Gaming

Hire the Right Electrician for a Shockproof Home

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A faulty cable is nothing more than a fire waiting to happen.

A properly installed electrical system can give you years of service. But at the same time, damaged wiring can lead to small outbreaks, damage, inconvenience, or even large fires that cause loss of life and property. Fortunately, these dangers of electricity can be minimized with circuit breakers and insulation. Still, when problems arise, it takes a good professional to properly address them. Therefore, hiring an electrician is important because it ensures a shock-free home and protects your family from electrical problems.

But, before hiring an electrician, there are a few points to think about that would make things easier for both you and the electrician.

  1. Survey

Before you begin, have a rough idea of ​​what job you would like the electrician to do on your home. If you have a new home, be sure to make a list of likely locations that require connection points. If you are remodeling the house, write down the points that have been causing you problems lately. Research areas of the house where major repair work is required.

  1. Get the quotes

Do not approach a single electrician for the job. Get quotes from a handful of good electricians and compare services. It will help you get a rough estimate of the cost of the electrical renovation. You will also avoid the possibility of spending money on unexpected expenses. Make sure there is a minimum time lag between getting the quote and starting the job. This is because it could cause sudden price changes and spoil your planning.

  1. Choosing the right electrician

Before deciding on the final person, check their work, knowledge and experience in the field. Make sure you have the proper license and insurance. You must have adequate insurance coverage to protect yourself in the event of accidents. A licensed electrician also has good grades and reviews of their work. Check trusted Internet sites for complaints against you.

  1. Written agreement

Make sure the electrician gives you a written agreement of all the services they are supposed to offer for the price quoted. If you have a strong written agreement, there will be less chance of additional costs. If the electrician requests an advance, it must be mentioned in the documentation. It is advisable to review the agreement thoroughly and ask for clarification, if necessary.

  1. Review work

Once the work begins, it will be best if you personally review the procedures. Make sure the electrician uses equipment of the proper quality. Equipment must not exceed budget. Also, make sure the electrician doesn’t compromise on quality. Organize your schedule so that you can review work at the end of the day. After all, it is one of the most crucial aspects of your home.

Hiring the right electrician can be a time-consuming task. It requires a lot of prior research. One wrong decision and the whole house may be in jeopardy. By keeping the above aspects in mind, you can have a shockproof home and stay away from electrical worries.

Health Fitness

How To Lose 60 Pounds – Healthy Strategy

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If you are thinking of finding some “quick magic” pill to lose weight, I suggest you don’t. First I’m going to tell you why NOT and instead give you a healthy strategy on how to lose 60 pounds.

Stay away from “starvation diets”! I say this for a couple of reasons, first of all, if you are going to fast and starve, you are going to do three things. Yes, you will lose some weight, slow down your metabolism, and deprive your body of the healthy nutrition it needs to live. Let’s take each of these and tear them to pieces!

You will lose some weight. This is true, however, the weight you lose will regain it and probably a few extra pounds. The reason for this is that when you starve, you are slowing down your metabolism, so when you eat regularly again, you will regain the weight and a few extra pounds. And of course, when your body doesn’t get enough nutrition, you are going to cause significant damage to your body!

So what can you do?

First of all, to lose 60 pounds, you must change the food you eat. NO, you don’t have to eat the food you hate, you just need to start making some wise changes! Write down everything you eat per day. Take a day and put it all on paper. Every time you put something in your mouth, write it down. Bring a notebook. I bet you will be surprised how often garbage is put in your mouth.

The next day, take out the notebook. Scrape up all the junk food you ate and replace it with fruit that you like. Instead, he will eat 1 apple or grapefruit.

All the drinks you drink, you replace only with water and it may be a little bit of juice, but ONLY if it is freshly squeezed.

