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Thursday, September 20, 2012

Books that Build Character (for 5th grade and higher)

A friend asked for advice about character-building books to read with his 11-year old son.  I pondered the question for a while before responding.  I asked quite a few people to share their favorite books, but few people had character books to shrae.  Here is what I came up with:

William Bennett - book of virtues
William Bennett - The Moral Compass
Bill Gothard's Character Sketches books - tough reads, but good to read together.  especially if your son likes animals.
I haven't read the Trailblazer series of christian biographies for kids, but I'm intrigued.

Building Christian Character - post from my blog with good character books
Great post from my homeschooling friend Christy Reeder about character-building books

Some classic books that are likely to have great character/leadership/life lessons:
Where the red fern grows
Wrinkle in time
Island of the blue dolphins
My side of the mountain
The Hobbit
Chronicles of narnia
Treasure island
Swiss family Robinson
Robin hood
Black beauty
The black stallion
Treasures of the snow
Little house on the prairie
Johnny tremain
Little men

I look forward to hearing your favorite character-building books!

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The most downloaded iOS apps of 2017

Apple Pay VP: Why we're different than Venmo
Apple Pay VP: Why we're different than Venmo

If the year's most popular apps are any indication, 2017 was all about showing off the best versions of ourselves.

Apple has unveiled its list of most downloaded iOS apps of the year, and topping the list is free custom emoji app Bitmoji.

The most popular paid app? Selfie editing tool Facetune ($3.99), which lets users touch-up photos.

Apple did not disclose how many times the apps have been downloaded.

Bitmoji soared to the top of the list, thanks to an integration with Snapchat. (Snapchat's parent company acquired Bitmoji last year for an unknown amount). The app lets users create a 2D emoji that looks and dresses like them. Bitmojis can be sent within the Snapchat app or via text message.

Users must download the Bitmoji app to use it with Snapchat.

Fittingly, the main Snapchat app took second place, despite a tough year on Wall Street that was attributed to slow user growth. Snapchat was the most downloaded app of 2016.

Google's (GOOG) YouTube took the number three spot this year, while Facebook's (FB) Messenger and Instagram placed fourth and fifth, respectively.

Related: 3 ways finance apps can actually help you

Following Facetune in the paid apps category, Tabs & Chords ($2.99) -- a guide to learn how to play the guitar, bass and ukelele -- came in second. Calendar and scheduling app HotSchedules ($2.99) was the third most popular paid app.

In gaming, Super Mario Run was downloaded the most, followed by virtual pool game 8 Ball Pool and Snake vs. Block, a revamped version of the classic Snake game. Games Ballz and Word Cookies! came in fourth and fifth, respectively.

Apple (AAPL) identified several app trends this year, including augmented reality apps and games introduced with iOS 11. For example, Ikea's app lets users preview virtual furniture in their real living room.

Apple also noticed an increase in real-time competitive gaming, such as live trivia game show app HQ. Apps focused on mental health and mindfulness, such as Calm, were also popular in 2017.

Here Apple's full list.

Social Surge - What's Trending

Mortgage & Savings

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The Top Ten SSPs in Digital Advertising Right Now

Many entrepreneurs these days are asking about the subject of SSPs, so before we get into the top 10 SSPs, let’s discuss what an SSP is. SSP actually stands for “sell-side platform” or more commonly “supply-side platform”. It’s basically a technology platform used for enabling web publishers to gain effective management of their advertising space inventory, while also filling it with ads, and receiving revenue from it. In a nutshell, it’s software that is utilized for automated sales of advertising and is used most often by online publishers for helping them with the displaying of ads, both mobile and video.

How do they work? By giving publishers the ability to have a connection between networks, DSPs, multiple ad exchanges, and their inventory, and in turn allowing publishers to acquire higher rates and potential buyers to buy more ad space. Every transaction made is a two-step process that only works when a buyer with money to spend gets connected to a seller with a product or service to sell.

When SSPs throw impressions into the ad exchanges, then DSPs start analyzing and purchasing them for the marketers. This all depends on specific attributes, like which users they are being served to and where. The idea is to open up impressions to the maximum number of potential buyers possible. This is often accomplished via real-time auctions, whereby publishers have the opportunity for maximizing their revenue received for their inventory. This is precisely why SSPs are also sometimes called “ yield-optimization platforms”.

So, what are the Top Ten SSPs in Digital Advertising Right Now? Why are they the best?

1. Pubmatic

Pubmatic is a leading SSP that has been introducing a number of unique innovations to advertising. For starters, the Pubmatic platform allows publishers to access more than 400 demand side platforms, ad networks, and ad exchanges. The use of these resources makes it possible for them to initiate negotiations for optimum pricing with the most beneficial partners. Pubmatic also offers a unified optimization engine in addition to superior analytics and reporting. It’s an automated auction in real time that’s capable of monetizing impressions from a wide range of demand sources. Mobile inventory is also supported and that is quickly becoming a much bigger segment of Internet advertising.

2. OpenX Lift

OpenX creates programmatic marketplaces for app developers and premium publishers to monetize their content by via connections with leading advertisers who appreciate their audiences. By driving superior monetization for publishers and connecting to the ad exchanges that are the highest-yielding, OpenX Lift maximizes value for marketers and their brands, thereby allowing their demand partners to perform transactions the ad exchange that is also of the highest quality for their demand partners. OpenX has remained focused on the creation of effective and very powerful publisher solutions by creating a programmatic platform that is not only extremely efficient but also delivers maximum value to both sides of all transactions.

3. Google AdX

In 2011, Google acquired Admeld for $400 million and this particular SSPs popularity stems from the fact that it offers comprehensive advertising tools. Admeld has been an industry leader since 2008 in the field of assisting premium publishers with maximizing their ad revenues while also simplifying their operations. They are pioneers in the area of private ad exchange and were responsible for building technology for making it easier for publishers to pinpoint new opportunities while also controlling how all impressions are sold. Their DoubleClick Ad Exchange maximizes the yield across a publisher’s channels, both direct and indirect, as well as on any device and in any format.

4. AOL

Via their consolidation of six publisher technologies, AOL now has a new iteration that combines SSP properties that were once only available separately. They call it simply One by AOL: Publishers. Instead of having to run all of those technologies as separate business units, they have combined the individual technologies with 75,000 publishers as their collective clientele. This cuts down on the need for sales representatives and offers one single pricing model rather than six. In addition, it only requires a single master service agreement for publishers to execute. SSPs like this one can then be utilized by publishers for selling advertising inventories to their advertisers on their websites.

5. AppNexus

AppNexus Publisher SSP delivers advanced controls that can help publishers to maximize their revenues by letting them use proprietary data for managing their demand partners via mobile, desktop, native, and even video. And, AppNexus Publisher SSP helps publishers with earning the optimum price for every impression with their price floor technology, as well as driving revenue via header bidding, easy mobile advertising integration, and all while also maintaining total ad quality control and strengthening buy-side partnerships.

6. Adobe Demand Side Platform

Adobe Demand Side Platform offers a unified DSP via its software-based cross-channel solution that offers users global advertising that is streamlined from one single platform. TV and mobile-based insights, as well as media execution and integrated planning tools, help to boost ad campaigns. A number of big brands are currently using Adobe Media Optimizer, including Heineken and Mediacom.

7. Rubicon Project

Rubicon Project helps publishers with effectively selling their ads better by connecting with premium buyers in one of the biggest ad marketplaces in the world. They accomplish this via one platform for managing both programmatic and direct ad business across all platforms, devices, and formats. With Rubicon Project, the conventional RFP process is streamlined and they guarantee direct order deals, provide invite-only PMP access and commitment levels that are a top priority.

8. Switch

Switch offers server-side integration with all DSPs, DMPS, Exchanges, and SSPs along with dynamic floor pricing that is fully automated. It also provides absolute neutrality, as well as guaranteed deals, set-up, and private management with virtually any SSP. You can also utilize Switch for exposing revenue data across your whole site.

9. Sovrn

This is an ad-technology platform that is integrated and offers enabling of advertisers and agencies for more effective creating, managing, and growth of digital marketing campaigns that are high-impact. It’s a powerful tool for managing websites’ ad spaces while also reporting their performance on the client end. It also has an excellent user interface that helps users to understand their ad progress, as well as managing them like a marketing expert. Some additional features include uploading creatives in a variety of formats, sending clients daily reports, and insight into ad delivery.

10. AerServ

AerServ offers mobile ad management technology for assisting publishers with managing their inventory with just one single easy-to-use platform. It was built specifically for publishers looking for advanced revenue management, a mobile strategy, and an experience that is TV-like via 100 percent transparency. This allows users the opportunity for working with various partners and streamlining their work, as well as positive revenue upticks. In addition, AerServ’s support is on a higher level than some others for resolving issues.

Remember that, no matter which platform you choose, a certain amount of intelligent human analysis will always be a necessary factor to be combined with any automated solutions, no matter how innovative they may be.

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The World as One Economy

earthstar_webThe world economic organism is seriously ill. It doesn’t take a trained economist to understand this. We all seem to feel it.

