Uncategorized
Interviewing for College in Style
by admin on Dec.22, 2009, under Uncategorized
Ryan P Blomster asked:
When preparing for your college interview, take the time to be presentable. That doesn’t mean wearing a three-piece suit or an evening gown. Wear something nice that you feel comfortable in.
Chances are your interviewer will also be wearing something nice, but not particularly formal clothing. Don’t out-dress your interviewer. And don’t wear your grungiest jeans either. Middle of the road is what you’re aiming for.
If you have a favorite shirt, skirt, or jacket, go ahead and wear it if it’s clean and otherwise inoffensive. The idea is to wear something that makes you feel confident and attractive.
Avoid clothes that require your constant attention. In general, anything too revealing or too confining will have you fidgeting and readjusting throughout the interview. This will distract both you and your interviewer.
Don’t chew gum: it’s distracting and disrespectful.
Brush your teeth and do something with your hair so that you can forget about it during the interview. If you’re sporting a pink Mohawk, chances are this will neither hurt nor help your chances of admission. In other words, you don’t need to lose your personal sense of style completely, just make an effort to be presentable. This will suggest that you actually care about the interview.
By the way, if you’ve got a Mohawk, try offsetting it with your mother’s pearls or a crisp Oxford button-down (Sarcasm).
Don’t Worry About the Time
Students are sometimes told that the sign of a good college interview is a long one.
This is a myth.
During college interviewing season, which stretches from September to January, most colleges schedule interviews back-to-back with no breaks for the interviewer. So, even if you happen to be having a conversation that your interviewer would really like to continue, he or she is on a tight schedule and will probably not be able to do so.
If you notice you’re interviewer checking the time, this is not an indication that you’re boring. He or she simply needs to make sure that the next interviewee is not kept waiting.
Most college interviews will last approximately 30 minutes. Occasionally they’ll run as long as 45-60 if your interviewer is a talker.
If you’re done in twenty minutes sharp, don’t sweat it. Your interviewer will appreciate getting the information he or she needs as quickly as possible. Remember, the interviewer has many more interviews to conduct. Do your part to make sure that the interview lasts at least twenty minutes by responding to questions using complete sentences, expressing curiosity about the school, and bringing questions that you’re genuinely interested in.
As uncomfortable as you may be feeling, imagine what it’s like to interview students who cannot or will not reveal much about themselves. Conversely, it can be frustrating to interview a student who talks endlessly without regard to the interest of the interviewer.
Although you won’t be able to control the length of your college interview, you can do your part by listening carefully, offering thoughtful answers and asking questions whose answers cannot be found elsewhere.
Grandma Says: Always Send a Thank-you Note
Sending a thank-you note is the kind of thoughtful gesture that makes you seem mature and gracious. Your interviewer will appreciate getting it, and you’ll feel good about sending it.
The best notes are hand-written on a card that you really like. If it’s a really interesting or beautiful card it may end up taped to the wall of your interviewer’s office.
Keep the contents of the card simple, honest, and clear. If there’s something specific about the interview that was helpful to you, let your interviewer know. If you connected with your interviewer over a band you’re both into, or a book, experience, etc., mention this. If there was nothing particularly memorable about the interview simply thank him or her for taking the time to meet with you.
Express your continued interest in the college, and wish him or her the best. You don’t need to send a card that sounds stiff and contrived. Simple, clear, and honest is the way to go.
If it’s difficult for you to send a card, go ahead and email your interviewer.
The point is to acknowledge that he or she took the time to meet with you, answer your questions, and get to know you better. Reach out in any way you’re able to.
The card is a nice gesture, but a thoughtful email gets the point across. Don’t worry about finding an expensive email card or signing your name electronically.
Sending thank-you notes or emails is not something that will earn you huge points in the college admissions game. It’s just the right thing to do, and you’ll feel better when you do it.
If you’re sending a card, you might ask someone to look it over before sending it. You’ll definitely lose points for typos. Make every effort possible to present yourself as someone who takes the college application process seriously.
When preparing for your college interview, take the time to be presentable. That doesn’t mean wearing a three-piece suit or an evening gown. Wear something nice that you feel comfortable in.
Chances are your interviewer will also be wearing something nice, but not particularly formal clothing. Don’t out-dress your interviewer. And don’t wear your grungiest jeans either. Middle of the road is what you’re aiming for.
If you have a favorite shirt, skirt, or jacket, go ahead and wear it if it’s clean and otherwise inoffensive. The idea is to wear something that makes you feel confident and attractive.
Avoid clothes that require your constant attention. In general, anything too revealing or too confining will have you fidgeting and readjusting throughout the interview. This will distract both you and your interviewer.
Don’t chew gum: it’s distracting and disrespectful.
Brush your teeth and do something with your hair so that you can forget about it during the interview. If you’re sporting a pink Mohawk, chances are this will neither hurt nor help your chances of admission. In other words, you don’t need to lose your personal sense of style completely, just make an effort to be presentable. This will suggest that you actually care about the interview.
By the way, if you’ve got a Mohawk, try offsetting it with your mother’s pearls or a crisp Oxford button-down (Sarcasm).
Don’t Worry About the Time
Students are sometimes told that the sign of a good college interview is a long one.
This is a myth.
During college interviewing season, which stretches from September to January, most colleges schedule interviews back-to-back with no breaks for the interviewer. So, even if you happen to be having a conversation that your interviewer would really like to continue, he or she is on a tight schedule and will probably not be able to do so.
If you notice you’re interviewer checking the time, this is not an indication that you’re boring. He or she simply needs to make sure that the next interviewee is not kept waiting.
Most college interviews will last approximately 30 minutes. Occasionally they’ll run as long as 45-60 if your interviewer is a talker.
If you’re done in twenty minutes sharp, don’t sweat it. Your interviewer will appreciate getting the information he or she needs as quickly as possible. Remember, the interviewer has many more interviews to conduct. Do your part to make sure that the interview lasts at least twenty minutes by responding to questions using complete sentences, expressing curiosity about the school, and bringing questions that you’re genuinely interested in.
As uncomfortable as you may be feeling, imagine what it’s like to interview students who cannot or will not reveal much about themselves. Conversely, it can be frustrating to interview a student who talks endlessly without regard to the interest of the interviewer.
Although you won’t be able to control the length of your college interview, you can do your part by listening carefully, offering thoughtful answers and asking questions whose answers cannot be found elsewhere.
Grandma Says: Always Send a Thank-you Note
Sending a thank-you note is the kind of thoughtful gesture that makes you seem mature and gracious. Your interviewer will appreciate getting it, and you’ll feel good about sending it.
The best notes are hand-written on a card that you really like. If it’s a really interesting or beautiful card it may end up taped to the wall of your interviewer’s office.
Keep the contents of the card simple, honest, and clear. If there’s something specific about the interview that was helpful to you, let your interviewer know. If you connected with your interviewer over a band you’re both into, or a book, experience, etc., mention this. If there was nothing particularly memorable about the interview simply thank him or her for taking the time to meet with you.
Express your continued interest in the college, and wish him or her the best. You don’t need to send a card that sounds stiff and contrived. Simple, clear, and honest is the way to go.
If it’s difficult for you to send a card, go ahead and email your interviewer.
The point is to acknowledge that he or she took the time to meet with you, answer your questions, and get to know you better. Reach out in any way you’re able to.
The card is a nice gesture, but a thoughtful email gets the point across. Don’t worry about finding an expensive email card or signing your name electronically.
Sending thank-you notes or emails is not something that will earn you huge points in the college admissions game. It’s just the right thing to do, and you’ll feel better when you do it.
If you’re sending a card, you might ask someone to look it over before sending it. You’ll definitely lose points for typos. Make every effort possible to present yourself as someone who takes the college application process seriously.
The Stellar Cover Letter
by admin on Dec.15, 2009, under Uncategorized
Mario Churchill asked:
Picture this, you have an awesome resume that shows that you are more than qualified for the position you are applying for. You submit it Company XYZ and wait for your phone to ring, which you are sure it will be moments after they receive your resume. Hours go by…no phone call. Days go by…no phone call. You call Company XYZ to confirm that they received your resume and are told briskly that yes they have it, but they are still reviewing your resume. Days turn into weeks, weeks into months and still the phone never rings. You did everything right, your resume was stellar. Your resume showed you had all the qualifications if not more. Why did your phone never ring? Why did no one ever contact you for an interview? Where did you go wrong?
Well the answer is simple. Your resume was stellar, but where was your stellar cover letter? Did you send a cover letter? No?!?! Well here is what a stellar cover letter can you do for you, it can get you noticed! Yes your resume is impressive with all your experience but it doesn’t show an inkling of your personality. This is where the cover letter comes in. Yes, your resume shows that you have the qualifications to do the job, but how will a company know if you are the type of person who will fit with the job? Most applicants believe that they can wait until the interview to sell themselves to the company. This is not a smart idea, because nowadays most companies aren’t even going to call you for an interview without a great cover letter.
So what is a stellar cover letter? How does it differ from just a cover letter? Essentially it’s a sales letter and you are the product. You are selling yourself to the employer. Your cover letter needs to be tailored to the employer needs, not to your needs. This means that for every different company you apply to, you will probably need a different cover letter. Why you might ask. Well the answer is simply this you are essentially are telling the employer how you meet its company’s needs and as we all know each company has different needs. So why would you send the same cover letter to an employer whose needs you aren’t meeting? You wouldn’t. You would be wasting your time as well as theirs. A stellar cover letter is customized to show how you fit that employers needs.
Another thing to keep in mind is to reiterate the most important aspects of your resume. Especially those that fit the job description. You might even have to do a little research on the position you are applying for. You may be extremely active in your community or sing with a local band, but unless the employer is a talent agent, they do not need nor do they want to know that. . Stick to what they need to know in the cover letter. Emphasize the skills that are required to do the job and do it better than any other applicant. Show enthusiasm for the position, show how passionate your are about work and how you are willing to learn new skills all the time.
Don’t forget to educate yourself on the company. Just as the employer wants to know why you fit with the company, you should find out why the company fits with you. Mention the company’s accomplishments and how that only makes you want to work for them more. Impress them with your knowledge of the company. Your letter should end with your availability for an interview. It is key to be aggressive when asking for the interview. If its possible state that you will follow up with them in a few days to set up the interview. Go a step further and give a specific date and make sure you follow up. If you say you are going to contact them on the 15th, do not wait until the 17th to contact them.
You’ve worked really hard to build up that resume and you finally find an employer whose qualifications you meet. Perhaps more importantly they meet your qualifications for what you want in a job. Why miss the opportunity to make a great first impression, with a great stellar resume?
Picture this, you have an awesome resume that shows that you are more than qualified for the position you are applying for. You submit it Company XYZ and wait for your phone to ring, which you are sure it will be moments after they receive your resume. Hours go by…no phone call. Days go by…no phone call. You call Company XYZ to confirm that they received your resume and are told briskly that yes they have it, but they are still reviewing your resume. Days turn into weeks, weeks into months and still the phone never rings. You did everything right, your resume was stellar. Your resume showed you had all the qualifications if not more. Why did your phone never ring? Why did no one ever contact you for an interview? Where did you go wrong?
