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Cadillac Fleetwood
ebbers Posts: 6Last month I asked:
"Does anyone have an experience where your radio stopped working and the antenna didn't go up? My mechanic said it could be the radio itself or some module in the antenna control...If I have to replace the radio, I'll get one with a CD player."
Everyone I asked told me that chances were high that I would need to replace the radio. So I found one with a CD player for $100 on the Internet and installed it today. The CD player works (my other radio didn't have one) and everything sounds great.
Mike -
texx75 Posts: 2Hello fellow Caddy Owners. I inherited/endowed with my grandfather's 93 60 Special shortly before he passed away in July 2005. Even more recently, last week, the left rear fender skirt was stolen right off the vehicle in tact. Someone Knew what they were looking for and knew how to remove it with out damaging it. I reported the theft to the local authorities. If anyone know how to find such part, with the molding that comes with it, (blue, w/ grey& silver molding). I would greatly appreciate any open eyes or ears, and tips on how to recover or buy such part. Thank you!!
a3d Posts: 11I recently bought a 94 Fleetwood Brougham in 'good' condition and would like to replace the aftermarket audio system that came with it. The audio system is a Pioneer AM/FM/CD system that sounds good, but has only a single CD slot.
How can I replace it with (preferably) a Cadillac unit that includes a CD changer in the trunk from either a newer model Caddy or some after market unit that would be compatible?
91fleet Posts: 1I have a 91 Fleetwood and When it was passed on to me originally the radio had been intermittent and worked once. I asked the local caddy dealer to look at it and they said it was dead and cost 400+ to repair (a delco cassette unit). I said no thanks and replaced it with a single disc head unit and soon it began to power in and out. After the radio installer double checked its operation he suggested that the fuse was loose -- and in fact there was an extra wire stuffed into the same slot to pickoff power (I think it was for the cell phone) it looked like an aftermarket install before my time and I pulled it out. When it was stuffed in it widened the slot and so the fuse was not snug --- in fact I don't think the fuse was even seated on my first exam. After that the radio has not been intermittent --- I asked a radio installer to try to snug up the slot - push the contacts back closer together just to get the best contact. I will at some point have the old unit re-tested and maybe re-install it if it in fact works to get back the cassete and a better reading clock unit - move the CD unit somewhere else - and select one unit via a toggle switch --- Check the fuse slot -- are any other items on the radio fuse also buggy.
leftdazd Posts: 1Hey guys. My 91 fleetwood's service engine soon lite is on and i cant figure out how to pull the codes off the ecu. I got the little metal key and was told to plug it into the top right of the reciever under the dash. problem is, that isnt possible. There isnt the metal inside the connector. Queless!!! please help.
ecn Posts: 2I have the Fleetwood Limited Edition, mini-stretch. It has a 6 bolt x 4.75in pattern. Highly unusual. Current rims have been rusting badly and won't hold air in tires.
Impossible to find non-chrome replacements. These rims must have been defective as OEM. Does anyone know where I can find aluminum alloy replacement rims? -
beach15 Posts: 1,305You'd have better lucking asking over in the Deville forum (that's basically what your car is), as they might have some idea.
Those were pretty rare cars, but I think the '99 models, at least, shared the same bolt pattern as a regular Deville. The '98s had the beefier suspension, and I think an extra lug on the wheels, so it might be even harder to find a set of those wheels.
But, like I said, go over to the Deville forum (this one is for the big, RWD Fleetwoods), and see what they say:
Cadillac Deville -
johnromano Posts: 1
cad4pmm Posts: 3Though I have a 1980 Cadillac Fleetwood broghom de elegents, this seems to apply to most with tilt steering wheels, as I've know people with old cadillacs, as well as other makes with tilt steering wheel.
A local mechanic told me to tilt the wheel all the way down. It started. I was told it was a short in the wires, but it's not! (After a year doing this short cut) I was able to turn the starter key and it was in the on position but the idiot lights never came on, could not turn the starter key completely to trigger the starter, and could not shift it out of park. After I attempt to repair the steering column I found out it was just the metal rod going from the ignition key to the ignition switch the came off (broke) from the key area. The rod has a develop a bend over the course of tilting the tilt wheel.
The car itself has 180,000 miles. But after observing how the Cadillac manufacturer design it, it no wonder they do that. All the mechanic had to do was unbend the rod.
I had contacted many Cadillac service dept. who said it was the ignition switch. GM had failed to make this part without a center support to keep this from happening.
A tilt steering wheel are always going to be adjusted!
Please do something about this or stop making tilt wheels!
I feel this is a GM overlooked problem that should be corrected! ARE THE ANY OTHER SECRETS OR HIDDEN UPCOMING PROBLEMS THAT THEY KNOW AND DON'T TELL?
Thanks anyway! -
cad4pmm Posts: 3I use to know someone with a 4100 cadillac engine and they told me they tend to leak coolant within the intake manifold as a result works it way into the combustion chamber. This is a common problem with these engines, and coolant (antifreeze) sealant could fix the problem.
But (if you haven't already) contact the cadillac dealer and ask the service dept. for any recalls, etc. and you'll need to tell them your cars vin number. (worth a try)
Good Luck. -
cad4pmm Posts: 3Also, it possible the mechanical advance springs in the distributor, (under the rotor) may be weak causing the timing to advance too quickly. Check the vacuum advance unit as well. If they check out fine, then if you had attempted the manufacturers way of properly setting the timing, with a timing light, it's also possible the computer or one of the components, usually emission related is feeding information into it and it's causing some low speed mis-timing. A diagnostic with a computer hook-up sometimes won't find certain problems, and process of elimination helps. But it does take an automotive diagnostic computer to pinpoint a computer related problem.
You mentioned about a high octane fuel. Yes, always on a V8. If you had just filled it with the high grade, give it a chance to reach from the fuel tank to the engine.
ric81 Posts: 1Hey, I have a 94 fleetwood brougham. About a month ago I was in a little accident :sick: . It totaled the 86 mustang, and unfortunately, shattered my headlight . I've been looking online for a replacement but all I keep coming up with are 93's or older. First question is, will a 93 headlight and corner light work on a 94 :confuse: And my other question is if you know a website where I could find what I need :confuse:
beach15 Posts: 1,305Yep, as long as it's for a '93-96 model (no difference), the light will work.
In the meantime, a GREAT place to find a light or any part is here:
It's a service that allows salvage yards nationwide to inventory and list their parts for sale, and you can find some great deals on hard to find parts. -
pcbang Posts: 1I have a 1985 Cadillac Fleetwood FWD with a v8 4.1 liter engine. I got a 1986 alternator and the wire connector is different the 1985 had 3 holes with 4 wires (a, b, c) that connects to the alternator. However in the 1986 alternator, the plug or adapter is different with 2 holes and only 2 wires (a big red one and a smaller black one). Is there a way to cut the wires and connect them to the adapter? On the adapter there are symbols that say "S" "F" "L" "P" but it only has 2 wires. How do I know which wires go to what? I can't afford to buy a new alternator of 1985. I left those wires out and because I had to go somewhere, (not too far), I just drove my car when coming back home, the service light came on and then the lights in the car started to go dim, example the clock. Then the speed limit gauge started acting funny like a screw was loose going back and forth by itself. I was almost home so I forced it to the garage but just before parking it, smoke started to come out from below the car. I immediately turned the engine off and pushed the car into the garage but the next day when I tried to turn the car on (ignite) it, everything seemed dead! Did I end up making a more problem? Help me plzzzzzzz!!!!!
Karen_CM Posts: 5,035You might want to check out the Speed Shop: Tuning & Modification board for some suggestions.
Community Manager If you have any questions or concerns about the Forums, send me an email, email@example.com, or click on my screen name to send a personal message.
worklerbately Posts: 2
hearseowner Posts: 1
roygarcia420 Posts: 1
fleetwoodziii Posts: 1I don't know if I'm in the rite place for this but I own a 66 Fleetwood Limo just dropped a elderbrock 600 on the stock 429 manifold(bolted rite on with no adapter plate,it was sweet-sweet)anyhoo,anyone know what kind of transmission "rock crusher" similar, basically unbreakable w/a whollle lotta torque with a bell housing that will bolt up to a 429.It has a turbo 350 now as you should know with a stock 429.Any body done a high performance tranny upgrade to a old school fleetwood and if so what did ya use..Thnx :mad:


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Ahead of last night's NLCS Game Five tilt, Parkes highlighted a spirited Twitter debate —spurred by Jeff Passan's brave assault on self-awareness—over the relative culpability of one Donald Zachery Greinke.
The stats suggested Greinke's performances were far better than his results let on. Others observed something not quite the same in Greinke's lights-out assortment of pitches; wondering if he had a much greater hand his own demise than Fielding Independent Pitching statistics indicate.
