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SCHOOLS NOTEBOOK: Wilbur Cross, Lauralton Hall to induct Hall of Fame classes, JCC Schoolboy/Schoolgirl Classic on tap
Seven players and a basketball team will be inducted into the Wilbur Cross Athletic Hall of Fame on Thursday at Anthony's Ocean View in New Haven.
Distinguished honorees for the eighth annual class are: Chris Breuler (1992), Joe Crisco (1952), Dominic Criscuolo (1948), Lillian Langs (1988), Donald Lumpkin (1953), Phil Ragozzino (1949) and Maurice Williamson (1988). Also, the 1978 Class L state championship girls' basketball team will be inducted.
Tickets are $50. Availability may be limited and tickets will not be available at the door. Call Al Ruocco at 203-469-4678, Joe Canzanella at 203-946-8497 or Eric Barbarito at 203-206-0191.
The JCC Schoolboy/Schoolgirl Classic will be held April 21 at the Jewish Community Center in Bridgeport.
The Connecticut West girls will face the Connecticut East girls at 6:30 p.m., followed by the Connecticut boys against New Jersey at 8:30.
The Connecticut boys roster, coached by Vito Montelli of St. Joseph, is: Lucas Hausman of Hopkins, James Jennings of St. Joseph, Zach Lewis of Northwest Catholic, Nolan Long of Waterford, Billy McDonald of North Haven, John Papale of Choate, Darren Payen of Hamden Hall, Trachone Preston of Enfield, Terry Tarpey of Fairfield Prep, Demetrius Thomas of Bassick and Chris Walters of Westhill.
The Connecticut West girls roster, coached by Newtown's Jeremy O'Connell and Hillhouse's Catrina Hawley-Stewart, is: Briana Bradford of Holy Cross, Christine Cretella of Seymour, Danielle Dorsette of Holy Cross, Caitlin Drakely of Nonnewaug, Mackenzie Griffin of Trinity Catholic, Bria Holmes of Hillhouse, Kim Legan of Law, Victoria Pfohl of Trumbull, Aaliyah Robinson of Wilbur Cross, Michelle Wu of Masuk and Riley Wurtz of Newtown.
The Connecticut East girls roster, coached by E.O. Smith's Kirk Murad and Waterford's Rob Von Achen, is: Brianna Bishop of Suffield, Kelly Conley of Ellington, Lauren Esposito of Coginchaug, Nicole Ferguson of East Catholic, Ashley Forand of E.O. Smith, Adily Martucci of Waterford, Morgan Murphy of SMSA, Morgan Olander of E.O. Smith, Sha'Quira Palmer of Bunnell, Ashley Perez of Manchester and Kenya Stewart of Weaver.
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased by calling 203-372-6567, Ext. 128 or by emailing firstname.lastname@example.com.
Seven people will be inducted as part of the first Lauralton Hall Athletic Hall of Fame Class on May 6 at Race Brook Country Club in Orange.
The honorees are: Nora Anderson Barber (1995), Laura Valade Collins (1988), Eileen Richetelli Crozier (1990), Jairus C. Gilbert Sr. (posthumously), Mary Money (1976), Margaret A. Rooney (1951) and Karen McGroary Yardley.
The keynote speaker will be soccer player Kristine Lilly, a three-time Olympian from Wilton. Lilly was a part of two Gold Medal winning teams in 1996 and 2004.
The public is invited to the ceremony and the brunch, which begins at 11:30 a.m. A silent auction will be held to help raise funds for educational programs at Lauralton Hall. Tickets to the event are $50 for adults and $35 for students. Reservations must be received by April 24.
Call Kathleen Donahue at 203-877-2786, Ext. 114, or email email@example.com.


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Dream Chaser Review
By Kristen and Kevin Collier
Published by Guardian Angel Publishing
Jamaal Hawkins is a typical nineteen year old teen. Dreams and inspirations to become the next basketball superstar are always in his mind. However, his grandmother wants more from him; wants him to think beyond the NBA. So she comes up with an idea, one she hopes will teach Jamaal a lesson in humanity. When the teen complains and mutters about their living conditions, his grandmother begins the lesson with these words: "Jamaal," she said softly. "It's not where you live that matters. It's how you live."
The Colliers give a poignant and touching story how one determined grandmother is set on showing her grandson that life has more to offer besides basketball. She forces him to accompany her one day as a volunteer at a governor's campaign office, stuffing envelopes. It's here where Jamaal meets and interacts with others where his grandmother's lesson plan begins to sink in.
I highly recommend this book to be read by families together with their children.
Lea Schizas
- December 2008 (1)
- November 2008 (7)
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CAMPBELL, Calif., June 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Apama Medical, a privately held medical device company focused on the development of next-generation atrial fibrillation technologies, today announced the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 8295902 by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), titled "Low Profile Electrodes". The patent encompasses low profile electrode assemblies for use on expandable structures such as balloons used in endovascular ablation or other surgical procedures.
"We are grateful to the NSF SBIR Grant for the funding of this breakthrough technology," said Amr Salahieh, Founder & CEO of Apama Medical. "In addition to this patent, we recently filed provisional patents for dramatic improvements to the catheter that will add significant value to our technology and the approach for treating patients with atrial fibrillation."
Currently, atrial fibrillation procedures are limited by existing technology constraints and long procedure times. The issuance of this patent allows Apama Medical to develop a unique product to incorporate ablation, mapping/vision, and irrigation in one product.
About Apama Medical
Apama Medical is a privately held medical device company formed by Shifamed LLC, a Silicon Valley based medical device incubator. Apama is focused on the rapidly growing electrophysiology (EP) market in which mapping and ablation is estimated to reach $2.0B in 2017.
For more information please visit www.apamamedical.com.
Katie Arnold
SPRIG Consulting LLC
(408) 805-0520
|SOURCE Apama Medical
Copyright©2012 PR Newswire.
All rights reserved


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Photography Classes in Encino TX
Are you looking for photography classes in Encino TX? Whether you are a hobbyist, professional, or beginner, the most effective approach to improving your photography abilities is through hands-on classes with professional instructors.
Texas features numerous accredited and recognized photography schools. Photography classes teach techniques like digital capture, lighting techniques, exposure, composition, outdoor photography, and many other basic and advanced camera techniques. Becoming an experienced photographer can lead to a booming professional career or lifelong hobby.
There are many Photography Classes in Encino TX:
- Encino Studio Photography Classes
- Encino Photography 101
- Encino Digital Photography Classes
- Encino Nature Photography Classes
- Encino Editorial Photography Classes
Encino TX Photography Classes
St Philip's College
1801 Martin Luther King Dr
San Antonio, Texas 78203-2098
Phone: (210) 486-2000
165.58 miles away
San Antonio College
1300 San Pedro Ave
San Antonio, Texas 78212-4299
Phone: (210) 486-0000
168.05 miles away
The Art Institute of San Antonio
10000 IH-10 W Ste 200
San Antonio, Texas 78230
Phone: (210) 338-7320
174.44 miles away
Texas State University-San Marcos
601 University Dr
San Marcos, Texas 78666
Phone: (512) 245-2111
198.93 miles away


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As we approach the end of the THINKTECH screening stage, it's worth taking a moment to reflect on some of the application trends we've noticed and what this means for the Social Innovation sector in Ireland moving forward.
Data, data, data….
The standard of application writing for THINKTECH was high. In many ways the application form acts as an elevator pitch to people who know nothing about your project, in this case, our screeners. Sometimes less is more, and researched or measured data provides confidence that you fully understand the issue you're trying to solve and can clearly demonstrate the impact of your project to date.
One of the key learnings from NPC's 'Stories & Numbers Report ' is the concept of using a 'theory of change' model for data collection. This model focuses organisations on inputs, outputs, and necessary outcomes to achieve success. Understanding these elements can often highlight 'what' data to collect, and 'how' to best measure impact.
Joined up thinking?
Whilst there was a significant spread of social issues identified by applicants, there were a number of projects that aimed to tackle these issues in similar ways. We'd obviously love to back as many projects as possible but realistically many applicants are going to be disappointed.
Funding is a constant challenge for the non-profit sector and one wonders what happens to some of these applicants after a prolonged period of time without funding? Many will have well-developed funding strategies in place, but the worry remains that some applicants may fall off the social innovation cliff face.
So what can be done to keep these innovators in the sector? The answer may lie in a regular forum that brings innovators together under social issue. Universities, Enterprise hubs and Hackathons offer a well-established base to provide a platform for social innovators. If brought together by social issue, flexibility and an open mind could unlock a 'super-idea' amongst a number of social innovators. As the famous seanfhocail goes – Ní neart go cur le chéile.
Can Ireland strengthen as a social enterprise hub?
Could social enterprises become the new heartbeat of communities across Ireland? Over 53% of THINKTECH applicants identified themselves as social enterprises. The Forfás Social Enterprise in Ireland Report 2013 stated that an estimated 30,000 people are employed by social enterprises in Ireland. To reach the mean EU level by 2020, social enterprises would have to account for 65,000 jobs which provides a massive opportunity for the sector.
However, the sector faces many challenges. The term 'social enterprise' is not defined as a legal entity by law. There are also funding and governance issues that hamper the progression of the sector.
What if we looked to our Scottish cousins as a model of success where the Community Interest Company (CIC) model has flourished? This model allows flexibility for companies to be limited by guarantee or shares but are bound by common principles of asset locks and dividend/interest payments to shareholders.
In summary, sometimes the best innovations have already been conceived at home or quite often abroad. The test for Irish innovators then becomes a matter of having an open-mind, being flexible, and maximising aspects of that innovation for the local environment.
By Eoghan Ryan, THINKTECH Project Manager


