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Anne Ganguzza sits down with Billy Collura, a powerhouse agent with over 30 years at CESD New York. Billy shares his unique perspective on the dramatic evolution of the voice acting industry, from the early days of union-only radio spots to the current market dominated by non-union and digital opportunities. This conversation provides essential insight into the biggest voice acting trends that have shaped the industry and reveals the simple, authentic quality that makes a voice actor successful today. 00:03 - Anne (Host) Hey guys, it's Anne from VO Boss here.  00:06 - Speaker 2 (Announcement) And it's George the Tech. We're excited to tell you about the VO Boss. Vip membership, now with even more benefits.  00:12 - Anne (Host) So not only do you get access to exclusive workshops and industry insights, but with our VIP plus tech tier, you'll enjoy specialized tech support from none other than George himself.  00:23 - Speaker 2 (Announcement) You got it. I'll help you tackle all those tricky tech issues so you can focus on what you do best Voice acting. It's tech support tailored for voiceover professionals like you.  00:34 - Anne (Host) Join us guys at VO Boss and let's make your voiceover career soar. Visit vobosscom slash VIP-membership to sign up today.  00:43 - Speaker 3 (Announcement) Slash VIP-membership to sign up today. It's time to take your business to the next level, the boss level. These are the premier business owner strategies and successes being utilized by the industry's top talent today. Rock your business like a boss, a VO boss. Now let's welcome your host, Anne Ganguzza.  01:08 - Anne (Host) Hey everyone, Welcome to the VO Boss Podcast. I'm your host, Anne Ganguzza, and today I am thrilled to welcome someone who truly defines what it means to be a powerhouse in the voiceover industry. With more than 30 years at CESD New York, Billy Collura has been at the forefront of commercials and beyond, representing talent with a direct and grounded approach that has earned him the trust of clients and voice actors alike. I think it's fair to say that he doesn't just follow the changes in the business. He really helps to shape them. So, Billy, I am so excited to have you here on the podcast.  01:44 - Billy (Host) Thank you for asking me. Yeah, this is so nice, yeah.  01:47 - Anne (Host) Yeah, I love it, and of course we're like on opposite coasts here, so you're on my home coast and so I do miss New York quite a bit and we did have a little.  01:58 - Speaker 2 (Announcement) How often do you get out here, pardon me, do you get out here often?  02:00 - Billy (Host) Do you ever get out. You know what?  02:01 - Anne (Host) Not as often as I should. I really have now started to say I'm only coming out during the warm season because I'm done with the snow. Yeah, I hear you. But I would imagine like do you travel like elsewhere in the wintertime in New York, Because I know I stay here.  02:22 - Billy (Host) I travel a lot in general um during the course of the year, but um you know, I right now I'm upstate in well. I'm up in the Hudson Valley and in the city of Hudson, which is two hours North of Manhattan, so I go back and forth Um in the winter time. No, I'm usually, I don't know, I'm usually in the Northeast sometimes.  02:43 - Anne (Host) Okay, Are you a skier? Are you a skier? No, absolutely not, Absolutely not. That was, that was what a lot. What kept a lot of people on the East coast? Um, in my area anyways, they're like oh no, I have to be able to ski in the winter.  02:56 - Billy (Host) No, I don't like the cold.  02:57 - Anne (Host) Well, I have a. I have a mountaineer in California, Uh huh.  03:00 - Billy (Host) Uh-huh.  03:02 - Anne (Host) Oh my gosh. Well, anyways, it's so nice to see you again. It's been a while. I saw you at VO Atlanta and I'm just really thrilled that I have the opportunity to talk to you. I know how busy you are, but I'm just so excited that the bosses are going to get this opportunity to really benefit from your wisdom. And so, benefiting from the wisdom speaking of that, you've been at CESD for over three decades. Um, that's, that's amazing. So how would you say that your role as an agent has evolved during that time?  03:37 - Billy (Host) Well, you know like it started when I started. Um, it'll be. Um, it'll be 32 years in May. Oh my gosh, when I started, voiceover was a smaller industry and I dabbled in a little bit of everything, okay.  03:55 - Speaker 2 (Announcement) I did commercials.  03:57 - Billy (Host) There really wasn't. There was no internet back then. So we did radio and TV commercials and industrials and I'm not even sure cable was around when.  04:08 - Anne (Host) I started. I hear you. You know we didn't have computers, any of that.  04:13 - Billy (Host) So we did a little bit of everything. And then, you know, and promos, promos were a thing, and narration and trailers, and so, you know, we did a little bit of all of that. And then, as the industry kept getting bigger and bigger, we started specializing. And all of a sudden, in animation, I dabbled in gaming, but I also, you know, but pretty much my focus was commercials, because that's where the money is, you know, and that was the day where it was just, you know, it was just TV and radio, and you made the actors made a lot of money. Yeah, it was only union, we only worked on union jobs. And now fast forward to now, where 60% to 70% of my desk is non-union. We started doing non-union in 2019. Okay, the union opportunities have pretty much dried up, and I say that, but it's ebb and flow.  05:22 I mean right now this year it was a slow summer for some reason. It was like the old days, it was really slow and I mean that union and non-union. And then I go away on vacation and it just like exploded while I was away and I've been and since then I've been playing catch up and it's been so busy with union, lots of union stuff with non union. Yeah, so it's been great there.  05:49 Yeah. So I mean that's changed and I guess for me what's changed for me is because now I specialize much more on commercials. I do have a few non-union accounts, but I have my large union study accounts, steady accounts. Um, so most of my work, uh is you know, is in the commercial world. I also happen to handle the audio books, but I always say I'm not an audio book agent. I'm the agent at CESD that handles the audio books.  06:18 - Speaker 2 (Announcement) So it's a little difference.  06:20 - Billy (Host) Um so, but the audio book, what I do love about it. You know an an an agent who left um cause she was having. She got married and had babies and she said, take the audio books. They're the nicest people in the world. And I got to say they really are, and so I've kept it.  06:36 I love it. The people are so nice. Um, I really, really enjoy it. So that you know, so I I've been doing that. I also do ADR and loop group stuff, again very specialized, and there really aren't a lot of industrials. Now I know some of the other. I'm one of five, six agents in the department and then there's another two agents that work with agencies that cater to medical industrials.  07:04 - Speaker 2 (Announcement) So they're doing I don't do personally.  07:05 - Billy (Host) I don't do a lot of industrials. I think a lot of the industrials have gone to the pay-to-play sites, so but the union stuff, the medical ones, they are still at the big agencies. I just personally don't happen to have those. I would say maybe the commercial aspect of right Healthcare like pharmaceuticals and that sort of thing is huge and more and more of those blue chip companies are going non-union and those rates are you know.  07:34 - Anne (Host) Sure. What do you attribute that? Why is that happening? What do?  07:39 - Billy (Host) you attribute it to is when it started, when digital work started happening, and these great companies, the Droga5s and there was so many, that's just the first one they were doing great work with the digital work. You know, they were just with stuff before even streaming, when they were just doing they were making commercials for digital work and they were doing fine work. They were doing really good work and these companies, these blue chip companies, were saying, hey, you did that for this much money, why don't you just take all of our network stuff? And that's how I remember, like 10, 12 years ago, a large fast food chain started going, you know, went totally non-union. And then the large fast food chain started going, went totally non-union.  08:25 Then there would be some that because they had a celebrity voice on certain spots, and then they would get a third party and more and more I feel like these agencies, these digital agencies, just kept getting better and better at it and the actors were getting better and better at it. And it's not like the cable stations that you see up here that you know these infomercial things that you know that you can tell it's non-union. You know I've fallen and I can't get up kind of stuff. These. They're doing great work.  08:56 - Anne (Host) I can't tell, are they doing great work because they have great actors or are they doing great work because the entire production value of it?  09:05 - Billy (Host) Yes.  09:06 - Anne (Host) Yes, yes, you know, people are getting better at it.  09:09 - Billy (Host) The voiceover people certainly, and it's not even I mean the voiceover so many people. Covid just changed the game and everybody you know voiceover was the one business in town that didn't shut down during.  09:23 - Speaker 2 (Announcement) COVID.  09:24 - Anne (Host) And every I always say every jaboni with a mic, you know, just set up a studio at home and said I'm going to do voiceover, and not only you know they were well-established Broadway and TV and film you know everybody was doing it and that's and that's so interesting because I would say the majority of people that you know cause I was I was super busy coaching during COVID and I just had so many people that just wanted to like make the demos and get into the industry. But I had a lot more of the talent that were more beginner right to intermediate. But I would imagine that with COVID, with celebrities right them wanting to get into voiceover because what else was there? Because they weren't able to go into a studio, and so I would say that a good portion of that, I would say a good portion of people that were getting those jobs, were probably the celebrities right.  10:27 - Billy (Host) Absolutely coaching. You know they just kept getting better and better at it. And you know, and, and we're willing to work for low wages, I mean that's the other thing. And you know we always say somebody takes a job for $100. You know it's just a race to the bottom. Yeah, you know, if you're gonna add, because you know we don't work on the non union stuff, we don't work on the non-union stuff, we don't work on certain things. I won't work on stuff just because it's not worth my time.  10:48 - Anne (Host) Sure.  10:49 - Billy (Host) And I don't mean to be like, oh, but $250 is a lot to some people. Oh yeah, for all the work that I have to go into it, for me to do it and have my assistant do it and doing the editing to maybe get it, it's just not worth it. But I do. I mean that's usually. My threshold is 250.  11:10 - Anne (Host) And I understand that because I always tell people, because I do a lot of non-broadcast narration, coaching and demos, and I'm always telling people they're like, well, I want an agent. I'm like, well, an agent doesn't get excited about non-broadcast stuff because it's a one and done thing. You don't make your money on that, and so typically you want to have a tip top commercial demo because that's where they're going to be making their money with the residuals and and that sort of a thing. So would you do? You think it has to do with the sheer volume of people that got into voiceover as well. If you've got enough, you know, if you throw spaghetti against the wall right there, some of them will stick. And so then I started to drive down. I'm going to say it started to drive down maybe the prices, uh, or people willing to do the work for less, because it just got to be competitive.  11:56 - Billy (Host) It did.  11:57 There's so many people doing it now, so many people, and especially in the non-union world, there's so many opportunities out there and you know, with the pay to plays and I've kind of changed my tune a little on the pay to plays and I kind of see they're there for a reason. They're a great, you know, tool for learning, for getting the experience, for the auditioning. And I and I learned recently when I was at a conference in Holland and met the CEO from Voices 123. And I learned that they love to put people together and to put the actor and the company together. Take it off the platform and do your thing.  12:41 They don't want to micromanage, like there are other pay-to-plays that micromanage everything.  12:45 But I really found that you know, oh, that's really nice, and then people can make money that way. They're not interested, they're just interested in making the match. So, but, that being said, there are so many people that are doing this now and, yeah, driving down the prices because you know, they may be this may not be their full-time gig, it just may be a side hustle for them. So, yeah, sure, an extra $200, an extra $100, an extra $350. That can accumulate. But unfortunately then they're like well, you did it last time for $100. Why can't you? So it's hard, it's hard.  13:21 - Anne (Host) It is, but would you say that the amount of jobs is diminishing or no, it's just as volume you know, I don't see volume as normal.  13:33 - Billy (Host) I'm busy, you know, but I don't know, like, like I said, this summer was slow with the opportunities, with the, with the auditions. I find that my casting directors, my union casting, just my casting directors in general, um, they, you know, I have some that are busier than others, some I will hear from, you know, once every other month, and then some I will hear from three or four times a week. You know, um, so it's and it's all you know. There's no logic to it.  14:03 - Anne (Host) And then on the um isn't that the truth. Yeah, and then um after all these years, wouldn't you think like you could? You could predict, you know.  14:14 - Billy (Host) I would say to actors you know, I'm not booking, it's just one phone call, it's one job, don't forget. They're only picking one person, but yeah, yeah, picking one person. You, yeah, you know, only picking one person you know and you don't know.  14:25 - Anne (Host) That's a way to put it in perspective. Actually, if you think about it, but in 400,.  14:30 - Billy (Host) You know how many people are auditioning.  14:31 That's why with select VO. You know that only allows you X amount of people to submit. So if they, if the agency says, if they invite you and they say you can only submit three people per role, they won't let you submit a fourth person. So you really have to be smart and we're not the type of agency that will send you know to ten people and then, sophie's Choice, the three that I want. You know, I don't believe in that. I don't. I feel it's a waste of time of the actor. It's certainly a waste of time for my assistant and for me to have to listen to, then you have to listen to them Exactly.  15:10 - Anne (Host) What's the point, you know, and so that translates to me to a good relationship with everybody that's on your roster, absolutely, that that knowledge of their capabilities and you can communicate, uh, back and forth to make sure that the two of you are are, you know, keeping up with one another, and you would be the one that say, okay, I'm going to handpick this audition and send this to this many people, because you're the one that has to do the work right To send it the top three, to the. So the client.  15:43 - Billy (Host) Yeah, absolutely so. It's my reputation and there are some casting directors that you know they will.  15:48 I will submit a list and they will pick who they want to hear you know, back up, if I lose, or if we lose somebody, who else would you like? Or, you know, sometimes they'll say these are the three I want to hear. Send me one of your choice that maybe I, somebody, I don't know, um, and then there are certain casting directors that will micromanage and they have to. They, you know they will only see these people and they're, you know, not flexible. But it just kind of makes me a better agent.  16:14 - Anne (Host) That's why we're.  16:15 - Billy (Host) Cesd is an exclusive agency. We don't oversign in the union or non-union world. We're still building up our non-union roster. You know we're still doing that, but that's where we have the most amount of opportunities. You know, in the non-union world, Sure, Plain and simple.  16:34 - Anne (Host) Absolutely, absolutely. So what would you say after all these years? What's kept you loving your job?  16:42 - Billy (Host) Because it's different every day. You know, that's the— that's the thing. I never know what's ahead of me. So I, you know, I just love. Every day there's some, there's a new challenge, there's something new. Also, recently I have a new assistant who I adore and I love teaching him. He's a little sponge and he wants to learn.  17:09 And so that kind of inspires me to want to teach him, and you know so that that is. I guess that's the difference, and also being able to, because the business has changed. Remotely, you know, I can start earlier, I'm not in the office, I I can work later, you know. It just kind of like the whole. It's such I don't want to say a relaxed, but I feel I feel more relaxed Now. It could be because I've been doing this for a hundred years, but I just feel relaxed, I enjoy what I do. I don't feel the pressure. I don't feel like there's no such thing as a voiceover emergency If somebody screws up or, you know, if I've given you know there's no such thing.  17:51 - Anne (Host) Bravo to that. I always say there's never a VO emergency.  17:54 - Billy (Host) No, there's never a first you know, if something went wrong, don't freak out. How?  17:59 - Anne (Host) do we fix it? How do we?  18:00 - Billy (Host) fix it, that's all you know.  18:02 - Anne (Host) Now, that's from your perspective. What about your client, your casting director? Your client's perspective? Are there VO emergencies? Yeah, there could be, that's on them, not on me. Yeah, okay, I love that.  18:13 - Billy (Host) I don't, you know, I wanna help fix the problem, you know, sure so. And I mean, yeah, you know, it's always something. Fortunately I haven't had any of those emergencies in a while. But you know, the other night I was it was nine o'clock my time and an LA. It was an LA agency booking a client. She happened to be on the West coast, so it worked out okay, but it was nine 30. And I was like you know, I'm old, I can't stay up. And then I thought, and I got a text from the casting director she goes we want to book so-and-so. I left all the information on the email. So I was like, oh well, I have to finish Gilded Age, this episode, and then, as soon as I'm done, I will get on my computer.  18:56 - Anne (Host) I love it, that's great?  18:59 - Billy (Host) I guess yeah. So that's what keeps me going. The relationship with my clients, I don't. It's different because back in the day, actors used to come into the office to audition. West Coast was different because you guys were MP3ing long before, because you all wouldn't get in a car and drive a half hour to the studio.  19:20 - Anne (Host) But in New York, well, because of the traffic.  19:24 - Billy (Host) Yeah, yeah, and that's why you couldn't get to three auditions back in the day, but it was our job in New York to get you, you know, to get you from the Upper West Side down to Wall.  19:34 - Anne (Host) Street over to Midtown yeah, I know so many voice actors who still um go into studios to audition in New York. I mean, I almost don't hear about it anymore, except for well, I'm sorry, excuse me to go into the go on for booking.  19:48 - Billy (Host) No for bookings, they will.  19:49 - Anne (Host) They encourage that now but I have heard people in the last couple of years. I mean it's not every day, but sometimes they are going in. I don't know if it's to audition or if it's to actually do the job it's usually you know there's one or two the studios.  20:03 - Billy (Host) You know a couple of the studios that do auditioning, because that's what changed? Oh, okay, that makes sense, like all the advertising agencies that were in-house casting directors and those casting directors ended up going to the studios in New York and they have in-house casting directors, so they will encourage the Sonic Unions. The. Headrooms the Sound Lounges they will encourage hey, if the client is local to New York, boom, have them come in. Oh, that makes sense. And it kind of opened up because not everybody got SourceConnect especially our older clients.  20:40 It wasn't cost effective for them for that one audition every other month. It wasn't so the foreign language people, they weren't getting it because there weren't enough opportunities. But especially I I want to say the older clients they really weren't getting so this kind of opened up. If you lived in New York you could still send an MP3 and you're able to go to Sound Lounge for the booking that was always that's always a nice caveat.  21:06 - Anne (Host) So I'm sure people ask you this all the time. Commercial voiceover has changed, evolved over the years. Advertisers have changed how they buy and consumers have changed, I think, how they listen. What would you say is what sort of things have changed in terms of trends for commercial VO? What are you looking for now that maybe is different than what was relevant maybe five, even five or 10 years ago, Because I know probably you're going to say like 30 years ago it was more of that announcer sort of style, it was promo. But you know, maybe five, 10 years ago, what has changed?  21:43 - Billy (Host) You know, it was the, you know, when I first started. It was the time, when, you know, Demi Moore started with Keds and there was that raspy, damaged sound that has kind of you know, demi Moore started with kids and she there was that raspy damage sound that has, kind of you know, was such a thing for so long and our and I know our women back then, you know, were the most successful.  22:04 - Anne (Host) I coveted that which is not a part of my genetic makeup at all. I'm like I can't, I can't get a raspy.  22:11 - Billy (Host) No, if you don't, you know you can't put oh, I woke up with a, you know, with a sore throat today. I sound great I should audition. No, you shouldn't. Exactly. So that was. You know, that was always the thing and yeah, it was the rough and tough announcers and you know all those, all those guys, and then that kind of went away and it was the John Corbett kind of sound and he was you.  22:31 he stuck around for a long time as a prototype and now it's Paul Rudd and Rashida Jones and then. So those trends kind of changed. But then about 10 years ago, everything you know really were, it was people of color. You know they wanted voices for actors and that really opened up a wide, you know a wider net. There was no general market anymore because they used to say, you know, they were very specific, we want a Caucasian voice. But now you only see that if you're doing a demo for the on-camera and the on-camera actor happens to be a certain color. But they want authenticity. I remember you know getting. Now, everybody, especially in the union world, they want authenticity. I remember you know getting. You know everybody, especially in the union world, they all want to check boxes. You know, yeah, yeah, they, yeah, so they, you know it's all ethnicities. You know we want non-binary people and I'm like what does a non-binary person sound?  23:27 - Speaker 2 (Announcement) like I don't, it took me you know.  23:29 - Billy (Host) Then I realized oh, they don't really, they're just checking off boxes, but for the, you know, for the African-American community, they were in vogue. They were, you know, I would get breakdowns, all ethnicities, and the prototypes would be Viola Davis, Tiffany Haddish and Angela.  23:49 Bassett, Do the math you know, so that was a thing. And Angela Bassett do the math. You know, so that was a thing. And I think you know, I still think that that is happening. But I'm finding a trend like that is kind of changing, where general market is truly general market. Now they want, you know, it's everybody, it's everything.  24:09 - Anne (Host) That's great. Yes, I love to hear that.  24:12 - Billy (Host) That's the way it should have been, but unfortunately it was so the other way for so long and then it shifted and now it's kind of evening out.  24:21 - Anne (Host) Sure.  24:21 - Billy (Host) Sure, I don't know.  24:23 - Anne (Host) Well, I mean, that's what I was thinking would happen at some point. Right, it would even out and it's kind of nice to hear that that's happening.  24:31 I mean, I wouldn't want it to go another extreme you know, at all, you know, and especially because the world's a little chaotic right now and I know that it's affecting companies and their advertising, and so that to me says gosh, I hope that there's still as much opportunity for everybody as there ever was. And so that's just one of those things where I think if there was a slow part of the season, maybe it's people, you know. I think there's companies trying to gauge like what's happening and what's going to be what's going to work for them in terms of advertising.  25:08 And it's not so much the voice, but the whole, the whole thing, yeah, the whole, all of it On camera, all of it, all of it. How are they going to advertise it to be effective?  25:18 - Billy (Host) And I think you know, and I think that and this is just me I feel like voice wise, I feel that the union world is more tries to check the boxes, much more than the non-union world.  25:32 - Speaker 3 (Announcement) I truly than the non-union world.  25:33 - Billy (Host) I truly believe the non-union world they're gonna pick the best voice for the job, no matter what ethnicity you are.  25:41 I find, and I just because of the actors that I speak with, not only because I speak with my non-union actors in general so much more, just simply because there's so much opportunity there. But I notice, with my union actors I just don't A I don't really have that many opportunities for them. But you know it is. I speak to certain ones more, a lot more than the others. But I don't find that, I find it much broader in the non-union world. I mean it's a different and I've learned so much about the non-union world. I mean it's a different and I've learned so much about the, the non-union community and how. You know how different it is. I feel that it is much more I don't know how to say it. It's much more of a community, I feel.  26:27 I feel that they, they really are supportive of each other, they help each other. It's not as competitive or as petty competitive as it can sometimes be in the union world, it's just, and I think it's fabulous that they really everybody's out to help each other much more in that community.  26:52 - Anne (Host) Well, that's refreshing to hear. I like that from you, Absolutely. So then for you, for talent on your roster. What sort of qualities are you looking for in any talent that might appear on your roster? You know what's funny.  27:06 - Billy (Host) When I first started, you know, when COVID happened first thing, when I and I did a lot of these classes, first thing I was like, obviously the first thing was do you have SourceConnect? You know if?  27:17 - Speaker 2 (Announcement) you have SourceConnect, because so few?  27:18 - Billy (Host) people did.  27:19 - Anne (Host) You went right to the top of my list.  27:22 - Billy (Host) Yeah, if you had SourceConnect, and then it's, you know, and then it's just about reading the copy, and that's the same basic thing is, how do you read copy? Some of my most successful people, my white actors over 40, I have a couple of them and they just read copy. So well, I don't know what it is, they just they're just, they're just great they were. And so, yeah, there's. You can't teach it, it's, you know, it's just natural. This one particular guy, yeah, does he have that Paul Rudd feel to him? Just that guy next door, just that real comfortable, relaxed, nothing pushed, that's how he is in life and that's how it comes across Right, right. Oh, there was something else.  28:06 Oh, I did this one class and there was this woman, you know, like late 20s white woman, and there was just something. I was on a panel, I was one of three people and, oh my God, she was. There was just something about her read that made me crazy and like the next day I was like I have, you know, I want to set you up. I love you, you know, I love you the best. And now, here we are. I love you, know, I love you the best, and now here we are, fast forward to probably a little more than a year. She is one of my most successful actresses on my roster. And what is it about her? I don't know. She's just fabulous. You know, she just, she just reads. It's just, it's honest.  28:50 - Anne (Host) So I'm always looking for that honest. I like that honest, yeah, authentic, yeah. And I like, with that honest, I like that honest, yeah, authentic, yeah. And I like how you know we've heard for for so long right, bring you to the party, bring you to the party, it's that. I think that's so important. And and we throw it around like, oh yeah, okay, I can bring me, but and yet so many people still try to perform, uh and and if they really can just stop in their own head and and just bring themselves to the party because, like you and I like talk like there's something about like I really like Billy, and it's, it's, it's like an intangible thing and it's your personality, right, it's, it's how we connect.  29:23 - Billy (Host) And I think that's what's so right away. The first time we met, we would just like exactly.  29:30 - Anne (Host) I think that's the same thing for voice actors. If you can, you know, if, if you've got a great personality and you're like one of those people that you can connect with right away, I mean that's what I think we're looking for, that authenticity it's you're not trying to, you know, push anything and and this is who you are and I love to hear that, because I keep telling people gosh, you are enough. I mean it really is. Please don't try to be anything other than yourself, because I really like you.  29:55 - Billy (Host) Yes, and so many voice actors. They forget that.  30:00 - Speaker 2 (Announcement) you know this is acting and I said you know you got to get out of your head into your gut.  30:05 - Billy (Host) Whether you're selling peas for 99 cents, it doesn't matter. You have to be, you know, honest and authentic with it, so important. Now I have to ask the question authentic with it, so important?  30:14 - Anne (Host) Now I have to ask the question because you know probably everybody does. And what do you think about the threat of AI in the industry, and especially now that there's? It's not even just voice, it's on camera too.  30:27 - Billy (Host) Yeah, yeah. So I mean, we keep our eye on it. We read every contract, we read every contract, we read every breakdown. You know SAG is doing their best. Bless their hearts.  30:42 You know, nava is you know, above and beyond, what they're doing with the rules and the legislation and what they're doing. You know it's coming, it's not going away and it's going to get better and better. So we just try to keep our eyes and ears on everything and try to follow the rules and say, nope, large deal right now. And there was a huge component with um. They wanted an AI replica and fortunately, the person um doing it was like no, I've heard replicas of my voice and they're not, and they never sound as good as the real thing.  31:27 - Anne (Host) Um, so that's a really interesting point because I know for a fact that that's true, because I, you know back in the day. Well, back a few years ago, I started really delving deep into that and researching companies and how they made voices, and I've heard a lot of voices and there are some people who are amazing actors but yet their voice doesn't translate. Well, either it's the AI technology that has not given, it's just it's not doing the right thing for them and, yeah, it doesn't translate.  31:56 - Billy (Host) Yeah, and he said no, I, I will not. It's my, it's my voice, it's my reputation, and I will be available whenever they need me. They were like well, what in case he's what? You know? What if he's away on vacation?  32:08 - Anne (Host) Yeah, he said there are no VO emergencies. No, there are no VO emergencies, Right, there's no VO emergencies.  32:15 - Billy (Host) So yeah, so are we concerned about it? Yeah, am I concerned, absolutely, but you know I can't lose sleep over it.  32:23 - Speaker 3 (Announcement) It's coming.  32:24 - Billy (Host) You know, it's coming, and so we just have to manage it and make it work to our advantage.  32:30 - Anne (Host) Yes, I agree, I agree, I and make it work to our advantage. Yes, I agree, I agree, I love that. So I'm very excited because you're going to be doing a class for us, a VO Boss workshop, in November. As a matter of fact, it's going to be November 12th. Can you tell us a little bit about what we're going to be doing in that class?  32:48 - Billy (Host) Well, what I usually do is I like to just kind of give my spiel about what I've been doing and I guess the do's and don'ts of the proper way to get in touch with an agent, what to expect, what not to expect from you know. Once you're submitting to an agent, I just try to, I try to just say the things you know, kind of give the tips that actors need to know. You know what's proper, what's not, what's gonna get you. You know what's gonna get you seen, what's gonna get you heard. You know what makes it easy for me, the agent.  33:24 And I've come to also realize that it works differently from agency to agency. So I can only speak to what works for me, um, at CESD, um, but we'll, you know, I'll talk about that and I'll just talk about my feelings on on what it takes, what tools you're going to need and I mean like literal tools, what kind of demos you're going to need, that sort of stuff. Do a little Q and a and then read some copy, you know and anybody that does come to the class.  33:54 um, it's gotta be commercial copy, because that's that's what I do, you know um. I, I'm, I'm not going to be able to judge you on your animation copy or you know that kind of stuff. That's not really what I do. So we'll, you know, we'll do that and we'll tear it apart and hopefully get to two pieces within the class.  34:14 - Anne (Host) Yeah, I love that. We'll see. Yay, well, I'm very excited for that and, bosses, I'll be putting a link so that you can sign up for it, because I'm quite sure it's going to go quickly. Now my last question is because you said you're in upstate New York and I, you know, I have my own, like my own, nostalgic memories of upstate New York, and so, for me, I'd be riding a horse, you know, in in the countryside. So if you weren't an agent, philly, what would you be doing right now? Oh God, would you have a different career? Would you be retired and riding horses, or?  34:49 - Billy (Host) Yeah, well, you know, I've only had three different jobs in my life, okay, well, you know, other than high school jobs. I was an actor slash waiter, and then I became an agent. You know Like I've been it's you know. So I moved to New York to be an actor and that didn't happen, but I always kind of I was. I had a friend who was a commercial casting director and so I used to go in and help him out at the casting calls.  35:20 That was back in the days of Polaroids and signing up and I really was fascinated by it. And he would you know. And he kept saying there's an opening at this agency. Do you want to go? And I would go and audition, you know, to be an assistant. Sure, and then boom, boom, boom.  35:35 And then, it just so happens, he said CED, because we weren't CESD at that point it was looking to expand the voiceover department and was I interested, and my partner at the time said go and audition. I mean go and audition, apply for the job, cause one of these days you will make more money than me. And so you know. And um and so um, and now, every year, every year. I'm still in touch with him and I call him and I say thank you, greggy, for allowing me to have this job.  36:08 - Anne (Host) Here's my annual income report allowing me to have this job.  36:11 - Billy (Host) Here's my annual income report yes, so anyway, yeah. So I've thought about this. What do I do? I'm too old to be a waiter.  36:23 - Anne (Host) I'm not going to go back, though I think I would be really good at it.  36:25 - Billy (Host) I have these- I agree, actually, you've got the social I think I could do. Yeah, so do I go. But when I retire, whenever that is, I want to social. I think I could do. Yeah, you know, so do I go. But you know, when I retire, you know, whenever that is, I'm on a travel. I just love to travel, that's, that's my thing. So you know. You know, I feel like when this is behind me, that I will, you know, I'll just travel. I'm not going to be on a horse up here, but I always had.  36:50 You know, sometimes I've had, you know, I don't know if I even want another. You know job and I'm at that point now where you know, I'm old and I don't want another career. It's not like I'm. You know, I'm going to be an artist, or you know, I once thought I thought well, maybe I'll just go do community theater somewhere.  37:07 - Speaker 2 (Announcement) I have a friend.  37:08 - Billy (Host) I have a friend, interestingly enough, a little older than I am, lives in Chicago and he started taking an acting class just for the hell of it.  37:16 - Anne (Host) For the hell of it.  37:17 - Billy (Host) And he said, the others they love it because they have somebody to play the old man in all those scenes. And I thought, oh my God, that's great, I could do that. Yeah, I love that. I thought yeah, why not community theater you? Know, if that was it. Now there's no community theater in New York City, so if that's where I retire, you know. But if I was to retire up here, you know that would interest me, and you know because I am a lover of theater, so I do.  37:46 - Anne (Host) Yeah, Well, I feel like you kept yourself in the acting world, you know by being an agent I mean in that you know, it's still like a. It's still you're very much immersed in it, and so I feel like, if that was your one love, you came to New York, by the way. Where did you come from?  38:02 - Billy (Host) I grew up in Waltham Massachusetts, oh okay. Okay yeah, just a little outside of. Boston.  38:07 - Anne (Host) Yeah, very familiar with it. I went.  38:09 - Billy (Host) Yeah, I grew up in Waltham and then I went to UMass, Amherst and then to New York.  38:14 - Anne (Host) That was my. Oh, fantastic, yeah, there you go. Well, my gosh, it has been such a pleasure chatting with you today. I mean, I could go on. I feel like we could go on, but at some point, I do have to quit at some point.  38:32 But yeah, thank you so so much for sharing your wisdom. It's been really a joy talking with you. I'm so excited for November. Guys, bosses, remember November 12th. Get yourself to vobosscom and sign up to work with this gentleman. He's amazing, and I'm going to give a great big shout out to our sponsor, ipdtl. You, too, can connect and network like bosses like Billy and myself, and find out more at IPDTLcom. Guys, have an amazing week and I'll see you next week. Bye, bye.  39:05 - Speaker 3 (Announcement) Join us next week for another edition of VO Boss with your host, Anne Ganguzza, and take your business to the next level. Sign up for our mailing list at vobosscom and receive exclusive content, industry revolutionizing tips and strategies and new ways to rock your business like a boss. Redistribution with permission. Coast to coast connectivity via IPDTL.   

