To Be Inked Or Not To Be Inked? Choose Wisely
To Be Inked Or Not To Be Inked? With apology to Shakespeare, this does seem to be a question that many have today…
While parents of teens cringe at the thought of their son or daughter getting a tattoo, sometimes they conveniently \”forget\” the tattoos that they bear.
But is getting a tattoo right for everyone? There are some wise dos and don’ts that go with the idea of a tattoo.
Never, ever get a boyfriend’s or girlfriend’s name tattooed anywhere. We have all seen the commercial about the lady needing a tattoo removed before her wedding. Then there is the more awkward possibility that someone special (or special for the moment) will see someone else’s name.
Even a symbol can be a problem. With the country as sue-happy as it is, a person can offend an entire group without saying a word. Just let the tattoo do the talking. A tattoo of a cross could offend another religious group. A Rebel Flag could offend whole races of people.
People often view the tattooed person in a different light than they would normally. The discrimination against tattoo owners does exist in daily life. Job discrimination can be part of the tattooed world’s life as well. The wrong tattoo, for example a Microsoft symbol would not get a person a job at Apple or vise-versa.
Even your own name could be a problem. What if you decided to change your name or go into witness protection? A long shot, but life is very unpredictable.
What to do about the tattoo? The question is not a new one. Tattoos have been used for centuries as anything from tribal markings to the current brand of individual expression. In considering a tattoo, I can remember one thing that made me hesitate on the purchase of my tattoo. The Nazi Death Camps. Prisoners were selected for the gas chamber or a simple bullet to the brain because of the tattoo emblazoned across their arms.
If someone saw a tattoo that they found interesting, the prisoner was killed. Then the skin bearing the tattoo was carefully removed by other prisoners and tanned like animal hide. These skins were then made into lampshades and other objects d’art for the camp personal to enjoy. They were traded like baseball cards and collections were viewed before lavish dinners.
The humans who served the dinners, themselves prisoners, quite probably thanked their chosen god that they had no such marking on their bodies. Still, that was a long time ago, right? Ask the few remaining survivors of the Death Camps. They were given a number tattooed on their arm. They still bear that number. Imagine the horror of seeing that tattoo daily and remembering all that it symbolized. They remember all that they lost. They lost freedom, loved ones, dignity, self-control and so much more for the sake of that tattoo.
When the choice is to be made, chose wisely. Tattoo something that you can live with for the rest of your life. Yes, there are ways of removing an unwanted tattoo. But the mental picture will be with you for a long time. Inked or not inked, it’s a personal choice, now. But for some, it wasn’t.
About The Author:
If you have a tattoo that needs to be removed, you can spend 1000’s on laser tattoo removal treatments, OR you can explore the Nuviderm Home Tattoo Removal System, which can remove your tattoo without emptying your wallet. Visit http://nuviderm.com/ today to learn more about the Nuviderm solution for removing tattoos. Bree Levine is a full-time, freelance writer.
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Michael Jackson Vs Prince
What is the real story behind the Michael Jackson vs. Prince rivalry? On our new website, we present the answer from people who were there and saw what was going on first hand.
A lot of people say if Prince’s music was so good and all that, why don’t we hear him on the radio like Beyonce, Snoop Dog, Kanya West and J-Z?
That’s because most people don’t know how radio air play works. If Prince wanted a good song from a CD to be played in regular rotation, he could get it done. All of the above mentioned artists paid anywhere from $200,000 to $1,000,000 million dollars to an Independent Promoter to get their music placed in regular rotation nationally.
It’s got nothing to do with how popular you are (e.g. Beyonce). With their connections with the radio stations, Independent Promoters get the job done.
The music industry is another subject matter that must be discussed to educate the uninformed public of the inner workings of this vast empire, and how Prince and Michael were both ripped off by the major labels, along with a long list of other entertainers.
\”Michael Jackson VS Prince\” is a new website developed to further explore these mega superstars’ careers and their musical contributions to the world.
At one point, Quincy Jones tried to bring the two of them together. What most people don’t know is that Prince was asked to appear on the Michael Jackson ‘Bad’ album of 1987.
The new Michael Jackson VS Prince website has some of the answers to these questions regarding the two largest musical icons of the 21st century and how they felt about each other — two of the largest egos in music.
Michael was a star before anyone new who Prince was, so how did Prince feel about the Jackson 5 performing their music, during his Minneapolis days?