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Manchester City revealed their new home shirt and kit for 2013-14 in the heart of The Big Apple where they are beginning their week long New York Tour. Manchester City stars Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta, Jack Rodwell, Carlos Tevez, James Milner and Matija Nastasic, unveiled the Club's first ever Nike kit.
The new kit marks the beginning of a six year deal between City and Nike which will run until 2019. Nike claims the new kit pays homage to City's heritage while looking to the future. The shirt itself is a traditional football design, featuring a sky blue body with white ribbed crew neck and cuffs. The collar and cuffs also feature a dark blue trim to represent the colour of the socks City wore as part of one of their first ever kits in 1892.
On this new shirt the Manchester City club crest is placed inside a shield shape. This is inspired by the city of Manchester's coat of arms, which City used as their own club crest for special occasions including the 1956 FA Cup final. The new home shorts are white with a thin sky blue stripe along each side, while the new home socks are white with a sky blue band at the top with a dark blue trim.
We think most City fans will be pleased with this classic, simple design.
The shirt only weighs 150 grams and is made from recycled polyester, making it the lightest shirt Nike has produced.
City will wear the kit for the first time when they play Chelsea in St Louis and New York on their New York Tour.
City's Chief Commercial & Operating Officer said, "We are delighted to join forces with Nike. Having them as our new Technical Kit Partner demonstrates City's growing global appeal, and we look forward to working alongside Nike to build and engage our fan base around the world.
"Nike's extensive distribution networks will ensure the Club's presence in markets stretching from Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas and that our fans everywhere can find a wear a City shirt.
"We are also pleased to unveil our new look during our matches in New York and St. Louis this week. This is our third visit to the USA in the last three years, and we enjoy a fantastic following here. It's an exciting time for soccer in the States, and we are big believers in its future. Passion for the game from fans and participants is strong and growing, and we look forward to playing a part in its on-going development."
So what do you City fans think? How do you like your first Nike kit? Comments welcome below.
Manchester City kits available here.
Classic Manchester City retro shirts here.
Like our Facebook page here.


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After making waves for upending Catholic orthodoxy like hating gay people and embracing evolution (even though he shouldn't actually get credit for that one since Catholicism had already technically embraced it) Pope Francis has once again blown our collective minds with a new revelation about the order of the cosmos: We get to take our pets to heaven.
Yep, that's right. In his weekly radio address on Wednesday Pope Frank tried to cheer up a boy who had recently lost his dog "One day, we will see our animals again in the eternity of Christ," the pope said. "Paradise is open to all of God's creatures."
The news follows some speculation from November that the Pope might believe that dogs go to heaven. The Guardian analyzed at length his statement that "The holy scripture teaches us that the fulfillment of this wonderful design also affects everything around us," and argued that the rules governing the Pope's cosmos must also therefore apply to pets.
But this week was the first time the Pope has spoken directly about it. The revelation contradicts earlier Catholic doctrine that held animals did not have souls, making heaven a no-dogs-allowed zone.
Technically, he doesn't say that all dogs go to heaven. If you happened to have a particularly psychopathic dog who bit your ankles constantly and chewed up all your shoes, he may well be down below with the dark prince, panting his ass off without a treat or bowl of water in sight.
And as for cats…well, may God have mercy on their bitter, bitter souls. via


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Copyright © 2009-2020 IRAM. All rights reserved. Designed and produced by rebusparis.com
IRAM was founded in 1979 by the French CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), the German MPG (Max-Planck- Gesellschaft) and the Spanish IGN (Instituto Geográfico Nacional) - initially an associate member, becoming a full member in 1990. Today, the institute is considered a model of scientific multinational cooperation.
For more information about the founding members, click here:
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Dear 2014 Julia, I miss you. A lot of the time, I wish I were still you. But three years have gone by and we are not the same person anymore. I think about you a lot. I talk and write about you here and there. And I often do it in a snobby way...... Continue Reading →
Round Up: 3 Books That Can Help You Face Adversity and Mental Health Challenges
We all face some forms of adversity in our lives. We all lose jobs, get sick, break-ups, and deal with the deals of people we love. For neurodivergent or mentally ill folk, adversity can be an everyday experience. Just getting up in the morning can be a real struggle. Something that really helps me when... Continue Reading →
4 Personal Finance Tips for Hard Times
Money management is difficult, even more so when a mental condition is thrown into the mix. Maybe you can only work part time, or you need to afford expensive therapies. Maybe you have a condition that affects your spending habits, like bipolar disorder. Due to a mental condition, I have had my share of financial... Continue Reading →
Making a Mindfulness Map to Form New Habits
Currently, I am reading 'Be Mindful & Simplify Your Life.' The book was written by Kate James, a coach, meditation teacher, speaker and writer. The book is a collection of fifty tips about mindfulness and simplification of one's life. One of the tips really struck a chord with me; creating a visual reminder of mindful... Continue Reading →
Round Up: 3 Inspiring TedX Talks from Neurodivergent/Mentally Ill Speakers
Welcome to our 'Round Up' series, where we 'round up' a few pieces of the internet that are worth sharing. Today, we have found a few videos from neurodivergent/mentally ill TedX speakers about how their mental conditions shape their lives and identities. Enjoy! 1. 'I have Tourette's. Get over it.' - Analise and Robyn Twemlow... Continue Reading →
'Died by Suicide' or 'Committed Suicide'?
The words 'committed suicide' are pervasive in discussions about suicide, both in the media and personal conversations. Recently, social justice advocates have called for a significant change in language, stating that the words 'died by suicide' should be used instead of 'committed suicide.' Is this a justified attempt to change our attitudes towards suicide, or... Continue Reading →
Mental Illness or Mental Skillness? The Case for Neurodiversity
Recent media coverage of Carrie Fisher's death has been dominated by outpouring of love from friends, fans, and fellow stars. Fisher was most famous for playing Princess Leia, the doughnut-bunned heroine of the Star Wars franchise. Just like her mother, she was a triple threat. But she wasn't known for dancing or singing. Fisher was... Continue Reading →
Voters of 'unsound mind' deserve a fair go
Democracy is continually being shaped by the power of people. But do all Australians really have a democratic 'fair go'? Brooke Murphy discusses the plight of 'unsound mind' and the right to vote. Women and Aboriginal people were only given the right to vote in the last century. In both instances, this only occurred after... Continue Reading →
3 Tips for When You Feel Overwhelmed or Manic
As someone who is bipolar, I am very familiar with the feeling of a racing, manic mind. I am still learning how to bring my minds back into balance, but I thought I would jot down a few things that I find calming when I am in this state. This list is not just for... Continue Reading →


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Most of the people who travel from Australia to South America and Central America, they usually book their South America travel and Central America travel based on the attractions they can find in various regions and their interest according to the availability of the fabulous cruising and site seeing facilities.
Though most of the areas that come within the territory of southern America and surrounding regions have a diverse constitution of various cultures and locations that offer great and exciting holiday time for the tourists and visitors from around the world.
Whether you have decided to go for the Antarctic tours or have booked the most exciting cruises during your Antarctica travel, you can also enjoy many other things that you will find interesting as a part of the south America tours.
Due to the much diversified regional constitution of southern hemisphere and the South Pole region, you may experience and see a number of interesting thing and enjoy ventures like Galapagos Cruise and arctic cruises for a wonderful journey.
Most of the central America tours and packages offer a complete package including Cuba Travel flights and south American tours in which you can surely enjoy the Cuba region and also visit the snowy arctic regions.
The cruises, the cultural diversity and the various unique regions of the southern hemisphere all offer various kinds of tourist attractions for enjoying the cruising facility and the wilderness in these areas.
One of the main attractions in the region also includes the heavy snow covered mountains and glaciers in the polar region. Along with that, you may also enjoy seeing the polar aquatic animals which are far unique and interesting than the Cuban region.
So if you book a single tour from your home town to South America, you will find yourself able enough to enjoy all the various cultures, diverse landscaping and other exciting things as well.