What can be done?

These days, when nations fail, economies falter and countries face imminent financial ruin, they go running to the World Bank, the Federal Reserve or the IMF (International Monetary Fund) for help. And they almost always get the handouts they seek. (Whether these handouts actually address the cause of the economic illness and create real solutions is another thing entirely).

But how do you bail out a planet?

earth_moneyWhere do we turn when the world before us crumbles into chaos? Who is going to bail us out as a worldwide socio-economic organism when there are no more wild places, no more diversity of thought, culture and ecology, and not enough food or shelter to go around?

Thankfully, that’s not the reality we face – yet.

The programs planned for this site seek to do what no World Bank can do.

And that is offer a bail out for the human spirit.

We want to inspire people to get radically curious about this epic mystery we call money and the effects it has had on our evolution and consciousness. For no other force in existence has as much power to transform the world for good or bad as the meeting of human consciousness (or unconsciousness) with money. It is precisely because money can retain only what meaning, value and energy that human beings apply to it that this is so.

We make money what it is; we make ourselves what we are; and thus we make our world.

Who invented money?

How did it come into the world?

Would we be the same today without it?

Can we even imagine a world without money?

We invite you to join us on an epic adventure as we reveal the secret history of money, its ancient origins and connection to the evolution of consciousness, how we got into this current financial crisis and what can be done now to create a more prosperous, sustainable and compassionate world economic model.

We thank you all for your support and enthusiasm for the release of this book!


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Monday, August 25, 2008

Images From My All Time Favorite Films: Woody Allen's Manhattan (1979)

Recently I was honored to be named as one of the influences on a new series at Ed Howard's fantastic Only The Cinema blog. Introducing the series, Ed pointed out that he doesn't spend a lot of time necessarily writing about his favorite films, and I was reminded me that I often overlook many of my personal top picks here as well.
The reason for these exclusions is simple for me, as I would much rather write about a more obscure work that hasn't been written on endlessly rather than something like The Godfather that has already been covered in every possible way. I've battled a bit with myself here before on this because this does cause me to leave out many of my favorite filmmakers and films simply because I don't feel like I have a lot to bring to the table in regards to them.
To rectify this a bit I thought of this new series that will operate like my Images from the Greatest Films of the Decade where each week or so I will pick a classic work that happens to be among my favorite films and present ten screenshots from it. I'm actually pretty excited about it because it will give me the opportunity to salute classic, and usually much discussed, films without rehashing thoughts that have been said a million times over by much better writers than myself.
This of course doesn't mean that my selections don't deserve more writing on them...not at just means that I don't feel I am the person to do it. For whatever reason, I only feel like my writing is at all successful when I am able to write on something a little left of center which is of course a failing on my part, but one that I can admit.
I hope the series proves enjoyable and that some of Moon in the Gutter's readers might share some of my favorites as well. These won't be in any kind of order, and they will just reflect my moods each week. Here's my first pick from someone who will always be one of my favorite filmmakers:

Manhattan 1

Manhattan 2

Manhattan 4

Manhattan 5

Manhattan 6

Manhattan 7

Manhattan 8

Manhattan 9

Manhattan 10

Manhattan 11

Ed Howard said...

Awesome, I'm glad I could inspire this series in turn. I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with -- and I'm curious to what extent we'll converge in our choices.

As I'm sure my blog makes it clear, I'm a big Woody Allen fan, I've been watching all his films in roughly chronological order and am currently up to the mid-90s. Manhattan is quite good, as much for its gorgeous B&W cityscapes as for providing the model for much of Woody's bittersweet drama/comedies in the next few decades of his career.

Steve Langton said...

Great choice. Manhattan is my all time fave pic from The Woodster, closely followed by Hannah And Her Sisters. I never tire of seeing this classic and appreciate the shots you have chosen.

The King Of Cool said...

I've seen so many Woody Allen films over the years. This is one that for some reason I've never seen. I'll have to rectify that soon. Great shots from it. I've always heard so much praise for this film.

J.D. said...

It's a cliche, I know, but this probably my fave Woody Allen film. A lot of people cite ANNIE HALL, which is an awesome film, but MANHATTAN has that something extra - probably the gorgeous b&w cinematography by Gordon Willis (man, was he on a roll in the '70s!).

I also think that it features some of Woody's best dialogue. So many quotable bits, like the party where a woman says, "I finally had an orgasm, and my doctor told me it was the wrong kind," to which Woody responds, "Did you have the wrong kind? Really? I've never had the wrong kind, ever. My worst one was right on the money."

I could go on and on, quoting dialogue from this film. In many respects, it is something of a comfort movie and for the longest time, I had a ritual where I watch it every Sunday morning.

Nice pick, Jeremy.

Mr. Peel said...

This brought up a few interesting points for me. I saw VICKY CHRISTINA BARCELONA a few days ago, which I thought was terrific, so Woody has been banging around my brain lately. Also, I have sometimes been faced with the problem of trying to say something new about a film that has been discussed many, many times before. What can I say about CHINATOWN, ANNIE HALL, CITIZEN KANE, not to mention so many others? But I still love those movies, just like I love MANHATTAN and I love the shots you chose.

Sometimes when I'm at a public event chatting with people I'll think 'why isn't this as interesting as the ERA benefit in MANHATTAN?'?Maybe I should write about trying to find that feeling here in L.A.

Joe said...

Great screenshots from one of my favorite romantic comedies. While Allen seems to far prefer The Purple Rose of Cairo, Husbands and Wives and Bullets Over Broadway, like Steve and J.D., this is my favorite Woody Allen film. While I don't find it hilarious any more, there's no mistaking it for a gorgeous work of art.

Jeremy Richey said...

Thanks to everyone for the great comments. It's been a tough week and I'm sorry I haven't responded to each one. I did enjoy reading all of them and hope my upcoming pics continue to get such great reactions...


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Tuesday, April 7, 2009

The Jim McBride Series at Anthology Film Archives

I was thrilled recently to discover (courtesy of James over at Out 1 that Anthology Film Archives in New York is using a quote from my look at Jim McBride's Breathless (1983) to promote their upcoming showing of the film later this month. I was particularly happy about this as the group is extremely well regarded and important, and my article on the film is one of my favorite things I have written here. The full listing for Pictures from Life's Many Sides: The Films of Jim Mcbride can be read here, and for those interested here is the little blurb they are using to promote Breathless:

by Jim McBride
1983, 101 minutes, 35mm.
“Critics and film buffs in 1982 were positively flabbergasted when Jim McBride announced that he was going to remake Jean-Luc Godard’s incredibly influential BREATHLESS…. McBride’s BREATHLESS plays like a compulsive and flashy pop art piece; one that you stare at for a while trying to figure out whether or not it is actually art or just something hanging on the wall. With its whirlwind pace, Jack Nitzsche score and stunning splashes of sun stroked Los Angeles color, BREATHLESS is undeniably fun and exciting…. Not at all dated, it now plays as one of the most progressive and seminal films of the 1980s.” –Jeremy Richey, THE AMPLIFIER-

Thanks to James at Out 1 for alerting me to this, and a big thanks to Anthology Film Archives for reading and finding some value in my look at McBride's Breathless, a film I have been very passionate about since I first saw it as a teenager in the eighties. I wish I could be there for their McBride festival, which includes as a guest another one of my favorite directors, Jonathan Demme.

James Hansen said...

Glad to be the watchdog for this Jeremy! I was excited to see your name on there! If anyone wants to read the full press release that has some easier to find descriptions of the films (I've always thought Anthology's site is a little difficult to navigate through) see the link below. And even if you don't wanna see it, don't forget to come hang at Out 1!

James Hansen said...

Oh, and I'm not sure what link you included for Out 1 in this post, but its a touch messed up/broken. Everyone here follows us anyways, I'm sure, but in case someone doesn't, ya might wanna fix it if'n ya don't mind. :)

Jeremy Richey said...

Hey James,
Sorry about the screw up with teh link. It should be working now. Thanks again...


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Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Kim Morgan on Punch Drunk Love

Kim Morgan has written a very nice piece on Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch Drunk Love that I wanted to link up to here. I frankly pretty much love everything Kim writes enough to link up to here, but I find this one to be particularly special as I think the film is so extraordinary (and sadly often overlooked). Kim's wonderful article also serves as a terrific defence of Adam Sandler (she even gives a shout out to the quite special Spanglish, an unfairly maligned work from James L. Brooks.) I'm currently working on a piece on Magnolia for an outside project, and I can tell you that Paul Thomas Anderson's films aren't easy to write on, especially for people like myself that are incredibly moved by them. Kim's piece is one of the best on one of his pictures I have read and I highly recommend it.
My own little past celebration of Punch Drunk Love can be viewed here for those interested.

J.D. said...

Yeah, PUNCH-DRUNK is an incredible film and really showed that Adam Sandler had some serious acting chops.

I also really enjoyed Kim Morgan's article, esp., as you point out, giving a shout-out to the under-appreciated SPANGLISH, which I also love dearly.

