Happy Vampires

As an independent musician and/or recording artist, if you
did *NOT* earn $30,000 (or more) with your music alone
last year, let’s jump right in and get you started with doing
so this year.

Again, bear in mind that the main necessary ingredient is
“consistency” of every aspect, and on a weekly basis.

Remember! This is a worst case scenario, in regard to
what you should be able to easily earn within each aspect,
and you are very likely to earn much more.

The “lead generator(s)” in each aspect reflects the various
resources that you will use to obtain results in these areas.

So, here is the financial mathematical layout.

[---GIG EARNINGS---]

Practically any band should be able to market and promote
itself well enough to obtain, at least, one gig per week,
whether the band is based in a metropolitan or rural setting,
and whether it performs on a fulltime or part-time basis.

So, in our worst case scenario, let’s look at getting one gig
per week:

1 Gig X 1 Week @ $300 X 4 weeks = $1,200 per month

Lead Generators:

* Contacting venue managers and bookers directly
* Signing on with an area booking agent
* Placing low-cost ads in your area weekly newspapers
* Contacting area performance theaters
* Host your own gig at an area hall or theater
* Contacting high schools for performances
* Contacting college student activities offices for
performances
* Low-cost college newspaper ads for possible gigs
* Low-cost college radio ads for possible gigs
* Your website calendar gig notices/tours

Note: Provide your media kit and business card to
prospective clients.

[---GIG CD SALES---]

As you are already aware, most gig employers will allow
you to sell your music during performances.

So, in our worst case scenario, let’s look at getting sales
during gigs, with a minimum of 100 people at each gig, and
with 10% (10 sales) of the crowd who, after witnessing your
mind-blowing spectacular performance, suddenly realize
that life is not worth living, and they simply cannot go on
unless they own a copy of your CD:

10 sales X $10.00 (per CD) X 4 weeks = $400 per month

Our monthly sub-total is now $1,600

Lead Generator:

* Your incredible stage performance that left them
mesmerized.
* Your website for additional sales

[---TEACHING---]

Right now, in your own area, there are innumerable people
who would like to learn to play your instrument, or be able to
sing as half as well as you. So, why not teach them how to
do so while earning a bit of income doing it as well?

So, in our worst case scenario, let’s say you teach only one
day each week, with only two students, at one hour each,
while charging $10 per student, per lesson:

1 day X 2 students X $10.00 (per student) X 4 weeks = $80 per month

Our monthly sub-total is now $1,680

Note: If you decide to devote an entire day of the week to
teaching, say 8 students/8 hours, your income increases to
$80 per day/$320 per month.

You can also consider contacting area community colleges
that will likely be receptive to your classes within their
“Continuing Education” program, which can even pay a bit
more money. And, if time allows, why not get the best of
both worlds, so to speak, by teaching both independently,
as well as within the college system?

Lead Generators:

* Placing low-cost ads in your area weekly newspapers
* Contacting high schools to post notices/fliers
* Low-cost college newspaper ads
* Low-cost college radio ads
* News releases to area radio and print papers
* Feature interviews on area radio and in newspapers
* Your website with your class notices

Note: Provide your credentials to student prospects in the
forms of a resume and/or portfolio.

[---ONLINE SALES---]

Just a few noted sites include:

CD Baby ( cdbaby.com )
The Orchard ( theorchard.com )
Amazon.com ( amazon.com )
New Artist Direct ( newartistdirect.com )

With fairly decent online promotion, at the least, you ought
to be able to realize an average of 3 sales per week from
each of these sites. While all may not produce those 3
sales individually each week, some of them are likely to
produce more than 3 sales, dependent upon your
promotional efforts, of which should still average out to
3 sales each.

However and again, let’s review a worst case scenario:

4 sites X 3 sales each X $7.00 = $84 X 4 weeks = $336

Our monthly sub-total is now $2,016

Lead Generators:

* Peripheral online sales from gig audiences
* Low-cost ads in area weekly newspapers
* Low-cost college newspaper ads
* Low-cost college radio ads
* Internet marketing and promotion on music message
boards, music forums, and within discussion list signature
files
* News releases to area radio and print papers
* Feature interviews on area radio and newspapers
* Your website sales

[---WEDDINGS---]

Though weddings occur within every month of the year, the
biggest and most traditional month for weddings is June.
And, right now, in your own area, there are quite a few
being planned for this summer. Weddings are one of the
most lucrative income generators for musicians, because
families generally are very liberal in spending on them, and
go all out, so to speak, for this special day for their
daughters.

So, in our worst case scenario, let’s say you can get, at
least, one wedding gig per month, at $1,000 per gig (more
wedding gig opportunities are likely during summer months
especially):

$1,000 X 9 months = $9,000

Our monthly sub-total is now $3,016

Lead Generators:

* Caterers & Catering Services
* Placing low-cost ads in your area weekly newspapers
* Your website notices of your availability for weddings
* Providing your business card to area upscale restaurants
that cater wedding receptions and banquets
* Your business card left with flower shops
* Your business card left with jewelry stores
* Your business card left with bridal shops
* Your business card left with tuxedo shops
* Your business card left with bridal services

Note: You should also provide your business card to
wedding attendants who inquire about your services for
upcoming functions that they may be hosting in the future.

