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I'm planning to hold another Papercutting Workshop in Makati this November. If interested, please leave your details (first name and email address) in the Comments section. Cheers!
Tag Archives: arts and crafts
Papercutting Workshop at Café Mithi
On April 22, Saturday, Papel de Pinay held its first workshop for 2017. There were 5 participants (who were all very creative, I must say) in attendance. As usual, workshop kits were distributed, and everyone enjoyed the sumptuous meals and drinks served by Café Mithi.
Each participant applied their learnings during the final activity, where they made and framed their own papercut designs.
Pretty impressive works for first-timers, yeah?
It's always a wonderful feeling to be able to impart one's skill to another. It's definitely a crafternoon to remember.
What kind of woman is this that she looks gorgeous even as a papercut art? Hi, Lana del Rey. Life totally sided with you when everyone else asked for fairness.
Papel de Pinay at Good Morning Pilipinas
Papercutting Workshop at Crafters Marketplace
Hey, everyone!
Papel de Pinay will be holding another workshop this summer at The Crafters Marketplace in Shangri-La Plaza Mall on April 16, from 4PM to 6:30PM.
Fee is PHP 1,600, inclusive of a starter kit and snacks. Register by sending an e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Register now! 🙂


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Just wonder what the differences are there between the early Excel 23' hull and the later Coastal hulls. I know that they did away with the step in the hull rear the transom and lowered the outboard mounting by making a notch in the top of the transom.
Maybe Seabob can give me a little insight.

subset: commoncrawl


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Chim Cap Corporation produces high quality stainless steel caps for chimney professionals. In 1988 we were granted the first of what would become many patents on our uniquely designed chimney caps. Our durable and superior design has made us one of the leaders in the industry. We take pride in the quality of the chimney products that we produced, because it means satisfaction to our customers. We are confident you won't find a stronger, more durable chimney cap of higher quality.
Since Farrell Fritz opened its doors on Long Island in 1976, they have been proud to make an enduring contribution to businesses and individuals in the communities they serve. Farrell Fritz is a full-service law firm serving clients in a wide variety of practice areas. James Wicks, the firm's Commercial Litigation Partner, litigates cases involving commercial, technology, real estate, insurance, contracts, banking issues, business torts, business dissolutions and breakups, franchise litigation, corporate governance and derivative and class actions.
Krell Industries, founded in 1980, is the premier manufacturer of high-end audio equipment, featuring award winning amplifiers, preamplifiers, CD & DVD players, surround sound processors, digital-to-analog converters, and loudspeakers for music lovers and home theater aficionados. For over three decades, Krell has earned a distinguished reputation for engineering innovation and product excellence. The company's history is replete with product introductions that have deeply impacted the high-end audio industry.
Being an excellent intellectual property law firm is not about size and it is not about history. It is about having skilled and accessible professionals providing service in a timely and effective manner. We established Leason Ellis LLP to provide clients of all sizes with personal attention and strategic insight, in a service-oriented setting. Our goal is to be the firm of choice for clients who demand quality legal advice, attentive, personal service, and superior intellectual property management tools.
Optimizing your business's investments and financing can play a critical role in improving the overall profitability and efficiency of your business. I would like to learn more about your personal and business objectives beyond your financial investments, and then work with you to develop an overall wealth management strategy to help you achieve them.
We help our clients find more efficient or cost effective business solutions – whether the need is access to a line of credit for business expansion, borrowing to purchase or refinance owner-occupied commercial real estate, corporate retirement plans, or solutions to better manage receivables, payables or excess cash.
A National Printing Co. Inc. has been owned and operated by Michael Orrach Since 2005 and is located at 51 Leeds Boulevard in Farmingville, New York. A National Printing Co. Inc. primarily operates in the commercial Printing, lithographic business within the printing, publishing and allied industries sector. They print business cards, brochures, sell sheets, posters, banners, stationery, and much more. A National Printing Co. Inc. can be reached at (631) 243-3395 with questions you have about their commercial printing services. Feel free to contact Michael for all of your commercial printing needs.
Original jazz in a traditional style is what defines jazz singer/songwriter Thisbe Vos. Born in The Netherlands, the Dutch singer began her musical adventure as a teenager, when she joined the UK's No 1 Swing Band The Jives Aces for several tours of Europe and North America. Visiting over 30 cities in 20+ countries before the age of 21, it was during those tours that she decided to start writing original songs in the styles of the 1930s, 40s and 50s. Listen to, and buy, her music on her website.


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Grace That is Greater Than All our Sin: A Lenten Sermon
Exodus 3:1-15
Psalm 103
I Corinthians 10:1-13
Luke 13:1-9
When I was a doctoral student at the University of Notre Dame, there was a less than charitable joke among the graduate students about one of the the priests at the local church many of us attended – that he had only two sermons, a love sermon and a sin sermon, that he was for the first and against the second, and he would preach one or the other every Sunday. If I were that priest this morning, the readings would leave me with a dilemma. I could preach my love sermon, in which case I would preach on the Old Testament readings. Or I could preach my sin sermon, in which case I would preach on the New Testament readings. But I couldn't preach on both.
However, if I am going to be responsible to my task as preacher, I think I need to be honest with the readings the lectionary gives me. That means I have to preach on both. And I have to ask how what the Bible says about love is connected to what the Bible says about God's judgment of sin – because that's what the passages are about. My starting point will be Psalm 103, where we find a clue in the Hebrew word hesed,which is usually translated in English as "loving kindness" or "steadfast love" and appears several times in the Psalm. The Psalm begins: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!" It continues in verse 4, "who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy." In verse 8, "The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love." In verse 11, "As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him." In verse 17, "The steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him." This word translated "steadfast love" is not the sentimental love of pop ballads: "What the world needs now is love, sweet love, It's the only thing that there's just too little of." Or the Beatles' "All you need is love." It is certainly not what our culture currently means by "tolerance" or "inclusiveness."
Hesed is a word that is closely connected with the Hebrew word berit, which is translated "covenant." Hesed is the brotherly companionship or loyalty that one partner in a covenant owes to the other. In 1 Samuel 20:8, David asks Jonathan to "deal kindly" with him because the two have entered a covenant of friendship with one another. In turn, Jonathan asks David to show "steadfast love" to his family after the Lord vanquishes David's enemies.
This morning's Exodus reading is the classic biblical passage in which God speaks to Moses from the burning bush, and gives his name as "I am." The word translated "loving kindness" does not appear in the passage, but it is the clear motivation in God's delivering of Israel from slavery: "Then the LORD said, 'I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians." (Exodus 3:7-8). Psalm 103 draws the connection between God's "steadfast love" to his covenant with Israel and the Exodus events: "The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made know his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel." (Ps. 103:6). "The steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him . . . to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments." (Ps. 103:17-18).
In contemporary secular culture, the biblical God is often portrayed as a kind of cosmic bully. The "new atheists" seem to think that the God of the Bible is something like a mafiosi godfather who imposes a bunch of unreasonable and arbitrary demands on rather stupid and obsequious religious people who do what they're told mainly out of fear of punishment. This God is always angry, and his favorite hobby is taking out his anger on those who step out of line. There's even a popular expression that shows the prevalence of this view. If you get angry with someone else and take your anger out on that someone in a manner that is way out of proportion with their offense, it is said that you are "going Old Testament" on him or her. Many of our contemporaries want nothing to do with such a God who is always "going Old Testament" on people who are just minding their own business. And really, who could blame them?
But such an understanding says more about the prevalence of biblical illiteracy in our culture than it says about the God of the Bible. The story that we read in Exodus 3 tells us something about who this God is. This is the God who delivers an oppressed people from slavery. This is the God whose name means "I will be with you," and who tells Moses, "when you have brought the people out of Egypt you shall serve God on this mountain." (Exodus 3:7-12). This is the God who promises to lead this people into a land "flowing with milk and honey" (v. 17).
Hesed describes not only God's love toward his people, but also their expected response to that love. When God delivers Israel from slavery, and makes a covenant with them, he not only creates a people. He gives them a law, and that law is itself a gift of his loving kindness, a sign of God's grace. In giving the Ten Commandments, God commits himself to his people based on his gift of freedom in rescuing them from slavery: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery." (Ex. 20:2). God identifies himself with covenant love when he gives to Moses the stone tablets on which the commandments are written: "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in streadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty." (Exodus 34:6:-7). God's law indicates the kind of behavior expected of those who are partners in the covenant. They are to love their God who has delivered them from oppression as he has loved them. They are to love their fellow Israelites, and even the non-Israelite sojourners who live among them. Is it any wonder that African Americans who were enslaved in this country understood so well who this God was and what he was about?
When Israel was in Egypt's land: Let my people go,
Oppress'd so hard they could not stand, Let my People go.
Go down, Moses,
Way down in Egypt's land,
Tell old Pharaoh,
Let my people go.
It is this sense of covenant partnership that explains how the Old Testament talks about sin. Sin is not simply wrong-doing, the breaking of a list of rules, but it is the violation of the covenant. Sin is ingratitude. It is a failure on the part of the covenant people to return hesed with hesed. It is to forget what God has done for his people. As the Book of Deuteronomy puts it so well: "Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. . . And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish." (Deut. 8:11-14, 19).
There is indeed judgment for those who forget God's kindness toward them, who break this covenant by not loving God or their neighbor. The covenant contains both blessing and curse, and Leviticus 26 contains a long list of the curses that will strike those who break the LORD's covenant. But again, it is God's "loving kindness," his "steadfast love" that provides the context even for God's judgment on sin. The purpose of judgment is not to destroy Israel, but to bring them to repentance, to bring those who have forgotten, who have wandered from the covenant, back into the presence of God's loving kindness. This is a central theme in Psalm 103: "Bless the LORD . . . who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases. . . . The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities . . . as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us." (Psalm 103: 3, 8-10, 12).
