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Electrician Allen Gallant surprised his three young sons with his debut on the hit TV show, "This Old House."
"I was sitting there and my three sons saw me on TV," said Gallant, owner of Gallant Electric, Lexington, Mass. "They laughed and said, 'Dad, that's you.' It was absolutely hilarious. You should have seen us the first time I was on the show. We looked like a bunch of losers eating our bowl of popcorn."
"This Old House," America's longest-running home improvement show, is now celebrating its 23rd season on PBS. The show selects two projects each season — one in or around Boston and the other in a town with a mild climate where outdoor work can be undertaken during the winter months. Bruce Irving, senior producer for "This Old House," said Gallant has been asked to serve as the electrician on many of the New England projects because he gets the job done right and has a natural onscreen presence.
"His workmanship is terrific, and it's matched by a sparkling personality and an amazing haircut," Irving said. "It looks like he stuck a fork in an outlet and his hair never really sat down again."
Irving said Gallant and the other electricians on the show play a critical role in the renovation of the historic homes.
"They provide an absolutely essential and increasingly sophisticated system within these buildings, often dragging them from decades-old systems into the present," Irving said. "On 'This Old House,' the standard operating procedure is to update the wiring because there's never a better time than when the house is all blown apart. It's also policy to 'over-wire' or at least leave chases and places in walls that you might want later on."
On "This Old House," the electricians have to preserve the history of the home while bringing it up to the modern electrical code.
"In the four projects I've done, and I've just started the fifth project, none of them had enough electrical work that was worth saving," Gallant said. "The house is old and you are doing all this other work. It doesn't make a lot of sense not to rewire the last three or four rooms in the house. Cost wise, we're there and it's the time to do it. You're going to paint; you're going to paper. Let's do all the dusty work and get it over with."
The electricians who work on "This Old House" are always confronted with two challenges — controlling dust and snaking wires.
"Dust drives the customers nuts and off the deep end," he said. "People don't want to come home from work and have to clean up behind an electrician every day. Fine dust seeks its own level so it goes everywhere."
It also takes a lot of labor to get wires from Point A to Point B in an old home, he said.
"If it's an old house, obviously they're not going to tear the walls and the ceiling down so I can wire without the walls and the ceiling," Gallant said. "I have to do it while they're up."
The most challenging fishing project for an electrician on "This Old House" was a Federal-style house dating from the late 1700s in Salem, Mass., Irving said.
"It was a timber-frame building that required some pretty fancy fishing and drilling to get around all the hidden timbers that always seem to be in just the wrong place and behind the most wicked horsehair plaster," he said.
In nearly every project, the electricians demolish the existing wiring, which is often knob-and-tube, and completely rewire the home. On occasion, however, they'll find some valuable light fixtures that are worth saving.
"There's nothing good about old electrical with the exception of old electrical light fixtures," Gallant said. "The antique wiring is no good, but if the fixtures are rewired, they are like gold. People spend like crazy. I had a couple pay $600 for a set of porcelain lights to go beside their vanity. They were trying to build a replica 1940s bathroom."
Irving said General Contractor Tom Silva is looking for electricians who can not only rewire a house, but also feel relaxed in front of the camera and can develop a good rapport with the rest of the crew.
"Everyone gets along fantastic," he said. "It's one of the filters through which everyone has passed. Not only are they an expert at what they do and their work is worth showing and celebrating, but they can also work in this three-ring circus of 'This Old House' projects."
The show is looking for upbeat, roll-with-it, can-do tradesmen who can work with the homeowner, and also with the general contractor and the television crew, Irving said.
"I think that part of being the best of the best is not only your technical proficiency, but your ability to communicate and work with both colleagues and clients. If you're good at that, you're going to be good on camera, too. It all works nicely together. I think contracting is a communications business as much as it is a technical undertaking."
Some electricians come alive under the lights while others calm up, Irving said.
"Electricians are just like everyone else," he said. "I can't imagine how I would act if someone shoved a TV camera in my face. What it's really all about is getting these folks comfortable and explaining what they do every day, which is not always easy. There may be things that are obvious to them that they wouldn't even think of mentioning. We try to get them to break down what they're doing and explain it clearly by asking the right questions."
The director and producer sit down with the electrician to talk about what he or she is working on, and then agree on the topic. The TV team, however, doesn't walk in with scripts, he said.
"We know the general topic of conversation, but we don't know the specific bits we're going to talk about until we're standing there," Irving said. "I think the informality of it all puts people at ease. Before you know it, it's just turned into a conversation and they're just answering questions."
The tradesmen who don't meet these expectations aren't invited back, he said.
"Those who don't show at the drop of a hat or those who don't complete when they say they're going to are never seen again," Irving said. "It's like any general-contracting job."
Tom Silva, the general contractor for "This Old House," moves with the show around Boston. The crew often calls upon Gallant to rewire the local homes, but for projects in towns that are a considerable drive from Boston, such as Manchester, Mass., "This Old House" teams up with tradespeople in that location.
"We did a job last year that was so far away that we said, 'Why don't we would we work with the best local talent we can find?'" Irving said. "Occasionally, if we're working in a town and there's a great electrician in the town, we'll sign up with him."
"This Old House" also leaves New England to work in sunny locations such as Florida and California during the winter months.
"When the show leaves Boston, we're in the hands of whatever general contractor we're working with there," he said. "In those cases, we'll come to town and ask around and say, 'Who is the best builder?' That's how we latch on to them. They bring their stable of people with them."
Unlike many other television shows, "This Old House" does not take applicants for the starring roles. Tradesmen, such as electricians, are simply recommended by the homeowner, builder or general contractor. As the general contractor, Silva often discovers the tradesmen to work on the different projects.
"He's an honest-to-God general contractor working for the homeowner and he brings people to the job he thinks are up to it," Irving said.
"This Old House" is a TV show, but first and foremost, the crew is sort of a family, Irving said.
"I'm not to say it's all nepotism, but we become aware of people in ways other than them throwing themselves at us," he said. "If an electrical contractor heard that we were coming to their town to do a full-on project, he or she would be welcome to put him or herself forward to our general contractor."
The electricians on the show do not work for free, and their contract is with the homeowner who is paying the bill, not "This Old House."
"If they can find their way through to a nice brother-in-law's price, all the better, but mostly, we expect them to roll with the demands of the television show without passing any extra costs or overtime to the homeowner," Irving said.
Electricians supply and charge for electrical equipment. For big-ticket items, such as a generator, subpanel or communications system, however, "This Old House" will ask a manufacturer to consider donating or discounting the product.
"Even though we can't say the name of it on the air, they are still willing to do it," Irving said.
More of the historic homes are getting equipped with generators and home-networking systems, Irving said. Occasionally, "This Old House" will spring new technology on the tradespeople.
"Allen was forced to deal with some fiber-optic lighting on a project of ours, and it was a disaster," he said. "Because the show wanted to feature something new and different, we said, 'Guess what you're putting in, Allen?' And he rolled with it. Working with it, we came to see over time that this particular technology is just not there yet."
"This Old House" is now working on a Winchester, Mass., home that Irving describes as the "quintessential American house from the 1920s." Gallant will work on the Winchester home full-time for six months. "It looks like we're going to totally rewire it because it's obviously old and tired," he said. "It's a 2,900-sq-ft house in a prominent neighborhood in Winchester, Mass., right outside of Boston."
Over the show's 23-year-history, dozens of electricians have made guest appearances on "This Old House." This article profiles three New England electricians who have had starring roles on the TV show. Stay tuned to our August issue for profiles of "This Old House" electricians who have worked on a 1907 Craftsman-style bungalow in Santa Barbara, Calif.; a summer cottage in Nantucket, Mass.; and a Mediterranean Revival-style home in West Palm Beach, Fla.