In your daily schedule, you should add 20-30 min. of walking. Even if it works, you can do this and don’t tell me otherwise. If you only get 30 min. for lunch, it will take 20 minutes to walk. During those 20 min. 1 minute has to be a kind of “jolt” of a sprint, for about 45-60 seconds. And take the remaining 10 for lunch.

Oh and the meals you have, once you eat them regularly, you will now start eating the same portion 6 times a day, every 2-3 hours. The calorie shifting diet plan is a meal plan that divides meals into small portions. And besides, you eat to feel satisfied, and you don’t overeat!

A very wise thing to do before starting this plan to lose 60 pounds is to do a colon cleanse. This will cleanse your body of any toxins and help you achieve your goal faster!

Legal Law

Standardized Testing and Students with Assistive Technology

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In recent years there has been a boom in standardized testing in American schools. Students are being assessed in reading, math, science, social studies to state and school district standards that are used to demonstrate compliance with No Child Left Behind, along with the NCLB tests, students are also being hit with graduation tests, tests to advance school progression (ie, a student must pass this test before moving to the next grade level).

With the increasing number of tests being administered to students where results weigh heavily on school, school districts, or individual student performance, where do students with disabilities fall in this mix? Where especially are students with assistive technology or augmentative communication? Federal law requires states and school districts to include students with disabilities in large-scale assessments and to publicly report their scores, in disaggregated form, as a way to determine how well schools are serving these students. This is a matter of system responsibility. However, federal law is silent on whether states or school districts should impose high-risk consequences on students with disabilities who do not pass large-scale tests. In other words, while federal law requires participation in large-scale testing and public reporting of disaggregated scores, it is up to states to decide whether large-scale testing will result in high-risk individual consequences and, if applicable. thus, for which students (Heubert, 2002).

Accommodations can be made for students with disabilities without losing test standardization. An accommodation is considered any change in the standard test format to assess an individual’s abilities, rather than their

disabilities. Although the accommodations allowed vary, they generally fall into one of four categories:

o Presentation (eg instructions / questions read aloud, large print).

o Response (for example, use of a scribe).

o Environment (small group or individual tests, study cubicle).

o Time / schedule (extra time, extra breaks; Wahburn-Moses, 2003)

IDEA requires the IEP team to document any accommodations in the student’s Individualized Education Plan. As Washburn-Moses (2003) put it, “The IEP team

should focus on the student’s individual strengths, weaknesses, and learning characteristics, and refrain from basing its decision on the student’s disability

current level or location. Team members should consider only those accommodations that the student uses during classroom instruction and testing, rather than introducing new accommodations specifically for use on the state test (Thurlow et al.). It is extremely

It is important to document in the IEP the team’s decision regarding accommodations, as well as the rationale for that decision. “

Dunne (2002) stated in an Education World article, “In Wisconsin, students with disabilities are allowed test accommodations so they can take more tests. Accommodations include longer time to take a test, use use of a scribe to write responses and the use of a reader to read directions and questions aloud. Those types of accommodations will allow approximately 85 percent of students with disabilities to participate in the Wisconsin State Assessment System, according to a study written by Eva M. Kubinski of the University of Wisconsin -Madison Center for Education Research.

For those students who cannot be assessed, even with accommodations, the state developed an alternate performance indicator linked to state standards for schools to use to assess 2 percent of Wisconsin students with severe disabilities or limited proficiency from English, Kubinski wrote in his article. “

What does this mean for students with assistive technology or AAC? Based on research found, having an assistive technology device would allow the IEP team to determine if accommodations were needed on standardized tests. Each student is as unique as their assistive technology device and therefore it can be said that each student will pose different circumstances when it comes to testing in the school setting. Under IDEA, as noted above, the IEP team must determine what accommodations need to be made for the student to be successful on the test. These accommodations must be written in the student’s IEP.

Since students who use AT / AAC vary wildly and many have underlying issues as to why they have AAC devices, such as other confusing disabilities. It is important that the IEP determines if the device the student uses to communicate will be part of the standardized test accommodation or if it is not necessary. It will be important to determine that and then prepare the student for whether or not they can use the device during the test. This is especially important if the device cannot be used during the test, as this is the voice of the students.

