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American Musical and Dramatic Academy Reviews – Reasons For Supporting Your Child’s College Choice

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When I was younger it was my dream to study journalism after high school but my father told me that this wasn’t the plan and that instead I would be reading economics and math, and then following in his footsteps to go into the bank. This was a choice which I wasn’t happy with but then these were the days when you had to do as you were told, or at least I did. All of this came back to me last year when I saw my son, who was planning to study law, reading through the American Musical and Dramatic Academy reviews. I asked him if he was thinking about studying the arts, and he told me that he had already decided that he had. I didn’t like the idea but given my own experience I supported him with it, and here is why you should too if your child makes a college choice which you don’t like.

Hatred

I hated my father for making me study something that I didn’t want and whilst we did eventually get over it, our relationship was never the same again. This isn’t the same as your parents telling you what to do and what not to do, this is them committing your next 3 or 4 years to something which you simply don’t want to do, and that will breed resentment if you force your child into a different choice.

Dreams

My father had dreams that I would walk in his footsteps and become a bank manager like him. As it turned out after college I began an internship as a journalist and that was where I forged my career, writing about finance admittedly! The point is that your dreams aren’t those of your child and you cannot force your dreams and ambitions upon them, it just isn’t fair. You should support your child wherever possible in there pursuit of achieving their dreams and you should be happy that they have the confidence to go after them.

Trust Yourself

This will likely be the first adult decision which your child has ever made and up to this point, you have been raising them to be a conscientious and responsible adult, it is time to put that to the test. This means allowing them the freedom to make errors, the freedom to allow them to make a decision based on what they believe and the freedom to take control of a decision.

Mistakes

Mistakes make us what we are, they are how we learn and they are a key part of our development. You may believe that your child is making a mistake, and they may well be, but it is up to you to let them make that mistake and then use that as a learning curve, you cannot protect them forever and this is the type of decision which you have to let them make on their own.

For more articles like this from the Street Talk Live Blog, check this out.

The Rise and Fall of MoviePass Business Model

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MoviePass offered an unlimited movie watching experience to consumers, but the experiment has largely failed. Majority shareholder Helios and Matheson saw their stocks rise to around $32 in October 2017. The stock is valued at less than $0.02 right now. Let’s take a look at how one of the hottest tech stock purchases in 2017 has transformed into one of the worst investments of 2018.

Humble Beginnings

Helios and Matheson Analytics Inc. (HMNY) became the majority stakeholder in MoviePass last year. In order to expand the service, the firm began advertising MoviePass as an all-you-can-watch buffet for avid movie goers. For $9.95 a month, members could see an unlimited number of movies. HMNY offered the tantalizing treat to attract new members and investors who believed MoviePass would do for theaters what Netflix did for TV. MoviePass only had 20,000 subscribers when HMNY acquired their majority share. HMNY slashed the monthly membership price from $50 a month down to $9.95, and the subscribers flowed in. By June 2017, the service had more than three million subscribers.

Burning Cash

The company was burning through its cash holdings faster than it was generating revenue. A filing with the SEC revealed that MoviePass was running a cash deficit of $21.7 million per month from September 2017 to April 2018. Michael Pachter, an analyst for Wedbush Securities famously said the company was “giving away dollars for quarters. “Because most movie tickets are priced below the $9.95 per month membership fee, MoviePass found it impossible to turn a profit with the new business model. The company repeatedly said that it wasn’t going to rely on subscriber revenue as its main source of income. Instead, HMNY is hoping to use the MoviePass aggregate data in the same way that Spotify collects user data about how its users interact with music. This user data can help sell directly targeted advertisements to help drive more box office revenue.

New Revenue Models

The concept was novel enough that many investors were intrigued by the idea. MoviePass owners HMNY became one of the most talked about stocks on the StockTwits platform. A quick StockTwits review found that many investors had questions about how long the company could stay viable while shedding money hand over fist. Many analysts believed that MoviePass launched with a price that was too good to be true and the subsequent price hikes on services caused customers to flee the service. The hype around MoviePass also caused competitors to take notice. AMC Theaters announced their movie subscription service through its Stubs program to let moviegoers see up to three movies a week for only $19.95 a month. The service is twice as expensive as the MoviePass offering with more restrictions but has steadily gained subscribers.

