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Look Whooo We Recognized at The 2020 O2 Experience!
Jul 25, 2020 | O2 News, Owlettes and BROS, Recognition
One of our favorite parts about The O2 Experience is recognizing YOU! With recognition happening throughout the event, we wanted to give you a peek at just a few of the special awards we shared.
Congratulations to our Stronger Together Award recipients!
In honor of our first-ever virtual event, our Founders created our Stronger Together Awards. These awards were nominated by our Founders for the incredible things these Designers do in their communities and businesses while living out the O2 mission statement.
When we're all back together, we look forward to bringing back our traditional Culture Awards, so we can honor those recipients in person and on stage.
Community Impact Force For Good® Award – Tami Butcher, Executive Field Vice President
"I was honored to receive the Force For Good® award! Origami Owl makes it so easy to share the gift of kindness because this is the foundation of our mission. I have also made it my personal mission to help those who need it. The world we live in is a little crazy at the moment; when we bless others, we bless ourselves. There is nothing better in life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!"
Inspiring Kindness & Hope Award – Sandy Daly, Team Manager
"I wanted to thank the Founders for the honor of receiving this award. I was surrounded by my O2 sisters and amazing team at my house watching the last session of our virtual convention. I couldn't have asked for a better moment to be surrounded by so much love. The moment they called my name I cried; I couldn't believe it; I was in shock. I felt so emotional, happy and sad all at the same time. I reflected on how blessed and grateful we all are to have survived this pandemic, especially living in New York. I have many friends who lost loved ones, and it is very difficult to see them in grief and they did not get to say good bye. I felt honored and humbled to receive such a beautiful and meaningful award.
Inspiring: What inspires me is to get involved and help organizations, schools, churches and temples raise funds for causes with the help of Origami Owl. Fundraising is a way to be a Force For Good and pay it forward. My Customers tell me our jewelry makes them happy, and that makes my heart full.
Kindness: Always remember to be kind to those you meet. This past year during the COVID virus, my community, my family and I donated 180 dinners to our local hospital to feed medical staff. I also got involved with Operation Prom, which is an organization that gives prom dresses and tuxes to youth in need. With the help of my friends, I was able to help a Customer collect 300 coats for the homeless. The night before Thanksgiving, we fed and gave coats out to the homeless at her church in Harlem. It was a beautiful and moving experience for me my family and friends and i can't wait to do it again.
Hope: When I received this award, the first thing that came to mind was praying for the end of this virus and having peace all over the world. We had 32,000 deaths and 422,000 infected in New York State alone since March. While all this was going on, I stayed home for months, but found creative ways to connect with my Customers, family and friends. During the pandemic, we gave each other hope, stayed connected by sharing online performances, trivia and games to break the isolation, lift spirits, and reach out and connect with those who are isolated or live alone. During this difficult time, my son who is a high school senior was home and he and others missed so much. Also two weeks before my son graduated with a virtual graduation and car parade, my husband got diagnosed with stage 2 prostate cancer. I am hoping after his 28 rounds of radiation starting October 1, that he will fully recover and be cancer free. If it wasn't for Origami Owl, and the help and hope of my amazing Customers and friends, I would not have gotten through this.
Spirit of Leadership Award – Eloise Layton, Director
"I am so incredibly proud and honoured to receive this award. I really have no words! I truly am so blessed to have the amazing team that I do. It's hard to believe that we all started out as strangers. So many lifelong friendships have been formed and many more are in the making. I cannot imagine this journey without these amazing Teamsters. Find your tribe. Love them hard."
Young Entrepreneur Rock Star Rookie –
Mattie Warren, Owlette + Senior Team Leader
"I can't even start to put into words how much this company has impacted my life. When I first joined, I thought that I was going to earn a little bit of money and wear the jewelry. But, it did not go that way at all. It went WAY better than I could have ever imagined. This award means a lot to me. It shows how far I've come in my business and that what I'm doing is making an impact in my life and others. It shows my hard work and dedication for this company and my small business. I could not be more thankful and blessed to be awarded the Young Entrepreneur Rock Star Rookie award. I want to thank all of Origami Owl for the encouragement. Every week, people who I don't even know encourage me and cheer me on. I want to especially thank my amazing parents, my wonderful mentor and the people who started Origami Owl, the Founders. Love you Bella, Chrissy, Shawn and Tyson!"
Young Entrepreneur Above & Beyond Award – Elizabeth Hendrickson, Owlette
"The feeling in this moment is almost indescribable. I felt honored, blessed, excited, surprised and just overwhelmed with gratitude. It was an amazing moment, and I'm grateful I was at home to be able to experience it with my whole family! I honestly cannot believe it – STILL. I try my hardest to always help and serve others, and this just confirmed that what I do makes a difference. I'm so grateful I'm part of this AMAZING company. I'm so grateful for the amazing people I've met through it, who have made an impact on my life and who I've had the opportunity of making an impact in their lives. I want to say thank you and I will NEVER forget this!"
Note: If you attended The O2 Experience and received recognition that includes an award or certificate, please keep in mind that we will be sending it to you in the next month.
Congratulations to Our Young Entrepreneurs
The Young Entrepreneurs Program is the foundation of Origami Owl®. Our Young Entrepreneurs Program teaches young girls and boys, youth ages 11-17, entrepreneurial and life skills. Being an Owlette or BRO (Boy Representing Origami Owl) builds confidence and gets them out of their comfort zone, while setting goals and getting recognized for their efforts. Our Owlettes and BROs are making a difference in the lives of others and their own.
Owlette/BRO Force For Good® Charm Winner
We received so many incredible submissions and ideas for potential Force For Good® Charms! We revealed the chosen, touching Charm during the virtual O2 Experience and recognized Eliana Perez-Flores for designing a "You are Loved" Charm. Read more here.
Two Young Entrepreneur Education Award Recipients
We want to support our Owlettes and BROs whose goals are to continue their education at a university or technical school once they graduate from high school. During the virtual 2020 O2 Experience, we announced the recipients of a $2,000 check to help cover their continuing education costs – Selina Novello and Taylor Hileman.
Congratulations, Selina and Taylor!
Here's a little about why these Owlettes were chosen!
Taylor Hileman
Taylor joined Origami Owl a little over four years ago when she begged her mom to let her sign up and work the business all by herself. She never could have imagined the way Origami Owl would change her life forever. Through the Young Entrepreneurs Program, Taylor found strength, gained a love for giving back to others, learned that there is nothing like human connection, and ultimately, found herself and who she is meant to be. She has learned how to set goals, and reach them, such as promoting to Senior Team Leader, earning her way to attend four Conventions, and even earning an incentive trip (all on her own) to Punta Cana.
Taylor has worked hard to cover most of her own college tuition for her first year with scholarships. She will be attending Beacon College in Leesburg, Florida and majoring in Anthropology. Through Anthropology, Taylor will be able to help others realize the importance of animals and their habitats, as well as help protect animals who so desperately need our help. Her goal is to work in marine rescue, and she has already been working hard to build the relationships she needs to land her dream job when she graduates with her bachelor's degree. She would like to earn her degree without the use of student loans and is short $5,000 for her first year of college.
Selina Novello
With Origami Owl, Selina, an Owlette from Canada, spreads light, love, and happiness everywhere she goes, and she is grateful for that. Our mission statement is incorporated into her life and heart forever. She believes it is the best thing that has happened to her! Selina confidently feels like she has become the best version of herself because of Origami Owl and the Young Entrepreneurs Program. She has struggled with learning disabilities of high anxiety, poor working memory and dyslexia. After finding a school with an amazing community and support system, she was able to overcome these obstacles and has achieved Top Academic Achievement Awards ever since.
Selina also believes that Origami Owl has given her a positive and creative outlet to explore and conquer her disabilities. Selina has learned from Origami Owl that: you are exactly where you are supposed to be, and going through what you are going through, because it takes every situation to help get you where you are; fear only exists in our minds, it does not actually exist; nothing can stop you but yourself, the only one that can change you is you; and be a light in this world and spread kindness.
Selina's experience as a Young Entrepreneur has given her more than she could have ever imagined, both personally and professionally. With everything she has learned from being a Young Entrepreneur, and running her own business, Selina has realized that she is passionate about business and entrepreneurship. She plans to pursue this in college at Mount Royal University.
Congratulations to our 2020 Young Entrepreneurs Council Members
The Young Entrepreneurs Council gives Owlettes and BROs the opportunity to serve their peers in the Young Entrepreneurs Program and provide a youthful perspective, which is important in developing a strong program. Young Entrepreneurs Council members represent their fellow Owlettes and BROs while making a difference and gaining leadership skills.
Get more details on our 2020 Young Entrepreneurs Council here.
Young Entrepreneurs Graduate in Special Ceremony
We had 16 inspiring Owlettes and BROs graduate during this year's virtual O2 Experience!
Here's whooo we recognized at the virtual 2020 O2 Experience:
Class of 2020:
Tatum Butcher
William DeCoursey
Dylan Daly
Annette Enciso
Bradley Waples
Sydney Stevens
Evy Osorio
Erin Schott
Mackenzie Fleming
Christen Ziska
Antonio Baltazar
April Halverson
Marlowe Kemp
Reanna George
Holly Cavill
December LIVE @ The Nest with Co-Founder Tyson Basha (And Shawn…Kinda)
December New Designer Spotlight
FREE My O2 Connection App Training: January 20 @ 6 p.m. CT
Congratulations, New O2 Coastal Vacay Earners!