Well the answer is simple. Your resume was stellar, but where was your stellar cover letter? Did you send a cover letter? No?!?! Well here is what a stellar cover letter can you do for you, it can get you noticed! Yes your resume is impressive with all your experience but it doesn’t show an inkling of your personality. This is where the cover letter comes in. Yes, your resume shows that you have the qualifications to do the job, but how will a company know if you are the type of person who will fit with the job? Most applicants believe that they can wait until the interview to sell themselves to the company. This is not a smart idea, because nowadays most companies aren’t even going to call you for an interview without a great cover letter.
So what is a stellar cover letter? How does it differ from just a cover letter? Essentially it’s a sales letter and you are the product. You are selling yourself to the employer. Your cover letter needs to be tailored to the employer needs, not to your needs. This means that for every different company you apply to, you will probably need a different cover letter. Why you might ask. Well the answer is simply this you are essentially are telling the employer how you meet its company’s needs and as we all know each company has different needs. So why would you send the same cover letter to an employer whose needs you aren’t meeting? You wouldn’t. You would be wasting your time as well as theirs. A stellar cover letter is customized to show how you fit that employers needs.
Another thing to keep in mind is to reiterate the most important aspects of your resume. Especially those that fit the job description. You might even have to do a little research on the position you are applying for. You may be extremely active in your community or sing with a local band, but unless the employer is a talent agent, they do not need nor do they want to know that. . Stick to what they need to know in the cover letter. Emphasize the skills that are required to do the job and do it better than any other applicant. Show enthusiasm for the position, show how passionate your are about work and how you are willing to learn new skills all the time.
Don’t forget to educate yourself on the company. Just as the employer wants to know why you fit with the company, you should find out why the company fits with you. Mention the company’s accomplishments and how that only makes you want to work for them more. Impress them with your knowledge of the company. Your letter should end with your availability for an interview. It is key to be aggressive when asking for the interview. If its possible state that you will follow up with them in a few days to set up the interview. Go a step further and give a specific date and make sure you follow up. If you say you are going to contact them on the 15th, do not wait until the 17th to contact them.
You’ve worked really hard to build up that resume and you finally find an employer whose qualifications you meet. Perhaps more importantly they meet your qualifications for what you want in a job. Why miss the opportunity to make a great first impression, with a great stellar resume?
Choosing Your Wedding Day Music
by admin on Dec.11, 2009, under Uncategorized
George Meszaros asked:
There are many excellent choices for your wedding music. Your wedding music not only depends on your musical taste, but your budget as well. No DJ can compete with the energy of a great live band, but bands are usually much more expensive than DJs. It is not unusual to receive price quotes from live bands that are several times more expensive than that of DJs.
Both bands and DJs are normally charging you by the hours of service performed. Four hours of music is standard in the industry. Music normally begins during the cocktail hour. For how long the band plays should be discussed during the initial negotiations. Both parties should understand what is needed and what is possible.
There are many ways to find wedding music. You can ask for recommendations from friends and family. If you are working with a wedding coordinator, she should be more than happy to assist you with wedding music. It is best to meet with several wedding music professionals before you make a decision. Never hire the first one you meet, even if you fall in love with them. You are doing yourself a disservice, if you don’t interview several bands. Ask to see the bands and DJs in action. Ask for demos to help you to make your decision. Ask for references to see what others think of the band.
Make sure you understand what the band members will be wearing. Remember they are your employees, for the few hours you hire them. They have to dress appropriately, and you not the band members determine what is appropriate. You should ask to see if they could play the songs that you want to hear. Will they take requests from guests? If possible, make sure the bandleader visits the venue before the event to make sure it has all the space and electrical requirements.
If you think you found the band or DJ you want to hire, put all the details in writing. Don’t just take someone’s word for it. Unless it is in writing, it was never part of the deal. If it is important to you put it in writing. It is better to be too careful than to get burned.
There are many excellent choices for your wedding music. Your wedding music not only depends on your musical taste, but your budget as well. No DJ can compete with the energy of a great live band, but bands are usually much more expensive than DJs. It is not unusual to receive price quotes from live bands that are several times more expensive than that of DJs.
Both bands and DJs are normally charging you by the hours of service performed. Four hours of music is standard in the industry. Music normally begins during the cocktail hour. For how long the band plays should be discussed during the initial negotiations. Both parties should understand what is needed and what is possible.
There are many ways to find wedding music. You can ask for recommendations from friends and family. If you are working with a wedding coordinator, she should be more than happy to assist you with wedding music. It is best to meet with several wedding music professionals before you make a decision. Never hire the first one you meet, even if you fall in love with them. You are doing yourself a disservice, if you don’t interview several bands. Ask to see the bands and DJs in action. Ask for demos to help you to make your decision. Ask for references to see what others think of the band.
Make sure you understand what the band members will be wearing. Remember they are your employees, for the few hours you hire them. They have to dress appropriately, and you not the band members determine what is appropriate. You should ask to see if they could play the songs that you want to hear. Will they take requests from guests? If possible, make sure the bandleader visits the venue before the event to make sure it has all the space and electrical requirements.
If you think you found the band or DJ you want to hire, put all the details in writing. Don’t just take someone’s word for it. Unless it is in writing, it was never part of the deal. If it is important to you put it in writing. It is better to be too careful than to get burned.
How to Interview Music Schools
by admin on Dec.08, 2009, under Uncategorized
David Usui asked:
Education of any sort is in effect, the process of communication. Whenever we seek education we are looking for instruction that is imparted to us in a way that is understandable. This notion is no different when you are seeking the music school that fits your needs. As much as you would like to be granted entry into a music school, you have to remember that the interviewing process is a fast but firm two way street. You are also interviewing the music school of your choice to make sure that they can meet your criteria just as much as you (or your child) need to fit theirs.
One of the best ways to interview a music school is to start your own process before you ever start researching which one you’d like to attend. For many eager student musicians, this step has already been mistakenly sidestepped and you believe you already found the perfect choice. Regardless, with as little information as possible rambling around in your brain, try to conjure up the five most important elements you believe a music school should offer. For instance, some people believe that all music schools should teach the classics, even when they are teaching additional elements and genres. Some students feel strongly that if their interest is in blues that they should be permitted to study the blues and nothing else. Whatever you feel your criteria should look like is of your own choosing, and you can develop a list with significant ease if you keep your own vision clear and your needs on the top shelf.
Once you have determined the five most important elements in your music school of choice, start researching. Chances are pretty good that the school you have created in your head doesn’t exist, at least not an absolute perfect match. However, there is a serious likelihood that there are music schools that will match enough of your own self proclaimed criteria to warrant further investigation. As you make your appointments to determine which music schools fit your notions and ideals as closely as possible, it wouldn’t be unheard of to find yourself becoming nervous. You want to attend. This is the time to remember that you are also interviewing them.
When you interview a music school, listen to everything that is said, and don’t be afraid to take notes. While this may seem like a no-brainer, it is human nature to filter out the information that we don’t particularly want to hear, because we want the school of our choice to be perfect. Just because you are hearing information that doesn’t match entirely the scenario in your head doesn’t mean that the music school you’re interviewing won’t be a good match. Discuss points of interest as well as concerns. In some cases, during the interview process, you are being given general information while the reality can be deemed much more flexible. Perhaps you are concerned about tuition, but when you press for payment options, you find that there are numerous flexible payment arrangements that are available.
If you are uncomfortable, beyond the usual I-want-to-get-in jitters, pay attention to those signals. If someone is treating you in a way that is making you feel uncomfortable before you are even a student, you can take this as a sign that you will feel uncomfortable as a student to a higher degree. Music schools generally have significant tuition. You are paying for a service, and you should feel comfortable with the service you are receiving. Once you maintain such a perspective, it is not so difficult to realize that discomfort during the interview process is not necessary.
Always ask to hear the fruit of the school’s labor. Whether that means popping into a class, listening to other students play, or being introduced to private instructors who can demonstrate their own talents (however talent to play doesn’t always indicate talent to teach) before making any type of decision. You want to know the background of the instructors, but their achievements as a musician is not nearly as important as their ability to impart their wisdom unto their students.
Keep in mind as well, that you’re not in it alone. Perhaps the best resource in finding the best school has been around you the entire time. Be sure to ask the opinions of both your private music teachers and your band or orchestra teachers. Chances are they’ve consulted many other students and have done research of their own. In addition, they may be able to point out other considerations you may not have thought of. Another similar resource are your peers. Do you have other friends who are looking to study music as well? Friends of the family? Other people will be happy to share the information and experiences they have had.
Lastly, trust your judgment. If you are comparing music schools against the list you originally made, and they all come out meeting some most of your prerequisite criteria, listen to your instincts. How you felt during your interview in their presence and within their company is a good indicator of how you’ll be encouraged to achieve and excel as their student.
Education of any sort is in effect, the process of communication. Whenever we seek education we are looking for instruction that is imparted to us in a way that is understandable. This notion is no different when you are seeking the music school that fits your needs. As much as you would like to be granted entry into a music school, you have to remember that the interviewing process is a fast but firm two way street. You are also interviewing the music school of your choice to make sure that they can meet your criteria just as much as you (or your child) need to fit theirs.
One of the best ways to interview a music school is to start your own process before you ever start researching which one you’d like to attend. For many eager student musicians, this step has already been mistakenly sidestepped and you believe you already found the perfect choice. Regardless, with as little information as possible rambling around in your brain, try to conjure up the five most important elements you believe a music school should offer. For instance, some people believe that all music schools should teach the classics, even when they are teaching additional elements and genres. Some students feel strongly that if their interest is in blues that they should be permitted to study the blues and nothing else. Whatever you feel your criteria should look like is of your own choosing, and you can develop a list with significant ease if you keep your own vision clear and your needs on the top shelf.
Once you have determined the five most important elements in your music school of choice, start researching. Chances are pretty good that the school you have created in your head doesn’t exist, at least not an absolute perfect match. However, there is a serious likelihood that there are music schools that will match enough of your own self proclaimed criteria to warrant further investigation. As you make your appointments to determine which music schools fit your notions and ideals as closely as possible, it wouldn’t be unheard of to find yourself becoming nervous. You want to attend. This is the time to remember that you are also interviewing them.
When you interview a music school, listen to everything that is said, and don’t be afraid to take notes. While this may seem like a no-brainer, it is human nature to filter out the information that we don’t particularly want to hear, because we want the school of our choice to be perfect. Just because you are hearing information that doesn’t match entirely the scenario in your head doesn’t mean that the music school you’re interviewing won’t be a good match. Discuss points of interest as well as concerns. In some cases, during the interview process, you are being given general information while the reality can be deemed much more flexible. Perhaps you are concerned about tuition, but when you press for payment options, you find that there are numerous flexible payment arrangements that are available.
If you are uncomfortable, beyond the usual I-want-to-get-in jitters, pay attention to those signals. If someone is treating you in a way that is making you feel uncomfortable before you are even a student, you can take this as a sign that you will feel uncomfortable as a student to a higher degree. Music schools generally have significant tuition. You are paying for a service, and you should feel comfortable with the service you are receiving. Once you maintain such a perspective, it is not so difficult to realize that discomfort during the interview process is not necessary.
