Podcasts about West Los Angeles

Episode 539 - Beau L'Amour - Son of best selling novelist Louis L'Amour, Striving to maintain a legacyAdvancing A LegacyBeau L'Amour is a writer and entertainment industry jack-of-all-trades. He is the son of best selling novelist Louis L'Amour and has managed his father's literary estate since 1988. Striving to maintain that legacy, he has done editorial work, revised unfinished manuscripts, managed a literary magazine and an audio/radio drama series, done art direction,been a comic book writer and producer and become an expert in marketing. In the years since his father passed away L'Amour has helped sell over 120 million books, nearly 5 million audio programs and placed a number of books of short stories (out of 16 posthumous collections) on the Best Seller lists.Beau is known for his Audio Publishing, Motion Picture Production & Book Publishing. Beau L'Amour was born in Los Angeles, California. His father was Louis L'Amour, a well known author of magazine and paperback fiction. His mother was Katherine Adams, the daughter of a silent movie actress and a southern California real estate developer.Throughout a good deal of his youth Beau lived in West Hollywood, an unincorporated section of Los Angeles county, known as a center of counter-culture and beatnik life. He grew up surrounded by his parents eclectic and eccentric group of friends; Austrian philosophers, American Indians, FBI agents, members of the Hollywood Ten, Eastern European refugees, Thai aristocracy, mysteriously talented dealers in primitive art and a wide array of writers, from Ray Bradbury to Jim Thompson.Beau attended West Hollywood Elementary School. In 1973 his family moved to West Los Angeles where he attended Emerson Junior High and University High School. After a year at Santa Monica College he went on to earn his BFA at California Institute of the Arts under the mentorship of director Alexander Mackendrick and illustrator and pioneering digital animator Ed Emshwiller. He also studied acting with Janet Alhanti and Harry Mastergeorge, and directing at UCLA with Ted Post.https://beaulamour.com/Support the show___https://livingthenextchapter.com/podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/Coffee Refills are always appreciated, refill Dave's cup here, and thanks!https://buymeacoffee.com/truemediaca

Lorenzo Scott & Max Koch are a couple of knuckleheads with wine and microphones, always trying to make sense of life on planet Earth. Hear what happens when these two come together in an undisclosed recording studio in West Los Angeles. You can also hear this podcast on Apple Podcasts. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/guys-day-in-with-max-and-lorenzo/id1173664603

Bill and David Lappen, Buy-Phone   It's a dangerous game in the computer history field to call anything the "first." But Buy-Phone is a very strong contender call itself the first online yellow pages. Years before before Yahoo!, before Craigslist, Buy-Phone was a text-based dial-up service — available at 300 and 1200 bits per second — that provided business listings, movie times, and personal ads, all for free to callers. The service launched in late 1982 and was limited to the West Los Angeles area. Buy-Phone was the brainchild of brothers Bill and David Lappen.   Here's what the August 1984 issue of IEEE Computer wrote:    "Buy-Phone's "electronic yellow pages" service for Los Angeles is answering over 3000 consumer requests per day, on any thing trom movies to restaurants to auto repair - and the best part? It's all free. The philosophy was to provide sponsored information paid for by the advertiser, not the consumer. The computer organizes over 10,000 listings to respond exactly to the caller's request. According to the company, the system had to be easy for computer novices to operate, yet powerful enough to be of value. Four proficiency levels are used, each introducing additional features. Beginning users see only six different categories of listings (restaurants arranged by price or nationality, movie schedules, plays...). As users advance, they see an expanded list and are shown how to formulate a search. Retrieved listings are arranged by their distance from the user, with the closest shown first. Expert users are able to specify the time and day they want to buy an item and get information only about stores that are open then. Buy-Phone is now testing expansion to determine how difficult it will be to create similar systems in other cities. To discover Buy-Phone's service call (213) 474-0270 (300 baud), (213) 470-4679 (1200 baud). Access assistance is available at (213) 474-2220."   I interviewed Buy-Phone founders Bill and David Lappen on March 14, 2025.   Video version of this interview   Buy-Phone advertisements, clippings, and ephemera   Buy-Phone Computer Consulting web site   Support Kay's interviews on Patreon

Did you know that some swallowing problems can be caused by a medical condition? Dr. Omid Mehdizadeh treats both voice and swallowing dysfunction. Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) can become a chronic issue that affects anyone, but is often experienced by older adults. A voice and swallow expert, Dr. Mehdizadeh's background in Otolaryngology and Gastroenterology is a perfect blend of knowledge and experience. He treats patients with voice, airway, esophageal, and swallowing dysfunctions at PNI's Pacific, Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center in Santa Monica, and Pacific Head & Neck Center in West Los Angeles, California.

We told you! University High School in West Los Angeles is a legendary place for a reason. The phrase "only in LA" comes to mind when you take a look at a list of the incredibly talented superstars - from film, music and elsewhere - that have attended this hallowed schoolhouse. Our pals Morty Coyle and Jordan Summers are also incredibly talented superstars in their own right, and they have wonderful stories to tell as they are amongst the subjects of this week's topic - Top Ten University High Alumni. Picks 5-1 are featured here in Part 2.If you missed Part 1, go back and check it out on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get yours:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-654-top-ten-university-high-alumni-part-1-w/id573735994?i=1000688509246What a wealth of amazing talent! Hear every song heard in Parts 1 & 2 at the official Top Ten University High Alumni Spotify playlist:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1AH2XMLvTRJWEln0eQ3Y4A?si=970268aac0a24340Morty and Jordan make great music as members of LA stalwarts All Day Sucker. Explore their catalog at their websitehttps://www.alldaysucker.net/We've lowered our prices, but not our standards over at the ATTT Patreon! Those who are kindly contributing $2 a month are receiving an exclusive monthly Emergency Pod episode featuring our favorite guests and utilizing our patent-pending improv format in which we miraculously pull a playlist out of thin air. It's the long-awaited return of Chrissy Olsen, in an all new episode, out February 1st! Find out more at https://www.patreon.com/c/alltimetopten

Today's guest, Ellie Rose Pasternak,  shares her harrowing account of escaping the Pacific Palisades fire on January 7, 2025. Ellie grew up in the Palisades and previous fires in the area had never reached her family's house. When the fire began that morning, she and her Mom, Glory, who was also home at the time, were not overly concerned because the fire still seemed quite a distance away. At this time, there were no firefighters or engines in the neighborhood, so it seemed as if they were safe. Ellie then describes how she suddenly saw another fire on the other side of her house. She and her mom were keeping in touch with neighbors, and no one could understand what was happening. Ellie went outside, and as she was walking toward what she thought was an orange pylon in the road, she realized it was another fire. She ran as fast as she could to her house and alerted her Mom that they needed to leave immediately. It was now an emergency situation. By this time, their house had lost electricity, and they quickly gathered their animals including 4 dogs, 1 cat, 2 geckos, and 2 turtles. They rapidly gathered medications and a few articles of clothing and threw it all in the back of her car. Ellie describes how overwhelming it was and how things quickly changed in a matter of minutes. At this point, they thought they would be home the next day. In the past, the fire had never reached their home. Afterward, family friends were able to get into the neighborhood only to find that the Pasternaks' entire house was lost. Ellie's father, Dr. Henry Pasternak, is a very well-respected veterinarian who has practiced integrative medicine, using both holistic and Western therapies, for several decades in West Los Angeles. During the time of this taping, the family was sleeping at the veterinary office. The clinic was still open and operating during regular hours and housing many animals in need. Although they are in shock, Ellie explained that they are trying to find some sense of normalcy and are so grateful that they were able to escape with their animals with them. This is just one of thousands of stories of people and animals affected by the devastating fires in Los Angeles in January. If you are interested in making a donation either to the Pasternak family, or to the animals they are helping, pls call the Pasternak Veterinary Center at 310-268-2275. They are also accepting donations via Venmo @EllieRoseUke. To drop off donations in person, visit the clinic at 2038 South Sepulveda Blvd; West Los Angeles, CA 90025 or email info@pasternakvetcenter.com. For further information about Dr. Henry Pasternak and the veterinary clinic, visit www.pasternakvetcenter.com.

Vicki is a University of West Los Angeles graduate and works as a Litigation Attorney at Morgan & Morgan. Vicki's journey exemplifies what I look to deliver on this podcast. After years in the insurance industry, Vicki would make the jump to Law School and the Law, further showing, that there is always time to start and that everyones journey is unique to them! Vicki and I started before Law School, where she worked as an adjustor in the insurance industry for years. After being able to see trials over the years in the insurance industry, she began to grow an aspiration for it. With this aspiration in mind, she decided to set off to the University of West Los Angeles for Law School. Vicki and I then spoke about her first year, but it was non-traditional doing the night program. Vicki balanced everything in her life throughout her time in Law School, putting her organizational skills to the test. Vicki would concede it being difficult, but implored others, just as she did, to ask professors to help as often as she could. We then moved through her Law School time, where she explored her interests, keying in on Moot Court, as a place where she found her love for plaintiff-side litigation. Vicki would then explore topics like the importance of breaking out of your comfort zone, exploring new territories, and putting yourself out there. Vicki would also speak about her current position at Morgan & Morgan, as well as her time as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of West Los Angeles. This podcast with Vicki is littered with wisdom from beginning to end, and one that also aligns perfectly with the tagline of this podcast, that there is no straight path, there is only your unique journey! Vicki's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tatevikgasparyanBe sure to check out the Official Sponsors for the Lawyers in the Making Podcast:Rhetoric - takes user briefs and motions and compares them against the text of opinions written by judges to identify ways to tailor their arguments to better persuade the judges handling their cases. Rhetoric's focus is on persuasion and helps users find new ways to improve their odds of success through more persuasive arguments. Find them here: userhetoric.comThe Law School Operating System™ Recorded Course - This course is for ambitious law students who want a proven, simple system to learn every topic in their classes to excel in class and on exams. Go to www.lisablasser.com, check out the student tab with course offerings, and use code LSOSNATE10 at checkout for 10% off Lisa's recorded course!Start LSAT - Founded by former guest and 21-year-old super-star, Alden Spratt, Start LSAT was built upon breaking down barriers, allowing anyone access to high-quality LSAT Prep. For $110 you get yourself the Start LSAT self-paced course, and using code LITM10 you get 10% off the self-paced course! Check out Alden and Start LSAT at startlsat.com and use code LITM10 for 10% off the self-paced course!Lawyers in the Making Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Lawyers in the Making Podcast at lawyersinthemaking.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, we sit down with Eric Tjahyadi to hear about his journey from humble beginnings to achieving success across multiple industries. He shares how his immigrant grit fuels and inspires him to reach his goals. With all the businesses he's involved in, you'll learn what he considers his biggest highlight. Bio: Eric Tjahyadi is a serial entrepreneur and the head of ad sales/partnerships at the Orchard x Sony Music Entertainment. When he's not at the office, he runs a few passion projects- Bone Kettle (a family operated polished casual restaurant in Old Town Pasadena) and Supa Coffee (a coffee/tea cafe mix with socially conscious and locally sourced goods store in West Los Angeles). He loves connecting with like minded peers, staying creative and active, giving back to the AAPI small business community. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/asiansinadvertising/support

Have you ever wondered how high-achieving professionals and members of the LGBTQ+ community navigate the complexities of therapy? Join us for a compelling conversation with Laurel Roberts-Meese, LMFT, a dedicated therapist and founder of the Laurel Therapy Collective, as she shares insights from her journey. From her early days in San Francisco to establishing a thriving practice in West Los Angeles, Laurel dives into her evolution as a therapist, her passion for EMDR therapy, and her commitment to holistic and narrative approaches that resonate deeply with diverse clients. Through her expertise, you'll learn about the transformative power of therapy tailored to the unique needs of the LGBTQ+ community.https://www.laureltherapy.net/ https://www.instagram.com/laureltherapycollective/ https://www.facebook.com/laureltherapycollective Contact the hosts of A Queer Understanding info@aqueerunderstanding.com https://www.aqueerunderstanding.com/ Like, subscribe, & follow FB @aqueerunderstanding IG @aqueerunderstanding Twitter @QueerUnderstand

Coach Chris Acker shares his journey from growing up in Compton, California to becoming the Head Coach at Long Beach State. He was a member of the Chaminade team that knocked off Villanova in the 2003 EA Sports Maui Invitational. Chris played professionally in Portugal and Greece before returning to the US to play in the Continental Basketball Association. After finishing up his playing career, he embarked on his coaching career. He was on staff at Citrus College then led West Los Angeles to great success. Coach Eran Ganot hired Chris to his coaching staff at Hawaii. Following two seasons on staff at Hawaii, then Boise State he joined Coach Brian Dutcher's coaching staff at San Diego State in 2019. Coach Acker immediately helped elevate San Diego State, the Aztecs started the season 26-0 and finished the season going 30-2 including 17-1 in league play prior to the NCAA Tournament being cancelled due to COVID. The Aztecs went 134-34 (69-16 in conference) during Coach Acker's time on staff. They won two regular season Mountain West Conference (MWC) championships, three MWC tournament championships, four NCAA Tournaments, a National Championship appearance, then a Sweet Sixteen last season. Coach Acker was hired as the Head Coach at Long Beach State on April 2, 2024. **Sponsored by FastModel** Be sure to check out FastModelSports.com and use the promo code "BOXSCORE" for 15% off your purchase. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/beyondtheboxscore/support

It has been 1,106 days since Rio Hondo Prep has defeated the Brentwood Eagles. The past 2 seasons have been a humbling experience for the Kares when they have lined up against their league rivals from West Los Angeles. In the last game of the regular season, RHP faces BHS one more time with the Gold Coast League Championship on the line as well as the only automatic bid to the CIF-SS Playoffs. Former Rio great Alex Tayco joins the show to talk about the 2 Championship Teams he was on in 2008 and 2011. Alex is currently an Ambulance Operator and has also served as a Firefighter in the Forest Service as a Hotshot in the past. The Tayco family name is one of the most iconic in Rio Hondo history, and Alex is the perfect guy to get us in the right mindset for the biggest game of the season.

A federal judge ordered the closure of UCLA's Jackie Robinson Stadium and other V.A. properties in West Los Angeles until a deal is reached for their intended use for military veterans. The court ruled that several leases, including the stadium's, are illegal.  

Lorenzo Scott & Max Koch are a couple of knuckleheads with wine and microphones, always trying to make sense of life on planet Earth. Hear what happens when these two come together in an undisclosed recording studio in West Los Angeles. You can also hear this podcast on Apple Podcasts. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/guys-day-in-with-max-and-lorenzo/id1173664603

It's YOUR time to #EdUp In this episode, #961, President Series (Powered By ⁠Ellucian⁠) #304, & brought to YOU by the Alliance for Innovation & Transformation YOUR guest is ⁠⁠Dr. James Limbaugh, President, West Los Angeles College YOUR host is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠ How is West Los Angeles College innovating its community college model for today's students? What strategies is West LA College employing to address climate change education? How is the college balancing workforce development with transfer preparation? What role does community engagement play in West LA College's educational model? How is West LA College adapting to serve its diverse student population? Listen in to #EdUp! Ad-Free & extended conversation ONLY for #EdUp ⁠subscribers⁠ includes: James' insights on creating institutional change through transparency passion West LA College's approach to improving student retention through wraparound support services Thoughts on the future role of community colleges in higher education Want to accelerate YOUR professional development Want to get exclusive early access to ad-free episodes, extended episodes, bonus episodes, original content, invites to special events, & more? Want to get all this while helping to sustain EdUp, for only $2.99 a month? Then subscribe today to lock in YOUR $2.99/m life long founders rate! This offer will end on December 31, 2024! ⁠BECOME A SUBSCRIBER TODAY!⁠ Thank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp! Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elvin Freytes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠ ● Join YOUR EdUp community at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The EdUp Experience⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! We make education YOUR business!

The feds break up a hate group in the San Fernando Valley in an operation dubbed "Hate One Eight." Doctor enters guilty plea in the case over Matthew Perry's death, and significant progress has been made in the prolonged legal fight to reclaim property on the VA campus in West Los Angeles.

A school counselor in West Los Angeles is accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old student, and law enforcement believes there may be more victims. Orange County Supervisors voted unanimously to censure Andrew Do amid concerns about his involvement in a federal investigation into a nonprofit to which his daughter is connected. And another woman comes forward to accuse Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexual assault.

Wildfires burn through dry brush in San Bernardino County, prompting evacuation warnings. A federal judge blasts the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for "turning its back" on disabled veterans, ordering additional housing be made available on the agency's West Los Angeles campus. And more homes in Rancho Palos Verdes are having their utilities shut off amid the ongoing landslide.