The oft-discussed porous Brewers defense dominated the game stories after they punt, pass, and kicked themselves right out of a pivotal playoff game. The timing of the errors and misplays directly led to runs and the glorious "earned run" category makes Greinke look like an innocent victim.
There is very little innocence in Greinke's performance. He was bad last night. He played with fire and got badly burned.
Last night served as a great reminder of what happens when the "pitch to contact" idioms comes to life. There is so much left to chance. Balls find holes or, when Gianfranco Zola Yuniesky Betancourt is playing shortstop, they create their own. Greinke missed a grand total of two bats last night, a far cry from the sixteen of his NLDS start against the Diamondbacks and even the eight swinging strikes he coaxed in Game One against these very same Cardinals.
Two whiffs and zero strikeouts, not the kind of stuff you expect from the starter with the best K-BB differential in the Major League Baseball.
Greinke simply looked terrible last night. He seemed unable to find the zone at the best of times, continually missing away as he struggled to command his slider. His manager Ron Roenicke went to bat for him in the post-game scrums, as transcribed by Brew Crew Ball:
Yeah, Zack threw the ball well. I know he didn't get the strikeouts but he still only should've given up one run if we make the plays for him. So I like the way he threw it, his fastball was good today. His breaking ball, he couldn't get it down in the dirt when he wanted to get one down he couldn't bounce it and that hurt him, but I thought he threw the ball well.
Greinke made some odd post-game comments which suggest an unusual change in strategy pre-game.
"The slider wasn't very sharp at all today," he said. "I kind of wanted to get it up a little more and get some weak contact with it. I did that pretty good. But whenever I needed to get it down, I had some trouble doing that."
Umm, Zack. Next time, just trust your stuff to get you out. Weak contact is all well and good, especially for a guy recently plagued by the gopher balls. Your love of FIP and the like is well known but the strikeout part of those equations…kind of the most important part.
The Brewers lost because they played bad defense behind a struggling pitcher. A starter unable to do the things that make him one of the best starters in baseball, placing him at the mercy of the luck dragons and stone-fisted defenders positioned diamond-wide. There is no solace for Greinke and the Brewers when they head home to fight for their playoff lives. The guilt can and should be distributed evenly among the entire team, pitcher with an in-game FIP of 4.68 included.

subset: commoncrawl


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Abused Heiress - Anne Scripps Douglas
Anne Scripps Douglas lived the typical life of a battered woman the whispered telephone calls, the lies to friends and family, the coded messages to the few she could trust. Like a frightened animal she jumped at every loud sound, each ring of the phone, and most of all at the drunken curses of the man she had once loved but who now terrified her.
After graduation, Anne followed the course of so many other well-to-do young ladies and entered the debutante arena, coming out at cotillions in New York and Europe.
Anne enjoyed life in Bronxville, New York, an upstate commuter city. It was there that Anne and her new husband, Anthony Morell, a bond trader, settled after their society wedding when Anne was 23. Her bridal attendants included Princess Immaculata Hapsburg of Vienna and the ushers included Victor Emmanuel Jr. of the House of Savoy, direct descendant of the king of Italy.
What Anne wanted most was the quiet life of a suburban housewife. Friends said she sought the ideal marriage that only seems to exist on television. She wanted to be waiting each night at the doorway as Tony, whom she referred to as her "prince in shining armor", returned from the city to dinner on the stove, the children playing in the yard, the martinis cooling in the glass.
Shortly after they moved to Bronxville, Anne became pregnant and eventually the family included daughters Alexandra and Anne. Anne was determined to give them the close parenting she had not received and friends recalled that there was nothing in the world more important to Anne than the girls.
"She spent so much time with the kids," said Sharon Boles, a friend for two decades. "I'd say to her, 'You're doing the kind of thing I wish we had done. You stop and smell the roses.' She truly loved those kids. She couldn't love them enough."
Each day Anne would walk her daughters to school, return to pick them up for lunch and take them back after. At the end of the day she would walk them home from school.
But Tony liked the fast-paced world of high finance and parties. The marriage lasted until the girls were teenagers, but in the end their differences proved irreconcilable. Tony and Anne divorced in 1988, after 18 years of marriage.
"It was hard for her to be single," said another friend, Gretchen Devlin. "Anne was more afraid of being alone than anything else. She had believed in Tony, believed in marriage . . . She was afraid to be alone raising her kids."
Shortly after the divorce, Anne met Scott Douglas at a party and the two became friends. What Anne saw in Scott, few others in her circle did, but that made no difference to her. She shrugged off their warnings and began dating the younger man.


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Daybreak: IDF Fires at Target in Syria
Plus New York Governor Cuomo asks for $30 billion for Hurricane Sandy
• Israel Defense Forces responded to another mortar attack from Syria by striking a mobile artillery battery with tank fire, according to reports. Israel had previously fired warning shots after Syrian mortar shells had landed in Israel. [Times of Israel]
• Governor Andrew Cuomo is reported to be seeking $30 billion in federal aid for storm relief following Hurricane Sandy. [NYT]
• Sheldon Adelson writes that former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was wrong to charge that Adelson had influenced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to show support for Governor Mitt Romney in the American elections. [Commentary]
• Steven Weiss asks whether the Jewish community's emphasis on education has ultimately done a disservice to the Jewish population. [Slate]
• New reports suggest that threatening e-mails written by the woman with whom CIA Chief David Petraeus was having an affair triggered the FBI probe that ultimately revealed the scandal. Petraeus resigned on Friday.


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I know it's gotten really hard to get to the movie theater, because there's pay-per-view, DVDs and the amazingness of Netflix, which make it possible to watch dozens of movies for the price of one in the theater. So, I won't blame you if you don't go. But you should probably know that every time you buy a bootleg DVD instead of going to a movie theater, they shoot a production assistant. I've seen it happen. It's brutal. So, if you want to save a PA this week, you can go see "Eat Pray Love," "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World," "The Expendables," "Animal Kingdom," or "Tales From Earthsea." Be nice. Save a PA. Keep reading »
Zergnet: Simply Irresistible
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Areas within Cameron Park can be reserved for parties, reunions or community events. To plan an event or to make reservations, call 254-750-5980
Large Pavilions
These include Redwood Shelter, Miss Nelly's Pretty Place, Anniversary Park, Pecan Bottoms and Northern Gateway.
Fees: $50 per hour with a $100 refundable deposit
Small Pavilions
These include Lovers Leap, Mouth of the Bosque, Lawson's Point, Rock Shelter and Proctor Springs.
Fees: $25 per hour with a $100 refundable deposit
Cameron Park Clubhouse
Fees: $600 for the first 6 hours/ $100 for each additional hour with a $250 refundable deposit
Festival Area
Northern Gateway
Fees: $750 per day with a $250 refundable deposit


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In just its second year of competition, the Santa Clarita Wildcats will have two representatives in the Gold Coast League Championship this weekend. Both the Mighty Mites and Junior I Navy Wildcats will play in Super Bowl III after securing semi-final victories last Saturday.
The Mighty Mites are a first year team of 6-8 year olds, yet they have been impressive in their performance all year, surprising many opponents along the way to an 10-1 record. Their game will be a rematch against #1 seeded Simi Valley Green who provided the Wildcats only set back of the year, 12-8.
The Mighty Mites advanced after a come from behind 20-12 win over Moorpark Gold, putting them in position to win the SC Wildcats first Super Bowl.
The J1 Navy Wildcats (10-12 YO), started the season as the #1 ranked team in its division and they did not disappoint. At 12-0, the Navy Wildcats have achieved their season long goal of reaching the Super Bowl and will face #2 seeded Simi Valley Gold who they previously defeated 30-6.
J1 Navy continued to show its' dominance in its division with a commanding semi-final win over #4 WestlakeOrange, 33-6.
Santa Clarita Wildcats
Formed in 2006 with a total of six teams, the Wildcats exploded in their second year, adding four teams and playing home games at both West Ranch and Golden Valley High Schools. The Chapter provides football and cheer for nearly 300 families from all over Santa Clarita.
The Wildcats are the only GCYFL team in the SCV and as such are able to attract players from throughout the valley. The Chapter will continue to grow and strengthen its' foundation as the elite youth football program in Santa Clarita heading into 2008.
Gold Coast Youth Football League
The GCYFL formed in 2005 with a foundation of seven chapters and less than 50 teams in five age/weight divisions. Now in its' third season, the league has grown rapidly to include 12 chapters and nearly 100 teams from Santa Clarita to Ventura County.
The GCYFL is committed to providing a competitive yet safe environment for its players with the implementation of balanced age/weight divisions. The League will continue to grow heading toward the 2008 season with additional chapters/teams in Ventura, the San Fernando Valley and Santa Clarita.
