The Management Consulting Group

Artist: Sanity
Title: Live at 22
Format: DVD/CD
Genre: Progressive Metal
Label: Six Pack
Website: http://www.sanity.nl

The Netherlands is a hotbed of prog-rock and one of the latest entries that will enter our consciousness is Sanity. Its funny, I would think that they would have named themselves Insanity to be more inline with the formula of prog-rock being out there and different from any other music, although that sounds more like a punk name so Sanity works.

This DVD/CD set shows the band performing in a small nightclub called Twentietoe. You can tell by the reaction of the crowd after each song that there was definitely not a large throng of onlookers there. I think the band was more interested in having a decent stage to perform on to cut this video than having a typical concert hall audience to acknowledge each song. This is a low budget DVD; there is no doubt about it. The camera work is average and the lighting suspect. This is not what I am accustomed to at all; I guess you could call it a demo DVD at best.

The band does the best they can with what they have to work with so I have to give them credit. Sanity is a good band, musically they are solid and tight and the lead singer Kees van Keulen sounds like Iggy Pop and Bowie all rolled into one person. His voice suits the driving punishing riffs of guitar man Jereon Hoegee. I could most certainly appreciate the timely rhythm section of Roger van Acquoy (bass) and Fred den Hartog (drums) as well. Nathan Cairo provides the necessary symphonic elements with flurries of keyboard virtuosity to take off the harder edge of Hoegee’s guitar. The sound of Cairo’s fluttering keyboards smoothes out the edges to make it all sound like true metal-prog.

I like what I heard but the theatrics and imagery were nonexistent in this performance. I think if this band ever puts out another DVD, they need to work on getting some of those important elements to go along with their great music. I know it is expensive to provide all of that entertainment on stage and they are not to the point yet were they could do this on a regular basis. I think it is something to think about if they are going to go through all the trouble to make a DVD again. I would suggest listening to the accompanying CD first to get an idea of what they sound like then checking out what they look like onstage after that. Get some of your own imagery conjured up in your head so you can let it unfold inside your mind while watching them gig. They have a story to tell and the music to move it all along, they just need someone to discover them and help them push it out there some more.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-http://www.muzikreviews.com

February 12, 2005

Rating-6/10

01. Intro
02. No One Sleeps Tonight broadband / modem
03. A Gathering Of Souls broadband / modem
04. My Little Angel broadband / modem
05. Say broadband / modem
06. Lonely At The World broadband / modem
07. Stolen From Idols broadband / modem
08. Man Along The Line broadband / modem
09. Together As One broadband / modem
10. Victims broadband / modem
DVD-sample broadband / modem

Features: Live DVD, recorded at Twentietoe, Tiel, The Netherlands on November 20th, 2004
59 minutes live DVD of Sanity.
NTSC, All regions, Dolby Digital Surround 5.1 + Stereo
Features: Biography, Picture Gallery
Also includes bonus CD of the full concert

What’s the controversy all about?

In the 2004 Olympics, an all-star group of athletes from
around the world gathered together to compete for titles in
gymnastics. In the spirit of competition, there are always
tensions between analysts and spokespersons about whether
or not athletes deserve the medals they receive.
Sometimes, judges are found to be at fault for the
controversy, and other times the fiasco is trumped up by
uneducated speculation. In this case, the Paul Hamm stir
was due to an ancillary error.: the judges mistakenly set
his rival’s starting score at 9.9 rather than 10.0. Many
believe that it is this error that cost Yang Tae Young, the
South Korean rival of Paul Hamm, the all-around gold medal
in gymnastics.

Gymnastics judging is not a science.

This is proven again and again. There is no mathematical
way of measuring gymnastics routines — in fact, gymnastics
is perhaps one of the most subjective sports of all. No
goals are involved, as in soccer - no hoops like in
basketball; no bullseyes are involved, as in archery; one
does not go for distance or height, as in pole vaulting or
shot put. In gymnastics, an athlete is judged on form,
scored on perfection. It is exceedingly difficult to do so
accurately, as there are no vectors that can be calculated
to see if someone grasps hold of the parallel bars
incorrectly or lands with a wobble.