Niki Nakayama's cooking is driven by intuition. At her two-Michelin-starred restaurant, n/naka in West Los Angeles, she masters modern kaiseki, a Japanese dining discipline focused on taste, texture, and presentation. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Nakayama began her culinary career at Takao restaurant in Brentwood and refined her skills in Japan. She later opened Azami Sushi Café, gaining fame for her omakase menu.At n/naka, Nakayama creates exquisite, seasonally-inspired dishes, making it one of L.A.'s toughest reservations. The restaurant has been on the Los Angeles Times' “101 Best Restaurants” list annually since 2013 and has garnered widespread media attention. Nakayama was a James Beard Foundation Award finalist for Outstanding Chef in 2023.Sustainability is key at n/naka, with 70% of ingredients sourced locally. Nakayama's kaiseki philosophy highlights natural flavors and seasonal purity. During the pandemic, Nakayama and her wife, Carole Iida-Nakayama, launched n/soto in West Adams, starting as a takeout restaurant and later becoming an izakaya-inspired eatery.***CHA-CHING! Customers are rushing to your store. Do you have a point-of-sale system you can trust or is it (ahem) a real P.O.S.? You need Shopify for retail.Shopify POS is your command center for your retail store. From accepting payments to managing inventory, Shopify has EVERYTHING you need to sell in person. Get hardware that fits your business. Take payments by smartphone, transform your tablet into a point-of-sale system, or use Shopify's POS Go mobile device for a battle-tested solution.Plus, Shopify's award-winning help is there to support your success every step of the way.Do retail right with Shopify. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at www.shopify.com/founderhour. Once again, go to www.shopify.com/founderhour to take your retail business to the next level today.***The Founder Hour is brought to you by Outer. Outer makes the world's most beautiful, comfortable, innovative, and high-quality outdoor furniture - ALL from sustainable materials - and is the ONLY outdoor furniture with a patented built-in cover to make protecting it effortless. From teak chairs to fire pit tables, everything Outer makes has the look and feel of what you'd expect at a 5-star resort, for less than you'd pay at a big box store for something that won't last.For a limited time, get 10% off at www.liveouter.com/thefounderhour. Terms and conditions apply. ***Follow The Founder Hour on:Instagram | www.instagram.com/thefounderhourTwitter/X | www.x.com/thefounderhourLinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/company/thefounderhourYouTube | www.youtube.com/@thefounderhour

Lorenzo Scott & Max Koch are a couple of knuckleheads with wine and microphones, always trying to make sense of life on planet Earth. Hear what happens when these two come together in an undisclosed recording studio in West Los Angeles.

Lorenzo Scott & Max Koch are a couple of knuckleheads with wine and microphones, always trying to make sense of life on planet Earth. Hear what happens when these two come together in an undisclosed recording studio in West Los Angeles.

The Dick Bright Orchestra has built a reputation as being San Francisco's premier social band. They also travel to perform throughout the U.S. for conventions, corporate events, fundraisers, weddings, and private parties. Based on Dick Bright's colorful career history, we couldn't wait to interview him and share more with you about what makes him so knowledgable and entertaining. Enjoy! Born in Santa Monica, California, and grew up in West Los Angeles, Rod Serling was president of his junior high school, and actress Katey Sagal from Married With Children was in his high school acting class! Dick's father was a public school music teacher at the same school for forty five years, taught private lessons, and played weddings and bar mitzvahs on the weekends. Dick attended to Palisades High School in Pacific Palisades where he played in the orchestra and took acting classes – loving both arts. “It's why I like combining music with a flair for a show and comedy as well. Sybil Maxwell, my violin teacher, was one of the top teachers in Los Angeles (she studied with Jascha Heifetz considered the world's greatest violinist), and I was being groomed to hopefully grow up and play in a major symphony. When I got to UC Davis I discovered girls and rock and roll. Needless to say, my classical career was over. I went on to double major in music and acting.” Dick went straight from college to play in an original rock band in Berkeley, California called Little Roger and the Goosebumps. We had a novelty hit called Stairway to Gilligan's Island—the words from Gilligan's Island and the music from Stairway to Heaven. Led Zepplin threatened a law suit. We got mentioned in Rolling Stone. I was hooked on show biz by then. For twenty five years Dick's been performing the National Anthem for the Golden State Warriors and San Francisco Giants. “As a sports nut, so this is probably the biggest thrill every year — to step on the court or the field. I feel like I'm about twelve years old! Plus it's the most nervous I get (no band to cover my mistakes!). I even got to do God Bless America at a World Series game and the anthem for the Home Run Derby when it was at AT&T Park.”

Scott Mehl (MDiv, The Master's Seminary; DMin, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is a pastor at Cornerstone Church of West Los Angeles, the managing director of the Institute for Biblical Counseling and Discipleship, a fellow of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, and an author. He and his wife, Lara, have four children. In this episode of 15:14, we discuss Dr. Mehl's latest book, Redeeming Sex in Marriage.   FROM OUR SPONSORS: Learn more about the new Southern Seminary MDiv at sbts.edu/newmdiv. Support the work of the BCC by making a donation here.

Rich remembers his colleague Sam Rubin.Apple unveiled new iPads at an event called Let Loose. We saw new iPad Air and Pro models, a new Apple Pencil Pro, and updated Final Cut and Logic Pro apps.Jeff, in Fort Worth, Texas, is trying to connect LED lights that use 2.4 GHz to his Google Nest Wifi.Chris Sheldrick, creator of the app What3words, will explain how to use it to tell someone your exact location using simple words.Samsung is rolling out Galaxy AI features to more devices, including the S22 Series, the Z Flip 4, the Z Fold4, and Tab S8.John in Lake Forest and his Mom is addicted to home shopping channels. Is there is a way to restrict them. Rich says to check parental controls on the device.Serphane in Studio City wants a TV with dedicated bright and dim buttons. Rich says a universal remote might do the trick to quickly change the settings.Marcel in Brooklyn wants to know how to lock down his social media accounts like Instagram. Rich recommends being aware of scam messages trying to hijack your password and turning on two-factor authentication using an app.Craig in Iowa wants to know how to find the AI features on his Samsung S24 phone.Brad in West Los Angeles wants to know how to connect the iPhone 15 in Europe.WSJ says T-Mobile and Verizon are in talks to split up U.S. Cellular towers and spectrum.Eli Blumenthal of CNET joined to explain how your cell phone carrier tracks you and how to change that.Rich in Colorado Springs wants to know when to use a VPN.Linda in Burbank wants to know what will happen to the MVNO carriers when there are just three big networks in the United States.Rich talked about Moms and technology, 47% own a smartwatch, 43% listen to a podcast weekly and spend an average of 4 hours and 4 minutes online daily.Textnow has an interesting new plan called Free Essential Data, which gives you free access to text, talk, and essential data for email, maps, and rideshare apps.Google unveils the Pixel 8a for $500 and it gets seven years of software updates.Olga wants to know how to get her phone un-hacked. Rich mentioned Recovery Mode.Gary in Laguna Nigel has an Amazfit watch and wants to know if he can use it without his phone nearby.Allconnect has a great article about 5G Home Internet explained!Michael Motamedi will talk about how he traveled the world for a year using AI from GuideGeek.Disney, Hulu and Max will have a bundle soon.Apple releases a security update for iTunes on Windows.Don't fall for the Stolen iPhone Activation Lock Scam.Richard in Hilton, NY recommended the New bee earpiece. He said he paid $10 and it sounds great. Get full access to Rich on Tech at richontech.tv/subscribe

As we tread the solemn path of Holy Week, we invite you to walk with us through the poignant contrasts of Palm Sunday and the ensuing days that shaped the very foundation of faith. In the latest episode of Resilient Faith, we'll unravel the complexities of trust, particularly during Lent, and the challenge of keeping faith amid life's inevitable uncertainties. Prepare to experience a journey through the key moments of Holy Week, as we take you from the jubilation of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem to the introspective reflection brought upon by His suffering and crucifixion. Together, we'll share a prayer and extend an open invitation to participate in the upcoming services at Brentwood Presbyterian Church, fostering a space for continuous spiritual growth and resilience.Amidst the trials we face, the strength of our faith is often tested. This episode of Resilient Faith is more than just a recount of biblical events; it's an exploration of how unwavering belief serves as an anchor in believers' lives, through prosperity and adversity alike. Delve  into Brentwood Presbyterian Church's dedication to nurturing a resilient community in West Los Angeles, reinforcing faith's role as a sustaining force. We discuss the importance of connection in these trying times and invite you to join the conversation through our social media platforms. This Holy Week, allow the Resilient Faith podcast to guide you in cultivating a faith robust enough to weather life's storms and emerge steadfast and hopeful.Support the showSupport us here:https://www.bpcusa.org/financial-ministry/ BPC Youtube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/BrentwoodPresbyterianChurch

This week, Laura introduces us to the remarkable Jon Root, a volleyball luminary whose journey to success defied expectations at every turn. From an unforeseen introduction to volleyball in West Los Angeles to clinching prestigious All-American accolades at Stanford University to achieving Olympic and international glory, Jon's trajectory epitomizes the indomitable spirit of passion and perseverance in the sporting realm. Through Laura's engaging dialogue with Jon, listeners are immersed not only in Jon's many spectacular achievements but also in the intricacies of athletes' transitions beyond the competitive sphere, delving into themes of identity, purpose, and personal growth post-athletics. From his storied collegiate career at Stanford University, where he navigated the rigorous demands of both academics and athletics with aplomb, to his triumphant representation of the United States on the international volleyball stage, Jon's journey is a testament to unwavering determination and dedication. As he candidly shares his experiences, Jon unveils the myriad challenges athletes encounter upon bidding farewell to professional sports, emphasizing the paramount importance of self-discovery, resilience, and adaptability in charting a course through the uncharted waters of post-athletic life. Through their illuminating discourse, Laura and Jon offer invaluable insights and inspiration, urging athletes, coaches, and sports enthusiasts to embrace change, forge supportive networks, and leave an enduring legacy that transcends the boundaries of the sporting arena. This episode stands as yet another poignant reminder of the transformative power of sports, guiding listeners on a journey of empowerment and self-discovery as they endeavor to realize their fullest potential, both on and off the field. Episode Highlights: Jon's unexpected journey from baseball to volleyball The challenges of California's volleyball scene Jon's Stanford University choice His reflections on his Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame induction The intense training leading to the 1988 Seoul Olympics Winning a gold medal and post-competition challenges Jon's personal transformation Coaching impact, personal growth, seeking support, and leaving a lasting legacy Quotes: "Sports kind of saved me from myself." "I was a good mess, but I was kind of a mess." "There's more to this than just the bread and butter." "You're allowed to have your own journey, and that's what makes it beautiful." "I think I was just so lost in the humility and the kind of what just happened." "If you're good at performance but you're not great at change, can you look at change in a different way? In changing, we do perform. In performing, we do change. It's inherently part of the walnut." "You're going to have to get out there and try a couple of things. The first thing may not be the only thing, and it may not be the best thing." "We need to let athletes know that we are more than just athletes. There's so much more involved in our stories and in who we are as people." Links: The Pursuit of Gold Website Book Laura to Speak at Your Event! Laura's Social Media: Laura's Instagram Laura's Facebook

Lorenzo Scott & Max Koch are a couple of knuckleheads with wine and microphones, always trying to make sense of life on planet Earth. Hear what happens when these two come together in an undisclosed recording studio in West Los Angeles.

Jews are not white! How many times do we need to tell you this? If you're not a Jew and are listening to this episode, you probably have the image of a Fiddler-on-the-Roof-looking fellow (called a Chassid). While they are certainly real, they're not the only ones. Despite being in the minority of Jewish diversity, they are given most of the spotlight. Let's fix that problem. In this episode of Bad Jew we interview members of The LUNAR Collective, the only organization by and for Asian American Jews! Maryam Chishti, Vanessa Bloom, and David Chiu highlight the feats of the organization while discussing their personal experiences as Asian-American Jews. Host of Bad Jew Chaz Volk uncovers the Asian-Jewish experience and their contribution to the Jewish world. Timeline: 00:00 : Introduction 06:37 The LUNAR COLLECTIVE 07:17 Asian-Jewish Community 12:33 Stereotypes 15:14 Self-Identification, Tradition 20:06 The Lunar Calendar 21:03 Double meaning of "LUNAR" 27:01 The Asian-Jewish experience 32:55 Diaspora Jews 34:39 Connecting with non-Jewish Asians 37:46 Conclusion About LUNAR:  A bit about LUNAR: The LUNAR Collective cultivates connection, belonging and visibility for Asian American Jews through intersectional community programming and authentic digital storytelling. About Maryam Chishti:  Maryam Chishti is the proud Co-Executive Director of The LUNAR Collective, the first and only organization for Asian American Jews. She is a graduate of JoCI's Inaugural Leadership Fellowship and is currently a fellow at The Ruskay Institute at UJA. Outside of LUNAR, Maryam runs a Moishe House in New York and is passionate about democratic politics and theater. She performs improv and sketch comedy, and enjoys creative writing as well.  About Vanessa Bloom: Vanessa Bloom a Chinese Jewish American writer, educator, and filmmaker from Orange County, California. Her work has been featured in HeyAlma, The Braid Jewish Theater, NFFTY, South Eastern European Film Festival, Mixed Asian Media Festival, and more. In addition to creative pursuits, Vanessa earned her B.A. and teaching credential in History, and she is a Los Angeles Community Leader for The LUNAR Collective. Vanessa loves mystery novels, sushi, and copious amounts of Jewish humor. About David Chiu: David Chiu, of Litvak and Cantonese heritage, is the Marketing & Communications Manager for The Braid, the go-to Jewish story company. He is a producer on its storytelling web-series, StoryNosh, as well as a frequent writer for its stage productions. David is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Temple Isaiah, a social-justice oriented West Los Angeles synagogue, where he co-founded its Young Professionals Group, is the Chair of its Voter Engagement Group, is a member of its Green Team and Social Justice Committee, and received its 2019 Emerging Leader Award. He is a Los Angeles Community Leader for The LUNAR Collective, a national organization of Asian Jews creating community and visibility, creating numerous events and having served on the creation committee of LUNAR's Asian Jewish Haggadah. Together, LUNAR and The Braid are creating What Do I Do with All This Heritage? — the first theatre show to explore the lives of Asian Jews. David is the lead producer of that production. He also serves on the Board of Directors of California Interfaith Power & Light, an environmental activist organization. Connect with LUNAR www.WeAreAsianJews.org Connect with Bad Jew: BadJew.co https://linktr.ee/badjew BadJewPod@gmail.com Ig @BadJewPod TikTok @BadJewPod

Eric Tjahyadi is a serial entrepreneur and a proud native of San Gabriel Valley. When he's not staying active, traveling, or binge watching favorite shows, he enjoys mentoring and giving back. Eric spends most of his waking hours building a new startup division at Sony Music Entertainment and running a few passion projects - Bone Kettle (a family operated polished casual restaurant in Old Town Pasadena) and Supa Coffee (a coffee/tea cafe mix with socially conscious and locally sourced goods store in West Los Angeles). He loves connecting with like minded peers, problem solving, investing in interesting projects and aspires to make a difference in his local community.Bone Kettle: 67 N Raymond Ave                            Pasadena, CA 91103___________________Music CreditsIntroLike it Loud, Dyalla, YouTube Audio LibraryStingerScarlet Fire (Sting), Otis McDonald, YouTube Audio LibraryOutroIndecision, Dyalla, YouTube Audio Library__________________My SGV Podcast:www.mysgv.netinfo@sgvmasterkey.com

In this special podcast episode, Cliff Beach, VP of Digital & Operations, and Jonni Renfroe, Head of Education & Community, delve into the recap of Beautytap in 2023 and share exciting plans for 2024 and beyond. Filled with music, beauty, and fun, this episode sets the tone for the new year with insights for beauty experts and enthusiasts in our growing beauty community. Tune in on Thursdays for more captivating episodes featuring a diverse cast of Beautytappers, including our Editorial Director Elycia Rubin and other beauty luminaries. Edited by Tim Hall at 1192 Studios in Westlake Village, CA, and recorded at Beautytap HQ in West Los Angeles, CA. Visit us at Beautytap.com or @beautytapofficial on Instagram/Facebook. Beautytap is a destination for beauty enthusiasts and experts of all levels for reviews, video content and perception studies and more including coveted beauty brands and our Beautytap awards!

Sermon by CJ Wakefield ~ Part 10 of our sermon series Real Friendships Healthy Relationships.

Sermon by CJ Wakefield ~ Part 10 of our sermon series Real Friendships Healthy Relationships.

