Merry Christmas Everyone! We wish you all love, peace, and happiness along with good health and fulfilling prosperity. Thank you all for your support and encouragement through the year.
Have the happiest and safest of holidays!
Ric Albano President and CEO
33 Dimensions LLC
Client News
Today Big Blue Bullfrog completed their 12 Rock Songs of Christmas countdown, which revealed a new song each day between December 13th and 24th. You can listen to all the songs at the site to help get into the Christmas spirit.
Please be sure to support all our clients, including:
We strive for the growth and success of all our customers!
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! We have so much to be thankful for this year, not the least of which being the privilege to run a creative, great, and rewarding business full time. Our Wounded Warrior Project event on Veteran’s Day was a great success thanks to the time and dedication of so many people including the musicians, volunteers, and participants who donated to this great cause with much time, effort, and resources.
Speaking of musicians, my wife and I caught a great show in Wilkes-Barre last night. It was a special unplugged “storytellers” show, performed at an old cathedral, featuring The Badlees and we sat in the third “pew” from the front and enjoyed these incredible talents for less than the cost of the normal ticket surcharge of a mainstream concert performer. Local music rocks!
But most of all, I am thankful for my friends and family. My wife, who is constantly there helping with all these initiatives, my twin sons who just turned 14 earlier this month, my eldest son, who recently established a chapter on his campus of the “Super Men’s Group”, which fights against the abuse of women, and a special shout out to my father, who celebrated his 75th birthday yesterday.
Thank you all for supporting us this past year and have a great Thanksgiving!
Ric Albano President and CEO
33 Dimensions LLC
Black Friday Special
33 Dimensions can’t miss out the fun of “Black Friday” so we will be offering special discounts on personal websites. We don’t advertise much of the personal websites we’ve developed because they are, well, personal. However, we have developed a variety of sites ranging from family history sites to personal tribute sites to fantasy football sites to exclusive sites for groups and organizations.
Many people are surprised at how quickly developed and cost-efficient these sites can be. Act now and we can get something up and running by Christmas, which would make a very unique and special gift for someone.
Client News
Classic Rock Review Classic Rock Review has been rolling along, with over 60 album reviews already this year. Right now, through the end of 2011, the site is examining albums from 1976 with a review of Presence by Led Zeppelin being published later today. Also, the site has expanded to add special features, yesterday looking at blues legend Robert Johnson, who recorded the first of his legendary tracks 75 years ago on November 23, 1936 (the same day my father was born).
The Latest Modern Rock Review features were reviews of our Wounded Warrior Benefit and the album Conversation (in) Pieces by Autohypnosis. In early December, the site will publish an in-depth profile on Lenny Kucinski before going through a major site upgrade for 2012.
Big Blue Bullfrog continues to expand with new features such as the New York Giants Blog by J.D. Cook and The Soul of the Nation by Sinclair Soul. The site has also welcomed several new writers to the shop, offering an ever-expanding diversity of thought to the “thinking man’s blog”.
As mentioned above, The Badlees played a special show last night in Wilkes-Barre. The band also has many special plans for 2012, including two new albums – a “Best of” collection and a whole new album of original material – plus a DVD documentary of the band as well as a major motion picture featuring their music.
In just three weeks, on Veteran’s Day (11/11/11), we will be holding a special event which will benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. The event is called Sound Off for Veteran’s Day and it will take place at Champion’s Sports Bar in Highspire, PA. It will feature great live entertainment as well as a dinner buffet and raffle for ticket holders.
There are several ways which you can participate in or donate to this benefit:
Purchase a Ticket. This is the absolute best way to show your support. Tickets for the benefit are $20 per person (21 and over) and are necessary for access to the early portion of the show, starting at 5:00pm. Live entertainment will be provided by a diverse range of acoustic music. A complimentary buffet and soft drinks will be included from 5:00 until 8:00pm. Ticket holders will also receive 10 free raffle coupons and additional coupons will be on sale (3 for $5). If you arrive at this time with an authorized clothing item for the YWCA Homeless Vets Clothing Drive, you will get an extra 3 raffle coupons (13 total). At 8:00 we will raffle off the many valuable donated items. Ticket holders will also be invited to stay for the later concert portion of the benefit at no additional cost.
Stop by Champions and Enjoy the Show. The latter portion of the benefit is open to the public after 9:00pm for a $5 cover charge. If you arrive at this time with an authorized clothing item for the YWCA Homeless Vets Clothing Drive, the $5 cover charge will be waved and you will get in for free.
Make an Online Donation. Simply click on the black “Make a Donation” box on the top right of this page and you can donate in honor of a veteran you know and love.
