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Gregory Zymet!!!
In many genre films today, horror and/or science fiction, emphasis is placed on special effects or a shock effect alone, often with nothing behind it to reinforce its affect. Somehow yet often, people forget that a solid story, character, emotion and depth will hook an audience faster than any digital effect. Gregory Zymet's profound, affecting film APARTMENT 206 understands just that.
Screened to a sold-out crowd at last month's New York City Horror Film Festival after several added festival screenings and awards, the film is unsettling, but manages to shift rapidly yet precisely through emotion rarely seen in genre features, let alone shorts. Zymet, an NYU grad, sits down with guest journalist Adam Barnick to discuss his inspirations, passions, frustrations, and future as an independent filmmaker! - by Adam Barnick. 12/05
What are your earliest memories of the horror/sci fi genre, and why does this area of storytelling appeal to you particularly?
My older brother Matt was always into movie monsters and science fiction. When your older brother thinks something is cool--so do you. I was fascinated by the monster books he had in his closet. My parents use to leave me home with him babysitting. We saw all the things they didn't want us to--The Shining, Phantasm, Friday the 13th, Halloween, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark...
I've always had a very overactive imagination. I use to wake up every night from nightmares. My mother would have to come in and hold me. Sometimes I'd be screaming in her arms with my eyes open. I use to be terrified of the crawlspace under the basement stairs, more specifically that some wretched hand was going to reach up and grab my ankle. My mother use to make us go down to the basement to fetch canned foods from the storage shelves and the trek down those stairs and back was sheer torture--not to mention we had a freaky old rocking horse stowed down there that would look at me whenever I went down there.
My next film is horror. For some reason as an adult, I have this demented excitement about everything that scared me as a child. I would love to lead the audience through the horror that my seven year old imagination gave me when I turned out the lights and went to sleep.
When/why did you decide filmmaking was the area you had to become involved in?
I grew up in the golden age of Spielberg. My family went to the movies a lot... Close Encounters, E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark. In fact, I remember wanting to see "Clash of the Titans" more than Raiders because of the stop-motion monsters--but wow, was Raiders so much better! I told everyone I wanted to be a "moviemaker." I enjoyed being in these worlds and wanted to create my own. I did my fifth grade and ninth grade career projects on it. When they filmed part of "Fatal Attraction" in my town, I snuck onto the set and accidentally spoke to the director (who I thought was a PA). He told me to "keep with it, babe." Seriously!
Tell me about your NYU experience, types of films you did, etc.
When I got accepted and finally went to NYU for college I had a completely different experience. Because I'd been making films, I was put ahead. During the 3 years I was there, I was going to class, walking the halls, making films, but somehow I felt like I was missing the whole "NYU Film School experience." It's very hard to put into words. There's something odd about NYU that you can't quite touch. The school gave me lot of freedom but not much guidance. The undergrad film school is very big and I felt a little lost in it. Basically, when I graduated, I wasn't sure what I learned. I couldn't quantize it. I didn't have much practical information or understanding of how the film industry worked. What it did was give me a good experience in NYC and the opportunity to MAKE film. When you MAKE film, you learn--so that part of it was helpful. But the actual classes were hit and miss.
What were you involved in in the intervening years after NYU and before you came up with the idea for Apartment 206?
After I finished my thesis film I made the pilgrimage to Los Angeles. I got a string of freelance jobs. I was Pauley Shore's stand-in on "Bio Dome". Then, two producers hired me to re-write an awful low-budget action film. I remember telling one producer, "this story doesn't make sense" and his response (in broken English) was: "no need to make sense. Put more explosions." I met so many people who were deluding themselves and trying to delude me. I met one guy who would sit and come up with titles like "Black Out" or "Smash Up" and tell me they were going to be great movies one day when he found writers to write them. I remember I was the assistant to one low budget producer who told me if I worked for him long enough he was going to let me direct one of his B-movies. Meanwhile every day, letters were coming in from different lawyers with clients suing him for a zillion different reasons.
I decided to not get a job in the industry, but to support myself through other means, write my own movies and sell a script. I worked for years on my writing, joined a writers group and got out a lot of really great stories. Writing is SO hard to do well. It was the area I needed to work on most and I did--for 10 years. In fact, I'm still working on it, and when I see the writing of Charlie Kaufman or Alexander Payne, I'm reminded of how far I have to go.
It was hard getting people to read my scripts because I still had very few connections. The few times I got a script somewhere, it ended up in a reader pool. I was beginning to feel like a number. I was beginning to feel lost. I'd call my parents and grandparents. My grandmother would tell me I was more talented then all the other people trying to make it and she felt it in her bones that something was going to happen to me. Then I'd hear from my next door neighbor that HIS grandmother told him the same thing. It was a very confusing time.
It came to a point when I gave one of my scripts to a friend who worked at a production company. He read it as a favor and told me later, he would have put it down after page 5 if he didn't know me. He told me, "I don't think you have any idea what people want to see." WOW. I took a breath. WOW. After I hung up the phone, I thought--who could ever say such a thing to ANYBODY? Who was HE to tell ME what people wanted to see? I already knew from living in Hollywood that people who work in the industry chase success, they rarely create it from scratch. And then I had the realization: why am I trying to get into the game of people who are "chasing it"? I wanted to be someone who was "creating it." If I wanted to write and make film, I'd have to just do that--at any level. Someone once told me that the people who rise to the top don't get there just because they're lucky. If everyone starts off in the same pool, the leaders will automatically (by instinct) start managing the others and the higher ups will see this and promote them. The same is true for filmmakers. If you're a filmmaker you just start making film--it's as plain as that. People see this. They like your work. They hire you--or give you money for you next film. All the greatest filmmakers do this. They don't wait for someone in Hollywood to help them--they go out and make it on their own and Hollywood comes to them. From that point on, I was an independent filmmaker.
I had planned to make a feature, but it was way too big and expensive--and I still had no connections, so a friend who I respect convinced me to start small and do another short. After my NYU thesis, I swore to never make another short, but I had no choice--so I started searching for ideas.
What is the genesis of Apartment 206? Was it a certain type of story you wanted to explore, or an incident that inspired it, etc?
From a strategic standpoint, I wanted to make a fantasy that explored death--as this was going to be a showcase for a feature that dealt with these themes. I tried to come up with ideas. I even wrote 2 drafts of a script about the Black Dahlia but it had no soul. I knew I had to do something that was completely inspired and original if I was going to get noticed.
When I came home to NY for Thanksgiving in 2001, my friend Sarah and I explored the city one day and we came upon the Chelsea Hotel. The second we walked into the lobby I felt something heavy press down on my chest. It was hard to breathe. I had had this feeling before and I told Sarah immediately, "this place is haunted." Sarah, though slightly nervous, wasn't going to give in to my theory. We hung around the lobby looking at old newspaper clippings about the hotel and the history. We finally rode the elevator up to the top floor. When the doors opened, we came out and I saw that amazing stair shaft that dropped down 13 stories. Sarah had weak knees and stayed back but I hovered by the banister and looked at the depth and though I'm not at all suicidal, I honestly felt like testing it and JUMPING. And that's when I knew--someone had jumped there.
We walked down the stairs, exploring each hall, finding private staircases leading up to hidden apartments, old bathrooms and a closet filled with books and odds and ends.
I couldn't stop thinking of the incident that night and the next day. Was there a ghost in that apartment that wanted to be heard? Was it alone, trying to get someone--anyone's--attention? Did it compel the owner to paint the door green so people would notice it? And that's where the premise came from. What would it be like to be a ghost, trapped in an apartment, trying to communicate with the living? And when I started to wonder HOW it would communicate, the television seemed to be the most practical (and visual) way. I knew immediately I had the story.
Give us a brief synopsis, for readers who don't know the film yet.
Two victims of a deadly traffic accident wake up in a mysterious run-down apartment surrounded by darkness. Scared to venture out into the unknown, they turn back to the two televisions where they see their lives continue on without them. When they plug in to the televisions with a headset, they jolt into a comatose state where they are "mentally" transported into the TV to haunt the things they can't let go of. Over the course of 60 years they go from squabbling rivals to codependents and eventually help each other face the dark and move on.
How long did the script's development/writing take? Not only is there a lot more depth in the writing than most modern genre work, but the attention to detail and character is something we don't see enough of these days. Each scene manages to keep the story moving and shift between an unsettling mood, being humorous, heartfelt...
I was inspired by what happened so it just poured out of me. I wrote it in a few days and presented it to my writer's group who gave me a few helpful comments. From first draft to last, it took about a month (a record for me!) I'm extremely detail-oriented.
