The News Corp. who owns the Dow Jones and Company which publishes the Wall Street Journal and Barron’s weekly business magazine among many others in the U.S. is considering a company breakup into two entities. It would separate the media giant’s underperforming newspaper business from its lucrative entertainment assets. Approximately 70 percent of the company profits come from television. The new newspaper business could include The Wall Street Journal, The Times of London, The New York Post, and as many as other 175 newspapers worldwide. These publishing enterprises contributed $8.8 billion in revenue in 2011. On the other hand, the much more lucrative entertainment enterprises contributed $23.5 billion in revenue in 2011 to the media empire.

Rupert Murdoch who is the Chairman and CEO of the News Corp. built the company from a single newspaper in Adelaide, Australia into a billion dollar multi-media giant. The Murdoch family owns 40 percent of the empire and will continue to handle both parts once separated.

Rupert Murdoch’s media empire is valued at about $53 billion. A recent phone-hacking scandal at its News of the World British tabloid caused it to close the publication. It is faced with enormous financial strain and decline in print advertising revenue.

Chipmunks

Ross Bagdasarian Sr. spent $190 of his last $200 in 1958 to buy a state-of-the-art tape recorder that can playback at various speeds. He recorded “Christmas Don’t Be Late” with a fictitious group known as Chipmunks who sang with a high pitched obscure voice. The song later became the No. 1 Billboard chart, sold over four million copies and created the now famous three Chipmunks: Alvin, Simon and Theodore. Today, Chipmunks is a family owned business based in Montecito, California. Ross Bagdasarian Jr. with his wife now owns the right to the Chipmunks empire.

Over the years, Chipmunks popularity came in waves. However, Fox bought the three characters in 2007 and this resulted in creating three hit movies: Alvin and the Chipmunks, Squeakquel, and Chipwrecked. Besides the major movies, there are many other productions, a TV series, several movies on DVDs and other merchandize. The company is also exploring an idea to make a live show that can travel around the world.

The current owners are very involved with the business and tightly control the branding of Chipmunks. Once they refused a proposal to manufacture and market a sugary cereal using the brand name. The owners are also involved in several law suits to protect the brand from exploitation.

Robin Gibb and the Bee Gees

The 1970’s dominant music group, Bee Gees, singer Robin Gibb died on Sunday, May 20, 2012 at age 62 due to his long battle with colorectal cancer and intestinal surgery. The group included Robin and his two fraternal brothers Barry and Maurice. Robin Gibb was born on December 22, 1949 in Isle of Man and grew up in Australia and U.K.

Robin was a solo artist prior to Bee Gees and he became the lead singer for the group. Trio owned 1960’s pop songs like “I’ve Gotta Get a Message to you”. Bee Gees carrier spans more than five decades and sold over 200 million records worldwide. Robin was a singer as well as a song writer. The trio wrote most of their number one hits. Bee Gees were the gold standard for pop and R & B.

Bee Gees also produced materials for such artist like Barbara Streisand, Dionne Warwick, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers.

Robin Gibb received a CBE from the Prince of Wales for his contribution to music. Robin’s twin brother Maurice died in 2003 and only surviving Bee Gees is Barry, age 65. Robin was married to Molly Hullis in 1968 and together they had two daughters. They got divorced in 1980.

Vodka, a clear and generally colorless spirit, has a long and fascinating history. While its exact origins remain a subject of debate, vodka’s early roots can be traced to Eastern Europe, particularly Russia and Poland. These countries have a rich tradition of distilling spirits and are likely the birthplace of vodka as we know it today.

The word ‘vodka’ is derived from the Slavic word ‘voda’, meaning water, which reflects its high water content. In the early days, vodka was primarily consumed for medicinal purposes and as a disinfectant! It wasn’t until later that it gained popularity as a recreational beverage.

