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Category Archives: Prehistory
Interview with me: Talking Joe
Filed under Book Behind the Scenes, General Musings, Prehistory, Writing Process
Tagged as GI Joe podcast, Talking Joes, Tim Finn interview
February 6, 2013 · 11:54 AM
I Was a Teenage Sunbow Intern – Pt 10
In our last exciting episode ([Part 1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]), Tim described the metal filing cabinets at Sunbow with their thousands of photocopies of Brothers Flub and Salty's Lighthouse production documents, and their dearth of same for important shows like G.I. Joe.
I combed through the G.I. Joe and Transformers folders and found just a few episode synopses, and lists of episode titles, air dates, and writers' names. No artwork. But I did find two documents that made my brain buzz, the first of which I did not make a copy of – for which I still kick myself. It was a memo from someone dated 1987 asking if the font size in the end credit crawl of G.I. Joe: The Movie could be increased. Actually, the photocopy was of the response memo, which included the original question, and the responder said no, the font was as big as it could get. (I guess making it larger would have meant speeding up the crawl to match the music, either making the scroll too fast or requiring a music edit?) I was three years from realizing I needed to write a book about G.I. Joe, but in the back of my mind I knew this was the kind of ephemera that I wanted to keep, and that I wanted more of. And for no good reason I did not keep a copy. The second document, which I'd like to find space for in Chapter 6 of my book, is from an outside consultant to Sunbow listing the episodes of G.I. Joe that have less fighting and property damage, and are therefore better candidates for selling overseas. Fascinating stuff! (If it doesn't make the book I will certainly post it here.) G.I. Joe had a reputation for being a "violent" show (an epic topic for another day), and had trouble getting on the air internationally after the initial run.
Although there was no art for the older shows, at least there was some for a more recent show of which I was an avid fan. One of the higher ups mentioned, perhaps one day when she saw me glued to some Tick storyboard photocopies, that Ben Edlund had storyboarded the first episode entirely himself. I recall that someone told me that Edlund storyboarded the first few by himself. This was revelatory, as well as shocking. My friend Andrew and I had long been fans of The Tick comic. Old school Tick fans know the frustration of waiting for a new issue. It had taken writer/artist Ben Edlund seven years to create 12 issues of the black and white series. (And one issue he didn't draw!) I don't say this out of criticism. The Tick was the funniest comic I had ever read, and after it I have no need for any other super-hero parody (including my own – yikes!)
It was amazing to think that after drawing a small quantity of panels for the comic series, Edlund had then gone on to quadruple that amount for animation storyboard panels! And his boards here not rough! They were on-model, and crisply delineated like his comics work. Photocopying the entire first episode board might have been too obvious, or such an amount of paper could have crossed the bounds of what is reasonable to remove from an office job, so I contented myself with just the first few pages, and two later ones with sharp art. Which are here for your perusal, and as far as I know never online until now. (Tell your friends!)
But the oversized beige metal filing cabinets were just the tip of the iceberg.
What else did Tim find? Tune in next time to find out!
Filed under Prehistory
Tagged as Ben Edlund, Internship, Sunbow, Sunbow Productions, The Tick, Tick storyboards
January 30, 2013 · 12:08 PM
I Was a Teenage Sunbow Intern – Pt 9
In our last episode, ([Part 1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]), Tim spent his first day reading materials for Brothers Flub, and soon accomplished his only art-related task of the whole summer.
The real work for production interns was filing paper and dubbing tapes. Let's start with the former.
Every morning from the Los Angeles office we received a large FedEx box, the size that holds 10 reams of copy paper. In it were photocopies of scripts, storyboards, character designs, background designs, and prop designs for Brother Flub. This was before e-mail attachments of any reasonable size, and FTP sites, so this remarkably inefficient method was the most efficient way to get these materials across the country. And they needed to be filed. Ostensibly producers Randy and Tammy were reviewing them all, but either they had already seen earlier versions, or that's one of those jobs that no one does even though on paper it's part of the job. Again, this was thousands of sheets of paper per day.
So I or one of the other interns would slide this very heavy box (sometimes there were two) over to the oversized beige metal filing drawers, pull open the Brothers Flub folders, and file away all this paper. There were folders for each category, for each episode. And much of the paper – storyboards and models particularly – was 8.5 x 14 inches, bigger than standard letter-sized paper. It was brainless, but exactly the kind of task someone is obliquely referring to when he or she says to you that your internship or production assistant (read: gopher) job will be a learning experience even if you don't do anything important. Because you will observe things, overhear things, and become familiar with processes that make up the everyday at a company. And you will see physical objects up close you would not have otherwise.
So it was for me. Model sheets for costume changes of the main characters. Model sheets for props or anything that moved in the episode, like the shape of the tear a finger made poking through a newspaper. And teleplay scripts, with minimal stage direction, and names and dialogue centered on each page.
And of course there were folders for shows besides Brothers Flub. There were many for Salty's Lighthouse, the other show in-production (and on-air at that time, I think), and there were many for The Tick, one of the last shows Sunbow had worked on prior. But the real teases were the folders for the older shows: G.I. Joe, Transformers, Visionaries, My Little Pony. (Also, shows I didn't care about, like Conan the Adventurer.)
Sadly, those folders had very little of interest. At one point, years earlier, they would have had everything. Every script, every design. Not color cels and backgrounds, of course – those (mostly) stayed in the Orient, but many contour images on white paper. And a single half-hour of animation generates of lot of that over its six months of production. By the time I got to Sunbow, the show folders mostly consisted of episode lists, writer lists, episode summaries, and the like. I recall a box under the desk in the dubbing room had transcripts of dozens of G.I. Joe episodes – transcripts, not scripts. In the UK, G.I. Joe aired as Action Force, so here I suppose British actors could redub the parts where the Joes yelled their "Yo, Joe!" battle cry with "Full Force!" I've never seen Action Force, so if there are any international readers out there, please leave a comment if this rings true.
I did find two fascinating G.I. Joe documents in those files, however.
What were they? Tune in next time to find out! [Click here for Part 10]
Tagged as G.I. Joe cartoon, Internship, Production Assistant, Sunbow, Sunbow Productions, The Brothers Flub
November 5, 2012 · 12:39 PM
I Was a Teenage Sunbow Intern – Part 8
In our last episode ([Part 1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]), Tim began his internship exploring production materials for The Brothers Flub.
In the first week, there were two art-related tasks given to the interns. The first was for MIP or MIPCOM, annual markets where networks, producers, and studios meet to buy, hype, and sell programming for television. Much as ToysRUS's year revolves around Christmas, Sunbow's year revolved around these. I don't know who attended, but presumably our top Sales, Production, and Development people from the New York office. I think they were in different cities each year, and the two different conferences were six months apart. And one was exclusively for kids shows? Notably, these weren't just about American studios and English-language programming. These were global, where a small network in Chile might plan its broadcast year, or a French studio might sell its first package of 52 half-hours and finally get on the map. Both names you have heard of and lots you haven't are in attendance.
My boss Randy explained what needed doing. Some large color artwork for Brothers Flub was to be mount spray mounted on foam core. Presumably at a Sunbow table at one of the conventions there would be an easel to display it. Thinking back, studios probably brought (or rented?) TV/VCRs, and certainly brought VHS tapes, but I doubt they had portable video projectors. So besides small printed ad slicks and press kits, an old-fashioned sign might be the best way to attract eyeballs. Two other interns handled this, and I think they did the work in the back stairwell that no one ever used, probably not known for its proper ventilation.
I don't recall what the other task was for, but it may have been a network or the Los Angeles office. But I got to do it, and I was thrilled to be working with Sunbow assets, even if Randy said something like "It's not a big deal/it doesn't have to be perfect," meaning the stakes were not high and no one was actually relying on my ability to color match. It had something to do with communicating what colors the main characters in Brothers Flub were, and the client/end user/mystery person was then going to… print out their own version? Better know what the paint colors would look like as a broadcast signal? I don't remember. But for some reason, it wasn't being done with actual paint or the code numbers for animation cel vinyl paint. I had some oversized Brothers Flub printout, and was matching the colors as best I could to Pantone colors. But instead of comparing to a Pantone chart and writing down the color codes, I had a Pantone swatch keychain with plastic chips for each color, and Randy had encouraged me to cut a small piece from each and glue it into the poster next to its analog. I think the New York office lacked some prop for doing this the correct way. I didn't understand why it was okay to ruin this presumably expensive item, but Randy was unphased.
And so I did, a little distressed that I was chopping up a fancy Pantone tool because we were missing some other tool, and disappointed that this job was not important. On the other hand, I was happy to be doing something rather that sitting in the intern room, and I could somewhat put to use the small bit of color theory I had taken two years prior. I mean, not just anyone could match color swatches, right?
There were two other main tasks for production interns, one which led me to treasure I had seen on my tour, and the other that led to buried treasure the likes of which I could not imagine.
What were they? Tune in next time to find out! [Next Part]
[Part 1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]
Tagged as Internship, Randy Koshinskie, Sunbow, Sunbow Entertainment, Sunbow Productions, The Brothers Flub
In our last episode ([Part 1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]), Tim got the lay of the land of the Sunbow office in New York City.
I remember very little of my first day. On my dad's advice, Nick and I had taken the subway from our apartment on Roosevelt Island into Union Square the day prior. A practice run. I was nervous about being late, nervous about getting lost on the subway, and nervous about sweating too much. New York was hot that summer. So were the subway platforms. The office was suitably air-conditioned, though.
I didn't wear a tie, and probably did not wear a button-up. Everyone dressed casually – no jackets, no ties – but nicely. A few people wore blue jeans. My t-shirt was probably a solid color, and I was two years into growing my Jesus hair, which is to say that that June I looked like "Vs."-era Eddie Vedder. With a beard, but no moustache, my preference for three years of college.
