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I did an interview with Jess Gibson who is working on a "blockumentary" on the AFOL world. I also did a little blurb about my stick bug and tire octopus with Scott Decoteau and Roger Cameron of LEGO Club TV: club.lego.com/en-us/news/NewsDetails.aspx?id=125590
All three were awesome guys, I had a great time talking with them!
Magnus Backstedt interview.
Professional since: 1996
Current team: Team Garmin – Chipotle presented by H30
He towers about the peloton. The Swedish rider is an anomaly among grand tour riders. XL shorts don't get requested much new team kit. Yet, at an astounding 93 kgs of all Viking muscle, Magnus Backstedt isn't your average Joe pro.
Born in 1975 in the small city of Linkoping, South of the Swedish capital. Cycling wasn't the first or natural calling for a Swede. Put off by long winter nights and two meters of snow he initially raced Downhill skiing for the national junior squad and started racing a bike as a way of getting fit for the ski season. Two serious crashes on the slopes and the decision was made for him and the peloton is the better for it.
We caught up with Magnus in "another really nice hotel" after a 200km stage to get his feelings about the professional the circuit at the minute:
Not a lot of bikers come out of Sweden, how do you get the training miles in, Is it lots of layers or the turbo?
I don’t live there now, but back then I had my own little set-up. I would set out on the mountain bike in the snow, went as far and as fast as I could until I was about to freeze to death, then I came back inside, did an hour-hour and a half on the turbo trainer and got warm again then went back out into the snow!
Can you talk us through the closing stages of today's stage, to give us a peek inside pro racing:
JD (Julian Dean) was on my wheel for the last five km we were just sitting behind the Columbia boys. It gets a bit dodgy with Two or Three km to go, some of the guys from the smaller teams are taking a lot of risks, heads down trying to get placed. I came up through the ranks too and I know the pressure is on to perform, but the speed and pressure are lifted again. By the final km it is fast enough, everyone who is left - should be there!
Basically, I lead JD out with 500 meters to go, and dropped him off at 200m, Cav went right and JD went left and you know the rest. As far as we are concerned we won the bunch sprint as Cav (Mark Cavendish) is in a league of his own at the minute.
You're admired both by riders and fans alike: what do you put this down to?
It is great to see people appreciate what I have done, a lot of hard work and dedication was put in to get here, but ultimately it is great to make a living from what started off as my hobby. Definitely a warm feeling.
What was your most satisfying days’ racing that you didn't podium?
Well it has to be my 4th place in Roubaix in 2005. I crashed in Gent-Wevelgem on the Wednesday before and cracked my wrist, yet on the Sunday I still managed to get into Roubaix stadium with the leaders. I couldn't hold the bars with the vibrations the day before and just about managed it. Definitely the gutsiest ride I have ever done.
So on Roubaix, your 2004 win must be a career highlight?
Yeah, I first rode the Paris Roubaix in 1998 and finished 7th, and I said to my team mate' I will win this one day'. The race is in my blood now. If I am able to pedal on that day, I will ride Roubaix; and I have had to sit a few out due to injury and that is not a nice place to be.
Do you rate Flanders as a race of the quality of Roubaix?
Flanders in a very' nice' race, but I live for the second Sunday in April.
So, is it a risk putting everything on one race in the year?
I don't do it as such, I have a season plan with other races that I will focus on, but that particular day is special and I will do everything I can to be as good as I can on that day.
Magnus, have you any advice on bike fit for larger riders?
Most bikes bigger than a 58cm are just extended up they don’t go longer. Big riders then end up riding a 15 cm stem. Ideally, you should have 13-14cm stems and the geometry matched for the larger position- a big mans bike. Big guys also turn out a lot of power so that should be taken into consideration as well. Jim at 'Felt ' has been really good and delivered what I need this season. FELT are really receptive to ideas and feedback.
You ride larger cranks 180mm. how much advantage are they?
Yes and I have even tried 190mm, but they come from the wrong manufacturer. It is a mistake to think that all riders should be on 172.5. Longer levers (legs) need longer cranks to transfer the power. Guys say its not good for your knees, but it's all in proportion, Most people ride just what comes on the bike, but it affects gearing immensely. A guy who is 170 cm tall shouldn’t be on the same cranks as a guy 25 cm taller
Do you use roughly the same training program each year?