Always ask to hear the fruit of the school’s labor. Whether that means popping into a class, listening to other students play, or being introduced to private instructors who can demonstrate their own talents (however talent to play doesn’t always indicate talent to teach) before making any type of decision. You want to know the background of the instructors, but their achievements as a musician is not nearly as important as their ability to impart their wisdom unto their students.
Keep in mind as well, that you’re not in it alone. Perhaps the best resource in finding the best school has been around you the entire time. Be sure to ask the opinions of both your private music teachers and your band or orchestra teachers. Chances are they’ve consulted many other students and have done research of their own. In addition, they may be able to point out other considerations you may not have thought of. Another similar resource are your peers. Do you have other friends who are looking to study music as well? Friends of the family? Other people will be happy to share the information and experiences they have had.
Lastly, trust your judgment. If you are comparing music schools against the list you originally made, and they all come out meeting some most of your prerequisite criteria, listen to your instincts. How you felt during your interview in their presence and within their company is a good indicator of how you’ll be encouraged to achieve and excel as their student.
Exclusive Interview: Ami Cusack of ‘survivor: Micronesia ‘
by admin on Nov.08, 2009, under Uncategorized
Groshan Fabiola asked:
ght episode of CBS’ hit reality Survivor, Ami Cusack was voted out 4-1 after Erik told Amanda, Cirie and Ozzy that she’s plotting with the Fans behind the Favorites band. A very emotional Ami tried to convince them that her loyalty is with the Favorites but did not succeed. She was asked to go home. BuddyTV’s staff writer Gina Scarpia had the chance to interview Ami. Below are the highlights of their discussion.
Ami believed Ozzy was insecure with her and at the same time, he was also uncertain of where Ami really stood. “He heard what I was saying, but he didn’t feel it, so I think it all stems from Ozzy’s insecurities with me,” shared Ami. Ami She also admitted that she believed Ozzy was responsible for her dismissal.
Ami wished she had the chance to sat down and talk with Ozzy before the tribal council. “I know he would have understood where I was coming from. I just didn’t get that chance. If I have one regret, I wish I could have hung out with him and had a conversation with him,” she said.
Three years ago, Ami was a contestant on Survivor: Vanatu, and she was one of the strongest female competitors. Asked on whether she had new philosophies or strategies for her comeback game, Ami said that she made it a point to get to know the other players. “You can’t really know what you’re doing until you know who you’re doing it with. Getting to know them was a big part of it, but the second Yau-Man was gone I felt that my game had very severely diminished.”
After Survivor, Amy’s big plan is doing charity work with other cast members who also want to give back to the community. “I really want to bring them all together, and actually start a foundation where people have access to us putting on a benefit for them in their city or community, where we can give back,” she said.
ght episode of CBS’ hit reality Survivor, Ami Cusack was voted out 4-1 after Erik told Amanda, Cirie and Ozzy that she’s plotting with the Fans behind the Favorites band. A very emotional Ami tried to convince them that her loyalty is with the Favorites but did not succeed. She was asked to go home. BuddyTV’s staff writer Gina Scarpia had the chance to interview Ami. Below are the highlights of their discussion.
Ami believed Ozzy was insecure with her and at the same time, he was also uncertain of where Ami really stood. “He heard what I was saying, but he didn’t feel it, so I think it all stems from Ozzy’s insecurities with me,” shared Ami. Ami She also admitted that she believed Ozzy was responsible for her dismissal.
Ami wished she had the chance to sat down and talk with Ozzy before the tribal council. “I know he would have understood where I was coming from. I just didn’t get that chance. If I have one regret, I wish I could have hung out with him and had a conversation with him,” she said.
Three years ago, Ami was a contestant on Survivor: Vanatu, and she was one of the strongest female competitors. Asked on whether she had new philosophies or strategies for her comeback game, Ami said that she made it a point to get to know the other players. “You can’t really know what you’re doing until you know who you’re doing it with. Getting to know them was a big part of it, but the second Yau-Man was gone I felt that my game had very severely diminished.”
After Survivor, Amy’s big plan is doing charity work with other cast members who also want to give back to the community. “I really want to bring them all together, and actually start a foundation where people have access to us putting on a benefit for them in their city or community, where we can give back,” she said.
Getting Stronger: How to Maximize Profits in Existing Markets
by admin on Oct.31, 2009, under Uncategorized
Carl Cullotta asked:
One of the most common challenges for marketers is delivering profitable growth from existing markets. Often, corporate initiatives for this purpose meet with inconsistent success at best. Then the tendency is to try to “overpower” the initiatives with resources, resulting in growth at the expense of profit.
Smart Business asked Carl Cullotta, vice president and principal of Frank Lynn & Associates Inc., to address the issue of profitable growth in existing markets.
Why do manufacturers find profitable growth so difficult to attain in existing markets?
Growth in existing markets is difficult because it usually comes down to a market share game. Market share gains are not easy to come by when there are established competitors with known value propositions and market legacies.
To overcome this market inertia, manufacturers often try to implement initiatives to change the game. True game-changers, by their nature, will appeal to a specific market segment or niche. Therefore, the key to delivering growth rests in aligning the appropriate initiatives with the proper target customer sets. We have found a compelling framework that assures this discipline in doing so; the “customer decision map.”
What is a customer decision map?
The customer decision map is a ranking of the factors customers use to make brand and source decisions. It is built on an actionable understanding of customer buying processes, needs and priorities. The decision map is designed to prioritize the decision factors based on the weight customers place on differences between suppliers. Here is how the map is organized:
“Importance” is on the horizontal axis. This scale measures the relative importance of the factors customers consider in their decisions. Usually, these factors are weighted on a 10-point scale. (As you would suspect, price and availability are often rated extremely high in importance.)
“Value” is on the vertical axis. It measures the relative weight the customer places on differences between suppliers. For some variables, there is a minimum expectation and little value is placed by the customer if you exceed that minimum.
Every customer, however, has a limited set of decision factors for which high value is placed on the supplier who exceeds industry performance standards. These variables are often the key to saving the customer money and/or reducing risk associated with the purchase. If you can find and deliver on these high-value items, you will have a competitive advantage in addressing that customer.
Based on the importance and value ratings of the customer’s decision factors, you may classify those factors into three groups:
“Antes”: factors that fall into this band can be considered basic requirements. Alone, these antes are unlikely to win you the business.
“Raises”: as the name implies, factors that map in this band offer the opportunity to create competitive advantage. Recognizing the variables that fall here and gearing your value proposition to exceed competition affords the customer a defendable reason to pay more for your offering and/or select you from among equals.
“IBI”: this last band identifies variables that are “interesting but irrelevant,” to the customer’s decision process. The customer has enough variables to consider before introducing these unimportant ones. Reallocate these resources to raises and you will realize share gains.
How can the marketer complete the decision map?
Populating the map with objective customer data can only be done by asking the customer. We have found several technologies, particularly when used in combination, effective:
Qualitative interviews: multiple decision-makers/influencers within the customer’s organization are interviewed. They are asked to describe the brand/source selection process and identify/rank all factors that the organization considered. Respondents are asked to describe in detail the last purchase decision made as a reality check on the decision map.
Focus groups: groups of buyers from similar customer segment are brought together and presented with a hypothetical purchase decision. The group is asked to come to a brand/source decision and explain their reasons behind it. Moderators observe and document the decision tradeoffs that are made.
Internet research: often to support one of the above techniques, an Internet survey is conducted with a cross-section of decision makers from a target customer set. These buyers are presented with a hypothetical purchase decision and asked to rate factors that determine brand and source selection.
One of the most common challenges for marketers is delivering profitable growth from existing markets. Often, corporate initiatives for this purpose meet with inconsistent success at best. Then the tendency is to try to “overpower” the initiatives with resources, resulting in growth at the expense of profit.
Smart Business asked Carl Cullotta, vice president and principal of Frank Lynn & Associates Inc., to address the issue of profitable growth in existing markets.
Why do manufacturers find profitable growth so difficult to attain in existing markets?
Growth in existing markets is difficult because it usually comes down to a market share game. Market share gains are not easy to come by when there are established competitors with known value propositions and market legacies.
To overcome this market inertia, manufacturers often try to implement initiatives to change the game. True game-changers, by their nature, will appeal to a specific market segment or niche. Therefore, the key to delivering growth rests in aligning the appropriate initiatives with the proper target customer sets. We have found a compelling framework that assures this discipline in doing so; the “customer decision map.”
What is a customer decision map?
The customer decision map is a ranking of the factors customers use to make brand and source decisions. It is built on an actionable understanding of customer buying processes, needs and priorities. The decision map is designed to prioritize the decision factors based on the weight customers place on differences between suppliers. Here is how the map is organized:
“Importance” is on the horizontal axis. This scale measures the relative importance of the factors customers consider in their decisions. Usually, these factors are weighted on a 10-point scale. (As you would suspect, price and availability are often rated extremely high in importance.)
“Value” is on the vertical axis. It measures the relative weight the customer places on differences between suppliers. For some variables, there is a minimum expectation and little value is placed by the customer if you exceed that minimum.
Every customer, however, has a limited set of decision factors for which high value is placed on the supplier who exceeds industry performance standards. These variables are often the key to saving the customer money and/or reducing risk associated with the purchase. If you can find and deliver on these high-value items, you will have a competitive advantage in addressing that customer.
Based on the importance and value ratings of the customer’s decision factors, you may classify those factors into three groups:
“Antes”: factors that fall into this band can be considered basic requirements. Alone, these antes are unlikely to win you the business.
“Raises”: as the name implies, factors that map in this band offer the opportunity to create competitive advantage. Recognizing the variables that fall here and gearing your value proposition to exceed competition affords the customer a defendable reason to pay more for your offering and/or select you from among equals.
“IBI”: this last band identifies variables that are “interesting but irrelevant,” to the customer’s decision process. The customer has enough variables to consider before introducing these unimportant ones. Reallocate these resources to raises and you will realize share gains.
How can the marketer complete the decision map?
Populating the map with objective customer data can only be done by asking the customer. We have found several technologies, particularly when used in combination, effective:
Qualitative interviews: multiple decision-makers/influencers within the customer’s organization are interviewed. They are asked to describe the brand/source selection process and identify/rank all factors that the organization considered. Respondents are asked to describe in detail the last purchase decision made as a reality check on the decision map.
Focus groups: groups of buyers from similar customer segment are brought together and presented with a hypothetical purchase decision. The group is asked to come to a brand/source decision and explain their reasons behind it. Moderators observe and document the decision tradeoffs that are made.
Internet research: often to support one of the above techniques, an Internet survey is conducted with a cross-section of decision makers from a target customer set. These buyers are presented with a hypothetical purchase decision and asked to rate factors that determine brand and source selection.
I’d Rather Fail Big Than Live Small- Rule #1
by admin on Oct.30, 2009, under Uncategorized
Pat O’bryan asked:
I just got back from driving through the hill country and listening to Dan Kennedy interview Gene Landrum. As a “gold” member of Dan Kennedy’s mentoring service, I get CDs every few weeks of Dan, or his partner Bill Glazer, interviewing a mega-successful entrepreneur.
Lundrum gave Dan a delightful interview full of amazing stories taken from his books. And he made me feel like I belonged to a group, which is a feeling I don’t get much- even when I’m hanging out with musicians. You’d be amazed at how many artists and musicians are just sitting around waiting to be discovered while they continue to do the same thing all the other musicians and artists are doing.
