tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104684962024-03-12T21:09:00.617-05:00The Buzz @ Red Dream StudiosRandom thoughts and marketing/website/graphic design mumbo jumbo will be found here.
Maybe a book deal is on the way...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583965377647675585noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10468496.post-69044888136539119972012-09-11T08:57:00.000-05:002012-09-11T10:49:25.932-05:00Where were you on 9/11?<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are many defining moments in every generation. Historical or personal events that are either distinct, or dramatic enough to be etched into our consciousness. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For those who grew up in the 60's, everyone will tell you where they were when President Kennedy was shot. Or where they were when Neil Armstrong was landing on the Moon.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The 80's were probably defined by the fall of the Berlin Wall (or maybe when you saw E.T. for the first time).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
But, as a 37 year old, my generation will, or already is defined by the tragic day of 9/11. The most brutal act of terrorism on U.S. soil since the attacks on Pearl Harbor single-handedly changed the policies and attitudes of everyone who cherishes democracy.<br />
<br />
I distinctly remember exactly where I was an what I was doing on what started out as a beautiful September morning. I was preparing to leave on a flight. At the time, I was working for Matrox, and was preparing to leave for the largest video production tradeshow in Europe, IBC. Some of my colleagues were already on site, preparing the booth, but on 9/11, it was my turn to fly in.<br />
<br />
My wife, who at the time was working at Montreal's MIX96 radio station, called me with panic in her voice, urging me to put on the TV. Something terrible had happened. As I tuned to CNN, I saw smoke billowing and flames shooting out of the first tower to be hit. Not yet knowing at the time what had happened, and with my suitcases still packed, ready to leave for Amsterdam, I sat stunned staring at the TV.<br />
<br />
And then the second plane hit.<br />
<br />
It then became clear what was happening.<br />
<br />
I then quickly called Matrox to let them know that it was obvious, I wouldn't be taking a plane that day. My colleagues and friends who had just landed in Amsterdam the night before, and I, who was about to take off, narrowly averted getting mixed up in this nightmare.<br />
<br />
At the time, I was also living in the Bois Franc area of St-Laurent, where planes routinely and frequently flew overhead, pretty low to the ground. I distinctly remember the eerie quiet in the skies up above, as all air traffic suddenly ground to a halt by late morning.<br />
<br />
So it is on this day, that I always remember those who's lives were affected by the events of 9/11, and sincerely hope that my children's generation won't be defined by the gruesome realities of our past.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583965377647675585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10468496.post-32810116409817474862010-12-22T14:30:00.002-05:002010-12-22T14:35:58.979-05:00Happy Holidays from Red Dream Studios<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2x26_b1wKHo/TRJSFM4Nx8I/AAAAAAAAAHw/wHLfmvqP4yc/s1600/Greeting-Card-2011.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 277px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2x26_b1wKHo/TRJSFM4Nx8I/AAAAAAAAAHw/wHLfmvqP4yc/s400/Greeting-Card-2011.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553591539811076034" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583965377647675585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10468496.post-81743075681232720362010-03-25T14:52:00.004-05:002010-03-25T15:08:19.661-05:00Montreal's CJAD features Tassi and Red Dream StudiosOn February 25th, 2010, the Founder and Executive Creative Director of Red Dream Studios, Neal Evan Caminsky, was interviewed by Dr. Laurie Betito of Montreal's talk-radio station, CJAD 800 AM to discuss his involvement with the teen support forum he co-founded, <a href="http://www.tassi.ca/">tassi.ca</a>. <div><br /></div><div>tassi.ca is an online community where teens can share advice, suggestions, support, and information on a variety of topics that are of concern to teenagers. Users of the forum are encouraged to help other teens, share their opinions, ask questions and discuss anything teen-related. tassi is a non-profit initiative created by Agence Ometz, an integrated social service agency located in Montreal, Canada, whose mission is to support and strengthen individuals and families in times of vulnerability, and by Red Dream Studios, a digital marketing company located in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Canada.</div><div><br /></div><div>Tassi currently has a teen registration database of well over 100 Montreal-area teens, and over a dozen screened and applicant volunteer moderators providing guidance and support.