1. Provide your subscribers with special offers, discounts or sales that only they are privy to.
This could include subscriber only bonuses for purchasing your product, a two for one sale, or you could sell your product at a lower price for a limited time to boost your sales.
2. Include a publisher’s note or welcome message before you get into your ezine’s content.
This will help you to add your personality to your ezine as well as help you to build up your subscriber’s trust in you and your business.
Your publisher’s note is also a great place to be self promotional by telling your subscribers of any special offers or subscriber only discounts you have running.
3. Use bonuses to get more subscriptions to your publication such as ebooks you’ve written, ebooks you have the resell rights to, a marketing course, or anything else that your visitors would find to be valuable.
4. Promote your ezine on every page of your site with a subscription box that advertises your ezine.
Ask for your subscriber’s first name on your subscription box so that you can personalize your ezine with your subscriber’s name.
5. Swap ads with other ezine publishers. This will give you an effective way to increase your circulation by promoting your ezine in publications that target the same audience as your ezine does.
Swap ads for at least three issues in a row and track your ad swaps so that you will be able to tell which ezines and which ads get the best response.
6. Purchase classified ads and sponsor ads in other ezines.
As with your ad swaps track your ads so that you can identify which ezines are best to advertise in and which ads are the most effective in increasing your subscriptions.
7. Submit your publication to ezine directories and announcement lists.
This will get your publication noticed by people interested in subscribing to ezines like yours. In addition most announcement lists will allow you to submit your ezine on a weekly or monthly basis which will give you ongoing promotion of your ezine.
Some directories and announcement lists to help you get started are:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sitesandzines/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/List_Of_Lists/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AAnnounce/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/for_all_ezine_publishers/ http://ezine-marketing.com/home.shtml
http://www.ezinelocater.com/
http://www.ezinesearch.com/search-it/ezine/ http://www.cumuli.com/
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http://www.webscoutlists.com/
http://www.freezineweb.com/
http://ezinesplus.com/links/
http://www.bestezines.com/
http://www.netterweb.com/
http://ezine-marketing.com/home.shtml
8. Write your own articles that you publish in your ezine.
Writing articles will increase your credibility with your subscribers and lead to more sales of your products.
Try writing “how to articles” that show your readers step by step how to do something or provide your readers with a list of valuable tips.
After your articles place an advertisement that promotes your business, service or special offer.
9. Go through the articles you’ve run in your ezine and pick those that you feel best showcase your expertise.
Add a benefit rich resource box to your articles that entices your readers to subscribe to your publication and then submit your articles to article directories, article announcement lists, and to other ezine publishers.
Some announcement lists and directories you can submit your articles to are:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aabusiness
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/article_announce/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArticlePublisher/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Free-Reprint-Articles/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Free_eContent/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freezinecontent/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/netwrite-publish-announce/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/publisher_network/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/QC_Reprint_Articles/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ReprintArticles-Paradise/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/reprintedarticles/ http://www.webmomz.com/users/login.shtml
http://www.netterweb.com/articles/articlesubmit.htm http://www.marketing-seek.com/articles/index.shtml http://www.goarticles.com/
http://connectionteam.com/
http://www.ebooksnbytes.com/articles/recent.shtml http://webmarketingspecialists.com/articlesubmit.html http://www.ezinearticles.com/
http://www.certificate.net/wwio/ideas.shtml http://www.allnetarticles.com/
10. Use testimonials for your products in your ezine to increase your subscriber’s trust in your product and to increase your sales.
Also increase the number of visitors that subscribe to your ezine by including testimonials for your ezine on your site from your happy subscribers.
11. Use your signature file to promote your ezine.
Keep your sig file to 5-8 lines that stress the benefits of subscribing to your ezine and use your sig file in all your outgoing email. This will give you an easy no cost way to promote your ezine and rake in new subscribers.
12. Recommend the products of affiliate programs you’ve joined to your subscribers.
This will help you to increase your profit while helping you to meet your subscribers needs. Only endorse products you have used and would whole heartedly recommend to your subscriber base.
Article © by writer Ken Hill. Check out the #1 manual Ken recommends for anyone wanting to start their own profitable ezine — learn how to write irresistible content, gain tons of subscribers while successfully promoting your business all the while. Find out more now at: http://www.scstats.com/r.cfm?i=4274
The Quick And Easy Way To Learn To Play Guitar Without Getting Ripped Off By Money Hungry Guitar Teachers.