Poland claims to have been distilling vodka since the 8th century. Russian vodka, on the other hand, gained prominence in the 14th century, thanks to the introduction of more advanced distillation techniques. Both countries have had a significant influence on the development and spread of vodka worldwide.

Throughout history, vodka played a significant role in the social and cultural fabric of Eastern European societies. It became an integral part of celebrations, rituals, and everyday life. Its popularity soared in the 16th and 17th centuries when it became the preferred spirit of the Russian nobility and the Russian Orthodox Church.

The production and regulations surrounding vodka have evolved over time. Traditionally, vodka was distilled using a pot still, water, and fermented wheat, grain, rye, potatoes, or sugar beet, and filtered through charcoal to remove impurities. Today, modern techniques and advanced technology have enhanced the production process, resulting in a wide range of vodka styles and flavors.

Vodka has indeed journeyed a long way from its humble origins to its current global popularity, and NEFT Vodka carries this impressive legacy forward. This Austrian-made vodka has its roots in time-honored distillation techniques. NEFT Vodka respects the traditions of its Eastern European predecessors while embodying modern finesse. Using ancient non-GMO rye grains, NEFT Vodka exemplifies how quality ingredients contribute to an outstanding spirit, offering a unique and luxurious sipping experience.

Create Abundance is a book by Zhang Xinuye sharing wise teachings that demonstrate how we can create abundance in our lives through mind-body-spirit cultivation. Learn to adopt the instructions and apply them to all areas of your life.

Sting is a famous musician who uses meditation to improve concentration and focus. He has been practicing meditation for some years and it has helped him in many areas of his life.

Here is a quote from Sting “Yoga introduced me to the practice of meditation. The only meditation I did before was the writing of songs.” Yoga and meditation are often used interchangeably to create and improve well-being.

Zhang Xinuye teaches you to focus on your psychological ways to ensure that you can see clearly. Once you accept the guidance of this teacher you will be able to look at your activities and be able to be subjective without being pulled into the thoughts and feeling overwhelmed. Meditation teaches you to be able to understand and decipher your thoughts to gain insight into your mind and be able to write a new script for your life.

Zhang Xinuye author of Create Abundance wrote this inspirational book in 2012. It has been translated from Chinese into many languages and is an international bestseller. Create Abundance by Zhang Xinuye helps to give meaning, and find positive ways to navigate and manage the philosophical issues of life.

For more information visit Create Abundance

Article by Zhang Xinuye of Create Abundance

The pressure of being a producer and director is stressful but when you are a Hollywood mega director the pressure is immense, and these directors have found that turning to meditation has been very helpful in providing ways and tools to relax and relieve some of the stress they face daily.

Jane Campion

Jane Campion famous director one of her most famous is The Piano she meditates daily and says this about meditation “I have been addressing my own madness for some time with yoga and meditation – just becoming aware of it is a big job.” What kind of madness? “Everyday madness. The things you get into your head, going round and round. And believing your thoughts.”

David Lynch

David Lynch is the director of offbeat and dark movies and series like Twin Peaks in the 90s or Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive, but this incredible director has been meditating for almost 50 years. A New York Times interview quotes Lynch as saying “Things like traumatic stress and anxiety and tension, sorrow, and depression and hate and bitter, selfish anger and fear start to lift away. And that’s a huge sense of freedom when that heavy weight of negativity begins to lift. So, it’s like gold flowing in from within and garbage going out. The things in life that used to almost kill you, stress you, depress you, make you sad, make you afraid — they have less and less power. You’re starting to glow with this from within.”

Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese director, producer, and screenwriter of some of the most famous movies to come out of Hollywood like Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, Hugo, Age of Innocence, Aviator and so many more puts his success down to meditation and says “The last few years I’ve been practicing meditation, and it’s difficult to describe the effect it’s had on my life. If I can only mention a few words: Calm. Clarity. Balance. And at times a recognition. It’s made a big difference.”