This theme of covenant love follows through in the New Testament. There is no exact New Testament equivalent to the Hebrew word hesed, but there are a couple of words that cover the same territory. The first is agape, translated "love," or, in the King James version, "charity." In the New Testament, the covenant themes of the Old Testament are universalized to talk about God's salvation of not only Israel from slavery in Egypt, but of all humanity, both Jew and Gentile. And the deliverance is not a deliverance merely from physical oppression, but from the cause of all oppression, sin itself. God's steadfast love, his loving kindness, his "charity," is demonstrated primarily in the gift of his Son Jesus. There was a time when every Sunday school child knew by heart what is likely the most famous verse in the Bible: "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son . . ." (John 3:16).
The second New Testament equivalent to hesed is pistis, which is usually translated "faith," but can also be translated "fidelity" or "faithfulness." For the apostle Paul, the great sin of both Jews and Gentiles, is "unfaithfulness" (apistia), not simply in the sense of "unbelief," but in the sense of a lack of trust in God's goodness and his promises. In Romans 1 and 2, Paul describes the sins of both Gentiles and Jews in a manner that points back to the covenant commandments delivered at Sinai. Gentiles are guilty of idolatry, "serving the creature rather than the Creator" (Rom. 1:25), and of failing to love their fellow human beings: "They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness" (Rom. 1:29). In particular, Paul speaks of the failure of Israel as lack of faith or fidelity, in contrast to God's faithfulness. In Romans 3:4, he writes, "What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?" What does it say about our own increasingly secularized culture that it is more and more characterized by distrust, suspicion, and cynicism? A culture that will not trust in God's goodness ends up trusting in nothing and no one.
Since human beings have failed to keep covenant faithfulness, the New Testament portrays God as having taken that task on himself. Where we were faithless, God was faithful. God keeps faithfulness when neither Jew nor Gentile kept his covenant law by establishing a new covenant, by giving Jesus his Son to atone for our faithlessness, and Jesus' faithfulness to his Father leads to human salvation and deliverance from sin. As the Son of God incarnate, Jesus is both God come among us, and the one human being who keeps covenant with his Father by being faithful. He is the beloved Son in whom the Father is well pleased (Mark 1:11, 9:7). He is the one faithful Israelite who responds to temptation in the desert by appealing to the words of the law, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." and "You shall worship the Lord you God and him only shall you serve." (Matt. 4:4,10). There is perfect harmony between Jesus' actions and the Father's will: "Truly, truly, I say to you the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does that the Son does likewise." And that perfect harmony is rooted in God's hesed love: "For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing." (John 5:19-20).
The focal point of New Testament hesed is the cross. Paul writes that "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5: 8). Philippians 2:6-11 is the quintessential passage that shows the harmony between the Father's faithful love and the Son's faithful obedience: "Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing . . . being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."
Justification by faith means being incorporated into Christ's death and resurrection, and thereby sharing in his faithfulness and obedience in response to the divine love that suffered even death on a cross for us. Faith in Christ, for Paul, does not mean only belief or even simply trust, but also faithfulness. Sanctification or holiness is about union with Christ, following Christ, being disciples of Christ – being conformed to his death and resurrection. That Christ has died does not mean that we will not. To the contrary, we have been crucified with Christ so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. As Paul writes: "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." (Rom. 6:1-4).
It is perhaps significant that the key metaphor Paul uses in discussing Christian holiness is that of delivery from slavery. Those who sin are slaves to sin. We who were once slaves to sin have now been set free from sin, and becomes slaves of righteousness. I cannot help but think that Paul's analogy between sin and slavery has the Old Testament narrative in mind here. At the Exodus, God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt so that Israel might serve God in the promised land. Jesus Christ now delivers us from slavery to sin so that we might becomes slaves of righteousness. Again Paul writes: "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life." (Rom. 6:22).
Despite human unfaithfulness, God has maintained his loving kindness toward the human race, his hesed, and has himself been faithful to his own promises by meeting our unfaithfulness with faithfulness. On the cross, Jesus endured the full cost of our unfaithfulness, when those who crucified him violated both aspects of the covenant, loving neither God nor neighbor. Because of Jesus' faithfulness, we who were once unfaithful have now been enabled once again to be faithful by being united to Jesus Christ in his death and resurrection. As Paul writes "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me, and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Gal. 2:20).
Logically, then, it makes no sense for those who have been baptized into Christ's death and resurrection to continue to sin. And yet we do. Both of our New Testament passages remind us that God's covenant people can be unfaithful. In Luke 13, Jesus responds to some of his fellow Jews who were apparently shocked about an incident in which the Gentile Pontius Pilate had massacred a group of Galilieans, apparently within the sacred grounds of the Jerusalem temple – forbidden to Gentiles – so that their own blood was mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. Jesus response was certainly not what we might expect: ""Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." (Luke 13:2-3). In the parable of the barren fig tree that follows, Jesus clearly has in mind a coming judgment on God's covenant nation of Israel (Luke 13:6-9).
In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul gives a warning to the church of Corinth by drawing a typological comparison to events that happened to the nation of Israel after they were delivered from slavery in the Exodus and the church today. Paul makes a clear analogy to the sacraments of baptism and the eucharist: "All were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ." (1 Cor. 10:2-4). As the church shares in the death and resurrection of Christ through baptism and the eucharist, so Israel ate the spiritual food of manna, and drank the water from the rock, which Paul suggests, typologically pointed to Christ. Nonetheless, Paul points out, most of those who shared in the Exodus events perished in the wilderness. And Paul finds a warning here for Christians. We are not to be idolaters, as some of them were, nor engage in sexual sin, as some of them did, nor grumble, as some of them did (1 Cor. 10:6-10). Paul's implication is that judgment is still a very real possibility, even for followers of Christ. What are we to make of these two passages?
I would suggest that these two passages make sense in the context of what Scripture teaches about God's covenant and hesed loving kindness. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament presume that God's covenant has a partner. God takes the initiative in the covenant, but he does not save us without us. In the Exodus, God rescues Israel from Egypt, but Israel has to walk out of Egypt. When Pharoah's army pursues Israel at the Reed Sea, God splits the water, but Israel has to walk through to the other side. In the desert, God is with Israel in a pillar of cloud and fire, but God leaves the first generation who came out of Egypt in the desert because of their sin – their lack of faithfulness to the covenant.
The two New Testament passages make sense as examples of violations of the hesed faithfulness of the covenant. In the gospel passage, Jesus preaches possible judgment against Israel because Israel has been faithless. In 1 Corinthians, Paul notes parallels between the sins of the Corinthian church and the sins of Israel after the Exodus. If the faith in Christ by which we are justified is faithfulness, so continuing to abide in sin is faithlessness. Sin can only be a paradoxical possibility for the Christian. In the cross, God in Christ has given himself to us in order to bring us back into covenant. To have faith in Christ is to share in that friendship with God that flows from this self-giving. To have faith in Christ and yet to continue to walk in sin is the contradiction of claiming to have faith in Christ and yet being faithless to Christ. It is to refuse God's self-giving. It is to forget that we have been delivered from sin. Such unfaithfulness is its own judgment because it contradicts that renewed friendship with God that has been bought with the price of Christ's blood.
Sin in the life of Christians is a dreadful incoherence. During Lent, we as a church are called to reflect on the extent to which we have forgotten God's faithfulness by failing to trust, by being unfaithful. It may be a dreadful incoherence, but it is something we all do. As we confess in the words of the Book of Common Prayer: "We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone." The confession is there for a reason. The purpose of confession is not to drive us to despair, to cause us to quake in fear of God's judgment. Rather, the point of confession is to enable us to remember what we have forgotten about God's goodness so that we might return to the presence of the God of hesed, of loving kindness. God calls us to repentance because he cares for us, and the confession calls us to run to his arms. In one of his sermons, the nineteenth-century Scottish writer George MacDonald suggests that no one is condemned for sins that are past. Rather we are condemned because we will not come to the light that has come to us. ("The Truth in Jesus," Unspoken Sermons, Series II.) The first passage that is read in the traditional "comfortable words" of the Book of Common Prayer following the words of confession and absolution is Jesus' summons : "COME unto me, all ye that travail and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you." (Matt. 11:28). It is only Jesus whose faithfulness can heal our unfaithfulness.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust.
Psalm 103:2-14


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Event Management Services
We are professional event management company situated in pune. We make your event grand & unique...
Price: INR 10000/- to INR 15000/-
7 Oct 2020 Lake, WV
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A new community space for Wantage has opened following the refurbishment of an empty shop on the town's Mill Street. Called 'The Mix', it's being run by the non-profit cooperative group, Sustainable Wantage, and is available for local groups and organisations to hire, and host a range of skill share workshops, fund-raising activities and recycling, resource-saving and re-use initiatives.
After six weeks of volunteering work by local tradespeople and residents, the refurbished unit at 15 Mill Street opened for the first time for Wantage's Dickensian Evening. Local groups have already started to come forward with ideas about how they could use the space, and the project team are welcoming more suggestions. Wantage Town Team co-ordinator, Mim Norvell, who is leading the project, says: "We're already planning a series of workshops where people with craft and practical skills can pass them on to others, we'll be a showcase for the artistic talents of young people at King Alfred's Academy and the wonderful 'People of Wantage' portraits, plus there'll be a focus on creating connections in the community and resource-sharing. We're very open to suggestions from local community groups, organisations and charities about ways they can make use of the space."
The Mix project follows Wantage's town team reaching agreement with the landlords of Units 13 and 15 Mill Street (the old Chameleon Drinks shop and its neighbour) on a six-month lease for Sustainable Wantage. Number 13 is being used for displaying local information while a long term tenant is identified. Anyone with ideas or queries can email Mim Norvell via email@example.com. Offers of volunteer time and small household items for the resource-sharing area in the space are also very welcome. There will be a dedicated website available soon for more information and you can keep up to date with activities via the Sustainable Wantage website at www.sustainablewantage.org.uk.
The first community involvement saw a group of local tradesmen, including Simon Cooper of Scoop Electrical, Tim Collins of TCP Plastering, Sian Lloyd of UpVamped and local painter Mikey King, donating time to refurbish the units to get them ready for use. Nick Ruck and Helen Harding from Falcon Signs volunteered to remove the old Chameleon Drinks hanging shop sign. Wantage charity ace Ray Collins and friends, including staff from Caroline's Angels, have also given time to help the project, along with a number of local people and Sustainable Wantage members.