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dr. Laurie Betito's hourlong call-in show, called "Passions" regularly discusses sexuality and relationship issues while occasionally featuring a "teen hour." Along with Neal Caminsky on the air was Tassi Co-Founder Linda Mestel of Agence Ometz, and Jaclyn Mestel, one of the website's chief administrators. To hear a condensed version of the show, <a href="http://www.tassi.ca/passion_feb25.mp3">click here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2x26_b1wKHo/S6vBfOWJU-I/AAAAAAAAAHg/jcusboKk8aE/s320/CJAD.jpg" style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452664516033205218" /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Tassi Co-Founder Linda Mestel, Administrator Jaclyn Mestel, and<br />Co-Founder Neal Evan Caminsky in the broadcast booth of CJAD 800 AM.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583965377647675585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10468496.post-80566048698524156172009-12-02T14:02:00.004-05:002009-12-02T16:17:51.254-05:00Tassi Helps Teens Connect and Cope<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(Reprinted from Edition 50 of Tikun Olam, November 2009)</span></i><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 4px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 4px; "><p><span class="style1" style="color: rgb(92, 164, 236); font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://www.tassi.ca/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(83, 152, 232); text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">ta</span><span class="style2" style="color: rgb(237, 151, 40); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">s</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">si.ca</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> is an online community where teens can share advice, suggestions, support, and information on a variety of topics that are of concern to teenagers. It has been established by Agence Ometz as an on-line safe haven, where teens log on to express themselves and discuss issues they often find difficult to address. These include sexuality and dating, bullying, problems with parents, body image, depression, as well as Jewish life, and practical matters such as help with homework and career planning.</span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Users of the forum help one another, share opinions, ask questions and discuss anything teen related. It is a place where they are made to feel comfortable and where trust is encouraged.</span></p><p><span class="style1" style="color: rgb(92, 164, 236); font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://www.tassi.ca/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(83, 152, 232); text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">ta</span><span style="color:#5398e8;"><span class="style2" style="color: rgb(237, 151, 40); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">s</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">si.ca</span></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> is the brainchild of </span><a href="http://ca.linkedin.com/in/nealcaminsky"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Neal Caminsky</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">, who, upon completing the West Island Leadership Development program offered by FEDERATION CJA, was looking to pursue a project that would help young members of the community. He lent the expertise of his </span><a href="http://www.reddreamstudios.com"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Red Dream Studios</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">, a website design, graphic design, and multimedia production company located in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, to get the project up and on the web. The Volunteer Services Department of Agence Ometz provides training and supervision for a group of young adults, between the ages of 19 and 23, who act as volunteer peer moderators on the site. Ometz professional staff offer additional support, stepping in to back-up the moderators or handle diffucult situations. They can also assess when kids are in genuine distress and refer them to professional resources.</span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Kids are encouraged to log on and take advantage of </span><span class="style1" style="color: rgb(92, 164, 236); font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://www.tassi.ca/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(83, 152, 232); text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">ta</span><span class="style2" style="color: rgb(237, 151, 40); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">s</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">si.ca</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">, using it as a resource, a place to speak freely, and a chance to help one another out.</span></p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583965377647675585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10468496.post-54437426162525512592009-09-19T15:51:00.002-05:002009-09-19T16:00:50.374-05:00Things to Ask Before You Redo Your Website<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 3px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 3px; font-family:monospace, fixed;font-size:13px;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We here at </span></span><a href="http://www.reddreamstudios.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Red Dream Studios</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> are often charged to not only develop a website from the get-go, but also provide website makeovers. Makeovers are not merely cosmetic. They are efforts by which increased sales and marketing can be achieved. Some makeover can be as simple as updating the website's metatags (or adding some where they previously didn't exist), updating copy that has been stagnant for months or years, or as exhaustive as providing a completely new branding.