I recently watched a movie titled 'The Vow' and one particular dialogue had a big impact on how I am dealing with some things in my life. I just have to share it.
"The moment of impact. The moment of impact proves potential for change. Has ripples effects far beyond what we can predict. Sending some particles crashing together. Making them closer than before. While sending others spinning off into great ventures. Landing them where you've never thought you've found them. That's the thing about moments like these. You can't, no matter how hard you try, control how it's gonna affect you. You just gotta let the colliding part goes where they may. And wait. For the next collision. These moments of impact that turn our lives upside down, actually end up defining who we are."
- Leo, The Vow
We all make mistakes, it is part of learning, gaining wisdom and maturing. HOWEVER, once that mistake is made and it surfaces to a place where it effects people around you, it is HOW you DEAL with it, YOUR ACTIONS, which define you as a person. Will you set things right with the people you have hurt? or will you let your pride and ego take control and do nothing that will ease the pain you have caused to the people you love by making those mistakes....
Be a big person, do what is right. The right actions go further then your ego & pride can ever go.
That said, I also admit that it is far easier said than done. Sometimes we make mistakes, we don't do the right thing even when we know what needs to be done and continue hurting people we love, but we must always try.
Remember 'the unexamined life is not worth living' -Socrates
 Uganda April 16th/2012 to April 26th, 2012 I hate discrimination. I often hear "Don't go there, I hear it's not safe, there is too much crime" or "Why are you going there? there is nothing to see" ... I like to think every country, every nation, every culture has something unique to offer me as an individual who is always striving for wisdom, knowledge and experience. When I said I'm going to Uganda, the reactions I received were as follows: "what!? Uganda? Uganda Africa? Uganda? Why!?"
"Uganda!? really? it's the murder capital of the world!"
"Uganda as in Uganda in Africa? really? why? there is nothing to see"... & the list goes on. Well to those who think Uganda has nothing to offer, your wrong. It has magnificent landscapes, wild animal life, generous people and sweet tropical rain. This is just from a tourists point of view. From a business point of view, the governments structure is built to benefit investors whom wish to start a venture (free land, tax free, great support for imports and exports, the list goes on...). Don't go judging when A. Your information is based on what you have heard and NOT what you have experienced and B. Who are you to judge a nation? a country? ... Please keep your ignorant opinions to yourself. Thank you. For those interested to learn more about this beautiful country with it's colourful culture, visit http://www.guide2uganda.com/information_about_Uganda & if you are a twitter user, you can follow @Guide2Uganda, these great people respond quick and can guide you through Uganda virtually should you decide to pay Uganda a visit. Some quick facts about UGANDA: - Area: 93,065 sq km (land: 76,101 sq km, water 16,965 sq km).
- Administrative divisions: 111 districts across four administrative regions
- Borders: 2,698 km (Democratic Republic of Congo 765 km, Kenya 933 km, Rwanda 169 km, Sudan 435 km, Tanzania 396 km) or 1,676 miles.
- Capital: Kampala.
- Climate: Tropical. Rainy seasons, march to may, september to february and mid june to mid august. Mean annual temperatures range from about 16C (61F) in southwestern highlands to 25C (77F) in the northwest; but in the northeast, temperatures exceed 30C (86F) about 254 days per year.
- Currency: The shilling (UGX).
- Elevation: highest point; Margherita peak on mount Stanley at 5,110 metres.
- Ethnic groups: Buganda, Iteso, Basoga, Banyankore, Banyarwanda, Bakiga, Lango, Acholi, Lugbara, Banyoro, Batoro, Karamojong & European.
- Electricity: 240 volts AC 50Hz. Square-pin plugs mostly used.
- Exchange rate: UGX 2,450 per US dollar (2012)
- History: Uganda gained independence from Britain in 1962, maintaining its Commonwealth membership.
- Industries: cotton, coffee, tea, sugar, tobacco and textile.
- Geography: Uganda is landlock. The south of the country includes a substantial portion of Lake Victoria. The centre is dominated by Lake Kyoga.
