Shopping Product Reviews

The best DVD software you can get

DVD Wizard Pro software is one of the best software to copy game, DVD or even VHS to CD.

GAMES:

me and a few others get frustrated when you scratch your games. Learn how to burn video games to regular CD-R and DVD-R/+R discs! DVD Wizard Pro includes hacking information and tools for PS3, Xbox 360, Gamecube, PSP, Nintendo DS, Playstation, PS One, PS2, Xbox, Dreamcast and Game Boy/GameBoy Advanced! You’ll never have to worry about scratching your games again!

Also, DVD Wizard Pro now has information on how to play all your favorite games on your PC, no console or mod chip needed! You will be able to play Playstation, PS One, PS2, Xbox, Dreamcast and Game Boy/GameBoy Advanced directly from your hard drive. We offer programs for all major console game systems!

DVD:

This package will show you how to backup any DVD you own using the following media types CD-R(W) DVD-R(W) DVD+R(W)! It will go even further and show you how to back up your DVDs to your hard drive, without the need for a burner!

Make quality backup copies of your personal DVDs. Create your own DVD library. Never worry about scratching or losing a DVD again!

VHS:

These days, DVD players are more preferred than VHS players. All those ribbons from old birthday parties, weddings, or holidays are going to waste. DVD Wizard Pro teaches you step by step how to convert not only your VHS but also S-VHS, VHS-C, 8MM, Hi8, Digital 8 and Betamax – any kind of analog video – to digital video like a Video CD (VCD). ) using your home PC. Then turn around and play those discs on your DVD player. The finished DVD, whether played on a computer or a three-year-old DVD player, will look as good as the original videotape.

Shopping Product Reviews

Planting seeds of greatness with the power of words

Babies start life with a blank page of endless opportunities. We should all be selective about the words we write in a child’s life book. Will we write words of encouragement, love and compassion? Or will we cover the pages with hatred, limitation and resentment?

Have you ever heard someone loudly announce that my son is a terrible two-year-old?

Zig Ziglar, motivational speaker and author says, “Instead of saying the ‘terrible twos,’ say it’s the awesome two, the awesome three, the awesome four, the awesome five, the super six, the awesome seven. And guess where is his or her self-image is because we believe that? That’s right, he or she will have a healthy self-image because that information has been applied and reinforced.”

Words have power! Always start by saying something positive for yourself and others.

How can you do this?

1) Take a second to stop and think before you speak.

2) Say something positive and motivating.

3) Tell them you care about them, believe in them, and love them.

Choose your words wisely.

If the president of the company you work for came up to you and congratulated you with a smile on his face and said, “If you keep working like this, you’ll be president of the company one day!”

Would you be encouraged and inspired to work harder for your boss, the president of your company?

Of course you would!

Positive words of recognition, inspiration, and encouragement make for better employees!

Jim Sundberg played for the Texas Rangers and later the world champion Kansas City Royals as a catcher. When he was growing up in Fresno, California, his father would watch him play baseball and say, “One of these days, you’re going to grow up and be a Major League Baseball player.”

Jim said, “My dad planted in my mind what the future would be.” He planted words of belief, hope and care!

His father planted the seed in his mind when he was a child!

Jim Sundberg and Bill Glass, all football players and NFL stars, ran a prison ministry in one of the prisons. During a break, Jim told Bill, “You know, I’m really glad I didn’t grow up and let my dad down.” Nearby, a prisoner was standing near them and said, “Well, you know what? I didn’t really grow up and let my dad down. I’m exactly where he said he was going to be.”

When Jim Sundberg was a boy, his father planted the seed in his mind that he would be a great baseball player.

The father of the prisoner when he was a child planted in his mind what he would become.

Your words have power. Choose them carefully!

How can you choose your words wisely?

1) Take a second and stop and think carefully before you speak!

2) Say something positive and motivating.

3) Tell them that you care about them and love them.

Plant good seeds of hope and positive words of encouragement.!

Thomas Edison at age 7 was a poor student at school and was called “confused” by the teacher. (Scrambled) His mother was a teacher by training and she decided to take him out of school to teach him at home. Mrs. Edison changed the image of how Thomas saw himself!

Many years later, Thomas Edison said, “My mother was the one who brought me up. She was so faithful, so sure of me, and I felt I had someone to live for, someone I shouldn’t let down.”

Plant positive words (seeds) of success in your children, in your students, in your family and in your employees and they will work harder and happier for you!

A positive word of encouragement can help change anyone’s destiny.

Choose your words “wisely.”

my favorite saying is “every student is a gem in the rough.” Start with that thought and work with your students. Believe that each of your students, on the first day of class, wants to learn your course and wants to learn.

As a teacher, my greatest joy is seeing a student realize their potential and work towards their goal. One day, I received a call from the mother of a high school student. She said, “My husband’s employer recommended him as a violin teacher for my son. I’d rather have a man teach him, but I’ll give it a try.” My son is lazy and stupid..”

I replied, “Please don’t talk about your son like that in front of him or others.”