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A couple weeks ago I was invited to participate in a roundtable interview with writer/director Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy) to discuss the special edition Bluray release of his latest film Cop Out. While the focus of the roundtable was supposed to be the Cop Out Bluray's Maximum Comedy Mode feature, Smith was very open to talk about many other topics. In fact, Smith extended our 15 minute interview in to a 45 minute interview. Put it this way: Smith is a publicist's nightmare.
During our interview, Smith spoke not only about Cop Out and Maximum Comedy Mode (MCM) but also about Twitter, Comic Con, 3D, his upcoming projects and more. Look for several self-deprecating and brutally honest comments from Smith – he even talks about the "Southwest incident" and discusses the harsh critical reaction to Cop Out. It's a great interview. Continue reading to read the full interview. Cop Out hits Bluray and DVD on Tuesday July 20.
So can I start out with something real basic that I need for the radio listeners, which is, what is MCM?
KEVIN SMITH: MCM is this process…process? Technique? I don't even know what we would call it. Basically on the Bluray of Cop Out they take the movie and instead of every other DVD I've ever made you can watch the movie and then you pop over to another disc or on that same disc there's a section that has a commentary track, there's a section that has deleted scenes, there's a section that has behind the scenes, everything is compartmentalized. And these cats came to me with the idea of basically, we integrate all that back into the movie and you know I'm an old man, I'm gonna be forty in a couple of weeks so I was terrified by the notion of something new. I got really crew cutted old man about it. I was like "your commentary track's here! And your deleted scenes are over here! Never the twain shall meet!" I was a true segregationist man. Started getting like a southern preacher and shit back in the day. "Never the twain shall meet!" And these dudes were so kind about trying to break the process down and explain it to me, which I thought was really funny because I'm a director. I'm supposed to have vision. I couldn't understand what they were talking about. Like "No! You can't do that! It doesn't make sense!" But I've worked with them for so long on, the Warner Bros. cats, they were so nice the whole step of the way man. I didn't want to come work at a studio. My whole life I was like "fuck these people".
They make trash. Blah this is a fucking assembly line of crap blah blah blah and you know I still feel that way but they're also very nice. It's populated by human beings and what not, cool people. They were so nice to us. They treated the movie so well every step of the way, even though the whole time we were making it we were like "you guys do realize we're making a movie…" you know it wasn't called Cop Out back then it was called A Couple of Dicks and they treated us like we were a serious comedy. Like better than we deserved, which is at least how I felt, I'm sure Bruce Willis felt we were getting treated exactly as we deserved, but I felt like, I don't know, were getting treated… and I think it was probably the Willis influence. Having Willis there, everyone steps up there game because he's a movie star and shit like that. If we didn't have Willis I'm sure they would've been like…we would've been like "where's our craft services?" And they would've been like "fucking in the back of McDonalds dumpster you fucks. Finish the movie! Bring it on time! Don't talk to us til its done!" They were so wonderful the whole way, the studio was great every step of the way, helping us out making the movie, never a hindrance. True collaborators, felt like fucking Harvey Weinstein and Bob the whole time. Like I remember going into this, I thought I'd never have the experience I had with Harvey and Bob, they literally let me do whatever I want. These cats did the same thing. They were literally like "go ahead. We're hiring you to make the movie." And I was like "oh shit. That's not a good idea. You might want to ride me a little harder." But they were kinda cool about everything the whole step of the way, so when the dudes are like "please dude. Bear with us. This is gonna be a cool thing." Like the guy was putting the MCM version of the movie together, the guy who was trying to explain it to me was going "This format is built for you." He's going "I know you can't get your head around what I'm talking about but this is you to a T. You're the perfect case subject."
And they're like "here man, look at this" and they showed me Zack Snyder had done it for 300 I think, or Watchmen, or maybe both and I was watching that one and I'm like "if fucking Zack Snyder can do this…" cause I know Zack and he's not exactly a live wire in front of cameras and shit, Zack is a genius behind the camera, in front of the camera he's like Cindy Brady, red light goes on, he gets real stiff, so I was like if Zack Snyder can pull this shit off, I can do this. You want me to do the 300 version, my commentary? Me on Watchmen? And they were like "no dickhead, with your movie." I'm like "Oh Cop Out?! Lemme talk about Watchmen for two hours!" And they're like "can you get your head around doing it?" and I was like "ahh I can try" and the asked me to shoot it at a certain point and it was gonna be after the junket, all scheduled. Had been scheduled for like a month or something like that. And then about 8 days, 8 or 9 days before I was supposed to shoot it, I got asked to leave an airplane and that was just like, oh my god, I was in hell. And I was in misery and Megan came over and she was like "we have to shoot this thing in a couple days" and I was like "what?" and she was like "the thing for Warner Bros. for Cop Out" and I was like "You want me to get on fucking camera?! They just told me to get off a plane man! And I feel fat" and she was like "we can move it" and I think we moved it about two days or something but it was so therapeutic. Like I came in and its all about standing there and being on camera, it wasn't like back in the day I could've come in, sat behind a mic, done the commentary track, done it in my PJs or worse naked, nobody would know. But with this 8 days after the whole world goes "you're fat, I heard you were fat on the news and shit like that" I had to get up in front of a camera and this movie, I wasn't in it at all. Oh it was hard, it sucked, I didn't want to do it, I was like "I don't understand the concept and now I have less of a reason to fucking go. But god bless these cats, they stayed on me like "I'm telling you, you are gonna love this dude I can't explain to you how much…I wish I could go back in time or ahead in time to show you and blah blah blah."
So I trusted them because they had been so nice to me the whole day. Then when they sent me the check disk it was the first time I got to see it cause you know I'd seen the Zack Snyder version and shit. And I remember the dude telling me on the day like "I wanna shoot this little bit that incorporates you into the logo." And I was like "the shield?" and he was like "yeah" and I was like "how are you gonna do that?" and he was like "we could shrink you, but you on. Can you talk about being on the shield?" and I was like "yeah man, if you're gonna put me on a fucking shield" and suddenly it became cool like "I get to be on the shield, that'd be kinda neat." So I'm watching it on the check disk for the first time and there I am on the shield and I…suddenly I was like "oh! I completely get it now". It's like doing a commentary track but I'm present as opposed to just talking and shit. It's like integrating something I do fairly well which is stand up and talk to people with something I don't do well at all, which is make movies. And because of that, the one thing that's stronger helps the thing that's weaker, its like basically they balance each other out. When I watched the disk I was so fucking delighted. I remember sitting there going for three hours, cause it's almost like three hours, I said "three fucking hours man, nobody wanted to watch Cop Out at 90 minutes, why are they gonna watch it in three hours?"
But when I was done watching it I was like "I don't care if you hate this movie, it's fucking entertaining." I mean we make fun of the movie in the movie. And we explain how things happen or what went wrong or what got changed. I don't know, it's like so warts and all honest and I like that about it but I got so mad. Cause I was just like "I wish we had released this version of the movie." You know this would've been kinda groundbreaking. Pop that in the theaters and people are like "I was watching this Bruce Willis movie and this fat guy kept irritating me through out it and he wasn't sitting next to me, he was on the fucking screen! All the sudden he would interrupt the flick." But I fell in love with that, I thought it was a great fucking process. So the long and short of it is essentially they take a commentary track and they take deleted scenes and they take a Q&A and integrate it with the movie. And kinda make it this new viewing experience. Which is neat. I mean you can watch the movie by itself like the way you did in the theater or you could pop this version on and watch that. It's kinda dope.
But it's Bluray only?
SMITH: Only Blu-ray. Well that's the future right there. They've been trying to tell us that for years. I mean I remember when I did, shit this is going back 2, 3 years ago, I was working with Disney/Miramax back when there was a Disney/Miramax about doing a Chasing Amy anniversary disk because it was coming up on the ten year anniversary. And they were like "we're only interested in doing it Blu-ray, do you want to do it Blu-ray". And that's before I was a big Blu-ray enthusiast so I was like "No man, I've got fucking like 8000, 10000 DVDs, I want to put it on DVD," and they're like "DVD's not gonna be around much longer," I was like "come on, don't say that man, not everyone's gonna get a Bluray player".
Two years later, three years later, everybody's got a fucking Blu-ray player. DVD's are getting harder and harder to find. So with this its just like I've got no say over it. I mean I guess I could've been a prick and been like "this has to be released on DVD as well" but I'm not gonna tell Warner Bros. Home Video their business, they seem to know what they're doing rather well and what not. So when they said "oh it's just gonna be available on Blu-ray" I was like "ehh I guess, it's a shame but I guess that makes sense". I mean think about all those cool people who had just VHS back in the day and every time you tell 'em like "hey man, on the DVD, they got some extras" they'd be like…not even on the DVD, on the laser disc they had extras and a VHS person would just be like "I don't know what that is." So you know they got phased out, DVD's getting phased out as we head toward Bluray, it just made sense I guess. You know but the old version of me probably would've kicked and said "it has to be DVD, it has to be democratic, egalitarian." But I used up all my fight this year with Southwest so…(laughs)…I didn't have anything for this.
How long did you actually spend working on the MCM?
SMITH: The beautiful thing about a corporation like this, which is something I'd never known before because this is the first time I've ever worked with like Warner Bros., I mean I worked with Universal kinda back in the day when we made Mallrats but that was more for gramercy really so it was kind of a coproduction between PolyGram and [Universal] for this company. So I don't think I've had the full corporate experience ever before. When you make a movie with a conglomerate like this, corporation, massive movie studio that's been doing it for a hundred years if not more, everybody has a fucking job and everything's taken care of. Like back in the world where I'm from you spin a lot of plates, wear a lot of hats, that's the way it's done and shit. And honestly I wouldn't have it any other way because I'm kind of a control freak in order to do the job that you do. Here though man people just, you'll get a call the day before, you know they'll schedule it, they'll just…anything you need it's taken care of, we got this covered. So all I literally had to do was at the junket, I shot the stuff with Sean that you see where we interact with one another. That was when we were in New York. And then three days later I went to a sound stage in Los Angeles and it's pretty much the fucking room that you see on the Blu-ray. It's like the two screens behind me and we were just on a sound stage, it's not like that's a blue screen with a fake sound stage, it's a real sound stage.
And basically I was like so they had a bunch of scenes that they wanted to hit specifically because we had all the extra footage for it and the cut scenes and what not and we started that way and then I was like "you know what man? It would be way easier, I was like I know you've got these targeted moments you want to hit, lets kill these and then we'll go back to the top and we'll just do the movie from the whole way down" and they were like "you wanna stand her and just talk for two hours" and I was like "oh, come on, have we just met?! I'm Kevin Smith! I'll sit here and talk nine hours if you let me!" So basically they were like alright and they fucking put in a new tape and shit and we started from the top and just went all the way down and it was very cute, they had a lawyer sitting in the back of the room the whole time because you know basically every fifth thing I said was never gonna make the DVD. And my friend was in the back with the lawyer, he'd come, and periodically they would change the tapes and shit and I'd towel off because I'd get sweaty. And I was like "what are they talking about back there?" And he's like "how little of this content will make the DVD" and I was like "yeah but some of it will." And then when I saw the fucking thing, the check disc man, they included so much. Like I was shocked at how much they let slide. I mean a lot of it is me making fun of myself. Apparently legally you can't sue Warner Bros. if you call yourself fat a lot because I do it on the DVD, doesn't happen. So they were kinda cool even though there was a lawyer present and they were like "you can't say certain shit," I mean I guess that's always a problem with me and DVDs and what not. They wound up letting so much of it go, I was actually kind of surprised and delighted by the thing. But I'm sorry, what did you ask? I got way off base.
How long did you…you answered it.
SMITH: What did I do? So I showed up for one day and we did it from top to bottom. So essentially I'd say all told the time that I put in, which is pretty much just performance or you know you cant count the time…all the performance time comes from all the time we spent making the movie, all the stories and shit but the actually like, I'm gonna stand here and talk about it? About three hours tops I was there. And they were able to top that and turn it into this and man, they did the work. A lot of people will be like "it was very entertaining, well done." I was just the actor, just like those cats are actors in the movie. Suddenly I went from being the director of the movie to being an actor in the movie, somebody else was directing me for the MCM version of the movie. I don't know, the integration terrified me at first and then I was so in to it, so much so that I got irritated, I was like "why can't I do this with every movie I make?" Like out in the real world release it that way and do a DVD but they own this kind of DVD process.
You know, so I can't do MCM for something else. I wish I had invented because I could take it with me. But it's theirs so now it behooves me to work at Warner Bros. because they're the only studio that's gonna be like "yeah we'll let you be in the movie too on DVD." It's cool, its like a weird second bite of the apple for me and I realize I'm not like most directors, most directors are very talented, but I'm not like most directors, most directors are very…they let the work speak for itself. A lot of cats I've noticed over the years, they don't go out there and defend themselves, they don't go out there and talk about what they do, why they did it, blah blah blah. Work speaks for itself and with me that's never been the case. I find, the more talented the director, the less the director actually has to say after the movie is made. That's why you never hear fucking Clint Eastwood say anything. He makes nine movies a year, never says word one. Doesn't have to. People like me…you know, if you don't make movies as well as other people, you got a lot of explaining to do but I always feel kind of like, if I cant get them with the movie, I can get them with the second bite of the apple by talking about the movie. And I picked that up off one of the first Q&As we had for Clerks in Houston in '94.
We had a screening and then we did a Q&A afterwards, me and Scott, my producer, did a Q&A. Afterwards, we were leaving, I was talking to someone in the back of the theater, I heard two motherfuckers going out, one dude was like "what did you think of the movie?" He's like "I didn't like it but I loved the Q&A, they're funny." And I remember thinking like, hey man if I can't get them with the movie, maybe I can get them with the Q&A afterwards. Second bite of the apple. You get one last chance to kind of change their way of thinking. You don't want people every leaving the theater going "sucked. Absolute waste of my time. Regret it. Fucking want that time back. Kevin Smith and his progeny must die." You never want that. You want, you know, if you can soften them up before they leave, so that they're going "Eh, I didn't like the movie but the Q&A was good." That's been the late motif of my whole career, that's why when they were telling me about the MCM, they were like "dude you're gonna love this because this is everything you're about. This is where you get to make the movie, show the movie, make excuses for the movie, make more jokes to put in the movie and just talk about yourself for two hours." I'm like "Sign me up!" You know, I fell in love with it once I saw it. Like I said, couldn't understand it, not visionary enough to understand it.
I know you have a Twitter presence and I'm curious how you feel social media platforms have influenced the way filmmaking is…films are made and films are distributed and released and how that's influenced your ability to get closer to fans and get their input on your films?
SMITH: I haven't analyzed it that much but I don't think it's changed how movies are made at all yet. It might have if like…
Or film watching?
SMITH: Well I think about like, the test case to see how powerful Twitter was was when Ashton Kutcher put out, um there was a movie he did just in LA recently, does anybody remember the name of it? Not that one but it was a DVD, I don't think it went in theaters or very widely, where he played like a pimp in LA, or not a pimp, a gigolo or something. Had one word, begins with an S, whatever the title of that movie is. Ashton Kutcher had the most amount of fans on Twitter at that point and had a whole army at his disposal for this tiny indie film that was only playing in a few places but essentially it was like he could target them and say go. And based on that, based on how many followers you had you could think like "man this movie's gonna fucking open because he can advertise to more people than they can without money, you know what I'm saying? Like basically he can hit, let's say he had 2 million people, he could hit 2 million Twitter followers without spending a fucking dime. This movie's gonna be huge. And then the movie came out and it pretty much acted like every other independent film. People that wanted to see it went to see it and the two million people following Ashton Kutcher did not go see that movie. And it's not like it died a miserable death but it didn't…Twitter didn't help, you know what I'm saying? What Twitter is wonderful for is talking to the fan base and talking to the audience and talking to anybody that has half a fucking interest in you or what you do. I've been doing that since '95.
With Twitter, I love Twitter, I hope it never goes away, but back in '95 I kicked open the doors of our website and we had a message board and that's what I've been doing since '95. So by the time Twitter happened I was like well polished. I had 10,000 hours of practice or more on how to be pithy and respond and interact with people and make it seem like you're having a real conversation with people that you're not even seeing. Be very candid. Be very comfortable. Come in to my house by the computer kind of thing. So having done that for years and years by the time Twitter happened it was great, it was just able to do what I did normally on a much larger basis but it doesn't help one iota with how movies get made or anything. What it does helps is it's a big fucking stick. All I know is nobody fucks with me anymore. Some people get an idea where they're like "lets take a run at him and shit" but after Southwest, fucking its crazy dude. I go into a restaurant and people like get me a seat like that. And now I'm talking about, that would happen here in town because I tip like crazy, I'm a 50% tipper because I came from a busboy mentality, but I'm talking about I go places now, I travel on a bus across the country right? So I'm not just on planes, I'm travelling everywhere across the country. It don't matter where you go man, now they're just like "get him a seat cause he'll start crying on Twitter if we don't get him a fucking seat". So there's that, it became a big stick which was kinda nice because people tend not to fuck with you as much but generally speaking for the business I don't think it's improved my business one iota or…
Do you get any feedback from fans?
SMITH: All the time! For me the feedback from fans has always been there. What Twitter allows you to get is the feedback from people who aren't necessarily fans. What I love about Twitter is you can catch a lot of like…again, late motif of my life is all about if I can't get you here, I'm gonna try to get you here. And with Twitter you get some people who are on the fence and are like "I saw Clerks, it was funny but some shit bugs me" or whatever. Suddenly you're like "ok, maybe you don't like the work, here's a bunch of funny things I'm gonna say over the course of a day. Here's some things I'm gonna send you to, here's a website, here I'm gonna throw you to my podcast which is fucking free, here's this this this and this." Something is bound to hit. If it doesn't, you were never gonna like anything I did regardless. But it always gives you the second bite of the apple of like "you didn't like this, I can do this, I can do this, I can do this". And I'm not George Lucas or fucking Jim Cameron, I'm not even, I'm not even fucking Larry Kasdan for Christ's sake, you know what I'm saying? Like I'm not here, I'm not there, I'm nowhere, I'm in my own little subset on my own little island where people are like "that's Kevin Smith. He makes Kevin Smith movies." You know, and that's it. I don't get put in groups with other people so any edge that you can get to kind of make yourself stand out – and remember, I came from an indie film back world where it was all about "you gotta notice me because I got no money to pay for you to notice me."
Anything that extends the conversation which is what I've always been more interested in, not filmmaking and shit like that, but the conversation that comes with it. Anything that extends the conversation is A-OK in my book. It's just not gonna equate to dollars and cents and unfortunately some people get to the point where they're like "well Twitter's fun but how can we make money off it?" Its like, you guys are missing the point, it's not about making money, it's about communication. It's about you finding out what's on my mind. My finding out what's on your mind. I mean I'm sitting on Twitter like fucking two months ago and we start musing about a place where we can do our podcast Smodcast, we did it on the road for a while, me and Scott Mosier for a whole week prior to that and then when we got home I was like "That would be awesome to have a theater." Like a little black box theater here in Los Angeles and be able to do it live once a week and everyone on Twitter who lived in the Los Angeles area and people who didn't even live in Los Angeles were just like "you should fucking do it dude!" Twitter is like a friend when you're really drunk at a party. You know, you just tell them like "I'm thinking about this" and everyone's like "you should do that dude." It's a world of encouragement and one month later we fucking have the place, it opens in two weeks, Smodcastle. And it's all fueled by people going "you should do it. If you do it we'll totally go see your shows there." So I was like "alright, lets fucking open up a theater."
