile.

These types of racks will add to the neatness and coziness of your home. Place the LCD screen on the top and stock all other media and gaming inside the drawers below. Some racks have several or a few compartments and these shelves can be adjusted according to your need. These racks are made of solid wood, steel, or metal. The racks can also have modular arrangement for easy and comfortable placement of DVD media.

Now-a-days there are plenty of modern options available to the customers. You can find sleek racks made of steel or glass giving a contemporary look to your home. The capacity of storage is also huge and they come in stylish shape and form. The glass shelves comprise of different features like frosted glass, black glass etc. With online shopping, choosing and buying DVD storage products have become quite easy. You can get discount offers on many websites.

The Importance of a DVD Storage System

If you find yourself with so many pieces of CD's and DVD's and you don't know where to place them, it is time that you look at your options for DVD storage systems. DVD's are very efficient not only for media purposes like movies or song compilations, but you can also save important files on your computer on DVD's for backup or to erase some files and free up memory on the hard disk of your PC.

Even though the technology for memory saving devices keeps on changing, there are still various innovations that must be kept like the reliable DVD's. Aside from the fact that this can contain many of your files, you can also be assured that the format will be durable as long as you take good care of your DVD's.

To help you preserve the files that you have saved on your DVD's or even your collection of movies and the likes saved in disc formats, here are some important notes that you have to remember.

1. You must always run virus scan disk before you place the disk on other computers than yours. You don't want your files to be corrupted or destroyed because you neglect this simple step. If on the other hand, your disk is the one that contains malicious files and harmful objects, you will protect the computer from getting exposed to these that may cause its crash.

2. There are tools that you can get to clean your disks. You can look for these both on online and offline stores. If you are going to buy online, you might as well check the integrity of the product before you buy them. You can do this by looking for clients' testimonials about the product. You can also check out online forums where you can ask people for recommendations regarding this kind of tool.

3. The best way that you can do to make sure that your disks will last is to have them on an organized DVD storage system. You can also look online for related products. You can choose to buy from the kinds that are available on this venue. You can also opt to print the images and have someone recreate it for you.

It is very vital that you acquire and install a DVD storage system where you can place all your disks. This way, you will know where to look whenever you want to find something and your disks will not be easily exposed to dusts and scratches.

DVD storage is a great way to keep your media in order and protected. To learn more about how to keep your media collection safe in a convenient good looking piece of furniture check out DVD storage center.

DVD Storage Cabinets Are Brilliant For Storing Your Media Collection

DVD storage cabinets are essential in reducing the clutter of DVD's which can ruin the decor of any room. With their use, one can easily increase the space available in a room and make it look more ordered. Also, the DVD collection is also very well sorted out with these storage cabinets and it makes easy for one to pick up the favorite media. Such cabinets have many features also like detachable shelves and take-out drawers to ensure easy accessibility. The DVD's or CD's are delicate objects which can be ruined by moisture and dust and therefore protecting them from such elements is important. Movable cabinets are available in the market present in large, medium and small varieties.

The market is full of DVD storage cabinets available in different colors, sizes and finishes. The most common of all the varieties are the floor and wall mounted cabinets. You can also add elegance to your room by picking up a handcrafted and tinted DVD cabinet which can enhance the décor. The DVD designs with glass doors, color contrast and miniature art have a great visual appeal. DVD storage cabinets with 360 swivel options can also be given a thought. They can be rotated in the angel of 360 degrees for easily picking the DVD from any direction. One can also opt for the foldable media storage cabinet that can be put under the beds to safeguard them from pets or children. They can also be accumulated in a closet.

If entertainment centers that have a TV can also hold a DVD collection in them then nothing can be like it.
Space should also be taken into consideration when buying a DVD case or cabinet. With time, the DVD collection can grow in size so, it is necessary to buy one large in size. A DVD cabinet that can also host other things like newspapers and magazines can also be bought.

When one decides to purchase a media cabinet, it is imperative to gather some knowledge about the various kinds of units available in the market. The decision about purchasing a unit should be made on its durability and credibility. Internet is emerging as great source for getting reliable reviews about all the brands. It is also necessary to evaluate prices of such cabinets by taking information from about five stores. You can also get some advice from your friends about any reputed store and be on your way to having a DVD storage cabinet in your home.

