14 Diane Arbus Quotes to Remember the Birth of a Genius

14 Diane Arbus Quotes to Remember the Birth of a Genius
Diane Arbus's birthday is right around the corner and I
felt it would be the perfect time to remember her with some
enlightening and inspiring Diane Arbus quotes. While her
pictures spoke volumes, her words had a message too. Let's
revisit those messages now with these 14 quotes.

1. "Love involves a peculiar unfathomable combination of
understanding and misunderstanding."

2. "Most people go through life dreading they'll have a
traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma.
They've already passed their test in life. They're
aristocrats."

3. "Regardless of how you feel inside, always try to look
like a winner. Even if you are behind, a sustained look of
control and confidence can give you a mental edge that
results in victory."

4. "Everybody has that thing where they need to look one
way but they come out looking another way and that's what
people observe. You see someone on the street and
essentially what you notice about them is the flaw."

5. "A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it
tells you the less you know."

6. "Nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what each man
wishes, that he also believes to be true."

7. "It gets to seem as if way back in the Garden of Eden
after the Fall, Adam and Eve had begged the Lord to forgive
them and He, in his boundless exasperation, had said, "All
right, then. Stay. Stay in the Garden. Get civilized.
Procreate. Muck it up.'' And they did."

8. "I believe there are things nobody would see if I didn't
photograph them."

9. "My favorite thing is to go where I've never been."

10. "I always thought of photography as a naughty thing to
do -- that was one of my favorite things about it, and when
I first did it, I felt very perverse."

11. "I never have taken a picture I've intended. They're
always better or worse."

12. "Men are but children of a larger growth, Our appetites
as apt to change as theirs, And full as craving too, and
full as vain."

13. "Nothing is ever the same as they said it was."

14. "The world can only be grasped by action, not by
contemplation. The hand is the cutting edge of the mind."

Diane Arbus may be known for her photographs, but her depth
and keen perception of the world around her went beyond
what could be captured with a camera. Let these 14 Diane
Arbus quotes serve as a reminder of this fact.

----------------------------------------------------
For more famous quotes, check out the popular
Famous-Quotes-And-Quotations.com, a website that
specializes in 'Top 10' lists of quotations in dozens of
categories.
http://www.famous-quotes-and-quotations.com/

Looking for Film Buyers? 5 steps to secure distribution for your indie film

Looking for Film Buyers? 5 steps to secure distribution for your indie film
So, you have an indie film and you want to find
distribution.

Never have so many options for distribution been available;
never has it been so confusing to decide what is right for
you and your film. The industry is experiencing a
transitional moment; everyone knows online downloads are
the future, but nobody knows exactly how it will play out.
As well, distribution has gone online too, offering a
plethora of choices for the indie filmmaker and producer.
What to do, what to do.

This article is the first of a 5-part series that looks at
all of the avenues open to you as a filmmaker and
distributor. We'll offer some tips on how to find your film
a home.

Regardless of your film's ultimate destination, your goal
is to find a license buyer for your film. Who are film
buyers? We're talking about broadcast TV (cable, satellite,
and terrestrial), home DVD companies, VOD service
providers, and mobile content providers.

Let's start this series by examining the psychology of this
rare and overworked professional. Here are five things you
should know about Film Buyers and 5 tips for putting the
best face of your film forward.

1. Film Buyers want a 'story'. This little bit of
terminology here might create some confusion. We're not
talking about the plot of your film or the subject matter
of your documentary, but a story that will sell the
film--on paper. You should be doing everything in your
power to create that story. To do this, you have to
distance yourself from the film you know and love and ask
yourself: What will sell this film to somebody who does not
know and love it the way I do? The answer to this question
is the 'story' you will use to sell your film.

The most obviously valuable raw material for a sales story
is...star power. Film stars often fail to attract their
audience, but nothing makes film buyers feel more peaceful
than the presence of some known names in the mix. If you
are bereft of any bona fide name power, do not fear, you
have other options. Festival play and any press generated
are also incredibly important. You should be knocking
yourself out to find some kind of festival and press
exposure for your film. Even if it's not a top festival or
a top publication, festival and press play will take your
film from having no story at all to having a first chapter.
Hype is over-hyped, but your film is going to look more
valuable to buyers if it has a story. If you can say, "This
film already had some exposure. This film has been
reviewed. This film has played at a festival. This film has
a response. This film has an online presence. This film has
the beginnings of an audience or a niche audience," then
you have a story buyers will want to cuddle up with.