I absolutely love hosting Unstoppable Mindset. I, and thus you, get to meet so many interesting and fascinating people. Jack Kountouris was born in London to a North Carolina mother and a father from Greece. He lived there until he came to the United States to attend college at Wake Forest. While in his Master's program he met a friend who had an interest, like Jack, in board games.   After college Jack and his friend decided to become business partners and formed Dimension Board Games in 2021. For a bit, Jack lived again in London while his friend lived in Denver Colorado. Jack took up a full-time career as an executive recruiter while working to help start the company. Life became easier in May of 2022 when Jack moved to West Los Angeles. Now at least the two partners were pretty much in the same relative time zones.   My time with Jack was especially interesting as Jack discusses challenges the two friends faced while starting and working to grow their business. He discusses openly the many challenges he faced as a new entrepreneur and he gives us some good lessons about how to move forward during trying times such as when the pandemic was at its height. I think you will find our time with Jack helpful and certainly inspiring.     About the Guest:   Jack Kountouris is a Greek-American entrepreneur who grew up in London and now aims to revolutionize the board game industry. With a unique cultural background stemming from his father's roots in Athens, Greece, and his mother's North Carolinian heritage, Jack brings a diverse perspective to the world of gaming.   Having spent his formative years immersed in the vibrant atmosphere of London, Jack developed a deep appreciation for art, creativity, and innovation. He obtained his bachelor's and master's degrees at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, and it was during this time that a simple pastime of playing board games with his friend ignited a spark of inspiration. Fueling their entrepreneurial spirit, they founded Dimension Board Games, and their first game, "Invasion: The Conquest of Kings," was released in May 2022.   Jack now lives in West Los Angeles, where he continues to innovate with his friend and business partner on new games while juggling a full-time career in the executive search industry. Through their captivating storytelling and immersive gameplay, they aim to leave a lasting legacy in the gaming industry for years to come.   With an indomitable entrepreneurial spirit, Jack Kountouris brings a business perspective to the emerging board game landscape, captivating audiences, and redefining what it means to deliver joy and excitement to players of all ages. His journey is a testament to the power of creativity, persistence, and a commitment to making a difference in the world.     Ways to connect with Madilynn:   www.dimensionboardgames.com is the website to my company @jackountouris is my Instagram @dimensionboardgames is my company's instagram.     About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.     Transcription Notes    Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i  capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Well, hi there everyone. Welcome once again to unstoppable mindset. And today we get to have a conversation with a really interesting person at least I find him interesting, I think you're going to as well. You're going to hear some pretty unusual things that you haven't heard on unstoppable mindset before. But it's always good to stretch the envelope. And that's as always fun. Jack Kountouris is our guest today. Jack was born in London came over here to go to Wake Forest and earned his bachelor's and master's degree. He is an executive recruiter, we'll talk about that, because I think there's some relevance of that. But mostly, he has developed an interest. And I don't want to give it away. We'll get to it. But he's developed an interest which is incredibly fascinating. And I'm anxious to hear about it. I've never met someone who's doing some of the things that he's doing, but we'll get to that. Suspense right. Anyway, Jack, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're glad to have you here.   Jack Kountouris ** 02:24 Hi, Michael. Thanks. It's a pleasure to be here.   Michael Hingson ** 02:27 So you, as you describe in your biography are Greek American, which is kind of fun. Father from Athens mother from was it North Carolina? Yeah.   Jack Kountouris ** 02:37 Mama from NC little town, in the Outer Banks,   Michael Hingson ** 02:40 and you didn't develop a North Carolina accent? Obviously.   Jack Kountouris ** 02:45 No, I never did. I did grow up in London. So my accent got a bit of a Britishness to it.   Michael Hingson ** 02:52 Well, there you go. Well, tell us a little bit about you. Maybe it's kind of the early Jack growing up and all that you grew up elsewhere. So that's always fun and fascinating to learn about. So I'd love to hear about the the younger Jack.   Jack Kountouris ** 03:04 Yeah, of course. Yeah. Happy to tell you. So basically, I was born in London, to an American mother and a Greek dad. So living living in the city. I was basically growing up there. I went there all throughout high school, primary school, secondary school, and then high school. And yeah, we would have vacations. Every summer we go to my dad's family in Greece, and we also visit my mom's family over in NC. Yeah, so at the time of me graduating high school, I was applying to UK as as well as US colleges. And because they had the all NC connection, I mean, my brother was actually at Duke at the time. So I had to be more in touch with my and move out there for college. So yeah, I chose wake and absolutely loved by Christ there. Stay there, find bachelors, and then my graduate degree.   Michael Hingson ** 04:02 What was Elementary and grim and high school like in London, how does it differ from what we experienced over here if you've had a chance to observe or learn more about that?   Jack Kountouris ** 04:14 Oh, yeah. So it's very similar to how Paulien wave was what you can imagine, I'm sure. Basically, education system absolutely loved it. We had school uniforms, which everything was restricted in in that way, but honestly, I liked having the uniforms because you didn't really have to stress about what you can wear every day. But yeah, absolutely loved the British system, and actually loved the friends I made made there. But actually, when it came to high school, I went to the American School in London. So they will that was more of an American System international system.   Michael Hingson ** 04:55 did well, of course, you did it in high school. So I mean, and happy exactly the same. But I know I studied German in high school and learned a lot about the whole German system. And one of the things that I learned is that they really emphasized over their learning a second language and English was one of the ones that they emphasized to the schools in London emphasize or encouraged a second language, or is that sort of the same thing as we see here?   Jack Kountouris ** 05:24 Yeah, actually, they strictly encourage it so much. I was doing French I actually switched to Spanish in around high school. But from a very early age, my primary school, we actually were learning Latin, which was a fundamental language, so they really wanted to drive language learning as early as possible.   Michael Hingson ** 05:45 Well on of course, we all know that learning languages earlier is probably easier and makes sense to do, which, which probably helps develop a broader view of the world by doing that, because I think over here, we don't tend to really encourage as much at least when I went to school, we didn't encourage as much the whole idea of necessarily learning a foreign language we, we did study some Spanish, but it wasn't really something that was greatly emphasized. So it's kind of interesting. And I learned various places in the world that in reality, it was different there than it was here.   Jack Kountouris ** 06:22 Exactly. And me doing London, me doing Latin, I think very early on, really helped me later on to develop my Spanish skills, my French, my ability to read French as well. And yeah, me just learning Latin at a very young age. really helped me develop those skills.   Michael Hingson ** 06:41 But you didn't learn to talk southern very well, huh? No, I'm not ready. I could do could really get too into.   Jack Kountouris ** 06:51 Yeah, I speak my accent and this the only thing comes out? Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 06:55 well, that's okay. What did you get your college degrees in?   Jack Kountouris ** 07:00 Yeah. So I wake first my Bachelor's my degree was in communication with a with minors in entrepreneurship and psychology as well.   Michael Hingson ** 07:12 And then masters,   Jack Kountouris ** 07:13 I'd say my master's was was in management,   Michael Hingson ** 07:16 management. Okay. And how, how have you used those since leaving college? You're an executive recruiter? And I would assume that in some ways, some of those skills are valuable.   Jack Kountouris ** 07:30 Yeah, well, actually, I recently thought about and I think like, my major and also my minors, they always they will come. They will come to me here in my everyday life now. Because as a recruiter, I'm communicating with people of like, all different, all different characteristics all the time. And, yeah, it's basically about helping people try and get the right job and vice versa, helping their jobs trying to get the right people to work new jobs. So definitely, it's more of a sales skill than I do use some psychology and like learning more about them and learning what they want. So yeah, recruiting and sales like I think it's a it's a great skill, to learn how to talk to people and learn to how to sell to people realize what they want, and see how you can help. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 08:20 well, I agree with you. It is a sales skill, and it's a good sales skill. And, for me, having sold most of my adult life, and I've worked with several recruiters, I appreciate the ones who really do it well do understand sales and the psychology of selling and the various aspects of that that really make a lot of sense. So I'm excited to, to hear that, that you're doing it and that you really do view it as kind of a sales position because I think that's absolutely correct. So it's something to definitely think about. So how has recruiting even find might ask, and this isn't something that was in your questions, but I bet you know a lot about it. How's recruiting evolved or changed with the whole advent of the pandemic?   Jack Kountouris ** 09:10 Yeah, so with the pandemic, it's been very cutthroat. I mean, I was lucky to be able to retain some forms during 2020. During the pandemic, of course, I was furloughed for that. But yeah, things in including not very cutthroat. It was a candidate LED market in a way but also company led in terms of not many companies were hiring, but there were lots of candidates out there who wanted who wanted to start working. And not a lot of them wants to move because who wants to move during pandemic FES you're in your job, then obviously, stay security job handling. Thing that things got really tough. The salaries and the rebate periods they weren't they were changed a lot make things a bit harder. But yeah, the thing of recruiting and sales is you just got to just gotta keep going. And eventually, it's law of averages, right? So eventually, the longer you do it, the more stressful come the you see   Michael Hingson ** 10:15 that things are opening more or becoming a little less stressful and the more jobs are becoming available as the pandemic, at least for the moment dies down.   Jack Kountouris ** 10:29 Yep, definitely, actually, I would say the pandemic 2020 Obviously, pandemic hit, and a lot of people lost their jobs. 2021 and 2022. People are still recovering, you could tell that some companies were were in the process of reinvigoration, and they were growing workforces again. But now in 2023, most companies are starting to start with a turn starting to do that rebuild.   Michael Hingson ** 10:58 Yeah, it's, it's going to be a challenge for a while, I sincerely hope that we don't see some other form of the virus come along that we can't deal with. So that we go back to the place where we were in 2020 and 2021. I know, I attended the National Federation of the Blind national convention in Las Vegas in 2019. But then, by the time, July came in 2020, when we would normally have a convention, of course, everything was locked down. So there was a virtual convention in 2020. And in 2021. In 2022, it opened a little bit more. So there was a hybrid kind of convention. I didn't go again, my wife was not doing really well. And she also had rheumatoid arthritis, which meant that the whole auto immune system wasn't as robust as it really needed to be. So I didn't want to put her in danger by going to the convention, and a lot of people actually did get COVID. Last year at the convention, I went this year, I didn't really hear a lot about many people actually didn't hear about anyone who was confined to the room because they caught COVID at the convention, which I thought was good. But I think at the same time, we do need to be pretty cautious about it all.   Jack Kountouris ** 12:19 Very cautious. I mean, who wants a number of very young teachers come out of nowhere?   Michael Hingson ** 12:24 Yeah. And the problem is that, that it can if some strange thing occurs, so we'll see. But I'm, I'm really happy and excited to hear that things are starting to open and it makes your job a little bit easier. Because not only do you have candidates, but you have places to start to put them which is of course what you want to do.   Jack Kountouris ** 12:48 Yes, of course.   Michael Hingson ** 12:49 So at the same time, however, when you were at Wake Forest, you developed an interest in something else, we sort of alluded to it without talking about it. We'll call it the elephant in the room. It's the fun thing in the room. But why don't you? You know, tell us a little bit about how you got into it and what it's all about?   Jack Kountouris ** 13:13 Yeah, the fun elephant in the room? Yeah. Obviously. Well, so me and my friend in business school, we loved playing board games a lot. And, and eventually, we were like playing board games. And we were thinking about, okay, how can we make this board game different? How can we make our own spin on this board game? Yeah. So eventually, we were developing and developing a new game. And then after graduation, of course, that was when COVID was at its height. So we will just indoors, we had to wait to no social life. So just being in the room all the time. So yeah, we took it amongst ourselves to just use that free time, that surplus free time, we had to just develop the board game and actually make a product, make a business and get it out there.   Michael Hingson ** 14:03 So tell us about the business and what you have so far.   Jack Kountouris ** 14:07 Of course, well, so the business we we have is a cold dimension bowl games. Our first board game invasion, the conquest of kings, was actually released last May. And we have around like hundreds of customers right now. They primarily nationwide, but some in the UK and some as well in Europe. But yeah, we still have that one game that's going strong sales are going strong for the net. But we also have a couple others in development. Of course, it's still very early on for these, a couple of games, a couple of expansions that we have in plans for the next couple of years   Michael Hingson ** 14:46 in the world of technology and so on why board games as opposed to maybe creating an electronic game?   Jack Kountouris ** 14:55 Yeah, so actually, this ties into what we talked about, about the pandemic Because mostly we're just stuck inside, we actually read so many articles about how board games were bringing people together how board games like board games offered, offered something that you couldn't really get like virtually. And if you were to stay indoors, at nights when board games came lots of popular I mean, it was a way to have your friends hang out of family without really having to go outside. So yeah, we actually saw in articles there actually a spike in both games during the pandemic. And also earlier, we noticed that the board games was a huge market. I mean, there was a there were particular niches around combat strategy board games, or uncooperative board games. And yeah, there was a huge market to take opportunity of.   Michael Hingson ** 15:51 So you, you created a game. And so it got published, sort of more when the pandemic was was slowing down, but you're seeing still pretty good sales of it, and so on. Yeah, so   Jack Kountouris ** 16:09 pretty good. We're going to a few conventions were up in is social media. So Instagram, followership, and conduct out? But yeah, primarily, conventions we're doing? We're still seeing the ad interest. We've gotten a couple of views from BoardGameGeek reviewers, and from just board game, people that habit. So yeah, we're seeing some success out there, we definitely have a game that people people really tend to enjoy. And actually, when you know, you have the product that people like, I mean, that's, that's good to get going with that.   Michael Hingson ** 16:48 What kind of comments are you getting about invaders?   Jack Kountouris ** 16:54 Yes, so we're getting, we're getting good reviews, I mean, we'd get we're getting some like, some area of critiques. Obviously, it was just me and my friends. So prior to that, we have no book, we have no board game experience in development. And we didn't really use Kickstarter, and most board games that are becoming new use Kickstarter, that's where they get the border map, or word of mouth. So us not using Kickstarter and choosing the Self Publish. That was already, in my opinion, a big hurdle that we had to accomplish. But yeah, once we got the reviews coming in, we actually got good, better insights. People who had reviewed like combat strategy games, before, they talked about our Resource Management, they talked about a combat system, there was actually one review we got, and the only downside of it was the size of a box. So yeah, people generally seem to get and seem to like our game. But on the flip side of that, obviously, there were some mistakes were made, like, little mistakes, and like the rule book and all that. And that just comes from us not having the experience of writing rule books of doing design of doing art for the bucks. So yeah, definitely, I will just improve and stuff to learn from for our next few games.   Michael Hingson ** 18:21 So what did you learn about what you did wrong? And what did you do wrong as far as creating the rules? And what would you do differently next time?   Jack Kountouris ** 18:30 Yeah, so what we did is we did like a primary primary rulebook. But yeah, what some people have been saying is, we need more like a reference guide. So what our rule but did is it did a good job in explaining the nuts and bolts of the rules. But it didn't, it didn't like the right really provide reference that you could use here in the game. And that's what it's all about. Because when you're when you haven't about the game, and you sign a game from scratch, it's like you need to you need to go to a rulebook every other time to remember this just for reference for the   Michael Hingson ** 19:07 for the rules, until you get used to it. Exactly.   Jack Kountouris ** 19:11 So adoption. That's the thing we've been working on a lot.   Michael Hingson ** 19:16 So the next time do you think you would use Kickstarter? Does that do you think give you any advantages that you didn't get to utilize in developing the first game?   Jack Kountouris ** 19:28 Yeah, so primarily, the advantage of Kickstarter that we missed out on was just the word of mouth because bought in geek that that's why the whole community of board gamers and particularly our target market demographic is and they advertised Kickstarter a lot. So they would have games like people don't even play and people just see on Kickstarter, feeling like it's interesting. And that's where you get the word of mouth. That's where you get investment as well. So I think for next few games, we We'll definitely think about about Kickstarter. Because obviously, when you have a product like this as, as opposed to a service, that means word of mouth is really everything you need to do everything you can to sell that product.   Michael Hingson ** 20:16 And in a sense, you get to generate some revenue upfront, which also helps you start to see how much interest there might be in the game.   Jack Kountouris ** 20:27 Exactly, yes. And yeah, that money aspect of it. It's it's definitely a major factor. Yeah, if there's investment in the original kick slow, that means, okay, we've got something then that gives us so much confidence. So yeah, I think definitely, that's, that's the primary thing we have learned from self publishing. So we can progress in the future.   Michael Hingson ** 20:53 As anyone yet or any company approached you to talk about, gee, maybe we should buy this and make it a bigger thing, or have you gotten to that kind of point yet?   Jack Kountouris ** 21:06 No, yeah, we're not we're not there yet. Yeah, I mean, we have talked to like retailers brick and mortar brick and mortars, but no, like, really serious conversations yet? Yeah. Who knows? Eventually, something like that might happen.   Michael Hingson ** 21:22 Have you looked at major resale or sales places where you can get them to pick up the game and sell it?   Jack Kountouris ** 21:31 Of course, and and many of the convention actually, we've done have been taken place at board game stores. We have one influencer, actually who her son runs a board game store. So when we had him review again, he actually published he actually split the games board games store. So lots of customers could come up. So yeah, board game stores, cafes, board, game cafes like that. And conventions, anywhere, we can display the game really. So people public can go buy it and say, Hey, that's a game. I don't know that. That's   Michael Hingson ** 22:06 a modality. And again, the name of the game is   Jack Kountouris ** 22:10 invasion, that Congress, the Kings,   Michael Hingson ** 22:12 the conquest of kings, which is intriguing in of itself, which, which is great. I know that in terms of doing something like this, there had to be a lot of logistics, a lot of coordination. So you and your friend, I gather both went to Wake Forest.   Jack Kountouris ** 22:33 Yes, in a master's program, we both did the masters and management. Cool.   Michael Hingson ** 22:39 And so what really got you to decide that you wanted to start a company, because that's a pretty major decision. And I appreciate that you, you too, were in an environment where certainly doing something like this could be encouraged. But what made you decide to really knuckle down and go through the rigors of starting a company?   Jack Kountouris ** 23:01 Yeah, so I remember on your earlier question, I talked about my communication and how I use the psychology mind I had. But also this is where that entrepreneurship minor ad came in. I did so much at Wake Forest, in terms of entrepreneurship, I kind of like really knew that at some point, there will be some product or some service that I would just, I would just take and run with. And honestly, I didn't really know it will be a board game until the opportunity. Opportunity came along. I mean, I really wasn't a board gamer before I met my friend from from the business school. So yeah, I think the opportunity arose because we were in business school, we have that atmosphere of like learning and requiring something better. And we had the business acumen as well, we were being taught every day. And yeah, we had the passion as well. So if you take the passion and combine it with business, it really makes for good environment and good atmosphere to actually take something, take something you love and run with it in the sense that you can actually make it make it something.   Michael Hingson ** 24:14 What's the name of your company?   Jack Kountouris ** 24:16 It's dimension board games.   Michael Hingson ** 24:18 That's right dimension board games. So people go look for Dimension board games and by invasion, the conquest of kings. But anyway, that's another story. We'll leave that for people to do. But I go back to the question about electronic versions of games. One of the things that I've noticed, and even in some games that are accessible for for blind people, one of the things that I see with electronic games is you can buy more things or buy tokens or pay to get more resources and so on. Does any of that kind of thing exist in the board game world or is that something that you think is really necessary to would focus on that would give you some additional revenue?   Jack Kountouris ** 25:04 Yeah, of course. So we have thought about certain add ons like that maybe you can add like more pieces add, like, add things to establish other abilities in the game. And we have definitely thought about in the long run, but right now we we just want to keep at the physical physical board game. Eventually, when we get popular, I mean, it's not if it's when we get popular, when we have a follower base, when we have that those many people playing our game, we will think about introducing something like that where people can really be on the lookout for for add ons for extra abilities and all that for the game. But uh, yeah, right now we just have a main focus on just just word of mouth and getting our games out there.   Michael Hingson ** 25:53 So what was it like starting a company with a friend I mean, it was an adventure. And I regard life as an adventure. So clearly, you all the two of you started on on a great adventure, and you've stuck with it. And that doesn't always happen either. So you guys obviously get along? Well?   Jack Kountouris ** 26:12 Yeah, we do. I mean, it was, it was really fun working with one of my best friends, and still really is fun to work with one of our best friends. Right now. We still do play tests, we still talk about the business, we still talk about new games we will have in production. But yeah, it was great not just to have a friend as a partner. But Tableau have a partner in general, it means that you're not really alone in innovation that you have when you have someone else who's who's working on the same thing. Makes you not have those anxieties and have that belief. Okay, I believe it. There's also someone else who believes it. So it makes you have more confidence in what you're wanting to do. And yeah, obviously working with my mom, our best friends, it was it was fantastic. And we had the we have like similar personalities well, so he can always like, talk off of each other and always build on each other. And yeah, it was absolutely fantastic.   Michael Hingson ** 27:14 So where does your friend lives? He actually   Jack Kountouris ** 27:17 moved out to Denver, Colorado after graduation for Mike,   Michael Hingson ** 27:22 and what got you to Los Angeles?   Jack Kountouris ** 27:25 Well, after my graduation from work, I actually went back to London for a little bit. I worked in London, as a recruiter, I started my recruitment career. And then eventually, this past year, just over one year now, one year ago now, while my companies in London, they were opening a new LA office. So I was still young enough to take the road Shanthi I'd always thought about maybe trying out the west coast and trying out in LA. So yeah, I basically my boss was moving a few of us to start over that office in LA and I was on with the lungs shows. So we saw the LA office. And that's that's how I moved.   Michael Hingson ** 28:09 And so in a sense, it isn't is challenging from a timezone standpoint is it might be because you're only an hour difference.   Jack Kountouris ** 28:19 So now, now, it's really not as you come out when I was in London, and my friend was in Denver, a seven hour gap. Yeah, that was that was that was hard to do. But now it's much better with us only we won't be in one hour apart. So whenever I want to talk about a new game idea, or talk about it and you new marketing strategy, I can just call them and we can say, oh, that's that's capable of having to call each other.   Michael Hingson ** 28:49 Do you do that on the phone? Or on Zoom? Or how do you generally chat?   Jack Kountouris ** 28:54 When generally and zoom when, because you   Michael Hingson ** 28:57 can cat video easily just maybe   Jack Kountouris ** 28:58 an idea of what we'll do a phone call but but generally it has been zoom. So we can really like brainstorm every little idea we have. Make sure it's make sure we're doing well. But   Michael Hingson ** 29:12 yeah, and you can you can see each other which makes a lot of sense.   Jack Kountouris ** 29:16 Exactly, exactly.   Michael Hingson ** 29:19 So what kind of challenges though do you face since you have a full time job? And we appreciate I gather, you're probably taking some time from your full time job to be here this afternoon since it's only about four o'clock in the afternoon, but what kind of challenges do you face and issues do you have to encounter when you've got a full time job? Yet? You're trying to run a company which can also probably be somewhat of a full time job as well.   Jack Kountouris ** 29:49 Yeah, definitely. It's it's a struggle taking the time, and especially since I moved so recently, so when I just moved to LA and this was like last night Summer, it was it was tough to get going to know I had the job. But no, also we had to keep the ball game business going. So took a lot of like strict, regimented, scheduling. And just, I've list like, right by me on my wall of everyday things I need to do after work things I need to shake off after work every day. So yeah, you just need to be strict and regimented about it. And honestly, like, it was tough signing it up tough when I had the change. But when I, when I applied myself, and gotten in the habit of it, it really didn't become as time consuming.   