Since AMC operates theaters all over the United States, they don’t need to pay the entire price for each ticket. Instead, the company only needs to fork out about 54% of the ticket price. That means AMC only pays around $11 for the moviegoer seeing two movies a month, while MoviePass would lose $10 for the same two movies per month. AMC’s A-List option is slowly choking the life out of MoviePass, which has reorganized its subscription model at least three times since 2017.

Some Out Of The Box Anniversary Gift Ideas For Your Wife

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Just put yourself in this following scenario.

It’s your 10th wedding anniversary and all you want to surprise your dear wife with an ever-memorable wedding anniversary gift that’s unique, sentimental, and definitely inspiring.

In your past wedding anniversaries, you’ve given her special gifts like flowers, taken her to a lavish dinner time and purchased a stunning diamond necklace.

But this year, you really want to do something special- you want to remind her of how your decade-long union first started with a custom-printed portrait of your wedding day.

Paint Your Life:

You still have a perfect photo to replicate the one of your first dance with her where you’re holding her low and she looks deeply into your eyes. That magical moment!

As your dear wife would see the portrait on the morning of your anniversary day, she would definitely gasp and subsequent tears would evoke the same emotion in you.

Now, just imagine another situation –

If your brother or best friend has recently got engaged finally after years of struggles, you must want to gift them something that has a great emotional value.

How about gifting a nice oil painting portrait to this first-anniversary couple? There are many websites that offer oil painting portrait online and you can easily get any portrait work done by sending them a picture to them.

Personalized Gift Item:

When it comes to buying a very heart touching anniversary gift for wife, always opt for a personalized anniversary gift for the wife. The personalized gifts show how much you love and care about her. This type of gift is always special. If you want to buy a jewelry gift for her, you can simply go for personalized jewelry gifts like a necklace imprinted with her name, a personalized cushion, coffee mug etc.

Re-experience The First Wedding Night:

You still remember the first wedding night. It was really special and you can actually recreate those moments again in your life as an anniversary gift for your wife. Decorate your bedroom in the same way you decorated the room at that special first wedding night and have a very cozy and romantic time with your dear wife.

Throw An Anniversary Party Dedicated To Her:

She loves you like anything and you literally mean the world to her. This anniversary, she deserves something really awesome and what could be a better anniversary gift plan for your wife than a nice wedding anniversary party dedicated to her. Invite all of the family members, relatives, and close friends to the party and cut the anniversary cake with her.

Anniversary Gateway :

Whisk your wife off somewhere really special this year. The best thing about this anniversary gift is that it would give your wife the opportunity to relax and have a great time. As an added bonus, you will also get to the bit of a time off from the regular life chores.

Recreating the décor of your Wedding with the exact same Flowers:

Anyone who is married knows the importance of wedding flowers. They are not only symbolic but also get a fair share of attention during the wedding rituals. If you want to make your anniversary a special affair, you can get your wedding flowers and recreate your wedding in a small manner among friends and family members. If you work with the best florists, you can always order flowers online Dubai at your doorstep. The process is easy, simple, and is carried out by the best professionals in the flower industry. 

Now, you might have gotten some of the excellent ideas about buying the perfect anniversary gifts for your dear wife and make the moment filled with the pure feeling of love.

Street Talk Advisors: Investment Tips

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In order to discover a few investment tips that will help navigate the world of investing, simply continue reading!

Street Talk Advisors: Investment Tips

  1. Make sure to check on your investments at least twice a week

Many investors fail to check on their investments regularly which is a mistake as if individuals who don’t keep an eye on their investment portfolio may find that some of their investments may decrease in value significantly.

Whereas if individuals check up on each of their investments at least twice a week, they’ll see any changes to their investments’ values sooner and will be able to conduct invaluable research to see whether or not they should hold on to their shares or sell their shares before they plummet further.