Live show! Thurs, Oct 23 at The Burren, Davis Square, Somerville, MassOctober is Domestic Violence Awareness month. We should be talking about domestic violence, and how to prevent it, all the time, to help others recognize what it is and how insidious that it can be. It is not just bruises and black eyes. Jennifer Martel's case is like so many other women who were tied to a bad relationship through a shared child. Few people seemed to know what Jennifer was really going through at home. There were many reasons why leaving was so difficult. The Murder of Jennifer Martel, Waltham, MassachusettsIt is like so many other women's stories who were trying to see a way out. It is like so many other stories where the victim is lost in the headlines of the case. What it is not like is how she was murdered by a very dangerous man who had been dangerous for a long time. He was someone she was and had been with for years. The man who was the son of a beloved voice of Red Sox Nation, Jerry Remy, the "RemDog." Fenway Park is like church around here. There is a lot of hero worship. Jennifer Martel was 27 when she was murdered. She had a plan for the next phase of her life, a next phase that did not include Jared Remy. Just two days before Jennifer was killed, Remy was arrested for slamming her head into a bathroom mirror. She called to report him — the audio from the 911 call says it all — and Remy was arrested and charged with assault and battery. Jennifer was granted an emergency restraining order that night, and she would be able to extend it the following day, Wednesday, August 14, at Remy's arraignment in Waltham District Court. However, Jennifer did not appear in court and the restraining order expired. Something that would prove to be a grave error on the prosecutors' part is that no one had the foresight to look at his background. No one checked priors. If they had, they would have seen a long history of violence against women. Instead, they sought no bail, and he was released on personal recognizance on an open assault and battery case.It is important to understand why Jennifer didn't attend that arraignment the day before she was stabbed to death in the presence of her 4-year-old and her next door neighbors. History is well documented as to why many women don't appear in abuse cases like this – for fear of retribution, more abuse, how they can support themselves and their children, the pleas of the partner, and, in Jennifer's case, from the Remys. Patty Martel said Jennifer heard from Remy's mother, Phoebe, who begged her not to file a complaint because it would ruin Remy's life. His life. Mrs. Remy, according to the Martels, said they would protect her. Maybe Mrs. Remy believed what she was saying, but her son's history of violence was crystal clear.National Domestic Violence Hotline | thehotline.org | Call 1.800.799.SAFE (7233)Jane Doe Inc | janedoe.org | Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic ViolenceCrime of the Truest Kind | Follow @crimeofthetruestkindOnline: CrimeoftheTruestKind.com Follow: @crimeofthetruestkind Support: patreon.com/crimeofthetruestkind Created, written, hosted by Anngelle Wood#MassachusettsTrueCrime #NewEngland #TrueCrime #Storytelling #CrimeHistory #Advocacy #Podcast #ColdCases #Unsolved #Missing #Society #AnngelleWood Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The senior leaders of the Catholic Church are meeting in conclave today to elect the next pope.All eyes will be on the chimney of the Sistine Chapel to see if the successor to Pope Francis will be elected...Kieran is joined in Boston by Fr James di Perri, of Our Lady's Parish, Waltham Massachusetts to discuss.