ALLEN GALLANT, MASTER ELECTRICIAN AND OWNER OF GALLANT ELECTRIC, LEXINGTON, MASS. Gallant said he was at the right place at the right time. Five years ago, he was doing some electrical work for general contractor Tom Silva, which led to his first appearance on 'This Old House.'
Silva told him about a "good-sized job" in Milton, Mass., and asked him if he could handle it. As a small electrical contractor, Gallant was unsure if he and his company could take on such a big challenge, but after looking at the house and talking to his wife, he decided to give it a try.
"My wife said, 'It would be kind of cool to see you on TV,'" Gallant said. "I said, 'Alright, then I'll do it.'"
Since then, he has worked on four projects and is now starting on his fifth one. While the show doesn't have a regular electrician, Gallant is as close as they come. He said he watched "This Old House" for two years before he appeared on the show, and he still tunes in every week.
"I would see Tom on the job all the time and started watching the show because those guys were on it," he said. "Most tradesmen don't watch shows like that because that's what we do for a living. I only watched it so I could give those guys a hard time."
Silva coordinates all the different trades on the "This Old House" projects. Gallant described him as "the big enchilada behind it all."
"Whatever he wants, we do, as simple as that," he said. "If he says, 'Jump,' we all say to ourselves, 'How high?' Luckily, he's not a very demanding person. He just asks you to do what you say you're going to do when you say you're going to do it. If you do a good job, you'll never have a problem with him."
Silva, who is often booked two years in advance for a project, teams up with some of the finest tradespeople in New England.
"The best part of working on the show is that you are working with the best of the best when it comes to the contractors," Gallant said. "Any job that Tommy Silva is involved in, it's the best of the best. I'm talking killer, good subs."
All the tradespeople work on a very tight schedule and put in a lot of 10- or 11-hour days at the end of a project, Gallant said. To help the job move along more quickly, Gallant brings an apprentice along on the job, and if he's running behind, he'll recruit a few more electricians.
Despite the amount of talent and manpower on the "This Old House" projects, the schedule still gets hectic in the final days. On one job, Gallant said the crew was hanging light fixtures the night before the "wrap party," which is when the "This Old House" crew and contractors celebrate the end of the project.
"We do everything at the last minute," he said. "You wouldn't believe the amount of work that we do in a short amount of time. It's a miracle."
Unlike a normal construction project, the electricians can't just work at their own pace. Some of the electrical work that they may be doing one week may need to be shown on TV the next week.
"We work for the camera and the TV show," Gallant said. "That way they can show the natural progress of a project."
Gallant, who was voted the class clown of his 1985 class, said he enjoys talking in front of the camera.
"I'm a big talker and a big mouth," Gallant said. "I can go and go and go like the Energizer Bunny."
Russ Morash, the director, helped Gallant get through the first time, when he admits he was very nervous.
"The guy is unbelievable," he said. "He has won a million awards for a reason. He knows what he's doing. He told me to just be myself, try not to act to the camera and just pretend that it's a regular job."
He said it's difficult to get used to having a cameraman film your every move.
"It's a whole different world," he said. "Typically, they're no more than 10 or 15 ft away. Sometimes you're performing a task, and they want to get really close to you."
Normally, filming a segment is no problem for Gallant, but like real-life actors, he can always have an "off" day.
"I did a show the other day and it was like I was clueless," he said. "I had a bad day filming. Sometimes you don't pay attention and you start when you're not supposed to start."
He said his first experience with "This Old House" was a house in Milton Mass., which he described as "very old and very hard." The house had many different designers, which posed a problem.
"You get seven or eight different opinions," he said. "Even though they had only one room, things could change drastically from room to room as far as requirements for lighting and plugs."
The designers also came up with a landscape design after Gallant Electric had already put the service in place. Gallant and his team had to then move the meter socket.
"That was kind of a pain in the neck," Gallant said. "They wanted the patio area to be free from mechanical obstructions. I've probably only moved a service three times in 12 years of business, but things like that can happen on a job site."
Although the project was a challenge, Gallant dubbed it his favorite.
"The house was extremely old and was built in the early 1800s," Gallant said. "It was a small house, and we put a small addition on."
Gallant Electric completely rewired the house and a detached workshop/barn garage. Abram, the master carpenter, designed the workshop for the power requirements.
"He would tell us where the equipment was going to go and then we in turn would put the power that was needed for that equipment that was used," he said.
For the next project, Gallant traveled to Watertown, Mass., to rewire a three-story, early 1900s home. That was the first time Gallant had ever worked with a product called Monorail.
"You see Monorail in fu-fu chi-chi places," Gallant said. "It's the track that hangs over the ceiling. We did that over the kitchen. We bent it to match the curve in the island in the kitchen. That was interesting and different for me. It's not just light, it's art. It creates an artsy look."
Gallant said one fiber-optic bulb can produce multiple lights. He installed a fan-cooled box, fitted with a 100W bulb, then attached a bundle of six fiber-optic cables to the box in a third-floor closet. He snaked the cables above the staircase leading to the second floor, being careful not to kink them.
"That would keep the light from flowing through," he said. "The cable ends need to be cut at a perfect 90-deg angle below so that light flows straight out rather than being scattered — and lost — through uneven edges. "For that, you need a special cable cutter — no jury-rigging allowed."
Gallant's next project made history. It was the first time in the show's 23-year-run that the show took on a new construction project. Gallant said the team rebuilt a home for Dick Silva, Tom Silva's older brother, shortly after his house caught fire and burned to the ground.
"'This Old House,' for the first time ever, decided to show people what's involved with a new house," Gallant said. "It's a totally different process to remodel compared to a new home. There are fewer restrictions on what you can do."
Gallant said since he did a lot of electrical work on Dick Silva's house, he was concerned about the cause of the fire.
"When they said it was an electrical fire, I thought the worst," he said. "Luckily, it wasn't me, it was the motor. They think they have it narrowed down to a problem with the heating system, which has nothing to do with me. Thank the good Lord, because I did a lot of work on that house."
During the construction of the new home, Dick, his wife and his two daughters were living in a 50 ft trailer right on the job site. Gallant said the homeowners were dealing with a lot of different emotions because of the house fire.
"They were really sad," he said. "They have a beautiful house now, but they had a beautiful house beforehand."
The house was antiques galore, Gallant said.
"If you're an antiques person, you'd go ga-ga in this house," he said. "He collected Coca-Cola and Hershey antiques, and they lost everything in the fire. It's amazing. You think they would be able to stop a fire eventually, but they didn't stop this one. It burnt right straight down to the ground."
In addition to rewiring the new house, Gallant also installed an automatic standby generator. The homeowner previously had a manual generator to deal with the several power outages in his area. Gallant sat down with Dick Silva and looked at the budget and the cost of the generator. Because the generator was donated, the homeowner only had to cover the cost of labor and installation.
Along with the generator, Gallant also worked with the homeowner to design the lighting. He walked from room to room with Silva and his wife to finalize the lighting plan.
"They like antique lighting and don't care for recessed lights or fluorescents," Gallant said. "He had a really good eye for antiques and putting rooms together."
Gallant said the lighting designers rarely sit down with the homeowners, spend time with them and learn about their likes and dislikes.
"Some people like Yugo, some people like Mercedes," he said. "They do the same exact thing, but one's flashier than the other. Lighting can be almost the same exact way. There's practical and functional lighting and then there's decorative."
