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The following presentation contains proprietary and copyrighted information, and is designed only for the intended recipient.
Hi, my name is Frank Bermea.
I'm the publisher for Profitable Trading, one of the largest independent investment research firms in America.
Today, I'd like to tell you about a secret indicator that only a few hundred people know about.
It's never been revealed in the pages of The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, Forbes or any other major financial newspaper.
But since we first published it in full a little over a year ago, it has tipped off that small handful of investors to:
20% gains in 14 days…
82% gains in 48 days…
118% gains in 86 days…
266% gains in 12 months…
And dozens more.
In fact, it quickly became the most accurate indicator in our company's history, and spotted many of the best-performing stocks of 2014.
It tagged the 7th, 9th, 11th, and 16th best-performing stocks at various stages of their runs... and was able to deliver an average gain of 109% between them.
Keep in mind: These weren't four of the top 20 fly-by-night penny stocks. These were four of the top 20 profitable companies with a market cap over $100 million.
And our indicator found all of them.
We call this secret indicator the Alpha Score because it consistently beats the market, with less risk than buy-and-hold investing. It can flag exactly which stocks are about to jump double and triple digits in the coming days… weeks… and months.
I know that might seem hard to believe. So let me quickly show you how it works…
There's a company named Westmoreland Coal (NASDAQ: WLB). Most folks have never heard of it. It's an energy firm out of Colorado whose share price hadn't budged in two years.
However, on Dec. 18, 2013, this obscure company flashed an Alpha Score of 158.
This Alpha Score wasn't particularly high, given that the max score is 200.
But still, less than 10% of stocks ever have a score that high at any given time. So we published a report that day telling investors to buy shares NOW.
As soon as we published it, the stock bounced 34% in two weeks... and 51% in six weeks.
Over this same period, the market gained 3%.
But that's not all. Two months earlier, our Alpha Score indicator discovered an even bigger move…
This time it happened with a drug manufacturer named Gentium S.p.A (NASADQ: GENTY). Like Westmoreland Coal, this company was virtually unknown, getting very little attention in the mainstream press.
But on Oct. 9, 2013, its Alpha Score came in at 198 – a near-perfect score.
We rushed an Alpha Alert to investors, saying that it was an immediate "buy."
Sure enough, it delivered an 83% gain in 28 days, and kept going from there.
Of course, not every stock with a high Alpha Score will jump that much. But we've tested it on all kinds of stocks. Blue-chip stocks, high-yield stocks, micro cap, energy, you name it.
Again and again, stocks with a high Alpha Score skyrocket in the days, weeks and months following their "buy" signal…
10% in 10 days for ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN)…
39% in three months for EQT Midstream Partners (NYSE: EQM)…
20% in less than two weeks from Bank of Ireland (NYSE: IRE)…
Given the potency of this indicator, it should come as no surprise that we're EXTREMELY protective of it. We've only showed it to a few hundred people.
I can't even reveal the full name of the trading expert behind it in this presentation. Instead, I'll simply refer to him by his first name, Tom, for privacy reasons.
See, we know how important it is to keep a powerful indicator like this a secret. Once it's widely known, everybody starts using it, and it loses its edge.
However, it's my job to provide investors like you with the best investment strategies.
The kind of strategies that are helping one Profitable Trading reader, Bruce S. of Pennsylvania, average "about $4,000 per month"…
And that helped William P. of Spokane, WA, pocket $26,000 in a single month.
So in this presentation, I'm going to open up the secret Alpha Score playbook and reveal exactly how this indicator works.
As we speak, it has identified several stocks that are showing the exact same kinds of "buy" signals as the stocks that crushed the market over the past year.
Of course, I can't promise these stocks will all end up being top performers.
But remember: This indicator also tagged 29 stocks right before they delivered double-digit gains in a month… including several that went on to deliver gains well over 100%.
So there's every reason to believe it could hand you several double- and triple-digit winners in the coming year.
With that in mind, I'm going to show you how it works.
I'll show you why history says it could deliver double- and triple-digit gainers every year for the next several decades…
Why this indicator could also protect you from the next big market crash…
And I'll even show you the name and ticker of one of the top stocks this indicator has tagged as a "buy."
Less than 1 in 1,275 stocks ever get this strong of a buy signal. When this has happened before, stocks have shot up over 50% in as little as six weeks… and gone on to be some of the best-performing stocks of the year.
This one could be next… and you'll get its name and a full write-up in this presentation.
You truly can't find this information anywhere else. But it will only be available for a limited time. And there's a good reason for that, as I'll explain in a moment…
As you can probably tell, the Alpha Score isn't your everyday indicator.
It has nothing to do with options, buying or selling puts, taking out a margin account, or anything remotely complicated or risky.
In fact, it's based on triggers that have been independently verified by academics and fund managers to be low risk… and even able to sidestep market crashes.
To add to that, the man behind it, Tom, is also one of the most risk-averse traders I know. He's one of only 1,400 traders in the world to earn the distinguished status of Chartered Market Technician. He's also managed as much as $20 million, so he knows first-hand how costly taking unnecessary risks can be.
But this obsession with safety hasn't kept the Alpha Score from delivering quick double- and triple-digit gains…
Let's jump back to October 2013. That's the month we started sending out Alpha Alerts to an exclusive group of investors.
At the time, the market was booming – up 4.5% that month alone.
But we'd tested the Alpha Score and knew it could get much bigger returns.
So we fired up the Alpha Score system…
Sure enough, it flashed a 170 for a company named Kodiak Oil & Gas (NYSE: KOG).
Kodiak wasn't on a lot of people's radar… it had only gained 9% in 18 months.
But starting the day after we sent out our Alpha Alert, it proceeded to jump 13% in just two weeks.
Take November 2013, for example.
At the time, the market was building on its October gains. It gained an additional 2.5%. Many pundits were starting to wonder if it would just be better to invest in an index fund that tracks the S&P 500.
But not those few investors who knew about the Alpha Score. They banked returns as much as 11 times greater than the market – and in half the time.
On Nov. 7, for example, JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ: JBLU) came in with an Alpha Score of 169.
Normally, the airline industry is tough. Delta, Frontier, American Airlines and many more filed for bankruptcy protection in the past decade.
And indeed, it had been a bumpy ride for JetBlue's investors.
Shares were only up about 5% over the previous three years – much worse than the market.
But right after the Alpha Score pegged it, the stock bounced 16.5% in two weeks.
Amazingly, that wasn't the best "buy" signal of the month, though.
The Alpha Score also flashed "buy" for Manhattan Bridge Capital (NASDAQ: LOAN), a small firm out of New York.
Much like JetBlue, Manhattan's share price hadn't done much for the previous five years. It was trading at about a third of its IPO price.
But lo and behold, within just days of the signal, Manhattan Bridge delivered a 12.2% return.
All told, in November you could have booked the two big gainers mentioned above, plus several more two-week gains: 12%… 4.8%… 12.4%… another 29.3%… 13.6%… even 61.5%… and several more.
Note that I'm not talking annualized gains here. These are actual, verifiable returns from companies large and small trading on American stock exchanges.
And again, these gains had nothing to do with covered calls, leverage, or anything like that.
Every single stock move was spotted beforehand by an Alpha Score system that's been independently proven to deliver double- and triple-digit winners.
For example, this system triggered a "buy" signal with Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) on May 2, 2014. By the end of the year, it was up 75% – more than seven times the market's return.
And on July 14, 2014, it spotted Skyworks Solutions (NASDAQ: SWKS). It was up 14% within a week… and over 50% by year's end.
And you could have done even better with Panhandle Oil (NYSE: PHX). We spotted it on Feb. 26, 2014, and it delivered a 46% gain in its first three months.
But what's really exciting is that the Alpha Score continues to trigger "buys."
In fact, the next Alpha Alert comes out a few days from now. And when it does, if you're granted access, you could make several times more than the market no matter what kind of investor you are.
The Alpha Score will signal buys for popular blue-chip stocks… defensive stocks… large-cap stocks… even stocks that you've never heard of.
As we speak, one stock is at 179. Another just reached 184. Another is at 189. While obviously nothing is certain, if history is any guide, we could have some big winners on our hands.
This is especially exciting considering how much money folks have made by following the Alpha Score in the past…
"My most profitable trades from your picks are: 1) HIMX - I bought at $4.86 sold at $9.51 for 95.68%, 2) PRMW - I bought at $1.85 sold at $2.34 for 26.5%, and 3) SANM - I bought at $14.75 sold at $17.30 for 17.59% all in less than 3 months!"
– George H, Kenner, LA
Consider December 2013.
The market closed out one of its best years ever – 29.6% gains.
Most investors would be thrilled with that kind of year.
But believe it or not, had you known about the Alpha Score, you could have beaten the market's annual returns – in just one month.
On Dec. 18, 2013, Jazz Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: JAZZ) flashed an Alpha Score of 182, which isn't even an "out of this world" score, and it still crushed the market with 31.9% gains in just four weeks.
And two weeks earlier, on Dec. 4, another health care company, ANI Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ANIP), shot up even higher. Its Alpha Score came in at 174…
…and it proceeded to return 52.4% to finish the year.
By mid-January, it was up more than 75%.
We eventually closed the trade out for a 114.1% gain in eight months – turning every $10,000 into $21,400.
In 2014, the Alpha Score continued to deliver market-beating returns.
After a strong end to 2013, the market finally soured, dropping 3.6% in January.
Well, following all 19 of the "buys" flashed by the Alpha Score that month, you would have done much better.
Not only would you have beaten the market overall… you could have made as much as 9% in 29 days from a stock called Matrix Service Company (NASDAQ: MTRX).