Episode 77. This is the second of a two-part series with my guest is Aviva Stein. In part one, we talked about her Jewish practice at UMass Amherst, where she is now a senior. Part two covers her engagement on campus in support of Israel and the dynamic on campus last year around the Israel/Palestine issue. She describes several conversations where she gained new perspectives and understanding. These kinds of conversations have been difficult both on and off campus, especially this past year. That said, I for one remain committed to interreligious dialogue, and learning from each other. So, if you or someone you know is a Muslim student who might be willing share their experience, please get in touch. You can reach me through my website – www.talkingwithgodproject.org. Bio: Aviva graduated from Gann Academy, the Jewish day school in Waltham MA, in 2021, and is now a senior at UMass Amherst, majoring in Food Science. At UMass, Aviva is involved in both the Food Science Department and in Hillel, the campus organization supporting Jewish students.Aviva serves on various executive boards and committees related to both Food Science and Jewish life, and has earned numerous awards for her work. Most recently she received the 2023-2024 StandWithUs Movement Builder Award for Creativity and Impact, an award based on her deep understanding of the campus climate.Highlights: ·       Aviva's campus involvement and the Israel-Palestine issue·       Interactions with friends and other students – Lebanon, Iran, IDF and Hamas·       Finding common ground found through personal experience, ·       The importance of active listening over immediate rebuttals·       Increasing understanding and the ability to connect amid disagreements·       Understanding pro-Palestinian students' pain and perspective·       Disruptions and activities led by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP)Social Media links for Aviva: UMass Hillel website – https://www.umasshillel.orgStandWithUs website – https://www.standwithus.com StandWithUs Instagram @StandWithUs and @StandWithUs_Campus Newman Catholic Center on UMass Amherst - https://www.newmanumass.orgOffice of Religious and Spiritual Life – https://www.umass.edu/orsl/Students for Justice in Palestine – https://www.nationalsjp.orgEmerson FellowshipSocial Media links for Méli:Talking with God Project websiteLinkedIn – Meli SolomonFacebook – Meli Solomon Transcript:  Follow the podcast!The Living Our Beliefs podcast offers a place to learn about other religions and faith practices. When you hear about how observant Christians, Jews and Muslims live their faith, new ideas and questions arise:  Is your way similar or different?  Is there an idea or practice that you want to explore?  Understanding how other people live opens your mind and heart to new people you meet. Comments?  Questions? Email  Méli at – info@talkingwithgodproject.org The Living Our Beliefs podcast is part of the Talking with God Project – https://www.talkingwithgodproject.org/