IEP teams must work to find the best accommodations for the student to be successful, there are several ways to do this, including the Dynamic Assessment of tests.

Accommodations (DATA), which helps teachers determine which students

benefit from what accommodation.

Based on the information provided, it can be concluded that each student’s case will be very different, but in general, each student who qualifies for special education, including those who use assistive technology or augmentative communication devices, may qualify for special accommodations. standardized tests that allow those students to complete tests with reasonable scores.

References

Dunne, D. (2000). Are high-stakes tests punishing some students? Education Weekly 34 (1) 32-35.

Heubert, JP (2002). Disability, race and high risk tests for students. NCAC. 4 (1) 38-45.

Sindelar, T., Hager, R. and Smith, D. (2003). High Risk Assessment Standards for Students with Disabilities. Neighbors Legal Services, Inc.

Washburn-Moses, L. (2003). What Every Special Educator Should Know About High-Risk Testing. Teaching Exceptional Children 35 (4) 12-15.

Lifestyle Fashion

A Review of Watercolor Brushes – What Kind of Watercolor Brush Is Best?

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With so many options available on the market, how can you decide which are the best watercolor brushes? First, watercolor is a transparent medium. It continues in thin layers of color and allows the white paper to act as a source of white light for your tones. How you want to place those colors is both a personal choice and a functional device. So you want the feel and comfort of the brush to help guide your decision.

From a practical perspective, you want a brush that loads well with paint to eliminate the need to constantly dip the brush in paint or water. You want a brush made from natural hair that has a nice “belly”, wider in the center, that tapers to a good point. Some natural hair does it better than others. The best, in my opinion, is the pure Kolinsky saber. Its large belly and long, sharp hairs retain a lot of fluid. These hairs, in the best brushes, come only from the hairs on the male’s tail. So for a truly fabulous watercolor painting experience, splurge on a Kolinsky sable brush at some point. These are the best brushes for watercolor. But note that the pure Kolinsky saber was banned in 2014. The pure red sable sable is no longer available. Hence, today’s Kolinsky saber comes from the tails of Siberian weasels. Still, they are fine brushes.

You can certainly find good watercolor brushes without having to go out of your way for pure Kolinsky. These are squirrel, goat, horse, and “camel” to name the rest of the natives. Then there are synthetics like nylon, silicone, and fake this or fake. Try as many as you can until you find what works best for you and your personal style. By the way, you saw earlier that I put camel in quotes. This is because camel hair brushes are made from the hair of other creatures such as a horse, goat, or squirrel. Also, many times these mixed hair brushes are simply marketed as natural hair brushes. There is also ox, which comes from inside the ears of cows. Sabeline is ox hair that has been bleached and then dyed to look like red sable.

Other considerations when buying brushes include a well-made ferrule (the metal thing that holds the hairs in), short or long handle (watercolorists often prefer the short one), and handle material (wood or plastic). The ferrule must be attached, as well as the hairs, with waterproof glue. The handle should seal well if it is made of wood.

Your brushes will last for many years if you buy good quality and take good care of them. One more tip: brushes last much longer if you always pull and never push them on the paint surface.

There are several brands of good quality brushes. At better art supply stores, you can find Winsor & Newton, Grumbacher, Princeton, Simmons, and Liquitex, to name a few.

At our store in Hamilton, Ohio, you can see many of these brushes and touch them before you buy.

Pets

You can herd cats and vendors

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Anti-cat people, like I once was, face the challenge of feline independence and the seemingly impossible task of training them. The training and herding of top sales producers and cats are not much different, but both are doable.

The other day, I worked from the nearly empty patio of a local restaurant enjoying the warm spring sun and a glass of wine mixed with freshly made crab cakes. The silence was broken by the distinctive voice of Bluto’s meows to get my attention.