Its Alpha Score came in at 185 on Jan. 2, and it went on to deliver a near double-digit gain while the market tanked.
February, March and April had more of the same. In 14-day periods throughout those months, you could have seen:
22.1% gains with Flexsteel Industries (NASDAQ: FLXS)… 10.7% gains with ARRIS Group (NASDAQ: ARRS)… 20.6% gains with NXP Semiconductors (NASDAQ: NXPI)… 11.6% gains with Corning (NYSE: GLW)… 20.9% gains with Michael Kors Holdings Limited (NYSE: KORS)… and a dozen more.
May, June, July, August… all the way into 2015, the Alpha Score has continued to find big winners.
It spotted Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) in late 2014, right before it soared 29% in two months…
It spotted Centene (NYSE: CNC) – a completely overlooked health care company – in August, 2014. It soared 41% in four months.
It continued flashing "buy" for Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU), which eventually soared 109%.
It kept flashing "buy" for Hi-Crush Partners (NYSE: HCLP) and Bitauto Holdings (NYSE: BITA), helping investors ride those stocks and pocket additional gains of 61% and 74%, respectively.
Bottom line: From the day we first revealed the Alpha Score in full to a small group of traders – Oct. 9, 2013 – it has picked stocks that beat the market time and again while delivering…
And as I mentioned earlier, it found four of the top 20 stocks of 2014.
See for yourself…
|Company Name*
|1. Arc Group Worldwide
|2. Natural Health
|3. Highpower Int'l
|4. Cardinal Ethanol
|5. Wildan Group
|6. ALJ Regional Holdings
|7. BitAuto Holdings
|8. China Digital
|9. Pacific Ethanol
|10. Emerge Energy Services
|11. Federated National
|12. Vipshop Holdings
|13. CT Partners
|14. Covenant Transportation
|15. Granite Falls
|16. ANI Pharamceuticals
|17. Aemetis Inc
|18. Ladenburg Thalmann
|19. MGP Ingredients
|20. Lannett Co.
Now, obviously not every stock is going to soar. But the average losing position has been just 8.4%. So those who've followed the Alpha Score could have captured huge gains – without putting their nest egg at risk.
And note too, that the gains have come from ALL market sectors.
Blue chips… high-yielders… gold miners… dividend growers… large caps… international… energy… micro caps… tech… and more.
I hope you're starting to see how accurate the Alpha Score system can be at finding HUGE stock moves right before they happen.
You can also see why all eyes are on the next Alpha Alert. Tom's seeing some of the highest Alpha Scores to date… the kind that could deliver immediate gains and long-term growth.
Because the truth is, not only can the Alpha Score produce windfalls practically overnight… it's also proven that it can beat the market over the long haul.
In fact, impartial third parties have shown that the Alpha Score components have beaten the market for the past 60-plus years.
Let me show you…
To fully grasp the Alpha Score's long-term potential, you first have to understand something…
The Alpha Score is derived by combining two of the market's most effective triggers – one a technical trigger, and the other, a fundamental trigger.
These "Alpha Triggers," as we call them, aren't very well known by the investment community. You may see them mentioned here and there individually. But I've never found a single website or financial magazine that shows how powerful they are when combined.
But of course, Tom has been studying these triggers for decades. He's been using variations of them for 20 years, including when he worked at Merrill Lynch, and during a yearlong apprenticeship under one of the world's greatest traders.
They've proven to work during bull markets, bear markets, wars, market bubbles, inflation and deflation.
"Alpha Trigger #1" has been independently verified in peer-reviewed academic journals to deliver market-beating returns.
One landmark study was performed in 2012. An investment manager named James O'Shaughnessy tested over 60 different market triggers going all the way back to 1926. He conducted exhaustive back-tests of various fundamental and technical variables to identify which, if any, were predictive of future performance.
He looked at all kinds of metrics people use to buy stocks: low P/E ratios, low price-to-book ratios, high dividend yields, high profit margins, etc.
His research demonstrated that Trigger #1 outperformed all others and consistently beat the market by a huge margin.
See for yourself…
Between 1926 and 2009, the market turned $10,000 into $38 million.
Not bad.
But Alpha Trigger #1 turned $10,000 into an astonishing $572 million.
The well-respected investment firm Value Line has also proven that Trigger #1 beats the market.
Value Line has been around since the 1930s. And in 1965, it started an index with Trigger #1 as its main growth driver.
How has this index done? As Value Line says, the results "have been spectacular."
Between 1965 and 2013, thanks to Trigger #1, the index returned 28,586%. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones was up a paltry 1,718%.
But here's where it gets really interesting…
Not only have stocks with high Alpha Scores beat the S&P 500 going all the way back to 1926… they've also been extremely safe.
Part of the reason for this extra safety is "Alpha Trigger #2."
This second trigger is a crucial indicator of success, and is a favorite of legendary investors.
Legends like…
Peter Lynch, whose Magellan Fund returned 29% annually over the 13 years he ran it…
Billionaire Donald Yacktman, whose fund has returned an average of 22.3% per year over the past five years, crushing the market…
And Warren Buffett, the world's greatest investor…
All these gurus have said "Alpha Trigger #2" is a key factor in analyzing a stock.
On top of that, The Wall Street Journal says: "Forget About Profit, [Alpha Trigger #2] Is King."
Fifty years of data back this up. In James O'Shaughnessy's research, he found that stocks with Trigger #2 beat the market, but also have a higher level of safety. Going back to 1964, these stocks were, on average, 11% less volatile per year than the market.
No wonder financial analyst Robert Barone says that "Alpha Trigger #2" provides "the ultimate margin of safety."
To be clear, this trigger has nothing to do with common metrics like the P/E ratio or earnings per share. Those can be manipulated, and therefore, don't provide the safety we're looking for. Enron, after all, had strong earnings before it plunged.
That's not the case with "Alpha Trigger #2." In fact, Investopedia says it offers "a better representation of the company's operation" than commonly-used metrics.
That's why, when you combine Trigger #2 with Trigger #1, I can confidently state with near-100% certainty that you won't ever experience an Enron-like collapse – or anything close to that.
Of course, occasionally there are small losses. But as you've seen, the elements behind the Alpha Score have obliterated the market for over half a century, which has seen every type of market.
Bottom line: Figuring conservatively, I believe the Alpha Score could deliver numerous double-digit gains in a matter of weeks… and several triple-digit gains over the next year, without extra risk.
And it's likely that these gains will come from a broad range of stocks: large, small and everything in between.
Obviously nothing is guaranteed – and you should always keep in mind that investing involves risk.
But remember: Right out of the gate, the Alpha Score churned out a 20% gain in 14 days and a 19% gain in seven days.
And many stocks have gone on to boast 33%… 119%… even 266% gains – all in less than a year.
And remember, too, that the upcoming Alpha Alert is flashing some of the highest scores we've EVER seen – as high as 189. If history is any guide, some of these stocks could end up being the biggest winners yet.
The point is, the Alpha Score has beaten the market in the long and short term, with all different kinds of stocks. So I think – no matter what kind of investor you are – you owe it to yourself to at least give it a look.
But if you'd like to do so, you're going to have to act fast. Because Tom will NEVER allow this secret strategy to be widely known…
You see, as you can imagine, Tom is very smart. He's one of only about 1,400 traders in the world to earn the distinguished status of Chartered Market Technician (CMT).
To earn the CMT, you have to take three exams totaling over 10 hours. Then you must pass a code of ethics examination… work in the industry for at least three years… and then find and be sponsored by a current CMT. Not easy.
He's also earned his Series 3 (Commodity) and Series 65 (Investment Advisor Representative) licenses…
Co-chaired the Austin, Texas chapter for the Market Technicians Association…
Managed $20 million…
And apprenticed under one of the world's top traders.
But most importantly, he's very protective of the Alpha Score. To this day, it remains a secret to everyone except a very small group of traders.
Why so secretive?
Because it's been proven that once a market-beating strategy gets too widely known, it can lose its effectiveness.
G. William Schwert, a professor of finance at the University of Rochester, explains that:
"After they are documented and analyzed in the academic literature, [market-beating strategies] often seem to disappear…"
For example, back in 1981, an academic named Rolf Banz published a paper on something called the "small-firm effect." This paper showed that buying small-cap stocks generated "abnormal returns," even when adjusted for risk.
Indeed, both the Federal Reserve and Standard and Poor's proved that, between 1970 and 1983, small-cap stocks beat large-cap stocks.
At around the same time, researchers uncovered the "value effect," which showed that buying stocks with low P/E ratios earned market-beating returns.
But an interesting thing happened after these two market-beating effects were publicized. They vanished.
As Schwert went on to say in his research paper, "The size effect and the value effect seem to have disappeared after the papers that highlighted them were published."
Indeed, financial author Keith Redhead wrote that there was evidence "that the small-firm advantage reversed during the 1980s," shortly after it was made public.
But these aren't the only strategies to lose their effectiveness after coming to light…
You may have heard of the "Dogs of the Dow." This strategy was made famous by investment manager Michael O'Higgins in his 1991 book, "Beating the Dow."
All O'Higgins did was invest in the 10 highest-yielding Dow stocks – the laggards. Since they're still in the Dow, so the theory goes, they're still good stocks and are likely to rebound.
And rebound they did. Back-testing showed that this simple strategy beat the market going all the way back to the 1920s. O'Higgins had been using it for years, dazzling clients with big, consistent returns.
But once again, the very year after the book revealed the strategy, performance lagged.
After beating the market for decades, between 1992 and 2011, the "Dogs" performed no better than the market itself.
Another spoiled strategy was the so-called "January Effect."
Because of tax-loss selling and other factors, for many years January was a great time to buy stocks.