[---WEDDING CD SALES---]

You may also be able to sell your CD at weddings, however,
ASK FIRST when coordinating your performance
arrangements. Attendants usually interact with the band, as
it is a happy occasion.

If you are allowed to sell your recordings at weddings, you
should do so passively by having your CDs placed near the
performance area in a conspicuous position.

However, I would not “hard sell” (repeatedly mention) the
CD from the stage, unless of course, a wedding coordinator
decides to do so, or states that you may do so.

So, in our worst case scenario, let’s say, at least, 100
people attend each wedding (more are likely to attend
many weddings), with 10% of them purchasing your CD:

10 sales X $10.00 (per CD) X 1 month = $100

Our monthly sub-total is now $3,116

Lead Generator:

* Your performance
* Your website notice

[---RETAIL STORE CONSIGNMENT SALES---]

Since stores won’t be laying out cash in advance for your
music, you should have very little problem consigning your
music to retailers.

A word of advice is for you to not consign more than five
copies per per store, per 30-day period, at any time.
Limiting copies to stores will allow for sufficient time in your
product moving off retailer shelves.

Consider getting your product consigned with, at least, five
area retailers. However, if there are not enough music
stores in your area, consider consigning it with other
retailers such as; bookstores, flower shops, jewelry stores,
and any other such retailer that gets quite a bit of traffic
and might be interested in carrying your music.

You will, generally, be required to present retailers with your
own consignment form, and I have created one that you can
freely download and customize for your own use at: MuBiz.com/CnsnmtFrm.html MuBiz.com/CnsnmtFrm.html

Just be sure to duplicate it so that both you and the retailer
have copies.

So, in our worst case scenario, let’s look at your area retail
possibilities:

5 Stores X 5 copies X $8 (your take) = $200 per month

Our monthly sub-total is now $3,316

Lead Generators:

* Low-cost classified or display ads in area newspapers
* Low-cost radio ads
* Low-cost cable television ads
* News releases to all forms of media
* Feature interviews at local television, radio stations and
print media
* Music reviews in your area print media
* Your website listing area stores carrying your music

Note: Provide your media kit and business card to retailers
in order to further influence their decision in consigning
your product.

[---PRODUCTION---]

Did you produce your own CD? If you did, and if people are
raving about how great it is, why not consider producing
other area bands as well for some extra cash?

Between now and the end of this year, you should be able
to produce, at least, two acts for, at least, a $1,000 fee
each.

Lead Generators:

* Word of mouth and fellow musicians you know
* Placing low-cost ads in your area weekly newspapers
* Low-cost college newspaper ads
* Low-cost college radio ads
* Your website notice of your production skills
* Fliers in music instrument stores

Note: Provide your media kit and business card to contacts.

As our monthly sub-total is $3,316, providing a grand
sub-total of $29,844, when you add on your $2,000
production fees for both bands that you produce, your
minimum grand year-end total comes to $31,844.

As I stated at the beginning of this article, each of these
aspects contain ‘bare bones’ minimum figures in respect to
what your earning potential is within them.

* Special Note: In each of these areas, it is very likely that
you will experience repeat business, as well as word of
mouth promotion, which will further add to your annual
income this year, thus, creating the potential for doubling or
even tripling your income.

Kenny Love is president of MuBiz.com MuBiz.com, a radio promotion and media publicity firm that also provides business and career services to musicians.

There is a big difference between being in the Music Industry and being in the Music Biz. Knowing the difference will help you make better decisions as you Step Into the Music Biz.

The Music Industry is mainly made up of Musicians and DJ’s- people who love to sing, play and perform.

Some Musicians, in the music industry, will play for little or no money. You’ll find people in the Music Industry singing in your Church Choir, on a street corner for tips, or playing the local College Bar. For a Musician, a paid gig is usually icing on the cake.

There is nothing wrong with playing music for the love of playing. There is noting wrong with wanting to play your favorite records in front of crowds for little or no payment. But don’t get it confused with being in the Music Biz. The Music Biz is all about business.

Being in the Music Biz means developing marketable assets and preventing them from becoming liabilities.

An asset is anything that can generate money for your business (CD’s, videos, mechandise, concerts etc.) and marketing those assets to prevent them from becoming liabilities.

A liability is anything that loses money. To effectively market your assets and limit liabilities, you′ll need to have some sort of business structure or music company established.

A Record Label is a business created by companies that specialize in recording, producing, manufacturing, distributing and promoting audio and video recordings on various formats including CD’s, LP’s, DVD’s. The Record Label name derives from the paper label at the center of a “phonograph record”.

If you plan on being in the music biz, you are planning on making money. If you plan on making money, I suggest that you have your administrative game on point. There will be lots of paperwork (Incorporation, Taxes etc.) and details that you’ll need to have in order to succeed in the Music Biz.

Jerome Ford is a 20 year radio, record, promotion and new media expert and Vice President of

Wait! Before you get all upset and threaten to call the cops, this article is not about copyright violations. That’s not cool, not at all. What is cool, though, is finding a song you like, drawing inspiration from it, and using that inspiration to create your own original song. That’s what Pablo Picasso meant when he said, “Bad artists copy, great artists steal.” Steal the inspiration, but use it to make something you can truly call your own — something that someone else might find to be worth stealing.