In addition to meeting everyone who was paid to be at Sunbow, I also met those who weren't – the other interns. Whom I hated. But not for any good reason. That was just an unfortunate chip on my shoulder. I was a RISD Animation student. I went to a fancy art school, I was a decent animator, I was working four days a week, and I knew much about Sunbow's past product – I was a fan. I was going to be the best intern of all that summer, and the best intern Sunbow had ever had. The other interns, three gals and a guy, were… just… somebodies. They were probably Communications majors, or Business students, or they knew someone who knew someone who had casually said "Oh, you should work at that company where so-and-so works." They weren't art students (actually, one was), and they weren't fans. They couldn't care as much as me. So I didn't get too close, didn't make conversation, and didn't make friends.
I was jealous that they were there, that they might perform a task better, or that they would be asked to do something first. Fortunately, there was very little for us to do. Sunbow had, in fact, too many interns that summer. One or two days a week I was the only one there, so I would always at least look busy, but sometimes an intern or two would hang out in the intern room waiting for something to do. I did that a little on my first day.
Then producers Randy and Tammy gave me the bible for The Brothers Flub, a tape of an episode, a script, and a suggestion to familiarize myself with the property. I was thrilled. This was an easy task, a nice way of easing into my two months as a Production Intern, and a peek behind the curtain that was both fun and informative. Even though I knew how animation was made, there were still loads of details to absorb from an actual show on actual television in an actual studio. The sample dialogue on each character's bible page, the episode summaries – paragraphs outlining potential half-hours should a network approve the bible, model designs for one-off props that would only appear in a single episode, or a background packet of interiors for the main locations.
Brothers Flub was a lot like Futurama, although it predates the latter by two years. Since it was airing on Nickelodeon, and I had no affinity for that network and wasn't 8-years old, Brothers Flub wasn't my speed. But it was cute, harmless, mildly distracting, and crafted by talented hands. In the show, two cartoonish couriers (Fraz and Guapo) deliver packages to differently themed planets, getting into trouble and learning lessons. One is organized and worries, while the other is a messy buffoon. Characters and attitudes are cartoony and silly as if made by Klasky Csupo.
In watching a tape, I was hoping to hear G.I. Joe alumni – voice talent like Bill Ratner, Michael Bell, and Mary McDonald-Lewis. No such luck, although Charlotte Rae (The Facts of Life) was Fraz and Guapo's boss, a fun surprise. I didn't watch any whole episodes after that, and only saw bits throughout the summer, but Michael Bell does contribute to at least episode 5A, "Flub, Flub, & Away," as Very Evil Man on a super-hero themed planet, his raspy delivery unmistakable.
If Production Intern Tim didn't draw anything, what did he do? Tune in next time to find out!
Tagged as Dave Bennett, Internship, Randy Koshinskie, Sunbow, Sunbow Entertainment, Sunbow Productions, Tamara Shear, The Brothers Flub
In our last episode, ([Part 1] [2] [3] [4] [5]), Tim's summer living situation on New York City's Roosevelt Island was crowded yet lonely, and precarious.
On the Sunbow front, I remember some confusion or missed connections regarding my start date. In the final week of school I called Tammy or Randy, nervous that after several months of not talking my internship had shriveled up through attrition or that they had given it to someone else closer. But it was safe and still available, and we hammered out my schedule and that I'd start in late June. I wanted full time, but there was some kind of rule barring it. When I heard that other interns were working between one and four days a week, I knew that I had to at least tie for that maximum. So I would work Mondays through Thursdays. Fridays I would draw at the zoo, something hammered into me by fellow RISD student Brandon Strathmann. (Hi, Brandon.) Saturdays Nick and I would go to museums and movie theatres. That was the idea, anyway.
On my first day I was given a tour. Entering from the elevator, the 5th floor of 100 Fifth Avenue had three rows of offices split by two corridors. The offices in the middle row were low-walled cubicles, so there was an openness to the floor plan. To the right were the President's office, a closet with old Sunbow summer outing t-shirts and office supplies, a kitchenette and lunch room, the photocopy and fax room, and the archive. In the center were the conference room, those cubicles for Sales, and several oversize filing cabinets. On the left (facing Fifth Ave) were offices and the intern room, and against the far wall (looking out over West 15th Street) were a few more offices for the higher ups, small, but private rooms with doors and window views of Manhattan.) Though Sunbow had about 30 employees, and never felt overcrowded or even bustling, it was active, people moved around, and there was much work to be done. Air conditioning and carpets kept noise to a minimum, though.
The intern room was in the corner where that left wall met the far wall, a glassed-in room with a desk, a couch, a TV/VCR, and a glass door. I expected my two months would be spent there, but it quickly turned out that all I did was stow my backpack there each morning. I never took my lunch there, and only watched a tape there once.
Along the tour I was introduced to everyone and the company was broken down for me. Sunbow had three departments. Development created new shows and got deals with networks, Production worked on current shows, and Sales sold the shows to stations and networks. I don't recall anything that Development was working on, and I had almost no interaction with those people. But since the company was more than 20 years old and owned most of what it had produced (rather than the networks or the toy companies it had produced that content for or with), Sunbow's library consisted of over 1000 half-hours, and much of its revenue came from selling the older shows overseas. (Each time Sunbow was sold in the '90s and '00s, those thousand half-hours were part of the press release. The library was the company's greatest asset, even if many of the shows were ho-hum. Networks all over the world need to fill timeslots, and even moderately compelling content will get a shake somewhere.) So, yes, My Little Pony or Transformers might air in Chile or Venezuela even though there was no current Hasbro toy line to support it and those shows were twenty years old. Sunbow also had distribution rights to a few shows it hadn't fully developed, like The Mask. (The Jim Carrey-ish one, not MASK, the Kenner one.)
Since no artwork was produced by anyone in the NY office, there was no chance for the interns to contribute in that way. I hadn't expected to be asked to storyboard or design props when I got the internship – I was a stupid sophomore who couldn't draw too well — but I had a vague notion that if someone in the art department was shorthanded, an intern might be asked to clean up a sketch or finish the details on a drawing of a brick wall, even if only a single time on a single piece of paper. But again, art for Salty's Lighthouse and Brothers Flub was handled at Sunbow West in Los Angeles. (A few freelance storyboard artists were spread out, though – I recall a higher up told me later than one was in Australia, another was in Canada, and when Ben Edlund had been working on The Tick, he storyboarded the earliest episodes at the New York office – in the intern's room, in fact.) So I did nothing creative. It was gopher work, but I have no complaints.
Sunbow West was a strange abstraction. Everything I knew about animation production, how a show is made – scripts, character designs, prop designs, backgrounds, storyboards – was done out of sight in some office I could not imagine. My three bosses in the Production department were on the phone with LA every day, and we received mail from LA every morning. But at Sunbow East, in this somewhat starched environment where shows were made (but not), my only connection to the raw art production was the fax machine in the back room. It was connected to a black telephone, the kind with ten auto-dial buttons. One was marked "Sunbow West," and a few times that summer someone asked me to fax a bit of paperwork there. Other numbers included the President of the company at her home, someone on maternity leave, and maybe even a studio in Korea, which now that I think about it, was probably AKOM.
Who did Tim fax and what did he scribble on that piece of paper? Tune in next time to find out!
Tagged as Ben Edlund, Brooklyn, Internship, Manhattan, New York City, Salty's Lighthouse, Sunbow, Sunbow Entertainment, Sunbow Productions, The Brothers Flub, The Tick
In our last episode ([Part 1] [2] [3] [4]), Tim moved to Roosevelt Island in New York City, oddly quiet and seemingly abandoned.
That effect was accentuated because Nick and I had too-different schedules. Our plan had been to work our respective jobs during the day, and then see movies, write and draw comics, go to museums, and walk around the city at night and on weekends. Sunbow interns worked between one and four days per week. On the advice of my dad, and wanting to make a good impression, I volunteered to work the maximum, so I was there Monday through Thursday 10 to 6. (It seems that people in the entertainment industry are an hour shifted past traditional 9 to 5. Or perhaps East Coast offices do so to have more overlap with their West Coast counterparts.) But Nick worked at a video store, and his hours were more like noon to 8 six days a week. Best friends since 7th grade, and with plans to both work hard and play hard all summer, we barely saw each other. It was disappointing, and I resented Nick for being so busy, even though he was the one with the real, paying job, while I was the couch surfer with the unpaid internship. But our mismatch allowed me a lot of time to myself, which meant reading outside and the occasional afternoon drawing at the zoo (both the Bronx and Central Park), a habit I had picked up the previous year in school.
Late Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons were the only time we both had off. This was probably a good thing, since I had a habit of getting snippy if we spent too much time together, but for good friends with everything in common it put a serious damper on our plans for summer fun. A few nights in the apartment we watched movies Nick was appalled that I'd never seen, like The Wild Bunch, Heavenly Creatures, and Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control. Since the TV was 13 inches, I wasn't too thrilled. Moreso, I was at the peak of my unreasonable Transformers fandom that year, and had brought the entire run of Beast Wars on VHS for Nick to catch up. He politely declined, citing the show as ugly, or silly, or boring, or not enough like the original Transformers. Did I mention we were writing and drawing an annual Transformers fan comic? Nick's resistance to Beast Wars puzzled and bothered me. Worse, the living arrangement did not work out as planned.