Chapters of the GCYFL include: Camarillo Cougars, Crown Valley Colts, Fillmore Raiders, Grace Brethren Lancers, Harvard-Westlake Wolverines, Moorpark Packers, Oxnard Golden Knights, Santa Clarita Wildcats, Santa Paula Cardinals, Simi Valley Vikings, Valley Panthers and the Westlake Braves


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HOUSTON – June 9, 2012 - Business owners, musicians, and even great web content writers have been stumped by the question, "What should I blog about?" While some may chalk their consternation up to classic writer's block, the truth is that blogging isn't only about solid writing. Nor is it only concerned about being interesting, informative, entertaining, addressing relevant topics, or promoting your business in a tactful and engaging manner.
No. It's much worse than that. It's all those things put together! And that, my friends, is what befuddles the average would-be blogger.
You may have found yourself a passenger in the baffled blogger boat on more than one occasion. You already know it's generally recommended that you blog once a week. You dutifully set aside an hour or two every Tuesday to pump a few paragraphs out of your cluttered, overworked brain. You sit there, fingers poised in anticipation over the keyboard, glazed eyes staring blankly at an empty white document, and…nothing happens.
"Maybe I'm just not the blogging type," you shrug. Don't give up so easily!
Blogging is a fantastic way to connect with prospective clients, keep current customers and fans engaged, build a readership, promote your business, and maintain an online community of people with congruent interests.
Hopefully, the following will boost your inner writer ego and inspire that burgeoning blogger brain. Here, we've put together a list of useful tips, tricks, techniques, and ideas that will hopefully have you clacking away like a pro in no time.
10 Blogs You Can Write Right Now
10. Write a "How To" Tutorial or Offer Good Advise
Tutorials and good advice make excellent blog fodder. Plus, writing columns in the advice arena turns your blog into an informational resource that readers will reference and refer friends to as well.
Things to write about include something you recently accomplished that not everybody knows how to do? Perhaps you've written a press release, quilted a baby blanket, installed a kitchen sink, or used a graphic design program to add a drop shadow behind the logo on your company website.
Maybe you're a well of great advise about eating healthy, gardening, baking, or home remedies for common ailments.
Whatever you did, whatever you do, no matter how commonplace it may seem to you, somebody out there wants to know how to do it too. Write out simple step-by-step instructions, and consider using photos or computer screen captures to visually demonstrate each point.
9. Document an Experience
Sharing an experience allows your readers to relate to you in a more personal way. It's also a great way to highlight a service your company provides.
What's something you or your company did recently, that would make a good blog? Did you go on a business retreat, volunteer at a homeless shelter, deliver lifesaving equipment to a hospital, or attend a big conference or seminar?
Write about it! Where did you go? Who did you see? What did you learn? The title could be as simple as "What I Learned at Ariel Hyatt's Publicity & PR Workshop in NYC," or "Remodeling the Kitchen at St. John's Hospital."
Using the names of people, places, businesses, and charities in your blog posts - particularly in the titles - will boost your search engine response.
8. Profile an Employee
This is an awesome way to give a human face to your company, and pat a deserving employee on the back. Whether the blog consists simply of a short bio and a photo, or documents some notable achievement - like getting a promotion, speaking at a conference, or showcasing a product at a convention - these sorts of blogs are always positive, encouraging to your personnel, and present your business as a friendly and supportive workplace.
7. Profile a Person or Company You've Worked With
If you've recently collaborated with another professional or business on a project, use your blog to document your experience and talk about what that person or company does.
Make it positive.
In doing so you not only pay a business contact a nice compliment, but you also present yourself as a friendly and professional person who is beneficial to work with. And you never know - somebody might even return the favor someday!
6. Document a Project and Highlight a Client
Every business has clients, and making a client feel special is always a good move. Let's say you designed a new website for a restaurant, installed a new sound system at a local church, or printed twenty huge vinyl banners to promote an upcoming music festival. This is your opportunity to make a client feel appreciated, and make your business look great to prospective clients all at the same time.
Use your blog to write about your services to your client, and post pictures whenever possible. Screen captures and project photos will make your blog come alive. Before-and-after images are particularly nice to have. But if you don't have those, a nice graphic of their company logo, or a photo copied off their website will do very nicely.
5. Blog-Swap
Say you're a website designer and you have a business contact who writes website copy. You work together quite nicely. Maybe you're an interior decorator and you've shared projects with a gifted construction contractor. Or perhaps your business supplies printing materials, and one of your clients offers printing services.
Consider swapping blogs one week. You can write a spiffy little blurb about your specialty for their blog, and they can share their own expertise in yours. Not only does this get your company's links and logo posted on another business' site, but it also cross-pollinates your own readership.
Now their readers know about you, and your readers know about them. Even if there's some friendly business competition between you and your blog-swapping partner, this technique is super effective for building a readership that's actively interested in your field.
4. Showcase a Special Deal or Upcoming Event
Write about an upcoming sale, film debut, company anniversary party, or the unveiling of a new product or service package. Maybe you'll be hosting an open house, moving to a new location, or redesigning your website. Whatever the occasion, use your blog to give people the heads up so they've got time to plan ahead and spread the word. Don't forget to include dates, times, locations, and any other relevant information.
If your event is happening at a big name venue, include that in the title so you get extra hits from Google and other search engines. Turn your blog into a friendly invitation to your readers, and encourage them to feel like they're in on a really sweet deal.
After all, they're your VIPs.
3. Milk the Holidays for Everything You Can Imagine
Father's day is just around the bend. Maybe your brand has nothing whatever to do with dads - or does it? Consider profiling dads who work at your company, or asking a staff member to write a sentimental piece about his dad and how he's inspired by him. Not everything in your blog has to be business related.
In fact, the more human, genuine, and friendly your blog, the more devoted and engaged your readership will be.
2. Respond to Another Blogger or Journalist
Did someone recently publish something that made you think? Did an article in the morning paper make you feel angry, motivated, or inspire new ideas? Feel free to share. While it's not always the best policy to contradict another writer, sometimes it needs to be done. And of course, if you feel you can add to, expound upon, or simply highly recommend a particular blog, article, or news column, that's a wonderful way to establish camaraderie with your fellow bloggers and journalists who might write about your business in the future.
Make sure you link back to the original piece, so your readers understand what you're responding to. Also send the author a nice little note, so they know you're sending them hits. Don't assume they'll find out on their own.
1. Address a Social or Political Issue You Care About
Have you ever worried about those homeless people you see under the overpass every time you drive to work? Are you big on green energy, helping high-risk kids, or running in marathons to raise funds for breast cancer research? Write about it. Talk about the bike ride you and your coworkers went on to raise funds for LiveStrong.
Tell your readers why you think it's so important that pregnant teenage girls get counseling, education, and healthcare. Discuss your recent decision to adopt a highway and keep the road outside your facility litter free.
Recount the fun you had collecting donations of cat litter, dog food, and pet toys for a local no-kill animal shelter. These stories tug at people's hearts, promote a great cause, and present you and your company as compassionate and community oriented all at the same time.
Can it get much better than that?
We hope you have found this article inspiring, and that your blogger's block has already melted away into an ocean of bountiful ideas for what to write about next.
Never forget that if you have multiple ideas for blog topics, it's a good idea to write them down so you don't find yourself staring at that blank screen again anytime soon. Once you get those blogs penned and posted, please share a link in the comments section below so that we, too, can read our reader's writings.
Happy blogging!
Coming Soon to SeeTalkGrow: How to incorporate SEO and Google Keywords into your blog posts.
About Jennifer Grassman:
Singer, songwriter and pianist, Jennifer Grassman is an award-winning recording artist and founder of SeeTalkGrow, a 100% online music, film, technology, and communications conference. Subscribe by RSS feed and read more at www.JenniferGrassman.com or www.SeeTalkGrow.com. Follow Jennifer in this column and at her music column, The Business of Being Diva here in Washington Times Communities. Also keep in touch via @JGrassman, @SeeTalkGrow, and likeFacebook.com/JenniferGrassmanMusic and Facebook.com/SeeTalkGrow.
This article is the copyrighted property of the writer and Communities @ WashingtonTimes.com. Written permission must be obtained before reprint in online or print media. REPRINTING TWTC CONTENT WITHOUT PERMISSION AND/OR PAYMENT IS THEFT AND PUNISHABLE BY LAW.


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The Jewish Federations of North America represents 155 Jewish Federations (including Peoria) & over 300 independent Jewish communities.
The Federation movement, collectively among the top 10 charities on the continent, protects and enhances the well-being of Jews worldwide through the values of tikkun olam (repairing the world), tzedakah (charity and social justice) and Torah (Jewish learning).
Local Favorites
The Jewish Federation of Peoria (JFP) has a lot of activities and events and we feel the best way to show you and others all the things we do is through pictures. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words. Besides, what better way to see what fun we have than to view it through your own eyes.
Check us out. We are the Jewish Federation of Peoria and this is who we are:
Check back here often. We hope to have more video and pictures up as the year goes on. This is just a start. There is far more to come.