Michael Hingson ** 30:41 So dimension board games started in what 2022? Was it   Jack Kountouris ** 30:47 started in starting 2021. Actually, 2021 innovation was released in 2020. Right?   Michael Hingson ** 30:53 But in 2021, you were still over in London,   Jack Kountouris ** 30:57 2021, I was still over in London, my friend was in Denver. And that's when that's when predominantly most of the game development and operations stuff happened. So that was a real challenge released in May of last year.   Michael Hingson ** 31:14 So that was a real challenge, though, because then you did have the timezone issues of being seven hours apart. That must have been fun.   Jack Kountouris ** 31:22 Yeah, that was that was really fun. And I'm sure you know this, but because Denver seven hours behind that's basically meant that because I had a full time job on weekdays, we can't do anything, because because when I came back from work, he was at work and vice versa. And when he came back from work, I was asleep. So that basically meant Saturdays, Sundays and Fridays night and Friday nights were the most optimal time to have those zoom meetings began. Again, this was when we were we were just regrouping from the pandemic. So I socialized we're still trying to get back there. So it was easier to to damage these communications.   Michael Hingson ** 32:09 Yeah, certainly is easier now. Now. Do you have a family? A wife or anything?   Jack Kountouris ** 32:16 Yeah, so that's, that's, that's a good question. Yeah, I have I have a life.   Michael Hingson ** 32:23 Are you married or anything like that? No, I'm not. So So you still have more of your own time than if you had a wife and a family that you'd have to deal with? So that probably helps a little bit too.   Jack Kountouris ** 32:36 Exactly. Yeah, that did help. Yeah. For me, like family was just my parents, my brother and my sister in law, my grandma granddad, my grandma. Yeah, no, no girlfriend yet.   Michael Hingson ** 32:49 No girlfriend yet, someday, but it'll happen. I know, for me, my wife passed away last November and my time became more my own. So working with accessiBe, which is in Israel 10 hours ahead. Sometimes, we get meetings very early in the morning, my time because they're 10 hours ahead. And so, for example, yesterday on Sunday, I had a meeting at seven in the morning, Sunday, this just yesterday. And it's easier to do when I know I don't have to worry about disturbing somebody else, just waking up a dog and a cat and they cope. But with a family when we were married for 40 years, it was always the thought of working in one place. And oftentimes I would be on one coast and company would be on the other coast. And I was transferred to various places to do things for companies. That happened through the World Trade Center. And of course, being in the World Trade Center on September 11. And then it wasn't such an issue because although I did for a while before September 11 work for companies when I was in New York, and they were in California, afterward, it was much more an issue where we were able to deal with stuff a lot closer. So I worked in, in California in Northern California for Guide Dogs for the Blind for a while, but we live there. And then afterward, it was just me running my own business that Michael Hingson group, so we didn't have to really be so challenged by different time zones. Until accessiBe came along, which they did in January of 2021. So for two years, it was a little bit of an issue or almost two years. But you know, there is something to be said for your own time. And so you can really do things on your schedule and you do have a friend you have to work with but still you guys are obviously working it out.   Jack Kountouris ** 34:44 Yeah, we're trying. It's a struggle sometimes. But it's really great working with all my best friends and it's really great. Doing something that you love and when you're in the business of fun and games it's it's really hard to separate the fun from the business.   Michael Hingson ** 35:01 Well, hopefully the business becomes fun. Yep.   Jack Kountouris ** 35:07 It's it's starting to be like we're seeing we're seeing the success coming. And that's, that's fantastic. Plus now,   Michael Hingson ** 35:15 that is exciting. It's a great thing to be able to do. So what are you learning from your first game? And as you go into future games, what are you learning about game development? There's a lot that obviously has to go into it. So what makes a perfect game? And how do you get there?   Jack Kountouris ** 35:32 Oh, yeah, so so much stuff that goes into it. So many mistakes, people land on Yang, game game development, specifically, it's a lot of trial and error, a lot of looking after loopholes and really gets tedious sometimes. But yeah, to to give you give you a little bit of perspective, one of the things one of the ways that me and my friend works so much together is he has, so he has the knack for, for thinking big and a knack for thinking of the big thinking of the big ideas, starting like out wide. And I've not to like bring him bring him in. So having the small ideas. So what I do generally is find the loopholes. So what he would do is he he'd say, okay, Jack, I got an amazing idea. And then we'd be brainstorming a lot. And we'd be thinking about how to make that idea. accessible in the game, make the idea work out. So it's not too much in gameplay, not too much, you understand that? It can work out in the game in the physical hand game when they align too many loopholes to take advantage of.   Michael Hingson ** 36:45 So do you get to the point is you're developing the game where you actually, the two of you just spend time playing the game to look for the loopholes, or the things that are working or not working?   Jack Kountouris ** 36:59 Yeah, actually, that's predominantly what is all about. So I would say that there's one stage on which is thinking, thinking ideas, getting ideas from all over the place. And then we enter another stage where we take all those ideas, and like, what, maybe one by one or two by two, so we make sure that no ideas like convoluted with each other, we will test them out. And we will see how it works in the game and see if there's a way to make it simpler. Because one of the things we were noting in game development was there was a time where our game was super complicated and super, super long as well. This was very early on. So when we were really just out of ideation, really. So every, there was a point that every play test we made, we developed like little nuances to make the game simpler and make the game shorter.   Michael Hingson ** 37:59 How long does it take to play the game? Now, if someone sits down or some people, how many people can play it at one time on the board?   Jack Kountouris ** 38:10 So yeah, the base game is three to four, but it can be played with five as well as six to base game is three, four players Tamriel played with two players in the world. But it really hits a smooth point with three, four or five players.   Michael Hingson ** 38:26 How long does it take to play a complete game?   Jack Kountouris ** 38:29 It here's the thing it read really depends. Actually. Our game is military combat. So it depends what the characteristics of the players. So if if there are four players playing who are who are really outright combat and really aggressive from from the beginning, it's a shorter game.   Michael Hingson ** 38:48 Somebody gets killed off soon. Yeah,   Jack Kountouris ** 38:51 of course. And that happened that happened a lot of times. And yeah, on the flip side, if there if there was a game where for people who like really, really like to build up their kingdoms before they fight and really want to be be cautious about that about fighting, then you have the longer games. Usually average is about two hours, maybe two and a half. But if it's your first time trying to figure out the rulebook, it's not too   Michael Hingson ** 39:18 bad. It's a it's an evenings entertainment.   Jack Kountouris ** 39:23 Exactly. And then some games out there. Some games I love out there that I love them. But that seven hours, eight hours. It's insane sometimes.   Michael Hingson ** 39:33 Yeah, I like Monopoly and monopoly you can do fairly quickly in a couple of hours and have a lot of fun with it. But the world has advanced a lot since Atlantic City and Boardwalk and Park Place. Yeah. So what what's the basic premise? Or what's the process of the game? Can you tell us a little bit about the plot and so on?   Jack Kountouris ** 39:53 Yeah, so the basic premise of the game is you have the medieval can them. So you have a kingdom of castles and roads and castle walls between castles. So you try to build that up. And the way the map is you have the resources. And the resources are inherently in the map. So the placement of your castles and where you build your castle where you build your roads, they get you that those resources and they really, they really help develop, okay, who you'll be as an empire, what kind of resources you getting. And then the next slide, which will combat aspect of it, is you have a king. And also you have soldiers who kind of follow the king and the aim of the game was to be able to take other kings crowns. And the way you do actually you use the soldiers going along with the king to create armies and all that try to siege people's castle that and try to kill people's kings kill people's armies. So yeah, that there are really two, two parts of the game that the first half of it or should I say first third of it, is just building up your kingdom, trying to manage the resource you're getting. And then the next two thirds, you're getting into siege and castles getting into getting castles and getting into actual combat which which is is fantastic. It's a fantastic way to the game.   Michael Hingson ** 41:17 So all kings no women.   Jack Kountouris ** 41:20 Yeah, so that's the thing. We did think about doing, like Queen peace and maybe for the expansions. But because we just wanted one, one overarching piece to be like the most important thing. We're like between names. And then we think of it like King King was King seemed so perfect. We weren't thinking about that as a downside. Is it? Maybe not. Not general Germany equal. But yeah, we were thinking about games like chess. Well, obviously, the king is the main piece that you have to you have to take to win the game. So you're like, Okay, it's medieval. People understand that the king is the main piece. So yeah, right. Okay, that name   Michael Hingson ** 42:05 at the same time. And chess, the queen is probably the most powerful piece on the board. Oh, yeah. So well, well, so the real question is, the very serious question is, who wins most of the games? You are your friend?   Jack Kountouris ** 42:20 Oh, I can say quite confidently. I do. There you go. Actually, it was it was funny in the in the very beginning, it was having such a hard time with the game. In the VA, in the very beginning, there was such a disparity between me and him. But yeah, occasionally, like he got good. And now we're like really equal at the game. So yeah, I won't answer who wins between me and him. But between me, him and two other friends, it's usually either me or him who went,   Michael Hingson ** 42:54 there you go. Well, the other part about it is though, you each bring, it sounds like different skills to the company and different skills to the game design, which is great, because you feed off each other. Exactly, we feed   Jack Kountouris ** 43:09 on each other, feed off each other. And it's amazing, like personally and professionally. And in the games where we feed each other. And whenever he thinks an idea, it's like I think of the idea at the same time. We like easily able to like like connect, and really. So he says, Oh, I have this idea. And then I listen and say Oh, whatever. And he's like I was just thinking of that. And it's just great to because once we start that train, it's like I I am crane. So we started different locations. But we just come together with the days we're having, and it's fantastic to be able to brainstorm like that.   Michael Hingson ** 43:51 Yeah. And it's always great when you have somebody, somebody who can really work with you that well, you guys were very fortunate that you found each other and are able to put all of this together.   Jack Kountouris ** 44:07 Exactly, yes.   Michael Hingson ** 44:09 So in in the whole process of constructing the game, where's the where's the game actually manufactured these days?   Jack Kountouris ** 44:18 So the game was originally manufactured in China. I mean, we were we were looking into into local local manufacturers. But honestly, for the money purposes, China was a blast. So the way we haven't worked is we had the units manufactured in China. And then we store them in different phone centers, one on the West Coast and one near the east coast as well so we can easily be able to distribute to our customers.   Michael Hingson ** 44:46 What I was wondering. And the reason I asked the question is what kind of affected the pandemic have for you in terms of supply chains and all that and especially since You came in as far as having a game on the market, closer to the end of the pandemic, but still, we keep hearing about supply chain problems and all that. So how's that affected you? And how have you dealt with it?   Jack Kountouris ** 45:13 Of course, like I'd say, even though our game was actually released, like, towards the end of the pandemic, we are in the midst of we are in the midst of development, and we and they were in the midst of production all throughout 2021, even 2020. Yeah, so supply chains were huge problem, especially having a ship from China. Huge shipping delays. And it really was tough to really work it out. So initially, we actually opened up pre orders, open pre orders for the game in November of 2021, just to get the holiday holiday customers. But yeah, because of the supply chains, and because of problems with production overseas, and delays and delays. It wasn't until May. And this is late May that he was actually producing it was actually available. So unfortunately, we had some customers who had pre ordered the game for the holidays in December, and only were able to get the game in May. But uh, yeah, it really was tough to work out.   Michael Hingson ** 46:21 How about now are more of the supply chain issues and so on? less of a problem.   Jack Kountouris ** 46:29 So you know, it's less of that problem. But it's it's a it's a different problem. Really. It's it's obviously like, like political situations and all that. It's, it's still a problem, like getting the shipping on time, huge delays, price increases, well, we're worth manufactories B, it's a different problem than pandemic was. So everything that was lingering from the pandemic guy in supply chains, I think that's that's become minimized.   Michael Hingson ** 47:02 But things seem to be going along pretty well. Right now, though, overall.   Jack Kountouris ** 47:09 As well as it can be. Yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 47:11 Do you see improving, though, over time, or is it just kind of a steady state of challenges of one sort or another, but you're able to cope with them?   Jack Kountouris ** 47:22 Yeah, status? I think the latter, honestly, sleep challenges. I mean, what were aware of the problems? We manufactured our first game in China. But yeah, honestly, like stuff has made us wonder. The second or maybe third is we'll try to manufacture them locally. Because, yeah, China, that was obviously when we were scrounging for money. And we were no, you're looking for investment. And, and the price in China was easy to manufacture. But just to optimize shipping and optimize time and all that we might be looking for affordable options that are local to the states and in the country to help speed things up rate.   Michael Hingson ** 48:06 How much does the game cost if one wants to buy it?   Jack Kountouris ** 48:09 Yes. So the game goes format goes for market rate of 59 $99. We do have continual seasonal discounts going on, at least discount for I think 30% We had another 20% discount at some point earlier this year. So yeah, we do run discounts every now and then our Instagram channels and Facebook platforms.   Michael Hingson ** 48:37 Well, is it is it a game that's also available on places like Amazon, which is obviously a big selling potential place?   Jack Kountouris ** 48:47 Now it is known among nationally. What we're doing is like E commerce. Because we're still in that stage. We're just getting a word of mouth from just getting the start. But yeah, we have looked at Amazon foam and Amazon FBA and so many hurdles to jump through. It's it's a plan, but it's a plan for the future.   Michael Hingson ** 49:10 What did you do to stand out? Um, clearly there are a lot of board games, there are a lot of demands that are being put on people's attentions and so on. What did you do to stand out to get people to pay attention to invasion?   Jack Kountouris ** 49:27 Mason? Yeah, that's a very good question. So that was I talked about how we didn't do a Kickstarter how we didn't really have to word of mouth. So that was already like, we were starting with, we assign a 15 back 15 feet back from the sideline there. And it was it was really tough to get the word of mouth. But yeah, I think the main stuff for us is we'd have we'd have influences we have with us we got on board games cake. We have people that we ask for review of the game, obviously in the beginning and the word of mouth Ain't from like friends and family. But yet it's one of those things. And we have the conventions as well. But the form of those things that you need to slow and steady wins the race, right? You need to begin from like nothing and you need to slowly build it up like an Instagram posts a day in the in the very beginning and really wasn't doing much. But now it's really getting more traction as we have more photo followership. And now we have more views on both games tickets more reputable and more credible for for people in the board games community. And, yeah, so pretty much slow and steady, slow and steady wins the race.   Michael Hingson ** 50:42 You said something earlier than say you didn't do anything with Kickstarter, and this and so on you self published, which I appreciate. But what comes to mind is that what you are doing, and what is being done is regarding your game, very much like what goes into typical publishing, especially if you're doing self publishing, you got to do all the marketing, you've got to do all the demand creation, and so on. And so I'm hearing from you the same things that I hear from a lot of people we did with with my second book that we sell published, but even our first book, you have to be involved in the marketing habit. And you're gonna always be the best salespeople for the for the game.   Jack Kountouris ** 51:29 Yeah, of course. And me, again, being being a recruiter, as my job my day job, it really brings out this this salesperson in me and I'm selling something I love. So I speak to the credibility of it. But yeah, Kickstarter, when you take power that way, it's pretty much a marketing platform. So we just had to do that without the board game community behind us. So that was the that was a hurdle for us.   Michael Hingson ** 52:00 How large is the board game community? I mean, you, you've indicated the board games are still very popular. But how large? Is it compared to like electronic games and so on? Or is it just two completely different worlds? So it doesn't really give you the ability to compare the two.   Jack Kountouris ** 52:18 So it is different? Well, you can't really make a direct comparison between the two. But it's a it's a large community. I mean, if you go on board games gig gaming caravan, or the community does their communities out there on Discord and such, there's so many board games, so many niche board games, and especially indie board games in the board, new creators. So many people just create board games, just like that. Get get board games out there. So often. It's really like an enrich community. There's so much out there so many niches of board games, resource boundary and combat cooperative, competitive. It's really a huge fantasy. Yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 53:03 And so the more you can do to break in and come up with plots that are going to intrigue people, the better it is.   Jack Kountouris ** 53:10 Exactly, exactly. You just need to need to have game ideas and given to people.   Michael Hingson ** 53:17 We talked before this podcast last time we met about making it accessible. And I would love to explore how and if it would be doable to make the game accessible. So blind people could play it. And there are some people that, that do some things and making card games and other games successful. So it's something to explore, not sure that it would be a huge market as such, but it would be great if, when in the future, you produce games, you can make them accessible right from the outset. So you have one game that everyone can play, whether they can see the board, or feel the board, and that you just have the same game that's available for both. And I still think that that's the best way to deal with accessibility rather than having a different product for, say people who are blind as opposed to people who are not it. It's a unique sort of thing, but it would make for a very interesting discussion point and dialogue.   Jack Kountouris ** 54:17 Oh, yeah, exactly. I mean, different different things we can do. Obviously, we have the rulebook. And if we can transfer it to braille, and I really becomes in our game, like I'm going to make the comparison to chess. Although there are some people who who know chess so much they can picture board in their heads, they can picture it and they can just make the move in their heads because they remember where everything is. Really becomes a lot like that. So maybe eventually, people can really feel the feel of Matt feel the Gameboy to know where everything is. And at that point, just just know what moves to make, based on the map pick As honestly, there is a very simple way with the resources to make the map able to make the map accessible, if you just feeling what what kind of resources I were   Michael Hingson ** 55:12 something to explore Well, if you'd like to explore that and examine it in the future, let me know. Because I think it would be fun to try to connect you with people who might be able to help with that. For you. What have you learned from this experience? So far? In terms of creating a business? What, what kind of mistakes have you made in doing the business? Or what kind of lessons have you learned that are going to help you as you go forward?   Jack Kountouris ** 55:38 Yeah, so Well, one lesson I have is to really have like a partner that you trust. And just in general, our partner, I spoke to this earlier, but they'll speak to it again. There's so much confidence when you know, there's at least one other person who has the same vision and believes in the same thing you do. It just really helps so much. The Void is anxiety, saying, Oh, what if no one likes it? Oh, what have I can't do this. But yeah, other than that, just? And yeah, you've probably heard this from the perspective of business people out there that many entrepreneurs, just the famous thing is they say, many people just fail at that first. And the first Ventures we have, we have made a few mistakes with which we will definitely learn from Wait, which costs, which actually costing us money. So we learned the hard way. But I think honestly, being an entrepreneur, having a business like this, learning the hard way is really goes with the function of it.   Michael Hingson ** 56:45 What has all of this taught you that you can use in your full time regular job of being a recruiter? Because I'm sure that this must give you some empathy or better understanding of some of the things and are some of the places where you might be sending people I would think.   Jack Kountouris ** 57:04 Yeah, so in recruitment, won't. What I will say is, sometimes you see people with CVS, and it's really black and white, sometimes the hiring manager, you see people with CVS, you see they're doing this passion project on the side, you see what they're doing on the side. And many of you will be like, Okay, what's relevant in that, because obviously, if you're doing something on the side, it's not really a full time job. But yet, it's given me a chance to have more patience and learn more about the the individual people not just about what they've been doing, how long they've been doing, and what they've accomplished, which, obviously, the name of the game in terms of equipment, but learn more about them on the people side of things, learn more about what drives them to learn more about their motivations.   Michael Hingson ** 57:52 Studying psychology is a wonderful thing. But there's nothing like living it and seeing it in action to really be a great tool for you teaching yourself how to do it better.   Jack Kountouris ** 58:04 Yep, that's exactly right, Michael.   Michael Hingson ** 58:07 It's, it's as good as it gets. It's kind of fun. What's the future for Dimension board games then? So you're obviously working on games, anything you can talk about?   Jack Kountouris ** 58:17 Yeah, a few things I can talk about. I don't want to talk talk too much, because it's pretty much in development. But we do have a few expansions may be coming. Another edition possibly for like next two years, or 2324 25. And eventually, we'd want to be in a place where we can just come up with with different games and be able to reuse, create the games we love and see if they're good enough.   Michael Hingson ** 58:50 Do you think your games will continue to be sort of battle and conquest type games? Or are there other kinds of plots you might explore?   Jack Kountouris ** 58:59 What I will say is ones, the ones we are thinking now and then backbend and the ones in development. They are combat. They are they are similar to the first game, but we do we are think about one that's that sets more than in this space mindset, which is more of a 2025 thing. We haven't really begun develop development on that so much, because we've just been focusing on invasion and the expansions and the other ones we have more immediately. But a yet a long, long term. Long term goal is to be thinking of games in another situation. So space and stuff   Michael Hingson ** 59:38 like that. Question. Strategy games, though, are pretty popular. And so I'm not surprised.   Jack Kountouris ** 59:43 Exactly, exactly. And if if we have a chance to create a classic game like Monopoly or Scrabble, that's more mainstream, then that'd be fantastic as well.   Michael Hingson ** 59:54 Well, this is absolutely been fun. And as I said, I've never been able to have discussion like this, and I've learned a lot. And you've also given us some wonderful things to think about just good life lessons about entrepreneurship and the fact that when you work on something, you have to deal with setbacks. But at the same time, you need to look forward and move forward. And you've clearly done that you and your, your partner have done a lot of that, which is really exciting. And I appreciate the, the lessons and the thoughts that you've brought to us. If people want to learn more about invasion and learn more about you, and so on. How do they do that?   Jack Kountouris ** 1:00:35 So yeah, I'm obviously you can look me up on LinkedIn, Jack Kountouris or on Facebook or any of the socials. But for dimension, board games, our Instagram handles at dimension board games, our URL is dimensionboardgames.com. Very simple like that. And also, we have a link from them to voting Schaik on our website, so you can see the more in depth reviews of the game on the invasion, the Congress, the Kings on board game, board games kick. So if you're looking for reviews of the game, just go to bogging games geek or even go to a Instagram page, because eventually, because sometimes we do post some reviews out there.   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:19 spell your name so people can find you easily if they want to go to LinkedIn, and so on   Jack Kountouris ** 1:01:24 J A C K  K O U N T O U R I S   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:34 So hunt down Jack and learn about invasion, the conquest of kings and dimension board games. And that sounds like there's a lot of exciting stuff coming up. And I'm going to try to keep up with it. And I'm hoping that we can maybe work together to make something accessible. I think that we don't as blind people get to share a lot of that stuff. And sometimes a few games are made somewhat accessible, or sometimes they're made fairly accessible, but it's still a small population compared to what's out there. So it would be fun to see some games come out right from the outset that worked for everyone.   Jack Kountouris ** 1:02:16 Thanks so much, Michael. Well, I   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:17 really appreciate it. And I appreciate you listening to us out there or watching us if you're doing it on YouTube. We really would love your comments, please feel free to send me any comments and thoughts and emails you have, you can reach me at Michaelhi m i c h a e l h i at accessiBe A C C E S S I B E.com. Or go to our podcast page www dot Michael hingson.com/podcasts. And Michael hingson is m i c h a e l h i n g s o n.com/podcast. Please give us a five star rating. We appreciate your ratings. We appreciate your reviews. And please not only rate but give us reviews. We love that. And I'm sure that Jack would love it if you say nice wonderful things about this when you hear it because that'll help what he's doing as well and we very much admire what you're doing. So I want to thank you one more time for being here and taking your time to come and talk to us about the game and what you're doing.   Jack Kountouris ** 1:03:20 Thanks so much, Michael And thanks, everyone for listening.   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:27 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com. accessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