Nick's sneaky idea for me to crash was a good one. Amazingly and unfortunately, Nick's three roommates also had the same idea. And no one thought to tell anyone else until we had all shown up. So in a two bedroom/four bed apartment with a kitchen, common room, and bathroom, there were eight of us. Or maybe just seven. I guess one of the roommates' friends was actually his girlfriend, and rather than her moving in, she was just staying over there every night as boyfriends or girlfriends sometimes do. But they were asleep in the common room on the fold-out couch every morning at 8am, my plans to eat sugar cereal and watch Transformers each morning foiled by the unconscious, spooning couple splayed just in front of the TV. This also meant I couldn't even eat "normal" breakfast. I had to eat "quiet" breakfast, so every morning I woke up, left all the lights off, spoke to no one, made my meal with as few clinks and slams as possible, and chewed in darkness, standing in silence, slightly miserable. Is it any wonder I resented Nick for our reverse schedules? I didn't have any friends at the internship, and I kind of avoided the other interns, so it was a somewhat lonely summer, even in a packed apartment and a full office in the busiest city in America.
The only thing that made the living situation bearable was that everyone had different schedules. Two of the three roommates were bouncers, another worked the late shift at a restaurant. So generally half of the apartment was nocturnal, leaving for work when the other half got home from it. Again, which made the whole social aspect odd. I didn't get to know the other roommates at all. And there was also a little tension in the air. Everyone was angry at everyone else for bringing in a squatter, for taking up space, for using the bathroom, for just being there.
Additionally, halfway through the summer that empty bed got filled when Nick's school placed a transfer student from Europe in our apartment. Nick was nervous. This transfer student might blow the whistle on our free ride. And reasonably so. He wasn't supposed to have 7 roommates. Us squatters hadn't signed any paperwork. We had no right to stay, and a simple phone call would have cast us all out, and gotten Nick and the actual roommate in serious trouble. To the transfer student's credit, and our relief, he never did tell on us, although three times he threatened to. Each time Nick or one of the actual tenants talked to him and calmed him down. I think ultimately he just went with it because he didn't want to be the heavy, and maybe part of him realized all us hangers-on could use a break. Also, it meant his rent was significantly cheaper. I'm surprised we didn't bribe him.
Now I had to make sure I didn't put my foot in my mouth at work.
What idiotic thing did Tim say that should have gotten him fired? Tune in next time to find out!
Tagged as Brooklyn, Internship, Manhattan, New York City, Roosevelt Island, Sunbow, Sunbow Entertainment, Sunbow Productions
July 16, 2012 · 11:32 AM
In our last episode ([Part 1] [2] [3]), Tim interviewed at Sunbow Entertainment and was offered an internship!
Nick's school had had a housing shortage that year (emergency housing not usually associated with that institution), and he was possibly being kicked out of his apartment at the end of the spring. So perhaps I could stay with him, but we shouldn't count on it. Between his classes and his job, Nick had little time to look for summer housing, whether that meant some kind of apartment with a month-to-month lease (I'm not sure if that really exists in New York) or a sublet. One idea that emerged was staying in the NYU dorms, which people seem to do in the summers, although we didn't actually investigate it. So come June I must have run home to Maryland for a week or two, and then jaunted back up to New York, a plan having unfolded through no effort on our parts.
In short, we got lucky. It turns out Nick was not being kicked out of his apartment/emergency dorm for the summer, and one of his roommates was moving out, and their school was slow to fill that slot with another student, so Nick's sneaky idea was for me to squat. I was a squeaky clean suburbanite, so this appealed to me: Living in New York in an apartment I had already visited and was therefore familiar with, rather than leaving it up to Nick to find something on his own, something that could have been a living situation-nightmare the likes of which I'd only seen on TV and in film. And it was a nice neighborhood, if you could call it that. (More in a paragraph.) And further, as much as it was an apartment, it was also a dorm room. Again: safe.
But then there was an element of danger: What if the school found out I was there? Would I be kicked out? Would Nick? Would I have to couch surf all summer, bouncing from apartment to apartment, using up any goodwill I might have had with the cousins and friends-of-family who lived in the Big Apple? But since I didn't know anyone in New York, this scenario was tantalizingly worrisome and romantic at the same time. (I actually did know a friend-of-the-family in NY, so it probably would have fine, but that option was off my radar since this was to a be a summer with Nick, another 18-year old very much in my boat, doing what college sophomores did in the summer: work.) Plus it would be cheap, and meant I had to do no legwork. All I had to do was to move into Nick's apartment.
I should note here that Nick's apartment was unusual. It wasn't in Manhattan, even though his school was. And it wasn't in Brooklyn, even though that's where a lot of cool, artsy people that couldn't afford Manhattan were moving. It was on Roosevelt Island, a no man's land that even native New Yorkers don't know much about. It's a little sliver in the East River, between Manhattan and Brooklyn. My knowledge of it is limited, but almost no one actually lives there. And with so few residents, hardly anyone is ever outside. From my limited view in 1998 Roosevelt Island boasted two apartment buildings, a mental hospital, a grocery store, a video rental store, a beautiful view of Manhattan, and nothing else. It was isolated.
A single subway stop allowed access to the two neighboring boroughs, (although long term MBTA construction meant that the F train acted only as a shuttle all summer, moving between two stops and requiring an additional transfer). Barely anyone drove cars. No traffic lights. Just one or two roads. You couldn't even drive to Manhattan, despite the fact that the island itself is directly under the Queensboro Bridge! The lone road off the island takes you to Brooklyn, and then you can turn around and take the Queensboro back to Manhattan. A giant trolley car does ferry people directly from Roosevelt Island over the river and into the city, but this felt more like a novelty ride than an actual mode of transport, like taking a Duck Tour in Boston to get from your hotel to Fenway Park.
Plus the southern tip of Roosevelt Island is abandoned. Maybe there was a power substation there? Much of the island was green, with grass and trees. The two apartment buildings seemed to be mostly students from Nick's school. The total effect was that of a ghost town. People were there, but we didn't see them, and everyone left for the workday. It was strange, and I noted while reading books in the park looking out on Manhattan, oddly beautiful. So, yes! What a thrill! I lived in New York City for a summer in college! But no, I didn't really live in New York. I lived in The Twilight Zone.
What scenario threatened the peace in Nick's apartment? Tune in next time to find out!
[Click here for Part 5]
July 9, 2012 · 11:54 AM
In our last episode ([Part 1] [Part 2]), Tim called Sunbow. Would he call again?
In February or March, I called back, and Randy asked about an interview. Hopping on the Greyhound from Providence to NYC was no big deal, so soon I was in the tiny lobby of 100 Fifth Avenue. It was grey with dark walls, and just big enough for one black desk with a security guard and a company directory of white letters and floor numbers behind him, and two elevators. It was not grand, but it was a tall building in Manhattan on a busy street a block from Union Square and a subway station, so much of that New York mystique was intact.
The elevator opened onto the fifth floor, a tiny annex with a glass wall that separated the elevator foyer from the office itself. On that glass was the Sunbow logo (I grew up with Sunbow Productions, the company was now called Sunbow Entertainment), and through it was visible the receptionist's desk in front of two orange walls that blocked the rest of the office, a load-bearing column (also orange or perhaps magenta) and two hallways. One went right and the other straight. This was the corner of the entire floor, and the rest of Sunbow stretched out unseen behind the receptionist's desk, behind her orange walls. Sunbow had moved a few times since its founding, and as of 1998, took up just one floor, though the entire floor, here. The receptionist was nice. I was nervous. Private offices with views of Manhattan lined the edges of the whole space, while cubicles with half walls took up most of the middle and rear. Walls had enlarged, framed stills from Sunbow's TV shows – My Little Pony, The Tick, Salty's Lighthouse. No G.I. Joe or Transformers, though. A glass-walled conference room took up the center.
Randy was busy, so Tamara Shear (Hi, Tammy), who I hadn't spoken to yet, handled the interview. She was number three in Production, and shared an office with Randy. We sat in the conference room, which was nice since it offered some privacy – I would have been nervous if in Tammy's office the phone had interrupted us – but it also added a level of severity to the proceeding.
It was also informal and pleasant. I probably told Tammy about Animation at RISD, and she talked about the two shows Sunbow was making at the time – Salty's Lighthouse, an educational show for The Learning Channel, and The Brothers Flub, a comedy for Nickelodeon. And that the company had three departments – Development, Production, and Sales. Plus an office on the West Coast where artwork was made. This office, Sunbow East, generated no artwork, and the artists who worked for the company were not in New York. This was disappointing to hear, but I probably also had the good sense to know that even being a traditional gopher would yield valuable experience, networking, and a resume entry. Tammy asked to see my portfolio, which was… I dunno… good-not-great? I think my drawings were fine for a sophomore, and the animation was probably cute enough to be memorable, but a CalArts character animator I was not. Having issue #5 of my Transformers parody comic might have helped – it showed follow-through, even if fan-art was a kind of black mark. I don't recall my "Little Timmy Meets Tracks" film getting a reaction one way or the other, but I suspect that my resume looked good, and I was probably wearing a tie. Those combined with the RISD name and a positive experience with That Other RISD Student who had interned (a note to students: Don't mess around with jobs and internships. You'll make it harder for the next person) must have left a good enough impression.
Tammy ended the interview by asking about my availability for the summer. I wasn't sure since I lived in Rhode Island and would have to figure out housing in NYC, but we agreed that I would call at the end of the spring and fine tune my schedule. But here two conflicting memories muddy the narrative, and I don't know how to reconcile them. On the one hand, I was actually being offered an internship, but it was in such a casual way that I didn't fully comprehend it. "When would you be able to start?" is different than "You're hired. When would you be able to start?" The first one, which is what I recollect, implies they're not decided, so I was nervous I didn't get the internship, and worried about it until I did call back in May and was certain the position was still waiting for me. On the other hand, the interview had been a breeze, and rather than making me feel like I had to prove my worth or pass some test, Tammy and I had just chatted, and getting the internship felt obvious after such a great interview, like it was a foregone conclusion after the first minute. So whether I walked out feeling anxious or cocky is lost to memory, but it was probably both.