I think one of the things that gives it depth is its supposition of what's beyond. I had to create a mythology for this interpretation of the afterlife--that is, when you die, if you can't move on--you go to a dingy apartment and watch the things of your life progress without you until you go nuts and leave or stay there forever. But there are hints of a lot more going on. First, this apartment is connected to our world. Second, it is connected to worlds beyond. When Conrad ventures out into the void and finds his mother's voice, he discovers that she too was watching him when he was down on earth (so we can assume that SHE must have been in some Apartment 206-like setting). More so, it also implies that she is STILL watching him, so wherever she is beyond the level he is at, she is still connected downward to him, but he can't look upward to her. It's very much central to my own feelings of faith and religion and God which is very intertwined in everything I do.
Re: characters--I always base them on people who are familiar to me--or people who I've run across in my life. This way I write them truthfully. Sandra is loosely based on my grandmother and Conrad was an amalgam of friends I had who went to a private school near where I grew up. When we cast, however--the characters changed slightly as the actors brought their own contributions to the roles. One thing I feel very confident about as a writer is tone. Because I was confident with the tone, I didn't mind playing with it and shifting genres from comedy to suspense to sentimentality. I took a psychological approach to the material. I tried to show the story unfolding from the character's perspectives--so as they felt happy or sad or scared--so did we. I used pinnacle moments to transition the mood. When Conrad gets angry and throws the coffee can out the window it gives him the idea to throw out the trash--which brings the movie into a lighter tone. The music helped with a lot of the tonal changes too.
I also had to do a little tap-dancing with the writing. The characters spend 60 years in the apartment. I chose to portray five different days over those 60 years. First I outlined all the things that I wanted to happen, then squashed them across five days. Though a real relationship takes hundreds of days to play out, I didn't have that luxury so I cheated and chose pinnacle moments, "bridges" if you will, that would transition me from one stage of their relationship to another.
How long was your process of casting and rehearsal? Nicola Hersh and Troy Bishop are so solidly cast I wouldn't want to see others in the parts. Can you talk about working with them?
First I took them both out to lunch to get to know them. We had 4-5 rehearsals prior to shooting. We started with table readings. Rehearsals were used to iron things out (so everyone was on the same page as far as character motivation and interpretation). Since we rehearsed in an apartment with the same layout as our location, we were able to do some blocking to see how certain scenes would play out.
Nicki and Troy were both very easy to work with and very professional--and most important, talented and dedicated. They also both had different training and methods of acting. Nicki is a very organic actor (I think perhaps because she comes from the theater). She's very honest in her acting. One thing we all realized in casting was how well she listened and reacted to other actors. She especially did well on long takes where she could jump in and really be in the moment. On several instances where I wasn't getting what I wanted, I would ask her about moments in her life to provoke a certain emotion. One time when I wanted her to be angry in a strong, intense way--without getting big or shouting, I asked her to tell me about a time when she witnessed a great injustice. I hoped this would stir up a certain type of anger which I was looking for. Troy on the other hand, had a film background and was very technical and savvy with the camera. He liked to work up to his emotional state himself so I tried to give him the space to get to where he needed. In the film he plays a repressed character who emotionally "breaks out". During these break-out moments, Troy was very aware of over-acting and, once I gained his trust, I worked on pushing him toward bigger performances. Once he got there, he could deliver it take after take. One of the things that shocked everyone was how many times he could naturally break down into frustrated tears in that hallway scene where the camera is pulling back. I'm very hands on with directing actors. Most of the time I have an idea of what I want and I try to steer the performances in that general direction, but I also try to remain open to see what they do. There were many instances where both of them gave me performances that were much better than anything I could have imagined. In the end, I'd much rather have performances that are different than the script and truthful, than force something that isn't real.
Another thing is--I like to cast actors who look like real people, not overly glossy, good-looking Hollywood types. If I write a movie about glossy people, I will cast them--until then, I want the cast of my films to look like they've been plucked out of real life.
How did you raise the funds needed to make the film?
Now that the film is done, I'm still spending money on promoting it and putting it in the festivals. It's hard to do all this, work on writing your next film and make enough money to continue to live. I don't know how other filmmakers do it.
Why did you decide to work with HD as a shooting format? I loved the washed out color scheme, which felt like a sharper version of the ghostly images we see on the TVs they watch... was this achieved in-camera, or in postproduction? Had you worked with your DP Bradley Sellers before?
I think, given a choice, I would have shot it on 35mm. But we didn't have the $$$. That said, I was extremely happy with HD and how the film looked and would definitely work in HD again. Our DP Bradley was very against it. He wanted to shoot in 16mm. I had shot in 16mm several times. It always felt small. I wanted "Apartment 206" to feel big. I had to convince him. I told him the pristine look of HD would also mimic the clean look of TV and give it an almost hyper-real feel. He finally acquiesced. Bradley and I had never worked together before. I saw his reel and knew he was talented. That's why he got the job. I went over the look with him (and Ernie, the production designer) and showed them visual development boards. I usually make visual presentations while I'm writing a film. It helps me visualize and they become a useful tool for communicating what I want the film to look like.
I noticed Sandra and Conrad's journey parallels what we go through when a loved one dies, though this time we get to see that process from the other side: at first they don't believe it. They're afraid. Denial, can't confront it, apathy, etc. They move, very slowly, to a point of acceptance where they can move on.
I didn't intend to do this. I based the characters' actions and reactions to their evolving situation on what I thought each given character would logically do at each point in time. I think what a person experiences when a loved one dies is similar to what a person experiences with any tragedy or shock. There's a progression of emotions that people go through (I forget the order)--something like: Shock, Denial, Anger, Fright, Frustration, Acceptance. There's some acronym that speaks to this. I forget what it is.
I love the idea of limbo being a dingy, transitory apartment. Did you have a specific reason for using that as their in-between point? I felt it's so disgusting because of the cluttered mental state the characters are going through.
It was definitely a conscious decision. I wanted their sparse, rotting surroundings to be a metaphor for what they were going through. I wanted it to hint at their impending fate if they remained. Because it is dingy, derelict, antique, forgotten... I realized it was going to look like a haunted house which seemed appropriate as they are ghosts. I think the apartment definitely contributed to the character's mental state, though more from the claustrophobia, the coffee, the constant TV light and not being able to rest than the dinginess of it all.
Are the TV sets their lure to stay connected to their former world, stay absorbed and distracted instead of moving into their uncertain future (the black void)? It's an interesting comment on us today- many of us stay indoors and watch TV instead of going out into the world... it's our choice and it's safe indoors, but it's the same thing every day... and they pin their attention/hopes etc. on something which won't last forever (Sandra's son, and Conrad's manuscript).
Not my intention, but while we're on the topic, I believe all media is doing this. But while it sometimes physically keeps us apart, it's bringing us together--like you and me. I would have never met you if it hadn't been for Bunni Speigelman's blog and our swapping films and correspondence.
I used TVs because they were visual and much more interesting than telephones--and I needed a way for the dead (our main characters) to actively "participate" in the lives they were haunting.
The television footage evokes memories of my father's black and white television he held on to. You had to get a certain type of camera to achieve that look, didn't you?
If you're creating fantasy worlds, you need to be very attentive to details. One of the realizations was--"Damn it all to hell! I need to get all that footage that plays on the TV!" We ended up holding a separate casting session with different actors and had a 2 day shoot 3 weeks prior to the main shoot where we made all the playback. A few weeks prior to this, I realized the footage itself had to be of the world of Apartment 206 (not our world). In other words, the image had to look like it was being broadcasted from many miles away, over an old TV tube.
To get the footage needed to allow our TV FX guy to recreate the look I wanted, I snuck into the Museum of Television & Radio in Beverly Hills with a video camera, ordered up some old TV shows from the early days of television, and trying my damndest to ignore the great, big signs everywhere that read: NO FILMING OF ANY KIND ALLOWED--I taped what I could in 6 minutes before I got kicked out.
That 6 minutes was what we used to emulate the TV footage.
I'd say 60-70% of the look was created in After Effects. The other 30-40% was there in the original picture. We used a vintage video camera to shoot B-roll. I wanted the raw image to be half way there before we manipulated it. I think people overestimate what effects can do. By starting with an old-looking image I knew we'd pull of something realistic.
Question: Where the hell do you get a camera to shoot old video? Answer: Well, I live in Hollywood so all I need to do is call up some camera rental houses and... WRONG!
No one in Los Angeles had video cameras pre-1990 that worked. Is that incredible? I had one rental guy after another tell me they had the perfect camera and when I went down to their rental house, time and time again it was a modern camera (maybe 5 years old) that shot a perfect digital (not analog) video image. I found a few analogs, but the picture was still too good. I wanted a crappy image dammit! (How often do you hear that said)?
One guy wanted to sell me a 1990 Eclair video camera for $500, another guy wanted to rent the same camera to me for $500/day! Some of those rental guys are leeches--trying to suck money from anyone they can. Turned out the Eclair didn't give me the image I needed so it didn't make a difference.
