open mic night

Open mic nights are cropping up left, right and centre, and the musical world has mixed feelings about it. The open mic night is a steadfast tradition in the live music community, and is for a lot of musicians the first foray into performance.

All it takes is a decent space, some decent sound equipment, a few decent people, and you've got a ready made community. Sooner or later, you'll find yourselves attracting more and more inquisitive listeners and adventurous drinkers, and, next thing you know, a scene is born.

This is, of course, the best case scenario. Woefully often, nascent scenes succumb to cliques and elitism, which, coupled with stalls in development, can discourage newcomers, leading to their stagnation and eventual demise.

Nevertheless, any stage can be a platform for you to propel yourself into the musical stratosphere, and, in your capacity as an intrepid and curious musician, you will always find people worth talking to at such events. And, at any rate, you only get as involved as you want to.


The Benefits of Open Mic Nights



Here are a few ways to use the open mic circuit to your advantage, as, like it or not, they're here to stay for the foreseeable future. And if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.


Testing the Waters

When you're just starting out, there are some things you need to experience first hand, like breaking a string, losing your voice, or playing to crowd who clearly don't give a monkey's (and remember – three can be a crowd, so you can only ask everybody to put their hands in the air ironically).

Better to know what it's like to find yourself nervous, unready and even mildly humiliated at this stage than on one that takes a lot more organisation to reach. Here, you can turn up, plug in, do you bit and sit back down. You eventually realise how much of a luxury it is to not have to be responsible for your own mixing or set up your own equipment, so thank your lucky stars. Then thank whoever actually set it up.


It's also worth mentioning here that you shouldn't get too attached to the first open mic you play at – there really are loads of them, of varying quality and popularity. By all means remain loyal if you make some real friends, but don't let that stop you venturing out. At any rate, there are fresh pairs of ears waiting for you at the next venue, so don't deprive them of the privilege!


Making Connections

Chances are your local open mic is going to run by someone in the know – or at the very least on the outskirts of the know.

They’re bound to have seen many acts come and go during their tenure, some of whom perhaps having moved on to greener pastures, but adopt a friendly approach, show an interest in their story and you can rest assured that they'll tell you it.

You never know – your future bandmates may be sitting right beside you, just as unsure of how to make the first move. Ask open ended questions and be prepared to be asked a few too.

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real estate flyer template free

As a Agent, Investor or a Homeowner that's looking to sell your home or investment property, you need superior marketing material. What marketing materials do you use? Do you outsource your marketing? Is it time consuming and Costly? If you answered these questions with a YES or would like to take more control of your marketing campaigns to maximize your profit? Well, for myself as a Real Estate Wholesaler, I'm always looking for new and innovative ways to marketing my properties especially if it's economical and I can have creative control over my marketing tools. For the past couple of years I've been using free software like Word, Publisher, Gimp and others to create flyers, email newsletters and updates. It was average but it worked.

This method worked but I wanted my properties and ads to stand above novice or even experience investors. I wanted something new, so one day doing a basic search on the internet I came across Turn-Key Flyers (Professional Real Estate Templates) which is PDF base templates that allow you to have professionally designed PDF Flyers for marketing. Real Estate flyers are the cornerstone to any complete marketing campaign to promote, advertise, and sell properties. Colorful flyers add integrity to your marketing efforts and business. Creating your own Real Estate flyer with Turn-Key will help you to display the advantages and benefits of your primary residents or investment properties in a visual manner.

Key Points

· Directly Edit on the Flyer

· Point & Click: Add/Replace Photos

· From Start to Finish in Minutes

· Unique and Creative Design

· Add Pazazz with Styling

· Open, Edit, Save As... PDF Advanced Template Technology

· You can Send via Email

· You can Print for: Open Houses, REI Meetings, Trainings

· Re-Usable, Versatility

· Works on BOTH Mac and PC

With Turn-Key Flyers they generated instantly and they can be fully customizable in Adobe. It's Fast and easily editable templates to use over and over again. Simply fill out the form and upload your property photos. You can also plug-in your contact information, your business name or affiliation, and services you offer. For any flyer you choose it will always have an elegant and professional design while maintaining ease of use as a priority. For my investment properties I wanted potential homebuyers searching online or visiting an open house to go home and have something they could refer back to and helps them to remember what property they saw, not just throw my flyer away.