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">On this topic, I thought I would repost a great set of questions provided by </span></span><a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Seth Godin</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">: </span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 3px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 3px; "><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I don't do any consulting, but that doesn't stop people from asking me questions. The most common question people ask me when they want a new website is, "If you were in charge of this, who are the 2 or 3 people you’d want to be sure to talk to – to help think through the issues, help us figure out who should do the work, etc.?"<br /><br />The second most common question people ask me, "In addition to Apple’s site, are there 2 or 3 that you think are really appealing and work well for their business?"<br /><br />I think these are perhaps the tenth and eleventh questions you should ask, not the first two. Here's my list of difficult and important questions you have to answer before you spend a nickel:<br /><ul><li>What is the goal of the site?</li><li>In other words, when it's working great, what specific outcomes will occur?</li><li>Who are we trying to please? If it's the boss, what does she want? Is impressing a certain kind of person important? Which kind?</li><li>How many people on your team have to be involved? At what level?</li><li>Who are we trying to reach? Is it everyone? Our customers? A certain kind of prospect?</li><li>What are the sites that this group has demonstrated they enjoy interacting with?</li><li>Are we trying to close sales?</li><li>Are we telling a story?</li><li>Are we earning permission to follow up?</li><li>Are we hoping that people will watch or learn?</li><li>Do we need people to spread the word using various social media tools?</li><li>Are we building a tribe of people who will use the site to connect with each other?</li><li>Do people find the site via word of mouth? Are they looking to answer a specific question?</li><li>Is there ongoing news and updates that need to be presented to people?</li><li>Is the site part of a larger suite of places online where people can find out about us, or is this our one sign post?</li><li>Is that information high in bandwidth or just little bits of data?</li><li>Do we want people to call us?</li><li>How many times a month would we like people to come by? For how long?</li><li>Who needs to update this site? How often?</li><li>How often can we afford to overhaul this site?</li><li>Does showing up in the search engines matter? If so, for what terms?</li><li>At what cost? Will we be willing to compromise any of the things above in order to achieve this goal?</li><li>Will the site need to be universally accessible? Do issues of disability or language or browser come into it?</li><li>How much money do we have to spend? How much time? And finally,</li><li>Does the organization understand that 'everything' is not an option?</li></ul></span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Need a digital makeover? Contact </span></span><a href="http://www.reddreamstudios.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Red Dream Studios</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583965377647675585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10468496.post-35257219346123381712009-05-22T09:18:00.000-05:002009-05-22T09:19:23.293-05:00Documenting the fight against Cancer<div>The McGill Head and Neck Cancer Fund holds an annual fundraiser benefit gala, this year to be held on May 27, 2009 at the Montreal Science Center in the Old Port. For it's 15th year, the Fund has decided to document the event on video, and show portions of the event on plasma screens throughout the Jewish General Hospital. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.reddreamstudios.com">Red Dream Studios</a> is proud to have been selected to provide its videography and post-production services. For more information, click <a href="http://www.mcgill.ca/ent/headandneckfund/2009fundraiser/">here</a>.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583965377647675585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10468496.post-44105630353108579692009-04-27T12:54:00.004-05:002009-04-27T13:00:10.712-05:00Photography for Cancer ResearchEvery first Friday in May, for the past twenty years, more than one hundred teams of five or more runners, representing various companies throughout the city, have gathered for a wild, fun-filled run through the streets of downtown Montreal, known as the Défi Corporatif Canderel.<br /><br />Participating companies donate $2,000.00 per team of five runners, which goes towards cancer research at the <a href="http://cancercentre.mcgill.ca/research/">Goodman Cancer Centre</a> at McGill University and <a href="http://www.icm.qc.ca/">l'Institut du cancer de Montréal</a> at l'Université de Montréal.