So you want to play guitar? What if I told you that it is easy to learn the guitar? You will either have the mindset that I am telling the truth and you will want to find out more. Or you will be skeptical and think that I am telling lies.
Decide right now which way you think, as this will determine your level of success. If you think that learning the guitar is hard, and will cost you a lot of time and money taking lessons then that is exactly what will happen.
Your success in any endeavor, be it guitar or sports or even tying your shoelaces all begins in your belief system. If you believe you can do something then you will do it.
Everyone starts out equally. No one was born with the ability to play the guitar. Everyone starts as a rank amateur. Every guitar player, whatever their ability now, was at one time a beginner. In other words, at some stage their guitar playing sucked.
The first thing you need to play the guitar is determination. You have to want it bad. You need to make up your mind that this is what you really want. Don’t just have some romantic notion that it would be a cool thing to do. You either want it or you don’t. Be committed, not half committed.
The next thing you need is a time frame. How long do you expect it to take before you can play guitar good enough to play a few songs? I’ll tell you how long, three months. You should be able to go from the outhouse to the penthouse in three months.
So now you have determination. You are 100% sure you will become a good guitar player. You also have a time frame. You are 100% sure you will become a good guitar player in three months time. At this point you haven’t even touched a guitar but you have set the wheels in motion.
What do you do next? You need to learn some chords. The good thing is that 90% of songs use the same chords. Also 90% of popular songs use only three chords. There is a formula called 1,4,5. Don’t worry about it too much at this stage as you need to learn the chords and their names first.
Start by learning the open chords. A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Just do a search on the net and you will find these chords. When it comes to playing the B chord play it as an A shaped bar chord. And play the F as an E shaped bar chord.
Start playing them in the following order.
A / D / E / A //: then repeat it over four times
D / G / A / D //: then repeat it over four times
G / C / D / G //: then repeat it over four times
C / F / G / C //: then repeat it over four times
E / A / B / E //: then repeat it over four times
By doing this you are playing 1,4,5,1’s in the key’s of A, D, G, C, and E. Again just take this for granted and don’t worry about it too much. The idea is to practice changing between the chords. You’ll probably recognize a few songs in these exercises as well. Music is very repetitive. You will often find different songs having the same musical backing with only the lyrics being different.
Next play the following.
A / D / E / D //: then repeat it over four times
D / G / A / G //: then repeat it over four times
G / C / D / C //: then repeat it over four times
C / F / G / F //: then repeat it over four times
E / A / B / A //: then repeat it over four times
By doing this you are playing 1,4,5,4’s in the key’s of A, D, G, C, and E.
Next play the following.
A / E / D / A //: then repeat it over four times
D / A / G / D //: then repeat it over four times
G / D / C / G //: then repeat it over four times
C / G / F / C //: then repeat it over four times
E / B / A / E //: then repeat it over four times
By doing this you are playing 1,5,4,1’s in the key’s of A, D, G, C, and E.
Next play the following.
A / E / D / E //: then repeat it over four times
D / A / G / A //: then repeat it over four times
G / D / C / D //: then repeat it over four times
C / G / F / G //: then repeat it over four times
E / B / A / B //: then repeat it over four times
By doing this you are playing 1,5,4,5’s in the key’s of A, D, G, C, and E.
Next play the following.
A / D / A / E //: then repeat it over four times
D / G / D / A //: then repeat it over four times
G / C / G / D //: then repeat it over four times
C / F / C / G //: then repeat it over four times
E / A / E / B //: then repeat it over four times
By doing this you are playing 1,4,1,5’s in the key’s of A, D, G, C, and E.
Next play the following.
A / E / A / D //: then repeat it over four times
D / A / D / G //: then repeat it over four times
G / D / G / C //: then repeat it over four times
C / G / C / F //: then repeat it over four times
E / B / E / A //: then repeat it over four times
By doing this you are playing 1,5,1,4’s in the key’s of A, D, G, C, and E. Notice how you are playing the same three chords in each example, but in a different order.
This is how people write songs. They pick a group of chords that sound good together and they arrange them in a particular order. A group of songs that sound good together is called a key.
There are only twelve keys in music and we have used five so far. The reason I chose the keys of A, D, G, C, and E is because they cover the seven basic chords you have learned so far.
Keys consist of seven chords arranged in logical sequence. For example the key of C goes like this. C, D minor, E minor, F, G, A minor, B diminished.
