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Northwest Quarterly > Blog > Archive > Holiday 2019 > Experience Mozart's Music with the ESO
Arts & EntertainmentHoliday 2019
Posted by Stephanie Grimoldby December 12, 2019
Elgin Symphony: Presenting the Symphonic Sounds of the Season
As it celebrates its 70th season, the ESO turns to the classics of Mozart in its upcoming performance. True to ESO's mantra, this concert is sure to grab your attention, even if you've never been to a classical music concert, you'll be able to recognize Mozart's work.
The Elgin Symphony Orchestra performs some of Mozart's masterpieces on Jan. 10 at Prairie Center for the Arts, in Schaumburg, and Jan. 11-12 at Hemmens Cultural Center, in Elgin. (Elgin Symphony photo)
As it celebrates its 70th anniversary season, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra (ESO) is marking the occasion with a weekend of concerts dedicated to the genius of Mozart.
Classical music enthusiasts likely need little persuasion to attend one of three performances that include Mozart's Symphony 40 – known for its recognizable opening melodies – as well as an intimate piece written by Mozart for close friends.
But Ashley Schoen, senior director of marketing for the ESO, says she's also excited to welcome those who haven't been to a classical performance before, and she wants them to think of this performance as "symphony reimagined."
"We're not reimagining the music – it's still the top classics of the past – but we're wanting people to realize this music, back in Mozart's time, wasn't classical music; it was contemporary music," she says. "He was going against the grain; he was making new music. And a lot of today's music is inspired by it."
If you've never attended a classical music concert or even listened to the genre, when you hear a bit of Mozart playing, you'll still recognize the tune, Schoen says. That's the extent to which Mozart has infiltrated popular music through the ages.
With that in mind, anyone can enjoy a Mozart performance, and people shouldn't let any stigmas keep them from attending, Schoen continues.
"We want to break down the barriers that normally exist between an orchestra and the general public," she says. "You don't have to wear a suit and tie or a fancy ball gown. Classical music is an international language because there are no words. No matter what language you speak, what your demographics are, whatever age you are, everyone can enjoy this.
"We don't want you to worry about, 'When should I clap?'" she adds. "If you liked a certain movement, clap. Our musicians love it. We want people to experience this music, and we want them to experience it their own way."
Adds Andrew Grams, music director of the ESO since 2013: "My mother likes to say this experience in Elgin is, 'You come as you are, and you leave forever changed. The important thing is everybody feels comfortable to come."
Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart – who often went by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – is one of classical music's elite composers. Born in 1756 in Salzburg, Austria, he lived just 35 years but produced more than 600 works.
"He's one of the top guys," Schoen says. "He's also great for someone who has never experienced classical music, because Mozart is so well known."
The performance, which will run less than two hours, opens with Piano Concerto No. 23, a piece Mozart saved for himself and a small circle of listeners.
The concert ends with Symphony No. 40, which has one of the most recognizable sounds in all of music.
"The concerto is very sunny, lovely and charming – life seems to be pretty happy," says Grams. "The symphony is dark and stormy, and there's a lot of tension and grit in it. So, the music is something everyone can relate to.
"Mozart has music of great depth and beauty," continues Grams. "He was able to express a lot of what it means to be human in good times and bad, and he did so in a way that was so good we still play his music hundreds of years later."
In between Mozart's two pieces, the ESO will perform "The Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite No. 1," by Ottorino Respighi.
The music is not necessarily Respighi, says Grams. The Italian composer was a musical anthologist who had an affinity for medieval music. He compiled local aria dances and songs and arranged it for modern symphony orchestra.
"Here, we have the universality of music, especially folk music, being expressed through the medium of symphony orchestra," says Grams.
If you attend the Saturday evening performance, feel free to stick around afterward and attend a casual Mingle with the Musicians event. Located inside the Hemmens lobby or a local restaurant, it's a great way to speak with the musicians and other ESO supporters and enjoy a few free appetizers as well.
If you're inclined to learn more about Mozart, consider attending a free Listeners Club lecture/discussion before the concert. Led by music lecturer, composer and radio personality Jim Kendros, Listeners Club sessions last anywhere from one to two hours and usually include a surprise visit from someone related to the upcoming performance.
Andrew Grams is a young, well-known conductor who has led countless national and international orchestras, including the Montreal Symphony, the Vancouver Symphony, the BBC Symphony Orchestra London and more, plus two of the world's best: the Cleveland Orchestra and Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
But the ESO is his home orchestra.
His style fits well with the message the ESO tries to project: anyone and everyone is welcome.
"He's very laid back," says Schoen. "He doesn't wear fancy suits. He's very theatrical, not stiff; he's very active. That goes to show how our orchestra is. We're all about enjoying the music and feeling the music."
The 42-year-old Maryland native started conducting at the age of 17, received a bachelor's degree in violin performance at The Juilliard School and earned a conducting degree from the Curtis Institute of Music.
Unique to this "Magnificent Mozart" performance, Grams, an accomplished violinist, will sit with the orchestra in the first chair and conduct from there.
"It stems from the fact that I, as a conductor, do not actually make sound," says Grams. "I wave my arms and the musicians, with their instruments, make the sound. What I, as a conductor, miss is feeling the vibration of an instrument on my body. I miss the actual vibrations of the air that are created by an instrument producing sound."
Additionally, pianist William Wolfram will join ESO as they perform Mozart's work.
"Those are two dynamic soloists," Schoen says. "Andrew Grams is an amazing conductor, but to have the opportunity to see him play violin is something you won't be able to see at any other concert this season."
And Grams is an award-winner, too, having been named Conductor of the Year by the Illinois Council of Orchestras in 2015.
"We are a local symphony with international and national talent," Schoen says. "We are a professional symphony. We are the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, but we are not what some people consider 'community symphony.' All of our musicians have other jobs – teaching, or maybe performing for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, in Cleveland, for the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Our musicians are on those levels. You'll be experiencing a professional orchestra at a fraction of the cost. You don't have to pay for parking or take a full day. That's one of the wonderful things about having this orchestra in Elgin. You can get the big-city entertainment level – we're orchestra of the year – right here."
Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 10 at Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Ct., in Schaumburg, and at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11 and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 12 at Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, in Elgin.
Tickets cost $35 to $85. Discounts are available for those who become an ESO subscriber and purchase three or more concert tickets in the current season (which runs through May). Group discounts for 10 or more patrons also are available. Learn more at elginsymphony.org.
Abbey Road: The Beatles
Jan. 25, 7:30 p.m.
The ESO – alongside rock vocalist group Jeans 'n Classics – performs the entire best-selling Beatles album.
The Power of Fate: Verdi, Strauss and Wagner
Feb. 8-9, Sat. 7:30 p.m., Sun. 2:30 p.m.
This intense performance reflects themes of love, revenge and war.
Mariachi!
March 7, 7:30 p.m.
The symphony's history-making first mariachi concert will be in collaboration with Mariachi Acero from Las Vegas.
Debussy and Brahms
April 4-5, Sat. 7:30 p.m., Sun. 2:30 p.m.
This romantic and sexy concert will "light the fires of love."
Season Finale: The Planets
May 2-3, Sat. 7:30 p.m., Sun. 2:30 p.m.
The symphony will be joined by Music Director Andrew Grams and the Elgin Master Chorale for a celestial finale.
Tags: classical music elgin symphony orchestra Mozart
Stephanie Grimoldby December 12, 2019
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Microsoft warns against hack that allows Windows XP updates
Microsoft has warned against using a hack that enables Windows XP to continue to receive security updates even though Microsoft officially ended support for the operating system in April.
A "simple registry tweak" allows those who have not migrated to a newer version of Windows to receive updates from Microsoft, according to Betanews.
The tweak pulls in the updates Microsoft is releasing for embedded versions of the 13-year-old Windows XP, which Betanews notes would be "essentially" the same as the standard version of the OS.
But Microsoft has warned that Windows XP customers may face problems if they install the updates.
"The security updates that could be installed are intended for Windows Embedded and Windows Server 2003 customers and do not fully protect Windows XP customers," Microsoft said in a statement.
"Windows XP customers also run a significant risk of functionality issues with their machines if they install these updates, as they are not tested against Windows XP," the statement said.
Security experts also warned that companies should be wary of the registry hack as it could potentially have an adverse effect on their environment.
"Microsoft will not be testing the patches on the full version of XP and so these updates could lead to downtime and have a negative effect on user experience," said Andrew Avanessian, vice-president of global professional services at Windows privilege management firm Avecto.
"Another consideration is system bloat. XP machines will tend be to running on older hardware, which is most likely at the end of its life, and as number of the updates will not be needed it could result in increased disk footprint," he said.
Several government have negotiated deals with Microsoft to extend support for Windows, giving them more time to migrate to a more modern operating system.
The UK government won an extra year with a £5.5m deal with Microsoft.
Security experts have urged all other users of Windows XP to migrate to newer operating systems or at the very least switch to a browser like Google's Chrome or Firefox that is actively supported.
Avanessian said companies unable to migrate to Windows 7 or 8 should strongly consider removing unnecessary admin and power user rights.
They should also ensure staff members cannot implement the registry hack to reduce vulnerabilities to attack as much as possible.
When Microsoft ended support for Windows XP, the Information Commissioner's Office estimated that 30% of all PCs were still using Windows XP.
Research by UK software firm AppSense indicated that around 77% of UK organisations were running XP somewhere in their IT estate.
While Gartner estimated that up to 25% of enterprise systems was still running XP, and that a third of large organisations had more than 10% of their systems still on XP.
Via: computerweekly
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10 Video Games Where the Ending Can Change Based on Player's Actions
Games have been trying to properly implement choice and consequence mechanics for ages, and it's fair to say that we've seen our fair share of ups and downs on that front. More often than not, the illusion of choice is what we get instead of choices that have actual and meaningful consequences- but of course, every so often, we do get games where the decisions you make actually do end up mattering quite a lot- games where, whether because of one snap decision or a string of them, how the story ends can vary significantly. Here, we're going to talk about a few such games.
By now, Supermassive Games almost has this formula down to a science. The developer has made multiple interactive horror adventure games by now, and its latest, The Quarry, once again delivers an experience where your actions throughout the story have a major impact on how things end for each and every character. All of them can die, or none of them can, and it's all down to what you do. The knowledge that there will be actual consequences to your actions lends a great deal of weight to everything you do in the game.
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THE DARK PICTURES ANTHOLOGY: HOUSE OF ASHES
Of course, The Quarry is far from the only Supermassive title to have done what it did even in the last year or so. 2021 saw the launch of The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes, and it, too, delivered that classic choice-based branching experience that we've come to expect from the developer. The horror title presented players with a web of decisions both big and small that combined to determine the fate of every character in its ensemble cast, and it's fair to say that it did that quite well- certainly better than its two predecessors.
Other than the fact that it's not a horror game, Detroit: Become Human's gameplay formula is, of course, very similar to the two Supermassive titles we've spoken about until now, so it's no surprise that it achieves something very similar with its interactive adventure mechanics. Detroit: Become Human can end in one of multiple ways for each of its characters and in a much more overarching sense as well, while each of its major endings can also have several other variations, all stemming from older decisions made by the player. This is obviously something that Quantic Dream is accomplished at, so it wasn't necessarily a surprise to see Detroit: Become Human succeeding in this area as well.
Indie gem and all-time classic Undertale obviously had to be there. The whole game is about player agency and consequences of actions. How you handle encounters with monsters throughout the game ultimately ends up impacting how its story plays out and ends- and boy do these endings different from each other massively. Undertale sticks the landing with every single one of its multiple endings- which, of course, just makes you want to replay the game to see them all yourself.
In these games, your actions do have consequences.
STEINS;GATE ELITE
A game like Steins;Gate Elite is essentially a poster boy for a feature such as this one. The highly acclaimed visual novel is a work of genius when it comes to giving players actual agency, and then later making the consequences of their actions emerge in unexpected ways. This is a game with multiple completely different endings and wild divergences, all of which comes down to you choosing to do something at certain critical junctures throughout the story.
Dead Space Box Art
Omori is definitely the most unique game that we've spoken about in this feature until now, but as anyone who's played it will tell you, it stands out in memory. Indie developer Omocat's implementation of player choice mechanics deserves similar praise. Omori's ending can vary wildly and in multiple ways based on the player's actions, with the fates of characters changing radically from ending to ending. These endings are excellently executed as well, really making sure that you feel the weight of your choices.
THE STANLEY PARABLE ULTRA DELUXE
The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe is, interestingly enough, about its endings to begin with- which is to say that the whole point of the entire game is to "collect" all the endings in a sense by unlocking all of them. How these endings play out and where exactly the story ends up is based on what you do in the game, then- but also in the order that you do those things. It's a unique way to do things, to say the very least, but that's true of The Stanley Parable as a whole- and much like the rest of the game, how it handles the endings is very well done.
Resident Evil 7 very clearly isn't a choice-based game, but at a crucial juncture towards the end, it does ask players to make a pretty major decision- will Ethan leave the Baker estate with his infected wife Mia, or with the Bakers' daughter Zoe, who's been helping him the entire time? Him rescuing Mia is very blatantly the canon choice, but players can pick Zoe if they choose- which has an obvious impact on the ending. Granted, things don't change in a drastic way, but Resident Evil 7 does adjust the finer details of its final arc in some curious to ways to respond to the decision made by the player.
The way Persona 5 Royal's ending changes based on your actions is quite curious- in that you'll miss out on a whole chunk of the game if you don't do certain things throughout the game. The entire chunk of new content that Persona 5 Royal adds is set after the ending of the original Persona 5, and you can only access it if you've done certain things up until that point- which can be surprisingly easy to miss. And if you did mess them, well- hopefully you have an older save in a different slot, because you're going to need it.
Well, this one is a bit of an obvious choice, but we figured we've gotta have at least one of those, right? Fallout 4 isn't quite as compelling with its choices and consequences, but even in spite of those deficiencies, it does deliver some solid choice-based moments, if a little inconsistently. Deciding whether or not you want to fight the Institute and which faction you want to side with can have far-reaching consequences on a pretty wide scale, so you certainly feel the weight of those particular decisions.
9 Optional Video Game Scenes You Likely Missed
Hiding incredible story or gameplay content on optional paths has been a long-honoured tradition in