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Today's guest is Ashley Harding and we're discussing the importance of students having a sense of belonging in their learning environment. Ashley is a valued member of the ChildNEXUS community and a compassionate advocate for diverse learners. In this episode, Ashley explains how impactful a sense of belonging is to a student. Knowing they hold a significant space somewhere, feeling a sense of connection and safety, and knowing that their educational needs are being met while also getting the support they need are critical keys to the concept of “mattering”. All of these things have long-term outcomes that go far beyond academic mastery and it's important for educators to foster this and value a child's sense of belonging. This is what is going to help students thrive and reach their full potential. It's not just about academic mastery. Listen on to find out how students can learn self-efficacy and self-advocacy and how this can change the trajectory of their success.   Show Notes: [2:31] - North Star Academics was founded on three principles: academic mastery, self-efficacy, and parent engagement. [3:38] - In Ashley's experience, the disconnect for a lot of students is not having a feeling of belonging. [5:37] - Students have ecosystems of their own. How do they feel connected to their school and is there a gap? [7:04] - Ashley describes some of the things they look at when a student begins with North Star Academics. [8:11] - We have to start with our own internal biases. Bias is well beyond culture. [9:34] - Communicating with educators can be challenging with new families. [10:47] - How are we evaluating processes in order to have a continuum of success? [12:58] - Investment in private and independent schools is a social justice issue. [14:33] - Stakeholders need to be tuned into the needs of every student, but students need to also be aware of their own learning profile as well. [16:05] - Academic mastery is often the easier part of this. [18:37] - When parents have a deference with teachers, it prevents the child from getting what they need. Advocacy needs to be modeled. [21:27] - You are not waiting to be empowered. You have power and are working in collaboration. If you aren't empowered, is this the right placement? [24:16] - If students aren't getting the accommodations they require, is it the right place for them? [26:55] - This is a long term process. What does it take for your child to be successful not just this school year, but the next one and beyond? [28:01] - It's important to meet with the school in order to support the child. [29:53] - Schools are often focused on academic mastery. [31:20] - Research shows that if a child has just one person invested in them, they are more likely to be successful. [33:30] - Space is not just physical space. People at school should be safe spaces for students as well.   About Our Guest: Ashley Harding is a passionate fourth-generation educator and the Founder of North Star Academics. With a decade of experience, she's committed to improving the educational experience for children and families nationwide. Born and educated in West Los Angeles, she holds a Bachelor of Science from USC and a master's degree from Tufts University. Her focus includes creating social capital and support for students and families of color, and she has previously served as Director of Family and External Engagement for KIPP DC. Ashley's interests include promoting veganism, wearing black Chucks, and enjoying 1990s R&B.   Connect with Ashley Harding: ChildNEXUS Provider Profile Email: ashley@northstaracademics.org North Star Academics Website   Connect with Us: Get on our Email List Book a Consultation Get Support and Connect with a ChildNEXUS Provider Check out some amazing schools for incredible students   The Diverse Thinking Different Learning podcast is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or legal advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Additionally, the views and opinions expressed by the host and guests are not considered treatment and do not necessarily reflect those of ChildNEXUS, Inc or the host, Dr. Karen Wilson.