- Languages: The official language is English, although many other languages are spoken in Uganda.
- Population: 33.8 million (2009 estimate).
- International dialling code: +256.
- Time: GMT +3.
- Religions: Christian 84%, muslim 12%, other 1%, none 0,7% (2002 census).
Overall, I loved Uganda. Every bit of it. The land is colourful and vibrant, the people are professional and friendly, the food is delicious and tasty and most of all, the culture is rich and exciting. Take a look at some of the things I experienced here and please remember, you are a no body to judge a nation or a country. You are a somebody who has been put on this planet to experience and enjoy the very natural and beautiful things this planet has to offer.
With love and my outmost wishfulness for a wiser and a better generation to come,
Mary
Follow --> @Nyagodes @MrsBoo2u @Bell_Lager @@PearlUganda@Guide2Uganda @whthome @SmirnoffUganda @kasumbazakky @skypkm <-- Uganda based peeps!
I enjoy looking at images and getting inspired. On this site, you get to create different boards of your own and easily pin things on them from any place online. www.Pinterest.comMy quick fix on all Apple related things... from apps to what's new with Apple users... www.applenerd.net/All things designer ... look at different designers from different genres and collect what you like. www.houzz.com/HEALTH ALRET! all things health and fitness... www.fitbit.com/http://www.womentowomen.com/Oxygen Women's Fitness Magazine | Training, Nutrition, Fat Loss, Healthfitlosophy inc.Publish your work! gotta love not dealing with publishers anymore... http://issuu.com/Love staying on top of my news by simply just looking at images! http://www.newser.com/I've been traveling for the past 6 month but I stay connected with my satellite radio on the computer, on my iPhone and in my car. Never be out of sight, always stay on edge ... http://www.sirius.ca/en/index.aspxMy favourite places for online shopping... Beyond the RackDesigner Fashion Flash Sales, Designer Fashions Online | Gilt GroupeWelcome to Anthropologie - Anthropologie.comHome Furnishings, Home Decor, Outdoor Furniture & Modern Furniture | Pottery BarnEtsy - Your place to buy and sell all things handmade, vintage, and suppliesmore to come later... ;) M
I have a lazy mind that only becomes observed into a subject if it's entertaining in a storytelling kinda' way....I dislike biographies because I don't see the fun in it, the humour, or the entertainment. The Futurist, written by Rebecca Keegan (TIME magazine) is filled with humour and quotes from James Cameron and the people who have worked with him throughout his career. I'm still not done reading the book but I absolutely love it as it has entertained me along with inspiring me.
For now I leave you with this....posting a review soon.
Break time - stepping back, re strategizing ... what's going to be my next move? No ideas right now. Lake Shore came to an end after a successful development period (2.7 million hits), but it never landed a home with a Canadian broadcaster. Why? Various reasons, but mainly because it was too risky, too hot, too sexy. I guess Canada doesn't want to go where our neighbours swim, the obnoxious sexy hot waters. Oh well, still a proud producer. Hate it or love it, it is what it is. I accomplished more than I hoped to achieve, I dived into this project knowing it was a gamble so as the french say, c'est la vie...
Alors, now I'm in Jamaica for a variety of reasons, but the main one is to re group and clear some of the clutter that has piled up on my mind & Jamaica is by far the most inspiring, peaceful and loving place to be in when one needs to think with a clear head. It had been a while I needed to write a new blog and today I walked into the beach bar with my lab top, sat on a bench on the beach and it all just came to me... so here I am sharing it with you.