I have been working with the same coach Steve Benton, for a few years now and it is great. We have an overall view, but will tweak it all the time. We take into account the race schedule health, depending on how I am feeling or my power output. We have contact every day on email and minimum every second day on the phone. He keeps me right on the limit between training load and recovery. He has brought me back from injury and sickness in a very short period of time quite a few times, that is probably the hardest thing you have to do as a coach.
You seem relaxed with team Team Garmin – Chipotle, what's changed here from your previous outfit?
Everything. Just a good close group, everyone from riders, staff, directors, even the sponsors. We’re one big family! If you're having a rough time they will keep believing in you and offer help. It is great. N pressure, other than to give your all, 100% all the time. I don't need pressure from the outside. The pressure we put on ourselves far exceeds what any team could put on us.
Would you encourage your children to race?
My eldest girl has been on the track in Cardiff and Newport since she was four, I came home one day and she said "Daddy I want a bike like yours" I have No expectation is on any of my children, if they want to ride, I will support them, as long as they are active and do some sport I’m happy.
You have tried your hand at commentating when off with your shoulder injury; would you like to enter that field when you hang up your racing wheels?
Yes, I have commentated a bit when injured, and I would love to do more. I speak five and bit languages and could bring a lot to the table, knowing the riders, and being up to scratch with tactics and technology.
Could you talk for six hours on an Alpine stage?
.... Yes. I have done some long stages with Martin my manager and when you have someone to bounce off and have a laugh it’s fairly easy, I believe the more fun we have, the more enjoyment the spectators will have at home.
Ok, on a lighter note; if there were a fight at the sign on for the tour what pro bike rider would you not like to meet?
Hmmm. Robbie Hunter. I'm a good friend of Robbie but he has a short fuse. I would also like to think that there aren't many who would pick a fight with me!
Future?
Next season, I’m looking forward to some good results for my team, I have had a hard year in every way; so now just relax with a month off my bike. Get recovered and my stomach sorted, then have a good winter and be ripe for the classics.
We interviewed students from Central State Unviersity (and surrounding schools) before John Legend's get out the vote event in Xania, Ohio on September 9th, 2016, asking them why voting in this election is important to them.
NOTE: INFORMATION HAS BEEN RECEIVED ON 4/21/13 WHICH CALLS THE VERACITY OF THIS ACCOUNT INTO QUESTION.
Jo Quasney is a survivor of Hurricane Katrina. Of French Creole heritage, Quasney is a native of New Orleans who was living alone in her house in the eighth ward when the hurricane struck on August 29, 2005. Quasney bred birds and had no way of transporting or finding shelter for the birds when New Orleans residents were advised to evacuate so she stuck it out. Her neighborhood began to flood after she heard an explosion that she attributes to a Halliburton company oil barge breaking through a levee. (For a discussion on the cause of the breech, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ING_4727)
A third of her roof was blown off but she managed to escape upstairs from the rising waters. To this day she has nightmares from hearing her birds drowning on the floor below. She had bottles of water but no food for three days and recalls most vividly the silence around her, hearing only her own breathing, a silence so profound it was deafening. From time to time she waved, in vain, to a helicopter passing overhead.
After the third day, she noticed that the waters had receded sufficiently for her to exit the house. Throwing her briefcase and a small bag of clothes into a recycling bin, she left the house and, turning around to look back, then knew in her heart she would probably not see her home again.
For more than ten hours she pushed her bin through the floodwaters to the Superdome where she endured three horrific days of body odor, people out of control and authorities treating the hurricane victims like prisoners.
She left and started walking along Highway 10 and says she was halfway to Baton Rouge when she got picked up by a relief worker. There was no place to stay in Baton Rouge so she wound up for another three days at the Cajun Dome in Lafayette, Louisiana which was not much better than the Superdome but she at least got a chance to shower.
Authorities suggested that she relocate to Arkansas but she was determined to come to Philadelphia, where she had studied years before. For three days she sat in a chair in the Greyhound bus station waiting for a bus that could get her to Atlanta from where she get her connection north.
Upon arriving in Philadelphia, a very kindly hotel manager at a hotel she was acquainted with from before converted the $68 nightly charge to $60 for the week upon learning of she had survived Katrina.