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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This advice has been published to demonstrate convincing reasons for why the duty to refer should be practised as an 'opportunity to cooperate' to prevent and relieve homelessness.
There are also lessons for policymakers: for instance it is critical that the review of the Homelessness Reduction Act considers how amending the duty to refer into a 'duty to cooperate' will best achieve the outcomes we all want to see. We will continue to share and promote learning and experiences, and we look forward to working with the Government, councils and our housing partners on our shared ambition to build homes, reduce homelessness and create prosperous places.


Speektra is a speech simulation synthesizer based on the VOSIM method developed by Kaegi and Tempelaars in the 1970s. It uses bursts of pulses with formant characteristics to synthesize robotic vowel sounds.
VOSIM (VOice SIMulation) sound synthesis is based on the idea that by employing repeating tone-burst signals of variable pulse duration and variable delay, a sound output of high linguistic and musical expressive power can be obtained.
The Puremagnetik implementation of VOSIM stretches things a bit further, allowing you to seamlessly morph between vowels, manually or via a modulator. You can also choose your voice register (Bass to Soprano). Designed with a versatile set of controls, Speektra excels as a lead voice synth, a percussive vocal, or a choral drone.


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Käthe Kollwitz – The Mothers (Die Mütter)
© Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, New York/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, Germany. Photograph by John Seyfried.
The Mothers (Die Mütter), 1922–1923
Born 1867, Konigsberg, Germany (now Kaliningrad, Russia); died 1945, Dresden, Germany
Lithograph (Edition 1/100)
20 ½ x 29 ⅝ inches
Gift of Peggy deSalle
CAM 1984.48
Following the catastrophe of World War I, German artist Käthe Kollwitz produced a portfolio of seven woodcuts entitled War in 1923 at the height of the pacifist movement in Germany. Using generalized figures of mothers, widows, young soldier volunteers and grieving parents, the prints focused on the pain and sorrow of those left behind. Kollwitz was particularly sensitive to the grief of mothers, having lost her own son Peter in the early months of the war.
The Mothers, part of the War portfolio, shows a group of women locked into a solid sculptural mass that forms a protective barrier for the infant held by one and the two children who peer out between their mothers' skirts. Though implying that mothers will stand together to prevent their children from marching off to future wars, the women are defensive and anxious. The woodcut evokes the sacrifice and suffering of German mothers who sent their sons off to war for their country's honor and now fear losing the flower of the next generation to future militarist adventures.
Dora Apel
Category(s): Prints
Decade(s): 1920s