In fact, research showed that you could average 7x better returns in January than any other month.
But then people started talking about it. In 1976, two academics – Michael Rozeff and William Kinney – showed that between 1904 and 1974, January returns averaged 3.5%. The other months were closer to 0.5%.
The cat was out of the bag.
More and more research papers surfaced, and before long, this once-powerful strategy had lost its winning edge.
As Investopedia states, "This historical trend, however, has been less pronounced in recent years because the markets have adjusted for it."
Why does this happen?
Once the strategies are made public, everybody starts doing it. That's again according to Schwert, a professor who's studied this phenomenon as much as anybody.
He concluded, "The activities of practitioners who implement [market-beating strategies] to take advantage of anomalous [market] behavior can cause the anomalies to disappear…"
In other words, as more and more people start doing it, it becomes harder and harder to find hidden opportunities.
We see the same thing happen in other fields, too…
For instance, in the late '90s the Oakland A's were about the only baseball team using advanced stats to evaluate players.
And since no one else was doing it, it was easy. The team easily scooped up talented, overlooked minor leaguers. They found future stars like Johnny Damon and Nick Swisher, for example, who would later be key players for the New York Yankees in their 2009 World Series run.
But over time, more and more people caught on to what the A's were doing. Then the book "Moneyball" was published. Pretty soon, everybody was using advanced stats.
Now it's a lot harder for the A's to find overlooked players.
And as sportswriter Andrew Koo reported, "Once [their] methods pervaded front offices, the A's slipped back into losing."
That's why the creator of the Alpha Score has not made his findings public. After all, if you discovered the key to making a fortune trading stocks, would you share it with the world?
If you did, history says it would lose its power.
That's why, to this day, the Alpha Score remains very much a secret – and remains very powerful…
For instance, in May 2013 it signaled that Micron Technology was a "buy." Before that, Micron looked like your average tech stock: big jump during the tech bubble, mostly flat otherwise.
Not a lot of investors were giving it the time of day.
But that's because they didn't know it had an insanely high Alpha Score of 199. Less than 1 in 5,000 stocks have a score that high at any given time.
Take a look at what happened next…
MU popped 28% in less than six weeks… 60% in less than five months… and 110% in less than nine months.
That's the power of the Alpha Score in action. And as long as it remains largely unknown, it should continue to find fast-moving stocks.
In fact, as we speak, the Alpha Score is flashing "buy" on a little-known stock.
It has found a high-scoring stock that's seen extreme demand, particularly over the past year. It's essential to the next phase of America's cell phone revolution, and appears to be on its way to high double- or even triple-digit growth.
I'll give you its name in a moment, but first, there's an urgent matter you need to know about…
Tom has used variations of the Alpha Score for years. And we're passionate about keeping it confidential.
But our mission here at Profitable Trading is to help the investment community in any way we can. So he agreed to let a few hundred more people in on the secret.
To that end, we're circulating a research report that reveals how the Alpha Score works… but only for a very limited time.
Remember: We can't have our secret getting out. We have to keep the time frame short to make it hard for word to spread quickly.
So what I've done is put together a special report that explains exactly how we combine the two Alpha triggers to figure out which stocks have a high probability of bouncing in the near future.
I can almost guarantee that most investors would NEVER think to combine these two triggers. On the surface, they don't seem to have anything to do with each other. Only after my team and I spent literally hundreds of hours researching were we convinced that the triggers should be combined.
In this report, you'll see how to combine them. And you'll also learn how the Alpha Score could protect you from market crashes, inflation, rising interest rates and more.
This report is called: The Alpha Score: The Secret to Finding Stocks Before They Soar.
I urge you to get this report today. I believe it's the best way for you to both protect and grow your wealth throughout the year. You won't find all the information it contains in one place anywhere else.
It explains in clear, simple language how to combine the two scores, and how you can start using the Alpha Score within the next few minutes. I think you'll be surprised at how easy and intuitive it is.
So how much does this report cost?
Actually, I'd like to give it to you absolutely free. All I ask in return is that you try out Tom's research service, Alpha Trader.
I've been in this business for years, and I've come across scores of research publications. Without a doubt, Alpha Trader is one of the best at catering to both conservative and aggressive investors.
Twice a month, Tom fires up the Alpha Score system and discloses the highest-ranked Alpha Score stocks across 10 different types of investments.
He has a portfolio with the best-performing small caps… another with the best large caps… yet another with the best-performing energy stocks… and so on, all the way up to 10 portfolios.
So whether you're an ultra-defensive investor or a high-growth micro-cap investor, you'll find your kind of stocks in this publication.
For example, back in October, a blue-chip stock named Dow Chemical (NYSE: DOW) got a 172 rating.
If you have any experience with blue chips, you know that they often move slowly. It's not uncommon to see 5% annual growth.
Well, after posting a high Alpha Score, Dow Chemical shot up 6.8% in 14 days.
Then in November, an energy stock named New Concept Energy (NYSE: GBR) scored 183. After posting a loss for the previous two years, it jumped 19% in eight days.
And this kind of explosive growth continues today with other stocks.
I briefly mentioned a stock essential to the cell phone revolution a few minutes ago. It's flashing a high Alpha Score and signaling "buy."
See, as you may know, the number of mobile devices is going through the roof. When Apple released its iPhone 6 on Sept. 19, it sold 10 million in three days – a new record.
But that's just a small piece of the pie.
According to research firm Statista, by 2016, the number of Americans using smartphones should increase 214% from what it was in 2010.
Well, the company we've found – Skyworks Solutions (NASDAQ: SWKS) – makes a key chip found in smartphones. Specifically, it makes a high-tech microchip that helps phones convert and boost radio frequency signals, improving user experience.
Thanks to huge growth in mobile technology… and huge demand for this company's product… its shares have jumped over 50% since the Alpha Score first tagged it.
But this looks like just the beginning.
As the cell phone revolution continues, manufacturers will have no choice but to buy more and more of Skyworks' microchips.
Analysts are even saying that chipmakers are entering a "Golden Age."
Skyworks is taking full advantage. It has no debt to speak of and is growing earnings 10% faster than the industry average.
As a result, it's flashing an Alpha Score of 176 – a score less than 100 other firms on the planet can match.
If I were you, I'd at least look into this stock before the end of the day.
But before you do, I should mention that there are a few other stocks with even higher Alpha Scores and even better prospects.
One's at 184– another is at 185– still another is at 189–
99.99% of stocks never, ever have a score that high. When the Alpha Score has been in this range, it's delivered triple-digit winners several times in the past.
Take Himax Technologies (NASDAQ: HIMX). It makes display technology used in smartphones and tablets. It was in the news recently because Google bought a stake in it.
That's now. But when our Alpha Score Indicator flashed "buy" for Himax in April 2013, it was on almost no one's radar.
And why would it be? Himax had disappointed buy-and-hold investors since its IPO in 2006, falling an average of 12.9% every year.
But what Wall Street and Main Street didn't know was that Himax had an Alpha Score of 200 – the highest possible score.
So on April 11, 2013, we fired off an alert saying Himax was a "buy."
Sure enough, those who acted quickly were up 70% in six months. And by the end of January 2014 – not even 10 months later – they were up 136%.
So that's why I suggest you pounce on these new stocks flashing high Alpha Scores.
When you sign up for our research service, I'll rush you their names immediately.
In fact, I'll send you a report with the top-rated Alpha Score stocks in our 10 portfolios. This will give you a wide range of companies to choose from.
They're showing the same kinds of scores as the stocks that broke the top 50 this past year.
When we first tagged BitAuto, it was at 170. Federated National Holding Company was at 189. Those are the exact kinds of scores of the stocks on my list today.
Just know that we keep this list under lock and key.
But if you act now, you'll get it in our brand new research report: The Secret List: The 10 Highest-Rated Stocks to Buy Now.
It's free as part of your subscription to Profitable Trading's most exclusive research service, Alpha Trader.
Here at Profitable Trading, we don't chase after trendy, "hot" ideas or take undue risk. Instead, we try to find investments that will give you money to live on today… and several years down the road.
First Sergeant Rory D. knows what I'm talking about. He's made over $10,000 by following our ideas.
Or Andrew T. of Annapolis, MD, who made over $50,000 in a year.
Perhaps the secret is that we only publish the work of top trading experts. The kind of experts delivering recommendations so good that one Louisiana resident felt compelled to write, "I certainly live a happier life now."
In short, I'm talking about the work of experts like Tom – a nationally-renowned, licensed professional with two decades of experience… and millions of dollars in gains.
In fact, he's helping us become one of the fastest-growing trading publications in America. We have readers in all 50 states and literally dozens of countries across the globe. And they're seeing their bank accounts grow and grow…
For example, Amey P., a newlywed from Roseville, CA who follows our work, wrote in to say that she's made "$6,000 so far starting with an account of $20,000."
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Now, obviously not every Profitable Trading reader is making that kind of money. And there's no guarantee that our ideas will make you money. But our office here in Austin, TX has been flooded with notes from everyday investors delighted with their gains…
As Michael M. from California says, "I am making about $2,000 per month with your suggestions."
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And Susan W. from Santa Cruz says, "I'm generating about $1,000 a month for investment growth for retirement in ten years."
Bottom line: All these gains are happening right now thanks to Tom and our entire team here at Profitable Trading.
Of course, only you can know if Tom's research service – Alpha Trader – is right for you.
But you've seen what the Alpha Score is doing for the few people who know about it.
10%– 20%– 30%– even 83% in a matter of days and weeks. And triple-digit gains in a matter of weeks and months.
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But to help you feel 100% comfortable, we'd like to give you more time to make up your mind.
In other words, you don't have to make a final decision on this research service for another 60 days.