The big fallout between Prince and the music industry came about, as a result of him not appearing on the ‘We are the world’ video, when he would have stood next to and sang with Michael Jackson. What was the hold up, which if overcome, could have seen the pairing of two of the biggest superstars of the music world?
At this new website, we will explore these questions. How does Prince feel that his biggest rival is no longer with us?
In 1984, James Brown performed at the Beverly Theater in LA and he invited MJ and Prince on stage — this being the only time both stars have been known to appear on stage together.
With Michael no longer with us, we wonder how Prince is feeling now that his biggest and only rival is no longer here. These and other questions we will answer on this website. http://key2kholorz.fatcow.com/
The critics come out in full force after an MJ or Prince new release. They like to put both artists into a defined category that they perceived both artists should conform to. But, when the musicians branch off into different genres, the critics spit venom all over the place, especially to Prince, who likes to bounce around so many different categories they cant seem to understand.
This is a visual analytical perception of how they think Prince’s music should be written:
OK Prince, you have given us a beautiful painting of the Mona Lisa and its all good… Now, let’s see you paint the Mona Lisa, on the same canvas, with glasses on… Then we would like you to paint her again on the same canvas with ear rings on… Now Prince, we are gonna let you get real giggy with it and paint the Mona Lisa on the same canvas with a beard and bushy eye brows…
Now that’s a not so colorful way the critics like to think of his music and a whole lot of other musicians of the world, but I like to think that Prince’s come back would be MAN COME ON… I am gonna paint a new picture, with new brushes and new colors, and for god’s sake, a new canvas… And that’s the way we gonna flow, and if you don’t like it that’s up to you…
About The Author:
Ovanus Guy is the bass player for the KEY2KHOLORZ: The disciples of a FUNKADELIC is what they prefer to be called due to the keyboard wizadtry of Andre Enestro Wilson, a member of the Funkadelics who appeared on the \”Aqua Boogie\” and the \”One Nation Under A Groove\” CD. Andre was a integral part of the creation of the Key2kholorz CD, which is a fusion of HARD ROCK FUNK and HIPHOP. All members were brought up in the Detriot area including Andre, and all have played in clubs and arenas through out the metro area. There sound represents the ESSENCE of the OLDSCHOOL. Key2kholorz band members include: Tabu Lowry, Lead Vocals; Tyrone Taylor, Drums; Ovanus Guy, Bass; and Ray Wise, Lead Guitar. Learn more at: http://key2kholorz.fatcow.com/
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Live Nation Linking To Ticket Brokers
At the time of this writing (late 2009) Live Nation’s website is linking to tickets held by brokers. This isn’t a move to bolster its online marketing. The world’s largest promoter of concerts says it’s a move to better serve their customers.
\”LiveNation.com shows you tickets that brokers, re-sellers, and fans are offering. We know this isn’t for everyone as many fans don’t like to buy from secondary markets,\” reads the Live Nation Web site. \”We understand, but we want to offer you as many options as we can in one place. Our goal is to get you to the show and deliver the concert experience that’s right for you.\”
This maneuver contradicts previous statements made by Live Nation deriding ticket resellers. It also defies some of their business practices, such as paperless ticketing and dynamic pricing, purported to eliminate the secondary ticket market.
Some experts believe that Live Nation’s change of heart is part of a concession package made with the U.S. Department of Justice. Live Nation’s concessions are an attempt to get the DOJ to approve their proposed merger with Ticketmaster.
Live Nation and Ticketmaster have been trying to curry favor with the DOJ since they announced their plans of $2.52 billion merger in February. If approved, the merger would create the largest ticketing and concert promoting company in the world.
Recently, several national consumer protection groups reiterated their opposition to the planned merger. The groups calling on the government to block the Ticketmaster-Live Nation union are the National Association of Ticket Brokers, the National Consumers League (NCL), the American Antitrust Institute, the Consumer Action, and Knowledge Ecology International.
\”Spinning off a small part of Ticketmaster is no answer,\” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. \”Suggestions that Comcast – a company that is a master of unnecessary and exorbitant charges – entering into the merger negotiations will fix a bad deal are laughable and do nothing to ease the sting of a deal that is anti-competitive and anti-consumer on its face.\”
Greenberg is referring to industry reports that have Comcast buying assets from Ticketmaster and/or Live Nation to ease antitrust concerns.