Episode 76.In part one, we talk about her Jewish practice at UMass Amherst, where she is now a senior. Part two will cover her engagement on campus in support of Israel and the need for bridge building. Given the tensions on many campuses last year around the Israel/Palestine situation, talking to some college students is timely. I am eager to also speak with a Muslim student who can share their experience, so if you or someone you know is interested, please get in touch. You can reach me through my website – www.talkingwithgodproject.org. Bio: Aviva graduated from Gann Academy, the Jewish day school in Waltham MA, in 2021, and is now a senior at UMass Amherst, majoring in Food Science. At UMass, Aviva is involved in both the Food Science Department and in Hillel, the campus organization supporting Jewish students.Aviva serves on various executive boards and committees related to both Food Science and Jewish life, and has earned numerous awards for her work. Most recently she received the 2023-2024 StandWithUs Movement Builder Award for Creativity and Impact, an award based on her deep understanding of the campus climate.Highlights:00:00 Modern Orthodox students need place to observe Shabbat.05:53 Balancing Shabbat observance with secular relationships.08:52 Disconnecting from phones fosters real-life community interactions.10:25 Hillel supports Jewish college students' diverse needs.14:28 Gender roles provide clear, valued community participation.20:15 Finding other ways to feel valued, contributing22:29 Valuing everyone fosters belonging across all identities.Social Media links for Aviva: UMass Hillel website – https://www.umasshillel.orgStandWithUs website – https://www.standwithus.com UMass Food Science website – https://www.umass.edu/food-science/StandWithUs Instagram @StandWithUs and @StandWithUs_Campus Social Media links for Méli:Talking with God Project websiteLinkedIn – Meli SolomonFacebook – Meli Solomon Transcript:  Follow the podcast!The Living Our Beliefs podcast offers a place to learn about other religions and faith practices. When you hear about how observant Christians, Jews and Muslims live their faith, new ideas and questions arise:  Is your way similar or different?  Is there an idea or practice that you want to explore?  Understanding how other people live opens your mind and heart to new people you meet. Comments?  Questions? Email  Méli at – info@talkingwithgodproject.org The Living Our Beliefs podcast is part of the Talking with God Project – https://www.talkingwithgodproject.org/

On March 16th, Bob attended his first ever women's professional hockey game and recorded a monologue/rant on the way home.  Here is what he had to say in the immediate aftermath of the game, a PHF playoff tilt between the Boston Pride and the Minnesota Whitecaps at the Bentley Arena in Waltham MA. Later that week, Bob crashed the PHF press conference before the Isobel Cup championship game and asked some questions. +++The Rink Stories podcast is produced by Matt HopfArtwork by Ken Klein. Original music by Ken Klein, TFIC, Bob's Lounge, and the Mo'NobsIf you like this podcast, please help us out by subscribing, following, rating, reviewing, and telling your friendsFollow @RinkStories on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTubeFollow Matt on Twitter and InstagramCheck out the PHF: https://www.premierhockeyfederation.com/

In celebration of the global movement Giving Tuesday which celebrates the good work of countless charities and non profits we single out the work of a few Boston based entities. The Home Base Program for Veterans and their families is an amazing collaboration between Massachusetts General Hospital and The Boston Red Sox. Retired Brigadier General Jack Hammond runs the organization and his passion and leadership is something to marvel at. Check out Home Base here.      https://homebase.org Easter Seals of Massachusetts does amazing work helping children and adults with disabilities and President and CEO Paul Medieros leads a brilliant team of committed professionals. They can be found here. https://www.easterseals.com/ma/   Janice Hoffman is The CEO of Wide Horizons for Children in Waltham Massachusetts and they make a global impact in the vital adoption movement for children. https://whfc.org If you want to support Giving Tuesday here https://www.givingtuesday.org      

Gary David is a Professor Sociology and Experience Design at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts. His work focuses on how to create experiences that bring people together to create a sense of connections and belonging. In experience design, he specializes in customer, user, learning, employee, and patient experiences. He also researches the design and use of technology for the workplace. Along with his teaching and research, he is the co-host of Experience by Design podcast (https://experiencexdesign), where they explore experience designs of all kinds. Finally, he is a professional keynote speaker and trainer for professional development (https://garycdavid.com).

On this Special Episode of the ASC Podcast with John Goehle recorded live during the Fall 2022 Northeast ASC Conference in Waltham Massachusetts, we interview some of the speakers at the conference and the leadership of the Association.    This episode is sponsored by Surgical Information Systems, triValence and  Ambulatory Healthcare Strategies.   Resources from this Episode: Website for the Massachusetts Association Become a Member Conference Agenda Important Resources for ASCs: Conditions for Coverage: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&rgn=div5&view=text&node=42:3.0.1.1.3&idno=42#se42.3.416_150 Updated Guidance for Ambulatory Surgical Centers - Appendix L of the State Operations Manual (SOM)https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Manuals/downloads/som107ap_l_ambulatory.pdf https://www.cms.gov/medicareprovider-enrollment-and-certificationsurveycertificationgeninfopolicy-and-memos-states-and/updated-guidance-ambulatory-surgical-centers-appendix-l-state-operations-manual-som Policy & Memos to States and RegionsCMS Quality Safety & Oversight memoranda, guidance, clarifications and instructions to State Survey Agencies and CMS Regional Offices. https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Policy-and-Memos-to-States-and-Regions Other Resources from the ASC Podcast with John Goehle: Upcoming Conferences: ASC Administrator's Bootcamp: The ASC Industry's leading virtual mentored training program for administrators in ASCs.  The virtual conference includes a comprehensive 4 day training program from January 24-27, 2023.  For more information - visit: https://ascpodcast.com/asc-administrators-bootcamp/ Other Links: Get a copy of John's most popular book - The Survey Guide - A Guide to the CMS Conditions for Coverage & Interpretive Guidelines for Ambulatory Surgery Centers  Visit the ASC Podcast with John Goehle Website Benefits of Becoming a Patron Member Patron Members of the ASC Podcast with John Goehle have access to ASC Central - an exclusive membership website that provides a one-stop  ASC Regulatory and Accreditation Compliance, Operations and Financial Management resource for busy Administrators, nurse managers and business office managers.   Become a member today!

(0:00) Zolak and Bertrand open up the second hour of the show with Tom Curran's Top 50 Boston Athletes of the last 50 years.  (8:50) Evan Lazar thinks Matthew Judon is the 2nd most important player on the Patriots and the guys give their takes on who they think is on the list. (21:01) The guys discuss the new seven part Derek Jeter documentary, “The Captain,” after the first part has just recently aired.  (32:38) The guys are still adjusting to their temporary studio at NBC Sports Boston and start talking about what their new studio will be like in Waltham Massachusetts. 

A1 Foundation Crack Repair responds to the "Bat signal" on a daily basis. In this case study, we learn that the folks in this Waltham MA home were pretty happy to see our favorite basement crack repair specialists on their doorstep after a botched repair job. It's great to know that A1's super heroes are ready, willing, and able to respond to just about any emergency.

If you put a jar of turkey stock in the freezer after Thanksgiving and make the mistake of overfilling the jar, the jar will break. So, could the same thing happen to a basement if you have a water leak and a hard freeze?

Gary Rogers knows a thing or two about networking. The saying might be overdone but it is true: Your network is your net worth. But, did you know a lot of REALTORS® do networking the wrong way? Instead of trying to spin your wheels, here's how you can leverage agent-to-agent referrals that create a collaborative relationship with you and your colleagues and not a competitive one. The ripple effects are immense. Gary shares his expert tips in this month's episode!   [1:30] Gary Rogers is very intentional in networking with the goal of giving and receiving referrals. How do you become a great resource? Gary has some advice for you. [3:55] Gary shares his overview process for finding agents and why referrals are important to him. [4:40] He explains further on referrals as a true business source and shares some of his own experiences. [7:20] How do we meet or find these agents? Gary shares some tips on how to be an agent someone wants to refer. [11:40] When considering someone for a referral, what kind of criteria do you look for? Gary shares his insights. [13:21] Taking the time to interview the client, knowing what's important to them; always works in matching them with the right agent. [16:15] In rural areas where there are not a lot of agents, what are some of the ways to get good referrals? Gary shares more tips. [19:50] Getting the right agent with the right expertise comes in handy. It sets the right expectations from both the agent and the client. [20:55] Gary is currently working on a project for residential agents wanting to move into commercial and shares a sneak peek of what's in store with that. [21:35] Referrals don't need to be from across the country. Gary also talks about how to get great local referral opportunities. [35:15] Has Gary ever been in a situation where he made a bad fit? What did he do in that situation? [39:10] Gary talks about how early-career agents should be reaching out to get referrals and why it is very important. [42:55] How can you market yourself and get your name out there? Gary tells his story of traveling for classes and meeting agents in that way. [46:10] Making the effort to go to the sources goes a long way in marketing yourself. There's a two-way street in referrals. [47:05] Gary shares more tips on how we market ourselves. What should you put on your website to attract your market? [52:25] Gary also talks about business cards and how we can make use of them more effectively when we network. [57:30] Sending referrals vs drawing more income. Gary closes the episode sharing his key principles.   Tweetables:   “What do we look for when we network or look for an agent? We're looking for some commonality, either between us or more importantly between the receiving agent and the client.” — Gary   “Even if you're an introvert, you become an extrovert the minute you put your REALTOR® hat on.” — Gary   “If you really do think how we're supposed to help each other, what better way than drive referrals back and forth.” — Gary   “Focusing on sending out referrals pays off quicker and is more sure because you have a trusted audience.” — Gary   Guest Links:   Gary Rogers Refergary.com Inrealtygroup.com LinkedIn   Examples of Social Media for Agents: Tiktok.com/@itsthatrealestatechick Tiktok.com/@amybartoncotney Instagram.com/sweethomeauburnal Refercyndee.com: (Linktr.ee/cyndeehaydon)   Host Information: Monica Neubauer Speaker/Podcaster/REALTOR® Monica@MonicaNeubauer.com MonicaNeubauer.com FranklinTNBlog.com   Monica's Facebook Page Facebook.com/Monica.Neubauer Instagram Instagram.com/MonicaNeubauerSpeaks   Guest Bio:   Gary Rogers has been a REALTOR® for over 30 years. During that time, he has served in various roles in the association, including State President, NAR RVP, and NAR Director. In 2018, he chaired the Meeting and Conference Committee. He is currently serving as a Director of the REALTOR® Relief Foundation, 2021 NAR Director, and will be the Chair of the 2022 NAR Leadership Academy. He was the 2005 REALTOR® of the Year for his state and has been awarded Distinguished Service awards by both his local board, GBAR, as well as the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®. Gary is the broker-owner of RE/MAX On The Charles in Waltham Massachusetts