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In that time, you'll receive dozens of picks with sky-high Alpha Scores.
And of course, you'll also receive the two reports I've already mentioned–
Take two months to review everything as your schedule permits.
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Sounds fair, right?
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However, seeing how fruitful the Alpha Score has been to investors – and seeing how many stocks have high scores right now – time is of the essence.
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But Tom discovered that you can apply the Alpha Scoring system and figure out which high-yielders are likely to deliver quick gains.
For example, one Alpha Score pick yielded 4.5% – more than twice the yield of your typical Dow stock. Most high-yield stocks don't experience fast growth. But like clockwork, after it triggered an Alpha Alert, it jumped 24% in less than six months.
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You'll get all their names in this brand new report.
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One is up 34% in seven months…
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You'll get the top 10 blue-chip stocks flashing buy in this third bonus report.
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Your risk-free subscription to Alpha Trader includes:
And you'll also receive these three special reports if you sign up for two years…
5 Alpha Stocks Yielding up to 5.6%
The 5 Guru Stocks Signaling "Buy"
The Top 10 Blue Chips in the S&P 500
Bear in mind: Within two weeks of publishing the Alpha Score, one stock had already turned $1,000 into $1,280. And in less than a month, another had turned a $500 investment into $915.
So even a tiny investment in one of Tom's picks could more than cover the cost of your subscription after just a few weeks.
If you're the least bit interested in any of Tom's work, I suggest you sign up today.
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To get in before it's too late, just click on the "Start My 60-Day Trial Now" link at the bottom of the page.
I look forward to hearing from you.
P.S. Remember, the only one way to get the secret list of high-scoring stocks and full details on the Alpha Score system is by starting a no-risk subscription today. But you'll have to hurry. Enrollment closes soon, so don't miss this opportunity.


text:
SHANGHAI (AP) — Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang has defeated American world champion Jason Richardson to win the men's 110 meters hurdles at the Shanghai Diamond League on Saturday.
Liu and Richardson were even through the first seven hurdles before the Chinese star pulled away to win in 12.97 seconds. American David Oliver finished second in 13.13 and Richardson was third in 13.16.
The race was a rematch of last year's controversial final at the world championships in Daegu, South Korea, in which Liu tangled with Cuban Dayron Robles over the final hurdles. Robles crossed the line first but was disqualified after Liu appealed, giving the gold to Richardson and the silver to Liu.
Robles did not enter the Shanghai meet.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Dead Space - Corer Model by shirikWatch
©2012-2016 shirik
Dead Space iOS/Android production artwork
Corer model
Corer model
Arguably the best weapon in the iOS Dead Space game. In my opinion
How this gun works? I mean, what shoots?
The four glowy bits on the front that make a diamond, and the super-fire comes from the middle bit. It goes from a chaingun laser to a straight-up solid laser.
Ideal when dealing with armored enemies or large groups, right?
There are no armored enemies, and straight damage doesnt matter in Dead Space, so this weapon is actually only okay in practice. Still looks nice, though.


text:
Manholes are hollow concrete tubes that are installed vertically below grade and are lidded with a round cast iron lid at street level. They are placed at vault openings or pipe junctions and provide maintenance and inspection access to underground piping systems.
Oldcastle Precast manufactures a variety of manholes with various coatings and design components for use in different applications. Manholes designed and manufactured at Oldcastle Precast meet ASTM C 478 specifications, AASHTO HS-20 live load criteria, and NPCA & ACPA certifications. Our manholes are made with type I or II cement unless otherwise specified. Custom and standard sizes are available.
Download Manhole Brochure
Download PDF
Convaults - Our above ground fuel storage tanks are self contained, portable, and meet all government, environmental, and fire safety regulations. Tank capacities range from 250 gallons to 12,000 gallons.


text:
Reservations & Information
1 800 661 1725
Local: 604 662 7575
Wi-Fi available!
Click for printable version of our schedule (PDF)
Pacific Coach's WhistlerExpress service is our worry-free, scheduled bus transportation service between Downtown Vancouver and Whistler Village (Gateway Loop). Our deluxe highway coaches offer free wi-fi, washrooms, and a scenic, relaxing ride to the mountains and back while someone else does the driving. Select your route & date range for travel above to view fares and schedules specific to your travel date.
WhistlerExpress service stops at the following locations on the way to Whistler (Northbound):
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver (Burrard Street Entrance)
Burrard Skytrain Station (Melville and Burrard St.)
Or, if you are travelling from Whistler to Vancouver (Southbound), WhistlerExpress service can drop you off at:
Burrard Skytrain Station (Melville and Burrard St.)
Century Plaza (across from Wall Centre Sheraton Hotel)
The "WhistlerExpress Pass" offers UNLIMITED travel for three months from the date of purchase between Downtown Vancouver stops (see below) and Whistler Village (Gateway Loop). We require minimum 48 hours advance notice. Pass must be paid in full at time of purchase or first leg of the trip.
We also offer a door to door service to Whistler hotels and condos (additional fees will be applied for this service). Door to door service is not applicable for WhistlerExpress Passholders.
For schedules & fares to/from YVR (Vancouver International Airport) see our YVR Whistler SkyLynx service schedules.
Making Reservations
Choose any one of our frequent daily departures and book your transfers online (Click to BOOK NOW); for assistance with your travel reservations please feel free to call our knowledgeable agents at 1-800-661-1725. Reservations are mandatory.


text:
Meal Type
Featured Videos
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Product By Category
Tools & Info
Cooking Tips
Healthy Living
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food&family Magazine
10 servings
Read MoreRead Less
Tap or click steps to mark as complete
Save 40 calories and 6g of fat per serving by preparing with PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese and COOL WHIP LITE Whipped Topping.
Place completely unwrapped package of cream cheese in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 10 sec. or just until softened. Add 15 sec. for each additional package of cream cheese.
Microwave BAKER'S Chocolate to be used in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 30 sec.; stir. Microwave 30 sec. more; stir. Continue heating and stirring in 10-sec. increments until chocolate is completely melted.
* Nutrition information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin and freshness of ingredients used.
A split decision at best. I made this for a party, and used extra sugar, extra chocolate, and toasted almond slivers instead of peanuts.
Although several guests complimented me on it, I personally found it to be on the bland side. The main flavor (to me) was that of cream cheese, not chocolate, and it overwhelmed the other ingredients.
I would make this again only if requested.
It was very fluffy and delicious


text:
Bowhaus' designer dog collars, dog beds, collapsible dog bowls and super-trendy pet wear are the brainchildren of Ruby Chan, who took the Bauhaus design movement as her inspiration in combining form and function. And what form! Tattoo-like dog collars decorated with sparkling flowers, enameled owls and skulls; leashes, harnesses and leads; toile-like pet crate covers and pet carriers; fashion-forward wristlets that fold out to form water bowls — eau la la! Your pooch has never looked purtier.
These beds, bowls, and more will deck out your dog in high style. Bold colors and eye-catching prints rule the roost here; these are truly inspired designs that'll keep your four-legged family member happy and comfy.
Nothing's too good for our pups, particularly when it comes to fashion. Bowhaus NYC gives everyday essentials a fabulous spin, cladding carriers, crates, and collapsible bowls in vintage prints, like retro daisies and toile. And update Rover's personal style with a natural vegetable-leather collar from Hennessy & Sons, featuring a violet-colored lining and matching stitching.
Your dog called to let us know he's tired of his lackluster leash, pedestrian water bowl, and uninspired bed. Give him the style makeover he so desires with these beds, bowls, toys, and even crate covers in bold colors and eye-pleasing prints. (We've got cool cat stuff, too.)
Your pooch should be as well-outfitted as you are, and this selection puts high style within reach of their furry paws. From leashes and collars to comfy beds and feeding bowls, these are everyday pet accessories that are elevated to design-statement status.


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Softwood Lumber Act of 2008:
Customs and Border Protection Established Required Procedures, but Agencies Report Little Benefit from New Requirements
GAO-10-220: Published: Dec 18, 2009. Publicly Released: Dec 18, 2009.
Additional Materials:
- Highlights Page:
- Full Report:
- Accessible Text:
(202) 512-4347
Office of Public Affairs
(202) 512-4800
In 2006, the United States and Canada signed the Softwood Lumber Agreement. The agreement, among other things, imposed export charges and quotas on Canadian lumber exports to the United States. To assist in monitoring compliance with the agreement, in 2008 Congress passed the Softwood Lumber Act, which imposed several data collection and analysis requirements on the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and required two reports from GAO. This report discusses (1) CBP's processes for meeting the act's requirements and (2) how these requirements contribute to U.S. efforts to monitor compliance with the 2006 Softwood Lumber Agreement. GAO issued a report in June 2009 on U.S. agency efforts to monitor compliance with the 2006 agreement. This report includes an update on these efforts. GAO analyzed information from relevant U.S. agencies, interviewed knowledgeable officials, and discussed these issues with U.S. and Canadian industry representatives.
