WeirdBlog.com

Jacob Barber asked:




Michael Jackson merchandise

Michael Joseph Jackson, born on the 29th of August 1958, died on the 25th of June 2009 was a legend in his own right. The whole world reacted with shock and horror about the news of King of Pop’s death. The legend of Pop music is no more and to keep the memory of his sorcery burning bright in your brain, you can purchase some on Michael Jackson products

Michael Jackson Merchandise – Grab Your Michael Jackson Collection Today

His father, Joseph Jackson managed a music group called the Jackson five, and Michael Jackson’s professional singing debut came at the tender age of eleven in 1969. The name “King of Pop” came to him after a string of successful singles that still leave feet drumming in numerous parts of the Earth.

Michael Jackson was then besieged to instant stardom when his album “Thriller” released in 1982. It holds the record for being the planet’s top selling album of all time. He also revolutionized the concept of music videos by transforming it from a trifling promotional tool to a ground breaking art form. All Michael Jackson merchandise and mementos can be purchased from http://mjmerchandise.info / so that there’s a little of MJ that follows you wherever you go.

Controversies were part and parcel of his wonderful life. Whether all of the claims vented on Michael Jackson were true or false has still to be seen. The title Wacko Jacko came to him after he exhibited weird behavior and appearance changes. Possibly his largest discussion came in 1983 when there were allegations of child abuse. Though acquitted later he was extremely hurt and saddened by this incident.

Michael Jackson married twice. His first better half was Lisa Presley whom he married in 1994 and whom he divorced 2 years on. He then married Debbie Rowe in the November of 1996 and had 2 youngsters but Debbie and MJ ultimately divorced three years after.

Click Here for Michael Jackson Merchandise

Sean Carter asked:




Knock your neighbors’ doors and wait…you can get a chocolate bar or a scary look. This is the fun we have in the tricking or treating on 31st October. Halloween is here again! Trick or Treat is basically an U.S. trend to celebrate Halloween. The whole concept is highly interesting. The children dress up in scary costumes and they go from door to door yelling “trick or treat?” The trick is usually a scary one and the treat is all about chocolates and small candies. The neighbors are also ready to give a gruesome welcome in tune with the Halloween mood. The children love to roam with their bags and try to make it heavy with gifts as soon as possible.

Nowadays treat is more popular than trick. As Halloween comes in the season of apple harvests, the most common treat item is candy apples. Nuts and sticky syrup go very well with the apples. But this treat is no more popular with the children as the rumor goes- the apples have blades or razors in them for tricking people. These can be dangerous for the children.

In Ireland “barmbrack” is the favorite Halloween treat for all. A plain ring is placed in the light fruit cake before baking. If anyone finds it out, he or she will get his or her true love on that particular year.

In Scotland trick is done to earn a good treat. The children impress the neighbors with their style of costumes and then recite poems, songs and play tricks to get nuts and dried fruits. The common song of the time is “The sky is blue, the grass is green, may we have our Halloween”. The children usually earn sixpence along with their gifts. But very small children are afraid of the scary looks and they themselves get frightened at the time of participation.

The gruesome disguises resembling vampires, witches and devils give out a ghostly experience to the participants. The trick lacks color if the guises are not scary enough to bring sweat on your forehead. After September 11 attack Islamic terrorists’ costumes were in much demand during Halloween celebr. Each year a new trend emerges which catches the fancy of the youngsters. In 2004, spider man’s costume was a rage. Though the tricks are not so widely practiced as it used to be yet vandalism in all forms are still on the chart

The teens and adults enjoy their Halloween mood in a different way. They go for scary costume parties and love to listen to Halloween songs. They also like to stage a gruesome horror play or characters in a “haunted house” to have a taste of the trick. The party, drinks and odd costumes are Halloween celebrations although it may sound weird when we try to associate these with an event related to the harvest of apples.

UNICEF in North America has given a new dimension to the trick and treat game. The mission started in 1950 in Philadelphia. Small boxes are given to children so that they can get donations from their neighbors while they are out collecting the gifts. The school students take part in this noble program and UNICEF collects the money from their assigned schools. So, this is not just the time to get into gruesome activities and games but also to think of those who cannot take part in fun parties.

Keep your masks ready for the tricks. And we should not forget to demand our treats this year. In order to be the best in the game one really needs to be more gruesome

Eric Hines asked:


Being an artist for many years, owning an art dealer business representing multiple artists in Los Angeles, and being employed by the world’s largest fine art instruction school have enlightened me on the finer points of what an amateur artist must do if they desire to make a living as a professional artist.