When deciding on the right DVD CD storage solution make sure you do your research and get one that has some great reviews. To learn more you can check out the internet for the best DVD storage cabinets for your home.

Does Your Aerobic DVD Gathers Dust? A Full Review

I bought my first aerobics DVD 3 years ago, and have not used it since. I don't remember what its title was – I have since left it forgotten and dusty somewhere in the back recesses of my home, and have not seen it in months, but I do remember several things about it. It was bright pink in color, and featured some big hair, grinning guy in spandex on the cover, screaming out messaged that make you think you should get thin this instant. I thought that the aerobic DVD would inspire me to get my rear in shape, but it was not to be. Instead, my brand new aerobic DVD just decided to stale away in the corner, gathering dust while I continued being a potato-couch, growing fatter and less in shape.

My second workout video was a step aerobics DVD, but it shared the same fate. I think I did try that particular aerobic DVD a couple of times, but it did not really work. I just felt so stupid sitting there at home, pretending to suffering along with an imaginary group of people who were not even in the room with me, fooling myself that I was doing something that was not completely ridiculous. I just could not incorporate this routine into my life.. I had originally planned to start each day with the aerobic DVD and a shower, but when I finally dragged sinful self out of the comfortable bed in the morning, aerobics was the last thing on earth that I wanted to do.

I have had three of four aerobic DVDs since then and, to be completely honest with you, none of them have done what they claim to be able to at all. It simply is not that fun to do aerobics by yourself in the living room, watching your aerobic DVD on the television. Nothing really happened to get me in shape from watching the aerobic DVD. Finally, I had to do what I had been avoiding all along; I had to join a gym.

Once I began to get my exercise from aerobics classes and not an aerobic DVD, it suddenly became so much easier to adhere to the program. The classes got me out of my house, and the people in them were real and so encouraging that I just could not come back to my old lazy self. Almost immediately, I was hooked on taking exercise classes to get in shape. It was almost like you could not tear me away from them. Meanwhile, every aerobic DVD I have ever owned quietly gathers dust in the house of a newer, fitter me. What a waste of money, you might say. Well, not really. They eventually make me realize how I can get in shape. By not following them.

John Wellington provides readers with up-to-date commentaries, articles, and reviews for health, skin care, and other related information.

Etageres - Perfect For Using in Any Room in Your Home

Some of the rooms throughout your home are extremely cluttered. Like your living room as an example. You have books on this table, DVD's on that table, and the other day you even found a few magazines underneath the couch. So, you are looking for a way to clean things up and that is where lovely etageres come into play.

You might think that etageres are reserved just for dining rooms or kitchens, yet that is where you are wrong. They can be used in a number of different spots throughout your home, but we will get into that later. First, we need to get into why they provide you with a nice way to get your things organized and that is because of their design. You see, it is a structure that features shelving. Sometimes that shelving will all the same size and other times the shelving will go from large ones on the bottom of the structure to smaller ones descending to the smallest one at the top of it. You can get ones that have as little as three shelves and others that feature four, five, even six shelves.

Now, the shelves that etageres have are what provide you with a convenient place to store and organize. Some of the different things you can place on them include books, CD's, DVD's, magazines, and even decorative items like statues and other special keepsakes.

Since etageres are such a versatile spot to store different things, they can be used in many of the rooms throughout your home. One great place to put one is in your living room. You could place it on a wall or an empty corner if you wanted. A few of the other locations where one would be a nice fit throughout your home include a bedroom, a den, a larger bathroom, a four seasons room, and an entertainment space.

If you think that etageres will take away from the overall look of your décor, think again because they are actually tremendously pleasing to the eye courtesy of the many ways in which they can be styled. For instance, you can get one that has a very modern appearance that has a streamlined profile and clean lines. Or, you could get another that is more on the antique side filled with breathtaking detailing and ornamentation. These are just a few of the options that you could get to as there are many others. A fast and easy way to see them all and find just the right one for you is by going online for some comparison shopping. You can browse through the multiple online retail stores without much effort and when you decide on something by purchasing it, it will be shipped right to you so no having to worry about having to transport anything anywhere.