CBP has developed processes to reconcile and verify data provided by the exporter and importer as required by the act, but officials acknowledge continuing issues with data quality. CBP reconciles aggregated export prices from the U.S. entry forms with aggregated export prices from Canadian export permits. To meet the act's verification requirement that the importer has correctly reported the export price, the tax to be paid by exporters to the Canadian government (the export charge), and other information, CBP has created a process within its existing data system to collect these data. However, CBP has acknowledged continuing problems with data quality. For example, CBP port officials manually enter data into this system, which could lead to miscoding. CBP reported that the initial implementation of the act required extensive effort for the agency, but officials stated that ongoing activities need fewer resources. According to CBP, Department of Commerce, and Office of U.S. Trade Representative officials, the information produced through the reconciliation and verification requirements under the act adds little assurance of compliance with the 2006 Softwood Lumber Agreement. Some of the act's requirements are to ensure the proper operation of international agreements on softwood lumber and enforcement of these obligations. The agreement with Canada contains mechanisms for monitoring compliance, and, according to U.S. government officials, the added requirements of the 2008 U.S. legislation do not provide the U.S. government with additional assurance of compliance with the bilateral trade agreement. Specifically, CBP officials told GAO the requirements under the act do not provide the United States with assurance that the Canadian exporter paid the export charge, because the United States does not have access to company-level tax data from Canada. While the agreement is scheduled to expire in 2013, the act does not have an expiration date. CBP officials said they have not yet determined how they will fulfill their requirements under the act when the agreement expires, but they would no longer have the estimated export charge data that are used in implementing the act.
Recommendation for Executive Action
Status: Closed - Implemented
Comments: CBP concurred with the recommendation and concluded that the existence of an international agreement is a precondition to the steps required in the Act and that, based on discussions with congressional staff at the time of the passage of the Act, the purpose of the Act was to ensure compliance "pursuant to an international agreement entered into by that country and the United States." In November, 2012, CBP contacted Congressional staffers to propose that, upon expiration of the Softwood Lumber Agreement in 2015, CBP discontinue the requirements imposed on importers of softwood lumber that were implemented in accordance with the Softwood Lumber Act of 2008.
Recommendation: To provide Congress with sufficient time to clarify the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's requirements under the Softwood Lumber Act of 2008, the Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the Commissioner of CBP to report to Congress on how the agency plans to fulfill the requirements of the act upon the expiration of international agreements related to softwood lumber.
Agency Affected: Department of Homeland Security
Explore the full database of GAO's Open Recommendations »
May 26, 2016
Human Trafficking:Actions Taken to Implement Related Statutory ProvisionsGAO-16-528R: Published: May 26, 2016. Publicly Released: May 26, 2016.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection:Review of the Staffing Analysis Report under the Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Act of 2014GAO-16-606R: Published: May 26, 2016. Publicly Released: May 26, 2016.
May 23, 2016
Prisoner Operations:United States Marshals Service Could Better Estimate Cost Savings and Monitor Efforts to Increase EfficienciesGAO-16-472: Published: May 23, 2016. Publicly Released: May 23, 2016.
May 17, 2016
Office of National Drug Control Policy:Progress toward Some National Drug Control Strategy Goals, but None Have Been Fully AchievedGAO-16-660T: Published: May 17, 2016. Publicly Released: May 17, 2016.
May 9, 2016
Smartphone Data:Information and Issues Regarding Surreptitious Tracking Apps That Can Facilitate StalkingGAO-16-317: Published: Apr 21, 2016. Publicly Released: May 9, 2016.
Apr 26, 2016
Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program:Improvements Made but Information on Performance Goals Still NeededGAO-16-617T: Published: Apr 26, 2016. Publicly Released: Apr 26, 2016.
Apr 5, 2016
State Marijuana Legalization:DOJ Should Document Its Approach to Monitoring the Effects of LegalizationGAO-16-419T: Published: Apr 5, 2016. Publicly Released: Apr 5, 2016.
Feb 22, 2016
Health Care Fraud:Information on Most Common Schemes and the Likely Effect of Smart CardsGAO-16-216: Published: Jan 22, 2016. Publicly Released: Feb 22, 2016.
Feb 11, 2016
Immigrant Investor Program:Additional Actions Needed to Better Assess Fraud Risks and Report Economic BenefitsGAO-16-431T: Published: Feb 11, 2016. Publicly Released: Feb 11, 2016.
Feb 1, 2016
State Marijuana Legalization:DOJ Should Document Its Approach to Monitoring the Effects of LegalizationGAO-16-1: Published: Dec 30, 2015. Publicly Released: Feb 1, 2016.
Looking for more? Browse all our products here


text:
3 posts tagged with Snorkelling.
Displaying 1 through 3 of 3. Subscribe:
Wanna beach bum it up for a month in March!
Less touristy Central American beach spot to plunk down for a month in March? Thinking Quepos, Costa Rica, got anything better? [more inside]
Tell me about Ambergris Caye, including lodging ideas.
Thinking of going to Ambergris Caye in mid-March. We were last there in 1998... how has it changed, for better or worse? And ideas of places to stay, preferably in or very close to San Pedro, with a kitchen? [more inside]
How do I identify a diamond-shaped tropical fish?
Help me identify a diamond-shaped Tropical Fish. (details inside) [more inside]
Page: 1


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OU signee Tony Jefferson excelled on both sides of the ball
On one of his online highlight reels, Tony Jefferson takes a pitch sweep, bounds down the sideline before leaping over the only defender with a chance of preventing a touchdown.
The title of the YouTube video?
"Tony Jefferson doing what he does."
The 6-foot, 210-pound Jefferson did a little bit of everything at Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, Calif., on his way to becoming the No. 21 overall recruit in the country according to ESPNU.
Last season, Jefferson averaged 8.95 yards per carry, while amassing 1,995 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns.
He was just as good on the other side of the ball, totaling 51 tackles and two interceptions from the safety position.
"He's the best football player I've ever coached," said Eastlake coach John McFadden. "He's really incredible."
Despite being a two-way star in high school, Jefferson was recruited by OU to play safety, though could eventually become an outside linebacker in the mold of past and present Sooners Nic Harris, Keenan Clayton and Joseph Ibiloye.
Said McFadden: "He's good enough that with the right kind of coaching he could play just about anything."


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Cracovia Antique Apartments
Mezzi a disposizione Mappa Streetview Recensioni
pl. Szczepanski 2 Malopolska
Nota: è responsabilità della catena di hotel e/o della singola struttura garantire l'accuratezza delle foto visualizzate. Travellerspoint non è responsabile per eventuali imprecisioni nelle foto.
Antique Apartments are beautifully furnished newly renovated apartments right in the center of the city.
The majority of the apartments are located on Szczepanski Square, however, a few are also available at other central locations of the city, including Kazimierz.
Our clients enjoy the comfort and space which the apartments provide. The apartments are beautifully furnished, with special attention paid to ensuring that original architectural elements of the apartments such as old wooden doors or original tile stoves are highlighted.
We offer a wide spectrum of trips to all corners of Malopolska and transport to and from Balice and Pyrzowice airports.
Would you like to rent a bike? Not a problem. Complimentary bikes are available at our reception for our guests free of charge.
We offer various types of apartments: form cozy studios perfect for a couple, equipped with double bed, kitchen annex and bathroom, to spacious four bedroom apartments each with a large kitchen and living room. In these grand apartments you will also find two bathrooms.
Additional information:
- Linen and towels Included
- Free Internet Access
- Satellite TV
- Wi-Fi
- Washing machine for free laundry
- Credit Cards Accepted
- No Curfew
- No Lockout
- Taxes included in price
- Exchange library
- Iron/Ironing board
- Organized trips to Auschits, Wieliczka and many other places
- Help in organizing car rental and trips to most popular locations around Krakow
- 5 to 10% discount in various local restaurants in Krakow
- Buffet breakfast available (additional charge)
- Free bicycle rental
- Luggage storage
Check-in is at 2pm and check-out is by 11am.
Avete soggiornato qui? Scrivi una recensione
Nota: è responsabilità della catena di hotel e/o della singola struttura garantire l'accuratezza delle foto visualizzate. Travellerspoint non è responsabile per eventuali imprecisioni nelle foto.


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great shot
Thank you justart!!!! :)
Bonito, muy bonito!
Hugo! Que lindo, muchas gracias!
Thank you for your nice comments Violet and Lisa!!!
Excellent sequence of colors! Was this digital or film?
Gracias Demetri!!! It was film, it is Chicago's metra!
Thank you Esther!!!
thought so! very awesome.
Love film!! Great shot!
See More Comments


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This is a discussion on *Official DC AR15 picture thread* within the Defensive Rifles & Shotgun Discussion forums, part of the Related Topics category; Let's see if I can do this right... What we've got here is: Noveske Infidel with Rifle Length VIS upper and KX3 Troy/Noveske BUIS Surefire ...
Let's see if I can do this right...
What we've got here is:
Noveske Infidel with Rifle Length VIS upper and KX3
Troy/Noveske BUIS
Surefire X300
TangoDown rail panels
some Magpul ladder covers too
PRI Big Latch
Vltor EMOD stock
Bobro Short VFG
MI sling mounts
BFG VCAS sling
Aimpoint Comp M4
Magpul trigger guard
KNS non-rotating pins
All I need now is some lasers...
Seriously though, I like it like this. I want to get a different tailcap for my light but other than that I'm calling it done.
No, the Krink is above him. That's a heavy barrel...
That'd be the world's heaviest barrel contour.
Battle Plan (n) - a list of things that aren't going to happen if you are attacked.
Blame it on Sixto - now that is a viable plan.
Sorry Matt but I'd BET it's NOT a Noveske KX3. That would mean he spent 3x as much on his muzzle device as his optics.
Actually it's a Levang Linear Compensator, and it works just as well as a Krink for redirecting noise, for $100 less. I don't think it offers increased backpressure like the KFH, but my gun ran fine with the A2 flashhider, so the KFH was not needed. I would compare the noise and flash to a 16" carbine with a standard A2 birdcage.
Ah, the Levang... What's the OD on that? Not much bigger than the barrel IIRC...
No wider than a standard A2 birdcage. I was really, really impressed by its performance the first time I used it. Very tame.