The following rules are addressed to becoming a professional fine artist working in the medium of paint. However these tips can really be applied to any medium of art, whether it be painting, poetry, or music.

It is my sincere wish that these pointers aid in your journey as a working artist!

Rule #1: Know the Underlying Basics and Fundamentals of Your Craft.

For many many years I “played” the guitar and bass without having a clue how to read notes, scales, modes, keys, etc. After learning music theory my music was much better and I was far more productive.

Before I understood the fundamentals of music I had an excuse ready when I couldn’t make a song go right, I was too tired, I was having a bad day, or not in the mood.

As a result since I had no clue WHY I did what I did when creating music I could never reach that state of being cause over my music, let alone professional in anyway.

Information, knowledge, data, has been, and unless the world turns inside out in the future, will always be power. You cannot only rely on your natural ability, you have to know the WHY (all the basics and fundamentals) behind the scenes of your art.

Take art lessons. If you are of the opinion that your skills are past this stage then you need to find a good mentor.

Rule #2: You Will Learn How to Market Both You and Your Art.

In my experience as both gallery owner and art dealer I have witnesses this same scenario time in and time out.

Two comparable pieces of art, each created by two different artists. One sells for $500 and the other for $10,000.

Why?

It has and will always come down to marketing and sales skill. One artist painted and displayed work in a gallery as the sole means of promoting.

The other artists would do promotional actions like press releases highlighting their new work, they had a professional website, they got interviews with art magazines, they networked with other artists, art professionals, and art enthusiasts, they got their work published in a coffee table books or calendars.

The outlets to make your artwork known are infinite, the point being, you are going to have to learn this skill of marketing so that you can apply it to yourself as an artist and to your artwork.

You could always hope that you create such an incredible work of art that the buzz created just by your painting will have the public beating down the door with cash in hand.

However that takes the responsibility of your success out of your hands and places it into the hands of the public.

When it comes to art, the public can be a very fickle entity indeed.

Honestly, do you really desire anything involving or related to the word fickle in charge of your destiny?

Rule #3: Do Not Succumb to Fear of Rejection or Failure.

Everyone has heard some variation of the story about the author who has a closet full of manuscripts that have never been read by another soul due to fear of rejection.

The same phenomena can happen to visual artists.

Many successful painters still do not view their own work to be perfect. So if you wait till your work is “perfect” then you may very well be dead of old age before perfection happens.

Don’t be afraid to get your work out there. People will love your work, hate your work, see it as mediocre, or see it as the beginning of a new renaissance.

Taste in art differs widely and you will never win over everybody.

Rule #4: You Will Give the Critics ZERO Attention.

I am not just talking about art critics, but just negative people in general. A lot people on this planet are miserable and they like to drag others down with them.

Some are overt in your face, “you’ll never be any good.” At least they are easy to spot.

The worst are the ones that give back handed compliments or deftly slide that needle of criticism into the conversation by use of passive aggressive means.

‘That last painting that you made was MUCH better than this one, I don’t intend to be rude BUT.., That is very good work for a student, but there is soooooo much competition out there in the professional world,’ etc etc.

Of course if you called them on it they would profess innocence, say that you are over reacting, that they were just kidding. Don’t buy it.

If you can, just don’t associate with these people, if they are our family don’t talk about your art work with them. Hopefully you are an aspiring artist because you love to make art, not due to some misguided attempt to impress your family.

If you have no choice in being around these people just recognize that they are just lonely unhappy people, and above all, do not take it personally.

The only critique one should listen to is your professional drawing or painting instructor.

And be wary of that as well, make sure that at the same time they are critiquing your work that they are also showing you how to improve.

Rule #5: Speaking of Art Instructors, You Will Choose a Good One.

My spouse came to the states on a student visa from Canada to study drawing and painting in University.

My wife’s first semester involved taking basic sketching and panting classes.

She arrived eager to learn the fundamentals of the visual arts, line drawing, tones, use of color, proportion, and the use of light and shadow.

Instead she received a lot of airy fairy over significant mumbo jumbo. The main technique taught was the ‘if it feels good then do it’ technique.

No substantial techniques were taught to the students simply because the instructors did not know them, or if they did they knew ABOUT them, but didn’t really KNOW them!

When choosing any art school, whether it be painting, dance, music, acting, please PLEASE choose one that teaches the fundamentals and basics of the art.

Speak with your potential art instructor, Make sure that you inspect their work AND their students art as well.

Ask the potential teacher how they go about teaching the basics to a new student.

Rule #6: You Must Learn to Sell (or find someone who can and will)

The odds are, if you work is displayed anywhere where people can view it someone will come along who likes it, maybe even love it.

