Karaoke

We are at the Vice Mayors house having a little karaoke party in the back yard in a napa hut complete with a karaoke system, surround sound and a forty inch television and lots of beer. It was a very fun night with lots of food and good entertainment. For a larger veiw click on the picture.

Karaoke Kids

Karaoke (カラオケ, Karaoke? from Japanese kara, "empty" or "void", and ōkesutora, "orchestra") (pronounced IPA: /ˌkæriˈoʊki/ or /kəˈroʊki/; in Japanese IPA: [karaoke]; listen (help·info)) is a form of entertainment in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and a PA system. The music is typically a well-known pop song in which the voice of the original singer is removed or reduced in volume. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol or changing color, to guide the singer. In some countries, karaoke with video lyrics display capabilities is called KTV. It is often misspelled 'kareoke' (ka-ree-oh-kee) due to the English pronunciation.

Karaoke Kids

Karaoke today was popularized by the Japanese musician Daisuke Inoue in Kobe, Japan in the early 1970s [1]. After becoming popular in Japan, karaoke spread to East and Southeast Asia during the 1980s and subsequently to other parts of the world in its modern state.

Karaoke Kids

In Japan it has long been common to provide musical entertainment at a dinner or a party. Japanese drummer Daisuke Inoue was asked by frequent guests in the Utagoe Kissa, where he performed, to provide a recording of his performance so that they could sing along on a company-sponsored vacation. Realizing the potential for the market, Inoue made a tape recorder that played a song for a 100-yen coin.

Karaoke Kids

Instead of selling his karaoke machines, he leased them out, so that stores did not have to buy new songs on their own. Originally it was considered a fad which was lacking the "live atmosphere" of a real performance. It was also regarded as somewhat expensive since 100 yen in the 1970s was the price of two typical lunches. However, it caught on as a popular entertainment. Karaoke machines were initially placed in restaurants or hotel rooms; soon, new businesses called karaoke boxes, with compartmented rooms, became popular. In 2004, Daisuke Inoue was awarded the tongue-in-cheek Ig Nobel Peace Prize for inventing karaoke, "thereby providing an entirely new way for people to learn to tolerate each other."
Inoue never bothered to patent his invention, losing his chance to become one of Japan's richest men. Roberto del Rosario, a Filipino inventor who called his sing-along system Minus-One, now holds the patent for the device now commonly known as the karaoke machine. Following a court battle with a Chinese company which claimed to have invented the system, del Rosario's patents were issued in 1983 and 1986, more than a decade after Inoue's original unpatented invention of the device in 1971.[2]
Early karaoke machines used cassette tapes but technological advances replaced this with CDs, VCDs, laserdiscs and, currently, DVDs. In 1992, Taito introduced the X2000 that fetched music via a dial-up telephone network. Its repertoire of music and graphics was limited, but the advantage of continuous updates and the smaller machine size saw it gradually replace traditional machines. Karaoke machines connected via fiber-optic links to provide instant high-quality music and video are becoming increasingly popular.

Karaoke Kids

Karaoke soon spread to the rest of Asia and then to the United States in the 1990s. Facilities such as karaoke bars or "KTV boxes" provided the venue, equipment and software for amateur singers to entertain each other.
Karaoke has also spread to the United States, Canada and other Western countries. As the available selection of music has increased, more and more people within the industry see it as a very profitable form of lounge and nightclub entertainment. It is not uncommon for some bars to have karaoke performances seven nights a week, commonly with much more high-end sound equipment than the small, stand-alone machines noted above. Dance floors and lighting effects are also becoming common sights in karaoke bars. Lyrics are often displayed on multiple TV sets around the bar, including big screens.

