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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.
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
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
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
You people call me a ghost crab but I have never worked out why. Someone tried to tell me once but the answer was confusing. Because I am a light colour, because I am the colour of sand and you think I am well camouflaged, because I can run fast and hide in my burrow or dash into the sea if I hear your big clumsy footsteps and loud voices, because I come out at night. I was also told you think I am a scavenger.
I agreed to talk off the record today and pose for some photos so as to set things straight. Not true I only come out at night. I’m out here now, aren’t I. And if you sit down quietly here, where the sand is damp, you will see many of my relatives and neighbours. One topic we probably shouldn’t go into is the name we give you human beans. Well, you do stamp all over our homes and chase after and grab us for crab knows why! No wonder we run away from you!
I know that you sometimes confuse us with fiddler crabs, but it’s not hard to tell the difference. In fiddler crabs only the male has one claw larger than the other but with us ghost crabs we all do. We spend a lot of time cleaning our burrows and eating and probably not as much time fighting as the fiddlers. Our eyes are different too.
I showed the human bean how I eat and make small neat sand balls of the remains of my food, how I can carry bigger balls of sand when cleaning out my home, how I throw the sand a long way ( but she’s too slow to get that; we ghost crabs have competitions to see how fast we can throw sand balls and I am the current seaweed record holder), how I can hold my eyes down and make a funny face.
I wanted this human to do a photo story, some writing and a photo, some more writing and a photo to illustrate etc but the human tells me that “flickr” doesn’t do that well anymore. Oh well, I will just have to find a video photographer for my next interview.
Note from the photographer
This photo entailed considerable physical discomfort as the day before I had slipped on seaweed and fallen heavily on my posterior end. This made sitting on the sand to listen to the above very painful and errors of translation may have crept into the account. ( But my camera is Okay ; - ))))
Those that had answers to job interview questions found alternative employment.Many without answers faced a life on the dole.
The docks lie empty after thousands were made redundant in 2007.Twenty thousand men used to work in shipyards on the river tyne...but not now.
As unemployment levels reach 1930's levels,many are worried about losing their jobs. If you lost your job tomorrow...would you have answers for job interview questions?
Get prepared...take action today.
Photo: Thodore Kadima
Published in: Community Eye Health Journal Vol. 21 No. 68 DECEMBER 2008 www.cehjournal.org
Some kind of interview taking place in the ocean from an unknown Spanish language show. It appears that the one in the white long sleeved dress shirt was the one being interviewed while the interviewer (who spoke much less) was the one in short sleeves. Wish I knew what was being said and the backstory behind this.
Penny Smith interviewing David McVicar and Antonio Pappano at an ROH Insights session about Les Troyens.
Photo by Sim Canetty-Clarke.
ESPN's Jamie Little interviews Kurt Busch after practice before qualification. — at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Review received resumes and find the candidates to interview. The panel rates them and agrees on a number to interview. Keep the number small because each interview will take a substantial amount of time in preparation and in the actual meeting.
Melanie Bray, act.; "Rosie" © Linda Dawn Hammond/ IndyFoto 2022. Photographed in Graffiti Alley, Toronto, Canada.
Portrait of Gail Maurice, by Artist Kent Monkman, "Shining Stars" series in "Being Legendary" exhibit, at the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) © IndyFoto 2022
“Rosie”
Review and Interview
By Linda Dawn Hammond
“Rosie” is the first feature film of Metis director and writer, Gail Maurice, who is also known as an actor in the TV series, “Trickster”. She self identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and is one of a small number of less than 2000 people who can still speak Michif, a now endangered language which was spoken by the Metis people of Canada in the 19th and 20th centuries. It is a primarily a combination of French nouns and Cree verbs, and originated in the 1800s from contact between Francophone traders and Cree and Ojibwe First Nations people. The descendants of these French and First Nations unions became known as Metis.
“Rosie” appears on the surface to be a simple, joyous film about an engaging trio of social misfits who, with the help of an orphan child, find emotional support and resolution in a chosen family of their own creation. Its underlying messages are far more complex and will speak to those aware of the terrible legacy of Canada’s Residential Schools and the “Sixties Scoop,” which adversely affected the lives of thousands of indigenous people and their descendants.
It is set in 1980s Montreal, which in “Rosie” is a world categorized by poverty and insecurity for those who don’t conform to society’s standards and norms. The character of “Fred”, (Mélanie Bray) is lovingly portrayed as a somewhat irresponsible Francophone artist who lives a precarious existence on the constant edge of poverty, eviction and unemployment. Her best friends are Flo (Constant Bernard) and Mo (Alex Trahan), who are flamboyant and decidedly non-gender conforming. Their alternative lifestyles are suddenly disrupted by the initially unwelcome arrival of a homeless six year old girl, Rosie (Keris Hope Hill). Through her enthusiastic, sweet presence, she teaches the adults about responsibility but also to live their dreams. At the time of shooting Keris had never acted before, but she is charming and effective in the part. The Kanien'kehá:ka girl from the Six Nations of the Grand River plays the role of an indigenous child left orphaned after the death of her mother. (It is perplexing that she was not included in Tiff’s roster of 2022 Rising Stars, but she was mentioned in CBC’s recent list of young, talented stars.)
In the film, “Rosie”, social services search for a blood relative to take custody of Rosie, an orphaned English speaking girl in Montreal. All they can uncover is a “sister” of the deceased mother, a Francophone woman who had been once been placed in the same adoptive home. They have no records of the whereabouts of any genetic relatives due to the willful incompetence of officials during the “Sixties Scoop”, when tens of thousands of children, primarily indigenous, were forcibly removed from their families and placed in predominantly white foster homes. These stolen children were not encouraged to remain in contact with their families or know of their heritage. In many cases they were intentionally sent far away to achieve this separation.