Losers, losing by following losers. Not much of a plan, but it’s pretty popular.
Until I discovered the internet marketing world, I felt like the only square peg in a world of round holes. Listening to Dan’s interviews makes me realize that I’m actually in good company- I’m a member of a group of entrepreneurs who follow Sam Walton’s Rule #1.
Do you know Sam’s “Rule #1?” He used it to build the most successful retail business in history.
Do you want to know the secret that he used to make WalMart unstoppable?
Keep reading.
His “rule #1″ has been my credo all my life, and I’ve caught a great deal of shit for it- it turns out that Ayn Rand, Thomas Edison, Frank Lloyd Wright, Henry Ford, H. Ross Perot, Donald Trump, Richard Branson, and most of my other heroes had the same credo.
Want to hear a story?
Due to a bizarre and surreal series of circumstances, I found myself living the life of a high-school drop-out street hippie in 1973. I’d tell you the story, but you wouldn’t believe me.
Kafka’s an amateur compared to East Texas wingnuts- and I got on the wrong side of a town full of East Texas wingnuts and had to quit high-school at 17.
My best option at the time was to move in with a house full of hippie musicians in the Montrose area of Houston. It was shelter, and we usually could scrounge food- Anderson Fair, a spaghetti restaurant that featured folk music, would feed us in return for a few hours of music, but only the zucchini spaghetti.
You can live on zucchini spaghetti if you have to.
We played strip clubs and gay bars. We played for peanuts- literally.
After a year or so of this, on a hot and humid night, I accidentally drank a quart of mysterious tea, which caused me to take a psychic time-out. When I came back from visiting the red queen, I realized I needed to go to college.
So, I walked, in the early morning hours, through the darkest, most dangerous part of Houston, to the bus station and took the bus home. I walked into the house as my father was drinking his morning coffee and announced that I was ready to go to college.
Skeptical, he suggested I get a job. After a year or so of manual labor, I finally made my way to North Texas University- on the strength of a good SAT score and a better audition with the piano faculty.
After a year of cutting down trees, I was probably the “buffest” piano major on the campus. While I was there, I designed and -with the help of a physics major buddy of mine- created the first laser light show in the southwest. We had a running engagement at the Fort-Worth Museum of Science and History.
After three years at NTSU, I sent an audition tape to the University of Texas, and got accepted in their graduate composition program.
I still hadn’t gotten my high-school diploma, technically, I was a high-school drop-out going to grad school.
I loved college. I ended up with music and English minors, but that only tells part of the story. I was a photography major, studying under Gary Winnogrand. I studied journalism. I took art classes. I was in heaven. My degree plan was to not worry about getting a degree. I was getting an education.
After a few years, I got a glimpse of the naked under-belly of the modern classical music world and didn’t like what I saw. A showdown with a famous composer during a seminar was the final straw.
He accused me of prostituting my art by making money writing commercials. What a crock! This was the same guy who financed his studio by doing sound-effects for shampoo commercials. And some of the other ways he prostituted didn’t have anything to do with his art.
I bailed on college, and joined a rock band.
Wouldn’t you?
A short time later, we were touring with Cheap Trick, Heart, ZZ Top, The Climax Blues Band- it was a wonderful, exhausting, amazing experience.
At this point in my life, I was probably the best educated high-school dropout rock star on the planet.
What’s this got to do with internet marketing, writing e-books, and running an international online business?
EVERYTHING!!!
I think the most valuable benefit of my internet marketing lifestyle is the people I get to hang out with. After years of being a loner, I’ve got a “peer group!”
I get to hang out with Joe Vitale, who broke all the rules in the book publishing business, and went to number one twice on the national best-seller charts- while the authors who played by the rules sat around and complained.
I get to hang out with Cindy Cashman, who made a million bucks by “writing” and promoting a blank book with a great title.
I get to hang out with Craig Perrine, who has achieved amazing success by breaking the rules in the internet list-building business.
And there are many others- the internet marketing is world populated with wild, intelligent, brave, and interesting people.
These are the mavericks- the square pegs- I’m honored to know them.
All my life, I’ve heard “get a REAL job!”
The miserable, gray people- the ones trapped in the job they hate (which, according to Dan Kennedy’s research, is at least 2/3 of the population) wanted me to join them in their misery.
Parents. Teachers. Unsuccessful musicians. Bosses (musicians have lots of bosses- because we keep a day-job just long enough to book gigs, then we move on).
Television- Trump and Branson have TV shows, and that’s a good start… but they’re about hiring employees! The winners get a JOB!
You can bet your momma’s egg money that Donald Trump doesn’t want a job. Richard Branson doesn’t want a job. They didn’t get where they are by working for someone else.
I think they should award prize money to the contestant that tells Donald Trump to take a flying f**k at the moon, and starts his own business.
The education factories- imagine what would happen if schools taught entrepreneurship instead of wage-slavery? Our whole education system sucks lemons because it’s based on a 19th century model, and designed to turn out workers- for jobs that haven’t been available in decades! Factories that turn out waves of miserable, gray people- suffering through the week and living for the weekend.
What would happen if they taught people how to think, instead?
Family- here’s the big one. Anytime my family gets together, I get to hear about how I’m the one who’s always “coloring outside the lines” from one of my relatives- he thinks he’s insulting me!
That’s the thing I’m proudest of, and the key to my success. Nobody ever accomplished anything important, or grand, or OUTRAGEOUS by coloring inside the lines.
Following the rules is for losers.
Did you notice the list of heroes I put at the top of this article? They have a lot of things in common:
1. They didn’t wait for permission to be great- they just went ahead and did it.
2. They didn’t worry about credentials or diplomas. Richard Branson has an eighth grade education. Frank Lloyd Wright had about three months of formal schooling. All educated successful people, regardless of how much “schooling” they have, are self-educated. You can’t trust the educators to educate you.
3. They were OUTRAGEOUS! Branson and his hot-air balloons, and now space flights. Thomas Edison announcing the light bulb long before he actually had created one. Everybody on that list listened to sage advice from the gray people and called bullshit on it. Then they went on to create a better world.
4. They made their own rules. And then broke them.
5. They had grand failures, followed by grand successes.
I tell my clients at the Your Portable Empire University, and I’ll tell you- there ain’t no such thing as failure. It’s all data. To succeed BIG you may have to fail big. It’s just a stretch of highway- you may have to go through some bad road to get where you’re going.
The odds that we will be as successful as Thomas Edison or Richard Branson are small, even if we try… but if we don’t try, there’s no chance at all.
I’d rather fail big than live small, wouldn’t you? Especially knowing that “failing big” is just a stop on the way to “living large.”
And what was Sam’s “Rule #1?”
Here it is: “Break the rules.”
I just got back from driving through the hill country and listening to Dan Kennedy interview Gene Landrum. As a “gold” member of Dan Kennedy’s mentoring service, I get CDs every few weeks of Dan, or his partner Bill Glazer, interviewing a mega-successful entrepreneur.
Lundrum gave Dan a delightful interview full of amazing stories taken from his books. And he made me feel like I belonged to a group, which is a feeling I don’t get much- even when I’m hanging out with musicians. You’d be amazed at how many artists and musicians are just sitting around waiting to be discovered while they continue to do the same thing all the other musicians and artists are doing.
Losers, losing by following losers. Not much of a plan, but it’s pretty popular.
Until I discovered the internet marketing world, I felt like the only square peg in a world of round holes. Listening to Dan’s interviews makes me realize that I’m actually in good company- I’m a member of a group of entrepreneurs who follow Sam Walton’s Rule #1.
Do you know Sam’s “Rule #1?” He used it to build the most successful retail business in history.
Do you want to know the secret that he used to make WalMart unstoppable?
Keep reading.
His “rule #1″ has been my credo all my life, and I’ve caught a great deal of shit for it- it turns out that Ayn Rand, Thomas Edison, Frank Lloyd Wright, Henry Ford, H. Ross Perot, Donald Trump, Richard Branson, and most of my other heroes had the same credo.
Want to hear a story?
Due to a bizarre and surreal series of circumstances, I found myself living the life of a high-school drop-out street hippie in 1973. I’d tell you the story, but you wouldn’t believe me.
Kafka’s an amateur compared to East Texas wingnuts- and I got on the wrong side of a town full of East Texas wingnuts and had to quit high-school at 17.
My best option at the time was to move in with a house full of hippie musicians in the Montrose area of Houston. It was shelter, and we usually could scrounge food- Anderson Fair, a spaghetti restaurant that featured folk music, would feed us in return for a few hours of music, but only the zucchini spaghetti.
You can live on zucchini spaghetti if you have to.
We played strip clubs and gay bars. We played for peanuts- literally.
After a year or so of this, on a hot and humid night, I accidentally drank a quart of mysterious tea, which caused me to take a psychic time-out. When I came back from visiting the red queen, I realized I needed to go to college.
So, I walked, in the early morning hours, through the darkest, most dangerous part of Houston, to the bus station and took the bus home. I walked into the house as my father was drinking his morning coffee and announced that I was ready to go to college.
Skeptical, he suggested I get a job. After a year or so of manual labor, I finally made my way to North Texas University- on the strength of a good SAT score and a better audition with the piano faculty.
After a year of cutting down trees, I was probably the “buffest” piano major on the campus. While I was there, I designed and -with the help of a physics major buddy of mine- created the first laser light show in the southwest. We had a running engagement at the Fort-Worth Museum of Science and History.
After three years at NTSU, I sent an audition tape to the University of Texas, and got accepted in their graduate composition program.
I still hadn’t gotten my high-school diploma, technically, I was a high-school drop-out going to grad school.
I loved college. I ended up with music and English minors, but that only tells part of the story. I was a photography major, studying under Gary Winnogrand. I studied journalism. I took art classes. I was in heaven. My degree plan was to not worry about getting a degree. I was getting an education.
After a few years, I got a glimpse of the naked under-belly of the modern classical music world and didn’t like what I saw. A showdown with a famous composer during a seminar was the final straw.
He accused me of prostituting my art by making money writing commercials. What a crock! This was the same guy who financed his studio by doing sound-effects for shampoo commercials. And some of the other ways he prostituted didn’t have anything to do with his art.
I bailed on college, and joined a rock band.
Wouldn’t you?
A short time later, we were touring with Cheap Trick, Heart, ZZ Top, The Climax Blues Band- it was a wonderful, exhausting, amazing experience.
At this point in my life, I was probably the best educated high-school dropout rock star on the planet.
What’s this got to do with internet marketing, writing e-books, and running an international online business?
EVERYTHING!!!
I think the most valuable benefit of my internet marketing lifestyle is the people I get to hang out with. After years of being a loner, I’ve got a “peer group!”
I get to hang out with Joe Vitale, who broke all the rules in the book publishing business, and went to number one twice on the national best-seller charts- while the authors who played by the rules sat around and complained.
I get to hang out with Cindy Cashman, who made a million bucks by “writing” and promoting a blank book with a great title.
I get to hang out with Craig Perrine, who has achieved amazing success by breaking the rules in the internet list-building business.
And there are many others- the internet marketing is world populated with wild, intelligent, brave, and interesting people.
These are the mavericks- the square pegs- I’m honored to know them.