Bluto is a Maine Coon nicknamed by Animal House icon Blutarsky. He stalks local restaurants for dinner invitations that significantly exceed the offers I receive. Bluto pulled into the chair next to mine and purred while I worked. Customers, who know him as a regular, were entertained through the window with our Hemingway impression. Well, it was more like Austin Powers.

A couple came out with some leftover fish for him. When we finished, he followed me home. But our relationship didn’t start that way. On the contrary, it was war.

Our furry alpha male grandfather was inherited from our daughter when she moved in to dance. The first week we assumed guardianship was hell. His attack on my wife left claw marks and scars that took months to heal with Vitamin E and Retinae. A couple of chases around the house pushed him back. It wasn’t the best start to what eventually turned into a beautiful friendship.

Like Bluto, I was quite rogue in the early days of my sales career.

Wally Bock, one of my favorite leadership writers and author of the Three Star Leadership Blog, recently wrote an excellent post titled “You can be tough without being an idiot. We need to lead firmly.”

“Being a tough boss means being clear about what you expect, eliminating all excuses for poor performance, and holding team members accountable for the results.” – Wally Bock

The first summer with us, Bluto became very ill. He had an undiagnosed infection and did not want to eat or drink. I had to gently hold it under his neck to maintain control as I ran water down his throat with a dropper. It was then that things changed. Do not try this with the sales staff!

We gain a following when we provide the support for our team to cross the finish line. When the best producers follow us, so will the rest of the herd.

Now we talk. No, I’m not Dr. Doolittle, but he gets the tone, responds, and I listen. We have a tonal understanding.

How we say things is as important as what we say.

Bluto is very particular about the way they pet him and will let you know how he’s doing.

Everyone wants positive strokes, but not everyone wants to be stroked in the same way. Observing our reactions to our behavior is our guide.

When he eats or wants to be left alone, I give him his space. When he wants to hang out, he comes to my desk, couch, or bed and waits for my tap, tap, tap before jumping onto my lap.

Respectful behavior begets respectful behavior.

When we want him inside, I call him by name and he usually comes running.

Sellers respond to positive behavior with positive results.

When he catches a mouse or some other vermin, he deposits the remains at the door for the recognition it has earned.

Salespeople are driven by results and thrive on recognition. Rewarding is the surest way to exceed income goals.

Our behavior defines the personality and results of our team. If you’re not getting the desired results from your team, follow the recent advice from Trusted Advisor’s Charles Green:

“Learn to search and learn from comments.” – Charles H. Green

Real Estate

Help, I’m scared. I just read my home inspection report. Is the house collapsing?

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Oh my gosh … pipes are leaking, roof tiles are damaged, furnace is malfunctioning, there are electrical issues, deck needs attention … gheesh … what do I do now? Is this house, the house that I have fallen deeply in love with, is falling apart?

Well … maybe yes and maybe no. There is no such thing as a perfectly built or maintained home … at least, I have never inspected such a thing nor do I expect it ever to. Rest assured, however, there are houses that are simply in very poor condition. However, the problems identified in a home inspection report are likely to be typical problems for a home of a certain or certain age. While this is not always the case, it is very likely that problems can be repaired. Almost everything can be repaired. Even the most serious items, for example structural problems, water intrusion and resulting damage, heating and air conditioning systems that need to be replaced, etc., can be repaired. Once problems have been identified, regardless of their severity, it becomes a question of whether or not they will be repaired, how and by whom they could be repaired, how much those repairs will cost, and which party you will attend. be financially responsible for those repairs.