It is a story close to the heart of the director on many levels. Maurice experienced a similar painful disruption in her own family. Whereas she as the eldest child was fortunate to be taken in and raised by her Metis grandmother, who taught her Michif and the ways of their people, a younger brother and sister were removed in the “Sixties Scoop” and disappeared. It is only recently that the whereabouts of Gail’s brother was discovered.
In Quebec, language is always part of the conversation, but in Montreal in particular, bilingualism has been an important factor in breaching any linguistic or cultural divides. The little orphaned girl in the story is indigenous and anglophone, and although she finds herself in a world which is French speaking and white, there are no divides as people choose to learn from each other, and even introduce a third language, Cree.
Interview
I sat down with Rosie’s director, Gail Maurice, and her partner, actor Mélanie Bray, to discuss the film.
GM (Gail Maurice):
I was asked about the 80s, how there was so much violence against gay culture, queer culture. So they asked my perspective, because Rosie is not really (violent), I mean, there's a couple moments in the film that showed or insinuated it. But it's not about that, even though a couple of broadcasters told me they wanted me to add that element, the violence towards the gay people, towards Flo and Mo, and I tried to do that, and it just went to a dark place. And I thought to myself, that's not the story I want to tell. That's not my experience in the ‘80s, of being gay. What my experience was, basically, was what “Rosie” is, and it was a time of where I was finding out about being gay and gay culture, and it was also new and wild and beautiful. And, just extravagant, you know. And so, that's why I wrote a story from Rosie's perspective, because she is able to see the world with that wide eyed wonder. And that's exactly how I was when I came out, and that's the story I wanted to tell. I wanted to tell a story of chosen family, of love, belonging, being it wasn't a story about, gay culture, per se. What I’d like to say is, it's an indigenous story with an indigenous perspective, told through the eyes of a little indigenous girl who happens to be part of this scene, and during a period of time (the 80s) that is really important to me, that was, coming out. So that's the story I wanted to tell. I came out I was 18. My first year university. It was a magical time, in Saskatoon, in a little bar called Numbers.
LDH (Linda Dawn Hammond)
Can you talk about how the “60s scoop” affected you personally?
GM:
I was able to find my brother. Part of the effect of the “60s scoop” is loss of culture and identity. So when I found him, I did a little short (film) called, “Little Indians. “ We're not close. I've seen him maybe three times, and in a very different environment. He grew up in the white home, with a white family and on a farm. He said he played baseball with the little Indians. You know, so he took himself out and didn't see himself as an Indian. I know he knows he's Metis. It's hard. It's a loss, and I have a sister out there somewhere…
LDH:
You were able to live with your grandma, and there you learned a language that's so rare. Michif.
GM:
Michif. And yeah, I wrote a trilingual film, because I wanted to be able to talk about my language as well. Not a lot of people know about that language, which is a mixture of Cree and French. I was teasing Melanie, I said, “My French is the original French. Because, you know, it's part of the Couriers de Bois and the French fur traders. So my French is actually from that era. So we still have all that French in my language, whereas Melanie’s, it's now modern, right?
LDH:
French people in France say that yours (Melanie’s) is actually the original French. Quebec French is considered to be what the language was like before it transformed over in France and became modern.
You mentioned “Rosie” is a trilingual film.
Is it Michif you’re teaching them, the (indigenous) language in the class scene. Is that where it came in?
GM:
Yeah, so my language is pretty (much) French. So sometimes there's three. Our numbers are crazy, and household things are French- dirt and colds are French. So the numbers were all created. I wanted to tell a story about chosen family, to monitor those children that were taken away- it's part of the 60s Scoop, and the effects of that. Some of them will never know who they are, or where their family's from, or who their blood relatives are. I wanted to tell a story, to honour them, because they're doing the best that they can in the world. And just to say, that they're strong, and they're survivors, and I admire and honour them. So that's why I wanted to tell “Rosie” as well, but also, it's a story about beauty in trash. So metaphoric faith, there's a lot of people that think that others are less than them, for example, Jigger (the character of a homeless Cree man, played by actor Brandon Oakes), who's my favourite character, but he's the one that's most grounded to me. He's the one that has his culture, and his language, and he's the one that tells Rosie, and shares the culture with Rosie. So he is, actually, the strongest character.
That's the whole tragedy of it, always. There's people in Europe that don't even realize where they're from. There's a film out there which (Dr.) Tasha Hubbard did. She's Cree from the prairies. She did a documentary on family, the family that found each other. For years and years apart, and they were all over the world. (“Birth of a Family”, 2017, NFB)
LDH:
What acting role did you play in “Bones of Crows” ?
GM:
It's about residential school, and it takes place over 100 years, following a woman and matriarch. I played the Matriarch’s daughter.
There's so many people in Canada that don't know about my culture or the atrocities that happened. Two years ago, social workers went into a hospital and took a baby right out of a woman's arms… it was based on lies, but the power the government has, the power that the social workers and doctors have, is unbelievable… I can't imagine them doing that to a person that's non Indigenous. It's unfathomable that doctors and the government could get away with that, but they do get away with it with indigenous people. “Rosie” is a story with a lot of heavy topics, but in the next moment, you can be laughing, because the way I grew up, if we just soaked in all the hurt and all the pain and all the atrocities, how life is so difficult, if we did that, it would be bleak, and there would be no tomorrow, but the way I grew up, we actually can laugh even though the hardship of life, even though our world is breaking and falling apart. We can still laugh because laughter is, like they say, medicine, and it is medicine because it allows you to be able to lift up your head and carry on. And when you laugh, you're telling the world, you know, I can carry on, I can do this, and I'm going to do it. I'm going to triumph and that's why there's like moments where, you know, characters are crying, and then the next moment they're laughing. Yeah.