The Mix project is contributing to the revival of Mill Street – adding to the momentum created by earlier openings including Bake'n'Shake, Lil Hellers and the Flashop pop up shop and its stage 2 pop up neighbour, and work starting on the planned "Buzz Cafe" in the old Bartlett's carpet store. It also acts on a recommendation from the Wantage public meeting to pilot a community shop.
The initiative is the latest being developed by Wantage's town team as part of a town vitality project being driven through the town's Joint Economic Forum.
For more information email Mim Norvell via firstname.lastname@example.com or Iain Nicholson via firstname.lastname@example.com


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Jason Foster - Chief Technology Officer
Mr. Foster has more than a decade of experience architecting enterprise systems and leading high performing IT teams inside multi-billion dollar corporations.
From 2010 to 2012, Mr. Foster was a lead system analyst and managed java development for General Electric's (GE) Franchise Finance underwriting systems.
From 2000 to 2010, Mr. Foster held the positions of lead developer and lead systems analyst at National Instruments (NATI). While at National Instruments, Mr. Foster won several awards including Austin's InnoTech IT Solutions of the Year Award, National Instruments IT Excellence Award and Applications Engineering Excellence Award.
Mr. Foster holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering Technology & Minor in Computer Science from Oklahoma State University.


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TFRA is the depository of the Teixeira de Freitas Collection, a contemporary art collection that focuses on works from the previous two decades and on emerging artists. The collection also includes a number of historical works from the 1960s and 1970s, which provide a historical background to the different themes and concepts covered by the collection. The collection main focus is on works that develop subjects connected to architecture. Other subjects covered by the collection include literature, handwriting, contemporary painting and drawing.
As well as the Teixeira de Freitas Collection, TFRA is also the depository of a collection of artists' books, special editions and other timeless works that include more than 1000 works.
Since 2012 TFRA has supported the annual exhibition programmes of Kunsthalle Lisbon, an alternative space devoted to temporary exhibitions of contemporary art.
Building that proclaim a nation's identity to world should not be misunderstood
Vangelis Vlahos
Eis Hanappe Underground


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topgunpainting1.com | 808-250-9159 | email@example.com
In today's radio show, Adrienne and Attilio are joined by Cindy Perkins from Top Gun Painting. Cindy talks about how she became involved with Top Gun Painting. The services at Top Gun Painting include painting for residential and commercial properties, furniture refurbishment, water-proofing, and more. Cindy explains that they will do anything you need to make your house look beautiful. The versatility at Top Gun Painting is truly what sets them apart from other painting companies.
Team Lally Radio Show With Cindy Kramer of Top Gun Painting
Announcer: The following is a paid program and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the staff, or management of Visionary related entertainment.
(Music Intro)
Announcer: It's time to enter the world of real estate, with Hawaii's own true real estate show, "The Team Lally Real Estate Show." Grab a pen and get ready to take notes. Hawaii's premier real estate leaders, Adrienne Lally and Atillio Leonardi. Who bring you the latest in real estate news, and real world strategies on how they can guarantee to sell your home, at a time and price you agree to, or they'll buy it. Now here are your hosts, Adrienne and Atillio.
Adrienne: Welcome to the "Team Lally Real Estate Show." Home of the guaranteed sold program, or we'll buy it. If you have any real estate questions, just give us a call at
(808) 633-8633, that's (808) 633-8633 or check us out on the web at – www.teamlally.com that L-a-l-l-y.
Atillio: Well hey everybody this is Atillio, I was up, you know, I think I was protesting? At one of these telescopes. This lady taps me on the shoulder, and I'm going to tell you. There's a high probability that this lady would be tapping me on the shoulder at one of these events. Because she's, she would take us to these as a child. But anyway, she started asking me a bunch of tax and legal questions? And I said, "These are great questions, I highly recommend you see the licensed professional." And then I said, "But mom, why do we have this protest?" Honest truth, we used to, that's a joke, but? As far as, my mom asking me legal and tax advice? I am serious when it comes to here. Seeking the appropriate protesting, my mom, God bless her. She is a native Hawaiian. She's part of that Renaissance movement back in the '70's. As a child growing up, 8, 9, 10 years old, I was like, Yea! We're at this event, all these Hawaiian's around, what's going on? And so that's what I used to do. I didn't understand what was going on? But hey, it was me being a part of that. But anyway, I, if you hear anything on the show that sounds like tax or legal advice? If it sounds like legal advice, Adrienne, who should they run that by?
Adrienne: They should run that by the attorney's with heart, Cane & Harren, right here in Yookoo.
Atillio: If you hear anything that sounds like tax advice, hey go see your friendly neighborhood Spiderman, or CPA.
Adrienne: Or tax advisor?
Atillio: Yeah, because today we are going to talk about fun things, educational things, and real estate things, then.
Adrienne: And legal things here in just a couple of minutes, we have David Cane up. Catch what's going on with his legal tip of the week.
Atillio: David, are you there?
David: Hey guys how are ya?
Atillio: Good.
Adrienne: Doing great.
David: Hey, listen we have some great something? So topical, you guys aren't going to be able to believe it?!
Adrienne: Okay.
Atillio: Okay.
David: Okay, so yesterday, yesterday, United Air, no I'm sorry, American Airlines computer issues. The stock market computer issues, Wall Street Journal computer issues.
Adrienne: Oh.
David: Everybody's asking? Hum, kind of odd it all happened at the same time?
Adrienne: Yeah.
David: Was it a hacker? Or did all three just legitimately go down at the same time? We're going to talk about hackers. Right now, as of as we speak. There is a hacking group called, "The Lizard Squad." That is actively at war, right now, with what we call, "Denial of Service." Or complete denial of services attacks. Against "PlayStation Network" and "Day Break Games" which were formerly – "Sony Online Games" and they are doing it right now. And so you're probably asking, why? What's going on? You know, how does this affect me?
Atillio: Yes.
David: Well I'm glad you asked that. Because.
Atillio: I asked you telepathically.
David: It does, it affects us all.
Atillio: Yes.
David: It affects us all, with delayed flights, and everything like that. Personally, I think, my personal opinion was? That it was a hack.
Atillio: Yeah.
David: Attack. And you know, something that big? It was probably done by a government, maybe China, North Korea. And I mean, we have proof that these governments have hacked into our computers previously.
Atillio: Yep, yes.
David: Including the department of defense computer. So, it really does affect us. So guys, here in Hawaii, we have a law, Hawaii Revised Statute, Section 708-890. And it is all about computer crimes. And let me tell you something? We take them seriously! Any computer crimes cause any damage over $10,000.00 is considered an A-Felony. Which means you can go to prison for 20 years.
Adrienne: Oh, wow.
David: Yep. If you break into someone else's computer without authority.
Atillio & Adrienne: Mm- huh.
David: And don't do any damage at all? It's still a C-Felony, meaning you could go to jail for up to 5 years. Now that, let's talk a little bit about that? There was a case in Michigan a few years ago, where this guy, named Leon Walker, who broke into his wife's Gmail account. Because he suspected her of, you know, doing the a little, "Hanky Panky."
Atillio: Yeah.
David: So let's take a look at here Emails? Well, he found her log-in book, her passwords and her log-in names? Logged into her account, read those Emails, and guess what? He used them later in the divorce case, against her. Unfortunately, his lawyer forgot to tell him that this is a computer crime that he committed. And guess what? He was charge with felonious computer crime in Michigan. And received a suspended five year sentence.
Atillio: Oh, wow.
Adrienne: Geez.
Atillio: So what is that?
David: By going into his wife's Email. And they were married at that time.
Atillio: Yeah.
David: So, was he an authorized user? That's what he claimed? But the court didn't buy it. And he was convicted.
Atillio: Geez.
David: So these are serious crimes we're talking about, going on right now guys, right as we speak. That this group, "The Lizard Squad" is committing these hacking crimes. Against, Sony Online Computers. And this came from, actually the other day in Finland, when it was one of these, "Lizard Squad Guys." He's 17, he's in Finland, his name is Julius Teeveemaki. And he has committed, he was convicted of committing 52,000 counts of computer crimes.
Atillio: Oh, wow.
David: But only received 2 year suspended sentence based on his age and other factors.
Atillio: Yeah.
David: Well, this morning, the president of, "Daybreak Games." His name is John Smedly, was literally outraged, and started Tweeting, "Hey, we're coming after you civilly. We're going to do this, we're going to do that." So, "The Lizard Squad" attacked their computers, and that's what's going on right now.
Atillio: Oh wow.
David: I know, isn't it crazy?
Atillio: So what's the penalties again, for breaking into your wife's account?
David: The penalties, if you cause $10,000.00 worth of damage, if you steal, like if you log into a bank's computer, steal more than $10,000.00, or if it's a major infrastructure, or Emergency Service, or governmental computer; it's an "A" Felony. Meaning, that you could go to jail for 20 years.
Atillio: 20 years, wow, so this.
David: So even this reading Email on someone else's computer without authorization, is a "C" Felony.
Atillio: "C" Felony, and what's the punishment for that in Hawaii?
David: Five years.
Atillio: Five years?!
David: Yep.
Atillio: So if you want to know what's going on with your loved one's account? Just ask them.
David: Hey, listen to this? If you walked into it? When authorized to.
Atillio: A-huh
David: When no one's in that particular office, and you sit down and you start reading that guy's computer.
Atillio: Yeah.
David: Without authority.
Atillio: Yep.
David: That's a "C" Felony.
Atillio: Oh, five years huh?
David: Five years.
Adrienne: What if they had their Email, you know, left open?
David: Then, even if there isn't anything on there.
Atillio: Five years.
Adrienne: Oh, wow, ow.
Atillio: Yep, five years.
David: Five years in jail.
