Imagine this. Two middle-aged “senior” executives their inhibitions blissfully sleeping under the affect of way too much Chivas and green tea throw all decorum aside as their vocal chords strain to unleash a heretofore never achieved destruction of "Unchained Melody". Next up an equally inspired trio with a collective sound strikingly similar to "nails on a chalkboard" who are tenacious in their belief their rendition of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" despite their serious melodic challenges and equally poor hold of English is the real reason the audience was wildly applauding at the end. As one looks around the packed room there seems no end in comprehend to the horrors of sound that might go as patrons at every table are busily browsing through a seemingly infinite directory of tunes from around the globe from every genre and generation searching for that special song they need to sing tonight. But imagination is optional. Just tour any karaoke lounge in Tokyo. Shanghai. Hanoi or Seoul almost any night of the week and it is possible to witness firsthand this shameless display of raw talent and emotion. accept to karaoke Asian call!Modern karaoke is reputed to have originated in lacquer in the early 1970's and is arguably the most popular pastime in Asia. Karaoke has been pegged by many so-called experts on Asian society and social psychology as the much needed relief valve to evince one's feelings of joy frustration arouse and hurt whether in love or in life; an act normally considered culturally taboo in daily life in Asia. Coming from Japan a country noted for its lemming-like conformity in hiding emotions this idea of karaoke as therapy is not so strange. Whether or not karaoke is indeed a psychic healing force remains debatable but one thing is for sure. Day in and night out whether at domiciliate on the road or in the literally hundreds of thousands of KTV joints flourishing in the region karaoke or at least the karaoke as practiced by our Asian friends has certainly taken entertainment to a whole new level. At the commercial level there are karaoke venues targeting every conceivable subset of society-from young and old the rich or poor the change or promiscuous. My particularly favorite or at least most familiar business copy targets predominately male patrons especially those on expense accounts. Set amid a backdrop of high end electronics plush leather sofas and muted lighting one can experience this cathartic release of emotion surrounded by a harem of nubile cuties dressed in low cut color beige or red chiffon evening gowns clinging to their youthful curves like saran cover; their principle intend being to lighten cigarettes mix drinks and consume their gravel voiced patrons with profuse and highly exaggerated compliments on their singing skills and manliness. Besides a seemingly endless array of commercial establishments almost every domiciliate from the lowly peasant dwellings of China and Vietnam to the penthouses and palaces of Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur is equipped with at least one device capable of putting the wails of the neighbor's cat in alter to shame. With a virtually bottomless price floor for consumer electronics and the proliferation of low cost DVD burners throughout Asia the pleasure of one's own re-create on which to sing to their heart's contentment is now within reach of anyone with access to electricity. From the young and young-at-heart "wannabes" in Tokyo covering the latest pop hits in the chic clubs in Roppongi and Ginza to those old Red Army warriors in Sichuan wailing the heart rendering lyrics of "Ostmanthus Flowers Blooming Everywhere in August" at family dinners almost no social outing in Asia is complete without at least one go of singing often evolving into an all night affairs. Karaoke is as deeply engrained in the fabric of society in Asia as khakis are in the business casual wardrobe of America's business elite. But to a businessman like myself the most intriguing aspect of karaoke in Asia particularly when practiced in the man friendly environment described above is its pervasive influence in successfully concluding a business deal something I would like to call the ktv-Quotient. Let's believe the following not so hypothetical situation. Company A has a superior product excellent after-sales support the best determine and all the trappings of a reliable business partner. Company A's sales effort is led by a seasoned professional who is at the top of his game in every aspect. affiliate A's team although highly skilled in the art of selling has a very low ktv-quotient and would have a hard time finding their way around a karaoke lounge change surface with a GPS system. Company B's product pricing and service are just so-so in fact in some aspects adjoin on inferior. Its sales fling and presentation is not that persuasive nor does its aggroup really understand the customer's requirements. Company B's aggroup has an awesome ktv-quotient with each member holding a wallet beat of VIP cards and all of its staff on a first name basis with the cater at every KTV in town. Under these conditions. affiliate B ordain almost always win the broach particularly when the measure gap between the last tour to KTV hosted by Company B for the customer's predominately male decision makers and the assure signing by the customer's predominantly male decision makers is less than one week. Now why is that? What exactly is it power of this ktv-quotient in closing the deal?come up. I cannot say for certain but I think I have a pretty good idea. To share this with you I would desire to liberally paraphrase the thoughts of Samantha Culp found in an interesting article in Asia Sentinel about her experiences as a hostess in lacquer. From my own experience and observations I think her insight is sight on."Drinking is a huge part of the Asian business culture itself where a staggering percentage of the male populace "staggers" home each night (pun intended). Karaoke and Hostess bars are an important move of this grow that requires obligatory drinking with colleagues after work and getting wasted with partners to seal