End
The World Premiere of the Canadian Indie film, “Rosie”, was featured in the Discovery program at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) on September 9, 2022. It was also selected as the closing film at Toronto’s ImagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts festival in October, 2022.
The ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) in Toronto is presently hosting, until March 19, 2022, an important exhibition entitled, “Being Legendary.”It features original paintings by the brilliant Cree artist, Kent Monkman, aka “Miss Chief”, who curated the exhibit. It includes cultural artifacts from the ROM’s collections, but from an indigenous perspective. The exhibit illustrates indigenous knowledge and challenges the past, colonial interpretation of history. As one enters the final room, there is a room of 11 portraits entitled, “Shining Stars”, illustrating indigenous women and men, who in their present state of being are beacons of the future. Among them, a portrait of Gail Maurice, where she is honoured by Monkman as a, “Filmmaker. Writer. Actor. Michif and nehiyawewin first languages speaker! “
A fitting tribute, which coincides with the years 2022 until 2032 being designated the UN’s * “International Decade of Indigenous Languages“
*The United Nations General Assembly (Resolution A/RES/74/135) proclaimed the period between 2022 and 2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL 2022-2032), to draw global attention on the critical situation of many indigenous languages and to mobilize stakeholders and resources for their preservation, revitalization and promotion.
The International Decade aims at ensuring indigenous peoples’ right to preserve, revitalize and promote their languages, and mainstreaming linguistic diversity and multilingualism aspects into the sustainable development efforts. It offers a unique opportunity to collaborate in the areas of policy development and stimulate a global dialogue in a true spirit of multi-stakeholder engagement, and to take necessary for the usage, preservation, revitalization and promotion of indigenous languages around the world.
www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/indigenous-...
I'm vying for a new position at work and have a 2nd interview for it today. So the uncomfy dress clothes make another appearance!
Watch the interview: www.sidewalkstv.com/web/2011/11/interview-michael-fassben...
In the full interview, SIDEWALKS host Maaika Westen interviews the actor about waiting for the breakthrough role and working on love scenes in the NC-17-rated film, “Shame.”
www.1001pallets.com/2016/10/pallet-crafter-interview-14-b...
Today, we had the chance to ask some questions to Becky Marshall, Designer & DIY'er & blogger from Chicago, Illinois. Becky is making all kind of beautiful pieces from recycled wooden pallets; you can follow the work of Becky on its website: Flipping The Flip. 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?
I’m Becky, a do-er of copious things and I live in Chicago, Illinois. I’m married to a fantastic and very forgiving guy, Mike, and we have one giant four-legged fur baby Finn. I worked professionally in theater for many a year doing props and designing scenery then went to grad school for Interior Architecture, worked for several architects, and am currently working in the TV/Film industry as a set designer. My most recent show is The Exorcist for Fox. I also have a spiffy blog going called Flipping the Flip.
Why do you craft?
I’ve never done any different, really. I was always a quirky crafty creative kid from the get-go and never grew out of it. It’s a part of who I am.
How did you learn to do wood crafts?
If I’m going to be truly honest, and this will date me somewhat: it was a wood shop class in fourth grade. (Don’t try to figure it out.) I loved it, had so much fun, and still have the first thing I created hanging on my wall.
How long have you been working with pallets?
Not very long actually. Mainly because I hadn’t had a place for a workshop until three years ago when we purchased our house. Now that we have a basement, I’ve built a workbench and am growing my tool collection, so the need for inexpensive wood began arising.
Why did you choose to work with pallets instead of purchased wood?
There were several reasons that prompted pallet wood use: I discovered a pallet rehabber nearby, he puts loads of wood out daily, it’s free, and for the aesthetics of the wood. He gets an amazing variety of wood ranging from pine, oak, mahogany, birch, as well as other types. But really, the draw of free and already aesthetically pleasing do the trick for me.
What are your can’t-live-without essentials?
My cordless screw gun. If I didn’t have a husband and a dog, I’d probably curl up with that at night. Gorilla glue is a constant hero in my life. My miter saw is ranking right up there. But of course Mike and Finn take the top two slots.
Are there any brands that are your favorites?
I can be mighty brand loyal once I find the right thing for the right use. My screw gun is DeWalt and has been for oodles years, decades at this point. My palm sander is also a DeWalt which I adore. Bosch has been my favorite for a jigsaw though my glorious, best-one-ever was stolen a few years ago and I’ve been heartbroken since.
How would you describe your crafting style?
I tend toward modern, minimal in general, so as such, most things I create are cleaner lined. I’m a fan of Mid-Century Modern and the 1970’s aesthetic so those genres get tossed in the mix. I’m finding a certain amount of loud, crazy, big and fun, eclectic in a sense creep in too.
Are there any crafters/artists/designers that you particularly look up to?
I studied art history, interior design, and architecture for countless years so my list is probably far too lengthy to go on about. In brief, though, Antoni Gaudi is my favorite architect and a couple designers I want to grow up to be are Abigail Ahern and Antonio Ballatore.
Where do you do your wood crafts? How would you describe your workspace?
Most of the magic happens in the basement of our house. The space is on the small side and it’s not the most ideal but I can get an amazing amount of stuff done down there. I built two workbenches for a total length of nine feet; one is portion is raised higher while the other portion lower for the miter saw. I’ve documented the whole (ongoing) process over on my blog.
How did you make your work space more functional and/or inspiring?
To have an actual workspace is inspiring in itself to me! I’m constantly improving and tweaking the space, sometimes on a daily basis. Add some storage here, add some organization there; it’s a never-ending process. At one point I mixed my own black chalkboard paint and painted the entire wall behind the workbench.
What types of things inspire you?
