As with so many subjective “things” in life, there is a great deal disagreement over who are the best method acting greats in the acting business and in movies. A good place to start in a search for the best of the method acting greats is the famed Actor’s Studio in New York City. Run for fifty years by the imitable Lee Strasberg, the Actor’s Studio turned out some of the great method acting legends in movies of the 20th century.

Acting greats that were part of the Actor’s Studio and who were instructed by Lee Strasberg include:

1. Marlon Brando. Brando necessarily must be on list of any great method actor. Particularly in his early roles, Brando breathed a believability into his work that truly transcended the movies he appeared in and made it seem as if he were the living and breathing character he portrayed.

2. Sidney Poitier. No actor in the 20th century broke down more barriers in Hollywood than did Poitier. And, he accomplished so much because of his ability to inhabit the souls of his characters and bring them to life on the big screen

3. James Dean. Although his life tragically was cut short, Dean’s short passage across the cinema screen and in movies is remarkable. Serious thinkers in the world of film credit Dean for cutting a believable stride in the few roles that he did play on the screen before his untimely death. There is near universal agreement that had Dean lived beyond his youth, he would be one of only a few actors who dominate the business, even today.

4. Robert de Niro. De Niro remains one of the hottest properties in movies today. Whether playing the role of a dangerous psycho-path to a silly, paranoid father in a happy comedy, de Niro’s work is shaped by his work with Strasberg. Indeed, the typical movie-goer forgets de Niro’s prior characters in movies each time they view him in a new film.

5. Marilyn Monroe. Certainly, some people scowl when Monroe’s name is mentioned as a great method actor. But, Strasberg himself considered Monroe to be one of his greatest pupils of all time. (Indeed, Monroe lived with Strasberg and his wife during her time at the Actor’s Studio.) Most people fail to remember that Monroe abandoned Hollywood at the height of her fame in movies to study under Strasberg at the Actor’s Studio, so intent was she on becoming a fine actor. According to Strasberg himself, Monroe succeed as a method actress, particularly in comedic roles. He maintained until his death that no actor had comedic timing and a method-based screen presence that could challenge Monroe. Like Dean, had she survived, she would have developed into one of the most formidable screen actors of the 20th century.

Beyond the Actor’s Studio alumni, there are numerous other strong method actors that have established a sense of greatness through their careers and work.

6. Rod Steiger. Steiger’s career in movies spanned over fifty years and included roles that brought him three Oscar nominations and one Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in “In the Heat of the Night” in 1967 opposite Sidney Poitier. He filled his roles in such a way that the characters he played on film will long be remembered and his personal essence is a bit misty.

7. Martin Landau. Landau has mastered some of the most complex roles in theater and motion picture history. He has been described as not only playing a character in movies or on the stage — but assuming and becoming the character through and through.

8. Dennis Hopper. Perhaps some consider the Wichita, Kansas, resident an unlikely choice for one of the great method actors of the 20th century, but Hopper’s turns on the screen have been phenomenal. From his early roles through his most recent fare, Hopper has fashioned characters that are now etched on the psyche of filmgoers the world over.

9. Charlize Theron. Women are noticeably a rare breed on lists of great method actors. While there are many formidable women on the screen today, very few of them have involved themselves in the method school as part of their training. With that said, one of the most extraordinary actresses in movies of the 20th and 21st century is Theron. Perhaps no actress in decades has so assumed a role than has Theron in “Monster” in which she actually seems to become the psychopathic, real life serial killer Aileen Wuornos. Theron won critical acclaim and an Academy Award for her work on this film.

Publisher & Author Raymond DeChampfleur – You can access detailed articles, news, & more relevant resources along with great information and downloads on the movies and music world at Movies or http://muzic-and-moviez.com/wordpress/categories/articles/

Your Credit Report (the Boring Part)

Your online credit report is a collection of files and records pertaining to your credit history. It is often referenced for hiring, renting, mortgages, loans, background checks and many other situations which may require an involvement of a larger sum of your income or a need for your personal services. Your online credit report contains the good the bad and yes, the ugly, within its pages. There are 3 major credit report bureaus from which the information comes from: TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. For the most they are similar, but between the three bureaus there may be some different items listed.

What If!?

What if your online credit report was only full of positive, correct and up to date items? This would be like a fantasy credit report. You could use it like a tool for certain things like getting a low interest loan or the mortgage you actually wanted. You could use it as a weapon against those creditors who automatically assume that your credit sucks and turn the whole finance game around on them. This fantasy credit report would be like a report card with all A’s (something most of us have never experienced right?). Imagine not having to worry about what the results are going to be when the phone rings from the bank because you have total peace of mind that your credit report is not only clean but also free of errors and mishaps. The anxiety of waiting for the results of your credit standing concerning a major purchase can cause equal or more mental tension than a doctor walking in the room with his results for a major medical test.