I'm working on a project right now remotely, but nothing too loaded. Working remotely from any location is one of my favourite things to do now. I almost never want to work from headquarters anymore, but I know I will miss the routine of structured work environment (not that I ever really did that, I've mainly been a freelancer). Aside from my current project, www.smallbizontv.com, I plan on travelling to south of france, Italy, asia and middle east. All as a part of my re grouping experiment and finding my new focus. Exploring is my newest thing now, well...I'm generally an adventurious person but now more than ever. So I share a few photos of my new discoveries in Jamaica. You can also visit my photo journal of my previous Jamaica trips here.  Point Village - my current home.  Hedonism Resort in Ngeril, Jamiaca - optional nude beach... almost everyone is nude.  Sandals Resort in Negril.  Negril seaside...  Country side horse back riding....  Road trip around the island.  Country side...  National Jamaican beer... Red Stripe.  Love this ... rich in blues....  Driver side view...  Town of Montego Bay...  Trinity Mall in Mo' bay....  One of my favourite small towns in Jamaica is Falmouth... cute little area with lots of organic fruits and vegetables. Depending on where I am, I say I adapt pretty well. I throw a fist back home if everything is not at my disposal and here in Jamaica, at times I've had to dig the water out of the well, boil it, cool it and drink it. I kinda' like living different life styles. What I admire about myself is the fact that I was born in the city, raised in a privilege environment but I love country/farm life. I wonder how I can intertwine both worlds (city/country) in my life...
People often ask me "what do you do?"
I find it to be a very challenging question to answer. At first, I say 'we do everything' and when I get the confused and I don't understand look from people I try to explain it in more details...sadly most of the time they say "ooh..ok" as if they 'get' it, and we switch topics and move on.... Here are some quotes I've pulled from So you want to be a PRODUCER. ... I highly recommend this book to everyone who is in the biz. “A producer raises the money. Well, yes, a producer does that, but also a heck of a lot more. A good producer does many different things, and must have both creative and business skills. Mainly, producers want to tell stories. But so do writers. So do directors. So do some studio executives. The difference is that it’s the story a producer wants to tell that usually reach the screen” Larry Turman
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“The film being shot began life as an idea in the producers head. It was given real life by the producers skillful, relentless nurturing, most likely over several years. It sometimes feels as if you’re pushing a peanut uphill with your nose” Larry Turman
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“A producer is dependent on writers, directors, actors, and studios, but it is he who starts the balling rolling, keeps the ball rolling, and makes sure it stays on the rolling path he has in mind.” Larry Turman
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“A producer is a man with a dream. I say, ‘I don’t write, I don’t direct, I don’t act, I don’t compose music, I don’t design costumes. What do I do? I make things happen.’ A producer is like a chef. You get all the right ingredients together and make a tasty stew. You put the wrong ingredient together, it’ll taste bad” David Wolper
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“What a producer does is generate things. Each day a producer has to get up, create and engender activity. You have to be a self-starter, initiating every phone call, soliciting every meeting – as many as it takes to get the answer that you want or the results you need.” Larry Turman
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“To be a producer is to be an entrepreneur, it's starting a business from scratch each time you initiate a project.” Larry Turman
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“A producers basic MO is to explode out of the starting blocks and keep pumping, with focus. If you do not thrive on that and on competition, producing is not for you” Larry Turman
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“There are so many different things that must coalesce to take a film from idea to finished product. It’s the producers job to find people to do what he himself can’t do, or indeed may not know how to do. Even Armani, dazzling designer that he is, needs someone to run the factory, and people to cut, sew, fit, pack and ship his label.” Larry Turman
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“Your job as a producer, is to get what you want to get made, the best way you can, and to see that it gets out there in the world in the best way, that it gets attention with a good campaign, and a comprehensive marketing plan, and that you try your damndest to get the people to come. It’s a responsibility that someone gave to you; either a company or private investors have given you money to make a movie, so its incumbent upon you to do what you can, to help them not lose money, to make money, hopefully without bastardizing your own artist dream for it” Larry Turman
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What's your definition of a producer?
MR
Quick interesting facts about Starbucks: - Starbucks originates from Seattle where it once was a coffee bean roaster & retailer
- Original Starbucks owners were three partners: English teacher, Jerry Baldwin, history teacher Zev Siegl, and writer Gordon Bowker
- Starbucks is currently the largest coffee house in the world
- 17,009 stores in 50 countries
- One Tuesday afternoon in February 2008, Starbucks closed all of its US Stores. A note posted on 7,100 locked doors explained the reason: "We're taking time to perfect our espresso. Great espresso requires practice. That's why we're dedicating ourselves to honing our craft."