Do you use Email Marketing? It's perfect for email marketing to attract potential buyers and sellers. In such a competitive market, it's challenging to stand out from your competitors. Real estate flyers are printer friendly and have all the property information you would like potential buyers to view. Turn-Key flyers are ideal for anyone looking to market real estate; fsbo's (for sale by owner), realtors, wholesalers, etc. Using flyers is easy and inexpensive and can be done for almost any type of property. So if you want to upgrade from unprofessional promotion and step up to the next level of Real Estate marketing then Turn-Key Flyers are a great one-time investment that you would see a serious return on money time and time again. Thank you for reading, Good Luck on Real Estate marketing future.

real estate flyer template free

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kayak shirts

Looking for some family fun on the water? Are the kids tired of doing the same old thing every summer? If so, take the kids out on a kayak and let them have a hands on adventure.

First and foremost make kayaking fun for the kids. Life is an adventure and you are giving the joy of their very own adventure. Tell them stories, tell them about history, tell them about the people before them that travelled downs these same rivers, just as they are doing. Tell them why they did it and where they were going. Bring history to life for them.

Now that the kids are excited about the trip its time for the practical matters. Every child (and adult) should be wearing a PFD every time they are in the kayak. Go to your local kayak dealers, outdoor specialty store and try different brands to see which is the best fit for your kids. Children's safety, in and out of the kayak, should be your number one responsibility.

Next, comes the clothing. Hats, kids should have a hat with a brim that protect their eyes from the sun and glare, and from the spray from the water. Think like a fisherman as you want to protect their head, face and neck from the sun and water. Floppy hats with brims work well.

Clothing, think in layers. kids get uncomfortable when they are too hot, Thinks layers that can be added or removed as the weather on the water can quickly change. Think shorts and long pants, tee shirts and long sleeve shirts. Clothing should be brightly colored. Kids are always leaving stuff behind and camouflage will be hard to spot when leaving a campsite where as bright neon blue or lime green will quickly catch your eye. Also in case of trouble those colors are easy to spot by passersby. Rain weather gear should also be close at hand.

Sneakers, boots and sandals all have their pros and cons. One thing for sure if they get wet you want something that will quickly dry or have an alternative at hand.

Kids Stuff. What kid does not have "stuff", their "stuff", "stuff" that they just can't live without. Let them bring some along but only what will fit in a box, 'their box". You should also have a box with treats, snacks and goodies that will serve not only to perk up energy levels but also will double as a reward for times when camping chores need to be finished. Also bring a few age appropriate books for the child. It gives them something extra to do and some time for themselves when everyone is tired.

Also give your child a paddle to use in the kayak. Even though they may not be strong enough to paddle distance, and you will be doing all the work, giving them a paddle makes them feel like they are indeed part of the adventure.

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wedding vendor listing

1. GET OUT THERE!

Introducing yourself to wedding vendors is critical since these are the folks who will become an endless source of referrals for you. Get out there and meet everyone, with an emphasis on everyone! Think beyond your typical caterers, florists and photographers. Travel Agents, make-up artists, massage therapists, ballroom dance instructors...you never know where that next referral is coming from.

2. INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OTHER WEDDING PLANNERS

I know, I know, but instead of thinking of your fellow wedding planners as 'the competition', think of them as an endless source of referrals for your wedding planning business. Yes, referrals!

Imagine that you and I are both wedding planners in the same town. A bride comes to me needing help with just day-of wedding services. The thing is that I recently made the decision to work on full-service weddings only. Rather than turn her away, I call you and ask if you're interested and available to help her. Or perhaps a bride requests your professional wedding planning services but you're already booked on her wedding day. Imagine how grateful your bride would be if you're able to recommend her to me, another fab wedding consultant.

You get the idea?  Unless (or until) you have an entourage of wedding planners working for you, it's unlikely that you can handle all of the wedding planning business in your town. Get to know the other 'professional' wedding planners out there...you'll be so glad that you did.

3. MAKE A LIST OF POTENTIAL VENDORS

Your next step is to make a list of the specific vendors you'd like to meet. A good place to start is the local vendor listing on The Knot. Don't contact anyone just yet. At this stage you're just creating a list. Look at vendor websites, read bride testimonials and you'll soon get a feel of whom you'd like to know better.

Local bridal shows are another source for wedding vendors. Typically the show organizers print a program and list wedding vendor names on the bridal show website.