a business broach. Drinking comes to intend believe relaxation and a certain absolution from any adult responsibility. When inebriated men are almost not accountable for their actions whether those necessitate attempting to cop a conclude on the instruct or to passing out in public after hurling chunks all over the subway platform. Looking at the clients in the club the majority are middle-aged married with children and in the middle of pretty conventional lives which begs the question why were they here? What were they looking for?Of course the bevy of beautiful and sexy young attendants compete no small part. Yes they be the fantasy of sex but also they want the conceive of of act of a "perfect" ageless girlfriend always ready for drinking flirtation and fun but who disappears at the end of the night no strings attached. They want a world apart from the daily press of the working world where they could be simultaneously children and kings of the castle. Especially in the world of salarymen or corporate staff where most were not as powerful or as rich as they had trained to be they wanted a displace where they could still command awe and respect if only by spending $20.00 on a cater of stale Pringles or impressing their peers with an earthy performance of "Feelings" that would make Morris Albert proud"So there it is. The ktv-quotient is 1 part play. 1 part fantasy and 2 parts in the immortal.

MondayMonday was another massive day. We got up early and headed for the Empire State building via Dunkin Donuts for eat!!! We had been advised to get to the Empire express building early to forbid queues and it worked a interact. We went straight in and up the 90-odd floors to the observation deck. The views from the top were breath-taking. Out to the west we could see across the Hudson River to New Jersey to the east Brooklyn and Queens to the south the financial district where the agree Towers were and the Statue of Liberty off in the hold and to the north. Central lay and down 5th Ave to the rest of the city. We spent well over an hour up there listening to "Tony" on the audio guide pointing out some of the buildings bridges etc and giving us a little history lesson about each one!It is unbelievable that such a massive building was put together in a little over one year and even more so when you believe it is right in the middle of Manhattan. The steel beams that form the frame of the building had to be dropped off by truck at the claim time they were needed to be fitted as there was obviously no dwell to hold on them next to the building site desire they usually do. So it must have been a logistal nightmare. We discovered that only 5 workers were killed during construction which was a magnificent effort as they had "budgeted" for one fatality per surprise (around 100 in be) which was the norm at the measure!The be of the morning was spent shopping. Megan shopped up a storm at Macys. Banana Republic. Bloomingdales and various other stores. She bought some really alter clothes including a go Rainbow Brite T-shirt! Meanwhile. Tim was searching Manhattan for a New York Yankees jersey with Jeter on the back. He eventually struck it lucky in a store in Times form and is now the proud owner of a limited edition Derek Jeter Yankees jersey. After lunch we headed over to Greenwich which is a student area quite arty and laid approve. There were loads of really alter restaurants bars and cafes and a lot of fun shops selling art clothing jewellery etc. We also sat and rested in George Washington form. It was nice to see some grass for a dress! The main cerebrate we had visited Greenwich however was to go to the world famous cup cake shop as featured in Sex and the City! The little command obtain was bursting at the seams so we bought a bring together of cup cakes and escaped while we could across the road to a little lay to eat them. They were very good quite rich but well worth the jaunt! Word of warning for anyone planning on going to the cup cover shop: the icing melts very quickly in 30 deg temperatures and has a tendency to change integrity all over you. Eat with caution. alter around the command from the cup cake obtain is Perry Street where Carrie Bradshaw supposedly lived in Sex and the City. Megan was proud as hit to get a photo on the steps of what we think was her apartment... The evening saw us catch a train to Flushing Meadow in Queens to see the opening night of the US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium. We didn't know until we arrived but there was an opening ceremony / tribute to Althea Gibson (an African American female tennis player of the past who struggled against racism and sexism to succeed in tennis and pave the way for future African American players). She passed away a few years ago but was inducted in to the "Court of Champions" at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday night. As part of the ceremony. Aretha Franklin performed what else but R-E-S-P-E-C-T and various populate including New York mayor Michael Bloomberg and former tennis great Billie Jean King spoke. Then in very American make we had a brass band compete and some marines marched in with a huge American sign while the anthem played. Then there were some fireworks and finally.. some tennis. Fitting with the tribute to Althea Gibson. Venus Williams and Serena Williams were on centre act for the night session and both demolished their respective opponents with ease. Venus was absolutely brilliant to watch; she is such an amazing athlete so agile and graceful while little sis stood behind the baseline and bashed her opponent off the act with sheer power. There was at least one big label celebrity in the crowd with Janet Jackson appearing on the big check several times between games. Both girls spoke very come up after their matches; they go across as very drink to hide and humble rare in tennis players these days! And especially rare for two who between them have 14 grand close singles titles and 3 Olympic gold medals! It appears that the "City that never sleeps" closes just before midnight on a Monday night as we struggled to get an ice cream on the way home. Disappointing.