If you are looking for ideas you should check out the
industry trades. Look at how distributors market their
films, and figure out how to do this on a small scale. You
want your story to be a comfortable and familiar one. "But
my film is original, beautiful, heart-breaking,
unique...and my marketing must be the same," you say. This
brings us to the next point...

2. Film Buyers think in dollars, not passion. When selling
your film, don't rely on your own enthusiasm and passion to
make the sale. Again, channel your enthusiasm into a
narrative the film buyer can understand, a narrative about
how and why this film is going to attract people to it. Has
this genre of film had any recent notable successes? Does
your film intersect with any issues or topics that are
garnering attention? Save your passion for your
filmmaking, and focus your remaining energy into crafting a
professional marketing campaign and learning the highly
efficient language of film buyers.

3. Film buyers are overextended, have short attention
spans, and don't want to waste time. Film buyers are
professionals. Hook them fast with a comprehensive one
sheet (or sell sheet). The circumstances in which you are
pitching your film are going to vary, but one thing that
everybody will need at some point is a one sheet as part of
their promotional package. Here is the crucial thing: your
sheet should be short and to the point. This sheet is a
cliff notes to the strongest features of your film. Do you
have a few positive reviews? Great, use them in the press
kit, but on the one sheet just use the best line from each
one. Do you have some seasoned talent? Stick their names on
the one sheet with 1 or 2 of their best-known films, but
save full biographies for later. Any film can create a ton
of paperwork, but nobody is going to go through it all.
Don't bury the selling features of your film and assume
buyers will get to it. With that in mind, don't assume a
buyer will watch a screener. Most buyers accumulate
hundreds and hundreds of screeners every year and many of
these remain unwatched. Save your screeners for buyer's who
show interest, or even for buyers who you have a good
feeling about.

4. Film Buyers want to work in their comfort zone. To save
your time and your buyer's time, you should always do
research beforehand, especially if you are making the first
move. Are you targeting a buyer that makes sense for your
film? Why do you think so? What else had this buyer/company
done that makes you think the company is right for your
film. Again, these points can be, if not part of your one
sheet, an introduction to the story of your film. You will
look professional and on the ball, you will stand out if it
seems like you have done the research and are personally
addressing a buyer's specific skills, past successes and
proven strengths.

5. Film Buyers are freaked out. By and large film buyers
are a worried bunch, cowering in the ruins of the decimated
music industry and wondering if their business is going to
disappear out from under their feet. Film and music are
different animals, and the future of film in the era of
online exhibition is still not completely foretold, but the
mood is certainly wary. The film industry is in transition
and everyone is handling it in their own way, some better
than others. You'll see conservative streaks, but also
canny entrepreneurs looking to exploit the changing
terrain. Overall, though, most buyers want to minimize
advance spending. This practice, in itself is not
suspicious, but for your own protection do your homework
and make sure you are dealing with a reputable company and
a company that is in a stable financial position.

----------------------------------------------------
Daniel Lafleche is the COO of IPEX TV, the leading
multiplatform B2B Film and Video online marketplace. Daniel
has over 25 years experience in film distribution,
combining film and video licensing with internet media.
IPEX TV specializes in helping indie producers and film and
video distributors take advantage of the web and reach out
to international film license buyers. You can learn more at
http://www.ipextv.tv

Play Piano - Beginners MUST Learn to Count Out Loud!

Play Piano - Beginners MUST Learn to Count Out Loud!
The fastest way to learn to play piano and make music, is
to count out loud.

If you choose not to, then you must use a Metronome...

Every student, regardless of age, thinks that he or she can
count in their heads and negotiate even the simplest rhythm
pattern. It is impossible for the beginner student!

Let me tell you a story...

I was reviewing the progress of a 9 year old private
student.

This was her 3rd lesson. She'd never played before, but
possessed the arithmetic aptitude to understand the
division of notes.

Here first initial lessons were written in either 2 and 4
beat rhythmic patterns.

The song she was attempting to play was a 3-beat pattern
(3/4 meter).

The count is: 1 2 3, 1 2 3 ...etc. This rhythm
pattern is associated with a waltz tempo.

But she was playing in the following manner: 1 2 3
(rest), 1 2 3 (rest)...

When she was resting, she was attempting to find the finger
position on the keyboard.

Until I told her to "slow it down..." and count out loud
with the emphasis on the first beat, did she play it
correctly.

I made her count out loud, and when she did, she understood
the pulse!

You see... if you deliberately and consistently count out
loud when you practice, I guarantee that you will see
progress.

Sometimes, when you're listening to music, practice
counting out loud. And remember to always slow it down
when you are learning new material.