A couple of options opened to Comcast include buying Live Nation’s ticketing operation or buying Paciolan, a ticketing subsidiary owned by Ticketmaster.
Live Nation is no stranger to accusations of monopolization. As the Feds get closer to announcing a decision on the merger, we’re reminded of a pending 2006 lawsuit against Live Nation and their suspected antitrust activities.
The suit alleges that Live Nation, and its then parent company Clear Channel, used anti-competitive tactics to keep ticket prices artificially high. One such tactic involved Clear Channel only playing acts using their concert promotion services on their radio stations.
The case is on hold until the presiding judge rules on an unrelated class action lawsuit involving Walmart. It may be a year before the Live Nation case resumes.
Lead counsel for the class action suit believes the case won’t impact the DOJ’s decision on the merger.
Copyright 2009 AuthorityTickets.com
About The Author:
Ryan Hogan writes for http://www.AuthorityTickets.com/, a secondary ticket industry news and information blog and event tickets website.
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Harlem Globetrotters Coming To A City Near You
The Harlem Globetrotters are coming to a city near you in 2010. While the goodwill ambassadors of basketball play year around, their North American touring schedule generally last from late December through late April-early May.
This year fans can catch the team in dozens of cities, for example the Globetrotters will visit Auburn Hills, the Harlem Globetrotters will play a game in Dallas, and the Globetrotters will sell tickets for a game in Indianapolis.
The Globetrotters are perhaps the most fascinating team in all of professional sports. They originated in 1926 (which is incidentally the last time the New Jersey Nets won game). Since then they’ve played in over 25,000 games, for millions of basketball fans, in over a hundred countries.
In all those games they’ve accumulated just 345 losses. The New York Knicks lose that many games in one season. Yet despite their claim that their games are \”real\” does anyone believe the Washington Generals are playing to win? Nonetheless, throughout their illustrious history the Trotters have played, and defeated, \”real\” basketball teams.
The team has its own theme song. Not even the San Antonio Spurs can say that–then again nothing rhymes with \”Ginóbili.\” Every time you hear \”Sweet Georgia Brown\” you think of the Harlem Globetrotters. In fact, every time you see the Harlem Globetrotter \”Sweet Georgia Brown\” starts playing in your head.
They are universally loved. What sane person dislikes the Globetrotters? They are like Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, or Charles Barkley. They’ve made Pope John Paul II an honorary member as well as political figures like Henry Kissinger, Jesse Jackson, and Whoopi Goldberg.
Basketball’s First Fan, President Barack Obama, sang their praises in a documentary about the team. Former Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson and Philadelphia’s own Bill Cosby have signed lifetime contacts with the traveling Trotters. Johnson is paid $1 a year while Cosby is paid $1.05.
Even though their heyday was in the 1970’s, with the likes of Meadowlark Lemon, Curly Neal, and Sweet Lou Dunbar, and their numerous appearances on ABC’s Wide World of Sports, basketball fans of today are still very familiar with the team. Granted, you could spend all afternoon on a busy street corner in Houston, Texas and not find ten people who’ve actually seen them play.
That’s because everyone knows what to expect at a Harlem Globetrotters game. It’s like going to the circus. Everyone knows that under the big top you’ll see trapeze artists, high wire acts, clowns, and seizures.
With the Globetrotters you know you’ll see the famous weave at the top of the circle, dunks over the pudgy referee, the bucket full of confetti when everyone thinks it’s full of water, the ball under the shirt gag, fancy dribbling, Globetrotter’s football, and of course the playful taking of the woman’s purse.
It’s the same game, the same show, whether you’re seeing the Harlem Globetrotters in Miami or you have tickets for the Globetrotters in Seattle.
Despite all the repetition and clich
Hockey News: NHL Preview 2009
Most NHL teams start their training camps the weekend of Sept. 12th. The puck is dropped on the regular season Oct. 1.
Due to the Winter Olympics the NHL All-Star game is suspended this season. Instead the league will shut down from Feb. 15 through Feb. 28 to allow NHL players to skate with their respective countries.
The regular season concludes April 12, 2010.
Just a reminder for those that may have taken too many pucks to the head, the Pittsburgh Penguins are the defending Stanley Cup Champions and the San Jose Sharks won the President’s Trophy.