In today's episode, we are excited to have a connection with one of the long-time listeners and supporters of Meet Bridget. Meet Marlen Martinez, a young woman who embodies determination, ambition, and a deep commitment to justice. Her journey is a testament to the power of dreams, education, and the pursuit of a better tomorrow. Marlen is from Los Angeles, California and she is a first-generation Latina, proud of her Cuban- Salvadoran heritage. Currently, in her third year of law school at the University of West Los Angeles, she'll earn her Juris Doctorate in May of 2024. However, her aspirations extend far beyond personal achievement. Marlen's vision is a powerful one: to provide unwavering legal representation for all underserved communities while staying rooted in her rich cultural heritage. Her ultimate mission? To diversify the pool of U.S. attorneys, ensuring that justice and legal counsel are accessible to all minority groups.  We're excited to learn about her experiences and major learnings as she navigates being a dedicated law student, and an advocate for change, equity, and a brighter future for all. Head over to meetbridget.com for full show notes.

As the Founder and Educational Therapist at North Star Academics, Ashley Harding has dedicated the past ten years to supporting children and families nationwide in navigating education's cultural and academic demands. Born and educated in West Los Angeles, she possesses a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by students of color. Ashley holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Southern California and a master's degree in child development from Tufts University. Her educational journey has taken her across the globe, including studying education reform in South Africa and being a Graduate Fellow of the University of Pennsylvania Social Impact program in Belize. Her focus centers on improving the quality of education for students and families, with a particular emphasis on creating social capital and support for students and families of color. Prior to founding North Star Academics, Ashley served as the Director of Family and External Engagement for KIPP DC, where she worked closely with over 6,000 students and families. Additionally, she has co-authored research publications addressing the educational disparities faced by Black and Latino males. Outside of her professional endeavors, Ashley enjoys indulging in Randy's Donuts, promoting veganism, donning black Chucks, and jamming to 1990s R&B. Her passion for education and dedication to empowering students and families in underserved communities make her a respected and influential figure in the field. Important Moments [00:06:26] Unhoused: Huge homeless crisis in California. [00:07:21] Big companies like Apple and Google in LA. Huge income disparity with Hollywood. People staying for family ties. [00:11:59] Entrepreneurship allows freedom, creativity, and value. [00:16:51] Supporting growth and scale, mission-driven team. [00:19:36] Kids learn by enjoying low-stake opportunities. Find Ashley Online https://www.northstaracademics.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyelizabethharding/ If you're enjoying Entrepreneur's Enigma, please give us a review on the podcast directory of your choice. We're on all of them and these reviews really help others find the show. **GoodPods: https://gmwd.us/goodpods iTunes: https://gmwd.us/itunes Podchaser: https://gmwd.us/podchaser** **Also, if you're getting value from the show and want to buy me a coffee, go to the show notes to get the link to get me a coffee to keep me awake, while I work on bringing you more great episodes to your ears. →  https://gmwd.us/buy-me-a-coffee** Follow Seth Online: Seth | Digital Marketer (@s3th.me) • Instagram: Instagram.com/s3th.me Seth Goldstein | LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/in/sethmgoldstein Seth On Mastodon: https://s3th.me/pch Seth's Marketing Junto Newsletter: https://MarketingJunto.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We finally complete our mini-series on the 1980s movies released by Miramax Films in 1989, a year that included sex, lies, and videotape, and My Left Foot. ----more---- TRANSCRIPT   From Los Angeles, California, the Entertainment Capital of the World, it's The 80s Movies Podcast. I am your host, Edward Havens. Thank you for listening today.   On this episode, we complete our look back at the 1980s theatrical releases for Miramax Films. And, for the final time, a reminder that we are not celebrating Bob and Harvey Weinstein, but reminiscing about the movies they had no involvement in making. We cannot talk about cinema in the 1980s without talking about Miramax, and I really wanted to get it out of the way, once and for all.   As we left Part 4, Miramax was on its way to winning its first Academy Award, Billie August's Pelle the Conquerer, the Scandinavian film that would be second film in a row from Denmark that would win for Best Foreign Language Film.   In fact, the first two films Miramax would release in 1989, the Australian film Warm Night on a Slow Moving Train and the Anthony Perkins slasher film Edge of Sanity, would not arrive in theatres until the Friday after the Academy Awards ceremony that year, which was being held on the last Wednesday in March.   Warm Nights on a Slow Moving Train stars Wendy Hughes, the talented Australian actress who, sadly, is best remembered today as Lt. Commander Nella Daren, one of Captain Jean-Luc Picard's few love interests, on a 1993 episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, as Jenny, a prostitute working a weekend train to Sydney, who is seduced by a man on the train, unaware that he plans on tricking her to kill someone for him. Colin Friels, another great Aussie actor who unfortunately is best known for playing the corrupt head of Strack Industries in Sam Raimi's Darkman, plays the unnamed man who will do anything to get what he wants.   Director Bob Ellis and his co-screenwriter Denny Lawrence came up with the idea for the film while they themselves were traveling on a weekend train to Sydney, with the idea that each client the call girl met on the train would represent some part of the Australian male.   Funding the $2.5m film was really simple… provided they cast Hughes in the lead role. Ellis and Lawrence weren't against Hughes as an actress. Any film would be lucky to have her in the lead. They just felt she she didn't have the right kind of sex appeal for this specific character.   Miramax would open the film in six theatres, including the Cineplex Beverly Center in Los Angeles and the Fashion Village 8 in Orlando, on March 31st. There were two versions of the movie prepared, one that ran 130 minutes and the other just 91. Miramax would go with the 91 minute version of the film for the American release, and most of the critics would note how clunky and confusing the film felt, although one critic for the Village Voice would have some kind words for Ms. Hughes' performance.   Whether it was because moviegoers were too busy seeing the winners of the just announced Academy Awards, including Best Picture winner Rain Man, or because this weekend was also the opening weekend of the new Major League Baseball season, or just turned off by the reviews, attendance at the theatres playing Warm Nights on a Slow Moving Train was as empty as a train dining car at three in the morning. The Beverly Center alone would account for a third of the movie's opening weekend gross of $19,268. After a second weekend at the same six theatres pocketing just $14,382, this train stalled out, never to arrive at another station.   Their other March 31st release, Edge of Sanity, is notable for two things and only two things: it would be the first film Miramax would release under their genre specialty label, Millimeter Films, which would eventually evolve into Dimension Films in the next decade, and it would be the final feature film to star Anthony Perkins before his passing in 1992.   The film is yet another retelling of the classic 1886 Robert Louis Stevenson story The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde, with the bonus story twist that Hyde was actually Jack the Ripper. As Jekyll, Perkins looks exactly as you'd expect a mid-fifties Norman Bates to look. As Hyde, Perkins is made to look like he's a backup keyboardist for the first Nine Inch Nails tour. Head Like a Hole would have been an appropriate song for the end credits, had the song or Pretty Hate Machine been released by that time, with its lyrics about bowing down before the one you serve and getting what you deserve.   Edge of Sanity would open in Atlanta and Indianapolis on March 31st. And like so many other Miramax releases in the 1980s, they did not initially announce any grosses for the film. That is, until its fourth weekend of release, when the film's theatre count had fallen to just six, down from the previous week's previously unannounced 35, grossing just $9,832. Miramax would not release grosses for the film again, with a final total of just $102,219.   Now when I started this series, I said that none of the films Miramax released in the 1980s were made by Miramax, but this next film would become the closest they would get during the decade.   In July 1961, John Profumo was the Secretary of State for War in the conservative government of British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, when the married Profumo began a sexual relationship with a nineteen-year-old model named Christine Keeler. The affair was very short-lived, either ending, depending on the source, in August 1961 or December 1961. Unbeknownst to Profumo, Keeler was also having an affair with Yevgeny Ivanov, a senior naval attache at the Soviet Embassy at the same time.   No one was the wiser on any of this until December 1962, when a shooting incident involving two other men Keeler had been involved with led the press to start looking into Keeler's life. While it was never proven that his affair with Keeler was responsible for any breaches of national security, John Profumo was forced to resign from his position in June 1963, and the scandal would take down most of the Torie government with him. Prime Minister Macmillan would resign due to “health reasons” in October 1963, and the Labour Party would take control of the British government when the next elections were held in October 1964.   Scandal was originally planned in the mid-1980s as a three-part, five-hour miniseries by Australian screenwriter Michael Thomas and American music producer turned movie producer Joe Boyd. The BBC would commit to finance a two-part, three-hour miniseries,  until someone at the network found an old memo from the time of the Profumo scandal that forbade them from making any productions about it. Channel 4, which had been producing quality shows and movies for several years since their start in 1982, was approached, but rejected the series on the grounds of taste.   Palace Pictures, a British production company who had already produced three films for Neil Jordan including Mona Lisa, was willing to finance the script, provided it could be whittled down to a two hour movie. Originally budgeted at 3.2m British pounds, the costs would rise as they started the casting process.  John Hurt, twice Oscar-nominated for his roles in Midnight Express and The Elephant Man, would sign on to play Stephen Ward, a British osteopath who acted as Christine Keeler's… well… pimp, for lack of a better word. Ian McKellen, a respected actor on British stages and screens but still years away from finding mainstream global success in the X-Men movies, would sign on to play John Profumo. Joanne Whaley, who had filmed the yet to be released at that time Willow with her soon to be husband Val Kilmer, would get her first starring role as Keeler, and Bridget Fonda, who was quickly making a name for herself in the film world after being featured in Aria, would play Mandy Rice-Davies, the best friend and co-worker of Keeler's.   To save money, Palace Pictures would sign thirty-year-old Scottish filmmaker Michael Caton-Jones to direct, after seeing a short film he had made called The Riveter. But even with the neophyte feature filmmaker, Palace still needed about $2.35m to be able to fully finance the film. And they knew exactly who to go to.   Stephen Woolley, the co-founder of Palace Pictures and the main producer on the film, would fly from London to New York City to personally pitch Harvey and Bob Weinstein. Woolley felt that of all the independent distributors in America, they would be the ones most attracted to the sexual and controversial nature of the story. A day later, Woolley was back on a plane to London. The Weinsteins had agreed to purchase the American distribution rights to Scandal for $2.35m.   The film would spend two months shooting in the London area through the summer of 1988. Christine Keeler had no interest in the film, and refused to meet the now Joanne Whaley-Kilmer to talk about the affair, but Mandy Rice-Davies was more than happy to Bridget Fonda about her life, although the meetings between the two women were so secret, they would not come out until Woolley eulogized Rice-Davies after her 2014 death.   Although Harvey and Bob would be given co-executive producers on the film, Miramax was not a production company on the film. This, however, did not stop Harvey from flying to London multiple times, usually when he was made aware of some sexy scene that was going to shoot the following day, and try to insinuate himself into the film's making. At one point, Woolley decided to take a weekend off from the production, and actually did put Harvey in charge. That weekend's shoot would include a skinny-dipping scene featuring the Christine Keeler character, but when Whaley-Kilmer learned Harvey was going to be there, she told the director that she could not do the nudity in the scene. Her new husband was objecting to it, she told them. Harvey, not skipping a beat, found a lookalike for the actress who would be willing to bare all as a body double, and the scene would begin shooting a few hours later. Whaley-Kilmer watched the shoot from just behind the camera, and stopped the shoot a few minutes later. She was not happy that the body double's posterior was notably larger than her own, and didn't want audiences to think she had that much junk in her trunk. The body double was paid for her day, and Whaley-Kilmer finished the rest of the scene herself.   Caton-Jones and his editing team worked on shaping the film through the fall, and would screen his first edit of the film for Palace Pictures and the Weinsteins in November 1988. And while Harvey was very happy with the cut, he still asked the production team for a different edit for American audiences, noting that most Americans had no idea who Profumo or Keeler or Rice-Davies were, and that Americans would need to understand the story more right out of the first frame. Caton-Jones didn't want to cut a single frame, but he would work with Harvey to build an American-friendly cut.   While he was in London in November 1988, he would meet with the producers of another British film that was in pre-production at the time that would become another important film to the growth of the company, but we're not quite at that part of the story yet. We'll circle around to that film soon.   One of the things Harvey was most looking forward to going in to 1989 was the expected battle with the MPAA ratings board over Scandal. Ever since he had seen the brouhaha over Angel Heart's X rating two years earlier, he had been looking for a similar battle. He thought he had it with Aria in 1988, but he knew he definitely had it now.   And he'd be right.   In early March, just a few weeks before the film's planned April 21st opening day, the MPAA slapped an X rating on Scandal. The MPAA usually does not tell filmmakers or distributors what needs to be cut, in order to avoid accusations of actual censorship, but according to Harvey, they told him exactly what needed to be cut to get an R: a two second shot during an orgy scene, where it appears two background characters are having unsimulated sex.   So what did Harvey do?   He spent weeks complaining to the press about MPAA censorship, generating millions in free publicity for the film, all the while already having a close-up shot of Joanne Whaley-Kilmer's Christine Keeler watching the orgy but not participating in it, ready to replace the objectionable shot.   A few weeks later, Miramax screened the “edited” film to the MPAA and secured the R rating, and the film would open on 94 screens, including 28 each in the New York City and Los Angeles metro regions, on April 28th.   And while the reviews for the film were mostly great, audiences were drawn to the film for the Miramax-manufactured controversy as well as the key art for the film, a picture of a potentially naked Joanne Whaley-Kilmer sitting backwards in a chair, a mimic of a very famous photo Christine Keeler herself took to promote a movie about the Profumo affair she appeared in a few years after the events. I'll have a picture of both the Scandal poster and the Christine Keeler photo on this episode's page at The80sMoviePodcast.com   Five other movies would open that weekend, including the James Belushi comedy K-9 and the Kevin Bacon drama Criminal Law, and Scandal, with $658k worth of ticket sales, would have the second best per screen average of the five new openers, just a few hundred dollars below the new Holly Hunter movie Miss Firecracker, which only opened on six screens.   In its second weekend, Scandal would expand its run to 214 playdates, and make its debut in the national top ten, coming in tenth place with $981k. That would be more than the second week of the Patrick Dempsey rom-com Loverboy, even though Loverboy was playing on 5x as many screens.   In weekend number three, Scandal would have its best overall gross and top ten placement, coming in seventh with $1.22m from 346 screens. Scandal would start to slowly fade after that, falling back out of the top ten in its sixth week, but Miramax would wisely keep the screen count under 375, because Scandal wasn't going to play well in all areas of the country. After nearly five months in theatres, Miramax would have its biggest film to date. Scandal would gross $8.8m.   The second release from Millimeter Films was The Return of the Swamp Thing. And if you needed a reason why the 1980s was not a good time for comic book movies, here you are. The Return of the Swamp Thing took most of what made the character interesting in his comic series, and most of what was good from the 1982 Wes Craven adaptation, and decided “Hey, you know what would bring the kids in? Camp! Camp unseen in a comic book adaptation since the 1960s Batman series. They loved it then, they'll love it now!”   They did not love it now.   Heather Locklear, between her stints on T.J. Hooker and Melrose Place, plays the step-daughter of Louis Jourdan's evil Dr. Arcane from the first film, who heads down to the Florida swaps to confront dear old once presumed dead stepdad. He in turns kidnaps his stepdaughter and decides to do some of his genetic experiments on her, until she is rescued by Swamp Thing, one of Dr. Arcane's former co-workers who got turned into the gooey anti-hero in the first movie.   The film co-stars Sarah Douglas from Superman 1 and 2 as Dr. Arcane's assistant, Dick Durock reprising his role as Swamp Thing from the first film, and 1980s B-movie goddess Monique Gabrielle as Miss Poinsettia.   For director Jim Wynorski, this was his sixth movie as a director, and at $3m, one of the highest budgeted movies he would ever make. He's directed 107 movies since 1984, most of them low budget direct to video movies with titles like The Bare Wench Project and Alabama Jones and the Busty Crusade, although he does have one genuine horror classic under his belt, the 1986 sci-fi tinged Chopping Maul with Kelli Maroney and Barbara Crampton.   Wynorski suggested in a late 1990s DVD commentary for the film that he didn't particularly enjoy making the film, and had a difficult time directing Louis Jourdan, to the point that outside of calling “action” and “cut,” the two didn't speak to each other by the end of the shoot.   The Return of Swamp Thing would open in 123 theatres in the United States on May 12th, including 28 in the New York City metro region, 26 in the Los Angeles area, 15 in Detroit, and a handful of theatres in Phoenix, San Francisco. And, strangely, the newspaper ads would include an actual positive quote from none other than Roger Ebert, who said on Siskel & Ebert that he enjoyed himself, and that it was good to have Swamp Thing back. Siskel would not reciprocate his balcony partner's thumb up. But Siskel was about the only person who was positive on the return of Swamp Thing, and that box office would suffer. In its first three days, the film would gross just $119,200. After a couple more dismal weeks in theatres, The Return of Swamp Thing would be pulled from distribution, with a final gross of just $275k.   Fun fact: The Return of Swamp Thing was produced by Michael E. Uslan, whose next production, another adaptation of a DC Comics character, would arrive in theatres not six weeks later and become the biggest film of the summer. In fact, Uslan has been a producer or executive producer on every Batman-related movie and television show since 1989, from Tim Burton to Christopher Nolan to Zack Snyder to Matt Reeves, and from LEGO movies to Joker. He also, because of his ownership of the movie rights to Swamp Thing, got the movie screen rights, but not the television screen rights, to John Constantine.   Miramax didn't have too much time to worry about The Return of Swamp Thing's release, as it was happening while the Brothers Weinstein were at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival. They had two primary goals at Cannes that year:   To buy American distribution rights to any movie that would increase their standing in the cinematic worldview, which they would achieve by picking up an Italian dramedy called, at the time, New Paradise Cinema, which was competing for the Palme D'Or with a Miramax pickup from Sundance back in January. Promote that very film, which did end up winning the Palme D'Or.   Ever since he was a kid, Steven Soderbergh wanted to be a filmmaker. Growing up in Baton Rouge, LA in the late 1970s, he would enroll in the LSU film animation class, even though he was only 15 and not yet a high school graduate. After graduating high school, he decided to move to Hollywood to break into the film industry, renting an above-garage room from Stephen Gyllenhaal, the filmmaker best known as the father of Jake and Maggie, but after a few freelance editing jobs, Soderbergh packed up his things and headed home to Baton Rouge.   Someone at Atco Records saw one of Soderbergh's short films, and hired him to direct a concert movie for one of their biggest bands at the time, Yes, who was enjoying a major comeback thanks to their 1983 triple platinum selling album, 90125. The concert film, called 9012Live, would premiere on MTV in late 1985, and it would be nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video.   Soderbergh would use the money he earned from that project, $7,500, to make Winston, a 12 minute black and white short about sexual deception that he would, over the course of an eight day driving trip from Baton Rouge to Los Angeles, expand to a full length screen that he would call sex, lies and videotape. In later years, Soderbergh would admit that part of the story is autobiographical, but not the part you might think. Instead of the lead, Graham, an impotent but still sexually perverse late twentysomething who likes to tape women talking about their sexual fantasies for his own pleasure later, Soderbergh based the husband John, the unsophisticated lawyer who cheats on his wife with her sister, on himself, although there would be a bit of Graham that borrows from the filmmaker. Like his lead character, Soderbergh did sell off most of his possessions and hit the road to live a different life.   When he finished the script, he sent it out into the wilds of Hollywood. Morgan Mason, the son of actor James Mason and husband of Go-Go's lead singer Belinda Carlisle, would read it and sign on as an executive producer. Soderbergh had wanted to shoot the film in black and white, like he had with the Winston short that lead to the creation of this screenplay, but he and Mason had trouble getting anyone to commit to the project, even with only a projected budget of $200,000. For a hot moment, it looked like Universal might sign on to make the film, but they would eventually pass.   Robert Newmyer, who had left his job as a vice president of production and acquisitions at Columbia Pictures to start his own production company, signed on as a producer, and helped to convince Soderbergh to shoot the film in color, and cast some name actors in the leading roles. Once he acquiesced, Richard Branson's Virgin Vision agreed to put up $540k of the newly budgeted $1.2m film, while RCA/Columbia Home Video would put up the remaining $660k.   Soderbergh and his casting director, Deborah Aquila, would begin their casting search in New York, where they would meet with, amongst others, Andie MacDowell, who had already starred in two major Hollywood pictures, 1984's Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, and 1985's St. Elmo's Fire, but was still considered more of a top model than an actress, and Laura San Giacomo, who had recently graduated from the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in Pittsburgh and would be making her feature debut. Moving on to Los Angeles, Soderbergh and Aquila would cast James Spader, who had made a name for himself as a mostly bad guy in 80s teen movies like Pretty in Pink and Less Than Zero, but had never been the lead in a drama like this. At Spader's suggestion, the pair met with Peter Gallagher, who was supposed to become a star nearly a decade earlier from his starring role in Taylor Hackford's The Idolmaker, but had mostly been playing supporting roles in television shows and movies for most of the decade.   In order to keep the budget down, Soderbergh, the producers, cinematographer Walt Lloyd and the four main cast members agreed to get paid their guild minimums in exchange for a 50/50 profit participation split with RCA/Columbia once the film recouped its costs.   The production would spend a week in rehearsals in Baton Rouge, before the thirty day shoot began on August 1st, 1988. On most days, the shoot was unbearable for many, as temperatures would reach as high as 110 degrees outside, but there were a couple days lost to what cinematographer Lloyd said was “biblical rains.” But the shoot completed as scheduled, and Soderbergh got to the task of editing right away. He knew he only had about eight weeks to get a cut ready if the film was going to be submitted to the 1989 U.S. Film Festival, now better known as Sundance. He did get a temporary cut of the film ready for submission, with a not quite final sound mix, and the film was accepted to the festival. It would make its world premiere on January 25th, 1989, in Park City UT, and as soon as the first screening was completed, the bids from distributors came rolling in. Larry Estes, the head of RCA/Columbia Home Video, would field more than a dozen submissions before the end of the night, but only one distributor was ready to make a deal right then and there.   