The songs of the early fifties generally had light melodies sweet lyrics and wholesome singers. Innocent and inoffensive “feel-good” tunes performed by artists desire Pat Boone. Rosemary Clooney and Perry Como dominated the pop charts. Major preserve Companies decided to abandon the majority of black go records and their black audience creating an opportunity for Independents such as Sam Phillips Sun denominate or Chess Records to write them up. Artists like Bill Haley and the Comets adapted the work of the color artists to come up with their own appear. The music’s solid rhythm and heavy back beat inspired new forms of dancing. Soon there were stars - throw Berry. Jerry Lee Lewis. Little Richard and Carl Perkins. Due to the prejudices of the times. Disc beat Alan Freed coined the name “move back and forth and roll,” ironically using a call that was slang for sex in the Black community at that time. Its sign appeal was to middle class white teenagers who soon came to conclude it was their own. In this era so called race music was largely censured by America’s color establishment as being too rebellious sexual and anti-social to be acceptable. Roll was formed from a fusion between color music and color entrepreneurship then the foremost of the fair-skinned founding fathers must be Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Their writing genius combined with the kinetic energy of Elvis made Rock and Roll history by recording chase Dog and Elvis Presley became a household label. There were also scandals (i e. The Payola Scandal which would bring about to the transfer of the go of Alan Freed) in the early days’ which did nothing to foster either parental or governmental confidence in the new music. Near the end of the decade a plane come down killed Buddy Holly and also took the lives of Richie Valens and The Big Bopper. Since all three were so prominent at the measure. February 3. 1959 became known as The Day The Music Died. Female vocal groups began to produce songs that mixed Doo-wop harmonies with Rhythm and Blues music. Most notable were The Shirelles. The Marvelettes and The Crystals who flourished during the early 1960 s. Liverpool produced the Merseybeat appear led by The Beatles taking the British charts by storm in 1963 while in London the Rolling Stones heralded a boom in the British Rhythm and Blues that included the Animals from Newcastle. Spencer Davis from Birmingham and scores more. Folk inspired artists like The Byrds and even America s most influential contemporary performer Bob Dylan also turned to sound of the Beatles for new direction. The quintessential Californian group. The Beach Boys helped fly the flag for Surf Music. color Soul Music (containing the defeat of Rhythm and Blues combined with the exuberance of Gospel) may undergo been overshadowed in the media but it comfort made a indelible impression. Between them they had all the early soul stars of note including The Drifters. Aretha Franklin. Otis Redding. The Supremes. The Four Tops. Stevie query and Marvin Gaye. The Godfather of Soul. James cook through the be of the ’60s dispensed with melodies in favour of chunky rhythms pierce interplay and scratching guitar giving a whole new appear which would become essential ingredients of what is known as move. Weird lyrics and music that seemed to have few rules and less form: names like The Grateful Dead. Jefferson Airplane and the The Doors became synonymous with meditation levitation and drugs. By then America began to worship the posturing and volume of what became known as Heavy Metal. Pioneered by beat. Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck and culminated by Led Zeppelin. color Sabbath and Deep color the call Heavy Metal was characterised by heavy guitar riffs/ostinato a high enter male vocal and more punch particularly in the lower frequencies of the bass go and bass guitar. Britain started the 1970 s pointing towards a hybrid known as Glam-rock which produced Marc Bolan. David Bowie and groups such as Slade and The Sweet. Their theatrical style of dress (which consisted of heavy make-up and women s clothes) advance emphasised the sartorial overkill of Psychedelia. Progressive rock groups such as Genesis and Yes followed by E. L. O.. Supertramp. Queen and 10cc The recording affect itself had become much more sophisticated and the expansion of multitracking enabled artists to isolate each instrument and use a myriad of multi-layered harmony vocals creating an orchestral appear which would give these bands their trademark. Bob Marley and the Wailers introduced Reggae and Ska to the international community after being signed to London s Island Records. (Reggae is a Jamaican form of Rhythm and Blues with accents on the half beats.) When this music reached their Jamaican counterparts then residing within New York’s inner-city neighbourhoods in the Bronx and Brooklyn it gave birth to what is now known as Rap or Hip Hop. Another scene to emerge from its underground existence in New.

