Battle-of-the-bands.info/blog

With wedding season in high gear, the gift on everyone’s list is a new set of flatware. However, why wait for a marriage to invest in a beautiful set of your own. Now only will you be complimenting your dining set, you will also be investing in a future heirloom that can be passed down to your children and even your grandchildren.

Don’t let the many different brands of flatware on the market overwhelm you. You may think to yourself that you could never choose between the different prices, styles, colors, qualities, and brands of flatware. However, if you take a breath and ask yourself what is important to you in your new silverware purchase, you will be walking home with a new set in no time.

A great place to start is just to research and compare different brands and lines of flatware. A great line of flatware to start with is the Oneida brand Sand Dune line.

Oneida has a rich and colorful company history starting all the way back in the late 1800′s in a small commune in upstate New York. In fact Oneida Ltd and its silver works were the only interest to survive the communities rocky history and ultimate disbandment in the early 1900′s. Regardless of its history, Oneida has grown to be consistently one of the top flatware companies in the United States and the world at large.

Oneida’s Sand Dune line is just one example of the quality and craftsmanship that has been born out of the legacy of this company. Advertised as being “contoured, contemporary, and cool” the Sand Dune pattern consists of intelligent clean lines that edge a teardrop like shape. This modern yet classic design will compliment the styles of anyone’s tastes, but does it stand up to its competition?

The first comparison brand to consider would be Lenox. Lenox boasts a similar contemporary design but has much more detail and so lends itself to a more traditional feel. Lenox also offers a “breakage replacement” program in which if your product breaks in any way, Lenox will replace it as long as you have registered it. The downside to this is that they can only do this if the line has not been discontinued. A benefit of the Sand Dune collection being a part of Oneida, is that Oneida offers a “pattern for a lifetime guarantee”. This means that if you happen to lose, or have a piece of your set stolen, you will always be able to replace it even if the line has been discontinued.

Another brand you may want to consider is Mikasa. Compared to many other brands, Mikasa is quite new on the market, but is in now way any less established then other brands that have been around much longer. There are a couple of different lines from Mikasa that mimic the style and feel of the Sand Dune design. However, once again if you were to lose or have stolen any piece of your set, Mikasa does not have anything in place to help you replace those items. One such service that Oneida offers is an open stock policy allowing you to order only the piece that you need instead of investing in an entire new set.

These are just two of the hundreds of different brands and lines that you can choose from when it comes to comparing and contrasting flatware pieces with the Oneida Sand Dune collection. When doing your research it’s always important to not only take into consideration the style and craftsmanship of a piece, but it’s also important to study the warranties, guarantees that come along with your investment.

Buying high end flatware such as Oneida’s Sand Dune collection is not a cheap investment. This is why it’s so important to not only choose a brand that you will be proud to display on your tabletop when company comes around, but also a brand that will help you protect your investment for generations to come

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by Ellen Zee
No Comments »

Karaoke has become so popular that most people know what it basically is. What is surprising many parents, is finding that the karaoke machine is the number one item on their children’s Christmas list. Often the parents are not quite sure how it works and are a little hesitant investing in one. They aren’t aware of the costs and if its just going to be a fad for the kids they don’t want to make a large investment.. The parents are often surprised to find out that a basic home karaoke machine is not all that expensive, although there are different price ranges.

If you have an extra TV in the home that is away from the rest of the house for noise control reasons, they you will just need to pick up a few other of the items. A good choice would be a component system, which will consist of disc player which is capable of player the most popular format discs. It will have to have a microphone input with separate controls. It should also have key control and vocal cancel.

This is when you want to use DVDs that contain both background and vocal. Then you will need speakers, but make sure they are strong enough to handle live vocals. Next is the microphone and here you will need to make a choice of wireless or wired. The bonus is ,if you already have the color TV. Then you can use it as your monitor. Even the older models will work but you may need to purchase a rf modulator. Then the final purchase will be lots and lots of music.

For the younger children you can actually buy a basic model that looks just like a boom box, that has the mike and everything. They will be thrilled with this and will keep them busy for a year or two.