2. If your shares’ value decreases ask yourself a simple question

If you’re never quite certain whether to hold on to your shares when their prices dip or whether to sell off your shares quickly, there’s a simple question which you can ask yourself in order to make a wise, informed decision.

Simply ask yourself, would you purchase shares in the company in question at their current price? If so hold to your shares, whereas if you think that a company’s stats and performance show that they are unlikely to recover in the future, you may want to consider selling your shares in the company in question.

Just remember, that it’s not a wise move to hurriedly sell shares in a company which you believe will be worth a far higher amount in the future.

3. Before you invest in a new company check its past performance

Before you invest money into a new company, check how its share price has performed over the years, to see if the company in question offers solid, sustainable growth. Especially if you plan on purchasing shares which you’ll hold on to for years to come.

4. Make sure that the online share trading accounts which you use offer low management fees

It’s well worth comparing the management fees of all of the various online share trading accounts which you currently use to ensure that you’re putting your money into funds and trading platforms which offer low management fees and which offer you as an investor phenomenal value.

5. Don’t make emotional investments if you want to make a large profit in the future

One mistake which many investors make is to make investments based on emotions. Instead, make sure that every investment which you make is based off facts such as dividend yields and growth. If you learn to make investments which are free of emotional, you’ll be far more likely to successfully invest in businesses which will earn you a lot of the money in the future.

6. Don’t be put off investing if you notice that the share price of some of your shares increases and decreases

Share prices change due to a variety of different factors such as political influences and changes to the way that your business’ industry is run. So don’t be put off if you notice share prices ebbing and flowing.

If you take the advice listed above to heart, you should find that investing isn’t as difficult as you first imagined it would be.

Talk on Finance

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If you’re always interested in learning more valuable information about managing your finances and investments, continue reading.

Talk on finance:

  1. Make sure to keep up to date with the latest finance news

As the world of finance moves extremely quickly and interest rates and stock prices can vary greatly within just 24 hours, it’s a great idea to read the latest finance news when you wake up in the morning. Which will give you enough time to make any quick changes to your financial accounts or investments before the financial markets are further affected.

It’s also well worth checking the latest financial news during your lunch break and before you go to sleep. To take advantage of any opportunities which you may become aware of. As an example, you may find at lunchtime that it’s the perfect time to purchase shares at a great price before they skyrocket again.

2. If you are interested in hiring a stock broker, don’t place all of your savings into the funds which they select for you

If you don’t have the necessary time to select all of the stocks and investments which you purchase yourself, you may be interested in hiring a stockbroker. However, while it can be tempting to place all of your long-term savings in funds which are selected for you by your chosen stock broker, stock brokers are human and often make mistakes.

So it’s well worth keeping a large proportion of your savings in a high-interest bank account and in stocks and investment opportunities which you select yourself. As every few years news articles make major headlines when well-respected brokerage firms lose their clients capital.

3. When it comes to investing plan to create highly diversified portfolio

One way to significantly decrease your portfolio’s risk level is to aim to put together a diversified portfolio which features shares in a wide variety of companies and industries. You may also be interested in accumulating ETF shares, which are shares in funds which are made up of dozens of different companies. Most ETF funds have a theme.

As an example, some ETF funds are only comprised of businesses which operate in Asia, while other ETF funds are comprised of US companies.

4. Start saving for your retirement today

One of the worst mistakes which you can make is to wait till your 10 years out from retirement to start saving for your retirement. Instead start putting aside money and investing money for your retirement, to ensure that you’ll be able to enjoy a luxurious retirement and will be able to travel the world in your twilight years. As if you rely on government pensions, you may well struggle to make ends meet when you finally retire.

5. Talk about investments and saving with your friends and family members

In order to learn new tricks, it’s well worth openly talking about investment opportunities, strategies and saving tips with your trusted friends and family members.

Hopefully, after reading the five excellent saving and investing related financial tips listed above, you now feel more confident about managing your finances!