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Logging company files new application for Squak Mountain
April 5, 2013
NEW — at 1:59 p.m., April 5 2012
Erickson Logging Inc. turned in a new application to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, seeking logging rights to Squak Mountain on April 2, not two weeks after the removal of their first.
The revised forest practices application differentiates itself from the former in several key areas. The most notable change is the halving of projected harvest acreage, from 195 acres of the parcel's available 216 to 95 acres. It also stipulates that the steep gradient of the land will necessitate extra equipment, something the previous application failed to list. In addition, the proposed road construction needed was greatly reduced, from 3,800 to 1,900 feet.
"Influence the Choice" video contest winner announced
April 5, 2013
A winner was announced on April 2 for the "Influence the Choice" video contest, led by the Issaquah Community Network and Drug Free Community Coalitions.
Issaquah High School student Hannah Balducci won the grand prize of $800 from her submission of a produced two minute video that tried to influence friends and other teenagers to resist using alcohol, marijuana and prescription drugs.
Newcastle geography bee champ heads to state
April 4, 2013
NEW — 2:55 p.m. April 4, 2013
Newcastle Elementary School crowned fifth-grader Nathan Jackson as the school's geography bee champion at the end of November. Read more
Issaquah Plays in High School Classic Baseball Game / March 30, 2013
April 3, 2013
Issaquah Sammamish Home and Garden Show Registration Form
April 3, 2013
The 2nd Annual Home and Garden Show will be held Saturday May 11, 2013 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Pickering Barn.
Each year the Issaquah Press group of newspapers hosts a home and garden show that allows local community members the opportunity to get to know your services and products you have to offer.
The show is held in conjunction with the weekly Issaquah Farmers Market the day before Mother's Day when foot traffic at Pickering Place is at its highest.
Vendor space is limited to less than 25 booths and go fast, so sign up quickly.
A full-color program with ads for each vendor will be distributed to 30,000 homes in Issaquah and Sammamish via the award-winning Issaquah Press and Sammamish newspapers.
Each vendor receives a 10' x 15' space inside Pickering Barn.
Registration also includes a Full-color quarter-page ad (5" x 5") in the event program.
Space is very limited!
Reserve your space today by filling out the form below or by contacting us at 425-392-6434.
Let's Go! April 4-10
April 3, 2013
Council approves easement for dam renovation project
April 2, 2013
Overhaul on a 60-year-old dam in Issaquah Creek required an easement of land ownership from the City Council at its March 18 meeting.
Working with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife since 2007, the city has mapped out most of the logistics in turning an aging, uninviting water maintenance tool into an accessible fish ladder that still diverts the water needed for the nearby stated-owned hatchery. Through past natural damage and structural weakness, the dam is in critical need of attention.
New pope galvanizes local Catholics
April 2, 2013
As much of the world knows, Cardinals in the Vatican elected a new pope March 13 and local churches celebrated the news.
Pope Francis, the taken name of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, stands out from the church's 2,000-year tradition in a number of ways. Not only is he the first to take the name Francis, after St. Francis of Assisi, but he is also the first pope raised from the Jesuit order.
Most notably, the former Archbishop of Buenos Aires is the first South American to become the Holy See. Previously, Cardinals elected leaders of the Catholic Church exclusively from European countries.
Season's first bears are spotted locally
April 2, 2013
Welcoming back spring also means welcoming back bears.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife heard the first spring reports of bears in the Issaquah and North Bend area during the week of March 18. Though wildlife appearance is a little early for the season, the department credited the abnormally mild winter with disrupting regular hibernation habits. That means regions of Issaquah should begin looking out for the scavenging animals.
"The Issaquah Highlands and Mirrormont are probably one of our biggest focus areas," said Rich Beausoleil, department bear and cougar specialist.
White River purchase leaves logging opponents optimistic
April 2, 2013
While King County's recent purchase of development rights for 43,000 acres in the White River Forest may sound like bad news for proponents trying to save Squak Mountain from logging, it could be a positive sign.
With Erickson Logging operators planning to harvest the 216 acres soon, local residents and downstream property owners have shown increasing concern for the effects logging would have on the ecology and value of living in the area.
On March 21, the county paid $11.1 million to the Hancock Timber Resources Group for the development rights to the forest south of Enumclaw.


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Tue, Mar 1, 11 at 10:04
Hi All,
I have a question related to stamped-concrete front porch coatings. My porch was original sealed/stained with a matte black BASF "Kure N Seal" Tint Curing and Sealing System. It is getting dull and I want to put a new semi-gloss coating over top of it. Any suggestions on what can be used with this type of product? Thanks!
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Prosecutors have reached the same conclusion in case after case. Reno's office would have the public believe that politicians aren't committing crimes. They're committing "suspicious" actions.
These officials, for instance, were investigated but not prosecuted:
County Commissioner Sherman Winn. During the past nine months, Reno's office has twice investigated Winn and twice cleared him. The first investigation began after the Herald reported that Commissioner Winn's learning-disabled daughter worked for the county, as did his son-in-law, his grandson, and his granddaughter. Questions were raised because the Metro charter prohibits commissioners from becoming involved in county hiring. So what's the story with the son-in-law? Did Winn help architect Harvey Ehrlich get a county job in early 1986? Don Frederick, the Metro architect who hired Ehrlich, said no. That, along with similar denials from former County Manager Merrett Stierheim and his executive assistant, Charles Scurr, was good enough for Reno's office. "Mr. Frederick...stated that Ehrlich followed all routine procedures in obtaining county employment," according to a report by Assistant State Attorney Lawrence D. LaVecchio, "and...Frederick] was unaware that Ehrlich was related to Sherman Winn."
And the two grandchildren? Charles Pezoldt, deputy director of the Metro-Dade Parks and Recreation Department, told investigators that in 1986 he helped find the children summer jobs with the county, after receiving telephone calls from Winn's executive assistant, Kaye Kramer. During those calls, "Ms. Kramer stated that the commissioner would appreciate Dr. Pezoldt's referring the youngsters for employment," LaVecchio wrote in the report clearing Winn. But Kramer told an entirely different story. According to LaVecchio's report, she "denied ever having contacted anyone regarding summer employment for Commissioner Winn's grandchildren." Additionally, wrote LaVecchio, "Commissioner Winn has publicly stated that he does not recall ever having intervened with anyone on behalf of his grandchildren's employment." Apparently either Pezoldt or Kramer lied, but Reno's office determined no one did anything wrong.
Case closed. Winn and his assistant said it didn't happen, so it must not have.
But what about Winn's daughter Patty? Did the commissioner help get her the job in 1988? Again Pezoldt said yes. Again someone else said no. Guess who got credit for the truth? According to Reno's investigation, "there has been no competent evidence discovered indicating that any [county commission] member directed, gave orders, or requested that any particular individual be hired by any agency of county government." Even though Pezoldt told investigators that his boss made it clear Winn wanted a job for his daughter, Reno's office decided otherwise. Pezoldt's boss, Bill Bird, also spoke with investigators, who reported that he "was not approached at any time by Commissioner Winn...and that his decision to have Patty hired was the result of his having fortuitously met with her one day and his being impressed with her desire to live on her own." According to investigators, Winn's assistant, Kaye Kramer, said that Bird "approached Commissioner Winn and asked if he could assist in finding employment for Patty after learning that she had recently returned to Miami from a group home in New Jersey."
The conclusion: case closed. Everyone except the man who did the hiring said it didn't happen, so it must not have happened.
Reno's office also investigated and cleared Winn of extortion and misuse of public position. Again Winn's son-in-law, Harvey Ehrlich, was involved. In this case, prompted by an anonymous letter to Reno's office, Winn was accused of threatening business associates of a man who opposed Ehrlich in a lawsuit. Ehrlich was suing Signature Gardens, a banquet facility in Kendall, for architectural fees he said he deserved. The owner of Signature Gardens, Jerome C. Berlin, declined to pay the full fee because he was unhappy with Ehrlich's work. The negotiations between Berlin and Ehrlich were unfriendly, and according to Reno's report, Berlin received word that Winn was extremely upset about the matter. The business associates - lobbyist Eston "Dusty" Melton and lawyers Jeffrey L. Berkowitz and Lester Goldstein, all of whom frequently appear before the county commission on zoning matters - told investigators that Winn had "communicated his extreme displeasure at the position taken by the management of Signature Gardens," and they were afraid he would automatically vote against any project they were involved in because of their affiliation with Berlin. According to Reno's report, "all three urged [Berlin] to settle as expeditiously as possible to avoid any retaliation" by Winn. Although Berlin told investigators that Winn never threatened him directly, he said he settled the lawsuit at a figure higher than he thought was appropriate.