- Over 200,000 employees
Howard Schultz is an entrepreneur who is in the business of expanding and sharing his passion with the world; coffee. He is not in the business of making dollars that continue to double and triple as years pass by but rather keep the connection of their customers and their heritage alive throughout the years, and finding ways to reinvent that connection and emotional attaments years after years. This is the reason why Starbucks has maintained its statues as the biggest coffee brand in the world. No matter what business you are running, your product will be outdated, outrun or outgrown after a while, HOWEVER, if you build your business on a the model of love and passion, and always find strategic ways to transfer those two elements you have for your products to your customers, you will be able to stand the test of time and continue to be the peoples choice. No one gets tired of happiness, which is ultimately what a Starbucks coffee shop does; great tasting coffee, good feel environment = joy = happiness. What this video as Howard tells his story of Starbucks... Howard's latest book, Onward, is my current read which is highly recommended to everyone. "In January 2008, chairman Howard Schultz resumed his roles as President and CEO of Starbucks eight years after he relinquished them, replacing Jim Donald, who took the posts in 2005 but was asked to step down. Schultz’s immediate objective was to restore what he characterizes as the “distinctive Starbucks experience” after years of rapid expansion that had compromised it." (Read more here)  Original Starbucks logo - 1971 One must learn how to sell happiness, you master that and you can be making the big $.
 Jon Basso - Founder of The Heart Attack Grill - Chandler, Arizona Founded by Jon Basso in 2005, The Heart Attack Grill serves food “ taste worth dying for” such as Quadruple Bypass Burgers, containing around 8,000 calories … wow… that is four days worth of food for the average person. Basso says he believes America needs shock therapy to cure it’s obesity problems…. how is this shock therapy? He serves free burgers to anyone over 350 lbs … I think he is trying to solve the obesity problem in USA by killing the obese individuals…. who wouldn’t go for a free burger in this economical climate? actually forget the economy, who wouldn’t go for free food?
Take a look, and share your thoughts… I’d love to know what you think of this business model or anything else that comes to mind ...
PS. Jon Basso used to own several personal training fitness centers….
 WHERE DO YOU FIND A STORY?
"My attitude is ‘Am I interested, entertained, involved, moved?’ My assumption is that if I’m reacting that way, then other people will too. How many other people? Who knows?” Curtis Hanson
So I’ve been looking for a writer to write a story I have in mind for my first feature (to be delivered for 2020) Yes. It’s big. Very big. International Big.
After putting a couple of postings, I have had some submissions by writers, scripts and so on. While reading some that I find to be good, and others I never made it past the first page, I thought to myself ‘How do I know what is a good story? How do I know if this is a HIT?” I went to read this new chapter in Turmans book & it helped a lot, none the less, I think one develops a good sense for an excellent script after having read dozens and dozens of them. That way, you can differentiate good dialogue, good flow, attractive characters, and most importantly, you understand what better engages an audience into a story.
Here are a couple of pointers from Turman’s book;
“You must be true to yourself. Even if you have a demon inside of you, you must be true to that demon” Federico Fellini
- Hitting the books; Inspiration from novels
- Know our history; Inspiration from the past
- Use your imagination; Harvesting your own ideas
- Friends and family; Inspirations from family life
- Read the headlines: Inspiration from the news
- On stage; Inspiration from theater
- Film scripts; sorting through the slush
“If you want to be a producer, you need to recognize a story. It’s always been that way. There is no secret about it. You can get something out of a drugstore library.” David Brown
“Truth be told, the more mainstream your taste, the greater chances of success – Yours and your films”
“What is it about this story that people are suppose to want to see? Because we’re all in the business o giving pleasure.” Bill Goldman
Tune in again for the next chapter….
Cheers friends,
Mary
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