I agreed to teach her son, if she said “just words of encouragement.”

At our first violin lesson, a young man with multicolored hair, an earring, and strange-looking clothes entered the room. He had his head down and looked unhappy.

We started working on the scales, his solo piece, and the orchestra audition materials for the state orchestra auditions. He was an extraordinarily talented young violinist and I told him so during our first lesson and all the lessons that followed. My honest and sincere words for him inspired and motivated him to do his best work.

At his next violin lesson, a completely different young man eagerly approached my classroom. He had his head up, a smile on his face, and he was well dressed. Because he was investing in himself and his potential, he began to take pride in himself and his work. Every week I saw a transformation in him.

It was our fifth week of lessons, our last lesson before auditions for the state orchestra. I told him how beautiful his playing was and what a good job he would do on the audition. Preparation makes all the difference! “The honest and sincere words that I spoke to him made him bloom like a flower.”

A few days after the audition, he called and said with great pride and a smile in his voice, “I am the concertmaster of the orchestra. I won first place out of more than 40 people who showed up.”

I congratulated him and told him how proud I was of him and that I knew he would win because of his “hard work and determination.” His mother called and said, “Even though you are a woman, you did a good job with him!”

The image that this young man had of himself had changed. Due to the positive inspirational words of encouragement, I gave weekly, and his hard work he began to believe in his abilities! He graduated from high school at the top of his class and went on to college.

The image of how you see yourself is so important!

Words have power.

Many years ago, I received a call from a mother with a 6-year-old boy who was failing first grade. She said that he is “lazy and stupid”. I immediately asked him not to say that to him anymore. She should say “positive and encouraging things” to him!

She brought him over with the violin she had rented and I smiled at her and showed her how to hold the violin and bow, how to read the musical notes on the sheet music, and where to put your fingers on the violin to play her first piece. of music. Every step of the way I told her what a great job she was doing. I told him that he was a smart and intelligent young man.

I asked her mom what usually happens after school. She said, “she plays video games and watches TV.”

I said, “Tell him to practice his violin for twenty minutes after school and then to do his homework for school with Mozart Symphonies softly played in the background.

After completing your work, you can play a video game or watch TV for 20 minutes.

Each week he gained self-confidence as he practiced his violin every day, took violin lessons, and improved on his schoolwork. He started bringing his spelling words for his tests to his violin lesson to review the most difficult words on his list. We would incorporate them into his violin lesson. Every week he would tell her how well he was playing and his smile would light up the room. After three months, his mom said that he is becoming a wonderful student! After a year, he was the most positive, motivated, handsome, and happy young man looking forward to second grade.

What 3 things can you do to say positive words to others?

1) Take a second to stop and think before you speak.

2) Say something positive and motivating.

3) Tell them that you care about them and love them.

The image of how you see yourself is so important!

Words have power. Think before you say something to another person. Make sure the words you speak to others make them feel appreciated and valued.

Always say something positive and uplifting to others.

Words of praise last a lifetime and so do negative words.

What words would motivate you to work harder?

Positive words of encouragement!

Back up before you speak and choose your words carefully!

Choose words that are positive and motivating! Show respect and love!

Shopping Product Reviews

What the authors can learn from the incredible story behind the movie THE ELEPHANT MAN

Movies, like books, sometimes have humble beginnings.

Do you remember the movie The Elephant Man? It was a true story about a 19th century freak who was saved by a doctor played in the film by Anthony Hopkins.

THE ELEPHANT MAN, played by the late John Hurt, continues to be a gold standard for artful cinematic creativity today. The film is from Academy Award-winning film producer Jonathan Sanger.

How did this movie come about? Was it the release of an agent? Nope.

Was it an award-winning script? Nope.

Experienced screenwriters created this masterpiece? Nope.

Was he adopted from a book? Nope.

Recently, my company Westwind Book Marketing hosted a book signing and a special big-screen screening of the elephant Man at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. Jonathan Sanger introduced the film to several hundred people where he retold the incredible story of how this film based on his new book came to be: MAKING THE ELEPHANT MAN – MEMOIRS OF A PRODUCER.

Where did the script come from?

His nanny passed it to him to read! That’s right, her nanny. Sanger took the script and said that she had read it and quickly put it aside…for about a year. Then one day when he was coming back from a trip he opened his desk drawer and there he was… staring at him like an obligation.

What did he do? She read it, and she loved it!

His book “Making the Elephant Man: A Producer’s Memoir” gives us an inside look at the making of one of the first independent films and a blockbuster, as well as a glimpse into the early careers of movie greats David Lynch, Mel Brooks and Anthony Hopkins.

If you want to turn your book into a movie, this book will help you understand the intricacies of the myriad aspects of making a movie. Taking his experience as producer of THE ELEPHANT MAN, Sanger opens a powerful discussion of the evolution of cinema, from how he ‘discovered’ the screenplay written by ‘strangers’ Christopher DeVore and Eric Bergren to finding that “it was exactly the kind of story I wanted to do, a historical biography of a miserable soul who had nevertheless lived an extraordinary life”: the true story of the 19th century John Merrick, grossly deformed, known as the Elephant Man who worked in a sideshow in London and who was treated by a kind Dr. Treves.