Don’t worry about the minor chords and the diminished chord at this point. You are only concerned with the major chords. Can you see that if you start counting from C you get C = 1. F = 4 and G = 5. This is how we get the 1,4,5 formula.
It is the same with the other keys as well. 1,4 and 5 will always be major. But you can learn more about this later on down the track. For now focus on playing the chords in the above exercises.
What you are doing is building finger memory on your left hand. You don’t even need to strum the guitar while you are doing this. Just get used to changing between the chords. Once you know how to hold each chord you can practice without your guitar. Sounds a bit crazy but you you should do this exercise if you want to learn fast.
Just picture yourself in your mind playing the chords and changing between them. You will notice the fingers on your left hand will begin to move while you are doing this. This is a good thing.
What you are doing is working the same mental pathways that operate while you are physically playing your guitar. As a beginner this is a very significant and important step. You need to be able to see a chord and know where to put your fingers in a split second. So lets break it down into small steps.
1. Learn the seven chords. A, B, C, D, E, F and G. You don’t have to be good at playing them, you just need to know what they look like and how to finger them. Once you can do this you will be able to picture them in your mind, and you can start to practice them without your guitar. The hands always follow the head. So get them into your head first.
2. Now that you know the names of the chords and what they look like, you need to start moving between the chords. Changing from one chord to the next. Start with the 1,4,5’s as these combinations appear in almost every song. This is not just a boring exercise, you will actually play all of the 1,4,5’s as you begin to learn songs.
By doing it now you are getting a head start on other beginners as you are actually learning some music theory. You are learning to transpose. It will all become crystal clear later on. Think of it this way. You learnt how to talk as a child before you learned what the English language was about. You know, nouns and verbs and all that sort of stuff.
So at the moment you are learning the practical side of guitar playing in the shortest possible time. You are also setting yourself up to understand the language of music. By following this method you will progress faster than other beginners. You don’t need to be able to read music to play the guitar. You do need to understand a bit of theory.
3. Once you can move between the chords. Then start learning the songs that you like, or start writing your own songs. When you start learning guitar you will usually have in mind the songs of your favorite artists.
It is good to start with songs that you are familiar with. Keep in mind that song books can be wrong. Especially the way they show the chords. If you see a B chord for example. There may be three or four ways to play that chord. Just play the one you know. You don’t have to play the songs exactly as they are written in order for them to sound good.
Playing the guitar is a long journey. It takes a lifetime, even then you still won’t be able to play all the styles.
So just stick with what you like, it’s supposed to be fun after all, that’s why it’s called “playing” guitar. When you play, you have fun. Use the method’s that I’ve told you about. Especially the mental rehearsal techniques.
You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain by applying these techniques, so dive in and give them a go. Make sure you at least know the chords A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Do this before you go to a guitar teacher. These chords are the bare minimum you will need. Don’t waste your time and money taking lessons until you can freely move between these chords.
When you go to a teacher, you should feel comfortable with them. They should make the learning process easy and fun. If they don’t, go and find another teacher. Don’t be afraid to walk away.
You can also order some courses over the net, but nothing compares to a real live person if they are a good teacher. Also one teacher will not be able to teach you everything, shop around a bit.
I hope you have enjoyed this article.
P.S. Guitar playing is a journey. You will feel frustration, and also immense joy. Don’t worry if you don’t get it at first, by simply doing things over and over, you will improve.
Just picture yourself a year from now. How good a player will you be? You should be able to play in a band easily in that time. Every guitar player started out from the same position. And only those who persevered became great players.
The time will pass, that is for certain. It’s what you do with that time that will make massive difference. Always start with the end in mind and don’t forget to enjoy the ride.
About the Author: John Stockwell is the author of the acclaimed Mind Over Music For Guitar ( http://www.greatguitargiveaway.com/mindovermusic.html ) and also Real Guitar For Real Guitarists ( http://www.greatguitargiveaway.com/realguitarcourse.html ). He has been a musician for 21 years. His website is http://www.greatguitargiveaway.com
Source: www.isnare.com
How do you figure out the hand of your opponent? Look closely
and you will notice twitches that reveal the strength of his
hand. These twitches are called poker tells. And players are
having a field day talking about poker tells in their blogs.
Poker tells exist both in the live games and in the online
games. If you want to beef up your poker strategy, you will
surely be interested in learning the common poker tells.
In a physical card room or in a casino, you will notice a poor
player putting a hand over his mouth. Why? Because he is trying
to conceal a smile (not a yawn). You can be sure that just as
the sun rises in east, he is holding a strong hand. Another
physical twitch is when the player reaches for a drink: his
mouth is dry because he is nervous. A nervous player is
relatively easy to lead.