If you have ever been to a gymnastics competition, you
probably understand that panels look at execution for their
scoring: something that is full of twists and turns and is
poorly executed will score lower than something that is
simpler but perfectly executed. The criteria for measuring
this aspect of gymnastics include stability and landings –
whether or not he or she wavered in the element’s terminus,
or held position for less than three seconds at the end of
the routine, or took an extra step or stumbled. This does
indeed lead to criticism of the judges’ abilities to do
their job, and leads also to mistakes in scoring.

Why does Paul Hamm deserve gold?

Paul Hamm, like any other athlete, is and was not a part of
the politics of the game. He was there to compete, and
indeed, he was there to win. This is the goal of thousands
of Olympic hopefuls around the world — to go to the games
and to show their skill at the sport they love best. In
all actuality, no athlete should have to deal with the
things Paul Hamm was forced through. It is entirely
understandable that he should refuse to give up his medal
– the gold is certainly not tainted; it was his and his
alone. The mistakes of the judges are not his to bear. He
is an incredible gymnast, indeed.

Why does Yang Tae Young, his rival, not deserve gold?

Perhaps more convincing is the reason as to why Yang Tae
Young, Paul Hamm’s Korean rival, does not deserve the gold
medal so many have attributed to him. Firstly, the Korean
gymnastics team’s representative was late in calling in a
complaint, which made the investigation itself - and all
the stress associated with it - completely invalid (Olympic
rules state, that a protest needs to be made
before the end of any full game, such as with the parallel
bars, and the Koreans did not do so). Even then, the
judges were suspended, and the probing took place.
Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, even if the judges
gave Tae Young the extra .10 points warranted by the
difficulty of his routine, he still would have scored lower
than he did because of yet another ancillary error. After
the tapes were reviewed, it was revealed that Tae Young
accidentally made four holds on the bars rather than the
allotted three, which would have resulted in a deduction of
.2, still leaving him with a deficit of a tenth of a point.

The snafu regarding Paul Hamm’s gold medal - versus, of
course, giving the medal up to the South Korean team - is
regretable. There should have been no question
that Hamm deserved his medal, and he certainly should not
have had to deal with the problems around the world. Nor,
indeed, did he deserve all of the ill press surrounding his
name. The gold medal was well-earned. It certainly bears
no tarnishing, and neither does his record.

By Murray Hughes
Gymnastics Secrets Revealed
“The book EVERY gymnastics parent should read”

http://www.gymnasticssecretsrevealed.com/gymnastics-articles/paul-hamm.htm

About the Author

If your child is a gymnast and you enjoyed this article, you
will definitely enjoy reading the zero cost, 5-day course
Gymnastics Tips Course written especially for gymnastics
parents by a gymnastics parent.
http://www.GymnasticsSecretsRevealed.com

When people hear about STIHL, they think about old-world care and the handcrafted work of last century’s skilled artisans. This dedication to quality is what has made the Stihl chainsaw the most popular on the market over the last 80 years.

Stihl specializes in developing and manufacturing a wide variety of portable power tools, both gasoline and electric. When looking at purchasing a chainsaw, some due diligence should be performed, yet, I found when shopping around and asking pertinent questions, such as what brand should I look at, most of the time the answer was always…”well, you can’t beat a Stihl.”

Along with Stihl’s dedication and commitment to develop the ultimate product performance comes quite a long history of manufacturing and selling chainsaws.

Andreas Stihl developed the first electric chainsaw way back in 1926. At the time, professional loggers found his innovation very useful and were glad to take advantage of it. Andreas Stihl’s significantly improved the lives of many farmers and woodcutters who had to rely on laborious crosscut saws and axes to etch out a living. It was tough going. Timber harvesting was virtually revolutionized by Stihl’s invention.