So it's cool, it's a real…it puts you in touch with a lot of people and it fuels you and inspires you. It's a great communication device which is what I'm all about, obviously talking. But in terms of like extending the business or helping my filmmaking in any way, I mean again, it gives you…you know what? You are right! It does help and here's how it helps. This movie [Cop Out] I got raped by critics, ass raped in a big bad way. You would've thought we made fucking Mein Kampf and like at the end I was like "And PS he was right!" Credits. They treated this movie like such a fucking cinematic abortion. Once again they overreacted in a big bad fucking way and I would've gotten upset about it because all I have to go by when you're a filmmaker generally back in the day is what critics what write about. That's the world I came from. In order to know what people thought about your movie you would read what a critic wrote about it. Or you would see what the box office was but you wouldn't really hear from the people unless you went to a screening at a Q&A and then you could hear from an audience member. So with the advents of the internet and specifically Twitter it allows me to bypass that conversation. The only means of finding out what people think about my movie is no longer fucking "what did the critics think?" That's the least interesting thing at this point. And not to take away from them but it's just like there are critics everywhere now.
Everybody's a fucking critic. I can't fucking treat people special because they got to see the movie for free. You know what I'm saying? Like I wanna hear criticism from motherfuckers who paid to see the movie. And not because I want his ten bucks but because that means more. Like somebody who's like "I didn't pay to see your movie but boy did I hate it." It's like "I don't give a shit. You know, I don't think you're pretty and I'm not gonna fuck you. How do you feel about that?" You see what I'm saying? It's a ridiculous notion. When the internet kind of democratized lots of things including film opinion or opinion about movies and shit, suddenly I could hear from people who are like…on Cop Out's opening day on the back…back east there was a fucking blizzard. And I remember thinking nobody's gonna go, were gonna get killed on the east coast. I went to Twitter man, I could trace it all day long, how it was doing. Because I would get people going "there's fucking three feet of snow outside my door, it's gonna cost me 40 bucks but I'm going to see your fucking movie because you've been bugging me for two months to do so." And boom, that cat comes back and that cat's like "you sir are worse than Hitler," I'm gonna take it from that guy, cause I'm like "you know what, you did the work, you went out of your way, I'm fucking sorry I let you down, hopefully I'll get you on the next one."
I can't take it from a bunch of people who are like "we breath such rarefied air. We have the dream job. We get paid to see movies for a living but we've forgotten how fun that is so instead we just want to rake everything…it's not their fault. I get it. It's way more entertaining to read the bashing of a fucking movie then the praising of a movie. But it's like didn't anybody learn anything from Ratatouille?! I thought we all learned something at the end of Ratatouille, man. Like didn't those critics learn a fucking thing? But what Twitter was incredibly helpful with was if I was just going by the gage of what people, what this dude is paid to write about the movie said about it, I would feel like oh my god, everybody hated the movie. But I was hearing from people that bought tickets to see the movie, it was a completely different story. It was unbelievable. Like you would sit there and look at the fucking Rotten Tomato counter and be like 15% and be like wow, nobody likes this. Then you would just read Twitter from people who actually paid to see the movie and like weren't sitting there trying to impress their friends or show off their cinematic erudition. Mother fuckers were just like "that's some funny shit, dude. Sean William Scott fucking repeating, that's some funny shit." And you sit there going oh my god that's what it's about. Especially with a movie like Cop Out.
If you're gonna make fucking Schindler's List for heavens sakes you don't want fucking – you want people to have a heavy opinion of it or have something to say about it. It's fucking Cop Out man. These dudes came at it like it was a retarded kid in class. It was embarrassing what they did to it. And that was a real break moment for me where I was like "I don't even feel that protective for the movie because I didn't write." I love Cop Out but I'll always treat it like an adopted kid. Like "I didn't have you!" Sorry, that's the way I'd do it. I am, most people don't, I'm inhuman like that. But I would essentially be like, you know, there would always be a degree of remove from it because it didn't come from me, you know what I'm saying? Like I raised somebody else's fucking kid. So if the kid becomes dumb I'd be like "wasn't me man, I didn't have this fucking kid. I just raised it." And I'd be like "It's nature not nurture." That's the excuse.
Can I ask you a specific question about the film?
SMITH: As soon as I can finish this thought because I was gonna sum up good. Fuck. Reminds me of sex with my wife – she's like "are you done?" and I'm like "AH! Just let me finish!" Umm, fuck I forgot what I was saying. I don't know but it was good.
I didn't mean to cut you off. I'm actually one of the critics that really did love the movie, I thought it was fantastic, one of the things I loved….
SMITH: Did you pay to see it?
No, cause I…
SMITH: Then I don't care.
But I really did enjoy it and one of the things I loved about it was the Fletch reference at the end with the soundtrack, and I don't know if everyone noticed that. Can you talk a little about…
SMITH: That flick was a real chance for me to make the Fletch movie that I never really got to make and not my version of the Fletch movie because I was gonna make the Gregor and McDonald version of Fletch 1 and the version that I wanted to make of the movie was way more like Out of Sight then the other Fletch move that…what's his face? Great director…Michael Richie. When I went into Cop Out I kind of approached Cop Out like Michael Richie approached Fletch and go in with that. Like there's an air of danger, you know danger…it's a comedy but when we go violent, we go violent. It's not just like "hey man, this dude poked this dude in the eye and that's the offense". You know there's people killing each other, stuff like that, like in the '80s movies. So I kind of looked at what he did with Fletch and how he approached the subject of violence in a comedy and stuff like that and really leaned heavily on that. So Michael Richie's Fletch was a true barometer for this movie for me. I would always hold it up to that and it's not nearly as good as Fletch, Fletch is an instant classic but because of what Michael Richie was able to balance the comedy and I hate to use the term drama because there's no drama but the chaos, the violence, the guns, shit like that, cause I've never really had that kind of stuff in my movies, he was the model for me. I looked at how he did with Fletch and so I'd constantly kind of throw in – I mean the whole temp score was Harold Faltermeyer's Fletch score and a little bit of Beverly Hills Cop so that when we sat Harold down to watch the movie to see like "do you wanna score the flick?" He was just like "I think I already did!" And we were like "yeah dude, you can see we're big fans".
Is Red State still on track to start this summer?
SMITH: Yeah, Red State …it's weird, I've been trying to…the older I get man the more I kinda try to do shit not different but like I've done this, lemme try something else. And back in the day I used to love, one of the things I used to love about this business was like announcements, I can't wait to tell you who's gonna be in the movie! I can't wait to BOOM present it and shit. Zach and Miri I think was the last time I was way into it, where I was like dropping hints on the message board and building info and finally putting up just pictures of the actors eyes and shit and letting people guess. I got really really into it and then announcing DA-DA-DA! I'm almost forty man and I gotta tell you that Southwest thing cured me of ever wanting to see my name in a newspaper again. Now I don't give a fuck about it. I used to love it, I used to love it so much because it made me feel special. You know your mother would be like "hey man if they put you in the newspaper you've gotta be special. Or a killer." And I was like, I knew I wasn't a killer! I thought I was special. After that though I was just like "I never wanna…" I used to have Google News alerts and shit telling me when Clerks was on mention or Mallrats or blah blah blah. And then after the Southwest thing I was like "I never need to see my name in print ever ever again." So that kind of thing kind of stopped being real interesting to me in terms of like…shit…what was your original question?
Red State.
SMITH: Red State. So announcing, being like "hey man here's who's gonna be in Red State" which 5 years ago would've been like fucking "I can't wait! This is gonna be a fun thing! It's like doing the Q&As, it's the fun part for making movies!" Now I don't even wanna do it anymore because it's just like, ugh, I don't wanna give anybody…even this, you people are lovely and shit but it's just like, I don't wanna give people one more opportunity to be like fucking "hey the fat dude who got thrown off the plane". You know what I'm saying? Like throw it out there or mention something, its just never about what you're there to talk about, they want to talk about a bunch of other things, which is fine, it's fair because the lord knows I spin a lot of plates because it would be ridiculous to come and be like "lets just talk about your Bluray disc" You know what I'm saying? It'd be like fucking, like interviewing a naked woman and just being like, you gotta look right [in the eyes]. Its impossible, sooner or later you gotta be like…you know it just happens. But for me, the notion of going out and announcing the cast, this time I'm trying to do it differently where I'm like "lets just kind of quietly make the movie and see what happens" You know, let everyone know when it's done. I've never been that guy because my movies have always been so under the radar and you gotta fucking build attention for it.
I mean I literally had to fucking build my audience a brick at a fucking time and I did it over the course of ten, fifteen years and got it to a place where now it's self-sustaining. They go out and you know, Jesus had apostles and shit and spent a lot of time with them and died and then the apostles took over and those people created fucking whole churches and congregations in his absence. In that equation I'm, I would be Pontius Pilate I think. I don't want to be Jesus, but I'm just saying when you, once you're out of the equation, basically you can start it going to the point where it keeps going without you having to manage it and prune it and everything you thought was important as you get older you realize that wasn't, the announcements are cute but it's not all predicated on that. Like in fact it should be more about, like, watch the movie afterwards and then we'll talk about the cast. I don't know. Also with Red State it's a different beast because for the first time since Clerks I'm trying to go, not unknown but actors who aren't like, you're gonna see them on screen and not know their name…it's a weird kind of in between neither place that
I'm reaching for. It's not complete unknown and it's not remotely fucking recognizable, name recognizable. It's in this place where you gotta find actors who…its tough, its really tough to find an actor whose name you don't know. You know, you can go to Law and Order and grab anybody from the cast and they've done five or six episodes and shit but you'd still recognize them and you'd be watching the movie and be like "that's that dude, I've seen that dude on Law and Order! So you can't even go that route. I'm trying to cast this movie in a way that like, when people watch it they can absorb and not think about "oh that's that person!" or "oh he works with that dude all the time!" or "oh there's Jason Mewes!" or something. So I don't know, and it's ironic, this is the first time this has ever happened to me man. I've gotten calls from every agency thus far in town pitching me huge fucking talent. Big talent man, like Academy Award winning talent, like serious actors, not like fucking "hey man, this dude is huge right now!" I'm talking legends and shit because there's a part in the movie that calls for an older guy so, and there's, we're completely kind of uncast in the key roles, as far as the agencies know. These cats call you up and start pitching these names and I'd be ghost to share them but I would've shared them when I was 25-30 but now I'm 40 and it's just like "give some old fuckers their dignity". Huge fucking names though and each time I'm just like "Why?! Why are you calling me?! This is suspicious. I don't get these calls." And they're like "Well because your name is such…people want to work with you!" I was like "Don't bullshit, why are you calling." And he was like "Nothing's happening right now" and I was like "Really?" And they're like "Nothing is happening in this town, nobody's working right now." I was like "really?" He was like "honestly dude you're one of the only games in town." He's like "it's ironic that you can have your pickings of grade A talent right now and you keep talking about wanting to cast people I've never heard of." And I was like "yeah that's the key with this one." It's kind of ironic.
Kevin do you have any interest in 3D?
SMITH: I went to the King Kong ride yesterday and it just confirmed my suspicion that…you know look, 3D for me is like Malibu Stacy has a new hat. You know at the end of the day it's just like alright, so now it's 3D. It doesn't really do much for me. The ride was kind of cool because you know, basically you're in a 3D movie and the car's moving and shit. It's quick though, it's like 45 seconds.
Do you see these big 3D films that are coming out, like the one Johnny Depp was just in or Avatar and then you compare it to the small indie films, do you feel that that wave that it's going in technologically, is that polarizing filmmaking at all?
SMITH: I don't think so, I think most filmmakers…I think if you make a certain type of bombastic overt the top tentpole movie, blockbuster film, you're definitely gonna start thinking about 3D because it's one more way to kinda add a bell and whistle to an already massive…I mean look, I don't know whether they planned it from the jump or not but I watched the trailer for Seth Rogen's Green Hornet movie, Michel Gondry directing it, and at the end of it it said "In 3D" and I said "Good god, is that a joke? Cause I know it's a comedy." But no, they're serious. Now everybody wants to take…you know Warner Bros. is very successful taking that 3D process to Clash of the Titans and you know Jim Cameron was like "They can't do it! If they haven't planned it from the start it's gonna suck!" With all due respect, the man's a genius, but most people going to see movies they're not looking…they don't have the eye for detail that Jim Cameron will have, most people are just like "Holy shit that horse came on my face!" You know, it doesn't have to look all that great and they made it look great, they found a way to take something they shot 2D and made it 3D. Once these cats made it successful it opens up the floodgates.
Everybody's thinking "we can make another 20 million off any fucking movie, maybe more if it's a kids movie if you pop it up to 3D." So to me it reads of like "hey man come see the movie and this chair will vibrate. It's the Tingler!" And they're doing that now! Like there's a motion chair I see up at fucking Grauman's for some movie that's coming out, one of the Final Destinations coming out and they had a chair in the lobby and they were like "our whole theater will be like this chair so you can watch the movie and feel like this" and it just took me back to that John Goodman movie Matinee where I'm like, I'm living it again. Everything that happened before will happen again. Like we all went to those dopey 3D movie pictures of people in the fifties and were like "that's so stupid, never worked" and now because the glasses are plastic we're like "it's amazing! It's amazing what they can do now!" And on that ride, god bless them that ride looks cool and it's fun and to me it's way better than the big fake monkey they had and shit but at the end of the day it still has the limitation of like it's a fucking movie. I don't care how many…put the glasses on, yeah I kept mine too, you put those glasses on and shit and it's still soft and…I went to see, what did I see in 3D? Up. Up is bright and colorful and a masterfully made film but still the whole time I'm just like "there's something off here, it's soft and these glasses never do correctly what they're supposed to." They don't cover everything…its just, its still to me bells and whistles. Kids seem to like it and that's great and they should do it with all the animated movies because once again it's another way for them to maximize their monetary trail which is getting tougher and tougher to do as years go on in terms of how do you find…every economic stream starts getting smaller and smaller so they found a new one with like 3D and they're embracing it and for some movies it's cool, it absolutely makes sense. I saw Avatar not 3D and loved it. I didn't need to see it 3D and everyone's like "Oh you gotta see it 3D" and I was like "honestly I would've been irritated" and me personally, not the whole fucking world but I loved Avatar just the way I saw it. If blue cats had been flying at my face I would've been like "come on man, can't I just watch the movie?"
So it's for some but not for me but I don't think it's scaring anybody. I think it's a cool thing for people that make like summer movies or big blockbuster movies because they're like "its awesome, we can throw a little fucking 3D on it and we'll shoot a few shots and we'll put spears in peoples faces or something like that." But I don't know, I just remember like Jaws: The Revenge or no, Jaws: 3D when I was a kid and it was just so like, there was a shot of a fish head floating in the water and that was supposed to be a big moment where you're like "I can almost touch the fish head". Why? Can't you just enjoy the story? I mean, to me it feels like you use 3D because it's just like, alright, the MCM version of Cop Out is fucking 3D. It's just like, lets distract from the fact that there's not enough there that they like by putting in something else. Like bolster it with a crutch of some sort. That's what 3D feels like to me, and again it could work in the hands of people that really really wanna use it but can't people just watch a movie anymore? Why do they have to be surrounded by it? Why do they have to be interactive with it and shit? Everyone wants to exist in the fucking danger room of the X-Men, they just want to be surrounded by the action. It's like just go and watch the movie and live action in your real life, you know? Why at the movie theater?
Real quick, why has Comic-Con become so important to Hollywood?
SMITH: Comic-Con…Comic-Con has been interesting to watch over the last 15 years, watch it get more and more important to this business. When I first started going down, very few studios went. Nobody seemed to care. I remember working on Mallrats and trying to convince Universal like "we should be at Comic Con. This movie is about fucking comic books" and they were just like "Ehh, it seems like, why? Who goes down there?" Well it's people that understand…they eventually went with us, we talked them into it. And when they were there, and I'm certainly not taking credit, but I mean Universal got an idea of "holy shit, there is an audience here that we can reach out to." I mean look, Universal's been throwing Battlestar Galactica shit at people down at the Con for years and whatever stuff they've done but they started seeing it now like I wasn't necessarily a sci-fi person, you know what I'm saying? They could see if you've got Star Wars or fucking Battlestar Galactica or something and then you go down to Comic Con but all the sudden like I was just the guy who made the black and white indie flick and in my movie I happened to have some comic book talk about inkers and fucking pencilers and shit like that or about industry stuff and for them they were just like "well wait a second man, I guess you don't have to be 'genre' per say, or maybe this is a different type of genre."
Like for me when I went down there, I loved going as a fan because I loved sci-fi and I love the world of Comic Con, fantasy, shit like that, but then I was like "I can also go down there and speak their language." Cause I was on the other side of the table for years and years and years. So for me I know how to go down there and talk to people because I went on the other side and I dig going down there. For me it's the State of the Union because I live and dwell on pop culture and that for me is my annual kind of like finger on the pulse, it's a room full of six thousand people that aren't there for me, that's what I love best about Comic Con. There's a lot of people in that room there for me but that room, Hall H, I do a Q&A in there every Saturday night at the Con, six thousand people man and I would say, shit, if you're lucky, a thousand are for you. So you're working five thousand people that aren't necessarily there for you and maybe they know a little about you or maybe they're like "we've seen one or two of his movies but he irritates me." You know, it's like once again, its that chance for me to be like "Hi, my name is Kevin Smith, I've been irritating you for fifteen years." Umm, so for me, that's why its important. These cats just understand that now, its just like you've got a focused audience, all of whom are going down there, basically when they go to Comic Con they're not playing to the 200,000 people in attendance, they're playing to the fucking 600 million people those 200,000 people are gonna touch when they go home and write about that shit on the internet.
The studios just figured out the cheapest way to fucking market anything is to show it to a hungry audience who all they want to do is talk about it. You know, it took them a while to figure it out but they figured it out. So all that money they spend to go down to Comic Con, fly this motherfucker down and put him up, and they bring big names. This one year I was down there, three fucking Academy Award winners preceded me on stage at Comic Con! And I was like god, things have changed! So the amount of money they spend to go to Comic Con, minimal compared to the huge fucking reams, boatloads of free press they're getting for Iron Man, for Watchmen, for any of those flicks they go down there with. Now, the downside is it could backfire and blow up in your face. You go down there with something and fucking like, it doesn't pop the way its supposed to, or people smell inauthenticity on it, then you get fucked, then you fucked yourself. But you know, if you got that in your project to begin with and don't show anybody until opening day…
Is Hit Somebody still something that you're working on?
SMITH: Yeah, yeah, I'm on page 81. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Writing it right now.
You should try to get Letterman to do a cameo.
SMITH: I do, I wanna get him doing the voice, yeah I wanna get him in heavy makeup at one point and just cut to him and go "hit somebody!".