First … and in my opinion … the details of what a home inspection is, and how a home inspection report is typically used in a real estate transaction, should have been fully explained to the buyer by their real estate agent before. to the inspection period. Then, at the beginning of the home inspection, the home inspector should explain to the client what to expect from the home inspector and the home inspection report. The home inspection report, and again in my humble opinion, should not be considered an exhaustive list to be used to severely hit the selling party on the head and shoulders. There are likely … there will almost certainly be … items in the report that, while the standards governing home inspection require reporting, may not be within the scope of the offer to purchase contact of real estate as items that can be repaired by the seller. It is best to leave that determination, or interpretation, in the hands of a real estate agent or attorney. The issues identified in the report, in their entirety, are information … information provided as part of the basis on which to make an informed purchasing decision. That’s why you had an inspection in the first place, right? Paid for a professional home appraisal to make a more informed buying decision.

Second … take a half step back, take a deep breath or two, and reread the report. I promise that the world has not ended as a result of the report. If there are numerous individual items to consider, try to list those topics in the order of their importance to YOU. The report can categorize the problems to some extent, but the home inspector cannot decide how much importance YOU should give to a particular item. Nor should the Inspector advise you whether to buy the house or not; such advice or guidance is simply beyond the scope of a home inspection. There are two questions that I, personally, have never answered. The first is “Would you buy this house?” and the second is “How would you rate this house on a scale of 1 to 10?” There are too many things that a home inspector simply doesn’t know to be able to answer such questions. Sure, they know a lot about the physical condition of the home when the inspection is complete, but that’s only part of the equation. They don’t know how much the house is worth, they don’t know the client’s financial situation, and they don’t know what the financial arrangements might be. I also suggest that they should not want to know.

Third … he set out to gather more information. Information … accurate information … and the resulting acquired knowledge are your dearest friends. You must associate a dollar value with the necessary repairs. Will the repairs require a structural evaluation by a licensed professional engineer? Are the repairs necessary such that they will require implementation by a licensed general contractor? Can any of the items be corrected by a maintenance staff who specializes in general repairs? Find and get estimates from the contractors who will perform the repairs. Use all available resources to get information and make good decisions. Your professional and experienced real estate agent, assuming you have engaged that service, is in an excellent position to assist you in this endeavor. The typical professional real estate agent has at their disposal a wealth of knowledge and resources on how to approach the content and issues of a home inspection report. That is part of what they do when representing their clients during a real estate transaction.

Your success in your real estate transaction depends, at least in part, on gathering the appropriate information, processing that information, and making informed decisions based on that information. Doing it in a calm, direct and direct way … with as little emotion involved as possible … will likely contribute to a positive outcome.

Shopping Product Reviews

Do intermodal transport containers represent a threat to nuclear safety for the national territory?

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“Sea can” is the unflattering term used by merchant sailors to refer to those ubiquitous 40-foot intermodal shipping containers that we see being unloaded at ports large and small, or trucked through the highway system. interstates in the United States, or loaded onto those roads that you see parading past you as you wait in your car at a railroad crossing.

These standardized steel boxes (there are actually two sizes, the more common 40-foot-long and a 20-foot-long, pint-sized box that is used less frequently) are called “intermodal” because they can be easily move by ship, train or truck without unpacking or altering the sealed materials inside. Containers have revolutionized maritime transport. In the old days, half a century ago, the wooden boxes that were used to ship items by sea were too big to fit on a truck, so the materials inside had to be taken out at the dock and repacked for transport. of surface, with predictable losses by theft and damage. No more.

Although thieves can open intermodal containers quite easily, they have seals that reveal tampering when broken and containers are generally kept under surveillance both in transit and while waiting in storage yards. They have a good track record and are easy to insure. The first person to open the sealed box in a warehouse in China or Korea is most likely the intended recipient in Europe or America, and the container will have made the journey by truck, rail, and ship simply by being moved from one form of transport to another as a child’s building block, never opening. Gold inspected.