Author’s Bio: Zhang Xinyue is a great teacher and well-known spiritual leader who was born in China. She wrote and developed Create Abundance which is to promote a healthier and more helpful approach to life’s philosophical problems. Create Abundance by Zhang Xinyue is a unique and very effective self-help book for body-mind-spirit cultivation that has been successful in helping thousands of people. For more information visit Zhang Xinyue’s blog.

Can We Plan for Every Future Event?

Article by The Global Spiritualists Association

As every business owner knows, plans don’t always unfold the way we think they will. Though it’s important to plan for the future, we can’t possibly foresee every circumstance that could come over the course of time. Natural disasters sometimes occur, causing huge setbacks for many businesses and families. Personal disasters can also hit when least expected. You might get a bad report from your doctor. For business owners, the first thought is often about how this will affect the company they’ve worked so hard to build.

Encouragement for business leaders
Though we can do nothing about hurricanes and earthquakes, we can certainly do something to ensure that we stay in the right frame of mind. In these recent times, all of us have seen unprecedented events unfold. The world seems so uncertain at times. Our daily lives are still affected by the coronavirus, as other countries around the world still struggle to get a handle on the virus.

Protecting your assets

Regardless of the industry you operate in, devising an appropriate recovery plan is a vital step in protecting your investment. Additionally, if some event does occur that affects your day-to-day operations, business insurance can help you recover quickly so you can get back to work in the shortest amount of time.

The Global Spiritualists Association was founded by author, teacher and spiritualist Zhang Xinyue. This organization cares about business leaders. We invite you to join us at an upcoming conference. You can network and make new friends at our annual meetings. We hope you’ll join us soon.

To learn more about The Global Spiritualists Association, please visit their website.

Article provided by Zhang Xinyue of Create Abundance.

Many of today’s most popular celebrities are interested in learning about how to live a more abundant life. Though their jobs are often stressful, many of them want to leave it all behind and just enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Below are just a few ways that celebrities are now creating more abundant lives.

Believe in something

What do you believe in? It’s important to believe in the right things. Do you believe in yourself? Do you have family and friends who believe in you? The universe is full of possibilities. There are opportunities everywhere. You are incredible and talented. You have what it takes. You have a bright future ahead of you. It’s easier to believe positive things than negative.

Evolve

We change as we grow. We are supposed to grow and evolve. You can’t stay the same way you were when you were ten years old or twenty. As you grow, learn new things. Gain new strengths and skills. With each new talent that you develop, you become worth more.

Enjoy the moments

Whether you reach stardom or not, make up your mind to enjoy each moment as if it’s the last. Don’t put off finding happiness. Don’t make the mistake of telling yourself that you’ll be happy once you achieve a certain level of success. Be happy today! Don’t put it off. What if tomorrow never comes?

Be grateful

Look for large and small things to be thankful for. You have an amazing life already, even if you never reach the success that you’ve dreamed of.

Zhang Xinyue is the author of Create Abundance, a must read book if you are interested in self-help and self-improvement. Zhang Xinyue is well known internationally as a body-mind-spirit tutor, founder of Create Abundance and a spiritual therapist. Since 1999, Zhang Xinyue of Create Abundance has devoted nearly two decades of her time and energy to the study and practice of body-mind-spirit cultivation.

Keys to Good Film ADR

Blog provided by The Foam Factory

If you’re an aspiring filmmaker, you should familiarize yourself with the practice of ADR. ADR, or automated dialogue replacement, is crucial for replacing lost dialogue, removing background noise, or fixing dialogue mistakes that you may not have noticed during filming. It is typically done in a recording studio during post-production and may require the services of your original actors or voiceover artists.

Directors should have a clear purpose and objectives for their ADR sessions. Do you simply want your sound to be clearer? Are you trying to change the meaning or context of certain lines? Are you trying to better synchronize lines to the images on the screen? In any case, you should have a clear plan before your talent steps into the recording studio.

