Archive | May, 2010

The Adventures of Prince Achmed

By on May 22, 2010 in animation, General Interest, YouTube

Last weekend I took the family to see an old fashioned showing of The Adventures of Prince Achmed. The Silent Film Society of Chicago presented the Lotte Reiniger classic stop motion puppet movie from 1926 complete with a restored Hammond cinema organ from the era at the Portage Theater. The organ raised from a pit so the organist could accompany the movie and lowered back into the pit after the movie was done.

The photoplay organist was Jay Warren. We asked him if the purpose of raising from the pit was so the the could see the screen easily. He said  no. It was purely for overall theatrical effect. The house lights go down, the projector turns on and the organ rises from the pit.

cineorgan.jpg
Animator Jacqueline Smessaert Brennan gave an introduction before the show began. It was an amazing experience to see how the first picture shows were presented to the public, prior to the “talkie” age of vocal and musical sound tracks. If you ever get a chance to go to one of the older, more artistic movie venues to see an old style production I encourage you to do so. In the mean time rent The Adventures of Prince Achmed and imagine a classic on a theater screen.

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Dispelling the Myth of “Being An Entrepreneur Is Easy”

By on May 12, 2010 in Business

I just sat down at my desk this morning to begin my work day. I have checked my calendar for my to-do’s, synced my phone to get all of my appointments for today and re-freshed my cup of coffee as I elevate my feet in a relaxed position to begin typing away. Yes, ’tis the rough life of working from home. But wait…is it really that good?

Of course not!

What I didn’t tell you is how I have 15 articles that are due by the end of day today, three short guides that I must write and submit to my editor for approval and blog posts that I am overdue on with my other blogs. Does it still sound cushy to you? Let me continue…

Expect the Unexpected

I also have to work into the wee hours of the night tonight because I have an early morning doctor’s appointment today. I can’t afford to NOT get paid for tomorrow so I have to work overtime tonight since I’ll be off tomorrow. And, there are mounds of paperwork that’s on my desk that I have to get signed, mailed or faxed off if I want to get paid, put out job bids and type up proposals. Doesn’t sound so cushy now, does it?

The other day my daughter commented how cool it must be to work from home. No doubt! Cool it is, but major work nonetheless. I am sure I work way more hours and spend more time on my computer than my corporate peers do. When my husband comes home from work, he’s done with work. He’s tired, but he’s finished. I have to stop working around 3:00, tend to household and parenting duties, then resume my position back at my desk at 9:00, even 10:00 some nights. So my job never ends. But, I would not trade it for anything!

The Demands of Being Your Own Boss

As physically demanding and mentally tasking being self-employed is, I couldn’t fathom working in a rigid nine-to-five environment. Yes, I have to work a lot of overtime. Yes, I have to stay up late a lot. And yes, I often miss the camaraderie and “cooler-talk” from Corporate America. But as a trade, I get to take power naps in the middle of the day. I get to have long lunches whenever I want and not have to answer to anyone. And I get to sit on my deck and enjoy a cup of coffee while listening to the birds sing. Oh yes, ’tis a sweet life!

When you make a choice to become self-employed, you have to consider ALL facets of this lifestyle. People mistakenly think that it’s all one way and that it’s easy all of the tie. It is not. Prepare yourself for the entrepreneur’s life by first realizing that hard, long work is required. If you’re going to be successful, grow your business and make a name for yourself, you’ve got to be the one who does it. It takes a certain level of business maturity and self-motivation to be successful on this journey. You can do it, no doubt. But do you WANT to do it?

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Today There’s No Sun Up In the Sky

By on May 10, 2010 in General Interest

Lena Horne passes away at the age of 92. Here are a few highlights of a multifaceted career that brought joy to multiple generations through out the 20th century.

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