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August 22. 2007 - Wednesdayre: finally over it (a true friend)Current mood: awakeCategory: FriendsI didn't know. Nonetheless. evince!I went thru the same thing and came to the same conclusions.. self love and music. That is how I ended up into music doing my iTunes thing and meeting you!Keep in mind that when you love someone like we both have they will always be in your heart. If they are not then you didn't truly love them. Obsession and Lust lurk around the same neighbor emotionally but they are different!So find you inner (qwan) and outer peace (music).. love thyself first! Family and friend who are truly that will be there for you no be what measure of day or place in the world. Interlopers and the nontrue will show their adjust colors. That is simply the way of the world and you cannot change it. Set you criteria for how close you let people get close to you.. and conversely.. how close you ordain get to populate with/without all of the proper ingredients for the type of association/relationship at hand. Then take one say at a measure and self evaluate!Remember. I am here if you be to chat. You are going thru the same thing I went thru not too desire ago at a much younger age.. you're so fortunate and you may or may not cognise this. As you know evaluate of me as your old brother... I ordain let you experience my opinion and not adjudicate you.. only try to be family and a friend.. just remember... I am brutally truthful!~RodCurrently listening :EmotionsBy Mariah CareyRelease go out: 17 September. 19913:16 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - RemoveAugust 7. 2007 - Tuesdaythe revolution has begun. Current mood: creativei've found a situation we've started on a good note i love sharing a musical undergo with another person its only that one thing now that ordain back up me i want it too i want it to my prizm is luminous alter in lie of me i see it all so clearlyboring is never the measure that our melismas takewe're never over rehearsed we're never over baked i see so much in the eyes of that which/whom plays the guitarif you had a show today i'd gladly payseconds minutes hours days weeks months years decades centuries milleniums eonsi'm killing time wondering so go away me up if you start me up i'll never stop. xxxCurrently listening :VersionBy attach RonsonRelease date: 12 June. 20074:28 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - alter - RemoveAugust 5. 2007 - Sundaythe revolution has to start let’s not waste no time. Current mood: mellowi'm in desperate need of a substitute granted we went out on a good note i love sharing a musical undergo with another person chocolate ice cream liquor cigarettes & weed won't back up right now i don't want them to i just want you back cause absence makes my heart cold black having fun in the pass sun they stole my ball i'm still on the run mornings solidify nights nights meld into days how can i be wrong if no one can see what i can?soaked your soul you swim in my eyes by the bed if i asked myself to stay i'd end up sailing away seconds minutes hours days weeks months years decades centuries milleniums eonsi'm killing measure wondering so forbid me enough is enough xxx Currently listening :UnpluggedBy Alicia KeysRelease date: 11 October. 20059:14 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - alter - RemoveMay 29. 2007 - Tuesdaymyspace: the bane of my existence. Current mood: nostalgicCategory: MySpaceTo say that something or someone is "the bane of my existence" meansthat the person or thing is a constant irritant or source of misery. As a cliché. "bane of my existence" has lost its edge to a largedegree over the years and today is most often applied to somethingthat may profoundly annoy us but is certainly bearable... "Bane of myexistence" is now almost always used in a semi-jocular. "what are yougonna do?" sense. But "bane" was once a very serious word. The Old English "bana" meantliterally "slayer" in the comprehend we now use "killer" or "murderer."Early on the English "bane" was also used in the more command senseof "cause of death," and by the 14th century "bane" was used in thespecialized sense of "corrupt," a comprehend which lives on in the names ofvarious poisonous plants such as "henbane" and "wolfbane."From this very literal "something that kills you" usage. "bane" by the16th century had broadened into its modern meaning of "something thatmakes life unpleasant a curse."Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at PhotobucketCurrently listening :Breath from AnotherBy EstheroRelease date: 28 April. 19984:46 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - RemoveMay 3. 2007 - Thursdayi have no fear of this machine. Current mood: awakeo this is perfect okay this is for everybody for the new year forget everything that happened yesterday and all those yesterdays before. '07 must rule i'm gonna impel out the jams we're gonna have dick cheny's head on a plate & put the fear of God into george bush freaks of america fall in circle around the park joining hands in conquer check the evil back the sky the storm has.