After a couple days of recuperating, the manager knocked at her door and told her to go to the Wanamaker School. The people there were incredible, she says- firefighters, police and Housing Authority personnel volunteering their off-time. She received food stamps, help filling out FEMA and other forms, a $300 gift card from the Red Cross and relocation assistance. She still maintains friendships with people she met there.
Finally, Quasney decided to accept placement at the Emlen Arms, a Philadelphia Housing Authority building. In her small, but very cozy apartment, she has the company of Ziggy, a parrot rescued from a crack house, a parakeet and a cat. She has amassed a sizable little collection of ceramic elephants, like the one she had in New Orleans, and numerous pothos plants adorn her small living room.
She loves Mardi Gras so that’s what she misses most about New Orleans but she continues the tradition here. She decorates a tree in green and gold, the Mardi Gras colors, and bakes King cakes for the community room. Friends and neighbors usually cajole her into making jambalaya and gumbo.
As she has become settled in her new home, she is now the one regularly helping newly entering residents who often arrive with few possessions. Of her Emlen Arms sanctuary, Quasney says, “They’ll have to carry me out of here feet first.”
I have several escape routes out of the job I'm currently doing. I applied last week for a 3 year secondment to the Boundary Commission for Wales, dealing with electoral boundary reviews.
Today I had this letter telling me I've got an interview for the job! Here's hoping I get it as I know it would make me feel so much happier than I do now.
I had a big job interview this day. Ten hours long. I snapped this in the morning before leaving the house, and I got home at night and fell into bed. Still waiting on the results.
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365 Days -- 41.365
Project 365 -- 41.365
Poe Myint waits for a job interview in Carrboro, North Carolina. His limited English skills made it difficult for him to find employment and unsure of how he would support his family. JULIE TURKEWITZ/THE DAILY TAR HEEL.
via Painters' Table - Contemporary Art Magazine: Daily Painting Links on Artist Blogs, Painting Blogs and Art Websites ift.tt/2eDRebk
Badge for Social Media Innovation Quest in MIS3538 taught by Prof. Steven L. Johnson at Temple University Fox School of Business in Fall, 2011.
Bob in Michigan (according the car tag and heavy coat) interviewing a Shell owner for one of Shell's in-house publications.
I have a few of Bob's stories -- will dig them out and post them soon.
Today, we had the chance to ask some questions to Karell Ste-Marie, Crafter from Québec, Canada who make all kind of gorgeous projects from recycled wooden pallets. If you think you deserve to be featured in the next interview, please, drop us an email.
Tell us a little more about you? Who you are? Where are you from?
My name is Karell, I’m from Quebec, Canada – I co-founded a software company in 1999, sold it in 2015 and today am an executive of that company.
Why do you craft?
I have always been a crafter, I’ve been crafting software for more than 25 years. I wanted to have a hobby where I could craft outside of computers. I’ve created several items from chainmail the biggest being a chainmail shirt, I’ve also made several necklaces using Byzantine weaves.
How did you learn to do wood crafts?
I am mostly self-taught. A few of my friends in construction gave me guidance. The rest I have learned from YouTube and trial/error.
How long have you been working with pallets?
I started working with Pallets around 2013.
Pallet Project Organization Tip: Make Your Recycled Pallet Wood Box For Less Than 10$
Why did you choose to work with pallets instead of purchased wood?
The price… In Quebec, Canada is it quite cold and trees pretty much only half of the year, which means we have to ship wood all around. Dismantling Pallets also gave me an excellent way to stay active and stay in shape.
What are your can’t-live-without essentials?
I am a technology person first, I cannot live without my phone but I am not a Facebook or texting person… I use my phone' camera to film some of my YouTube content and to find inspiration on Pinterest.
When I am out hunting for Pallets I always have some of my cordless tools just in case I need to "help something fit" so I can bring it home.
Are there any brands that are your favorites?
My cordless tools are Ryobi, other than that I tend to use Dewalt and Ridgid.
Recycled Pallet Dog Steps To Climb Onto The Bed
How would you describe your crafting style?
At the moment I am definitely a rustic type of crafter, even when I’m not working with Pallet wood.
Are there any crafters/artists/designers that you particularly look up to?
I learned about Pallets first from Izzy Swan (Think Woodworks), then from Mike Fulton (MF Woodshop). My original inspiration for woodworking is Marc Spagnuolo (The Woodwhisperer) and favorite is Alain Vaillancourt (The Woodpecker). All of them are on YouTube.