“When I wrote this, I was teaching an independent film course and using my experience with this film to teach,” says Sanger. “I realized that it would be great to write these stories and put them in a book.” For every movie he makes, Sanger keeps a notebook about the crew, schedules, what they ordered for lunch and other details. He was able to access notes from 30 years ago that reminded him of the entire process, including the strong emotions that washed over him upon first reading the script.

Brooklyn-born Jonathan Sanger is a highly respected producer and director of major motion pictures, television series, and theatrical productions, earning twenty Academy Award nominations and winning three.

In 1976, Sanger moved to Los Angeles, where she worked for Lorimar Television on network television series. the blue knight Y eight is enough. In 1978 she was assistant director to Mel Brooks on high anxiety, which gave rise to a long professional association. For Brooks’ wife, Anne Bancroft’s directorial debut Fat, Sanger served as associate producer. During this period, Sanger had acquired the rights to the screenplay for the elephant Man – his first production which led to a successful career in both producing and directing films – films such as Frances, Limitless, Vanilla Sky, Flight of the Navigator, The Producers, Y Code name: Emerald.

The bottom line: Take advantage of your friends, family, extended network and don’t be embarrassed to give your written work to the right person. Make a ‘who you know’ list and get on with it!

MAKING THE ELEPHANT MAN – MEMOIRS OF A PRODUCERpaperback and Kindle is available from Amazon or the author’s website www.JonathanSangerProductions.com

Shopping Product Reviews

Dell 1720 Printer Troubleshooting Steps

Dell 1720 is a laser printer that comes in two versions viz. Dell 1720 (the basic printer) and Dell 1720dn. When it comes to printing, the printer does a very good job. However, just like other printers, it can sometimes cause you problems. So, to help you fix these Dell printer issues, we have designed a free Dell printer support guide. We recommend that you carefully follow the instructions mentioned in the guide to successfully troubleshoot your Dell printer.

Process:

If the paper is jammed at the back of the printer and does not move back and forth, open the front cover and take out the toner cartridge. Check whether you can access the paper or not. If you can’t, open the front and inside cover and carefully remove the paper. Check again if the paper has projecting sides. If so, throw the paper in the trash. Close the inside and front covers and put a new plain paper (appropriate format type) in the paper tray.

If the Replace Drum/Toner Low light is on and not blinking, remove the toner cartridge. Take a soft cloth and soak it in rubbing alcohol or hot water. Rub the soft cloth gently and carefully against the toner cartridge. Also shake the toner back and forth and side to side. This will distribute the toner well. Replace the toner cartridge correctly and start printing. This solution will also work if the Replace Drum/Toner Low light is not on. A blinking Replace Drum/Toner Low light indicates that the toner cartridge is near the end of its life and needs to be replaced.

If the pages are blank after completing the print command, check the toner cartridge. If it’s done, replace it. If the toner has not run out, please check whether the printer is well connected to the computer or not. If it is connected correctly, turn off and then on the printer and the computer as well. It should fix any temporary software issues that are causing the pages to not print at all. If the problem persists, press the Go button and then release it to print a test page of the menu settings.

If the printout is fine and is not blank, there is a problem with the computer. Check the USB cable connection to the printer. If it’s OK and turning your computer off and on didn’t fix the problem, update your printer drivers. Open your web browser and visit the Dell website. Go to the Drivers and Downloads section, select your printer model or name, and download the printer driver file. When you’re done, exit the browser window. Go to Device Manager, find the printer drivers and update them. Reboot your computer afterwards.

If you are using Windows 7, you can search for printer drivers online. You do not need to visit Dell website, download and then update the driver file. When prompted, Windows 7 can automatically search for printer drivers and install them. Restart the computer to save the changes. Do a print job and check again, the printer should print fine now. If the page is still blank, the problem is with the printer and not the computer. Contact a Dell printer support service and fix the problem.

If you hear a grinding noise when doing a print job, try this method. Turn off the printer and unplug the power cord from the electrical outlet. Carefully and carefully remove the paper tray. Find any wrinkled or leftover pieces of paper and remove them. Open the front panel and carefully remove the toner cartridge inlet. Place this entry in a dark area. This is because sunlight or artificial light will damage it, causing the printer to fade or not print at all. Look for any jammed pieces of paper under the printer where the toner cartridge was placed and remove it.

Remove the paper or pieces of paper carefully without leaving any residue. Put the toner cartridge inlet back in place under the printer. Position the entrance correctly, making sure that it fits correctly. When finished, close the front panel of the printer. Put the paper tray back. Firmly plug the power cord back into the outlet. Press the power button to turn on the printer. Print a test page. You will no longer hear the grinding noise (if the toner cartridge inlet and paper tray have been cleaned properly).

Additional tips:

If you are unable to troubleshoot your Dell 1720 printer on your own, contact Dell Printer Technical Support.