All my life, I’ve heard “get a REAL job!”
The miserable, gray people- the ones trapped in the job they hate (which, according to Dan Kennedy’s research, is at least 2/3 of the population) wanted me to join them in their misery.
Parents. Teachers. Unsuccessful musicians. Bosses (musicians have lots of bosses- because we keep a day-job just long enough to book gigs, then we move on).
Television- Trump and Branson have TV shows, and that’s a good start… but they’re about hiring employees! The winners get a JOB!
You can bet your momma’s egg money that Donald Trump doesn’t want a job. Richard Branson doesn’t want a job. They didn’t get where they are by working for someone else.
I think they should award prize money to the contestant that tells Donald Trump to take a flying f**k at the moon, and starts his own business.
The education factories- imagine what would happen if schools taught entrepreneurship instead of wage-slavery? Our whole education system sucks lemons because it’s based on a 19th century model, and designed to turn out workers- for jobs that haven’t been available in decades! Factories that turn out waves of miserable, gray people- suffering through the week and living for the weekend.
What would happen if they taught people how to think, instead?
Family- here’s the big one. Anytime my family gets together, I get to hear about how I’m the one who’s always “coloring outside the lines” from one of my relatives- he thinks he’s insulting me!
That’s the thing I’m proudest of, and the key to my success. Nobody ever accomplished anything important, or grand, or OUTRAGEOUS by coloring inside the lines.
Following the rules is for losers.
Did you notice the list of heroes I put at the top of this article? They have a lot of things in common:
1. They didn’t wait for permission to be great- they just went ahead and did it.
2. They didn’t worry about credentials or diplomas. Richard Branson has an eighth grade education. Frank Lloyd Wright had about three months of formal schooling. All educated successful people, regardless of how much “schooling” they have, are self-educated. You can’t trust the educators to educate you.
3. They were OUTRAGEOUS! Branson and his hot-air balloons, and now space flights. Thomas Edison announcing the light bulb long before he actually had created one. Everybody on that list listened to sage advice from the gray people and called bullshit on it. Then they went on to create a better world.
4. They made their own rules. And then broke them.
5. They had grand failures, followed by grand successes.
I tell my clients at the Your Portable Empire University, and I’ll tell you- there ain’t no such thing as failure. It’s all data. To succeed BIG you may have to fail big. It’s just a stretch of highway- you may have to go through some bad road to get where you’re going.
The odds that we will be as successful as Thomas Edison or Richard Branson are small, even if we try… but if we don’t try, there’s no chance at all.
I’d rather fail big than live small, wouldn’t you? Especially knowing that “failing big” is just a stop on the way to “living large.”
And what was Sam’s “Rule #1?”
Here it is: “Break the rules.”
Trepanning the Light Fantastic: Cevin Soling Gives you a Hole in the Head
by admin on Oct.22, 2009, under Uncategorized
Mark Kirby asked:
If you’re like most people, you probably think that you need a mind-expanding experience like you need a hole in the head. There are others – artists, intrepid explorers of the mind – who would say the opposite, that you need a hole in the head in order to have drug-free, altered states of consciousness and to experience the clarity and exhilaration of perception that one did as a child.
The act of boring a hole in the skull for such purposes is called trepanation. This subject is thoroughly explored in the documentary film A Hole In The Head, directed by Eli Kabillio and conceived and produced by Cevin Soling, leader of the post everything rock band The Love Kills Theory. Inspired by an offhand comment and following a trail of rumors, Mr. Soling discovered a group of people, trepanauts if you will, who practice this form of surgery that had been prevalent in ancient civilizations found in Africa, South America and the Far East. This surgery is thought to increase blood flow to the brain thus making it function the way it does before the skull completely forms and hardens with age.
In this film we hear comments from those who have had trepanation by choice – and one who had it by accident – and swear by its benefits, as well as those in the scientific community who think it is a bogus and dangerous practice used by wackos who are just after the next high. It is a fascinating film that does what documentaries are meant to do: bore through the flesh and bone of a topic and explore its nooks and crannies in the pursuit of truth.
http://www.holeintheheadmovie.com
http://www.myspace.com/trepanation
http://www.youtube.com/trepanned
[Mark Kirby] Why did you produce this movie?
[Cevin Soling] I had read an interview with Paul McCartney in Musician magazine where he talked about having dinner with John Lennon, who suggested that they both get trepanned. Lennon was always on the look out for all sorts of ways to “expand consciousness” and exorcize demons while McCartney, who was also curious, tended to be more skeptical, as he was in this instance. Generally, interviewers always asked the same questions to the Beatles, and hence, gotten the same answers, so this reference to trepanation was fascinating for being an aberration in addition to its content.
The subject reappeared for me when I saw Donna Kossy’s book, Kooks, where she seemed to indicate that while the practice is extremely unconventional, there might actually be some benefit from it. That was the part that intrigued me since I am not interested in pathology or freak shows, but am fascinated by intellectual potential. After doing further research, I learned that skulls have been found all over the world with holes cut into them dating back as far as 10,000 years, and that these holes were made while the people were alive and most lived many years with a hole. There are theories as to why it was done, but it still persists as an anthropological riddle in the situations where it wasn’t done in response to head trauma. In addition, there weren’t any conclusive studies on the effects of trepanation on brain function and I wanted to see if there was a correlation and if, perhaps, this might have been a reason for prehistoric trepanation.
Spoiler alert: in this film you will see a lot of skulls with holes. Some are damn big, too. And there will be blood, so this film is not for those who are particularly squeamish. But the filmmaking style is so academic and unassuming, while still being entertaining, that you feel like you’re watching a BBC documentary and not some reality T.V. show. One never gets the sense that there is a filmmaker smirking at or mocking the people interviewed. This should be normal in a documentary but with FOX news, CNN and the advocacy style of Michael Moore (“Fahrenheit 911,” “Sicko”) lowering or raising the bar, depending on one’s point of view, this fairness stands out, and refreshingly so.
[Mark Kirby] Tell me about the director, Eli Kabillio. How did he become involved in your project?
[Cevin Soling] Eli was a friend of a friend who I hired to do the camera, lighting and sound. I had the idea, and tracked down all the people and set up and conducted all of the interviews and did all the research. Once we completed filming, I had no idea what you were supposed to do next because I had no film background at that time. Eli was so intrigued by the project that he ran with it without any expectations for payment and oversaw the editing, including tracking down stock footage. Eli got the director credit even though the project was mine because of the post production work he did where he gave the movie its form. He also is responsible for getting it sold to Discovery, so I am very appreciative for that, too.
After that project, Eli and I became partners and friends. I don’t think I have ever met anyone with his work ethic. He hardly ever sleeps. We worked together on a few more projects and then focused on our own things independently. In addition to the many films he directed and produced, he handled all the company business and has a family. Recently, we amicably went our separate ways and I formed Spectacle Films.
[Mark Kirby] How does this film project relate to your philosophical interests, especially Situationism?
[Cevin Soling] I think the goal of philosophy, or any intellectual discipline, is to improve the human condition. I see the Situationist movement as an attempt to raise awareness so people can improve the quality of their lives and trepanation is also an earnest attempt to find a way to improve one’s state.
[Mark Kirby] The people who have had the surgery in the movie are such characters. How did you find them?
[Cevin Soling] Those people were the pioneers. They were the first to study the practice and perform the procedure on themselves. Their names were easy to find since their efforts have been documented, it just took a bit of detective work to track them all down and persistence to get them to agree to talk on camera after they had been treated so unfairly by the press.
[Mark Kirby] The people who were interviewed seem sane and intelligent. How were they off-camera?
[Cevin Soling] Without exception, they were all incredibly friendly, generous, and enthusiastic about their lives in general. They are sane, intelligent, and warmhearted people. Some were initially guarded about discussing trepanation due to brutal press they had received in the past, and I was proud to present their positions without bias.
[Mark Kirby] How would a person who wants to find a doctor or hospital who is willing to do – or knows about – this procedure?
[Cevin Soling] Generally, they can’t and that is a big issue for the people who advocate this procedure. There was a doctor in Mexico who performed this on demand, but his practice got shut down as a result.
[Mark Kirby] Do you feel that the skepticism toward trepanation is rooted in actual science or is it part of our culture’s mistrust and disdain for consciousness raising and exploration?
[Cevin Soling] That is an excellent question. I think it is both. First, the science isn’t there because it hasn’t been something most researchers have had the inclination to study. This does not mean that science won’t someday prove (or disprove) the efficacy of the procedure. In fact, one of the people who had the procedure done has been spearheading research with a prominent Russian physician that has been yielding some promising results. Even if that research leads to an article published in JAMA, I don’t think there would be a response to make the practice available.
There are several reasons for this: one is due to what Thomas Kuhn described as the need for a paradigm shift with regards to scientific revolutions, and the other is that doctors are only trained to repair something that is not functioning properly. The notion of performing a procedure that provides enhancement is typically seen as taboo. Whether that harkens back to a response to Nazi medical experimentation or fear over opening a can of worms with regards to biological eugenics, there are certainly reasons for concern.
The argument levied against that by the trepanned is that the procedure is a corrective restoration of consciousness to the time before the sutures on our skull sealed around the age of eighteen. In general, though, consciousness is not seen to fall within the domain of the medical profession beyond whether you are conscious or unconscious. For politicians, the only socially acceptable way to alter ones consciousness is through religion.
[Mark Kirby] The subjects in the film and the filmmakers themselves specifically request that you don’t try this at home. It could be dangerous and is probably not covered by health insurance. Does it work? Check out the film and hear what the people who have done it have to say and judge for yourself. And remember this: medical science, at various times over the years has stated with complete assuredness the following concepts: black people have smaller skulls and brains than people of European descent, Puerto Ricans are a mongrel race with degenerate genes, women are emotionally unstable and depressed because they lack a penis, and insanity is caused by demons. Okay, that last one might be true.
A Hole In The head is now available on DVD, visit http://www.holeintheheadmovie.com
If you’re like most people, you probably think that you need a mind-expanding experience like you need a hole in the head. There are others – artists, intrepid explorers of the mind – who would say the opposite, that you need a hole in the head in order to have drug-free, altered states of consciousness and to experience the clarity and exhilaration of perception that one did as a child.
The act of boring a hole in the skull for such purposes is called trepanation. This subject is thoroughly explored in the documentary film A Hole In The Head, directed by Eli Kabillio and conceived and produced by Cevin Soling, leader of the post everything rock band The Love Kills Theory. Inspired by an offhand comment and following a trail of rumors, Mr. Soling discovered a group of people, trepanauts if you will, who practice this form of surgery that had been prevalent in ancient civilizations found in Africa, South America and the Far East. This surgery is thought to increase blood flow to the brain thus making it function the way it does before the skull completely forms and hardens with age.
In this film we hear comments from those who have had trepanation by choice – and one who had it by accident – and swear by its benefits, as well as those in the scientific community who think it is a bogus and dangerous practice used by wackos who are just after the next high. It is a fascinating film that does what documentaries are meant to do: bore through the flesh and bone of a topic and explore its nooks and crannies in the pursuit of truth.
http://www.holeintheheadmovie.com
http://www.myspace.com/trepanation
http://www.youtube.com/trepanned
[Mark Kirby] Why did you produce this movie?