If an opponent is trying to stare you down, he is trying to
intimidate you. What is the reason behind this? Most likely, he
is bluffing. If you have a strong hand, call. If you have a
great hand and want more action, raise.
Observe the eyes of your opponent when the flop comes. If he
takes a quick look at his chips, he probably has a strong hand.
He is thinking of how much he will bet and win.
When you play online, will knowing poker tells be useful? Of
course. Poker tells will differ slightly from player to player,
but your online opponents are still humans. What you need to
observe closely is the time or duration that an opponent spends
during his turn or chance to bet.
In a limit game, when two flush or straight cards are out, and
one of the players makes a quick call, this usually means a
draw. On the flop, however, when one player makes an
instantaneous raise, you can assume that he has a top pair.
When one of your opponents that you consider a poor player is
taking time to think, he is actually debating whether to call or
fold. This means that his hand is weak. Now if he took time (but
not too long) to think and then raise, you can be sure that he
is not bluffing. Poor players generally don’t bluff. He was just
both nervous and excited and needs to calm himself enough to use
the mouse.
If one of your online opponents raises frequently at the
pre-flop and then folds at the flop when another player bets at
him, this particular opponent is a tilting player. Tilting
players are also relatively easy to read.
Win big with your newfound knowledge.
Classes that involve piano for beginners would include an
introduction to reading and understanding the keys, chords and
how to read musical notes. The piano is unlike any other
instrument and sounds wonderful as stand alone music or as part
of a group. The intense sound of a piano is one that captivates
audiences with power or soothes them with serenity.
Budding musicians always find it exciting to explore the world
of piano for beginners. Whether this is their first venture
playing the piano or being used as a reminder of forgotten
skills, piano for beginners is a terrific way to develop or
improve skills.
The most popular place to find a piano for beginners class would
be a local high school or college university music department.
Occasionally, instructors will offer piano tutoring to
non-students. Students, on the other hand, will have a variety
of choices within the music curriculum. Otherwise, a quick visit
to a local specialty music store may provide leads on potential
instructors.
When learning piano for beginners, it’s important for hopefuls
to select the best instructor by evaluating his/her experience,
educational background and accomplishments. The most commonly
sought instructors will possess some type of music degree or an
equivalent amount of musical experience. A potential instructor
should be interviewed regarding their history in music, fee
requirements, length of classes, policy on missed sessions, etc.
If the learner’s schedule is particularly hectic, he/she may
wish to enlist the help of a private tutor as opposed to a group
instructor. Music lessons offered in a group will be scheduled
by the instructor and will be less flexible toward each
individual learner’s schedule. This is not to say that group
lessons are not an excellent way to learn piano for beginners
because they are. Simply put, private tutors are better for
anyone with a hectic or unpredictable schedule. For example, a
private tutor will have a more flexible schedule and may be
willing to work around that of the learner’s daily routine.
Whereas group classes are often held at the same time on a
certain night, or nights, each week, a private tutor can be
scheduled at any time during the day or evening without having
to abide by a preset schedule. Internet courses, on the other
hand, offer learners with the option of learning piano for
beginners in the comfort of their own home at any time during
the day or night. After all, where else could you learn piano in
your pajamas?
Perhaps that most fun way to learn the piano for beginners is to
just start playing. Some of the world’s most famous musicians
are self-taught, so don’t be afraid to go solo until you get
comfortable with the keys and each of their unique sounds.
Professional instruction is certainly the most desirable, but
there is nothing wrong with a little practice before signing up
for class. In fact, the more familiar you are with the piano,
the sooner you will be on your way to the Grammy awards. Hey,
you never know!
Movie Producer and native Chicagoan J. Kenneth Ezra explains,
Chicago still has the typical mobster types, you know like
Johnny Garlic, Snake Man, and Bobby the Hitmen types. But the
Chicago mob is different than other cities. First off, the mob
in Chicago took on characteristics like the city itself. They
worked hard. I mean, they wake up early and leave work very
late. And seldom do they show off like their granddad Al Capone.
Those days are long gone.
J. Kenneth Ezra is producing a package of 10 movies. In the
remake of the independent “The Right thing” (see trailer at
www.razorfilms.com), his partnership with director and writer
Vito Brancato gives us an authentic viewpoint in the Chicago mob
scene. Tony Russo a low level street guy gets caught up in the
power struggle between the Chicago Police Department, which is
notorious for getting in the way of the mob, and a powerful mob
boss, who if you didn’t know any better you’d think was a
retired electrician living in the posh Chicago suburban sprawl.