Jeremy Richey said...

Thanks JD,
Kim's passionate writing always leaves me slightly in awe. I thought this was a really smashing piece on an important film...plus, we can now add another Spanglish fan to the list! I still don't understand the critical pounding that film took.


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Friday, May 31, 2013

Guest Post: Derek Hill on Sofia Coppola's SOMEWHERE

Today I am so happy to welcome one of Moon in the Gutter's oldest friends and greatest inspirations back, the incredible Derek Hill, author of the essential Charlie Kaufman and Hollywood's Merry Band of Pranksters.  This guest post is a particular treat as Derek's book, which included a large section on Sofia Coppola, was published before the release of her Somewhere so finally getting to read Derek's thoughts on the film is really exciting.  Enough of my rambling though...let's get to the good stuff!

                                                         Nowhere Man by Derek Hill, 2013
An actor aimlessly roams through the affluent, insular rooms and hallways of an upscale hotel, searching for any kind of stimulus to relieve him of his emotional stasis, some kind of diversion to occupy his time before he is whisked away to yet another press junket, another photo shoot, another interview that he glides through with practiced charm and ease. The actor is bored. Although comfortable within his cocoon of luxury and unreality, he is starving for a real emotional connection with someone. Anyone.

You wouldn't be reprimanded for thinking I was talking about Bill Murray's character from Sofia Coppola's extraordinary second feature Lost in Translation (2003). Coppola's underrated fourth movie, Somewhere (2010), also contains a similar character, action star Johnny Marco, played by Stephen Dorff. Stylistically and thematically, both movies are fascinating compliments to one another, although the earlier movie is more incisive about human nature, dreamy, and quietly poignant. Lost in Translation also contains one of Murray's finest moments on screen and a (so far) career-best performance by Scarlett Johansson, two difficult acts to follow. But regardless of the similarities between the two movies, and there are many important ones, Somewhere is its own distinctive, vital creation and not an artistic regression. It's also the first time that Coppola attempts to burrow into the male psyche for the majority of the movie, establishing the story's point of view through Marco's eyes. For a director whose movies tend to billow with images and emotional states that can conveniently be contextualized as delicately feminine, this change is significant.

Viewers invested in the three-act structure, clearly delineated plot points, and in characters that must undergo some form of dramatic change, will only be frustrated with Coppola's movies. That's not to suggest that Coppola's methodology is superior to classic Hollywood storytelling (it's not), but for her, the rudiments of commercial screenwriting 101 don't interest her. Not all movies need to chart a direct path through the wilderness of narrative. For some adventurous filmmakers, the detours from narrative are the most worthwhile moments of the trip, and it's in those strange, seemingly unnecessary deviations from the throughline and tyranny of plot when the cinematic poet blossoms. It's when the cinematic poet relates how the world really appears through their eyes, offering us a moment of reality beyond the artificiality of the screen.

Coppola, so unlike her father Francis, doesn't approach story in broad strokes. She is interested in the subtle nuances of character and visually lyrical epiphanies, allowing her actors to reveal the nature of their roles through the slow accretion of significant details. In Somewhere, we go roughly 15 minutes before any real dialogue is spoken, and even then, what is heard is banal and hardly illuminating. However, what we see is provocative and precisely revelatory. It's in the visual where Coppola and her cinematographer, the late Harris Savides, get down to business.

Although still gruffly attractive, movie star Marco wanders through the legendary Chateau Marmont like a hollowed-out relic of his better days. He's still on top of the Hollywood food chain, but only for the moment. Age is slowly settling in and it doesn't take a fortune teller to point out that the golden boy is going to show signs of rust within a year or two. But he still goes through the motions for his fans, colleagues, and entourage. Marco the party boy lazily roams through a late-night party, lazily flirts with women (his pickup lines consist of either "Hi" or "Hi, I'm Johnny"), and lazily watches two twin pole dancers listlessly perform their routine for his arousal. He falls asleep and they in turn pack up their gear and exit to entertain another happy customer. Later, Marco pathetically (and hilariously) conks out with his face buried between the thighs of his latest conquest. The man is psychologically and physically spent. He's an emotional zombie.

It would be easy for Coppola to eviscerate her characters, lampooning them for their absurdities and plunging the venomous blade of satire deeply, then twisting it for maximum audience ridicule. This world of hermetic affluence is one Coppola knows well, but she holds off tormenting her characters. She is not filled with self-hate. Instead, she observes her characters and their milieu with a sharp, cool perspective, but never at the expense of their humanity. Humor undercuts many scenes, particularly when examining celebrity culture, and there is a strong sense that Marco's inner life is non-existent, or at least deadened, from his steady diet of nothing. Coppola, however, is not a moralist. Her observations aren't jaundiced, even when she does poke at the pretensions of celebrity.

Although their approach to filmmaking and storytelling are very different, she does share with Antonioni and Fellini that ability to dissect the world of privilege without murdering it. It's no accident that Coppola has referenced Fellini's brilliant La Dolce Vita twice. In Lost in Translation, Murray and Johansson watch the movie on television. In Somewhere, Marco puts his daughter Cleo (Elle Fanning) on a plane after their night in Las Vegas and yells to her that he's sorry he's been absent from her life, she unable to hear his confession because of the roar of the plane's engine. The scene is reminiscent of the finale of La Dolce Vita, when a haggard Marcello Mastroianni slumps on a beach in the morning sun after a long night of debauchery and engages a young girl he met earlier in the movie. Her agonizingly touching expression of love for him goes unacknowledged because he can't understand what she's saying over the crashing waves and he's too bleary-eyed to comprehend the look on her face.

Coppola does not elevate the scene between Marco and Cleo to the profound emotional heights that Fellini went for, instead opting for her usual low-key preciseness. Later, when Marco self-pityingly calls up a woman and cries on the phone to her, she cuts him off and our wonderboy is literally left spending the night floating in a pool alone.

But Coppola does opt for a happy ending of sorts, albeit tinged with ambiguity and a trickle of Hollywood sentimentality. Marco has the hotel pack up his belongings and he hops into his sports car, taking off for the open road. What gives some advantage to reading this moment as optimistic for Marco, is that stylistically Coppola and Savides shoot Marco's car rigidly in the center of the frame as he drives further away from Los Angeles, our perspective always moving in a straight line… forward, forward, forward. Jump cuts accelerate the passage of time as Marco heads out into the desert. This is in direct opposition to the provocative opening shot of the movie, which is a long uninterrupted take observing Marco driving his car in a loop at a desert racetrack for several minutes, the camera stationary and only picking up a portion of the roadway. The shot selection at the end, with Marco breaking free from that interminable endless circle, and his life in Hollywood, feels exhilarating.

The question remaining, however, is whether Marco is truly up for the challenge. Marko finally pulls his car over to the side of the road. The desert surrounds him. He looks tentatively aware walking away from his abandoned car. But it feels like a movie moment, as the music slowly gains piercing urgency. It feels like a moment from a Johnny Marko movie, instead of the dead end it really is.
***Thanks again Derek!***

Bigplatts said...

I really liked the ending of this movie, I thought it was a bit too much of a metaphor ending when I first saw it; where was he going? Why in the middle of the desert? But I noticed something about it, and thats that for the whole film he's going around in circles (like in the opening) never sure where to go, but in the end he's finally going "somewhere".

Steve Langton said...

Terrific review. I struggle to think of a more perfect double bill than Lost In Translation and Somewhere.


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Sunday, April 27, 2014

It's Been A While....

My dear Mother passed away on Easter Sunday after suffering a fall on the previous Sunday. She was 88 years old and had a good life with a long marriage and seven children.
We will miss her so much.

Obviously, I haven't been able to spend much time in the sewing room, but I do have some older photos that I had planned to share. I will do a Simply Red update later this week--our meeting was last Monday.
I finally got my Schnibbles Canasta quilted.
This was one of the quilts from last year's Another Year of Schnibbles.
I got to use some of my Jo Morton Blue Variety fabrics for this one.
It looks kind of small laying on the king size bed--it's a throw size.

Jo Morton Blue Variety
Hard to see, but the main part of the quilt is a small stipple, the blue inner border is an egg and dart design and the outer border is a feather.

The quilting shows much better on the back. I took the top to a long arm quilting group and the consensus was to use meandering rather than a more contemporary design--so that is what I did.

Earlier this month, I covered a small paper mache box to keep my Stitch Society hexagons all together. It won't hold all 180 of them, but with my slow progress, it will do for quite a while.

A perfect fit.

The blackberries, fox and rag doll.

Friday, April 18, 2014

Happy Easter!

I haven't had a lot of time to post, so I thought I'd do a quick little show of some of my wooly Easter projects from the past.
Little penny mat--I think those are deviled eggs!

If I remember correctly, this was a pattern in a Better Homes and Gardens Quilt magazine.
All of the wooden rabbits in the photos were purchased at craft stores as bare wood. I painted them with acrylic paints--most of them are dated 1993 on the bottoms. I thinned the paints a lot and applied washes of color so they aren't glossy.