Maplewood Psychology is a multi-disciplinary group of experienced clinicians providing quality mental health services to the community since 1984. We have joined together to combine our areas of expertise in a caring and supportive environment. Our treatment philosophies may vary, but our intention is to focus on the individual, couple, or family with a view that encompasses the whole: body, mind, emotions, behavior, and spirit. We share a common enthusiasm as change agents who assist clients in their work to restore functioning, health and well-being.
For more information, please call 651.770.1311.
Dr. Wick is a Licensed Psychologist and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She specializes in working with adults and adolescents and provides individual, couple, marriage and family therapy. She has extensive organization and management consultation experience with several corporations. She served as EAP and Program Director for Hazelden, providing assessment, referral, utilization review and provider network management.
Dr. Wick's practice focuses on treatment of depression, anxiety, panic and stress disorders, chronic illness, restoration of functioning, grief and loss, marital and relational issues, career and workplace issues, job stress and organizational change.
Dr. Wick is a nationally certified master practitioner in integrative behavioral medicine/health psychology. She utilizes evidence-based mind/body strategies such as lifestyle assessment, nutrition, exercise, and proven modalities to restore health and well-being. Dr. Wick's therapeutic approach incorporates Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). She believes that counseling/coaching is a collaborative process. Based on the individual's needs, we develop customized solutions using both traditional and integrative evidence-based solutions. Dr. Wick views people as capable of change and offers a relationship of acceptance, safety and empowerment. She is also an Internationally Certified Life/Health Coach. She has past experience in chemical dependency treatment and aftercare.
Dr. Eich is a Licensed Psychologist who works with individuals aged 10 and older. She is experienced helping people with a wide variety of mental health concerns including: depression, anxiety, panic, anger, post-traumatic stress, work problems, fears in social situations, grief and loss, relationship problems, body image issues, difficulty coping with stress, GLBT issues, personality disorders, and safety concerns.
Dr. Eich has experience working in hospitals, schools, private practice and community mental health settings. Dr. Eich believes growth and change begin when her clients feel safe and know they have a therapist they can trust. Dr. Eich is genuine and brings her full attention, insights, and self to sessions. She listens actively and is non-judgmental. In their work together, Dr. Eich's clients say they feel unconditionally accepted while also feeling challenged to grow.
Dr. Eich has a special interest in maternal mental health and enjoys working with women on improving mental health during pregnancy and motherhood. Dr. Eich can help women cope with depression and anxiety during pregnancy and postpartum. She can also help women and their partners cope with pregnancy and infant loss. Dr. Eich will collaborate with physicians to ensure holistic care and welcomes mothers to bring their baby to session.
Dr. Eich's therapeutic approach incorporates mindfulness, Person-Centered and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. She helps clients to validate and accept themselves and to identify and change thoughts and behaviors that contribute to mental health concerns. She believes in a collaborative approach and works with her clients to build on their strengths and achieve their goals.
Dr. Kelly is a Licensed Psychologist and Licensed Professional Counselor with 23 years of experience treating children, adolescents, and young adults.
Dr. Kelly has worked in a variety of mental health settings and with a variety of levels of care including residential treatment for children, inpatient treatment for children and adults, and outpatient treatment for children, adolescents, and adults. He also holds a Master's Degree in Educational Psychology. He has worked in a variety of classroom settings for children with special needs, particularly those on the autism spectrum.
Dr. Kelly began his professional work in psychology as a Milieu Counselor for autistic children and has worked with this population in a variety of roles since 1986. He has additional extensive experience working with parents, teachers, school settings, and juvenile probation officers. Utilizing cognitive-behavioral therapy, Dr. Kelly has experience working with adolescents and adults with sexual behavior or offending problems. Other therapeutic techniques include insight-oriented supportive therapy and play therapy.
Dr. Kelly also performs assessment and evaluation for children, adolescents, and young adults for a variety of mental conditions or concerns.
Norah is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist. She works with children (ages 5 and up), adolescents, teenagers and adults providing individual, couples and family therapy. Norah has experience working in private practice, county government, school systems and collaborative, community based mental health treatment programs. Before joining the team at Maplewood Psychology, Norah most recently provided Multisystemic Family Therapy (MST), an intense, in home family therapy program specialized for teenagers with mental health, chemical health and behavioral concerns.
Norah's practice now focuses on improving relational struggles, family dynamics and conflict, chemical dependency, behavioral concerns, truancy and school related problems, emotional regulation, anger management, self esteem, anxiety, depression, ADHD, oppositional defiance disorder, eating disorders, domestic violence, divorce, parenting and co-parenting.
Dr. Mecklenburg is a licensed psychologist and licensed school psychologist who specializes in working with children, adolescents and young adults.
She helps young people who have difficulties with relationships, anxiety, depression, anger, behavior regulation, motivation, school performance, and coping with life events in family, school and community contexts. She has many years of experience working with issues arising from life change and cross-cultural stress.
Her therapeutic techniques include cognitive behavioral therapy, play therapy, relationship based work, insight-oriented supportive therapy, parent guidance and coaching, behavior management consultation, group work and family therapy.
She also provides intellectual, academic, and behavioral diagnostic evaluations and consultation to support school, medical and family planning for intervention needs.
With over thirty years of experience as a psychotherapist, Carol has developed expertise in helping people increase their satisfaction and success in life. Carol works with her clients to identify strengths and helps clients overcome obstacles to personal and work success. She teaches practical communication skills and life-management skills to change behavior that may block success.
Carol uses a wide range of approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Oriented Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. As appropriate and when clients are interested, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Clinical Hypnosis are utilized.
Carol works with adults, teens, and pre-teens whose fears or past experiences have kept them feeling stuck at work, school, or socially. Areas of interest include anxiety, OCD, depression, stress management, grief and loss, and management of pain or chronic illness such as IBS.
Carol has a collaborative relationship with clients, identifying clear goals, and encouraging active participation in setting agendas for sessions and for work between sessions. There is often laughter and celebration in sessions as well.
Mr. Schultz is a mental health practitioner who works with teenagers and adults, primarily clients experiencing symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. Mr. Schultz's work with clients is person-centered and cognitive-behavioral. This means he emphasizes building a relationship, understanding his clients' life context, and helping them make decisions related to their goals. During this process, he offers supportive and scientifically-based interventions shown to significantly relieve distress and improve well-being.
Mr. Schultz completed a psychological assessment practicum at Argosy Student Counseling Services, a therapy practicum at Watercourse Counseling, an advanced practicum at Brakins Consulting and Psychological Services, and is currently completing an advanced practicum at the University of Minnesota's Student Counseling Services. He is completing his doctoral degree at the Minnesota School of Professional Psychology. His clinical work is supervised by Dr. Jean Eich.
He has published numerous peer-reviewed articles discussing biology and mental health in journals such as Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry, The Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, and The Journal of Humanistic Psychology. His first book -- Mental Health. Biology, Agency, and Meaning -- will be published by Theran Press in early 2018. He is an affiliate member of the American Psychological Association, the Society for Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, the Society for Humanistic Psychology, the Minnesota Psychological Association, and the International OCD foundation.
Dr. Skovholt enjoys his work as a therapist and counselor. He feels that it is meaningful, useful and often enjoyable. Over the 35 years that he has been working in this field he has developed a variety of methods to address the kind of issues that are so distressing for individuals. Some of the distressing issues for people involve high levels of anxiety, depression that makes it hard to function well, anger that can quickly boil up and conflict with an intimate partner that leaves a person lonely and very hurt.
Dr. Skovholt likes to work with adult women, adult men and also adolescents with a variety of life concerns. These life concerns also include job stress and career concerns. His counseling methods integrate a focus on emotions, thinking styles and behavior change.
Dr. Skovholt is a Licensed Psychologist and also Board Certified in Counseling Psychology.He is also a faculty member at the University of Minnesota where he teaches counseling skills to students. Many of his former students are now practitioners in the Twin Cities and other places in the country. At the U of M, he is a member of the Academy of Distinguished Teachers. He has won national awards, taught in other countries and written books in the counseling field.
He has been awarded the 2012 University of Missouri College of Education Award for Outstanding Professional Achievement. He feels fortunate to be in the profession of counseling and therapy.
ALEXANDRA M. STILLMAN, Ph.D., M.H.A., M.P.H.
Dr. Stillman provides psychotherapy to adults and couples. She has experience in addressing difficult life issues such as work, marriage, and familial stress as well as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, grief and loss, relationship dysfunction, and self-esteem concerns.
She has helped many families address infertility concerns and conducts adoption evaluations.
She has particular expertise working with patients with medical illness as well as their caregivers. She is a member of the American Academy of Bereavement as well as the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine, and has specific knowledge of treatment of individuals with terminal diagnoses as well as chronic pain. She enjoys working with patients who are seeking to manage their weight and make lifestyle changes, especially working with individuals pre and post weight loss surgery.
Dr. Stillman works with patients and their health care providers in a collaborative and integrated manner. Her post-doctoral degree in clinical psychopharmacology allows her to better assist patients communicating medication concerns to prescribing physicians.
Dr. Stillman also provides a wide range of services to professionals and executives including firefighters and police officers who require critical incident stress debriefing assistance. She provides stress management and executive coaching to physicians, residents, psychologists, CEOs, interns and trainees, and a wide range of other professionals. Her approach is Cognitive Behavioral in orientation, but takes into account each individual's specific needs in order to develop a unique and collaborative treatment plan.
Dr. Wojcik specializes in therapy with families and marital couples, treating anxiety, depression, and behavior disorders. He prefers to treat child and adolescent problems such as chemical dependency, behavioral problems, and divorce and grief issues in family context. He sees individuals who are struggling with relationship problems in their families or workplace.
Other special interests include chronic illness and work with the elderly and their families. In addition to his therapy practice, Dr. Wojcik has expertise in child, adolescent, and adult psychological and forensic evaluations. He is especially interested in quality improvement, and in assessing and tracking the outcomes of mental health treatments. He is co-author of the Health Dynamics Inventory, an outcome instrument published in 2002.