The next project took Gallant and his team to Charlestown, Mass., to work with a young couple who had bought a three-story, two-family house. Because the house was in the heart of the city, the contractors struggled to find a place to park every morning. Gallant, who describes himself as "a suburban guy" and not a "big-city, guy," said parking became a major problem.
"Of all the other projects we had done, parking had never really been an issue like it was there," he said. "If you're looking for a parking spot for a half hour in the morning, it really chews into job costs."
Gallant said he and his crew brought their supplies with them to the city because getting deliveries was nearly impossible.
"If you wanted to get deliveries, you'd have to have a crane," Gallant said. "Tommy had to get police detail and shut down half a street when he got supplies delivered. It was a nightmare."
Neighbors became disgruntled with all the traffic outside their homes.
"If you live in the city, and you have 15 trucks through a small neighborhood, you know what that does," he said. "We did what they asked us to do, tried to respect their privacy as much as possible and got the job done."
Gallant said the house was 150 years old and needed extensive rewiring. After he completed the project, some of the viewers asked him why it was necessary for him to rewire the entire house.
"The name of the program is 'This Old House,' so the infrastructure — the plumbing, the heating and the electrical — is typically very old," he said.
Gallant said his involvement with "This Old House" has helped him build credibility with homeowners in New England.
"People who call me because they saw me on the show are already assuming that I'm going to do a good job because they've seen me more than once on the show," Gallant said. "In our industry, you're only as good as your work. If your work is not good, it doesn't take long for people to figure that you aren't going to do what you say you're going to do."
PETE WOODBURY, JOURNEYMAN ELECTRICIAN FOR MANCHESTER ELECTRIC, MANCHESTER, MASS. Manchester Electric worked on the most ambitious project that "This Old House" has ever taken on — a 10-month, $1.5 million renovation of a 1883 home in Manchester, Mass.
"The house was in rough shape when we got there, but by the end of it, it was absolutely beautiful," said Pete Woodbury, who has worked for Manchester Electric for 12 years. "It's very traditional with an English look to it. The kitchen has cherry cabinets, and they used a lot of historical colored paints."
Woodbury said it was a very fast-paced job.
"We redid the whole house," he said. "On and off, I was on the project for 18 months. We did all the residential wiring, cable and telephone, and found a little bit of the BX wiring and the knob-and-tube. The old wiring was basically all torn out."
Rather than an old home, it was like a new construction job for the tradesmen.
"Everything was basically brand new in the house except for like two walls that they saved in the guest room," Woodbury said. "It was a different pace for us, but it was a great experience. We didn't really have a lot of surprises because it was new construction and new construction goes fairly well."
The crew added a brand-new addition with a music room and sound room.
"We have special cove lighting up in the vaulted ceiling," he said. "There's five bedrooms, an art room and an exercise room upstairs. Four people live in that 9,000-sq-ft house."
After a year-and-a-half of hard work, Woodbury said it was all worth it. The "This Old House" project led to another contract to do the landscape lighting.
"It was great to see the end result," he said. "The place is beautiful."
PAUL KENNEDY, MASTER ELECTRICIAN AND OWNER OF PAUL J. KENNEDY JR. ELECTRIC, METHUEN, MASS. Paul Kennedy rewired an antique barn with new service, new wiring and a state-of-the-art lighting and heating system for his first project on "This Old House."
"It was very, very intense," Kennedy said. "That job took about four months to do."
A Maine timber framer who was working on the barn in Concord, Mass., referred Kennedy to the general contractor. He said the project required a lot of advance planning, and the former electrician didn't know how to even begin working on the home. On a house with a timber frame, electricians need to get their wires up in the frame before the shell goes on, Kennedy said.
"There was a lot of thinking involved and the electrician didn't want to do it," Kennedy said. "A lot of electricians and tradesman will make a big stink about, 'Oh, that's too high. I can't do it.' Whatever it is, I like the challenge and I just pull forward with it rather than making a big deal out of it."
Kennedy said the Concord home was one of the older barns in the area and was in rough condition.
"The barn was just about rotted to the core," he said. "They had to rebuild it from the ground up. They only kept about a handful of the cross pieces that were not rotted out for the old part of the building, and they demolished the rest of it. It came right down."
"This Old House" organized a school for making timbers right on site, and visitors from New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Maine paid money to make the beams for the show.
"It was really interesting that people from all over the country came to help make the timbers to go into this project," Kennedy said.
Kennedy said he planned ahead, and the job worked out very well.
"They were very happy with how everything came out and showcased it in a few different magazines," Kennedy said. "It was beautiful. They kept the old style of the barn with the sliding door in the front to cover the front entranceway."
Kennedy said the TV crew did a lot of filming for just a half-hour show.
"The job is a normal job and the film crew would come in at least two times a week," he said. "They are there all day long from seven in the morning until sometimes four or five in the afternoon filming for one half-hour show."
Kennedy said because of his calm manner and on-screen presence, the crew gave him a nickname.
"They called me, 'One Take Kennedy,' because we would be able to go through my scene without doing it two or three or four times," Kennedy said. "Sometimes the plumbers or the sheetrockers would mess up. They would do it two or three or four times before the producer would like it."
For his first show, Kennedy said he got the word out by sending out postcards to all his customers.
"I wanted everybody to see it," he said. "I was very proud of it. I wanted to let everyone know the first date that I was going to be on."
Kennedy said he appeared on the show in the early 1990s, when the recession hit. The show didn't drum up more business then, but it did pay off in the future, he said.
"It didn't really help me at that time because, unfortunately at that point, people weren't thinking about the high quality of work that was going into that project," he said. "They thought that because I was on TV, I was too expensive. That was a drawback."
Kennedy said customers are now looking for an electrical contractor who can get the job done right, even if it's more expensive.
"People want quality rather than the guy that would come in and do a quick job," he said. "That's the way I work. Everything is 100% the best way."
On his next project in Wayland, Mass., Kennedy wired a master suite and upgraded the service. Kennedy remembered an unusual room in that particular house.
"It was an old meeting house from Wayland and there were handmade murals all the way around the room," he said. "It was very interesting. Each wall had a different theme, and many of murals had scenes of horses."
In Lexington, Mass., the team raised the whole roof off a ranch. They added a library suite, master suite and a master bathroom with a great room, which was 30-ft by 28-ft and two-stories high with timber-frame beams.
During the project, "This Old House" flew Kennedy down to Lexington, Ky., to learn about the Elan system, an integrated phone and cable system. The team installed a camera at the front door so the homeowners could flip on their TV to see who was on their doorstep ringing the doorbell.
"I had never done any kind of home automation before, and I found it to be very interesting," Kennedy said. "It was a great experience for me, and I am now certified to install those systems."
For his final house, Kennedy helped remodel the kitchen and rewire a wing addition for a home in Acton, Mass. He said he and the other electricians in his company have gotten very proficient at putting recessed lights in an old kitchen.
"We can take out an old ceiling light and put in eight or 10 recessed lights," Kennedy said. "People were just amazed at the difference. It just changes the whole look of the kitchen."
Kennedy has also learned how to fish wire in an old house. He said the most challenging aspect of working in older homes is figuring out how to get a wire from Point A to Point B without making a lot of holes.
"A lot of people are afraid of fishing wire, but I love it," he said. "I've started using a tool called the RotoZip, a high-speed cutting tool that has made it a lot easier to make a hole in an old plaster job without creating damage to the wall."
He and the other tradesmen had to work a tight schedule to get everything done on time.