But Reno's office determined Winn had done nothing illegal. "It is of some concern that [Winn] made it a point to tell at least four attorneys known to represent clients on zoning matters...of his deep displeasure at the actions of a party with whom they were all associated," Assistant State Attorney Joseph M. Centorino wrote in a report clearing Winn. "It is obvious that this did not occur coincidentally. It is also apparent that the concerns these individuals expressed to Berlin resulted in a more favorable settlement to [Winn's] son-in-law than otherwise would have been the case. However, without other proof that [Winn] used or intended to use his public position to intimidate these individuals, there is insufficient evidence to support a criminal or ethical charge against him."


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We bumped out the front of our house 5' last year and ended up with a new front door and front steps, among other things. I am turning now to outside lighting, would appreciate input on choices.
The room to the left of the front door is DS's bedroom. My thoughts are to place sconces to the left and right of the door. There is 13'' of space on both sides. Lights would be on a dimmer and I'd prefer not to have too much light (so DS doesn't feel like he lives next to a runway). I also need to add lighting between the garage doors, and on a post, farther down the driveway. I have struggled finding lights which match, which I like, for all three places. (Landscaping is next... ignore large rhododendron, that will be moved this Spring).
Here's the post in a shot from the end of the driveway; how house used to look. Wow, seeing the pictures next to eachother for the first time, I feel like we've gone from Charming to Cold. Hopefully, it's just because the exterior is so bare looking. Other thoughts? I'm also thinking that I don't need to match the front entrance fixtures to the others (because they are fairly far away), but will match the one mounted between the garage doors, and the post light. At entranceway, should I match the door hardware with the fixture color? Here are lights I like; your thoughts and comments are appreciated. |
Follow-Up Postings:
What a nice addition to your home - you must be very happy to have all that extra space! The only lights I like are the first ones. Two and four feel too modern. Three and six feel beach cottage to me. Five is craftsman. Have you considered having lighting (like recessed lights of some kind) put in the overhang by the door, instead of trying to squeeze in lights on either side? I think it will do a better job of lighting the whole recessed entry, washing it in warm light. Also wondered if you had considered adding shutters to the two lower windows on the left side, and perhaps a window box under the window on the right by the garage? |
Thanks les917. With respect to light#1, should I go with the antique nickel (and try to match hardware of the door) or the warmer, oil rubbed finish? Recessed, or overhead lighting is a possibility but I was concerned about too much light shining into the bedroom to the left. Did you really mean recessed (i.e., flush with ceiling)? The windows on the left wing used to have shutters; these were removed during the renovation. I love the new trim work detail and am not sure we'll be adding shutters back. (Then again, they would be white, which would be a different look than before). Window box - yes, in the plans! |
Yes, recessed. I think it adds a warm glow to the space without seeing a specific light source - kind of makes the whole entry area glow at night. Given the house colors and the hardware on the door, I would be more inclined to go with the antique nickel. |
We have a good number of recessed crees, inside, so I am familiar with the concept and how they're installed. However, for some reason, I am having a hard time finding pictures of outside recessed lights. les917 / anyone -- please recommend models/brands. Also -- any other comments/suggestions regarding the outside lights? Should I be posting in the lighting forum? |
We have the exterior recessed soffit lights on the front of our house and I love them. I once heard a contractor refer to them as moon lights...which is a good name since they give off a soft glow yet produce more than enough light to see the area. The max wattage on ours is 40W. Our entry is 20'+ wide and we have 3 lights there, and I believe there are 8-10 lights over the double garage doors. There are many types/styles of soffit lights available so you may want to go into a lighting store and discuss the options. I know that LED lights are now available and we're considering switching over to those but I haven't researched how that light looks compared to the incandescent we now have. It would definitely be less wattage! If you put in the soffit lights, be sure to install timer switches. For DS's window you may have to get some blackout lining. Gotta ask.......why didn't they put in outlets for the lights when they built the addition? |
Here is a link that might be useful: example of lights
I hit the summit button too soon! Wanted to add that I have to agree with Les that lights on each side of the door may look squeezed into place. I would bring home one light, have someone hold it up and see what you think before you start cutting into the walls. Another option would be to add a lamp post close to the entrance when you do your landscaping. If you decide on an additional landscape lighting, I suggest you talk thru this with your electrician so he can wire 'for the future' when he's out there. It'll save you $$ in the long run. Also, I would place the garage lights to the right and left of the garage doors......no light between the doors. |
Thanks annz - I need to take the blame for that one, we acted as our own GC's. A lighting store sounds like a good idea, for choices. |
Good idea about holding a light up in place. I like the idea of lights as 'eye candy', but I agree it doesn't make sense if they are too big. Electrician (and carpenter and plumber...) is DH ... part of the reason why we're doing things in stages. I like your idea of lights to the right and left of the garage doors - hadn't thought of that. Any feedback on lighting choices/colors? Thanks! |
It depends on your taste, but since you have a traditional home, I'd use more traditional/transitional light fixtures. Personally, I wouldn't use the pewter since I think its color will disappear against your gray siding. Either a dark bronze or black would show up nicely. Check out LampsPlus for ideas on the entrance. If you have the height, consider a hanging light. If not, look at their 'close to ceiling' lights. The link below shows just one style I'd look at, or their Salisbury collection. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Ext. lights
I don't have any suggestions for lights except I like the first one in the darker finish. I mainly wanted to say WOW, what a great transformation of your house. |
Your door is beautiful, so a light would just detract from that IMO. We have 4 recessed lights in our porch area. It's a clean look and good light. Also agree to have 2 lights on the garage. Great job on the addition. Landscaping w/color will warm your house right up. |
There are two glass options available with number 7, natural bronze with an amber glass -shown in the picture of the lights mounted on the wall, and also natural bronze with a clear glass (shown lower). I prefer the amber glass, but would like input from the forum - which do you think would look better? Thanks, oldbat2be. |
Anyone...? |
- Posted by tinker_2006 (My Page) on Sat, Mar 17, 12 at 12:09
oldbat2b, I love those lights and they are on my "top 5" list! |
Although No. 7 is lovely, it might be a little European rustic for your home. However, if you go with it and if it takes incandescent bulbs, the clear glass would be a better match for your home, which is really more of an American style than European. The incandescent bulbs will give the light a nice warm glow at night. Clear bulbs rather than frosted will show off the texture of glass better. |
Thanks tinker_2006 and Chibimimi. I really do want that nice warm glow at night, which is why I was leaning towards the amber glass, which is what I thought was pictured on the walls. Now that I look more closely, most pictures of the amber glass look like this, unlit, which is not what I would prefer: Now that I look more closely, I see that only the clear glass is offered with the candle bulbs (as displayed in the picture). I think I'd better call Troy-Lighting for clarification. Chibimimi, you may have saved me from a costly mistake (i.e, 20% restocking fee). |
Your beautiful house is just asking for Hubbardton Forge lights - They have a couple models which should solve your light issues - warning - they do come with a price tag!! I picked out 2 possible ideas - but can't import from the catalog, so will have to send the link Both lights are dark sky complaint - so less light pollution. Then at the garage - go for the matching version but put on the top cover to prevent light from going up. http://www.hubbardtonforge.com/ProductsInfo.cfm?Design=304903 I think the dark smoke would look stunning on your house. Here is another dark sky compliant - I don't like it as much for your house Just a caution on LED outside - if you have snow - the reflection off the snow lights up the world!!! The city put in LED street lights and the first night I looked out and thought it was just dusk - but was 9:00 at night in the winter!! HF also has traditional lights but based on your concern about the bedroom next to the porch - I thought these would work. If you already have ORB finish, I would match with the HF. I would not worry about "matching" the post light - This is where you could bring out the house style. Good luck! PS - We put in the first one and they look great on our house and lots of compliments. I don't have any pictures yet but soon. |
Thanks a2gemini. I definitely see that the first product you linked, could work, but I'm still waffling. Here is latest moodboard. Can anyone suggest lights which I have not considered, but which would work well over the garage doors (one each over each bush, on both sides of the garage). Last -- size? What guidelines do you have for size? This is space available, here. |
Oldbat - How did you get the HF to copy - I finally did a print out and scanned it in. I used the large one on the front porch and the medium by the garage. I could have used 2 large ones by the garage but cost was a factor (we also have 2 on the deck and one by the side garage door) We put the house number under the one light by the garage so people could find us - when on the front porch under the vestibule - no one could find us. Good luck! |
I did an alt+print screen, then pasted into paintbrush, then added to my mooodboard. These lights are definitely growing on me.... |
Thanks a2gemini, those lights really are perfect for your house. I like how you trimmed them out in white. This seems such a major decision... I am wondering whether I've spent more time over these or on a kitchen countertop surface. |
- Posted by tuesday_2008 (My Page) on Tue, Mar 20, 12 at 23:25
You have a beautiful home and I love your woodsy setting. You are getting great recommendations on lighting, but I would like to make one other suggestion. When you do your window box and perhaps shutters (I like the idea of white), seriously consider removing the two shrubs flanking the garage. They just appear too rigid/boring for such a pretty setting. Replace them with planters with colorful annuals to add some color - potted mums would be yummy in the fall. Your new garage lights can shine on them! Tuesday |
oldbat - I know the feeling - I am in the middle of a kitchen remodel and struggling on the backsplash and then GC wants kitchen color to paint - I am going to tell him Whoa Nelly and wait until the cabinets and backsplash are in first! Good luck on your lighting! I do like Tuesday's suggestion. We used to have the same shrubs and we pulled them out. I am putting new items in this spring but not quite there yet - so it looks a little bare. |
Not sure if these ones have been considered -- but I like this collection in both finishes .... |
Here is a link that might be useful: bellacor.com -- another suggestion
- Posted by daisychain01 (My Page) on Wed, Mar 21, 12 at 20:44
This is probably going to be no help, but I just have to say I love what you did with the front door. This will be of even less help, but what if you did the same thing over your garage door as annkathryn has over hers. |
Here is a link that might be useful: annkathryn's garage
Thanks Daisychain01 - you just made my evening with your compliment about the front door! Annkathyrn's garage looks beautiful; I'll have to study it more closely. Teacats -- thanks so much for the link! I hadn't seen that one and will add it to the list. I love getting ideas from other GWers. |
- Posted by gingerjenny (My Page) on Wed, Mar 21, 12 at 21:36
I love your front door! I like number 1 in the darkest finish and number 5. :) Your door is kinda craftsman looking to me so I think 5 would look good. I wouldn't do silver with the grey cause i think they would blend in too much :) Your transformation looks awesome! |
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Required Reading: Michael Bay's Women and Godzilla's God
Features By Scott Beggs on June 27, 2014 | Be the First To CommentThe best movie culture writing from around the internet-o-sphere. There will be a quiz later. Just leave a tab open for us, will ya?