Making the Fantasy a Reality

Okay, so this whole fantasy credit report thing is exactly just that right? A fantasy. Well… not necessarily. See, you are the only one that can ultimately control what happens to your credit report. Yes, of course there are those ‘unknown factors’ – BUT, the good news is there is a big first step you can take to help start achieving your own personal fantasy credit report. You can obtain a free copy of your credit report and see what negative items are sitting on your file. More than 70% of all U.S. citizens with credit reports have false or out of date items on their credit file. By spotting these items early and taking the appropriate steps to remove them you can improve your credit rating. What else can you do? Develop a personalized budget. It will take a couple months of re-adjusting but will help you to see where your money is going and begin to mature your spending habits. Also, think about your major purchases before you make them. Too often in our society, consumers buy things without a second thought and “paint themselves into a corner” financially. When you take on more payments than you can afford you have set up your credit report for long term damage. Here is a saying to think about regarding this type of situation: “If your outgo exceeds your income, eventually your upkeep will become your downfall.” Remember that the fantasy credit report is waiting to evolve before your very eyes – you just have to make it happen.

To read more about how you can get your online credit report free with no obligations, see what is on your file and find out how to fix your credit report go to http://www.cleancreditonline.com

Tom Justice is the webmaster for Clean Credit Online and does all the designing, marketing, SEO and maintenance for the site. He has a passion for personal finance and how the economy and consumers are affected by money. To see how you can use Clean Credit Online to help you with your personal finances please visit www.cleancreditonline.com
“Fantasy Credit Report” – © (2005) Reprinting is allowed assuming all content is left the same.

VoIP technology is revolutionary in that it combines internet access with telephone service therefore utilizing the same technology for two very different things. Now, instead of having a traditional phone connection, VoIP technology enables you to use your internet broadband connection to make telephone calls.

1) So how does a VoIP phone work?

Firstly, you need a broadband connection and a router. This device works by allowing you to take phone calls as before. However, with a VoIP phone, the connection is now digital instead of through a phone line. A VoIP phone also has a gateway that connects you to a network. Your voice is then converted to a digital sound and this information can be sent in packets enabling you to have great sound and connection to people with and without the VoIP service.

2) What do you need to get started?

Of course, you need a broadband internet connection. Although VoIP can work with other internet service providers, the voice reception quality will not be as it would be with broadband.

3) What are the benefits of a VoIP phone?

The main benefit is that the VoIP phone costs much less that the traditional phone lines. This applies whether you use a cell phone or home phone service. Unlike home phone services, regular long distance callers really notice the benefits of a VoIP phone. The more long distance calls you make the more you save since with a VoIP phone the location of the caller and the person receiving the call is not important. Since you are also able to take you adapter with you, this service is perfect for the travelers among you. VoIP phones are also cost effective if you wish to add to your service. For example, instead of the normal fee of adding a phone line to your traditional home service, you need only pay a minimal amount since those with VoIP phones need to install any additional equipment.

4) Are there any disadvantages of switching to a VoIP phone?

Although there are some disadvantages, however these are minor. Poor voice quality can occur when the reception is poor. However, this is something we already have to contend with cell phones. Also, since a VoIP phone is connected to a broadband connection, if the company supplying you with this connection has any problem with its power supply, then your call will automatically be cut off. This may also occur when there is poor signal in an area.

5) What are the future applications?

Presently, the majority of companies allow you to be online at the same time as making calls. There are no limitations to this service and in this area can only grow and progress in the future. VoIP phone use will become more and more common and easier to use, as digital phones will be made. This means that a customer no longer needs a router and this will lead to VoIP phones becoming more popular than the traditional phone line.

Seymour Brown writes articles for http://www.voip-basics.com

The first step in a search engine optimization campaign is to choose your keywords or keyphrases for each of your web pages. Keywords are the terms that search engine users type in the search box to conduct a query. The right keywords are those that:

1. clearly describe the purpose and content of your site, and,

2. allow your site to show up as close to the first results page as possible.

A good position doesn’t depend only on your choice of keywords. It also depends on how well do you position those keywords in your web page, and how many quality external pages link to you. However, choosing the wrong keywords can throw off your entire search engine optimization strategy, so you need to invest a few hours and make sure you do it right.

Let’s start with your homepage. Look at it carefully and write down the words and phrases that best define your site. Try to form two or three word phrases, since competition for one-word keyphrases is fierce, and it is virtually impossible to get a top position for them. That is why, from now on, we will talk about keyphrases, not keywords.