Karaoke Kids

A basic karaoke machine consists of a microphone, a means of altering the pitch of the recorded music, and an audio output. Some low-end machines attempt to provide vocal suppression so that one can feed regular songs into the machine and suppress the voice of the original singer, however this is rarely effective (see below). Most common machines are audio mixers with microphone input built-in with CD+G, Video CD, Laser Disc, or DVD players. CD+G players use a special track called subcode to encode the lyrics and pictures displayed on the screen, while the other formats natively display both audio and video.
Most karaoke machines have technology that electronically changes the pitch of the music so that amateur singers can sing along to any music source by choosing a key that is appropriate for their vocal range, while maintaining the original tempo of the song. (There were some very old systems that used cassettes, and these changed the pitch by altering playback speed, but none are still on the market, and their commercial use is virtually nonexistent.)

Karaoke Kids

A popular game using karaoke is to randomly type in a number and call up a song, which participants take a turn to try to sing as much as they can. In some machines, this game is pre-programmed and may be limited to a genre so that they cannot call up an obscure national anthem that none of them can sing. This game has come to be called "Kamikaze Karaoke" or "Karaoke Roulette" in some parts of the United States and Canada.[citation needed]
Many low-end entertainment systems have a "karaoke mode" that attempts to remove the vocal track from regular audio CDs. This is done by center removal, which exploits the fact that in most music the vocals are in the center. This means that the voice, as part of the music, has equal volume on both stereo channels and no phase difference. To get the quasi-karaoke (mono) track, the left channel of the original audio is subtracted from the right channel. The Sega Saturn also has a "mute vocals" feature that is based on the same principle and is also able to adjust the pitch of the song to match the singers vocal range.
The crudeness of this approach is reflected in the often poor performance of voice removal. Common effects are hearing the reverberation of the voice track (due to stereo reverb being put on the vocals), and also other instruments that happen to be mixed into the center get removed (snare/bass drum, solo instruments), degrading this approach to hardly more than a gimmick in those devices.

Senior Frogs

The best place in the world for night life has got to be Mexico. You can walk from a cobblestone street where the environment looks kind of third world into the most high tech sort of club with light shows and special effects and staff that will make you feel like part of the club and you will definitely want to come back. The bars are excellent too with lots of good dancing music and to go with it the staff encourage different kinds of games which end up making you pretty high. They really get you going, all the staff seem to be dancing including bartenders, waiters and doormen.

Equinas

Have your picture with an equina, these things are hugh and they have powerful tails too. This little guy gave me a good swipe on my leg with his tail when his master went to pull him off of me. It left a big mark on my leg that lasted for three weeks. I encounter this guy with the equina which he placed on my shoulder so he took this picture of me without first asking and then he wanted the equivalent of $5.00 in pesos for the picture. I quess I should have known. I gave him the money and now glad I have these pictures for good memories. Click pictures for larger image.

Mariachi Bands

To really apreciate a Mariachi Band you diffinatly have to see one live. There is so much talent roaming the streets in Mexico just waiting for a chance to play at your table for just a few pesos. The bands can be small with just a few quitars or they can be 40 members with several string insterments and several horns or wind insterments. You can hire them for a wedding or for a few pesos have them play a your table in a bar or poolside at your hotel. They usually us no microphone and PA system but the music is delivered very strong and load, especially those bigger bands. On a trip to Mexico this is one experience that cannot be missed. You will really know you are in Mexico.

Chiclet Children

These are young children selling chiclets on the beach. If this is your first time to Mexico you would probably feel sorry for these children because they are poor and of course you are going to give these children the equivalent to $1.00 to $5.00 for a chiclet when in fact this is a very successful business. It took me a few trips to Mexico before I figured this out. Usually you will see the Mother or relative in the near distance coaching the child on and in a couple of hours the child has solicited at least 100 hotel guests at minimum $1.oo each. That is $1.00 x 100 guests = $100.00 in 2 hours. That is $50.00/hour. That's not a bad wage in a country where the average wage maybe $10.00/day. After buying chiclets of these children a few times and asking a few questions you find out that they are licensed by the hotel and by the city, they have their own business license and employee Identification Cards with employee number. They pay a commission to the hotel and to the city. This is an income for the hotel so they are allowed on the hotel beach. Other pedlars are not. Click pictures for larger image.