NHL In Europe
Hockey fans in Stockholm will get the chance to see the Detroit Red Wings and the St. Louis Blues begin their 2009-10 regular season in earnest. The Wings and Blues will play a pair of games at the Ericsson Globe in Sweden’s capital city.
Also opening their season in Europe are the Chicago Blackhawks and the Florida Panthers. They will play two games against one another at the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland.
Not ‘Lanta?
This may be the last season that Atlanta Thrashers fans will get to root for Ilya Kovalchuk. The Russian is a legitimate NHL super star as well as an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. He’s perturbed with the team’s lack of improvement and may look to apply his talent elsewhere.
To appease their frustrated star the team put the \”C\” on his jersey. Kovalchuck responded by playing like he had an \”S\” on his chest. In 37 games as the Thrashers’ captain Kovalchuk had 28 goals and 49 points.
To help out his cause Kovalchuck courted his countryman Nik Antropov. The big, powerful winger was eventually signed by Atlanta. The team also traded for defenseman Pavel Kubina.
If the Thrashers don’t make the postseason Kovalchuck could very well vacate the Peach State for a more competitive team.
A Giant On The Ice
If Tyler Myers makes the Buffalo Sabres team you won’t need to learn about it on television or read about it in a tweet. All you’ll have to do is look on the ice. You can’t miss him. Myers is 6′8\”.
The lanky defenseman was the Sabres’ first round draft pick in 2008. In January, he helped Team Canada win the world junior championship. He was also named the WHL’s playoff MVP after notching 5 goals and 15 assists in 22 games.
Even though the 19-year old will be given every opportunity to make the team at his height he is still considered a long shot.
The Winter Classic
The 2010 Winter Classic is scheduled for Jan. 1 at venerated Fenway Park in Boston.
This will be the NHL’s fourth outdoor game and third Winter Classic.
Since the game is being held in Bean Town half of the ticket is the Boston Bruins—the best team in the Eastern Conference last season. The B’s will be battle the Philadelphia Flyers.
Southern Hospitality
Since the 2004-05 lockout, the Carolina Hurricanes have brought back nine former players. The latest to return to the RBC Center as a Hurricane is Aaron Ward.
Ward was traded to the Canes from the Bruins on July 24th, 2009 for Patrick Eaves and a draft pick.
Previously, Ward played for Carolina from 2001 through 2006. He scored a goal for the Canes in their Game 7 victory in the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals.
There’s No Place Like Saddledome
Pengrowth Saddledome has been selling tickets to Calgary Flames games since 1983. It’s old and decrepit and the team feels they need a new home to compete in the NHL.
Earlier this month Premier Ed Stelmach told the Flames they can have their new arena but not a penny will come from taxpayers. How refreshing is it to hear that from a politician?
The Saddledome is the sixth oldest arena in league—which isn’t surprising since half the teams in the NHL are either an expansion team or they recently relocated. Calgary hopes to breaks ground on a new facility in three to five years.
The Flames didn’t get the government support they wanted but at least they signed defenseman Jay Bouwmeester to a five-year deal.
The Canucks Are On The Road Again… And Again… And Again…
The 2010 Winter Olympics will force the Vancouver Canucks to undergo the longest road trip in NHL history. Vancouver will play 14 straight road games from Jan. 27 to March 13 to allow officials to revamp General Motors Place.
Young-Hawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are the league’s youngest team. Their captain, Jonathan Toews, is only 21-years old.
The Blackhawks have only five players 30 or older: Brain Campbell (30), Marian Hossa (30), Brent Sopel (32), Cristobal Huet (34) and John Madden (36).
Don’t expect to hear much Nirvana or Pearl Jam blaring in the locker room before games.
Quiet In Columbus
The Columbus Blue Jackets made one major offseason move and it really wasn’t a move at all. They gave their best player, 25-year old Rick Nash, an eight-year contract extension.
They also re-signed 22-year old center Derick Brassard to a four-year deal. So the Jackets really made two moves that weren’t really moves at all.
That’s a fairly low-key summer for a team coming off their first ever post season appearance.
Where Have You Gone Joe Sakic?
For the first time in 20 years, the Colorado Avalanche will start the season without Joe Sakic. The team will retire his number 19 at the Avalanche’s home opener on Oct 1.
That might be the only time all season the ‘Lanche go into the game without a losing record.