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Home > What we do > Poz Action
NAPWHA represents Poz Action on behalf of the PLHIV membership, and in collaboration with Living Positive Victoria, Positive Life New South Wales, Positive Life South Australia and Queensland Positive People.
Poz Action: Who we are…
People living with HIV gather together in many forms such as alliances, collaborations and networks. We acknowledge that our uniqueness is our lived experiences, the voice and action of people living with HIV and that this must remain vital and central to an effective response to HIV locally and globally. Our organisations include all the ways we respond to HIV.
Poz Action: What we do…
People living with HIV organisations are committed to the notion of the greater involvement and meaningful engagement of people living with HIV (GIPA) in the health, social and structural responses to HIV, including government, clinical research and civil society responses. People living with HIV organisations aim to represent and advocate on behalf of the diversity of people living with HIV. They are founded in a commitment to the involvement and empowerment of the group most affected by HIV — people living with the virus. The organisations draw on the experience of the consumer health movement, community-based health promotion, and community development and they embody and promote the peer legitimacy of peer led approaches to health.
People living with HIV organisations are informed by the lives of people living with HIV and actively seek the engagement of the diversity of people living with HIV to ensure that their organisational voice is credible, relevant and timely.
Poz Action: How we work …
People living with HIV organisations aim to ensure that the voices of people living with HIV are heard as a partner in all research, policy and program responses to HIV and further promote the leadership of people living with HIV as full, equal and essential partners to guide this work. These organisations strive to build the capacity of people living with HIV to participate in all aspects of society as informed, enabled and empowered participants in their own right and for their community's development and social change.
People living with HIV organisations represent and acknowledge the diverse and evolving experiences of living with HIV. This 'lived experience' identity and its authority are essential to the ongoing production of quality and effective prevention, treatment and care responses to HIV. It is the quality of these responses that continues to allow people with HIV to live in dignity, maintain and improve their health, and make choices that have beneficial impacts for themselves, their partners, families and communities.
People living with HIV organisations seek to be responsive to the evolving challenges and strengths of people living with HIV and advocate on behalf of people living with HIV at an individual, a community and a systemic level.
Poz Action: Currently targeting …
These are the issues that POZ Action is currently targeting:
Antiretroviral co-payments for people with HIV in Australia [PDF]
The vital role of people with HIV in HIV prevention [PDF]
HIV transmission, the law, and public health [PDF]
MYLIFE + APP
Improve the health and wellbeing of people living with HIV
For people living with and affected by HIV
POST PO Box 917, Newtown NSW 2042
EMAIL info@napwha.org.au
Copyright © National Association of people with HIV Australia • ABN: 79 052 437 899
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https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-national-association-of-plhiv-australia-napwha/about/


Beyond melanoma and NSCLC, pembrolizumab, nivolumab, and atezolizumab are being tested in clinical trials as a potential treatment for many other types of cancer. Results are available for only some of them. For example, clinical trial results show one or more of these PD-1/PD-L1–targeted immunotherapeutics benefit some patients with bladder cancer (131, 132), gastric (stomach) cancer (133), head and neck cancer (134), Hodgkin lymphoma (135), and renal cell carcinoma (136). Although many of the results are preliminary, results for nivolumab as a potential treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma and for atezolizumab as a potential treatment for bladder cancer are sufficiently promising that the FDA has granted them breakthrough therapy designations.
Despite the spectacular successes, treatment with ipilimumab and PD-1/PD-L1–targeted immunotherapeutics does not yield remarkable and long-term responses for all patients. In an effort to increase the number of patients who may benefit from these immunotherapeutics, researchers are testing combinations of checkpoint inhibitors and combinations of immunotherapeutics that work in different ways. In fact, treatment of metastatic melanoma with a combination of ipilimumab and nivolumab is currently under priority review at the FDA (see sidebar on FDA's Expedited Review Strategies, p. 60) after it was shown to benefit significantly more patients than ipilimumab alone (137).
In addition, recent research suggests that traditional chemotherapeutics and certain forms of radiotherapy may themselves be immunostimulatory. Therefore, researchers are investigating whether the utility of immune-checkpoint inhibitors can be expanded by combining members of this burgeoning class of immunotherapeutics with traditional chemotherapeutics and radiotherapy.
Another approach to cancer immunotherapy is to enhance the ability of T cells to eliminate cancer cells. If we think of checkpoint inhibitors as releasing the brakes on the immune system, these immunotherapeutics step on the accelerator, and they work in several ways (see sidebar on How Immunotherapeutics Work, p. 83). These cancer treatments are showing great promise for improved patient care; however, all the breakthroughs discussed here are still in clinical development and have not yet been approved by the FDA.
One way to boost the killing power of the immune system is through adoptive T-cell therapy. During this complex medical procedure, T cells are harvested from a patient, expanded in number and/or genetically modified in the laboratory, and then returned to the patient, where they attack and potentially eliminate the cancer cells (see sidebar on Types of Adoptive T-Cell Therapies, p. 88).
CAR T–cell therapy is a form of adoptive T-cell therapy that has been particularly successful for adults and children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that has progressed despite several other forms of treatment. In fact, recent reports indicate that about 90 percent of patients with relapsed ALL who receive CAR T–cell therapy experience complete remissions (138, 139). Even though only some patients have remained in remission long term, these results provide hope for a group of patients who have few treatment options, and the FDA has granted two CAR T– cell therapies, CTL019 and JCAR015, breakthrough therapy designation for the treatment of ALL.
is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the united states and worldwide.
deaths are anticipated to be attributable to the disease in 2015.


Property Description: B.K. Park Nanekarwadi Chakan Project by Atharva Properties, We are happy to say that this project is one of the biggest projects at Chakan area at prime location. There are open bungalow plots in this project including luxurious amenities. 	R zone Plot 	Separate 7/12 	Internal Road Streetlight Compound Drainage Line Separate Demarcation Water Vastu Shastra Plots If you think about the build your dream home this property suitable for you because of this property is located the prime location at Chakan. This project is nearby Pune-Nashik High-way 1 km Nearby location- Ambethan Chowk - 2 Km Chakan Chowk - 1 Km Schools - 2 Km Hospital- 3 Km Market - 2 Km Hotels - 1 Km Chakan MIDC – 0.5 Km If you think about the future investment in 2019, we surely say this investment gives high returns, because of the future ring road and bypass from Chakan chowk to high-way is in front of this Location.


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Kenya National Parks and Reserves
Samburu, Buffalo Springs and Shaba
Kakamega Forest Reserve
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
Marsabit National Park
Mount Kenya National Park
Shimba Hills Reserve
Rift Valley Lakes Guide
Swahili Coast Guide
Nairobi Travel Guide
Travel to Kenya
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy Destination Guide
Kenya Destination Guide
The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya is an award-winning model for community conservation. It is a great stronghold for endangered Black Rhino and they offer a variety of alternative safari activities.
The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy was a cattle ranch founded by the Craig family in the 1920's through a colonial settlement program. In the 1980's part of the ranch was converted into a sanctuary for Black Rhino whose numbers had been reduced to less than 300 due to poaching. In 1995 the Conservancy was founded and the area expanded to include the whole farm and part of the Ngare Ndare Forest Reserve.
Lewa Downs has been an exclusive safari destination for many years, but was made famous when Britain's Prince William proposed to Catherine Middleton there in 2010. It is considered to be one of the greatest conservation success stories in the world and is a model for sustainable tourism. Another event the Conservancy is famous for is the Safaricom Marathon, an annual event held to raise money for the Conservancy's environmental initiatives.
The Lewa Conservancy is located south of the town of Isiolo near the Laikipia Plateau. If you are travelling by road the conservancy is a 4 hour drive from Nairobi on the Thika Road.
Airport - The easiest way to get to Lewa Downs is by air on a direct flight from Nairobi's Wilson Airport into the conservancy's private airstrip. There are daily scheduled flights.
Lewa Highlights and Attractions
A great place to see the endangered Black and White Rhino
See the endangered Grevy's zebras
Horse and camel riding through the African savannah
Northern Rangelands Trust Headquarters
Visits to the Maasai Cultural Village
What to do on the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy - game drives, walking safaris, night game drives, bush dinners, camel rides, horse rides, and educational tours on day to day operations of the conservancy.
The game viewing is fantastic and you will head out in one of the conservancies specially adapted safari vehicles in the company of an experienced ranger and tracker in search of wildlife including the Big Five. One of the attractions is the number of endangered Black and White Rhino that can be found in the Conservancy, as well as rare animals such as Grevy's Zebra and the Reticulated Giraffe.
One of the greatest attractions of the Lewa Conservancy is that it allows you the freedom to do different safari activities such as going on bush walks accompanied by local guides who will help you interpret the secrets of the bush. If you are looking for a more relaxing time, then spend some times in one of the hides overlooking the waterhole. The lodges also offer optional activities such as Horseback safaris and even safaris on Camel back.
You can also visit the Ngare Ndare Forest Reserve and seek Black and White Colobus Monkeys as well as many species of birds. The Conservancy is actively involved in the community and guests are actively encouraged to participate in conservation and community projects. These are often a great way to immerse yourself in local culture and learn about life in Africa.
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy Accommodation
Lewa Safari Camp - Lewa Safari Camp is situated in the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and has sweeping views all the way to Mt. Kenya. Accommodation is offered in tented suites under thatch. The main lodge is surrounded by beautiful gardens and overlook the swimming pool. Discover the amazing wildlife of the conservancy on game drives, guided walks and camel and horseback safaris.
Climate of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
The days are warm, rising to maximum of 30 deg C, but comfortable with minimum humidity, and the evenings are cool with cosy blankets on the beds. Rainfall is mostly in May and November with an average of 360mm per year.