Atillio: So they caught this a, knock yourself out baby. You know, in fact they busted this 17 year old girl in the Ukraine. Her first name was Ibana her last name was Tinko, for. No, no, no. So, yeah, what people don't realize? I know its funny hearing it all here on a real estate show? We were listening to the show right before us? And it was a doctor advising a parent about a bowel movements of a child.
Adrienne: And potty training.
Atillio: Potty training, so they were like, wow, coming up with some opposite end of the spectrum, cyber hacking. Like, you know, the seriousness of it, that's what they said. The next terrorist attack is not going to be somebody flying a plane into a building, it's probably going to be a cyber-attack.
David: I think so guys, and I just want to put out there for everyone.
Atillio: Yeah.
David: That these are very serious crimes, and the state of Hawaii takes them very seriously. So don't try to break into somebody else's computer. Or don't go in without authority.
Atillio: Yes.
David: Like you do have authority and read people's Emails or anything like that. Because you are technically committing these computer crimes, under 7088-90.
Atillio: Yeah.
Adrienne: So David, real quick? Would you say that the laws here in Hawaii are more strict.
Atillio: Strict.
Adrienne: Than other areas of the United States? So is it?
David: It looks like, however the one in Michigan, it looks like there is kind of standard federal law as well, about computer crime.
Atillio: Yeah.
David: But the one in Michigan was very similar to the one in, the law that we have. And that is, this guy Leon Walker did get convicted on, and did go to prison. And had a five year felony term, very similar to the law we have.
Atillio: Wow. Well, thanks so much for the information and enlightenment today.
Adrienne: Yes.
David: Always something? You bet.
Atillio: Watch out for the lizards!
David: Thanks guys.
Atillio: Alright.
Adrienne: Thanks David.
David: Okay, bye.
Adrienne: Alright, so if you need any kind of legal advice or legal services? You could?
Atillio: Check out Cane & Harren.
Adrienne: Yes. And that's Cane & Harren. That's – C-a-n-e & H-a-r-r-e-n.com.
Atillio: Or you can call them at – (808) 242-9350, that number again is – (808) 242-9350. Did you want to share some quotes, before we take the first break?
Adrienne: Well we have Lisa on.
Atillio: Is she on?
Adrienne: She's on and she's called in.
Atillio: Lisa, are you there?
Adrienne: With her secrets.
Lisa: I am.
Atillio: Alright.
Lisa: Hi guys.
Atillio: Hello, hello. So what you got to share with us today? Tell us who you are and what you're sharing?
Lisa: Okay, I am Lisa Teichner, and I am the Maui Expansion Director for Keller Boy Williams in Honolulu. In the process of opening a new office here on Maui for Kelly Boy Williams, funny how this all came about? And today, I want to talk to you about last week. I mentioned, I guess it was two weeks ago? We were having a workshop about, for a new book, called, "The One Thing." Which is a New York Times Best Seller, Wall Street Journal Best Seller, and on USA Today. It's a fantastic book, and we had a workshop, which went really well on Monday at the Realtors Association. And I think that some of the places that the principles that they share, it's not just about real estate. It's about anybody in their life who wants to improve their habits.
Atillio: Yeah, yes.
Lisa: And wants a better life. So one of the things I wanted to mention today was? The 66 days challenge. Which was now, a lot of us are on, since we went to the class on Monday.
Atillio: A-huh.
Lisa: The 66 day challenge is designed to be able to form better habits. So you pick on habit that you want to focus on improving for 66 days straight. So, like you, whether it's like a physical health habit or is work related habit. The idea is that you want to actually think small, and focus on, you know, being disciplined, building one habit at a time instead of trying to do too many things and getting into that habit of having done it enough times to develop it once you're done with the 66 days. It makes it a lot easier to do it. So, for example, some of us are on a wellness challenge.
So we pick one specific thing to focus on for 66 days. For some people are doing the business challenge, where, you know, they make phone calls, whatever, they do their follow up calls. For a real estate agent they might be doing their follow up calls from 10:00a.m. to 11:00a.m. every single day for 66 days.
Atillio: Yes.
Lisa: So that they build that habit.
Atillio: Yeah.
Adrienne: So, Lisa, what is your attention to wellness?
Atillio: For 66 days?
Adrienne: Yeah. She was that.
Lisa: 12 are mine, I'm, my wellness habit is? Cutting out sugar, going without sugar. So I am not eating anything with sugar in it for 66 straight days. In the hopes of that bad habit that it will be broken. And I will be able to focus on all of the other wellness things. And there's four other goals I have there, but you got to pick one, and that's the hard part. You, well people say, well I want to do this and this and this, and then you?
Atillio: You never do any of it.
Lisa: That's right.
Atillio: Yeah.
Lisa: So, sugar, that's my thing, no sugar 66 days, and I'm on day 2.
Adrienne: And how's it going so far?
Lisa: No, it's going great, really good actually.
Atillio: That's why you didn't want a king sized "Snickers Bar" I was offering you this morning.
Lisa: I know, I, it's really hard to say that. No, but for me it's like, not even that bad with the candy bar, but Starbucks? But you know, like a mocha, or, you just don't realize or bread or scone, or treats, or whatever? It just turns into.
Adrienne: It's hiding everywhere, this refine sugar.
Atillio: I have the bonus on crack, "Crispy Creams."
Lisa: Oh, yeah, I love that's me after 66 days if I eat one of those.
Atillio: I can eat a whole dozen by myself.
Lisa: A yeah.
Atillio: But anyway, so, I want to speak about that because I read the book myself too. And what they are saying, people are saying, why 66 days? You know, everybody has a common method, its 21 days to develop a habit. But what they did in the book. Because they went and studied information, and they found? The complexity of the thing you're trying to break or learn determines how long you should do it for. Before it becomes an ingrained habit. And they found that wasn't it at the mid-point? Depending on the complexity?
Lisa: Yeah.
Atillio: It's basically 66.
Lisa: It's what we called it, which is funny because, "The sweet spot."
Atillio: Yeah.
Lisa: And eighteen days, anywhere from eighteen days to 254 days. You're right, it depends.
Atillio: Yeah.
Lisa: It depends on how complex?
Atillio: Or how difficult?
Lisa: Or how difficult the habit is?
Atillio: Yeah. So.
Lisa: So, right, that would be suddenly urgent. You kind of have to gage it? See, 66 days is better one. Twenty one is, really doesn't work, depending on what the habit is? It may not be long enough.
Atillio: Yeah. And you know, if it's a dark matter? Physics, it ain't going to happen in 21 days. You're gonna?
Lisa: Right.
Atillio: Right. I guess it's going to take a little longer than that. But, yeah, thanks for sharing that. These and many other are the deposited benefits of being and associating with some, with Keller Williams. Is everything educational way.
Lisa: Yeah, and if people want a copy of, for anyone who's listening? And they want a copy of the book? "The One Thing" and they can call me, and I'll give you my number on the air it's 870-1009. And I actually ordered some more copies of the book. Because we did give as a gift to everyone who was at the workshop we had. And there were about 40 people there. I did order more, so if somebody wants one? Because they can call me, it's a life changer, it really is, I've used it for time blocking. And it's been incredibly effective.
Atillio: Time blocking, educational.
Adrienne: So Lisa when is the next, I know you've been doing workshops, doing a lot of workshops. Is there any one that is coming up soon, that you want to let our listeners know about?
Lisa: Yeah, we have, we do have an educational calendar that I can send out. Again, if somebody calls me, I will send them out the July dated calendar that we have. We have workshops in our office regularly in Honolulu Hawaii. So, again, just call me at 870-1009 and I will send you copies of the schedule. But, for realtors, we have workshops that are specifically real estate related. We're doing workshops for the millionaire real estate agent.
Atillio: Yes.
Lisa: Which is an excellent book, and I do those, you know about every other Friday. But I want to make sure that I get them the right dates. And then, you know, we have those workshops too.
Atillio: Yeah.
Lisa: Yeah, the "One Thing" workshops.
Atillio: "The One Thing" is great, I want to plan on it, if you're a business owner? It doesn't matter if you are in the real estate industry or not, success is generic. In these would have been habits, or techniques or things you should have known, but now you're a contractor paying business, carpentry business, general contractor, hanging biz, any kind of business. You should actually read this book.
Lisa: It's fantastic.
Atillio: Yep.
Lisa: The way it takes you to extraordinary in its results just by changing habits. And yeah, it's wonderful, it's not a best seller for no reason. It's very good.
Atillio: Yeah. Adrienne and I got a chance to meet the author and J. Papasan walked up to him and said, Jay, your book is my second favorite book of all time."
Lisa: And he said, "What was your first?"
Atillio: And I told him, "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Stephen Covey.
Lisa: Oh, yeah. I knew that, that's a really good one too.
Adrienne: And he was flattered.
Atillio: He was flattered to be second, to that book.
Lisa: And that's huge, you know?
Atillio: Yeah.
Lisa: I knew that from my favorite, "A thousand man Thinkus." By Allen.
Atillio: Yes. I read that book, that's a good one.
Lisa: The one thing is, my new favorite book right now.
Atillio: Yes, Okay.
Adrienne: So thank you for everything you've done. Give Lisa a call if you want to learn more about the educational opportunities, or to learn more about the "One Thing"
Atillio: 870-1009, that's 870-1009, thanks Lisa.
Lisa: Thank you.
Adrienne: Alright, so we're going to take a real short break. And we'll hear the Maui Mortgage Minute.
Atillio: And then we have a guest who's going to share information with us that's gonna change our lives forever.
Adrienne: So stay tuned.
(Music Out)
Adrienne: Welcome back, and thanks for listening to the Team Lally Real Estate Show, the home of the guaranteed sold program, or we'll buy it. I'm Adrienne.
Atillio: And I'm Atillio.
Adrienne: And today, we're talking to Cindy Kramer, from "Top Gun Painting" She's here with us in the studio. Share a little bit more about the painting business here.
Atillio: But before we do that. You know, Cindy this is a local style. We want to know about the person? Then we start learning about the business. That's how the local style is. We want to know the people? So tell me, tell me about yourself a little bit?
Cindy: Like they say, I'm Cindy, and I've been on the island about four years.
