Eutaw Street Cardboard: Baby Shower Schwag

Yesterday Wifey's family held an awesome baby shower for our soon to be addition. Our friends and family went well above and beyond for us. I can't thank them enough for all the stuff we brought home. I had to snag a minivan and put down all the seats just to make everything fit.

We received a lot of sports related toys and clothes but one piece stood out.

1960's Lego Little League Nodder Doll

My mother-in-law insisted it be paced in the baby's room. Too much stuff in there already. So I made room in the cave, right in between my Cal Ripken Bobbleheads.

The cool part about this bobble is that it is made of paper mache. Not plaster or porcelain, hardened paper. There are a few character building chips in the bill of his hat and a small crack, but those merely add to the piece. Oh, it's a coin bank as well. By far the best gift.

Source: http://eutawstreetcardboard.blogspot.com/2012/03/baby-shower-schwag.html

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Ielts Sample | Ielts Reading | Ielts Listening

IELTS LISTENING/READING/WRITING/SPEAKING

Now we will talk about What IELTS consists of or IELTS Questions, to be more precise?

IELTS has Four Modules. The test is conducted to assess all four major aspects of the language. Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. The information given below will help you understand what this test is in a better manner.

Skill Tested
Time Given What it consists of
Testing Listening Skills 30 minutes 40 items

Testing Reading Skills 60 minutes 3 passages, 2000-2750 words

Academic Writing 60 minutes 2 tasks: a report (150), an essay (250)

Speaking Skills 10-14 minutes Face-to-face interview

Why IELTS???

This question is needed to be answered first.
If you are contemplating to go abroad and study there then IELTS Exam is the first step.

You will have to have this test cleared first if you are so desirous of getting admission in to a foreign university. You cannot skip this exam. It is very much needed. Even universities esquire about your bands in this particular test. It has gained so much of popularity that most of the students actually fear facing this exam. They fear that they are going to be failed in this exam.

Most of the students, those who want to study abroad, tries to find a way out but there is, in reality, no way. IELTS imply not just immigration charges but also a significant amount of time from your side. You will have to give a lot of time for the preparation of the exam. You will have to look for the perfect training classes.
It should also be said that most of the occupational or professionals also have some kind of aversion towards this test but there is nothing that they can really do about it. They sometimes find it unfair. Because they are judged not by their dedication towards their professionalism but by assessing their English Language Skills through this test IELTS. They may have great occupational or professional experience but they are made to get through this test if they wish to work in some foreign countries like UK, Australia, Canada, etc,.

It should also be said that even this happens that sometimes who do not have sound knowledge of their profession get through the IELTS Test and actually starts practicing in foreign countries there. It is all because of the English Language Skills. The test is so well designated that it leaves no mark of imperfectness in a Language Assessment Process. Once you get through the test then you are granted immigration visa. Once you get this then you can choose any college or university of your choice and study. You can also have the option of practicing your profession.

Most of the students complain being neglected or turned down because of the poor Language Skills. In order to pass IELTS you need to have sound knowledge of English Language. If you do not possess this golden language then you are going to lose a great deal of opportunities in your life to earn or study abroad.
IELTS has now become a necessary test to be taken if you are thinking of filling out an Immigration Application. You will have to take into consideration a lot of things

8-10,Gough House, 57 Eden Street Kingston upon Thames-KTI IDA
United Kingdom
Surrey, United Kingdom KTI IDA
United Kingdom

Source: http://www.a1article.net/writing-speaking/ielts-sample-ielts-reading-ielts-listening-6853.html

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Protesters become leaders in China village vote (AP)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]AP - Two protesters who led a rebellion against officials accused of stealing farmland were elected Saturday to run their fishing village in a much-watched election that reformers hope will promote democracy as a way to settle many of the myriad disputes besetting China.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/china/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120303/ap_on_re_as/as_china_village_election

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Video: 'The Hansen Files': Day Care, Part 6

Dateline NBC

'Dateline NBC,' the signature broadcast for NBC News in primetime, premiered in 1992. Since then, it has been pioneering a new approach to primetime news programming. The multi-night franchise, supplemented by frequent specials, allows NBC to consistently and comprehensively present the highest-quality reporting, investigative features, breaking news coverage and newsmaker profiles.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032600/vp/46611059#46611059

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Apple getting Yerba Buena Center ready for iPad 3 event

Apple's iPad 3 event is schedule for Wednesday, March 7, 2012 at 10am PT, and from the looks of these pictures, they're wasting no time in getting the Yerba Buena Center all gussied up for the big day.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/EfF8er4Up9g/story01.htm

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EU leaders sign treaty to enforce fiscal discipline as Spain rebels

Spain told European Union leaders as they gathered to sign a fiscal treaty that it couldn't meet the deficit targets set by the EU for the upcoming year.?

