Pan American Television

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.

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.

Written by: Omar Amanat

Summary: Video streaming services are becoming a huge part in everyday life. It’s up to you to decide which service is worth your investment.

Netflix and Amazon Prime are two of the largest players in the movie streaming market today. While both have their pros and cons, this guide is designed to help you cater to your interests and make your investment more worthwhile.

Streaming is the New “TV”

Needless to say, video streaming is now a major part of daily lives, pushing TV services in the depths of solidarity. The convenience of having movies and TV shows at your fingertips at any time of the day allow for users to access it whenever they want. This means no more recording shows, forgetting to watch your favorite series, or even have trouble with reception and service.

The Features

Before diving into the pros and cons, you can experience both services by signing up for a 30-day trial. This is strongly suggested and is also good way to play around with all the features.

Netflix recently changed its stars rating system to a “thumbs up/thumbs down” system. Previously, users were able to rate a show or movie from 1-5 stars. However, Netflix claimed the system was flawed – hence the drastic change. While this isn’t a dealbreaker, it’s worth mentioning as it can take a while to adjust to.

You’re probably already aware of all the basics of both services, but both allow for media streaming on Smart TVs, game consoles, computers and laptops, and mobile devices. Additionally, both streaming services are regularly updated with new shows and movies to watch – you can even check their official website to see what’s releasing.

This is where it gets interesting however. While both services offer unlimited streaming, the variety is significantly different. There are shows that are available exclusively for one network as opposed to the other. It’s recommended that you take a look at both sites and search for a specific genre that you mostly watch. Take a look at the variety of movies and shows that are available and go from there.

Written by Costbuys

TV technology has evolved over the years. There was high-definition at 720p and then 1080p. Recent advancement has come thick and fast and in some cases might even eclipse existing technologies before they mature. Here is a look at the most recent and most prominent technology to hit the TV:

3D

Avatar made 3D popular and was thought be the next big thing in movie theaters and at home. Sadly, not all movies took to 3D and the ones that did were mostly poor uses of the technology. There are several theories on why 3D failed, but the most believe that it will make a comeback when glassless 3D is a possibility. Still, almost all TV’s have 3D support.

4K/8K

This is the next big thing is basically an increase in the number of pixels on the screen. There are various names for the standard but the most popular (aside from 4K) is UHD (for Ultra High Definition). The resolution of a UHD display is 3840×2160. The problem for 4k is both the lack of content and the fact that people are already talking about 8K. As a result, there are plenty of shopping deals for 4K TVs already.

HDR

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range and has the ability to display a much wider spectrum of colors. The goal is a much more realistic depiction of real life on screen. It does this by preserving the details in the brightest and darkest parts of the screen. These details are lost in current TV standards. One thing to look out for is the contrast ratio and brightness on the shopping website when buying an HDR TV.

_________________________________________________________

Costbuys requires customers to think about their pantries and their homes a bit differently when they buy online as they get a discount online when they place orders for larger quantities.

Sound deadening foam has many uses that determine how sound moves around a room, and how it fills the space in that room. Using different foam panels, you can redirect sound, eliminate white noise for a crisper recording, dampen bass and more. It’s all about learning which panels are best for diffusion, and which are best for absorption.

Diffusion

When you diffuse sound, you spread it throughout the space. Diffusion is good when you need to hear something in a larger space. It helps reduce echo, while filling the room with sound. These types of acoustic foam panels tend to have sharp edges to them. The sound just bounces off those edges at it travels through space.

Diffusing foam panels include:

• Pyramid panels
• Wedge panels
• Spade panels (while they absorb sound, they also help clarify it)

Deadening

Deadening the sound in a room helps to remove echo, reduce white noise exposure and create an excellent space for recording. Sound deadening can also be useful in apartments, where loud music systems can cause problems with neighbors. In general deadening panels tend to be much flatter than diffusal panels.

Deadening acoustic foam includes:

• Eggcrate panels (especially effective when used with soundproofing cloth)
• Grid panels
• Wave panels

Final Thoughts

Appearance also plays a role, which is why eggcrate is the least expensive option for sound deadening. If you’re trying to build a professional recording studio, grid or wave panels are going to be your first choice. They look nice, do the job well, and provide the best absorption for the cost. You may also want corner bass absorbers, which help to remove echo that the acoustic foam can’t catch in the corners of the room.

The Foam Factory, Inc. carries a variety of sound deadening foam panels for use in the home, or at a professional recording studio.

Celebrities have their own hairstylists and makeup artists to improve their looks. Makeup tricks and corrections make celebrities more attractive. Their hair is always styled and their skin always looks flawless. You may not have makeup artists or hairstylists at your beck and call, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t achieve the looks of celebrities. Here are 6 really simple celebrity looks that you can copy.