Either way, I now had a plan for the summer. As the end of the school year approached, I started talking with my friend Nick, who lived in New York City, about apartments. If visiting New York made me nervous, finding a place and living there for three months was much worse.
Where would Tim live? Tune in next time to find out!
Tagged as Internship, Randy Koshinskie, RISD, RISD FAV, Sunbow, Sunbow Entertainment, Sunbow Productions, Tamara Shear
In our last episode, Tim heard about Sunbow Entertainment's summer internship!
New York still intimidated me when I visited, but I had been there several times recently, and part of the culture at RISD was that You Went To New York. I don't necessarily mean professionally after graduation, but at some point you would visit because that's the center of the art world, and it's only 3 hours away, and the inertia began with the Freshman Foundation bus trip there a year prior. Every freshman goes there for a day. And I'd visit Nick there (Hi, Nick), friend and now G.I. Joe book editor, each year for his birthday. (And have ever since.) So being in the Big City was a little scary: it's dirty, it has a reputation for crime, and if goes on forever — sidewalks horizontally, buildings vertically. But it had some appeal as well. Though I've always taken art and history museums for granted, even then I knew New York was THE PLACE for that. And though I wasn't yet thinking about life after college, I must have had some abstract notion of going to New York or Los Angeles when the time came. Before Flash and the internet decentralized the animation production process, those were the two cities where you'd go if you wanted a job in the industry. (Not entirely true, but I didn't know anything as a college sophomore.)
I got a number for Sunbow from Dee or Mystery Person, and in the late fall or early winter of sophomore year, called. I should take a moment here to point out that this very act is a nerve wracking one. I don't know what everyone's relationships to telephones are anymore since cell phones are also HD video cameras and internet hubs in your pocket, and famous people are easy to find through e-mail and Facebook. But before I was using these much, there was the paper letter and the cold call. And telephoning an office filled with busy and important people, people who can easily say "No" and hang up on you in the fulfillment of a filmic cliché, was intimidating. Plus it was long distance (*sigh,* I'm dating myself), so each attempt would cost ten cents or something. Again, paying a dime for a call isn't a big deal by itself, but it adds to the heaviness of the act.
I had been good at public speaking (thank you, grade school), and had made a few important phone calls before, so this was doable. Randy Koshinskie, #2 in the Production department took the call. Randy was warm and kind (Hi, Randy), and while I didn't know it at the time, in 8 months he'd be my boss.
The trick was to get in and out quickly. Introduction, say something nice about the company, or at least prove I knew something about it, express an interest, and then shut up. So it probably went something like this:
"Hi, my name is Tim Finn. I'm an animation sophomore at the Rhode Island School of Design. Dee Boyd or Someone interned with you last summer and gave me this number. I'm looking for internships this coming summer and would be interested if you have any available."
Without nerding out or sucking up I demonstrated some knowledge of Sunbow's library, and that I was a big fan of Sunbow's Transformers and G.I. Joe cartoons. Randy seemed pleased with that, but in telling me a little about the company explained that Sunbow was very different than it had been in 1985, now making only a few shows and recently focusing on educational programming. He asked if I had a portfolio. I did. At that point it consisted of a few figure drawings, some zoo animation drawings, a background or two, and a VHS (or U-Matic!) tape of my three Animation I projects. (One of which depicted the Autobot Tracks transforming from Corvette mode to a robot and rescuing me from being lost in the barren wasteland of Washington state. Which is either the cutest portfolio piece ever for a Sunbow internship application, or the most embarrassing.) Also, the then-newest issue of Nick's and my hilarious and now slightly embarrassing Transformers parody comic book. My timeline is fuzzy, but I think this was before Christmas and Randy said I should call back in a few months when the Production department would start working out its summer internships.
Did Tim make that fateful call? Tune in next time to find out!
Tagged as Internship, Randy Koshinskie, RISD, RISD FAV, Sunbow, Sunbow Entertainment, Sunbow Productions


The first stop on Glasgow's mini-tour to South Africa got off to a breath-taking start, followed by an excellent second-half performance from the Warriors that secured all five league points in the Guinness PRO14.
From Adam Hastings' kick-off they retained possession deep in Cheetahs territory, and after several strong carries and a bit of patience Hastings found enough space to dummy and weave through two challenges and get the scoreboard ticking barely minutes in.
With Stuart Hogg missing out through an ankle injury, and Peter Horne's kicking radar malfunctioning, it was Hastings who converted to round off the first passage of play.
That sort of pace was hardly to stop.
With both teams favoured style to be of the "fast and loose" variety, action swept from one end to the other, and it was from quick turnover possession that the home side reduced their arrears. DTH van der Merwe couldn't handle Horne the Elder's off-load, Nico Lee gathered and kicked on. With nobody at home for Glasgow, winger William Small-Smith was able to dive on the ball just before it dribbled over the side-line.
The Cheetahs capitalised on loose ball again just moments later, with a sensational pitch-length, and width, try finished off by full-back Malcom Jaer from scrum-half Meyer's nicely weighted cross-kick.
Alex Dunbar was then sent to the bin for a high-tackle, and from the subsequent short Cheetahs line-out, Meyer again saw space in behind and chipped ahead, narrowly losing out in a foot-race with Seymour to ground the ball. Plenty of drama for a game less than fifteen minutes old.
The turbo-charged Cheetahs were denied a try following more scintillating rugby, Maxwane and Jaer this time tearing Glasgow apart down the right-wing, only for the final pass to go forward.
Glasgow retaliated. First Jackson and then Seymour went close while advantages were being played for collapsing mauls, and at the third attempt Glasgow eventually got their reward. Harley was hauled down just short of the try-line, but had the awareness to pop the ball off for Price to score on his return to the starting line-up.
Price, as he is sometimes prone to, was then penalised almost straight away for offside which the hosts put to the sidelines. Their initial attack was halted and seemingly out of momentum, only for replacement Tian Schoeman to accelerate through the tackle of Harley into the heart of the Glasgow 22, hold off Gray and pass out of the tackle to set Lee away under the sticks.
Despite Glasgow having the lion's share of possession in the first half, it was the speedy Cheetahs who had been the more ruthless predators on the paddock.
The second-half started with an unfortunate bang for Tommy Seymour. He collided with earlier try-scorer Malcolm Jaer whilst performing one of his trademark aerial-takes, and it was decreed that the Cheetahs' man had acted recklessly when initiating the contact, so he was off for ten minutes.
It took Seymour about one minute to gain revenge and edge the Warriors back in front. It was another of his trademark plays, coming into midfield for the set-piece and slaloming his way past all in front of him.
A fired-up Seymour was dragging tacklers with him, the ball was quickly shifted to opposite winger Van der Merwe who made inroads towards the Cheetahs line. Replacement loose-head prop Allan was last to carry on the charge and Price was on his shoulder to claim his second try of the night from front-row range. Unfortunately for Glasgow, whilst celebrating the try, they were forced to replace starting tighthead Zander Fagerson, losing him to what looked like a pretty serious injury.
Glasgow gained excellent field position when Alex Allan went blasting up the pitch and fed Harley who made a few metres of his own before feeding Price. Although Horne spilled Price's subsequent pass forward, Glasgow dominated at the scrum to win another set-piece penalty. Hastings' ambitiously went for touch rather than the easy three-points on offer and luckily it proved to be the right decision. With the man advantage Glasgow were able to find DTH with a bit of space on his left-wing, and he did what he does best, for Glasgow's third try of the sin-bin period.
As soon as he had returned to the field, fleet-footed full-back Jaer started to make amends, finishing off another rocket-paced Cheetahs attack. It reduced the deficit to 24-35 with just over twenty minutes on the clock which at the rate either side was scoring was hardly insurmountable for the hosts.
Rennie had decided that was still enough on the clock to also make some back-field changes. Price wasn't going to get his hat-trick as he was replaced by George Horne, and Alex Dunbar made way for Huw Jones first appearance of the season. Those two replacements combined to set another Glasgow attack darting down the left, but the Warriors would eventually have to settle for three points rather than five on this occasion from Hastings boot.
The 5-pointer did come soon enough though, a belated birthday present for the once again brilliant Callum Gibbins. Schoeman's pass was loose, George Turner did brilliantly to scoop the ball up from his ankles and set his captain cantering away to make it a three-try lead for Glasgow.
The Cheetahs had finally run out of gas, and Glasgow, now baring their own sizeable teeth, were to hit the half-century late on. Another mistake from the home-side deep in their own half, led to George Horne, shifted to the wing to accommodate Nick Frisby at scrum-half, crossing in the corner. Hastings nailed the tricky conversion to finish the scoring, and finish with a 100% success rate from the tee.
Rennie and his coaching staff will be delighted with the application and precision shown by his side in the second half. The front-row of Kebble, Brown and Fagerson continued to impress, whilst Cummings and Gray ensured Glasgow had the upper hand in the line-out. These solid platforms allowed the Warriors to keep the pressure on in the second-half, and unlike in the first, they finished those chances off.
SRBlog Man of the Match: Becoming a bit of a habit this, going to have to give it to Adam Hastings again. Perfect place kicking, scored a try himself and led Glasgow's second-half charge with his intelligent play and decision-making.
Warriors season ticket holder and widely renowned ne'er-do-well, Iain has been watching rugby from a young age, but developed a true passion for the game whilst in the rugby hotbed that is New Zealand. Like Tommy Seymour, his hair-style icon, Iain does not like chickens.
I certainly miss Alba's coverage & being on the tight side, it was great to get some coverage on free channels!