The best moment was when I had an honest-to-God VINTAGE VIDEO CAMERA being shipped to me from Vegas two days before the shoot. I got it the day before and it was the wrong camera! They shipped the wrong @#%! camera!!!! What was I to do? The shoot was TOMORROW! Desperate, I went on E-bay and did a search for old, consumer video cameras that were selling in the Los Angeles area and whose auctions were ending THAT NIGHT.
For $30, I ended up buying the EXACT RCA video camera that my dad bought when we were kids--the first camera I ever used. Is that crazy? It was in pristine condition. I brought it home, relieved--but then realized--wait a minute, where do you put the tape? How do you plug it in? This was before camcorders--so I needed a separate 80s style VCR that had the female end of a 12-prong pin. I was sunk! Where was I going to get that in less than a day?
I called a video camera technician who I became an acquaintance with during the search and he told me if I could get a diagram of the plug that described what each pin was, he could rewire the camera to work on a DV Camera. Sure enough, some crazy-techie person had a diagram uploaded to the internet of the RCA 12-prong pin. I gave the camera tech guy the diagram and he hotwired my friend Hal's DV camera to the RCA video camera. I got it back at 10pm, the night before the shoot.
Question: It's 10pm the night before the shoot. Do I dare test it?
I did.
It didn't work.
I called back the technician, he actually came to my apartment and at midnight, 6 hours before call time, he figured out that if he reversed the signal so it went from the DV camera, to the video camera, then back to the DV camera it would record on the digital video cassette. So in the 9th hour we got it to work. The picture was grainy and blown out. It zoomed from ten feet away to seven feet away. The 2nd unit camera man wanted to strangle me for making him use such a monstrous hunk of metal and wires that gave him such a crappy image--but it worked!
I love the dynamic between Sandra and Conrad. They start out as rivals and reluctant roommates, then become friends, then dependent on each other, and then they care enough to let the other go. Was it always intended when you were developing the story that it would involve a mother and son who would sort of fill in the opposite gaps in each other's lives?
When I boiled it down, I realized I had to drop everything extraneous. I then built the story up again and added the Conrad character (who I designed to be opposite Sandra). If she was having son issues and he was having mother issues--they could become each other's surrogates and help each other get over their problems and move on. So the story I wanted to tell designated the characters, and then the characters changed the story. The writing process is very much like that for me. I tend to explore when I write. It's very organic.
What's written on the wall in the kitchen? Looked like German- "verdammen." Damnation? Did I read that right?
I think it's "Ort der Verdammten" or something like that. You're right. It means "Place of the Damned" in German. The idea of doing that came to our production designer, Ernie, in a dream. I told Ernie that I wanted some signs around the place that others had been there throughout time. We had a lot more cool things that showed hints of some of the past occupants but they were cut or you couldn't see them on camera. I really liked Ernie's idea of having the writing on the kitchen wall in another language. It somehow better defined the apartment as being a place where anyone could end up.
Tell us about your on-set experience.
Excellent. I had such a nightmare on the set of my NYU thesis that I made it a priority to have good people work on "Apartment 206." When I interviewed people I made this as important as talent.
I read some philosophy books right before I started, books that reiterated that by putting out the good and treating people with love, it would come back. I opened up and tried to be close and friendly with everybody and that seemed to trickle down. It seems like when the keys (director, DP, assistant director, producers) are positive people, everyone else takes that vibe and goes with it. Of course we had a few problem people (I think that's unavoidable)--but overall it was an extremely good experience.
I'm very storyboard-heavy. The entire film was visually planned out before hand and about half of the blocking was covered before we shot. Of course things changed and I got new ideas. For example--In the scene were Conrad and Sandra are becoming friends (the scene where her son is getting married on the TV), I had a hard time feeling the bond between the characters. Aside from directing the actors, I shifted the camera from a straight on angle to a two shot with Sandra in the foreground and Conrad in the background over her shoulder. This caused her to have to look back at him and him to lean forward. It gave an incredible sense of them visually COMING TOGETHER.
How has the festival circuit been, and the reception to the film? At the screening I saw (at the New York City Horror Film Festival), people were genuinely moved... there were even a few sniffles in the audience.
The festivals were very disappointing at first. The film was rejected from everywhere. Seven months into the festival circuit, we had applied to sixty festivals and were rejected from 90%.
I was confused and depressed. I felt the film was good and was proud of the work and didn't understand why nobody wanted it. Furthermore, when I went to festivals and saw many of the films they WERE accepting--it just didn't make any sense.
In the end it got rejected from all the top American Film Festivals and rejected from every European Festival we entered (about 15). It also got rejected from every spiritual theme festival I entered. I half expected the film to get rejected by the horror, sci-fi folks too but thankfully they embraced it.
I think there's a bias toward genre work in the main festival scene--hell, I know there is because of some things that happened to me along the way. I also learned that knowing people behind the scenes at the big festivals really helps. Then, once you get in, some of the big festivals make you change your work. Two friends of mine who got their films into a top festival had to cut their films in order for them to be accepted. One had to cut it in half to be shown! That's another thing we had against us--our length. When I confided in festival directors at festivals where it got in, I asked them about it and all of them agreed--a thirty minute film is usually not considered. So my advice to filmmakers--make a movie less than 10 minutes or over 90 minutes or it won't get seen in the festivals.
My experience taught me that much of the festival circuit is as messed up as Hollywood--at least all the big ones are. Festivals definitely have an agenda. There is a lot of politics involved. The most pure-hearted festivals are the small festivals run by people who just want to see good film. Sometimes when you go to a small festival where there's a lot of love, you will meet the most amazing people who will inspire you. I felt this way after Sedona. Sedona was my first festival and my experience there brought me back to the days when film was all about the love.
Thankfully, the film found life in the ninth hour. This past September and October the film was in 15 festivals and won Dragon-Con, Shriekfest, got 3 awards at Shockerfest--and won best short at San Diego Flim Festival which was the biggest festival we got into. San Diego actually did more than all the others did. It helped me meet a few people and thanks to the buzz, get some phone calls from production companies.
Re: people being moved. That's great. I'm a sentimental guy--but boy do I get slack for that in today's climate. I want my movies to have many emotions in them--when necessary, sentimentality included. But I believe sentimentality, like everything else (including a happy ending)--has to be earned. I hate when filmmakers force it. But if it's there in the story (as it was in "Apartment 206") why should I avoid it because people today think its uncool to be sentimental? I think it's uncool to be overtly manipulated. Some also think being emotional is being non-intellectual which is completely absurd. But I do love it when people are moved at the right moment. It makes me feel like I connected.
What is missing in genre films these days to you? Character and emotion (besides fear) and depth are three things I find in Apartment 206, which you wouldn't often associate with horror/sci fi these days.
Thanks for such a wonderful compliment! I agree--character, emotion and depth are often missing. It's hard to put these things in any film.
I think the writers of genre films are usually very much in-love with the things that make their genre a horror or a sci-fi or a fantasy. Good characters, emotions and depth are all good to layer on top, but aren't always a necessary requirement for genre fans. I think a lot of genre writers don't cultivate this in their writing because it's not their main focus.
I'm fascinated with the human condition and exploring it. I think I'm drawn to stories that deal with people going through an experience that tests some aspect of their being. When people are tested, a lot of who they are boils up to the surface.
I noticed you composed the music- have you always done that? Did you train as a musician as well as a filmmaker?
I'm kind of the "Hollywood Piano Orphan." Before I had my electronic piano, I would wander around, sneak into places that had grand pianos and play them when no one was looking. Security guards always say I play beautiful right before they give me the boot.
I've been playing piano since I was six and composing since I was 10. Music is a huge part of my life. As I write a script, I'm composing the theme music that will accompany it.
For me, playing piano is a catalyst for dreaming. When I play the theme to a movie I want to make, my mind begins to fantasize about this movie that I will one day make. Music is the closest thing that gets to the heart of the mood, genre and emotional core of my films.
I took classical piano for 10 years. I won a scholarship for composition and went back to school at UCLA extension. At UCLA I learned orchestration and conducting.
For "Apartment 206," since the TVs were such a huge part of it, I wanted the score to emulate television sounds through the first part. In fact the movie opens with the humming of a television over the credits. It builds to the sound of a car crash and then the movie smash cuts into a close up of an eye awaking over loud TV tone. Throughout the first half I mixed musical chords with low vibrations and high frequencies, weaving sound design closely into the musical score.
As the movie's themes broadened out and the characters got more emotional, I snuck in the orchestra and the music got more musical. I always tried to keep it simple and let the characters lead (and the music support). I had two themes. The main theme (which encompasses the second theme) plays for the first time over the main credits. I felt that was the only time where something big enough happened to allow me to present a full on theme without sounding manipulative. Theme music seems dead in films today. When was the last time you remembered the theme to a film? I would love my films to have real theme music in them--but only if the material calls for it.
Subsequently, composing is my favorite part of filmmaking. If you strip everything else away, music is the emotional and tonal through line of the film. It's really exhilarating for me to score my own films.