So far we have just talked a basic home karaoke machine system to get the kids started. Now you may have other purposes in mind and that its for yourself and not the kids. If its for you, is it going to be stationery or are you going to travel. Remember a travel model is easy for lots of your friends to borrow so make your choice wisely. Then on the other hand if you have one you can travel with you are going to have lots of party invites. Some of the portable karaoke machines even have built in monitors.

Home machines have lots of options that you can choose from. For example if you think you want to sing duets, then you need to be sure your unit will accommodate two microphones. Then there are some machines that will let you alter the sound by way of the pitch or key.

If you are going to be entertaining a lot with your machine and love running contests then you can get a machine that will actually score the singer.

Once you have made the decision that you are going to buy a unit and what the main purpose for it will be, then really take the time to show around. it’s a good idea to do a fair amount of research so you are somewhat knowledgeable about them.

Tags: Music by Tina Robertson
No Comments »

Largely due to the proliferation of Ipod products and the ingenuity of the internet, downloading music to Ipod can now be accomplished in a short time. There are now streamlined and quick ways to fill up your nifty Ipod with music files. Not only are these methods proven effective, these can be done with very few expenses as well.

It also helps that the Ipod is now an ever-present device, owned by people of different backgrounds, nationalities, and ages. From Europe to Asia and back to America, the Ipod is most sought-after anywhere. Since there is already an overwhelming necessity to cater to this need, enterprising individuals have created websites specifically commissioned for Ipod aficionados.

If you plan to give your music downloading Ipod a good way to store a lot of excellent music files, you need of course, to choose the means with which you are going to accomplish this. Do you have your favorites songs neatly compiled in several CDs? If so, you can always upload the music to your computer, and then transfer it straight to your Ipod. This is definitely one of the affordable ways that you can fill your Ipod.

Since there are various selections of the Ipod, you also need to be aware of the songs capacity of your Ipod model. The 1GB Ipod Shuffle normally holds up to 240 songs, while the 2GB stores up to 500 songs. The Ipod Nano 8GB is capable of 2,000 songs and the Ipod Classic can accommodate up to 30,000 songs. Once you know this, you can now fill your gadget with the songs it is capable of storing.

Searching the web for music and song selections is also one effective method for your Ipod music downloading goals. Since there are websites which provide songs either in MP3, MP4 or Ipod downloadable formats, you will easily finish your searches here. You will simply have to type in the song or the name of the artist, and within seconds, you can download the files you need.

Although this may sound easy and fair enough, the slightest misinformation could interrupt your music loading process. This is because on the internet, not all websites are created equal. There are reliable and not-so-credible music sources online, and this spells all the difference.

Although the Itunes site is certainly your best bet, the payment-per-song download scheme can be rather tough on the budgets for some. This is why music for Ipod downloading can also be obtained from other sources, especially the legitimate membership websites.

With the right information, you can have successful music transfers every time. Knowing your gadget and knowing the best websites is always ideal. Downloading music to Ipod is easy, once you understand the benefits and risks involved.

Tags: Music by Davion Wong
No Comments »

Who employs the band members? Any new (temporary) additions to the band from country to country?
The Backstreet Boys are our bosses and they are the ones who pay us. But Tim, the drummer and musical director, hires and fires us. We keep the band the same from country to country (as long as Freddy has his passport), but for certain TV shows they will change the line-up of the band according to the instruments they need for that particular song. So if we do a TV show and you don’t see a certain band member it doesn’t mean they’re fired. They just weren’t needed for that show.Boys and girls stay in separate rooms, we provide campers with comfortable beds, linen service, hot showers, surf videos, TV and DVD. Campers are supervised 24 hours by experienced male and female counselors.The Backstreet Boys are our bosses and they are the ones who pay us.

RE: Punishments – How far is too far?
Posted: Thursday, 4/12/2007: 12:48:13 PM quality I would have to say the “culture” of our troop is A#1, top shelf. My boys do very well in the discipline arena. We get complimented a lot on how our boys behave in public situations, it’s a good feeling to hear the positive comments from complete strangers. The punishment must fit the crime in any event. We had an SPL who lied to his parents about his grades. On his own volition, he spelled out his punishment.Will there ever be a TV-movie reunion of “The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew”? I understood that a long time ago they were planning a TV movie reunion of “Nancy Drew” starring Margot Kidder and she got sick so it was cancelled. I remember an interview with Shaun and he said there will probably never be a reunion, and if there was he would like to see Parker and him in 300lb fat suits and skinhead wigs.