Ultimately, if you want to clean up the clutter in your home, rely on etageres. One, or a few, are the perfect way to help you get organized.

Author Jennifer Akre is an owner of a wide variety of online specialty shops including that offer both items and information on how you can easily furnish and decorate your space. Whether it is dining room furniture for your dining area or even new cabinet hardware for your kitchen or bath, there are many tips you can use to make those spots both functional and beautiful.

Storage Cabinets for Favourite DVDs

DVDs are popular because of its large storage capacity and higher performance level. No wonder why so many people are fond of collecting DVDs, especially those that store great movies. But the problem here is: where to store the storage device?

DVDs are very sensitive that with just a simple scratch, you could lose handful of important information. You should not allow your DVDs to be scattered like crumpled papers on the floor. DVDs need to be taken cared of properly and they should be stored in the right place.

You can have spinners that are especially designed to give you convenience in accessing your DVDs and provide an elegant look for your living room or you can have a large capacity DVD storage cabinet. The latter can give you the convenience and stylish look the spinner can also give you, only that it provides a bigger storage space and a good protection against the elements like water and dust. And yes, a large capacity DVD storage cabinet is the answer for your problem. But there are still some questions here: where to buy and how to choose the right large capacity DVD storage cabinet for you. Below are some tips on choosing the right storage area for your storage device:

• Get the largest DVD cabinet you can afford to buy and should fit the space provided for it. If you have a DVD collection, you must assume that your collection will grow so you need more space for more DVDs. Besides, you can still utilize the space for storing some important things until your DVDs grow in number, enough to fill the cabinet. If you want a special cabinet exclusively for DVDs alone, you can do so, but it is better for you to have a DVD cabinet that also has space for your other things.

• Consider having an expandable large capacity DVD storage cabinet so you can dictate how you would want to put your DVDs in there.

• Look for a large capacity DVD storage cabinet which offers ease in organizing your DVD collection. With this kind of DVD cabinet, you can rearrange or add something to your collection. There are DVD cabinets with drawers or slots but this type may limit the capacity of the cabinet.

• Choose a large capacity DVD storage cabinet with shelves for easy access and rearrangement.

• The right style of DVD cabinet will not only give a storage area for your DVDs but will also provide a good look for the room. Consider buying a large capacity DVD storage cabinet with great looking designs that will look fantastic in the room where you decided to place it in. If your room has a contemporary, modern look, it is best to have black-colored and simple design DVD cabinet. However, if you are planning to place your DVD cabinet in a traditional-styled living room, you can also choose a DVD cabinet with a classic design. This is usually made of elegant hard wood.

• Compare DVD cabinet prices from at least 5 stores, either in an online store or not. Remember that the price does not speak for the quality. You can have a DVD cabinet at a lower price with the same high standard. You can be assured you are buying the right DVD cabinet when you compare prices from different stores.

• Buy at the best store for DVD cabinets. Seek some advice from your friends and other DVD collectors where to buy the best large capacity DVD storage cabinet. Choose the store which has the reputation of serving the customers well by delivering or selling quality cabinets.

DVDs are real treasures and they deserve proper place to stay. Now, reading does really make sense. With the information you have, you will surely get the best large capacity DVD storage cabinet you are worthy of.

Rajesh Karavadia is the author and webmaster of http://www.cabinetssite.com, an informative website about recessed medicine cabinets and kitchen cabinet doors

Portable DVD Players For the Car

Today modern DVD players can last for several days and nights before they need to be charged. They are easily carried in a carrying case along with your DVD's. Since we now have a lot of rental stores at our convenience we can rent out the newest movies and watch them at our convenience. Most of the players can be carried in a backpack which leaves room for many DVD's.

The DVD portable players are small in size but offer surround sound with great built in speakers. The screens vary in size from small to large viewing while the casing is small with all the components neatly built into the back or bottom preventing the unit from being over sized.

The units are used by students, business professionals and the average person who just likes the capability of watching DVD's. The cost is minimal ranging from $50 to several hundred dollars depending on what the owner is looking for when watching their DVD's.