Standardized shipping containers were probably the idea of ​​a long-forgotten military planner after WWII, perhaps until the early 1950s. The US military began using primitive versions at that time, But it was a private sector entrepreneur, Malcolm McLean, along with an engineer, Keith Tantlinger, who developed the modern dimensions of the containers along with the ingenious corner moldings that allow these versatile containers to be safely stacked seven units high. of the ships and were easily moved with special cranes. The largest ocean vessels can now carry about 8,000 40-foot containers, and larger ships are planned. A container full of goods worth $ 100,000 and weighing many tons can easily be shipped from some dark corner of the Far East to anywhere in the United States for about $ 4,000, a shipping fee of only 4%. Intermodal shipping is a bargain.

The equivalent of some 70 million 40-foot containers move around the world each year full of cargo (this does not include the movement of empty containers). About two percent of them are inspected in the United States, much less in other countries.

Intermodal containers have proven enormously popular in ways their inventors could not have foreseen. Since they require enormous energy to melt when their useful life ends, and because they are eight feet high and can easily accommodate standing humans, they are often installed on shop fronts, small houses, centers of computer data and other “buildings”. “that require strong metal walls.

And there are still other uses for which “sea cans” could be put, deadly uses, including the anonymous transport of terrorist weapons.

“The consequences of a terrorist incident using a container would be profound,” says Robert Bonner, Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection. “There is virtually no security for what is now the primary system for transporting world trade. If terrorists used a sea container to conceal a weapon of mass destruction and detonate it upon arrival at a port, the impact on world trade and the The world economy would be immediate and devastating. All nations would be affected. No container ships would be allowed to land in US ports after such an event. “

The US Department of Transportation has estimated that a nuclear device the size of the one that fell on Hiroshima in World War II (about 17 kilotons) detonated in a large US seaport would kill between 50,000 and a million Americans and destroy between 150,000 million and 150,000 million dollars. $ 700 billion of wealth through direct loss of property and trade. Indirect costs could add another $ 1.5 trillion to the bill. This suggests that a nuclear bomb detonated in the Port of Los Angeles or the Port of New York / Newark would affect the economy with around $ 2 trillion in losses, beyond the cost of lives lost. For comparison, the 9/11 disaster is believed to cost the United States about $ 500 billion. How would the rest of the world react? Many believe that international trade would shut down completely. A global recession could well turn out.

Even scenarios that do not involve a device exploding would be near catastrophic. A respected New York strategic consulting firm (Booz Allen Hamilton) conducted a “Port Security War Game” exercise to try to quantify the financial impact of shutting down transportation systems. In the game, participants were introduced to the discovery of a pair of “dirty bombs” (a dirty bomb is not a real nuclear device, but rather radioactive material mixed with conventional explosives designed to spread nuclear debris over a large area and inhabited) in Los Angeles and Minneapolis. The bombs were defused in time. In response to the threat, the players ordered the closure of the two ports for three days. As more tests developed, all US ports were closed for a week and a half. The economic impact of the port closures was dire – estimated at $ 58 billion, the result of a 90-day container backlog, spoilage, lost sales, and manufacturing slowdowns.

Preventing such scenarios by preventing terrorists from using intermodal shipping containers to smuggle nuclear materials into the United States will likely require addressing the problem from more than one point of view. The most important is probably the Container Security Initiative, which conducts inspections of containerized cargo on a four-part program. First, use intelligence to target containers that pose a threat; second, preselect those containers; third, develop better detection technology that can operate outside the container; and fourth, develop tamper-proof packaging.

Yet many observers fear that efforts to improve the safety of the giant intermodal shipping industry will not improve until a “near miss” puts the business, largely anonymous, on the front page of American newspapers. At the moment, American resources are concentrated almost exclusively on the airline industry and commercial aviation, not on intermodal transport, although the latter may be the mechanism of choice for cunning modern terrorists.

Sports

The chord wheel: the ultimate tool for all musicians

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Book Review: The Chord Wheel – The Ultimate Tool for All Jim Fleser Musicians

If you’ve ever tried to learn chord theory and keep it all in your head then you know you need a really good memory or years of practice before your brain has figured out what to do, the chord wheel decodes all of this for beginners because It is a visual display, suitable for musical students and advanced musicians. It’s not really a book, but a great little tool that comes with twelve pages of instructions.