This is a Brandywine pattern from one of Linda Hohag's books.
I used a Wildflower's variegated pearl cotton for the buttonhole stitching.

I think this little picture was from a Need'l Love book.
A velveteen rabbit is helping to hold it up!

Another Need'l Love book pattern--love the cabbages!
I hope your Easter baskets will be filled with treats!

Monday, April 14, 2014

A Little Catching Up....

There's not a lot happening in the sewing room right now, but I thought I would post a few things before I  begin preparing Mr. Moosebay's dinner. I have to get an early start since tonight is our guild meeting.
This is last week's Jane Austen block from Barbara Brackman.
I am making my blocks 6" so I do a conversion in my BlockBase program.

This is a mock up of Block 2 on one of my design boards.

This was the second arrangement I laid out and ended up sewing together.
Unfortunately, I didn't notice that I left the setting in BlockBase to round to the nearest 1/8th inch, so my block was too big--not much, but too big--ack!!
Since I had to reverse sew, re-cut, and re-sew, I changed those half square triangles.
There was not enough contrast in the originals.
 I'm much happier with it now although cutting 1-11/16th inch squares isn't the most fun I've had lately!
My Triangle Sew Along top is all sewn together and ready to quilt.
I plan on leaving the jagged sides just for fun.
Gotta run so no links today--sorry!!!!

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

All of a sudden, it is starting to feel like Spring may actually happen! Yesterday was beautiful and so is today--perfect for a walk and a garden lecture to get in the mood. I know it will be about 7 weeks before I can plant any flowers here, but it's fun to make plans.
I think that's why I gravitated toward these stash fabrics for my Jane Austen blocks.
Well, maybe not the plaids...we'll see!
Yes, I've caved--but it was peer pressure--not my fault--haha!
 A group of quilters encouraged by Sharyn are going to do the blocks, so I have to join in on the fun, right? I think Elizabeth and her sisters would be wearing cheerful floral cotton dresses this time of year.
There will be 36 twelve inch blocks, but I am going to do a smaller version using 6" blocks.
Barbara Brackman will be posting a block weekly at the Austen Family Album blog.
Sassy Quilter Triangle Quilt Along

So far, I'm keeping on top of the Triangle Sew Along.
There are 12 rows of 17 triangles.

The triangles get sewn together in pairs.
As long as the blunt tip is facing up or down, you will end up with straight of grain on the top and bottom of your rows. It helped me to place a pin on the triangle facing up so I didn't get my pairs turned at the sewing machine. It's easy to flip them--trust me: I know from experience!

These are my twelve rows sewn across.
The rows will be sewn to each other in the next step on Friday.
When I randomly laid out my triangles, I had a bit of a star peeking out, so I rearranged all the triangles to get three big ones.
It's impossible to see them up close, but they magically appear as you step back from the design wall.

This has been SO fun to sew up!
 Since the triangles have been starched they go together easily and the the blunt tips help with matching.
I don't think I'll have any trouble staying on the timeline for this one!

Sunday, April 6, 2014

I only had time this week to be on the computer to check email--no, not even to shop!
I filled in a little bit at Colorz for Quilts while Susan is in Arizona. It happened to be meeting day for Martha's Prairie Women group, so it was a fun day.

Even more fun--this bundle of French General I picked up!

The April Stitch Society meeting was on Thursday.
Of course there were storm warnings, but I was lucky and managed to get home before the worst of it. These are a few more of the hexagons I finished from March.

I love the Cow Jumping Over the Moon.
We had a delicious ice cream dessert as a treat at our meeting.

The Pansy is one of my favorites (so far).

And I have a big finish!
 My Quilty Fun Sew Along quilt is complete!
The top, back and binding were made completely from my stash (which makes me pretty happy). I did purchase white batting. I was worried that a natural colored batt may change the white on white prints I used as backgrounds.

I got to use up a lot of chunks of old fabrics for the back and some Kona solids for the binding.
I used Aurifil thread to quilt a pantograph design called Popcorn.

Lori's design for the label was pretty cute. Since it was a 16" square, I pieced it into the backing and quilted over it. It felt pretty good to not have to add a label after the last stitches of the binding were finished!

It looks like I have a pretty full calendar next week too.
Happy Sewing!!


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Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Mesoamerica Resiste and the Transpacific Partnership

Over a span of 9 years, folks gathered stories, understood connections, created metaphors, drew images, and then... ta-da! We've got a poster. (simple, easy, just like that! right? uhh. sure...)

Recently, I've been working with a bunch of really smart bees to figure out how to story tell and share the newest graphic: Mesoamerica Resiste (including having the narrative done, if ya haven't had a chance to read it yet it's on the left sidebar of our site). Today, a group of folks have gotten together to build shared analysis and do some planning, which since I'm at home, I admittedly feel jealous of. But also totally stoked and excited that we're doing that. And I'm ready to spend some time doing story sharing over here in Ohio.

As a story teller, this is some of the most exciting and interesting stuff I getta do-- find ways to make sure the stories we share are impactful, meaningful, and ideally- inspire action or movement from folks we're connecting with. Though I don't think we can claim much credit with the timing of MR! being released, it does align in a moment when the Transpacific Partnership (TPP), a trade agreement similar to others like NAFTA, is at a pivotal moment in our country. A moment in which it's possible to stop it.

 The issues addressed with the MR! graphic and the TPP have similarities that are both powerful and devastating. We can look to previous trade agreements and other neoliberal policies to see how history repeats itself. This time, if the TPP passes, it will be bigger and badder than ever before-- as it encompasses 40% of the global economy, making it the largest trade agreement--- ever.

{for more on the TPP, here's a good article to check out--- though I havta say, it's not the 'americans' receive the short end of the stick- it's that people do. We all do.}

On my most recent tour, Kyle and I built upon what we'd (the royal we, not just kyle and i) already developed to incorporate more information and build our stories and analysis to share what we know about the TPP.  After being back here in Ohio, I got to do a workshop with some students from across the country who are doing organizing work against the TPP with United Students for Fair Trade. We delved into a lot of the images on the front of the graphic to explore connection to the TPP, as well as jumped into the center hear stories of resistance.

Through doing this, I not only got to hear some perspective of those I was with, but also had a chance to hear more direct feedback--- and gained a sense of what stuck out to folks and seemed to engage folks the most. These two stories really came to top and look at two different perspectives on why agreements like the TPP are not for or by the people.

On the left side of the poster, there's a double helix highlighting the story of farmer bee. There are many steps that farmer bee takes- from communal farming to displacement that leads to working in a sweatshop in a Free Trade Zone or being forced to emigrate to another country.

In the first few scene, we see farmer bee working and living in a hive- a communal land holding. When the Mexican constitution was enacted after the revolution, it protected communal land and prevented it from being parceled out.

However, as NAFTA pushed forward, the constitution was changed in order to align with free trade policies. Suddenly, those land holding could be broken.

and they were. Here, farmer bee goes to get a loan and a deed, in order to farm her own little plot of land.

Luckily, she knows a lot about the land and growing food, so she has a really productive season.

However, when she takes her produce to market-- she realized she simply can't compete with global corn prices. The truck from the United States is dumping highly subsidized and industrialized corn into the market scales.

Farmer bee simply can't make a living given global trade. And at the end of the season, she's breaking open her little piggy bank. Despite scrapping it together the best she can, she doesn't have enough to pay back her private loans, and is forced to sell her land-- and emigrate out of the place she's from.

Under the TPP, more communities will loose their autonomy to decide what will best govern their people. NAFTA undermined the hard fought agreement for communal land, and if free trade expands, so will the consequences.

Settled into the front and center of the graphic- there sits a table. It's a celebration-- of 500 years of colonialism-- as industry representatives try to take the biggest piece of the cake as they can. (The cake is shaped like Mesoamerica). While these folks have been pulling the strings of free trade for a long time, under the TPP it's gotten even more extreme. The agreement has over 600 official corporate 'trade advisors,' meanwhile folks in political positions (congress, for example) and folks like you and i- are barred from seeing it. We can't see it, and they get to draft it.

Wait? Who's this agreement for again?

Fortunately, Wikileaks has struck again and has been releasing the very long and complicated documents. Even more fortunate, other folks are reading it and summarizing it for us. So far, we know that despite preventing SOPA from passing last year, it's included within the TPP. One of the most harsh previsions I've seen so far- also falls under the umbrella of 'intellectual property.'

One of the industries sitting around the table above is the pharmaceutical industry (frog mask, dna vessel). Under the TPP, generic medicines will be under threat, as corporations will have more freedom to attach governmental patent regulations that allow for generic medicine to exist. Tons of people rely on the life saving access to cheap (ish) generic medicine. Even AARP (which, ya know, is always standing in line with the radical left on issues- right?) has come out to say the TPP is bad news.

{a photo of kyle- sharing the stories from MR!- in Baltimore at 2640}

Ok- that's some rough news. It's terrifying. It's heartbreaking. It's awful--- but it's real and it's happening AND it can be stopped. I'm really glad to be able to use this fancy drawing to talk about things like this- and real glad to be able to take action.