Often the case is made of hard durable materials making it easy to carry around without damaging the components. The portable DVD player usually has all the components carefully placed inside and protected from damage due to water or other ailments. Even though the unit is well protected it is advisable that you do take some precautions to keep your unit safe. Pack it well when you are traveling, make sure that it is safe from the lots of bumps and things like rain. It is not advisable to store your unit in damp places like basements or attics. When you are storing your unit put it in a box and carefully packs it for safety sake. The units components are very important and you do not want to risk them getting damaged.

Check out my top 10 best portable DVD player page, as well as more of my work all at FINDgascards

Benefits of a Whole House Multi-Room Audio Video System

The benefits of a whole house audio video distribution system are huge. In addition to having audio and video throughout the home it is worth focusing on individual sources where the benefits may not be immediately apparent.

Sky HD

With the advent of Sky + video distribution systems have really come in to their own. For quite some time people have been utilising the 2nd RF output on Sky receivers to get access to their Sky package in the master bedroom. Some people have even run to the expense of Sky multiroom to have the second room fed from its own receiver. With our systems we centralise the Sky receiver and make it available everywhere in the property - with High Definition audio and video available to every room. Not only does this give you the ultimate picture quality it also gives you access to all your recordings and live TV pause etc. Now you can watch what you want when you want throughout the home. For the ultimate indulgence we often install several Sky + HD boxes and give them names - one for kids, one for adults!

Kaleidescape DVD Servers

The Kaleidescape DVD server has revolutionised the way we can distribute DVD's around the home. We have the option of installing a player in a dedicated home cinema room or centralising all the players, with audio and video distributed in high definition. Centralising the Movie Player 1080 gives us the flexibility to allow any room to join in a film at any point - allowing you to pause a film in the cinema and continue watching it in bed. It is difficult to mention Kaleidescape and not mention the beautiful user interface. List views and collections give you access to lots of information very easily - for example run length, sort by director, lead actor, genre etc but the best bit is the cover art view. In cover art view your films are arranged by relevance so if you hover over 'Ice Age' then you would get kids films grouped near by and also the artists films. This unique shuffle revolutionises the way you watch films - making it easy to pick out all films by a certain actor or watching films by a certain director.

Audio Servers

Our audio servers apply the same principal to CD's as the above Kaleidescape server applies to DVD's. Imagine being able to access your entire music collection anywhere in the home - without the need for a TV in the room. Multiple outputs allow one CD to be played in the bathroom whilst another plays in the bedroom. Simply inserting a CD in to the server means it is stored for ever - the server automatically goes off to the internet and downloads cover art and track listings - all of which can be displayed on a touchpanel in your chosen room.

iPod integration

We have a number of ways to share iPod's around the home. At first glance a distributed iPod may render the above audio server redundant but there is nothing more frustrating than realising your partner has taken the iPod in the car or to the gym and you therefore have no music available. We tend to install iPod docking stations in kids bedrooms - they have access to their music and don't clog your audio server with music you aren't interested in. We can even make the iPod in the kids bedrooms available through out the home, meaning they can easily listen to their music in the games room or pool.

Written by:
Dave Chester
Custom Controls

http://www.CustomControls.co.uk

DVD Review - Control Room-2004- Iraq From Al-Jazeera's Perspective?

Documentaries are a strange animal, sometimes they are eye-opening, occasionally the message can be fascinating, and at times they can be little more than average.

Unfortunately "Control Room" fits into the latter category for me. Here is

an unofficial tagline for the film.
for the film:

Startling and powerful, Control Room is a documentary about the Arab television network Al-Jazeera's coverage of the U.S.-led Iraqi war, and conflicts that arose in managed perceptions of truth between that news media outlet and the American military. Egyptian-American filmmaker Jehane Noujaim (Startup.com) catches the frantic action at their headquarters as President Bush stipulates his 48-hour, get-out-of-town warning to Saddam Hussein and sons, soon followed by the network's shocking footage of Iraqi civilians terrorized and killed by invading U.S. troops. Al-Jazeera's determination to show images and report details outside the Pentagon's carefully controlled information flow draws the wrath of American officials, who accuse it of being an al-Qaida propagandist. (The killing of an Al-Jazeera reporter in what appears to be a deliberately targeted air strike is horrifying.) Most fascinating is the way Control Room allows well-meaning, Western-educated, pro-democratic Arabs an opportunity to express views on Iraq as they see it-in an international context, and in a way most Americans never hear about.