Crime Analysis: How It All Goes Down

1. First, find a song you like. Generally speaking, it’s easier to draw inspiration from a simple song than a complex one, so pick a song that is relatively simple and straightforward.
2. Then, learn to play it. The easiest way to do that is to type into a search engine the name of the song you are looking to play plus the word “tab.” So if you wanted to learn to play “Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Oasis, you’d go to a search engine and type in “Don’t Look Back in Anger Tab”. You can then find the tablature that will show you how to play the song. Alternatively, you can use tablature archive sites like ultimate-guitar.com Ultimate-Guitar to find your tabs.
3. Once you know the song, you can start getting creative with it. Is it an electric song? Play it acoustic. Is it acoustic? Play it electric. (If you only have one guitar, then pick a song that is performed on the type of guitar that is NOT yours; for instance if you only have an acoustic guitar, try stealing a song written on an electric).
4. Change the tempo of the song. Is it fast? Play it slow. Is it slow? Play it fast. Doing this, combined with changing it from electric to acoustic (or vice-versa), should give you something that is starting to sound a little different.
5. Next, transpose the song to a different key and/or scale ( actoguitar.com/xvii-learning-major-guitar-scales-part-ii/228-c-transposing-guitar-scales.html click here for an article on transposing a musical piece that goes into more detail on how to do that). The easiest way to do that is to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capo use a capo, although I′d recommend switching scales in addition to switching keys to make sure your new piece sounds wholly original.
6. Once you’ve done that, switch up the rhythm a bit. One of my favorite strategies is to take a song where the chords are strummed and use arpeggios instead ( actoguitar.com/xiii-advanced-rhythm-guitar-techniques/205-c-playing-arpeggios.html click here for an article on arpeggios). I also like to add rests.
7. Now’s the killer ingredient: new lyrics. New lyrics will give the song a new meaning, and are another opportunity for you to switch up the rhythm of the song a bit, as different words require a different rhythm.
8. One last but very important step: tweak the melody. By now the song should sound pretty different than the original you drew inspiration from — in fact, if it’s done properly, it should sound completely different — but you want your song to be truly original, not just some lame rip-off. To do that, look for places where the melody still sounds a bit identical, and tweak accordingly.

And there you have it! You’ve stolen a song — but you’ve reinvented it into something truly original at the same time. As the saying goes, “Good artists copy, great artists steal.”

Still don’t believe me? Check out how this formula was applied to reinvent Aimee Mann’s song “That’s Just What You Are″ into an original song. kidmercury.actoguitarist.com/post/10/35 Click here to visit.

Kid Mercury is a VIP member of the New York City Singer/Songwriter Sessions. He is also the founder and director of ActoGuitar, an online guitar education community.

The English language is the most commonly spoken language on Earth, either by native speakers or by people who have learned it in addition to their first language. More and more people everyday have the desire to learn English as a second language. The type of people who wish to learn it run the gamut from children in other countries who are required to learn English as part of their school curriculum, business professionals that wish to be able to communicate with their English-speaking peers, to immigrants who come to English-speaking countries such as the Unites States who need to learn the native language in order to gain employment, citizenship, and acceptance in their new home country. If you decide to become certified to teach English as a second language (TESL), you could be providing an invaluable service to thousands of people.

As an instructor of English as a second language, you have the option of going abroad and living in one of dozens of countries where there is a high demand for qualified instructors. You may also remain at home, and teach new residents of the United States how to speak, read, and write the language. Either way, you need to be certified to provide instruction. Because there is such a high demand for instructors who are qualified to teach English as a second language, language schools are highly selective when it comes to hiring new teachers. Receiving your certification exhibits your drive to potential employers and shows that you are serious in taking on this challenging new career. Certification can be earned by taking courses at one of several campuses nationwide, and there are also certification course programs available online. Receiving your certification for teaching English as a second language will unquestionably prepare you to be a more effective and successful teacher by instructing you on how to teach grammar, vocabulary, speaking, writing, how to motivate your students, how to manage a classroom, and how to construct lesson plans. If you decide to teach English as a second language in another country, obtaining your certification will also better prepare you for a move abroad, which can be intimidating and stressful. You will have the confidence in knowing that you are entirely qualified to perform your new job, which will help to alleviate some of the stress in immersing yourself into an entirely new country and culture.

Teaching English as a second language has many personal benefits. If you teach abroad, you will have the opportunity to break down stereotypes regarding our own American culture. You will learn about new cultures and traditions. You will be able to travel to neighboring nations. You will become self-reliant and self-assured, and you will no doubt make many new friends. In teaching English as a second language, will be able to develop your communication skills, which will give you a confidence that will help you to excel professionally and personally.

Teaching the English language to students in foreign nations can be exciting, fulfilling, and highly enjoyable. It is a mutually beneficial experience for you and your students. Not only are you representing your own country and culture, and imparting your personal knowledge of the English language and your culture onto others, but you are also learning about other individuals, their experiences, their traditions and their languages. While broadening your mind and experience something totally unique, you are also embarking on an exciting new career, one that has the opportunity to open many new doors for you professionally.