We have many stars interested in the roll of Tony Russo who
plays the low level mob guy, who takes desperate measures when
he’s thrown in a desperate situation. “Russo really embodies
Chicago mob characteristics in 70’s and 80’s.” Ezra explains.
“This guy is bitter about his roll in the stingy Chicago mob
hierarchy, who moves like a big old money corporation, very slow
to try new things. He hates that the tops guys. They don’t get
out sync and let some of the little guys in on bigger deals.
Just like any Chicago entity, the Chicago mob has a notorious
lack of funding for research and development. They’d rather live
on the power and royalties of the old proven products.
Successful corporations keep solid growth and market share” In
this truth life story you see when things get out of hand the
Chicago mob handles the situation like IBM, they isolate the
problem, come up with a solution and follow-through so the
product and efficiency is not disrupted. In the end, they get up
early, work hard, bear the freezing Windy City and keep
collecting.
“I try to develop talent that is passionate and highly
knowledgeable about their subject. A love for putting it on film
is a must. Vito turns out to be just that. I was impressed by
his original script “Blackstone” which aired on PBS. He took a
well known Chicago street rumor. Kennedy was to be assassinated
during his trip to Chicago before he moved on to Dallas.” I
loved that Vito took that rumor and filled in the blanks.
Especially, when he did the hard work of actually interviewing
people “supposedly close to the story”. I don’t think you find
that kind of authenticity in filmmakers today. I want to produce
and development people with that kind of talent, passion and
knowledge about what they’re filming. The rest will translate on
the big screen and the funding and great audience reaction will
follow.
A prominent Hollywood agent reports, “It’s a pleasure to see
someone for the last 7 years stay the course and rise up.” Ken
is so committed to authentic films he volunteered to work the
craft-service table on the set of After Freedom, director Vahe
Babian, a film about Armenians adjusting to life here in Los
Angeles. “If it’s true, real and authentic. I want to part of
it. Even if I have to literally serve everyone on the set. Being
part of his film continues my journey of authenticity. I think
our film “The Right Thing” is the right thing for authenticity.
This is a game that goes to show, nothing is quite as simple as it seems. Similar to other versions of Mahjong, 3D Magic Mahjongg is much more interesting on account of the mood set by the 3D visuals, soothing music and the Chinese temple ambience that you encounter when you first download the game and start playing.
Unique from earlier variations of Mahjong, it has advisory levels that warn you if you are going wrong so you can take corrective action. Other features are, that you can have game statistics for each board, score tables to list best times achieved and a camera panel that allows you to view the game from different angles.
Two versions of the game are available so you can choose tile sets and holiday themes. These have been done really nicely. The tiles are colourful and pretty and some are pretty confusing and it is fun to ramble around choosing which tiles or formation you want to play with. The settings add to the fun. The holiday settings are well designed and put you in a festive mood.
The Help section could improve to allow easier readability. Figuring out the instructions and tips is a bit of a strain as the style used is not comfortable to read. It would also be nice if there was the option to reduce the size of the frame so that one can play the game while attending to other matters on the screen.
A pretty straightforward game made interesting with the 3D dimension added. It is the game to play if you want to relax and gently tax your abilities, or if you want to take a break from doing something else.
Want to know more about 3D Magic Mahjongg?
About the Author
Alexei A. Korolev (www.softhall.com, subdivision review.softhall.com)
The United States has an estimated population of 300 million,
with nearly 200 million cell phone users alone. That stands for
an amazing opportunity for cellular media throughout the country
and flourishing through the world. This new breed of
entertainment is found on most cellular phones and is reaching
active cell phones at a tremendous rate.
Cell phone media consists of an enormous variety of cellular
entertainment including : ringtone media, logos, screensavers,
wallpapers, videos, MP3s, java games, and much more. The global
internet spruces online sales beyond the imagination, to provide
cell phone users the entertainment they desire.
The highly populated and affordable ringtones are growing at a
tremendous rate and will increase dramatically in the next
decade. New cellular technology will arise, which will require
exciting and progressive entertainment for the elite cell phone
market. There is no doubt that cellular necessities will
increase with incoming baby boomers surfacing to the atmosphere.
A new era will proclaim the mobile market, to supercede the
traditional media marketplace.