Olympic Stadium Is An Olympic Hassle
The franchise wanted to sell Montreal Canadiens tickets to Olympic Stadium for a Nov. 28 game against the Washington Capitals but that’s not going to happen. Apparently, priming the stadium for an NHL hockey game is just too much trouble.
It all starts with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes. Depending on how well they do in the playoffs the Alouettes may need Olympic Stadium for a game on Nov. 22. Officials fear that wouldn’t give crews enough time to erect a rink and get the everything ready for a game. Olympic Stadium holds 70,000.
Instead, the game will be played at Bell Centre.
Copyright 2009 ClickitTicket.com
About The Author:
Ryan Hogan is a sports writer for ClickitTicket, an NHL tickets and other sports website. ClickitTicket also offers has a vibrant entertainment blog that has numerous writers who contribute original sports, theater and concert articles on a regualr basis. http://www.clickitticket.com
Read more Articles written by Ryan Hogan.
NBA Locks Out Referees, What Does It Mean For Fans?
With their contract expired and negations at a standstill, the NBA has locked out its referees and announced it will begin using replacements officials.
So what?
It’s just a bunch of short, old guys (and one old woman) running around blowing whistles or not blowing whistles.
How hard can it be to allow LeBron James to travel all the time and Rip Hamilton to clutch and grab on defense?
The only thing NBA refs have to do is call the games in favor of the superstars and make sure the teams from the largest television markets win.
It’s easy, right?
Not exactly. NBA players are the best athletes in the world and a typical game unfolds at break-neck speeds. It takes experience referees familiar with players’ idiosyncrasies to correctly call a game.
Officiating is more than just memorizing a rule book and blowing a whistle when an infraction occurs. There are nuisances and subtleties that can only be learned through experience and constant study.
Fans may boo or shout at the television set when they think a ref has cost their favorite team a win, but for the most part the zebras get it right.
Inexperience referees run the risk of messing with the flow and fluidity of the game. Not to mention the typical immaturity of NBA players pushes the limit of even the most experienced ref.
One can only imagine what the spoiled NBA brat will do to fresh blood. The inmates could very well run the asylum.
The NBA used replacement officials before, way back in 1995. The results were not good.
This time the NBA says it has a more experienced pool of officials to draw from. The league will tap whistle blowers from the WNBA and the D-league. In ‘95 they employed CBA and collegiate refs.
The NBA considers the WNBA and D-League officials \”part of the family\” and referees versed in the mechanics and interpretations of league rules.
Certainly they are improvements over the ‘95 replacements but fans can still expect inconsistencies and head-scratching whistles. Until the permanent refs return, every NBA game runs the risk of getting out of control. If you thought players and coaches complained before, just wait.
The other interesting aspect of this lockout is reason the behind it. The sticking point in the negotiations is not salary but retirement benefits, travel budgets and per diems. The 57 fulltime NBA referees have already agreed to a $2.5 million cut in pay and a two year freeze on raises.
Meanwhile, franchises are cutting the salary of front office personnel. For instance, some employees with the Miami Heat have taken up to a 20 percent cut in pay in an effort to avoid layoffs.
Maybe the refs need to accept Commissioner David Stern’s proposal and just be thankful they have a job. Maybe the refs need to take a stand and fight for what they believe they deserve.
Regardless of your opinion on what the referees should or should not do, the question still remains what sacrifices are the players making in these tough economy times?
The answer seems to be very little.
Maybe a small concession by the NBPA would facilitate a contract for the refs or at least inspire them to settle for less.
Copyright 2009 BBallCentral.com
About The Author:
Ryan Hogan is a sports writer for BBallCentral, a hub for NBA basketball fans. From basketball wallpapers and signatures to an NBA forum and free, original NBA articles, find a ton of hoops information at http://www.BBallCentral.com/
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The San Francisco Theatre Scene
Just about any time of the year you can scour the theater listings in the San Francisco Bay Area and find well over 100 productions available for viewing. These shows range from plays to musicals to cabarets and everything else in between.
The hardest part for theatergoers in San Francisco isn’t finding a show but narrowing down their options. To assist in that chore we’ve listed several of San Francisco’s top theaters.
While the following list is far from comprehensive it is a great place to start. It contains large and small theaters as well as venues that cater to both mainstream Broadway hits and smaller scale experimental productions.