A game of 2 yellow cards – Weegies keeping the Cheetahs our while Dunbar had a chance to reflect on his ever-so-slightly high tackle & then ruthlessly piling on 21 points as Jaer was considering that he might have been lucky to get just a yellow. Glasgow coughed up way too much ball in the first half & looked very sleepy against a lightning quick & oppportunist Cheetahs attack. However the ruthless approach shown in the second half was good to see. Difficult to pick out a stellar performance but Ali Price took his chance well to highlight his support running & Hastings was consistent off the tee & got the try-fest rolling. Harley was involved in a lot of good stuff & JG put in a shift (still feel he should make a few more yards & is too easy to bring down for a big guy). Also a couple of great cameos from Allan & Turner – loved GT's offload for Gibbons' try. Hopefully Rennie will be teaching everyone how to hold onto a ball during training this week!
Johnny Gray has to be one of the most passive locks in Tier 1 rugby. As you say he just doesn't make the yards and his tackles while looking good on a stats sheet are rarely dominant. Hastings development seemed to have plateaued in the last couple of seasons but so far this season he is really kicking it up a gear.
Hastings is just about to turn 22 and last year was his first year as a fully-fledged professional, and you thought he'd plateaued???
Gray might not be the most destructive lock but he was excellent on Saturday and is by far the best lock available to Scotland and a brilliant test player.
Sometimes the criticism from Scotland fans is hilarious – we seem to think every one of our players should be the best in the world.
Yeah I did. I've been watching him from his first Bath game and until this season he hadn't shown any progression from Bath and saw none last season as well. Players fail to live up to potential, players peak early. He was looking like one not progressing but has stepped up. What I find laughable is the lack of an ability to look upon others views objectively demonstrated by some Scotland fans. As for your last comment I assume that was aimed at someone else? The royal we perhaps, seeing as it has no relevance to my point?
My frustration is most bloggers are oblivious to the fact Hastings had a career before Glasgow. He is a product of the Bath Academy and is underminded because of his uncle and father . He had a mixed time last season but most of his footwork and speeed of response were all evident when at Bath.
My only minor point is the balance between resting him and finding a backup or we will have another singleton standout player as we had with mmph what is his name again , yes Finn and we have presently with Hoggy whom we managed fne without last night. He seems to keep missing out on the 50 pointers.
FF Hastings has been a professional since he was 18. Stop trying to lecture people about their lack of knowledge when yours is awful.
FYI Hastings looks fantastic and has progressed massively over the past 18 months.
I seem to have touched a nerve! Everyone is entitled to their opinion but I'm well aware he was at Bath before Glasgow – in the academy. He played in the LV cup and a handful of other occasions. He was nowhere near their match day squad in meaningful games as you'd expect for a player at his career stage. Last year was his first season as a fully fledged pro. I think he did pretty well and his season was crowned by a storming game against Argentina. Blake – you have actually agreed with my point, that he didn't plateau last season but developed well. Lots of fans on the Glasgow board expected him to immediately replace Finn despite him having only about a dozen pro-games to his name. So I do think the OP was wrong to imply he'd overcome some career hitch.
P.s personally I think Hastings will be better than Finn and take his jersey but it won't be well after the World Cup is, probably a couple of seasons after. He just has a more rounded game.
Blake (if that is your real name) what you seem to forget is to read peoples statements correctly.
He was an academy prospect working with Ford and the Welsh 10 under bath.
Last season he was an understudy to Finn and still getting little bits of game time here and there.
Also no one is interested in your squad for internationals at this point, its not relavent to the topic so keep it to yourself.
FF I apologise. I'm autistic so whilst I've got a great memory I'm terrible at understand context and meaning sometime.
I thought you were being mean to original poster and claiming last season was Hastings 1st season as a pro. Now it's been explained to me what you meant I get you meant and the OP was in the wrong.
I'm quite straight to the point and passionate about what I believe but I apologise if I was being rude to you.
I agree with you regards to Jonny Gray. He does all the dirty work yet gets so much unfair criticism. For me McInally, Jonny Gray, Barclay, Hamish Watson, Russell, Huw Jones and Hogg are Scotland's stand-out players.
Great win, but I can understand if Cheetahs and their fans feel frustrated with Murphy. Shame to see Fagerson go off injured, and I'm wondering why Kebble was subbed at half-time – hopefully our newly badass first-choice front row aren't all crocked already!
Good to see Huw Jones back and Seymour looking sharper, and Price looks to have started to regain his previous good form, although the Horne brothers seem to be losing theirs a wee bit. Really pleased with the forwards for the third game in a row!
Teamcam- Props generally don't tend to be on the pitch for much more than 50 minutes and Allan is a quality player – was arguably the man of the match last night. Don't get your problem.
He had a knock at the end of the first half so was taken off as a precaution. He doesn't appear on the injury list so hopefully nothing too serious. Fagerson's injury is bad news as he's been playing really well.
Thought Allan, Gibbins, Price, Hastings, the Horne brothers, Van Der Merwe and Seymour were the stand-out players. For me Allan was man of the match his carrying was phenomenal. When you consider only Munster and Glasgow(twice now) have beaten the Cheetahs away this is fantastic result. Not without it's downfall's i.e defending but the attacking efforts more than made up for it.
I believe Cheetahs have lost in the region of 9 of their best players from last season – they are not the side the were last season as we can see from their results.
A great game , the kicked ball travels so far on the High Veldt. Great to see both sides making the most of the low oxygen plateau and what a game to watch. I think we are seeing Seymour getting back to his best , well done Tommy , he has turned a corner.
The Ref – 4 As a glasgow supporter i can say this Ref was in our favour alot and alot of times the Cheetas were hard done by. Also kept going to the Tmo on tries because he could not keep up with the pace of the game and needed to slow it down to get his breath back.
Hastings close but got caught a few times out on the wing and skinned.
G.Horne is not longer definite first choice in my mind, he seems to have come into this season with an attitude like some sort of Welsh player.
Excellent performance but hope Fagerson is not a serious injury. I hope that front row is fit for the Sarries game. Brilliant to see Hastings step up. Two MOM awards back to back is sensational. That said, Russell is a world class fly half and has operated often brilliantly at the highest level. Hastings has that challenge to surmount. I thought Harley was outstanding and he is so consistent. Lastly, great to see Price rehabilitated. Horne won't be our first choice scrum half in the RWC and we need a top quality experienced back up, then Horne.
I've got my doubts George Horne will ever be an international 9 as he's just too wee. Price has far better defence so hopefully he can find some form for 2019.
Er…..Aaron Smith is five seven and only a couple of kilos heavier than G Horne. Size isn't everything at 9.
It would be nice to see Glasgow get through this kind of fixture without making so many errors. Stupid decision making cost them in Europe last season and that's the part of the game they need to improve.
The guy slating Jonny Gray further up is off his head. He leads from the front every week and is the one player Glasgow can't afford to lose at the moment.
Rugby Pass stats have Ethebez making 1 carry for 1 metre and 11 tackles with 1 missed on Saturday in Wellington. Subbed after 50 mins for Synman who is very poor despite being a giant.
The previous week he made 6 tackles and one carry for one metre in 60 minutes then off for Synnam who made 2 carrys for 4 metres and zero tackles!
I'm not usually the first to comment, more often adding a few words long after the party's finished. Maybe that would be better for Jonny G!! Interesting to read others' views; I too would rather look on the positive side & think JG does a lot of unseen grunt around the park but just really want to see him make those bursts through a few tackles (easy for me to write I know). If he could consistently add that to his armoury then he would definitely be a top class lock. If someone can produce some stats to show I've got it all wrong, I would be happy to take it all back! But then great that this is the level of debate rather than whether there are actually 2 true locks for Scotland to put on the team sheet (still can't get the times when Jason White was played there when Al Kellock was able and willing). On another note, looks like Wee Dunc is making a mark at Worcester albeit on the losing team. I would love it if he continues the resurgence that began last season & forces himself back into squad contention. 3 on-form fly halves would be a rare treat.
Unless you have played in the front 5 it is hard to understand what they do and how effective they are, which makes them easy to overlook. I never get too concerned when we dont rate them for the invisible work they do, it is just life, sometimes we never know what we have till we lose it.
I suspect the Glasgow squad respect J Gray and that is the only opinions that really count.
JG is not "passive" and his stats show that clearly — one example I saw from Nov 16 he had what looked like 1.5 times the involvements of Wyn Jones, who's not exactly lazy, including involvement in 11 of 19 phases in the final play.
His style of play is perhaps more understated than some — he is not (usually) charging out of the line to flatten the 10. His runs also do not usually involve going over the top of someone.
However, he's usually available for the next phase, or at least the one after, and is not found lying about behind play trading insults and pulling shirts or giving away penalties all the time.
He could probably be more aggressive in contact, but I'm not sure if he really is not capable (which I doubt), or if that's just his natural style, or whether its a more considered approach towards what he and the coaches think is best for the team.
We may be defining passive differently. I mean what you have termed aggressive in the tackle. He doesn't win collisions. He floors his man but doesn't knock him back or knock momentum out of the attack. I'm by no means saying he is a bad player. Some folk on here act like our players are beyond criticism when in truth we have arguably 2 world class players.
In my view, you can't pick 15 show ponies – you need a few guys who do the ugly, unglamorous stuff, too. Guys like Johnny Gray, Ryan Wilson and Rob Harley get through a tonne of work tackling and in the ruck that is just as important but doesn't catch the eye like a line break.
Secondly, JG is still just 24 years old, despite being around forever. His running has improved in the last 12 months or so (that dummy and try against Australia, line break vs Wales, etc.) and he is the sort of guy who will always strive to get better.
Been really impressed with Rob Harley so far this season. He seems to be thriving under Rennie. He went well in the 2nd row where he's looked lightweight in the past. He's been supporting runners all over the pitch, been carrying more and he's been his usual nuisance at the breakdown. Good chance of some more Scotland caps if he keeps this up.
Agree that Rob is playing really well. Seems to have hugely improved his handling and I don't remember him offloading before! Still doing the tackling, spoiling, dark arts stuff too. Good to hear Rennie name checking him for his workrate.