"A lot of times when they leave on a Tuesday, they'll tell you, 'OK, on Thursday, we would like to see the project at this stage,'" he said. "It kind of presented a challenge for us because we would have to work until 10 p.m. to get things done to where they would like to see them, but it was still fun." "This Old House" helps the general public learn how to renovate and update a new house, he said.
"The producer would like to show new things and techniques on how to do things," he said. "He was very good at trying to teach the general public how to do different tasks."
Although Kennedy hasn't appeared on a show in years, he is still kind of a mini-celebrity, he said.
"It is really fun to have everyone comment," he said. "I went away on vacation down to Jamaica and people traveling down there would say, 'You look familiar to me.' It's from the show. Everyone watches that. I think there are 2 million viewers a week. It's very well followed."
Kennedy said he has a full schedule right now, but he enjoyed working on "This Old House" in the past.
"There was a lot of coordination, but everyone got along great," he said. "It was a very good experience all the way around. Everybody is together and it's a fun time."
TIPS FOR WIRING HISTORIC HOMES While you may not be on the next episode of "This Old House," you will most likely come across an old house sometime in your electrical career. Three of the stars of "This Old House" offer the following tips for CEE News readers who are rewiring a historic home.
"You definitely have to plan things and make sure you have the best route for your wiring to go. Try to make as few holes as possible for any fishing that needs to be done. You also need to be aware of where you are drilling to make sure that it's a safe place to drill in the structure."
"Houses are like people's children. They take them seriously. I tell my guys that a person's most prized possession with the exception of family members is typically their house. Just treat it that way. If someone walks in your house, you want him or her to wipe his or her feet off. If it's raining out, put down some drop cloths. If you come home from a long day of work, the last thing you want to do is clean up behind a tradesman who has been at your house all day. People who are more well off tend to want to clean up less behind you."
"You just have to stick with it, do the best you can and be patient."
FAST FACTS ABOUT "THIS OLD HOUSE" "This Old House," which has been on the air for 23 years, is the highest-rated home-improvement show in television history. Here are some fast facts about the show.
"This Old House" airs on more than 322 public television stations across the United States, reaching more than five million weekly PBS viewers. The series is also distributed in syndication, where it is aired on 93% of the U.S. market, and on cable where "This Old House Classics" is seen on HGTV.
"This Old House" can also be seen worldwide on Discovery UK, XYZ in Australia and Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.
It is the most recognized home-improvement series on television, with 15 Emmy awards and 64 Emmy nominations. In 2002, "This Old House" was nominated for four Daytime Emmy awards in the categories of Outstanding Service Show, Outstanding Directing in a Service Show, Outstanding Achievement in Single Camera Editing and Outstanding Service Show Host.
The show's Web site, at www.thisoldhouse.com, has photos and descriptions of all the projects broadcast on "This Old House." The site also lists all the subcontractors and suppliers.
Q&A WITH ALLEN GALLANT, MASTER ELECTRICIAN ON "THIS OLD HOUSE" Allen Gallant, who has starred on four shows of "This Old House," discusses how his company has thrived over the past 11 years, and how other electricians can set up a successful contracting business of their own.
"I started my business in 1991. Mark, the first electrician I ever hired, is still with me going on 10 years. At the beginning, it was just me and Mark and a truck. Then we got busy, I bought another truck, Mark became licensed and we turned around and hired an apprentice. Now we have eight guys in the field — four licensed guys and four apprentices." HOW DO YOU TRAIN YOUR ELECTRICIANS?
"Every licensed electrician in the company has apprenticed under me. I try to train them through me first so I know what type of people they are. I am very concerned about my employees being nice people. You don't just want good electricians, you want good people. Electricians have to be trustworthy because customers have a lot of trust in us. They give us their home keys and their security number." HOW DO YOU RETAIN YOUR EMPLOYEES?
"I've had customers who have been with me since the beginning. They can't believe that they get the same electrician every time. I tell them, 'He hasn't left because I pay him well, he has good benefits and you pay your bills so I can pay him.'"
WHAT ARE YOUR COMPANY'S SPECIALTIES? "We have carved out a good little niche in this area. About 70% of our work is high-end residential, but we also have regular blue-collar customers. Anybody who calls me for anything gets a call back within a day. I have the best secretary in the world who forces me to do it."
WHAT'S YOUR ADVICE TO OTHER ELECTRICIANS WHO ARE THINKING OF STARTING THEIR OWN COMPANY? "It's not hard. I'm 36, and I talk to guys in the supply house who are 23 or 25. I say, 'Do you want some really good business advice?' It's real simple. I didn't always do it, but I learned over the years. Call people back, do the job the day you say you're going to do it or call them a day in advance to let them know. If you do what you say you're going to do and do a good job, you can make a good living."
HOMEOWNERS WILL ASK TRADESPEOPLE QUESTIONS ON "ASK THIS OLD HOUSE" After 23 years of making "This Old House," PBS is planning to launch a companion show called "Ask This Old House."
"It's all about answering people's questions about maintaining and upgrading their old houses," said Bruce Irving, senior producer of "This Old House" and "Ask This Old House." "On 'This Old House,' we take on a massive job and turn it into a many-week adventure. This is going to be about people's everyday questions."
For example, a homeowner may send in a question about how to put in a dimmer switch, and an electrician, such as Allen Gallant, will answer the question on the show.
"I'm not sure how much electrical work we're going to get into," Irving said. "I think electrical is the type of thing that we firmly believe professionals should handle. In answering their questions and having a professional like Allen do the work, we may solve their problem, answer their question and get the point across, 'Don't try this at home, kids.'"
This show will go out as a companion to "This Old House."
"It will have the same premier date, but a whole different format," Irving said. "You will be able to watch a full hour of "This Old House" stuff if you can handle it."
Both "This Old House" and "Ask This Old House" will be made available to the public television stations on Oct. 10. Since all stations make up their own schedules, they will be able to decide how they will run the two programs. Irving suggested that viewers check their local PBS station for airtime.


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subset: commoncrawl


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FARMERS BRANCH, Texas—Tom Galvin, CEO of Razberi, a supplier of network video solutions, said his company only missed two days in production when it moved to a bigger headquarters here.
AUSTIN, Texas—Razberi Technologies, which was reinvented three years ago by Tom Galvin, received in November a $3m investment from a new investor, LiveOak Venture Partners of Austin, Texas.
Razberi Technologies, which was reinvented three years ago by Tom Galvin, today announced that it received a $3m investment from a new investor, LiveOak Venture Partners of Austin, Texas.
I had a chance to speak to Galvin about the deal. "We launched the company exactly three years ago, in November 2011. We've been growing nicely through word of mouth but we got to the point where, to sustain growth, we needed outside capital," he said.
The funds will be used "to invest in sales, marketing and branding awareness to fully leverage what we've built here in our product line and to invest in R&D. We want to continue to evolve and to develop the product line," Galvin said.
Razberi's flagship product is its ServerSwitch, which combines "the functions of a network video recorder and ethernet smark switch into a single compact appliance." These appliances, "go where IT doesn't go because of cost or form factor," Galvin said. Currently in development are a "ruggedized line for outdoor applications. There's a growing energy business in the U.S., with oil and natural gas and windmills and they all need video surveillance," he said.
Galvin also announced that Ken Boyda has joined Razberi as non-executive chairman of its board of directors.
Boyda built Interlogi company, which he sold to GE Security and was subsequently sold to UTC. Galvin and Boyda worked together at GE before Boyda retired. Boyda has stayed active in the industry, Galvin said, serving on the board of VideoIQ before its acquisition by Avigilon. He also currently serves on the board of PSIM provider VidSys.