Shopping Product Reviews

Acer D2D Recovery 101

Disclaimer: First of all, backup your system before launching it in any dangerous operation, some of the operations to come may cause data loss. Any modification and/or damage to your laptop will be your responsibility.

As you know, Acer and non-Acer laptops now ship with a system restore installed on a hidden partition (PQ service for Acer) on your hard drive. Normally this system is launched by simultaneously pressing the ALT+F10 keys, but sometimes that doesn’t work.

What is the problem?

There are many possible causes, but the most common are:

HAS The D2D function was disabled in the bios.

Solution: Enable the feature by pressing F2 during boot to access the BIOS menu and change settings, then reboot and press ALT+F10 keys during laptop startup.

Note: For all of the following solutions please note Max’s advice, I am now quoting Max, a contributor on my site “But I want to mention how I solved the problem, because it is rarely mentioned on the web. All methods to fix D2D Alt+f10 problem are expert and clever, but they all forget to say something fundamental:
first of all you have to rebuild with a soft partition the empty partition D:Acerdata FAT32 that almost everyone deletes because it is usually empty. Just doing it, everything went well and the recovery worked like a charm.”

Yes, many restore attempts fail due to this condition.

B. Another common problem is that Acer Master Boot Record (MBR) is corrupted or replaced by the MBR of another system. You can reinstall Acer MBR if the PQservice partition is present or if you can access the necessary files.

Solutions:

FIRST

On a working FAT32 Windows system the partition table values ​​are OC or OB for the installable FAT32 system files and 12 or 1B for the hidden FAT32 partition, for an NTFS system the known partition table values ​​are O7 for the installable NTFS file system and 27 for the Acer custom hidden NTFS partition:

1. Go to BIOS and disable the D2D recovery option.

2. Download partedit32.

3. Identify the PQservice partition by its size (there is an information box at the bottom of the part editing window) it is the small size partition about 4-9 GB. Once done, change the type of your partition to 0C (FAT32) or 07 (NTFS) and save. Reboot and you should now be able to navigate inside the PQservice partition.

Look for these two files:

mbrwrdos.exe

rtmbr.bin

(The name of these two files may be different sometimes)

When located, open a command prompt window as administrator and enter this command “mbrwrdos.exe install rtmbr.bin”, to install Acer MBR. Close command prompt, reboot your laptop again, re-enable D2D recovery in BIOS. Now ALT+F10 should work and run Acer Recovery when the laptop boots.

SECOND

Someone who tried the first method but failed to find the 2 files found another solution to restore the partition.

Use parteedit32 to locate the pqservice partition (on aspire 5920g, it is the largest partition 9gb)

Change partition type to 07 (NTFS installable), reboot.

After reboot, go to Windows computer management and mark the PQservice partition as active and then reboot again.

Clever!! Now you can continue on the road to recovery.

THIRD

We have a non-functional Windows system.

Download the Ultimate Boot CD (UBCD), run it, and choose from the menu:

-File system tools

-Boot Managers

-Form JAW worked fine, but you can choose any of the other bootloaders, it will recognize the PQ service by its (hidden) type.

Simply install any bootloader and use it to start the PQ service to start the Erecovery restore process.

against The latest problem: you replaced your hard drive (in this case, PQservice is no longer present) or your partition was deleted or damaged.

Solution: I hope you burned the Acer Restore CD/DVD when prompted at the time of first use, because if you didn’t previously back up your laptop by making a disk image, it won’t be possible to use Acer Recovery. .

Let’s give the last words to Max:

“Problem solved Alan. And you are right that an external drive for data backup is very important. Yes, I have it and I backed up my data before I started messing it up…”

Shopping Product Reviews

How to get the most out of your super-automatic espresso machine

Benefits of a super automatic espresso machine

There is a good feeling that comes with having an espresso machine. The feeling of prestige, luxury and pride that comes with saying “I have an espresso machine”.

This feeling is further inflamed if the espresso machine is the fashionable super-automatic espresso machine. These appliances are considered to be the best espresso machine due to their uniqueness and numerous automated features, qualities, and benefits built into them.

The advancement in super-automatic espresso machines in recent years has been quite amazing with companies like Jura and WMF dominating the market. These machines have continually changed the convenience of the workplace to individual homes as well as high-end hospitality professionals.

Have you ever imagined preparing a cup of espresso at your fingertips? From your cell phone?

Friedcoffee’s super-automatic espresso machine can be your virtual assistant for making coffee and espresso. To maximize time, these machines are programmed to tamp, grind, brew, extract, steam, and froth each shot of espresso served. These are simply, without a doubt, the machines that are famous as a result of their capabilities to produce consistent espresso and high level of customization. So, unsurprisingly, it makes super-automatic espresso machines a favorite for most espresso lovers.

For them, espresso is not just a cup of coffee, but a lifestyle. Other than that, it’s just a nice cup of coffee and a treat.

I was in a discussion with a purist and coffee fanatic barista friend who had a lot of reservations against super-automatic coffee machines. However, he admitted that machines are here to stay and have their place in our daily lives.