<br /><br />Although cancer is cause for serious concern, the event itself is defined by one key word: Fun. Fun, as in starting and finishing the run on a wonderfully animated site featuring activities, food, drinks, music, and much more. Fun, as in seeing thousands of Montrealers line up the streets of downtown to cheer and encourage hundreds of noisy and colorful runners. Fun, as in a wildly optimistic overall feeling that everyone is actually running towards a cure for cancer.<br /><br />This year, <a href="http://www.reddreamstudios.com/">Red Dream Studios</a> is thrilled to have been selected as the official event photographer, donating its services to provide team photographs and retouching services of all participant companies. Stay tuned to this blog for some of the event highlights.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583965377647675585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10468496.post-58905141001199434942009-04-20T14:22:00.003-05:002009-04-20T14:33:02.651-05:00Tassi featured in The Montreal GazetteColumnist Susan Schwartz of <a href="http://www.montrealgazette.com/">The Montreal Gazette </a>interviewed Neal Caminsky of <a href="http://www.reddreamstudios.com/">Red Dream Studios </a>about his involvement in the online teenager social community he spearheaded as a volunteer with Agence Ometz. The interview appeared in the <a href="http://www.montrealgazette.com/Health/down+steak+knife+head+Vegan+bration/1513621/story.html">Applause section</a> of the Montreal Gazette, April 20, 2009. The article is reprinted here as a permalink:<br /><blockquote><p>There's a new place online for young people to ask advice of other young people, courtesy of a Montreal social- service agency and one of its volunteers.</p><p>Tassi.ca, an acronym for Teen Advice, Suggestion, Support and Information, is an initiative of Agence Ometz's volunteer department. It was developed by Neal Evan Caminsky, one of more than 300 volunteers who enhance the work of the agency's professional staff - social workers, psychologists, family-life educators, immigration counsellors and employment counsellors among them.</p><p>In his professional life, the 34-year-old West Island resident runs Red Dream Studios, a website design, graphic design and multimedia production company based in Dollard des Ormeaux. Ometz is providing space on its server for the program, but Caminsky developed the site, put the technology in place and designed the logo - all as a volunteer. "This is something I am passionate about," he said.</p><p>In his late teens, Caminsky, a Montreal native, was a volunteer with a U.S-based online teen advice organization run by a mother and son. Through the initiative, which no longer exists, the pair would forward emails that would come in, mainly from teens, to the volunteers to respond. "We would provide advice - an ear to listen," he recalled. As one of the older volunteers, he tended to address health-related questions - questions about such issues as birth control. "We even had questions from parents."</p><p>Caminsky had a fortuitous encounter with Linda Mestel, manager of the volunteer department at Ometz, when she addressed a leadership training program in which he participated. As he listened to her speak about volunteers, it dawned on him that a similar online teen advice project could work here. "In talking with Linda, I came up with the idea of an online bulletin board service: It gives you the ability to log on and post a question - publicly." People may sign in anonymously; their questions can be viewed by anyone who signs on. "The beauty is that if you post a question online, anyone can chime in and give their advice and opinion."</p><p>Tassi.ca, launched in March, is targeting students in Grades 5 through 9. "We are trying to offer them some kind of safety net, a bit of direction," Caminsky said. "The goal is to have as many teens helping each other as possible." Ometz is a Jewish agency, and outreach is being made mainly to Jewish day schools at this point. That said, tassi.ca is open to all young people. For now, the site's moderators are the ones answering the questions. They are six Ometz volunteers age 19 to 24: Ali Antolin, Cassie Crangle, Daniel Haboucha, Laura Horowitz, Bryan Mestel and Rilla Schneider. Some have already worked as mentors with teens; others are new to the volunteer department. All have had training on how to respond to questions.</p><p>Administrators overseeing the moderators include four Ometz staffers - Linda Mestel is one - and Caminsky. As the site develops, it is hoped that the teens themselves will be answering one another's queries, he said - and that professionals will chime in and post articles.Visit the site at <a href="http://www.tassi.ca/">www.tassi.ca</a>.</p></blockquote><br />- Courtesy Susan Schwartz, The Montreal Gazette.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583965377647675585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10468496.post-15320765694310899292009-04-19T10:06:00.004-05:002009-04-19T10:30:49.975-05:00A Gift to the Farha FoundationThis past February 2009, <a href="http://www.reddreamstudios.com/">Red Dream Studios</a> was honoured and thrilled to have been awarded Silver Sponsorship status after having donated video production services to the <a href="http://www.farha.qc.ca/">Farha Foundation</a>'s annual Maskarade fundraising gala, in which about $250,000 was raised for A.I.D.S research and awareness in the Montreal community.<br /><br />The event, organized and produced by <a href="http://www.atmosphere.to/">Atmosphere Communications and Events, Inc</a>, featured a 60-foot video projection screen upon which Red Dream Studios videotaped the stories of several individuals whom are H.I.V.