I went through a number of different reviews before realizing that I might be using the chord wheel, but whatever book I bought, the rest would always prove useless. The best thing about this book is that the 12 pages it contains are a simple guide on how to use the device.

The book explains things in a simple and clear way. As you may know, there are several books available on the market for the same purposes, but all of these books start with the basics and then move on to the different forms and exercises that make it difficult to keep track of information. It is difficult to identify the usefulness of the information or the relevance of the topic. It often seems that we need a new educational series before we can discover everything we need to know.

In this case, however, the device turns out beautiful. Most people agree that the chord wheel is very useful. All you need to do is choose a key and play the chords that are included in the family. You can find them online or in reference guides. You can play the chords of a particular family in any order or combination that seems attractive to you. Of course, you have to make sure that you like the sound you are producing.

Some tips, don’t try to understand each and every concept, but try to understand how things fit together. Basically, you should focus on trying to build a solid foundation by learning the concepts correctly.

This short booklet and the chord wheel device are arguably one of the best practice tools of all time.

Arts Entertainments

Strengthen your music press kit

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One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen made by bands and artists today is underestimating the importance of a professional promotion kit. Your promo kit, also known as a press kit or media kit, is probably one of the most important elements in an artist’s initial introduction to venues, promoters, and most importantly, record companies. The first impression is very important in the music business. Some artists just don’t get it! With the huge influx of CDs and packages that record companies receive on a daily basis … and most noticing the inside of the trash can on the receptionist’s desk, it is vital that your package stands out from the crowd and distinguishes it. from the rest as a true professional whose package is worth checking out and a CD that’s also worth listening to.

When preparing your press kit, you must find all the possible elements that distinguish it from the masses. Gathering a bunch of shoddy copies, unprofessional photos, and a poorly written copy and bio, all in a flimsy folder, isn’t going to be enough. The press kit is a representation and extension of you. If it’s a bunch of sloppy papers, this is exactly how it comes out. On the other hand, if it’s a well-organized presentation, you’ll come off like a pro.

Some of the elements that need to be considered when putting together your kit are things like theme, concept, and design. You should come up with a concept and theme for the kit, one that is memorable and that basically ties all the pages together in some form of continuity. A theme could be based on the name of the artists or bands. For example, if the band name is “Orange Freedom”, the color scheme could be orange, the paper or text or icons could be orange. I am aware that this particular example may seem a bit childish, but I think you get the basic idea. Remember that you want the name of the band to be memorable. Just to give you another example, we recently showed one of our acts called “Uncle Plum” in New York City in front of 4 major record labels. On the day of the show, one of our interns took a taxi around town and handed out a reminder to each A&R and record executive invited to the show. Along with the cleverly written exhibition invitation as a reminder, he promptly handed out a basket of plums to each record executive. It may sound silly … but it works.

Part of your concept should also be a professionally designed logo. A logo is very important and it should be something easy to remember and contain the elements of your overall concept.

Using professional packaging for your media kit is also vitally important. The binder should be strong and not easily damaged. It wouldn’t hurt to use a folder in the same color as the band’s logo one more time to give continuity. Although these types of wallets can be expensive … sometimes a few dollars each, it is definitely money well spent.

A professional photo is definitely a must in your kit, maybe even some photos. If you are a band, you will need the band’s 8 * x 10 * black and white glow and also individual photos of each band member included in the bio section that we will discuss later. A high-quality professional photo is a must. Having friends or family take a snapshot will not be enough either. Photo is one area where you can’t afford to try and save a few bucks. You need to shop around for a professional photographer to do this. I cannot stress enough the importance of this. If you have the budget, hiring a stylish music industry professional to touch up your image might not be a bad idea either. Although I realize that for most bands this can be cost prohibitive.