He opined that the best coffee is best served by a trained and experienced barista who controls every part of the process and adds their own personalization styles to each cup served. The automatic machines do not compete with the barista but as a substitute when one is not around.

Despite their high price tag, recognition of super-automatic machines is growing due to their conveniences and consistencies that eliminate human factor irregularities allowing for fast and consistent preparation.

Why all the fuss about the super-automatic coffee machine?

Free choice of coffee: your automatic coffee machine has the ability to use any bean you want. It gives you the option to treat yourself to a special roast from a local or try the new beans you found.

Speed: Automatic machines are fast and precise, some capable of preparing cappuccinos in a few seconds.

Consistency: The machines are designed to brew to a preset specification, leaving no room for error.

Exceptional ecological intelligence: Super-automatic coffee machines focus on innovative and energy-saving technologies that reduce electricity consumption.

Eco Friendly: Making coffee from fresh beans means you’re helping to reduce waste. As a way to reduce waste, the bran can be used as a fertilizer.

Safety: This is more a case for offices. However, safety issues can arise from using a manual machine as it involves a lot of hot water and accidents can happen.

There are also other things to consider before opting for the super automatic coffee maker;

– They must be cleaned regularly with the use of approved cleaning products.

– If something goes wrong. It will be expensive to fix. (Most come with a minimum of 2 years warranty)

These machines are considered the choice of super automatic espresso machines due to their various automated capabilities and benefits. While these machines can cost upwards of $1,000, there are also plenty of super-automatic espresso machines at Friedcoffee for under $1,000.

Shopping Product Reviews

Camaro Chip – Performance Chips to Improve Performance

Camaro is a good vehicle on the road. It is manufactured by Chevy. There are many people in this world who want to install a new programmable chip in the electronic control unit of their car engines to get a feeling of more power and also a nicer and smoother ride. These custom designed Camaro chips are also available for various Chevrolets that can make it a high performance vehicle. It is a very easy thing to do. All you have to do is buy and install a performance chip and then you need to specify some parameters that will be according to the requirements of your unit. After installing the chips you will notice a big change in the speed and efficiency of your car and the gas mileage will also increase significantly. It’s like a big modification to install a performance chip in the vehicle. And it’s also a cost-effective option for customizing any vehicle.

With the help of a programmable performance chip, the motor’s hidden potential can be efficiently invoked. Performance chips are intended to provide certain features that need to be specified according to the capability of any given engine and also include the fuel injection system. An optimized and calculated air-fuel ratio is good for the productive environment of the internal combustion engine, and because of this, the car performs better in all kinds of situations. It is very necessary that the use of fuel must be in a very controlled manner and for this reason the fuel consumption of the vehicle also increases. And all these things can only be obtained by using a powerful computer chip. In this system, the parameters are set digitally just to make sure they remain suitable for longer and shorter rides.

There are many cars that come with computer chips equipped like Camaro. But they don’t work as efficiently as aftermarket chips. These aftermarket auto parts are manufactured as direct replacements for these factory installed chips. These performance chips serve several purposes as they not only provide spin data that is responsible for controlling the engine’s air-fuel ratio, but also manage its spark plugs and oxygen sensors. No Camaro engine needs to be completely upgraded, but the upgraded features can be had by simply installing a small Camaro chip that will take care of everything for you and can tune up the engine in minutes. The most beneficial thing is that there is no need for a mechanic to adjust your car engine at home.

A complete series of Chevy performance chips is available on the market. One can get these specially made performance chips very easily because they are made for different car models depending on their engine specifications and various other factors as well. Many people call them plug-n-play chips also because of the ease of installing them. These performance chips are made for various Chevy models including Caprice, Cavalier, Corsica, Chevelle, Tracker, Kodiak, Corvette, Impala, Camaro, and Corvair. There are mainly two types of chips available for Camaro and they are called oxygen sensor power chip and surge performance chip.

The main benefit of buying these performance chips is that they are totally affordable. If someone wants to buy an oxygen sensor chip, they can easily buy it for just $100 from a reputable manufacturer. This oxygen sensor chip can improve engine power by 20% and is also responsible for improving throttle response. If someone wants to improve the performance of their Chevy without upgrading the entire engine, they will need a new Camaro chip.

Shopping Product Reviews

Best Karaoke Songs of 2011 – Country and Pop

Another year has passed, so it’s a good time to review the year and see which songs outsell 2011. As we mentioned in our review from last year, there are similar reviews out there. Ours is different because it shows what people wanted to sing last year and not just what they wanted to hear. No review can be completely accurate, but we think the following lists provide a good review of the best music to come out in 2011 that karaoke singers have been requesting.

Best Pop Karaoke Songs of 2011

#1 – Rolling In The Deep – Adele (Many people assume that Adele is a black singer because of the sound of her voice, but she is not. What you hear from her are powerful voices with the feeling of emotion behind each note. That is exactly what a good singer wants from a song. The challenge for any singer with ‘Rolling In The Deep’ is to match the emotion and feeling that Adele puts into her original version. Of course you can get away with not being able to match Adele’s vocal quality and please your audience if you’re a six year old singing this song with all your heart like Alexa Narvaez did on YouTube with over 13 million views currently).