4. SCHEDULE WEDDING VENDOR APPOINTMENTS

Set a goal to meet a certain number of wedding professionals each week. Call each vendor and arrange a 15-minute appointment to introduce yourself. Taking the time to make the call shows them that you're a professional. Don't just 'drop in' unannounced!

I've found that most vendors get busier as the week progresses, so you may want to arrange for your appointment to happen earlier in the week. Of course, that may not always be the case. Each vendor you contact will let you know what time works best for them.

5. RESEARCH EACH VENDOR

Once you have secured an appointment with a wedding vendor, familiarize yourself with their company before your meeting.

Check out the company website, their blog, Google them, read brochures, etc. Although the point of the meeting is to find out as much as you can about the vendor's line of business, think about how you will answer any questions s/he may have about your wedding planing business.
Be prepared to answer questions succinctly and with confidence. Nobody wants to hear you ramble on about yourself (except you, perhaps).
 
6. WIIFM:"What's In It For Me? (the vendor, that is!)
Yes, that's right; think carefully about what you can do for each and every wedding vendor you meet. Do you have a shared interest? Or someone that they would be interested in working with? When you go out of your way for another vendor (or any person for that matter), you increase the likelihood of that person doing the same for you.

7. MASTER THE VENDOR MEETING

For your face-to-face vendor meeting, dress as you would for a client meeting.  Remember the adage 'you never get a second chance to make a first impression'. You are representing your business.

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asesoramiento empresas

El hecho de que las personas adecuadas sean una de las tareas más importantes que deberá realizar como propietario de un negocio. Hay diferentes tipos de medidas de seguridad para simplificar este proceso para usted, tales como CV, recomendaciones, etc. Sin embargo, hay algo más en qué pensar.

De la forma en que lo veo, hay cuatro fases en la vida de todos. Y más, diría que hay 4 fases en todas las áreas de la vida de todos. El primero es saber todo: aquí es donde eres realmente estúpido y crees saberlo todo. El segundo es no saber nada. Entonces es cuando te das cuenta de que realmente hay mucho que saber y que realmente no sabes nada. Y eso es algo bueno porque esto te hace aprender. El tercero es el aprendizaje, la búsqueda del conocimiento. Y el cuarto es ... por falta de una mejor palabra, es identificación. Ahí es donde realmente sabes sobre un tema, pero también sabes que nunca sabrás lo suficiente.

Y también sacaría 3 fases diferentes. Primero es la estupidez, no sabes nada y no tratas de mostrarlo. En segundo lugar, usted sabe algo y siente la necesidad de mostrarle a los demás lo que sabe. Ahí es donde generalmente se deja la impresión de un ególatra. Y el tercero es donde sabes lo suficiente y no sientes la necesidad de demostrárselo a nadie.

Saqué las fases con una razón. Siempre debe averiguar en qué fase se encuentra el empleado potencial en un momento dado en un tema determinado. No quieres personas que piensen que saben y que quieran mostrarlo. Quieres personas que piensan que no saben mucho pero que están aprendiendo a conocer cosas. O quieres personas que realmente tengan los conocimientos técnicos. Y es tu trabajo averiguar si la persona realmente es lo que él dice que es.

Una vez estaba buscando un chico de marketing. James respondió. Su presentación fue buena, por presentación me refiero a los primeros correos electrónicos que envió. No dijo nada específico, pero dejó una impresión como si supiera sobre las cosas. Bueno, no solo dejó la impresión, sino que también dijo que sabía lo que estaba haciendo. Pero la verdad estaba lejos de eso. Su primera idea de marketing fue: poner el dominio a su nombre de MSN. Basta de charla. Y la parte más triste fue que realmente creía que sabía sobre marketing.
asesoramiento empresas

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seattle portrait photography

People are easily the number one subject for photographs. From party snaps, to photos of children and travel shots of family members in front of famous monuments, millions upon millions of people photographs are taken every single say of the year.

Portrait photography is a little different to general people photography. The intent of portrait photography is capture and display something of the 'essence' of a person; to say something about their character, personality, or life.

The three most important things to get right in portrait photography are camera settings, lighting, and your relationship with your model.

Camera settings for portrait photography

Because taking portrait photographs is all about a person's face (or if it's a wider shot, their head-and-shoulders), classic portrait photography settings seek to remove anything distracting from the background of the shot. This mimics the effect of looking at someone's face from very close up, and makes the subject 'pop' (this is photographer-speak for 'stand out and capture attention').