You Matter Rewards: Check Out What YOU'VE Earned
Force for Good
O2 Experience
O2 News
Owlettes and BROS
© Origami Owl, LLC - 2019 - All Rights Reserved


Corporate Purpose
Patrick Hull
VP, Future of Work, Unilever
As of January 2021 Patrick has assumed the role of VP Future of Work, responsible for bringing Unilever's social commitments on the Future of Work to life. Patrick's role is to help people stay fit for work – now and in the future
To do so, Patrick is leading a programme to deliver on three commitments: equipping Unilever's people for the future of work, pioneering new flexible employment options, and partnering with others to create jobs and skills for young people outside of Unilever. And doing this in a fun, creative way.
His Unilever career started in South Africa in 1996 when Patrick joined as a management trainee in Finance, then working on various roles in both finance and sales before leaving Unilever to start his own leadership development training business.
After running his business for 5 years Patrick decided to rejoin Unilever in HR specialising in change management. Moving back with Unilever to the UK in 2008 and leading their change management programme as we outsourced our HR Services. Patrick then moved into leadership development roles in China and Africa before moving back to the UK in 2016 as Global Learning Director for leadership and business skills. Later in 2018 becoming Global HR Strategy Director.


Bizarre, Criminal law, Society, Torts March 18, 2010 March 18, 2010
Detention Dentition: Sheriff's Office Pays $100,000 to Inmate After Deputy Ripped Cemented Grill Out of His Mouth
In Tennessee, Deputy Tanya Mayhew of the Davidson County Sheriff's office can scratch dentistry off her list of possible moonlighting jobs. Anthony McCoy, 31, will receive $100,000 after Mayhew ripped his gold grill out of his mouth during booking.
McCoy was arrested on the failure to pay child support, harassment and a protection violation. Mayhew told him to remove the gold grill over his teeth but Mayhew insisted that was cemented in place. Mayhew proceeded to reach into his mouth and rip out the grill and stripping away the enamel off his teeth.
While he was spitting blood, deputies told him to get back in line and failed to take steps to attend to his obvious injury, here. The damage to his teeth was $10,000 and he was denied any medical attention beyond Tylenol for ten days.
For the full story, click here.
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12 thoughts on "Detention Dentition: Sheriff's Office Pays $100,000 to Inmate After Deputy Ripped Cemented Grill Out of His Mouth"
the deputy should be charged with assault. a badge shouldn't be a get out of jail free card
@IraqVet
Cops get by with that stuff because people don't know any better & they think it will NEVER HAPPEN TO THEM.
The part I don't get is that they are "hero's" for doing a job they are paid well to do.
Like there aren't 100 people waiting for that job if they don't want, or are unable, to do it.
I know they have to interact with some of the stupidest people on the planet, but if they can't do their jobs without abusing people, then they need to go back to barber school.
IraqVet says:
I never completely understood why, if a uniformed officer unlawfully assault someone, they get administratively 'disciplined' (e.g. three days off without pay), whereas if a mere citizen assaults someone, they answer for their crimes in the criminal justice system (e.g. three years with good behavior).
The caste-like relationship between police and citizens is becoming far too analogous to that between occupying soldier and conquered populace. The gross disparity between the misconduct consequences meted out to police vs those received by the general population is one symptom. The fact that the term "civilian" has become common police slang for us is another smaller but nonetheless telling symptom.
rafflaw says:
$100,000 isn't enough for that outrageous conduct on the part of the deputy and the other officers who failed to come to his aid when he was bleeding.
Talking about money and prison and "abuse"
"The former inmate, who served time on drug charges, said the dispute centered on money the assailant thought he was owed by Madoff."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35925191/ns/business-us_business/?GT1=43001
empirecookie says:
What money?
It appears that Wayne has resurrected.
vlf2112 says:
The deputy obviously overstepped her bounds and should be diciplined for her behavior, but, I can't help but think that maybe if Mr. McCoy had used the money to pay child support, he wouldn't have been in jail in the first place.
think SB thinking
Which, oddly enough, is the exact ingredient missing from this story.
Although when I see an adult wearing such dental "jewelry" I usually just laugh and laugh, what part of "cemented in" didn't register? Hell, having that gaudy crap semi-permanently attached is a punishment in itself. Cops are a lot like criminals – you don't have to be smart to be one. You just have to show up.
And speaking of which, does one have to metal polish their mouth in addition to brushing when wearing such an appliance? I'm think Brasso or Tarn-X tastes really really bad.
Ouch, but I do hear thar is a Dentist in MA that will offer services.
100K is not enough for the pain that this would have caused me…
I guess she was trying to get to the "root"of his behavior.


Will Hicks finally end Bears' drought of Pro Bowl defenders?
Bears defensive end Akiem Hicks sacks Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan during the loss to the Falcons in Septmeber. The Bears haven't had a defensive player in the Pro Bowl since cornerback Tim Jennings went after the 2013 season, but defensive lineman Hicks should get consideration this year. Steve Lundy | Staff Photographer
Bob LeGere
The Bears haven't had a defensive player in the Pro Bowl since cornerback Tim Jennings went after the 2013 season, but defensive lineman Akiem Hicks should get consideration this year.
For the second year in a row, Hicks leads Bears linemen in tackles with 43. He also leads the team with 14 tackles for negative yardage. His 7 sacks match his career-best.
Although most teams play a rotation of defensive linemen, Hicks is rarely off the field.
"Availability is as important as any ability," Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. "He's given us some good inside pass rush. He's been a consistent player. I think he definitely deserves (Pro Bowl) consideration."
The Bears signed the 6-foot-5, 336-pound Hicks to a modest two-year, $10 million deal in free agency before the 2016 season. He was rewarded for last year's performance with a four-year, $48 million extension earlier this year.
"His growth has been a two-year process," Fangio said. "I don't think it (was) the lights going on this year. I thought it started last year. He's a guy that had a checkered career prior to coming here. He never really fulfilled his potential. He's coming closer to doing it here.
"I think the guy can still improve and be a better player than what we are seeing now," Fangio said.
Injury status:
Injuries remain a problem for the Bears, but they're in better shape than the Bengals, their opponents this week.
The Bears listed safety Adrian Amos (hamstring), linebacker Pernell McPhee (shoulder) and nose tackle Eddie Goldman (hip) as "doubtful." They did not practice all week. Safety DeAndre Houston-Carson is questionable after a limited Friday practice.
The Bengals have already declared six starters out after their Monday night brawl against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Linebackers Vontaze Burfict (concussion) and Nick Vigil (ankle) will not play, nor will running back Joe Mixon (concussion), cornerbacks Dre Kirkpatrick (concussion) and Adam Jones (groin) and safety Shawn Williams (ankle). All-pro defensive tackle Geno Atkins (toe) did not practice Friday and is one of four other Bengals who are questionable.
Not good enough:
Last Sunday, for the second time this season, the Bears' defense did not allow a touchdown. But they gave up 388 total yards in the 15-14 loss to the 49ers, the second-highest yield of the season, and they allowed 10 of 18 third-down conversions.
"We didn't play good enough," defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. "We didn't have a good day on third down, which caused us to play more (snaps) and allowed them to get into the red zone."
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Black People's Free Store
Fillmore District, San Francisco, 1967-68
Roy Ballard was a longtime Black civil rights organizer in San Francisco's Fillmore neighborhood in the 1960s. His name appears in numerous SF Chronicle articles protesting segregated hiring practices in the early 1960s. Then suddenly, in early 1967, Roy appeared alongside Arthur Lisch representing the Diggers at an Episcopalian conference discussing the Haight-Ashbury's booming youth insurgency. Roy and Arthur predicted that 100,000 young people were expected to arrive during the summer to experience the freedom of the Haight. (This was the first public prediction of the coming tidal wave making pilgrimage to San Francisco.) They called upon the local religious community to help plan for this inundation. For his part, Roy founded the Black People's Free Store on McAllister Street in the Fillmore that spring. This is the story of how Digger Free diffused into the Black community in San Francisco. It is one of the clearest, purest visions of the Free Store concept.
The Black People's Free Store
Don't Nod
Sharing & Taking Is Natural
Telephone Conversation
Tragedy [poem]
You can help ...
What is a Digger? [video]
<<==<<==>>==>>
The following text is from the Glide Foundation publication Venture (August 1967).
In the Spring of 1967, Roy Ballard proposed to Larry Mamiya that a free store be established in San Francisco's Fillmore ghetto. Roy had worked as a Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee organizer in the Deep South and had become an ardent follower of Malcolm X in the Organization for Afro-American Unity. Living in the Haight-Ashbury in late 1966, he became involved with the Diggers who were soon to open a free store on Cole Street. Contrary to popular conceptions, there are deep social and political motives at work in the Haight, and Roy saw the possibility of applying Digger concepts and philosophy to the poverty and depravity of the black ghetto.
As Glide's Intern to Young Adults, Larry was in a position to seek the financial support necessary for such a project, having the potential backing of Glide Church and Urban Center. While Roy enlisted the help of other civil rights activists and people in the ghetto, Larry conveyed the excitement and importance of the idea to Ted Mcilvenna and Cecil Williams at Glide. It was agreed to go ahead.
In April, then, Larry and Roy set out to locate and lease a large store-front which would become the Black People's Free Store. They discovered that most vacant, prime locations are owned by the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency and are thus unavailable. Such properties will be razed to make way for middle income housing. But at the corner of McAllister & Webster, a store was found and leased. With the necessary cleaning and repairs completed, the Black People's Free Store opened its doors in early May.