The problem comes in convincing them that they love your painting more than they love their money.

This is not as hard as it looks. All you have to do is handle any of the potential customers objectives and interest them continually in your work and in you as the artist.

If you absolutely think that selling your art work is demeaning to the concept of art that it totally fine. There is still a way to be an artist and not have to live in your mothers basement. You have to enlist someone who will do it for you.

Rule #7. Learn to Harness the Power of the Internet.

Take a look at ebay, type in ‘original oil painting’ into its search field. You will see hundreds of paintings from artists selling their work online.

Type in ‘fine artists’ into any search engine and you will find professional websites featuring professional artists.

There are a few websites that even act as an online art gallery and will display and sell your work online for you for a cut of the sale.

The world wide web happens to be a splendid way to show of your artwork, garner brand recognition, and to dissiminate your art to a massive international audience.

Rule #8: You Will Not Get Weird About Art and Money.

I know some of you cringe when it comes to selling your art for money, or that some of these tips might sound a little too business like, with words like brand recognition, professional, selling and marketing.

Like it or not, if someone exchanges money for your art you have entered into the field of business.

When you come to this fork in your career as an artist you can take one of two paths.

Path one, never sell your art for money, continue to work at your day job and keep art as a hobby. Perfectly acceptable. Many people do this across the world and lead happy lives.

Path two, realize that your art is providing someone with a product that they will adore for years to come, You created something original. Nothing in this world is it’s exact duplicate.

For this you will receive money in exchange. This will help you concentrate on creating more works of art as you may have to work less hours at a ‘real’ job. Maybe you will get to the point of not having to work that ‘real’ job at all!

Michelangelo was commissioned by the Vatican to do his work in the Sistine Chapel. He was paid quite handsomely for it.

He was also commissioned by Florence to create the statue of David.

Artists can create wonderful enduring works and should rightfully be exchanged properly with.

Well there you have them, 8 rules you need to live by to become a professional visual artist.

I sincerely hope that they help and I wish you the best of luck in how ever you decide to pursue the field of art.

Shaun Parker asked:




The circus has entertained people for centuries. Its origins lie in Roman times, where animals and theatre were used to entertain the populous. Following the demise of the Roman Empire however, there was a lack of circus type entertainment in Europe. The animal rich antics were taken up again by various travelling performers and gypsies throughout Europe, whilst the development of an acrobatic based circus was already well underway in China.

Traditionally, various circuses would focus on a main theme, such as trained animals, slapstick clowns or acrobats and daredevils. As the circus became a less popular form of entertainment, Circus troupes decided that they would have to merge to survive, bringing a new type of eclectic experience to draw in the audience. Drawing upon influences from entertainment around the world, a new breed of entertainment was formed, taking on stylized and choreographed theatrical tones.

In contemporary terms, the circus is a mix of acrobatic entertainment such as trapeze artists, animal entertainment using trained horses and bizarre entertainment, focussing on the skills of sword swallowers and fire eaters. This type of entertainment can be linked back to the curiosity of the side shows and freak shows that used to travel with a main circus troupe. Animals within the circus though are becoming increasingly rare. The modern day circus, once an arena for the exotic, is no longer about tamed lions and elephants that beg like a dog. The reasons for this are from allegations of animal cruelty in the keeping and training of such animals. The effect on public opinion was massive, and after a terrible tragedy involving a runaway elephant that had mauled it’s keeper, the public no longer approved of animal inclusion in their circus entertainment.

Instead, entertainment that involved acrobatics and dangerous events became the taste of the day. Jousting on motorbikes with chainsaws had the power to deliver as much of an adrenalin rush and as ringmaster putting his head into a lions mouth. The power to shock has always been a winning formula, but so have theatrics and traditional skills that can be found throughout the history of the circus. A modern day entertainment troupe is likely to be presenting a performance with a story, as can be seen in the modern day marvel of the Cirque Du Soleil, which translates as Circus of the Sun.

The troupe found it’s beginnings in Canada in the early 1980s with a show that was such a huge success, the founders decided to tour. The abolition of a traditional ring and the decision to not have animals in the performances gained this circus incarnation a reputation for being a truly modern incarnation. Drawing upon traditional circus skills and acts from across the world enable Cirque Du Soleil to translate complex stories through performance. The lack of curtains draws the audience in to the story, and creates a paradigm unbeatable in a traditional theatre or circus.

This type of event has a huge following from lovers of cabaret and the theatre; performing arts and traditional circus. The productions are suitable for family entertainment and are hugely popular in the corporate entertainment industry. With such spectacular and entertaining shows that tour the world and with a practising troupe numbering over three thousand, there is a wealth of talent and entertainment at their disposal. Aerial acrobatics combined with stunning set design, great lighting and fabulous costumes provide a setting that you’ll remember for a lifetime. There is no doubt that this is one troupe that will bring back the essence of top quality entertainment.