I want you to make sure that you enjoy your time spent at
the piano creating music. After you've practiced your
scales and arpeggios, take your time and practice simple
chord progressions (I-V) or (I-IV-V), while COUNTING OUT
LOUD.

This exercise, will help you internalize the muscle
movements need to play within that key!

Just think about this...

Why is it that when we were children growing up, and when
we informed our parents that we were going outside to play
basketball, soccer or baseball... we didn't say: "practice
baseball, soccer or baseball..?

But in reality, we were practicing the sport of our choice.

Always remember to take the same attitude with your piano
studies and when you play piano for your personal
pleasure... have FUN and ENJOY it.

The easiest way to attain this level of consciousness is to
count out loud at first, and then when you are able to play
with a "real feel" your body will do the counting for you!

To your success,

Ron Worthy

----------------------------------------------------
Ron Worthy is a Music Educator, Songwriter and Performer.
He provides online piano instruction. To learn more
"tricks of the trade," you are invited to visit:
http://www.MrRonsMusic.com and
http://www.PlayPianoTonight.com

14 Doctor Seuss Quotes to Celebrate The Birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel

14 Doctor Seuss Quotes to Celebrate The Birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel
Why is now the perfect time for Dr. Seuss quotes? Because
silly! The birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel is right around
the corner. But who is Theodor, you say? None other than
Dr. Seuss himself! With the birthday of a legend upon us
(and a Dr. Seuss movie about to be released) there's never
been a better time to revisit our favorite Dr. Seuss
sayings. Here are my Top 14.

1. "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who
mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

2. "I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind.
Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've
bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles
are going to have troubles with me!"

3. "How did it get so late so soon? It's night before it's
afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness
how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?"

4. "Think left and think right and think low and think
high. Oh, the things you can think up if only you try!"

5. "I know up on the top you are seeing great sights, but
down at the bottom we, too, should have rights."

6. "A person's a person, no matter how small."

7. "Young cat, if you keep your eyes open enough, oh, the
stuff you would learn! The most wonderful stuff!"

8. "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better. It's not."

9. "My alphabet starts with this letter called yuzz. It's
the letter I use to spell yuzz-a-ma-tuzz."

10. "Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another
one."

11. "When at last we are sure, you've been properly pilled,
then a few paper forms, must be properly filled, so that
you and your heirs, may be properly billed."

12. "And will you succeed? Yes indeed, yes indeed!
Ninety-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed."

13. "I'm sorry to say so but sadly it's true, that bang-ups
and hang-ups can happen to you."

14. "So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is
making a chore for the reader who reads."

And on that note, I'll complete this list of my top 14
favorite Dr. Seuss quotes. As a child I thought Dr. Seuss
was just the most amusing writer ever. As an adult, I
realize the inspiration and deeper meaning he ingrained
into my subconscious during those tender years. Our parents
raised us, but Dr. Seuss nurtured our imagination and soul.
Let these 14 Dr. Seuss quotes be a reminder of that.

----------------------------------------------------
For more funny quotes, check out the popular funny quotes
section of Famous-Quotes-And-Quotations.com, a website that
specializes in 'Top 10' lists of quotations in dozens of
categories.
http://www.famous-quotes-and-quotations.com/funny-quote.html

The Rude, Greedy & Envious Will Give YouTube Success

The Rude, Greedy & Envious Will Give YouTube Success
I help run an overseas property website; the site has been
going for a few years with steady traffic and clients. We
did things the right way attracting the right type of
people to our website. It was not until we attracted the
wrong type of folks that we saw our website traffic soaring
off the graph. The wrong type of people will also help you
no matter the business or field of interest you are into.

So who are the wrong types of folks? Well I would say we
did not want rude and ignorant people upsetting our staff
and our clients. These people are determined to make
someone's day a misery. I would like you to think of some
person like that, we have all come across these people. You
know the guy that drives so close to you that you can see
his flaring nostrils. That person who simply does not give
a dam about who you are. Have you ever been in a line
waiting and someone walks in front of you like you are not
there? Well it's that type of person I am talking about. We
don't want to target these guys they are the wrong type of
people. The other people we did not want were the dam
greedy. These people would always complain and would simply
hog any free products or services we had on offer. They
will not be happy unless you are paying them. The third
type of person was the insanely envious. What is the point
in having someone bitching about luxury real estate for
example or putting down someone who had success?