What do you have planned for the future? I know you're preparing a feature.
I would love to get to the heart of what a violent haunting really is like and how it affects the people who are living with it. In the end though, I'm making it because there's a little devil inside me that wants to scare the hell out of people in a way no one else has. I honestly can't wait for it to happen, but at the moment everyone's waiting on me. I'm working to finish the script, then I have to hand it off to people who will hopefully find the money for it.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Explore Apartment 206 at www.apartment206.com
Bunni Speigelman's analysis of the film can be found at
Special thanks to Adam Barnick.
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Escape to fields of daisies and fragrant fynbos at these flower-spotting getaways…
1. Western Cape – 3Flavours Guest House, Pringle Bay
Nothing mirrors the promise of spring like a floral explosion and, although this might not happen as profusely here as it does on the renowned West Coast, an abundance of charming wild flowers such as the modest disa, daisy, arum lily and tiny bell-like erica can be found just beyond the rocky shorelines of towns along the Overberg coastline.
Trails vary from rough and rugged footpaths to well-maintained cliff walks that allowed us to fully appreciate the beauty of the rare flora. Within the district is 3Flavours Guest House – a gracious place in the heart of the Cape's unique fynbos region from which we were inspired to explore the splendour of the surrounding countryside. Bed and breakfast accommodation on this 8,5-hectare fynbos farm comprises two family rooms, four rooms with queen-size beds, as well as two superior rooms with king-size beds. All are well appointed with en-suite bathrooms and an emphasis on luxury.
Take a drive, as we did, to the Cape Floral Kingdom Expo in Bredasdorp, Harold Porter National Botanical Garden in Betty's Bay, and the Hermanus Botanical Society Flower Festival. Remember that spring also brings a surge in whale activity. – Olivia Schaffer
2. West Coast – Bo-Bakkies, Paternoster
Perched on a knoll overlooking giant boulders brooding at the edge of the Atlantic, are the quaint fisherman cottages of Bo-Bakkies 1 and 2. In flower season there are white and yellow daisies within striking distance in all directions, and it's also an ideal base from which to explore the West Coast flower carpets. Sitting on the stoep at No 1 and looking out to sea, it's easy to imagine the fisherman lifestyle of years gone by, as we look down at the brightly coloured, wooden fishing boats drawn up above the high-water mark.
Located in the colourful and vibrant Fisherman's Quarter of Paternoster, the self-catering cottages are quaint, rustic and very comfortable, with each one-bedroom unit having a fully equipped kitchen, living area and en-suite bathroom. Bo-Bakkies 1 also has a sleeper couch.
Each cottage has a stoep and braai, and an indoor fireplace made of rock, where we huddled when the evening fog rolled in off the sea. There's drive-in parking and pets are welcome too, but the yard is not enclosed. – Keri Harvey
3. Western Cape – Algeria Cottages, Cederberg
The annual wild flower extravaganza is always a good excuse to visit the Cederberg; that's just one of the reasons why I find myself returning there again and again. But until recently, accommodation options in the wilderness area have been limited. With the launch of the new cottages at Algeria Forest Station, stewards CapeNature have changed all that, creating stylish, eco-friendly accommodation that is a match for the surrounding natural environment.
The six cottages, which can each sleep up to four adults, plus two children on a sleeper couch in the lounge, are designed to maximise the spectacular location and sense of space, with big windows and lovely stoeps with wooden benches where we enjoyed the views and the night skies. The decor is fresh and chic – a far throw from most 'traditional-style' cottages in conservation areas – with bright paintings on the walls, big bathrooms and everything we needed for a self-catering break. Best of all, the units are great value.
One tip: Algeria isn't spring-flower central. The area around Clanwilliam, 21km further north, is more dazzling when it comes to blooms. So if flowers are your focus take a drive to the lovely Ramskop Wildflower Garden just outside town. It's a little-known gem. – Fiona McIntosh
4. Swartland – Waylands Guesthouse, Darling
Just 6km from Darling, Waylands is a working farm that has been in the Duckitt family since 1865. The gracious Victorian guest house has five spacious en-suite bedrooms with magnificent antique furnishings. Two lounges each have a wood-burning fireplace and a deep veranda overlooking the pool. Kicking back here for a sundowner on a Friday afternoon, Nguni cattle and sheep grazing in the distance, was a fine way for us to welcome the weekend – and peacocks provided the background music.
Yes, Waylands is located right in the Darling daisy carpets, but the farm also has its own wild-flower reserve. It's part of the critically endangered Lowland Fynbos biome of which less than one per cent remains. Still, there are more than 300 flower species to see there, and just as many bird species.
The Waylands Wildflower Reserve is open to the public in August and September, but staying right there is so much more enchanting. We walked to the dam at sunrise and cycled the farm roads later. The warm hospitality of the Duckitt family made our stay truly memorable. If you somehow haven't seen enough flowers at Waylands, the biggest orchid nursery in the Southern Hemisphere is right next door and open to the public on the first Saturday of the month, May to November. – Keri Harvey
5. Northern Cape – Calvinia Hotel, Calvinia
When it comes to viewing spring flowers, the Northern Cape grabs the headlines. Every year crowds of eager tourists descend in August and September to check out the colourful displays and rare endemics that grace the plains of the Hantam Karoo. Calvinia, the centre of the region, is an interesting place with a lovely church, museum and some eclectic buildings – and characters.
On the Calvinia-Hantam Flower Route, there are numerous accommodation options, one of them the historic Calvinia Hotel. With 25 rooms, it has everything you need for a relaxing stay, including a good restaurant that serves authentic Karoo fare. There's also a bar, off-street parking and a splash pool (although you might not need to avail yourself of it in August). I found the layout of the place slightly odd, with several rooms (mine included) facing in on the courtyard rather than offering views, but was impressed by the large comfy bed, the quality of the bed linen and the colourful drapes that reflect the owner's attention to detail. With wonderfully friendly and helpful staff, the Calvinia Hotel is a good base from which to explore the region both in and out of flower season. – Fiona McIntosh
6. Northern Cape – Madeliefie Cottage, Kamieskroon
The small town of Kamieskroon bursts into bloom in the flower season, like Cinderella dressing up for the ball. Every patch of pavement and bare ground is covered with a tapestry of multi-coloured flowers, turning the sleepy settlement into an enchanting wonderland. Madeliefie Cottage on Dr Steenkamp Street is one of the self-catering options in the town that resonates with platteland character.
The colourful, well-equipped cottage, decorated with an abundance of hearts, mobiles and knick-knacks, makes you feel as if you are a guest in owner Elsabé Smit's home. And, so you are, as she might just pop by to say hello and make sure the sugar bowl is topped up. Named after the Namaqualand wild flower, the golden-yellow aster, Madeliefie is a self-contained cottage that sleeps four – we were downstairs in the bedroom while the small, open loft upstairs is ideal for kids.
The cottage is a comfortable base from which we explored and were dazzled by the display of spring flowers (Peet from Kuiervreugde coffee shop is a fount of flower knowledge) and it's just the place to absorb the Kamieskroon spirit. – Ron Swilling
7. West Coast – Weskushuis, Jacobsbaai
The quaint village of Jacobsbaai, close to Vredenburg, is a collection of whitewashed houses trimmed in stone, and in the flower season (July to September) there are white daisy carpets everywhere. Staying at the lovely Weskushuis is ideal if you want to be among the daisies. It's spacious, comfortable and perfectly appointed for self-catering; one unit is pet friendly too with an enclosed private courtyard and there's a guest carport alongside.
We kicked off our stay with an evening braai on the long veranda, enjoying stillness but for the sound of the sea, which is just down the road, and had all the glass doors flung open for the breeze. The tranquillity and privacy of the place make it really special.
Owner Frik de Jager says bat-eared foxes, mongooses and small antelope are regularly seen around the village, so there are natural attractions here throughout the year. If you head from there towards Saldanha, you might see pink flowers as we did; a little further on towards Langebaan they were yellow and then became rainbow colours along the road. – Keri Harvey

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Yamaha Outboard Motors company News and Trends items
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FREE shipping on all orders within the USA.
Knotted Metal Single Knot Earrings - Cleopatra Colorway
in: Earrings, Knotted Metal
Simple and elegant earrings for those who prefer a classic look. The "knot" measures 0.75" across, and the entire earring length is 1.75". The Single Knot earrings can be customized in a variety of colors to match any outfit and taste. This listing is for a CLEOPATRA colorway - chartreuse, yellow and turquoise. Aluminum with surgical steel earwire. Rubber ear backs included.


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A P-3C Orion airplane monument put up by the Navy nearly two decades ago to memorialize a long history of maritime patrol service at Naval Air Station Barbers Point has been removed, creating a backlash in the community and concern over how the process was handled.