I’m one of those people who finds inspiration in anything and everything. I say “one of those” as I find when people say that, it sounds haughty but it’s true. A corner of something can influence an entire project for me. The key is to keep an open mind, open eye, and let the creativity wander.
Where do you look for inspiration for a new woodcraft?
Generally it stems from a need. Other times, it springs from the wood itself but more often than not, it’s out of a need.
When do you feel the most creative?
It’s an ebb and flow kind of thing for sure, and it does pop out of nowhere at weird or awkward times, but after having a thorough sit-and-think session I’m usually pretty riled to get at a project.
We live in such a mass-produced, buy-it-now society. Why should people continue to make things by hand?
Well I could go on about this forever. It’s terribly satisfying to make something with your own two hands. That and making things by hand allows one to think, use all parts of their brains, to get up and move around, to slow down, to appreciate the world around them.
What is your favorite medium to work in (other than pallets)?
Paint is surely one of my favorites, whether it be painting the house or using craft paint on a project. Or truly, if it involves a power tool, count me in.
What are your tips for people who'd like to start crafting?
Get to it! What are you waiting for! My biggest tip is that there are no such things as mistakes; a mistake is a lesson and a chance to try again. Start small, don’t expect perfection, and it’s ok to let the project lead you instead of the reverse.
What are your most important safety tips when woodworking?
Safety is key. Eye protection, ear protection, gloves are the very basics. Read and heed directions. If you’re unsure about a tool or technique, study up, go slow, and work smart.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Interesting question. My homemade chocolate cream pie? I can’t say I feel too guilty about inhaling that, though I probably should. I guess I try not to feel guilty as we only go around once.
What are some of your other hobbies or favorite things to do (other than crafting)?
My main hobby, which is more than a hobby, is un-flipping, or maybe re-flipping, our flipped house. Or to be clearer, we purchased our house from a flipper who not only had horrifying taste, he also did things poorly, quickly, or cheaply, or a combination of all three, so it has become my duty to undo it all, redo it correctly. That whole story is what I’m documenting over on my blog, Flipping the Flip.
What are some of your best tips for breaking down, prepping, and cleaning pallets before you build with them?
I have never done this so I cannot proffer any good tips, unfortunately. The pallet rehabber I visit has already broken down and chopped up the pallets; the pieces I grab are his leftover bits or pieces he lets me take from his mill.
Have you designed any special tools or jigs for wood crafts?
Oh sure, of course. When money is tight or the right gizmo does not exist or I’m feeling too lazy to run out and get it, doing so is a necessity.
What are some wood working skills you really want to learn?
My next goal is to learn some basic router business as I recently purchased a palm router, despite not being terribly interested in a router. I’m more of a per-project skill learner but I do make a concerted effort to keep up the learning. I never shy away from a project if it requires a new tool or learning something.
What is the one project you’re the proudest of so far?
Pallet-wise it’s a toss up between my pallet wood pantry floor and my pallet wood vertical blinds.
What else would you like to share with the pallet community?
Please do come visit my blog, Flipping the Flip, at humboldtartdept.blogspot.com. Aside from 1001Pallets, I can be found roaming Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram here: @humboldtartdept. Got some of my crafty goodies for sale over on Etsy, humboldtartdept as well. And hey, thanks for having me!
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 Becky for this interview :)
To find more on Becky:
Website: Flipping The Flip
Mingle Media TV and Red Carpet Report host Denise Salcedo were on hand for the day of festivities at Doris Bergman’s 10th Annual Luxury Lounge & Party “Celebrating Television’s Biggest Night,” on Thursday, September 19, 2019, at Fig & Olive in West Hollywood.
In attendance were over 100 Emmy Nominees, former Emmy & Oscar Nominees/Winners, Emmy Presenters, iconic Hollywood couples, series’ regulars, industry VIPs and media.
For video interviews and other Red Carpet Report Emmys 2019 coverage, please visit www.redcarpetreporttv.com and follow us on Twitter and Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/RedCarpetReport
www.youtube.com/MingleMediaTVNetwork
About Doris Bergman's 10th Annual Style Lounge & Party in Celebration of Television’s Biggest Night!
THE Hollywood Hotspot on Melrose Place, opened its doors to Bergman’s Style Lounge and Party – in celebration of the upcoming 71st Annual Emmy® Awards. This highly anticipated invitation-only event, hosted by Buywine.com and presented by Precious Vodka & PRSVR, showcased an incredible array of fashion for him and her including couture gowns, bespoke tuxedos & suits, men & women’s casual wear, chic chapeaus, fabulous sunglasses, vegan leather bags, the finest in beauty, skin & hair care, outrageous Cannabis and CBD products, stunning jewelry collections, gorgeous accessories, Napa Valley wines, health foods, scented candles, Fig & Olive signature cuisine, Bulgarian vodka, delectable gourmet sweets and much more -- all the while being serenaded by The B2wins – charismatic twin brothers from Rio de Janeiro who deliver unforgettable performances on Violin and Ukulele.
2019 Emmy Nominee Glynn Turman (“How To Get Away With Murder”), former Oscar Nominees Edward James Olmos & Eric Roberts, Grammy Winning Bonnie & Anita Pointer (“The Pointer Sisters”), Rebecca Metz (“Better Things”), former Emmy Winners Patrika Darbo and Kim Estes, Makenzie Moss (“The Unicorn”), Hollywood Icons Marilu Henner, Dee Wallace, Tristan Rogers and Deidre Hall, former Emmy Nominees Shanti Lowry and Miles Tagtmeyer, John Brotherton (“Fuller House”), Danielle Nicolette (“The Flash”), Deborah Joy Winans (“Greenleaf”), former Golden Globe Nominee Steven Bauer, Chris Browning (“Bosch”), Jeryl Prescott (“Swampthing”), Keo Motsepe (“Dancing With The Stars”), Award-winning Actress Kimberly Elise, former Los Angeles Laker Norman Nixon, ISofia Milos, William McNamara, Ryan Ochoa (“Pair of Kings”), to name a few, were among the cadre of celebrities and industry VIPS who were treated to the best of the best!