It was not until we experimented with the marketing of a
luxury home priced in millions that I learnt something
different. What I learnt does not just apply to real estate
it applies to all types of people and businesses that want
to promote on the internet. We uploaded our millionaire
home on YouTube. It did not take long for me to discover
what you may have already realised. The fact is the wrong
type of people are actually the people you need to attract.
The wrong types of surfers were in fact my targeted
audience. Here is what happened.

We had experimented with uploading luxury real estate on to
Youtube before and typically our views over a month would
be around 200- 400 maximum. Well this time we did something
different by mentioning key words such as Cash , Money,
Bad, criminal,' millionaire' 'pimp' 'cribs' 'MTV'
'millionaire's mansion' we started to attract a different
audience. This audience was the type of audience that would
leave comments like 'hope the owner died!' this crib isn't
as big as mine' any dead celebs live in this home? 'Not
enough gold taps for me' our usual comments were along the
lines of 'what a beautifully appointed building'.

The comments invited more comments and for the first time
we had a situation were our views were flying through the
roof. In four weeks we had 60,000 views. Now we had the
attention of the masses our traffic started to rise. I hear
you right now saying its quality traffic you want not
quantity. In this success will also raise your profile on
Youtube. This is the key to success your targeted audience
of sound buyers will now find you. It takes your video to
be featured to receive honours and links to stand out from
the crowd. The mere fact that this bitching and bad
mouthing causes such a stir means your video will be
shared.This buzz lead to success we found someone who
wanted to buy the home a diamond in the rough.

It's a fact human nature loves to bitch and moan rather
than praise and wonder. We love to put people down the
media make a good living from it. We all have a curiosity
and peeping inside a luxury home is simply irresistible.
Combining these forces of nature will help you to Youtube
sucess

Its not good to say but it seems we need to be negative to
win

----------------------------------------------------
Nick Marr is the author of numerous articles concerning
international real estate. He is an expert author with an
entertaining view on life and also helps run overseas
property website at http://www.homesgofast.com

Creating Custom Applique is Easier than You Think

Creating Custom Applique is Easier than You Think
Have you ever wanted to create a one-of-a-kind
appliqué quilt, but didn't know where to start?

When the standard patterns just don't excite you, create
your own. It's as easy as flipping through a child's
coloring book or searching through clip art.

Custom appliqué quilts are perfect gifts (and prized
heirloom treasures) for celebrating the birth of a new
baby. When the mom-to-be picks a less popular nursery
theme, it can be hard to find a coordinating gift. That
will make your custom appliqué quilt extra special!

One woman chose a "Cat in the Hat" theme for her newborn's
room. She wanted something different and knew she'd have to
custom sew and accessorize just about everything in the
room.

She turned to an old coloring book for inspiration. The
lines in children's coloring books are generally simple,
especially in coloring books for younger aged children.

For the crib quilt, she enlarged a coloring book page of
the cat's hat. Using the enlargement for a pattern, she
appliquéd red stripes onto the hat which she had cut
from white fabric.

Using iron-on adhesive, she put the large, bright red and
white striped hat in the center of her pale teal-colored
crib quilt top and stitched around it using a tight satin
stitch. She added coordinating prints around the sides for
the border and without much effort at all, had a custom
appliqué quilt. She used the same techniques to add
characters from the famous Dr. Seuss story to bumper pads
and to create a wall hanging for the nursery, too.

It's easy to use the same procedure for creating a custom
appliqué from clip art. Pick your theme, then start
looking for appropriate art. The important thing is to look
for simple lines.

Don't forget that you can manipulate some clip art. Once
you open a clip art file, see if you can select the image
then choose "ungroup" from the edit command. If it will
allow you to ungroup, you can make simple changes.

For instance, if you're looking for a Santa riding a
reindeer, but the one you've found has ornaments hanging
from the reindeer's antlers, ungrouping will probably allow
you to actually delete those ornaments from the art design.
Don't forget to save your art once you've completed your
editing!

Many people like to assemble the custom appliqué
separately, then finish by stitching it to their quilt top
or quilt block. Others, however, like to assemble piece by
piece onto the quilt top or block by basting, then
finishing the stitches with either an appliqué
stitch, zig-zag or satin stitch.

You may also use fonts in the same way. It's really easy
to create a custom appliqué quilt with a name or
favorite hobby ("Cheer!" and "Play Ball!" are two that come
to mind). Simply type the words and make the letters the
size you want. You may have to print the letters
individually rather than on one sheet if you want them to
be substantially large.

You can even make custom appliqués with Greek
letters for your favorite fraternity or sorority member by
using a font like Symbols for the pattern.