text: Carlyle's restaurant on Jackson Rd, next to Quality 16, was such a disappointment last night. The food was less than spectacular, and frankly, it seemed like more effort was put into the decor than the cuisine. The food is way overpriced, especially since it's near a discount movie theater. The presentation was poor, and the food was a disappointment. All in all, it seems like the owner of Carlyle's is an amateur trying to run a restaurant. I don't recommend this place at all. Eat at your own risk.


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Fall 2015 MenswearPhilipp Plein
To grasp the essence of this Philipp Plein collection, simply take a quick click through the gallery attached—you really don't need me to state the obvious. Yet to further enrich the experience, some additional details might prove useful: All that crocodile and python is the real, cold-blooded deal. Plein said backstage that the croc football shirts are about €30,000 a pop; the python jerseys, €35,000. What we had here was sports-to-streetwear pumped to the max with luxury steroids but essentially left unrefined. (Sure, there were LEDs glowing in the soles of the high-tops and more tiny studs than you'd find at a PUA convention.)
What looked like tactical body armor rippled like a cyborg's six-pack under one look, and Plein closed the show with a brace of horned and studded motorcycle helmets (they were still gluing on the studs half an hour before the show). Frankly, though, such nuances were easy to overlook in favor of the staging. The models emerged from the mouth of a giant tiger's head, defined in geometric vectors, whose eyes projected beams of light. And they circled a caged boxing ring in which two gents duked it out, slightly unconvincingly, between two Snoop Dogg performances. Sandwiched in the middle of the models and Snoop was a troupe of body-painted oil-drum percussionists. Plus, Paris Hilton was in the house. She reported a plan to watch Westwood tomorrow and said she had invited 10 Dsquared² models to her DJ set for Just Cavalli tonight. "I love fashion week," she mused. "There are so many hot guys."