Mexican Sunset

One of the things I miss most of Mexico are those sunsets, especially from the ocean. You are guaranteed a great Mexican sunset every night so get a hotel room on the ocean. http://www.cheaperthanhotels.com/

Baler House

These little cottages are right on a boardwalk that is along a white sandy beach right in Baler. A house like this you could probably purchase for as little as about $18,000 US. Unlike the rest of the Philippines where real estate prices have skyrocketed, this little town remains very inexpensive. http://homes.point2.com/Philippines-Real-Estate.aspx The reasons is because it being the typhoon centre of the Philippines and certain times of the year you may have to vacate the place or maybe you could get washed out to sea. As you can see though this little hollow block house is still standing and it has probably been there for years. At least for 10 months of the year you could reside hear and enjoy the white sandy beach, watch the local surfing, enjoy the very good but very inexpensive near by ocean front restaurants. This place is an unknown paradise.

Picnic gone Bad

The video is off a family picnic gone bad when hit by flash floods. Some of people are missing and presumed died. Baler Aurora is the Typhoon centre of the Philippines. Winds can hit 300 kilometers an hour bringing with them lots of water from the sea and sky. The illegle logging in the mountains do not make maters any better a the water will rush down from the mountains with out warning taking many lives.

Unknown paradise

We traveled five hours through the mountains from Cabanatuan City to get to this place. It was a very interesting ride but worth it. Lots of good surfing and white sand beach. Click on the picture for larger veiw. Baler (Provincial Capital)
As the capital and oldest municipality of Aurora Province, Baler is the seat of government and the center for trade and industry. The most progressive town in Aurora, Baler commands the most resorts, public institutions and facilities, as well as business establishments.
Getting to BalerFor information on how to get to Baler from Manila, click here.
Where to StayFor information on places to stay in Baler, click here.
HistoryThe town of Baler was founded in 1609. Its original name was Kinagunasan and its first inhabitants were the Angara, Bitong, Carrasco and Lumasac families.
In December 1735, a tidal wave struck and completely engulfed Kinagunasan. The wave struck the town without warning at 2 a.m., and within an hour the entire town was gone. The parish priest of Casiguran, who was then visiting Baler, managed to survive by swimming to the hill of Point Baja. Other survivors included the families of Angara and Bitong. The sudden onslaught of the wave and the fact that the nearby towns of Casiguran, Dipaculao and Dingalan were left untouched has turned the catastrophe into a folk legend of biblical proportions.
By 1737, Franciscan priests had established a barangay form of government in the area. A revolutionary government took over Baler from 1898 to 1901.
Baler is home to the Baler Catholic Church, where in 1899, Spanish resistance fighters held off an onslaught from American troops until they finally surrendered on July 2, 1899.
On November 1, 1901, the Americans established a municipal government in Baler.
AttractionsBaler is known for numerous tourist attractions. In addition to the Baler Catholic Church and other historical sites , there are resorts at Sabang Beach and Cemento Beach, where surfers from all over the world compete for the annual International Aurora Surfing Cup. The coral-rich islands of Dimadimalangat, Aniao and Lukso-Lukso lie just off the coast. Click on picture for larger veiw.

Pat Quinn

Ryan is pictured here with hockey legend Pat Quinn.. For a trip to Vancouver a fast operating digital camera is a must have because you never know who you wil run across. For a larger image click on the picture.