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package de.tudarmstadt.ukp.clarin.webanno.agreement.measures;

import java.io.Serializable;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Map;

import org.apache.uima.cas.CAS;

import de.tudarmstadt.ukp.clarin.webanno.model.AnnotationFeature;

public interface AgreementMeasure<R extends Serializable>
{
    R getAgreement(Map<String, List<CAS>> aCasMap);

    AnnotationFeature getFeature();

    DefaultAgreementTraits getTraits();
}


Lorilee, Michael T. Wilson, CFP, and Erin Roche of Roche Accounting Inc. will host a free seminar addressing why estate planning is important, what happens if proper planning is not done, who should do estate planning, and changes in the economy that people need to be aware of. The seminar will be from 6-7:30 p.m. at Lorilee's office located at 3333 Mendocino Avenue, Suite 202, Santa Rosa, CA. To attend, please call 707.542.2889. For more information about Michael, please visit his website at www.michaeltwilsoncfp.net. For more information about Erin, please see www.rai-cpa.com.


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Credit card consolidation is a relatively simple process in Malton ON: rather than sending payments individually for each creditor you owe, our debt relief providers offer to consolidate credit cards and loans by taking one payment each month that they in turn dispurse to your Ontario creditors for you. These types of Malton debt consolidation programs offer a lower or sometimes zero interest rate, and gives the you the Ontario consumer time to recover some savings as you quickly pay off your debts. This way, you are able to simplify your Malton household payments and not have to deal with the high interest rates of credit card payments. Malton debt settlement is not the same as it is part of the Canadian bankruptcy act and will hurt your credit for years, we have a much better debt management solution.
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Optimal for families and large groups, this four-bedroom, four-bath (upper floor) resort rental sleeps up to 12 guests. You get the option to prepare a family meal in the kitchen or relax in the living room. Elara by Hilton Grand Vacations - Center Strip is your home base in Las Vegas.