Talk on Home and Garden

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If you’re on the search for a few handy home and garden tips, you’ve come to the right place. Simply continue reading to discover a few invaluable home and garden tips which you’ll want to put into practice right away.

Talk on home and garden:

  1. Opt for a front loading washing machine over a top loading washing machine

If you want your clothes to last longer, it’s worth opting for a front loading washing machine over a top loading washing machine. As front loading washing machines are designed to be gentler than top loading washing machines.

2. Wash your underwear in a delicates bag

Instead of placing your underwear straight into your washing machine, protect your underwear by placing your underwear in a delicates bag. Which you can then chuck into your washing machine.

3. If you have hardwood floors ensure to wax them a few times a year

In order to protect your hardwood floors, it’s well worth ensuring to use a hardwood specific wax to treat your hardwood floors a couple of times per year.

4. Find out what types of vegetables you can replant

As an example, you can try to regrow carrots by slicing off the tops off your carrots and replanting them, in order to grow more carrots. Without having to spend money on purchasing new seedlings.

5. In summer water your plants earning in the morning or in the evenings

In summer make sure to water your plants in the mornings in the evenings as if you water your plants during the heat of the day as you’ll risk burning your plants. So it’s well worth carefully planning your day so that you’re able to water your plants in the morning or evening.

6. Use different color microfiber cloths in different rooms in your house

It’s well worth getting into the habit of using different color cloths in different rooms of your house. As an example, you may want to start using red microfiber cloths in your kitchen, yellow microfiber cloths in your bathroom and pink microfiber clothes in your living room.

As it’s unsanitary to use the same cloths in different parts of your home. As an example, it’s not a good idea to use a cloth to clean your bathroom surfaces and then to use the same cloth to wipe down your dining room table. As bathroom cleaning products which contain strong substances such as bleach won’t be safe to use in your dining room.

7. Grow indoor herbs to add flavor to your everyday meals

While you may enjoy maintaining an outdoor vegetable garden it’s also a fun idea to grow a mini herb garden in your kitchen. As you’ll be able to add freshly cut herbs to your everyday meals. As an example, you’ll be able to chop fresh basil to place in your salads and sandwiches and on top of your pasta dishes.

So what are you waiting for? It’s well worth putting some of the tips which you discovered above into practice today. If you find a few tips which you love, make sure to share them with your friends and family members.

Travel Talk: 6 Travel Tips

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If you love discovering new travel tips, continue reading to discover 6 travel tips which are well worth utilizing.

Travel Talk: 6 Travel Tips

  1. Keep a small, travel-sized pack of tissues in your daypack or handbag

As you never know when a bathroom in a foreign country may run out of toilet paper, it’s well worth keeping a small, travel-sized pack of tissues on you, when you travel.

2. Only bother packing one pair of clean underwear for each day

While some travelers may recommend packing as many pairs of underwear as possible, the reality is that you can always wash your underwear in the sink and hang it to dry in your hotel’s shower, if need be. So don’t waste luggage space by packing too many pairs of underwear.

3. If you’re female it’s well worth packing 1-2 sports bras

Even if you don’t plan on spending your vacation days in your hotel or resort’s gym, it’s well worth packing 1-2 sports bras as they’ll come in handy if you plan on taking part in adventurous, active activities. Examples of which may include mountain biking, horse riding, and quad biking.

You can even use a stylish sports bra as a makeshift bikini top if you feel like taking a spontaneous dip in a pool, beach or river which you come across.

4. Pack a small, microfiber towel in your luggage

The reason why it’s a wise idea to pack a microfiber towel in your luggage is that if you go swimming at a beach, before continuing traveling, you won’t have to wait a long time for your towel to dry. Better yet, you won’t have to contend with putting a smelly, damp towel into your luggage. Which is never a good idea!

5. Pack photocopies of all of your travel documents in different pieces of your luggage

As an example, you should never leave the country without taking a few copies of your passport, which you can then store in your checked in luggage and carry on luggage. When you check into your hotel, it’s also a great idea to lock a photocopy of each of your important travel documents in your hotel safe. Just to be on the safe side!