#1 Elegant Bun
Selena Gomez’s elegant bun can be achieved by brushing your hair into a high ponytail using a paddle brush. Pull your ponytail through a hair donut in order for it to sit on top of your head, then spread your locks around. Tuck your hair around and underneath the hair donut. Use bobby pins to secure your hair and top it off with an anti-frizz spray to keep it in place.

#2 Radiant Skin
It’s possible to achieve Miranda Kerr’s radiant skin. Use a light-reflecting foundation for the base, then apply a highlighter stick on your nose, cupid’s bow, cheekbones and brow bone. Apply a peachy pink gloss on your lips and finish your look with individual lashes.

#3 Half up, Half down
If you want to copy Kendall Jenner’s cool half-up ‘do, just apply a thickening hair gel around the crown of your head then grab the hair from your crown and twist it into a high bun. Secure the bun with a tie and spritz some texturing spray on the remaining locks.

#4 Smoky Eyes
To achieve Elizabeth Olsen’s rose-colored smoky eyes, apply a burnt copper shade across your eyelids. Use a shimmery brown liner to define your lids, then use your fingers to blend the different shades. Apply a black coat, then pump up your lash volume with some mascara. After that, dust your cheeks with a bronze blush and finish off with a matte, peachy brown lipstick.

#5 Get a Smooth Chignon
Use a rat-tail comb to make a deep side part. Start from the arch of one eyebrow, then apply a styling cream to your hair. Brush your hair back to your nape. Gather up your hair and twist it firmly at the base of your head in order for it to naturally coil into a chignon. Tuck the twist and use bobby pins to secure it. For extra shine, spritz some dry, finishing spray on your hair.

#6 Sultry Lips
If you want to try Gigi Hadid’s sultry lips, use a mauve-tinted brown pencil to line your lip. Apply a liquid lipstick in the same color. To balance the color, apply shimmery champagne shadow on the inner corners of your eyes. Finish it off by applying a luminous bronzer on your jawline, cheekbones and temple.

Adore Cosmetics uses organic fruits and botanical extracts to offer innovations in skin care driven by formulations from plant stem cells, gold, vitamin C and more to promote smooth, youthful-looking skin. Read Adore Cosmetics reviews online at Adore Cosmetics.

If you’re looking into sound deadening foam, you’ll quickly realize you have more than a few options to choose from. These foam products fulfill different needs, and work at different ranges. This guide will discuss the three major varieties of soundproofing foam, but there are many to choose from. Of the many, people seem to usually go for wedge, pyramid or egg crate foam patterns.

Wedge Foam

So called “wedge” acoustic foam has wedges cut into it, which are usually about one to four inches in thickness. It functions best at the mid-high frequency range and has much stronger absorption as the frequency is raised.

Pyramid Foam

Pyramid acoustic foam panels are better at diffusing sound than absorbing it. That’s because the pyramid wedges are cut with 4 sides that meet at a point. This provides a great deal of surface area to work with, and ultimately a slightly higher rate of absorption than wedge.

Egg Crate

Similar to what you might find in people’s beds, egg crate foam is an excellent choice for those who desire sound deadening without the money to build a professional sound studio. If you pair this type of foam with acoustic cloth, you’ll see an immediate improvement in recording quality on a rather shoestring budget. It’s excellent for home studios.

Final Thoughts

You can buy foam in sheets as thick as four inches, depending on what you need. Those foam sheets should help to either diffuse or deaden the sound. As a general rule, you want to diffuse sound to control acoustics, such that someone can stand anywhere in the room and hear clearly, and deaden sound to reduce background noise.

The Foam Factory, Inc. distributes foam products across the United States and Canada, including mattresses, acoustic foam, and packaging solutions.

Known as one of the most popular fast casual spots in the city of Los Angeles, many celebrities, shows and books have paid homage to Zankou Chicken. The restaurant is best remembered for the perfectly crispy rotisserie chicken they sell, which is seasoned using a combination of local spices. This process takes several hours, so workers are often up well before the restaurant opens.

That’s probably why a sense of pop-culture has developed around Zankou. It should be no surprise that Zankou has also been referenced in actual media too.

Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Palestinian Chicken

In the popular show Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David wrote a scene that took place inside a restaurant that was a not so subtle nod to Zankou Chicken. Although it’s not actually called “Zankou” by name, all the signs are there. One inconsistency: the Iskendarian family serves Lebanese recipes, not Palestinian chicken. Still you can see the yellow shirts and red-block writing, smell the pita and taste the garlic sauce.

Beck’s “Debra”

The song “Debra” features a not-so hidden mention of everyone’s favorite chicken spot. Supposedly, Beck is a regular at Zankou, getting it whenever he has the opportunity to do so. Although we don’t know what his favorite dish is, our guess is it’s the rotisserie chicken.

Other Mentions

If you’ve ever seen the show “Man vs. Food”, then you know the name Adam Richman. He’s among several celebrities who call Zankou Chicken one of their personal favorites. In fact, Zankou’s first Los Angeles location was in Hollywood to cater to the city’s population of starving artists, aspiring actors and ambitious screenwriters.