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Tag Archives: filmmaking
Murder Made Easy – NOW AVAILABLE!!
August 26, 2019 Handsome Timmy DActing, Actresses, celebrity, Cinema, Creativity, Digital Media, directing, Entertainment, film festivals, filmmaking, Fun, Independent Film, Internet, media, Movies, murder made easy, networking, pop culture, Producing, Production, Screenwriting, the arts, TV, writing Leave a comment
Hello dear reader & dear listener – it is with great excitement I can announce that Murder Made Easy, the independent feature film written by yours truly is now available for purchase on blu-ray from major online retailers everywhere. It's never been easier to pick up your copy of what Horror Society calls "American Psycho meets Clue."
Murder Made Easy is a love letter to old fashioned murder mysteries made famous by Agatha Christie and a slew of other great writers. Film buffs will see homages to crime classics "Rope" & "Sleuth" among others – I don't want to give too much away. It is a whodunnit after all. The logline is very simple – friends come over for dinner, one by one they get killed – by whom and why?
Since our world premiere at the Women In Horror Film Festival in the fall of 2017, we've been so fortunate to receive an outpouring of support from the independent horror community. It's funny because Murder Made Easy *technically* isn't a horror film – but those fans missed this kind of mystery and have embraced us in a way we are most grateful for.
Bringing any film to life is a back-breaking challenge which brings new challenges and obstacles each day. This appreciation of the process is why you won't hear too much criticism of other films on these pages. Murder Made Easy was a true labor of love. Director David Palamaro had a clear vision and his passion for the material was infectious, driving us all through long, hard days until we reached this shore – a critically acclaimed film now available for people to enjoy.
Big thanks to our distributors ScreamTeam Releasing and MVD Entertainment Group for this widespread Blu-Ray Release.
"But, Tim, I don't buy Blu-Rays. I only watching stuff through streaming." That's OK! Watch this space – more news on that coming soon.
And just in case you missed it on my front page, here's the trailer. Thanks so much and please help spread the word! Independent film can't survive without your help. Fight the good fight!
Sing Your Songs
June 23, 2018 Handsome Timmy Dcelebrity, Cinema, civil rights, Comedy, Creativity, Depression, directing, election, Entertainment, filmmaking, Fun, Independent Film, Internet, media, Movies, Music, politics, pop culture, Producing, Screenwriting, self-esteem, television, the arts, TV, TV Production, Women Directors, Women Producers, Women Writers, writing 1 Comment
The last time I wrote a long form blog was to articulate why I was a supporter of Hillary Clinton and ally for women's equality. Shockingly, the case for was defeated in favor of a rich, white con-man whose false promises appeal to the rage and fear generated by an ever changing world.
Election night of 2016 was a stunning moment. Looking back, I'm ashamed at my own response. I saw people openly weeping. I heard too many stories from those close to me about the hopelessness and hurt they were feeling. The glass ceiling was firmly back in place. Voter apathy was never more damaging. White nationalism was made mainstream. The thousand lies from a man who were not equal to the sin of one lie from a woman. The idol of the rich, white man (on both sides) was revealed as the real symbol of America – not the shining city of the hill that Ronald Reagan once so nobly described.
As someone firmly rooted in the Left, I have no problem saluting Ronald Reagan. Or George W Bush. Or George HW Bush. Or Mitt Romney. We're not in a Left vs Right struggle now in America. We're in the midst of a moral crisis in which we as a nation are deciding who we are.
Now, I want to be clear about something – it is now more than apparent that a hostile foreign power interfered in this election. We do not have a legitimate President at the moment. The office is filled but it is vacant. He should not be recognized and how that story plays out is a long way from over.
But the Russian interference does not take away from the rampant "fear of the other" on the side of the right. Nor does it take away from the exceptional privilege on the left. To put the needs of a progressive ideology over the needs of the many pretty much cancels out said ideology.
So who are we? What are we doing?
Election night when they called Florida for Trump, it felt like the death blow. The path to victory was pretty murky after that. Like a lot of folks when dealing a befuddling question, I took to social media. I went on to facebook and wrote something along the lines of:
"OK, if he wins, what do we do?"
Despite being a scatter-brained creative who likes to color outside the lines and fill his blog with typos, I'm blessed with a healthy sense of pragmatism. Yes, I know how oxymoronic that sounds but that's where I like to live. I would have no success in the arts if I didn't have a strong sense of practicality.
It's late June, 2018. The election has only become more stunning. The unthinkable nightmare is the new normal. I cannot believe he's lasted this long. I'm a lot more upset about him now then I was when he was declared victor. And with 2020 around the corner (for you younger readers – time really flies by as you older) it appears that he maybe there even longer.
In the almost 2 year timeframe, I and many others have marched in protest at the injustice and rampant corruption. I know people who've not only volunteered but have become involved. As in running – and winning! – in local elections. There is a blue wave. It is real. It is not future tense. It's happening.
But is it enough? And does it quell the feeling of helplessness when children are screaming in cages for the simple fact that they were born a different color?
It's been an odd feeling for me. Recently, Murder Made Easy played at the Dances With Films Festival here in Hollywood. (We played the Chinese Theatre – I mean, HOLY SHIT) I had the great fortune of meeting a slew of great filmmakers. They had noble stories of how to fix the world, confronting today's problems, tackling inequality and breaking the injustice at its core.
And then they'd turn to me and say "What's your movie about?" Sheepishly, I responded "well, it's an old fashioned murder mystery." At times it felt like one going to a civil rights protest but their main contribution was bringing the snacks for everyone.
However, everyone lit up. Smiles widened. When asked by the festival what I felt people should walk away from Murder Made Easy with I said simply, "Fun. Indie movies can be fun." Several of my fellow filmmakers concurred, telling me, "we need fun movies – especially today."
Love letter to Agatha Christie aside, I do actually write stories which tackle the human condition, how we hurt each other as we help ourselves, despair, isolation, self-destruction. Those are things I like to write about. And again – it's fun.
So for a few hours though, a movie can help us deal, can keep us sane, can help us catch our breath as we continue to say "no more" "enough" and "resist."
We need to keep marching. We need to keep calling. We need to keep protesting.
And the artists out there – we need to sing our songs. I believe it was Johnny Cash who said after 9/11, an artist had to put pen to paper. Just to try to understand.
Our attention spans have become hyper-focused on the moment. Yes, we are in a national moral crisis. But it's easy to forget we are in just the latest national moral crisis.
The DNC called me a few days after the election and told me that we are doomed without fundraising help. I told them, if we doomed, I'm not going to waste my money on a futile gesture. The poor fellow on the other side didn't have much of response. His talking points were to point such an awful picture that people would scared into giving over money.
My experience has taught me that fear can be a terrible motivator. There is a strong argument agains that sentence but in this situation, I refuse to believe in doom. I'm not blind to the threat we're under. I'm not turning away from the blatant racism that the US government is perpetrating at the border. And I'm not going to rationalize a single thing this administration has done.
But the path out, I believe, is through one of hope.
The more we believe we're doomed, the more Putin has won. But the fact is we have a track record with some of this stuff.
We as a nation did not accept slavery. We fought our way out of that. Yes, massive prison reform is needed. John Legend sang his songs and is bringing attention to that.
The unrest we're facing today kind of pales when compared to the 1960s. Sure, the hippies grew up to be the 80s Reagan's and yes, red hats remind us that the desire to segregate remains strong. The marches must go on. And as we march we must remember – it was not a sense of "we're doomed" that drove people across the bridge in Selma.
I didn't defriend or block any Trump voters on facebook. I actually talked someone out of voting from Trump when I should them a speech from Trump where we said he would proudly eliminate her job. I get why many are turning their backs but I'm not sure that's the answer. Nelson Mandela shook hands with his captors upon release from prison.
Sing your songs. Many who voted for him rationalized injustice, ignored racism and embraced their fears. Sing your songs. Let them know. You'll be surprised how many will hear you.
It's easy to feel like being creative is a waste of time. But look at many of your favorite artists and movies. I don't need to see your collection but I know some if not many were inspired by times such as the one we're in.
Sting sang about fields of gold but he also sang about the exploitation of the working class. "Brass watch, a check, maybe three weeks to live…"
Every look up the "Sunday Bloody Sunday" U2 sang about?
The heavy metal I grew up on featured some of the harshest criticism of war out there. And speaking of, the final episode of Blackadder Goes Fourth – a sitcom – is possibly the most powerful piece on World War I that I've ever seen.
Children are being ripped from their families. I'm seeing the new tax laws just brutalize people's finances. Around the world, we are no longer being recognized by the allies with whom we defeated genuine evil.
Future generations are going to look back on these very days and ask "How?" Just as we do looking back on the insanity of slavery and the absurdity of segregation.
So sing your songs. We need them. Nope. It won't fix everything. It won't replace practical action like protest, volunteering and getting involved. But they will help.
We need to laugh. We need to hope. We need to be inspired. We need to counteract our worst ugliness with our purest beauty.
In pain? Sing your song – someone else in pain needs it. Badly.
Helpless? Sing your song – it will help someone else.
Hopeless? Sing your song – it will bring hope to others.
Sing your songs. They will drown out the vile hatred that comes screaming from under a red hat.
My signature for all my writing correspondences for a while has been "Keeping fighting the good fight." It's a phrase that can be traced back to the Bible. And I used it as an anthem of encouragement to my fellow writers as we all face times of rejection and self-doubt. It takes on a much more literal meaning nowadays.
So dear reader, we will talk more soon. Until then, keep fighting the good fight and sing your songs.
Below is one of oldest and dearest friends who's been an inspiration to me, Genevieve, singing her song on one of the Sing for Hope pianos in New York City. Go on and give her page a like, then go sing your songs.
https://www.facebook.com/genevievemusicpage/videos/634820003545975/
Penumbra from Beleeve Entertainment
June 25, 2017 Handsome Timmy DActing, Actresses, Addiction, Cinema, Creativity, Crowdfunding, Depression, Digital Media, directing, Drug Abuse, Entertainment, film festivals, filmmaking, Independent Film, media, Movies, networking, pop culture, Producing, Production, Screenwriting, self-esteem, the arts, Women Directors, Women Producers, Women Writers, writing Leave a comment
In this era of Wonder Woman, I figured this is a great time to throw out a quick plug to two of my favorite Wonder Women out here in Hollywood – Chelese Belmont & Shannan Leigh Reeve from Beleeve Entertainment. When I started this blog/podcast venture, I was hopeful that it would help my efforts to network with other industry pros. I'm delighted to say Chelese & Shannan were my first two connections and we remain great friends to this today.