[Cevin Soling] I had read an interview with Paul McCartney in Musician magazine where he talked about having dinner with John Lennon, who suggested that they both get trepanned. Lennon was always on the look out for all sorts of ways to “expand consciousness” and exorcize demons while McCartney, who was also curious, tended to be more skeptical, as he was in this instance. Generally, interviewers always asked the same questions to the Beatles, and hence, gotten the same answers, so this reference to trepanation was fascinating for being an aberration in addition to its content.
The subject reappeared for me when I saw Donna Kossy’s book, Kooks, where she seemed to indicate that while the practice is extremely unconventional, there might actually be some benefit from it. That was the part that intrigued me since I am not interested in pathology or freak shows, but am fascinated by intellectual potential. After doing further research, I learned that skulls have been found all over the world with holes cut into them dating back as far as 10,000 years, and that these holes were made while the people were alive and most lived many years with a hole. There are theories as to why it was done, but it still persists as an anthropological riddle in the situations where it wasn’t done in response to head trauma. In addition, there weren’t any conclusive studies on the effects of trepanation on brain function and I wanted to see if there was a correlation and if, perhaps, this might have been a reason for prehistoric trepanation.
Spoiler alert: in this film you will see a lot of skulls with holes. Some are damn big, too. And there will be blood, so this film is not for those who are particularly squeamish. But the filmmaking style is so academic and unassuming, while still being entertaining, that you feel like you’re watching a BBC documentary and not some reality T.V. show. One never gets the sense that there is a filmmaker smirking at or mocking the people interviewed. This should be normal in a documentary but with FOX news, CNN and the advocacy style of Michael Moore (“Fahrenheit 911,” “Sicko”) lowering or raising the bar, depending on one’s point of view, this fairness stands out, and refreshingly so.
[Mark Kirby] Tell me about the director, Eli Kabillio. How did he become involved in your project?
[Cevin Soling] Eli was a friend of a friend who I hired to do the camera, lighting and sound. I had the idea, and tracked down all the people and set up and conducted all of the interviews and did all the research. Once we completed filming, I had no idea what you were supposed to do next because I had no film background at that time. Eli was so intrigued by the project that he ran with it without any expectations for payment and oversaw the editing, including tracking down stock footage. Eli got the director credit even though the project was mine because of the post production work he did where he gave the movie its form. He also is responsible for getting it sold to Discovery, so I am very appreciative for that, too.
After that project, Eli and I became partners and friends. I don’t think I have ever met anyone with his work ethic. He hardly ever sleeps. We worked together on a few more projects and then focused on our own things independently. In addition to the many films he directed and produced, he handled all the company business and has a family. Recently, we amicably went our separate ways and I formed Spectacle Films.
[Mark Kirby] How does this film project relate to your philosophical interests, especially Situationism?
[Cevin Soling] I think the goal of philosophy, or any intellectual discipline, is to improve the human condition. I see the Situationist movement as an attempt to raise awareness so people can improve the quality of their lives and trepanation is also an earnest attempt to find a way to improve one’s state.
[Mark Kirby] The people who have had the surgery in the movie are such characters. How did you find them?
[Cevin Soling] Those people were the pioneers. They were the first to study the practice and perform the procedure on themselves. Their names were easy to find since their efforts have been documented, it just took a bit of detective work to track them all down and persistence to get them to agree to talk on camera after they had been treated so unfairly by the press.
[Mark Kirby] The people who were interviewed seem sane and intelligent. How were they off-camera?
[Cevin Soling] Without exception, they were all incredibly friendly, generous, and enthusiastic about their lives in general. They are sane, intelligent, and warmhearted people. Some were initially guarded about discussing trepanation due to brutal press they had received in the past, and I was proud to present their positions without bias.
[Mark Kirby] How would a person who wants to find a doctor or hospital who is willing to do – or knows about – this procedure?
[Cevin Soling] Generally, they can’t and that is a big issue for the people who advocate this procedure. There was a doctor in Mexico who performed this on demand, but his practice got shut down as a result.
[Mark Kirby] Do you feel that the skepticism toward trepanation is rooted in actual science or is it part of our culture’s mistrust and disdain for consciousness raising and exploration?
[Cevin Soling] That is an excellent question. I think it is both. First, the science isn’t there because it hasn’t been something most researchers have had the inclination to study. This does not mean that science won’t someday prove (or disprove) the efficacy of the procedure. In fact, one of the people who had the procedure done has been spearheading research with a prominent Russian physician that has been yielding some promising results. Even if that research leads to an article published in JAMA, I don’t think there would be a response to make the practice available.
There are several reasons for this: one is due to what Thomas Kuhn described as the need for a paradigm shift with regards to scientific revolutions, and the other is that doctors are only trained to repair something that is not functioning properly. The notion of performing a procedure that provides enhancement is typically seen as taboo. Whether that harkens back to a response to Nazi medical experimentation or fear over opening a can of worms with regards to biological eugenics, there are certainly reasons for concern.
The argument levied against that by the trepanned is that the procedure is a corrective restoration of consciousness to the time before the sutures on our skull sealed around the age of eighteen. In general, though, consciousness is not seen to fall within the domain of the medical profession beyond whether you are conscious or unconscious. For politicians, the only socially acceptable way to alter ones consciousness is through religion.
[Mark Kirby] The subjects in the film and the filmmakers themselves specifically request that you don’t try this at home. It could be dangerous and is probably not covered by health insurance. Does it work? Check out the film and hear what the people who have done it have to say and judge for yourself. And remember this: medical science, at various times over the years has stated with complete assuredness the following concepts: black people have smaller skulls and brains than people of European descent, Puerto Ricans are a mongrel race with degenerate genes, women are emotionally unstable and depressed because they lack a penis, and insanity is caused by demons. Okay, that last one might be true.
A Hole In The head is now available on DVD, visit http://www.holeintheheadmovie.com
Hazed and Confused Part Two. Interview With Indy Legend Miss Chiff
by admin on Sep.28, 2009, under Uncategorized
Massimo Martinini asked:
Good Morning, Afternoon and Evening and welcome yet again to another fun packed edition of Hazed & Confused. Since the last article the Indy scene seems to be in full swing, with quite a few events held over the past few weeks and future events being booked.
CZW recently held their tenth anniversary show in The Arena, Philadelphia.
Quick results from the event are as follows:
1. Drew Gulak defeated Little Mondo
2. Sami Callihan defeated Jon Dahmer
3. Adam Cole and Tyler Veritas won the “Old vs. New” Tag Team Gauntlet
- The order of entrants, and order of elimination is as follows:
- The S.A.T. defeated L.J. Cruz and Izzy Kensington
- 2.0 defeated the S.A.T.
- Cole and Veritas defeated 2.0
- Cole and Veritas defeated A.M.I.L.
- Cole and Veritas defeated GNC (Gacy and Colon)
4. Sabian defeated Ego Fantastico
5. Drew Blood defeated Pinkie Sanchez
6. The Best Around and El Sexisto defeated 2 Girls 1 Cup and Lord Everett Devore
7. Devon Moore defeated Ruckus
8. Ryan McBride defeated Carter Gray to retain the Jr. Heavyweight Title
9. The H8 Club defeated Brain Damage and Deranged in a Fans Bring The Weapons Match
After seeing this on DVD, it had to be one of the most brutal matches in CZW’s history.
The H8 Club took advantage early, using, believe it or not, a machete to carve and gouge at the eye of Deranged, rendering him useless, and allowing them to gain a virtual 2-on-1 on Brain Damage.
The H8 Club finished Brain Damage with a huge Superplex off the top through a barbed wire laden door, propped on chairs.
What happened next was to the surprise of everyone in the Arena…
10. Sami Callihan defeated Brain Damage to become the NEW CZW Iron Man Champion
Callihan stormed the ring with Referee Nick Pappagiorgio wrapped up in a blanket over his shoulder, and shoveled the unwilling official into the ring.
With the threat of a chair and further aggression, Pappagiorgio sanctioned an immediate match up, where Callihan picked up the H8 Club’s scraps, added a few more unneeded blows, and pinned an already beaten Brain Damage to win the Iron Man Championship.
11. Drake Younger defeated Eddie Kingston in a No Rope Barbed Wire Match to retain the CZW World Heavyweight Championship
Also, for those who have been following my articles, you will know that I keep mentioning the Chikara run tournament, King Of Trio’s coming up at the end of March, well all 16 teams have now been announced and are as follows:
1. The Masters of a Thousand Holds (Mike Quackenbush, Jorge “Skayde” Rivera & Johnny Saint)
2. The Osirian Portal (Ophidian, Amasis & Escorpion Egipcio)
3. Incoherence (Hallowicked, Delirious & Frightmare)
4. Team PWG (El Generico, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson)
5. The Future Is Now (Lince Dorado, Helios & Jimmy “Equinox” Olsen)
6. The Death Match Kings (Necro Butcher, Toby Klein & Brain Damage)
7. The F1RST Family (Arik Cannon, Darin Corbin & Ryan Cruz)
8. Da Soul Touchaz (Willie Richardson, Trauma & Marshe Rockett)
9. Team CZW (Beef Wellington, Pinkie Sanchez & Greg Excellent)
10. The Cold Front (Al Snow, Iceberg & Glacier)
11. F.I.S.T. (Gran Akuma, Chuck Taylor & Icarus)
12. The Roughnecks (Brodie Lee, Eddie Kingston & Grizzly Redwood)
13. Team Uppercut (Claudio Castagnoli, Dave Taylor & Bryan Danielson)
14. Team EPIC WAR (Austin Aries, Tony Kozina & Ryan Drago)
15. The UnStable (Vin Gerard, STIGMA & Colin Delaney)
16. Team DDT (Kota Ibushi, KUDO & Michael Nakazawa)
Quite an impressive collection of teams there and pretty hard for me to pick a favorite to win the tournament, with most of the teams having a very good chance at doing so. Though I imagine I’m not the only one hoping to see a “HEAD” Shot in the tournament.
So anyway, I decided to do something different and special from the other articles here at TWG and after some thinking I decided that it would be great to actually interview an Indy wrestler.
So with nothing to lose, I sent an email out to my personal favorite Indy wrestler, Mike Quackenbush, and much to my surprise he agreed to answer a few questions for me and some suggested by other people at TWG.
Due to his work and schedule however, the answers are fairly short but I hope you will agree with me that Quackenbush doing this interview for me is nothing short of awesomeness.
So without further delay, an interview with Quack…
Thank you Mike for joining me on Hazed & Confused, hopefully you’re the first of many exclusive interviews.
Most of my readers will know you mainly from Chikara and some as the current NWA Junior Champion.
I have asked some of the games members to think of questions to ask you, and we have quite a mixed bunch..
We’ll start off with some wrestling based ones and finish off with some random questions…
So without further delay on with the questions…
1) Did you have any major setbacks starting in the business?
–The fact that I wasn’t properly trained when I had my earliest matches was a huge setback. I was never going to be taken seriously or get a chance to work in a real company until I got some legitimate training.
2) What has been your personal favorite match so far?
—I am very fond of my match with Claudio Castagnoli from the 2006 edition of the Ted Petty Invitational.
3) Who have you had the most fun wrestling against and teaming with?