The Navy dedicated the base memorial -- a one-fifteenth-scale fiberglass P-3C Orion on a steel pole surrounded by a rock wall -- when the base closed in 1999 to preserve the legacy of 57 years of fleet service.
Barbers Point was at one time the largest naval air station in the Pacific. At its height it had about eight P-3C Orion sub hunter squadrons and 80 to 100 aircraft, historians say.
The American Renaissance Academy, which leases 17 acres from the Hunt Cos., including the memorial site across from the old base headquarters, got a volunteer group together and took the airplane and stand down March 3, a Saturday.
Related content:
- Hawaii Welcomes 6th Virginia-Class Sub
- Hawaii Suspends Missile Siren Tests after Mistaken Alert
- Cautious Hawaii Prepares for a Nuclear Attack
Carl Vincenti, a retired Marine and executive vice president of business development for the K-12 school, said he had been cleaning up the neglected and deteriorating monument of broken beer bottles and other debris for three years, and eventually spearheaded the effort to relocate and safeguard parts of it.
Vincenti also acknowledged the school hopes to one day fence off the memorial site to create a bigger play area for students. The school spread grass seed on the adjacent ground, he said.
The memorial's support pole and airplane replica are now at the Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps base with an uncertain future. The rock wall remains at the old Barbers Point, stripped of its nomenclature, "Naval Air Station Barbers Point 1942-1999." The letters are also at the Marine base.
The Saturday removal didn't sit well with some in the community.
"I was proud every time I rode by that (memorial) because it was retaining some of our history. They are quick out here to try and do away with our military history," said Bev Brennan, a retired Navy command master chief who was in P-3 units at Barbers Point.
There was "no advance notice for anybody" of the move, said Brennan, co-owner of the Barbers Point Bowling Center. "There are so many veterans out here -- we could get a working party and clean that mess up," she said of the site. "And that wasn't an option."
The monument's condition came up only when the school laid claim to the parcel that includes the base memorial, she said.
Vincenti said others who drove by the memorial didn't see the neglect he was seeing up close on a regular basis.
The removal hit a nerve with some.
"I was pinned to 2nd (class petty officer) on that very spot. It's ridiculous it was removed," retired Navy Senior Chief Holly Miguel said on Facebook.
Vincenti, who's also a parent at the school, said "the Navy and Hunt reached out and said they had all the proper approvals in place" for the memorial's removal.
Steve Colon, president of development for Hunt's Hawaii Region, said in an email that the monument "was not historic" and that it "was transferred to the Kaneohe Marine base to be in front of the P-3 command building there which is where the command transferred to when (Barbers Point) closed down."
Only a few P-3s are still based at Kaneohe, and belong to the secretive "special projects" VPU-2, which flies highly classified missions.
Vincenti said he consulted state Sen. Mike Gabbard and the Hawaii Community Development Authority, which oversees Barbers Point land.
Brad Hayes, executive director of Naval Air Museum Barbers Point, said he was approached several months ago about the monument and asked whether he wanted it.
"They wanted it in our front yard -- and that's not the place for it," Hayes said. The Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor also said it could not take it, Vincenti said.
D. Kalani Capelouto, a Makakilo/Kapolei/Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board member, said in an email that he received "multiple complaints about the missing P-3 monument" and that no one had approached the board to explain there was a problem maintaining it.
The Navy said the marker "is now secured and protected from vandalism and theft," and it is determining a "good location for it to be displayed."
The future of the monument's rock wall is uncertain, but Vincenti said the school will not put its name on it.
Brennan, the retired command master chief, said if it's moved anywhere, the complete monument should be moved near the Kalaeloa Airport tower on the old base.
"It's our history. And we would like to keep it where it belongs -- which is at the tower," she said.
This article is written by William Cole from The Honolulu Star-Advertiser and was legally licensed via the Tribune Content Agency through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Our adorable ballerina mouse, available on an 18"/22" or 24"/28" extendable gold plated brass based necklace.
These cuties have slight imperfections on their glaze, but we still think they are lovely!
This item is made from hand painted porcelain and should be treated as fragile.
Dimensions: Height 3.5cm x Width 2cm x Depth 2cm
Was £35, Now £14
When you purchase this item we donate £2 to WWF


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The MOST essential items for newborn photography.
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Use this blanket to wrap baby or as a prop stuffer. This newborn baby blanket is a great lightweight blanket that can be used for a number of sessions. Use it to keep a sitter safe from grass during outdoor photoshoots, to style a certain prop with extra blankets, or add some texture to a baby swaddle wrap.
Blanket measures approx.: 26x18 in.
Color: Product color may slightly vary due to photographic lighting sources and/or monitor settings.
Our #1 priority here at Newborn Studio Props is your happiness. Which means we stand by our product 100%, no matter what. If you have a problem, we'll solve it. Refund it. Replace it. Mail it in and we'll fix it. Whatever it takes. Don't forget to reach out to our Customer Service Team. We're here for you.


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Board Certification
Thoracic Surgery (Congenital Cardiac Surgery)
My name is Kim Duncan, and I'm a congenital heart surgeon here at Children's.
Kids can be very sick with congenital heart disease, but if things go well, they get better awfully quickly.
By being open and honest, we try and engender trust. I tell them frequently that the only bad question you ask is the one you don't ask.
As a rule, I think the cardiology people here at Children's are exceptionally good at communicating with the primary care physician and keeping them updated.
I tell people frequently in the hospital that I believe the only time we fail is when a family or patient leaves here and they feel they haven't been well cared for.
To have a family or patient leave here, and then come back and give me a big hug and say, "Thank you so much, we really appreciate it," is probably the ultimate compliment. When that happens, it makes you feel good, but it also makes you understand that, hey you did something right.
See Research by Kim F. Duncan M.D.
This Provider Practices at:
Children's Hospital & Medical Center
8200 Dodge St.
Omaha, NE 68114
Fax: 402-955-4364


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4 Things You Should Never DIY in Your Outdoor Space
The summer months are when we spend more time enjoying our outdoor spaces. Between backyard barbecues or just time spent on the patio, it's naturalRead More
6 Signs Your Outdoor Space Needs a Landscaper
Your home is an investment, and your outdoor spaces are a critical element of your home's overall aesthetic from the outside. Outdoor spaces that haveRead More
5 Reasons to Add Concrete or Stone to Your Landscaping
If your idea of a great landscape is an enormous green lawn, Harris Landscape Construction invites you to think a little bigger. There are manyRead More
What Makes a Landscape Construction Company Different than a Landscaper?
When most people have a project in mind for their outdoor space, they look online for a landscaper to do the job. That's not aRead More
Common Signs of a Drainage Problem in Your Outdoor Space
It's officially a Miracle March here in northern Nevada, and all of that snow and rain is just what our water supply needed. But hasRead More
Five Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Nevada Landscape Company
Our recent snow storm aside, we've had a pretty mild winter here in northern Nevada. And as we move through March and into early spring,Read More
Does Your Nevada Landscaper Need a License?
Landscaping is so much more than an aesthetic pleasure. It's the first thing people see when they come to your home, and it can haveRead More


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Young Life || Global Cities Fellowship: Singapore
Aug 15 2019 - Aug 15 2021
Description:Welcome to Singapore! This World-City is the best of East meets West, blending different cultures from all around the globe into one beautiful and peaceful country. Singapore is the busiest port in the world and a major financial and tech hub.
Are you looking for a little adventure? Feeling called to something significant and world changing? Curious about what a career in Young Life would be like? Want to spend two years in an amazing mission community? Here's your chance.
Join our team as a Fellow in the new Global Cities Fellowship (YLGCF) program, and be part of an exciting effort to share the Gospel with young people from all parts of the world living all together on one small island.
Young Life Singapore is joining Hong Kong Young Life's exciting new two-year Fellowship program, and we are looking for remarkable, entrepreneurial and mission-minded university graduates to join our team.
Responsibilities:Fellows will be integrated as full-time staff in the city where they're placed, participating and contributing to regular staff meetings, trainings, outreaches and fundraisers, and will be expected to model and lead teams toward healthy contact work, clubs, camps and Campaigners groups.
The Global Cities Fellowship will also include the following:
- The development of local leadership teams.
- Cross-cultural program development and ministry training.
- Bi-monthly training dialogues with Young Life supervisor.
- Young Life Leadership I and II led by veteran Young Life staff.
- Personal fundraising and development training.
- Annual YLGCF service trip.
- Strength and gift assessments.
- Optional accredited graduate-level coursework.
- Non-Young Life mentorship with a local SG business leader.
- Interaction and meetings with Hong Kong YLGCF.
- Young Life summer assignment.
- Living in a mission community.
- Strong Young Life or similar leadership experience.
- Heart for Asia and international missions.
- Adventurous spirit.
- Strong relational and communication skills.
- Two-year commitment to live and serve in Singapore.
- Competitive monthly salary.
- Medical and dental insurance.
- Annual return flight to home country.