The first step in this fight, is to prevent the Fast Track legislation from moving forward-- and preventing Obama (who loves free trade and the TPP) from being able to unilaterally pass trade agreements.

Expose the TPP has a whole slew of ideas on how to put in wrench in this whole charade. Everything from hosting a teach in, calling your rep, bird dogging, and pulling together a rally.


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Archive for : October, 2013

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Client Profile: Southern Sun

Just because you skip the tanning beds doesn’t mean you have to be pale! Southern Sun is a mobile luxury airbrush tanning service located in in Franklin, TN.

For the ladies over at Southern Sun, this wasn’t their first rodeo as far as graphics were concerned! In fact they are very self reliant and manage much of their own marketing on their own in-house. So it was no surprise that when they came to me with a logo request, they came with a full-fledged idea, font names and pre-purchased stock art in tow. They had more or less found exactly what they were looking for – a girl on a bar stool wearing a dress – but they just wished she could be a bit more “southern.”

That’s where I came in! With a few simple additions, I was able to make their vision a reality.

And that’s why I wanted to make this sweet and simple logo request a featured Client Profile. Whether you know exactly what you want, or have no idea what you want, I am here for my clients! I can provide as much or as little conceptual assistance as needed. It doesn’t matter what you bring to the table – as long as you leave it perfectly satisfied!

PS: If you’re looking for an awesome hassle-free spray tan (I have partaken myself) make sure to check out their Facebook page at

Client Profile: Southern Sun


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Wednesday, June 30, 2010

I know I've been a bit absent. Again, I'm going to blame stress and pregnancy. Ugh, so much!

I've been trying to start cleaning up the house again. Some days we (me and Franklin) have good days and I can get quite a bit done. Some days it's like the world is upside down. I get tired and nauseated and Franklin seems to live to get into stuff he shouldn't.

In other news: I'm doing a chili cookoff at Stefan's squadron. It's really low key but kind of exciting. We went to Whole Foods so I could get premium ingredients! I'll let you know how it goes.

We're definitely having a homebirth! I have a midwife and everything. It's a little weird to do "doctor's visits" in your home.

I'm also doing a cooking challenge for July that I'll post about later!

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Don't Give Up On Me.

I hired my midwife so you'll get regular baby updates soon!

I'm planning a big JULY Meal Challenge. Be ready for that!

If I weren't nauseated all.the.time. I'd definitely be posting more. We ate out a lot the end of last month just because I felt so exhausted all the time.

So yeah, don't give up on me!

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Monday, March 15, 2010

A visit from the Reindeer People

Nacka Strand, Sweden
The lead rider approaches at a slow trot, in a blur of white. The earflaps of his conical fur-lined cap turn up into points. He is quite close when I realize he is not riding a horse, but a reindeer. From the reindeer riders behind him, one dismounts and advances until I can see him quite distinctly. He is robed in skins and furs. There is a buttery gloss to his skin, under a hat with a broad band that is decorated with a pattern of stones or beads; some of them may be amber. The word "Mösa" comes to me, spelled like that, with the two dots. He is the leader of this band, and I know they are Sami, reindeer people of the far north. The chief brings forward a beautiful young woman who looks more Asiatic than European, with high cheekbones and slightly slanted dark eyes. I am given her name, but will not record that here. I am instructed that she will be Speaker for her people.
The first word she plants in my mind is "Sami", but it does not come through in the normal pronunciation ("Sah-mi"); it comes through as "Say-me". This is followed by a rapid stream of information, too fast for me to receive word by word, a kind of primal burst transmission. I understand I am being given things, mind to mind, that will unfold over time. I am being prepared to accept an invitation to enter the world of the Sami, the shamanic dreamers of the far north.
This visitation took place in the twilight state, in that in-between state of consciousness the French used to call dorveille ("sleep-wake"). It is a just-so experience, reminiscent of encounters with Speakers for other ancient and indigenous traditions that I have had in my travels; for example, with a zhyne (priestess) of Zhemyna, the Baltic Earth goddess, who instructed me in visions when I first visited Lithuania, as described in my Dreamer's Book of the Dead, or with the ancient Mohawk arendiwanen ("woman of power") and Mother of the Wolf Clan I call Island Woman. I feel honored by this visitation by the Sami, whose shamans, or noaides, were revered and feared, riding their reindeer hide drums, beaten with reindeer bone tappers, between the worlds.
In the morning, at my workshop, I recount this incident. A young woman tells me that her mother is Sami and insists on exact descriptions of my visitors' headgear and clothes. "That word Mösa? That is the Norwegian name for a fur hat. Maybe the headman came to you from Norway, where Sami also live." A man in the group who has studied shamanism and indigenous cultures in many countries is excited that a link with Sapmi (the Sami heartland) seems to have been made in this direct way. "You know, the drums of the great Sami shamans, confiscated in the days of religious persecution, are still kept locked up in Stockholm where no one can see them." Another member of the group knows a Sami woman noaide who lives in a far northern village; she volunteers to introduce me.
The young woman with the Sami mother pulls me aside. She wants to give her explanation of the unusual pronunciation of the word "Sami" in my night encounter. "They are saying, Same-Me. They are telling you they see you as one like them." Oh dear. Could be the start of yet another adventure.

Savannah said...

What a beautiful encounter Robert, thank you for sharing it! Besides say-me-speak-for-me and same-me it's hard not to hear moss echoed in Mösa... maybe as a speaker for a tradition whose drums have been locked away (I find that image rather shocking).

diane said...

This reminds me of the Christmas story you wrote for the little boy and posted I think it was the Christmas before last - it may not be of the same tradition? but none the less, you reached to the shamans of the flying antlered deer.

My first thought was also, "same-me", and seems perfectly so.

Nancy said...

OK, I can't resist playing the word game. My first thought was SAMe, a vitamin supplement pronounced "sam-eeh", which I believe is for neurotransmitter support. I guess you're growing the biological Web of Light!

Patty said...

Would you be interested in doing a workshop in Norway? Maybe if you go back to Sweden next summer. My sister house a nice sized, well kept farm house in Stryn and I love cooking for people. And they have great summer beer there, a magnificent glacier and easy trips to the fjord? There is also family stories around alien cows that wander into the yard and a dragon who keeps watch at a drinking spot by a stream in the valley.

Robert Moss said...

Savannah, Thanks for finding the moss in Mösa!

Diane, Thanks for recalling my First Santa story, which was indeed in inspired by the practices of Sami noaides riding sleighs pulled by reindeer through the three tiers of the shamanic cosmos.

Nancy, I know nothing of that vitamin supplement, but "neurotransmitter support" is an interesting phrase since I felt the Sami were communicating by a kind of mind-to-mind "burst transmission" whose full content will only become known and accessible over time.

Robert Moss said...

Patty, Your sister's setup in Norway sounds lovely - maybe a place for R&R with an informal dreaming family rather than a workshop (for which the minimum number is usually 30)- if time ever allows for that. Northern Europe is certainly calling me. On my current trip, I have received invitations to lead new workshops in no fewer than seven countries in the region (including the two - Sweden and Lithuania - that I have visited this time.

Katie said...

as someone who studies physical anthropology I could tell by your phenotype[face] immediately that you have some altaic/siberian or uralic origins,not at all suprised by your dream.

Katie said...

dna test by dnatribes/23andme etc would uncover it.


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Sunday, May 27, 2007

New Roof

We are replacing our 40 year old concrete tile with a 5V metal panel roof. The new roof will be a Marine Green color. We are using a company in Lake Worth that specializes in metal roofs. The company is AMETCO and so far we are very happy with their work and would highly recommend them. I'll add to the photos as the project progresses.

Jane Jeffress THomas said...

I love the new roof. How neat that you have overhead camera know-how. Wonderful shots of them preparing and then installing the roof. Will they be projectiles during a storm? Around here with so many tin roofs, they blow and slice things in their path.

Strange thing, but somehowo or other, your site is now my homepage. I did have The Upperoom/devotional as my homepage and it won't go back and stay as the homepage. I am going to try once again and if it doesn't hold this time, I will probably email you to help me get my homepage back.

The Browns said...

Studies after the four hurricanes revealed the metal 5V panel roofs when properly installed were the most wind resistant. I don't think this is the same as what you know as tin roofs. This is fastened down every few inches with special screws. I wouldn't install anything that would come off in a storm. We have already had one tropical storm. The sky is just clearing from the heavy rains yesterday and last night.

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The Mindful Art Of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh

When I attended the 2011 retreat in Vancouver, British Columbia, I was treated to the mindful art of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, known as Thay, meaning teacher, by his followers. The retreat was held on the lovely campus of the University of British Columbia (UBC).

One of the highlights of the retreat was the Calligraphic Meditation exhibit at the Asian Center Auditorium on the UBC campus.

We have the wonderful opportunity to see Thay at work on calligraphic masterpieces. We even had the opportunity to purchase the art work. There was even a book of the exhibit with excellent photographs of the art work that Thay signed for us.