Boyda introduced Galvin to LiveOak Ventures.
"Razberi [which is based in Carrollton, Texas] is LiveOak's first investment in North Texas. There's a start-up market here that's underserved by financial [backers], and LiveOak saw us a real opportunity," Galvin said.
Jiri Modry, whom Galvin called "one of the pioneers," has also joined Razberi's board. "He developed the first DVR for security and sold it to Interlogix [which was sold to GE.] … The GE DVR line at the time was based on Yiri's technology. It's great to have his expertise on the board as well," Galvin said.
Ben Scott and Krishna Srivivasan, both of LiveOak Venture Partners, also joined the board.
Razberi also hired Rich Anderson as its CTO. "He's a key hire for us. He served in different executive capacities at GE and Casi Rusco back in the day," Galvin said.
CARROLLTON, Texas—Tom Galvin, an industry veteran who created the razberi NVR, announced in December that he's launched a new business, Razberi Technologies, based here.
GVI Security, which went out of business last summer, after parting ways about one year ago with its longtime partner Samsung , had an NVR product called razberi, which has been resurrected by Tom Galvin who has started a new company called Razberi Technologies.
Galvin, who invented the razberi NVR, bought back the razberi technology and intellectual property and plans to bring an enhanced version and new product line into production.
Galvin used to be the head of R& D at Verint. He also worked at GE as head of video development. He became GVI's head of product management, after GVI Security purchased Galvin's company, PacketNVR, a couple years back
Galvin's new company, Razberi Technologies, is located in Carrollton, Texas. It's privately held and its lead investor is Dynacolor, Inc., a manufacture of video surveillance products.
From the release: "The idea of combining a network video recorder, a PoE switch, storage, and video management software into one easy to use and install appliance got a lot of industry attention. By combining these functions into one device, the installer saves a tremendous amount of time selecting and installing an IP based system. The risk of purchasing a component that can't support the demands of a megapixel environment is eliminated."
The company plans to launch an "enhanced line of razberi recorders, and IP cameras. Shipment from new production will begin in the next few weeks, and orders are currently being accepted. The company will provide Help desk support for its new products, as well as the legacy razberi recorders and autoIP cameras sold by GVI," according to the release.
I have an interview with Galvin tomorrow, so will have more information about the new company soon.
© 2019 United Publications ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.


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01. West River (Westdyke)
On the northern end of the river bank, this jump is simply a ramp made of dirt. Launch off the ramp and over the small jet of water underneath to complete the stunt.
02. Booth Tunnel (Alderney City)
You need to launch off this ramp that faces the water and land on the helipad just south of it. Get a running start on a bike from the beginning of the tunnel just north of the ramp—start any further back and you'll fly over the helipad and not complete the stunt.
03. Mahesh Ave (Alderney City)
This ramp is on a ledge overlooking the boardwalk where stunt jump number 2 is. Get a running start on a bike from west on Mahesh and hit the ramp to launch all the way over the river and back on Algonquin.
04. Applewhite St (Alderney City)
Start from the east end of Applewhite to build up speed on a bike. You'll need to bear slightly right to hit the ramp in the dumpster. With enough speed, you'll complete the stunt.
05. Applewhite St & Mahesh Ave (Alderney City)
This just is in an alley just off of Applewhite. Start in the lot across the street (west side of Applewhite) and build up speed into the alley. Hit the ramp straight with moderate speed to complete the stunt.
06. Sacramento Ave & Franklin St (Leftwood)
Start north of Sacramento and conintue straight south through Franklin, into an alley and off the dirt ramp. Land on the Panhandle overcrossing to complete the stunt.
07. Sacramento Ave & Percell Rd (Westdyke)
Enter the parking structure off Sacramento and ride to the top level. Build up speed from the east end of the parking garage rooftop and hit the ramp straight to complete the stunt.
08. Beaverhead Ave & Sacramento Ave (Westdyke)
Run straight south down Beaverhead and continue through the intersection at Sacramento to hit a ramp between two buildings.
09. Cassiar Ave & Beaverhead Ave (Westdyke)
Enter the area behind the building off of Big Horn and build up speed by heading westbound before hitting the ramp. You need quite a bit of speed, so try to start as far back in the alley as possible and avoid hard turns while avoiding the clutter of the alley.
10. Koresh Sq (Alderney City)
Run north up the wide street that bisects Koresh and continue through Koresh to hit the wide stairway that forms the ramp for this jump. Jump over the stairs on the other side of the platform (north) to complete the stunt.
11. Koresh Sq & Bear St (Alderney City)
At the northwest corner of Koresh is an elevated alley with the ramp. Start from the norht (on Bedrock) and hit the ramp at speed.
12. Keneckie Ave (Alderney City)
This ramp is off a dirt path that starts at the northwest corner of Keneckie. You need to build up some speed from the start of the dirt path. When you hit the ramp, aim slightly to the right to land in the southbound lanes of Plumbers Skyway. For some reason, landing in the same lanes after pointing straight off the jump didn't complete the stunt, though the last second correction to the right works.
13. Aspdin Dr & Vitullo Ave (Berchem)
This ramp points north, just north of the final bend in Aspdin Dr. Build up speed from south on Aspdin and hit the jump pointing a bit to the left. You need to land in the southbound lane of the Plumbers Skyway, so jumping slightly to the left will make that easier.
14. Tinderbox Ave (Tudor)
Build up speed from the north end of the tracks just off Tinderbox and hit the dirt mound to the south to complete the stunt.
15. Barsac Ave & Plumbers Skyway (Tudor)
Build up speed from the skyway on ramp directly north of the jump. Hit the jump at good speed to launch over the river and complete the stunt.
16. Plumbers Skyway & Musketeer Ave (Acter Industrial Park)
The ramp is a small dirt mound on the outside of the northbound lane of the skyway. Build up speed from the west and hit the ramp to land your bike on the road below (we hit the intersection of Grenadier and Chariot).
17. Plumbers Skyway & Trinity Rd (Acter Industrial Park)
Though this ramp is on the southern lane, you'll want to build up speed in the northern lane and cut across the break in the median to hit the ramp at speed. We landed deep into the park below (due west of the ramp) to clear the stunt.
18. Plumbbob Ave & Red Wing Ave (Acter Industrial Park)
North of the intersection of Plumbbob and Red Wing is an incomplete skyway entrance ramp. Ride north on the ramp's western lane (your left) and build up speed the entire way. You can't miss the ramp and, provided you build up plenty of speed, can't miss completing the stunt.
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Asked, on several occasions to please put some clothes on this morning, Thomas replies "you know what they say mum, less getting dressed more Lego".
Who, pray tell, says that? Other four year olds no doubt.
While out for a walk this morning, we walked past a very, well, tiny man. A little person I think is the term. Thomas, like all 4 year olds, awkwardly yelled out about it and the lovely man just smiled at us. Once past him, Thomas said "Mum? That reminds me that dad and I saw the tiniest woman ever at the mall the other day. I mean, she wasn't the size of a bug or anything. She was the size of a pigeon."
While working on his Lego robots, one piece was not working exactly how Thomas had envisioned it working, so, with a heavy sigh he took it apart and said "Oh well, thanks for the cardboard."
Me: The cardboard?
Thomas: Mum, thats just a saying you say when you have to start something again from the beginning. Thanks for the cardboard.
Me: Do you mean back to the drawing board?
Thomas: Oh. Yeah. That one maybe.
by Carys 2 Comments
I am not, as a rule, a maker of resolutions. I prefer to set the bar incredibly low for myself so that I can pat myself on the back when I exceed my (terribly low) expectations. This year though, I have resolved to blog at least twice a month (see? low).