#2 – Someone Like You – Adele (Yes, Adele comes up with the top two pop songs of 2011. ‘Someone Like You’ is about a person who accepts the fact that her former lover has moved on. She wishes him the best and sings that he’ll find ‘someone like you’, claiming to have come to terms with his breakup status but obviously revealing the opposite. Perhaps this song became so popular because most of us have had our hearts broken in the same how this song relates.)

#3 – Party Rock Anthem – LMFAO with Lauren Bennett & Goonrock (Well, I thought LMFAO must be a band, with possibly every letter in this group’s name representing one of its members. Man, am I ever out of the loop? LMFAO is an acronym for Laughing My Freaking Ass Off. LMFAO is actually a duo made up of Motown founder Berry Gordy’s youngest son, Stefan, aka Redfoo, and his grandson Skyler, aka SkyBlu. The song was one of the most popular dance songs of the year. If it’s fun to dance to then it must be fun to sing.)

#4 – On The Floor – Jennifer Lopez & Pitbull (If anyone remembers 1989’s Lambada, they’ll no doubt notice the borrowed beat for the main riff. What can we expect for J-Lo’s next big single? Maybe a use of reworking of the main riff from ‘Islands In The Stream’ or ‘Afternoon Delight’).

#5 – You And I – Lady Gaga (Unlike most of Lady Gaga’s tunes and perhaps a little less successful than some of Gaga’s dance songs, this tune was highly requested as a karaoke song. ‘You And I’ is a blues, rock and country-inspired ballad that gently samples Queen’s classic song ‘We Will Rock You’).

#6 – Moves Like Jagger – Maroon 5 with Christina Aguilera (This song has a catchy hook and was popular with the karaoke crowd, and what has made it more appealing is that it’s a female/male duet.)

#7 – Mr. Know It All – Kelly Clarkson (The original American Idol is still going strong five studio albums later. This song once again capitalizes on strong vocals and the “you don’t know anything about me” hook will remain in your head long after the last note of the song is played.)

#8 – Lighters – Bad Meets Evil & Bruno Mars (Bad Meets Evil is a duo formed by rappers Royce da 5’9″ and Eminem. This duo actually formed before Eminem gained his popularity in 1999, they broke up and they now have since they got together. The song ‘Lighters’ is an alternative hip-hop song, different from hard rap, especially with added vocals from Bruno Mars).

#9 – We Found Love – Rihanna (Rihanna once again hits the top of the charts with a catchy dance song. Many versions of this song also feature Calvin Harris in the credits, but we haven’t heard a duet version or no version with voices). apart from Rihanna.)

#10 – I Do – Colbie Caillat (Like Colbie Caillat’s first single Bubbly, this song is a carefree, feel-good sunny day song about taking relationships to the next level. A perfect tune for the optimistic romantic).

Honorable Mention:

Mistletoe – Justin Bieber (Some people may wonder why Justin Bieber isn’t once again in the top 10. He also didn’t make the top 10 with any of his songs in 2010, possibly because although his songs have broad appeal, when As for singing them, there will be a much smaller audience Collectively, karaoke versions of his songs sold more than any other artist in 2011. Justin Bieber was the best-selling karaoke artist of 2011. The season finale release of ‘Mistletoe ‘ almost made it to the top 10. It was highly requested in late November and December. Many were longing for a fresh new holiday song and this song filled that need precisely).

Best Country Karaoke Songs of 2011

#1 – Dirt Road Anthem – Jason Aldean (This song is about country life but adds a bit of ‘country rap’ to the mix. Very popular tune and choice of karaoke singers.)

#2 – Just Fishin’ – Trace Adkins (This song is about a father and daughter fishing together. Another feel-good country song that tugs at your heartstrings.)

#3 – Country Girl (Shake It For Me) – Luke Bryan (This song is quite different from Luke Bryan’s previous hit ‘Rain Is A Good Thing’. The title should be a dead giveaway that this song is not a ballad or a story song It’s a dance tune coming right at you that caught on and became one of the most requested country songs to sing).

#4 – Hell On Heels – Pistol Annies (There are some songs that are cross country; songs that can play on both the pop charts and the country charts. Not this song, it’s definitely country. The Pistol Annies make a declaration of a woman’s anger, singing ‘sugar daddy I’m coming for you’.)

#5 – You Lie – The Band Perry (Another country tune about an unhappy relationship. You lie like a Persian rug, like a raccoon dog sunning itself, like a penny in the parking lot. It seems like a lot of country songs are about that bitter feeling that you have when you find out your partner isn’t that important and people love to sing about it).

#6 – Honey Bee – Blake Shelton (This catchy tune did well on the Billboard 100 and went to No. 1 on the country charts. The song’s wide appeal (and the fact that people sang along to it) helped put it on the charts. in the top ten of our list).