What was the first episode?
It was the episode entitled “Pilot”, first airing October 15, 1994. Here is a synopsis from TV Tome: “In the pilot episode, Alphie Dee Dee and Melanie are supposed to be helping their parents at a carnival working the dunking booth. When Goo arrives and announces their favorite basketball player Kendall Gill is at the Comic Book Store signing autographs, the boys decide to ditch the carnival. This leaves Melanie and Jennifer to work the booth and both end up soaked.Posted: Thursday, 4/12/2007: 12:48:13 PM quality I would have to say the “culture” of our troop is A#1, top shelf. My boys do very well in the discipline arena.

RE: Punishments – How far is too far?
Posted: Thursday, 4/12/2007: 12:48:13 PM quality I would have to say the “culture” of our troop is A#1, top shelf. My boys do very well in the discipline arena. We get complimented a lot on how our boys behave in public situations, it’s a good feeling to hear the positive comments from complete strangers. The punishment must fit the crime in any event. We had an SPL who lied to his parents about his grades. On his own volition, he spelled out his punishment.The Abbott and Costello TV theme is available on the CD “Television’s Greatest Hits, Vol. 4—Black & White Classics.

Q52 : What is the “Issey Miyake Blow Up Jacket”?
Often cited by the Boys, this is a jacket Chris wore when they performed on Live at the London Palladium, a UK TV show broadcast live from a London theatre. It was accompanied by a painted on scar which made him look “completely manic” in his own words. Chris has been a great fan and buyer of Issey’s designs. BTW, they performed Rent, and also refused to wave to the crowd at the end of the show. You can see this performance in the South Bank Show documentary about PSB.

My Boys: Where’s Abe Froman when you need him?
TV Promotion 101: If you promise viewers that they won’t want to miss the last two minutes of a show, you’re supposed to give them something that will make them say, “Boy, I’m glad I didn’t miss that!” In other words, you don’t run those ads and then pair it with a final scene that leaves the identity of PJ’s Italian date a complete mystery.Often cited by the Boys, this is a jacket Chris wore when they performed on Live at the London Palladium, a UK TV show broadcast live from a London theatre.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by mimmo greco
No Comments »

Who is the Twilight Princess?
The creator’s said the title is both “obvious” and “yet creative”. Obviously, nobody knows who or what the Twilight Princess is, but it has been hinted that it is NOT Zelda.

B.6 What does Source Forge have to do with The Light Princess?
Source Forge provides our web-hosting, CVS repository, mailing lists, and other services which we use to maintain the project. However, there is no organizational connection to us as a group (i.e. they don’t tell us what to do, or vice-versa, beyond obvious things like “don’t put anything illegal on our server”). It’s basically a much more advanced version of the free web-hosting services you’ve probably seen all over the web.

Are there any new weapons/items in the Twilight Princess?
Well. it depends. There are variations and, items making an appearance for the first time in a 3D world. First is the Clawshot. It first appeared in the E3 2006 Goron Mines dungeon demo. It is essentially a combination of the Hookshot with the Grappling Hook from TWW. Next is the Bomb Arrow. It first appeared in the E3 2005 trailer. This is this item’s first appearance since Link’s Awakening and it’s first time in 3D.It is highly unlikely that the picture is of Kurt Cobain, since we had a copy of it long before he ever killed himself.Source Forge provides our web-hosting, CVS repository, mailing lists, and other services which we use to maintain the project.

Will the Twilight Princess feature horse riding?
Yes, and this time, you can fight with your sword as well while on the horse. This was something the creators wanted in Ocarina of Time, but couldn’t implement.Ten full-length volumes. Forever Princess, Princess Diaries 10, in December 2008, will be the last regularly scheduled book. Although I may write about Princess Mia again, I don’t have any more contracted books about her at this time. Both Mia and I need to take a long break!Princess Potpourri is our shopping web site.