For my first one, a story about Thomas and his obsession with Mayors and, specifically, the mayor of Toronto.
I can't exactly remember how he even knew anything about mayors but a few weeks ago, we were listening to the radio and the story mentioned Parliament Hill. Thomas asked what that was and I explained that it was where the government meets to make decisions about things. Naturally, he then needed to know what the government was. Instead of being honest, I told him that they were the people trusted to make decisions about the country, to which he replied,
"Oh, so like a bunch of mayors?"
"Yeah, like a bunch of mayors!" I replied, pretty impressed at his thinking.
"So, like, Rob Ford and stuff?" he asked.
(insert massive sigh here)
How to explain the crack smoking, racist, lying, train wreck of a mayor, that is Rob Ford, to a (not quite) 4 year old?? Given that all CBC ever talked about for a good three weeks was Rob Ford and his shenanigans, it shouldnt come as a huge surprise that Thomas picked up on it, but MAN is this a tricky one to explain without a lot of questions. He is OBSESSED with Rob Ford. He mentions him at least twice a day. It doesn't help that there's a picture of him on the cover of our local paper that we see a hundred times a day. We've sort of summed it up that he's not a very nice guy because he lies and is dishonest and that seemed to quell the tide of questioning for a while until, we hoped, he moved on to something easier like, say, the Middle East, or debt ceilings or something.
Around christmas, Thomas came into the kitchen with a guilty little look all over his face and said,
"Mum. I sneaked a look at number 21 on my advent. I put it back though."
Given that I would never have known that he'd done it, I was pretty impressed that he told me and told him that it wasn't good to have done it but that I was very happy he told me and that it showed he was growing up to be an honest person and that was very important and blah, blah, blah. His response…
"I know, cuz if I didn't tell you, I would be EXACTLY like Rob Ford, right mum?"
"Weeeeellllllll, not exaaaaaaaactly, like him. But I don't doubt that Rob Ford sneaks ahead on his advent calendar son."
There. Politics. Taught to a three year old. Done.
by Carys 3 Comments
While I'm in that mopey "my child is growing up too fast" mood, I was thinking about all the milestones that we celebrate for our kids, and how we celebrate them. Video of first smiles, broadcast on facebook to be viewed by friends, family, and that weird guy that worked in your office four jobs ago. Endless pictures of the first birthday with cake all over the face. The dance parties after a successful first potty encounter. I thought too about how many people buy the book Oh! The Place You'll Go when our kids start school, or graduate from kindergarten or high school or university. So too, do many people buy their son's the book I Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. Errrrrrrrr, ummmmmmm. Make no mistake, I'm on board with the message: I really, like, REALLY, love my kid. How I plan on showing him that I love him as he grows up though? I will NOT be taking notes from Mr. Munsch.
It starts out innocent enough. Sure, I've gazed lovingly at him as a baby, comme ca……
I may have sneaked in to look at him while he was in his crib. You know, those early days when you're terrified that they aren't breathing, so you stare at their chests for 12 straight minutes just to make sure…..
I'll admit, I've peeked around his door to make sure he was sleeping and hadn't kicked off his covers. I don't really recall having crawled around his door though……
Now here's where things really start to go pear shaped for these two. At this point, the mother turns a weird corner from loving parent to, well, stalker. The son grows up, moves away into his own house, which for him is clearly not far enough away from his crazy mother who STRAPS A LADDER TO HER CAR AND DRIVES OVER TO HIS HOUSE TO CLIMB THROUGH HIS WINDOW!!! Whoa! Hold up lady, I think this might be illegal.
Once through the window, this happens…….
Where is this guys wife/husband? Oh, right, all his girl/boyfriends ran screaming from the relationship in the early days when they met Mrs. Bates there. Good lord woman, you'll break your back, he's like six foot four! Put that grown man down! Climb back out the window and go immediately back to the asylum from which you escaped! Look, even that cat is trying to escape the madness.
As with most things in life, as we age we start noticing all of our parents traits in ourselves and this poor man is no exception. By the end of this sordid tale, this has happened…….
This poor man, destined to live a life alone forever terrified by his mothers love. Thomas, I love ya kid. I may call more often than you'd like, I may try way too hard to get you to come home for the holidays, but, I will make you this solemn promise: I will never, ever, drive to your house in the dark of night and break in through your bedroom window (I'll come in quietly through the front door using the key that I had secretly cut when you weren't looking). xo
by Carys 3 Comments
Andrew got a new phone yesterday and as he was transferring photos from his old phone to the new one, he came across all his old photos of Thomas when he was a baby. As we looked through them, all these memories, things I'd totally forgotten about, came flooding back. It's crazy, he's only 3 1/2 but it seems like a lifetime ago since he was a baby. There's all these little things you forget about, like how he used to call dogs "bah" and whenever he would see one he'd point and squeal "oh no! Bah!" Or how he used to hold this old, beat up Garfield doll to the window and just talk and talk to it in his mysterious little per-verbal language as he watched for Andrew to come up the street at our first little house. I remember people saying, when he was a baby, "remember all this, because it goes so fast." I always thought they were talking about when he was a grown man, and me an old lady, but I realize they mean now, all the little moments in these first few years that just fly by. I regret the time that I spent wishing away the sleepless nights, or how much anxiety I had about nursing properly, that got in the way of my enjoying every single second of him being so little. I always think about when I was a kid and how, at some point, I called my mum "mummy" for the last time and neither of us would have known that I wouldn't say it again. It gives me a heavy heart. Andrew pointed out that Thomas hasn't asked for a "carry cuddle" for a while – its his way of getting in a sneaky carry while he gives you a big hug and rests his head on your shoulder. We had a particularly long and cuddly one a few weeks ago while walking home from the market – if that's the lat one, it sure was a good one to end on.
Don't get me wrong, I love that he's growing up and becoming such an incredible little guy, but, (insert sigh here), I wish he'd slow down just a little.
This makes me think of that Paul Simon song,
had a lot of fun, had a lot of money
Had a little son, we thought we'd call him Sonny
Sonny gets married and moves away
Sonny has a baby and bills to pay
Sonny gets sunnier day by day, by day, by day
by Carys 2 Comments
At approximately 6pm, every evening, if you happened to be in the vicinity of our home, you may be privy to the following
battle conversation:
Me: Thomas! Can you pleased wash your hands and get dressed for dinner*
*we are not a family from the Victorian era that requires its members to put on their finest clothes before coming to the table. We simply ask that you wear clothes. Or at best, underpants.
Thomas: (insert whiny voice here) Why do I have to put my clothes on? Can I just eat like this (pointing to a 100% naked body)?
Me: no. You HAVE to wear clothes to eat dinner. I feel like this is a conversation that we can't keep having. You just have to, ok?
Thomas: but whyyyyyyyyyyyy?
Me: clothes. Stat.
Stomping away and then returning with a telltale giggle heard all the way down the hall…..
Thomas: I did it mum. I put underpants on.


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You will need:-
Stylecraft Special DK Sherbet (1034) 70 grams (207 meters – 226 yards)
Stylecraft Special DK Cream (1005) 30 grams (89 meters – 97 yards)
Stylecraft Special DK Dark Brown (1004) 10 grams (30 meters – 33 yards)
Stylecraft Special DK Silver (1203) 20 grams (60 meters – 66 yards)
4mm hook
The graph is 51 dc stitches (UK terminology) and 65 rows.