You will find that teaching English as a second language is a mutually beneficial experience for you and your students. Not only are you representing your own country and culture if you teach abroad, and imparting your personal knowledge of the English language and your culture onto others, but you are also learning about other individuals and their experiences and their traditions and their language. And if you are teaching stateside, you are providing a precious service to new residents of the United States. You are giving them the power to communicate in their new homeland. This power will enable them to find jobs, seek educations, and possibly gain American citizenship. That makes for an exceptional experience to have in your memories.

Find the essential information on where and how to learn a new or second language at foreign-languages-school.com/english-second-language.html English as a Second Language.

John is a director of numerous Internet companies and is a published author. Many articles have been produced on a variety of subjects with excellent content and depth. All his articles may be reproduced provided that an active link is included to foreign-languages-school.com foreign-languages-school.com
foreign-languages-school.com/index.html Language Schools

Depth of field is the major element to consider when choosing the best aperture for group portraits. Usually, sharp focusing in group portrait is challenging because it is not trivial to pose all the individuals in the same zone of focus. Hence, a strong limitation to the available apertures is the necessity to set the lens aperture so that its depth of focus is enough for everyone in the group to accommodate within the depth of focus. This is particularly true for big groups. Therefore, considerations and concerns about depth of field have precedence over all other aspects.

Other considerations are needed, however. From an optical point of view, for instance, a lens used with a wide aperture is afflicted by spherical aberration, whereas if used at small aperture it is afflicted by diffraction. So, a good advice is: never use a lens neither at its maximum nor minimum aperture. Moreover, optical considerations yield the optimum performance of a lens when used at a couple of f-stops narrower than its maximum aperture. Consequently, use this setting whenever possible.

Correct shutter speed is less complex a problem. Sure enough, shutter speed must be fast enough to freeze any movement, both of the camera and of the subjects. In particular, when shooting outdoors, watch out for hair movement caused by the breeze and set up a shutter speed accordingly. Always keep in mind that the closer you are to your subject, the higher the shutter speed you should use, because subject’s apparent motion will appear swifter. The same holds true in general for highly magnified or zoomed in subjects.

There is a rule of thumb stating that the shutter speed should not be lower than the reciprocal of the focal length. For instance, if using a standard 50mm lens, a shutter faster than 1/50s should be used. The fulfillment of this rule will assure motionless pictures. Of course, slower speed are achievable with a tripod.

A very refined technique consists of “dragging” the shutter. This means setting a shutter speed lower than necessary when using a flash. This technique is used to correctly expose both the main subject and the background. Select the shutter speed and the aperture to ensure a correct exposure of the background with just the ambient light and set the flash power for correctly exposing the main subject with the set aperture.

More articles about photography ilghila.com/ here.

The Hero’s Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188 stage template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.

[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY

THE HERO’S JOURNEY:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharses, of which there are usually four).

d) Gives you a universal structural template upon which you can superimpose your situational story. This is why stories such as Alien (1979), Gladiator (2000), Midnight Cowboy (1969), American Beauty (1999), The Graduate (1967) and many others (all deconstructed at the URL below) appear to be different but are all constructed, almost sequence by sequence, in the same way.

and more…

*****Hero’s Journey: The Dark Lord*****

A dark lord’s lieutenant pursues the detective hero. The hero easily escapes him, again demonstrating his superiority. In The Maltese Falcon (1939), Sam quickly evades the boy.

*****Rebellion*****

It not uncommon for the Hero to embark on the Journey or Trivial Task through a minor act of rebellion. The Hero takes the initiative. In The Incredibles (2004), Mr Incredible rebels and deceives his wife. In An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), Zach rebels against his father.

*****Afterlife Act*****

Sequences include:

The Hero rules on his throne (Conan the Barbarian).

He bears children, most often including a male heir.

He mentors the next generation.

After a while, he is ousted by a Demon King or commits a critical error.

He is exiled to a far off land.

He disappears or dies a mysterious death. In Out of Africa (1985), no one knows exactly how Denys died.

*****Doves and Hawks*****

These are two archetypes that are for the Hero embarking on the Journey (Hawks) or against it (Doves). Both debate the pros and cons of the journey. In Alien (1979), Lambert does not want to go but Kane is keen.

Dark Side. The danger of following the Call is that it could lead to the dark side. Doves often are against the Journey, not because of any selfishness, but because of the very real threat involved. In Raging Bull (1980), the local Mafia want Jake La Motta to take a dive. He resists this call as it will surely lead to the dark side.

*****Celebrating the Physical Crossing*****

A celebration marks the Crossing into the World of the Transformation. In Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Bonnie isn’t worried that they’ve shot someone, she’s happy about it [in the cinema].

*****New World of Trials and Transformations*****

Just like any New DOmain (most often described as a New World), the World of the Trials and Transformations has never been experienced before. In Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Bonnie, Clyde, Buck and Blanche all go into the house.

*****Loop*****

The Loop closes the story by linking the first and last sequences. Methods include:

Return to the Ordinary World. In Lord of the Rings, Frodo, Sam et al return to the Shire.

Journey to the New Life in a New World. In An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), Zach and Paula go to wherever he is assigned.