Atillio: Okay.
Cindy: And I'm originally from Idaho.
Atillio: Wow, Idaho.
Cindy: I grew-up in Idaho. I came here because my daughter is having a baby. And that's my story.
Atillio: Great, you were going to help her with the baby, and then you just stayed.
Cindy: And then I just stayed. Yep
Atillio: That's good. You get to stay.
Cindy: Yes, yep.
Atillio: Isn't it freezing like Minnesota? Or no, would you say, I'm outta here after the baby's born?
Cindy: Probably. Yeah.
Adrienne: So with that, "Top Gun Painting" how did that? How did you get involved with?
Atillio: With Top Gun Painting?
Adrienne: Top Gun?
Cindy: Um, we just met each other down there, which is Ted Argerano.
Atillio: Yep.
Cindy: We met each other, and then we connected. And then I just started helping him with his business and.
Atillio: Okay.
Cindy: And started doing his paperwork and stuff around, and here I am. And just continuing on with that.
Atillio: Gotcha. So as we say, that's important when you have a business you got to have the front of the house. Which is actually doing the work. Getting up and the back of the house keeping it going, organized, the appointments, bidding estimating.
Adrienne: So his business is, does not go on vacation, right now? Cindy's over here.
Atillio: Doing some public relations.
Adrienne: That's right.
Atillio: You were going to say something?
Adrienne: Yeah, painting.
Cindy: I think I'm the front of the house.
Atillio: You're the front of the house.
Adrienne: She's the front of the house, she's the PR and the.
Atillio: Answering the phone.
Cindy: That's right.
Adrienne: Keeping everything organized.
Cindy: That's right organizing.
Atillio: Okay, so and the website painted a couple of times, it's Top Gun Painting and the numeral #1.
Cindy: Yes.
Atillio: Top Gun Painting numeral #1, dot com. www.topgunpainting1.com.
Cindy: That's right.
Atillio: The best phone number is (808) 250-9159, (808) 250-9159. Now we're going to talk about the reasons why they should be calling you guys. Tell them, tell us about your, what kind of painting you do?
Cindy: We do all types of painting we do: Residential, Commercial, we do a lot of furniture, refurbishment, water proofing, and roofing, we pretty much do it all. We do anything you need done, to make your place look beautiful, we're there to help you.
Atillio: Okay.
Cindy: Yeah.
Atillio: Alright.
Adrienne: And then you guys work all over the island?
Cindy: All over the island, you know, we're actually trying to get a job right now in Oahu.
Adrienne: In Oahu.
Atillio: Well alright!
Cindy: We're trying to expand out a little bit.
Atillio: Where's that cow pole stork calls and says, we need the building repainted?
Cindy: You say what? Right there.
Atillio: We got to bring a generator, because the building don't got enough electricity. I remember the last time I was over there. But, okay, right on. Last time you were telling me, telling us about, gosh earlier during the break? Prior to bringing you on before the commercial or residential and you guys see, you do both. Then, I think that says a lot when a commercial client says, they hire you because the hotel industry you guys are currently the job you are currently doing?
Cindy: Yes, we are currently doing, I am currently working on one of the big resorts on the island. And, you know, that's what we like to do. Because it's an on-going thing. And yeah, they seem happy with us. I think our work is good, and all of that.
Atillio: I think that tells the consumer that if you can work for a high expectation company like, especially the resort. Because everything is about aesthetics.
Cindy: Yes.
Atillio: Than that tells them that you're going to do a good job on their residential painting.
Cindy: Yes, and we take a lot of pride in our work. Again, if you're not happy with our work, we're not happy. So.
Atillio: Gotcha. You had a question Adrienne?
Adrienne: Oh, I was going to say, like for this resort not only were you guys going to do painting. But you were also going to be doing some refinishing.
Atillio: Refinishing.
Cindy: Refinishing, yeah, we've done some water proofing over at the, over there. We've done a lot of dry wall work for them. We also do dry wall work, furniture.
Adrienne: So what would you say differentiates your guy's company?
Atillio: From other painting companies?
Adrienne: From other ones that are out there
Cindy: I just think because we're so versatile, you know.
Atillio: Yes.
Cindy: We do so many things that, you know, it's not only about coming over and painting your house for you. Where, we're there to do whatever you need to be done. You know, we've done some cement work.
Atillio: Oh, wow.
Cindy: All kinds of different things, so if you need the job done, then we'll try our best to.
Adrienne: To figure out what needs to be done.
Cindy: Yeah. We'll figure it out. We'll figure it out.
Atillio: Now, Ted, how did he start the business? Did he have to buy someone else's business? Did he have to start off as a one man operation?
Cindy: He started off, I think in California and having his own business. And then he came over here on a vacation. And just fell in love. So, he just brought his business with him.
Atillio: Oh, wow.
Cindy: And it's just been growing since.
Atillio: So you had experience prior to getting on the island, and?
Cindy: Yeah, yes.
Atillio: Just duplicated that level of success here on Maui. And where did he come from originally?
Cindy: From San Francisco.
Atillio: Oh, so San Francisco is like, yeah, it's too cold over here!
Cindy: Yeah.
Atillio: I'm going to go where it's warm.
Adrienne: Yeah, too many homes too.
Cindy: Yeah.
Adrienne: Yeah, San Francisco. Yick. Yeah, and aggressive drivers too.
Cindy: Aggressive everything.
Atillio: It brings up that old pain everyone brings up now, "The Golden Gate Bridge." Once you get start at one end? Then you finish the other end. You have to go back and start at the other end.
Cindy: The other end, yeah.
Atillio: It sounds like, some of your corporate clients? Once you get done down to the other end, then you go back and start again.
Cindy: Exactly.
Atillio: Because you're constantly very cogent of their aesthetics and their areas and their common areas.
Cindy: Yeah.
Atillio: And the areas and the rooms they want a good experience with their clients that come back. And spend those three, four, five, six hundred bucks a night to stay.
Cindy: Absolutely. Yeah.
Atillio: Anyway, as far as, if I'm a residential client and? Whoa, this happened to me at my house. I know you guys, we have a lot of planned communities here, get that ladder?!
Cindy: Yes.
Atillio: Because it's time to paint your house. And you got about six months for you to go and get it done. So, how do you guys handle that? Because I know, like in the associations. They are very specific, you got to follow them like the, paint, color, size.
Cindy: And yeah, I'm like, you know, we did get the rules from our House Association. And we followed those rules. And, you know, basically the client will pick their color. And things like that. So, we're more in keep with it, the rules, yeah.
Atillio: The Homeowner Association?
Cindy: Yep, yeah.
Atillio: Alright. It's time, we always have that question? What is that strangest painting request, or job that you guys have ever done?
Cindy: Um, I can tell ya, a funny story, about something that happened.
Atillio: Yeah.
Cindy: We were doing some tables for one of the resorts. So, four tables, and the person that was doing it? Makes the materials a little bit.
Atillio: Okay.
Cindy: Wrong, and you know, no bodies perfect, we all make errors. And so one of the visitors that was staying at the resort set his glass down on one of the tables. Then went and jumped in the pool. When he came back up out of the pool, his glass was stuck to the table. (Laughing) So he couldn't get it off. So, of course you know, we wind up getting a call, something's not right? So, we had to go over and take care of it. But, you know, it's kind of a funny story.
Atillio: And it was the president of the resort.
Cindy: (Laughing)
Atillio: I thought you were going to say, like, we mixed the wrong colors and then we painted this thing, and it was a total mess-up.
Cindy: Oh, no, no, no, no.
Atillio: And then the people were like, that is a great color, we love it. And you guys were like, oh, yeah, we planned that. Ah, no, but, any kind of any big residential homes, or like famous people, rich, you can like sorta say their name? But not tell us any, I don't know, any of those?
Cindy: No, no. A?
Atillio: Have you painted a really old house?
Cindy: No, no, Oprah houses. Yeah, we're working on that.
Atillio: Yeah.
Cindy: I'm trying to get us there, but that hasn't happened yet, but soon.
Atillio: Okay.
Cindy: But soon.
Atillio: As far as they know, I'm a big, huge fan of old. But if you asked me the question, who would be that one person you would want to have?
Adrienne: Maybe you should listen to me right now?
Atillio: Watch it! And we know she owns property on Maui, so we got to? This is that part of the show, where we got to do the "Oprah Show." Oprah, if you or any of your staff, or any of your enteraz are listening right now? What, 1. We would love to have you on the show. And, Cindy Perkins – "Top Gun Painting" If you guys need a painter?
Cindy: At your house.
Atillio: Come and paint your house.
Cindy: Yes, and I'm going to be there too. So see, I will supervise it.
Atillio & Adrienne: YES!
Cindy: So we can have tea. Dinner and chat.
Atillio: Share and talk about the latest book.
Cindy: Yes.
Atillio: That you recommend reading. But, again, if you guys are just tuning in? We have Cindy Perkins with "Top Gun Painting." Right here on Maui, then her number (808) 250-9059. What's the website Adrienne?
Adrienne: www.topgunpainting1.com
Atillio: No, I've got to ask the question? I'm wondering if Ted is a Top Gun Fan? Or does like everyone on the team have like, those names? Like: Maverick, Rick, or, do you have those names?
Adrienne: Is that how he got the company?
Cindy: No, he just likes, "Top Gun" But yes he does name all of his employees.
Atillio: So what's his "Top Gun" name?
Cindy: "Flash"
Atillio: "Flash!" He's never been arrested has he? No, just kidding.
Cindy: No, we don't want to go there.
Atillio: He doesn't come to work in trench coat does he? Does he?
Cindy: No, no. That would be weird, that would be weird like that.
Atillio: But what were the names from Top Gun? It was?
Cindy: "Duck", was there "Duck" or what it "Goose?"
Atillio: Or maybe it was duck, duck, goose? Not at all. Hey all the Top Gun fans that are listening in right now are screaming. Because they want to call in and tell us all the names. But it was?
Adrienne: Well, if you are a "Top Gun" fan you definitely need to hire these guys for your next paint job, or furniture refinishing.