Let Them Fight: 'Pacific Rim' Sequel and Animated Series to Pit More Jaegers Against More Kaiju
Movie News By Christopher Campbell on June 26, 2014 | Be the First To CommentEven though it was a domestic box office disappointment and many critics weren't in love with it (including myself), Pacific Rim fever is too powerful to keep the property down. Guillermo del Toro has announced that while he's in the middle of post-production on next year's haunted house flick Crimson Peak, plans are already underway for Pacific Rim 2, which will arrive on April 7, 2017. And that's not all. Over the next three years leading to the sequel, there's going to be a Pacific Rim animated series and more Pacific Rim comic books. Initial report came from Legendary Pictures, which is apparently happy to move ahead on both this and the Godzilla franchise with equal love — yet that's not the case for distributor Warner Bros, which will keep hold of Legendary's King of the Monsters while letting new Legendary partner Universal put out the one with monsters and robots. Additional details include original co-writer Travis Beacham returning to pen the script with del Toro and Zak Penn (The Avengers) and all the main characters are set to return. "Raleigh, Mako, Newt, Gottlieb and who knows, maybe even Hannibal Chau," del Toro told Buzzfeed. "But we are taking them into a fresh territory that will display amazing sights and battles. The first film set the stage and now we're ready to have a blast." The actors who played all those characters are also expected to be back. Watch a video of del Toro talking about Pacific Rim 2 after the jump.
Is It Possible to Make a Good 'Godzilla' Sequel?
Features By Christopher Campbell on May 19, 2014 | Be the First To CommentThe following is a discussion of where the Godzilla franchise could go now that a sequel has been announced. There are some minor spoilers for the reboot currently in theaters, so you might not want to read this until you've seen it. It's already been given the green light, and now it's time to speculate what we'll be seeing in a sequel to Godzilla. According to Deadline, the follow-up will be back at Warner Bros., the studio that put out this past weekend's $93m-grossing blockbuster, even though now the film's production company, Legendary Pictures, is working with Universal as its primary distributor. There's also mention of an ongoing legal dispute, but that probably won't be enough to keep Godzilla 2 from stomping into theaters in the summer of 2017. The first question on most people's minds is who or what will the King of the Monsters fight next. Apparently, Legendary only has the rights to the title character, so there's a possibility that we won't be seeing any of the other giant creatures (or robots or, thankfully, offspring) from the Toho franchise. Of course, Legendary could dole out more money for use of Mothra if that's the case, but is that really want we want, a rehash of stuff seen before?
'Godzilla' International Trailer: Let Them Fight
Movie News By Christopher Campbell on April 28, 2014 | Be the First To CommentIf you've appreciated the tact taken with the Godzilla marketing so far, how we haven't really seen much of the monster, you might not want to watch the new international trailer. If you want to know as little as possible before the remake arrives in theaters, just close this post and go read about our favorite movies of the Tribeca Film Festival (or jump over to Nonfics for the documentary version of that list) or anything else. But if you've been dying to see some prehistoric giant monster action, then today is your lucky day. If you aren't afraid to know what this new Godzilla is all about, keep on reading this post until you get to that embedded motion picture box and click on the play icon. I'll join you again on the other side.
Where Are This Year's Genre Film Contenders for Best Picture?
Academy Awards By Christopher Campbell on December 22, 2013 | Comments (1)One of the top-ten highest-grossing movies of 2013 will be nominated for Best Picture, and that's something that didn't happen in the past two years. The same movie, Gravity, will very likely be the sixth in a row to win the Oscar for Best Visual Effects to also be a Best Picture nominee. If it wins the top award, it will be the first to win both those honors since The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. I know a lot of people consider Gravity to be a science-fiction film, while I don't quite qualify it as such. So I merely see it as the closest thing to a genre movie contending for Best Picture this year rather than a true representative. It's more The Right Stuff than Star Wars. Wasn't the allowance for more Best Picture nominees intended to accommodate those more popular choices? The first year the Academy returned it to a ten-title category was 2009, and then we saw Avatar and District 9 plus Up, the first animated feature to get a slot since 1991. The next year we had another animated feature in the bunch, Toy Story 3, as well as the sci-fi film Inception. In 2011, Hugo nearly counted as a fantasy picture while Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris was a kind of time travel film, but they stretched the definitions of genre film. Last year, the same went for the fantastically dipped Life of Pi and Beasts of the Southern Wild. […]
23 Things We Learned From Guillermo del Toro's 'Pacific Rim' Commentary
Commentary Commentary By Rob Hunter on October 24, 2013 | Comments (5)Guillermo del Toro is a director of visually arresting films that continuously announce his love of cinema from the rooftops. His best works (including The Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth) mix fantasy and reality into intoxicating concoctions, but even his lesser efforts (everything else) are imaginative and stylish creations. His latest, Pacific Rim, is a fun and exciting adventure that mashes giant monsters and giant mecha into a wet dream of action, epic fight scenes, and pre-teen joy. It's a big movie for kids and the kids in all of us, and that comes with both good and bad. The former outshines much of the latter, but it doesn't excuse it. So how does del Toro's commentary stack up against the film? Will he talk about Charlie Hunnam's acting performance? Will he teach what amounts to a two-plus hour film class on how to make effects heavy movies? Will he acknowledge the script's deficiencies including the silliness of punching monsters to death instead of using bunker-buster missiles or, I don't know, a big ass sword? Let's find out together! Keep reading to see what I heard during Guillermo del Toro's commentary for Pacific Rim.
The Best Blu-ray & DVD Releases of the Week: 'Drug War,' 'Maniac,' 'Pacific Rim' and More
Features By Rob Hunter on October 15, 2013 | Comments (1)Welcome back to This Week In Discs! If you see something you like, click on the title to buy it from Amazon. See You Tomorrow Everyone (UK) Satoru Watarai (Gaku Hamada) graduates from primary school with only one certainty. He plans on never leaving the "projects" where he lives. The gated community of apartment complexes also features stores, restaurants, recreation areas and more, and Satoru sees no reason to leave. As the years pass by he watches as his friends move away, he loses the love of his life, and he begins to question his physical inability to set foot outside the projects. Director Yoshihiro Nakamura is no stranger to ridiculously good cinema, and anyone who's seen Fish Story, Golden Slumber, or A Boy & His Samurai knows that he mixes entertainment and emotion in wonderfully rare ways. His latest lacks a fantastical element or song-related hook, and instead focuses on the presumably stunted life of one man affected by a singular traumatic moment. The first half plays like a loosely melancholy comedy before a shift sets in to up the emotional stakes dramatically, and the result is an incredibly affecting look at the intersection of fate and the life we make of our own will. [Region 2 DVD extras: Introduction, interview, trailer]
10 Unlikely Halloween Costumes Based on Recent Movies
Features By Christopher Campbell on October 6, 2013 | Comments (2)Welcome to my 6th annual list of halloween costume ideas. These are mostly original, yet also mostly unlikely suggestions. One thing a lot of them have in common is the fact that you'll need to explain exactly what you are, even if there is some mainstream-recognized foundation. For example, if this was a list of costume ideas based on movies that haven't come out yet, one might be "Justin Bieber as Robin in Batman vs. Superman." The basic Robin uniform would probably be easily understood, but the fact that the colors have been changed to purple, white and black, and why you've got a mop top will require the clarification that it's based on a casting rumor the singer made up. I'd like to preface this year's list by saying that I feel the past 12 months have either been uninspiring compared to other years — and/or I haven't seen the hip movies of 2013. And I didn't bother with much from the last quarter (as in post-Halloween) titles from 2012, because they all just feel like they're from a century ago. Seriously, if you see anyone dressed as Abraham Lincoln and mention Spielberg's movie, you're sure to get a reaction of "oh yeah, there was that movie." Feel free to borrow any of the following ideas for your Halloween festivities, especially if you want something that's a conversation starter. But you must send us pictures. And if you don't like my suggesions but you come up with your own very […]
The Morning Read: Your First R-Rated Movie, Fan Fiction and Philip French
Movie News By Scott Beggs on August 27, 2013 | Be the First To CommentThe morning's best writing from around the movie website-o-sphere. Just leave a tab open for us, will ya?