Today,the use of Stihl chainsaws is no longer limited to the logging industry and has spread to other fields as well. The chainsaw has become such a versatile tool; while it’s use amongst professional woodcutters is wide and varied, it’s use has spread to the home owner, where the once arduous task of chopping firewood has now “become a breeze” through the application of the trusty chainsaw. The chainsaw has become an important part of the farming landscape; I remember growing up on our farm and learning to use a chainsaw at an early age. There were always trees that needed to be trimmed and land cleared. The landscaping industry have adopted the chainsaw as an important part of their make up. Contractors use of the chainsaw involves such things as cutting landscaping and cross ties as well as large timbers.

Stihl chainsaws have been constantly refined over the past 80 years. A reduction in weight and increased operating efficiency is a major reason why the chainsaw is no longer restricted to the professional woodcutting industry. Innovations such as the elastostart, anti-vibration system and improved shock absorption have catapulted the chainsaw to it’s level of versatility. Dual braking systems and the inertia activated chain brake are more reasons why Stihl has remained at the top of the chainsaw tree.

During the last few years, the company has joined the fight to protect the environment. It has come up with new ideas to develop techniques that decrease hydrocarbon emissions. This has been a blessing for people who work in restricted areas.

Andreas Stihl’s successors say that his commitment to quality has remained constant throughout the company’s history. Stihl has maintained it’s position in the power tools industry through that very commitment. And there are a lot of chainsaw users who would appreciate the lesser workloads they now face because of this versatile machine.

Dean Caporella is a professional Journalist and Sportscaster who takes an interest in a wide variety of topics. A country kid at heart Dean says… “Growing up on a farm, chainsaws were a common part of the country landscape.” Get all the latest news, views and reviews on chainsaws at www.chainsawlife.com

May you daily increase in wisdom, love, gratitude, reverence,
healing, peace, joy, happiness, laughter and prosperity. If no
one else seems to want these things for you, I do. Please accept
them with an open mind and heart. All of your pain has a single
source. That source is ignorance, or not knowing. If you knew,
deep in your heart, as well as in your head, the great secret
that few people ever know; you would never again feel the pain
you have been feeling.

The secret is two fold. Who you are and why you are. You can
hardly know who you think you are is a creation of others, fastened upon you since birth. All your life, others have defined you by their words and actions. They have convinced you that you are somebody very different than who you are. You have every right to be confused. You sense you are someone else but you can’t find that person or see her or him clearly. You can solve this problem.

The tools you need to find yourself are mocked by those who
also believe they are someone they are not. This riddle is
passed from one generation to another through all history. Here
is your key: Obtain your astrological natal chart from an
astrologer. You will have to supply the astrologer with your
date, time and place of birth. Ask someone who should know, or
seek out hospital records. If you cannot find your time or place
of birth, a fair natal or birth chart can still be constructed.

Next, seek out a numerologist or get a book or two on the
subject. When you have examined your personal astrology and
numerology, you will see the truth of my words. You will find
the person you suspected was you, your strengths and weaknesses.
You might also discover many reasons why you have been mistaken
for somebody else. You will no longer feel like a lost soul.

You will also begin to see that all things in life are
cyclical. That is, no situation remains indefinitely and change
is the way of all life. You will see that certain experiences
will repeat throughout your lifetime. As you change the way you
see them, the effects will be very different and much less
painful. You will see how patience is always rewarded and
forcing is always punished. You will see new options for your
life. You may be inspired to use these tools to better know
people close to you, instead of defining them through your pain.
This is your opportunity to be free of the pain that has denied
you so much happiness. You can handle this. You will be
lightening an unbearable load until there is no longer any load
at all. It is a rapid process, quite the opposite of
accumulating pain.

Now that you know who you are, you are ready to learn why you
are. This is detective work. You have clues to follow up. You
have experience. You have had moments of utter joy. What were
the things that created this joy? Perhaps you cannot recall any
joyful thing in your life. Look for the moments of relative
happiness. What was the cause of it? Astrology and numerology
will provide more clues, explaining what kind of things suit you
and what kind of activities are likely to provide you with
satisfaction.