Once you've printed the letters, they are your pattern for
your custom appliqué design. Play around with the
positioning once you get them cut out. It's fun to overlap
them in some places and to have them uneven to create more
interest.

You must observe copyright laws when using other media to
help you design custom appliqué patterns. Most art
is under law in which if used for personal use only, there
is no copyright infringement. If you try to sell your
custom appliqué projects using the already published
art, you are likely in violation of copyright law.

The same goes for fonts. There are many websites that allow
viewers to download and use free fonts, but most of those
include stipulations that the use of the fonts must be for
personal - not commercial - use only.

----------------------------------------------------
Penny Halgren http://www.TheQuiltingCoach.com Penny has
been a quilter for more than 26 years and enjoys exploring
all aspects of quilting sharing her knowledge with all
quilters.

12 Johnny Cash Quotes to Remember Him on His Birthday

12 Johnny Cash Quotes to Remember Him on His Birthday
Once in a while a musician just doesn't have talent, he or
she has depth and understanding that seems almost spiritual
- and a few of the Johnny Cash quotes I've read suggest
that the man was one of these rare souls. Wondering what I
mean? These twelve quotes sum it up nicely...

1. "How well I have learned that there is no fence to sit
on between heaven and hell. There is a deep, wide gulf, a
chasm, and in that chasm is no place for any man."

2. "You've got to know your limitations. I don't know what
your limitations are. I found out what mine were when I was
twelve. I found out that there weren't too many
limitations, if I did it my way."

3. "Sometimes I am two people. Johnny is the nice one. Cash
causes all the trouble. They fight."

4. "What have I become, my sweetest friend. Everyone I know
goes away, in the end."

5. "Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the
mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have
any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your
space."

6. "I've probably had the equivalent of college in the
roads I've traveled since then, but it would have been
great to go from high school right into college to study
music and literature."

7. "Creative people have to be fed from the divine source.
I have to get fed. I had to get filled up in order to pour
out."

8. "When God forgave me, I figured I'd better do it too."

9. "Children, all your life, you will be faced with a
choice. You can choose love or hate... I choose love."

10. "It makes me so mad that some people underestimate the
wisdom and energy of young people. All because they don't
look the way older folks think they should look. I'm
working on a song about it. Maybe some of those closed
minded people will realize long hair and tattoos don't mean
they should be ignored. Close minded people are part of
what's wrong with this world."

11. "You miss a lot of opportunities by making mistakes,
but that's part of it: knowing that you're not shut out
forever, and that there's a goal you still can reach."

12. "I'd like to wear a rainbow every day, and tell the
world that everything is o.k. But I'll try to carry off a
little darkness on my back. Until things are brighter, I'm
the Man in Black."

Some famous musicians are shallow, some care more about the
money than they do about the art. Johnny Cash was not one
of them. He was a man with a message and these twelve
Johnny Cash quotes give us a bit of insight into the man
behind the hypnotic voice.

----------------------------------------------------
For more music quotes, check out the popular music quotes
section of Famous-Quotes-And-Quotations.com, a website that
specializes in 'Top 10' lists of quotations in dozens of
categories.
http://www.famous-quotes-and-quotations.com/music-quote.html

Photos on Quilts: There's New Technology in Town!

Photos on Quilts: There's New Technology in Town!
There's a new way to add photos to quilts.

In the past, we relied on photo transfer paper to iron our
photo onto our quilt block. Have you heard about
direct-to-garment printing? It's a new way to get your
favorite photo onto your quilt block.

Direct-to-garment (DTG) printing is a form of digital
printing. Most of the printers fall into the $20,000 range,
so it's not practical to run out and buy your own. But if
you can find a print shop that offers DTG printing, you can
expect to pay $8 to $10 for a photo print.

This process is a little more expensive than the
traditional photo transfer method. That's partially because
the technology is so new. If you do decide to try a DTG
photo on your memory quilt block, there are a few things to
look for in selecting the printer who will do the work for
you:

1. Make sure there are no chemicals needed to pre-treat
your fabric first. Some DTG printers create an image that
is more like screen printing. You don't want that look or
feel on your quilt. The ink will be hard on top of the
fabric and will eventually (sometimes much sooner than
later) will start to crack and wear with washings. Ask your
prospective printer to see a sample of something they've
printed. If you can feel the ink is raised above the
surface in any way at all, it's probably a sublimation type
process which requires chemicals to pre-treat the fabric.

2. Use a form of digital DTG printing offered by the
Brother GT 541. There are no chemicals needed to pre-treat
the fabric. The inks bond with the natural fibers and are
heat cured to set the image. The inks are water based,
which helps leave a soft yet crisp image on your fabric.