It's a 7.5" upper, and I keep it stoked with 60 gr V-Max loads to compensate for the reduced velocity. Upper and lower are both DPMS.
Last edited by Mo; March 21st, 2008 at 07:48 PM. Reason: grammar
A 7.5" upper at 1:9 twist I assume? That's not even one full revo before exiting... No silencer for you...
Pic thread:
Colored pretty:
I live in MO. No suppressor for me at any twist.
Suicide, is that the VIS I see? How easy is it to break down?
Kahr CW9
Sig P239/9mm
Ruger LC9 (when the girlfriend lets me carry her gun)
"First Duty is To Remember"
Great looking rifles guys! Keep 'em coming.


text:
When we said friends forever and
crossed pinkies like grade-schoolers,
I could only believe those words
lodged in your heart
like they did mine
because every time I think back
I can't help but remember the
late-night conversations
under star lit constellations,
and study sessions where we
learned more about each other
than we did Biology
but now it's clear
that each beat of your heart
has made those words fade,
and you could care less
about crossed pinkies
but I'll still see you,
and hear your voice
and I'll still wish
the meaning hadn't changed-
like you.
When we said friends forever and
When you lose a best friend by Tangled-TalesWatch
©2014-2016 Tangled-Tales
Time changes a lot of things, but I guess that is how we grow.
Stay rad cuties!
Let's get connected:
Instagram- instagram.com/brittanyatk
Tumblr- boomingdreams.tumblr.com/
Stay rad cuties!
Let's get connected:
Instagram- instagram.com/brittanyatk
Tumblr- boomingdreams.tumblr.com/
This actually means a lot more to me now than when I first read it because now I've lost that friend.
I think you might actually be a mind reader
This happened to me a couple of years ago, and recently happened again with someone else. Very touching and very accurate.
wow this hits me
This is really good!
This hits really close to home for me. Amazing work!
*thumps chest over heart then raises hand to a salute* i have experienced this first hand, i remember her, she forgot me.....*bows head* i will never forget, never
- sniffle - I-I'm not crying... - cries -
Very touching poem. You did excellent with this.
THANK YOU DEARIE! You are the sweetest!
You are very welcome. You seriously deserve loads of kind comments and appreciation for this, haha. :3
Wow, that touched me very much. I lost my best friend a while ago. I still think back about how we used to do things together. Very nice poem, by the way
Aweee, glad it touched you! Hope you are doing well, and thank you so so much! Stay wonderful!
Been really worried about this happening with all my small group of high school friends ever since going off to college
If you want to stay friends, and keep on growing how you want to, you will! I am still very close with many of my friends from high school!
Omg i was just feeling like this and I found your poem at the first page of deviantart thanks for your beautiful words it's like a fate really ~ >w<
This is a really good poem! ~
very well done , dear
This struck a cord with me on so many levels. I've found it difficult to make 'best friends,' so I can relate to this poem a lot.
Awe, glad you could relate!!! Good luck making friends, be patient, it takes time to build up friendship!
A good poem. Thank you!
I just recently had a falling out with someone I've been friends with since I was young, which sucks because I care so much about her, but it's just how life is I guess.....
Awe, sorry to hear that! It is life, and if your paths feel a need to cross again, they will! Be confident in where you are going, you are on a successful journey!
I don't think there's one person who doesn't lose at least a best friend in the process of growing up
Nicely written! Keep up the good work
Nicely written! Keep up the good work
True! And sometimes friendships go separate ways, and then end up coming back together. It's all part of life. THANK YOU
I used to not believe in friends,
and now you do?
Yes. I met a lot of people who changed my mind. I thought I was alone. Alone with people. It's like being underwater for so long, then surfacing and breathing.
My Life in one poem.
<3 guess i can relate; nice poem.
Wow, actually pain.
I dont even know where things went wrong.
I dont even know where things went wrong.
I miss to lose my bf Ivan


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Archive for the 'Interviews' Category
Not Afraid To Change
"Dave Celia is one of the best talents to hit Merseyside from North America. He's welcome at the Cavern Club anytime…" – Alex McKechnie, Cavern Club, Liverpool.
David Celia is something of an enigma when it comes to singer/songwriters. The Mississauga, Ontario based performer, who cut his teeth with Toronto rock band Invisible Inc., plays music that is both pop-oriented and introspective. In a perfect world this would lead to mainstream radio play and widespread appeal. After all, he is singing songs about relationships with friends and lovers and life itself; things we can all relate to. But today's mainstream is no longer concerned with all that is down to earth. Superficiality and pessimism have taken over. For that reason, the songs of David Celia are a breath of fresh air, with vocals and guitar playing that are as strong as his songwriting: some of the best out of Canada since Ron Sexsmith.
For those who have heard Organica, his debut album, or seen him perform, Celia is as relevant as the singer-songwriters of the classic era. He pays tribute to a classic brand of singer-songwriter, while avoiding the regurgitation of what has already been overdone in music, and remains original. Over in England, he has been hailed as something new and spectacular. His trips to the United Kingdom – with Invisible Inc and as a solo artist – have landed him headlining shows at Liverpool's legendary Cavern Club and London's 12-Bar, a well as radio play on BBC2's Bob Harris Show.
Even in the United States, he has received compliments from the legends like Hilly Krystal, who founded the New York City classic punk-rock venue CBGBs. With friend and keyboardist Michael Holt, Celia has played the acoustic room at CB's Gallery twice. But it is England where Celia has felt the most appreciated, headlining shows where the audience hangs on to every word and every guitar solo.
While visiting a relative with savvy musical taste and experience, I was exposed to the music of David Celia for the first time. The album was Organica, David Celia's debut solo recording. I was immediately impressed by the strong sense of songwriting and musicianship, with production that was both earthy and slick at the same time. The songs were positive without being too corny, with harmonies that were wonderfully reminiscent of a lot of the music that has always appealed to me.
I first met David in August at a show he did at Toronto's C'est What. The venue was small and filled with mostly friends, but the music filled the room and plastered a smile on everyone's face. I truly feel that I witnessed something special that night, as David played from the heart, on his own and with friends such as Michael Holt (a talented singer/songwriter in his own right) on keyboards and Steve Zsirai on bass, along with Peter Murray, who would go on to perform his own material later in the evening.
It was several weeks later that I caught up with David again, a few hours before he was to play Toronto's historic Distillery district on a cool, August night. We sat outside and shared stories, discussing songwriting and Organica, as well as touring and the mystery that is the audience.
Being There: It seems like most of your songs are very optimistic, something that is hard to find in today's songwriting. Why do you think a lot of songwriters tend to be so pessimistic? Why aren't you?
David Celia: I guess I used to be. I used to write lots of dark songs. I don't write a lot of tunes, so when they do come out it's almost like a sensor. It could just be a period of my life. It's exciting, the optimism. It's more fun right now.
BT: You recorded Organica at home on a Macintosh G4 as opposed to a recording studio. What was the process like? Did it make things easier?
David: It actually made it harder, because there were more options. But I learned to limit myself to four tracks at a time. That's what I grew up on, an analog four track. And I would just whip through stuff. But then in the end, it wasn't stuff that I would necessarily be able to put out on the radio … and you know, I want my stuff to make it to the mainstream even though it doesn't sound like its possible.
BT: How much material did you have in consideration for the album? Did you know what songs you wanted to include from the beginning?
David: I didn't know I was making an album. I was about six songs into it, and it was basically songs that I'd written to do with my last band that I was in, Invisible Inc. And I just kept plowing through them, and I thought 'okay, this could be on another album at some point,' but then that didn't really happen. Then I thought, 'Hey, six more and I got a record!' And I knew I had songs that were b-side stuff, but when I released them it almost didn't matter.
BT: So in a sense, for your personal interests, it was demo recording.
David: Yeah. I was learning to use the computer. "Faker Baker" is my first try at using it. I literally got the computer – I watched someone else engineer an album on the same system. So this is my computer in my house for the first time, and I'm like "Hmm… how should I learn how to do this thing?" And I just went for it. I was really anal about the drums, the quality of it. I think a big part of it is technique, and really knowing what you want to hear back.
BT: At what point did you decide that what you had was an album and that you wanted to release it as one?
David: Well I had it out as a six song EP, and I went to England with that.
BT: And what time period are we talking about?
David: That was 2001, I guess. Early 2001. I can't even remember, though.
BT: Well I know the album itself came out in 2002.
David: Yeah, so about a year before that. About nine months before that I continued plugging away at it, and I was in England. After that, the next stage was that it was going to be an album, and in the process I thought it was going to be a ten or eleven song album. And then "Fill My Empty Cup" came out at the last minute, and it was nice how it filled up. I like to have twelve songs, you know? Like ten or twelve, anyway.
BT: As far as the personnel on the album, I know you play a lot of the instruments yourself, and invited a few friends here and there to pitch in. What kind of environment was that? Did you invite people over, or were you simply utilizing whoever was around while you were recording?
David: Well it started out with that EP with Geoff Hen, the drummer from Invisible Inc, and he was so into sitting down and spending the whole day, and not even getting anything! Just getting sounds. That's how I learned what sounds I liked. And it was about him getting into my mind, and seeing what I was trying to go for. And he's really good at that. And then following that, I met Adam Warner, who already knew and liked the Invisible Inc. stuff, and he knew where I was coming from. When he came in – and he's just such a good drummer – he picked it up instantly; he picked up the vibe I was going for. And we're friends, you know? It's just because we're friends, really. Like, they came over, and it's obvious, he likes what I'm going for, he's into the rootsy sound.
BT: Organica seems to explore the same musical territory as albums like The Beatles' Rubber Soul and Neil Young's Harvest. Would you say those are albums that were in your consciousness growing up?