Giving Good
In the spirit of giving back, guests & sponsors made monetary donations and/or donated unwrapped gifts for young adults (ages 13-18) for a Pre-Holiday Gift Drive benefiting ‘Wednesday’s Child’ -- a weekly segment airing on KTTV FOX 11 News, Los Angeles, with Anchor Christine Devine. ‘Wednesday’s Child’ highlights ‘harder to place’ young adults in the LA County foster care system who are in need of adoptive families. “In Los Angeles County, alone, there are over 30,000 children receiving child welfare services,” says social worker, Dr. William Wong. Bergman always invites at least 2 foster youth to join in on the festivities and experience what it feels like to be treated as a VIP. www.foxla.com/wednesdays-child
Gifts and services were provided by
Green Goddess Collective; Popcornopolis; Spa Girl Cocktails; Zirconmania; Diamond Veneer; Author Kathlyn Heim “The Rules of Nine; Precious Vodka; Twisted Silver; Debbi DiMaggio; Hint; Pia Gladys Perey Designs; O Skin & Med Spa; Browlesque; Buywine.com; Charise Noel Jewelry; My Saint My Hero Blessing Bracelets; Art Lewin Bespoke; Sue Wong Couture; Beauty Kitchen; True Gold Honey; LuLaRoe Clothing; Pachamama CBD Products; PRSVR; Beviva Foods; Kam Shield; Lucy Pet Foundation Dog Treats; Harvest Snaps; Sea Snacks; Green Goo Skin Care; Dog TV; Rock Your Hair; The Hollywood Trinity; Emmy’s Hope Dog Accessories; Chapstick Lip Balm; Cameo Social Media App and VIP Gift Bags provided by Popcornopolis.
For more of Mingle Media TV’s Red Carpet Report coverage, please visit our website and follow us on Twitter and Facebook here:
www.facebook.com/minglemediatvnetwork
www.flickr.com/MingleMediaTVNetwork
Green Goddess Collective
@GreenGoddess_CA
Popcornopolis
@Popcornopolis
OSkin Med Spa
@OSkinMedSpa
Browlesque
Charise Noel Jewelry
charisenoel.com
True Gold Honey, inc.
TrueGoldHoney.com
@TrueGoldHoney
LuLaRoe Clothing
@LuLaRoe
Pachamama CBD
PRSVR: Persevere Clothing
@PRSVR
Beviva Foods
@BevivaFoods
Pia Gladys Perey
Kathlyn Heim
Author, “The Rule of Nines”
@HeimKathlyn
Milena’s Boutique
@MilenasBoutique
The B2wins
@b2wins
BuyWine.com
@TravelWithWine
My Saint My Hero
@MySaintMyHero
SpaGirlCocktails.com
@SpaGirlCocktails
Diamond Veneer
@DiamondVeneer
Very proud and happy. :-)
www.beanalogic.com/outside-fridge-interview-with-thomas-r...
Thank you for your kind attention!
Vielen Dank für Deine geschätzte Aufmerksamkeit!
=> www.remme.de <=
Bournemouth, Dorset. 13 November 2014
A Market research interview being conducted in central Bournemouth on a very wet and windy November day.
Photo: Neil Turner
Badge for Social Media Innovation Quest in MIS3538 taught by Prof. Steven L. Johnson at Temple University Fox School of Business in Fall, 2011.
Romania – Croatia 12:12 (4:2, 3:2, 2:1, 1:5, penalty shots 4:3),
7th–10th play-off match at the 2012 European Water Polo Championship
My 3rd online interview with a bmx magazine, this time with spanish mag www.radiobmxmagazine.com/
I can't remember any of my answers to the questions & i don't read spanish, but if you do, have a read.
Mingle Media TV's Red Carpet Report host AJ Hamilton were invited to come out to cover the 42nd Annual Annie Awards at Royce Hall on the Campus of UCLA honoring the field of animation.
Honorees
Juried Award recipients of the Winsor McCay lifetime achievement award were Joe Ranft (posthumously), Phil Roman and Isao Takahata given to an individual(s) in the animation industry in recognition for career contributions to the art of animation
Don Hahn received the June Foray award recipient honoring an individual who has given significant and benevolent contributions to the art and industry of animation
For video interviews and other Red Carpet Report coverage, please visit www.redcarpetreporttv.com and follow us on Twitter and Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/RedCarpetReportTV
www.youtube.com/MingleMediaTVNetwork
About the Annie Awards
The Annie Awards honor overall excellence as well as individual achievement in a total of 36 categories ranging from best feature, production design, character animation, and effects animation to storyboarding, writing, music, editing and voice acting. Find out more at www.annieawards.org
For more of Mingle Media TV’s Red Carpet Report coverage, please visit our website and follow us on Twitter and Facebook here:
www.facebook.com/minglemediatvnetwork
www.flickr.com/MingleMediaTVNetwork
Follow our host AJ on Twitter at twitter.com/TheAJ23
Film team from PBS/Travel Channel interview Dave L from the Adirondack Rail Preservation Society about the history of the Adirondack Scenic Railroad with ADIX RS18u 1835 and Utica Union Station as a background.
Karen after finishing her backing vocals. The screenshot for the video is priceless. That's what you get for making funny faces, Karen :)
Transcript:
Nelson: Karen Rustad, you've just finished recording all of your vocals for the Stay Awake album. How does it feel?
Karen: Uhhhhhheehhhhhhhhh [Karen fakes dying]
Nelson: Speak words, woman.
