While he was pointing to a guitar displayed in a music store, his father told him those were for adults and promised he would buy him a musical instrument that fits his age. I was impressed with how the father handled the matter, not simply dismissing his boy’s request despite the possibility that it may just be his son’s spur-of-the-moment thing.

While waiting for my companions, I started thinking what musical instruments would be good for children. I’m not referring to musical toys, as they are not really musical instruments. Musical toys may be great for kids below 5 years old, since these toys can teach them about music without the frustration of not getting good sounds with just random strikes. Besides, toddlers are still in the discovery stage and fun must be the main point.

For older kids, however, musical instruments can help them learn music as well as patience, perseverance and commitment. They can work on simple musical pieces first and go from there to more complex ones.

There are great locations to buy musical instruments. Probably one of the best places or ways to shop is online, such as in http://www.musicalinstrumenthaven.com, as you can choose from a wide variety of options without any pressure.

Drums, shakers and xylophones may interest younger kids, while pianos, flutes and guitars would be great for older kids. Buying musical instruments that would last long is also better than getting musical toys that would last only for a few months.

The mother knows what she’s doing. She can pose however she wants to in every magazine that will take her. But the boy is too young to understand his participation in the magazine cover and how this could affect him in school (whether we like it or not, bullies are everywhere) or in the future.

Convenience

It would be extremely annoying to hear someone yelling throughout the house just to get someone’s attention. It would be, without doubt, more convenient for the homeowner, the guests as well as the neighbors if visitors just use the intercom to call someone in the house.

Security

Aside from convenience, a more important reason to put up an intercom system at home is security. One does not need to open the door or the gate to check who’s knocking. With an efficient intercom system, you can just ask from a reasonably safe distance the identity of the person asking for you. This is especially helpful for homeowners who live by themselves or those with small kids at home.

You can also use the intercom to remotely unlock the doors, instead of giving family and friends their own keys to your home. This can effectively prevent any unauthorized access.

Safety

In case of emergency situations, having an intercom system can also help homeowners call the attention of other people in the house. It’s a quick and effective way, compared to yelling or running around to alert others.

Of course, there’s always this added benefit of you playing your favorite music throughout your home. It’s like staying in a nice hotel room complete with piped-in music.

Without getting too deep into the origins of the holiday, the use of costumes used to be a kind of prayer or wish for the upcoming year. People would dress in costumes representing their aspirations and dreams. If people wore the lavish clothing of the higher class, they were wishing for wealth and prosperity. If they wore lab coats or clothing representing a highly respected line of work, they were hoping for good luck in their careers. It’s a fairly simple concept that is a form of self-affirmation and motivation.

In the present day form, we see costumes ranging from zombies, which are very popular as of late, to popular characters from film and television. Very few people know the origins of this tradition and I doubt many of them really wish to become members of the walking dead. This is because of the blending of traditions.

There was another practice in which you would dress as something horrifying and intimidating to scare the spirits that would arise on the night of all hallows’ evening, an old night for Halloween night and the origin of the word “Halloween”. It was believed that if the spirits saw you as one of their own then they would let you pass without trouble.

Another part of the practice was to go from door to door and offer prayers for the spirits of the dead in exchange for a piece of food, which has become the candy hunt that we all know and love today.

Between the two traditions, I prefer the idea of self-empowerment and I’ll take the lab coats over the zombie makeup any day.

Check out this diamond dagger divorce ring:

Have I not said that some people come up with the strangest ideas?

Shocking news: Whitney Houston was reported dead on Saturday, February 11, 2012. The sad news was shared by publicist Kristen Foster. Houston’s location and cause of death was still unknown.

Houston was best known for her unparalleled singing voice in the late 80′s and early 90′s, especially in the soundtrack for the movie “The Bodyguard”, in which she starred alongside Kevin Costner. Houston’s hit song “I Will Always Love You” sealed her status as one of the world’s best female singers.

In recent years, she figured in negative news, such as her battle with drugs, diva-like behavior, and a complex marriage with Bobby Brown (which ended in divorce).

This sudden news of her death is considered a huge loss to the entertainment industry. Recent news this week said Houston was approached to be one of the judges in The X-Factor, and she is also slated to appear in the musical drama film “Sparkle” with Jordin Sparks.

For starters, here is an awesome process flowchart that traces the lyrics of Bonnie Tyler’s song “Total Eclipse of the Heart”. Click the image below for the larger version.

It’s near perfection! The flowchart’s creator Jeannie — and with some help from one of her followers — certainly took their time to craft this impressive music chart.

Keep posted for more Pop Charts!

ABS-CBN revealed that Happy Yipee Yehey will be having its last episode on February 4, 2012.

I have watched Happy Yipee Yehey a few times, and I always find myself clicking to another channel since watching the show is ‘painful’. I can feel the strain of everyone in the show following a certain format, throwing jokes that are held back, trying too hard to please the audience.

This is why whenever I have time to watch TV at noon, I prefer Eat Bulaga or some other show in other channels. Eat Bulaga, in comparison, offers free flow of ideas, jokes and friendly discussions, making the show light and fun.

People say it’s because the show has been on air for more than 3 decades that its hosts can already afford to go light and not be try-hards, while others say it’s because the show is light and the hosts aren’t pushing it too hard that made it stay this long. (Chicken or egg, huh?)