Will the Gorons/ Zoras/Gerudos/the Shiekah species be in the Twilight Princess?
The Gorons were seen in the GDC 2005 and E3 2006 trailers, and there is official artwork of a Goron. The Zoras have not been confirmed, though EGM speculated based on an interview they would make an appearance. The Gerudo and Sheikah have not even been mentioned, although Zelda’s “robe” in the Twilight Realm has the Eye symbol with a teardrop – the Sheikah symbol from Ocarina of Time – so fans believe Sheik or the Sheikah are making a comeback.Source Forge provides our web-hosting, CVS repository, mailing lists, and other services which we use to maintain the project. However, there is no organizational connection to us as a group (i.

Can I represent other titles if I win a Princess preliminary title?
Depends, this decision will be at the preliminary directors discretion and *prior approval must be obtained from the director before doing so! (*Please refer to the preliminary pageant application/paperwork or consult the director)I really don’t know.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by mimmo greco
No Comments »

The Joker from the latest Batman film, the Dark Knight, was one of the highlights of the film. His menacing laugh and his trademark look – all of which created the ultimate villain. He was a psychopath set on destroying Batman and didn’t care what got in the way. That is what makes him so scary, and such a good option for a Halloween costume. This is one of the most popular costume choices this year, so it is a good idea to try and sort your costume out early. The easiest thing is to buy your costume online, there are a few available but I found that the Grand Heritage Collection costume was by far the best quality.

The Ultimate Joker Costume

During my entire search, I must say that the Heritage Collection is the coolest and the most realistic costume I was able to see so far. This is the best choice for those people who wish to look great but would not want to waste too much of their money. It is available with Joker’s trademark colorful outfit, which is comprised of a long purple coat, tie, trousers, and waistcoat combination. Wearing this, most people will give you a second look because of its realistic appearance. It is the most realistic costume that I have come across as I searched for a Joker costume

The Most Important Part – The Jokers Mask

When you look at the character of Joker in the movie the Dark night, you will realize that your Halloween costume will not be complete if you missed out on wearing a mask. This is the main reason why I opt for the Joker Grand Heritage Collection more than any other set of costumes that I was able to see on different sites. Moreover, it is not simple equipment with a realistic mask but it comes fully available with makeup that will complement the whole look. It is also mounted with colored hair, which I must say is one of the highlights of being the Joker.

Create Your Unique Joker Makeup

The Grand Edition of the Joker costume is now available to give you that touch of the original attire and you can enhance this outfit to suit your style by using the makeup kit that comes with the package. It will help you complete the transition and to achieve the look of your version of a white face with the signature look with red mouth and scars. Inclusive with the makeup kit is the mask to add the final touches to an eerie rendition of the original Joker. Inside the makeup kit is the white cream, makeup stick color red and facial glue to complete the metamorphosis to the genuine Joker.

More Great Joker Costume Tips

If there’s a theme for this year’s Halloween, it would definitely be Batman parties. And the Joker Grand Heritage Collection costume is the best outfit that has everything to complete that transition. I purchased mine in Medium but it is also available in Large or Extra Large. The best thing about using this costume is that you can add makeup to the costume and go around or you can tag along other characters from the movie or the comic strips like Batman, Robin, or any other character. The design was made exactly to portray Heath Ledger’s Joker and for sure it will be a hit this season. Check out the link where I got mine and try to buy the costume before run out of supplies.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by Steve Heiwitson
No Comments »

Opera is one of the oldest forms of musical entertainment, actually dating back to the 1500′s. And although many modern music fans dismiss opera as antiquated and theatrical, opera lovers understand the timeless appeal of its musical majestry.

If one digs a little deeper while examining the merits of opera, it’s clear there are many commonalities between our daily lives and this musical genre. Opera, after all, is a story. A story of two people in love, a romance gone bad, or maybe a happy ending that warms the heart. Simply put, opera is a reflection of daily life, and something that resonates within all of us.

So just for fun, let’s look at a list of the Top 10 operas of all time, and a brief plot summary of each. See if you agree! In no particular order, here’s one man’s list:

The Marriage of Figaro: A Mozart composition, The Marriage of Figaro is a follow up of sorts to another opera on this list, The Barber of Seville. The story recounts one day’s worth of events in a Spanish castle, and the tangled love story between a countess, count, and two young subjects who plan to be wed.