Any discussion of the San Francisco theater scene must start with the American Conservatory Theatre. Also known by its acronym, A.C.T. is nationally renowned and generally considered the city’s flagship theater. Newly restored and seating 1000, theater goers can find the American Conservatory Theatre at 415 Geary Street (415-729-2ACT).
This fall A.C.T. will launch the U.S. premiere of Noel’s Coward Brief Encounter and the west coast premiere of David Mamet’s November. A Christmas Carol walks the board this December.
While you’re bound to see a quality show at A.C.T. the chances are low you’ll find a place to park. Take a cab or give yourself plenty of time to park your car otherwise you might miss the overture.
The American Conservatory Theatre is located in area between the Union Square shopping district and the Tenderloin district. This area is called the Theater District although the term is fairly exclusive to real estate agents, hotels and restaurants. Still, quite a few theaters reside in this part of town.
For example, next store to the A.C.T. is the Curran Theatre, 445 Geary Street (415-551-2000). Currently at the Curran, Estelle Parsons is starring in the Tony Award winning play August: Osage County.
In October, the Curran will be \”rented\” by the national touring company of Rent featuring two members of the original Broadway cast, Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp.
The Curran Theatre has a long history of hosting top Broadway shows, The Jersey Boys, Spring Awakening and Les Mis
Rob Thomas, His Wife, and Her Diamonds
Rob Thomas’ latest album, Cradlesong, deals with dark issues and adult themes but none is more serious than the illness inflicting his wife Marisol (Maldonado) Thomas.
Marisol suffers from a rare autoimmune disorder and her plight was Thomas’ muse for Cradlesong’s first single, \”Her Diamonds.\”
During a recent appearance on NBC’s Today Show, Thomas confirmed that he wrote \”Her Diamonds\” for Marisol and discussed her ordeal with Natalie Morales and Lester Holt.
The mid-tempo song is poignant and enthralling. It has solid lyrics, although a bit derivative, and a catchy refrain. It’s definitely worthy of being the album’s first single.
The sentiment behind the song and the support Thomas shows for his wife is absolutely endearing and heartfelt. That is great.
However, Marisol sang back up on the track and helped out with the arrangements. That is not good.
You can’t perform on a song written about you!
Marilyn Monroe didn’t sing backup on \”Goodbye Norma Jean.\” Dave Coulier didn’t perform on \”You Oughta Know.\” Eric Clapton didn’t play guitar on \”Savoy Truffle.\”
It’s okay to be in the studio when someone is recording a song written for you. It’s even okay if you give suggestions or help divvy up the drugs. But you can’t participate in the recording. Period. End of discussion.
It would be like Bruce Springsteen appearing on a Born in the U.S.A. tribute album or Gene Simmons joining a KISS cover band.
It’s as gauche as throwing yourself a birthday party or as tacky as winning your own golf tournament.
What’s next? Is she going to perform \”Her Diamonds\” live with her husband the next time he takes the stage?
As for Thomas, he’s scheduled to start his North American tour on September 19th in Tempe, Arizona. It will conclude on November 13th, in New York City, the second of two nights at the famed Beacon Theatre. Rob Thomas tickets are currently on sale for most of his dates.
Fortunately, Thomas had the good sense not to put his wife in the video for \”Her Diamonds\” although Marisol did appear in the videos to \”Smooth\” and \”Ever The Same.\”
Instead the video to \”Her Diamonds\” stars the incomparable Alicia Silverstone-as a brunette no less. Silverstone is encased in a block of ice that’s slowly melted away by the sun. Meanwhile, Thomas is seen singing on ice surfaces and in puddles of water.
Of course there would have been no way for Marisol to get away with being in the video. Performing in the studio is one thing because you can always be left off the linear notes and most people don’t really pay attention to that stuff anyway. You don’t have that luxury in a music video.
\”Her Diamonds\” has been Thomas’ best performing single since his 2005 hit \”Lonely No More.\” The song peaked at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, it reached as high as #3 on the Hot Adult Top 40 (the music chart for old people). More good news, in the first week of its release \”Her Diamonds\” was the most played song in Australian. Still no word on how it performed in Papa New Guinea or Burkina Faso. And those fans will certainly disagree with our contention that Marisol broke a sacrosanct tenant of recorded music.
Regardless of whether or not we agree about the rules of rock, we can all agree that we’d rather keep Marisol’s contributions to \”Her Diamonds\” intact but get rid of the illness behind the song.