Bob Weinstein wasn't totally sold on the film, but he loved the ending, and he loved that the word “sex” not only was in the title but lead the title. He knew that title alone would sell the movie. Harvey, who was still in New York the next morning, called Estes to make an appointment to meet in 24 hours. When he and Estes met, he brought with him three poster mockups the marketing department had prepared, and told Estes he wasn't going to go back to New York until he had a contract signed, and vowed to beat any other deal offered by $100,000. Island Pictures, who had made their name releasing movies like Stop Making Sense, Kiss of the Spider-Woman, The Trip to Bountiful and She's Gotta Have It, offered $1m for the distribution rights, plus a 30% distribution fee and a guaranteed $1m prints and advertising budget. Estes called Harvey up and told him what it would take to make the deal. $1.1m for the distribution rights, which needed to paid up front, a $1m P&A budget, to be put in escrow upon the signing of the contract until the film was released, a 30% distribution fee, no cutting of the film whatsoever once Soderbergh turns in his final cut, they would need to provide financial information for the films costs and returns once a month because of the profit participation contracts, and the Weinsteins would have to hire Ira Deutchman, who had spent nearly 15 years in the independent film world, doing marketing for Cinema 5, co-founding United Artists Classics, and co-founding Cinecom Pictures before opening his own company to act as a producers rep and marketer. And the Weinsteins would not only have to do exactly what Deutchman wanted, they'd have to pay for his services too.   The contract was signed a few weeks later.   The first move Miramax would make was to get Soderbergh's final cut of the film entered into the Cannes Film Festival, where it would be accepted to compete in the main competition. Which you kind of already know what happened, because that's what I lead with. The film would win the Palme D'Or, and Spader would be awarded the festival's award for Best Actor. It was very rare at the time, and really still is, for any film to be awarded more than one prize, so winning two was really a coup for the film and for Miramax, especially when many critics attending the festival felt Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing was the better film.   In March, Miramax expected the film to make around $5-10m, which would net the company a small profit on the film. After Cannes, they were hopeful for a $15m gross.   They never expected what would happen next.   On August 4th, sex, lies, and videotape would open on four screens, at the Cinema Studio in New York City, and at the AMC Century 14, the Cineplex Beverly Center 13 and the Mann Westwood 4 in Los Angeles. Three prime theatres and the best they could do in one of the then most competitive zones in all America. Remember, it's still the Summer 1989 movie season, filled with hits like Batman, Dead Poets Society, Ghostbusters 2, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Lethal Weapon 2, Parenthood, Turner & Hooch, and When Harry Met Sally. An independent distributor even getting one screen at the least attractive theatre in Westwood was a major get. And despite the fact that this movie wasn't really a summertime movie per se, the film would gross an incredible $156k in its first weekend from just these four theatres. Its nearly $40k per screen average would be 5x higher than the next closest film, Parenthood.   In its second weekend, the film would expand to 28 theatres, and would bring in over $600k in ticket sales, its per screen average of $21,527 nearly triple its closest competitor, Parenthood again. The company would keep spending small, as it slowly expanded the film each successive week. Forty theatres in its third week, and 101 in its fourth. The numbers held strong, and in its fifth week, Labor Day weekend, the film would have its first big expansion, playing in 347 theatres. The film would enter the top ten for the first time, despite playing in 500 to 1500 fewer theatres than the other films in the top ten. In its ninth weekend, the film would expand to its biggest screen count, 534, before slowly drawing down as the other major Oscar contenders started their theatrical runs. The film would continue to play through the Oscar season of 1989, and when it finally left theatres in May 1989, its final gross would be an astounding $24.7m.   Now, remember a few moments ago when I said that Miramax needed to provide financial statements every month for the profit participation contracts of Soderbergh, the producers, the cinematographer and the four lead actors? The film was so profitable for everyone so quickly that RCA/Columbia made its first profit participation payouts on October 17th, barely ten weeks after the film's opening.   That same week, Soderbergh also made what was at the time the largest deal with a book publisher for the writer/director's annotated version of the screenplay, which would also include his notes created during the creation of the film. That $75,000 deal would be more than he got paid to make the movie as the writer and the director and the editor, not counting the profit participation checks.   During the awards season, sex, lies, and videotape was considered to be one of the Oscars front runners for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay and at least two acting nominations. The film would be nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress by the Golden Globes, and it would win the Spirit Awards for Best Picture, Soderbergh for Best Director, McDowell for Best Actress, and San Giacomo for Best Supporting Actress. But when the Academy Award nominations were announced, the film would only receive one nomination, for Best Original Screenplay. The same total and category as Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing, which many people also felt had a chance for a Best Picture and Best Director nomination. Both films would lose out to Tom Shulman's screenplay for Dead Poet's Society.   The success of sex, lies, and videotape would launch Steven Soderbergh into one of the quirkiest Hollywood careers ever seen, including becoming the first and only director ever to be nominated twice for Best Director in the same year by the Motion Picture Academy, the Golden Globes and the Directors Guild of America, in 2001 for directing Erin Brockovich and Traffic. He would win the Oscar for directing Traffic.   Lost in the excitement of sex, lies, and videotape was The Little Thief, a French movie that had an unfortunate start as the screenplay François Truffaut was working on when he passed away in 1984 at the age of just 52.   Directed by Claude Miller, whose principal mentor was Truffaut, The Little Thief starred seventeen year old Charlotte Gainsbourg as Janine, a young woman in post-World War II France who commits a series of larcenies to support her dreams of becoming wealthy.   The film was a modest success in France when it opened in December 1988, but its American release date of August 25th, 1989, was set months in advance. So when it was obvious sex, lies, and videotape was going to be a bigger hit than they originally anticipated, it was too late for Miramax to pause the release of The Little Thief.   Opening at the Lincoln Plaza Cinemas in New York City, and buoyed by favorable reviews from every major critic in town, The Little Thief would see $39,931 worth of ticket sales in its first seven days, setting a new house record at the theatre for the year. In its second week, the gross would only drop $47. For the entire week. And when it opened at the Royal Theatre in West Los Angeles, its opening week gross of $30,654 would also set a new house record for the year.   The film would expand slowly but surely over the next several weeks, often in single screen playdates in major markets, but it would never play on more than twenty-four screens in any given week. And after four months in theatres, The Little Thief, the last movie created one of the greatest film writers the world had ever seen, would only gross $1.056m in the United States.   The next three releases from Miramax were all sent out under the Millimeter Films banner.   The first, a supernatural erotic drama called The Girl in a Swing, was about an English antiques dealer who travels to Copenhagen where he meets and falls in love with a mysterious German-born secretary, whom he marries, only to discover a darker side to his new bride. Rupert Frazer, who played Christian Bale's dad in Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun, plays the antique dealer, while Meg Tilly the mysterious new bride.   Filmed over a five week schedule in London and Copenhagen during May and June 1988, some online sources say the film first opened somewhere in California in December 1988, but I cannot find a single theatre not only in California but anywhere in the United States that played the film before its September 29th, 1989 opening date.   Roger Ebert didn't like the film, and wished Meg Tilly's “genuinely original performance” was in a better movie. Opening in 26 theatres, including six theatres each in New York City and Los Angeles, and spurred on by an intriguing key art for the film that featured a presumed naked Tilly on a swing looking seductively at the camera while a notice underneath her warns that No One Under 18 Will Be Admitted To The Theatre, The Girl in a Swing would gross $102k, good enough for 35th place nationally that week. And that's about the best it would do. The film would limp along, moving from market to market over the course of the next three months, and when its theatrical run was complete, it could only manage about $747k in ticket sales.   We'll quickly burn through the next two Millimeter Films releases, which came out a week apart from each other and didn't amount to much.   Animal Behavior was a rather unfunny comedy featuring some very good actors who probably signed on for a very different movie than the one that came to be. Karen Allen, Miss Marion Ravenwood herself, stars as Alex, a biologist who, like Dr. Jane Goodall, develops a “new” way to communicate with chimpanzees via sign language. Armand Assante plays a cellist who pursues the good doctor, and Holly Hunter plays the cellist's neighbor, who Alex mistakes for his wife.   Animal Behavior was filmed in 1984, and 1985, and 1987, and 1988. The initial production was directed by Jenny Bowen with the assistance of Robert Redford and The Sundance Institute, thanks to her debut film, 1981's Street Music featuring Elizabeth Daily. It's unknown why Bowen and her cinematographer husband Richard Bowen left the project, but when filming resumed again and again and again, those scenes were directed by the film's producer, Kjehl Rasmussen.   Because Bowen was not a member of the DGA at the time, she was not able to petition the guild for the use of the Alan Smithee pseudonym, a process that is automatically triggered whenever a director is let go of a project and filming continues with its producer taking the reigns as director. But she was able to get the production to use a pseudonym anyway for the director's credit, H. Anne Riley, while also giving Richard Bowen a pseudonym of his own for his work on the film, David Spellvin.   Opening on 24 screens on October 27th, Animal Behavior would come in 50th place in its opening weekend, grossing just $20,361. The New York film critics ripped the film apart, and there wouldn't be a second weekend for the film.   The following Friday, November 3rd, saw the release of The Stepfather II, a rushed together sequel to 1987's The Stepfather, which itself wasn't a big hit in theatres but found a very quick and receptive audience on cable.   Despite dying at the end of the first film, Terry O'Quinn's Jerry is somehow still alive, and institutionalized in Northern Washington state. He escapes and heads down to Los Angeles, where he assumes the identity of a recently deceased publisher, Gene Clifford, but instead passes himself off as a psychiatrist. Jerry, now Gene, begins to court his neighbor Carol, and the whole crazy story plays out again. Meg Foster plays the neighbor Carol, and Jonathan Brandis is her son.    Director Jeff Burr had made a name for himself with his 1987 horror anthology film From a Whisper to a Scream, featuring Vincent Price, Clu Gulager and Terry Kiser, and from all accounts, had a very smooth shooting process with this film. The trouble began when he turned in his cut to the producers. The producers were happy with the film, but when they sent it to Miramax, the American distributors, they were rather unhappy with the almost bloodless slasher film. They demanded reshoots, which Burr and O'Quinn refused to participate in. They brought in a new director, Doug Campbell, to handle the reshoots, which are easy to spot in the final film because they look and feel completely different from the scenes they're spliced into.   When it opened, The Stepfather II actually grossed slightly more than the first film did, earning $279k from 100 screens, compared to $260k for The Stepfather from 105 screens. But unlike the first film, which had some decent reviews when it opened, the sequel was a complete mess. To this day, it's still one of the few films to have a 0% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and The Stepfather II would limp its way through theatres during the Christmas holiday season, ending its run with a $1.5m gross.   But it would be their final film of the decade that would dictate their course for at least the first part of the 1990s.   Remember when I said earlier in the episode that Harvey Weinstein meant with the producers of another British film while in London for Scandal? We're at that film now, a film you probably know.   My Left Foot.   By November 1988, actor Daniel Day-Lewis had starred in several movies including James Ivory's A Room With a View and Philip Kaufman's The Unbearable Lightness of Being. He had even been the lead in a major Hollywood studio film, Pat O'Connor's Stars and Bars, a very good film that unfortunately got caught up in the brouhaha over the exit of the studio head who greenlit the film, David Puttnam.   The film's director, Jim Sheridan, had never directed a movie before. He had become involved in stage production during his time at the University College in Dublin in the late 1960s, where he worked with future filmmaker Neil Jordan, and had spent nearly a decade after graduation doing stage work in Ireland and Canada, before settling in New York City in the early 1980s. Sheridan would go to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where one of his classmates was Spike Lee, and return to Ireland after graduating. He was nearly forty, married with two pre-teen daughters, and he needed to make a statement with his first film.   He would find that story in the autobiography of Irish writer and painter Christy Brown, whose spirit and creativity could not be contained by his severe cerebral palsy. Along with Irish actor and writer Shane Connaughton, Sheridan wrote a screenplay that could be a powerhouse film made on a very tight budget of less than a million dollars.   Daniel Day-Lewis was sent a copy of the script, in the hopes he would be intrigued enough to take almost no money to play a physically demanding role. He read the opening pages, which had the adult Christy Brown putting a record on a record player and dropping the needle on to the record with his left foot, and thought to himself it would be impossible to film. That intrigued him, and he signed on. But during filming in January and February of 1989, most of the scenes were shot using mirrors, as Day-Lewis couldn't do the scenes with his left foot. He could do them with his right foot, hence the mirrors.   As a method actor, Day-Lewis remained in character as Christy Brown for the entire two month shoot. From costume fittings and makeup in the morning, to getting the actor on set, to moving him around between shots, there were crew members assigned to assist the actor as if they were Christy Brown's caretakers themselves, including feeding him during breaks in shooting. A rumor debunked by the actor years later said Day-Lewis had broken two ribs during production because of how hunched down he needed to be in his crude prop wheelchair to properly play the character.   The actor had done a lot of prep work to play the role, including spending time at the Sandymount School Clinic where the young Christy Brown got his education, and much of his performance was molded on those young people.   While Miramax had acquired the American distribution rights to the film before it went into production, and those funds went into the production of the film, the film was not produced by Miramax, nor were the Weinsteins given any kind of executive producer credit, as they were able to get themselves on Scandal.   My Left Foot would make its world premiere at the Montreal World Film Festival on September 4th, 1989, followed soon thereafter by screening at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 13th and the New York Film Festival on September 23rd. Across the board, critics and audiences were in love with the movie, and with Daniel Day-Lewis's performance. Jim Sheridan would receive a special prize at the Montreal World Film Festival for his direction, and Day-Lewis would win the festival's award for Best Actor. However, as the film played the festival circuit, another name would start to pop up. Brenda Fricker, a little known Irish actress who played Christy Brown's supportive but long-suffering mother Bridget, would pile up as many positive notices and awards as Day-Lewis. Although there was no Best Supporting Actress Award at the Montreal Film Festival, the judges felt her performance was deserving of some kind of attention, so they would create a Special Mention of the Jury Award to honor her.   Now, some sources online will tell you the film made its world premiere in Dublin on February 24th, 1989, based on a passage in a biography about Daniel Day-Lewis, but that would be impossible as the film would still be in production for two more days, and wasn't fully edited or scored by then.   I'm not sure when it first opened in the United Kingdom other than sometime in early 1990, but My Left Foot would have its commercial theatre debut in America on November 10th, when opened at the Lincoln Plaza Cinemas in New York City and the Century City 14 in Los Angeles. Sheila Benson of the Los Angeles Times would, in the very opening paragraph of her review, note that one shouldn't see My Left Foot for some kind of moral uplift or spiritual merit badge, but because of your pure love of great moviemaking. Vincent Canby's review in the New York Times spends most of his words praising Day-Lewis and Sheridan for making a film that is polite and non-judgmental.    Interestingly, Miramax went with an ad campaign that completely excluded any explanation of who Christy Brown was or why the film is titled the way it is. 70% of the ad space is taken from pull quotes from many of the top critics of the day, 20% with the title of the film, and 10% with a picture of Daniel Day-Lewis, clean shaven and full tooth smile, which I don't recall happening once in the movie, next to an obviously added-in picture of one of his co-stars that is more camera-friendly than Brenda Fricker or Fiona Shaw.   Whatever reasons people went to see the film, they flocked to the two theatres playing the film that weekend. It's $20,582 per screen average would be second only to Kenneth Branagh's Henry V, which had opened two days earlier, earning slightly more than $1,000 per screen than My Left Foot.   In week two, My Left Foot would gross another $35,133 from those two theatres, and it would overtake Henry V for the highest per screen average. In week three, Thanksgiving weekend, both Henry V and My Left Foot saw a a double digit increase in grosses despite not adding any theatres, and the latter film would hold on to the highest per screen average again, although the difference would only be $302. And this would continue for weeks. In the film's sixth week of release, it would get a boost in attention by being awarded Best Film of the Year by the New York Film Critics Circle. Daniel Day-Lewis would be named Best Actor that week by both the New York critics and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, while Fricker would win the Best Supporting Actress award from the latter group.   But even then, Miramax refused to budge on expanding the film until its seventh week of release, Christmas weekend, when My Left Foot finally moved into cities like Chicago and San Francisco. Its $135k gross that weekend was good, but it was starting to lose ground to other Oscar hopefuls like Born on the Fourth of July, Driving Miss Daisy, Enemies: A Love Story, and Glory.   And even though the film continued to rack up award win after award win, nomination after nomination, from the Golden Globes and the Writers Guild and the National Society of Film Critics and the National Board of Review, Miramax still held firm on not expanding the film into more than 100 theatres nationwide until its 16th week in theatres, February 16th, 1990, two days after the announcement of the nominees for the 62nd Annual Academy Awards. While Daniel Day-Lewis's nomination for Best Actor was virtually assured and Brenda Fricker was practically a given, the film would pick up three other nominations, including surprise nominations for Best Picture and Best Director. Jim Sheridan and co-writer Shane Connaughton would also get picked for Best Adapted Screenplay.   Miramax also picked up a nomination for Best Original Screenplay for sex, lies, and videotape, and a Best Foreign Language Film nod for the Italian movie Cinema Paradiso, which, thanks to the specific rules for that category, a film could get a nomination before actually opening in theatres in America, which Miramax would rush to do with Paradiso the week after its nomination was announced.   The 62nd Academy Awards ceremony would be best remembered today as being the first Oscar show to be hosted by Billy Crystal, and for being considerably better than the previous year's ceremony, a mess of a show best remembered as being the one with a 12 minute opening musical segment that included Rob Lowe singing Proud Mary to an actress playing Snow White and another nine minute musical segment featuring a slew of expected future Oscar winners that, to date, feature exact zero Oscar nominees, both which rank as amongst the worst things to ever happen to the Oscars awards show.   The ceremony, held on March 26th, would see My Left Foot win two awards, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress, as well as Cinema Paradiso for Best Foreign Film. The following weekend, March 30th, would see Miramax expand My Left Foot to 510 theatres, its widest point of release, and see the film made the national top ten and earn more than a million dollars for its one and only time during its eight month run.   The film would lose steam pretty quickly after its post-win bump, but it would eek out a modest run that ended with $14.75m in ticket sales just in the United States. Not bad for a little Irish movie with no major stars that cost less than a million dollars to make.   Of course, the early 90s would see Miramax fly to unimagined heights. In all of the 80s, Miramax would release 39 movies. They would release 30 films alone in 1991. They would release the first movies from Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith. They'd release some of the best films from some of the best filmmakers in the world, including Woody Allen, Pedro Almadovar, Robert Altman, Bernardo Bertolucci, Atom Egoyan, Steven Frears, Peter Greenaway, Peter Jackson, Neil Jordan, Chen Kaige, Krzysztof Kieślowski, Lars von Trier, and Zhang Yimou. In 1993, the Mexican dramedy Like Water for Chocolate would become the highest grossing foreign language film ever released in America, and it would play in some theatres, including my theatre, the NuWilshire in Santa Monica, continuously for more than a year.   If you've listened to the whole series on the 1980s movies of Miramax Films, there are two things I hope you take away. First, I hope you discovered at least one film you hadn't heard of before and you might be interested in searching out. The second is the reminder that neither Bob nor Harvey Weinstein will profit in any way if you give any of the movies talked about in this series a chance. They sold Miramax to Disney in June 1993. They left Miramax in September 2005. Many of the contracts for the movies the company released in the 80s and 90s expired decades ago, with the rights reverting back to their original producers, none of whom made any deals with the Weinsteins once they got their rights back.   Harvey Weinstein is currently serving a 23 year prison sentence in upstate New York after being found guilty in 2020 of two sexual assaults. Once he completes that sentence, he'll be spending another 16 years in prison in California, after he was convicted of three sexual assaults that happened in Los Angeles between 2004 and 2013. And if the 71 year old makes it to 107 years old, he may have to serve time in England for two sexual assaults that happened in August 1996. That case is still working its way through the British legal system.   Bob Weinstein has kept a low profile since his brother's proclivities first became public knowledge in October 2017, although he would also be accused of sexual harassment by a show runner for the brothers' Spike TV-aired adaptation of the Stephen King novel The Mist, several days after the bombshell articles came out about his brother. However, Bob's lawyer, the powerful attorney to the stars Bert Fields, deny the allegations, and it appears nothing has occurred legally since the accusations were made.   A few weeks after the start of the MeToo movement that sparked up in the aftermath of the accusations of his brother's actions, Bob Weinstein denied having any knowledge of the nearly thirty years of documented sexual abuse at the hands of his brother, but did allow to an interviewer for The Hollywood Reporter that he had barely spoken to Harvey over the previous five years, saying he could no longer take Harvey's cheating, lying and general attitude towards everyone.   And with that, we conclude our journey with Miramax Films. While I am sure Bob and Harvey will likely pop up again in future episodes, they'll be minor characters at best, and we'll never have to focus on anything they did ever again.   Thank you for joining us. We'll talk again soon, when Episode 119 is released.   Remember to visit this episode's page on our website, The80sMoviePodcast.com, for extra materials about the movies we covered this episode.   The 80s Movies Podcast has been researched, written, narrated and edited by Edward Havens for Idiosyncratic Entertainment.   Thank you again.   Good night.