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Invincibility (無敵 Muteki?), also called Invincible, Invinsible Protect[1] and Invincible Barrier, is a general power-up in the Sonic the Hedgehog series which can be found in Item boxes marked with either a four-pointed stars or colorful sparkling shield. When the player obtains this power-up, the playable become immune to most damage-causing hazards for a short period of time. The player also has different sparkling effects around the playable character, while using the Invincibility.
The Invincibility first appeared in the original 16-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog and has since become a recurring power-up in the series. The effects of Invincibility has been mostly untouched, like Super Rings, Power Sneakers and other Item Box power-ups, but in several games, it has possessed other different features. While Invincibility has not been as generally featured as it was in the earlier games, it is occasionally used in the latest games as well.
Since from earlier games, when the player obtains Invincibility power-up, the playable character can destroy enemies upon physical contact and cannot take damage from enemies or obstacles, though the player can still lose a life when being crushed under objects, drowning underwater, falling into a bottomless pit or if the timer exceeds 10:00 minutes. The duration of the Invincibility usually lasts about 15–20 seconds before it fades out, though the length of the Invincibility can differ between certain games. After the time runs out, the Invincibility will disappear and the player becomes vulnerable to enemies and obstacles once more.
When using Invincibility, the playable character is surrounded by a bright aura, which are able to metaphorically show when Invincibility is in effect. The visual aura effects from Invincibility differs somewhat between the games; when using Invincibility in the earlier games, the player is surrounded by a field of countless sparkling stars, while since Sonic Adventure, effects are seen featuring more colorful sparkling around the player. In Sonic Heroes, the effects around the player are glowing lines. Whilst Invincibility is in effect, the background music of the Zone changes to a more dynamic-sounding theme, which is usually either a rendition of the game's main theme, or another theme exclusive to Invincibility.
Mostly in spin-off games, Invincibility can function and appear slightly differently from how they are presented in the main game series. In Sonic Drift and Sonic Drift 2, Invincibility is featured as one of items in the game, which can be found in blue monitors called Blue Monitors (無敵BOX Muteki Bokkusu?, lit. "Invincible Box"). When activated (in Sonic Drift 2 the player has to activate it manually), it makes the player invulnerable to obstacles on the tracks, while a familiar tune can be heard in the background. In Sonic Labyrinth, there are featured odd, flashing objects that change their coloring and line formation all the time. If the player touches it and gets red formation called Twinkle (トゥインクル Tuinkuru?), it gives Invincibility to Sonic. In Tails' Skypatrol, Invincibility is a small orange stake with a star, standing on the ground, which Tails can pick up with the Ring.
Since Sonic Unleashed, Invincibility, along with other Item Boxes, has become almost completely absent. When Sonic is using the Boost, it makes him temporary invincible against enemies, but it does not protect him from hazardous obstacles. In the Nintendo DS version of Sonic Colors, Invincibility was once again featured, this time as Item Boxes, like in the earlier games. This case later slightly repeats itself in Sonic Generations, where only Classic Sonic's acts feature them normally in Item Boxes. In Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Generations, however, Modern Sonic can also use Invincibility, with both types of acts having monitors with Invincibility. Also, while Invisibility is available to the player in normal gameplay; in the Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Lost World, players can share Invincibility power-ups by using the Miiverse in Wii U version.[2] Invincibility makes appearance both as a regular and Equippable Item in Sonic Runners. When the player gets it from the Item Box, it creates aura of small stars around the playable character.
- Several games in the series are known to have own related themes, which are not renditions of the game's main themes. A notable example is in the US version of Sonic the Hedgehog CD. There's one recurring theme from Sonic Adventure (titled "Invincible ...No Fear!" in soundtrack), that is later repeated and having more fast tempo in Sonic Adventure 2 (titled "Still Invincible... No Fear!" in soundtrack). Sonic Advance 2 and Sonic Advance 3 are known to have own independent theme and Sonic Rush games have fast paced mix playing as BGM.
- The Invincibility theme from the original Sonic the Hedgehog has been the most reused one through the Sonic the Hedgehog series, as it can be heard with a more fast tempo in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic Advance and two different variations for Classic and Modern Sonic are featured in Sonic Generations.
- The Invincibility theme in the Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Lost World is an instrumental mix of the song Sonic Heroes from the same titled game, making it one of the rare times in the series using main theme from a different game.
- Super transformations of playable characters are usually granted invincibility during normal gameplay, though it only lasts for as long as the transformation can be maintained, which is tied to the Ring count that decreases one per second while in a Super State. Usually the player can be stunned by some of the bosses attacks, but in several games, more powerful attacks are able to damage the playable character on his super-form and even lose some Rings.
- In Sonic Heroes, when the player gets the invincibility and tries to run into enemies, it does not affect the enemy until the player attacks it. In Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), the player is unable to defeat enemies by walking forward towards them while having Invincibility; instead, the player walks through the enemies without doing any damage.
- In Sonic & Knuckles, due to Sonic and Knuckles sharing different color palettes, the stars have red coloration instead of blue, when the playable character is Knuckles. The Water Shield and S monitor both share this trait.
- Sonic Generations features both Classic and Modern remixes of the Invincibility theme, but it is only possible to hear them both in the 3DS version.
Music (Extended into half an hour)