Where do you do your wood crafts? How would you describe your workspace?
I have two houses and use both garages. I am moving to the new bigger garage more and more but do not yet have electricity there. This will ultimately become my woodshop.
Where do you look for inspiration for a new woodcraft?
I watch YouTube, browse Pinterest and of course look at articles on 1001 Pallets!
When do you feel the most creative?
I am an executive and boss during the week… I am a woodworking during the weekend…
We live in such a mass-produced, buy-it-now society. Why should people continue to make things by hand?
Mass production makes you dependent on someone else’s; it causes you to become dependent on those companies. While it would be unrealistic to be able to be completely independent (some people are able to do it) I like to keep some basic skills as they just help me save money.
What is your favorite medium to work in (other than pallets)?
I like to use firewood quite a bit; I have managed to turn some logs into planks. I have done this using a chainsaw and a bandsaw – the bandsaw is my favorite approach. Otherwise I’ll get some rough wood from different stores which I run through the jointer and planer.
What are your tips for people who'd like to start crafting?
Start with a nice kit of cordless tools: circular saw, reciprocating saw and drill… That is really all you need. Anything else you go out and purchase will be a luxury and is difficult to justify… Learn to read pallet codes, 1001Pallets has an excellent article on this. Pick a simple straightforward project and just do it. Accept failure and just try again, success comes from keeping on your craft and not giving up.
What are your most important safety tips when woodworking? Have you ever had any injuries or close calls?
I have experienced kickback on the table saw where a plank flew in my lower abdomen; I have run nails through both my planer and jointer and seen wood explode in the process… I have seen a friend of mine use the wrong side of a table disc sander and end up in the hospital with non-permanent consequences. You should slowly raise the bar and only do things that you are comfortable doing. I find that people are more levelheaded when they are working alone… Do not try to impress anyone, focus on your goal, which is to get the job done safely. Always wear gloves when handling a pallet, you have no idea what it feels like to have a splinter in your good hand and not be able to get it out until your wife comes home from spending the weekend at her mother’s…
What is your guilty pleasure?
I love a good beer… Too much beer and power tools don’t mix… Ever since I bought myself a new table saw I find that I can use it without any beer in my system which I have mixed feelings about… My old table saw was terrifying and I’d use it only as a last resort.
What are some of your other hobbies or favorite things to do (other than crafting)?
I am a YouTube content provider. I like to do pretty much everything myself. I also have brewed beer, brewed wine, made a chainmail shirt, made chainmail necklaces (for my family only) and try to educate my kids about financial intelligence (which they don’t teach in school).
What are some of your best tips for breaking down, prepping, and cleaning pallets before you build with them? Do you have a specific tool you use, or a technique for cleaning the boards/removing nails, etc.?
As you can easily see from my videos, my favorite tools are the Pallet buster and the air punch. The pallet buster will break down those pallets into nice planks without splitting (if it’s not below freezing and you go at a certain speed) and the air punch will allow to remove nails from boards at around 1 nail per 2 seconds.
Have you designed any special tools or jigs for wood crafts?
I have made the same basic things that most woodworkers will do, nothing of significance or special. Wood track saw for cutting straight lines and a table saw sled – those types of things. I have made my own wood cart (you can see it at the end of one of my videos) and my own bench (the bench was not made from pallet wood).
What are some wood working skills you really want to learn?
Given the beautiful types of woods (and colors), you can get from pallets I would love to do intarsia but am nowhere near that yet.
What is the one project you’re the proudest of so far?
2 years ago, I made some wood wall sconces for my mother. Using a birch firewood log that I cut it into planks I created her Christmas present. I included the candleholders for her and she absolutely loved it. The lines in the wood and the amount of time I spent on it made the piece simply awesome.
Glued Wood Strip Table/Chopping Block Inspiration
Editor’s Note: Thank you for your time and for sharing your story with us, and with our fellow Crafters. Your work is beautiful and inspiring to all of us, and we truly look forward to more from you in the future! Keep those gorgeous pieces coming!
Thanks Karell for this interview :)
To find more on Karell:
Karell profile on 1001Pallets
From the "Collecting Innovation Today" interview with innovator Elon Musk on June 26, 2008 at SpaceX, part of The Henry Ford's "OnInnovation" project that celebrates the contributions of today's innovators.