Broken Projector: The Man Who Paints The Future
Broken Projector By Scott Beggs on August 9, 2013 | Be the First To CommentThe fantastically talented TyRuben Ellingson has been painting the future for years. Getting his start as a VFX art director on Jurassic Park, he's gone on to envision vehicles, worlds and weaponry for James Cameron, Guillermo del Toro and more. This summer his work can be seen stomping in Pacific Rim and flying through Neill Blomkamp's Elysium, and we were lucky enough to speak with him about his ever-expanding sci-fi universe. Plus, Geoff defends screenwriter Damon Lindelof for saying he's tired of destruction porn with a straight face, and we challenge ourselves to sum up the week's movie news in only three words. You should check out Ellingson's website, and follow the show (@brokenprojector), Geoff (@drgmlatulippe) and Scott (@scottmbeggs) on Twitter for more fun stuff on a daily basis. And, as always, we welcome your feedback. Download Episode #28 Directly Or subscribe Through iTunes
Pacific Rim really screwed up the kaiju. I don't mean that the way you think. The CGI in this film was beautiful — the meticulously crafted combat sequences reignited an excitement for computer generated nonsense that I'd not felt since I first watched Jurassic Park. The creatures themselves are majestic, inventive, and captivating, especially when they're getting punched by gigantic walking nuclear cooling towers. I could've watched them wreak havoc for another two hours — easily — and not gotten bored. But as kaiju, an important archetype in 20th Century Japanese storytelling, they're borderline offensive. To explain why I need to go back a bit.
8 Strange Reasons Why Actors Were Cast In Movies
Cinematic Listology By David Christopher Bell on August 1, 2013 | Comments (7)There are a million and a half uninteresting reasons why actors did and did not get certain parts. Usually the casting process is fickle – hell-bent on height and age, sometimes people are rejected just because they don't seem right for the part. An agent gives someone a script, they like it, contracts are signed. It's all pretty anticlimactic, which is what makes the following casting stories far more fun.
An open thread where you can share what you've recently watched, offer suggestions on movies and TV shows we should check out (or warnings about stuff to avoid), and discover queue-filling goodies from other FSR readers.
The Digital Artistry of 'Pacific Rim'
Behind the Scenes By Neil Miller on July 21, 2013 | Comments (4)Taking a break from Comic-Con, it's time to look back at a movie that made quite the splash in San Diego last year and is currently in theaters, Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim. At that time, there was but a trailer for the giant monsters vs. giant robots movie, but the buzz was electric. One calendar year later, the film has made it's way to theaters and has opened much softer than expected by the Warner Bros. accounting department. All the same, it's a movie I, myself said was more fun "than anything else we're going to see towering above us on the big screen this summer" in our review. One of the biggest draws of Pacific Rim: the scope of the action and the scale of its participants. Most of which is accomplished via the mastery of the folks at Industrial Light & Magic and Spectral Motion, among others. Under the watchful eyes of VFX supervisors John Knoll and James E. Price, and animation supervisor Hal Hickel, a team of artists created some of the most impressive icons of Summer 2013. Care to know how they did it? Good, because we just so happen to have a video explaining the "Digital Artistry of Pacific Rim." Watch it for yourself just after the jump.
An open thread where you can share what you've recently watched, offer suggestions on movies and TV shows we should check out (or warnings about stuff to avoid), and discover queue-filling goodies from other FSR readers.
The Minions Beat Up Kaiju and Grown Ups at the Box Office
Movie News By Scott Beggs on July 15, 2013 | Comments (1)After all the handwringing over box office performance this week, everything played out just like everyone expected it would. With one little, yellow twist. Despicable Me 2 managed to beat out the newcomers with $44.7M. That adds to a pile of almost $500M worldwide that's almost certainly being stacked in the shape of a 3. Meanwhile, Grown Ups 2 came in second with $42.5M, and Pacific Rim opened with $38.3M domestically (and $91.3M worldwide). So, as expected, the animated sequel with 1/3 less heart dominated, the close-to-comedy sequel with telephonic celebrities did strongly against its budget, and the big gamble original monster movie with zero name-stars and one-note advertising that made it look like a Transformers rip-off didn't win. On the limited release front, Fruitvale Station did fine for itself with $377,000 from 7 theaters. [Box Office Mojo]
'Pacific Rim 2′: What Should We Expect From the Sequel?
Features By Christopher Campbell on July 13, 2013 | Comments (38)Depending on where you look, Pacific Rim is either in 2nd or 3rd place at the box office this weekend. But it should make enough money to warrant a sequel, especially with international business. And those of us who are into this new original property from Guillermo del Toro are really, really into it. There's certainly franchise potential, what with its whole background mythology (and back story, which you can find in graphic novel form). Plus it's going to at least gross more than del Toro's first Hellboy film, and that spawned a part II. There's also the fact that Legendary Pictures began moving ahead on developing Pacific Rim 2 way back in December, hiring the first film's screenwriter, Travis Beacham, to start penning another installment. In the months since, he and del Toro have been sharing some bare bits and pieces and possible ideas for what happens next. The details are thin but these teases about the direction part 2 would go in allow for some educated guessing and speculation as to what we'd see as far as more monster and robot battles. Below I highlight some of what's been officially said, some of what's been drawn from those reports and some of what we're simply hoping for with Pacific Rim 2. If you haven't yet seen Pacific Rim, there are spoilers to be found ahead. So get off the computer, go see it and then come back to read further.
Broken Projector: Canceling The Apocalypse
Broken Projector By Scott Beggs on July 12, 2013 | Be the First To CommentThe dynamite is going boom this weekend with Pacific Rim, so we've got an interview with screenwriter Travis Beacham about building monsters with his brain. Plus, we present a handy pop quiz on earth-threatening, stories-tall beasts and some of the most ridiculous examples of them in movie history. You can play along at home, but just know that if you lose, Godzilla will find you and smash your house. And as a magical bonus, Geoff has some advice about how to approach working screenwriters on Twitter for advice. Speaking of which, you can follow Travis Beacham (@travisbeacham), interviewer Jack Giroux (@jackgi), the show (@brokenprojector), Geoff (@drgmlatulippe) and Scott (@scottmbeggs) for more fun stuff on a daily basis. And, as always, we welcome your feedback. Download Episode #24 Directly Or subscribe Through iTunes
'Pacific Rim: Tales From Year Zero' Graphic Novel: The 10 Most Important Things We Learned
Features By Kate Erbland on July 11, 2013 | Be the First To CommentWhile fans of this week's biggest (and robot-ist and monster-ist) new release, Guillermo Del Toro's Pacific Rim, have already started leading the charge for its final battle sequences to be recognized as some of the best battle sequences in modern cinema, my hyperbolic praise for the film has to be heaped on something that happens far, far earlier. Del Toro's film centers on a world that's been dealing with the influx of the intergalactic monsters known as Kaiju for over a decade, a world that has already experienced both fear and hope, triumph and despair – basically a world where the sort of major battles that round out the film's action are somehow commonplace and old hat. Which is why the film starts with a long-from prologue that explains how Travis Beacham's story actually got to this point – what it was like when the Kaiju first appeared, how humans bonded together to fight back, the way Jaeger pilots were treated by the public, the straight-to-our head success rate in battling Kaiju, and the ultimate realization that even the best Jaeger was no longer good enough for the constantly-evolving Kaiju. As entertaining as I found Pacific Rim to be, it was the film's prologue that most intrigued me – and, frankly speaking, it was something that I found myself wishing was the part committed to film first. (Perhaps the early years of the Jaeger program will get the prequel treatment one day, but I'm still a bit sad that all […]
'Pacific Rim' Review: Guillermo del Toro's Toys Are The Best Toys
Movie Reviews By Neil Miller on July 11, 2013 | Comments (5)Let's all take a moment to be thankful that Guillermo del Toro walked away from The Hobbit. No matter what you ultimately think of that movie or Pacific Rim, the one he ended up making instead, there's something undeniably fun about the concept of giant robots battling giant monsters that The Hobbit just can't accomplish no matter how many 20-minute a cappella interludes it had. On concept alone, Pacific Rim is the movie I'd rather see every time. Luckily, the end result pays off the faith in this case, delivering Summer of 2013's biggest, most relentlessly entertaining monster blockbuster. The kind of heroic piece of nerdy filmmaking that just might save us all from the summer daze.