- Phone and conveyance allowance.
How to Inquire:If interested in learning more about this opportunity, please contact the Young Life's International employment coordinator at 800-330-0628 or [email protected] To better help us serve you in your inquiry process, please send in a Resume and Cover Letter via email to [email protected]
Sign Up
Contact Info
Alison Spindor
(800) 330-0628
No stories have been posted for this opportunity yet.


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We wanted to bring you a new way to experience the hardware roundup this month. Our latest edition of the roundup includes a teaser video hosted by the Head of Program Management on our manufacturing team, Sean!
Sean is a hardware enthusiast, and he'll guide you through trends in global manufacturing, innovative hardware design, and advanced robotic technology.
A new machine can 3D print in as quickly as 30 seconds. How does it work? Sophisticated software works to create intricate light patterns that solidify a rotating resin.
Want to share an interesting article, job posting, or event in Hardware Roundup? Submit your link here.
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Ahi Pepe MothNet Long-Sleeved Shirt - Adult slim fit
Ahi Pepe MothNet T-shirts.
This is the Mens 5009 Ink long-sleeved T-shirt from AS colour screen printed (Three colours) with our striking logo on the front and generous project partners and sponsor logos discretely positioned on the back*.
These are slightly slimmer fit shirts, if you want a looser fit order a size up.
Slim-Regular fit
Crew neck
Mid weight, 180 GSM, 26-singles
100% combed cotton
Neck ribbing, side seamed, shoulder to shoulder tape, double needle hems, preshrunk to minimise shrinkage
T-shirts are high quality cotton shirts printed locally in Dunedin by The Print Room.
You can have any colour as long as its BLACK **
There is a slight delay between ordering and receiving these T-shirts as they are quality Screen printed so we need to order in minimum batches of 20. Please contact us for details and waiting times.
* see donations if you would like too get your logo on the shirt.
** There are a range of colours but BLACK looks best - I will not print this logo on white or light Grey. Talk too me if you want the CHARCOAL
Note the night sky behind the moth in the logo is the Black shirt color in the photo.


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The New Sundays
They carried the rocks here,
Nothing dropped from the sky
Except ten million years of rain
And all it ever did
Was cry directions
And form its accidental shapes
Oh so slowly.
Now people are out here
Hunting for new truths,
Alive with wit and guile,
Bright eyed and slightly crooked,
Walking dizzy down pathways
Just trying to regulate heartbeats
And find lost, simple thoughts
That unlock their identified traps;
They've been told
The fresh air helps
And epiphanies yield better
From up high.
They are dots on a hillside
Freckled under the shadows
Cast by migrating birds
And all they all really want is peace,
The ferns to stop rustling
And the bushes to settle,
The air to stay crisp
And the numbers to lessen,
Wired up to silence and clouds,
Dizzy and ready for baptisms,
They are the new Sundays,
The mass slowly scattered adrift.


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|Manmade and Natural Disasters Drought, Diseases, Earthquakes, Riots, Wars
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Spread of Pandemics
How long would it take for a pandemic to sweep the USA today. Let's pick a pandemic like the Spanish Flu. What's your research say?
The faster it shows the easier it is contained but in todays air travel, if the symptoms take a week before it hits, and the WHO or such groups become aware of it, figure most major cities in the world will be hit with it hard.
Hope it is only spread by contact not airborne.
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IF YOU want to see a really well done movie about that topic, it is
IF that doesn't give you nightmares ....
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They recovered that flu strain from frozen bodies in the Arctic?
The nice thing about the usual super killer stuff of the past is it kills faster than people can walk. The bad part is international travel is really fast these days.
I liked The Andromeda Strain.
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Spanish flu came in 3 waves of sickness over 2 years.
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Yup, needs lots of info.
How many people are already immune or somewhat resistant?
Is the disease fully airborne? Sneeze-borne? or does it require real bodily contact?
How long from contact to the infectious stage. How long is the infectious stage?
How mobile is the infected person while infectious?
Does the infection remain in the sperm for over a year after recovery like Ebola?
Are there obvious symptoms that can be used to quarantine effectively, or does the person walk around symptom free for a couple days spreading the disease?
Is there an effective vaccine ready in sufficient quantities to do the ring vaccination technique?
Does it start with just a few patients that can be contact traced or have the numbers gotten beyond that stage already?
Are there other animal vectors or hosts for the disease? (is it carried by fleas, ticks, bats, birds, pigs, chickens, skeeters, assassin bugs, etc?)
Is the disease transmission rate dependent upon the season? rain, cold, hot humid, etc?
And then there are the wildcards like holidays where people fly all over the world to be with family and share infectious diseases.
How educated is the population? Do they wash their hands a lot, and in general practice good hygiene?
And is the population at peace or is there civil unrest, as we have seen in the Congo?
Are half of our doctors already overseas somewhere fighting the disease or are they all at home and ready to fight the disease in North America?
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Is the new pandemic something new enough that there is little to no immunity in the population?
Completely generic answer assuming generic strain of influenza in generic conditions: About 6 months during the right time of year before it's spread throughout all major communities. Everyone in the country but a few completely isolated hermits should be exposed within a year even if they don't all show symptoms.
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Spanish flu infected about 1/3 of population.
Wonder how effective pneumonia vaccines would be?
How long it would take would be dependent on the actual mutation that was able to cross to the index-case human. Worst case is lightning spread,and the victim dead in less than 24 hours from exposure.
If it's TOO deadly, the hosts die quickly, and it has a a hard time spreading. If it is not so deadly, but has efficient spread, it will create misery but not a disaster.
Want to know rhe difference in Bird Flu and Pig Flu?
Wiith Bird Flu, you need tweetment.
With Pig Flu you just need an oinkment.
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THIS question is waaayyy outside of my skill set,so
whether airborne or touch or mucus or whatever...
IF you are way outside of any population center ie, I am 20 miles from the nearest town that shows on a map.
I hunker down, not go anywhere as I can for several months, what are the odds of becoming infected?
Would airborne be spread and stay virulent that far from it last host?
It depends...a lot.
CDC simulations show a matter of a few weeks for major cities. A matter of a few months for the rest of the country. About a year for most of the world.
The truth is that there are too many variables to determine an accurate picture as to if or when a pandemic with a Spanish Flu would happen. It's sort of like estimating when the next pressure cooker bomb will explode at another marathon. We just don't know for sure. All we can hope for is "a best estimate of the picture."
In general we know that most flu viruses come from ducks and transfer to other species. Mother Nature uses the intestines of wild ducks for her petri dishes to make and brew up her evil bugs. Once the bugs are ready, she moves them to other creatures like pigs, geese, chickens, turkeys and, eventually, farm workers. From the farm to the poultry people it goes to the nearby city markets and the meat workers there.
It will be in the city that the virus begins to take off and infect more and more people at a high rate of speed. You can figure that on Day One the first infected person can infect from zero to 50 or more people depending on how the one, original, infected person moves around, travels or works. Inside of a 2 week period over 1 million people can easily be infected. Inside of a month over 10 million people can be infected.
Where things get complicated is in the death rate. A certain amount of people will be immune to getting the flu. A certain amount of people will get the flu and survive being infected with it. Trouble is that a larger number of people will be infected and die because of coming in contact with the flu. There are experts who believe that the Spanish Flu of 1918 went around the world 5 times before it became weak and died out.
As a virus moves around it will mutate or change because of factors that force it to adapt. Because the virus goes from a person who has A+ blood to one who has O- blood and then another person who has O+ blood gives you a loose idea of one factor, moving between people of different blood types, which could possibly have a minor bearing on some issues of how or why a flu virus might change in a certain direction. Other factors that can cause a virus to change could be a bitter cold snap, a heat wave of some kind, a lack of potential victims and so on. Modern medicines could also be a factor to stopping or reducing the effectiveness of a virus too. You have to keep in mind that a lot of changes have happened since the last pandemic involving the Spanish Flu.
We now have high speed communications in the form of computer networks, television and radios to pass the word for people to stay home and shelter in place until the threat of the flu passes. We now have medical computers which can analyze, replicate and give us designer medicines to stop cold the threat of any old or new flu virus that threatens us. The next possible pandemic will not be like the one that hit the U.S. right after WW1. We have come too far for a virus to stop our civilization in a short amount of time any more.
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I think the bigger question with these is just at what point do you give up your job and your interaction with the outside world and its resources to isolate yourself, and how long do you wait for it to burn out? Isolate yourself for a year and it may pick back up and make another pass through the population. Or maybe not.
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One or more of these credit card offers may no longer be available. See our Hot Deals page for the latest offers.
I've mentioned that a month ago I was able to combine a dental emergency with a trip to Wells Fargo branch. Nothing can stop me from getting a sweet credit card offer. Well, I was approved and currently working on meeting minimum spending requirements. What's better than one Wells Fargo Propel World? Two, of course, as in getting my husband to apply before the offer disappears.