Karen: :P Nah, it's good. I'm glad we got it done in time - barely. I'm happy with the new harmonies we were able to add on, maybe. We'll see... It's something different!
Nelson: Alright. And what was your favorite song to record?
Karen: Probably Contained. It was easy. And, sounds good as ever.
Nelson: OK, least favorite?
Karen: Break Free took too long! Ohmigod! I think it'll sound really cool, but it took *forever*, and I had problems with pitch, until I realized that it's a lot easier if you only cover one ear.
Nelson: Interesting. So just having one ear outside the headphones...
Karen: Yeah, even though you have a monitor feeding it back to you, for some reason it's a lot easier if I hear my voice for real, rather than it being broadcast back. A lot easier for me to adjust.
Nelson: OK! And how do you think the album is coming?
Karen: I think it's coming really good! This is wayyy better-sounding than the previous attempt. And I expect it's going to be really playable and I hope that it gets lots of interwebs attention :D
Nelson: Alright, well, thank you :)
I happened across this TV interview in Pershing Park today while on my lunchtime walk. The guy on the right appeared to be a Catholic church representative of some sort, being interviewed by the guy on the left regarding the Pope's visit to DC. Anybody recognize either person?
Blogged:
www.1001pallets.com/2017/05/pallet-crafter-interview-21-d...
Today, we had the chance to ask some questions to David Prates who make all kind of originals objects from recycled 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 David Prates and I’m happily married to my wife Penni. We have a beautiful daughter named Emily who is nearly 6. I grew up in Tennessee and I currently live in Kentucky.
Why do you craft?
Apart from my career of construction project engineering, I love woodworking and have been crafting on and off for about 10 years. It’s a hobby that I love and enjoy thoroughly.
How did you learn to do wood crafts?
I suppose woodworking sparked an interest with me since I naturally like to be creative through design. I picked up the basics by working as a carpenter early on while I attended college.
How long have you been working with pallets?
To be honest, not long. I traditionally always purchased wood via the local hardware store, but I noticed the potential of repurposed wood by way of pallets through YouTube and was intrigued.
Small Pallet Shelf Displays Essential Oils
Why did you choose to work with pallets instead of purchased wood?
It may sound silly, but I think repurposed wood has an organic history and character that just can’t be bought.
What are your can’t-live-without essentials?
Easy, my table saw! Most of the basic shaping of what I do is done with it. (Editor’s note: watch his videos – he knows how to get the most out of his table saw!)
Are there any brands or products you use that are your favorites? Why?
I like Dewalt and Porter Cable products since they are entry level woodworking tools and most are reasonably priced. However, that’s not to say there aren’t many other brands that are equally as good.
How would you describe your crafting style?
Probably rustic, if I had to put a label on it.
Are there any crafters/artists/designers that you particularly look up to?
I think having a YouTube channel and sharing with others has opened all kinds of doors to ordinary DIY folks that are very creative and innovative. It’s easy to woodwork when you have all the expensive toys but the real creativity reflects though those who use the limited tools they have and still produce extraordinary things.
Where do you do your wood crafts? How would you describe your workspace?
I just work out of my garage. lol It’s a perfect space for me. I live in a very friendly neighborhood and it’s not uncommon for someone to step inside my garage and ask, "What are you working on?".
Where do you look for inspiration, or what inspires you for a new wood craft?
Others! The internet with sites like 1001Pallets has loads of people with unlimited potential.
When do you feel the most creative (are you a night owl or a morning person? Or weekend warrior as examples)?
I usually feel most creative in the morning. I get a cup of coffee in me and I’m ready!
Diy Pallet Incense Coffin (Or Burner)
We live in such a mass-produced, "buy-it-now" society. Why should people continue to make things by hand?
There is just something awesome about making it yourself. You can’t buy that feeling. Woodworking is a craft anyone can do and it’s an art that should be cherished.
What is your favorite medium to work in (other than pallets)?
I just love working with wood, any kind of wood. To me it’s almost like clay or metal or any other malleable material. It can be shaped into nearly anything!
What are your tips for people who'd like to start crafting?
Build something you like, not what you think someone else may like. In turn, chances are most people will like the same thing. Use what tools you have. Great things can be made with the most basic of tools. Most importantly, learn from watching others.
What are your most important safety tips when woodworking? Have you ever had any injuries or close calls?
I like my hearing and my sight, so I protect both with PPE.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Buying tools! lol I can never have enough. Ask my wife, as she will attest that you will find me in a hardware store every weekend. If I’m not buying something, I’m at least looking for what I want to buy in the future.
Video Tutorial: Woodburned Pallet American Flag
What are some of your other hobbies or favorite things to do (other than crafting)?
I design and engineer for a career so I love to mess with AutoCAD and other designing programs like Sketchup.
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.?
I have found that a Sawzall works best to cut between the slats and the cross bracing. The nails can be then backed out from the slats with a hammer and a punch.
Have you designed any special tools or jigs for wood crafts?
Really the only jig I use at this point is a table saw sled. It is great for cross cuts and prevents kick back.
What are some wood working skills you really want to learn?
Where to start! Scrolling, laths, inlays, dovetail joints and the list goes on.
What is the one project you’re the proudest of so far?
My daughter, but that is an ongoing project! J In all seriousness, I would say I am most proud of an old-style gas pump I made entirely of wood, with a lit-up display and light globe at the top. I love to have it on in my garage while I work.