Atillio: And if I call you guys and get put on hold. I want to hear the "Top Gun" music when I'm on hold.
Adrienne: A, no.
Cindy: No, but I will do that. That's going to be, I'm going to do that today.
Atillio: Yeah, yeah.
Cindy: Actually, that's a good idea. Such a good idea.
Atillio: The main guy for the mission, what's his name? Mission Impossible?
Adrienne: Oh, Tom Cruise?
Atillio: Tom Cruise.
Cindy: Tom Cruise.
Atillio: I bet you could get him? If he's listening? Tom, Tom Cruise. You should have Top Gun Paint your house, or any of your vacation properties, that would be appropriate.
Adrienne: So Cindy, when someone calls in? And they have a question? What do you hear most of? What kind of frequently asked questions do you guys get?
Cindy: Oh, mostly we get, what is the longest lasting paint? And what type of paint should we get? You know, how long is it going to take? You know, just general questions like that.
Atillio: Okay. These will what we tell all our clients. And, you know, we're not, this is a real estate team. If you're not, if you're looking for a discount, a flat fee, that's not us. We're full service, we do very good work, and we charge for it. Are you guys? I'm going to guess, with how busy you are? The you're not the discount, flat fee, super cheap painter. You know, if you're looking for the local painters, don't call us.
Cindy: Sure, that's right. But, oh, we'll still work with you, you know. And give you the most best price that we possibly can.
Atillio: And Adrianne, what's the difference between price and value.
Adrienne: Well, it's the value of what you the client is willing to pay for that service or goods. And then the price and value of what they do need to match up.
Cindy: Yeah.
Adrienne: Yes.
Atillio: And I imagine a corporate client, they're value is going to be very high. So, they're not going to, keep expenses low. But, they're not? I'm going to imagine they're not hiring the cheapest painter. They're going to be hiring the painter that's going to do the best work.
Cindy: They're going to hire the best painter. And that's us at, "Top Gun Painting."
Atillio: www.topgunpainting1.com Tom, any other questions for Cindy? You know what? The question should be about, the questions we haven't asked about you?
Cindy: Um. You asked me about all the right questions.
Atillio: We asked you all the right questions?
Cindy: Yes.
Adrienne: Well, what kind of, let's see? Your average home. What kind of price range are you looking at? As far as price to get the exterior, the whole exterior home painted. Just for
Cindy: Well, you know, there's a lot of variables? Because it depends on if, you know, how much scraping they have to do? And you know, what, if there is water damage, or anything like that. So there is a lot of variables. So it depends on what kind of paint they want? All kinds of different things. I would say, the average price for a house to be painted? About between $5,000.00 and $7,000.00.
Atillio: Have you ever gotten a request where some, a lady shows you her finger nail polish, and she says, Oh, I want my house painted this color?
Cindy: We did have that, but it wasn't a whole house, it was just a bedroom.
Atillio: Oh, just a bedroom.
Cindy: Yes. And then she, we did it? We hesitated about it. And she absolutely hated it.
Adrienne: Oh.
Cindy: So then we made it right. And we went and did it a different color.
Atillio: Well, maybe midnight desire is good for finger nail polish? But not so good for a master bedroom.
Adrienne: So you guys will do like one interior room?
Cindy: Oh, sure.
Adrienne: So no room is too small?
Cindy: No room is too small.
Adrienne: That's good to know.
Atillio: Number one worst fighter pilot nick-name? Bunny Rabbit. What's some of the other names of the Top Gun names of the staff have?
Cindy: Oh, yes you put me on the spot?
Adrienne: She's like, do I need to?
Atillio: What's yours, what's your name?
Adrienne: She's like I don't have to do this.
Cindy: No, I do not have a name.
Atillio: You don't have one? What the? Adrienne has a Top Gun name, but she, "Roller Derby." You know like in, "Roller Derby."
Cindy: Yes.
Atillio: They have roller derby names, share with the audience what's your roller derby name?
Adrienne: "Lally-gagger."
Atillio: "Lally-gagger." That's her last name Lally, and gagger. But anyway, so, anyway. It was good to meet the other half of "Flash." from "Top Gun Painting." Numero one. Numero One?
Adrienne: Yes, Cindy Perkins here, and if anyone is interested in getting a quote, or finding out more about additional services that they have besides, the painting, and furniture refinishing. The best number to reach you guys at – (808) 250-9159.
Cindy: Or you can call me – (808) 446-4567.
Atillio: Alright, you talk to Cindy, and you know what? If you have suggestions for a Top Gun name? Call her at give them to her.
Cindy: Oh, great.
Adrienne: She needs a name.
Cindy: I do, I need a name.
Adrienne: Give us the number one more time?
Cindy (808) 250-9159 or (808) 446-4567.
Atillio: Alrighty, we're going to take a break.
Adrienne: Yeah, we're going to take a real short break. But, when we come back. We're going to have some real estate.
Atillio: Real estate related topics and whatever we feel like talking about, because it's our show.
Adrienne: That's right. So don't go too far.
Atillio: Yep.
(Music Out)
(Music In)
Adrienne: Welcome back, this is Adrienne.
Atillio: And this is "Mr. E"
Adrienne: No.
Atillio: No? No, Mr. E. I'm just in the mome, in the mood, listening to Mr. E, on an intro music. A yeah, so Hey, Maui, we're the only real estate show where we got Mista E in the background music. And?
Adrienne: It's the home of the guarantee sold program.
Atillio: Guaranteed sold program where we.
Adrienne: Where we'll buy it.
Atillio: Where you'll buy it?
Adrienne: Yes.
Atillio: That's pretty outrageous.
Adrienne: It certainly is.
Atillio: If you want to know more details about that, you should give a. What number should they call?
Adrienne: You need to call us at – (808) 633-8633.
Atillio: Or check us out online at – www.teamlally.com, that's L-a-l-l-y.com. Hey folks if you're looking to get your home. Here's one of the things I know we do. We get homes sold for more money in a shorter period of time.
Adrienne: Yes we do.
Atillio: The more money, the better that makes sense. What's the shorter period of? Why would you want to get your home sold in a shorter period of time?
Adrienne: Well, there's this opportunity called, "Cost."
Atillio: Opportunity cost.
Adrienne: There's holding cost.
Atillio: Holding cost.
Adrienne: And then you know, when your home is on the market a long time? It get's yeah…
Atillio: It gets stale, and then there's just me repeating what you're saying.
Adrienne: Who wants a stale home?
Atillio: Nobody wants a stale home, it's kinda like crackers.
Adrienne: Yes.
Atillio: Your home is kinda like crackers, it goes stale after a while and nobody wants, it just doesn't taste good. So people stop looking at your home. It's important to get it sold during that honeymoon period.
Adrienne: That's right.
Atillio: Alright.
Adrienne: I'd just be speaking of the honeymoon period. We have Anastasia.
Atillio: Anastasia, Russian Princess.
Anastasia: Aloha everyone.
Atillio: Hi Anastasia. And so, Anastasia is one of our awesome business partners, buyer agents. What are you going to share with us today?
Anastasia: Well I have been doing a lot of talking with buyers this week.
Atillio: A-huh.
Anastasia: What I've found is buyers are just so excited about them. The home buying process at the properties that they present one important step in the whole home buying process.
Atillio: Oh, I thought you were going to say, they were going to make sure their breath was fresh?
Adrienne: That too, that is important. But first things first.
Anastasia: No, it's not that.
Atillio: So, again, getting, visiting with the neighborhood and find out what you can afford? I think that's important good tip.
Adrienne: A-huh. And if they have a problem?
Anastasia: Further than that, the pre-approval. The money for that posture way ahead of all the other buyers. Is that they will look at that offer and will be stronger of those already put up.
Atillio: Yeah, if people, the easy way to remember, this is how you remember it? Pre-approval, approval starts with a letter "A" prequel, a letter starts with a letter "Q". If you want to get an "A" on your offer? Go with a pre-approval not a prequel. That's the easy way to remember, right? Put a memory hook in your brain right now.
Anastasia: Yep.
Atillio: Alright.
Anastasia: A great way to remember it.
Atillio: So,
Adrienne: I make you call the "Lally Mortgage Team."
Atillio: Call the Lally Mortgage Team.
Adrienne: They can help with that pre-approval process, they make it easy.
Atillio: Yeah.
Anastasia: Yeah, and so fast, shave off fines in the escrow process. And by getting to that pre-approval phase.
Atillio: Yeah, so, check out the www.mauimortgageteam.com. Their number – (808) 270-2775 eh? Anything else you want to share with us today Anastasia?
Anastasia: Yeah, what, one more thing about getting that pre-qualification or that pre-approval.
Atillio: Yes.
Anastasia: A lot of sellers in home in second is using agents who only sell to people who have gone through that process. So if you're skipping that step? You might miss that property.
Atillio: So?
Adrienne: That's their ticket to entry.
Atillio: Their, you know, the sellers don't, you know, it's like the suits Nazi in that Seinfeld episode.
Adrienne: No house for you.
Atillio: No house for you. You don't have pre-approval, no house for you. So get pre-approved.
Adrienne: You don't want to be rejected.
Atillio: You're going to be at the door, no house for you, get pre-approved. Alright.
Adrienne: Alright, thanks Anastasia that was a great tip.
Atillio: Thank you.
Anastasia: Thank you. Bye.
Atillio: Bye.
Adrienne: Alright, now I think we all also think of our, No Lally sign on our street yet?
Atillio: No sign. It's not on our street. Brenden Forest, may the force be with you.
Adrienne: I hope you call in. Oh?! I see him calling in. And I'm out of the state. Brenden Forest.
Atillio: Brenden Forest are you there?
Brenden: I'm here.
Atillio: Alright. So?
Brenden: There's a disturbance in the force.
Atillio: You detected a disturbance in the force? And what have you learned from the a?
Adrienne: The disturbance?
Brenden: Well, a mostly I was listening to that tip a, the lessons from Anastasia. That was, but I would also say that, also a lot of the times investors feel the way, I have all this cash in the bank, I don't have to prove it. But yet you still do.