When I first interviewed them way back in 2014, they were about to film the last scenes of their movie Penumbra. Those shoots and post-production later, Penumbra is a completed feature decorated with some laurels and it's now available for sale. Penumbra takes a look at the impact drug addiction can have on all aspects of a family and I highly recommend it. In this era of vibrant independent film, brave stories are being told by all manner of artists. They may not have millions of dollars in PR behind them but these stories are out there. I hope this little plug continues to help shine a light on Beleeve Entertainment as they keep exploring brave stories that need to be told.
My original interview with Chelese & Shannan is here:
https://handsometimmyd.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/htd-express-105-beleeve-entertainment.mp3
You can purchase Penumbra here:
www.BeleeveEntertainment.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NBQSEDF/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_UcXAybZ17KNVN (or search Penumbra in Instant Video)
Vimeo On Demand: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/penumbrafilm
A Note About Ron Greenfield
March 28, 2017 Handsome Timmy DActing, celebrity, Cinema, Creativity, Digital Media, directing, Entertainment, filmmaking, Fun, Independent Film, Internet, media, Movies, networking, pop culture, PR, Producing, Production, Screenwriting, self-esteem, television, the arts, TV, TV Production, writing Leave a comment
Hello, dear reader and hello, dear listener. A lot has happened since I had the chance to sit down and write in these pages. The election we all wanted over and done with is finally over and done with. And like with so many things we rush through, many of us wish we had a second chance at it to get it right. 2016 turned into 2017. Many celebrities have left us. Many new babies have joined us. The New England Patriots pulled off the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. A movie I wrote is currently wrapping up in post. More on that in the coming weeks and months. And on top of other constant changes in the dance of life, I've accepted a position at a cable network which has taken up much of the time I dedicated to this venture.
But I don't want these pages to go idle completely. I'm delighted to report that traffic for the blog and currently paused podcast has held steady since November, 2016. I have several more topics and announcements to explore the next few weeks but as I've been thinking about my first post for 2017, one name kept coming to mind…
Ron Greenfield.
I hope many of you heard my interview with Ron in 2014. If not, it's embedded below. I first met Ron over twitter (where I've done a ton of my networking) as he was expanding his "Aspects Of Entertainment" brand. Our conversations were easy, enjoyable explorations of this funny thing called Show Business. Ron had been there, done that on his extensive career. I, on the other hand, had only been in the biz for 10 years or so at the time so I was just getting warmed up.
Ron and I had several great conversations over Skype and email. He always knew how to offer advice without telling you what to do. When talking about my search for representation, I'll never forget his simple pearl of wisdom – "Just remember, Tim, there's representation and then there's representation." A great reminder. Ron had been in the trenches with many Hollywood luminaries bringing promotions, designs and shows to life. He didn't like to bash anyone and he was never snobby about what he achieved. In fact, he struck me as just as fascinated and full of wonder for Hollywood after his career as he was before it all started. And even in his "retirement" he worked tirelessly on his website and putting together his collection of interviews.
Ron was fully committed to yet another new venture when ill health forced him to put the pen down for a bit. The fight was as valiant as any I had seen but on November 9th, 2016, Ron Greenfield left us at 66 years young.
Ron was a tremendous supporter of myself and these pages. It is only fitting that I return here in 2017 with a tip of the cap to top gent, talented artist and good friend to so many creators – Ron Greenfield.
https://handsometimmyd.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/htd-express-15-ron-greenfield.mp3
Ron's fantastic website Aspects of Entertainment is filled lots of wisdom and knowledge about entertainment:
http://www.aspectsofentertainment.com
Ron's Book Perspectives Of Entertainment is available here:
http://www.amazon.com/Perspectives-Entertainment-Ron-Greenfield-ebook/dp/B00B2Q5H36/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413309395&sr=8-1&keywords=Ron+Greenfield
I'm With Her…And Not Just Hillary.
October 27, 2016 Handsome Timmy D#ImWithHer, Acting, celebrity, Cinema, Creativity, Democracy, directing, Entertainment, Equal Rights, equality, filmmaking, Hillary Clinton, Independent Film, media, Movies, politics, pop culture, Producing, Production, Screenwriting, self-esteem, television, the arts, TV, TV Production, Women Directors, Women Producers, Women Writers, writing 3 Comments
"When everyone looks good, everyone looks good." – pro wrestling axiom.
It's always been my intention to keep politics out of the blog but with the Presidential election less than two weeks away, I find it hard not comment on the implications of what we're the edge of.
A quick disclaimer: This post is not meant to be Anti-Republican or Anti-Conservative. How one votes is their business and as a storyteller, my first question for my audience is not "who'd you vote for?" Maybe one day over some cold refreshment, I'll share which Republican principles I passionately agree with. (Stay the hell out of my script, government.)
This post isn't even meant to be Anti-Donald Trump. Though let me add for the record. I, Tim Davis, Screenwriter, TV Producer and former pro-wrestling referee hereby reject Donald Trump because of his rampant bigotry, racism, homophobia, sexism, White nationalism, penchant for sexual assault, his disrespect of our Democracy, his possible sociopathic tendencies, fraudulent business practices and pathological lying. In whatever order you'd like. So actually, I guess yeah, I'm very Anti-Donald Trump. Sorry, Donald. Next time don't be such an asshole.
Oh, go ahead and sue me Donald. I could use the publicity. Hey, maybe I'll get to meet Jessica Drake in court! I mean, I don't know who that is.
So suffice to say, I'm voting for Hillary Clinton. And the idea of putting Hillary Clinton on the same scale as Donald Trump is at best, intellectual dishonest and at worst, completely delusional. Saying Hillary Clinton is just as bad as Donald Trump is like saying "this Big Mac I just ate for lunch was almost as bad as the day my entire family was killed in a house fire." And that's not an exaggeration. Churchill was a sexist alcoholic. Anyone calling him as bad as Hitler would be deemed nuts.
I was for Hillary before I was for Obama. And with respect to the honorable Senator from Vermont, he was unable to dissuade me away from supporting her. I'm not voting for Hillary Clinton because she's not Donald Trump. (I can think of no living or recently retired politician I would not pick over Trump.)
I'm voting for Hillary Clinton because she's the most qualified candidate to run for the Presidency in my no longer short lifetime. She's the single toughest politician I've ever seen in said lifespan. She's overcome more smear, more attacks, more lies, more so-called scandals, more debasement, more sheer persecution than I've ever seen. They started on her long before Obama. I remember so many grown-ups in the 1990's: "Who the hell does she think she is? She's the first lady! She needs to learn her place."
Oh, she learned her place alright. Her place is first one across the finish line of every political battle she's had. Dick Morris and Trey Gowdy are in a "where are they now?" file while Hillary's on the cusp of her biggest win yet. There's a name for people like that in sports – Champion.
After all that the overt and covert sexism our society has thrown at her, Hillary stands poised to become the first female President of the United States. And in an election cycle that can only be described as surreal, she's become the overwhelming rational choice for sanity everywhere accumulating the most votes of any candidate so far.
So yes, I'm voting Hillary. I'm one of the quiet majority that is actually VERY EXCITED AND ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT VOTING HILLARY!!!! Sorry news narrative, all the Hillary voters I know are crazy psyched about it. Yes, we actually do indeed like her.
And not only am I voting for Hillary, I'm voting for equality. No, not because we need a "token female President" to catch up with the rest of the world. But because the prejudices of America still need to be overcome. Voting for Hillary is my way of not listening to the inherent sexism of our society.
If Hillary Clinton were a man, her popularity would be through the roof. If Hillary Clinton were a man with the last name Kennedy, she'd have a statue by now. "BUT THE EMAILS!!!!" George W Bush (hell of a painter) and Karl Rove (yikes) deleted 5 million White House emails. No one cared. A woman does an infinitesimal percentage of a similar infraction and society at large is scandalized? That right there is sexism 101. If you're mad at Hillary's emails and not mad at W's, I highly suggest you have some gender-equality figuring out to do.
And you know something? I might have deleted the same emails. It's politics. It's a tough business. Show me your favorite politician and I'll show you similar corruption. It's more ridiculous than deflate-gate at this point. (How's that ratings drop, Goodell? Good job.)
It's quite remarkable that when I ask people often very specific reasons why they dislike Hillary I get two kinds of answers either a) long debunked conspiracy theories (she has in fact murdered zero people) or b) these vague, amorphous blanket judgements. "I can't explain why I just don't like her." Who'd have thought ambiguity could spark such passion?
"She's shady…she's suspicious…she's mean…I just don't like her." She's arguably the most vetted politician to get this close to the oval office. As far as the mean stuff goes, I've never seen her more harsh than her male counterparts which leads me to wonder if there's some kind of sociological thing going in our culture. Does her yelling to defend herself remind us of when Mom used to yell us to finish our chores? Do we as a culture not like seeing women in such forceful roles?
"But she wrote mean emails about the Bernie campaign" So what? Seriously, so what? Welcome to big league politics. Bernie himself said he wrote mean emails about the Clinton camp! And I should hope so. They were fighting a high stakes game. Remember when Obama called Joe Biden stupid on a conference call? Upset about that one? Of course not, because men are expected to do that. A woman does it – GASP! Spare my blushes!!
Hillary hasn't had to break a glass ceiling. She's had to break through a glass ceiling that was covered in concrete while covered in mud and shackled in chains that spelt out "Double Standard."
And she is far from alone. Hillary represents the plight of far too many women who don't get paid as much male counterparts, don't get the respect they deserve and are still pushing past second class citizen status.
One of the front lines in the battle for equality is my own industry – Hollywood. There's been much written and talked about in regards to gender issues in the movie and TV business. There's good news – progress and awareness for the issue has grown in the past few years. There's bad news – there's a hell of a lot more than needs to be done.
I don't know what the answer is. I'm just one guy trying to sell some screenplays and making some movies I hope you'll enjoy, dear reader.
I do know we need to talk about it more. I do know that Hollywood, our culture at large and the living generations have a lot to figure in regards to equality. Being quiet won't help. Being defensive, yelling and screaming won't help. But talking about it might.
So allow to share with you some experiences I've had and why I'm proud to write in these pages – we need gender equality in Hollywood right now.
The majority of bosses I've had in the Entertainment Business have in fact been women. Actually, the majority of bosses I've had in my life had been women. Most of them were great – driven, passionate, inspirational leaders. A few of them were shit – power-hungry, insecure, abusive. I could say the exact same thing about all the male bosses I've had. Because women, like men, are people.
Things are improving in Hollywood, albeit too slowly. But I noticed something this past year that I found very interesting. I did an enormous amount of pitching. The majority of "yes, I'd love to read your script" came from women. Like A LOT. I don't have the exact stat (writer not a mathematician) but I'd guess it was around 70% of my "yeses" came from women. It got to the point where I was only seeking women to pitch to. (And uh, don't give me the "but women execs are nicer than men execs" No. No, they are not. No one has the time to waste on a sympathy read.)