Symbolic link: In Drugstore Cowboy (1989), the loop is symbolic, with a return to Bob’s hospital bed. In War of the Worlds (2005), images of bacteria and the smallness of Earth within the Universe make up the symbolic linkages.

*****Disgust*****

It is not unusual for the Hero to be nervous, disgusted or have some strong emotion on departure from the Belly of the Whale and into the Road of Trials.

In Brokeback Mountain (2005), Ennis throws up.

*****Transformation*****

The Hero’s Journey (also known as the Monomyth) should really be called the Hero’s Transformation. A story IS Transformation.

Every Hero goes on a Physical Journey, the purpose of which is to stimulate a Psychological Transformation. It is the undergoing of the Journey that gives the Hero the capacity to conquer those challenges that were previously unconquerable.

In the beginning of the Journey the Hero is an Ordinary Self and at the end of it a New Self. The New Self is demonstrated by a change in attitudes, norms, values, behaviour and clothing. In the beginning the Hero is dressed in one way and at the end another.

Learn more…

WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at clickok.co.uk/ clickok.co.uk/

The Managing Creativity and Innovation MBA dissertation, DIY creativity Audit, Powerpoint presentation and Good Idea generator software can be found at managing-creativity.com/ managing-creativity.com/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

**********************************

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made, the author’s name is retained and the link to our site URL remains active.

Online bingo playing could be due for a major boost next year. With the smoking ban in England just around the corner, how will players deal with the new legislation? Will they leave the halls and switch to playing bingo online or continue to suffer in silence and play bingo in a smoke free zone. Will there be an influx of new players who will welcome the new proposal and look forward to playing in a healthier environment.

Bingo halls have been a place were people of all ages and types visit, can meet face to face with real people and open up a new social circle, with the majority being older women. But could this all change when the new smoking ban in public places starts to hit bingo halls and put an end to a tradition of loyal smoking bingo players who rely on their weekly social event to play, chat have fun and hopefully win some money. There only alternative is to join an online bingo casino and meet with their bingo buddies via chat rooms, but only if they have a computer and internet access at home. Those without a PC would need to purchase one and join an ISP, which could be costly and daunting for the older people, as they would need to learn how to use a PC and learn how to play online bingo. Could all this lead to some players giving up completely?

An interesting fact to come to light from the players point of view is that by having to go to outside for a smoke and not being able to play at the table has saved them some money. Good news for the player but bad news for the bingo hall.

The legislation must be good news for online bingo casinos, who are expecting a potential increase of new players signing up and boosting the ever-increasing online bingo market. But bad news maybe for land based bingo halls as many halls in Scotland have been affected since the ban started and have seen their revenues and customers diminish.

There are interesting times ahead for both parties and it will be some time before we see what effect the smoking ban has on the bingo world in England and Wales, and who will be better off financially in the long run.

maxx is the Senior Web Designer of the Bingonline web development team at

Pets, we all love to have them, specially an dog which is one of the most WANTED pets. Why? Because they are the famous Men’s Best Friend. Now just imagine how bad would it be to have a untrained dog. An untrained dog could litter anywhere in your house, back yard, front yard, just anywhere. After less than a month of having that untrained dog with you, it could create all over inside your house that really bad odor that could be coming out of anywhere. Especially if you have carpet in your floor which absorbs all types of smells and odors that are so HARD to get it off, sometimes impossible. Now believe that all these things can be avoided if you go with your dog through a proper dog training.

If you are willing to go through the proper dog training it will save you a lot of work and problems in many areas. But getting your dog through the dog training is not a easy thing to do. Sometimes it takes a lot of work and dedication to achieve just one small objective. To make your dog become more familiar with the training, so that your dog can accomplish a fast and productive dog training you will need make all this dog training more than just a 2, or 3 , times per week thing. You will need to make DOG TRAINING part of your daily life. You should try to work with your dog in daily bases, that way your dog will be more and more familiar with the tasks you ask and teach him to achieve. One good thing to remember is you must make your dog training in short sessions, comparing to those long sessions you would normally have with your dog 3 times a week.

Remember to make the dog training a fun task for you and your dog, so knowing you are talking to a Dog, give him simple commands to achieve such as, Sit, Come, Stay, avoid the HARD Ones since you are in the early stages of your DOG training sessions. Make sure you use short words for your commands and the best thing is to use a different command word for every different TASK you give. When telling him to stop a action , don’t say CHILL DOWN, or cool off Dog, just say STOP.
To make the Dog training even more fun, don’t forget the treats. YES! Every time your doggy achieves a task make him happy by giving him a treat, that way he will understand he did a good action, he will know he deserved that treat and will always want to deserve because he likes it. But only give the treat if your dog accomplishes the task.

If you live alone, or you are a couple with no kids then you will have no problem in achieving a good dog training, because both of you will understand what is going on, but if you have kids at home make sure they understand what is going on around them, because we know kids love to have fun with their pets, fool around in the house, dig and hide small objects, play and get dirty everywhere. So make sure they understand that there will be a time for all that.

Owning a dog is taking the responsibility to care, train, love and always give your best to your dog, so when you are on your dog training sessions, never forget one thing. Have Fun!

dogtraining-basics.blogspot.com/ Dog Training

Hugo Roger is an expert and professional Dog Trainer and is involved in many dog training activites on his free time, and enjoy’s giving free weekend lessons on Dog Training.