Donate an Item. If you have an item of value which you’d like to donate for our raffle, please contact Chris Nelson via email nelsoncl36@hotmail.com in the very near future. Your donation may be tax deductible.
Spread the Word!. If you think this is a worthwhile and valuable cause, please help out by telling everyone you know. We don’t have a tremendous advertising budget, so word-of-mouth is the most effective way to let people know what we are doing.
Please check out this website vets.cygnuswave.com for more information. Tickets can be purchase at the site until October 25th, or email ric@33dimensions.com within the next week or so.
Ric Albano President and CEO
33 Dimensions LLC
Client News
We are proud to announce that BigBlueBullfrog.com received national press credentials for New York City Comic Con, which took place last weekend in “Gotham City”. This included access to the authors, creators, artists, and celebrities during a press-only session last Thursday, October 13th. The site continues to rapidly grow and more expansion is planned in the very near future.
The seasonal Halloween attraction, Carnival of Souls is up an running and going strong each weekend (Fri-Sat-Sun) until Halloween with a special Monday night session. The attraction is custom built, with all original props, characters, and storyline and is open to thrill seekers of all ages.
As Classic Rock Review gets close to wrapping up its 45th anniversary look at the albums of 1966, it has started to incorporate music videos into several reviews, for a richer user experience. Beyond the regular album reviews, the site will soon begin to have “special features” which will touch on important aspects and events of Rock and Roll.
Modern Rock Review recently celebrated its first birthday on October 10th and many plans are being pursued for a site upgrade in 2012 are currently being discussed. The site will continue offering in-depth profiles through the rest of 2011.
I originally intended to publish this newsletter two weeks ago as the “NFL Kickoff Edition”. But then much of Pennsylvania was hit by a natural disaster and my friends and neighbors were hit by devastating flooding which affected the lives of thousands of people in northern and central Pennsylvania. So in the big picture, games like NFL Football seemed minor compared to the everyday lives and livelihoods which were turned upside down overnight.
33 Dimensions prides ourselves on being champions of local small businesses, artists, and entrepreneurs, which we believe will be the true engine that brings backs the American economy. We also understand that, in a natural disaster such as this, these small businesses are the ones that take the hardest hits, which may be more easily absorbed by larger companies. So today as the sun crosses the equator, heading south for the winter, we ask you to support local businesses whenever possible. You may be pleasantly surprised by the superior products and services that your neighbors have to offer. Finally, we ask that you keep these flood victims in your thoughts and prayers. If you’d care to make a financial donation you can contribute to the United Way fund listed below or to many other fine organizations which are dedicated to helping the flood victims.
Ric Albano President and CEO
33 Dimensions LLC
To contribute to this fund, send a check made payable to Capital Region Flood Recovery Fund to:
United Way of the Capital Region 2235 Millennium Way Enola, PA 17025
For a limited time in 2011, we are offering extra special deals for small businesses and individuals in Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania. It is our small way of helping our neighbors rebuild and get back on their feet. Of course, our service, quality, and dedication to your custom needs will remain at 100% throughout all phases of your project. For more info, please check out our Services page.
33 Dimensions is also extending many of the Summer deals into Autumn and offering consulting services where a representative will sit down and personally answer any and all your questions about establishing a web presence. Here we’ll give you an honest analysis of what your business or organization needs, even if it is a service or specialty that 33 Dimensions does not offer. Please call (717) 829-4221 for more details.
Client News
The extensive redesign of BigBlueBullfrog.com is complete! Along with all the great articles, reviews, and works from the past, the sight now features regular articles including the observations and rants of The Cultural Communist, the weekly NFL football analysis of Tuesday Morning Tailback, and a brand new political column which debuted today called The Soul of the Nation. Big Blue Bullfrog also recently launched its Twitter Feed.
The seasonal Halloween attraction, Carnival of Souls opens in just one week on Friday, September 30th in Mountaintop, PA. The attraction is custom built, with all original props, characters, and storyline and is open to thrill seekers of all ages.
Sound Off for Veteran’s Day will take place on Friday, November 11th at Champions Sports Bar in Highspire, PA. This benefit concert will feature excellent live entertainment through the afternoon and evening with all proceed benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project. Tickets will be on sale within the coming weeks and will include a dinner buffet and a chance to win some great prizes. For more info, check out the event’s website.
The Perfect 5th Musical Arts Center will be celebrating its grand opening this weekend with two big events. On Saturday (09/24), The Perfect 5th welcomes the public to their facility for an open house. Then on Sunday (09/25), the school is sponsoring a master class by internationally renowned guitarist Steve Vai at the Whitaker Center in Harrisburg.