Once you have developed your list of potential keyphrases you are ready for the next step: to analyze the demand and supply for those keyphrases, and choose the best ones (those with good demand and not enough supply).

We will first check the demand for your selected keyphrases. For this, we will go to Overture’s Search Term Suggesion Tool:

http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/

Overture is a popular pay-per-click search engine (as we know, pay-per-click search engines are the only ones that disclose keyword poplularity for free). You will then type each of the keyphrases you selected, and see how many people search for those terms. This tool will show you only those searches conducted in Overture (and only in one month time). However, the relative popularity of each search term will be very similar in other search engines as well.

In addition to telling you if your selected keyphrases are popular, this tool will show you other keyphrases that you may not have thought about, which may even be more relevant to your site. For example, if your first keyphrase was “Italian Restaurant”, the Search Term Suggestion Tool will also display other popular search terms, like: “Gourmet Italian Restaurant”, “Northern Italian Restaurant”, “Italian Restaurant Pizzeria”, “Italian Restaurant Miami”, etc. You may also try other keyphrases, for example: “Italian Cuisine”, and come up with more specific keyphrases, like: “Fine Italian Cuisine”, “Italian Cuisine Miami”, “Northern Italian Cuisine”, “Italian Cuisine Fine Dining”, “Gourmet Italian Cuisine”, etc.

What you have done is to validate and enlarge your pool of popular, in-demand, potential keyphrases for your web page.

The next step is to check the supply, or, in other words, to see how much competition there is for your selected keywords. Naturally, you want to focus on keyphrases where competition is less fierce. For example, chosing “Italian Restaurant” alone will certainly hurt you. There are so many of them that your chances of showing up in an advantagous position within the search results are pretty slim.

Having said that, get your list of keyphrases, go to Google ( http://www.google.com ) and type-in each of them in the search box. Enter your keyphrases within quotation marks (to filter-out less relevant results), and see how many results each individual query produces, making a note of those with a relatively small number of results (less competition). You will stick with the keyphrase that:

1. Best describes the topic and content of your page.

2. Is a popular search term according to Overture’s Search Term Suggestion Tool.

3. Generates a relatively small number of results after performing the Google search.

If “Gourmet Italian Restaurant” is the keyphrase that best meets these three criteria, it will become your primary keyphrase. To get even better results, you can choose a second keyphrase to make your page more relevant to an even more specific niche. For example, if your restaurant is in Miami, you can consider “Miami” a second keyphrase.

Once you have chosen the keyphrases for you homepage, do the same for the other pages on your site.

You will then take your selected keyphrases and optimize your pages heavily for them. This involves placing them in strategic locations in the title, headings and body of each page.

About The Author

Mario Sanchez publishes The Internet Digest ( http://www.theinternetdigest.net ), an online collection of web design and Internet marketing articles and resources. You can freely reprint his weekly articles in your website, ezine, newsletter or ebook.

Credit cards are just like any form of credit, you should shop around to find the best deal. Depending on your situation, you may want to find a card with low rates, a reward program, or a 0% APR for transfers. Make sure you look at several credit card companies to find the best deal for you.

Comparing Programs

Credit card companies offer several different types of incentives to entice you to open an account with them. These rewards can save you money or earn you trips or cash back. If you plan on always paying off your monthly balance, then a reward program, such as airline miles or cash back, may be for you.

If you plan on carrying a balance on your new credit card, then look for the lowest rate. You will want a no frills card with no annual fees. You can also choose a card with a low introductory fee, usually lasting six months to a year, if you plan to pay off the balance soon.

For transfers, look for offers of 0% APR. These offers typically last for six to twelve months, but they can save you a bundle on interest. However, be aware that rates on these cards can shoot up after the grace period.

Finding Credit Card Companies

I’m sure you have received several credit card offers in the mail this week, but you can find better deals online. The major financing companies offer special reward bonuses and special programs for students or small business owners.

Look at what each credit card company is offering along with their rates. You may also want to choose a card that you don’t already have. While American Express and Discover offer excellent rewards, they aren’t accepted by everyone. Plan on having at least two different types of cards.

Always Watch For Deals

Once you have your credit card, continue to look at credit card offers. You may find an especially low rate or a good rewards program. You can easily apply for the card, then close an old credit card account. While having several different types of credit lines are good for your credit history, too many open credit card accounts can hurt your score.

See my recommended
Credit Card Lenders online.
Carrie Reeder is the owner of ABC Loan Guide, an informational website about various types of loans.