The writing section must contain two elements; your biography or the biography of the band member; These should be short and concise. Don’t go crazy with a long and detailed bio. Labels and others just don’t have time to read it, so they will just skip it. There you may lose the ability to provide information to the recipient of the kit that may be of benefit to you. Include things like your influences and other industry experience. They don’t really care much about your baby picture or what you did when you were six, unless of course you were a childlike sensation at the time. Your data sheet; This should contain any press articles or rave reviews you have received, such as tours, radio broadcasts, reviews, good sales figures on an independent release, etc. You can also include GOOD COPIES of any article, interview or magazine or newspaper review. Each page of your press kit should include your or your manager’s contact information and your website URL. Be honest and keep it as short and sweet as possible.

Now for the most important item in your kit … your music. Includes a professionally recorded demo of your top 3 songs. No more than three. The format must be on CD only. Store your disc in a professionally labeled case that includes your theme, contact information, and logo. It is important that the presentation of your CD is as professional as possible. It’s nice to have a separate pocket in your folder to hold the CD, so there’s no chance of it being dropped or lost. It’s better content that way. Or, as we have sometimes done with some of our kits, use Velcro to attach the case to the inside back of the wallet.

Now, in summary, these are the elements to include:

* Create a theme and concept

* Design a professional logo

* Please use professional packaging.

* 8 “x 10” glossy black and white promotional photo

* Individual photos of band members, if applicable

* Biography of the artist or band

* Datasheet … favorable reviews and quotes

* Additional press … reviews, interviews, articles

* 3 song CD demo

Your press kit is your representation when you are not there. Don’t take it lightly. Please check it carefully for errors and content and be diligent. If your kit is special, it will stand out and labels, venues and music media will take notice. GOOD LUCK!

Technology

Android Phone: Introducing Hidden Features

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Are you an Android phone user, but don’t know most of the features it offers? Do you want to discover more secure and interesting features on your phone? Check out this article for some useful Android tips and tricks.

Most of the people in the world today use Android phones on a daily basis, to call, send messages and more. Android is the mobile operating system that most phone manufacturers use on their phones. There are many functions, rather than calls and messages, that need to be examined. Explore the hidden features and many tricks to save time on your device.

The basic problem faced by a phone user is battery problems. Most Android phones have a built-in power strip option, which when activated, provides a faster disconnection of the entire phone battery, thus eliminating apps. Another feature is that you can be the developer of your own phone settings. Go to ‘Settings’, select the ‘About phone’ option and tap on the ‘Build number’ of your phone seven times.

A countdown will appear on the screen, followed by a command telling you that you are now a developer and a ‘Developer option’ will be displayed just above the ‘About phone’ option.

This ‘developer option’ can also be used to reduce the lag of your Android phone.

By reducing the ‘Window Animation Scale’, ‘Animator Duration Scale’ and ‘Transition Animation Scale’ in the ‘Developer Option’, from 1x to 0.5x, your phone can feel faster than before. Now you can control those annoying app notifications by long pressing the app notification, in the notification bar, which will display an information icon in the right corner. Tapping this icon gives you the option to prioritize your notifications. You can block unwanted apps, hide private information, or select priority mode for most of the above apps.

To zoom in and out on Google maps while driving, all you need to do is double-tap on the spot and slide your finger up or down. This tip will help you avoid the problem of pinching your phone screen while handling your phone so that it stays in place, all while driving.

Today, children use their parents’ phone more often. To prevent your children from accessing dangerous games, adult content or accidental access to your bank, this feature will be of great help. Go to ‘Settings’, then ‘Security’ and enable the ‘Screen pinning’ option. Open the app you want to pin and protect, then hit the overview button to pin the app.

Another cool feature is the built-in games on Android phones. In ‘Settings’, select ‘About phone’ and repeatedly tap the ‘Version number’ of the device to get this function.