#7 – Barefoot Blue Jean Night – Jake Owen (This song recalls the fun one had on his southern summer barefoot blue jean night. His friend Frankie got hooked on a Cadillac with horns on the hood!)

#8 – Story Of Us – Taylor Swift (an upbeat song whose title could indicate that the song would be about a happy relationship. Unfortunately, the chorus is “the story of us is a tragedy now”).

#9 – This Is Country Music – Brad Paisley (Although not as commercially successful as some of Brad Paisley’s previous hits, ‘This Is Country Music’ epitomizes what many feel a country song is. Country music fans they can take pride in the fact that their music often has some substance to its lyrics or message, which is not the norm with a pop tune).

#10 – Just A Kiss – Lady Antebellum (Lady Antebellum’s songs are very popular in the karaoke world due to their duet capabilities. The way Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott effortlessly swap lead vocals in their original performances makes that many singers want to do the same in karaoke versions. The challenge is to find two singers with the same vocal skills as the lead singers of Lady Antebellum).

So once again another year has given us a lot of new music. So you, the karaoke singer, must stop singing the same old tune. You don’t want to subject the crowd to once again singing the same song you sing week after week, no matter how well you sing that song. There is a lot of new karaoke music to choose from. Sometimes it can feel like there isn’t any great new music out there. However, it may seem that way because you have gotten used to listening to your ‘iPod’ with its pre-selected music options. Start getting used to listening to the radio or turning on a music channel more often, then you will find many new selections to choose from.

Shopping Product Reviews

10 habits to get things done

In today’s busy world, with the holidays coming up, how can you do more? It is an issue that remains pressing in our busy world today. Here are some classic tips that save time but are not always standard in people’s habits.

1. Setting up appointments: People often go back and forth with long text messages or email conversations to set up appointments. Create a free Google Calendar for yourself at YouCanBookMe.com so people can pick and schedule a time. If your schedule can’t be standardized, at least shorten the correspondence by suggesting three times vs. messages back and forth. It’s surprising how many messages it can take to get a date, unless a communicator presents multiple options to speed up the hour-long search.

2. Measure your results; maximize your time – When getting things done, many of us would love to take all the time in the world to make it “perfect.” The problem is that “perfect” is not only difficult to achieve, it’s also generally not “profitable”. This doesn’t mean you have to give up on excellence, but it does mean you have to understand what 80% Optimum is.

At a conference recently, a speaker suggested a concept called “Get-mo,” short for “Get More.” It is similar to the Optimum philosophy. It’s looking at the task at hand, the time you have, and coming up with creative solutions to achieve the result. It is the epitome of maximizing time. Understand what is a “reasonable” amount of time to do a task or project or “available time” and then find a way to achieve results in that limited time. Period. Too much time is wasted or absorbed on tasks that take too long, which then results in mistakes, rework, parts that now need different solutions, plus new emergencies that are interrupted because a task is taking too long.

3. Have daily routines. Many routines that we have are invisible to us. Think about how many things you do in the morning when you wake up. Most people are reduced to a little routine that they spend quite a lot “without thinking”. If you intend to take a few more tasks that you have on a regular basis and group them into AM Habits and PM Habits, your mind will count them as “one” task (compared to the number of tasks that are grouped into that routine). When you do them in the same order every day and follow the routine consistently, the task will move from conscious awareness and effort to subconscious ability to execute. This means that you will be able to do it quickly while your brain can contain or prepare for other things.

4. Stop multitasking and focus on one thing and be done. The more stressed we are, the more common it is to leave things half done. We start something and then get distracted or jump to another task, often associated with what we were doing, but at the end of the day, we can feel frustrated because a lot was touched but nothing got done. The key to getting traction is to FINISH. You have to choose a task; then be disciplined and stay focused on the END. It is important that the task is a specific action against a project; however, if it describes the “step” that needs to be done, focus on it and do it.

5. Be organized. Have systems for your things and label them. My friend who is a Professional Organizer taught me this years ago. He even had me label sections of my bulletin board! Helps keep things organized and find or process things. When you get a new contact, enter it on your phone, get the correct information and enter it with your “contact name settings”. Some people leave unlisted numbers and then look up that person later when they have the information but didn’t “enter” it. If you do these things when you first get them, you’ll save a lot of time. When sending emails, use the subject line. It will help you search, sort and find later. When you have files, have a “file system” so you can file things in the right place. It’s easy to save everything to your desktop or C: drive, but then it’s hard to find. If you have a system with your key folders set up and then have that same system in email, soft folders and paper folders, you will find that your mind can organize and adapt to the system quickly.

6. Start with the end in mind: Know the goal and what you are trying to accomplish. As said in #4, know what you’re really trying to accomplish. Sometimes we start projects or tasks, only to get stuck with needing more information, supplies, another part to do, etc. This often results in partially finished projects sitting around. Not only does this take up space and mental energy, but it’s also emotionally distracting to have partially completed projects. Whenever possible, know what the “end” is and work to see the task through to the end.