What is a free store? Its first principle is to give whatever can be obtained to those who will take. This means clothing, furniture, appliances, food. In a ghetto area where physical and emotional needs are critical, where American Opportunity is an outworn joke, where the ravages of racism are as real as the pavement, a free store means revolution. Much more than the distribution of free goods is involved. In the case of the Black People's Free Store, the fundamental revolutionary function is to communicate love to fellow human beings. With love — feeling, understanding, respect, communication — people are allowed to believe in themselves, to love themselves, to become themselves.
Such communication happens in many ways. Each Saturday the Store prepares and serves a free meal in Malcolm X Park, Turk & Laguna Streets. Over a thousand people have attended this event, the primary function of which is to bring people together with a focus upon themselves. Creating this focus means affirming individual worth. Smaller quantities of food are given out at the store daily [the Ukrainian Bakery provides bread regularly] and the process of communication through a basic necessity is thus continued.
In another direction, a basement dark room has been installed, and volunteers are available to teach the fundamentals of photography. It is felt that the camera can become a means of profound expression for people denied almost all forms of public expression save violence. Also, Mitch the Drummaker is ready to begin instruction in the craft of drum construction. But these and other projects cannot begin until money is donated.
A one-ton truck was purchased three weeks ago, enabling the store to pick up donated goods and to transport people into the country. Relief from the deadly oppression of ghetto living is literally life-saving. On the weekend of July 22-23, twenty-five kids and store workers camped in the Sierra Mountains. Upon returning, one youth, who had never seen the wilderness before, said the trip had been more fun than shooting up the city. Other trips are planned as money becomes available, and efforts are being made to use some of the extensive Methodist Church camp facilities later in the summer.
The Store's guiding spirit has been Roy Ballard, but he is the first to say that the people have taken over. It is their store. No one believes in the idea of leaders, and everyone seems to have had enough of leader-follower patterns. The Digger motto, do your thing, is the key to the Store, and black people are beginning to discover their thing at 1099 McAllister Street.
Don't Nod !
Eight representatives of San Francisco-Bay Area foundations recently met with a group of men from the Black People's Free Store. The meeting was held in the Store's basement Meditation Room. Cushions are scattered on the cold cement floor, people lean against the brick walls. A psychedelic light-sculpture flashes changing colors, and the air is tense, heated. One of the black men, Mitch, has been arguing with the foundation people, among whom is Glide's Lewis Durham. The purpose of the meeting has been to familiarize the foundations with the Free Store program and to engage their support. Subjects at hand are black liberation, white liberalism, the problems of operating a free store, the philosophy of giving. Suddenly Mitch looks at Durham and commands: "Give me your watch, man!" Durham nods in agreement, understanding the point — property is things, people are human beings with immediate wants and needs; black people are owed these by white America. But Mitch continues: "No man, don't nod! Give me your watch!"
VENTURE: Who has been giving the store the goods being distributed?
ROY: So far it's been mostly white people, but we have people from the community here bringing things in on their own. But first of all, white people are the only ones who have got it. There's no one else that has it. You have the black bourgeoisie, but brother, they're not going to give it up and you know that. We know that there are liberal whites that'll give it, because they recognize that they owe it to black people.
VENTURE: What do you mean by owe?
OLDER MAN: The average girl of my time — and I'm in my fifties — could have an education, where the fellas had to get out and go to work because there wasn't no relief at that time. You had to work, you had to forget about an education. You had to get out there and dig ditches, make your living. Now how in the world you going to explain education with digging ditches? You can't read a book and dig a ditch at the same time. Their intention is to keep you low. Mop the floor and all. Then when you get as old as I am, then you go down and apply for some job and they say, "You got an education?" Where was I going to get an education when I was out there digging ditches? Here I'm about ready for old-age pension, you want to tell me to go to school for ten years?
YOUNG MAN: White people ask, "Why should you get anything free?" That's the reason!
ARTHUR: I'm sick and tired of talking — I'm ready to do, regardless of whatever it costs. I'll pay the biggest penalty I got which is my life! That's where I'm at.
YOUNG MAN: That's the way I feel myself. If my kids are going to be killed, I'd rather kill them myself than have them come up under something like this. Living as a fifth of a man. You know, jobs where you have to bend over and cop-out. It's the same with white collar jobs on Market St. They're copping out too. It doesn't matter what level, you're copping out on yourself. I'm teaching kids from nine to fifteen how to fire weapons. It's nothing but a suicidal matter, I know this. But it's a suicidal matter to be black!
ROY: Black people have always been castrated. We're being castrated in the jails, in Vietnam, on the damn street! You name it, we get the short end of the stick. Even the Mexican-Americans, who I consider equally poor with blacks, even that cat is two or three steps higher than I am. Therefore, the only thing we can do is ask for what's due us. We have to take it the best way we can.
YOUNG MAN: Either we're going to get total peace and recognition and respect or else we're going to have to go down and die!
ROY: Our thing in the store is not the black and white issue — we're far from that. Here in the store we welcome everybody. The only way we're going to bring about change is people communicating. Once a person closes his mind, that's it. Things become one-sided. Brother, I'm going to keep my mind open! This store is bringing about a hellava lot of wisdom. It's helping a lot of young ones on the street who are coming in here. And it's opening their minds to where it's really at. That's our whole thing here in this store. Opening minds — to share, to make understanding, to feel for each other.
What I'm thinking is what would happen if black people could disaffiliate from money altogether. Black people by nature were born to understand each other and to share with each other. They did this even in slavery time when they was sharing the juice from the greens. They were sincere about each other. In Louisiana that's still the way it is. When I came up here to California, hell! I was surprised. I met some of the very same people I went to school with, but they acted like they didn't know me. I said, "Hey, buddy, don't you know me? I know you. Aren't you so and so?" "Ya, I'm in a hurry right now, I gotta go." But down in the South everybody shares with each other, because down South everybody's so poor they say that's the only way we can live.
ARTHUR: Let's face it, people say it takes money to live. If you look at money itself it's the money that causes confusion, man. Those that got want more, those that don't have want whatever they can get.
OLDER MAN: When I first heard about the store, I thought it was a whole lot of bull. I'll come truthfully out and say it. When I come here and pick up something, I walked out, and nobody said nothing and I got to wondering is this true. Because it sounds so funny, walking in and getting something you need, and it didn't cost you nothing. And I really needed it. So I started telling my other friends about it. I brought different people here. A pregnant girl, she came down and got some baby clothes because she knows that Welfare won't help her get those clothes.
ROY: What I'm saying is that this whole store centers around this basic reality of understanding and sharing with each other. And you'll notice that there's a whole lot of black people from the community who know where it's at. They're not digging this stuff about black people — black people gotta do this, we gotta do that. No! None of that stuff! We're people from the black community who feel the poorness, who feel the poorness of being knocked down and slapped down every time we turn around. The whole store is a center of bringing about that kind of communication of understanding and sharing with each other.
OLDER MAN: In my apartment building I got an ironing board one day. I come over here and left it. Boy, I didn't even get out of the store before a woman comes in and takes the ironing board. She needed it!
ROY: Somebody said, "How long that ironing board gonna be here?" I said, "You just stand there and see how long." It wasn't hardly two minutes before that woman walks in and says, "Do you know where I can get an ironing board?" "There's one there." She said, "Here's a dollar." But no! We don't accept no money here.
OLDER MAN: She just picked it up and ran out the door, afraid he might change his mind.
OLDER WOMAN: A white lady came in one time, do you remember her? She needed things. I said, "Here lady, you can wear these. Take them." We don't make any exceptions because of color. When the whites come in here we help them. Poor is poor.
ARTHUR: We got twenty keys out in the community. Many people have them. We have several prostitutes that stand out on the corner. They have a key too. Our whole basis is not only to be giving things away free, but trust and charity and truth. It's really getting down to it. A question was asked, "How do you know that people need these things they're taking?" Well, it's like this. People come in and take things. It's all free. Now, they have to suffer with their own conscience, because my conscience is clear. I know I let them get it. Now if they go do something else with it, that's them.
ROY: We got a number of people that come in and pick up clothes and sell them. We don't worry about that. But maybe that guy got to sell those clothes because he got two or three kids at home and he can't work. Maybe the guy's selling clothes because he wants to have some extra money in his pocket. We're not concerned about that. We got four or five cats that come over here and sit every day and take out two or three boxes of clothes. Good clothes. And we know that they're selling them. But at least that cat is not walking down the street to Littleman's Market, taking all the meat from the counter and then going to jail for four or five years.
ARTHUR: He ain't standing around no dark alleyway waiting for nobody to come by and knock him on the head.
OLDER MAN: Others pick up things because they have friends that are shame-faced and won't come into the store. I do quite a bit of that delivery. And I know girls who are ashamed to come in. They want it. On their own, they don't got the nerve to come in.
ROY: They're afraid to get caught. And when I say afraid to get caught, I'm talking about caught in the sense of getting caught in what's really happening in this store — brotherhood and communication and the whole bit. Because once you walk into this store and really start talking to the people, you finally get caught and you start coming every day. Before you know it, you come here every day.
ARTHUR: When Roy and them was first getting ready to open up, Roy walks up to me and says, "Hey, baby, I need you." I said okay. And I was working then on an eight hour job. I went down to pick up my check in the personnel office. Been here ever since.
VENTURE: What are some of the other ways you're communicating with the people?
ROY: We got some alcoholics. One man, we call him Pops — when he came in here, that man couldn't walk. People who knew that cat used to watch him drink down ten or fifteen bottles of wine every day. He walked in that door, sat down, heard what was going on. He was swollen up, could just barely move. You look at Pops now, Jack, Pops is down there poppin' his fingers. And done cut alcohol a-loose.