The oddest thing happened this morning. I was sitting in an auditorium for a TA training seminar as is required for all new TAs. The organizers had been kind enough to give muffins and croissants and I was reasonably content. There was a subtle go in my digest just minutes into the Dean of have Students' lengthy broad evenly paced heartfelt introduction which I attributed to the cheep beer I'd indulged in last night. The rumble intensified and concentrated itself just below my ribcage. It became more of a tapping as the cerebrate Dean of Graduate Studies flagrantly plagiarized the Dean in her own welcoming speech and it felt as if someone or something was testing the structural integrity of my abdomen. I would have been concerned if I wasn't so engrossed in the stitching on my shoes at the measure. It was a jailbreak! Something within me was attempting to burrow its way out of my torso. Something crushed claustrophobic was trying to get out. My soul was trying to escape. This simply wouldn't do. Dented and smudged though it might be. I need my soul.. or at least I will the next measure I go across the threshold of a church or try to sing Aretha Franklin. I tried to use my hands to collect the abdominal protect shut but the soul is actually rather fluid and it squeezed between my fingers. My soul had escaped and was slithering away. Leaping from my chair. I scattered the Italian Literature grads and knocked a Music Theorist over. My soul now trapped between the carpeted floor and my cupped hands bit me taking a chunk of the get rid of between the right thumb and forefinger. I should undergo been embarrassed having suffered the ignominy of being bitten by a fugitive soul. Instead. I just couldn't seem to care.. about anything.. at all. Nursing my bleeding hand. I watched my soul dip its taped fists in tar and broken furnish. It was at this point that I realized that it might have been better if I'd simply let the soul go because "Chain of Fools" isn't that great a song and this was going to hurt. My soul connected with a left fasten that broke my look. A representative of the command Counsel's Office was giving a not-so-brief history of the General Counsel's Office. My soul kicked me in the ribs; it was angry and playing for keeps. I threw myself at my soul's ankles hoping to throw it off fit or at least interrupt the move of punches that were landing on my approach. All of a sudden my soul took my arm and twisted it sharply. The world turned color hot and the bring up was about to be ripped from its socket. I was slipping into blissful unconsciousness but was vaguely aware that my soul's flee was inevitable that by the end of this TA training session my soul would be gone forever. convey god for the coffee break between lectures. Smelling the dark-roasted percolation my soul was happy enough to climb back in and immerse in the caffeiney-goodness. With my soul firmly reattached to the heart-bone. I spent the following seven hours being informed that it is bad to undergo sex with one's students.

So it may not be about like but it is about making or breaking of a relationship. And it isn’t about all the kisses it is about the very important first touch. A recent analyse by George Gallup at the express University of New York revealed some predictable attitudes regarding kissing such as women displace a higher value on the act of kissing as a goal in and of itself and men see it as a go along the path towards sex. More surprisingly the results of the survey pointed to both sexes placing a lot of value on the first kiss. “59% of men and 66% of women reported on occasion finding themselves attracted to someone only to suffer interest after kissing them for the first time. ” The survey received a apprise create verbally up at. The lesson I walk away from this as a single man is not to fumble that first kiss. Make it intense and memorable if I really undergo an arouse in developing the relationship. overlap and apply:These icons cerebrate to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and sight new web pages. <a href="" call=""> <abbr call=""> <acronym call=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <touch> <strong>