Tristan and Isolde: Composed by Richard Strauss, telling the tale of a Cornish prince and an Irish princess who share a timeless passion and ultimately, the same fate.

Carmen: One of the world’s most performed operas, by French composer Bizet. This story tells the compelling tale of a soldier who falls in love with Carmen, a beautiful factory worker.

Rigoletto: The story of a court jester’s complicated efforts to save his daughter from the evils of aristocracy, composed by the famous Italian master, Verdi.

Aida: Also by Verdi, a particularly moving story of an ambitious military officer who yearns for Aida, the servant of an Egyptian princess.

La Traviata: Perhaps Verdi’s most well known work, the title translated means “the woman who strayed”. Two lovers ultimately reunite, but fate takes a hand.

Don Giovanni: Another Mozart composition, Don Giovanni is the story of an unrepetant nobleman who dodges numerous attempts by his enemies to extract revenge.

Barber of Seville: Probably the most popular comic opera of all time, by Italian composer Rossini. The protagonist and local barber, Figaro, helps a local aristocrat win a lady’s hand.

Tosca: Composed by Puccini, this is the story of a jealous beauty who swears revenge, but is met with dramatic consequences.

Madame Butterfly: Also by Puccini, Madame Butterfly is arguably the best known opera of all time. It tells the tale of a United States Navy lieutenant and his Japanese geisha wife.

Is your favorite opera on this list? If not, go ahead and have a little fun … develop your very own Top 10 List of wonderful opera classics!

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by Jim Hofman
No Comments »

If you are just new to your business, then over the next little while you are going to be gaining a lot of experience. You have spent a lot of time most likely on the other end being the karaoke participant. Being an avid music lover no doubt you have been going to good gatherings as well as bad. At the bad ones you probably noticed, such things as the KJ doing more singing and entertaining himself, then allowing others to get up and do what its all about. They seem to forget, this is not a one man show, and people did not come to sit and listen to him or her all night.

The next bad experience you may have had is, where there is no assortment of music, it all seems to be the same thing over and over, maybe a different song but the same tone. Its up to the KJ to try an keep it balanced. Then there are the ones who seemed to have lost control as to the order of participants, so the same person is up singing every second song, while someone else has been waiting for a ? hour. Now that you are the KJ and its your karaoke business learn from these mistakes, and don’t repeat them.

One of the most important rules you want to develop, and then stick to is the order of singers. Take the singer in the order of how you get them, and depending on how many requests you get you can keep rotating them. As a karaoke singer comes up take their request form and lay it face down beside you.

When you get to the point where you are not getting any new requests then turn your stack over and start again. If you get a new request then place the new request at the top of your rotation.

Of course you will get the odd cheater. This is the person that puts in requests under different names. You will catch on although maybe not till they have started singing. Let the person continue so as to avoid a confrontation. After all karaoke is suppose to be fun. Afterwards though, inform the individual that he broke the rules, and won’t be able to participate again.

Sometimes a persons name will come up and its their turn. For some reason they might not be quite prepared to sing at that particular time. Just put their request at the bottom of the rotation pile.

If when you call out the next persons name they don’t respond then they will be deemed as leaving the building. Toss out the request. Should the individual return he will have to put in a new request.

These are not karaoke rules written in stone, but they are pretty well the basic rules that are used in the industry. If you stick to them as close as possible, you shouldn’t have too much confusion. Most likely a lot of your participants are familiar with karaoke and the general rules.

Tags: Music by Christine Durham
No Comments »

Perhaps you started out singing in the shower, then you found yourself singing to songs on the radio, then you found yourself singing a few tunes at the local bar. It doesn’t matter which really, anyone of these shows you enjoy music. Most likely you have got yourself in to the world of Karaoke.

You thoroughly enjoy going to karaoke clubs and parties. The first thing you do when your friends come over is drag out the karaoke machine. If this sound like you then may be your should consider karaoke as a business. It can be a very lucrative business if you have a professional point of business view about it. That doesn’t mean you can’t have fun at doing it. It just means there is a serious side to any business and this business is no different.

The first thing you need to determine is do you have the capital to start up. You are well aware of everything you are going to need, but can you afford it? The average cost to obtain everything you need including some decent equipment is around $5,000.