About The Author:
Ryan Hogan writes for http://www.ClickitTicket.com/ an event tickets web site that sells concert tickets to Rob Thomas tickets and most other concerts. Ryan contributes regularly to the ClickitTicket blog, an original sports, theater and live music blog that is constantly updated.
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56 Stars To Help Others Make Better Tattoo Decisions
Tattoos are an art form that has always been accompanied by controversy. In fact, for many years tattoo parlors have been outlawed in certain states of the United States. Just recently, Oklahoma finally relented and removed their laws prohibiting tattoo parlors in the State of Oklahoma – the last state in the Union to do so.
There are several considerations when one ponders the pros and cons of taking such a permanent step towards changing one’s own body.
The first, and possibly foremost, point to address seriously is simply the permanency of the final result. Is this art work something you are willing to carry with you through the remainder of your life? Is the location of the tattoo you are considering ever going to be embarrassing, or is it going to be a problem for you when you are seventy years old, with your grand kids on your lap asking the kinds of questions only a child could ask?
Just think about the elderly people you see at the beach with faded tattoos in odd places… Sometimes you just have to wonder how they decided on that tattoo.
Consider the kinds of questions people will ask when you are explaining why you have 56 stars on your face! (See the story of Kimberly Vlaminck at the Tattoo Trouble website at: http://bit.ly/3ZZJNW) Think about that for a while before you proceed.
Another point to seriously consider is simply the talent of the tattoo artist you are considering to tattoo your body. Tattoo artists are not equally skilled – some are miracle workers, while with others, it should be considered a miracle that they even have a job.
A tattoo is only as good as the finished product, and in some ways, the finished product can be affected by every ink line from the beginning of the process to the end.
Do you want a customized, completely original tattoo, or are you willing to go with a choice from a tattoo design notebook?
Go to a public place, where lots of people congregate, and do some people watching. You will see a wide variety of quality levels of the ink work itself.
If you are going to go ahead and get a tattoo, you should want it to be done well.
While you are people watching, take notice of the tattoos you like the best and try to talk to the people sporting them. See if you can find out which artist they used and talk to that artist about his prices, styles, options, schedule, and check out the cleanliness of his studio.
Aside from the talent of the artist you choose, your own health should always be a major consideration. Bad needles or poor procedures can leave you ill, or scarred, for the remainder of your life.
Obviously, the actual tattoo is important. You will want it to demonstrate a very personal statement reflecting your personality, lifestyle, or beliefs. A tattoo should always be considered to be a customized piece of artwork that will always fit who you are, so that when people ask you about it, you will always feel comfortable with your explanation.
Cost will be a factor. Shop around. You’ll want to find the best tattoo artist you can find, for the amount of money you can afford to spend. If you can’t afford a good artist, you probably should wait until you can afford the better tattoo artist. There is too much at stake to take chances. Your tattoo will most always be a permanent addition to your body, so it is always in your best interest to make sure that you are not letting an amateur tattoo artist ink your skin. (For example, those jail tattoos never work out so well.)
Before you take the final step, realize that it will be extremely difficult to undo your tattoo – not impossible mind you, but difficult. It is possible to remove a tattoo, but it probably cannot be completely eradicated. (For evidence of the difficulty in completely removing a tattoo using laser tattoo removal treatments, check out Angelina Jolies’ \”cover-up tattoo\” over her \”laser-removed tattoo\” on the Tattoo Trouble website at: http://bit.ly/5AKVP)
Many tattoo removal procedures, such as the laser-tattoo removal that Angelina Jolie did, may fail to totally remove the tattoo and may even leave scars or discoloration, where the tattoo originally resided.
As you can see, a tattoo should never be a spur-of-the moment decision. Even though it could be extremely exciting to take this step on a whim, most people who do it with little thought or consideration for the consequences probably regret the tattoo at some point in their lives. Like Kimberly, some people will regret their tattoo in just a couple hours, rather than a few years down the road.
I am not saying that you should not get a tattoo – even I have tattoos. What I am saying though is that you should consider carefully the tattoo that you choose and where you choose to get it done. Just be careful out there… And think about your decision before you act on that decision.
About The Author:
Eileen Howerton is a full-time, freelance writer. If you have a tattoo you would like to get removed, you can spend thousands on laser tattoo removal treatments, OR you can explore the Nuviderm Home Tattoo Removal System, which can remove your tattoo without emptying your wallet. Visit http://nuviderm.com/ today to learn more about tattoo removal creams.