David: Later. Like early Beatles, Magical Mystery Tourwhen I was really young, but Abba. Weird stuff. But I guess, production wise, when I started four tracking, I automatically gravitated towards the way – you know, I've only been realizing this lately, but I think Rubber Soul and Revolver. And I know, it's so common too.
BT: I know the bass line and chord structure of a track like "Faker Baker", for instance, is very reminiscent of what Paul McCartney was doing at the time. I definitely notice a shift to more rootsy material with Organica in comparison to your Invisible Inc material. Is that a fair assumption to make?
David: Yeah, it's gentler stuff, more personal. When I first showed them "Faker Baker," Mark [Stewartson, Invisible Inc's other songwriting guitar/vocalist] didn't really want to do it. He thought it was too mushy or something. So I was like, "wait, maybe I have a mushy side, and I gotta let it out."
BT: The album opens with a track called "Don't Be Afraid To Change." It's one of the few recent pop/rock songs I've heard that contains a kazoo on the chorus. How did that come about?
David: By accident. I had a kazoo. I was totally messing around with that song. I had no idea that I was writing a song. It was just like "this'll be a quirky number that I show my friends", and that's it.
BT: There are a few instrumentals on the album, differentiating it from a lot of records in the singer/songwriter genre. What inspires you to compose these pieces?
David: Writing lyrics is very difficult for me. If I could just get away with writing instrumental music I would have never started writing lyrics. All I had were instrumental songs for a long time. And it happened by default, cause I wanted to appeal to people who, you know, like poetry. Some people in the industry have complained, "Oh, you shouldn't have an instrumental. That doesn't make any sense." It makes sense musically to me, but that's why I did it. I was scared to put them on because I thought instrumentals might not go over well. But then I got all this strength to thinking maybe I'll keep adding more and more each album, and they'll all be instrumentals someday, and people will acknowledge that more.
BT: In your listening to music growing up, were there any instrumentals that really struck you? Maybe particular groups that were instrumental?
David: Right around the same time somebody introduced me to Pat Metheny and Pink Floyd. And they both struck me right away. I could relate to that because I was mostly just a guitar player and I wasn't singing a lot. I was just soloing. I was listening to the blues, like Clapton, Hendrix.
BT: It's interesting that you mention people like Pat Metheny and Pink Floyd, who are known for their extended, long pieces. You're songs, as you said, are very direct, short, sweet.
David: Yeah, somebody influenced me that way. I used to have epic songs and epic albums with my old band before Invisible Inc., Tarnished Galahad, *laughs*. Mark Stewartson from Invisible Inc. was the guy that just like – when I wrote something, he was like, "it's so obvious… take this outta here, take this outta here," and I was just like… light bulb in my head. And from then on, it just made so much sense. I learned a lot from that guy, just from seeing how he works.
BT: Beyond the title Organica itself, there seems to be a lot of nature motifs through the album. On "Procrastination" you sing "I am a tree/I live outside." Did you think about that as you recorded the album? It almost parallels the earthiness of the music itself.
David: No, but that's where the name came from, and so did the artwork. I love tomatoes, and I garden. Those are my tomatoes on the cover.
BT: Would you say you feel the most at home playing live?
David: Yeah, that's where the inspiration comes from. I write my best songs the day after a good gig. If it was a really good gig, it's so easy to write a song.
BT: In a live setting, you sometimes play solo with an acoustic guitar, while other times you're backed by a full band playing electric. Would you say you prefer one type of performance over the other?
David: No, I'm loving them both because the challenges are totally different. Some of the songs don't work as well solo, so I've also started writing songs for the next recording that aren't going to be band-oriented at all, and it's kind of weird for me, but I'm just going to go with it.
BT: You've played Liverpool's legendary Cavern Club. How did it feel to play at a venue so closely associated with the early days of the Beatles?
David: It came a surprise, because the first time I went over was with Invisible Inc., and we were just visiting. We had a few days off on the tour, and we just drove there. And we got up and it was like… wow.
BT: So you were just checking it out as fans of The Beatles?
David: Yeah, and Alex McKechnie, the guy who runs the whole place, let us get up for a couple, and he ended up letting us get up for about an hour. And then we went across to the Cavern Pub, where there were hardly any tourists because of the time of day or something; it was all locals, and there was a band playing, and we got up for two whole sets. It was fantastic. And they were really responding to originals, and you know, we rarely get that kind of reception here.
BT: You had already played the UK in 2001 with Invisible Inc. How would you compare audiences in the UK & Ireland audiences in North America?
David: It feels like they're listening more closely. They're definitely more receptive, and more literate; hanging on every word you say. I feel like every word I'm singing is actually being analyzed, which is nice, because here it's maybe more that people just want to dance, or they're listening to the beat first. Whereas in England, I think that they're listening to the lyrics first. And that's kinda cool.
BT: You also toured Ireland opening for Stewart Agnew, and England opening for The Divine Comedy, how did that come about?
David: I met Stewart through Peter Murray, who was on tour with Ron (Sexsmith)'s band, and Stewart was supporting Ron. Stewart came over here to do his album at the Gas Station, and I met him. Peter was like, "you gotta meet this guy. Cause I know you'll probably want to go to Ireland." And we just hit it off, and he said "We gotta get you over to Ireland, Dave", and the rest is history. I went over on one of my tours. I was already going to England, so I flew over for a gig with him, and his manager and I got along right away. We lived together on the road.
BT: While in England you also headlined the 12-Bar Club in London, yet another legendary club.
David: That was the first gig I booked. I just e-mailed Andy Lowe who books it. He's a great guy, very supportive of anything that he likes. I just e-mailed him, and he went to my website, and he phoned me. I e-mailed about ten gigs, and he was the only one that phoned me, and said "Anytime you want, the doors open." They're very welcoming there.
BT: And from what I've heard from reactionary articles is that the show went very well.
David: Yeah, the shows there have always just gone really, really well.
BT: You play a lot of shows in and around Toronto.
Your band Invisible Inc. was a regular billing at C'est What and the Horseshoe Tavern. How would you differentiate the experience of playing at home and abroad?
David: I think at this point, whenever I play in Toronto, even though it's often to pretty decent crowds, you know, smaller venue type crowds, it feels like it's a lot of my friends. It feels like the Canadian music scenesupports me, and it's a healthy sized group of people, but I think maybe now I'm starting to meet people that I don't know that are hearing about me and coming out. But in England, I don't know anyone! And the word of mouth is spreading faster. I love going there.
BT: When I last saw you perform, you played a handful of new tracks and spoke briefly of a new album. When can we expect it?
David: I don't want to put the pressure on myself. It's constantly growing, and continently getting itself together. I have about four songs that I'm ready to do the vocal on.
BT: How different is it from Organica so far?
David: I'm noticing some patterns, but it's definitely an evolution. There's some solo stuff on it. There are things being said on it that I've never said before. But the production so far seems to be very similar.
David Celia's album Organica is available for order through David Celia's official website, davidcelia.com.
He will be supporting UK folk-rock legends The Fairport Convention at Hugh's Room in Toronto on September 27th and playing a show of his own there on October 7th. David will also be supporting The Divine Comedy on September 15th, 2004 at Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern.
In November, he will be attending the North American Folk Alliance Conference in Monticello, NY. This will follow with an appearance in New York City on November 11th, 2004 at the Makor Café.
In Need of Radio's Attention
As I sit in a bar called Hugh's Room on a Saturday night, I see the back door open and I see Joel Plaskett arrive along with Peter Elkas, guitars in hand. Just arriving late after the six hour drive from Ottawa to Toronto, these two men look dishevelled and tired after long months of touring and recording.
"I was in the States for a couple of months. I drove down to Arizona, recorded a solo record down there. I was playing everything on it. I came up the west coast and I had to get myself back home," Joel tells me as we sit down to talk about his solo tour, his work with The Joel Plaskett Emergency, the early days in Thrush Hermit and his upcoming album. This show was the last of his tour, before he headed back home to Nova Scotia for a long deserved rest. Plaskett hears the good news that this last show is sold out and makes the quick quip, "Hey Pete, we're gonna be rich!" Plaskett's sense of humour shines through most of our conversation.
In the early 1990s Joel Plaskett (guitar), Rob Benvie (guitar/keys), Ian McGettigan (bass) and Cliff Gibb (drums) started a band called Thrush Hermit. Following the grunge sound that had developed in the United States not long before, they also added elements from 1970s rock and roll. In 1994, Thrush Hermit signed to Sloan's Murderecords and released two E.P.s, Smart Bomb and The Great Pacific Ocean.
Sweet Homewrecker was their major label debut, on Elektra, and only venture on a large label. Sweet Homewrecker still featured the sloppy sound of their early work, but showed many indications of the direction that the band would be taking.
Asking what led to the Hermit leaving Elektra, Joel answered, "We wanted to get dropped [from Elektra], because our A&R guy got fired. We just didn't have anyone there pulling for us, so being on that label didn't make any sense. By getting dropped after the first record, we had a clause in our contract that meant they had to give us $60,000 US. So we said, drop us drop us drop us and they dropped us, and they had to pay us off to get rid of us so it was awesome. Worked great, bankrolled Clayton Park and we made a great record."
By the mid-1990s, fellow Haligonians (natives of Halifax) Sloan, were hitting their stride with the release of albums such as One Chord to Another and Navy Blues, and bringing big media focus and attention to the east coast Canadian music scene. This new focus led to perfect timing for Thrush Hermit's release of Clayton Park in 1999.
I asked Plaskett what he thought Thrush Hermit brought to the Halifax scene after Sloan helped shine a light on it. "Well, we kicked their ass. We were a hard rock band. At the time we hit our stride, we were the heaviest band in Canada. I don't think all our records were flawless, but by Clayton Park, we were the best band in Canada."