ARTHUR: He was sitting around telling me: "You know one thing, little brother, I used to be lonely. I'd sit up in my room, look at them four walls, and I didn't have no place to go. Since you came and opened up this store, I ain't lonely no more. I know where I can come, and I can enjoy myself when I get there." This, right here, means more to me than all the money in the world. To hear him say this and know and see him standing up on his own. 'Cause I'm not doing it, he's doing it. All we done was just open up his mind and say, "You can do it, baby! It's not impossible. You're a man!"
ROY: We got little radio speakers outside the store. One night we were standing outside, playing around with each other. And the prostitutes are usually standing out there. They said, "How come you don't have no music out here for us?" Next day we had a speaker out there. And all the other prostitutes are beginning to come here. One by one, they're peeking in, coming in. We got hot coffee for them at night, any food that's here they eat. They even buy food for us — which is unusual. Prostitutes don't get up off any money, Jack, they take that money to their man. But these prostitutes get up off their money, Jack, so we can buy food for these people in here and them too.
OLDER MAN: Roy, I want to ask you one question. What makes a lot of prostitutes? Because they can't get the money they need to get the clothes and furniture that they need? You're cutting it down because the store's giving things free.
ROY: Right. You see, brother, first of all a prostitute becomes a prostitute because she fears the man who put her out there. That's the way he runs his game. To me, a pimp is nothing but another white man. A slavedriver. Driving those black sisters out there who are selling themselves. When you start cleaning it up, you got to start from the pimp on up. We got six women so far that wants to cut it a-loose, but they are scared of those men.
ARTHUR: I take and stand back sometimes, walking up and down Fillmore. I stand back and look at that pimp. Just like I'm saying, "O yes, baby, my time's gonna come when I blow out your brains too!"
ROY: And we got alcoholics coming here. They kept saying, "Man, we get tired of drinking on the corner." I said, "Look, man, there's room right there for you to come and sit, play cards or drink your wine — whatever you want to do, there's the place to do it." Now we got a whole bunch of alcoholics that come in, lie down there and do their thing. There's never been anything like this in the district before. Sometimes they get too drunk and can't go home — and fall asleep right there. And they feel free. We had one guy who fell in here and had $150 on him. When I looked up he was down on the couch. When he woke up, the first thing he looked for his wallet. He started counting the money about 3 a.m. He counted it out and said, "All my money's here! Where am I?" I said, "You're in the Black Man's Free Store." "You mean nobody's gonna take my money?" "Hey, brother, we don't do no stealing in here. Whenever you walk in these doors here, Jack, you're protected, you're safe." That cat put his wallet in his pocket and laid right back down and went to sleep. Didn't wake up till morning. Got up and bought something like four dozen eggs, some bread and sausage. He said he never in his life been in a place where he could just lay down and feel like home. When you're at home, you know you can be at ease, nobody's going to take nothing.
We gave another man a refrigerator. He came in the store and said, "This here is a free store? You must be kidding. I want that refrigerator." We said, "You can have it." "I want the stove." "You can have it." "I want a couch." "You can have it too." He was playing, you understand. He went back home, got his wife, brought a truck. We helped load the stuff on. The man was crying at the same time and he tried to give us twenty dollars. We said, "No man, we don't want no money." That man cried more and more and went. down and got a case of beer. He said, "I just got to get you something. I don't feel right. I got to get you something."
ARTHUR: Not only that, but Saturday night we got some teenagers who got wasted. A couple of policemen stopped them and they came over here to the store and asked us to help them out. We said to the police, "Hey, man, any other young fellas that you see drunk or whatever, bring them here. Don't take them downtown." They said okay. Later on that morning, the police brought a couple of prostitutes by and dropped them off and walked them to the door and said, "We brought them home."
As I see it, what we're doing now is getting people back to basic realities and showing that there is still love and sincerity for our own. After the civil war they took the chains off our arms and legs. Sure we were free, but they put chains around our minds. Now the chains are breaking loose from our minds. That's what scares them, because we're thinking for ourselves and not letting somebody else do our thinking.
VENTURE: I understand you haven't received much help from churches in the area. What are the ministers afraid of?
ROY: Hey, this is the trick, man. The man ain't afraid of nothing. The cat is in there for greed! The cat don't do nothing but take the bible the whites given him and use it on us. Most of these ministers got greed in their hearts. That means money! As long as they can keep a sister in the church and jump and shout Amen!, saying God is here, God is there and putting money in his pocket, he's groovy, he don't want nothing to do with outside trouble. If he gets into a political scene, he wants his name to go as high as it can so he can become some diplomat or president. The only ministers that does anything for black people are these little one horse shoe ministers, these store-front ministers. Now they are the nitty-gritty ministers, the only ones I've seen who'll get out in the community and say, "Sister, do you need something for your house?" And this cat here ain't got no big church, he's just got a room with a few chairs. And that cat has got an extra job on the side. Whereas you got this big church, and we asked them for this brewery they own down here. An empty brewery. We were going to have a whole complete service — for teenagers, for older people, everybody. A whole block square. This big church owns it. What they're going to do is tear it down within five years, now listen to this, tear it down within five years and put up apartment houses. Now what is that? Exploitation again. As far as the ministers, ministers is about the worst enemy a man can have. All he wants is money!
VENTURE: Well, what would you like to ask of our readers? What can they do?
JOHNNY: Simple. Tell them to donate to us. Let them give us the clothes they don't use. We don't want rags — if they don't want them, nobody else wants them. But if they outgrow them, or they got them to spare, bring them to the people who really needs them. We don't sell them like the Salvation Army — it's free. And the same with furniture. Let someone down here use it instead of putting it away in a basement.
VENTURE: And money? I see that you aren't taking money from the black community.
ARTHUR: Our money is coming through Glide. When we need something, we go down and ask for the money. When they got it, they give it. When we get money, we give it to them, and they pass it back when, we need it.
I was on the street the other day. There was a white girl standing there. This poor white man stood there, and he was hungry. He asked this white girl for a dime to get him a cup of coffee, and she said she didn't have it. I'm standing there, looking at her. I said, "Girl, you should be ashamed of yourself, turning that old man down for a dime." I gave him a dime. I say, a dime won't make me rich. Poor's poor.
"Do people take advantage of the store?", This is a question frequently asked when a free store is first encountered. The question is, do people take things they don't need, do they take more than they need, do they cheat on the store? This is rather Iike asking of a businessman, "Do you have much trouble with shoplifting?" Such questions turn out to be more mirrors of the questioner's mind and attitudes than real queries about a store's operation. Taking advantage is an attitude grown from the money-and-profit culture. It is sister to such capitalistic rules of thumb as you get what you pay for. The questioner is speaking for himself, making it clear that if he were allowed to take whatever he wished from a store, free and with impunity, he would take everything he could get his hands on. With a free store, such questions become irrelevant, leftovers from the old way. When the profit motive is removed, people remain. It is a fact that some people come in to the Free Store and take more than they need — this is discussed on pages 5-6. [Ed. note: see above transcribed interview.] Some people believe that the Store is not real, that they had better get what they can while they can. Stock up, get ahead. These, too, are o l d ways. When a person realizes that he can always get what he needs when he needs it, that the store is not going to empty or disappear in a day or two, he usually begins bringing extra items back, feeling that other people, Iike himself, aIso need. Instead of a maze of fears about acquisition and possession, people find themselves feeling responsibility towards other people.
A free store is about people — now. Each person carries a vision of what he or she would Iike to be. But today — people need. It is natural to give, it is natural to take.
WOMAN: Hello, this is the Glide?
ME: Yes, this is Glide Church, can I help you?
WOMAN: You support this black people's store?
ME: Yes, Glide helps with the rent of the Black People's Free Store.
WOMAN: Then, Mr. Glide, you can tell them to shut-up with the noise. Music I like, but not day and night in the streets. We live across the street and our nerves can't take it — it's your money, you can stop them.
ME: Well, why don ' t you go across the street and talk with the people who ' re bothering you?
WOMAN: Listen, you, I've complained to the real estate, to the owner — not the police, they got more important things to do. Now you control them, so you stop them!
ME: Well, I'd suggest that you go talk with the people who are making the noise — just talk with them yourself, maybe that's the best way.
WOMAN: And who's in charge, may I ask? Who can tell who's in charge?
ME: Maybe you could find Mr. Ballard.
WOMAN: Mr. Ballard, you say, Mr. Ballard and his green beret!
ME: Yes, Mr. Roy Ballard. Why don't you talk with him?
WOMAN: Mr. Glide, Mr. Ballard is dancing in the street.
by JOHNNY BELL
There are some places on this
More alien than any in the
And it don't take a rocket ship
Or a satallite to make the trip....
Where a humans life is cheaper than
a dogs
And people being fenced in like
This story is true not an old
folks tale
Some know it and knows it well....
You can help the Black People's Free Store continue and expand its work by contributing . . .
1 — Clothing of alI types in good condition
2 — Furniture and working appliances of all kinds
3 — Food or money for the purchase of food in bulk
4 — Money for camp and craft projects
5 — Whatever you can give
This month's VENTURE is unlike any previously published by Glide Memorial Methodist Church. It is an experimental format, and we invite your suggestions, criticisms and general reactions.
Editor: Jim Ekedal
Photos: Bill Owens
What Is A Digger?