The leaders of 25 European countries on Friday signed a new treaty designed to limit government overspending, but their good intentions were immediately put to the test when Spain said it would miss deficit targets this year.

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By signing of the new treaty, known as the fiscal compact, the leaders hope to achieve closer political and economic integration and longer-term confidence in Europe's finances. But the economic reality in the region ? record unemployment and a slide back into recession ? suggests the leaders need to reconsider their focus on austerity and seek ways to boost growth.

Hours after signing the new pact, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy admitted his government's deficit will be 5.8 percent of economic output this year instead of the 4.4 percent earlier promised to the EU to save his country's economy from austerity overload.

The EU's executive, the European Commission, will be forced to either back off its demands for deficit cuts or sanction Madrid.

The clash illustrates the bind Europe's leaders are in ? having to reduce the debts that created the crisis in the first place while at the same time needing to foster economic growth, without which debt reduction measures will be futile.

"I did not consult other European leaders and I will inform the Commission in April," Rajoy said. "This is a sovereign decision by Spain."

Rajoy said he still plans to cut the deficit to 3 percent in 2013, which would put the country back in line with EU rules, and insisted he was committed to austerity as the best way of getting the country back in shape.

Still, Spain's case will provide an indication of how strict European officials intend to be about enforcing debt reduction in a recession.

A spokesman for the European Commission warned that Madrid, which currently has unemployment higher than 20 percent and a shaky banking sector, could come under renewed market pressure if it fails to rein in its deficit.

"There is an issue of confidence at stake here," said Amadeu Altafaj Tardio. He added that the Commission still wants Madrid to provide details on why last year's deficit was so much higher than expected ? and what it plans to do about it this year ? before the end of the month.

Europeans leaders at the summit, however, offered few concrete measures to boost economic activity, insisting the new treaty would help growth by increasing confidence in the region and its ability to manage its financial problems.

"It will bring us, as it were, the economic and monetary union that is finally walking on two legs," said Herman Van Rompuy, the European Council President.

Only Britain and the Czech Republic decided not to sign the agreement, a move that triggered concern over a rift in the 27-country European Union.

Many Europeans have grown weary of the EU and the euro. Two years of painful austerity in the poorer countries have taken their economic toll, while many in the richer countries are getting frustrated over funding the expensive bailouts for Greece, Ireland and Portugal.

Others fear the tighter spending rules will limit governments' room to maneuver in tough economic times and force German-style fiscal discipline on countries with vastly different economies and cultures. However, the new deficit limits make some exceptions, such as for severe recessions and other unexpected economic circumstances.

Though the leaders' summit was held under the calmest conditions in financial markets in months, the economic outlook is darkening. Unemployment is at 10.7 percent across the eurozone and several countries are forecast to fall back into recession this year, yet the EU leaders were hesitant to back off austerity.

"We remain in a fragile situation," German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned. "The crisis is far from over."

After a relatively smooth drafting process, the most difficult part of bringing the new rules into force begins. All participating governments have to ratify the treaty, either through parliamentary or popular votes ? a process that may prove difficult in some places.

The biggest challenge may lie in Ireland, which has decided it must hold a public referendum to ratify the agreement. This could be a risky proposition ? Irish voters initially rejected the EU's previous two treaties in such referendums, delaying European progress toward closer cooperation.

This time, EU leaders have ensured that Irish voters cannot block the fiscal pact. Unlike earlier treaties, this one does not require unanimous support to become law. It will come into force once 12 of the eurozone's 17 members ratify it.

An Irish rejection would chiefly undermine Ireland's own ability to keep paying its bills. The fiscal treaty proposes to prevent any abstaining eurozone countries from receiving loans from the eurozone's future financial backstop, the European Stability Mechanism.

Economists believe Ireland may require a new round of loan aid in 2013 once its current flow of EU-International Monetary Fund bailout funds runs out.

__

Don Melvin and Slobodan Lekic in Brussels and Shawn Pogatchnik in Dublin contributed to this story.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/6Q4VXzK5AdQ/EU-leaders-sign-treaty-to-enforce-fiscal-discipline-as-Spain-rebels

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ScriptShadow: Screenwriting and Screenplay reviews: Screenwriter ...