You may think you came into this world with nothing. Others may
have told you so. You did not come with nothing. You came with
gifts to give or share with the rest of us, as we have gifts to
share with you, if you would only look for and accept them. The
joy you have been missing is the giving, receiving and sharing
of these gifts. All givers are unique and one of a kind. Their
gifts are likewise unique.

No two people receive gifts the same way either. To test this,
give the exact same gift to a dozen different people and
carefully observe its effect on them. This is the universal
purpose for every person who ever lived. Giving and receiving.
To only give or to only receive is to rob ourselves and others
of joy and happiness. Who can receive when no one gives? Who can
give when no one accepts?

Years of accumulated pain become an addiction. Pain we never
wanted in the first place becomes an old friend. When things go
well for us, we miss this old friend. We feel uncomfortable that
something is missing. We can no longer respond to pleasure or
enjoy it. We don’t quite understand that we are doing this by
free choice. We focus on external influence and deny ourselves
the very freedom of choice.

We fail to meet the expectations of others and don’t know what
we should expect of ourselves, simply because we don’t know who
or why we are. When we do know these things, the expectations of
others lose all importance and we become very reasonable about
what we expect of ourselves. All the pressure is then removed.
With the pressure off, we see everything more clearly, as though
a mental, emotional and spiritual fog has lifted from our lives.

Lift your eyes to heaven and give thanks for the pain you have
known. This will be the standard against which to measure your
pleasure, joy and happiness, once you have found who and why you
are. Some religions deny reincarnation. Some support it. No matter what we personally believe, the wisest assumption is that
reincarnation is the case. That you can earn a better or worse
life in this one. Numerology will tell you about the lesson you
are now here to learn. If you short circuit this learning
process, you will be forced to repeat it as you might a grade in
school. When you take matters into your own hands in the hope of
escaping your pain, instead of learning from it, your
circumstances in the next life may be far worse than this one,
with twice the pain and twice the struggle. Who would want that?

We are made to think that the beliefs of others belong to us.
We defend these beliefs as though they were our very own and
hard won. In most cases they were planted in our subconscious by
mere suggestion, as a hypnotist might do. Accept them or reject
them. It is foolish to fight for or against them. We struggle
when we need to simply relax.

We can believe whatever we choose, no matter what others say,
which is often NOT what they really believe. Because we can
choose whatever we want to believe, we can believe things that
cause us pain. We can just as easily believe things that give us
pleasure. The natural person seeks pleasure. The confused person
chooses pain. If we can only care enough about the world around
us and how we fit, we can end all confusion and totally
transform a life that only seems to have so little value. Think
of yourself as the caterpillar who cannot know a great
transformation is in the works.

A small book that can be read in a few hours, teaches anyone
how to tap into and direct the power that transforms
caterpillars into butterflies, at will. It is titled the Seven
Spiritual Laws of Success. It was written by Deepak Chopra. Once
you have learned who and why you are, this book will show you
how to be and do what you choose and what you must. It will show
you how to find true happiness. The world would be a far better
place if everyone read this book in school. The more we read it
and follow its advice, the more peace and happiness we find
within us. Drop me a line when you emerge from your cocoon.

Ed Howes sought and found, knocked and entered. Now he sees things differently. To see more of what he sees, please visit http://www.justanotherview.com or do an author search here at Ezine Articles.

This simple question can take on several different forms, but if you have your own web site, all are equally important. Don’t worry, this isn’t a sales letter, and it’s well worth a read.

That opening question can mean “where is your web site hosted?”, or “where in the search engines is your web site?”, or it can mean “where in your marketing does it appear?”

Let’s take the first option. Do you actually know where your web site is held? To most people, it’s not really that important, as long as you receive the service you require. The problem comes when you don’t really know what’s available. Get your current web site provider to tell you exactly what you are getting, and how much you are paying for each component of it, and then compare it with other companies. This is a very competitive market and you need to know what you can get for your money.