[video clip from the Black People's Free Store]
In 1967, filmmaker Jack O'Connell came to San Francisco with the idea of making a movie about the hippies. The resulting film is one of the strangest documents that came out of that period. In its first incarnation, the film's distributor (United Artists) publicized Revolution as a shocking exposé (absolutely no one under 16 admitted). Then in 1986, O'Connell decided to do a remake but with updated interviews of some of the subjects who appeared in the first release. He wasn't able to release this version for another ten years. When he did (in 1996) it was called Hippie Revolution. O'Connell obviously approached both versions with a sympathetic view to the hippie lifestyle, even though he included testimony about the seamier aspects of life in the Haight. One of the strangest things about the film is that many of the interviewees are not identified. Which brings me to the clip above. This is a short interview with someone that I think is closely associated with the Black People's Free Store. There is no identification in the film. At first I thought it might be Roy Ballard but the resemblance to Roy's pictures is slight at best. Then I was talking with Ronnie Davis and asked him if he remembered Roy. Ronnie remembered him but he also recalled his brother. They ("the Ballard brothers" according to Ronnie) auditioned for the SF Mime Troupe's Minstrel Show. So now I am convinced that this must be Roy's brother. I don't have any proof, and would love if anyone who knows the truth of the matter were to contact me.
Both versions are available on Youtube.
Click on images to view larger version.
Roy Ballard (3rd from left) at the announcement of a settlement with the Hotel Owners Association, 1964.
Black People's Free Store, 1967. Roy Ballard (2nd from l.)
The Digger Archives is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Cite As: The Digger Archives (www.diggers.org) / CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 / All other uses must receive permission. Contact: curator at diggers dot org.


Train Shed Cyclopedia #79 Freight & Passenger Cars Shops & Terminal 1940s 50s
Train Shed Cyclopedia # 79 Freight & Passenger Cars, Shops & Terminals, 1940's & 1950's Part 2 from the Railway Mechanical Engineer. 64 Full-size Pages Reprinted from the Original Edition. Articles include: ACF Talgo Train - The Talgo trains were demonstrated for the first time on for the press on a run over the tracks of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western between Hoboken, N.J., and Dover. This train, based on the Spanish 'Patentes Talgo,' consists of an ACF built locomotive, one baggage unit, and one coach of five units articulated. The car design is unique. The Denver Zephyr After 13 Years of Service - The Stainless steel train renovated after 4.5 million miles of operation shows no signs of deterioration. Lighting A Terminal Yard - Lackawanna photo-electrically controlled installation materially improves working conditions in yard at Hoboken, NJ. It is now neither dangerous nor difficult to walk in the lighted area of the yard. Locomotive operators can see to perform all of their duties without the aid of headlights. Two New Shasta Daylights On the S.P. - All but two of 30 cars built by Pullman Standard to conform to character of other "Daylights". Two cars modernized by railroad. Tourist Car Converted to Baggage Car - Earlier this year, the Chicago, Indianapolis & Louisville Converted a Pullman tourist car, # 1522, built in 1917, into a baggage car equipped with an express-messenger unit. Budd Rail Diesel Car - Stainless car with two power plants and torque converter transmission weighs 112,800 lb. - top speed is 83 mph. Car Inspection and Repair - Hopper Cars converted from Tank Cars Sleeping Cars for the Norfolk & Western - An order of 20 six-double-bedroom ten-roomette cars being built by Budd - Electrical system 110 volts - Air conditioning system normally circulates 100 per cent fresh air. Rotary Snow Plows - With deliveries already made of rotary snow plows to the Union Pacific, Soo Line and Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, Lima-Hamilton Corporation introduces a new line of snow plowing equipment and also the first of this kind of equipment manufactured since the war. Twenty-Three Aluminum Sleepers - built by the American Car & foundry Co. for three railroads feature the employment of one design with a minimum of variations in some of the mechanical features. Each car has 4 bedrooms and 12 roomettes. Bay Window Cabooses - The New York Central has recently received from Dispatch Shops, a lot of 103 bay window cabooses of modern design. The cars are equipped with Barber Bettendorf swing motion caboose trucks, Waugh twin cushion draft gears and swivel yokes and couplers. Handling Pulpwood in Special Cars - An excellent example of coordinated effort on the part of a railroad, a shipper and a manufacturer with the objective of finding methods to lower the cost of handling commodities is the evolution of pulp wood car design and the development of a special car dumper worked out by joint efforts of the Bangor & Aroostook, the Great Northern Paper Co. and the Magor Car Corporation. Twin-Unit Diner with All-Electric Kitchen - Pennsylvania application has demonstrated the practicability of using axle generators and batteries to develop the large power.
Back to Railroad & Train Books


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Historiae by Tacitus
Translated by Alfred John Church and William Jackson Brodribb
Book II Chapter 38: Otho versus Vitellius. Passion for power[AD 69]
That old passion for power which has been ever innate in man increased and broke out as the empire grew in greatness. In a state of moderate dimensions equality was easily preserved; but when the world had been subdued, when all rival kings and cities had been destroyed, and men had leisure to covet wealth which they might enjoy in security, the early conflicts between the patricians and the people were kindled into flame. At one time the tribunes were factious, at another the consuls had unconstitutional power; it was in the capital and the forum that we first essayed civil wars. Then rose Gaius Marius, sprung from the very dregs of the populace, and Lucius Sulla, the most ruthless of the patricians, who perverted into absolute dominion the liberty which had yielded to their arms. After them came Gnaeus Pompeius, with a character more disguised but no way better. Henceforth men's sole object was supreme power. Legions formed of Roman citizens did not lay down their arms at Pharsalia and Philippi, much less were the armies of Otho and Vitellius likely of their own accord to abandon their strife. They were driven into civil war by the same wrath from heaven, the same madness among men, the same incentives to crime. That these wars were terminated by what we may call single blows, was owing to want of energy in the chiefs. But these reflections on the character of ancient and modern times have carried me too far from my subject. I now return to the course of events.
Event: Otho versus Vitellius


Dr Jung Dong Kim
Raphas
Dr Jung Dong Kim holds a BS and PhD degree in biotechnology from Yonsei University (South Korea). Dr Kim joined to Raphas in 2010 for the industrialisation of microneedles using droplet-born air blowing technology. He was a cooperative researcher with the Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, from 2014 to 2017. He was also on the steering committee of the 2016 International Conference on Microneedles. He received the IR52 Jang Young Sil Award twice from the Minister of Science, ICT and Future Planning in 2016 and Minister of Science and ICT in 2017. His research is focused on the commercialisation of dissolvable microneedle technology in the cosmetic and medical markets.
DISSOLVABLE MICRONEEDLES: APPLICATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Jung Dong Kim and Do Hyeon Jeong discuss dissolvable microneedle technology and its myriad uses.
More contributions
Q&A: SUCCESSFUL MASS PRODUCTION OF AN INNOVATIVE DRUG DELIVERY TECHNOLOGY
Jung Dong Kim answers questions about the company, its capabilities, and the mass production of an innovative dissolving microstructure drug delivery technology.


Tag Archives: Harvey Keitel
The Unsung Hero by Kent Hill
December 18, 2019 Kent Hill	Leave a comment
It is always a delight indeed to sit down with the director of one of my favorite movies. Steve Carver (Big Bad Mama, Lone Wolf McQuade), acclaimed filmmaker and photographic artist extraordinaire has given us all, not only great cinema, but now his first book, Western Portraits: The Unsung Heroes & Villains of the Silver Screen (Edition Olms, 2019). Rendered in evocative tones reminiscent of Edward Sheriff Curtis's immortal images, the stylized photographs in Western Portraits capture the allure and mystique of the Old West, complete with authentic costuming, weaponry and settings. Among the subjects who posed for the book are the popular actors Karl Malden, David Carradine, R. G. Armstrong, Stefanie Powers, L. Q. Jones, Denver Pyle and 77 others.
From the epic feature film to the TV series and serial, this coffee table book puts the story of character actors and the significance of their memorable roles into an entertaining perspective. Appealing at once to lovers of classic cinema, Western history aficionados, writers, scholars and collectors of nostalgia and fine art photography, Western Portraits of Great Character Actors: The Unsung Heroes & Villains of the Silver Screen will awaken movie memories in people's hearts while introducing others to the amazing work of these acting artists, serving as a record of the best of the Hollywood Western.
With collaborators C. Courtney Joyner – a writer whose first major output was a string of more than 25 movie screenplays beginning with The Offspring starring Vincent Price, and Prison directed by Renny Harlin. His novels include the new fantasy-adventure Nemo Rising and the Shotgun Western series, which have both been optioned for television – and Roger Corman – Legendary film director-producer – who contributed the foreword for Western Portraits alongside Joyner's crafted series of insightful essays to accompany the photographs.