You know, it's harder giving interviews than you think!? It's hard to come up with unique questions and such.? So I decided to mix it up a little bit with today's guest and ask some questions that usually don't get asked.? Hopefully you enjoy it.? John Swetnam's name might sound familiar to you.? He's the Found Footage king.? Well, maybe not the king.? Oren Peli owns the copyright on found footage.? But he's pretty darn close. He's sold two found footage specs, Evidence and Category 6 (a found footage tornado spec) and, as I just found out via this interview, is coming out with another, "Genesis: Dawn," that he hopes will change the found footage game. I talked with him after the interview and I don't think I've ever heard somebody as passionate about something as he is about this spec. I wanted to go to the nearest theater and see it right now!? Need more John Swetnam? You can follow him @JohnSwetnam on Twitter .
SS: How is a working writer?s life different from a non-working writer?s life? How are your days different?

JS: The biggest difference in my life now is that pants are mostly optional. I can?t tell you what it?s like to commute from my bedroom to the computer in by boxer briefs, spike a cup of coffee with some Jack Daniels and spend my hours just making shit up. It?s amazing. All the years of struggle, of waiting tables, of making minimum wage are definitely worth it. It is the greatest job on the planet and I just try to be grateful every day. I even had that tattooed on my chest. Literally. Be Grateful Every Day.

SS: Everybody has a bad first script story. What was your first script about? Was it bad? When you go back to it, what kind of sounds do you make?

JS: My first script was called ?Fifty Yard Gain?. It was a teen drama that I based on the small town in Tennessee where I used to live. We had an East and West High School in the same town, which was pretty nuts. HUGE rivalry. So the script was basically Romeo and Juliet in the world of High School Football. I actually went back to check it out recently and of course it was awful, but there was this energy in the writing that I thought was cool. Back when I had no idea what I was doing, I just poured my soul onto the page. But of course, my soul is twisted and insane, so the script is a complete and total cluster fuck. I still think it was a pretty good idea though. It would be like High School Musical but instead of singing, there would be drugs, abortions, and armed robbery. Somebody put in a call to Disney?

SS: I?m hoping you visited Scriptshadow before you sold Evidence. Is there anything you learned from this wonderful little blog that helped your own screenwriting?

JS: Dude, you probably don?t remember this but way back in the day you read some of my stuff. There was one script called RAPTURE, which was like this Midnight Run at the end of the world thing. Again, it was a steaming pile of shit, but you had some very encouraging words about the writing. And I?ve never forgotten that, even though you have-- dick.

And yes, I?ve followed the blog since its conception. And one of the greatest things I?ve learned, or at least reconfirmed, was from reading all the comments from your readers. And that?s that this business is SO subjective. One guy may hate something while another loves it. And neither one of them are wrong (except for the pricks who railed on EVIDENCE). But us, as writers, need to remember that. You?re not gonna please everybody and somebody IS going to hate your stuff. But that?s okay. Just know who your audience is and write it for them? even if that?s just you. You can?t please everybody so don?t even try.

SS: Wait a minute wait a minute. I think I remember that script. This was back in the Done Deal days right? Maybe when I had just started the site? I remember that. The writing was good. Definitely not a steaming pile of shit. So if you wrote that script now, what would be different? How would you approach it now as opposed to then?

JS: Yeah, it was back in my DDP days. The idea for that script was actually pretty good butt I?d completely have to rework it to fit certain marketing parameters. That was a 150 million dollar post-apocalyptic dark comedy. Not really an easy sell. If I were to do it today, I?d do a Zombieland version. Small and fun with action. Midnight Run at the end of the world. It practically sells itself!

SS: You wrote 16 specs before you got your first sale. How did you keep the faith? And how did you pay for rent?

JS: I always tell people that there is no right or wrong path to making it in this business. We?re not lawyers. Some guy can write one script at 19 years old, sell it for a million, and be off and running (of course we all hate that guy, but still). And for some it may take three or four scripts. And for some stubborn idiots it may take 16. But the thing is, for me, I needed ALL of those scripts. Because I got better with each and every one. Obviously when I started I was the equivalent of a brain damaged sloth, but slowly and surely I got better and better, until finally I had enough skill to become a bonafied hack and sell a script.

But in all seriousness, through all the ups and downs, what I know for sure is that I believed in myself. From my first script to my latest, number 22. I know deep down that I can be good at this and I?m determined to prove that to myself. I have no backup plan. If there are any doubts, I squash them (or drink them away). But this was, and continues to be, the greatest and most satisfying challenge of my life. Can I succeed? Can I make awesome movies that make shitloads of money? The answer may be ?no?, but I promise you I will keep trying until the day I die. I always tells my buddies that ?this is the year?. And if that?s what it ends up saying on my gravestone? that ?this is the year?? I?m okay with that because it means I never gave up.