Neil Miller
Scott Beggs
Rob Hunter
Kate Erbland
Christopher Campbell


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Latest News & Events
Fitzgeralds Storm The Castle - Medieval Banquet Saturday 29th June 2013
26 June 2013
As Part of the Adare Weekend of Welcomes, Saturday 29th June sees the Fitzgeralds Storm the Castle which includes a medieval banquet in the historic Desmond Castle.
Enjoy the stunning, rustic setting along the banks of the Maigue River where you will witness the castle come back to life in an exclusive opening of the heritage grounds.Taste the traditional pig-on-a-spit and delicacies of the local area and enjoy music from the Irish Harp Orchestra. Take part in falconry, archery, Irish music, dancing and story-telling. Enjoy a Medieval battle between Lords to woe the Lady of the castle, the comic of the castle jester and lots more.
With great food and great atmosphere this once in a life time opportunity will keep the whole family entertained while offering them a little bit of history.
Details for Fitzgeralds 'Storm the Castle' Earl of Desmond Medieval Banquet
Date: Saturday 29 June 2013
Time: 5pm - 9pm
Venue: Desmond Castle, Adare, Co. Limerick
Price: Adults €50
Children: €30
Family: €150 (2 Adults and 2 Children)
or call +353 1 2958900
Click here to see accommodation packages in Fitzgeralds Woodlands House Hotel.
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Aluminum LCM8 Landing Craft for sale with local cargo service agreements.Provides cargo service and support to private islands in the caribbean. The US Flag vessel works weekly supplying private islands with construction materials, fuel trucks, waste dumpsters, party equipment,etc.Also supports the local film production industry and goverment nature reserve keys.
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A dozen new doctors ceremoniously donned white coats when Billings Clinic launched Montana's first internal medicine residency last week.
This new physician training program will expand efforts to produce home-grown primary care doctors so badly needed in Montana and throughout the nation. The new doctor training at Billings Clinic is a shining example of how health care providers are driving the changes needed to keep Montanans healthy.
Training more primary care doctors is key to providing health care access to all Americans in an aging population. Compared with other developed nations, America has few primary care doctors and many specialists. The Affordable Care Act provided some new support for primary care training. Since then, the Montana Family Medicine Residency at RiverStone Health has expanded and a new family medicine residency started in Missoula.
In the political arena, health care reform has been a bitterly partisan issue for more than two decades. The divisive rhetoric has only grown louder since Congress took up the Affordable Care Act and narrowly approved it.
On the front lines of U.S. health care, reform has proceeded partly because of the ACA, partly in spite of it. Health care leaders recognize that change is imperative in a nation with an aging population, unhealthy habits, millions of uninsured folks and a care system that is way too complex and too expensive.
Look no farther than Billings' medical corridor to see change in action. For example, knee joint replacement that used to require hospitalization now is performed outpatient. Patients can check their own medical records from their home computer. Every step in care is being scrutinized to boost quality and control costs.
The Gazette recently spoke with leaders of Billings Clinic and St. Vincent Healthcare about what's driving reform.
"Changes are afoot," said Steve Loveless, who recently was named CEO for St. Vincent. "It's a good thing for patients." Care is much more patient centered and patient focused, Loveless said.
The Affordable Care Act heightened price awareness, Loveless said. U.S. health care organizations are responding by moving more care to outpatient settings. High deductible insurance plans are making patients more sensitive to prices.
"We're forced to address our costs," Loveless said. "You won't survive into the future if you don't address costs."
Care providers are using generic medicines whenever appropriate because they cost less.
Independent physicians in Billings are partners with St. Vincent in an affordable care organization designed to deliver consistently high quality care at lower cost.
"Our greatest challenge is transitioning from the fee-for-service model to managing care as we assume risk," Loveless said.
Four years ago, Dr. Nick Wolter, Billings Clinic CEO, told The Gazette that "the status quo" in health care was unacceptable. Since then the clinic has concentrated on increasing quality while driving down costs. The result: Expenses have been decreased by $8 million to $10 million annually while "we've held our charges pretty close to flat for four years," Wolter said.
"Our inpatient costs are below the national average," Wolter said, adding: "Health care is still too expensive. Without Montana Medicaid expansion, there are still people without access to care."
One Billings Clinic effort to improve patient care while preventing unnecessary costs is a pilot project bundling payment for all inpatient care and all care within 90 days of hospital discharge for joint replacement patients. St. John's Lutheran Ministries and RiverStone Health are working with the clinic's pilot.
Over the next four years, the biggest challenges for hospital organizations will be reductions in government reimbursement and the need to recruit and retain health care professionals, Wolter said. Reimbursement already is inadequate for primary care, geriatrics and psychiatry, he said.
In its health care policy, the Billings Area Chamber of Commerce notes:
Health care accounts for 15 percent of the Yellowstone County economy.
Total health care spending in Billings exceeds $1 billion annually.
Montana Medicaid expansion would provide coverage to 70,000 low-income people statewide, create about 1,400 jobs in Yellowstone County and generate $60 million in annual labor income here.
Billings residents can be proud to live in a community served by two nonprofit health systems deeply invested in our state. As the specialty medical center for a vast area of four states, Billings enjoys local access to a range of health services rarely available in a city of 105,000.
While members of Congress and the Montana Legislature argue over health care reform, remember that real reform is happening in our hometown. Our hospitals are dedicated to serving those in need regardless of ability to pay, increasing quality and controlling costs. Those principles should guide health policy makers in Helena and in Washington, D.C.


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David Borstein moved from Director of Sales at MySpace to VP Sales at SB Nation.
Zach Chapman moved from Director Digital Sales at NBC Sports/Olympics to VP Sales at SB Nation.
Randy Rains moved from Regional sales Director at AOL to Senior Director Sales, Southeast at Adify.
Filed under: Media Mavens on the Move Tagged: | On The Move > Online / Mobile Sales


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Women in the Western World have waged war against face fuzz because, let's face it, facial hair on women is not sexy nor flattering, unless it's a well-groomed brow. That's why the best job the Bearded Lady could get was at a carnival. But there are some women (and men) who have embraced the female mustache. Whether you like the look or not, you have to admit that these women have a sort of attraction because they buck the beauty norm. Continue reading for women whose mustaches have gotten them noticed. Keep reading »
Zergnet: Simply Irresistible
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Order now, receive no later than Thursday, January 29th. Some limitations apply.
You're ready to root for Team USA in rain, sleet or snow, but that doesn't have to mean you can't be comfortable. The USA Winter Olympics Aeroloft full zip jacket from Nike is made with lightweight goose down for extra warmth and features a quilted Aeroloft construction for breathability. It also features a side zip pocket and embroidered details. This puffer jacket also has "USA" lettering on the back and "This is Your Moment" lettering on the inside lining.
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With the fifth overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft, the Detroit Lions selected BYU DE Ezekiel Ansah. It was a highly questionable pick. Ansah has a big up side but the Lions need guys who can come in and produce right now. They did not need another project and never mind their poor track record when drafting projects. The down side here, is three years ago Ansah had never seen, much less played, American football. He has only started nine games in college and the Lions will need him to line up at one of their two DE spots from the first snap of the upcoming OTA's.
There is no way to predict what the outcome of this is going to be and Lions fans have to hope that what this front office and coaching staff saw in Ansah during their week at the Senior Bowl will overcome all the things that usually spoil Lions' fist round draft picks. For a team, and really for a couple of guys like Martin Mayhew and Jim Schwartz who might be managing and coaching for their job,s this was an awfully risky first round pick. It seemed the draft was falling in, a perfect way, for the Lions to take CB Dee Milliner and if he had flamed out early, the fan base may have cut Mayhew a lot more slack. If Ansah flames out, Mayhew will have to be fired along with Schwartz. The Ford family will not be able to allow GM and coaching staff to return their team back to the despair of a 0-16 season.
There is a lot to like about Ansah. He is a positive guy; by all accounts a good and humble kid and this locker room could use some of that. Ndamukong Suh, much like Barry Sanders before him, may be a great player but doesn't have the right temperament to be the off-the-field leader. The hope here is Ansah with his positivity can one day develop into that role. This locker room lost a lot of veteran leadership this off season and one of these players is gonna have to step into the role of D-line leader that was held down by Kyle Vanden Bosch the last few years.
The good things about this draft include: one, the Lions did not raft a wide out in the first round; two, they did not go best player available; three, they drafted a guy at a position of need. Time will tell if they made the right choice or not.
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