(WWW) It seems the organization 'Ranking4You' has taken on the task of presenting buskers for your approval. In "Top 20 Street Performers", they examine Dea Matrona, Kylabelle, Jesica Doolan, Zoe Clarke, Hannah Kinsella and Caseto.This time around, they visit Grafton Street - one of the two main shopping streets in downtown Dublin. They also visit streets in LA, Colorado, Belfast, Stockholm, Northeast Brazil and Sinchon/Seoul.

"Our intention is to publicize the work of the artists that you guys present to us, that reach us and that we consider to be of good quality, regardless of whether or not they are known to the general public. Don't get us wrong but our purpose is to promote timeless performances that can inspire old and new street artists and touch the audience."

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(from the You've got-to-be-kidding-me Department)
One of the themes of 2009 was that collection societies around the world went nuts trying to charge for anything they possibly could while also trying to increase the rates they could charge. Even banks went wild with their hidden charges.

Remember how one collection society wanted to charge a woman because she put on music in public for her horses? Or how about the woman who worked in a grocery store who was told to stop singing while stocking the shelves or the store would have to pay a performance fee? And, of course, we had ASCAP trying to claim that ringtones were public performances, and mobile operators needed to pay up -- beyond the license fee that was already paid on the recording.

SOCAN, the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, has been no exception pushing for drastically increased rates...

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I've been busking without a tip jar or sign. I don't ask for money i just play. When someone offers money i stop playing, put the money in my pocket. The police tell me im soliciting. I say no im not. They say yes you are. I say no im not....ect . can anyone give me some talking points? One cop said by accepting money im giving the impression that im soliciting and i would have to prove that i didn't in court.

Street entertainers are to be allowed to perform on a privately-owned stretch of London Docklands for the first time, after its owners announced plans to award busking permits in a bid to revitalise the area.

St Katharine Docks in Wapping - next to the Tower of London and owned by property company F&C Reit - is now looking for performers such as magicians, jugglers and musicians to entertain in one of four designated zones within the site.

One of the proposed busking areas sits on the riverfront next to Tower Bridge, while another would see performers make use of a courtyard space known as Centre Basin.

The street performers idea is part of a wider initiative aimed at raising awareness of St Katharine Docks and increasing visitors to it, which is being overseen by Gossip Consultancy on behalf of F&C Reit. It is hoped that the initiative will help enliven the area, in much...

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Ocean City, Maryland city council passed a resolution limiting it's boardwalk buskers and street performers to two pitches "so everybody can co-exist a little bit better", said Mayor Rick Meehan. The performers lobbied against the the ordinance which would keep them away from store-fronts and benches.

In a written statement that was evidently read to the council, "If it is the intention of the council to eliminate street performing, then I urge them to pass this new ordinance", said busker Alexander Osborn whose reverse-psychology probably didn't help.

The law was passed unanimously by council members. The boardwalk is a well-known beach hangout and visited by over 2.4 million tourists a year. The performers were successful in making one change, however. They can...

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