Photo from the collections of The Henry Ford, Dearborn, Michigan, USA. Photographer, Michelle Andonian. This photograph is made available pursuant to a Creative Commons noncommercial, attribution, no derivatives license. Any sharing of this image shall be accompanied with a link to OnInnovation. Copyright 2010 The Henry Ford.
www.1001pallets.com/2016/11/pallet-crafter-interview-14-a...
Today, we had the chance to ask some questions to Alessandro Fargnoli, Crafter from Sassocorvaro in Italy who made all kind of gorgeous furniture from recycled wooden pallets. If you think you deserve to be featured in the next interview, please, drop us an email.
Tell us a little more about you? Who you are? Where are you from?
Hi, my name's Alessandro Fargnoli, I'm 52 and I'm from Sassocorvaro, a little village in the center of Italy.
Why do you craft?
Really, I've always loved crafting. When I was young I used to do house projects on my own or with the help of my wife Adele. In 2000 we bought a house and we did the most part of the finishing works: floors, chimneys, interior decoration, mosaics and a lot more.
How did you learn to do wood crafts?
When I was 14 I worked in in a workshop in which I learned to work on valuable woodwork, then when I moved on from my birthplace (Torino) to Sassocorvaro I've been employed in a wood furniture industry for a while now.
How long have you been working with pallets?
3 years! The first time I worked with pallets was in 2014 for my daughter’s shop, I planned out and did the entire décor with EPAL pallets and other recycled materials. Now I’m still working on pallets and wood in general in order to made original pieces of art!
Why did you choose to work with pallets instead of purchased wood?
At the first time I can't understand how I could work with the strict measures pallets have, but I found the way to create everything I want by taking apart and rebuilding pallets, and by adding materials. My products made me so satisfied!
What are your can’t-live-without essentials?
I can’t live without essentials because our lives are built on essential things, that are the most important in order to create something bigger! But definitely my hand tools!
Are there any brands that are your favorites?
No, not in particular.
How would you describe your crafting style?
It is mine. Unique. It represents my personality and sometimes I don't listen to anyone’s opinion about my work during execution.
Are there any crafters/artists/designers that you particularly look up to?
No, not in particular.
Where do you do your wood crafts? How would you describe your workspace?
I usually work in an old backyard carport.
How did you make your workspace more functional and/or inspiring?
My “workshop” is placed outside under my house, here I have all my equipment and I can breathe fresh air and see nature.
What types of things inspire you?
I'm inspired by anything I see: nature, my family and my dogs who assist me when I play.
Where do you look for inspiration for a new woodcraft?
Everywhere!
When do you feel the most creative?
At any time!
We live in such a mass-produced, buy-it-now society. Why should people continue to make things by hand?
Because when you have something handmade, you own a piece of the person or crafter who made it.
What is your favorite medium to work in (other than pallets)?
Wood in general, iron and recycled material are my favorite mediums to work with.
What are your tips for people who'd like to start crafting?
Voice yourself! Just jump in and try it!
What are your most important safety tips when woodworking?
Glasses, gloves and a coat! Is important pay attention in any thing you do.
What is your guilty pleasure?
The last production is always the best I make.
What are some of your other hobbies or favorite things to do (other than crafting)?
I love to collect: Coca Cola cans and Swatch.
What are some of your best tips for breaking down, prepping, and cleaning pallets before you build with them?
First I wash pallets and then I plot them.
Have you designed any special tools or jigs for wood crafts?
No, not in particular.
What are some wood working skills you really want to learn?
I learn something every day...now I’m learning to use pyrography!
What is the one project you’re the proudest of so far?
Develop and create the entire furnishing on an entire house.
What else would you like to share with the pallet community?
Passion is the first thing you need to have in order to be a good crafter.
Editor’s Note: Thank you for your time and for sharing your story with us, and with our fellow Crafters. Your work is beautiful and inspiring to all of us, and we truly look forward to more from you in the future! Keep those gorgeous pieces coming!
Thanks Alessandro for this interview :)
To find more on Alessandro:
check his profile on 1001Pallets
An interview on the local news. I'd like to thank my cousin for giving me the microphone. Please comment and fave. www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZIJhQwi9xA 109