The next question is vital. Do you know whether people are finding your web site from search engines, and what they are typing in to find it? There are many key phrases that the majority of people use to locate businesses or products and services. Some of these will be obvious, but others can be more obscure.

You can use little tricks to gain more visitors. For example, there may be a common mis-spelling that people use to find your site that you could take advantage of. Sometimes, you can achieve top results by implementing such terms into your web site content. Analyse your web site traffic, or ask your web site provider to show you a report on how your visitors find you, then work out an action plan to improve the results. The key to a successful web site is constant monitoring and ‘tweaking’.

Thirdly, where is your web site on your marketing material? For most businesses it should be on your business cards, letterheads and stationery. It should also be included in any advertising you undertake. If you have an answering machine, tell your callers about your web site and its’ address on your greeting so they can view it whilst they await your return call. Create a signature for every outgoing email message that you and your company send out, with a link to your web site. Also, ensure that everyone in your organisation knows what your web site address is.

Use your web site as a marketing tool when talking to clients and prospects over the phone. Ask them to look at it while you speak and direct them to relevant areas instead of posting out brochures. With a more visual and immediate response as this, you could gain more customers. Why not place small window stickers in your vehicle windows? Think about how many people you pass during your average journey to the office. If you have remote staff or field staff, think about how many people will see their vehicle during a day. With today’s traffic, most drivers have plenty of time to write down the address!

So, where is YOUR web site?

About The Author

Brendon Mills operates the web design firm LemonEye Ltd in the UK (http://www.lemoneye.com). His designs are unique and well thought out. And his promotion strategies get results.

Have you ever joined an affiliate program with a great product/service but still can’t make big money (if any)? Then where in the world all these affiliates with a big pay check came from? Can you still make money as an affiliate? The answer is YES.

Money can be made from affiliate program as many people still do everyday. Two major problems people fail to make big money from affiliate program:
- They only get a small percent of commission.
- Too many people joined the same affiliate program. Sometimes well over 100,000 affiliates for a single affiliate program.

Making money from affiliate program is not simple as put up a link in your website and expect lots of people to click on it. Even though, some people do make money this way but most of them are not big money. In order to make big money you need a strategy.

Your own opt in email list is probably the best way to make big money from an affiliate program. Building a list will take time but the reward at the end is well worth it. There is higher chance person in your own list will buy a similar product/service or it is complement with the one that you offer. The best of both worlds if you could capture the potential customer’s email before send them off to the affiliate’s website because you are now own that list and you can promote other products/services in the future. Don’t go crazy by offering anything and think people will buy it. Also, never make people in your opt in list feel you are just an advertiser. Give them some valuable information before recommend a product/service. Never recommend a product/service that you do not like it yourself.

The second way to make big money with affiliate is to find a super-affiliate. What is a super-affiliate? Super-affiliate is affiliate with his/her own opt in email list. If you asked a super-affiliate to join an affiliate program and if he/she does then that means he/she is under you whenever someone from his/her list purchases the product/service you will get a commission from it. It’s a win-win situation. Only a few super-affiliates you already build yourself an army of affiliates. An advantage of the second method is time saving. It’s won’t take as much time as build a list but it is a challenge to convince a super-affiliate to join the affiliate program that you are promoting.

There you have the two best ways to make big money with affiliate program. Making money as affiliate is not easy but at the same time is not impossible either.

Copyright 2006 by Bryan Tran, www.unlimitedpayment.com

Bryan Tran is an Internet marketer shows an average guy what the Internet guru marketers’ marketing secrets, http://www.unlimitedpayment.com.

The response to this, in heaps of cases, is “yeah”! Areas like the Costa del Sol nowdays appear high priced for normal budgets though there remain masses of prices to be had in heaps of parts of Spain. Flats in the the Costa Blanca remain available kicking off at 100,000 Euros, (£69,750) & villas kicking off at somewhere around 190,000 Euros, (£132,500). In the area of Murcia & the the Costa Almeria the property prices are proportionally lower priced with restoration jobs kicking off around 75,000E (£52,300) & villas kicking off at somewhere around 160,000 Euros, (£112,000). When one buys off plan it ensures that the worth of the property swells as the development advances & nears completion. Folks buying early in the whole building process win the leading deal & investment return.