Michael Gellert was born and raised in Montreal. The son of Hungarian Holocaust survivors, he was educated in rabbinic Judaism. Traveling at age nineteen overland from Europe to India and throughout the Indian subcontinent, he had a close brush with death, an experience described later in his first book, Modern Mysticism. He studied with Marshall McLuhan at the University of Toronto and trained with the renowned Zen master Kōun Yamada in Japan for two years. He served as a humanities professor at Vanier College, Montreal, and as a lecturer in religious studies at Hunter College of the City University of New York. He managed an employee assistance program for the City of New York and has been a mental health consultant for the University of Southern California and Time magazine. Michael is a Jungian analyst practicing in West Los Angeles. He was formerly Director of Training and is currently an instructor at the C. G. Jung Institute of Los Angeles. His other books include The Way of the Small (winner of Spirituality & Practice's Book Award for One of the Best Spiritual Books of 2007), America's Identity Crisis, The Divine Mind (the latter two each receiving a Nautilus Book Award), Far From This Land: A Memoir About Evolution, Love, and the Afterlife, and Legacy of Darkness and Light: Our Cultural Icons and Their God Complex. His website is michaelgellert.com. Sign up for 10% off of Shrink Rap Radio CE credits at the Zur Institute

Mike Bonin of What’s Next, Los Angeles joins us to talk about the impending eviction of at least 500 renters at the Barrington Plaza in West Los Angeles this September. We also discuss the expiration of affordable housing at the Hillside Villa in Chinatown and its implications for L.A.’s affordable housing supply overall, and howContinue reading LARGEST-EVER EVICTION IN L.A. SINCE “CHAVEZ RAVINE” →

Mike Bonin of What’s Next, Los Angeles joins us to talk about the impending eviction of at least 500 renters at the Barrington Plaza in West Los Angeles this September. We also discuss the expiration of affordable housing at the Hillside Villa in Chinatown and its implications for L.A.’s affordable housing supply overall, and howContinue reading LARGEST-EVER EVICTION IN L.A. (SINCE CHAVEZ RAVINE) →

It's YOUR time to #EdUp In this episode, YOUR guest is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Troy Brown, SVP of of Admissions, Recruitment, & Marketing at the University of West Los Angeles (UWLA), YOUR guest cohost is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Robert W. Brown, Esq., Troy's Father & President of the University of West Los Angeles YOUR guest host is Dr. Michelle Cantu-Wilson, Owner of Vida Consulting for Higher Education & Trustee at San Jacinto College YOUR sponsor is Commencement: The Beginning of a New Era In Higher Education! How does Troy & the team work on being relationship oriented with all of UWLA's constituents? Why does UWLA treat their students equitably & what's a new initiative that will fund their education? What does Troy see as the future of Higher Education? Listen in to #EdUp! Thank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp! Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - Elvin Freytes & Dr. Joe Sallustio ● Join YOUR EdUp community at The EdUp Experience! We make education YOUR business! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/edup/message

PUBLIC VERSION. Legendary writer David J. Schow (THE CROW, LEATHERFACE: TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE III, CRITTERS 3 & 4, THE HILLS RUN RED, and SO MUCH more) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen for an incredibly candid conversation about his prolific career. From writing a newspaper article about people overdoing their tans leading to David writing articles for various Men's magazines… to his prolific arsenal of incredible one-of-a-kind short stories that created "Splatterpunk" and captured the attention of a young wunderkind at New Line Cinema named Mike Deluca… to being invited in to pitch story ideas for the 1989 TV series FREDDY'S NIGHTMARES where he landed a gig writing what would become the Season 1 finale (“Safe Sex”)… to what his exact involvement actually was with NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 5: THE DREAM CHILD… to why violence and carnage are not enough to make up a good horror story… to one of the craziest horror convention cosplays you'll ever hear about (it even has a “happily ever after” aspect)… to his painful experience writing for the reboot of THE OUTER LIMITS (the original series is his favorite show of all time)… to the trials and tribulations of being a screenwriter and having to publicly wear any creative changes that were made to your script during the production process without your input or knowledge… to the true story of how the MPAA screwed over the release of LEATHERFACE: TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE III… to why David has the odd credit of “teleplay by” on Dave Parker's THE HILLS RUN RED (2009) and why the guys believe that the “Babyface” character could have been ranked among the great slasher icons if the film had received the multiple sequels it deserved… to David's extremely personal stories from the making of THE CROW and his honest reflections on the powerful and everlasting legacy of the universally beloved film - including the reason why he's only ever watched it twice… Schow is living proof that hard work, tenacity, and originality can indeed pay off and shine through the dark times. After all, “it can't rain all the time.”   Dr Arwen provides “Hollywood Therapy” for a returning patient who's just completed her very first short film and looking for some advice as she starts submitting it to festivals, David reveals what became of the De Laurentiis mechanical “King Kong” created for the 1976 remake, and Adam shares the embarrassing story of the first time he tried smoking weed in this brutally honest, extended length, special episode that's so damn good you're going to want to listen to it twice!   Live in Los Angeles? Come see Joe's Lynch's 2017 hit MAYHEM on the big screen at the Landmark Nuart Theater in West Los Angeles on September 1st! The evening will include a Q&A with Joe and members of the film's crew hosted by Adam Green.   Want to hear the full version of this episode? Support THE MOVIE CRYPT on www.Patreon.com/TheMovieCrypt for just $1 a month and start getting the full version of every new episode every Monday morning. This fully independent podcast only exists through the support of our beloved audience.

We are back with a brand new episode to kick off season 6!  To celebrate the milestone of surpassing 100 episodes, we welcome our dear friend and iconic Mexican megastar Carla Morrison!  Ahead of her Hollywood Bowl debut happening August 12th, this beautiful, deep and fun conversation was recorded live in front of a room full of adoring fans at the legendary Village Studios in West Los Angeles.  We laughed, cried and learned so much of the acclaimed songstress.  So pour yourself a cocktail, sit back and enjoy this very special edition of Jack Daniel's Presenta Pili, Raul & La Musica en Vivo!

This is a republishing of an archived episode with Sarah Peyton."A human being is a part of a whole"-Albert EinsteinElisha Goldstein, Ph.D. is co-founder of The Center for Mindful Living in West Los Angeles and creator of the 6-month mentorship program A Course in Mindful Living. He is a psychologist, speaker and author who has published numerous articles, chapters, and blogs, including: -Uncovering Happiness: Overcoming Depression with Mindfulness and Self-Compassion,-The Now Effect: How This Moment Can Change the Rest of Your Life, -Co-author of A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook (foreword by Jon Kabat-Zinn), and -MBSR Every Day.He synthesizes the pearls of traditional psychotherapy with a progressive integration of mindfulness to achieve mental and emotional healing. He has his private practice in West Los Angeles, California. In This EpisodeThe Center for Mindful LivingElisha's website Elisha on FacebookElisha on TwitterJohn O'donaghue, Anam cara, a book of celtic wisdomThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5739761/advertisement

We are happy to welcome Dr. Reem Kabbarah to The Hamilton Review Podcast!  Dr. Kabbarah is a pediatric dentist and the founder of Smiles Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics. In this conversation, Dr. Kabbarah shares her background, how she entered into the field of dentistry and important advice to parents about their child's dental health. Enjoy this episode! Dr. Reem Kabbarah is the founder of Smiles Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, a pediatric dental home in West Los Angeles promoting comprehensive dental health for infants, children and young adults. She is a graduate of the University of Southern California, a Diplomat of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. In addition to private practice, Dr. Reem has recently begun serving as Clinical Assistant Professor of Dentistry at the Pediatric Dental Department/Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC.  In clinical care, Dr. Reem's philosophy is based on honoring and respecting children while caring for them using age-appropriate techniques and loving attention. The focus of her practice is on comfort in the dental setting and the promotion and maintenance of well-being. Minimal interventions using the latest technologies such as soft/hard tissue lasers and 3D dental printing are at the heart of the care that she and her team offer.  Dr. Reem is a blessed mother of two, an artist, a poet and dancer. She loves the outdoors, swimming, tennis, yoga, music, cooking and creating. How to contact Dr. Kabbarah: Smiles Pediatric Dentistry Website Smiles Pediatric Dentistry on Instagram Dr. Kabbarah on Instagram How to contact Dr. Bob: Dr. Bob on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChztMVtPCLJkiXvv7H5tpDQ Dr. Bob on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drroberthamilton/ Dr. Bob on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bob.hamilton

Don't think just because Sean Baker did some shit with three iPhone 5s and Final Cut that you can just whip out your phone and make something this good because you can't. Maybe some of you could, but most of you? No way. MOVIES ARE GAY this month and we keep on truckin' with a crafty and clever tale of two transgender sex workers on the streets of West Los Angeles. Hilarious and human, movies don't often feel this real. Nor should they for the most part, but when they do feel real it can be rewarding. Of course we're talking about Sean Baker's 2015 film “Tangerine” starring Katana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor and Karren Karagulian. Check this shit out if you haven't, it's genuinely funny and don't fall in love with your pimp for God's sake. Subscribe to our Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuJf3lkRI-BLUTsLI_ehOsg Contact: MOVIEHUMPERS@gmail.com Our OG podcast “Documenteers”: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/documenteers-the-documentary-podcast/id1321652249 Soundcloud feed: https://soundcloud.com/documenteers Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/moviehumpers Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/documenteers Twitter: @CultureRotter

In this edition of his Search for Meaning podcast, Stephen Wise Temple Senior Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback hosts old friend Rabbi Zoë Klein Miles of Temple Isaiah, author of the new book, Candle, Feather, Wooden Spoon (CCAR Press, 2023). Rabbi Klein Miles serves Temple Isaiah in West Los Angeles, where she brings her unique blend of innovation, tradition, creativity, and wisdom. The two speak about the lost art of letter writing, the process of authoring a book, Jewish symbols and holidays, storytelling, homiletics, and Rabbi Klein Miles' childhood as the daughter of a studio artist. Possessed of a drive to become an author at an early age, Rabbi Klein Miles recalls a seminal moment in her young life when her father told her: "I will not consider you a writer. You are not a writer until you finish a book. It doesn't matter if it is ever published." She has since become a prolific author, writing the novel Drawing in the Dust (Gallery Books, 2009) of which Publishers Weekly wrote, “Insight into the world of biblical excavation in Israel raises Rabbi Klein's debut novel from a Jewish Da Vinci Code to an emotionally rich story of personal and historical discovery.” Drawing in the Dust has been published in five countries. Rabbi Klein Miles is also the author of a children's story The Goblins of Knottingham: A History of Challah (Apples & Honey, 2017), The Scroll of Anatiya (Wipf and Stock, 2009), and Candle, Feather, Wooden Spoon, a collection of short stories. Rabbi Klein's writing is included in The Torah: A Women's Commentary, Teen Texts, Holy Ground: A Gathering of Voices on Caring for Creation, The Sacred Exchange: Creating a Jewish Money Ethic, and more.  Her poems and prayers are used in houses of prayer around the world.At Temple Isaiah since 2000, Rabbi Klein Miles has served as the associate rabbi, the senior rabbi, and the director of adult education and engagement. A Connecticut native, Rabbi Klein holds a degree in psychology from Brandeis University. Rabbi Klein Miles pursued the rabbinate out of a passion for ancient texts, mythology, liturgy, and poetry. Twenty-five years ago, she received a master's degree in Hebrew literature and rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in New York and Jerusalem. In fact, she and Rabbi Yoshi were ordained together.

Aloha shirts as far as the eye can see, new products for everyone to taste, and So. Much. Energy! It's the Trader Joe's Annual Captains' Meeting, and you have a front row seat, so to speak. Have a listen to find out about our plans for the future, the return of Demo (yes!), your store Captain's favorite product, and what the heck is a Golden Potsticker Award! Transcript (PDF) Golden Potsticker Award Winners: Store # Location 8 Fresno, CA 26 Hillcrest, San Diego, CA 46 Orange, CA 59 Santa Barbara, CA 82 Reno, NV 85 Glendale, AZ 100 San Francisco, CA 101 Fairfield, CA 135 Queen Anne Hill, WA 164 Spokane (North), WA 167 Albuquerque, NM 211 Templeton, CA 215 West Los Angeles, CA 249 San Juan Capistrano, CA 250 USC, CA 284 Summerlin (West), NV 404 Fort Worth, TX 460 Tulsa, OK 510 Boston (Back Bay), MA 519 Portland, ME 552 Oceanside, NY 559 Staten Island, NY 571 Bridgemarket, NY 637 Media, PA 654 Centreville, VA 657 Willamsburg, VA 663 Knoxville, TN 678 Ann Arbor, MI 685 La Grange, IL 692 Brentwood, MO 715 Woodbury, MN 735 Buckhead, GA 744 Charlotte (Midtown), NC 781 Coral Gables, FL