+ (some that have been living with the disease for over 20 years) and assembled the footage into a compelling 3-minute montage, underscored by dramatic music. Throughout the video, we hear the stories of how living with HIV is often compared to living with a mask imposed by society. Some are comfortable living without masks, whereas others cannot bear to take them off.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2x26_b1wKHo/SetDTcGcOAI/AAAAAAAAAHY/m6X-1E8VY8w/s1600-h/Makarade+2009+009.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2x26_b1wKHo/SetDTcGcOAI/AAAAAAAAAHY/m6X-1E8VY8w/s320/Makarade+2009+009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326424985535526914" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />The video kicked off the evening's gala dinner and dancing, emceed by Mr. Justin Trudeau, MP for the Papineau riding in Montreal, shown in the photo alongside Red Dream Studios Founder and Creative Director Neal Evan Caminsky, and company Partner Jessica Binstock.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583965377647675585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10468496.post-26634607169078086262009-03-02T15:24:00.003-05:002009-03-02T15:33:45.509-05:00Tassi.ca Comes Online<div>Today marked the official launching of a new website <a href="http://www.tassi.ca/">www.tassi.ca</a>. Tassi, short for Teen Advice Suggestion, Support & Information, is a community-driven project developed by Red Dream Studios in collaboration with Jewish Family Services (now Agence Ometz). The website's sole function is to help teens find an ear to lean on. Questions of all topics can be asked, and generally, someone will be there to answer them, be it a moderator trained and coached by the Jewish Family Services, or ideally, other teens just like them. </div><div><br /></div><div>The creation of this website and the"selling" of it was a 9-month pre-production process. In my research on the topic of troubled teens, I came across some disturbing facts. The rest of this blog presents some of the information I put together as a proposal to the Jewish Family Services. I encourage you to read it, but more importantly, visit the site and promote it throughout your community. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Some pertinent facts:</span></div><div>Quebec men have the highest suicide rate in Canada.<br /><br />In a 1998-1999 study, Quebec had the highest suicide rate in Canada - 21.3 per 100,000 people.<br /><br />Montreal is considered the unhealthiest city in Canada, leading the country the highest mortality rates for men from cancer, stress, suicide and the cumulative incidence of AIDS.<br /><br />In 2006, the following was compiled by psychiatrists at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, which found links between "suicidality" and age, income levels and where a teen lives in Canada:<br /><ul><li>Male teens in B.C. had the highest attempted suicide rate, while those in Quebec reported the highest rate of depression. <br /></li><li>Nearly a quarter of the female teens from B.C. who took part in the study reported having had suicidal thoughts. <br /></li><li>Suicidality rates in Canada differ little from those in the U.S., despite the fact that universal health coverage north of the border gives Canadians better access to health care. <br /></li><li>Experts say the study indicates a need for school programs to better educate teachers about depression and suicide, which is the second leading cause of death among teens in Canada. <br /></li><li>The youth don't talk about their depressive moods to their physicians: A drop in grades, difficulties with other peers and participating in fewer social activities are signs of depression. <br /></li><li>The highest rate in depression is seen in Quebec, followed closely by the Prairies and B.C. More than 50 per cent of adolescents who commit suicide have experienced a form of depression.<br /></li></ul></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Why online?</span><br /></div><div>From 2000-2007, the PEW Internet & American Life research center has been examining teenagers’ use of the internet and has repeatedly shown that teens are one of the most wired segments of the American population. And teenagers, perhaps more than any other age group in the U.S., have been well-positioned to take advantage of new communications technologies and social media applications as they emerge.</div><div><br /></div><div>Psychologists have long noted that the teenage years are host to a tumultuous period of identity formation and role development. Adolescents are intensely focused on social life during this time, and consequently have been eager and early adopters of internet applications that help them engage with their peers. In the first national survey of teenagers’ internet use in 2000, PEW found that teens had embraced instant messaging and other online tools to play with and manage their online identities. In a second major study of teens in 2004, PEW noted that teenagers had taken to blogging and a wide array of content creation activities at a much higher rate than adults. Teens who adopted these tools were no longer only communicating with text, but they were also developing a fluency in expressing themselves through multiple types of digital media – including photos, music and video.