Marvin J Markus asked:




The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour album is quite often forgotten when talking about The Beatles album releases but in some ways it’s among their greatest albums. Although it may be hard to argue it’s their best album, it is reasonable to argue that it is their most psychedelic album and if you are great fan of psychedelic music like I am, that means a lot.

Part of the reason the album is somewhat ignored is that it wasn’t really originally intended as an album but instead as an EP. The album version (released in the United States originally) included songs that had long before been released as singles such as “Strawberry Fields Forever” & “Penny Lane.” But those songs are not included on any other studio album so it does make sense to let them have a home on Magical Mystery Tour. And certainly “Strawberry Fields Forever” & “Penny Lane” are among The Beatles greatest songs.

What I really like about the album is that every song is at least a little bit weird. I like weird music and The Beatles made some great weird music during this part of their career. A good example is “The Fool on the Hill.” What kind of song is that anyway? It’s a ballad I suppose but it’s not the usual “I love you” ballad, it’s about, well, a fool on a hill. And the instrumentation and arrangement is quite strange indeed.

Perhaps it’s actually the instrumental 3rd track “Flying” that most gives the album it’s special psychedelic flavor. This is clearly a song meant to be listened to by those in another place mentally. It’s just bizarre really, and I love the ending. It goes perfectly into George Harrison’s weirdest song, “Blue Jay Way.”

“Blue Jay Way” was The Beatles at their most experimental in the studio. They seemed to throw almost every studio trick they had at their disposal into this song. Some would say that makes it a bit over the top with effects, and there may be some point to that. But it works for me. In fact it’s the production that really does it for me, it’s not a great song but the insanity of it makes it interesting for me.

The real centerpiece of the album is “I Am The Walrus” which is the ultimate weird Beatles song. It’s the song that most defines this album for me and considering it’s easily among my very favorite Beatles songs, it’s a big reason why I think this is a great album. It includes most of the studio trickery of “Blue Jay Way” but in a much more controlled fashion, and the song is about 100X better too, which helps quite a bit.

I’m not a big fan of “Hello Goodbye” (even before the Target commercials) but the outro of the song is quite cool and it has some neat riffs in it.

“Baby You’re a Rich Man” is a pretty unknown song by Beatles standards but I also think it’s one of their coolest songs. It’s one of the highlights of the album for me. It’s fantastically weird.

Toan Dinh asked:




The world has become a very small place indeed; consequently, voice over artists who can convincingly portray dialects are in hot demand. However, if you are on the path to being a “dialect artist”, you must continuously hone your skills.

See, you may think that you can handle a dialect well, but you may not be as good as you assume. Let’s put it this way – have you ever heard someone talk in what he or she thinks is a British accent… but which is absolutely awful? You certainly don’t want that to happen to you when a voice over agent listens to your audio!

Therefore, you need get to and stay at the top of your game. Here, we’ll show you three great ways to perfect your voice over dialect skills.

1. Listen to People with the Dialect You’re Imitating

There is no way on earth that you’re going to be able to pull off a persuasive dialect if you haven’t spent a great deal of time actually listening to the way people from a certain region talk. Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to travel halfway around the country (or planet); thankfully, the Internet has made it easy to listen online to folks from around the globe.

As you’re listening to dialects, you should literally take notes for yourself to use later. For instance, if the person you’re hearing says the vowel “a” in a particular manner, write that down. Do the same with other vowels and consonants. Make note of speech patterns as well.

Additionally, pay attention to colloquialisms. Nothing is more maddening than when a voice over artist messes up on a dialect by inserting a phrase that the intended speaker wouldn’t say.

2. Record Yourself Again and Again and… Well, You Get the Picture!

If you want people to listen to your voice over results, you have to listen to them first yourself. So get a recorder or use your laptop and start talking! Pick up the newspaper and just read a story or two in a particular dialect; then, play back your recording. Don’t worry about how “high” or “weird” your voice sounds. Instead, ask yourself if you’re convincing, especially based on the homework you did in step #1 (above).

As you do this more and more often, you’ll become very aware of any mistakes you’re making. Thus, you’ll be able to (hopefully) correct them. This is really the best way to make sure that you’re being true to the dialect.

3. Start Attempting New Dialects

Even as you’re honing your voice over dialect skills, add new ones to the mix. Try a French accent. Attempt a South African accent (as opposed to a British or Australian one). See if you can differentiate your accents by region (Georgia and Mississippi dialects are different from one another – can you hear the nuances?)