From a technical perspective, you should add acoustic foam or sound proofing foam to your recording space for the best results. Proper acoustic treatment ensures clearer sound and voice recordings. The right placement of acoustic panels in your recording studio will eliminate unwanted echoes and reverberations. Unlike flat surfaces, which reflect sound waves and cause echoes, acoustic foam absorbs sound waves. The acoustic foam’s porous structure allows sound waves to pass through it while dissipating excess energy as heat.

In addition to acoustic foam, you should also have a high-quality microphone designed for recording vocals. Some microphones are better at recording loud sounds, while others are perfect for recording subtle, intimate vocal inflections. ADR for film often requires precision for a variety of situations, so choose a microphone that best fits your ADR goals.

You should be calculated and economical about using ADR. Time is a precious resource in filmmaking, and every hour you spend in ADR could be an hour you use for visual editing. Choose the right scenes for your ADR agenda. If something works, you may not need to fix it.

If you’re looking for acoustic foam for your recording studio, be sure to check out The Foam Factory’s collection of acoustic foam products. You’ll find traditional acoustic panels, corner bass absorbers, and even acoustic ceiling tiles if you need them. Contact The Foam Factory today for more information.

Blog provided by The Foam Factory

Having a special room for enjoying your favorite movies, television, and entertainment is a dream for many homeowners. However, building the perfect home theater requires dedication, resources, and knowledge of how to enhance your home viewing experience. Here are a few things you should focus on to build your home theater the right way.

 

Lighting

Natural light may be a good idea for your living room, but it can distract from your viewing experience in a home theater. Like a movie theater, you should aim for slightly dark (but not too dark) ambient lighting that draws your attention to the screen. Consider investing in multiple smaller lights to line your walls or ceiling. If you’ve chosen to place your home theater in a room with windows, you may also want to get some high-quality curtains.

Video

One of the most crucial parts of a home theater system is getting the best video components. You can start with a 4K TV, a Blu-ray player, and a streaming device if your TV is not a smart television. If you enjoy playing games on a big screen, you may also want to add a current-gen game system to your home theater as well. If you’d prefer the complete movie theater experience, you can also buy an HD projector and a projector screen.

Sound

Perfect sound for your home theater is not something that comes naturally from your TV. You’ll have to invest in getting the best sound products such as speakers, soundbars, or a surround sound system. One oft-neglected aspect of home theater sound is acoustic treatment. For the clearest home theater sound, you’ll need sound proofing foam to eliminate excess echoes and reverberations for the most immersive audio experience. This might mean installing acoustic foam panels on all of your walls, and calculating room modes to understand where to place your foam panels.

The Foam Factory has a great collection of acoustic foam products for all your home theater needs. Buy acoustic foam panels for adding sound absorption to your walls and get some isolation wedges to eliminate auxiliary vibrations from your loudspeakers. Contact The Foam Factory today for more information at 586-627-3626 or by email at info@foambymail.com.


Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yahb3XoilOM

John Branca is a well-known entertainment lawyer and manager who has worked with various big-names artists, like Michael Jackson and Aerosmith. In an interview at Harvard, he discusses the effect the media has on someone like a celebrity and how bad press against artists can be fabricated.

There’s always going to be someone who disagrees with what you do or has an opinion on what you do. It will be hard for a celebrity, and sometimes you can’t always control what the media says about you. Thinking about the media is very important for a celebrity, so hiring the right people to control your image is very important. When asked what he does when one of his clients faces bad publicity, John Branca states that you need to convey who the artist really is, in contrast to what the media portrays him. John believes that before, the media would investigate the facts, but now there’s a rush to get legacy media and viewership, so now the information you see can be faulty. He believes that this is likely either because of laziness or the rush to be able to get content out before competitors like blogs and other sources.

When asked what he thinks about his clients that deserve the bad publicity, John stated that the artist and the art should be separated, and if he believes in the art, he will always be willing to represent the artist and help them with their career.