I am offering this slideshow of the brochure for the exhibit at UBC because this week, the exhibit has traveled to Thailand.

[jsbrotate images=×400.jpg|×400.jpg|×400.jpg|×400.jpg|×400.jpg|×400.jpg|×400.jpg|×400.jpg width=281 height=400]

There was an article in the The Nation, Thailand’s multimedia website that reviewed the exhibit. Here are some quotes from the article:

“I always begin my calligraphy with a cup of tea. I mix some tea into the ink. In Zen tradition, tea keeps you awake and helps you meditate,” says the Zen Master, now 87. While he draws the first half of a circle, he breathes in and while he finishes the second half of the circle, he practices breathing out. “My calligraphy contains mindfulness and tea,” he smiles.

Drawing can be a tool for meditating on anatta or “no-self”, he explains. “While I draw, I visualise the hands of my father, mother and ancestors, so that they are drawing the circle with me. I know that I cannot remove my father, my mother, my ancestors, my teachers and the Lord Buddha from my hands. There is no separate self.”

There is also a short video that you may enjoy.

This is the calligraphy that I bought at the retreat:

Breath - You are Alive

Thay’s calligraphy is certainly wonderful. If you like calligraphy, you’ll love the mindful art of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.

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When caring for a loved one in their final days, that person can easily become the entire world to their caregiver. This is exactly what happened to Holly (Roxy Bugler). who's just lost her mother after a long and painful illness. Now Holly is at loose ends, and among her mother's last words were a wish for Holly to find someone she could be happy with, the same way her parents were happy together.

Finding such happiness isn't so easy, of course, but that's what mother told her to do, so that's what Holly does. She goes out to a bar where she spies Matthew (Kemal Yildirim) also drinking alone, likes the look of him, and picks him up. Their one-night stand turns into a lost weekend, then a string of encounters at Matthew's home, where they eat together by candlelight and become increasingly dependent on each other. Though Holly does blossom under the attention, there seems to be a lot less happiness and a lot more desperate need in the relationship, both unwilling to go back to their lonely lives.

Her brother Paul (Gary Cross) cautions her against getting too close too quickly, but that warning comes far too late, as Holly is increasingly caught up in her new life. For his part, Matthew has been estranged from his family for some time, and he's deeply reluctant to talk about his past despite Holly's gentle urging. Families should always stay together, she insists, oblivious to Matthew's continued silence on that point.

Then the phone call comes: Matthew's mother, Lorelai (Jill Connick), is dying. If it were up to Matthew the news wouldn't change a thing, but at Holly's insistence the two travel to his family home. And certainly there's something not right about Lorelai, though it's at least as much a mental issue as a physical one. She seems obsessed with cleanliness -- certainly the house is full of sinks -- and says such strange things to Holly that the younger woman frequently has no idea how to respond. Matthew, overwhelmed and even traumatized by being home again, is little help.

I'll go with four out of five. The pacing is slow but for the most part it works, and all three leads are utterly convincing, their silences saying almost as much as the dialogue. In their own ways, they're all equally blinded by their pasts to what's happening in the present -- Holly, for example, can't fathom the idea that some families are better off apart -- and this is what leads to the final collision among the three of them, a collision that's unexpected, inevitable, and changes everything.

Holly is having some trouble adjusting to her future mother-in-law.

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Thursday, September 17, 2009

Baking with cakePHP

Its been a while..

So lately I've been baking with cakePHP. Since I'm new to php and new to this framework, my thoughts might overlap between the two. A comment for the cake might be due to php and vice-versa. Anyway, here it goes. Instead of pro's and con's, I'll write as likes and don't-likes.. in no particular order. As I don't think I can judge php and related technology being a newbie..

First thoughts of using phpcake reminded me of Grails. very simple, less code and code generator tools.

Don't Like:
Too much reliance on convention over configuration. I'm still a bit 'old-school' if you will on this. My gripe with this is that if you live a framework (meaning that is all that you do), then convention is all ok. But if you switch between projects using different frameworks, configuration is a lifesaver. You know exactly what goes where and why. Personally I fall in the second camp and don't like to rely on too many 'automagic' methods.

convention overrides. It gives ways to override conventions. Such as /controllers/opportunities_controller.php expects and uses /models/opportunity.php model and will error out if model not present. But if you want to use /models/client.php model in /controllers/opportunities_controller.php, just declare a member:

$uses = array('Client');

or if you want to use other models, declare:

$uses = array('Opportunity','Client');

bake tool. It generates the models, views, controllers with staple code. The generated code is very workable to customize.

Don't Like:
ACL. Nothing wrong with ACL, but the heavy reliance on ACL for Authorization. I wish they support url pattern for authorization as an alternative. (maybe they do.. but I didn't find a good example). As a comparison see aceigi ( and scroll to block of code just before section 'Start petclinic's database)

Also, there is not much support for 'rapid development' with authorization using ACL. Everyone seems to create a different way to implement the actual authorization permission checking, especially from the views. So, I did the same. I even had to create my own session managed permission map, so that the system does not make tons of db queries on each page request.

And if you need to see at a later date which resource is authorized to whom, you need to be a SQL guru to run Tree/Hierarchical queries to find that out.

debugging. It helps a lot, and shows what framework is doing internally to get stuff done.

Don't Like:
Lack to true OO. a quick example. It allows you to create a Model class. When you invoke for a model from the Model's find() method, you don't get an instance of the model. You get an array with data?!

Lets say controllerA is using ModelB, you can say:
$model = $this->ModelB->find(...)
This is OO. But any call on
fails, as $model is not an instance of a class. It is an array.

components for controllers and helpers for views concept. This helps create reusable functionality and integration into controllers and views is seamless.

Don't Like:
models with data access methods. I had this gripe with Grails as well. There is a big debate on this issue about should models be aware of loading and fetching themselves or should that functionality be separated in DAO's. I don't want to judge which is better, but I like DAO's.. This helps models to behave as command or transport objects.

dynamic methods: findBy... and findAllBy.. on models.. that's a life saver.

$conditions for making complex queries. Build your complex query in an array, and supply it to the find method. This addresses one issue I had talked about earlier. See ORM and search/filtering In effect it uses the method I had talked about called 'search...(criteria)', where a criteria object is built and sent to the search method.

Don't Like:
->, => .. fingers hurt typing. This is php issue though..

There are features that I've not tried yet. Such as behaviors, elements etc. I may write again when I have a fuller grasp of the framework.

So finally, would I use php cake in future? Yes, for a quick prototype or where php is required in a project. But for more enterprise solutions I'd fall back on a java solution.

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Saturday, August 23, 2008

30 x 46 Court in New York!!

Hello Rhino friends,

Finally we installed another beautiful Rhino Court in New York about 35 miles northeast of Albany. Norman loves his new court and he was very impressive the way court was installed. He is a roofing contractor. He will be spreading the words about Rhino Court.

Norman have 2 boys. His oldest son plays for AAU basketball. His other son is only 1 year old.

Enjoy your new Rhino Court, Norman!!!


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Saturday, November 21, 2009

Hockey Floors in the basement! (Barrington, RI)

Michael Dolan did some researching for his son to play hockey in their basement. Michael spoke to few competitors but was not impressed with their tiles. He felt in love after he saw indoor tiles he was looking for. He immediately purchased Classic XL tiles on our first appointment and I promised him that I would install the flooring before 1st weekend of November. We got the job done in time! He and his son loved it!

Hope to see his son in the NHL in the future! :-)

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Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Snow Day!!!

Today it snowed...and snowed. For some areas, that may be nothing new, but for us it has been a rarity the past few winters and my students were so excited!!

We even went out for just a few moments to get a measurement of how much snow had fallen so far. At 12:40 our next door neighbor of kindergarten students measured 1 1/2 inches of snow and by 2:00 when we went out to measure it was already at 2 inches.

and tomorrow is an official SNOW DAY!!!!!!!!!! So excited to spend the day at home with my girls!

  1. Nothing like a snow day. I had big windows in my 4th grade classroom the past 13 years and our view was the courtyard, so all of us would just put our work aside and have a break to celebrate the snow.

    It was such an exciting time for the kids and for most of the adults. If the snow was heavy and the wind was howling we knew to be patient and listen for an announcement about an early dismissal or no school for the following day. Not surprising, something that costs nothing could engaged and educate our students across all content areas with such joy and excitement.

    Your pictures speak a thousand words!


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Sunday, 21 February 2016

REVIEW - XO, Blake (The Undergrad Years #3) by Avery Aster

The Book
Release Date: 9 June 2015
Goodreads Link

For fans of the dark comedy BDSM film Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down comes an erotic exploration in domination and submission where Ivy League students let their naughtiest desires run wild…

If you think my besties Lex, Taddy, and Vive have had some bad luck earlier this year, cut to me at Glamorama. Last thing I remembered was dancing with Diego and Miguel from my English class, when the room started… spinning. And not in a good way! We got sick. Think Regan in The Exorcist. Taddy was rushed to the hospital. Holding on for dear life, I was carried out by the boys and taken back to their dorm.