Rob Harley has been consistently listed as the player the opposition doesn't want to play against. IMO you cannot get higher praise!
Gray carries far more than he used to, it's the most improved part of his game. IMO the only issue with Gray is his lack of aggression – but that equally makes him a far more stable and reliable player. Pair him with a Nathan Hines type and you get the best of both worlds.
Anyone know how much of the squad Glasgow have taken on their SA trip? Are we likely to see another almost full strength team against Kings next weekend and then some key players getting a rest for Dragons and Zebre at home before the start of Europe? Or does Rennie rest some players now and give them a run against Zebre so they are ready for the European games?
We know Hoggy and Zander won't be playing against Kings.
On another note, Ben Robbins deserves a call-up for the Autumn international. He's red hot right now. Was wondering what had happened to him the last couple of years after looking very handy for the u20s.
you don't think that maybe he should earn a pro-contract first and play a pro game ?
No not really. I've watched Currie play a few times including when pro guys like A.Hastings, Vernon have played and he's stood out more than them. Genuine question, is it essential to have a pro contract before getting a test cap?
I wouldn't say it was essential but I'd suggest it could be irresponsible to cap him before he's had a pro cap. There is precedent, Matt Giteau, Ryan for Ireland but generally I'd think that building up to that is essential not necessarily because he isn't good enough but because if it doesnt go well it could be a huge setback for him, much bigger than if he has been well prepared for it.
This is a wind up right?
If he's currently not considered good enough to start/play for a pro team, perhaps that suggests he's no where near ready for international rugby.
He's also red hot, in amateur rugby, which is a long way short of the pro game (hence the creation of the super 6 to try and bridge the gap). I mean there is so much wrong with this suggestion that I can only assume you are either Ben yourself (Hi Ben) or related to him in someway.
The gap in standard is a lot closer than you seem to think. It's really not long since G.Horne was playing for S.County and A.Hastings played for Currie last season, now they have test caps and folk are raving about both. It's also not long ago Berghan was scratching around at Boroughmuir…didn't even look that good for them. Robbins showed well for the Scotland u20 side. If you don't rate Robbins then fair enough but I maintain that a guy starring for Currie is very likely good enough to at least hold his own in the pro 14 and if you can do that then test rugby is not a big jump from that either.
BLB – I'm sorry but are you saying the gap in standard from an amateur league to the highest level of rugby isn't that big?! Every single player has said the step up from the pro14 to the Heineken cup is massive, and the step up again to full international is even bigger, to suggest a player can move from playing only amateur rugby (because he hasn't set foot on the pitch for Edinburgh or Glasgow) to the toughest level of rugby is realistic, is crazy.
The players you listed, were all turning out for their pro teams as well, which is not something Robbins has done.
I'm not saying he's not going to be capable of making the step up, but he needs to actually be considered good enough for his pro team and actually play at least 1 game at a higher level first to see if he's capable before he's thrown into the test arena. Considering he's aligned to Edinburgh (i believe) and he wasn't even considered for a run out in the preseason suggests he's not yet ready for that step up.
It is probaly a wind up, save your breath . The big difference is the speed as you progress up the ranks from amateur to pro to international. Much better balanced and at intense speed.
I need your help – anyone.
I have premier sports on my Sky box, but how do I stream that to my laptop and phone .Does anyine have any ideas?
Ben F – You're probably right.
He's playing Prem 1 and you want him in the Scotland squad? You his maw?
Velacott is turning in a good performance here at Kingsholm , so if you want him, you had better move quickly.
I think Vellacott has already turned Toonie down once. Although he's a much better chance of getting capped for England with Ben Youngs off the boil and Danny Care being a bit rubbish every time he looks like first choice.
Surely Vellacott is well down the SH pecking order behind (in no particular) order: Laidlaw, Price, Horne, SHC, Pyrgos and maybe even Fowles?
Laidlaw will probably retire from test rugby after the World Cup, Pyrgos is not quite good enough to nail down a place at international level, Fowles is rubbish. Wouldn't you rather have a potential third SH to battle with Price and Horne long-term?
SHC is a bit of a wildcard. He looked very good when he won his early caps but has spent years getting back to form. Maybe he'll make it back into the reckoning, maybe not.
TBH it is the future of Cameron redpath that is more interesting. Looked like a done deal but that was before England's squad looked to be hitting a very rough patch.
Bold claim there JP. Still behind Care and Young's in the English setup. I'd as soon have Horne jnr before either of them as a backup to Laidlaw.
He's behind Wiggleseworth and Spencer too, probably Robson as well although he should be ahead of Care but those lot aren't in our set up. Horne is better in some attributes but as a rounded 9, BV is currently ahead for me. All a moot point unless BV switches allegiances.
Vellacot doesn't even start for Glaws but he's better than all our scrum halves bar Laidlaw.
I wish players mums would stop posting about their children here.
Off topic but England's recruitment of John Mitchell as their new attack coach is an interesting move. England now have two senior coaches with very autocratic styles and records of relationship breakdowns with their squads. Mitchell's record is mixed to say the least, but the big risk is that the atmosphere in the squad continues to deteriorate, as has been rumoured for the past year or so. Maybe a good season to pick up the holy grail of a win at Twickenham off the back of a disastrous 6N for England?
It would be highly amusing if England's form continues to unravel ahead of the World Cup as the Jones revolution comes off the rails.
Bad news for Glasgow. Now confirmed that Fagerson and Hogg out for opening European games (and AIs).
Beating Saracens isn't essential to qualify but would take a whole heap of pressure off the Lyon double header. We really need to pick up a win away at Cardiff in round 2 but that should be possible even without those two.
After the lack of game time we seen Hoggy have for Glasgow last season this is a blow, big time. Hopefully we get him back, fit and flying for the December European double header.
I agree with your thought on Europe, whilst beating Sarries at home isn't essential, it should be a win we target, like we do all our home games.
Hogg will be back for the 6N and the RWC.
Dreadful blow for club & country, Hogg is the one man who can make the difference whatever the opponents. In his last game (Vs Connacht) he was the difference between a win & a loss. Hope he can be back sooner than the 2 months stated.
If its not right, better to deal with stuff now, miss AIs, back through club for 6N and looking towards peaking at RWC, reasonably well rested.
The "benefit" may well outweigh the loss in the end.
Providing he is fit and firing from Jan onwards it could be a blessing in disguise. Forces us to blood and bed in young players like Kinghorn before a RWC and has Hogg going into RWC well rested. The Autumn tests are important but these ones are about building for the next 12months. There's a silver lining.
Agreed, I still feel that the side often plays better as a team without Hogg.
Giving Kinghorn a chance would give us strength in depth and give Hogg a rest.


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USCIS Proposes Rule on Registration Requirement for H-1B Petitioners
The Department of Homeland Security has proposed to amend its regulations (PDF) on petitions filed on behalf of H-1B workers subject to annual numerical limitations or exempt from numerical limitations by virtue of having earned a U.S. master's or higher degree. The rule proposes to require employers seeking to petition for H-1B cap-subject workers to first file electronic registrations with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) during a designated registration period.
USCIS estimated that the proposed rule could save U.S. businesses more than $23 million over the next 10 years by minimizing administrative burdens and related expenses. The agency said the registration system would save employers the effort and expense of filing H-1B petitions, as well as labor condition applications, for workers who would be unable to obtain visas under the statutory cap. USCIS estimated that the registration process would take 30 minutes to complete.
Under the proposed rule, if USCIS anticipates that the H-1B cap will not be reached by the first day upon which H-1B petitions may be filed for a particular fiscal year, USCIS would notify all registered employers that they are eligible to file H-1B petitions on behalf of the beneficiaries named in the selected registrations. USCIS would continue to accept and select registrations until the H-1B cap is reached. On the other hand, if USCIS anticipates that the H-1B cap will be reached by the first day upon which H-1B petitions may be filed for a particular fiscal year, USCIS would close the registration before such date and randomly select a sufficient number of timely filed registrations to meet the applicable cap.
USCIS proposes to allow only those petitioners whose registrations are randomly selected to file H-1B petitions for the cap-subject prospective worker named in the registration. USCIS would create a waitlist containing some or all of the remaining registrations, based on USCIS statistical estimates of how many more registrations may be needed to fill the caps should the initial pool of selected registrations fall short. USCIS would notify the employers of those registrations placed on the waitlist when and if they are eligible to file an H-1B petition. Employers whose registrations were neither randomly selected to file petitions nor placed on the waitlist would receive notification that they were not selected to file petitions in that fiscal year.
USCIS said it anticipates that this new process "will reduce administrative burdens and associated costs on employers who currently must spend significant time and resources compiling the petition and supporting documentation for each potential beneficiary without certainty that the statutory cap has not been reached." The proposed mandatory registration process also "will alleviate administrative burdens on USCIS service centers that process H-1B petitions," the agency said.
Written comments must be submitted by May 2, 2011. For a related fact sheet, click here.
Mark A. Ivener, A Law Corporation, a nationally recognized law firm, has successfully assisted hundreds of clients in immigration matters.