I think whether one gets the above impression from the film will largely depend on where you
are starting from. If you are a flag waving, fox news watching imperialist then the film would probably shock you intensely. Ironically, that demographic is also the least likely person to see this film. The film tries (and somewhat succeeds) to tow the middle ground - showing that just as they have an agenda - so too certainly do our American Networks. Much of the most open journalism I've read about the 'situation/invasion/liberation(?)' of Iraq comes from Australia and Europe. The film should hold something for everyone.

The film centres around the moments from the 48 hour warning afforded by Bush to Iraq after the U.N. security council was overruled through to the initial weeks of the troop movement into the country. It seems to be very much in the media game, no less so than FOX/CNN/MSNBC - the spin factor applies on both sides of the equation. The common denominator (those truly affected by the hostilities) is the piece we are left to ponder as usual. The most interesting part of the film is where a US Marine spokesman who is meeting on a daily basis with a Al-Jazeera reporter - trying to manage damage control, semantics and to his credit - find some commonalities.

It's a film that asks more questions that it answers. It now being 2007 we obviously can see the decisions made in real time were premature. Particularly the bold statement of Iraq being under control the battle is over and won' by GW all those years ago.

Sadly, the most natural way we could even begin to understand the media of the Arab world (which may or may not represent its viewers) would be to see it. That of course is not going to happen. A good film, not a great one, it is one of the few chances on the market to see the other side of the coin in what has become the legacy of this decade.

Favorite line "Did he work for the BBC?" 'yes' "Ahh..ok....everyone from the BBC ends up working for Al-Jazeera later". Also, someone said - let's just give everyone an American passport and then this can all stop.

Since an early age growing up just outside of London, Tim Merrick has had a passion for music and film. After being taken to see The Clash just before his 12th birthday, he has had a constant desire to see live music performed and continued with his large record collection. During college his hobby became his income as he worked during school in a record shop.

Tim has returned to his passion by operating a neighborhood online record/film store called Underground Discs. The name was inspired by many years riding the tube (underground) in London. The goal is to appeal to people with any taste of music and film. All genres of music and film are represented. The inventory is constantly changing selection of titles at extremely competitive pricing.

To visit Tim's shop please visit http://undergrounddiscs.com

Clean Up Your Mess With a DVD Storage Rack

DVDs have been around for a very long time now, and it has become clear that many families have a very large and ever growing collection of DVDs. This can get really messy in your house if you don't have somewhere to keep them. You often find that people will just keep them lying around the TV stacked on top of each other. You can imagine that when they get more and more this can become really messy and disorganized. Some people also just throw them in a cupboard or cabinet that they have near the TV area. This works most of the time for storage, however you will find that the DVDs are then actually really disorganized. If you are able to afford it, and you should because they aren't very expensive, then you should buy a DVD storage rack. These are great because it means that you keep all of your DVDs in one place, and it looks really great when it is not messy. It also means that you can organize them in the way that you want. Some people like to have the in alphabetical order and if you like that then it is easy to do with some sort of a storage unit.

You can find many different styles of units. You will be able to find one that suits your needs and your house. First you need to consider how many DVDs you actually have. Check out your current stash and decide how much it might grow, and what you might need in the future. You can find units or little holders that will hold 5-10 DVDs, or you can find them that will hold hundreds of DVDs. This is an important consideration and make sure you leave enough room for your collection to grow. The next consideration is whether you want to have a metal of a wood unit. Wood ones seem to be more popular, this may be because there are a lot of people that have wood furnishings in their living room. If you are looking at a wood unit then you need to consider what style wood you are using. Metal ones also can look great, and if your home has more of a sharper edge to it, and uses dark colors, then maybe a metal one is the style you should be looking for. You have many different styles to choose from as well. Wall DVD rack, DVD tower, standing rack, shelves or even in the cabinet style.