I can't tell you why this track record has happened. No, I'm not flirting with them or bribing them or anything like that. I pride myself on professionalism. Maybe it's because my stories are more intimate character dramas concentrating on people over concept? Or maybe the concepts I have appeal to the female demo that's growing in genre? Maybe because I treat these women like equals and with respect? Maybe none or all of the above – I don't know and I don't ask. Once I get a yes, the script is mailed with a big "Thank You."
People fear equality in an irrational sense. "If we give X more jobs, then there will be less jobs for us." Before you email with examples of that happening, studies have shown that equal opportunity has lead to growth and expansion in many industries. An interesting read on the subject here from someone who I'm guessing is not a bleeding liberal: http://conversableeconomist.blogspot.com/2012/08/equal-opportunity-and-economic-growth.html
In other words, THEY are not coming to take YOUR job. THEY are coming for THEIR job which may in fact create a lot more of YOUR job. My own experience say my opportunities in my industry increase exponentially because of an increase in women gatekeepers in Hollywood. So keep 'em coming, I say, I got a lot more scripts to pitch.
Inclusion is vital in Hollywood. There's a limited number of plot lines and jokes. There's a limitless number of ways to tell those plot lines and jokes when all ethnicities, cultures, orientations and genders (oh, the people who think there's only two – they're in for a shock this next century) are brought to the table. And no it will not be done at the expense of the White Man.
It's always interesting to hear those who voice opposition to equality. Some basically say "I will not let you do to me what I'm doing to you."
My girlfriend is writer. It makes me furious to think opportunities will be denied her just because she's a women but I know they are. It's happening and it needs to change. Some of the best producers I know are women. Some of the most kick-ass people creating their own brands and kicking down doors are actresses. The new trailblazers in the industry bring new stories, new visions and new frontiers are in fact women. "Murder Made Easy" a feature film written by yours truly, just wrapped production and our producer was a woman who was smart, tough and invaluable in making sure we got every shot we needed in the schedule and budget allotted.
When I look at who has inspired me the past few years as I fight this good fight in screenwriting, the majority of them are women.
While we have a long, long way to go and I certainly have not been perfect in this area, equality should be a no-brainer. Putting barriers in front of someone is asking for those same barriers to be put in front of you one day. I put these words on the page saying I stand with the moral justice that is equal rights for all. But there's a selfishness to it, because I've seen the benefits to my own career the equality has brought. I want those people brought to the table because they may be the exact people who will look at me to write their stories.
Or as Hillary Clinton put it at the Convention: "when any barrier falls in America, for anyone, it clears the way for everyone."
I'm with her. Because she's for me.
Don't forget to vote for freedom, for democracy and for equality.
Conquering The Ordinary Afternoon
July 14, 2016 Handsome Timmy DCreativity, Digital Media, Entertainment, filmmaking, Fun, Independent Film, Internet, media, Movies, Novels, pop culture, Producing, Production, Screenwriting, self-esteem, Self-publishing, Short Films, television, the arts, TV, Women Writers, writing Leave a comment
There's a natural enemy out there that I dare say all writers have to confront at one point or another. That enemy is – real life.
Whatever your genre, be it deep space fantasy adventure or small intimate character drama taking place in one room, a writer has to immerse themselves into their imagination as fully as one jumps into the deep end of a swimming pool.
I often cite the analogy of writing to swimming. You're still on the planet Earth, you're still amongst matter, you're still able to move around and see even if you can't utilize all your senses. Being in the space of the imagination is just like that – you're still on the planet Earth, you're still able to move around and see if you can't actually talk to, touch or interact with your created world or characters.
The act of writing can take the writer into "a zone" if you will. Others have compared this to the zone an athlete gets into during a big game. Complete and total focus on the task at hand. I can tell you from experience that I've felt time disappear when writing. I've emerged from writing sessions actually confused about the time and date. When one commits as much of their mind as they can to their story, it's often hard to switch gears back to the real world.
And as hard as it is to come out of the zone, it's sometimes even more difficult to get into it. Especially when stupid, pesky life gets in the way. Writing during the week with a day job is, I'd suggest, one of the biggest challenges of writing. You don't want to get fired so you can't goof off doing your screenwriting at work. But work and even commutes alone (hi, 405) can take a ton of energy, physical and creative, out of you.
If you just write on the weekends, those aren't so easy either. Let's say you're not hungover from an evening of Washington Apples and lite beers, you use your Saturdays and Sundays to go to the bank, do your grocery shopping, get your oil changed, see family members who are asking why you're so busy writing and not seeing them. Precious hours to jump into the pool and swim with your stories fill up quickly.
It's not always easy to imagine how to fend off an invasion of giant aliens on the surface of Mars while picking up your dry-cleaning or remembering if you already have corn on the cob at home. So after being at the Doctor's office, day-care, on a dog walk or whatever, it's hard to then jump into your extraordinary nature of your story in the middle of a perfectly ordinary afternoon. The stresses of real life can be the arch-enemy of your imagination.
Fortunately, there are ways to find the time and/or get into the zone so to speak without letting the fridge go bare or the tires fall of your car.
This list is by no means definitive, of course, but these are the things that have helped me manage my wicked fun workload with the annoying responsibilities of the real world. To add some credibility to that, this year I've completed several treatments, two pilots and two feature scripts. And I'm on track to finish two more feature scripts. Maybe more. Time and workflow management are not a pipe dream.
WRITE EVERY DAY: Writing every day isn't just about completion. The more you write, the more it becomes habit. The more it becomes habit the more it becomes weird when you don't write. My schedule got flipped around two weeks ago and I couldn't write during a particular day. I can't begin to tell you how that threw me off. Like one of those days when you're constantly late or everyone seems to be in your way. The universe is just off.
About 4-5 years ago, getting into the writer's zone was hard for me. It would sometimes take me an hour to warm up. That was not so good when some days I only had an hour to write. But force myself to write every day I did. (Yes, you are going to miss some, don't panic) But before I knew it, I'd crack my software open and bam there I was, right in the zone.
Writing every single day and writing A LOT solves a ton of a writer's problems. Including but not limited to getting in the zone.
WRITING RITUAL: Something else that helped was a ritual. I write to music ("yeah, no shit, everyone does") but I choose specific soundtracks and music to each story. For example, earlier this year I wrote a story with heavy religious themes so I queued up some Gregorian Chants and things like that. I like to write to soundtracks and techno so I'll choose accordingly material that matches the story I'm writing.
But the specifics aren't as important as the ritual. Something that can hold your hand as you step into the pool. Queueing up the music helped a ton for me. I know other writers who can't write without their favorite cup of coffee or tea at their side. All for it.
Maybe one likes to exercise before they write or do 15 minute meditation. Whatever works is whatever that works.
Just don't do the whole "I can only write when I drink" thing. That's more or less a myth and can lead to severe alcoholism and other destructive behavior.
CALENDAR: The best $14.95 I spent this year was on a calendar that's on the wall right next to my desk. It's so basic, so simple and yet you'd be surprised how many writers I talk to who don't use one. When managing multiple projects and a day job and a family, looking at the week or month to see where you can work on what is a no-brainer. My stress level has plummeted just by being able to mark down "OK, Tuesday and Wednesday I'll write this then Thursday and Friday I'll write that."
I know we like to think of ourselves as artists who are prisoners to their muse and the vagaries of inspiration but we're also professionals who can be organized and pragmatic.
And it's all in pencil so as the schedule gets messed up or you have those days where your writing time is just eaten up you can roll with the punches.
Seriously, next time you find yourself asking "where am I going to find the time to write this week?" Look at the calendar, you'll find it.
PAD AND PEN: Even cheaper than a calendar are a notebook or notepad and some pens and/or pencil. We're writers, not typists. I've filled more notebooks than I care to admit with story notes, character thoughts, ideas and concepts. I keep one with me just about everywhere I go so if a thought strikes from out o nowhere, I can write it down instead of shoving it away while talking to my mechanic. There's also apps that do this on most if not all phones. Something strikes you as interesting? Write it down. No excuse not to.
UNPLUG: I don't do this as much as I used to but I know other writers swear by it. The internet is a source of endless distractions. From twitter to facebook to instagrams of lunch to news to politics to games starring candy to adult entertainment and even looking up obscure movies on imdb. (Seriously, how can anyone with an internet connection ever be bored?) If all of those things are whispering in your ear like the devil on the shoulder – unplug. All of those things will wait. Any emergency will call you personally. Turn off the internet and fight to forget about it for a while. It'll be hard at first, missing the endorphins those little notifications set off, but that rush will be replaced by writing – and finishing – more.
EMBRACING THE ORDINARY AFTERNOON: After a while of writing a lot and honing your craft, the real world becomes not distraction but an asset. And I mean for your writing, not just living. Many a writer has written about the importance of unlocking yourself from the keyboard.
Revisiting the first point, if you write every day, your story becomes a part of your subconscious. You'll dream about it. And soon everything in life becomes connected to your story. Let's say you're stuck on a fight scene but then at the grocery story you'll see two people trying to get the shortest line which may set off a line of thinking that actually cracks your problem with the scene. Nicholas Meyer has famously told the story that he didn't know how to direct Star Trek II until playing with some rubber ducks in the tub.
"A writer is always working" is an old cliché but it's not without some truth. Our stories are never far from our thoughts. There's no clock where we punch out at the end of the day. Once our minds are trained to it, we have no choice but to design our tales while in line at the DMV, on hold with the cable company or while pretending to listen to our significant others.
Real life then becomes not a distraction that gets in the way but a necessity to keep our minds fresh. We'll see the trees if we walk out of the forest so to speak. Still, it always sucks on those days when you can't get back to your keyboard but this is an imperfect science looking at an imperfect craft.
As writers we have the privilege (insanity?) of straddling two worlds. We get to be there for our real friends while ruling over the lives of our imaginary ones. We shudder in terror at the atrocities on the news while staying up late creating disasters for our characters to overcome. Those two worlds seem at odds but in actuality, they should work in synch with other or crossing over as needed to get your story to where it needs to be for you to tell it.
So next time you're picking up dry-cleaning, don't forget to figure out how to fend off an invasion of giant aliens on the surface of Mars.