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Sexual experience enhances cognitive flexibility and dendritic spine density in the medial prefrontal cortex
Erica R. Glasper, Elizabeth A. LaMarca, Miriam E. Bocarsly, Maria Fasolino, Maya Opendak, Elizabeth Gould
The medial prefrontal cortex is important for cognitive flexibility, a capability that is affected by environmental conditions and specific experiences. Aversive experience, such as chronic restraint stress, is known to impair performance on a task of cognitive flexibility, specifically attentional set-shifting, in rats. Concomitant with this performance decrement, chronic stress reduces the number of dendritic spines on pyramidal neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex. No previous studies have examined whether a rewarding experience, namely mating, affects cognitive flexibility and dendritic spines in the medial prefrontal cortex of male rats. To test this possibility, we exposed adult male rats to sexual receptive females once daily for one week, assessed attentional set-shifting performance, and then analyzed their brains for changes in dendritic spines. We found that sexual experience improved performance on extradimensional set-shifting, which is known to require the medial prefrontal cortex. Additionally, we observed increased dendritic spine density on apical and basal dendrites of pyramidal neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex, but not the orbitofrontal cortex, after sexual experience. We also found that sexual experience enhanced dendritic spine density on granule neurons of the dentate gyrus. The ventral hippocampus sends a direct projection to the medial prefrontal cortex, raising the possibility that experience-dependent changes in the hippocampus are necessary for alterations in medial prefrontal cortex structure and function. As a first attempt at investigating this, we inactivated the ventral hippocampus with the GABA agonist muscimol, after each daily bout of sexual experience to observe whether the beneficial effects on cognitive flexibility were abolished. Contrary to our hypothesis, blocking hippocampal activity after sexual experience had no impact on enhanced cognitive flexibility. Taken together, these findings indicate that sexual experience enhances medial prefrontal cortex dendritic spine density and cognitive flexibility but that these effects may not require continual input from the hippocampus.
Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nlm.2015.07.007
Dendritic spine
Medial prefrontal cortex
10.1016/j.nlm.2015.07.007
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Sexual experience enhances cognitive flexibility and dendritic spine density in the medial prefrontal cortex'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Dendritic Spines Medicine & Life Sciences
Pyramidal Cells Medicine & Life Sciences
GABA Agonists Medicine & Life Sciences
Muscimol Medicine & Life Sciences
Dendrites Medicine & Life Sciences
Glasper, E. R., LaMarca, E. A., Bocarsly, M. E., Fasolino, M., Opendak, M., & Gould, E. (2015). Sexual experience enhances cognitive flexibility and dendritic spine density in the medial prefrontal cortex. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 125, 73-79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nlm.2015.07.007
Glasper, Erica R. ; LaMarca, Elizabeth A. ; Bocarsly, Miriam E. ; Fasolino, Maria ; Opendak, Maya ; Gould, Elizabeth. / Sexual experience enhances cognitive flexibility and dendritic spine density in the medial prefrontal cortex. In: Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. 2015 ; Vol. 125. pp. 73-79.
@article{b110b8fd21aa4447be8713c73374ed19,
title = "Sexual experience enhances cognitive flexibility and dendritic spine density in the medial prefrontal cortex",
abstract = "The medial prefrontal cortex is important for cognitive flexibility, a capability that is affected by environmental conditions and specific experiences. Aversive experience, such as chronic restraint stress, is known to impair performance on a task of cognitive flexibility, specifically attentional set-shifting, in rats. Concomitant with this performance decrement, chronic stress reduces the number of dendritic spines on pyramidal neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex. No previous studies have examined whether a rewarding experience, namely mating, affects cognitive flexibility and dendritic spines in the medial prefrontal cortex of male rats. To test this possibility, we exposed adult male rats to sexual receptive females once daily for one week, assessed attentional set-shifting performance, and then analyzed their brains for changes in dendritic spines. We found that sexual experience improved performance on extradimensional set-shifting, which is known to require the medial prefrontal cortex. Additionally, we observed increased dendritic spine density on apical and basal dendrites of pyramidal neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex, but not the orbitofrontal cortex, after sexual experience. We also found that sexual experience enhanced dendritic spine density on granule neurons of the dentate gyrus. The ventral hippocampus sends a direct projection to the medial prefrontal cortex, raising the possibility that experience-dependent changes in the hippocampus are necessary for alterations in medial prefrontal cortex structure and function. As a first attempt at investigating this, we inactivated the ventral hippocampus with the GABA agonist muscimol, after each daily bout of sexual experience to observe whether the beneficial effects on cognitive flexibility were abolished. Contrary to our hypothesis, blocking hippocampal activity after sexual experience had no impact on enhanced cognitive flexibility. Taken together, these findings indicate that sexual experience enhances medial prefrontal cortex dendritic spine density and cognitive flexibility but that these effects may not require continual input from the hippocampus.",
keywords = "Cognition, Dendritic spine, Mating, Medial prefrontal cortex",
author = "Glasper, {Erica R.} and LaMarca, {Elizabeth A.} and Bocarsly, {Miriam E.} and Maria Fasolino and Maya Opendak and Elizabeth Gould",
doi = "10.1016/j.nlm.2015.07.007",
journal = "Neurobiology of Learning and Memory",
Glasper, ER, LaMarca, EA, Bocarsly, ME, Fasolino, M, Opendak, M & Gould, E 2015, 'Sexual experience enhances cognitive flexibility and dendritic spine density in the medial prefrontal cortex', Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, vol. 125, pp. 73-79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nlm.2015.07.007
Sexual experience enhances cognitive flexibility and dendritic spine density in the medial prefrontal cortex. / Glasper, Erica R.; LaMarca, Elizabeth A.; Bocarsly, Miriam E.; Fasolino, Maria; Opendak, Maya; Gould, Elizabeth.
In: Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Vol. 125, 11.11.2015, p. 73-79.
T1 - Sexual experience enhances cognitive flexibility and dendritic spine density in the medial prefrontal cortex
AU - Glasper, Erica R.
AU - LaMarca, Elizabeth A.
AU - Bocarsly, Miriam E.
AU - Fasolino, Maria
AU - Opendak, Maya
AU - Gould, Elizabeth
N2 - The medial prefrontal cortex is important for cognitive flexibility, a capability that is affected by environmental conditions and specific experiences. Aversive experience, such as chronic restraint stress, is known to impair performance on a task of cognitive flexibility, specifically attentional set-shifting, in rats. Concomitant with this performance decrement, chronic stress reduces the number of dendritic spines on pyramidal neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex. No previous studies have examined whether a rewarding experience, namely mating, affects cognitive flexibility and dendritic spines in the medial prefrontal cortex of male rats. To test this possibility, we exposed adult male rats to sexual receptive females once daily for one week, assessed attentional set-shifting performance, and then analyzed their brains for changes in dendritic spines. We found that sexual experience improved performance on extradimensional set-shifting, which is known to require the medial prefrontal cortex. Additionally, we observed increased dendritic spine density on apical and basal dendrites of pyramidal neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex, but not the orbitofrontal cortex, after sexual experience. We also found that sexual experience enhanced dendritic spine density on granule neurons of the dentate gyrus. The ventral hippocampus sends a direct projection to the medial prefrontal cortex, raising the possibility that experience-dependent changes in the hippocampus are necessary for alterations in medial prefrontal cortex structure and function. As a first attempt at investigating this, we inactivated the ventral hippocampus with the GABA agonist muscimol, after each daily bout of sexual experience to observe whether the beneficial effects on cognitive flexibility were abolished. Contrary to our hypothesis, blocking hippocampal activity after sexual experience had no impact on enhanced cognitive flexibility. Taken together, these findings indicate that sexual experience enhances medial prefrontal cortex dendritic spine density and cognitive flexibility but that these effects may not require continual input from the hippocampus.
AB - The medial prefrontal cortex is important for cognitive flexibility, a capability that is affected by environmental conditions and specific experiences. Aversive experience, such as chronic restraint stress, is known to impair performance on a task of cognitive flexibility, specifically attentional set-shifting, in rats. Concomitant with this performance decrement, chronic stress reduces the number of dendritic spines on pyramidal neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex. No previous studies have examined whether a rewarding experience, namely mating, affects cognitive flexibility and dendritic spines in the medial prefrontal cortex of male rats. To test this possibility, we exposed adult male rats to sexual receptive females once daily for one week, assessed attentional set-shifting performance, and then analyzed their brains for changes in dendritic spines. We found that sexual experience improved performance on extradimensional set-shifting, which is known to require the medial prefrontal cortex. Additionally, we observed increased dendritic spine density on apical and basal dendrites of pyramidal neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex, but not the orbitofrontal cortex, after sexual experience. We also found that sexual experience enhanced dendritic spine density on granule neurons of the dentate gyrus. The ventral hippocampus sends a direct projection to the medial prefrontal cortex, raising the possibility that experience-dependent changes in the hippocampus are necessary for alterations in medial prefrontal cortex structure and function. As a first attempt at investigating this, we inactivated the ventral hippocampus with the GABA agonist muscimol, after each daily bout of sexual experience to observe whether the beneficial effects on cognitive flexibility were abolished. Contrary to our hypothesis, blocking hippocampal activity after sexual experience had no impact on enhanced cognitive flexibility. Taken together, these findings indicate that sexual experience enhances medial prefrontal cortex dendritic spine density and cognitive flexibility but that these effects may not require continual input from the hippocampus.
KW - Dendritic spine
KW - Mating
KW - Medial prefrontal cortex
U2 - 10.1016/j.nlm.2015.07.007
DO - 10.1016/j.nlm.2015.07.007
JO - Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
JF - Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
Glasper ER, LaMarca EA, Bocarsly ME, Fasolino M, Opendak M, Gould E. Sexual experience enhances cognitive flexibility and dendritic spine density in the medial prefrontal cortex. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. 2015 Nov 11;125:73-79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nlm.2015.07.007


Ideal for Hot Climates 1' Module - Infinity [fa·çade] The face of a building, especially the principal front that looks onto a street or open space. The big question is how to address it. If it is a face that is supposed to look onto a street or open space, what about the heat and light entering the building? Considering Florida's climate, is there a way to allow maximum views out while still managing heat gain for optimal building performance?


text:
the loose wire blog
Jeremy Wagstaff: ex Reuters/BBC/WSJ etc. Now consulting and writing. Blogging here since 2001
Guidance for PR
The Future of Work Rethought
By jeremy | December 13, 2019
I recently did two things I hadn't done before. One was to cancel my membership at a co-working space. The other was to meet, face to face, my virtual assistant of seven years. I belatedly realised the two events were connected: the freelance world, once a parallel universe hidden from view, is fast switching places with the real one, and governments, companies and families should take note.