In our triumphant return to posting podcasts at the turn of the month, Jess and I talk about time management and reminders, complicated conversational dynamics, the assassination of JFK (but only very briefly), and a bunch of somewhat more MetaFilter-centric things. We time-managed our way up to about 93 minutes. Also I play a euphonium.Helpful LinksPodcast FeedSubscribe with iTunesDirect mp3 downloadMisc - talkin' about fake cash which led to an old MeFi post - Chicken in the Corn - hey it's cranberry jelly - twitter discussion about trauma dumping - CALENDRICAL - jessamyn did some filing Jobs - Greasemonkey (or other) script to enable downloads by jessamyn - Shop at arch salvage store in Portland, OR for me by arnicae - Full Stack Developer by jchan Projects - Skittish, a playful space for online events by waxpancake - The Fucking Bible (warning: 7.5 MB) by ignignokt - The Stick Princess by Peach - I finally got my Murder Ballads book back into print! by Paul Slade - Princess Unlimited by yankeefog - "How to Sous Vide," a helpful cookbook by veggieboy - Formula Non (2009 - 2019) An Alternative F1 Photo Project by lawrencium MetaFilter - "The real Pacific Princess had a crew of 373, rather than 6" by jessamyn - a comment by cortex - a fluegelhorn is probably not a fluegelhorn, and vice versa by cortex - Film shows McD's trained new staff in proper use of Vulcan death pinch by not_on_display - Islands in the Stream by dorothy hawk - Divorced, beheaded, live! by Lorc - at the world you've left / and the things you know by fight or flight - Why so many people undercharge for their work by Bella Donna - Those who exist, have existed, or will exist in the vicinity of Omelas by brainwane - "the distance between reader and character or narrator" by brainwane Ask MeFi - a comment by brainwane - Where did the "Rock and Roll Ending" come from? by bondcliff - Why would I use a hot glue gun instead of just glue? by trevor_case - Tennis Pro decoded opponent's body language and serve? by umber vowel - How do you manage your time? by unicorn chaser - Then we'll take it higher - pop songs that are actually protest songs by Frowner - Waltham, MA ca. 1988 - 1990: Manufacturer of Geiger-Mueller Detectors? by ZenMasterThis - Seeking reputable carbon offset programs by Osrinith - Fun classic rock songs (Grateful Dead & more) to walk down the aisle to by Neely O'Hara - logistics! by everybody had matching towels MetaTalk - How MeFi (and other providers) deal with trust & safety issues by brainwane - Obit post: Speedlime by Pallas Athena - Newsletter 3: The Handovering by Eyebrows McGee - MetaFilter Gift Swap 2021 THANK YOU! by mochapickle - Mefi Art & Makers Group, Update by Glinn

On September 11, 2011, what seemed to be another bloody triple homicide case in the city of Waltham in Middlesex County, Massachusetts turned out to be not just another violent crime that some random killer mindlessly executed. The homicides, which almost decapitated Brendan Mess, Erik Weissman, and Raphael Teken, were entangled in a controversial mess that involved drugs, terrorism and the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. Was it a coincidence that the murders took place on the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks?

IT Management Solutions are the expert technology service providers offering comprehensive help desk support in Waltham, MA - call them today at +1-978-291-8125 to get 24/7 expert help for all tech problems! Visit https://www.itsupportboston.us (https://www.itsupportboston.us) so you can find out more!

Today's guest is Vaughn Williams. Vaughn serves as the Director of Athletics at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts. A multi-dimensional leader, who has harnessed the power of connection, I believe everyone is better after they are around him and we are very fortunate to have you experience this today. Vaughn is a relationship builder who is not afraid of challenges and embraces being a life-long learner. He lives by the motto of “Just serve, show up, do your job and help others do theirs.” And that will not be the last piece of wisdom you will need to document as we sit down with him today. So, get something to write with and on… as we settle in and get to know…Mr. Vaughn Williams. 1:09- Introduction7:03- Called, Opportunity, Serve- Vaughn Williams the Leader7:37- Following a Beloved, Successful Predecessor10:48- Being Consistent Fulfilling the Needs of Student-Athletes14:04- Importance of Being Prompt18:23- Recognizing the Leader Within You23:21- Applying Leadership Traits Learned from His Parents26:57- Assimilating New Student-Athletes During & After Covid34:04- Strategies to Serve Everyone in Our Communities40:23- Cultivating People Skills Within a Leader47:12- Preparing Student-Athletes for What's Next54:08- The WHY behind Branding Through Social Media59:08- Leading the Leader who has Talent but Lacks Experience1:03:41- One Word from Each Stop in Vaughn's Journey of Athletic Administration1:05:50- Partnering with Your Best Friend, Your Spouse, to Lead in Athletics1:07:32- 2-Minute Drill Book Mentions: The Servant: A Simple Story About the True Essence of Leadership (Hunter) You can follow Vaughn Williams and Bentley University Athletics on social media Twitter:  @VW_BentleyAD    @BentleyFalcons About Hangin With The AD Podcast….Hangin with the AD is an interview style podcast where Don Baker, Cobb County School District Director of Athletics, partners with Josh Mathews, Pope High School (GA) Athletic Director, to discuss hot topics and lessons learned with leaders in the world of athletics.  These leaders include high school athletic directors at the district and local school levels; college athletic administrators; leaders in spaces that connect to athletics such as nutrition, wellness, recruiting, student-athlete recognition; current and former athletes; and others, who can help athletic administrators develop themselves and their programs for a better daily experience for their athletic communities.          We hope you enjoy the time we spend with these special guests.  Please leave us a review or rating to help us know how you were benefited from this podcast or how we can improve it.  Thank you for listening.  And until next time, thank you for spending your time, Hangin with the AD.           Don Baker, CMAA.... Director of Athletics for the Cobb County School District in Georgia. @CCSD_AD (twitter & instagram) Josh Mathews, CMAA...Athletics Director at Pope High School in Marietta, GA (East Cobb) @jwmathews14 (twitter & instagram)  

Modern homes are pretty well built and one can imagine how disconcerting it is to suddenly find a leak in the basement after never having had a leak before. The homeowner goes through a wide range of emotions and questions...the biggest one being, why is my foundation leaking?

We had a chill show today. We talked about Halloween. A kick-ass Halloween party happening in East Texas. Scary Films coming to Netflix in November. A man giving a waitress a $700.00 tip on a bill of $167.00 at the Brewers Tap and Table in Waltham MA. Fines have been tripled and trains have been cancelled in Salem MA for Halloween. Yes my 14 year old son was dancing in a "Tinky Winky" costume while I was on the air.    Thank you to Aimee, Eric Kirk, Sinister the Dark Priest, and Crazy Kane for calling in.      Twitter: @jondivitopod Instagram: @jon_divito Facebook: @thejondivitoshow   YouTube, Twitch, and other video channel info coming soon.   Published shows available for download where podcasts can be found, including ... Podbean, iHeart Radio, Spotify, Castbox, Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Pandora, Anchor, and many others.   Email: thejondivitoshow@gmail.com   Other Podbean and podcast friends... The Old Man's Podcast w/ Dena Jo & Eric Trice Talk Tall Tales In The Rabbit Hole The Slightly Serious Show VOPUSARADIO The Mr. Clean Music Show The Talking Korner w/ Crax Sinister The Dark Preist Mysteries of the Paranormal w/ David The Speakeasy w/ Jimmy The Homeboy88 Podcast Crazy Talks w/ CrazyKane13 Dr. Love Radio FM The Miltdog 2020 Show The MCL771 Show The Ralph William Podcast Lyrical Laxatives Odyssey Of Ascension w/ Roxanne (over on YouTube) Just Woke Up w/ Toby Communication Station w/ Lara & Lou Chuck N Billy's Not your Cup of Tea And many more good shows...

Ralph Dangelmaier has seen this movie before. He’s CEO of fast-growing BlueSnap, the Inc5000 ranked company based in Waltham MA. And he’s done it before. So he’s successfully scaling this leading payments platform company. With access to 100 different payment types, BlueSnap lets merchants increase their sales online & thru marketplaces. The product integrates fraud, chargeback, and reporting. And its deep tech stack delivers what matters most: higher payment authorization rates. Not surprisingly, Ralph has attracted leading Private Equity investors: Great Hill Partners and Parthenon. With approximately 200 people, Ralph is scaling the organization to keep up with the growth. In this 20-minute conversation, he reveals how.

Born and raised in Waltham Massachusetts, Oak Lonetree (Peter Smerlas) is an MC extraordinaire that matches blue collar raps with classic boom bap production. From storytelling to relatability on common topics, each song ultimately embodies a pure hip hop sound. Aside from being schooled in 90s rap, he got involved with the hardcore and metal scene as a kid. By hanging out with the different cliques and crews, he became familiar and interested in various styles of music. His career began in 2003 when he joined the band, Primary Others, as co-vocalist. From there he released many solo projects and formed alliances with Cursed Out Productions, Hi Speed Network, and the The Dunnas -featuring punchline powerhouse Big Dese. By being no stranger to hard work, Oak was able to perform on shows with EPMD, Rakim, Black Milk, Roc Marciano, Devin the Dude, KRS-1, Camp Lo, Dirt Nasty, and more. “He has always been a positive force in the New England scene. Everytime I would see him at shows he’d always have a new album to give me. Then it got to a point where I couldn’t keep track of them all!!” says Ned Wellbery of Boston promotions company Leedz Edutainment. Eventually his music made it into the hands of DJ Eclipse and got him featured on the acclaimed “Rap is Outta Control” radio program on Shade 45/SiriusXM. Aside from rocking microphones in a ferocious fashion, Oak is also a father of 2, a union laborer, and a person in recovery. Faced with some challenges and adversity over the years, he has been able to rise above and persevere. “Conceptual influence is gathered more from life experience than anything else. Myself and The Dunnas use practical involvement in our writing. A few artists I feel were able to do so successfully” says Oak. In August of 2019 he was featured on The Food Network’s “Worst Cooks In America” reality show with Anne Burrell and Bobby Flay. A role in which he randomly stumbled upon. Recently he has completed a collaborative album with legendary Hip Hop producer, Insight, titled “Skulloton” which plans to expand his career beyond the “local rapper” stereotype. With no plans of slowing down, Oak Lonetree vows to always provide quality work in a timely fashion. Artist Links Facebook Instagram Youtube Notable Releases “Bully Mammouth” Album “Spiffy” Video “Rap is Outta Control Freestyle with DJ Eclipse” Video “Trash Man” Video Previous Press Boston Herald Wicked Local-Waltham Metro Daily West For More Information: Ned Wellbery| Leedz Edutainment | learned85@gmail.com For Dr Nevada Gray PharmD content visit www.thepaleopharmacist.com & save 15% on Redmond Real Salt with code: PALEOPHARMACIST For Chris Donohue content visit www.carnivoreketocoach.com For more information about our media network visit www.mindbodybreakthroughs.com

On this episode of the Modern Biopharma Podcast we have Joe Reale, Senior Director of Operations at Repligen, headquartered in Waltham MA.    He is leading the COVID response team at all of their facilities around the world to respond to the changing landscape. Between ensuring the safety of his employees and maintaining production for the critical supply flow to his customer base we get a unique insight into his approach.    I love his advice on "failing fast" too. Joe leads by example and is a standout in our industry. I hope you enjoy as much as I did.

Team Top Shelf invades Goodmens Barbershop in Waltham MA. for our first episode of " Barbershop Talk" --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thetopshelf/support

Spencer Hendel is a six-time individual CrossFit Games veteran, competing in every CrossFit Games from 2009-2012 and 2015-2017. Though a bubble athlete frequently on the cusp of qualification, fans were shocked when he missed qualification for this first time in 2013 and then again in 2014, each by just one place. But Hendel proved he wasn’t down and out just yet with a comeback in 2015, returning to the Games and taking a career-best finish of fifth place. Head Coach of CrossFit One Nation in Waltham Massachusetts and a member of the CrossFit Level 1, Level 2, and Competitors Course Seminar Staff, in 2016, Hendel shared the field with his father Andrew Hendel, who took seventh in the Masters Men 55-59 Division. Support Spencer: @Spencer_hendel Rate/subscribe in Apple Podcasts! Find us on Instagram: @besthouroftheirday + @thejasonackerman Check out our website --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jason-ackerman/support