To make the graph, chain 52 stitches in Sherbet and start the graph at the bottom right hand corner at row 1, the 1st stitch being in the 2nd chain from hook (this is the right side of your work). Row 2 is started with 1 chain which is your first stitch in the graph and follow the graph from the bottom left hand side at row 2 (this is the wrong side of your work).
Continue working up the graph to the top.
Once you have finished the graph make a border around the block using Sherbet.
With right side facing make a chain 3rd post up from bottom right hand corner, make 1 dc in each post going up the right hand side, make 3 dc's at corner, 1 dc in each stitch along top edge, 3 dc's at corner, 1 dc in each post down left hand side, 3 dc's at corner, 1 dc in each stitch along bottom, 3 dc's in corner, 1 dc in next 2 posts, slip stitch into first chain.
Do another row of dc's around block starting with a chain and making 3 dc's in each corner finishing with a slip stitch into starting chain.
Finish of and weave in all ends.
Your finished work will have 53 stitches across top and bottom and 71 stitches along each side.
Block to a size of 14" x 15.5"


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|Associate Head Coach
|28th Season as SCU Coach
|Santa Clara '90
The 2019 season marked Eric Yamamoto's 28th year coaching at Santa Clara University. Yamamoto serves as Associate Head Coach to a program he helped build. Wearing the Bronco uniform from 1986-89, Yamamoto was an All-American goalkeeper on Santa Clara's 1989 NCAA co-National Championship team.
A proven leader, recruiter and coach, Yamamoto spent most of the 1990's as the goalkeepers coach for Santa Clara's men's and women's programs joining the coaching ranks in 1992. In 2007 he was named National Assistant Coach of the Year by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).
Yamamoto has worked with many of world's best goalkeepers as a member of the U.S. National Team coaching staff. He has coached numerous U.S. National Youth Teams on both the boys and girls sides as well as the U.S. Women's National Team. Most recently, he served on the U-23 U.S. Men's National Team staff as its goalkeeper coach in 2012. That US team competed in the 2012 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying tournament. He has also served as the assistant coach for the U.S. U-18 men's team. In the summer of 2007, he was part of the U.S. team at the Pan-American Games in Brazil.
At Santa Clara, Yamamoto has trained such standouts as 1992 West Coast Conference Defensive MVP Sue Wall, 1995 All-American men's goalkeeper and two-time MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Joe Cannon, 1998 WCC Defensive Player of the Year David Alexander, 2003 U-20 World Championship Goalkeeper of the Tournament and former LA Galaxy goalkeeper Steve Cronin, All-WCC netminder Rusty Johnson and the 2015 WCC Co-Goalkeeper of the Year Kendall McIntosh.
Since the formation of the WCC for women's soccer, Santa Clara featured the league's toughest defense in six of the first eight seasons, all with Yamamoto coaching the Bronco keepers. In 2001, he helped the women's squad capture its first National Championship, as the Broncos shutout perennial national powerhouse North Carolina, 1-0.
Yamamoto was a four-year starter, athletic All-American and three-time Academic All-America honoree as a student-athlete at Santa Clara. He established Bronco records with 38 shutouts and a 0.63 goals-against average during his senior season - leading Santa Clara to the 1989 NCAA National co-Championship.
He anchored an outstanding Santa Clara defense that allowed just 10 goals in 23 matches in 1989, posting a 20-0-3 record en route to finishing the year as the nation's No. 1 ranked team. SCU's 1989 side is the last NCAA Division I men's team to finish a season undefeated.
He was married in December of 2000. He and his wife, Julie, currently reside in San Jose with their daughter, Malia.


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Call us today on: 0345 459 7784
Are you passionate about a new hair stylist job in Berkshire ? Want to be the best hairdresser you can be? Apply now and join Headmasters today.
Headmasters are looking for creative Hair Stylists in Berkshire who have the talent and ambition to run a successful busy column, within our fun award winning hair salon in Berkshire .
Hairdresser Job Berkshire Benefits
- Up to 50% Commission on Professional Takings
- 2 weeks Intensive Training whilst being paid
- 35% Discount on retail products and weekly bonuses for achieving service and retail targets
- Competitions to win weekend breaks, cash prizes, Mini Cooper
- Childcare Voucher Schemes
- Corporate Discounts: Virgin, Thorpe Park, Taste Card, Gym membership
- Free use of Photographic Studio to create your own portfolio
- Annual Awards Night in January, 5, 10 & 20 year Anniversary Awards
- HEADMASTERS exclusive Ministry of Sound Summer Party
- Gain an industry recognised L'Oréal Colour Degree paid for by HEADMASTERS
***Plus many more!!***
We are a vibrant, welcoming, award winning company with hair salons across Berkshire and the South East. We are dedicated to providing you with a busy column, continual education and multiple career opportunities all within a nurturing and friendly environment.
We always have hair stylist jobs available for qualified individuals in Berkshire with the talent and ambition to run a successful column.
Love your job in Berkshire and succeed with a fun and friendly team!
Our 65 strong salon group are dedicated to providing you with a busy full column, continual bespoke education and multiple career progression opportunities all within a nurturing and friendly environment.
Apply online or call us today for more information and embark on your dream career with Headmasters in Berkshire.
Passionate about hair and looking for a Hairdressing Job in Berkshire? Apply now and join Headmasters today. Check out all the great benefits and apply today! We establish a creative, friendly atmosphere so you can thrive as a hair stylist. We'll provide you with a busy column, continuous training and numerous opportunities to further develop your hairdressing career. If you are a talented, qualified stylist with bundles of energy and ambition we want to hear from you.


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Resources for Determining the Price of Your eBay Merchandise
The best tool for determining how much to ask for the things you sell in your eBay auction is the eBay search tool. If you know how to use it, it provides a quick way to locate pricing information. To see how items like yours have been selling, search the completed auctions. You can search these results also to see in which categories to list your item.
Almost every eBay page has a small box for searching. Initially, you may find it easier to go to the Search page, but if you know the search engine syntax, or shorthand, you can pinpoint your items with amazing accuracy.
Here are some pointers to help you get the most out of the eBay search engine:
The search engine isn't case-sensitive, so you don't have to worry about capitalization.
To find more needles in the haystack, be sure to select the Search Titles and Descriptions option.
To find historical pricing (what the item has sold for in the past two weeks), be sure to select the box to search Completed listings.
If you're using common search terms, don't search only auction titles and descriptions; search by category, too. For example, suppose that you're searching for a Winnie the Pooh baby outfit. Type Pooh outfit and you'll get a bunch of results. On the left, you'll see the category that more closely matches your search. Click the link below it for the Baby & Toddler Clothing subcategory.
Don't use conjunctions (or, and) or articles (a, an, the) in your search; the search engine might misconstrue these noise words as part of your search. Some sellers use the ampersand (&) in place of the word and, so if you include and in your search, you won't find auctions that use the ampersand. In addition, some sellers (because of the 55-character limit) may not place these short words in their titles.
If you have the item number, you can type or paste it into any of the eBay search boxes to get to that item.
By clicking the Advanced Search link just to the right of the Search button, you can access eBay's advanced search options. To dig into the details for historic pricing, you can scroll down (on the left side of any search-results page) to the Search Options area:
Click the Completed Listings check box in the Show Only area of the page.
You are presented with the search results of completed listings for the past two weeks.
To sort by price, go to the Sort By drop-down box at the top of the listings and select the Price + Shipping, Highest First option.
The results of completed auctions of your particular item for the last fourteen days appear, sorted to show highest prices first. Now you're at the heart of the matter.