It's tempting nowadays to think that technology is redefining work, and not in a good way. AI and robotics are stealing away work from top to bottom, from lawyers to assembly lines. Gig platforms like Uber and Deliveroo are slicing up jobs into ever smaller chunks, making robots of us before the jobs are actually handed over to robots. And technology outsources what can be outsourced.
But I realise this is just one side of things. Who are all these people to whom this work is outsourced? By 2020, the number of self-employed in the U.S. will triple, to 42 million people. Freelancers are the fastest growing labour group in the European Union. Behind these statistics is a story, not just of harried drivers and deliver guys, but of knowledge workers who have chosen their own lifestyle, who have defied the disintermediation of the so-called platform economy. They offer a counter-narrative to the usual technology story of innovative disruption.
Take co-working spaces. On the one hand such spaces have proliferated. I recall looking for a co-working in Singapore space back in 2009 and finding only one, on the campus of one of the universities, and when I turned up one morning there to find the curtains closed, bodies all over the floor and a distinct odour of unwashed students. Now, every other floor in the tower blocks of the business district are co-working spaces, though the business looks nothing like it was originally imagined to be. Just don't expect to find many freelancers there.
Co-working sounded like a freelancer's dream — a place for those working alone and from home to find space to work, to mix, to find work, to find comradeship. It may have started out like that, but you won't find many freelancers in a co-working space nowadays. Respondents to a survey of 99designs freelancers, for example, showed only 4 percent of them used a co-working space.
I asked Patrick Llewelyn, CEO of 99designs, why this was. One reason, he said, was that most of the designers on his platform are primary care givers, looking after either their kids or a family member, and so tend to keep less formal hours. As co-working spaces have become substitute offices, they keep office hours which don't suit most freelancers, most of whom want to get away from the 9-5 grind.
I also realised there was little that was appealing. I abandoned mine when I realised I didn't enjoy going there. I had returned to working for myself a year or so ago and long admired co-working spaces as a vibrant, tasteful, colourful alternative to the dour, dusty and downbeat newsroom I worked in. But I realised that co-working spaces were too self-conscious, too brimming with hipness to be genuinely convivial. And expensive.
So freelancers choose their own path, and it doesn't fall easily into any fancy new disruptive model.
And then there's the other thing: my virtual assistant. She's real, but based in a Philippines town far from the madding crowd. I had always imagined that one day I'd make the pilgrimage there to meet her, since when she started working for me, she didn't have a passport. But by now she, husband and two kids in tow, was the peripatetic one, carving time for me in her hectic tour of Singapore.
This is the other thing that struck me about what Patrick told me. When I asked about how his freelancers find social fulfilment if they're working from home, he said that's the point. By staying home, often looking after family, they're able to retain those physical connections that those working in an office tend to lose. And being able to support themselves gives them a sense of contribution as well as a creative outlet, which in turns give them confidence.
When Patrick recently went to Novi Sad, the second largest city in Serbia and one of 99designs' biggest markets, he attended a meet-up of freelancers who clearly knew each other and felt a kinship and warmth you'd be hard pressed to find in a co-working space. Amarit Charoenphan, cofounder of Thailand's first and largest co-working space Hubba, told me that in the rush to grab market share and protect themselves from competition, many co-working players had lost the human touch, of fostering a community among their members. He sees the future in algorithms, co-working 3.0, where spaces draw on technology to address the emotional benefits of being together.
Freelancers might argue they already have that, using apps to connect to friends and colleagues, while staying or moving to the places they love. My virtual assistant continues to work from her seaside home, bouncing her two-year-old daughter on her knee on conference calls with her main client, a friend of mine based in Texas. She worries about brownouts and the occasional typhoon, but with internet connectivity improving, she's rarely offline for long.
She's part of a massive, gradual shift in knowledge work, from the big city to the smaller towns and villages. This shows up in the data: Less than a quarter of the 99designs freelancers live in urban hubs of more than a million people — just as many live in towns or villages of less than 20,000. This is true more or less across the board: In the U.S. and Indonesia the number falls to be low 14% who live in a metropolis. Data from Upwork, a general freelancing site, shows that for a lot of specialised work even those based in remote towns in the developing world can command decent USD rates.
For sure, freelancing isn't for everyone, and it's not always easy to get your first client. And platforms that break down basic tasks like delivery and driving will always be a race to the bottom. But for those with skills, or those motivated to acquire them, the freelance economy has grown in the past decade to be a vast continent in the landscape of the future of work, mostly unnoticed by governments and immune to Silicon Valley's eviscerations. Which reminds me; I have to go, my virtual assistant is reminding me we're due a virtual brainstorming session.
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99designs Coworking freelancing Gig economy Indonesia online work Philippines Thailand upwork Work Foundation
are the devices we use sexist?
engagement's battleground has shifted to groups
Directory of note-taking apps
Employee snooping is big business. Expect it to get bigger
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One thought on "The Future of Work Rethought"
Phil December 23, 2019
Very interesting and a subject not frequently discussed.
At most, once a week, full text of the posts here and other thoughts on tech. Painless unsubscribing
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sensing our way out of interaction impoverishment January 12, 2021
the road beyond covid December 17, 2020
are the devices we use sexist? December 9, 2020
the bureaucratic threat to big tech November 28, 2020
the hypernormalisation of america November 20, 2020
COVID's other long shadow October 21, 2020
engagement's battleground has shifted to groups October 2, 2020
a solution to facebook: regulation, yes, but also a simpler tech September 18, 2020
the digitally ass-backwards age August 27, 2020
one less word, one more brick in the garden wall August 7, 2020
were we ever free of walled gardens? July 31, 2020
Apple's Troublesome (Trial) Cancel Culture July 26, 2020
Directory of note-taking apps July 20, 2020
Coming to terms with terms: digitization, digitalization and digital transformation July 15, 2020
Google, browsers and the illusion of choice July 9, 2020
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Sustainable Cleveland
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WHAT IS CIRCULAR CLEVELAND?
Circular Cleveland is a 30-month initiative to develop and implement circular economy strategies and programs in Cleveland. A circular economy is a comprehensive and sustainable approach to provide community-wide benefits by designing waste and pollution out of our economic system, keeping products and materials in use as long as possible, protecting and regenerating natural systems, and creating new jobs.
The Circular Cleveland initiative is a partnership between the City of Cleveland, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress and Neighborhood Connections. In addition, we have recently joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation network - a collection of other governments, cities, universities, and businesses, determined to actively collaborate, share knowledge and expertise to drive the global transition to a circular economy. The initiative is being funded by a $476,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as part of a $3 million program to bring the most impactful ideas from across the globe to U.S. cities to address the intertwined issues of health, equity, and climate change.
GRANT PHASES
The duration of the grant is November 2020 through April 2023 - and is split into two phases of implementation:
Completion of a scan and roadmap (a comprehensive review of current and potential resources in the region and a plan that outlines the major steps needed to create a Circular Cleveland)
The Request for Proposals for the Roadmap was released on January 20, 2021
Composting at the West Side Market (Request for Proposals yet to be released)
Community workshops held in Cleveland neighborhoods
Grants up to $3,000 available to residents through Neighborhood Connections
Selection of Circular Cleveland Ambassadors from Cleveland neighborhoods
Implementation of the Roadmap plan
Additional community workshops
Additional grants up to $3,000 available to residents through Neighborhood Connections
Incentives for small businesses through the City's Economic Development Department
CIRCULAR CLEVELAND COMMUNITY GRANTS
We are pleased to announce the first round of funding (phase I) for the Circular Cleveland Community Grants. A total of $40,771 was awarded through this process to fourteen (14) groups and organizations in the city of Cleveland and city of East Cleveland. Circular Cleveland grant award recipients are utilizing the funds to divert waste from the landfill and reduce pollution, keep products and materials in use and restore and renew the natural system.
The Circular Cleveland Grant Making Committee, all local residents involved in Circular Economy initiatives, chose these groups and organizations for funding based on their level of focus on circular economy principles, on their connection to their neighborhood, and on the potential replicability of their initiative. Congratulations to these groups and organizations:
CIRCULAR CLEVELAND AMBASSADORS
Circular Cleveland Ambassadors are passionate City of Cleveland residents who are interested in reducing waste and pollution, while also supporting economic opportunities in their community. Circular Cleveland Ambassadors will participate in the Circular Cleveland initiative for the duration of the grant program by representing and engaging other Cleveland residents and neighborhoods in our transition to a more circular economy.
Circular Cleveland will build on existing efforts to create circular economy strategies in Cleveland. Through innovation incentives and joint efforts, the project hopes to advance better environmental and community health outcomes for Cleveland residents. As we continue to make progress, all updates will be shared on our blog.
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Elaine Breiner commented 2021-12-22 12:06:26 -0500
I would like to know if there is anyone/any organization that can use plastic containers, most with lids, all sizes, for anything? I just can't bring myself to throw in the trash when I think they could be used for something. They are not recycle-able at the Cuyahoga County recycling centers. I have about 8-10 bags in my basement of these (cleaned out, washed, dry) that I would like to find a home for. Thank you.
Brittany Montgomery published this page in Programs & Resources 2021-08-04 14:35:03 -0400


Clas Neumann, head of SAP Labs Operations and Fast Growth Markets, and Rui Cheng Li, MD Labs China, talk about the focus of SAP's efforts in China.
By 2050, 75% of the world's population will live in cities, bringing challenges and opportunities for urban citizens. Over 500 leaders from major cities worldwide gathered at the Smart Cities Congress in Barcelona to discuss what the future holds for urban innovation.
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