—Claudio brings out the best in me. I enjoy teaming with Jigsaw, or any of my trainees, really.
4) Have you ever been “star-struck” when meeting other wrestlers around the world?
—I was a little bit when I wrestled El Hijo del Santo. He has a magical presence about him.
5) How do you feel on the way CHIKARA is going?
—I think we are doing a great job of altering the accepted status quo in the wrestling business, and we’re doing it very quietly, but effectively.
6) With the upcoming King Of Trios, which team would you like to compete against more?
—I’d very much like to lock horns with the PWG or DDT teams.
7) If WWE offered you a contract, but it meant giving up working at CHIKARA, would you take it?
—I wouldn’t accept a WWE contract no matter what it said or stipulated. Even if Vince McMahon came over and agreed to wash my car and gave me the original Max Moon costume, I wouldn’t sign.
Who are your main “travel buddies” when going to different shows?
—Because most of my non-CHIKARA engagements involve flying rather than driving, I tend to travel by myself. It’s pretty rare that I road trip by car these days.
9) Have you ever gotten “stage fright” before a match, and how did you overcome this?
—I used to get that quite a bit. Just butterflies in the stomach, so to speak. But I probably haven’t experienced that in ten years or so. No one makes me more nervous to wrestle than Jorge Rivera, though. The odds of being able to go hold-for-hold with him are just about zero.
10) Do you ever see hardcore fights coming into CHIKARA?
—Maybe a satire of the cliches of garbage wrestling, but that’s probably about it.
11) How do you feel on Ring Of Honor and their recent TV deal?
—It’s too soon to know how it will affect them. In two or three months, we might better understand what will come of it.
12) Who, out of your current students, could be the next star?
—Any and all of them, really. Each has their own unique potential.
13) If you could have one match against any wrestler, dead or alive, that you haven’t fought before, who would it be?
—I think I get asked this in every interview I’ve ever done, and I like to change up the answer. So let’s say Owen Hart this week.
14) Finally, what advice would you have for anyone looking to get into wrestling?
—Get trained by someone reputable, with good international contacts, unless you want to languish in obscurity for years and years. That’s what happened to me.
And now for some less serious questions asked….
15) Do you fear Chuck Norris?
—Of course.
16) Burger King or McDonald’s?
—McDonald’s. Not even close. BK is for jabrones.
17) Favorite band and/or song?
—I’m a big They Might Be Giants fan. Probably have more TMBG Cd’s than any other in my collection.
18) If you were President, how would you deal with the current economy crisis?
—I have never felt so ill-equipped to answer a question. Pass?
19) Have you heard about the bird?
—I have heard that the bird is the word.
20) Favorite Video Game?
—I love playing the Fire Pro series, and on my PC, I used to be addicted to a game called Freedom Force, a few years back.
21) Have you ever worn a Tutu?
—I am fairly certain I have not.
22) Favorite all time movie?
—That’s tough. I’m a big fan of just about all superhero movies, going back to the 1978 Christopher Reeve Superman film. I’ve probably watched “Glengarry Glen Ross” more times than any other movie. Maybe “UHF.”
23) Favorite TV show?
—I never miss an episode of “Lost.” I also really enjoy “The X-Files” and “Fawlty Towers.”
Well thank you very much Mike for your time, we here at TWG very much appreciate you doing this interview with us today. All the best to you this coming year with Chikara and with other matches you may have around the world.
Now just how great was that? But thats not all my readers, no, Ive been a busy bee and have secured another FOUR Indy Wrestlers for interviews. So in the coming weeks I shall be bringing you interviews with:
Shimmer & NWA Womens Champion, Ms Chif
CZW wrestler, and part of my last article, SeXXXy Eddy
CZW wrestler and BLK Out member, Sabian
Chikara wrestler and member of “Super Smash Brothers”, Stupefied / Player Dos
Though by the time you read this, the Ms Chif interview should be already done, but if anyone has ANY questions at all for the others, please leave a comment below and I shall do my best to ask them your question when the interview is done. I would like to thank you all for reading this week, my apologies for the delay in articles but I hope that the interviews more than make up for it.
Until next time…. this has been Hazed & Confused.
Good Morning, Afternoon and Evening and welcome yet again to another fun packed edition of Hazed & Confused. Since the last article the Indy scene seems to be in full swing, with quite a few events held over the past few weeks and future events being booked.
CZW recently held their tenth anniversary show in The Arena, Philadelphia.
Quick results from the event are as follows:
1. Drew Gulak defeated Little Mondo
2. Sami Callihan defeated Jon Dahmer
3. Adam Cole and Tyler Veritas won the “Old vs. New” Tag Team Gauntlet
- The order of entrants, and order of elimination is as follows:
- The S.A.T. defeated L.J. Cruz and Izzy Kensington
- 2.0 defeated the S.A.T.
- Cole and Veritas defeated 2.0
- Cole and Veritas defeated A.M.I.L.
- Cole and Veritas defeated GNC (Gacy and Colon)
4. Sabian defeated Ego Fantastico
5. Drew Blood defeated Pinkie Sanchez
6. The Best Around and El Sexisto defeated 2 Girls 1 Cup and Lord Everett Devore
7. Devon Moore defeated Ruckus
8. Ryan McBride defeated Carter Gray to retain the Jr. Heavyweight Title
9. The H8 Club defeated Brain Damage and Deranged in a Fans Bring The Weapons Match
After seeing this on DVD, it had to be one of the most brutal matches in CZW’s history.
The H8 Club took advantage early, using, believe it or not, a machete to carve and gouge at the eye of Deranged, rendering him useless, and allowing them to gain a virtual 2-on-1 on Brain Damage.
The H8 Club finished Brain Damage with a huge Superplex off the top through a barbed wire laden door, propped on chairs.
What happened next was to the surprise of everyone in the Arena…
10. Sami Callihan defeated Brain Damage to become the NEW CZW Iron Man Champion
Callihan stormed the ring with Referee Nick Pappagiorgio wrapped up in a blanket over his shoulder, and shoveled the unwilling official into the ring.
With the threat of a chair and further aggression, Pappagiorgio sanctioned an immediate match up, where Callihan picked up the H8 Club’s scraps, added a few more unneeded blows, and pinned an already beaten Brain Damage to win the Iron Man Championship.
11. Drake Younger defeated Eddie Kingston in a No Rope Barbed Wire Match to retain the CZW World Heavyweight Championship
Also, for those who have been following my articles, you will know that I keep mentioning the Chikara run tournament, King Of Trio’s coming up at the end of March, well all 16 teams have now been announced and are as follows:
1. The Masters of a Thousand Holds (Mike Quackenbush, Jorge “Skayde” Rivera & Johnny Saint)
2. The Osirian Portal (Ophidian, Amasis & Escorpion Egipcio)
3. Incoherence (Hallowicked, Delirious & Frightmare)
4. Team PWG (El Generico, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson)
5. The Future Is Now (Lince Dorado, Helios & Jimmy “Equinox” Olsen)
6. The Death Match Kings (Necro Butcher, Toby Klein & Brain Damage)
7. The F1RST Family (Arik Cannon, Darin Corbin & Ryan Cruz)
8. Da Soul Touchaz (Willie Richardson, Trauma & Marshe Rockett)
9. Team CZW (Beef Wellington, Pinkie Sanchez & Greg Excellent)
10. The Cold Front (Al Snow, Iceberg & Glacier)
11. F.I.S.T. (Gran Akuma, Chuck Taylor & Icarus)
12. The Roughnecks (Brodie Lee, Eddie Kingston & Grizzly Redwood)
13. Team Uppercut (Claudio Castagnoli, Dave Taylor & Bryan Danielson)
14. Team EPIC WAR (Austin Aries, Tony Kozina & Ryan Drago)
15. The UnStable (Vin Gerard, STIGMA & Colin Delaney)
16. Team DDT (Kota Ibushi, KUDO & Michael Nakazawa)
Quite an impressive collection of teams there and pretty hard for me to pick a favorite to win the tournament, with most of the teams having a very good chance at doing so. Though I imagine I’m not the only one hoping to see a “HEAD” Shot in the tournament.
So anyway, I decided to do something different and special from the other articles here at TWG and after some thinking I decided that it would be great to actually interview an Indy wrestler.
So with nothing to lose, I sent an email out to my personal favorite Indy wrestler, Mike Quackenbush, and much to my surprise he agreed to answer a few questions for me and some suggested by other people at TWG.
Due to his work and schedule however, the answers are fairly short but I hope you will agree with me that Quackenbush doing this interview for me is nothing short of awesomeness.
So without further delay, an interview with Quack…
Thank you Mike for joining me on Hazed & Confused, hopefully you’re the first of many exclusive interviews.
Most of my readers will know you mainly from Chikara and some as the current NWA Junior Champion.
I have asked some of the games members to think of questions to ask you, and we have quite a mixed bunch..
We’ll start off with some wrestling based ones and finish off with some random questions…
So without further delay on with the questions…
1) Did you have any major setbacks starting in the business?
–The fact that I wasn’t properly trained when I had my earliest matches was a huge setback. I was never going to be taken seriously or get a chance to work in a real company until I got some legitimate training.
2) What has been your personal favorite match so far?
—I am very fond of my match with Claudio Castagnoli from the 2006 edition of the Ted Petty Invitational.
3) Who have you had the most fun wrestling against and teaming with?
—Claudio brings out the best in me. I enjoy teaming with Jigsaw, or any of my trainees, really.
4) Have you ever been “star-struck” when meeting other wrestlers around the world?
—I was a little bit when I wrestled El Hijo del Santo. He has a magical presence about him.
5) How do you feel on the way CHIKARA is going?
—I think we are doing a great job of altering the accepted status quo in the wrestling business, and we’re doing it very quietly, but effectively.
6) With the upcoming King Of Trios, which team would you like to compete against more?
—I’d very much like to lock horns with the PWG or DDT teams.
7) If WWE offered you a contract, but it meant giving up working at CHIKARA, would you take it?
—I wouldn’t accept a WWE contract no matter what it said or stipulated. Even if Vince McMahon came over and agreed to wash my car and gave me the original Max Moon costume, I wouldn’t sign.
Who are your main “travel buddies” when going to different shows?—Because most of my non-CHIKARA engagements involve flying rather than driving, I tend to travel by myself. It’s pretty rare that I road trip by car these days.
9) Have you ever gotten “stage fright” before a match, and how did you overcome this?
—I used to get that quite a bit. Just butterflies in the stomach, so to speak. But I probably haven’t experienced that in ten years or so. No one makes me more nervous to wrestle than Jorge Rivera, though. The odds of being able to go hold-for-hold with him are just about zero.
10) Do you ever see hardcore fights coming into CHIKARA?
—Maybe a satire of the cliches of garbage wrestling, but that’s probably about it.
11) How do you feel on Ring Of Honor and their recent TV deal?
—It’s too soon to know how it will affect them. In two or three months, we might better understand what will come of it.
12) Who, out of your current students, could be the next star?
—Any and all of them, really. Each has their own unique potential.
13) If you could have one match against any wrestler, dead or alive, that you haven’t fought before, who would it be?
—I think I get asked this in every interview I’ve ever done, and I like to change up the answer. So let’s say Owen Hart this week.
14) Finally, what advice would you have for anyone looking to get into wrestling?