He learnt the art of story-boarding from the great Alfred Hitchcock, he learnt to make pasta with Sergio Leone, and has directed the man we remember as the American Ninja. Steve is so full of stories I hope his next book is definitely an autobiography, but in the meantime we have this glorious work to sit and marvel at. Some of the greatest character actors of all time (that have also been my guests, in the persons of Tim Thomerson and Fred Williamson) take center stage in a book the is the ultimate amalgamation of fine art and Hollywood yesteryear.
https://podcastingthemsoftly.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/steve-carver.mp3
Brooklyn native Steve Carver studied photography at the University of Buffalo and Washington University in St. Louis. He pursued a formal education in film-making at the American Film Institute's Center for Advanced Film Studies, also participating in the Directors Guild of America's apprenticeship program. Prolific motion picture producer Roger Corman hired Carver to direct four movies, including Big Bad Mama. Carver also directed American action star Chuck Norris in An Eye for an Eye and Lone Wolf McQuade.
a fistful of dollarsAlfred Hitchcockamerican ninjaAnthony HopkinsAntonio Banderasarnold Schwarzeneggerc courtney joynerCannon FilmsCatherine-Zeta JonesCharles BronsonChuck NorriscinemaCliffhangerClint Eastwooddavid carradinedonald PleasenceDusk til DawnfilmFrancis Ford CoppolaFred WilliamsonGeorge ClooneyHalloweenHarvey KeitelJohn CarpenterJohn LithgowJohn McTiernanJuliette Lewislone wolf mcquadeLQ JonesMichael RookermovieMoviespredatorQuentin TarantinoRenny HarlinRG Armstrongriver of deathRobert De NiroRobert RodriguezRoger CormanSergio Leonesteve carverSylvester Stallonetim thomersonuma thurmanwalter hilWesternZorro
Martin Scorsese's I Heard You Paint Houses aka The Irishman
Remember when VHS was a thing and epic films like Titanic, Lord Of The Rings and Doctor Zhivago took up two tapes, twice the shelf space and therefore further branded their larger than life perch in cinema by doing so? Well, Martin Scorsese's I heard You Paint Houses aka The Irishman would have likely taken up three tapes and thrice the shelf space, and will surely go on to leave a similar mark as aforementioned films. We will of course never see a VHS let alone a DVD as it's a Netflix original film but none of that diminishes the monolithic power of this brilliant, vast and mesmerizing piece of work. It's not just a mob epic, historical treatise, characters study or interpersonal drama, although it is all those things in top form. Scorsese is 77 years old, his actors in similar range. They are all on the far side of the hill in terms of their careers and with that comes a certain rumination on everything, a parting of the clouds, quietening of thought and deep introspection on one's own life, and what it all means at the end. It's a powerful yet fiercely inward look at a man throughout most of his life and then, seemingly snuck up on him as I imagine it does to us all, nearing its end.
Robert DeNiro is stoic, guarded Frank Sheeran, a man who learned loyalty and brutality in the military and has brought it home with him to implement in a fearsome career as a mafia hitman, union boss and confidante to Al Pacino's gregarious Jimmy Hoffa, a man synonymous with American history. Joe Pesci is Russell Bufalino, the entrepreneurial crime boss who takes Frank under his wing and eventually forges a lifelong yet often stormy friendship with him that is eventually upended by Hoffa. The tapestry of American lore and incident flows fluidly with Scorsese's talent for music, montage, beautiful sound design and always reliable editing from the great Thelma Schoonmaker. De Niro plays Frank as a guy whose loyalty goes seemingly beyond his own understanding sometimes and when he reaches that final bend in the road and observes the choices behind him and what little light he has before him, is somehow bewildered how it all went down, like he was on autopilot or didn't see the big hits coming. Pacino is a fucking tornado of scene stealing gusto as Hoffa, the only actor here to really let it rip and shoot for the moon. Pesci disarms is by being quiet, calm, observant and showing none of the piss n' vinegar, coked up squirrel mannerisms he is infamous for, it's a brilliantly counterintuitive piece of work and it was so worth the wait for him to come out of retirement. Harvey Keitel is superb in a cameo as crime boss Angelo Bruno and the supporting cast is densely seasoned with excellent performances from Bobby Cannavale, Stephen Graham, Stephanie Kurtzuba, Ray Romano, Jesse Plemons, Jack Huston, Katherine Narducci, Dominick Lombardozzi, Paul Herman, Paul Ben Victor and more. Anna Paquin gives a brief but devastating turn as Frank's daughter Peggy, his anchor point and one of the key ways we see his actions affect his environment over time.
I won't pretend to be a Scorsese completist as I've still not seen some of his best regarded films and tend to gravitate towards the ones that hardcore fans place lower in his canon, but this has to be one of the finest by anyone's count. It feels like a goodbye, even if all involved go on to make some work here and there before the end, this is the last 'getting the gang back together' picture for them, and they make the most out of it. DeNiro's Frank candidly and occasionally wistfully recalls the story from a humdrum retirement home common room, speaking pretty much directly to the audience. Scorsese too, although always unseen behind the camera, speaks out to his audience and gifts us this beautifully crafted package with all the tricks, talent, passion and devotion to filmmaking he has in store. This can almost be seen as a companion piece of sorts to Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time In Hollywood; both are late career magnum opuses heavily stocked with a rogues gallery of their friends and cinematic family, both are sprawling epics that take place in our world but speculate heavily and rearrange history to bring a vivid, enthralling and important story to life. Whether or not you believe that what went down here with Hoffa, Sheeran et al is true or not is irrelevant to this film. It's a story set in an America of yore and one that isn't necessarily always about the apparent events on display, but what they will lead to and how they will be looked back upon by these characters decades later. A masterpiece.
Al PacinoAnna PaquinBobby CannavalecinemaCrimefilmfilm reviewfilm reviewsfilmsHarvey KeitelI Heard You Paint HousesJoe PesciMartin Scorsesemoviemovie reviewmovie reviewsMoviesRay RomanoRobert De Nirostephen grahamthe Irishman
Film Review, Podcast
Actor's Spotlight with Stephanie Kurtzuba
December 2, 2019 Frank Mengarelli	Leave a comment
https://podcastingthemsoftly.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/stef-kurtzuba.mp3
We are completely honored to bring you our chat with actress Stephanie Kurtzuba. Stef recently stars alongside Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci and Harvey Keitel in Martin Scorsese's THE IRISHMAN which is currently streaming on Netflix. Her other credits include THE WOLF OF WALL STREET, ANNIE, and the upcomig film BAD EDUCATION with Hugh Jackman. Her television credits include CHICAGO PD, BLUE BLOODS, THE LEFTOVERS, and THE GOOD WIFE. Stef speaks about her early beginnings in Nebraska to attending NYU, working on stage, and meeting Martin Scorsese and working on one of the best films of the new century, THE IRISHMAN.
Al PacinoHarvey KeitelI Heard You Paint HousesMartin ScorseseNetflixRay RomanoRobert De NiroStephanie Kurtzubathe Irishman
Martin Scorsese's THE IRISHMAN
November 9, 2019 Frank Mengarelli	Leave a comment
Martin Scorsese closes a decade, much like he opened the 70s; crafting and birthing a deeply personal film that instantly stands to be marveled at, and is cause for celebration. The names Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, and Harvey Keitel are all what legends are made of and once they are gone, they are instantly irreplaceable and each of them will become an idol of a time in human history where movies became cinema, and each one of them will become an iconic footnote of the lasting impression of art.
There is so much to take away from this picture. Yes, it is a cumulative capstone of a generation of artists who have become the living embodiment of cinema, while also revolutionizing computer generated de-aging to a point where it is not a gimmick, it becomes reality. It pushes past the boundaries of tentpole fatigue and allows these four actors to move fluidly throughout four decades, all the while teaching the viewer about the passage of time where the final destination is death.
The entire film is underplayed and painstakingly low key. Thelma Schoonmaker's editing glides at a steady pace, the performances are all somber as they are sublime, with the exception of Al Pacino who gives a magnetically hammy turn as James R. Hoffa. Robert De Niro's transformative performance marks a new high as what it is to be stoic, and Joe Pesci gives such an anti-Pesci performance, he will linger with the audience long after the credits roll.
And then there is Harvey Keitel. It has been thirty-one years since Scorsese worked directly with Keitel and fifty-two years since the two first worked together on WHO'S THAT KNOCKING AT MY DOOR. Scorsese bestows the David Bowie in THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST or Paul Sorvino in GOODFELLAS role to Keitel; the extended cameo that is so powerfully singularly due to casting, his presence hangs throughout the duration of the picture. It is an overly emotional re-teaming of the two strange bedfellows – the former Marine and devout Jew coupled with the anxious and hyper-obsessive artist whose Catholic guilt is worked out over the course of over fifty fruitful years of being the father of modern-day cinema. It is an absolute joy to bear witness as these two cinematic icons work together again in what will forever be Scorsese's most seminal and grandiose work.
Inside the film, Scorsese sticks with the original title of I HEARD YOU PAINT HOUSES. And within it, he made his most self-aware picture that subtly references his career through music, atmosphere, location, and casting. He pulls in a cast representative of the many eras of his canon. His HBO era cast of Bobby Cannavale, Ray Romano, Stephen Graham, Jack Huston, and Dominick Lombardozzi to his gangster-era casting of Paul Herman and Welker White to the new guard of Stephanie Kurtzuba, Bo Dietl and J.C. MacKenzie all play a prominent role of merging Scorsese's entire career into one three and a half-hour film.
There is a moment in the film where De Niro is gifted a ring by Pesci, where the ring in question is only worn by three people: Keitel, Pesci, and now De Niro; signifying Scorsese's three boys, and the ones who are most representative of cinema's most important auteur and solidifying their status as cinematic titans.
Netflix has truly outdone themselves with putting all their support and money behind Scorsese and letting him do whatever he wants. There isn't another entity in existence that would have let Scorsese do what he did with this picture, and their protection of not allowing a massive theatrical run is absolutely just.
I HEARD YOU PAINT HOUSES, is Scorsese's most import and cathartic work; and shows the audience about the embracement of death in a way that has never quite been conveyed on film. This is not a gangster film populated with slow-motion kill shots cued up to the Rolling Stones or Eric Clapton; it is a deeply personal picture that is a goodbye from Scorsese, De Niro, Pacino, Pesci, and Keitel.