And to all your readers, if you look deep down in yourself and you honestly believe you can do this and this crazy dream is what makes you happy, then just go for it. Do it. Go all in. And don?t doubt yourself. I know that?s hard to do, but trust me, in this business there?s gonna be enough people out there doubting you? don?t be one of them. Your passion and confidence are what will get you through. Just know that it?s hard, and it may take one year and two scripts, or ten years and twenty scripts. But that shouldn?t matter. Just keep writing. Keep fighting. And keep believing in yourself.

And to answer your question about paying rent. I will now give your readers the greatest piece of screenwriting advice ever. Two words. APARTMENT MANAGEMENT. I got free rent, salary, had a roommate that paid me cash, and I spent all day writing. Your toilet needs to be unclogged? Fuck off, I?m writing. Did it for 7 years. That?s the trick. You?re welcome.

SS: A question I?m CONSTANTLY asked is ?Should I go to school for screenwriting?? You went to Chapman (a beautiful little school btw ? I visited there myself). How would you answer that question? SHOULD someone go to school? Or should they just visit screenwriting blogs every day and save their money?

JS: Getting a master?s degree is a very strange thing. I already had a bachelor?s so there I had a base of knowledge and education. For me, going to grad school was not so much about learning the craft, but being surrounded by it. And by that, I mean, you?re talking with people every day about movies. You?re writing on deadline, interacting with professionals, networking, etc. And of course there?s the student loans that you can use to fuel all those weekend binges in Vegas.

So for me, in my particular situation, it was cool. I met some cool people and it really threw me into the world of film like nothing else. Would I do it all over again? Probably not. I would probably write my ass off, move to Hollywood, and get a job as an apartment manager while interning and visiting Scriptshadow and GITS every day. (Are you gonna pay me for all these plugs?)

SS: By the way, how does the money work for a script sale? Everybody hears about the numbers but, like, when do you actually get paid! How does that whole process work?

Ah, the money question. My favorite. To be honest every deal is different. The option is what happens to most people on their first ?sale?. And if you can get into production you?ll see a fat check on day one of principal photography. For outright sales you get a big fatty check about 3-4 months after the sale (it takes a while to get all the contracts worked out) and then another chunky pay day on day one of shooting. Plus there are bonuses built in, some back end possibly, etc, etc. Let?s just say the money beats apartment managing.

SS: 3 movies that you think would be awesome remade as Found Footage movies. Besides When Harry Met Sally. Go.

JS: I actually wrote down 3 answers to this question but then I erased them all because I realized how fucking awesome they were. I?m literally gonna pitch them now. Sorry.

SS: You?ve had multiple agents and managers. It sounds like the early ones didn?t do a whole lot. Could you tell writers what to avoid when looking for an agent or manager, and some of the issues to expect once you do become a client?

JS: I can tell you from my experience that 99% of any issues I ever had with any of my previous reps fell completely on my shoulders. Believe me, if I would?ve given any of those guys a good damn script they could?ve sold it. But I never did. So it?s really hard to judge anyone on representing me when I didn?t yet have the ability to represent myself in my work.

As for issues with reps, I always tell people to forget about the letters on the building or the promises and the smoke that will inevitably be blown up your ass. Trust your gut. Do you believe that they believe what they?re saying? I mean, just take your time and really get a feel for the person and if you feel that connection, then go for it. If it doesn?t work out you can always leave. Nothing personal. You have to remember that this is your career so if you?re not feeling it after six months or a year? just bail and start again. No shame it that. I know that when you?re starting out it?s terrifying to go from repped to unrepped, but if you can find that manager/agent once then you?ll be able to do it again. Be confident in your ability, or at the very least, be confident in your ability to get better.

SS: How did you get your early agents/managers btw? I know Jake Wagner found you after being a finalist on the Tracking B contest. But before that, what was your trick to getting repped?

JS: After grad school I moved to Hollywood and got an internship. I worked hard and tried to figure out what the producers at the company were looking for. I became friends with the assistants who were genuinely good guys and I asked their advice as I generated concepts. Finally I had a concept that they loved. I wrote the spec script and the assistant showed the producer. He liked it enough to want to develop it so I asked him to call his friend who was a manger, which he did. Then when I signed with the manager I asked him to call his friend who was an agent and he did. Boom. Repped.

Of course, the script turned out awful and I never made any of those guys one dollar after years of bitching and complaining. I still feel like I owe all my old reps a drink or ten. I mean, I was so cocky back then with absolutely zero skills. I must?ve been a pain in the ass to deal with. (I still am but at least now they?re getting paid).?