6. Don’t travel without travel insurance

Deciding to travel without purchasing travel insurance could be one of the most expensive mistakes that you’ll ever make. Especially if you find yourself in a medical emergency and have to find a way to pay tens of thousands of dollars for the medical treatment which you need in a foreign hospital.

7. Only pack clothing items which you can easily mix and match to create various stylish outfits

You’ll find it far easier to come up with new outfits to wear on your upcoming vacation if you only pack clothing items which you can easily mix and match in order to create at least 6 different outfits. Also, pack a few cheap accessories such as belts and scarves which can make an outfit you’ve already worn look brand new.

So if you’re an intrepid traveler, you’ll definitely find all of the travel talk, travel tips listed above helpful.

What’s Going on in the World Today?

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If you pride yourself on keeping up to date with the latest world news, continue reading to discover what’s been happening in the world today.

What’s going on in the world today?

  1. Chinese students have been detained for supporting labor rights groups

Students from five prominent Chinese universities have been detained by the police after voicing their support for labor rights groups. As the communist Chinese government has begun to take extra measures to try and silence student protests.

Some of the students who are believed to have been detained by the Chinese government were kidnapped off the streets surrounding their universities and one student was seen being hit over the head before being dragged into a government van.

2. An individual was brutally murdered because of a rumor on a messaging app

After gossip about an individual abducting children in Mexico went viral on the popular messaging app WhatsApp, a group of locals set fire to two men and successfully killed one man. Who they falsely believed were child abductors. Disturbingly more than 40 individuals watched the two men burn whilst filming the event, live streaming the event and taking photos of the men being tortured and the brutal murder of Alberto Flores.

According to local authorities so far 9 individuals have been detained by police for questioning over the incident. 4 of whom are being investigated for carrying out the murder of Alberto Flores.3

3. More than 25 individuals have lost their lives as a result of California’s latest wildfire.

Currently, there are over 5 experienced rescue teams combing through Paradise, a small town of 25,000 residents in order to find and rescue any individuals who they may find.

In the coming days, rescue teams are also expected to start exploring the areas surrounding Paradise for survivors. Once it’s safe for rescue teams to move throughout the fire-ravaged area

4. Rockets have been fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip as an act of retaliation for the murder of a Hamas leader

In the last few days, rockets have been fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip and are thought to be a sign of retaliation after a Hamas commander was killed as a result of a recent Israeli raid. As a result, Israeli leaders remain on high alert in case further action is taken against them.

5. Floods ravage Venice

Floods have continued to ravage Venice and it has been thought that decades worth of damage is being caused to Venice’s historic buildings, canals, and buildings each day. In the past few days, even St Mark’s Square which is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Venice has been inaccessible as a result of the rainstorms which have hit Italy.

Furthermore, a historic cathedral has been completely flooded which has panicked locals who have begged Italy’s government to intervene to try and save their historic cathedral.

Hopefully after reading the 5 news stories listed above you have a better idea of whats going on in the world today.

Invaluable Tips on Owning a Local Business

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If you’re the proud owner of a local business, continue reading to discover must-read tips on running a successful local business.

Invaluable tips on owning a local business:

  1. Make sure to get involved with your community

If you plan on running a successful local business, you’ll be far more likely to succeed if you make a genuine effort to get involved with your community. Some great ways to get involved in your community are to sponsor a local sports team or community group or to sponsor a community event such as a fair, festival, parade or fun run.

Not only will choosing to get involved with your local community help increase your business’ brand awareness and significantly increase your business’ sales and profits figures but you’ll also feel great seeing what a difference your business can make to the members of your community.

2. Offer regular sales that your community will want to take advantage of

As an example, if you own a restaurant you may want to offer two meals for the price of one meal on a specific day such as Tuesdays in order to draw patrons into your restaurant.