Once you have mastered the finances you then need to plan your advertising campaign. Every new business has to get itself known in order to be successful. Start by printing some business cards, and perhaps some flyers. You may want to run some ads in the local papers. There is no need to have a huge advertising budget, but you did need to plan on spending some money. If you have a computer you will find it a great asset for doing some of your promotional materials. Design yourself a karaoke logo and make sure you use it on anything that refers to your business. Your business cards, flyers, brochures, even the applications at your shows. The more people see your name and logo the more business you are apt to get.

Now its time to hit the pavement and start hitting any club that has an entertainment venue. To start with you could offer a introductory karaoke price because you are new to the business. For the most parts the entertainment clubs and bars are pretty good at sticking to any deal they make with you.

You will want to be a little more careful when it comes to karaoke events at weddings and single events. Reason being is because these can be cancelled easily. You also want to be very clear on the detail. Draft up a simple contract for these events. Of course you want the personal details of the individual responsible for hiring your services, get two phone numbers for contact purposes if necessary. Make sure you have all the details as to the date, location, and time start and finish. Determine what you want as a deposit, and ideally make it a non refundable one. After all if they cancel that means you have lost a full nights work. Once all the details have been agreed upon both you and the customer should sign it and leave a copy with the customer. This way there is no misunderstandings. Make sure the customer confirms all of the information on the contract.

Tags: Music by Gillian Anderson
No Comments »

Music Gorilla is 100% free if none of my music gets heard by the Music Industry?
Yes. You would receive a full refund. Music Gorilla was structured so that our services come at little or no risk to the artist. If none of your songs get heard by any of the Industry professionals over the course of your year membership, there will be no charge for your membership or any upload charges you’ve incurred. You’re here to finally get your music heard by the Industry. We share a common goal.Yes! You will never have to worry about what to wear to a fancy dress party ever again! Plus, you are set for Halloween.

How big are the gorilla suits?
The suits are a bit snug and one size fits all fitting up to 6′ ft 1in with a 50-inch chest. The suits for the kids fit 8-10 years olds.There is a bug in Hot Date that assigns the wrong formal hand skin to Sim generated skins. In many cases a Sim Townie and some others will have this skin for formal hands as the default. Maybe they will fix it with the patch when it comes out. (Assuming they are working on one) Many of you have asked about the red X that is displayed for object images in SE Object Manager. This red X simply indicates that there is not a thumbnail catalog image in the file.

Why do the Gorilla hands show up for Sim Generated Hot Date Sims?
There is a bug in Hot Date that assigns the wrong formal hand skin to Sim generated skins. In many cases a Sim Townie and some others will have this skin for formal hands as the default. Maybe they will fix it with the patch when it comes out. (Assuming they are working on one) Many of you have asked about the red X that is displayed for object images in SE Object Manager. This red X simply indicates that there is not a thumbnail catalog image in the file. This does not mean the object is bad.Music Gorilla is revolutionizing the process in which artists reach the Music Industry as well as how the labels find and sign new artists and artist material.

Is the Gorilla-Lift adjustable for different sizes and weights of tailgates?
Gorilla-Lift is fully adjustable; lighter weight tailgates will not pop up off the ground and heavier tailgates will not fall to the ground. When properly adjusted most tailgates will float up and down and stay in any position that you leave it. Gorilla-Lift fully encloses the lifting system. This is a very important design feature which helps to prevent injuries and also keeps people from getting a finger, hand or any other item caught and cut off in the lifting system.The suits are a bit snug and one size fits all fitting up to 6′ ft 1in with a 50-inch chest. The suits for the kids fit 8-10 years olds.

How do I become a distributor or dealer for Gorilla-Lift?
Please Contact Us. We will be glad to discuss the possibility with you. We are always looking for distributors and dealers in new areas, nationally as well as internationally.The suits are a bit snug and one size fits all fitting up to 6′ ft 1in with a 50-inch chest. The suits for the kids fit 8-10 years olds.

What is the Music Gorilla guarantee?
Any artist member that does not get their music heard by an industry professional will be returned their membership fee in full.You will have to have a receiver hitch installed on your vehicle first.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by mimmo greco
No Comments »