Al PacinoHarvey KeitelMartin ScorseseNetflixRobert De Nirothe Irishman
"But the ice is slippery": Remembering THE SHADOW with Russell Mulcahy by Kent Hill
October 27, 2019 Kent Hill	Leave a comment
https://podcastingthemsoftly.files.wordpress.com/2019/10/russell-shadow.mp3
What evil lurks in the hearts of men? . . . . The Shadow knows…!
Let's go back to the heady days of Simon Wincer's The Phantom, of Beatty's Dick Tracy, Johnston's Rocketeer, and my distinguished, returning guest's The Shadow!
Russell Mulcahy's period stabilization, tour de force of film-making sees its time-honored source material come alive on the big screen…just as it exists on the panels on which it was born. Mulcahy's Shadow predates the meticulous period recreations and universe building of the modern era with its use of substance, flair, atmosphere and gorgeous little winks to the audience – or as it is more commonly known – fan service…
What makes a comic book film truly saw, is the fact that they shepherded by master visualists, such as my honored guest. Russell's fluid use of camera, lighting and mood-enhancing trip the light fantastic; working like the perfect partner in a duet with a phenomenal cast lead by Alec 'in all his glory' Baldwin, the breathlessly breathtaking Penelope Ann Miller and the most delightfully awesome assortment of some the finest character-actors ever to grace the silver screen such as, James Hong, Sir Ian McKellen and the sweetest transvestite of them all…the grand Tim Curry…
The sun is shining and the days are getting sweatier (here in the great southern land, at least), but we pause and are luxuriously seduced away on the musical carpet of Jerry Goldsmith, into a fantasy panel on a comic page crafted out of artistry and light. What evil lurks in the heart of men, come find out with your mate, my mate, our mate and legendary director Russell Mulcahy….
actionAlec BaldwinApocalypse Nowbernardo bertolucciBohemian RhapsodyChristopher LambertcinemaClancy Browncomic bookDenzel Washingtonelton johnfilmFrancis Ford Coppolafreddie mercuryHarvey KeitelHighlanderJames BondJohn LithgowJohn LoneLaurence FishburneMartin SheenMoviesozploitationpeter o'tooleQueenRazorbackresident evil: extinctionricochetrocketmanrussell mulcahySean Connerythe last emperorTim Curryvittorio storaro
Robert Rodriguez's and Quentin Tarantino's From Dusk Till Dawn
July 12, 2019 natewatchescoolmovies	Leave a comment
Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez are good buddies and have always sort of played on each other's side of the fence in terms of creativity, collaborating here and there over the years on cool stuff, but my favourite tandem venture they ever did has to be From Dusk Till Dawn, a crime horror action schlock hybrid that has aged beautifully over the years, doesn't fuck around in terms of packing a punch in all of the specific genres it works in and is a glowing testament to the powers of practical/prosthetic effects over CGI.
The first half of this thing is a classic Tarantino slow burn: George Clooney and Quentin himself are the Gecko brothers, a pair of murderous bank robbers in swanky suits, on the run from southern law following a bank robbery bloodbath (never actually seen a lá Reservoir Dogs) and causing violent trouble all over the rest of the state. After narrowly escaping Michael Parks's immortal Texas Ranger Earl McGraw, they kidnap a retired preacher (Harvey Keitel) and his two kids (Juliette Lewis and Ernest Liu) and make a beeline for the Mexican border and the sanctuary of an impossibly rowdy strip joint and trucker bar called… wait for it… The Titty Twister.
Once at the bar Rodriguez takes over the reins and in a split second we segue into horror most gory as our unconventional protagonists realize that this bar is actually a nest of Mexican vampires, and they're ready to spring the trap. This includes an unbearably sexy dance from Salma Hayek's vamp queen Santanico Pandemonium, a biker named Sex Machine (Tom Savini) with guns where his guns are, a literal army of hairy undead beasts, a giant rat, a human spinal column used as a saxophone, crossbows, more gallons of blood and various gore than I've ever seen amassed for one film and just too much else to mention.
For most folks, the first half of this film is the pay-dirt; Tarantino's laconic, dangerous approach to the Gecko brothers's rampage is no doubt one of the coolest things he's written, particularly the sequence with Michael Parks and any dialogue between Keitel and Clooney, who gives probably the most fun and uninhibited performance of his career. Tarantino chomps at the bit and is downright terrifying as the worst kind of unstable psychopath, it's the best acting work he's ever done. I myself prefer the latter half with all the horror though.. the sheer amount of gooey lunacy, latex drenched creativity in design is something you don't see anymore, unless it's a deliberate throwback. The bar is populated by what seems like hundreds of varied and equally disgusting bloodsuckers until after a while and dozens of kills you get the sense that every character needs a good shower. Keitel brings a grizzled nobility to the priest, while Lewis tones down her usual bubbly mania for something decidedly more down to earth. Danny Trejo plays a grumpy vamp bartender, blaxploitation icon Fred Williamson shows up as a badass Nam vet and watch for cameos from John Hawkes, Greg Nicorato, Kelly Preston and 70's icon John Saxon. Cheech Marin also shows up of course, in three obviously different roles because why the fuck not and has a monologue that would burn the ears off of any conservative viewer. Some will say this film is too much, and hey I'm not one to argue with them, but for me if it's too much of anything, it's a good thing. The horror is old school schlock-schploitation and the hard boiled crime yarn that comes before is equally stylistic and fun. It's Quentin and Robert attuned to different wavelengths but somehow on the same frequency, and the result is a bloody, chaotic horror crime western classic.
cheech marincinemacreepydanny trejoErnest Liufilmfilm reviewfilm reviewsfilmsFred Williamsonfrom dusk till dawnGeorge ClooneygoregoryGreg NicoteroHarvey Keitelhorrorjohn saxonJuliette LewisKelly PrestonMichael Parksmoviemovie reviewmovie reviewsMoviesQuentin TarantinoRobert RodriguezscaryTom Savinivampire
Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction
April 30, 2019 natewatchescoolmovies	Leave a comment
You ever been to one of those house parties that turns out so well, is so full of awesome, entertaining people and so much fun that you kind of wish it wouldn't end? Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction is like that, for nearly three hours you wish would extend into three more. It's one of those urban mosaic stories that chucks slices of life into a pan, fries them up and hurls the resulting delicious recipe right at your face. I've read a lot about how this revolutionized narrative structure in Hollywood or changed the way characters are written and that may be the case for the crime genre, but the mosaic motif was present in many areas before QT, namely in the films of Robert Altman, a filmmaker I've never seen compared to our Quentin before but the parallels are there. In any case everyone knows, loves and agrees that Pulp Fiction is a fucking badass flick, an enduring barnstormer of outlaw cinema that is every bit as potent, catchy and kinetic as it was when it blew the pants and panties off of Cannes in '94.
Tarantino gave us an appetizer with Reservoir Dogs, and with Pulp he produced a ten course meal that's more polished, structured and assured than we had seen before. His mosaic concerns the lives of several LA individuals all directly or indirectly related to the criminal underworld. Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta are two hitmen who dressed like Men In Black before Men In Black was a thing, out to retrieve the ever mysterious briefcase for their omnipotent gangster overlord (Ving Rhames), whose sultry wife (Uma Thurman) Travolta is to entertain while the big man is out of town. Elsewhere a disloyal prizefighter (Bruce Willis) and his bubbly girlfriend (Maria De Medeiros) hide out from Rhames's wrath too until Willis goes from the frying pan into one terrifying fire. Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer are two liquor store bandits who branch off into the diner scene and royally fuck up everyone's day in the process. Christopher Walken gives arguably his greatest and definitely his most bizarre monologue in a scene out of place and time from the rest of the film but somehow right where it needs to be in the narrative. Harvey Keitel suaves it up as LA's resident 007. Others make vivid impressions in the mosaic including Eric Stoltz, Rosanna Arquette, Steve Buscemi, Paul Calderon, Frank Whaley, Angela Jones, Duane Whitaker, Stephen Hibbert, Tarantino himself, Julia Sweeney and perennial bad guy Peter Greene.
By now the story is secondary to those iconic moments we all know and love. Zed's dead. Samuel's terrifying bible session. A wristwatch up Walken's ass. Pride only hurts, it never helps. That needle to the heart. The dance competition. The Gimp. The exploding head. These are all now hallmarks of one of the greatest stories ever put to film. What makes it so great? Tarantino has the time for his characters, and wants to converse with them. The dialogue isn't just about plot or characters intimidating each other. It's about life, music, personal taste, culture and cheeseburgers. These are people who remind us of many others we know, and the relatability is what has turned this into a platinum classic. That and other factors, including a killer soundtrack, brilliant performances round the board and editing that brings LA out of the gloss, down to earth and just as dirty. It may not be my ultimate fave Tarantino film, but it is definitely his flagship outing so far, in its epic scope. We'll see if this year's Once Upon A Time In Hollywood perhaps dethrones it as his magnum opus, who knows. Either way it's a masterpiece and will remain so for all time.
Amanda PlummerAngela Jonesbruce willisChristopher WalkencinemaCrimedramaDuane WhitakerEric Stoltzfilmfilm reviewfilm reviewsfilmsFrank WhaleyHarvey KeitelJohn TravoltaMaria De Medeirosmoviemovie reviewmovie reviewsMoviesPaul Calderonpeter greenePulp FictionQuentin TarantinoRosanna ArquetteSamuel L. Jacksonsteve buscemiThrillertim rothuma thurmanVing Rhames


HOME TOP NEWS Iran warns of response if security threatened after ship attack
Iran warns of response if security threatened after ship attack
Iran will respond promptly to any threat against its security, the foreign ministry said on
Monday, after the United States, Israel and Britain blamed Tehran for an attack on an Israeli-managed tanker off the coast of Oman.