There are some downfalls to using DTG printing on your
quilt blocks. One pitfall is color limitations. Since DTG
printing is a form a digital printing, there is no white
ink. White is the absence of color. This means that you
cannot print a photo on navy blue or black fabric.

Digital garment or fabric printing is a CMYK format - cyan,
magenta, yellow, and black. You can mix those colors to get
a full spectrum of accurate colors - just not white. There
are DTG printers that print white ink, but most of those
require chemical pre-treatment of the fabric and will leave
you with that thick surface print.

The light-colored or neutral fabric you use must be cotton
or a cotton blend. The fabric must be able to tolerate cure
time of 30 seconds at about 350 degrees, usually done on a
heat press. If you are not working with 100 percent cotton
or a 50/50 blend, ask your printer if the fabric will work.

Size of your print may be a limitation. Most DTG printers
have a printing field up to 14 inches x 16 inches. For
most quilters, that size range won't be a problem.

And speaking of printing fields, here's a hint. Most DTG
printers charge for a 14x16 surface. If your blocks will
allow 2 or 3 photos to fit within that range, you could get
them all printed for the price of one. Ask the printer if
it's possible with your project.

Like most technological advances, the price of digital
garment (or fabric) printing will probably decrease over
time. Maybe it will even be available on smaller printers
for home and personal use. Until then, see if you can find
a DTG printer for your next photo quilt project. The
results will look like custom fabric, which will be a great
touch for your one of a kind quilt!

----------------------------------------------------
Penny Halgren http://www.TheQuiltingCoach.com Penny has
been a quilter for more than 26 years and enjoys exploring
all aspects of quilting sharing her knowledge with all
quilters.

Did Saint Valentine - Patron Of Lovers - Send The First Valentine's Day Gift?

Did Saint Valentine - Patron Of Lovers - Send The First Valentine's Day Gift?
Valentine's Day, celebrated on February 14, is a wonderful
opportunity to celebrate those we love - to reach out to
the one we love - to make it a festival of romance and
affection. While some people may think, Valentine's Day is
just another commercial holiday for flower and candy shops,
Valentine's Day has deeper roots and does reach in the
silent recesses of a human heart.

It all started in the heart of St. Valentine. Valentine
lived around 270, in the midst of the bloody persecution of
the Christians. He was martyred by Emperor Claudius II in
ancient Rome. Saint Valentine died as a Roman martyr
priest. The saga has it that the first "Valentine's Day"
gift was actually sent by the Saint himself to the daughter
of his jailer, to whom he felt a deep bond of love.

Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of
both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. The 14th of
February is probably a remnant from a period when a pagan
festival occurred around that date. It was a day of joyful
celebration, embracing the beginning work in the vineyards
and on the fields after the long winter months. Valentine's
Day as a day of celebrating love also stems from the belief
that this is the day when birds begin their mating.

The Christian church adapted this tradition and chose
February 14 as the day to honor Saint Valentine. Saint
Valentine is now considered the patron of lovers and the
helper of those unhappily in love.

Valentine's Day in the middle of the eighteenth century is
summed up in this verse printed in Poor Robin's Almanac in
1757:

"This month bright Phoebus enters Pisces, The maids will
have good store of kisses, For always when the fun comes
there, Valentine's Day is drawing near, And both the men
and maids incline To chuse them each a Valentine; And if a
man gets one he loves, He gives her first a pair of gloves;
And, by the way, remember this, To seal the favour with a
kiss."

Although no longer a day of honor for Saint Valentine in
the Christian calendar - Valentine was dropped from the
liturgical calendar in 1969 - Valentine's Day still
inspires lovers to the present day to give kind acts of
love to one another.

There are several ways to show ones love and appreciation
on Valentine's Day:

Valentine's Day Cards are a popular way to show affection.
There are Valentine's Day cards with wise or witty rhymes,
open or supple declaration of love, beautiful flower
arrangements or cuddly teddy bears. There is something of
every taste.

Valentine's Day Recipes are often special concoctions made
with love and creativity to help celebrate Valentine's Day.
After all, doesn't love go through the stomach! Aromatic
taste, lovely decoration, romantic candle light - all helps
together to make for an enchanting Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day Flowers delight every loving heart. Flowers
are among the most prominent symbols of love. They make the
partner feel appreciated and valued. Valentine's Day
flowers may well be the most important flowers you send all
year. Flowers speak to the heart through their beauty,
their simple elegance, their uplifting scent and long
lasting aroma. When words fail, say it with flowers!
Flowers convey your love and care.