Alternatively, if you run a boutique style store, you may want to create a buzz around your business by offering half-priced days, when any item which has a yellow sticker is 50% off its recommended retail price. Which will allow you to sell stock which you’re looking to get rid and will encourage customers who wouldn’t normally visit your store to walk in and take a look around.

3. Offer a loyalty card that will encourage locals to visit your business on a regular basis

It’s human nature to want something for nothing, so if you’re able to offer your repeat customers discounts for visiting your business on a regular basis, locals are bound to flock to your business. In the hopes of getting a percentage discount off their shopping or to receive a free product.

4. Create new jobs for locals

If your business grows from strength to strength, you’ll have the opportunity to create more jobs for locals, which will garner more attention for your business. As an example, you may be able to get an article about your business featured in a local community newspaper, which could increase your sales statistics.

5. Treat every customer like a VIP

If you give your customers surly service, customers are highly unlikely to shop at your business again. Which can be extremely damaging when you operate a local business. Worse yet, the disgruntled customers who you upset may tell their friends and family members to avoid your business, which could cost you hundreds of dollars of revenue in the near future.

6. Consider operating an online store as well as a brick and mortar store

In order to increase your customer base, it’s well worth setting up an online store as well as a brick and mortar store.

So if you take the six tips listed above to heart you should be able to build a following for your local business, which will guarantee that your business stays in operation for years to come.

World News November 2019

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To discover some of the latest events which have occurred in the past few days, simply continue reading to read about some of the top current news stories in the world.

 

World News:

  1. Turkey hands the murder tapes of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to the United Kingdom

Recep Tayyip Erdogan who is the elected leader of Turkey has confirmed to the press that tapes exist which contain video footage of a Saudi Arabian death squad illegally murdering ex Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Furthermore, Erdogan has decided to openly share the gruesome video footage with foreign countries and international who want to see for themselves what happened inside the Saudi Consulate in Turkey, the day Khashoggi was murdered.

As Erdogan claims that the tape has already been leaked to the media and that Saudi Arabia should have to face severe consequences for its actions, which have been internationally condemned and which have brought able trade sanctions against Saudi Arabia by many international countries.

2. Donald Trump cancels a Veteran’s Day event in Paris due to weather

Donald Trump has garnered criticism after he canceled his scheduled Veteran’s Day visit to visit US military graves at Belleau Wood in Paris due to a bit of light rain. A move which angered both American citizens and international citizens who saw Trump’s decision as a selfish and cowardly move.

Trump is currently in Paris in order to celebrate 100 years since the Armistice which ended WWI, which the USA was a part of.

3. An Australian cafe owner was murdered as part of a terrorist attack in Melbourne

The world was shocked when a much loved Australian cafe owner was stabbed to death in a violent terrorist attack. The deceased was named as being 74-year-old Melbourne resident Sisto Malaspina. As well as murdering Malaspina the terrorist who killed Malaspina Hassain Khalif Shire Ali also injured two other victims.

4. England’s royal family attends a special WWI remembrance day concert

Queen Elizabeth II attended a special WWI remembrance day concert to mark 100 years since the Armistice Day which heralded the end of WWI at the Royal Albert Hall alongside other senior members of the royal family.

Examples of which include Prince Charles and Camilla, Prince William and the Duchess of Cornwall Catherine, Prince Harry and his pregnant wife, the Duchess of Sussex and Princess Anne.

5. A 13-year-old boy has been arrested in London for assaulting 9 women

A 13-year-old boy has been detained after being suspected of sexual assaulting 9 different women over an incredibly short period of just 5 weeks. The boy was given bail until the end of the month when he is likely to appear in court to face multiple charges of sexual assault.

Police have also encouraged women to avoid walking in the area, which the 13-year-old boy was thought to have approached his victims, to be on the safe side.

6. An Austrian military officer has been found guilty of spying for Russia

An Austrian military officer by the name of Sebastian Kurz has been found guilty of spying for Russia since the 1990s.

Hopefully, after reading the above international news stories you now feel up to date when it comes to international events and news stories.