—Get trained by someone reputable, with good international contacts, unless you want to languish in obscurity for years and years. That’s what happened to me.
And now for some less serious questions asked….
15) Do you fear Chuck Norris?
—Of course.
16) Burger King or McDonald’s?
—McDonald’s. Not even close. BK is for jabrones.
17) Favorite band and/or song?
—I’m a big They Might Be Giants fan. Probably have more TMBG Cd’s than any other in my collection.
18) If you were President, how would you deal with the current economy crisis?
—I have never felt so ill-equipped to answer a question. Pass?
19) Have you heard about the bird?
—I have heard that the bird is the word.
20) Favorite Video Game?
—I love playing the Fire Pro series, and on my PC, I used to be addicted to a game called Freedom Force, a few years back.
21) Have you ever worn a Tutu?
—I am fairly certain I have not.
22) Favorite all time movie?
—That’s tough. I’m a big fan of just about all superhero movies, going back to the 1978 Christopher Reeve Superman film. I’ve probably watched “Glengarry Glen Ross” more times than any other movie. Maybe “UHF.”
23) Favorite TV show?
—I never miss an episode of “Lost.” I also really enjoy “The X-Files” and “Fawlty Towers.”
Well thank you very much Mike for your time, we here at TWG very much appreciate you doing this interview with us today. All the best to you this coming year with Chikara and with other matches you may have around the world.
Now just how great was that? But thats not all my readers, no, Ive been a busy bee and have secured another FOUR Indy Wrestlers for interviews. So in the coming weeks I shall be bringing you interviews with:
Shimmer & NWA Womens Champion, Ms Chif
CZW wrestler, and part of my last article, SeXXXy Eddy
CZW wrestler and BLK Out member, Sabian
Chikara wrestler and member of “Super Smash Brothers”, Stupefied / Player Dos
Though by the time you read this, the Ms Chif interview should be already done, but if anyone has ANY questions at all for the others, please leave a comment below and I shall do my best to ask them your question when the interview is done. I would like to thank you all for reading this week, my apologies for the delay in articles but I hope that the interviews more than make up for it.
Until next time…. this has been Hazed & Confused.
Weight Loss Surgery: Medical Tourism. Affordable, Low Cost Lap-band Procedure in the Dominican Republic
by admin on Sep.28, 2009, under Uncategorized
Larry Sam asked:
www.globalsurgerycenter.com
Lap-Band Surgery – Weight Loss Surgery
Safe, Rapid Weight Loss
It’s More Than a Question of Appearance!
Morbid obesity is not only unattractive, but life threatening. Even less severe degrees of obesity can be a major threat to the quality of your life. It has been estimated that 64.5% of all Americans are affected, to some degree, by problems related to obesity.
Obesity has been dubbed by some experts as “the mother of all diseases” because this condition either causes or exacerbates: dangerously high levels of cholesterol; high blood pressure; diabetes; impotency; hypertension; urinary stress incontinence; coronary artery disease; stroke; breast cancer; arthritic joints; sleep apnea; kidney failures; menstrual irregularities; asthma; swollen legs; depression; and dozens of
other health disorders.
Compared to a person of normal weight, a 25-year-old obese man or woman has a reduced life span, and can expect a loss of about 12 years of life.
Weight-loss surgery has been shown to improve one’s lifespan by reducing excess body weight. There are three common forms of weight-loss surgery:
• Gastric bypass surgery, a procedure that reroutes the digestive system, causing rapid weight loss.
Unfortunately, gastric bypass surgery also often leads to nutritional deficiencies that can cause
severe health complications.
• Gastroplasty, which also reroutes the digestive system, but is most notable because it restricts the amount of food that can be eaten by making the stomach smaller.
Bariatric Procedure –
• Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding (also known simply as lap-band surgery), a procedure in which an adjustable band is placed around the upper third portion of the stomach to create a small stomach pouch.
Healthcare professionals can adjust the dimensions of that band to hold 2, 4, or 6 ounces of food. Thus restricting the stomach gives the patient a feeling of fullness and thus prevents overeating, while at the same time allowing the food that is eaten to be released more slowly into the lower portion of the stomach for
healthier digestion.
Of these three approaches, Global Medical Service offers you Lap-Band surgery, which is approved by the FDA, is the only treatment that is reversible, and is the least invasive of all the procedures. The lap-band procedure can be performed in 30 to 40 minutes with the patient remaining in the hospital for as little as
one overnight. However, it is generally recommended that patients allow an additional week following the procedure to recover, and that they adhere to a carefully prescribed program of diet and moderate exercise during that period.
The Three Phases
There are three phases associated with the Lap-Band surgical procedure:
before the procedure, during the procedure, and after the procedure.
Before the Procedure
This phase involves a complete analysis of your medical history and medical records by the Lap-Band Surgeon who may also interview you by phone or face-to-face to determine the treatment course.
If you accept the recommendation by the Surgeon, you will be asked to comply with a prescribed regimen of diet and exercise in advance of the actual procedure. During this time, we will help you to finalize your travel and resort accommodations. Every detail of your itinerary will be documented for you, describing what will happen from the moment you arrive at your destination, how you will be transported to the resort, the full range of dining and entertainment options that will be available to you, and plans for returning you to the airport for your trip home.
During the Procedure
During your procedure you should expect to remain
in our 80-bed facility for, at most, two days.
All of the costs associated with your stay at the Center are included for this service. That includes the surgery, the anesthesia, your medications, your meals, the over-night stay with a 24 hour nurse, post surgery garments per your surgery, follow up visits, your transportation between the Hospital and Resort, and any incidentals.
You never need to put your hand in your pocket, unless you want to bring home a souvenir.
After the Procedure
Assuming that you have devoted one-week, you will likely have time to enjoy the fun and sun of the
beautiful Dominican Republic. You will, however, be expected to follow any diet and exercise regimen prescribed by your doctors. For weight-loss patients, these procedures will vary, depending on your weight and weight-loss goals, but will typically involve your adopting and adhering to a new attitude towards eating, including:
• Initially eating only foods that have first been shredded in a food processor. For lap-band
patients, these foods typically include meats that are easily chewed and digested, or other forms of protein, low-fiber vegetables, and salads. (Protein intake is especially important to lap-band patients, who must consume 50-60 grams of protein daily. Prohibited foods will include bread, potatoes, fried foods, starchy vegetables, and any spicy consumables.
• You will be drinking protein shakes and relearning eating skills much the same as a new baby eats, and slowly adds new and chunkier foods to its diet.
Chances are, you will be heading home in about one week. Much of your post-operative time will be
devoted to ensuring that you know how to maintain the long-term benefits of this procedure. Your Global Medical Service Personal Care Manager will make follow-up calls to you, both to get any evaluative feedback you might have regarding this experience, and to help you adjust to the wonderful experience of becoming the new you!
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www.globalsurgerycenter.com
Lap-Band Surgery – Weight Loss Surgery
Safe, Rapid Weight Loss
It’s More Than a Question of Appearance!
Morbid obesity is not only unattractive, but life threatening. Even less severe degrees of obesity can be a major threat to the quality of your life. It has been estimated that 64.5% of all Americans are affected, to some degree, by problems related to obesity.
Obesity has been dubbed by some experts as “the mother of all diseases” because this condition either causes or exacerbates: dangerously high levels of cholesterol; high blood pressure; diabetes; impotency; hypertension; urinary stress incontinence; coronary artery disease; stroke; breast cancer; arthritic joints; sleep apnea; kidney failures; menstrual irregularities; asthma; swollen legs; depression; and dozens of
other health disorders.
Compared to a person of normal weight, a 25-year-old obese man or woman has a reduced life span, and can expect a loss of about 12 years of life.
Weight-loss surgery has been shown to improve one’s lifespan by reducing excess body weight. There are three common forms of weight-loss surgery:
• Gastric bypass surgery, a procedure that reroutes the digestive system, causing rapid weight loss.
Unfortunately, gastric bypass surgery also often leads to nutritional deficiencies that can cause
severe health complications.
• Gastroplasty, which also reroutes the digestive system, but is most notable because it restricts the amount of food that can be eaten by making the stomach smaller.
Bariatric Procedure –
• Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding (also known simply as lap-band surgery), a procedure in which an adjustable band is placed around the upper third portion of the stomach to create a small stomach pouch.
Healthcare professionals can adjust the dimensions of that band to hold 2, 4, or 6 ounces of food. Thus restricting the stomach gives the patient a feeling of fullness and thus prevents overeating, while at the same time allowing the food that is eaten to be released more slowly into the lower portion of the stomach for
healthier digestion.
Of these three approaches, Global Medical Service offers you Lap-Band surgery, which is approved by the FDA, is the only treatment that is reversible, and is the least invasive of all the procedures. The lap-band procedure can be performed in 30 to 40 minutes with the patient remaining in the hospital for as little as
one overnight. However, it is generally recommended that patients allow an additional week following the procedure to recover, and that they adhere to a carefully prescribed program of diet and moderate exercise during that period.
The Three Phases
There are three phases associated with the Lap-Band surgical procedure:
before the procedure, during the procedure, and after the procedure.
Before the Procedure
This phase involves a complete analysis of your medical history and medical records by the Lap-Band Surgeon who may also interview you by phone or face-to-face to determine the treatment course.
If you accept the recommendation by the Surgeon, you will be asked to comply with a prescribed regimen of diet and exercise in advance of the actual procedure. During this time, we will help you to finalize your travel and resort accommodations. Every detail of your itinerary will be documented for you, describing what will happen from the moment you arrive at your destination, how you will be transported to the resort, the full range of dining and entertainment options that will be available to you, and plans for returning you to the airport for your trip home.
During the Procedure
During your procedure you should expect to remain
in our 80-bed facility for, at most, two days.
All of the costs associated with your stay at the Center are included for this service. That includes the surgery, the anesthesia, your medications, your meals, the over-night stay with a 24 hour nurse, post surgery garments per your surgery, follow up visits, your transportation between the Hospital and Resort, and any incidentals.
You never need to put your hand in your pocket, unless you want to bring home a souvenir.
After the Procedure
Assuming that you have devoted one-week, you will likely have time to enjoy the fun and sun of the
beautiful Dominican Republic. You will, however, be expected to follow any diet and exercise regimen prescribed by your doctors. For weight-loss patients, these procedures will vary, depending on your weight and weight-loss goals, but will typically involve your adopting and adhering to a new attitude towards eating, including:
• Initially eating only foods that have first been shredded in a food processor. For lap-band
patients, these foods typically include meats that are easily chewed and digested, or other forms of protein, low-fiber vegetables, and salads. (Protein intake is especially important to lap-band patients, who must consume 50-60 grams of protein daily. Prohibited foods will include bread, potatoes, fried foods, starchy vegetables, and any spicy consumables.
• You will be drinking protein shakes and relearning eating skills much the same as a new baby eats, and slowly adds new and chunkier foods to its diet.
Chances are, you will be heading home in about one week. Much of your post-operative time will be
devoted to ensuring that you know how to maintain the long-term benefits of this procedure. Your Global Medical Service Personal Care Manager will make follow-up calls to you, both to get any evaluative feedback you might have regarding this experience, and to help you adjust to the wonderful experience of becoming the new you!
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