Now I’m waking up in Diego’s bed and Miguel keeps staring at me from across the room. I’ve wanted to get into these dudes’ pants since the first day of class. But Diego told me he likes to be tied up and—wait for it—spanked. WTF! The news on TV reports that last night we all got roofied. And Vive just texted me saying that someone is out to kill her. Could this semester get any more bizarre? -–Blake Morgan, college freshman, gay best friend, virgin

The Undergrad Years is a new adult contemporary miniseries about first loves, independence, and everlasting friendships.

My Opinion  4 STARS
**My thanks to NetGalley and Book Enthusiast Promotions for providing me with a free copy for an honest review**

Although this book was good and gave us a little moron Blake's beginning, i was expecting a little more on the Diego, Blake romance corner.

We get another disaster with the Manhattanite crew  with sad consequences for Taddy.

Blake is still the glue that keeps all of the friends together and we get the moment when Thor tells Blake, the first person other than his family that he is HIV positive.

As the friends stick together through this latest setback we get a conspiracy theory coming through for their misfortune.

Vive's story is the last one to come and it will be interesting to see what happens next while they are at college.

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Friday, 31 October 2014

Horrorstor - Grady Hendrix

HorrorstörHorrorstör by Grady Hendrix
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's a classic old-fashioned haunted house story - set in a big box Swedish furniture superstore. Designed like a retail catalogue, Horrorstor offers a creepy read with mass appeal-perfect for Halloween tables! Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio.

Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring wardrobes, shattered Bracken glassware, and vandalized Liripip sofabeds-clearly, someone or something is up to no good. To unravel the mystery, five young employees volunteer for a long dusk-til-dawn shift-and they encounter horrors that defy imagination. Along the way, author Grady Hendrix infuses sly social commentary on the nature of work in the new 21st century economy.

A traditional haunted house story in a contemporary setting (and full of contemporary fears), Horrorstor comes conveniently packaged in the form of a retail catalogue, complete with illustrations of ready-to-assemble furniture and other, more sinister accessories.

This is a very different type of book to the genre I usually read, however I was looking forward to a change and as it is October and Halloween isn't too far away I thought this was an ideal time to begin it.

Horrorstor is a book like no other I have ever read, as a rule I don't enjoy horror; this book I feel slips into other genres not just horror. I loved the humor in the book and the whole lay out of it. This type of book proves that ebooks will never replace actual books. There is so many quirky aspects to this that just wouldn't come across correctly on a screen. I feel so lucky to have had a physically copy to review.

The book looks and feels like a catalogue from a well know furniture store, throughout the book there are different furniture types that are available to buy. I love the detail and the effort that has gone into the book to create it. Dimensions, product descriptions and colour variations.

The novel is extremely easy to read and I read it in just a couple of sittings, the writing flows very well and you are hooked right from the beginning. You are only in a chapter or two and the action starts.

I loved the development of the characters and felt I was with them in Orsk that night, (wishing I wasn't) I began to really care about the characters and my thoughts on them grew the further I got into the book. The whole idea and concept of this book is a good one.

It was brilliantly clever and I loved the ending, although I felt it wasn't completely wrapped up I felt satisfied I have never read a book like this and would recommend it to everyone. Even if you don't like horror, you will enjoy this, make sure you buy the paperback copy though as I don't think you will have the same experience reading an e-copy.

This is a book that will be staying with me some time, I would love to read more from Hendrix and hoping there will be a sequel some time soon.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.

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Friday, August 21, 2009

Stroller Days

A walk in a friend's stroller with The Boy's new friend, Blanket.  It's the first time he's taken a stroll in a front facing stroller as opposed to his car seat/stroller combo that positions him more on his back.  He really enjoyed it and so did I.  Our time in Chicago is drawing to a close and I'm trying to make the most of every moment.  The evening walk with the wind blowing and sun setting was perfect.  The Boy took a little snooze while I kept stopping every few blocks to admire him.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

The Boy Is Crawling!

We have left our apartment and have been homeless for the past week.  I shouldn't say homeless, that's not entirely accurate.  We've been staying with friends.  We also have an apartment in Studio City, CA waiting for us.  Most homeless folks probably have neither.

Anyway, we've been doing a ton with moving and wrapping up life in Chicago.  We're all worn out from it.  Today Mr. Jarcy came home from an audition with a smallish white bag and box.  I thought it might be a present for his exhausted wife.  Unfortunately, it was the cremains of our beloved pet who was put down a few weeks ago.  Oh god.

Things are still crazy in our lives but it's nice to be able to put a few chaos producing issues behind us.  Right now Mr. Jarcy is doing his best Regin Philbin impression for The Boy and I know that we're on the right path.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Moving To Limbo Land

Tomorrow the Jarcy's are moving.  We are moving to...well, it's complicated.  We've worked out with our (drunken) landlords to break our lease a month early.  We've also decided to leave 3 weeks early and to be homeless during that time so that we can leave the (drunken) landlords.  Seriously, if you have (drunken) landlords, just make sure to put all communication in writing AND do NOT live in the same building.  You have been warned.

We're going to live with some friends and parents over the next month.

I've heard crashing and banging upstairs all night.  We're the ones frantically packing the night away and yet those two ladies upstairs are the ones making all the racket.  I can only assume they are celebrating our departure with some cocktails.

Ta ta Roscoe Village!  We have loved you immensely but are ready to move on.  It's all very sad but also exciting.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Sweet Relief

Ah, so we're moving.  We were going to move out of our apartment the end of this month, however, I'm no longer willing to live in this crazy building.  Just done.  No.  No more.  Dunzo.  Bye bye.

Oh yeah, and I have no hot water and would love a shower.

So there you have it.  I don't even have ill will at this point, I just want a new environment and am willing to pay a bundle to find immediate relief.  Besides, I gotta take care of The Boy!  He's too adorable and lovable to live here.

I feel good and it's about time.  It's like being released from prison.  (Or as close as I hope to ever get to knowing what that might be like).

If you need any of the Jarcys, we'll be staying at a hotel somewhere in Chicago!


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real estate investing

Monday, August 01, 2005

Real Estate Marketing - How To Get Sellers To Call And Beg You To Take Their Property!

A lot of people ask about real estate marketing so here is a great article by my partner and mentor Joe Crump.
This week I'm going to give you the *basic* steps in my $0 Down Real Estate Investing Program. I outline the program in *detail* in my 324 page e-book. For details about the book.
I personally put together four more real estate deals last week... not to mention the deals that I helped my coaching clients put together. This business gets addictive when you get the system set up. It is a lot of fun seeing deals come together with very little effort.&nbsp;Setting it up in the first place is where the effort comes in. After it's set up, it is fairly easy to maintain.
I do most of my work on the phone. It doesn't ... more...
Originally Posted on 8/2/2005 1:27:27 AMContent source:

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Wednesday, January 20, 2010

A Rising Star

Wesley Miles is a Macomb Community College student who has always wanted to become a movie star. Although he had little training he was determined to make it. He auditioned for a role in a small play and for the first time he was acting on a professional level.

Miles's role was young Scrooge in Warren Community Center's play A Christmas Carol. He said that the play was one of the best acting experiences he has ever had.

"I learned a lot," said Miles.

Miles said his director was responsible for the play's success. The director, Greg Trzaskoma, who is also a professional actor and professor at Macomb, acted as a bartender in Gran Torino. Miles said Trzaskoma's acting experience and coaching helped.

"Getting proper directions from a professional was a refreshing change from the mediocre teaching of a someone who never acted before," Miles said about Trzaskoma's directing.

Miles said actors generally look out for one another. This unwritten rule as Miles put it has resulted in him landing another role in an upcoming play based on the movie Footloose. Sadly because of scheduling conflicts Miles had to turn down the role.

Miles does believe that the film industry coming to Michigan could result in a break that he is looking for.

"I think that being an extra you can make connections on scene," said Miles, "you're not an actor but you could break in."

Although being an extra isn't the most glamorous thing, Miles thinks that local actors could benefit from the film industries move to Michigan. He believes that because of the experience local actors have, it gives them a slight advantage over those who do not have any acting experience.

Miles does not know if he will make it big but he said that his dream role would be to play the Riddler in a Batman movie.

Miles got his start in a high school play and has never looked back. He tried to become an EMT at Baker College but realized that the theatre was his home and transferred to Macomb Community College to complete his general education courses.

He says that he is planning to transfer to Oakland University to get his Bachelors Degree in the fall and then get his masters at Wayne State University.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Mello Follow Up

Nine months ago David Mello was struggling to make ends meet but today he doing well thanks to some unexpected events.

In 2009 Mello applied to receive financial aid to help pay for Macomb Community College but he did not receive his money, however this semester things looked different for Mello. He said that this time he did receive aid and will be taking classes this fall.

Mello has recently moved out of his dad's house and into a small house by downtown Utica.

“It’s great. Very nice, everything was just redone before I moved in. Small, but definitely serves its purpose,” said Mello.

Although Mello did not plan on moving out he is glad he did. He said that his friend one day just asked him out of the blue if he would like to move. Mello said yes and said that it was unexpected but that he is glad that he did it.