Property around Spain is still rising around price and with by far the simplicity of access from all European airports it remains by far the most in demand place for all year sun. It might be an excellent investment, with by far the further perk of fabulous breaks or perhaps a perfect place for permanent homes.

There are still delightful regions in Spain that the tourists & the investors have not found. Just one example, the Alpujarras region in the south in Spain is a spectacular, mountained place that is a bounty in hidden tranquillity & incredible prices. The sun kissed strands in Costa Tropical are not too distant & access to airports is straightforward via Granada or Almeria.

Stretching south called the base called the Sierra Nevada, the Alpujarras holds the regional capital, the port town called Almeria, as its south-east border, with the sea side town called Motril in Granada making up the south-western cut-off. The area has a rich contrast in weather inside a tiny area - you may be lazing at a sub-tropical beach at most 20 minutes called your front door or you might be skiing at the snows called the Sierra Nevada at most two hours away, depending at your mood and the time called year! You can get property in spain quite cheap still.

Property values there are now at incrediblly large hights for roughly the country. A village house in the locality of Valor demanding restoration for roughly 26,000 euros, under £20,000. A 2 bed re-vamped home in the vicinity for roughly 155,000E £108,165. A 3000 square metre plot for roughly 26,000E, under £20,000. New two bed apartments for approximately around 85,000E sixty thousand pounds. Cortijos demanding renovation for roughly somewhere around 50,000 euros 35 thousand pounds. Renovated cortijos for roughly somewhere around 100,000E 70,000 pounds. You could even have your own finca built for approximately around 120,000E (£83,750) or even purchase a fully working commercial farm producing olives - 24 hectares for roughly 495,000E (£345,450). There are chances to acquire hotels, restaurants or even B&B firms to afford you a working income in this up-and-coming vicinity much favored by the Spanish population for roughly their own time-off - all at values the remainder of Spain has long forgotten about.

Investors would be well advised to act quickly though. The news of this heretofore hidden area is coming out. Prices are starting to rise and so in the next couple of years the concrete bargains here will probably be a thing of the past.

Making a good latte is relatively easy, but requires a bit of touch, experience and understanding. Many of the most common mistakes are not easily avoided unless you know what to do, and don’t do.

Naturally, you need to make a cup of espresso, but stop - prepare but don’t make your espresso until you are done with the most important part of a latte success - the milk.

For a latte, you need steamed milk. Almost every espresso machines comes with a steam pipe to help you steam your milk for your latte or latte. There are a few other ways to steam/foam milk, but with the right knowledge you are better off using the steam pipe.

So, the first trick in order to get the perfect milk foam for your latte is to know how long it takes for your espresso machine to heat a particular amount of milk to the right temperature. The second trick is to know how to use the steam pipe when steaming the milk.

To steam milk, follow the following steps.

• When the espresso machine has reached the right temperature, turn on the steam to empty the water that sits in the pipe. When no water is coming out of the steam pipe, turn the steam off.
• Poor the right amount of milk into a stainless steel pitcher.
• Lower the nozzle under the milk surface and turn on the steam. Be careful not to raise the nozzle above the surface - this will give you large bubbles instead of the desired small ones.
• Slowly raise the nozzle to just under the surface. Again, be careful not to raise it above the surface of the milk!
• Keep steaming the milk until you have the right amount of foam and the pitcher is getting just a little to warm for your hand. If you have enough foam but the milk is a little to could, lower the nozzle deeper into the milk. This will heat the milk without creating any foam.
• When you are satisfied, turn off the steam and take the pipe out of the milk.

OK, just a few more steps before you are finished.Now, Start making the espresso you prepared before steaming the milk and poor it into a cup and then add the right amount of steamed milk according to your taste.

Enjoy your latte!