Pull out your calendar and make note of what days your item landed the highest bids. More often than not, you'll find that a pattern appears. Your item may see more action on a particular day of the week. After you figure out the days that your item gets the highest bids, schedule your auction to run on those those days and to close on the day you think will garner the highest bid.
Note that on the results page, items that haven't sold have their prices shown in red; those that have sold are shown in green. This also tells you the high-price breaking point in the current market.


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Housing & Residential Living
The safety of students is very important. As a result, the Carleton College has in place equipment, policies and procedures to help protect our residents. It is important that students be familiar with our policies and procedures so they can act responsibly to help keep themselves and others safe.
Fire Safety
The density of the population in the halls and houses, combined with the age of some of the buildings make fire safety an important issue for everyone. Like security, fire safety is the responsibility of every resident; one damaged smoke alarm or one overloaded extension cord can put the entire building at risk.
All residential facilities are protected by fire detection and fire fighting equipment. Each room has a smoke detector that will sound with a limited amount of smoke. Room detectors in the residence halls and the public areas of the houses are wired to a central alarm system. Should the battery in a smoke detector need replacement, contact the Maintenance Office at Ext. 4133 during the normal work week (M-F,8-5) and Security Services at Ext. 4444 after hours. Students are not to remove batteries. Always contact Security to silence/disconnect a detector (even if the detector is malfunctioning). When an extinguisher is used for any reason, inform Hall Staff immediately so they can contact Security Services or the Maintenance and Custodial Office to have the extinguisher recharged.
If you spot a fire or smoke, sound the alarm immediately. Then, from a safe location call the fire department (9-911) and Security (ext. 4444), identify yourself, and give the appropriate information on the location.
When a fire alarm sounds, all residents of the hall/house MUST leave the building via the nearest exit. NEVER USE THE ELEVATOR AS A MEANS OF ESCAPE. Once the situation is resolved/investigated, the "all clear" will be given by Security and residents may reenter the building.
Students should acquaint themselves with the emergency escape plan of their living area. Throughout the year the fire alarm system is tested in each residence hall to assure that it is in working order. When an alarm sounds all residents must vacate the facility via the nearest exit to ensure their safety and to ascertain the cause of the alarm. Residents will be permitted to re-enter the building when Security Services personnel have determined it is safe to do so. If possible, before leaving the room, residents should close all windows, turn lights on, and exit via the stairwells, not the elevators. Residents should notify their RA, House Manager, or Area Director immediately if they believe that a smoke detector or other fire fighting equipment is malfunctioning.
Tampering with equipment is not only against College policy and federal law, it jeopardizes the safety of every resident of that building. Discharging fire extinguishers, setting off fire alarms under false pretenses or failing to leave the building when a fire alarm sounds have life-threatening implications. In addition to any local municipal action, the College reserves the right to initiate formal disciplinary charges for these offenses. The minimum fine for a first offense is $200 plus the cost of restoring the equipment to its original condition.
Safety inspections are conducted by Residential Life Staff in all student residential facilities. During Fall term residents and staff identify any potential fire or safety hazards existing within rooms and alert residents as to hazards. Fire drills are conducted each term. Residents are expected to comply with the fire safety guidelines provided and to remedy any existing problem. Hallways should remain clear at all times as furniture or personal belongings left in the hallway block access and increase risk of personal injury. Electrical cords are not to be run through hallway doors due to increased risk of fire. Residents are not to have items or materials in their rooms, nor are they to decorate their rooms, in a manner that could increase the risk of fire.
Keeping Your Room Safe
Security and safety are a primary concern. Since many students are away from home for the first time and are unaware of the normal difficulties of residence hall living, procedures have been established to try to help protect the occupants and the buildings.
Carleton provides locks on all residence rooms and our traditional residence halls (Burton, Davis, Goodhue, Musser, Myers, Nourse, Parish, Severance, Watson). Cassat, James, Evans, and the Village Apartments are equipped with an electronic door locking system which requires use of the OneCard. We ask that students carry their key and card at all times. Residents living in our houses are issued room and outside door keys and are encouraged to keep the outside door of the house locked.
Keeping doors locked is the best way to secure your property and yourself as well as those sharing your living quarters. Residents are encouraged to keep their rooms and the houses locked at all times, especially when sleeping or absent from the room/house. Be careful not to allow strangers to enter your room.
When entering a door that has the electronic locking system, please be certain not to let others "tailgate" in with you unless you know they have a OneCard and are authorized to be in the building. If someone insists on coming in without authorization, contact Security Services (ext. 4444) immediately.
If You Lose Your Room Key
If you lose your room key, Carleton will replace the lock and issue new keys to the resident(s) of the room. If you lose your room key, contact the Residential Life Office. A temporary key will be issued for three days allowing you time to look for the key. If you have not found the key within the three days, the room door will be recored. The $40 charge for a lost key will be billed to your student account. Each resident is responsible for creating a secure and safe environment through responsible use of keys, access cards, and using common sense.
If You Lose Your House Key
If you lose your house key Carleton will replace the exterior locks and issue new keys to the residents of the house. If you lose your house key, contact the Residential Life Office. A temporary house key will be issued for three days allowing you time to look for the key. If you have not found the key within the three days, the exterior doors to the house will be recored. The $100 charge for a lost house key will be billed to your student account. Each resident is responsible for creating a secure and safe environment through responsible use of keys, access cards, and using common sense.
All currently enrolled Carleton students are issued a OneCard that provides access to all traditional residence halls. To maintain the security of our buildings, report lost or stolen cards as soon as possible to Residential Life (Ext. 4072) or Security Services (Ext. 4444).
Security and Safety
Safety is fundamental to group living. We need each resident to do his/her share in keeping our residential spaces safe for everyone. Please contact Security Services or Residential Life if you have any questions.
Residential Life, Ext. 4072
Security Services, Ext. 4444 (24 hours a day)
Severe Weather and Tornadoes
Living in the Midwest, we must contend with the threat of severe weather which may include tornado activity. On the first Wednesday of each month the city of Northfield tests the tornado warning system at 1 p.m.. In the event of a threat of a tornado approaching the area, the City will sound the warning siren. Should you hear the siren, please go immediately to the lowest level in the building. If there are windows at that level, please go to an inside corridor or any area without windows. Most buildings on campus have blue and white signs to identify safe areas. You should stay within the safe area until the all clear siren sounds. In the event of a tornado warning, Security Services and Residential Life will work with students and staff to move individuals to safe areas.
Intruders and Theft
The College is not responsible for the personal belongings of students. Students are advised to lock their room doors and the outside doors of the houses. Do not let anyone "tailgate" or enter an outside entrance without a College OneCard. It is recommended that valuables, such as computers, be insured and the serial numbers recorded. The Office of Residential Life provides information on how to obtain personal property insurance through a national insurance carrier.
Approved by Residential Life on July 25, 2007.


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We've previously written dozens of stories about Apple's TV aspirations and now another has hit the blogosphere.
Apple is working on a TV device that use Apple's wireless-streaming technology AirPlay which would make it able to be controlled from iPhones and iPads, according to the Wall Street Journal.
That part isn't new, because that's already possible through its Apple TV set-top, but Apple hopes to allay fears of piracy with a secured AirPlay. If that's the case, HBO said they would sign on -- which would be a major coup. From the article:
Apple has worked on technologies for integrating DVR storage and iCloud, its online syncing and storage service, into the device, according to a person briefed on the matter. Such technologies could allow users to watch shows they have saved or purchased on two different devices, like a TV and a computer, without having to buy or record the shows twice.
We have also written about several reports that Apple is creating a television with Apple's software already baked in. Of course, none of this has been confirmed by Apple, so it all could be idle speculation.