He has also quiet his job at Red Robin in order to find a better paying job to help pay for his new home. Mello had worked at Red Robin for three years but knew in order to pay his half of the rent he had to find a better paying job.

That new job was at a furniture company delivering orders. Mello said that he loves his new job because he gets to travel all around Michigan meeting new people and does not have to wait on tables anymore. Mello not only loves the change in atmosphere but the pay as well.

“My new job pays about three or four times more than Red Robin,” said Mello.

Mello's job was farther from his house then Red Robin and his old van was not going to last and sadly it died. Mello's old van had many problems which included: a broken door, starting issues and horn issues.

"My new car is a lot better,' said Mello

He is very grateful for the van that his friend Kela Robinson was able to help him obtain but is glad that he can get around town without having to worry about his car starting up.

Overall Mello said that he is very happy with how his life going. He had a welcome party with a few friends over and many are happy to see thing turn out for the best for their friend David Mello.


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Love Photos

Posted by Fiscias Play on Tuesday, June 25, 2013

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Tuesday, December 03, 2013

S. Korea to confirm new air defense zone this week

Things in the eastern Asia continue to heat up. The Yonhap News Agency has a story this morning re: new ADIZ for South Korea.

SEOUL, Dec. 3 (Yonhap) -- Locked in a standoff with China over disputed airspace, South Korea will confirm its new air defense zone expanding southward this week and notify neighboring countries of the plan before making a formal announcement, Seoul officials said Tuesday.

In response to China's controversial Air Defense Identification Zone (AIDZ) overlapping that of South Korea and Japan, Seoul has been preparing a new air defense zone that includes an ocean research station built on an underwater reef and southern islands.


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Saturday, May 26, 2012

Remembering God's Faithfulness

“Will the Lord reject forever?
    Will He never show His favor again?
Has His unfailing love vanished forever?
    Has His promise failed for all time?
Has God forgotten to be merciful?
    Has He in anger withheld His compassion?"
Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
    the years when the Most High stretched out His right hand.
 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
    yes, I will remember Your miracles of long ago.
 I will consider all Your works
    and meditate on all Your mighty deeds.”
Psalm 77:7-12 (NIV)

Two lilac bushes stand outside our home. As spring approached this year and I saw the buds begin to form on their branches, my heart began to sing. Soon I would be cutting the blossoms and putting them in vases around the house. Their fragrance would fill the air and their glorious color would delight my eyes. But then a late frost came and killed the young buds. Sadly, this year there will be no lilacs to enjoy. However, I have the memory of last year's lilacs to tell me that there really are beautiful lilac bushes in my yard and there is always next year to look forward to. This reminds me of times I anticipated some good thing from the Lord's hand, only to have Him withhold it. At first I reacted in utter disappointment, just as the psalmist does in this psalm. "Will the Lord reject forever. . .has His promise failed for all time?" But no. God is faithful. As the psalmist reasoned, "I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember Your miracles of long ago." Oh, this is so important isn't it? To recall the past faithfulness and goodness of the Lord. To recount His awesome deeds in the barren times. If we fail to do this we will rob ourselves of the peace and joy of living in the center of God's will. And choosing to remember the beauty and lovely scent of the Lord's past works give us hope for what He will do in the future. "Memory supplies the colours with which hope paints her truest pictures." (Alexander Maclaren)

Friday, May 25, 2012

The Good Shepherd

I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep."
John 10:11

Two men were called on, in a large gathering, to recite the Twenty-third Psalm. One was a renowned orator trained in speech technique and drama. He recited the psalm in a powerful way. When he finished, the audience cheered, requesting an encore that they might hear him speak once again. Then the other man, who was much older, repeated the same words. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want..." But when he finished, not a sound came from the listeners. Instead, they sat in a deep mood of devotion and prayer.
Then the first man, the great orator, stood to his feet. “I have a confession to make," he said, "the difference between what you have just heard from my old friend and what you heard from me is this: I know the Psalm, my friend knows the Shepherd." Many people can recite Psalm 23, but do they know the Shepherd? Do they know Jesus Christ as their Shepherd Savior? The One who laid down His life for His sheep; who gave His life as a sacrifice for their sins. "'The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.' This is one of the many scriptures which clearly and definitely defines both the nature and extent of the Atonement. The Savior 'gave his life' not as a martyr for the truth, not as a moral example of self-sacrifice, but for a people. He died that they might live. By nature His people are dead in trespasses and sins, and had not the Divinely-appointed and Divinely-provided Substitute died for them, there had been no spiritual and eternal life for them." (A.W. Pink) Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd. Do you know Him?

Thursday, May 24, 2012

And Christ, too!

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I have hope in Him.”
Lamentations 3:24

Jeremiah describes God as his soul’s “portion.”  This word means “share or booty.”  It refers to “the spoils of war.”  Life can feel like a battle sometimes. Prolonged illness, financial difficulties, or relational problems can overwhelm us. But in the midst of such challenges we have hope just as Jeremiah did. We have the Lord. He is our reward. He is ever with us and for us. We can trust that He has in mind for us only the best, even when it doesn't feel like it. "Some of you are very poor; you have nothing in the world, but you can say, 'The Lord is my portion.' Like the old woman who, when she had nothing to eat but a dry crust of bread, and only a cup of water to drink, broke the bread and said, 'All this, and Christ too!'" (Charles Spurgeon)

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

God's Most Valuable Creation

"Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them."
Psalm 139:16

Do you know that you have great value to God? You are not an accident, no matter what your parents made have told you. You were and are part of God's wonderful plan. You were conceived in God's mind before you were every conceived in your mother's womb. He formed you and made you into the unique person that you are. Your DNA is unlike any other person's DNA. Your fingerprints are yours alone. There's not another set like them. God thinks you're a good idea. A VERY good idea. Because you were His idea. And He doesn't make mistakes. No matter what others may think of you or what you think of yourself, God loves you and He wants you to know that He loves you. Every day that you live and breathe is according to His will. "Do you remember how the Bible tells us that God first made man? All the rest of His creation - including all living things - came into existence in the same way: He simply spoke them into being. But when it came to making man, God did something utterly unique. He purposed to create beings who were made in His own "image" - beings who were like Himself in a way that was unique among all His other creations. And the Bible reveals to us that He "formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7). When He made woman, He didn't simply speak her into being, or form her from the dust of the earth; but He made her from out of man - so that all humanity is a single unit of God's workmanship. This makes the creation of human life something utterly unique from all other things; because it was a creation that God was intimately and uniquely involved with. This makes human life more valuable and wonderful than anything else God has made." (Greg Allen)  Praise God! Exalt Him! For you are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

God's Brilliant Light

"He reveals mysteries from the darkness
And brings the deep darkness into light."
Job 12:22

In October 2002 John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo perpetrated one of the most memorable serial killings in recent history: "The Beltway Sniper Attacks". Ten people were killed and three other victims were critically injured in several locations throughout the Washington Metropolitan Area and along Interstate 95 in Virginia. I remember at the time being part of a women's prayer group and how we specifically prayed one night that God would reveal the location of the killers to the police. He did so the very next day. The two men were discovered sleeping in their car at a rest stop off of Interstate 70 near Myersville, Maryland, and arrested on federal weapons charges. Later they were charged and found guilty of the murders. There's no doubt in my mind that it was God who revealed the location of the criminals to the law enforcement officers. His word says, "He reveals mysteries from the darkness and brings the deep darkness into light." God's brilliant light shines into the pitch black and illuminates it, revealing all the evil hiding there. Nothing can escape His sight. Nothing.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Trusting the Lord

"I will put my trust in Him."
Hebrews 2:13

In our shop we display wall hangings like the one above. "Be Still". Another one very much like it says, "Be". Yesterday both signs sold to two different women. In each case they commented to me how difficult it is to just "be" or "be still". As in "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10 NIV) It's all a matter of trust, isn't it? Trusting Him with every detail of our lives. Every second of every day. No matter what. "You find no difficulty in trusting the Lord with the management of the universe, and all the outward creation, and can your case be any more complex or difficult than these, that you need to be anxious or troubled about His management of you? Away with such unworthy doubting! Take your stand on the power and trustworthiness of your God, and see how quickly all difficulties will vanish before a steadfast determination to believe. Trust in the dark, trust in the light, trust at night and trust in the morning, and you will find that the faith which may begin by mighty effort, will end sooner or later by becoming the easy and natural habit of the soul." (Hannah Whitehall Smith, The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life)

Sunday, May 20, 2012

A Time for Everything

"There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens"
Ecclesiastes 3:1

This morning I watched this pregnant elk grazing in our yard. In a few weeks she will drop her calf and begin the task of mothering. It is a special time of the year for all of us who live around these magnificent creatures. And it reminds me that there is "a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens". This is as true for the animals as it is for humans. It's all part of God's wonderful plan. I'm thankful that the Lord brought this to my mind today. His beautiful creation is a constant testimony to His faithfulness and the truth of His word. There is a time for everything.
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