Tehran has denied any involvement in the suspected drone attack on Thursday in which two crew members – a Briton and a Romanian – were killed.
The United States and Britain said on Sunday they would work with their allies to respond to the attack on the Mercer Street, a Liberian-flagged, Japanese-owned petroleum product tanker managed by Israeli-owned Zodiac Maritime.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson described the incident as "clearly an unacceptable and outrageous attack on commercial shipping".
"Iran should face up to the consequences of what they've done," Johnson told reporters on Monday.
Britain summoned the Iranian ambassador on Monday. Later, Iran summoned the British Charge d'Affaires and Romania's top envoy in Tehran over their countries' "accusations against the Islamic Republic", Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported.
"Iran has no hesitation in protecting its security and national interests and will respond promptly and strongly to any possible adventure," Iranian state television quoted foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh as saying.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett had accused Tehran of "trying to shirk responsibility" for the attack, and called its denial "cowardly". Israel's foreign minister said on Sunday the incident deserved a harsh response.
ISRAEL WILL 'SETTLE THE SCORE'
Israel Defence Minister Benny Gantz said the attack was an intensification of what he called Iran's escalation and accused Tehran of intending to hurt and kill civilians.
"Israel has a variety of tools and options to defend its citizens, and we will settle the score with anyone who tries to harm us at the time and place and in the way that suits us and our security," Gantz told the Israeli parliament.
An unidentified Iranian official told Iran's Nournews news agency earlier that Tehran considered "the threats of Western officials and the Zionist regime (Israel) to be more of a propaganda gesture".
"And Washington and London will be directly responsible for the consequences," the official told Nournews, which is close to Iran's Supreme National Security Council.
In Washington, Secretary of State Antony Blinken predicted a "collective response" and said he did not think the incident necessarily signaled anything about Iran's incoming President Ebrahim Raisi, who takes office on Thursday.
Iran and Israel have exchanged accusations of carrying out attacks on each other's vessels in recent months.
Tensions have increased between Iran and Israel since 2018, when then US President Donald Trump ditched Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with six world powers and reimposed sanctions that have crippled Iran's economy.
Israel has voiced concerns about efforts by Iran and US President Joe Biden's administration to revive the nuclear pact, under which Iran curbed its sensitive nuclear work in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. "In any agreement, should there be one, with Iran, it must also be based on the removal of its threat on the region," said Gantz.


The works of lord Byron, Volume 2
By George Gordon N. Byron (6th baron.)
That they had wrought their doom of ill;
Yet Azo's age was wretched still.
The tainted branches of the tree,
If lopp'd with care, a strength may give,
By which the rest shall bloom and live All greenly fresh and wildly free: But if the lightning, in its wrath, The waving boughs with fury scathe, The massy trunk the ruin feels, And never more a leaf reveals.
Note 1, page 305, line 14. As twilight melts beneath the moon away. The lines contained in Section 1. were printed as set to music some time since; but belonged to the poem where they now appear, the greater part of which was composed prior to " Lara," and other compositions since published.
Note 2, page 314, line 20.
That should have won as haught a crest. Haught-haughty-" Away, haught man, thou art insult. ing me."
Shakspeare, Richard II.
Her life began and closed in woe. * This turned out a calamitous year for the people of Ferrara, for there occurred a very tragical event in the court of their sovereign. Our annals, both printed and in manuscript, with the exception of the unpolished and negligent work of Sardi, and one other, have given the following relation of it, from which, however, are rejected many details, and especially the narrative of Bandelli, who wrote a century afterwards, and who does not accord with the contemporary historians.
" By the abovementioned Stella dell'Assassino, the Mar. quis, in the year 1405, had a son called Ugo, a beautiful and ingenuous youth. Parisina Malatesta, second wife of Niccolo, like the generality of step-mothers, treated him with little kindness, to the infinite regret of the Marquis, who regarded him with fond partiality. One day she asked leave of her husband to undertake a certain journey, to which he consented, but upon condition that Ugo should bear her company; for he hoped by these means to induce her, in the end, to lay aside the obstinate aversion which she had conceived against him. And indeed his intent was accomplished but too well, since, during the journey, she not only divested herself of all her hatred, but fell into the opposite extreme. After their return, the Marquis had no longer any occasion to renew his former reproofs. It happened one day that a servant of the Marquis, named Zoese, or, as some call him, Giorgio, passing before the apartments of Parisina, saw going out from them one of her chamber-maids, all terrified and in tears. Asking the reason, she told him that her mistress, for some slight offence, had been beating her; and, giving vent to her rage, she added, that she could easily be revenged, if she chose to make known the criminal familiarity which subsisted between Parisina and her step-son. The servant took note of the words, and related them to his master. He was astounded thereat, but, scarcely believing his ears, he assured himself of the fact, alas! too clearly, on the 18th of May, by looking through a hole made in the ceiling of his wife's chamber. Instantly he broke into a furious rage, and arrested both of them, together with Aldobrandino Rangoni, of Modena, her gentleman, and also, as some say, two of the women of her chamber, as abettors of this sinful act. He ordered them to be brought to a hasty trial, desiring the judges to pronounce sentence, in the accustomed forms, upon the culprits. This sentence was death. Some there were that bestirred themselves in favour of the delinquents, and, amongstothers, Ugoccion Coutrario, who was all powerful with Niccolo, and also his aged and much deserving minister Alberto dal Sale. Both of these, their tears flowing down their cheeks, and upon their knees, implored him for mercy: adducing whatever reasons they could suggest for sparing the offenders, besides those motives of honour and decency which might persuade him to conceal from the public so scandalous a deed. But his rage made him inflexible, and, on the instant, he commanded that the sentence should be put in execution.
" It was, then, in the prisons of the castle, and exactly in those frightful dungeons which are seen at this day beneath the chamber called the Aurora, at the foot of the Lion's tower, at the top of the street Giovecca, that on the night of the twenty-first of May were beheaded, first, Ugo, and afterwards Parisina. Zoese, he that accused her, conducted the latter under his arm to the place of punishment. She, all along, fancied that she was to be thrown into a pit, and asked at every step, whether she was yet come to the spot? She was told that her punishment was the axe. She inquired what was become of Ugo, and received for answer, that he was already dead; at the which, sighing grievously, she exclaimed, Now, then, I wish not myself to live;' and, being come to the block, she stripped herself with her own hands of all her ornaments, and wrapping a cloth round her head, submitted to the fatal stroke, which terminated the cruel scene. The same was done with Rangoni, who, together with the others, according to two calendars in the library of St. Francesco, was buried in the cemetery of that convent. Nothing else is known respecting the women.
" The Marquis kept watch the whole of that dreadful night, and, as he was walking backwards and forwards, inquired of the captain of the castle if Ugo was dead yet? who answered him, Yes. He then gave himself up to the most desperate lamentations, exclaiming, "Oh! that I too were dead, since I have been hurried on to resolve thus against my own Ugo! And then gnawing with his teeth a cane which he had in his hand, he passed the rest of the night in sighs and in tears, calling frequently upon his own dear Ugo. On the following day, calling to mind that it would be necessary to make public his justification, seeing that the transaction could not be kept secret, he ordered the narrative to be drawn out upon paper, and sent it to all the courts of Italy.
"On receiving this advice, the Doge of Venice, Francesco Foscari, gave orders, but without publishing his reasons, that stop should be put to the preparations for a tournament, which, under the auspices of the Marquis, and at the expense of the city of Padua, was about to take place, in the square of St. Mark, in order to celebrate his advancement to the ducal chair.
"The Marquis, in addition to what he had already done, from some unaccountable burst of vengeance, commanded


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Church Services Class
A class on Orthodox Church Services was offered in Fall 2008. Below are some of the course materials that were used in class. All outlines were created by Subdeacon Anthony Stokes and are meant to be used along side the class instruction, but please feel free to use them. The power point presentation was originally designed for a lecture given to non-Orthodox music students at the University of North Texas. For more information or if you have any questions on the materials, please contact Subdeacon Anthony.
Recordings Played in Class
The Cycle of the Eight Tones (power point presentation)
Service Outlines
Divine Liturgy
Other Daily Services
Sacraments & Other Services
Lenten Vespers
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The Mission of The Orthodox Church in America, the local autocephalous Orthodox Christian Church, is to be faithful in fulfilling the commandment of Christ to "Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…"
St. Maximus the Confessor Orthodox Church is part of the Diocese of the South, which is presided over by The Right Reverend Alexander, Bishop of Dallas, the South and the Bulgarian Diocese. Our mission is bringing the joy of Christ's resurrection to those who have never heard the Good News, and to strengthen and encourage the faithful who reside within Denton and the local area.
The Holy Scripture is a collection of books written over multiple centuries by those inspired by God to do so. It is the primary witness to the Orthodox Christian faith, within Holy Tradition and often described as its highest point. It was written by the prophets and apostles in human language, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and collected, edited, and canonized by the Church.
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Holiness or sainthood is a gift (charisma) given by God to man, through the Holy Spirit. Man's effort to become a participant in the life of divine holiness is indispensable, but sanctification itself is the work of the Holy Trinity, especially through the sanctifying power of Jesus Christ, who was incarnate, suffered crucifixion, and rose from the dead, in order to lead us to the life of holiness, through the communion with the Holy Spirit.
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