A Gift Basket for Valentine's Day is another special and
personal gift idea, filled with things your partner loves:
a precious aftershave or perfume; a wellness gift like a
relaxing massage; a Candle-Light-Dinner for two in the
favorite restaurant; or Mon Cheri in a heart-shaped gift
box.

Or give your loved one an extravagant Valentine's Day gift
- maybe a symbolic tree of the rain forest with
certificate, or a bottle of balsam fir essential oil to
uplift the heart.

There are many ways to help celebrate Valentine's Day. Any
sign of love and care, no matter how big or small, will
bring the message of love from one heart to another. Love
flows from the lover to the beloved and back again to close
a circle, strengthening the bond of friendship, love and
marriage. Valentine's Day is truly a day for sweethearts.
It is an old tradition that had its beginning with Saint
Valentine's gift of love. This gift of love keeps on giving
throughout the history of mankind for another thousand
years to come. Nothing else matters but love.

----------------------------------------------------
Maria Schasteen is editor of Aroma-Essence.com, Natures
Most Trusted Therapeutic-Grade Essential Oils and
Aromatherapy Store.
http://www.aroma-essence.com

Who is the most independent filmmaker friendly distributor in 2008? The answer might surprise you.

Who is the most independent filmmaker friendly distributor in 2008? The answer might surprise you.
Overall, film sales were down at Sundance 2008. And
documentary titles accounted for about half of the
distribution deals made this year. However, the real story
for deal-making at Sundance may well be that Sony Pictures
Classics, the bright-eyed indie wing of the 400 pound
gorilla that is Sony Pictures, single handedly kept the
festival a viable market for scrappy indie films in
competition.

Sony Pictures Classics does not have the success stories
of, say, Fox Searchlight Pictures box office bonanza LITTLE
MISS SUNSHINE. Purchased at Sundance 2006 for a
record-breaking $10.5 Million, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE went on
to gross close to $100 Million and won 2 Oscars. Smart buy.
Smart marketing. In contrast, SPC purchased JUNEBUG at
Sundance 2005, which earned next to nothing but did prove
to be Amy Adam's breakout film and earn her an Oscar
nomination. SPC's continued determination to acquire at
Sundance is all the more remarkable for its past failures
to capture the crossover success that Sundance legend lives
one.

Just look at the breakdown of Sundance 2008 deals. Of the 9
feature films, 6 deals were made for distribution in the
US. (1 of the deals was by United Artists who purchased the
remake rights for the Spanish film TIMECRIMES, but have no
plans to distribute.) 2 of those 6 films (HAMLET 2 and
HENRY POOLE IS HERE) played in the Premiere selection. So,
of the 121 features in competition, 4 found a home, and for
3 of them that home is with the SPC (FROZEN RIVER, BAGHEAD,
as well as THE WACKNESS).In many respects, SPC is keeping
film acquisition alive at Sundance, choosing to shop the
lesser know films and purchasing in quantity (all were had
for around 6 or 7 figures), rather than looking for the
headline grabbing big money deal. Indeed, I find it quaint
and almost touching the way SPC handles Sundance. Its
choices seem bracing and risky, even if they may be due to
its buying strategy of avoiding bidding wars and looking
for asking prices to drop as the fest wears on. Bottm
feeders SPC may be, but that does not change the fact that
it is willing to court the wallflowers of the festival that
nobody else wants to take for a spin, including this year's
Grand Jury Price winner FROZEN RIVER.

On paper this film has nothing going for it. Star power
that falls well below your average TV Movie Of The Week
(and that's Network TV); a downer subject that lacks sexy
topicality -- illegal US border crossings from, wait for
it, Canada. It's a nutty move, as are their two other fest
buys. THE WACKNESS got some festival buzz, but nobody was
willing to go for the mat for it, perhaps because it
clearly doesn't have a chance of becoming the next LITTLE
MISS SUNSHINE (although we should never underestimate the
nation's love of the Olsen twin). SPC is making smaller
deals for smaller movies to do, probably, small business. I
sort of love it; I like the "think small" attitude towards
independent film. After all, isn't that the point, rather
than go after the one Indie film that has a chance of
crossover success, Sony is taking up a few wild cards and
one day, they will make it to a theatre near year—if
only for a week. I think if the Independent Spirit Awards
had an award for Film Acquisition this year, it should go
to SPC. The company's gamble on niche markets, on the
oddball, on the rag-tag underdog has exactly the wild Indie
spirit that the most successful Sundance films routinely
champion--and that the biggest Sundance deals routinely
lack.