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Small independent record labels are facing a different fight today to obtain a share of the music industry. The best possible means in which small labels were able to get their CD’s sold vanished in 2003 when Southwest Wholesale Records and Tapes closed the doors. The ability to have their music placed in a position to be sold along the same shelves as the major record labels is becoming increasingly more difficult. The absence of competition on the shelves has generated an increase in profits for the major labels. What can smaller more nimble labels do to compete with the major labels?

Promotion and Radio -

The major labels have a tight grip on the radio, for example, it is probably the means in which to promote and break in a new artist. (Maybe the hold is a little tight and illegal: Eliot Spitzer, New York’s attorney general, is investigating whether the majors bribe radio stations to play their music.) The amount of money and influence that the majors have cannot be matched by a smaller record labels. They cannot fight this battle and often songs that are deservingly good enough to be played will not be played. Play lists are generated in a single office and downloaded to the station managers to every part of the country. The station managers have no choice but to play what the corporate headquarters have instructed them to play for the day. What then can smaller more nimble labels do to compete with the major labels?

The Future – The Internet

Battle lines can be drawn in this vast market. Smaller labels can have attractive websites for their acts at a relatively cheap price. Hosting of these sites will not be an unmanageable expense either. The smaller labels can promote with banners and not have to absorb the cost of printing and manually distributing flyers and post cards to a smaller scope of potential buyers. The buyers on the Internet that can be reached are the same as that of the major labels.

What about radio over the Internet? It is still developing and today would be a great time to develop an artist over the Internet. Major labels have no control over the stations on the Internet yet!! Developing a radio station over the Internet is viable option for a small label. The cost associated again with doing so is not prohibitive.

Investigate and do your homework about the Internet and promoting on-line. The market is open for smaller companies as much as it is for the bigger companies.

Eugene Brooks has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and a Juris Doctorate Degree that he earned from Thurgood Marshall School of Law. Mr. Brooks is the President and CEO of the Texas based, independent label “KMJ Records.” KMJ Records can be found on the web at kmjrecords.us kmjrecords.us and features chopped and screwed CD’s by Z-Ro and various other Dirty South Houston Rappers.

This article is copyright © 2005 by Eugene Brooks and may be reprinted in it’s entirety as long as this byline and copyright statement are included.

The rush hour would always be a little tense, many high ranking officers coming through the gate, –it really didn’t bother me, but a lot of the other security police it did bother: matter-of-fact now that I think of it, that is why SFC Flattery our platoon sergeant never was around at that particular time, in the early part of the morning….

The pain of drinking the evening before simply slows one down in the morning—for a few hours anyway, but we’d always get our focus back, and mine was coming.

I tried to pay close attention to the incoming cars, they liked it when you caught their eyes the driver’s eyes, and then they knew all was well. I could give them a ticket if they overlooked a signal. And they and I—both of us, wanted to offer the other as little distraction as possible, they were going to work, and I was working. I suppose Ski knew this, and that is why he said very little, he could play catch-up with me later.

Sometimes I’d get so drunk the night before I’d be too lame to work the next day, and had to pay someone to take my shift. And end up taking an evening shift for them at another time, it would tie me up from other plans somewhat, but that’s the way things work I guess. I had a ten-hour shift today. Matter-of-fact I have it all week. But I will get three days off straight, with no bed check, thereafter. No more bed checks…thank God.

The cars now were starting to weed out, so I lit a cigarette, shivering a little from the light breeze passing by, the March wind was very cool. Conversations were far and in-between at this gate, it was the main gate, and not like the other one at the other end of this somewhat, large, military compound: there you could talk a lot with passersby.

I liked the cobblestone streets left over from World War One [WWI] throughout Reese Kasarine [military complex]. My motor functions were improving now, — my eyes seemed wider … becoming sober.

٭

It was turning out to be a fine day; the temperature seemed to be just right with a light luke-warm-breeze making an interesting morning of comfort over to the far northern corner beyond the gate there was an empty lot along the side by the flag pole where a huge rock rested, it had an inscription that read ‘In memory of the Battle of Chickamauga,’ someone told me it was some great Civil War battle, a bloody one at that. I’ll have to check that out some day, I told myself. I found for myself—often times, starring at that rock, day after day, it was strange seeing it way on the other side of the Atlantic, you know, the battle was way over in America, not here –I think in Virginia, 1861.

The only thing I didn’t like about this morning shift was I had to raise the flag. Not that it was a lot of work, but if you dropped it, it could be grounds for military madness. And I didn’t care to rock the boat. Plus I was starting to like Germany with its many festivals; it seemed like there was one going on all the time in this vicinity, and straightforward, there was one going on this very minute across the street, up the block from the compound. Or it will be this afternoon. It wasn’t real big, but it had a huge beer tent, as they called it here, and that is all I really cared about, or for what it is worth, what most GI’s cared about. All these fairs had huge beer tents, every one of them.