The way to achieve a distraction-free portrait photo is to use a wide aperture, often as wide as possible (f/2.8 or f/4 are popular choices). Wide apertures produce a shallow depth-of-field, which renders anything far from the plane of best focus - i.e. the background - as a soft blur.

Aside from a wide aperture, the only other important setting is ISO. This should be as low a number as possible (e.g. ISO 100), as higher ISOs will lead to digital noise, which is particularly ugly in a portrait.
There's one offshoot of portrait photography where the recommended settings are different, and that's environmental portrait photography. Environmental portrait photography seeks to show a person in their 'natural habitat', which is often their workplace. Here you want to show the background, so a smaller aperture is appropriate.

Lighting for portrait photography

Lighting in portrait photography can be as complicated as you like. Professional portrait photography is almost always done in a studio, where the lighting can be 100% controlled. If you're reading this, chances are you don't have your own photography studio, so let's discuss a simple lighting scheme you can set up at home.

First, position your model at a window. The light coming from the window should be bright, but not direct (i.e. not coming directly from the sun). You model should be facing you, side on to the window. Light from the window light will obviously light up the side of their face that is closest to it. Then, position something on the other side of your model that will bounce reflected light from the window onto the other side of their face. Anything white or reflective will do, for example a piece of white cardboard or a sheet of aluminum.

Now you have a basic, flattering light scheme, with the main light source on one side of your model's face, and 'fill' light from the reflector on the other. Don't forget that you should frame the shot close enough that the reflector is not in the shot.

Interacting with your subject

Portrait photography inevitably says something about the relationship between photographer and subject. Unless you're shooting professional models, the hardest thing about taking portrait photos is not in fact camera settings or lighting, but ensuring that your model is comfortable and relaxed enough to give you good results. A model who feels awkward, uncomfortable or self-conscious will not photograph well.

seattle portrait photography

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elektronikschrott

Since around 2004, Canada has taken a large interest in e-waste recycling electronic waste. Items such as cell phones and computers are considered to be hazardous waste materials and cannot be disposed of in a landfill. The reason that this is so important is because those electronics can contain materials such as mercury or lead, which can be harmful not only to human beings, but also to the environment.

In previous years, Canada disposed of e-wastes via other methods instead of recycling. While recycling was used, it wasn't the majority choice. In example, for 2002, there were 157,000 metric tons of waste that were disposed of. However, out of that statistic, only 9,000 was disposed of via recycling. It is estimated that junk removal disposal has grown to 206,000 metric tons in 2010 already.

The main goal is to keep the e-waste out of the landfills. In landfills, when not properly disposed of, the waste can still affect the population and ultimately the planet. The best way to keep such wastes out of landfills then, is to recycle them. This can be done at many drop-off points that can be found in Canada.

However, there are still many people that do not know that e-waste is even capable of being recycled. Many people do not know that items such as cell phones, computers, and other types of electronics cannot be recycled. The key to making sure that this changes is to further educate the public about the need for e-waste recycling in their area.

There are many non-profit organizations in Canada that will assist those who are interested in contributing to the recycling program. Primarily, you will find many programs that are dedicated to the recycling of items such as rechargeable batteries and cell phones. However, there are other programs that are dedicated to the e-waste recycling movement as a whole. Contacting these programs can give you more information about where people can drop off their used electronics.

There are also companies that have become concerned about e-waste and are doing what they can to contribute to the effort of promoting recycling. For example, Sony has created its only recycling program. People who would like to dispose of Sony products that they are no longer using are encouraged to send the electronics back to the company. In return, the company recycles the old products for the individuals. There are many companies that are beginning to also offer similar options.

Overall, the process of e-waste recycling still has a long way to go. Canada is making a large effort to reduce much of the e-waste that is prevalent in society. However, there is still a large majority of people who do not know what e-waste is or even the basic facts about e-waste recycling. It is up to those who are educated about these things to share information and promote recycling for the greater good of the era and the environment everywhere.

If you would like to know more about e-waste recycling electronic waste and how you can contribute, there are several things that you can do. Consider finding out if there are any local programs in your area that promote the recycling of electronic waste. You can find these via the internet and many local resources. Once you've found a program to participate with, consider spreading the word to others that you know might be interested.

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