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I've been kind of sanguine about this election. I've had about a couple hundred emails telling me I was not passionate enough this election cycle, or I was not posting enough, or I had let the other posters take over the website, etc. Sure, there is a great deal of burnout on my part coming into play, as well as my supreme confidence in the quality of the front page posters I've added over the years, but I really think the reason I wasn't as freaked out or wildly running around with my hair on fire is the fact that you all sent me to the DNC.
And what I saw at the DNC was a site to behold. It was the most organized spectacle I have ever been a part of. It was just smooth. It was organized. It was so put together that when we were driving back home, all I could think was "We got this." Will Rogers would have shit himself.
A lot of that has to do with individual members of the campaign. I would point out Erica Sackin at OFA, who I talked to every single day for the last nine months. She's a fucking genius and a workaholic. Her dedication is emblematic of the kind of work effort.
The other reason I was so calm is that I am a believer in numbers and polls. Pundits, I want to kill. I'm no statistician, but I have had enough stats classes that this makes sense to me:
What did Nate predict in 2008, well, pretty much everything. What did he predict in 2012? Why, this. Nate was right on everything, including every swing state, as well as assuming NC was the least strong Obama swing state.
So while my passion for my main man O remains the same, I was never that freaked out about this election.
BTW- If Bush earned political capital in 2004, can we call this a fucking landslide yet?


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Located in North East Victoria and less than a two hour drive from Melbourne, Mansfield Golf Club is a public access course. Browse through our clubhouse photo gallery – overlooking the golf course and Victorian Alps you can wine and dine in comfort or move outside to our al fresco/hospitality area.
Our bar and restaurant operate seven days each week, children's play area, big screen television and play stations for kids.
- 18 hole golf course, grass greens and a fully
- automatic watering system with an abundance of reclaimed water available all year round
- Pro Shop and practice facilities
- Modern Clubhouse, bar, restaurant and
- Members Lounge
- Children's play area, play stations
- Quality dining facility
- Outside decked area for al fresco dining
- The clubhouse commands spectacular views of the golf course and the Victorian Alps' legendary High Country.
Visitors are very welcome.


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Jhumpa Lahiri's Latest Shortlisted for the 2013 Man Booker Prize
Jhumpa Lahiri's The Lowland.
The Lowland, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri's latest novel, has been shortlisted for the 2013 Man Booker Prize.
Other contenders for the Prize this year include Colm Tóibín (The Testament of Mary), Jim Crace (Harvest), NoViolet Bulawayo (We Need New Names), Eleanor Catton (The Luminaries), and Ruth Ozeki (A Tale for the Time Being). While both Crace and Tóibín have both been previously nominated for the Man Booker Prize, it is the first time for each of the four female nominees this year.
Hilary Mantel won the Man Booker Prize last year for her novel Bring Up the Bodies, the sequel to Wolf Hall (for which she won the Prize in 2009), thus making her the first woman to win the cherished award twice.
This year, the winner of the 50,000-pound Man Booker Prize will be announced on October 15 in London.
Who's your pick for the 2013 Man Booker Prize?
Was it good for you?
The Tap #24
What's Popular
- Published on 05/07/2017
- Published on 05/03/2018
- Published on 11/03/2019
- Published on 19/01/2016
- Published on 20/02/2015


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Countryman Press 50 Hikes in Central New York: From the Western Adirondacks to the Finger Lakes
EMS says:
You'll quickly forget that civilization is a mere hour away when you're hiking through some of the most scenic areas in New York. 50 Hikes In Central New York by William P. Ehling from Countryman Press takes you on adventures ranging from half-day walks to overnight excursions, many of which also make great ski touring or snowshoeing trips.. . . Includes areas such as Buttermilk Falls, Watkins Glen, the Black River Canal Towpath, and the Finger Lakes National Forest. Provides easy-to-follow directions to trailheads, estimated hiking time, elevation gain, and trail distances. Includes topographical maps and black and white photographs. 1995, second edition, 240 pages. 6 x 9 x 0.5 in.
Historic Range: $18.95
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The federal investigations into possible mortgage securities fraud in the 2007-2010 period continue, and are not limited to financial institutions. The Securities and Exchange Commission announced today that they have expanded their investigation into alleged fraud over mortgage-backed securities at Jefferies Group LLC (NYSE:JEF). The SEC claims Jefferies inadequately supervised its mortgage-backed securities traders during the financial crisis of 2008 to 2011.
Jefferies Group LLC (NYSE:JEF) has a policy requiring trading desk supervisors to review electronic communications of traders and salespeople to catch and flag incorrect information given to customers. However, the SEC alleges that Jefferies supervisory employees willfully ignored or insufficiently implemented the review policy.
Statement from SEC
The SEC pulled no punches in its statement. "Had Jefferies better targeted its supervision to the risks faced by its mortgage-backed securities desk, many of the misstatements made by its employees could have been caught," commented Andrew J. Ceresney, director of the SEC's Division of Enforcement.
Top value fund managers are ready for the small cap bear market to be done
During the bull market, small caps haven't been performing well, but some believe that could be about to change. Breach Inlet Founder and Portfolio Manager Chris Colvin and Gradient Investments President Michael Binger both expect small caps to take off. Q1 2020 hedge fund letters, conferences and more However, not everyone is convinced. BTIG strategist Read More
Jefferies Group LLC (NYSE:JEF) declined to comment when contacted by the media.
Jefferies' trader Litvak case
Former Jefferies trader Jesse Litvak was found guilty of violating federal securities laws in a trial decided just last week. Litvak was accused of intentionally telling customers incorrect information regarding the prices of residential mortgage-backed bonds he was trading and keeping the difference.
Jefferies Group LLC (NYSE:JEF) also recently accepted a settlement with the SEC to avoid prosecution in the Litvak case. The company agreed to pay a $25 million fine but admit no guilt in order to resolve investigations regarding Mr. Litvak.
Feds continues to investigate banks for mortgage securities fraud
The SEC and the special inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program announced back in January that have begun a new investigation of potential intentional mispricing of mortgage securities by several big banks from 2009 to 2011. According to the Wall Street Journal, the feds are investigating "significant misrepresentations" regarding some mortgage assets made by several major banks.