You could see kids, mothers, and fathers all wearing their Robin Hood looking hats; some were dressed in old German style pants and dresses, –yes, a good assortment of people were there. I liked it if not for the beer, for the home life it brought back into my memories, my body. It just felt good. It had been active going on two weeks and it would last one more week, I had been there three times, I figured I’d go there one more time: perhaps this coming weekend—possibly.

As I took my lunch break in the larger part of the guardhouse which was a part of the barracks adjacent to the city street, and to the side of the gate way to the facility—where a window was, I did my paperwork looking out of both windows watching German made cars drive by—not like back home where you would see a variety of cars like Fords, Dodges, Chevy’s, etc… there was not a great verity here to witness; I also checked out the side window were my partner waved the cars on through—then back to my paperwork, and checking and marking the documentation on my inspection sheets, and insuring they were in order, insuring I marked the trucks, and other vehicles I had inspected in the morning in the proper places, –very seldom did I ever find any contraband, and for today, there really was nothing out of the ordinary to report. There was a stand up metal ashtray by the side window, I sat down turned the radio off and sharpened my pencil and filled in with check marks in the proper boxes indicating no unusual traffic, and had a cigarette.

I was starting to think about Chris, I felt she was somewhat drawn into my emotional charms and frankness, I think that is all men are needed for nowadays anyways: emotional support. It seems they work, make money just like us men; to be blunt, she was doing better than me.

She seemed to be genuine for the most part. She was a German-Jew, she had told me, and her father was killed just prior to the Nazi’s deserting and escaping the occupation of their so-called Motherland, of World War Two [WWII]. I guess a number of SS men—Hitler’s Elite that is, –came into her father’s study room [library], he was some kind of professor, and her mother grabbed her as she was a child then in 1945, I guess she was only a year old at the time, and the SS Germans took him: –that was the last they had ever heard from, or of him. Chris had told me her mother and she hid behind a sofa chair and he tried to draw them away from them, and I guess he did.

He was never seen of again, as I have just mentioned, and I guess her mother took her to London, England, until after the war when they returned and reclaimed their property. She was a little careful about letting me know she was a Jew, not sure why, I guess being brought up in Minnesota, I never thought much of nationalities as a barrier. She was watching my response now that I think of it. And she got it out quick. I was worried if she’d want to go back out with a private, as much as she was worried if I’d want to go out with a Jew. I suppose her being more educated than I at first glance made me pull back a little, but that was past.

“Remember you got a few more hours left on your station, PFC Evens,” said Sergeant First Class Flattery.

“Yaw sergeant, just thinking about a gal I met, Chris.”

“Well you get your head back into the paperwork, and eat, you still got a little time yet before you’re off duty…. Right?”

“Right.”

“Well—ah, how was she—“

“Chris….”

“If that’s her name—“

“Yes, yes. That’s her, something special, I think, –not used to dating in a while.”

“Ah! Have I got to tell you?”

“No sar-g…” I said soothingly “it’s great.”

The Sergeant walked outside, he most likely was going home, he lived off base with his family he was a nice sort of guy, a little slow at times, he made E-7 [SFC], which is a good rank, yet some of the other sergeants made fun of him, but he had more class than they. It took him 18 ½ years to make his rank though, I guess normally it should take only about 10 to 12-years he was about to retire in a year and a half he had told us at the guardhouse. He took everything with a calmness I never knew, something I’d like to inherit I told myself many times, I was always anxious it seemed, almost hyperventilating to get to the next step one might say.

Chris had told me on the way home last night she was interested in me, on one hand, but I think she wanted her cake and eat it to, for she was going with another man, a German she said, and had to let me know it was for money reasons, he paid her rent, some rich cat. I wanted to say forget it, and just go on with life, but I pretended it was no big thing. I had nothing to lose, plus I really did not have anything going for me here anyhow. And somewhere along the line, we could deal with that issue if it came up later, if she intended to develop any kind of ongoing relationship with me beyond a sexual-friendship.
☺

It was 4:45 PM, Chris drove up by the gate door, as I walked outside with my uniform on, she leaned over with the window open, “Ant men funny,” she chuckled at me, or was it herself, she had a nice looking green Mustang, it shinned as the sun bounced off her hood.

“Fifteen minutes early,” I said.

“I know,” she replied, “I wanted to see you in your uniform, you look good—delicious!”

“Come please, I need to talk to you…”

There was a tear in the side of her eye, not sure what it was for.

“Wait a minute.”

“Joe,” I said, my corporal friend who was on duty next, “…can you take the shift now, I sense Chris is in a little despair?”

“Sure—go.”

I quickly dressed into civilian cloths and rushed out to see Chris, got into her car asking, “What’s the trouble?” She drove off quickly and parked over by where she was a manager of a pizza café/guesthouse, which were several blocks west of the base.

“I called London, I lost $50,000 dollars, last night, the dollar went down and the mark went up. I had my life savings in it. I was up early this morning and been calling to see if it would go back up, but no luck.”

“Wow… sorry, —-$50,000!” I really didn’t know how to go about comforting her, I never heard of such an amount of money. I felt she was putting me on, but the tears were real enough. I was not sure how to console a woman with such grief—money grief, it almost looked as if it was a death in the family; she leaned over and just hugged me. I couldn’t say a word—I was frozen with stupidity.