A special sneak peak at the brand new design is now online at CygnusWave.com. The sight will ultimately showcase all the music in its ever-growing library with lyrics and facts about each song. The website is still being built, but at the moment all selections from Imaginary Lines 33.
As Modern Rock Review approaches its first birthday on October 10th, many plans for a site upgrade in 2012 are currently being discussed. The site will continue offering in-depth profiles through the rest of 2011, including a huge feature on Lenny Kucinski in November. Unfortunately, the planned October feature on Darcie Miner has been postponed because Darcie was one the victims of the Pennsylvania flooding.
The Badlees have scheduled a few upcoming shows including Friday, October 21st at the Jim Thorpe Opera House in Jim Thorpe, Pa. Their song of the month for September is “Drive Back Home” from their most recent album Love Is Rain.
It’s hard to believe that’s been 34 years since Elvis Presley, the King of Rock n Roll, passed away. Even though I was only eight years old at the time, I still remember that day in 1977 vividly. It was a hot summer day and I was riding my skateboard when a neighbor lady with curlers in her hair came running out of her apartment building shouting that Elvis had died. Soon a large group had gathered around, most of them skeptical, claiming that the news must have been part of some practical joke. Unfortunately, the news was true.
Beyond being the first real “rock star”, Elvis also played an important role in the evolution of American music. He came from Tupelo, Mississippi, right in the heart of the Delta blues scene as it proliferated through the 30s, 40s, and 50s. He took these influences and forged his own style, which sent ripples through America in the 1950s as well as Britain and the rest of the world a decade later. This opened the floodgates to some of the greatest music ever produced.
In honor of Elvis, 33 Dimensions dedicates this newsletter to the wonderful art form of music. Many of our clients are in the music industry and there will be much going on in the near future. So after a very brief business announcement, we’ll talk nothing but music.
Ric Albano President and CEO
33 Dimensions LLC
33 Dimensions Summer Special
As we’ve been advertising since May, 33 Dimensions has been offering a 33% discount on all services through Labor Day. Response to this offer has been tremendous and we appreciate all of you who have given us your business. However, due to this tremendous response, starts to new projects may be delayed a month or two as we give existing clients their due time and effort.
We will still honor the 33% discount on any new business agreed to between now and Labor Day, with the understanding that our normally quick production time will be stretched out a bit longer.
Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding on this matter.
Now, back to the music…
Client News (Rock and Roll Edition)
On August 6th we launched the new website for Susquehanna Entertainment, an artist management and independent record company founded and operated by Terry Selders. Terry is also working with The Perfect 5th Musical Arts Center in Mechanicsburg, PA, who will officially open their doors in late September in conjunction with a Master Class by guitar legend Steve Vai.
Today (August 16th) is the official release date of The Invisible Man, the second solo album by Chris Nelson. A review of the album has been published on DAMES of PA, who brought reviewer Sigourney Soul out of retirement for the occasion. This follows a recent feature and review on the site of Hot Wing Jones and their latest album, Tanker A.
Modern Rock Review recently published a profile on Mark Oliver Everett and Eels entitled The “E” Files. The site will celebrate its first birthday on October 10th with a bit of a “face lift” stylistically as well as an in-depth profile on one of Central Pennsylvania’s top musical talents, Darcie Miner.
At the end of August, Classic Rock Review will complete its 20th anniversary look at the albums of 1991 and move on to the 45th anniversary look at 1966, a year that included Pet Sounds, em>Revolver, Blonde On Blonde, and many more true classics.
Rumor has it that ideas are being tossed around concerning a new Imaginary Lines album in 2012. This, despite repeated pronouncements from the project’s leader that their 2009 comprehensive collection, Imaginary Lines 33, would be the final output by the band. Stay tuned.
Another band working on new material is The Badlees. Their website’s song of the month for August is “Four Leaf Clover” from their 2002 album Renew. Future updates to the Badlees site will include bios of each band member, a timeline of their long career, and, of course, any news about a new album or future shows.
A benefit concert called Sound Off for Veteran’s Day will take place on Friday, November 11th (11/11/11). Planning is in the initial stages and further information will be provided in the near future at: Vets.CygnusWave.com.
33 Dimensions is currently developing our biggest online musical initiative to date, called The River of Rock. This is still in the works but will be forthcoming sometime over the winter 2011-12. This initiative will work with many elements of the music industry to promote, document, and celebrate original music and art from Central Pennsylvania, past, present, and future. Stay tuned for much more on this in future newsletters.