There are many benefits to arranging your own portable software
onto your mobile phone. Most of the ringtone media is based on
favorite television shows, impressionable movies, top music,
holiday tunes, and memorable themes. Depending on the particular
ringtone, the cell phone may not get answered until a certain
point in the tune, but luckily there’s voice messaging to answer
any “lost calls” along the way. These ringtones, plus many
others, can be downloaded directly to most available cellular
devices within minutes after initiation. They normally cost a
minimal fee to purchase and can be enjoyed everytime the phone
rings.
Logos, wallpapers (backgrounds), and screensavers are also of
substantial demand throughout the cellular world. Although many
phones now carry pre-installed miniature cameras, that can
record any picture to be saved as your wallpaper, most of the
wallpapers cannot be saved onto your phone with the same quality
that can be purchased. This requires mobile media to breed
higher ranking in the cellular field of entertainment, to
purpose itself as a convenient alternative for background images.
Also available for cell phones, that do not carry the camera
technology, is a PC to phone option. This feature allows the
user to use any selected picture on their computer, and
immediately upload it directly into the cell phone of choice.
This can be a great resource to capture high quality pictures
from the internet, and download them as your portable background
of choice.
Team logos of your favorite teams and/or associations are also
of high demand. You can download the sports logo of your choice
in nearly every sport including football, baseball, basketball,
soccer, hockey, and others. This can be a great option for the
sports fan that loves to see their team logo implanted into
their cell phone. Many logos of your top associations are now
available, as are favorite word phrases and designs.
The new generation of animated screensavers is a wonderful
masterpiece among cellular features as well. These can be
enjoyed when your cell phone rings, during calls, and after the
call has ended. There are so many new and exciting screensavers,
that it can be extremely difficult to make a single decision.
You can now find an extrordinary advantage in screensavers to
settle your imaginative mind at ease. Whether you’re highlights
are in funny cartoons, extreme sports, daily life, vacational
activities, sensual amazement, or unusual propoganda… the
right screensaver is available for your amusement.
Downloadable games are tremendously fun in every occasion to
relieve simple boredom at any given point. Whether you’re in the
waiting room at the doctor’s office, or riding into a long road
trip, these are among the most popular downloads for a cellular
phone. They can be downloaded instantly and played in the
comfort of your lunch hour, for sincere enjoyment throughout the
duration. New java games are being prepared at a tremendous rate
and are consistantly available to the general public. Among many
top cell phone games are in the fields of action, adventure,
arcade, board, parlor, racing, and sports.
Be sure to check out many of the new and hottest cell phone
ringtone media, and available downloads, at Rings2Cell for all
of your cellular entertainment needs. The downloads are updated
frequently and can be easily set into most cellular phones on
the market. Enjoy your day, enjoy your future, and enjoy your
cell phone at a bright new level of entertainment.
The good old United States of America, whether you admit it or
not, is a severely litigation-obsessed society. Basically anyone
in this country stands a chance to be sued for any or whatsoever
act that is proven to be his or her fault. Arm chair
sociologists call it simply as the deep pocket syndrome.
When one is doing public shows, especially the ones that deal
with magic, the very best thing anyone could do to stay in the
safe side is to buy an insurance for your act. It is not an
option. It is a need for goodness sake.
One of the good insurance that some entertainers have has a one
million dollar liability. It came from an agent from the Farmers
Insurance Group.
Having an insurance is like having a fire extinguisher. It is so
much better to have one than not have it at all. You feel safe,
protected and covered. One million dollar tops and is quite
enough to give you a sleep-heavy night and a wake-up-fresh
morning.
It has been said that the Society of American Magicians has the
kind of insurance of this type. It is very important that you
get an insurance. If you have one or if you are planning to
purchase one, make sure that the insurance policy you have a
product clause.
This works well just in case you use balloons for your act, or
birds for that matter. If one of the audience members happen to
take it home with them and they accidentally choke on the
balloon or get bitten by the bird, you have nothing to worry
about because you are definitely covered.
For your information also, if you have performer’s insurance and
you happen to perform a magic act while you were not in your
costume, most likely you are not covered.
If you have liability insurance and while you are performing, a
child insists that he or she wants to touch or to have one of
your props, make sure that you make it clear and known to
everyone concerned - as they may be potential witnesses - that
you are giving the prop or props to the parent. Hand it over to
the parent. Doing so transfers the liability on the hands of the
child’s parents.