Video Tutorial: License Plate Pallet Wood Planter
Video Tutorial: Make Your Own Custom Pallet Wood Stamp
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 David for this interview :)
To find more on David:
"You are a tireless self-promoter and gave yourself the nickname the Martha Stewart of Marijuana! Isn't that true Miss Shuman?" To which I replied... :) You're absolutely 100% correct Stuart :) (giggle) I've never denied that I'm a promoter. I have had my own business since 1984. When you're the CEO of a company, aren't you supposed to promote your company? I see everyone else doing the same with their own businesses. Since when is that an issue? I promote other people, other states, news etc. Quit frankly, I work hard and I'm proud of the work that I do. I don't see anyone else out there with the guts to be on the front lines and take the hits. I don't know many people that LIVE with cancer and continue to try to be productive and work as much as I do. Tooting my own horn, You're damn right. :) Loud and proud my brothers and sisters. I work my ass off. :) Rapid Fire Marketing (RFMK: Stock Symbol) was proud of my segment on Varney & Co and posted it on their site. Thanks for the support RFMK :) Did you guys happen to notice the CANNACig in the interview? I didn't get to mention it by name. I felt like Stuart was more interested in the price of marijuana than anything else? What did you guys think? It was hard to stay focused when he kept interrupting me :( What do you guys think? If you had been in the interview chair, what would your response have been? Thanks for letting me get this off of my chest :) oxoxox rapid-fire-marketing.com/cheryl-shumans-appearance-on-fox...?
Be a part of the hottest exclusive club producing events for high society! Don't forget to join us! :) www.BeverlyHillsCannabisClub.com Use "Cheryl Shuman" as your invite code :) Looking forward to seeing you soon!
-Cheryl Shuman
About Cheryl Shuman:
Tom Cruise, Steven Tyler, Julia Roberts, Madonna, Fergie, Will.i.am and Michael Jackson are just a few of the names you'll find scrolling through the client files during the 25 year career of Cheryl Shuman. Known as the "Martha Stewart of Marijuana," Shuman brings decades of experience working with media, celebrities, marketing and health care in Beverly Hills. Shuman found her passion in the cannabis movement since 1996 working as an activist and legal cannabis patient.
Her private medical cannabis collective, "The Beverly Hills Cannabis Club" is unlisted and membership is by referral only. Through her personal relationships and connections within Hollywood, Cheryl Shuman has been named as one of the most influential women in the cannabis reform movement by international media. Her position within the cannabis industry creates the first and only company of its kind and at the forefront of entertainment marketing, celebrity endorsements, product placement integration, sponsorships, production and technology.
Cheryl Shuman serves as media spokesperson for the hot new vaporizer line of products produced by Rapid Fire Marketing (pink sheets: RFMK) and conducts their marketing, public relations, product placement, and consulting services.
Cheryl Shuman Inc., (www.CherylShuman.com) is a business development company and acquisition vehicle, made news with an historic funding facility dedicated to the cannabis industry with plans to go public by 2014.
Cheryl Shuman currently has a hot new reality TV series in development and is represented by the prestigious William Morris Endeavor Agency in Beverly Hills, California. (rapid-fire-marketing.com/rapid-fire-marketings-cheryl-shu...)
Cheryl Shuman
Founder & C.E.O.
Cheryl.Shuman@GreenAssetInc.com
CherylShuman@Gmail.com
Spokesperson for Stock Symbol RFMK
Join us at The Beverly Hills Cannabis Club - Join Free Using "Cheryl Shuman" invitation code on:
www.BeverlyHillsCannabisClub.com
Social Network Links:
LinkedIN: www.LinkedIn.com/in/CherylShuman
Facebook: www.FaceBook.com/CherylShumanInc
Twitter: www.Twitter.com/CherylShuman
YouTube: www.YouTube.com/BeverlyHillsCannabis
YouTube: www.YouTube.com/CherylShumanTheOnly
Vimeo: www.vimeo.com/cherylshuman
I already have The Interview Silkstone, but I bought her nude with her hair down, and possibly trimmed. I also bought her complete fashion three years ago, but always wanted her complete. I love how stylish this Silkstone is. Hoping to just display her as is one day if I ever get the space!!
via Painters' Table - Contemporary Art Magazine: Daily Painting Links on Artist Blogs, Painting Blogs and Art Websites ift.tt/2tGlkiB
Some kind of interview taking place in the ocean from an unknown Spanish language show. It appears that the one in the white long sleeved dress shirt was the one being interviewed while the interviewer (who spoke much less) was the one in short sleeves. Wish I knew what was being said and the backstory behind this.
I was recently asked to do an interview with Jeremiah Nichols on "Creative Photography With Kids: An Interview With Ann Texter"... about taking and making photographs with Grace... here is the link if you want to take a look. :)
zrecs.blogspot.com/2006/12/creative-photography-with-kids...
July 27, Tuesday
miles today 36, total miles 523
end at St. Astier
Highlights:
• Coffee and croissants in Thiviers, looked for maps, got started late at 10:30
• Uphill, downhill
• Périgueux - nice town, big feel, small size. Great shops for books, internet, sidewalk cafes, fashion stores, traffic circles.
• Got interviewed by journalist
• Everything is in French, very few people speak English
• OT really helpful
• Left Périgueux tired at 4:30, must go on
• Rush hour, bad traffic
• Chancelade, rested in Abbey park - ate a whole pineapple.
• St. Astier - on the way passed by limestone caves fenced off
My turn to host today. We go to a cute little bar in Thiviers for our breakfast. I go inside and take a couple of croissants from the little basket at the bar and order two café au laits; someone brings them out to our table. We watch the town move about in the morning sun. This is an old hilltop town with winding, narrow streets. We do a little shopping for maps etc. It is market day and the market is on the steps of the church. There is a house for sale right next door; it is vacant. This house is not the typical village house that shares walls with its neighbors; it has a yard on all four sides and a street on three sides. The front looks at the church across the street. I wonder if it was connected with the church at some time. It is in the very center of this town. How fun it would be to live in a house like this in the middle of a town like this!