SS: What is a writer/agent writer/manager relationship like? Do you talk every day? When you do talk, what do you talk about? Can you give me a typical conversation?

JS: Again this is one of those questions, like most, where every time it?s different. Every relationship I?ve ever had, whether it was with a girl, a guy friend, an agent, or whatever? they?re always different. Some good and some bad. My relationship with my team right now is fantastic. I consider them both friends and when I need something they are there for me. I?m really, really lucky.

A typical conversation might go something like this?

ME: Yo, let?s sell this script and get me paid. THEM: On it. CUT TO TWO WEEKS LATER where I?m either making it rain at the strip club, or back on the computer working on a new spec.

But seriously, they?re great. I owe a lot to them both. And right now? it?s all good.

SS: What are your thoughts on Tyler coming out of nowhere this past week with The Disciple Program? Pretty wild, huh?

JS: Fucking loved it! These are those stories that I would dream about when I was starting out. I?m a little pissed and super jealous that this kind of shit never happened to me, but I was never as good as a writer as he is. The guy put the words on the page. He created a product and then you created a demand. The product lived up to the hype and dude?s gonna have a hell of a year. My advice to him is just to keep his feet on the ground and write, write, write. I?m excited to see how his career progresses. No doubt he?ll be getting all the good jobs and exposing me for the fraud that I am.

SS: Speaking of, Tyler is taking a bunch of meetings over the next two weeks. Can you give him any advice? I mean, what did you learn from that first wave of meetings?

JS: Enjoy the hell out of it. It?s a once in a lifetime experience because it?s only ?new and exciting? once. I mean, it?s always exciting but that overwhelming, surreal world he?s about to step into is soooo much fun the first time. It?s a trip. The studios. The fancy restaurants. The praise. Oh man, do I miss all that praise. But like I said before, hopefully he meets some reps, clicks with them and trusts his gut, and they?ll get him a ton of opportunities. Just have fun, order the lobster, drink the single-malt, and then get back to writing. Create more product. Cause without it? we got nothing.

SS: You seem to be on the cutting edge of technology. You have a Twitter account. You write found footage. Are you actively thinking of the next trend? What is it? Can you tell me?

JS: I?m on the cutting edge of technology because I have a twitter account? Sweet. And yes, I write Found Footage. As for the next trend? I could tell you but I?d have to kill you.

SS: How do you think found footage is going to evolve? What?s the next phase?

JS: Found Footage has a long way to go before it fades away. There are so many writers out there experimenting with the genre that I think it?s really exciting to see what comes out of it. But you really wanna know what I think the next phase of found footage is. Two words. ?GENESIS: DAWN?.

SS: So what are you writing now? What have you finished recently? You got any cool scripts we should be aware of?

JS: Oh, funny you should ask, but I just finished a new spec that?s the next phase of found footage called ?GENESIS: DAWN?. I?m actually really stoked about this one because it?s literally like nothing that?s ever been done before.

Tonally, I wanted to do a franchise starter like Resident Evil or Underworld. But mine is the sci-fi action-thriller version of that.

Here?s the logline to peak your interest (hopefully): After her daughter is abducted, a young mother wakes up on a spaceship and must traverse a hostile landscape while battling alien creatures in order to find her. It?s basically Taken meets Aliens POV style.

Hopefully you can do a review on it soon. Just make sure it gets an ?Impressive?.

SS: Finally ? since you love to reminded ? you wrote 16 scripts before you found success. If you could go back and do it all over again, what would you change to speed things up!?

JS: Here?s the fucked up thing about this question? there?s nothing I could?ve done different. For me, it took 16 scripts before I got to a place where I felt like I knew what I was doing. If I could go back and make myself smarter, maybe that would work. Or I could?ve told myself not to drink so much beer or smoke so much weed, but what?s the fun in that? I really just think there is no secret. No magic bullet. There are tons of concepts, theories, ideas, guidelines, etc, that will definitely help you. But I think every writer has to just keep writing. And keep writing. If you stay focused, work hard, and work smart, you will succeed at some point. And it will be at your own pace. I?m proof of it, because I?m not a talented writer. I wasn?t born with a gift. I just know that I will not be outworked. As Big Willy said, ?I?m not afraid to die on the treadmill?.

Anyway, thanks for the interview. It was fun. Hopefully I didn?t come off as too much of a d-bag. I wish nothing but the best for all of us. It?s an amazing dream that we?re chasing and it won?t come easy, but it will come if you believe in yourself and KEEP WRITING!

Source: http://scriptshadow.blogspot.com/2012/02/screenwriter-interview-john-swetnam.html

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