She then said:

“Let’s skip it, I’ll be alright,” getting her breath back.

“Frazier’s going to fight some guy by the name of Ellis,” I commented, to create a new tone in the dialogue.

Chris looked at me strange, I think she got a message I was not able to digest that amount of money she was talking about, but it sounded impressive she knew that. Maybe that was what consoled her if anything. It took me another minute to know what had happened, and several more to believe it.

“Who’s Frazier?” she asked.

“Just a boxer, I heard it on the radio today. He’s a pretty tough one though, like Clay.”

I guess one might say I seemed a little—if not a lot—indifferent to her situation, her nerves seemed to settle down though, and the silence of the moment seemed to suggest the spell of grief was broken.

Maybe all she needed to do was tell someone, not sure why it wasn’t that other boyfriend of hers, but I didn’t bring it up, no need to, if she was trying to impress with whatever technique, the route and problem to its summit was stopped. If it was true, I looked dumb to it I suppose, and that may have had a good effect also. I often think people who are dumb are cleaver, they got to be, or they are dead. Maybe that is how she thought I was.

I am not very old, but in my little life span I’ve noticed one deep rooted thing, and that is a man or a woman can stop most any bad habit, like smoking, or drinking or gambling, you know, those kinds of things…even picking your ass, if need be can be stopped, but, and this is a big—BUT, try and stop, or tell someone to stop getting married, or having an ongoing relationship, dating, –they will tell you where to go, and go find another person to have the relationship with. I learned at a young age, I was very replaceable with women, and the prettier they are, the quicker they can replace you.

I knew the moment was gone, still not sure what to say though, then taking meticulous care I increased my voice, I managed to get a final [a little humiliation], “I’m sorry I can’t help you, I’m not sure what to say, $50,000 dollars is a lot of money. I’m sorry for your loss.”

She sensed I did not feel qualified to go beyond that. She would have preferred to leave it alone but felt there was emptiness still in sight.

To repeat a sentence she had first made, she added, “It’s simply been a bad day, nothing I can do about it.”

Unexpectedly a tense face appeared on her, and a tear rolled down her cheek again, as if it could almost reach and touch my shoulder.

“I’m a German-Jew, did you know that?” She told me as if I didn’t know she had already told me last night.

“Yaw, I know that Chris…” adding, “not sure what that means, I’m an American-Russian, with a little Irish in me,” she tried to hold a laugh back, but it came out anyway–☻

Somehow the dark cloud that was developing disappeared. And a rose color came to her bronze face, with a light laugh still oozing out of her.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“Thought I take you for a drive through town, and on to the cemetery, my grandmother is buried there and I want to visit her.”

“Sure, let’s go,” I said, as she started her car back up.

As she drove I started noticing all the Volkswagens running through town, and the lights that hung on wires instead of poles like back home in St. Paul, Minnesota; I also noticed the towering clock in town, and the old police station, the Stadtwerke, with its soaring antique architecture.

“Look over to the left,” commented Chris, “the Rathaus, it was once the biggest City Hall in all of Europe. It was built in 1620 AD.”

I nodded my head and my eyebrows went up as if to be impressed: –but I had seen it before, not really knowing what the nine story structure was other than a big building that looked hundreds of years old, and the beautiful water fountain across the street from it. I had sat on its outer rim with a few of my GI buddies.

Augsburg was a military camp I had learned, in the year 15 BC, built by the Emperor Augustus. Funny, it still was today, that is a military city but with American soldiers. When I had first arrived in Augsburg during a briefing at the train station, this was brought out. It was a beautiful city, and old. I had always hoped to come to such an ancient place, with culture, and historical significance; and here I was, a wish come true.

7

The Potato Fields

The Cemetery

We seemed in the process of leaving the city limits, and no sooner had we left, Chris pulled the car over to the side of the street, looking at some potato fields, said:

“Well, shall we go visit the people?”

She started walking towards a tower.

“By the way,” I said, “…who are the people?”

I was following behind her as she got out of the car and started walking into the semi-wet, somewhat dusty and lumpy fields of dirt, then she said:

“I like it here, yes, I think, I really think…” she hesitated, “…the sky is so blue, it’s not going to rain: — these are potato pickers Chick…”

I looked about and noticed several women picking or planting potatoes, perhaps both, it all looked strange to me, why were we here? I asked myself, but it was as comforting as it was strange. It told me she had a simple and commonplace side to her like me. We stood in the middle of the field for a minute or two, silent. There was something about this woman that I found very sympathetic. Ever since she had told me she was a Jew, and the tragedy of her family, I had taken an interest in her a little more or so it seemed, — her openness was fresh. Yet I found we had a great bond growing, something common yet I couldn’t name it, and not sure why I felt this way, she had been through more than me, yet I suspect it was spring to, you know, timing can play a big part in any event; I said to me, my impulsiveness that is, ‘hay me, far from being excited about being on a second date I dealt with her bad news.’ I added, ‘…hay me, I am proud.’ It told me I was growing.

“What’s the tower for?” I asked.

It was like an observation tower in the middle of the potato fields. Older women were picking and planting the potatoes all around us—more than I had notice before anyway, Chris explained the towers,

”…they are for the boss to see what is going on in his field, let’s climb up one.”

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