I was sitting on the curb on a little side street in Périgueux studying the map, waiting for Lorraine to do her emailing at the internet cafe, when a mademoiselle with a very large camera asked me if I speak French, and would I mind if she interviews me? She had to ask twice before I realized what she was saying, and then - but of course! I leap to my feet, run my fingers through my hair, brush the dust off my pants - suddenly I feel very grubby - Lorraine comes out of the café just at the right moment. We are so excited. The mademoiselle asks a few questions, takes several photos - Lorraine and I art direct the photo: how about if I stand behind her like this - or like this so we can get the bicycle in? She says ‘oui!’ and tells us we will be in the Sud-Ouest newspaper tomorrow, “look for it”, she says. We see the Sud Ouest everywhere - it covers all the local news of southwestern France. Sure we will, sure. Well, we certainly will look for ourselves tomorrow in the paper!
By the time we left Périgueux, it was 4:30 and rush hour, and we were tired and ready to quit for the day but we had only gone 23 miles so a part of us was saying “go on, go on!” We took the road out of town along with everyone who was driving home from work. The traffic was intense. Loud, hot, dangerous. To escape, we cut off to visit Chancelade Abbey, and we said if we found a nice place to stay for the night we would stop. The Abbey church was open; it was beautiful, small, all of white stone, and it was peacefully quiet there. It was lovely. Black wooden benches against the white stone all clean and fresh as if it had been built yesterday. A simple, long stone altar with candles in the narrow windows behind it, and the sun, getting low in the sky, shining in the doorway up the aisle almost to the altar. The candles behind the altar were lit, the church was ready for mass. We rested in the park outside the Abbey; we ate a whole pineapple. We really wanted to quit. To avoid the traffic, we decided to follow the chemin route even though it looked like it went way off into the hills. We followed it up and up and up through tiny villages, ended up very high, then went down, down, down through a thick forest on a very steep dark narrow road; we finally decided to come back to D3. Unfortunately D3 had lost its shoulder and still had heavy, speeding traffic; and a very steep uphill climb. And right here Lorraine's chain jammed in a cog and the pedals couldn’t turn. Lorraine broke down along with her bicycle. Fortunately, just yanking the chain out solved the bicycle probem. We were tired and hot, the road was very dangerous; the conditions were right there for a disaster. We hauled our bicycles to the other side of the guardrail and rested on the bank for a good half hour while Lorraine recovered, and then there was nothing else to do but get back on our bicycles and go back onto that dangerous road. Lorraine felt better and better as we went on. After this bad part, it was downhill and then along a river (that’s level) for another 13 miles to St. Astier.
Riding down this road was lovely; it was a yellow road on the map but it had very little traffic. It began as a nice easy descent to the river bottom, then along the river it was ever so slightly downhill allowing us to cover a lot of ground in very good time. That was encouraging. It had cooled off and the air was gentle and soft, the sun was low and cast its long light across everything. The river was on the left beyond long fields, and after a few miles there began to be large cliffs on the right side, white cliffs obscured most of the time by trees. Every now and then a patch would open out and you could see what looked like caves; as the cliffs became more prominent and the caves more numerous you could see chain link fencing blocking them off. Then what looked like a mine with a paved road leading to huge doors going into the cliff, and a stoplight. Tall industrial-looking buildings against the cliffs. At the biggest of them a large sign about gendarmes, soldiers, trainng. What is this place?
The light was getting low when we got into St. Astier and went over the bridge to the campground - a very pretty little falls all across the river - those buildings at the falls must have been the mill at one time. All the old buildings in town are built right up against the river. The campground is large, nice, modern, computerized. There is a big party - bbq, dancing for campers. The campground restaurant was closed because of the party (you had to have a reservation) so we went into town. One restaurant was open - it had cute little tables with bright tablecloths. A nice old man waiter. He was delighted we were there. He brought us water in a big pitcher, two stem glasses, and ice in a silver bucket with a little silver shovel. He set it all down with a flourish and a little smile as if he had just finished performing Chopin’s Fantaisie Impromptu on the piano. He loved to talk. He talked to the only other couple in the restaurant for 45 minutes - I thought they were friends of his, but when they left, he came over and talked to us for a long time. He told us about cepes; they are a type of mushroom similar to boletus edulus, but not the same. Also that summertime is his dead season; from September to June the restaurant is packed because of the training school down the road (!) for the pan-europe police. The students live in dorms as well as in town, and they pack his restaurant every night. His name is Patrick, his restaurant is Le Semaphore, and it is balanced on the edge of the river in the middle of the old stone town. He added party rooms upstairs this summer - he ran upstairs and turned on the lights so he could bring us up there to show us; we admired it. Lorraine’s dinner was confit de canard, mine was veal. With a nice red wine. We went all out and had dessert of peach melba - a strawberry ice cream sundae with peaches, whipped cream, cherry.
We left Patrick’s restaurant about 10:30. It was a good end to a hard day. We had to make the day longer to make it end a good day. The bicycle chain incident was a gentle warning: nothing bad happened, it was just a jam. If ever anything breaks or there is an injury - that’s a bad day! We must be very careful to not allow anything to happen.
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FORTUNE Brainstorm Tech 2022
JULY 12th, 2022
Aspen, CO, USA
5:00 PM
HOW IT STARTED; HOW IT’S GOING
Two years after being fired, Chris Smalls has helped the Amazon Labor Union win the vote to unionize at their Staten Island warehouse. He did it against all odds—with no professional organizing experience, formal affiliation with an established union, or big money. A look at the path forward for Smalls and what the broader tech industry can learn from the move to unionize at Amazon.
Speaker:
Chris Smalls, President, Amazon Labor Union
Interviewer: Roy Bahat, Bloomberg Beta
Photograph by Stuart Isett/Fortune