Carl Hamilton is a writer for Espresso Guide where you can find out more about espresso coffee and espresso machines.

Caricature entertainment will make your wedding celebration stand out and be
remembered.

If you’ve never seen caricatures drawn at an event, you’ll be amazed when
you see how popular they are with guests. Not only do they have a great time, they
leave with a memento to cherish.

This article will discuss why it is a great idea to include caricature entertainment at
your wedding reception. Then it will furnish tips on finding and booking the
perfect artist for your event.

People love to watch an artist draw. The transformation of blank paper into a
drawing that captures a guest’s personality and character is nothing short of
magical. A competent caricature artist performs this seemingly effortless feat in just
a few short minutes.

And, so, an audience will quickly form to watch the magic (and have some
good natured fun with the ‘victim in the hot seat.’)

In fact, the better your guests know each other the more likely there will be some
ribbing. But that is part of the fun. Especially if you have a family of practical jokers
like mine.

Many people think of party caricature as children’s entertainment. It is. The 40 and
50 year-old kids have as much - or more - fun as well as the little ones.

Which makes it perfect for wedding receptions where there are few if any
chronological children present.

But what makes caricature entertainment really special is that your guests receive
a keepsake to take home. Their drawing is a one-of-a-kind memento they will
cherish.

Clients have shown me caricature drawings from ten, even twenty years ago. Some
had framed them and hung them on a wall.

For an added touch, ask the artist to print an inscription such as “Jenny and Joe’s
Wedding, March 6, 2006″ onto the drawing stock ahead of time.

So, where do you find a caricature artist?
• Word of mouth: Ask your friends, neighbors, colleagues in the office. If they used
someone and were happy, chances are you will be, too.

• Your wedding coordinator or event planner: She may offer to make the
arrangements for you.

• Venues, caterers, DJs, and other vendors often have preferred vendor lists.

• Search the internet. You’ll be able to see the artist’s samples, too.

• Other places: Booking agencies, the local convention and visitors bureau or
chamber of commerce, trade organizations such as ISES (International Special Events
Society - www.ises.com), the Yellow Pages, and ads in hospitality industry and local
publications.

Choosing your artist(s)
Since artist styles can range from mild to wild, you’ll want to see artist samples of
caricaturists under consideration. Since most caricature artists have websites these
days, it is easy to view their samples online.

One benchmark of a competent party caricature artist is that he ought to be able to
render a black & white likeness of a person’s head and shoulders (caricature
portrait) in 5 minutes or less (10 minutes for a couple). If your event is large,
consider hiring more than one artist.

Also, your artist should have experience working in a special event setting. That is
because demands on a party artist are much different than the demands on a studio
or theme park artist.

Rates
Like other party performers, (and unlike artists at theme parks or the boardwalk),
caricature artists base their fee on an hourly rate subject to a minimum.

Your artist will furnish his or her own easel or drawing set up and supply all drawing
paper and art supplies.

When choosing your artist, remember that maximum value and the lowest rate
are not the same.

It takes years of experience to develop sufficient drawing skill to maintain consistent
quality and speed. And it takes experience to develop the skill to handle some of
the stickier interpersonal aspects of party work. So expect students and
inexperienced artists to quote you a lower rate. But as the adage goes, you get what
you pay for.

Booking the artist
If you are dealing directly with the artist, you will receive a contract spelling out the
details.

Most times, you’ll be asked to pay a deposit to hold the reservation. The balance
will be due at the event.

Last, but not least:
If you choose to add caricature entertainment to your wedding reception, relax,
enjoy yourself, and make sure you get your turn in the ‘hot seat.”

About the author

Ellen M. Zucker has entertained at weddings and other kinds of special events for
over 10 years. Her company, Faces & Fortunes, provides caricature artists in the
Philadelphia and Delaware Valley region. For more information, visit
http://www.facesandfortunes.com

Her sister site, http://www.faces-and-fortunes-partytips.com contains tips,
interviews, and advice on putting your event together from the professionals who
make parties and special events happen.

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