Thank you for tuning in to Episode 159 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. This week's segments included: Off the Needles On the Needles In my Travels KAL News Events Contest, News & Notes Life in Focus On a Happy Note Quote of the Week Off the Needles Max's Very Little Giraffe Pattern: A Very Little Giraffe by Annaboo’s House- free crochet pattern available on website not for download Hook: B (2.25 mm) Yarn: leftover super wash worsted yarn in yellow, brown and cream. Sunset Stripes Socks Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams Needles: US 1.5 (2.5mm) Yarn: Patons Kroy in the Sunset Stripes colorway Grace & Frankie Shawl Pattern: Grace & Frankie by me, Jennifer Lassonde Yarn: 2 skeins of Suburban Stitcher Merino DK: 100% Superwash Fine Merino Wool in the Predictability Colorway. 115 grams = 250 yards Yarn used in sample = 220 grams | 478 yards (473.5 meters) Needles: US 9 (5.5 mm) Kris 40th Birthday Shawl Pattern: Grace & Frankie by me, Jennifer Lassonde Yarn: A Hundred Ravens Vanir DK (100% merino). 2 skeins in the Morello colorway Needles: US 9 (5.5 mm) On the Needles Rock You Like a Hurricane Socks Yarn: Freckled Whimsy yarn in the Rock You Like a Hurricane colorway Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Pattern- OMG Heel by Megan Williams West Yorkshire spinners for heel only. mauve color. Dragon Belly Shawl  Pattern: Dragon Belly Shawl by Johanna Lindahl Free crochet pattern Yarn: Teal Torch Knits TTK Splendid sock. 100% SW Merino. Stone Ground colorway. 2 skeins Hook: F (3.75 mm). Barcelona/ Porto Socks #1  Yarn: Hjerte Garn. magic Colours Stompegarn jacquard Magic Color: 7749 Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Pattern- OMG Heel by Megan Williams Holly Press Fibers Boxy Pattern: Worsted Boxy by Joji Locatelli Needles: US 7 (4.5mm) and US 8 (5.0 mm) Yarn: Holly Press Fibers - Sheepish (fingering weight) base in colorways:  Flower Petal, Rambler in the Wilderness & Seeking You. Assylum Fibers + 2 mystery skeins from stash. Holding fingering held double. Brainstorming Whirligig Shrug: baby/child shrug knitting pattern by Stefanie Japel. I knit one back in 2011 for my cousin Bella In My Travels I gave an overview of my 10 day trip to Barcelona, Spain and Portugal Packing in a carry-on for 10 Days 3 pairs pants- black and grey leggings & 1 pair jeans 8 shirts vest with hood denim jacket 1 handknit shawl & 1 cotton scarf sneakers, shortie boots and slide sneakers. Socks, underwear 1 pair of sleep shorts too cold to wear- slept in leggings I had plenty of clothing. Washed clothes at my friend's house on Friday before we went to Porto. Could have done w/ fewer shirts but it was nice to have variety. Wish I had wool socks for bed. Lessons Learned Didn’t need my shortie boots. Sneakers and casual sneakers would have been sufficient. Denim jacket and vest were good to mix and match & good layering options. Loved having my prescription sunglasses! I could bring less jewelry if I plan to buy some. I never understood the point of packing cubes-  but my mom sent some over and I'm sold. They really do compress things more than I thought possible and kept my small suitcase organized. Overall Travel Highlights & Safety Tips Booked 3 apartments in the 2 cities through AirBnB all worked out great! Booked 2 excursions in Spain through them - 3 hour Bike Tour & Paella Making Experience Separate beds/rooms meant that I didn't get Laura's cold. Clean out your wallet before you leave. Take photos of what’s in your wallet in case it’s stolen. My wallet stolen before we got to our first apartment. Because it was fast and easy to call and cancel, the thieves didn't get in any charges on my cards. I had new cards & a license by the time I returned home Carry wallet and passport on your person during airport and train travel. Always zip your purse. Keep passport separate from wallet. Was happy I packed Airborne & my water bottle. It was easy to fill and carry (saved me money too). Downloading google map of city in advance was a huge win. You can find your blue dot on map even without WiFi. WiFi in lots of places. Cafes, restaurants etc. makes traveling without cell service possible. Carry-on suitcase was plenty to manage through cobblestone streets and many flights of stairs in metro stations. I might have thought of bringing a larger suitcase if it were "free" but that would have been a bad idea. Brought external battery back up for phone. Used at least most days. My phone was in airplane mode except for 2 small needs for cellular. But I used it to take lots of photos. Internet and apps on WiFi as needed. Bought European 220 plug that supports 2 usb cords which worked for all of the electronics I needed to charge. Worked well but I didn't like that it lights up green when plugged in. Not good if want to charge phone by bed. Barcelona  The bike tour and paella making class were huge highlights We visited All You Knit Is Love Yarn shop. I bought a skein of Murmur yarn & 2 50gram skeins of Hjertegarn. Sagrada Família. Passion facade done this time! First time went in. Breathtaking! Visited Montserrat. Audio of boys choir at end. Porto  Love the street art in Porto. Loved that Porto is so walkable. Can’t get too lost. Loved small winding streets with bright colors and laundry hanging. First AirBnB gave us really great recommendations. Ora Viva= favorite restaurant. You can easily hop on a river cruise. They sell tickets right down by the river. Cable cars/ gondola brings you to top of bridge. Fun ride! Fun with Laura taking photos Graham’s port wine tour. Knitting No trouble with metal or bamboo circulars in any airline. The shawl project & one pair of socks was plenty for a busy trip of sightseeing, knowing I'd buy some more yarn there. The boys loved the giraffes I crocheted for them. Marta’s oldest made me a sign that said "Welcome Home" in English and had a drawing of a girl in a giraffe costume like the stuffy I made Aila for Christmas that he saw in my Instagram feed. If you're traveling, consider bringing  an FO you want great photos of. KAL News Slay the Stash 2019 Each month you can declare a skein of yarn to knit/crochet/weave to its very end. Let’s use up those older special skeins (purchased before 2019) - and maybe win a new beautiful skein of yarn from one of our sponsors along the way! Check out the April Post Use and follow #slaythestash2019 on Social Media Slay the Stash Sponsor List- 2019 Official Rules for 2019  January- Fish Belly Fiber Works February- KnitCircus Yarns March- Holly Press Fibers April- Fibernymph Dye Works May – Another Crafty Girl  June- Flying Finn Yarns July- Sponsored by WindsweptMonique– yarn TBD August- Knit Style Yarns September- Artistic Lilly  October – Infinite Twist  November- 716 Knit  December –  Hypnotic Yarn Splash Pad will open June 1st! Interesting in Sponsoring the Down Cellar Studio Podcast in 2019? Details for the Splash Pad Party & Pigskin Party can be found here. There are two types of Splash Pad Sponsorship Opportunities- find more details here Pro Shop Sponsors are given the opportunity to sell Splash Pad Party exclusive items in the month of May (or until July 15th). This is the paid option ($50). There are a max of 18 spots. Snack Shack Sponsors will donate prizes but will not be sell Splash Pad Party Exclusive products . This is free option and there are unlimited spots. 18 total Pro Shop Sponsor spots. 7 already taken! Don't delay! Anyone getting Splash Pad ready or wanting to share your sponsor products be sure to use  #splashpadparty19 on Instagram! Thank you to Jodi who started a pre-pool party chat thread in the group! If you're missing your Pigskin Party buddies, check it out. Events CT Sheep & Wool: April 27 9-4 rain or shine Gore Place Sheep Sheering Festival: April 27 from 10a-5p in Waltham MA- $20 general admission ages 13 and up, free for children 12 and under and Gore Place Members. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets available at the gates on the day or online. NH Sheep and Wool: May 11 & 12 in Deerfield NH Saturday 9am - 5pm & Sunday 9am - 4pm Admission is:  Reg price is $7.  Seniors 65 and older $5 youth 12 and under are free. Wool Days at Old Sturbridge Village: May 25-27 9:30a-5p One Day Pass $28 for adults, $26 senior, $14 kids MA Sheep and Wool: May 26 & 27 in Cummington, MA Fair Admission:Parking - $10 per car,  $15 for a two day pass Online Events Knit Girllls annual Stash Dash KAL will run from May 24-August 24, 2019 Contest, News & Notes Grace & Frankie Shawl release  The Grace & Frankie Shawl is an elongated triangular shawl that is worked from the top down. Garter Stitch edges offset by the lace in the center. i-cord edging gives the edge a very polished look and bonus, there's not a single purl stitch in the shawl. The design of the shawl is inspired by the relationship I have with my best friend, Kris. She often compares us to Grace & Frankie (from the Netflix original series)- best friends who love and need each other but on the surface have nothing in common. You'll see that play out in the shawl where the openness of the lace is offset by the solid fabric of the garter stitch—completely different types of stitches and fabric that complement each other well. Click here for all of the details. The Grace & Frankie Shawl is available for $6 on Ravelry. If you signed up for my newsletter you already got an early bird special discount. Next up Riley Rose Hat. Interested in test knitting? PM me on Ravelry! Life in Focus 2019 Goals: publish 10 patterns | build muscle! Health, wellness & muscle building.  I talk about how much value Im getting out of the PnP tribe that I’m still a member of.  I'm learning to be patient in building muscle while also listening to my body and going slower than I want to because of my fibromyalgia. Planning: doing weekly plans in Evernote is keeping me organized and helping me prioritize. With that I'm 1 pattern ahead of where I wanted to be at this time of the year. On a Happy Note 7th Podcast anniversary! Enjoying the show and want to support me? Leave review Apple podcast. Buy a pattern. Sign up for newsletter. Join a kal. Become or continue to participate as a Down Cellar Studio community member. Maybe invite a friend. We thoroughly enjoyed Riley, Garret & Millie's birthday dinner followed by laser tag! So fun. Who knew?! I had a blast celebrating my best friend's 40th birthday with a birthday dinner of tacos followed by swing dancing.  Dan and I will be going to San Francisco soon! Quote of the Week I want to live so densely, lush, and slow in the next few years, that a year becomes ten years, and my past becomes only a page in the book of my life.”  — Nayyirah Waheed ------ Thank you for tuning in. Remember show notes for this episode can be found at www.downcellarstudio.com/159 If you have a moment to leave a review on Apple Podcasts, I'd greatly appreciate it. I can be found on Ravelry as BostonJen and I'd love it if you came over to join our lively and engaged Down Cellar Studio Ravelry Group. Check me out on Instagram at BostonJen1 if you want to see what I'm up to between episodes. Email me at downcellarstudio@gmail.com For website: Thank you for tuning in! Contact Information: Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Twitter: Instagram: BostonJen1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio!

Michael Brown is the Vice President, of Talent at SHYFT Analytics based in Waltham Massachusetts, in today's show we'll find out how they generate 50% of their hires through employee referrals. TOPICS -What does SHYFT analytics do and what types of roles are you recruiting for? -How big is your recruiting team? -Your ATS is Lever, what was the previous ATS at SHYFT? -What was the switch like...how long did it take, etc? -Favorite feature of Lever? -What else is part of your HR tech stack? -Let’s talk about your referral program…describe its structure and how you make payouts...”Before rolling it out, our referral rate was around 30 percent, and we wanted to get to 40. I never imagined we’d make it to 50 percent.” -Explain how it works and tell us why Lever enabled to get you to 50%? -Tell us your best sourcing story about how you got creative in finding someone that you eventually hired? -How do you prefer vendors approach you about pitching their products? -Last words of advice do you have for other employers who want to boost their referral program? Show notes will be available at www.rectechmedia.com

Once again, we have the Crackman answering listener email. George in Waltham MA writes: "I've recently discovered a white fuzzy substance on my basement foundation walls. What in the world could it be?"

This episode, Steve Christensen AKA The Ice Cream Bloke spends some time with Rick Pizzi of Pizzi Farms based in Waltham MA. Rick has some great insights into regular social media use and in particular, one event that brought thousands of people to his business. You can see what Rick is accomplishing at www.pizzifarms.com and follow him on social media through that sight.