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Technology and Cybersecurity Forum: Call for Speakers
Date: October 24, 2018 Time: 8 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: The Conference & Event Center Niagara Falls, 101 Old Falls Street, Niagara Falls, NY 14303
The Targeted Audience includes decision makers from both the public and private sector working in information technology, information assurance, homeland security or corporate security are the targeted audience. Past forums have been represented by WNY hospitals, health care, volunteer organizations, manufacturing, public/private schools & universities, financial institutions and service industries along with a broad cross section of city, county and state departments. The audience contains many in a decision-making position.
Call for Speakers Opens: August 8, 2018
Call for Speakers Closes: August 29, 2018
Notification to Speakers: September 12, 2018
Bio & 1st Presentation Draft: September 30, 2018
Final Presentations: October 15, 2018
Proposals can be submitted through the form located at: Call For Speaker Proposal Form. Please refer to proposal requirements below.
Learn more HERE


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Letters to the Editor - 5/7/18
Woodinville needs a Lorax
I was shocked as I drove through downtown Woodinville past DeYoung Park. The mini but might evergreen forest was gone and only a few sentinel trees remained. My excitement at the news of the park's planned revitalized was shatter by the fall of the trees. I never expected they would cut down those trees as part of the "revitalization." Was there no other alternative? Why did I feel so dazed, sad, angry? Why should I care about a few trees chopped down amongst parking lots, roads, and roofs. Did I suffer from some green affliction or forest nostalgia? In fact, I was suffering from something only recently defined called "ecological grief" - grief felt in relation to experienced or anticipated ecological losses, including the loss of species, ecosystems, and meaningful landscapes due to acute or chronic environmental change.
There is some solace in knowing that what I was feeling was legitimate and shared by others that witness changes on the land and even in their home town. I've chosen to speak up about my grief to stimulate conversation among the community. I'm sorry I didn't speak up sooner during the park's planning stage and perhaps I could have spoken for the trees – what they mean to me, to my community, to my granddaughter who gazed up into their towering canopy. Those trees germinated long before Woodinville was a city. Perhaps, new trees will be planted in the park that will one day inspire my granddaughter's granddaughter. But until then, let's treasure the gems of our city, speak up about what we value, and limit ecological grief manifested in lost places, experiences, and culture. Let's not hope for the best or make the best of it, but rather do our best to produce a community with desirable human-nature relationships that are our identity. And there is much work to be done.
Ronda Strauch, Woodinville


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Along with credit cards automobile debt is one space that will get a lot of people in monetary strife. The Membership retains an exhaustive record of the autos they consider Classics, and while any member could petition for a vehicle to join the list, such purposes are fastidiously scrutinised and barely is a new vehicle kind admitted.
Within the United States, brothers Charles and Frank Duryea founded the Duryea Motor Wagon Company in 1893, turning into the first American automobile manufacturing company. Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot is widely credited with building the primary full-scale, self-propelled mechanical automobile or automobile in about 1769; he created a steam-powered tricycle.
In New South Wales , Obligatory Third Get together Insurance (generally often called CTP Insurance coverage) is a mandatory requirement and every individual automobile have to be insured or the automobile will not be thought-about authorized. Steam , electrical energy , and petrol/gasoline-powered automobiles competed for decades, with petrol/gasoline inner combustion engines attaining dominance within the 1910s.
The proceeds of sale, in excess of the flooring, are given to the keeper, who supervises the deposit of the service contract and insurance coverage monies to the trust account and the mailing of the premiums to the appropriate insurance coverage companies. Concern over the lack of land to the automobile has led to pressures by environmental teams.
The insurance firm is not going to pay more than $25,000 for property harm in repairs to the automobile that the insured one hit. Right here everybody will see the superb world that the automobile has left in its wake over the past 200 years. Study the controversy behind what was the first automobile in historical past and the significance of the inner combustion engine.


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- June 11, 2019
- Aviation History, Flying, General Aviation Information
- Posted by Jeffrey Richmond
- No comments yet
As pilots, we all have memories of certain flights or events in our aviation journeys. Perhaps it was an ILS approach on a low visibility day, or maybe it was a beautiful sunset over the water, or maybe it was an emergency that happened and was handled with ease. For those with many hours in the cockpit, some of these events eventually blend into the memories of a career well flown and, frankly, get kind of jumbled up and mixed together.
And then—there's those things you will NEVER forget! Things that will forever be there for your recall because they were so monumental in your experience: your first solo, your Private Pilot check ride, carrying your first passenger, or experiencing your first cross country flight to name a few.
And I suspect, if you're like me, perhaps it was when you failed your first check ride.


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Seeking Seasonal Farm crew
Considering a career in organic agriculture? Want to gain experience on a successful vegetable farm? Do you love working outdoors in all types of weather? Our farm crew positions are paid hourly positions . Pay begins @ $10/hr. Workers are encouraged to use produce from the farm; we love when our employees can make recommendations to our market customers based on their culinary experiences! We also offer 1 week (5 days) of paid vacation for full season crew members. We believe that everyone engaged in this type of work needs time to recharge.
Nourishing Acres, a 7 acre certified organic vegetable farm, is seeking part time, seasonal farm hands to work with us on the farm. Positions generally run from March - December. Interested parties should email resumes and a letter of intent to: firstname.lastname@example.com
Experience in farming is ideal, but not necessary. Experience doing physical labor is always helpful. Must haves are people skills, positive attitude, and a commitment to doing good work.
Looks fun?


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Hello. I would love to hear from any of this site's visitors. Please fill out the following form and I will get back to you.
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I embellished with some of the Watercolor Stickers, some fussy cut Crate Paper flowers, some Paige Evans Chipboard flower stickers and some exclusive Hip Kit sequins.
(I have no idea why my photo of my layout is blurry...it's not blurry anywhere else. Must be a Blogger thing....)
Gosh I love this! I did add a little bit of water to some of the crayons after scribbling them on some plastic packaging. I smushed the packaging down on top of the chevrons to get a little bit of a watercolor splash. Once all that was dry, I ran it through my sewing machine adding some straight stitching with pink and orange thread. Those circle stickers are the Vicki Boutin Watercolor Stickers, an I just scribbled and smudged the crayons on them.
If you keep the crayon smudging dry and don't add any water, you can really see the awesome texture of the cardstock. I love how that looks!
More layering....more flowers....more sequins :) You can't go wrong with any of those things, right? :D
Here's one more close-up just because I couldn't resist the colors again.... :D
This was so much fun to make. I truly love getting messy and making my own backgrounds. I hope this has given you some ideas to try :) Take a look at my process video if you'd like to see how I created this.
Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a great day!


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BATH, Maine — The first ship in a new class of destroyers that's under construction at Maine's Bath Iron Works is going to be heading back to sea later this month.
Sean J. Stackley, assistant Navy secretary for research, development and acquisition, said Wednesday that the Zumwalt will depart on March 21. He made the remark at a meeting of the American Society of Naval Engineers outside Washington.
The 600-foot Zumwalt tasted the open ocean for the first time in December before returning to the shipyard for adjustments and repairs.
Capt. Thurraya Kent, a Navy spokeswoman, said the ship is on track to complete trials and to be delivered later this spring despite repairs that were necessary to one of the ship's 12 propulsion motor drives after the previous outing.


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Irrigation System Installations & Repairs in NH
The best protection your landscape has is a source of adequate water for your lawn, plants and trees. Unless you dedicate several hours on a daily basis to watering your landscape, the adequate amount of water needed will never be achieved. Call us today for an irrigation system that is hassle free and is sure to save you time.
"3 year craftsmanship warranty on your irrigation system".
Worry and Time Free: When you hire Accurate Landscape & Snow Management to install your irrigation system, you will no longer need to worry about your landscape having a lack of water. Even better, the time you save from hand watering your lawn, plants, and trees can be spent with your family and friends.
"We consider soil types and drainage when designing our irrigation systems".
Efficient Watering: We install controllers that will automatically water your landscape when water is needed most. We zone off your yard so an area is not getting too much or too little water. We are environmentally conscious. We will install the equipment needed to make sure your irrigation is not watering during rainfall. We are your New Hampshire irrigation and full service landscape company.
Irrigation Services:
- Installation
- Start up
- Winterization
- Repairs
- Annual service packages


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|Location: Birmingham, West Midlands
|Salary: £48000 - £65000 per annum + DOE
|Sector: Corporate & Professional Services
|Type: Permanent
|Contact: Steve Barham
Corporate Associate. This is a rare opportunity to join a leading international law firm and join a high performing Corporate Team. The local team consists 10 high quality legal professional (partners, associates, paralegals and trainees) who have built a commanding presence in local market with a strong a loyal client base who offer both interesting and diverse range of work including public company work. Most of the work will be generated by the local office who have exceeded their yearly targets for the last three years and continue to have a strong pipeline of interesting work. In additional you will be collaborating with other offices across the UK and Europe supporting larger programmes of work and transactions.
About you:-
- You need to be a qualified solicitor for England and Wales with at least 2 years' experience
- Likely to be at the Associate level operating with a reasonable degree of autonomy
- Working in a cooperate team and with exposure to M&A transactions
- Looking to join a business that can offer the variety of high quality work
About the role
- Supporting M&A activity for a diverse client base across the region
- Public Company M&A work including acquisitions, disposals and IPOs
- Group structuring and restructuring
- Working on Private Equity transactions
- Supporting more junior staff and trainees with training and development as well as allocation of work
- Business development and marketing including attending events and networking opportunities
This is an opportunity to join an established office that has low staff turnover and supports an inclusive and welcoming culture. With recent and future growth plans this role could offer partnership opportunities in the medium term. The partners in the team are keen that Associates get stretched with exposure to interesting diverse work and supporting continual development within the team.
This advert was posted by Gold Group - one of the UK's leading niche recruitment consultancies. We span a variety of specialist industries and are the recruitment company to help you find your next career opportunity. We pride ourselves on our commitment to candidates and stick to our ethos of finding the right role for the right person. Visit our website or get in touch today to discuss this role, find out what else we've got or just for a chat about the state of your industry. Services advertised by Gold Group are those of an Agency and/or an Employment Business. Please be aware that we receive a high volume of applications for every role advertised and regularly receive applications from candidates who exceed the job credentials. We will only contact you within the next 14 days if you are selected for interview. A copy of our privacy policy can be found here: https://www.goldgroup.co.uk/about-us/privacy-policy. Gold Group is an equal opportunity & diversity employer. A copy of our equal opportunity & diversity policy can be found here: https://www.goldgroup.co.uk/about-us/equality-and-diversity-policy