----------------------------------------------------
Daniel Lafleche is the COO of IPEX TV, the leading
multiplatform B2B Film and Video online marketplace. Daniel
has over 25 years experience in film distribution,
combining film and video licensing with internet media.
IPEX TV specializes in helping indie producers and film and
video distributors take advantage of the web and reach out
to international film license buyers. You can learn more at
http://www.ipextv.tv

Iowa Quilt Blocks on Barns

Iowa Quilt Blocks on Barns
In Iowa, quilt blocks on barns lead travelers off the major
highways and back through once forgotten communities. The
Iowa quilt blocks on barns have become a celebration of the
participating community's heritage while generating tourism
revenue.

These aren't your common quilt blocks. The Iowa quilt
blocks on barns are created with paint instead of fabric
scraps, but they replicate many traditional quilt patterns
- something all quilting enthusiasts can appreciate as true
works of art.

The Iowa quilt blocks on barns are generally 8 foot x 8
foot squares of plywood, painted to look like a traditional
quilt block, then mounted on the sides or fronts of barns.
The colorful quilt blocks are hard to miss and they're
addictive - once you spot your first, you'll want to keep
searching for more of them!

The project began in Grundy County Iowa and spread to other
communities. One very popular area is Sac County, Iowa.
There are 55 barn quilts and 19 community quilts across Sac
County, located in west-central Iowa. The museum honoring
the birthplace of crooner Andy Williams hosts one of Sac
County's community quilts. The quilt block there, "Mother's
Choice," was painted by Jackson's 4-H club.

That's what's so great about the Iowa quilt blocks on barns
and at community locations. It became a project for the
entire community. Started in 2005 by Kevin Peyton as a 4-H
project, he anticipated that the success of the project
would depend on the number of people who got involved. With
the help of his family, Peyton started asking for community
involvement.

Quilting enthusiasts advised to use primary and secondary
colors for the Iowa quilt blocks on barns and to use simple
lines. They selected quilt block patterns that depicted
aspects of their community's heritage - agriculture,
horticulture and family. Some you will see on your Iowa
quilt blocks on barns tour include "Turkey in the Straw,"
"Country Farm," "Blazing Star," and "Hovering Hawks." To
see photos of the Iowa quilt blocks on barns, take a look
at http://www.barnquilts.com/2359.html. You can see actual
photos of the proudly displayed barn quilts. A map of
participating barns and community buildings is also
provided in case you are planning a trip to the area.

Volunteers painted the blocks and the community's rural
electric co-operative volunteered its boom trucks to help
hang the large Iowa quilt blocks on barns.

Volunteers also helped Peyton's Iowa quilt blocks on barns
project by suggesting barn criteria. The volunteers
recommended that the barns or corncribs be at least 50
years old and sit on farms that were active and attractive
to passers-by. The barns were also required to be on hard
surface roads and visible from both directions, making the
tour easy and enjoyable for tourists.

Barns play an important role in Iowan heritage. The Iowa
Barn Foundation (http://www.iowabarnfoundation.org/) makes
grant money available to restore barns to help preserve the
state's agricultural heritage. Quilting is another part of
Iowan heritage, so in Iowa, quilt blocks on barns go hand
in hand.

Peyton says his idea was not an original one. He was
inspired to start the barn quilt project in his own
community after reading a newspaper article about a barn
quilt project in Grundy County, Iowa. The Grundy project
began after an extension agent there brought the idea back
from a conference where she had learned about a similar
project going on in Ohio.

If you are planning a trip to Iowa and want to drive
through barn quilt country, U.S. Highway 20 is a good road
to drive. Sac County starts the big barn quilt display from
the west and Grundy County kicks off the display from the
east.

Quilters (and tourism leaders) in other states have picked
up the idea, too. In addition to Iowa and Ohio, parts of
Kentucky and Tennessee have also jumped on the barn quilt
wagon. If you plan to make a day trip or weekend out of one
of the barn quilt tours, make sure to allow time to stop at
the local quilting and souvenir shops to browse mementos
like barn quilt postcards, stationery and cookbooks
featuring local food favorites. By making a little time to
stop, you'll get to meet the people who made the barn
quilts a reality - and those people are as priceless as the
community art they created.

----------------------------------------------------
Penny Halgren http://www.TheQuiltingCoach.com Penny has
been a quilter for more than 26 years and enjoys exploring
all aspects of quilting sharing her knowledge with all
quilters.