The problem is, the card doesn't have an online application link. You can apply over the phone if you have an existing Wells Fargo relationship (my husband does not) or apply in branch. And the nearest Wells Fargo branch is almost an hour away. Convincing him to make a trip with a purpose of getting a credit card ain't gonna happen. So, I pretty much gave up on the idea.
However, few weeks ago an opportunity presented itself. We had to go to Lakeland, Fl. for my husband's doctor's appointment and passed Wells Fargo branch on the way. Hmm… Since he took the rest of the day off, I asked him nicely if he could possibly agree to apply for the card inside the branch after we were done with the appointment. And he said YES! A miracle.
But the application went to pending status. Unfortunately, a week later we got a denial in the mail. Nope, the reconsideration call isn't happening, so I cut my losses. You win some, you lose some.
Since we have a ton of bills in the next few months, I knew I could safely apply for another card. But which one? I recently wrote about Amex Hilton Surpass and listed all the reasons on why I was seriously considering it. Approved! This card pays us commission in case you want to support the blog. Thanks if you choose to do so! Here is my personal referral link as well.
Obviously, I must think it's a good deal since I applied for it myself. I've said many times that I only recommend offers that I personally consider to be worthwhile. If you have this card, you can refer a friend and collect 25,000 bonus points.
Here are the details on the card in case you are not familiar with it:
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 3 months. Offer Ends 10/04/17.
- Earn a free weekend night on your anniversary date of Card approval. Some hotels may have mandatory services and resort charges. Terms Apply.
- Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a participating hotel or resort within the Hilton Portfolio.
- Earn 6X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations.
- Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card. Terms and limitations apply.
- As a Hilton Honors™ Surpass® Card Member you'll receive Hilton Honors Gold status.
- Annual fee of $75 is not waived.
The offer on regular no-fee Amex Hilton card is increased as well, and you can read about it on this page. But Amex Surpass currently outshines it, despite the $75 annual fee.
I knew I wouldn't have any issues using Hilton points within a year or two. As I've mentioned in my previous post, we are planning on doing a road trip in 2018. Hilton properties are everywhere, so I'm certain that I can put my stash to good use.
Sure, if you are planning on staying near a national park in the middle of nowhere, Hilton may not have a hotel nearby. But major cities have a plethora of options. And some hotels are quite reasonable on points. Take a look at this place near Denver:
We'll need to stay in the area overnight, so this property may come in handy. Sure, we'll have to get three rooms, but it's still a pretty good deal. I definitely would never pay $150 per room/per night for $450 total, but using 60,000 points is a no-brainer. If you need a bunch of stays in hotels that used to be Category 1 and 2 (5,000 and 10,000 points respectively), you will make out like a bandit. Plus, you can still get every fifth night free.
Even though Hilton has removed the award chart, they've kept their word on capping the rates at the old maximum points level. For now. That's partially why I wanted to apply for Hilton credit card. I feel strongly that the program will eventually be fully based on revenue rates. Right now it's more of a hybrid, which allows consumers to find occasional sweet spots.
Plan B
If I don't end up using Hilton points during our road trip, I'm certain I'll have no problem burning them on Florida hotels. And there are a ton to choose from. Here are a few properties I'm considering:
1) Oceanfront Hilton hotels in Daytona Beach
I'm debating on whether to take my parents to Daytona during Spring Break. In all likelihood, the rates next March will be quite high when you factor in paying for two rooms. But it's an option nonetheless.
2) Family-friendly resorts in Orlando
There are many to choose from, but here is one that caught my eye: Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek Hotel It has a three-acre lazy river pool with waterslide. Need I say more? The rates range between 30K-50K points per night, depending on the season. Since we live in Florida, we can arrange to spend a random weekend when the price via points is reasonable. I'm certain my kids will go crazy for this place.
3) Oceanfront hotels in Clearwater area
There are several that could be a good fit for a quick couple getaway. I like this one: Doubletree Beach Resort North Reddington Beach Tampa Bay. The rate varies depending on the season (you will pay 50K points per night during spring), but in the fall it can be quite cheap:
Obviously, it's cheap for a reason. And the reason is: hurricane season. But since we don't have to pay for airfare, we can always cancel without penalty if it looks like the weather won't be cooperating during our stay.
The free weekend night certificate
This is what sealed the deal. I thought 100K offer on Surpass was already pretty good, but when I saw the extra perk, I decided it was time to pull the trigger. So, what's the big deal? Well, you get a free weekend night deposited to your account within 6-8 weeks after your first card anniversary. So, yes, you will have to pay $75 annual fee… again. This perk probably won't be a game changer for those who are just looking to stay in a Hampton Inn by the highway.
Obviously, you want to make sure that you can squeeze as much value as possible since it's not restricted to specific category tier. Well, without adding an extra trip and all the expenses that go with it. Some Hilton properties are excluded and you can see the list here.
You can use the certificate on Friday, Saturday or Sunday night. Keep in mind that you will only be able to redeem it if standard room is available. The certificate expires 12 months after being issued, and you have to actually stay in a hotel before expiration date.
The best way for a normal American family to get decent value in US is to stick to redeeming the certificate at places like New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Seattle. Basically, large cities where rates are usually quite high in downtown area. You can also redeem them at a beachfront location during Spring Break in places like Hawaii, California and Florida. Even Orlando is a good candidate during holidays and peak season.
Either way, I doubt that most people won't be able to get at least $75 value out of this certificate. Plus, keep in mind that by renewing the Amex card, you'll be able to retain Gold status which will give you perks like free breakfast and potential suite upgrade in most properties.
As I've mentioned before, I plan to burn the cert at Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort and Spa. The rate at this hotel can be as high as $500/80,000 points per night during spring months. Marco island is located 2.5 hours from our house, no airfare required. But why would we go for only one night? I'm glad you asked!
The plan is to also apply for Hilton Surpass in my husband's name at the end of May. This offer officially ends on May 31st, so I don't feel it's necessary to hurry up and apply now. That way I should be done with my card and can focus my attention on the new offer.
Should you apply for Amex Surpass?
It honestly depends. Keep in mind, at this point I'm a "grizzled" hobby vet and don't qualify for most offers listed on my Hot Deals page. If I were a newbie, I would focus on cards like Chase Sapphire Preferred, Barclaycard Arrival Plus and Wells Fargo Propel World I've mentioned earlier in the post. Also, be aware that 100K miles offer on Chase British Airways Visa has returned, but it requires a ton of spending, just as it did in the past.
In general, hotel points bonuses should be your last choice. It does depend, of course, on your upcoming plans as well as the category of the hotel you are considering. To be honest, I find that my family can usually utilize hotel points much more easily than miles because we have so many great options in Florida. Too many options!
But for me, the decision to apply for Hilton Surpass card wasn't too difficult because it will give me an excuse to plan more getaways with my family. And that's what this hobby is all about.
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Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.


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Mitch Dickens | Social Media Coordinator
Last Wednesday, Jan. 19, President Obama met with the President of China at the White House. According to the White House's website, President Hu Jintao and Obama were supposedly meeting to discuss the U.S. and China's "increased cooperation in the areas of global security, economic growth, and clean energy research."
Obama also intended to stress the need for increased focus on human rights in China. But the meeting just seems to have been a diplomatic formality to ease tension and strengthen America's friendship with China.
On the morning of Wednesday, Jan. 19, one day shy of Obama's two-year anniversary as President, the White House lawn was a crowd of schoolchildren, the Honor Guard and members of the Chinese delegation. Obama gave a speech welcoming President Hu, and also addressed the importance of his visit, claiming that it would "lay the foundation of the next 30 years" of the U.S. and China's relationship.
Even though the two countries have trouble seeing eye-to-eye on certain trade issues, Obama and Hu did make an official agreement last Wednesday to increase American exports to China by $45 billion per year. This negotiation will only marginally decrease the $250 billion in trade deficit the U.S. currently encounters each year from China. This served as the biggest, and one of the only official agreements the two countries made during Hu's visit.
As for the many other topics the Presidents planned to discuss, they were seemingly skimmed over. China's blatant disregard for human rights is one of the biggest concerns American citizens have with the Communist country. Instead of working toward a pact or official political agreement, Obama merely stated that the human rights problem concerned him and Hu merely stated his country had a problem with human rights. No real agreement was reached.
Even though this topic was one of the main reasons for the meeting, no true action was taken. China is a country where citizens are imprisoned for criticizing the government, inmates are executed without due process, and the government freely exercises censorship, yet in this important meeting, Hu literally ignored the topic of human rights the first time it was addressed.
The second time he was questioned about it, he gave a vague reply, "A lot still needs to be done in China in terms of human rights." Likewise, when Obama stated his desire for China to stop using, selling and distributing pirated U.S. software, DVDs and other materials, Hu simply stated "yes" it was a problem.