7. Have a list and a plan. Some people think they have a great memory and don’t like to write things down. Sometimes we feel too busy to stop and make a list. Other times people just aren’t “list makers.” The point is that making a list is useful for your brain. It cleanses the different thoughts that float and allows the organization of those thoughts and priorities. No matter what “type” of person you are or aren’t, the brain works more efficiently when you can offload thoughts and tasks, organize priorities into a list, and get going.

8. Get to the point. Small talk and relational connection are important, yet time is often wasted by not being prepared for what the goal and purpose of the time is. In meetings (even 1-1) have an agenda, have an identified goal and focus on that, set a time limit, prepare for meetings, have a note taker, highlight actions. Time is valuable to everyone and most people appreciate it when you respect their time and keep things in order.

9. Order. While some people feel like “stuff” isn’t a problem or “organized clutter,” the truth is that humans work faster with a clear desk and organized space. You can find things faster, lose less things, and be more focused. There was a study done years ago that studied people at their cluttered vs cluttered desk and even those who loved and wanted to keep a cluttered desk, were shown to work faster and more efficiently without the clutter. Take some time every day to clear your desk. Take some time every night to “clean” and tidy up your house. Wipe down and clean your car, bag, whatever you use regularly. This will make the difference.

10. Get up early. The first is the first. The most important thing should be done first thing in the day. That’s why “Eat That Frog” is a great concept and “Miracle Mornings” is a critical productivity tool. Focus your mind and do all the “critically important” but not urgent items. I’ll confess, I’m NOT a morning person and it’s not always easy for me to pull it off, but it’s true that when you do these things (affirmations, meditations, exercise, learning/reading, journaling, etc) you start off on the right foot AND makes sure you do. You can drag them into your to-do list for the day and sometimes you can select these items at lunch, at the end of the work day or in the evening and at a better time, but the truth is what you want to MAKE SURE you do , do it at the top of the day!

There may be items you already do and some you don’t think you could do, but find and choose ONE that you can put to use to support your efforts to do more in your life.

Shopping Product Reviews

People Management – The Objectives in People Management

The new manager will generally have a wealth of experience in the technical side of the role, and high performance here will have earned him or her promotion to manager or people supervisor. However, in all walks of life, the newly appointed supervisor will have less developed people management, communication and people skills. Whether the job is on the factory floor, a hospital, an office or a business, the new manager will have a technical background but will need to develop their people management and team building skills.

The objectives of people management

Identifying clear goals will help any manager begin to develop the competencies they need to manage people effectively. These objectives are:

1. To achieve through the results of others. Until now, the Manager has been responsible for his own performance and results. Now, you will be measured by the results of your team members. Success in people management is having team members who rise above the best of the best, and do so without the help of the Manager.

two. To Win Followers. The leader’s job is to earn the respect of the followers and show them the direction to follow. An effective people manager doesn’t want to be liked, but he does want to show respect and earn respect. Success is when team members trust that they have a captain of the ship who will keep them safe and build the high-performing team that will succeed.

3. To Build Personal Leadership. You cannot lead others if you cannot lead yourself. Before you were a Manager, you could be a loose cannon. Now you must control everything you do to make sure you earn the respect of others and motivate them to achieve their goals. Appreciate that your attitude and behavior will influence your team members, either positively or negatively. Use your behavior in a positive way to encourage others to improve and achieve.

Four. To Structure and Organize the Global Freight Effectively. Managing people involves knowing the strengths of your people and making sure you use those strengths effectively to achieve high results. That does not necessarily mean building a team of individual specialists, quite the contrary. Effective people management means building the right team to achieve your team goals. You may need to create flexible people who can take on the role of others, or a team that can brainstorm and solve problems in any aspect of the team’s workload. Begin with the end in mind. Identify what type of team you want and determine how you will train people and equipment to get there.

5. To build effective team processes. Team processes are the systems we use to enable the team to achieve its goals. How do we solve problems, address issues, generate new ideas, monitor work performance, or review how we’re working together as a team? Think in terms of process, since the solution to most work problems is to have the right process to deal with it. Success is when the team has an identifiable process that they can refer to to remove any blockages or implement any improvements. A high performing team will use this without the leader being present.

6. To build positive working relationships with senior management and other colleagues. Managing people involves not only managing your own people and yourself, but also managing your relationships with everyone. The Manager’s role is to be able to source resources for the Team and ensure that we work productively with other departments. Your team will want a leader who can influence and persuade others. A Manager must know what type of relationship is effective and will build positive working relationships with a network of people throughout the organization. Success is when everyone wants to do business with you and everyone else listens to your point of view.

7. Develop the habit of setting short-term goals to achieve long-term goals. An effective People Manager advances every week and every month. Those steps are identifiable goals, and those goals should be the foundation for future goals to be more attainable. Managers walk and talk about goals and goal achievement. The goals are motivational for the team members and for the Manager.

8. Celebrate success. Good people management is about recognizing milestones, goal achievements or individual progress, and celebrating them with the team. Life should be fun, and the best celebrations are small personal recognitions. A homemade cake is more powerful than a puny bonus! Managing people is about knowing people and knowing what will be rewarding for each one.