By challenging yourself, you’ll actually become better at your original dialects. Plus, you’ll become more versatile (and marketable) as a voice over artist in the process. It’s a win-win situation all around!

For more information, visit VoiceOverLA.

Greg Jones asked:




Why I Wrote The Anthem for World Peace Song From Greg Jones

GOD BLESS THE WORLD While You Bless America

The special CD release by Greg Jones considered the new anthem for world peace is entitled God Bless the World-While You Bless America. Already available on over 125 music sites worldwide, this special peace anthem is garnering accolades worldwide. Below, Greg explains the motivation behind his powerful musical message for world peace.

“Yesterday, I was interviewed by a very nice reporter from the Euclid (Ohio) Sun Newspaper who is doing a story on the release of my Peace Song CD GOD BLESS THE WORLD-While You Bless America. His story will likely include how this special anthem has been garnering accolades worldwide and how it’s already available on over 125 music sites worldwide and hasn’t even hit national radio yet. He’ll probably mention how thankful I am for all of the support worldwide and how happy I am for the incredible snowball affect. But he asked me a question that I really did not give the true, full answer to. He asked, ‘what led me to write the world peace song?’

Simple question right? But after we departed, I thought back a bit and realized that the answer I had given… that I just want ‘to see the war end and our troops safe at home’ was not a full answer. The fact is, when 9/11 occured, I found it to be one of the most horrific events of modern day history. I could not believe that anyone could do something like the terrorists did, to absolute strangers. At that exact time, my daughter and wonderful son-in-law, who I proudly must add is serving our country in the Air Force, had just arrived at their new assignment which had them based and living in London, England. When the planes hit the Twin Towers all I kept wondering, in absolute panic was, are my daughter and son-in-law ok? I was going nuts!

Because phone lines were so jammed up, I attempted calling them over repeatedly but it was 2 weeks before I heard anything from my daughter, and wow…was I thankful to hear that they were OK. During this 2 week period I, (as we all were) had been going through such a roller coaster of emotions. Anger, fear, desire to learn everything I could overnight about the whole thing. Who is this Bin Laden? How did they know he did it so quickly? What the heck is going on? Man! My head was spinning. I was glued to the news channels.

In the meantime, I was also witnessing and experiencing the greatest show of American patriotism and togetherness that I had ever seen. EVERYWHERE you looked you saw the American flag blazed with pride. Stories were on the news about how flag companies couldn’t manufacture flags fast enough. It was incredible! You also saw, everywhere you looked big, pretty red, white and blue banners stretched everywhere stating ‘God Bless America !’. I remember the pride I felt for my country as I would see street after street literally lined with Old Glory and these banners…day after day.

I would ride around and in my travels just look at all of the flags, even counting how many were on various streets. I would see the banners and get this feeling of pride and say to myself, yea! God Bless America!…. God Bless America ! …….(and the it started to hit me)…….God Bless America??…….. (It hit me harder) God Bless AMERICA???

WAIT A MINUTE!!!! What about my daughter and son-in-law IN LONDON!! God Bless America ??? We need God to bless the whole world !!!

By now I found myself actually getting a bit upset. I’m thinking and thinking. My mind takes it even a step deeper. Now I’m analyzing this wonderfully patriotic historic phrase. God Bless America? Are we asking God to bless just America? Can’t be. Who do we think WE are. Do we really think that God created people all over the world, but he only desires to bless us! Are we nuts? So, THAT bugged me and bugged me as I found myself praying for God to bless us and keep us safe here in America, while at the same time I had to pray that God would bless and protect my loved ones in London.

So one day, while sitting on the edge of my bed watching the news, I grabbed my guitar and it just came to me. The chorus to what is now considered the New Anthem for World Peace. God Bless THE WORLD-While You Bless America.

And now, the more I pay attention to what’s going on in this world, not just Iraq…but the 300 children killed in Russia…the starvation in the Sudan…the Tsunami…the attacks in London…Katrina…thing after thing…I realize just how important my musical message really is. The fact is, there is no way that WE can be blessed if we don’t have the desire to see the entire world be blessed. That’s why I sing it with every grain in my body…

GOD BLESS THE (whole) WORLD!!! (Not JUST America)

p.s. Thanks Jeff. You got me thinkin’ !

Greg Jones

Peace!”

Visit: www.godblesstheworldonline.com for special offers. Free listen, lyrics, buy CD, download, Free ‘Operation PeaceTone’ Ringtone, God Bless the World FunGear and more!



contact: orvillerecords@aol.com