Hu then let the cat out of the bag when he admitted that Chinese government agencies themselves use pirated U.S. software. He claimed he would request his agencies to end the use of this material. While the White House provided many reasons for the meeting — and indeed, many topics were discussed — one can't help but assume the underlying reason was China's relationship with North Korea.
After the debacle in November 2010 when North Korea bombed a South Korean island, The U.S.'s relationship with North Korea has been under extreme scrutiny. Days after the bombing, U.S. and South Korea held practice military drills in the South China Sea, as if the US was trying to remind the world of it's alliance with South Korea.
When one considers the extremely tight bond China and North Korea have, it becomes obvious that Obama's meeting with Hu was most likely his way of saying, "I hope we can still be friends." If Obama really is trying to quell any impending China-North Korea backlash, then deeply interconnecting the economies of China and America would certainly be a perfect way to prevent it.
It would be extremely foolish of any country to purposefully sour a relationship with another country that serves as one of its main export hubs. The meeting of the two Presidents seems like it will be very beneficial to both the U.S. and China's economies.
The two leaders took a huge step forward in forging a more peaceful friendship, and there will no doubt be more meetings with even better outcomes. But why hide under the guise of so many various topics? Why not state the real reason for the meeting: increased economic unity, therefore a stronger diplomatic bond?
Seeing as how dealing with foreign affairs and meeting with diplomats are jobs usually reserved for the Secretary of State, it is obvious Obama feels friendship with China is of growing concern to our country. He is making a huge effort to gain the cooperation and strengthen the friendship of the economically interlocked and militarily competitive China.
The distance between President Hu's country and ours seems to be decreasing. Let's hope this will prove to be beneficial to the American people, government and national security in general.


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- Cyril McAree
Musgrave MarketPlace Announces Partnership With Chef Network To Provide Accessible And Affordable Tr
Musgrave MarketPlace, Ireland's leading wholesale supplier to retail, foodservice and SME businesses, has announced a new series of 'Chef Skills Masterclasses' in partnership with Ireland's professional chef community, Chef Network.
The series has been launched to help address the current issue of attracting and retaining top culinary talent in Ireland and aims to provide affordable training and increased opportunities for chefs working in the Irish food industry. The first Masterclass was held at Musgrave MarketPlace's Ballymun Food Emporium with expert Head Development Chef, Clement Pavie and Michelin-star chef, Danni Barry.
Today's announcement forms part of Musgrave MarketPlace's ongoing commitment to supporting and assisting with the professional development of up-and-coming chefs and the future leaders of Ireland's food industry. In addition to their partnership with Chef Network, Musgrave MarketPlace has committed to investing €346,000 over four years with DIT Culinary Arts School.
Speaking about the initiative, Desi Derby, Marketing Director at Musgrave MarketPlace: "As the Food People, we are proud to support Ireland's food service professionals and fully understand the importance of education and training in the early and mid-level career stages. The Chef Skills Masterclasses provide a crucial opportunity for chefs in training, and for experienced professionals to upskill in key areas. We are delighted to be involved in the upcoming masterclasses and look forward to working with Chef Network throughout 2018."
The 'Chef Skills Masterclasses' will take place over an eight-month period and will examine current food trends and new ways of cooking including root-to-tip / zero waste cooking; Japanese / Asian influences in Irish cuisine; preserving and pantry cooking (fermenting and curing, etc.); cooking with fish; and tips on maximising seasonal Irish produce. Key themes also include menu design, dish costing and profitability
Welcoming the new masterclass series, Paul Hayden, Head of Education and Policy at Fáilte Ireland said that chef training is vital for the tourism industry. "As the tourism sector has expanded in recent years, the industry has particularly struggled to attract and retain chefs – this has become a major source of concern for many of our industry stakeholders. One of the key influences on tourists' impression of Ireland is the range and quality of food and how that translates into dining experiences. The quality of training that our chefs receive is vital in this regard."
Ruth Hegarty, Head of Community at Chef Network: "We are thrilled to have Musgrave MarketPlace on board as sponsors of the Chef Skills Masterclasses. Our core aim is to tackle the skills shortage in today's Irish food industry and these classes provide a stepping stone in doing so. Musgrave MarketPlace is a prime example of a company that recognises the industry's role in training Ireland's current and future food specialists and so we are proud to be continuing our partnership for 2018."
Danni Barry, Irish Michelin star Chef commented: "As chefs we are continuously learning and so it is so important for us to constantly up-skill throughout our career. I truly believe we all need to work together to ensure this happens and that our industry is a place where people learn and develop, so I am really happy to contribute to these efforts and collaborate with Chef Network and Musgrave MarketPlace on this initiative".
Each masterclass costs €30 with limited spaces available. To find out more information about the Chefs Skills Masterclasses, or to register for interest, visit www.chefnetwork.ie


text: The teaching faculty has been carefully handpicked to propagate the progressive vision and philosophy of SRBS. The Director, Dr V W Wagh, PhD, has been a guiding force in the business management realm and is a celebrated University of Mumbai guide for PhD students. The teaching staff at SRBS has a perfect blend of industry professionals and academicians alike, a situation that helps students to obtain real world experience of theoretical concepts.


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What Snow & Weight Loss Have In Common
'It's fun for 5 minutes and then it's just bulls**t'
My wife is never one to mince her words…
But she kinda has a point.
It's all fun and games when the snow first falls.
- You take a few moments to appreciate the beautiful place you live
- You take a few pictures.
- Throw a few snowballs
- Perhaps build a snowman (although it seems snow cats and snow bunny's were on trend this year)
- You pop on your 'comfies' and sit in the warm comfort of home relishing in the fact it's something you never get to do.
But when the snow continues to fall and the depths continue to increase, it kind of loses it's magic a little, doesn't it?
When you've got places to be, people to see and things to do – the novelty wears out.
Your weekly food shop delivery get's cancelled and the local supermarket you never use stocks little more than custard and wilted veg.
You grow frustrated that your house is now foodless and go on a 'ready steady cook' mission trying to work out what on earth you can cook with some black pudding, a leek and some strawberries.
The once cute childhood giggles outside your window turn to irritation when they've just rolled and deposited a 6ft high ball of snow directly behind your car…
And then ofcourse comes the sad realization that you're well and truly stranded and all the great intentions you had for your day have been placed on the 'laterbase' leaving you behind for the week ahead.
The same goes for most people when they start their weight loss journey.
We all have our inner magpie.
We love 'shiney, new and different'
The plan begins, we are motivated, excited and 'in the zone'
But a few weeks later the motivation has turned to irritation, the excitement has turned to boredom and the zone…well it was nice while it lasted!
But what if I told you that getting despondent with your plan – was actually part of the process?
And what if I told you that it is those who carefully manage this part of it were the ones who eventually got everything they wanted?
Most journeys go a bit like this:
'This is the best idea ever!!!'
'This will be fun'
'Hmmmm this is harder than I thought'
'Damn, this is going to be a lot of hard work'
'Groan, this sucks and I have no idea what I am doing'
And then comes the 'Pool of despair' – which is where most people give up.
It's when the realization comes that the task is a lot bigger you thought and it's going to take a little longer than you predicted.
Some people call it the 'is it worth it? stage'
However, like I do with my gang we call an intervention and reframe this key moment – renaming it the 'pool of choice'.
It's a key part in the game where we have to keep what is useful, discard what is not, re-align goals and expectations, work on making the plan more joyful and ensure it is workable for the long run with as little pain, struggle and sacrifice as possible.
And post successful intervention, slowly but surely they come out the other side:
'Ok, got it but it still sucks'
'I'm doing it, I'm doing it, but really feeling like giving up still'
Weight loss…sure it's always fun for the first 5 minutes….but it doesn't have to be bulls**t
Scott 'Sorry For My Wife's Bad Language' Marsh
Personal Trainer Marlow
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Citizen Chandler Womens Two Tone Stainless Steel Bracelet Watch-Ew1676-52d
Citizen Chandler Womens Two Tone Stainless Steel Bracelet Watch-Ew1676-52d
Product Description
From denim to dressy, this women's watch will make time shine in your favor. The iridescence of the mother-of-pearl dial glows against a gold-tone bezel and two-tone bracelet band. Eco-Drive technology, powered by natural and artificial light, means no battery changes ever.
Brand: Citizen®
Dial Color: Mother-of-pearl
Strap: Two-tone stainless steel
Clasp: Push-button foldover
Movement: Quartz
Water Resistance: 100m
Case Width: 26mm
Case Thickness: 9mm
Bracelet Dimensions: 7¼" long, 14mm wide
Model No.: EW1676-52D
Special Features: Mother-of-pearl dial, two-tone styling, luminous hands, Eco-Drive technology, date display, 10ATM water resistance
Jewelry photos are enlarged to show detail.
Helpful Guides
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Limitations and exclusions may apply for watches and jewelry See details
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