"We loosened up as a band. We didn't write all the guitar solos. We went into the studio and fucked around. We bought an eight track with the money we got when we signed to Elektra. When we came back from recording Sweet Homewrecker, we had a studio, a little eight-track studio of our own, that really [shaped] the way we made Clayton Park."
With Clayton Park, Joel Plaskett seemed to overshadow the other two songwriters, Ian McGettigan and Rob Benvie. Of the eleven songs on Clayton Park, Plaskett wrote and sang lead on eight. I asked Joel if he saw it in the same light. "I don't see it that way because it kind of came down to it, and it looked like I'm gonna have more songs on this record. Rob had a ton of songs, but he was like, 'Which songs of mine are going to fit this record, and what do we need on this record? We need something fun; we need 'Headin' South'.' We worked that one out live and [we thought], this is a great, kick ass rock song, and we all get to jam out on it. The thing that I really thought and really still think is Rob's strong suit, as a songwriter he's really strong, but also he's rhythmically strong. He has a really good sense of what makes a song compel itself and is simple. 'Headin' South' has such a deadly rhythm to it, and he added a lot of suggestions to my songs, and his guitar playing was always really aggressive. Rob is a great piano player too, so he was playing keys on that record and playing a lot of lead guitar."
"Ian's song ['(Oh Man!) What To Do?'] is a totally fun song on that record. It just cooks, right? I like it because 'From The Back Of The Film', chased with the Ian song is like the record comes out swingin'. I mean, I don't think my stuff is any more mature. The strength of that record is the fact that our roles at that point were becoming, as far as I was concerned, a little more defined in terms of what everyone's strengths were. I was writing and my singing was developing by that point. Ultimately that is what kind of put the nail in the coffin of that band.
"I kind of thought that that record was really strong and we were heading a certain way, and I could see myself as basically the lead singer, but it would be a collaborative thing where we would all be involved in arranging the songs and Rob would still have songs in it, but I kinda wanted to be the singer. That's the goal and I thought we were starting to define ourselves and then all of a sudden Rob was like 'I don't want to fit into this definition of this band.' And I totally respect him for that. I understand that he is a strong-willed guy and is really talented in his own right. I was becoming a domineering presence in that band from the way I approached the audience and the way people responded to me as the front of the band. I'm an A Type. I'm a forceful personality and I know that about myself. And so is Rob. He's really strong-minded. We get along great now, but I think he knew that record and when we were talking about the next record, he couldn't see a place on it, so he got out and then we all just said, 'if you're not in it, the band doesn't exist.'
"Then we broke up." After touring across Canada with The Flashing Lights and The Local Rabbits in late 1999, Thrush Hermit called it quits.
Looking back, I asked Joel what his favourite song of Rob's was and he replied, "Of Rob's songs, my favourite I think is a song called 'Strange To Be Involved' off of Sweet Homewrecker. I think it's a touching song; I love that song so much. It was one of the few songs on that record that we approached the same way we approached Clayton Park. We did it a little looser. We did it live. We did the whole band live on the floor and Rob just sang. It's like a slow ballad. I think that's my favourite song of Rob's. I love 'Noosed And Halo Swear Words' off that record too." (Ed. Is this the place to mention this?)
1999 proved to be a busy year for Plaskett. Not only had Thrush Hermit released their best work, Clayton Park, and toured across the country; Plaskett also was able to release his first solo album, In Need Of Medical Attention, a low-fi record. Though released in 1999, In Need Of Medical Attention was recorded in the mid-'90s, with Plaskett playing most of the instruments on the album himself. He did however enlist various artists to join him on a couple of tracks, such as Charles Austin, Tara S'Appart, Al Tuck, and others. Plaskett enrolled the king of Canadian low-fi Rick White (Elevator & The Unintended, formerly of Eric's Trip) to mix this album. "I like the sound of [what is] often the first take or first recording you do of a song. It's your gut instinct, and sometimes its a good thing to just leave it that way even though its not a record thats going to sell a lot because its such a lo-fi record."
I asked Joel Plaskett what the running themes were on the album. "Medical Attention was about my grandfather dying; he was a doctor and I was thinking about him. That was part of it. A lot of that record was about growing up in Clayton Park. I'm specific in some songs, and other songs, I just try to paint pictures of where I'm from and how I feel about certain things. But I dedicated that album to my grandfather who had passed away [in] '96 or '97. So I wrote some of the songs for him."
In 2000, Plaskett started a new project. Enlisting the help of Tim Brennan (bass) and Dave Marsh (drums), he formed The Joel Plaskett Emergency. The Emergency are a three-piece band that could rock and roll with the best of them, while still being able to mellow out and get a little country on the listener. Dave Marsh, also known as one of the many drummers for the The Super Friendz, along with Tim Brennan create a solid backing for Plaskett's lead.
"The Emergency [albums, Down At The Khyber and Truthfully, Truthfully], are really band records. Medical Attention is… I play almost everything on it myself, and I kinda took a long time making it. I'm really proud of the Emergency records. I think they show both my personality, but [also] the personality of the whole band in the terms of how we play together. They (the records) certainly wouldn't be the same without them."
On the first Emergency album, Down At The Khyber, is a song called, "Waiting To Be Discovered." I asked if this song was about finding the fame that he once had as part of Thrush Hermit? "To be honest I never felt that Thrush Hermit had too much fame. We did alright. I've sold as many records in this capacity as the Hermit ever did. I've got more fans, and I've played to more people now than the Hermit ever did. So that song isn't really about that. That song is really a little bit more about… more about just being in Halifax, watching people in Halifax having a hard time getting out of town. [Also asking] what does it take to draw some attention to myself? I take a hard angle when I write a song. I certainly felt like I had a little catching up to do when there was a dip between the Hermit and when I started my new band and got Khyber out. I certainly had something to prove. I never felt like I'm back to square one [though]."
In 1994, Thrush Hermit had a song on their Smart Bomb E.P. called 'Radio Blaster' in which Joel sang, "I was sitting in the car with the radio blastin'." On the latest Joel Plaskett Emergency album, Truthfully, Truthfully, Plaskett sings in "Radio Fly," "The radio, if it's on another minute, better grow some wings and fly." The imagery of the radio changing from a form of entertainment to a device you wish to throw out the window had me wondering.
I asked him what changed in the past ten years? Was it his lack of presence on the radio, or just good music in general? "I'd love for myself to be on the radio and maybe somewhere deep down I have some slight resentment. Everybody wants to be on the radio. I think my music is worthwhile and I think the reason I'm not on the radio isn't necessarily the sound of my records. It's the fact that they don't smell money behind it. Really that song is more about the fact that you flip the radio and you can't find a fucking song. You know there's a couple that surface every now and then, certainly Sam Roberts was a total breath of fresh air. I don't know what reason they choose to play these songs. Certainly it's not musical. They're not trying to make interesting radio.
"Turn it back into independently owned stations, make the playlists come from DJs. Let the DJs choose the songs. If the radio was more adventurous, if it wasn't so narrow. They used to take risks, I realise there's so much music in the world, maybe it's impossible to sift through it. But I just feel that the fact that Clear Channel and Chum, they all just dictate, they're piped in from somewhere, what's getting played in Halifax is not [what a] bunch of Halifax DJs choosing what to play. 'You are going to play the new Theory of a Dead Man single whether you like it or not.'"
File sharing was another subject I broached with Joel. I asked him how he thought it had affected him as an independent musician. "I don't know. I sell about the same number of records all the time, to my die hard fans. Maybe it's affected me, maybe it's kept me from selling 20,000 records, kept me from cracking 10 [thousand] maybe. I don't sell a lot of records. I sell 5,000 records. That's never changed for me. I think, for my fans, if they just can't find my record in a store, they just burn it, then they come to a show and buy it. You know, I don't think I'm getting ripped off by it, but having said that, I'd rather they paid for my music, and it would make it a bit easier if I did make a bit more money. It would allow me to be more creative about the way I go about things. I mean, I skimp on a lot of levels and I have to make a lot decisions based on the finances of it. I can't do something cool and artistic if it's going to bankrupt me."
The song, "Work Out Fine," gives a sense of the world working out on its own. "Well, that song I wrote in about the time it takes to sing it. I guess I sort of subscribe to that. I'm not a political guy in a lot of ways, so I suppose, it's a lackadaisical attitude more than anything else."
On Plaskett's latest album, Truthfully, Truthfully, an old Thrush Hermit B-Side is included. This track, "Come On, Teacher", became the first single off of Truthfully, Truthfully,. I asked Plaskett what brought this song back to life. " It was fun live. I wanted this record to have a couple of songs like "Come On, Teacher" and "Extraordinary" which are kind of goofy, but they're fun live songs. The audience reacts to them, so I thought, I shouldn't be afraid to put them on the record."
Joel Plaskett will be taking a break from The Emergency and is planning the release of his second solo album. He says to expect it in the fall, but even his record label Maple Music hasn't heard it yet. "I don't know how they're going to react. I know they're waiting to hear this record. I don't know if they're even going to see it as a commercial record. It isn't. I don't think it's chockfull of singles. It's self-indulgent, it's lyrical. Intrigues me more."
A couple of hours later, the lights turned down as he took the stage to a packed room, guitar in hand. Wearing the same jeans he wore in the video 'From The Back Of The Film' and a green shirt with Louis Riel on his back. Seeming to be the most comfortable I had ever seem him in front of a large crowd. Plaskett takes command of the stage, tells stories, plays songs and leaves a gleeful audience and another tour behind for the trip back home to Nova Scotia.
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