 SHOW NOTESThis week's WIPs include Atomic Blender socks, generic cuff down socks and This Way That Way socks. That's a lot of socks! FOs include cotton footie socks, Atomic Blender socks and one This Way That Way socks. Featured Baubles and Bling include Rock and String Creations sock yarn in the Miss Congeniality colorway, Freia Fine Handpaints in the Metropolis colorway, and Knitter's Pride Cubics needles. Shout Outs:Mar/Apr KAL/CAL will be to knit with variegated yarn!  Trying digging something out from deep stash!  We will draw two winners during the first episode in May.Sheila is also hosting a Blue Moon Fiber Arts KAL/CAL that will continue throughout the year and includes any projects made from Blue Moon Fiber Arts yarn.  We will draw the next winner in May.On The Dance Card:Wendy is working on:This Way That Way socks by Mina Philipp in Knitpicks Felici in the Teacup colorway.Sheila is working on:Be My Valentine Socks by the Cozy Knitter in unlabeled cotton sock yarn.  She will not be using the cable pattern, just the gusset and heel combo.Atomic Blender socks in BMFA mill end.CBD Fudge Neckcessory by Deborah Tomasello in CBD Metallic Spice from her new yarn line (which we reviewed last episode). Rate Your Date:Sheila finished:One Atomic Blender sock.Be My Valentine Socks by the Cozy Knitter in unlabeled cotton sock yarn.  She did not use the cable pattern, just the gusset and heel combo on a footie sock.Wendy finished:Atomic Blender socks in Dyeabolical Yarn Targhee sock in the Atomic Blender colorway.  Pattern will be available when the sample socks are knit.One This Way That Way sock.Whirlwind Romance:NothingFuture Dates:Sheila will knit socks.Wendy needs to finish her current WIPs..Baubles & Bling:Wendy purchased:Freia Fine Handpaints sport gradient in the Metropolis colorwayRock and String Creations self-striping yarn in the Miss Congeniality colorwaySheila purchased:Various sizes of Knitter's Pride Cubics needlesGossip & Innuendo:Fiber EventsConnecticut Sheep and Wool Apr 30, Tolland Agricultural Center, Vernon/Rockville, CTGore Place Sheep Shearing Festival Apr 30, Gore Place, Waltham MAMaryland Sheep and Wool May 7-8, Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship, MDNew Hampshire Sheep and Wool May 14-15, Deerfield Fairgrounds, Deerfield, NHRhode Island Wool and Fiber Festival May 16, Coggeshall Farm Museum, Bristol, RIWebs Annual Tent Sale May 14-15, Webs, Northampton, MAMassachusetts Sheep and Woolcraft Fair May 28-29, Cummington Fairgrounds, Cummington, MAMaine Fiber Frolic Jun 6-7, Windsor Fairgrounds, Windsor, MEFiber Revival TBAFinger Lakes Fiber Festival Sep 17-18, Hemlock Fairgrounds, Hemlock MESouthern Adirondack Fiber Festival Sep 24-25, Washington County Fairgrounds, Greenwich, NYVermont Sheep and Wool Festival Oct 1-2, Tunbridge Fairgrounds, Tunbridge, VTNew York Sheep and Wool Oct 15-16, Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Rhinebeck, NYFiber Festival of New England Nov 5-6, Eastern States Exhibition, Springfield, MA

 SHOW NOTESThis week's WIPs include Indigo Frost Poncho, Atomic Blender Socks, Toe-up ankle socks, and CBD Fudge Neckcessory. We had two PHD's: one Atomic Blender sock and one ankle sock. Baubles and bling this week included a bag and notions from Knittingsmybag, Sockotta gifted to Sheila by a viewer and a miniature LL Bean bag. We also announce an upcoming Craftsy class review and a contest being held by designer Stephannie Tallent to win the class for free! Shout Outs:Mar/Apr KAL/CAL will be to knit with variegated yarn!  Trying digging something out from deep stash!  We will draw two winners during the first episode in May.Sheila is also hosting a Blue Moon Fiber Arts KAL/CAL that will continue throughout the year and includes any projects made from Blue Moon Fiber Arts yarn.  We will draw the next winner in May.We will also be reviewing a new Craftsy class by designer Stephannie Tallent called "Custom Colorwork Techniques:  Mitts" which will roll out around May 2.  Stephannie is holding a contest HERE up until the class release date where you can win the class for free!  Once the class is live, we will review it on the show and have a 50% coupon code for our viewers.  So, if you haven't checked out Craftsy yet, this is a good opportunity to do it.On The Dance Card:Wendy is working on:Indigo Frost Poncho by Isabell Kraemer in Dream in Color Classy in the In Vino Veritas colorway with scraps for the color work.Atomic Blender socks in Dyeabolical Yarn Targhee sock in the Atomic Blender colorway.  Pattern will be available when the sample socks are knit.Sheila is working on:Be My Valentine Socks by the Cozy Knitter in unlabeled cotton sock yarn.  She will not be using the cable pattern, just the gusset and heel combo.Atomic Blender socks in BMFA mill end.CBD Fudge Neckcessory by Deborah Tomasello in CBD Metallic Spice from her new yarn line (which we reviewed last episode). Rate Your Date:Sheila finished:One ankle sock.Wendy finished:One Atomic Blender sock.Whirlwind Romance:NothingFuture Dates:Sheila will knit something (possibly the Simple Skyp Socks  by Adrienne Ku with her BMFA yarn of the month, a mill end in purple and blue.Wendy needs to finish her current WIPs and will definitely cast on another sock.Baubles & Bling:Wendy purchased:Bag and notions from Knittingsmybag.Sheila received:Sockotta Yarn from a viewerA miniature LL Bean bag that Wendy bought her for Christmas but lost until this week!Gossip & Innuendo:Fiber EventsConnecticut Sheep and Wool Apr 30, Tolland Agricultural Center, Vernon/Rockville, CTGore Place Sheep Shearing Festival Apr 30, Gore Place, Waltham MAMaryland Sheep and Wool May 7-8, Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship, MDNew Hampshire Sheep and Wool May 14-15, Deerfield Fairgrounds, Deerfield, NHRhode Island Wool and Fiber Festival May 16, Coggeshall Farm Museum, Bristol, RIWebs Annual Tent Sale May 14-15, Webs, Northampton, MAMassachusetts Sheep and Woolcraft Fair May 28-29, Cummington Fairgrounds, Cummington, MAMaine Fiber Frolic Jun 6-7, Windsor Fairgrounds, Windsor, MEFiber Revival TBAFinger Lakes Fiber Festival Sep 17-18, Hemlock Fairgrounds, Hemlock MESouthern Adirondack Fiber Festival Sep 24-25, Washington County Fairgrounds, Greenwich, NYVermont Sheep and Wool Festival Oct 1-2, Tunbridge Fairgrounds, Tunbridge, VTNew York Sheep and Wool Oct 15-16, Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Rhinebeck, NYFiber Festival of New England Nov 5-6, Eastern States Exhibition, Springfield, MA

 SHOW NOTESThis week's WIPs include Indigo Frost poncho, Atomic Blender socks, and Be My Valentine socks (without the cable). FOs include BMFA mill ends vanilla toe up sock. Baubles and Bling include Fibernymph Bounce sock in the Oops Blue and Gray colorway, and a review of Deborah Tomasello's new customizable yarn line (you won't want to miss this). Shout Outs:Mar/Apr KAL/CAL will be to knit with variegated yarn!  Trying digging something out from deep stash!  We will draw two winners during the first episode in May.Sheila is also hosting a Blue Moon Fiber Arts KAL/CAL that will continue throughout the year and includes any projects made from Blue Moon Fiber Arts yarn.  We will draw the next winner in May.On The Dance Card:Wendy is working on:Indigo Frost Poncho by Isabell Kraemer in Dream in Color Classy in the In Vino Veritas colorway with scraps for the color work.Atomic Blender socks in Dyeabolical Yarn Targhee sock in the Atomic Blender colorway.  Pattern will be available when the sample socks are knit.Sheila is working on:Be My Valentine Socks by the Cozy Knitter in unlabeled cotton sock yarn.  She will not be using the cable pattern, just the gusset and heel combo.Rate Your Date:Sheila finished:Vanilla toe-up socks in BMFA mill end (heavy weight)Whirlwind Romance:NothingFuture Dates:Sheila will knit something (possibly the Simple Skyp Socks  by Adrienne Ku with her BMFA yarn of the month, a mill end in purple and blue.Wendy needs to finish her current WIPsBaubles & Bling:Sheila purchased:Fibernymph Dyeworks Bounce sock in the Oops Blue and Gray color way.REVIEW:We received a sample of Colorworks by Debi Yarns, where you can customize the yarn by picking strands of different colors and/or fiber composition to make a 2, 3 or more ply yarn.  The sample we were sent was a cotton and tencel skein that had a lovely color, drape and shine.  Sheila will be knitting a project with the yarn, since Wendy has sensory issues with cotton based yarns. At first we thought the yarn was a laceweight until we unwound the skein a bit and understood the unique concept.  Debi takes strands of different yarns and winds them together.  It's like knitting with two strands held together, except she does the work for you and winds them up together in any combination you like!  And you can pick from many colors and bases to get the perfect customized yarn for your project.  She has price information and more on her website, which we linked above.  You can also join her Ravelry group HERE.Gossip & Innuendo:Fiber EventsConnecticut Sheep and Wool Apr 30, Tolland Agricultural Center, Vernon/Rockville, CTGore Place Sheep Shearing Festival Apr 30, Gore Place, Waltham MAMaryland Sheep and Wool May 7-8, Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship, MDNew Hampshire Sheep and Wool May 14-15, Deerfield Fairgrounds, Deerfield, NHRhode Island Wool and Fiber Festival May 16, Coggeshall Farm Museum, Bristol, RIWebs Annual Tent Sale May 14-15, Webs, Northampton, MAMassachusetts Sheep and Woolcraft Fair May 28-29, Cummington Fairgrounds, Cummington, MAMaine Fiber Frolic Jun 6-7, Windsor Fairgrounds, Windsor, MEFiber Revival TBAFinger Lakes Fiber Festival Sep 17-18, Hemlock Fairgrounds, Hemlock MESouthern Adirondack Fiber Festival Sep 24-25, Washington County Fairgrounds, Greenwich, NYVermont Sheep and Wool Festival Oct 1-2, Tunbridge Fairgrounds, Tunbridge, VTNew York Sheep and Wool Oct 15-16, Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Rhinebeck, NYFiber Festival of New England Nov 5-6, Eastern States Exhibition, Springfield, MA

 SHOW NOTESThis week's WIPs include the Atomic Blender sock, Indigo Frost poncho and a vanilla toe up sock. FOs include the Super Stretchy Baby Hat and Crafty Toes baby socks. No featured Baubles and Bling this week, but we have a long talk about medically-assisted weight loss and Wendy makes an announcement. We draw winners of the Masterpiece Knits pdf and the monthly BMFA KAL/CAL. Shout Outs:Mar/Apr KAL/CAL will be to knit with variegated yarn!  Trying digging something out from deep stash!  We will draw two winners during the first episode in May.Sheila is also hosting a Blue Moon Fiber Arts KAL/CAL that will continue throughout the year and includes any projects made from Blue Moon Fiber Arts yarn.  We will draw the next winner in May.  We drew March's winner in this episode.On The Dance Card:Wendy is working on:Indigo Frost Poncho by Isabell Kraemer in Dream in Color Classy in the In Vino Veritas colorway with scraps for the color work.Atomic Blender socks in Dyeabolical Yarn Targhee sock in the Atomic Blender colorway.  Pattern will be available when the sample socks are knit.Sheila is working on:Vanilla toe-up socks in BMFA mill end (heavy weight)Rate Your Date:Sheila finished:Super Stretchy Baby Hat by Julia Tarsha in Plymouth Happy Feet (red colorway).Cozy Little Toes by Judy Kaethler in Plymouth Happy FeetWhirlwind Romance:NothingFuture Dates:Sheila will knit something with self-striping yarnWendy needs to finish her current WIPsBaubles & Bling:NoneGossip & Innuendo:We drew a winner of Masterpiece Knits from Dragonfly Yarns.  We also drew a winner of the March edition of the BMFA KAL/CAL/SAL!!Fiber EventsConnecticut Sheep and Wool Apr 30, Tolland Agricultural Center, Vernon/Rockville, CTGore Place Sheep Shearing Festival Apr 30, Gore Place, Waltham MAMaryland Sheep and Wool May 7-8, Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship, MDNew Hampshire Sheep and Wool May 14-15, Deerfield Fairgrounds, Deerfield, NHRhode Island Wool and Fiber Festival May 16, Coggeshall Farm Museum, Bristol, RIWebs Annual Tent Sale May 14-15, Webs, Northampton, MAMassachusetts Sheep and Woolcraft Fair May 28-29, Cummington Fairgrounds, Cummington, MAMaine Fiber Frolic Jun 6-7, Windsor Fairgrounds, Windsor, MEFiber Revival TBAFinger Lakes Fiber Festival Sep 17-18, Hemlock Fairgrounds, Hemlock MESouthern Adirondack Fiber Festival Sep 24-25, Washington County Fairgrounds, Greenwich, NYVermont Sheep and Wool Festival Oct 1-2, Tunbridge Fairgrounds, Tunbridge, VTNew York Sheep and Wool Oct 15-16, Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Rhinebeck, NYFiber Festival of New England Nov 5-6, Eastern States Exhibition, Springfield, MA