Atillio: Yes.
Brenden: But yet you do. You can't quite blank out all those multiple offers, no matter what those offers might be? But you still need to provide proof that it's there.
Atillio: Yeah, well. There's a famous line from that movie, "Jerry McGuire." What was the line in the movie, from Jerry McGuire?
Brenden: "Show me the money."
Atillio: Cuba Gooding Jr. Just remember him, he's just like, going all out in that kitchen. Talking to, how ironic? It's that Top Gun character.
Adrienne: Tom Cruise.
Atillio: Tom Cruise, he was the sports agent.
Adrienne: We just can't escape Tom Cruise. It's Tom Cruise day.
Atillio: And that Cuba Gooding Jr. character was telling him, you want my business? You got to?
Brenden: "Show me the money."
Atillio: "SHOW ME THE MONEY!!" So you gotta, even if you're all cash buyer, you got to show people the money. How do we show people the money? Do what? Do they bring a big briefcase full of hundreds all wrapped up?
Brenden: First, if in fact this is your first rodeo, you might?
Atillio: If it's your first rodeo you might? But most savvy investors don't. They will always tell us. This is not.
Adrienne: Not my first rodeo. And our response is? Good news, we're experienced cowboys and cowgirl. So, you got to show them the money. And so how do we do that Brenden?
Brenden: What I always instruct is, if you get a personal account or business account or something? Of course like I said, white out the account information, other than their names. And then of course the value that they need in that account. That's one way, but there's a couple of other ways as well.
Atillio: I tell them black it out with a marker, so it looks like a CIA document that's been re-docued. And.
Adrienne: And they can also ask their banker just to write a letter. If they want to just keep it really clean.
Atillio: Formal.
Adrienne: The thing is? That if they show they have all this extra money, that they may be shooting themselves in the foot.
Atillio: Yeah, by saying they have.
Adrienne: Negotiation.
Atillio: By saying they have more money, than what the purchase price is. But somehow, get a proof of funds. So that seller can take you serious, right? There's a lot of people who. I've, remember we took a call on this guy, and he was like, I bought this, I bought that. And you know what? Fine, and then we come to find out the guy was totally full of it.
Adrienne: That's right.
Atillio: Yeah. And it happens all the time. There's a lot of people that, again, anyway. That's what the seller's, I'll be honest with you. We instruct our sellers to not let anybody see the home. Or if they are going to submit an offer? We need to see, even if you're antsy yet and your putting some money down. We still need the proof of funds that you're putting down. We want to know where that money's coming from? Just think of Cuba Gooding Jr., he's in his kitchen telling his sports agent, "Show me the money." Alright, anything else, or any other highlights? Or real estate related things you want to share with us?
Brenden: That's it really. Speaking of bookoo money? And show me the money. I, usually my motto today is? You know, a really good deal, at a really good rate. But this, one? For those buyers out there, who won't want to be buying big, top of the top. I think the most expensive real estate only house, on Maui's market, as of right now? Because I know there is a buyer looking into it? They showed it at open house. I didn't even know about this house. And basically it's overlooking Kapalooka.
Atillio: Yes.
Brenden: It has four bedrooms, 5 ½ bathrooms, 7,500sqft. And it can all be yours for under $25 million?
Atillio: $24 million? I say you're going to be buying this house when you don't like the colors of the interior, exterior. We know a great painting company, "Top Gun Painting." Numero one.com. They even had the entire staff had has those names from "Top Gun." They got the nick-names. They own the shirts, they should put them on the shirts.
Cindy: Yeah, we're working on this. Because of you, many, many, many great ideas right now.
Atillio: Hey, you know that guy, "Sawed off Shot Gun?" You did an excellent job in the bedroom. I want him to come back so cool. You know it. And a.
Adrienne: So tell us about this house Brenden?
Atillio: Yeah.
Adrienne: What more do we need to know?
Brenden: Well, ultimately, what I really want to touch on is? It's not just the house, it's, there are a lot of different techniques, you know, that the buyer brings to the table. It is, just up over $24 million. There are sometimes things that are priced down for buyers. This is business strategy.
Atillio: Yes.
Brenden: Don't be afraid of the price. I'm sure you could get into it for what, less than that.
Adrienne: Well, going back to that original sequence when we were talking about price?
Atillio: And especially the value. You have to line-up. If they say, "No." Can I have a stalemate. And everything goes stale, like those crackers. Don't be a cracker. List your home with Team Lally.
Adrienne: Don't be a stale cracker.
Atillio: Don't be a stale cracker.
Atillio: What else you got for us Brenden?
Brenden: I do if you guys want to check out an open house this coming Saturday, from 10:00a.m. in the morning to 12:00noon. In Sea Hag, just look for the signs. I'll be putting them up tomorrow. I'll be doing the open house at Sea Hag Lane. That's strictly North Sea Area, for those of you.
Atillio: Okay.
Brenden: It's "Hooked on Phonics" trying to sound out for your guys, the street name there? And I said I will be there between 10:00a.m. till 12:00noon. Tomorrow.
Atillio: 10:00a.m. to 12:00noon. Of.
Brenden: And as always if you could bring the lunch burgers that would be great.
Atillio: Bring him a ham sandwich he's hungry. He's going to be there two hours prior to lunch, come visit. And give us a call.
Adrienne: And that's a three bedroom two baths?
Brenden: It's a loft too.
Adrienne & Atillio: And it's a loft.
Atillio: Right on.
Adrienne: It's a great location.
Atillio: Yes.
Adrienne: If you want the price? You're gonna have to call Brenden at
– (808) 633-8633.
Atillio: Perfect house, if the kids are being misbehaving, it's "Go to your loft!" Anyway, thanks Brenden, anything else?
Brenden: I also have a future neighborhood rental.
Atillio: You just keep going and going.
Brenden: I do!
Adrienne: What do we gotta do?
Atillio: I just can't get him off. No, keep going, go ahead.
Brenden: Anyways, this one's on Maui, of course it's close to the airport, hospital, it's got to be everything right within your reach.
Atillio: A-huh.
Brenden: Right now, its 2 bedroom homes there for a price. And then from $445.000.00 for a
3 bedroom, 2 ½ bath, over 800 sqft. And of course we can also offer those at the upper ends, which is $929,000.00. For a 4 bedroom, 2 ½ bath with 2400 sqft. So if you're looking for right there in the middle. And finally, this one definitely lots of options, and I highly recommend it.
Atillio: Alright, so if you're looking for a hard working real estate team? You can call that number – (808) 633-8633 Brenden thanks so much.
Adrienne: Yes, thanks Brenden.
Brenden: Thanks, you guys are great.
Atillio: Great. Alright, so, you know what? Adrienne's reminding me that 23-24 minute from our property. Hey, if you're a seller? You've got a high end property? And you've gone through five realtors? Properties not sold, it's sitting, you're absorbing all these holding costs.
Adrienne: And all these possibilities.
Atillio: And all these possibility costs. And you're like, man I wanna sell. Give us a call, we've got an accelerated loan luxury marketing plan.
Adrienne: Yes.
Atillio: I'll tell you more about it, if you give us a call.
Adrienne: Alright, well thank you for listening and thank you to our sponsors.
Atillio: Like, Mike Davis and Jenny Madison of the Maui Mortgage Team.
Adrienne: And if you want to get a hold of any of our sponsors? Just call – www.teamlally.com
Atillio: We also want to give a big thank you to our producer, Gary, here in the studio.
Adrienne: Make sure to tune in next week, we'll have an awesome guest talking about something that will change your life forever.
Atillio: Visit Team Lally Real Estate Show, home of the guarantee.
Atillio & Adrienne: SOLD PROGRAM!!
Adrienne: If we can't sell your home in the agreed upon price and time? We'll buy it for cash.
Atillio & Adrienne: THANKS AND ALOHA!!


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Last Friday in March! Now that is madness. (okay, a weak pun that vaguely alludes to basketball. Best I can do today)
http://www.teenbookcon.org I am absolutely thrilled that FINDING PARIS will be available for sale there early and exclusively! So yes, if you are in Houston and want to read two weeks before everyone else, come to Houston Teen Book Con! I am also insanely, fan-girl ecstatic that I am on the Truth About Love panel with Alexis Bass, Susan Colasanti, David Levithan (!!), Jen Mathieu and me!
2. Getting equally excited for TLA the following week, which for the uninitiated, stands for Texas Library Association. I am very honored to announce that I will be signing FINDING PARIS in the author area on Wednesday 4/15 from 11-12, courtesy of Balzer and Bray/Harper Collins, but my other publisher, Soho Press, is generously providing some stacks of SWEET DEAD LIFE series to sign as well! Now that makes me so happy. My full schedule will be up in appearances soon, and also includes TT4L and the Texas Author Tea.
3. It is finally spring here in Texas. At least more or less. Of course the pine pollen has coated the world in a dusting of yellow, but even that seems to be fading. *sneezes*
4. Very excited for the debut of Meredith Moore's I AM HER REVENGE on 4/7! Click on the title and get a copy and we can read together! She'll be debut launching at Blue Willow Books on 4/4! (and fyi, Meredith and I will be signing together on 5/2 at Murder by the Book. More on that soon.)
5. And in my iZombie report, I can say that episode 2 has kept me coming back for episode 3. Rose McIver continues to nail it as Olivia. The writing is clever, although definitely hits every trope beloved to my have CW shows. Still giving it 2 brains up!
Friday, March 27, 2015
Monday, March 23, 2015
Friday, March 20, 2015
Five Reasons You Should Be Watching iZombie
1. Because it's quirky and created by Rob Thomas and the writers are in a word, awesome. It's funny and poignant and clever and if Veronica Mars married Buffy The Vampire Slayer and gave birth to a suddenly zombie-ized med student named Olivia who wants more out of life than to be the walking dead, then this is what you'd have. And who doesn't want that?