There are also magic tricks performed by clowns. Currently, it
is highly unadvisable - fortunately or unfortunately - for
clowns or any performer to hug children or to get close enough
unless it is to shake hands.
These days you really cannot be too careful. And being too
careful is still the best way to go.
It is best that prior to doing a magic act or any public show
for that matter, that you - as a performer - tell all the adults
and children in the audience about some specific props that you
might be distributing to them during the course of the show. If
for example you will be using balloons, announce beforehand that
children’s mouths and balloons do not mix. Doing so keeps you
from any liability and your audience safe from choking
unnecessarily.
One performer has an existing one million dollar liability, it
also includes five hundred thousand dollars worth of product
liability. The insurance also covers any event wherein the
performer and his or her employee is entertaining. However, it
does not cover any contractors that are independent from the
performer which the performer has hired. If the performer needed
to hire someone outside, the performer always requested for an
‘additional insured’ from the insurance company.
Make sure though that once you get an insurance, that insurance
company should be able and willing to give you a rider that will
be able to cover you if in case you are working or need to work
off premises and on a particular client’s house, business
office, facility, or any other area that is different from where
you regularly and usually work in. It is a standard item and
there should not be that much fuss over it. Any good insurance
company should be able to do it.
All you need to do is be persistent. It is an item that is
almost always considered a standard on many insurance policies.
This lesson can open for you a secret of high-speed guitar playing. If take the given technique for 2-3 weeks you’ll feel progress in high-speed playing of complex passages. The given principle of development of techniques “was tested” not by one generation of guitarists and not only guitarists…
In this lesson we shall concern high-speed technics. Skilled guitarists alredy know that the basic brake in development of guitar high-speed technics is the right hand. Therefore when playing the most ultra-high-speed passages for simplification guitarists play legato (i.e. the right hand does not take some notes, it is done with fingers of the left hand by receptions pull-off, hammer-on).
How to achieve speed?
For this purpose it is necessary for guitarist to develop technics of the right hand - fast alternation of pick stroke upwards-downwards (a variable stroke). The more quickly the right hand will make alternating strokes, the quicker the playing will be.
It is necessary to begin from the most usual tremolo (fast recurrence of one note). Triplets are the most effective way of learning to play a tremolo. Try to begin each of your lessons with a tremolo. It develops (and well warms up) the right hand. The tremolo notes must sound dynamically equal (all sounding notes of equal loudness) and with equal tempo.
For example, you wish to learn a high-speed passage. I offer the following simple blues phrase in “A” as an example:
___5_________________8___5_______5______________________
______8___5__________________7______8___5_______________
______________8__7_________________________8___5________
__________________________________________________7_____
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
First you need to learn in slow tempo and in convenient key with rational pick strokes. After you’ve done it, play a tremolo of each note, i.e. each note in a passage it is necessary to take three times (if it is the eighth) like this:
___5_5_5________________________________8_8_8___5_5_5__
_________8_8_8___5_5_5_________________________________
_________________________8_8_8___7_7_7_________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
The tremolo should be loud (a silent tremolo does not make effect). Play thus 10 - 15 minutes (with small breaks) up to feeling of weariness in your right hand. The weariness speaks that muscles work as they must do. In my experience each student playing given technique, develops his own nuances. The right hand as though itself finds the most convenient position while playing, - it is only necessary ” to force it to work”. When you are good at playing this passage with tremolo, try to play it in the original.
I often hear a question: ” How many it is necessary to be engaged so that to come to high speed?” - It’s individually. For someone it’s necessary 2 hours, for another 2 days, and for someone it is not necessary at all (i’m kidding :-). Here introspection is necessary, that is you should feel improvement of technics. Clearly one, that the most effective way - “gold” exercise for the right hand.
Play your own passages by this principle, solos, improvizations, rock, jazz and blues phrases… If you have great patience, you will see huge advantage of this technique and feel the results. If you do not see any result most likely you were engaged either incorrectly or insufficiently long. Though it is possible to play legato or tapping, but it sounds less brightly and energetically.
About the Author
Yuri Nikitin - guitar instructor, music writer and webmaster at
guitar lessons online
website.
Are you planning a baby shower? Are you trying to figure out
what to do? If so, here are a few fun baby shower game ideas for
you.
The key to great baby shower games is to be short and fun. The
games will serve as ice breakers if the guests do not know each
other, and the themes should always be babies. For a typical
baby shower in which no full meals are served, expect to be able
to play two or three games.