Vancouver - Encarta

Vancouver (pronounced: [vænˈkuːvɚ]) is a city located in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is named after Captain George Vancouver, an English explorer. Vancouver has a population of 587,891,[1] while its metropolitan region, the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD), has a population of 2,180,737 (2006 estimate).[1] Greater Vancouver is the largest metropolitan area in western Canada and the third largest in the country.[2] It is also the largest city in the Pacific Northwest and is the second-largest metropolitan area (second to Seattle). Vancouver is ethnically diverse, with more than half of its residents having a first language other than English.[3] The city is growing rapidly, and the GVRD population is projected to reach 2.6 million by 2020.[4] A resident of Vancouver is called a "Vancouverite".
Vancouver is located between the Strait of Georgia and the Coast Mountains. Its economy has traditionally relied on British Columbia's resource sectors: forestry, mining, fishing and agriculture. It was first settled in the 1860s as a result of immigration caused by the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, particularly from the United States, although many immigrants did not remain after the rush. The city developed rapidly from a small lumber mill town into a metropolitan centre following the arrival of the transcontinental railway in 1887. The Port of Vancouver became internationally significant after the completion of the Panama Canal, which reduced freight rates in the 1920s and made it viable to ship export-bound prairie grain west through Vancouver.[5] It has since become the busiest seaport in Canada, and exports more cargo than any other port in North America.[6] The economy of Vancouver has diversified over time, however. Vancouver has a growing tourism industry, for example, and has become the third-largest film production centre in North America, after Los Angeles and New York City, earning it the nickname Hollywood North.[7][8][9][10][11] More recently, Vancouver has had an expansion in high-tech industries, most notably video game design.
Vancouver is consistently ranked one of the three most livable cities in the world.[12][13][14][15] In 2007, it was ranked the 89th most expensive city in which to live among 143 major cities in the world, and the second most expensive in Canada after Toronto.[16] Vancouver tied with Vienna as having the third highest quality of living in the world, after Zürich and Geneva.[17][18]

Vancouver or Baywatch?

You would swear this place is "Baywatch" with all the white sandy beaches, girls and not to mention you may even run across a movie star or two, or someone famous because many come here to live and/or work or just to hang out, and driving around this place there are movies being shot everywhere. Click on the picture for an enlarged view. Pictures are Ryan and me with the beautiful mountains and sun tanners.

Partying with Celine Dion

We are back in Vancouver and the boss is holding a party in the hanger to celebrate some brand new airplanes that are coming into the fleet and he has invited Celine Dion along to sing and she wrote a song for the airline which she has since made famous. The back up singers are friends/co-workers and flight The party was a lot of fun and many of us went for a test ride in the new aircraft

Fuel Saving

At the local elementary school several children pile on a tricycle after school for the ride home.

Some of the tricycles have 12 to 15 children with some riding on the roof. There is so much weight on the vehicle some children have to give a little push to get the momentum going before driving off. The drivers do not seem to be to concerned about the enormous strain that they are putting on their vehicles. Most all of the tricycles are powered by a very small 110 cubic inches motorbike. Once the tricycle picks up speed it continues on a very busy highway with what seems to be very crazy traffic. None of these young passengers are wearing helmets or are in the presents of an adult to get them home safely. Many of these vehicles are waiting at the school in a long line up, waiting for the children to finish school. It seems that it is the most common transportation for the school children and of course a fuel savings.

Traffic Jam in Cabanatuan City, Philippines

Two hours by night or eight hours by day, drive away from Manila, because of traffic, this bustling little city of Cabanatuan is still bumper to bumper and moving at a crawl. There is something a little different about this traffic. It is almost all tricycles or motorcycles. Click on the pictures for an enlarged view.

Three hugh pigs on a small motorcyle

Watch carefully. In this video you will see three pigs and two people being transported on a small motorcycle and sidecar. It is quite entertaining to just watch the traffic in the Philippines if you have never been to anywhere like this, and see the different kinds of transport and the different things that are used for transportation. I once even saw a ambulance being used as a taxi.

Bamboo House - Awesome

This bamboo house is built to last forever, complete with a cement foundation, indoor and outdoor kitchen, a modern bathroom with tiles, a big veranda, electric wiring throughout every room in the whole house and a concrete fenced lot. Click on the picture for larger viewing.