2. Because Liv solves murder mysteries with her fellow morgue examiner (Okay, I do have to say that this makes two shows I follow where the main character finds the best way to hide what he/she really is, is to be an ME and solve mysteries. (I'm looking at you, FOREVER) and a newbie cop and hopefully a host of other Scoobies as the eps build. She helps the helpless. (okay, that was an ANGEL reference). She uses her sudden zombie power of absorbing the memories (and to some extent the personalities) of the cadavers when she munches on their brains for the greater good. (Tastefully. With hot sauce. And chopsticks.)
3. Because it's interspersed with cartoon frames while Liv gives a clever, snarky, and sometimes heartfelt voice over that WORKS.
4. Because Rose McIver rocks it as Olivia! Totally and completely. Platinum hair and zombie pallor and all of it.
5. Because it was totally time to move beyond the Walking Dead and get a girl zombie/hero/med student who can't tell her former boyfriend/almost fiancé that she can't marry him because she is basically dead now and when she gets angry, she can go into super, bad ass chick zombie mode and then watch out bad guys.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
You Can't SILENCE Deborah Lytton!
Amazon sums up SILENCE like this:
Love Is Not Blind, It is Deaf.
Stella was born to sing. Someday Broadway. Even though she is only a sophomore at a new high school, her voice has given her the status as a cool kid. But then a tragic accident renders her deaf. She cannot hear herself sing not to mention speak. She cannot hear anything. Silence. What happens when everything you have dreamed of and hoped for is shattered in a single moment?
Enter Hayden, the boy with blonde curls who stutters. He is treated like an outcast because he is not normal. And, yet, Stella feels an attraction to him that she cannot explain. As Hayden reaches out to help Stella discover a world without sound his own tragic past warns him to keep a distance. But their connection is undeniable. Can the boy who stutters and the girl whose deaf find a happily-ever-after?
SILENCE is a story of friendship and hope with a lesson that sometimes it takes a tragedy to help us find beauty and love in unexpected places.
I sat down with Debby, laptop to laptop, to ask her some questions about life, her career, and SILENCE. And yes, Mod Squad. Because I know you all want to know, too, right?
Joy: SILENCE deals with some very serious issues: a girl rendered deaf from an accident; a boy who has been bullied because he stutters. How did you come to write this story?
Debby: I wanted to tell a story about a girl who loses her hearing and how this shatters her world. So many people, including teens, see themselves as what they are rather than who they are. Our preoccupation with social media only enhances this because we are reduced to single word descriptions instead of multi-dimensional individuals. Hayden is an outcast because he is different, yet it is his difference that allows them to communicate. The story grew from there.
J: I know that you are not only an awesome author but also a lawyer, an actress and singer/songwriter. (Yes, I am totally envious of all this! Not limited to your role on Mod Squad, because Linc. And Julie. But I digress) How much, if any, of the performer part of you did you give to Stella?
D: That Mod Squad episode was the first acting job I booked. It was many years ago, but I still remember how incredibly kind all of the actors were to me. As for Stella, I accessed that part of myself that loves to sing and perform, and I translated that to Stella's world. I did not star in any of my high school's musicals or plays, but my brother did, so I used the experiences he had to anchor Stella in reality. As an actor, the best moments are when you can lose yourself in the character, and I tried to share that in Stella's portrayal of Maria.
J: You and I first met as debut authors in the Class of 2k9. Are there any similar themes in SILENCE and your debut, Jane in Bloom?
D: It's amazing to think that it has been over six years since we joined the Class of 2k9. Even more incredible is the fact that so many of us are still close and still sharing our journeys with one another. Although JANE IN BLOOM and SILENCE are very different stories, they do share similar themes of loss, self-discovery and ultimately hope. Both books might make readers cry. I know I cried when I wrote them. A lot.
J: What advice do you have for aspiring writers/singers/actors/lawyers?
D: You're funny, Joy! I'll stick to the writer part. My advice to other writers is to believe in yourself and follow your dreams. There is room for everyone to tell a story because we all have a unique way of looking at the world. We just need to trust ourselves enough to share our stories.
J: What's next for Deborah Lytton?
D: Right now, I'm focusing on the release of SILENCE as well as finishing a new young adult novel about two high school students who help each other through a very difficult time. It's been an emotional and difficult book to write (a few more tears), but I hope it will be really powerful.
Thanks, Deborah Lytton!
For more info on Lytton and her books, go to: http://www.deborahlytton.com
Monday, March 16, 2015
You Don't Have To Like Them and Other Truths About Characters and Storytelling
I don't like her very much, not even at the end. I wouldn't be her friend. I have never understood the Regina Georges of the world. It rarely occurs to me to act in those ways and trust me when I say I'm no saint. I'm mouthy and snarky and sarcastic and I see the world through a sardonic lens most days and am happiest when surrounded by those who see it that way, too. But although I am myself a cancer survivor, I still don't relate to the way Alice acts, even if I can understand and analyze it. Almost dying--however close you get--changes you in ways you might never suspect it will. Trust me on this. Unless you've experienced it, you can't honestly say how you'd react. You really can't. It doesn't always make us noble. Even Gus and Hazel Grace in TFIOS--surely the prettiest, most articulate cancer-suffering duo in YA--have their awful moments.
But I don't HAVE to like Alice for me to read and enjoy and savor this book. I don't HAVE to like her for me to think that Julie Murphy's written an awesome novel. I simply have to find her authentic and consistent within the fictional boundaries and character arc Murphy has created. And I do. (Okay, as someone who's spent a number of years in the classroom, I will say that my long term experience with high school is that there are fewer powerful student queen bee types in real life than there seem to be in fiction, but I'm okay with the trope. It's a decent stand in for the many nasty power mongers in the world. And interestingly, the place I see it most is the teacher's lounge, which is often a scary, angry, territorial den, a place where I was once told by someone in authority, "I don't care how smart you are as long as you're nice,"--implying that I wasn't-- but that's another story)
Still, I frequently read reviews of various books--including my own-- in which readers say, "I didn't like her/him." or "That was a terrible way to act." or "9th grade girls wouldn't swear like that." or "I would never do that to my sister. It made me hate her." And they down rate accordingly.
Except my job as an author is NOT to make my characters all likeable. My job is to tell the authentic story of this character at this place and time in this particular set of experiences. My job is to ruminate on the nature of being human, which let's face it, is quite the journey. Some of us are awful. Some of us aren't. Some of us (even 9th grade girls!) swear like sailors. Some of us do terrible things and all of us have no idea how we would behave if our world was up-ended, or we were struggling or trapped in a life we didn't want but couldn't escape, one in which horrible things sometimes happened. If the truths we had to face felt, well, unfaceable.
Writers are not obligated to tie it all up with a pretty pink bow, although I personally prefer a note of hope at the end, which Murphy has definitely supplied.
This means that my characters will frequently act or speak or think in ways I might not. And as a reader, I am thus privileged to safely experience worlds beyond my own limited personal experience.
I'm hoping very hard that I have captured these things for my readers in the forthcoming FINDING PARIS (Balzer and Bray) and all its characters Leo and Paris and Max, as they struggle--not always in the best of ways-- to face their own choices and truths.
Bravo, Julie Murphy, for being fearless enough to write a character that I don't like very much.
And if you haven't read SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY (Balzer and Bray), you need to do so.
Friday, March 6, 2015
Five For Friday: Teen Book Fest by the Bay Style
|Did you know that besides the Selena statue and wonderful beaches, Corpus Christi has the only 2 story Whataburger?
|This is my friend Jan Mathieu, who wrote THE TRUTH ABOUT ALICE. She makes me laugh. A lot.
|Pat Anderson of Overlooked Books sold our books. There are lots of mine! Hooray for that, right?
|Assassins and Protectors panel. I think we look somewhere in the middle: me, Jackson Pearce, Joe Shine.
|And PJ Hoover and Mari Mancusi talking Tut and dragons and other stuff.
|Our rooms had a beach view! (okay, it was raining and 45 degrees, but the beach!
|The awesome Debbie Van Zandt and her team made us so welcome and their first book fest ever was wonderful!
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
What's Up Wednesday
It is about 70 degrees out right now, muggy and airless. My azaleas have started blooming. Weeds are springing up in the yard. By the end of the day, I think it will be dropping into the 30s, with the possibility of ice and storms. And so it goes as Houston attempts to leave its version of winter and head into spring.
Reading a number of books at once, in fits and starts as the mood or need strikes:
Reading a number of books at once, in fits and starts as the mood or need strikes:
- Andrew Smith's The Alex Crow, which has already drawn me in because Andrew has this way of making me think about life and the universe and the weirdness of being a human on this planet.
- Julie Murphy's Side Effects May Vary, which I started awhile back and now am back to. Alice had cancer. Now she doesn't. But the relationships she destroyed -- or tried to-- before and along the way-- are still looming. And then there's Harvey, who loves her. Alice is a prickly, prickly soul.
- The Storied Life of AJ Fikry-- which I like very much. If you are a book person, so will you. AJ, like Alice in Julie's book above, is not a particularly warm and fuzzy soul. But he changes because of his daughter and finding love again and there's a lot of secrets on Alice island. (wow! Alice again!)
- Outlander, book 8, which means I am headed toward 8,000 pages of Outlander. It's the Revolutionary War for Claire and Jamie and Ian and the gang. But back in the future in 1980s Scotland, Roger Mac and Brianna and the kids are having troubles of their own… Plus Quakers and love stories and a lot of Rollo the dog time and yeesh, but young William (aka, Jamie's illegitimate son who thinks he's a British lord) is a jerk sometimes! Over the top. Jumping many sharks, but I adore this series with a full heart. What can I say?
And in other Wednesday news:
- It's Rodeo time here in Houston. Debating which fried food on a stick I should eat when we go. As people do.
- Revising IT WASN'T ALWAYS LIKE THIS. (Soho, 5/2016) Pondering immortality. A lot. Oh my gosh I love this novel.
- Just over a month until FINDING PARIS. (4/21/15, Balzer and Bray). Pondering why we keep secrets and how hard it is to tell our truths. More on that soon. Pre-order swag giveaway still going on through Blue Willow Books. http://joysnovelidea.blogspot.com/2015/02/finding-paris-pre-order-swag-giveaway.html
Happy Wednesday!
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