Icebreaker Games
These games will get your guests interacting.
Who Am I, the Baby Version - In this game, players are each
given a piece of paper with the name of a famous person on it.
They do not look at the name, but tape it to their forehead.
They then must figure out who they are by the reactions of the
other guests. In the baby version, consider using only famous
celebrity mothers, or perhaps cartoon characters. Be creative!
Who Is That Baby? - Before the party, have guests send you
photos of themselves as a baby. Have each guest try to match the
baby picture with the correct adult. The person with the most
matches wins.
Don’t Say It - When guests arrive, give them each a pacifier on
a ribbon which they can wear over their neck. Instruct them that
they are not allowed to say “baby” during the party. If another
guest catches them at it, the can take their pacifier. At the
end of the party, the guest with the most pacifiers wins.
Word Games
Baby Boggle - Come up with a fun sentence about the baby and the
mother-to-be. See how many baby related words guests can make in
three minutes from the letters. Everyone reads their list,
crossing off duplicates, and the person with the most remaining
wins. Use a phrase such as “So there’s going to be a new
[parents’ last name] in the world!”
Advice Poem - Have someone write down a short piece of advice to
the new mother. Then have the next person write down a line to
create a poem about advice they have for the new mom. Continue
with each guest adding a line, but each time, fold the paper so
that the only line visible is the last one that was written. At
the end, have someone read the finished poem. It is sure to
contain lots of good advice in quite a funny way. This can also
be done with guests writing a poem about the mother-to-be. This
is especially good at a “Pamper Mommy” themed party.
Time Capsule - Have each guest write a short note to the baby.
Seal the notes in a plastic bag and place them in a box for the
mother-to-be, telling her she can open them with her child on
his or her fifteenth birthday.
Games with Gifts
Assuming everyone is bringing a gift, you can easily create a
game around them.
Baby Box - Ask every guest to bring a small item such as a
rattle or a pacifier. As they arrive, place the items in a box
which has a small hole cut in the side. After all the guests
have arrived, give each person 20 seconds to touch as many items
as they can (no peeking!), then have them write down what they
felt. The person with the most correct wins.
Active Games
These games will get the guests up off the couch.
Diaper Tower - Have guests stack as many diapers as they can
without the tower falling over. Of course, the mother-to-be gets
to keep the diapers!
Tree Planting - Have guests help plant a tree in honor of the
baby. This is especially nice if the mother-to-be recently moved
into a new home. (Of course, get her input on the type of tree
she would like.)
Dirty Diapers - Buy ten different chocolate candy bars
(Snickers, Hershey’s, etc.). Melt the bars and put each into a
separate diaper. Hang diapers along a clothesline before the
guest arrive. Give each guest a piece of paper and have them
smell all the diapers (take lots of pictures!). The winner is
the guest who correctly identifies each candy bar.
Other Games
Are You Hungry? - Before dessert is served, bring in a tray of
various baby foods, with the labels removed. Number each bottle
and have the guests look at each (no tasting or smelling!) and
write down what they think it contains. The winner is the person
who identifies the most correct foods.
Pacifier Pass - Have everyone put a pen or pencil (or chopstick)
in their mouth. Place a pacifier on the end of one of the
pencils. Guests must pass the pacifier around the circle without
using their hands. If a guest drops the pacifier, they are out.
The winner is the last person still in the circle.
Bottle Race - Time guests drinking juice from a bottle - the
fastest time wins! This is best done as a race, with white grape
juice or something else that won’t stain. And once again, the
mother-to-be keeps the bottles.
Gifts for the Winners
Gifts for the winners of the baby shower games can vary, but
something inexpensive like shower gel or coffee will do nicely.
Or guests can rack up points for each game they play (100 to the
winner, 90 to second place, etc.) and at the end of the night
the grand prize winner can take home something a little nicer,
such as a restaurant gift certificate or bottle of wine.
While you can buy baby shower games from most party stores, the
games that are the most fun are those you create with the
mother-to-be specifically in mind. A new mother will also
appreciate it if any of the games result in baby items she can
keep, and the guests will love a door prize. One way to get
something every mother needs: tell guests that there is going to
be a raffle, and the cost of entry is a pack of diapers. They
can enter as many times as they would like. Then either buy or
make a gift basket. For instance, the prize could be a bottle of
wine, pasta, sauce, parmesan cheese, and some yummy cookies in a
basket. It could also be a gift certificate to a restaurant or
spa. This will keep the new mother in diapers for quite awhile!