Pearl Jam Sells Out
When fans, especially those of the casual variety, think of Pearl Jam they generally conjure up an image of a \”fight the power\” type of band who’s politically active and bent on not succumbing to the \”Man\” running the music industry.
That’s pretty much the band’s reputation, just ask anyone with Pearl Jam concert tickets.
In 2006, Rolling Stone magazine wrote that Pearl Jam had \”spent much of the past decade deliberately tearing apart their own fame. \” The band stopped making both television appearances and music videos. Meanwhile, they unsuccessfully took on Ticketmaster.
The band has always been politically active. They support the pro-choice movement, environment and wildlife protection groups (the band has a carbon neutral policy), and the Green Party (suppress chuckle now).
This may come as a shock, but they weren’t fans of George W. Bush.
In addition, Pearl Jam has performed in concerts benefiting the U.N.’s fight against world hunger, victims of Hurricane Katrina, Habitat for Humanity and the American Red Cross.
It’s clear that Pearl Jam is all about saving this and protecting that and fighting this injustice and battling that travesty. However, if you look around, this seemingly socially progressive juggernaut is in cahoots with a plethora of big-time corporations.
In fact, Pearl Jam is hawking more products than Peyton Manning.
Their upcoming ninth studio album, Backspacer, set to be released September 20th, is being sold exclusively at Target (and indie retailers but who goes to them anymore).
You can also download the album from the iTunes Music Store (Apple). Overseas, album is being distributed by Universal Music (Vivendi).
Recently, the band has joined up with Verizon’s V Cast platform to offer fans access to Pearl Jam content.
Backspacer uses Sony technology to house extra material and the entire album with get the full DLC Rock Band 2 treatment, possibly paving the way for a Pearl Jam Rock Band game (Electronic Arts) in 2010.
In the 1990’s, Kurt Cobain accused the band of being sellouts but he probably didn’t imagine the band would ever sell out to an army of corporations.
Cobain was referring to the way the band was selling albums, t-shirts and concert tour tickets. He was not referring to the band’s vertical commercial integration with consumer oriented media synergy (okay, we made that up but you get our point).
Now you might argue that using Sony’s software or being immortalized by Rock Band doesn’t make one a sellout. That’s true, but the more corporations you do business with and the more politically active you are, the greater the risk of biting the hand that feeds.
What is the target of most political activism? It’s the government and corporations. Take the environment for example. It’s not being polluted by orphans and puppy dogs. It’s being polluted by big business. Some of which would love to have Pearl Jam pimp their products.
The only difference between bands that sell out and bands that don’t sell out is the bands that didn’t sell out were never given the chance. Face it, selling out is as American as apple pie and a 401k plan.
If I was in a band as big as Pearl Jam I would be selling out faster than you can say \”I’m going to Disneyland.\”
I would allow my songs to be used as jingles for enriched uranium if they paid me enough.
If my manager didn’t have my cheesy, pensive single playing at the end of every emotional episode of every two-bit drama on television I would have her fired.
If they gave me a good enough deal, I would get a Ticketmaster tramp stamp.
Before you start accusing me or Pearl Jam of being greedy \”you know whats,\” stop and think for a moment how expensive it is to live. Then think of how expensive it is for Pearl Jam to live. They have kids, mortgages, college tuitions, wives who have to shop, mistresses who need apartments, and those prescription drugs don’t buy themselves.
Sure there are bands that walk the walk and wouldn’t take a dime from a corporation to save a spotted owl. But those bands sell 11 albums a year and play for 100 fans at a venue that doubles as a furniture store.
The best way for Pearl Jam to spread their message and affect change is by reaching as many people as possible. Sometimes that involves producing albums, sometimes that involves selling concert tickets and sometimes that involves working with corporate America.
After all, the best way to bring down the machine is from within. Fight the power and pass me my iPhone.
Copyright 2009, ClickItTicket.com
About The Author:
Ryan Hogan is a writer for the ClickitTicket sports and music blog. At ClickitTicket.com you’ll find concert tickets to purchase like Pearl Jam tickets. Find a huge selection of event tickets and a wealth of original entertainment content at http://www.ClickitTicket.com/
Read more of Ryan Hogan’s articles.