 SHOW NOTESThis week's WIPs include Indigo Frost poncho and Super Stretchy Baby Hat. FOs include a pair of cuff down vanilla socks and Wendy FINALLY finished her Jeck socks. Featured Baubles and Bling include notions from Stitched by Jessalu and a gradient set from Wonderland Yarns. We give lots of random technology advice in this episode. Shout Outs:Mar/Apr KAL/CAL will be to knit with variegated yarn!  Trying digging something out from deep stash!  We will draw two winners during the first episode in May.Sheila is also hosting a Blue Moon Fiber Arts KAL/CAL that will continue throughout the year and includes any projects made from Blue Moon Fiber Arts yarn.  We will draw a new winner during the first episode in April.On The Dance Card:Wendy is working on:Cache Cache Cowl by Kiki Kawaii in Into the Whirled Manchester sock cashmere/merino/nylon yarn, Double Rainbow colorwayIndigo Frost Poncho by Isabell Kraemer in Dream in Color Classy in the In Vino Veritas colorway with scraps for the color work.Sheila is working on:Super Stretchy Baby Hat by Julia Tarsha in Plymouth Happy Feet (red colorway).Rate Your Date:Wendy finished:Jeck Sock by Regina Satta in Fibernymph Dye Works Bounce base, Lucky Cat colorway.Sheila finished:Vanilla cuff down socks in Opal cotton.Whirlwind Romance:NothingFuture Dates:Sheila will knit hats and socks.Wendy plans to design a new sock.Baubles & Bling:Wendy purchased:Wonderland Yarns Cheshire Cat fingering weight in the Dormouse gradient.Stitched By Jessalu notions pouchesGossip & Innuendo:We are giving away a copy of Masterpiece Knits from Dragonfly Yarns in episode 246.  Just tell us which pattern you would knit in the contest thread on Ravelry before our next episode!Fiber EventsConnecticut Sheep and Wool Apr 30, Tolland Agricultural Center, Vernon/Rockville, CTGore Place Sheep Shearing Festival Apr 30, Gore Place, Waltham MAMaryland Sheep and Wool May 7-8, Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship, MDNew Hampshire Sheep and Wool May 14-15, Deerfield Fairgrounds, Deerfield, NHRhode Island Wool and Fiber Festival May 16, Coggeshall Farm Museum, Bristol, RIWebs Annual Tent Sale May 14-15, Webs, Northampton, MAMassachusetts Sheep and Woolcraft Fair May 28-29, Cummington Fairgrounds, Cummington, MAMaine Fiber Frolic Jun 6-7, Windsor Fairgrounds, Windsor, MEFiber Revival TBAFinger Lakes Fiber Festival Sep 17-18, Hemlock Fairgrounds, Hemlock MESouthern Adirondack Fiber Festival Sep 24-25, Washington County Fairgrounds, Greenwich, NYVermont Sheep and Wool Festival Oct 1-2, Tunbridge Fairgrounds, Tunbridge, VTNew York Sheep and Wool Oct 15-16, Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Rhinebeck, NYFiber Festival of New England Nov 5-6, Eastern States Exhibition, Springfield, MA

 SHOW NOTESThis week's WIPs include Jeck Socks, Cache Cache cowl, Indigo Frost poncho and generic cuff-down socks. FOs include one vanilla sock. We review Dragonfly Fibers Masterpiece Knits this week! Don't forget to play along in the Ravelry group for a chance to win a copy. Shout Outs:Mar/Apr KAL/CAL will be to knit with variegated yarn!  Trying digging something out from deep stash!  We will draw two winners during the first episode in May.Sheila is also hosting a Blue Moon Fiber Arts KAL/CAL that will continue throughout the year and includes any projects made from Blue Moon Fiber Arts yarn.  We will draw a new winner during the first episode in April.On The Dance Card:Wendy is working on:Jeck Sock by Regina Satta in Fibernymph Dye Works Bounce base, Lucky Cat colorway.Cache Cache Cowl by Kiki Kawaii in Into the Whirled Manchester sock cashmere/merino/nylon yarn, Double Rainbow colorwayIndigo Frost Poncho by Isabell Kraemer in Dream in Color Classy in the In Vino Veritas colorway with scraps for the color work.Sheila is working on:Generic Cuff-Down sock in Opal Cotton.Rate Your Date:Sheila finished:One cuff down sock.Whirlwind Romance:NothingFuture Dates:Sheila needs to finish some projects and will knit more socks, possibly Rose City Rollers and a pair for herself from her BMFA heavyweight mill end.Wendy plans to design a new sock when she finishes the ones on her needles.Baubles & Bling:Nothing this weekGossip & Innuendo:BOOK REVIEW:This week we are reviewing Masterpiece Knits from Dragonfly Fibers.  You can purchase a pdf copy of this book on Ravelry for $18 or a hard copy plus a code for the pdf version on the Dragonfly Fibers website.The book is unusual in that it is centered around Dragonfly Fibers colorways based on fine art.  We both thought all of the featured colorways were beautiful.  The book has 15 patterns that would be suitable for almost any level of knitter.  There are simple projects for beginners as well as more complex projects for knitters with more experience.  Basically, something for everyone!We had a little trouble with the format at first as it came up on our devices with two pages at a time, which made it difficult to follow.  Wendy discovered by accident that if she sized the page up to fit only one page on the screen, it shifted to a one page at a time format, which made it much easier to read.  The patterns range from simple hats to sweaters, and include techniques like intarsia, cabling and textured stitches.  We really liked a lot of the patterns, most of which would work great with semi-solid and more variegated yarns.  The sweater patterns do come in some larger sizes for knitters who need them.  This book is definitely worth a look, especially if you love Dragonfly Fibers or fine art.  It is definitely a collection that will have you knitting more than one pattern.We will be giving away a copy of this book in episode 246.  Just tell us which pattern you would knit in the contest thread on Ravelry!Fiber EventsConnecticut Sheep and Wool Apr 30, Tolland Agricultural Center, Vernon/Rockville, CTGore Place Sheep Shearing Festival Apr 30, Gore Place, Waltham MAMaryland Sheep and Wool May 7-8, Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship, MDNew Hampshire Sheep and Wool May 14-15, Deerfield Fairgrounds, Deerfield, NHRhode Island Wool and Fiber Festival May 16, Coggeshall Farm Museum, Bristol, RIWebs Annual Tent Sale May 14-15, Webs, Northampton, MAMassachusetts Sheep and Woolcraft Fair May 28-29, Cummington Fairgrounds, Cummington, MAMaine Fiber Frolic Jun 6-7, Windsor Fairgrounds, Windsor, MEFiber Revival TBAFinger Lakes Fiber Festival Sep 17-18, Hemlock Fairgrounds, Hemlock MESouthern Adirondack Fiber Festival Sep 24-25, Washington County Fairgrounds, Greenwich, NYVermont Sheep and Wool Festival Oct 1-2, Tunbridge Fairgrounds, Tunbridge, VTNew York Sheep and Wool Oct 15-16, Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Rhinebeck, NYFiber Festival of New England Nov 5-6, Eastern States Exhibition, Springfield, MA

 SHOW NOTESThis week's WIPs include Jeck Socks, Cache Cache cowl, Indigo Frost poncho and generic cuff-down socks. FOs include Sheila's Lined Beanie. Featured Baubles and Bling are Dyeabolical Yarn self-striping sock yarn. Shout Outs:Mar/Apr KAL/CAL will be to knit with variegated yarn!  Trying digging something out from deep stash!  We will draw two winners during the first episode in May.Sheila is also hosting a Blue Moon Fiber Arts KAL/CAL that will continue throughout the year and includes any projects made from Blue Moon Fiber Arts yarn.  We will draw a new winner during the first episode in April.On The Dance Card:Wendy is working on:Jeck Sock by Regina Satta in Fibernymph Dye Works Bounce base, Lucky Cat colorway.Cache Cache Cowl by Kiki Kawaii in Into the Whirled Manchester sock cashmere/merino/nylon yarn, Double Rainbow colorwayIndigo Frost Poncho by Isabell Kraemer in Dream in Color Classy in the In Vino Veritas colorway with scraps for the color work.Sheila is working on:Generic Cuff-Down sock in Opal Cotton.Rate Your Date:Wendy finished:One Jack sock (finally)Sheila finished:Lined Beanie by Heather Kinne in Malabrigo sock in the Indecita colorwayWhirlwind Romance:NothingFuture Dates:Sheila needs to finish some projects and will knit more socks.Wendy plans to design a new sock when she finishes the ones on her needles.Baubles & Bling:Dyeabolical Yarns self-striping Targhee sock in the Katatomic colorway.Gossip & Innuendo:For those of you who love Stitched by Jessalu Bags, she will have a trunk show at Circle of Stitches, 66 Wharf Street, Salem MA on March 19 during the Knit North Yarn Crawl!We drew a winner of the BMFA KAL/CAL and two winners of the WIP KAL/CAL.Fiber EventsKnit North Yarn Crawl Mar 17-20, various North Shore locations, MAConnecticut Sheep and Wool Apr 30, Tolland Agricultural Center, Vernon/Rockville, CTGore Place Sheep Shearing Festival Apr 30, Gore Place, Waltham MAMaryland Sheep and Wool May 7-8, Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship, MDNew Hampshire Sheep and Wool May 14-15, Deerfield Fairgrounds, Deerfield, NHRhode Island Wool and Fiber Festival May 16, Coggeshall Farm Museum, Bristol, RIWebs Annual Tent Sale May 14-15, Webs, Northampton, MAMassachusetts Sheep and Woolcraft Fair May 28-29, Cummington Fairgrounds, Cummington, MAMaine Fiber Frolic Jun 6-7, Windsor Fairgrounds, Windsor, MEFiber Revival TBAFinger Lakes Fiber Festival Sep 17-18, Hemlock Fairgrounds, Hemlock MESouthern Adirondack Fiber Festival Sep 24-25, Washington County Fairgrounds, Greenwich, NYVermont Sheep and Wool Festival Oct 1-2, Tunbridge Fairgrounds, Tunbridge, VTNew York Sheep and Wool Oct 15-16, Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Rhinebeck, NYFiber Festival of New England Nov 5-6, Eastern States Exhibition, Springfield, MA

It's been a couple weeks since graduation, so I've decided to catch you up with my plans for the coming year. I've got some additional podcasts in the works as well as ideas for this show. you can look forward to more interviews in the near future.This is an unusually long show and I'm loading a lot of news on the front end, so if you want to skip that, jump to 10:40 where I start my eval of Avid.My film, Handmade in America is still in process. I'm screening it with a number of people at school over the next few weeks, to find out how I can make a good film look and play better. I'm conscious that meeting the graduation deadline required me to skimp on some quality features, and while I don't want to dedicate the rest of my life to this story, I do want to look back on it knowing I did the best I could given my current abilities. I already see the need to do some pick-up shooting.Even though I'm out of school, CDIA has a very open approach towards it's alumni, encouraging continuing connections and mentoring between former students and faculty.I can spend a lot of time validating the time I spent in school, learning this craft, but I'll put that off for another time. I do want to bring to your attention a series of articles by Mike Jones of Digital Basin about whether it's worth your money to go film school at all. His first post was dated Monday Sept. 08, 2008 and continued for 4 more posts up to Wednesday Sep 17, 2008.In the show, I mention a video host called Vimeo that I'm considering using to post screencasts. Blip TV is similar one that comes to mind. Anyone had experience with either of those, or recommendations of others?And as far as a host for future sites and blogs, I've committed to BlueHost, a name I've heard other podcasters refer to positively. I've looked at a lot of different hosts, read comparative reviews and I feel that, at least on the basic level, they're more or less the same in terms of features offered. So, in the absence of any clear direction, I'm going with what's appeared on my radar.Check out the Ruff Cutz Film Festival. I submitted and have recently been added to the films screened at this event, taking place at the Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University in Waltham Massachusetts, in the middle of November. I don't know much except that CDIA is a sponsor, they're encouraging films that are rough, which mine is, and it's inexpensive to enter. I'll be there and let you know about it.The remainder of the show is spent sharing my thoughts about the pros and cons about using Avid.Bear in mind, I'm approaching this from a beginner's perspective. As far as I'm concerned, I'm standing on the edge of the learning prairie, the mountains are nowhere in sight and I have no idea if I'll reach the sea on the other side.So a lot of my concerns and ideas are limited by my exposure and use of this program. I don't think this negates the usefulness of what I've got to say though. I think this program is really, really weak for the beginning user. There was a time when the only way you could learn this software was from the cocoon of the production company that had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars for each Avid workstation. Anyone who was chosen to learn this tool had the benefit of a seasoned professional editor, as well as their own years as assistant editors, watching in the shadows.Experiences like that can still be had, but they aren't the norm anymore. At the midpoint on the user curve are people such as myself, people who want to produce their own independent films with a small team of people. Bootstrap filmmaking. This is where Final Cut Pro and Premiere have taken the lead and Avid is lagging behind. I think Avid has a lot to offer today's independent filmmaker, but I think they're shutting people out by raising the learning bar too high at the point of entry.I'm going to check out the book by Diana Weynand, Final Cut Pro for Avid Editors. I haven't been able to find any books for people who use Final Cut Pro and want to use what they know to learn Avid, but I have found a few sites. Avid's site has video tutorials geared towards FCP users, Editing Organazized has a useful blog post about how specific editing actions are invoked in either program, Final Cut Pro to Avid and the Avid Community site also has tips and tutorials.I'm committed to this course regardless of wolves, snowstorms or bandits, so any helping hand you can lend would be kindly appreciated. Thankye.