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">And along comes MySpace…</span></div><div>MySpace was by no means the first social networking application to come to the fore, but it has been the fastest-growing, and now consistently draws more traffic than almost any other website on the internet. It has also garnered the majority of public attention paid to online social networking, and sparked widespread concern among parents and lawmakers about the safety of teens who post information about themselves on the site.</div><div><br /></div><div>Social networking sites appeal to teens, in part, because they encompass so many of the online tools and entertainment activities that teens know and love. They provide a centralized control center to access real-time and asynchronous communication features, blogging tools, photo, music and video sharing features, and the ability to post original creative work – all linked to a unique profile that can be customized and updated on a regular basis.</div><div><br /></div><div>Looking at a general picture of teen internet adoption, American teens are more wired now than ever before. According to PEW’s latest 2007 survey, 93% of all Americans between 12 and 17 years old use the internet. In 2004, 87% were internet users, and in 2000, 73% of teens went online.</div><div><br /></div><div>While teens go online in greater numbers and more frequently than in the past, usage gaps between teens of different socio-economic status persist. Teens whose parents are less educated and have lower incomes are less likely to be online than teens with more affluent and well-educated parents. Of teens whose parents have college educations, 98% are online while only 82% of teens whose parents have less than a high school education are online. In general, income and parental education levels have a greater impact than race and ethnicity on the frequency of internet use.</div><div><br /></div><div>Not only are more teens online, but they are also using the internet more intensely now than in the past. 89% of online teens use the internet at least once a week. The percentage of online teens who report using the internet daily has increased from 42% in 2000 and 51% in 2004 to 61% in 2006. Of the 61% of teens who report using the internet daily in 2006, 34% use the internet multiple times a day and 27% use the internet once a day. If teens log onto the internet daily, they are more likely to log on multiple times rather than once per day.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">How can we help?</span></div><div>Given the fact that more and more teens are online in greater frequency than ever before, and given the rates of depression, anxiety, and influx of digital information available to teens online, the most natural solution to addressing and catering to teen issues is an online one.</div><div><br /></div><div>For more than 140 years, Jewish Family Services of the Baron de Hirsch Institute, also known as JFS, has helped families to stay strong and connected. JFS offers intervention and prevention services to children, individuals, families, schools and communities with a view to supporting and enhancing personal and family health and growth. As a recognized leader in the field of social services and mental health, the JFS is in prime position to promote itself as an innovator of online advice and intervention services. With its breadth into the scholastic and community arenas, JFS has the “arms-reach” in order to promote a new venture by which teens and young adults can anonymously either find safe haven or search for advice or counseling through today’s modern and naturalistic communication network, online.</div><div><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583965377647675585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10468496.post-20432725116683923862009-01-24T12:25:00.002-05:002009-01-24T13:03:48.743-05:00Not all doom and gloom for 2009With the constant bombardment of tough economic times ahead and mounting job losses (100K in the first 3 months of 2009 alone), it is of course natural to feel panicked and our purse strings tightening. But losing your job isn't all that traumatic if you take a moment to think about your situation and make the best of it.<br /><br />Over 10 years ago, I was happily employed by Matrox, a hi-tech graphics display company in Dorval. By 2001, Matrox had reached its pinnacle of success with revenues of close to $1B Canadian, and a workforce globally of about 1700 people. Emotions were high as was morale. However, as the dot-com crash of 2001 settled in, Matrox was not immune to its effects. In addition to a rapid shutdown of all things tech, bad management, product delays, unfavourable reviews, competition, and the strength of the Canadian dollar all contributed to a rapid decline in Matrox's prosperity. The immediate and most notable result of this was the constant threat of being laid off.<br /><br />Throughout the several years that followed, I ended up surviving through 3 massive rounds of layoffs, the largest of which saw over 100 people being escorted by security out the front door on one Friday morning. The last major layoff while I was still employed at Matrox came in 2004 and was a complete shock to everyone, including those people like me who didn't directly lose their jobs. To this day I distinctly remember driving into work about 15 minutes later than usual, and as I was walking into the building, a colleague from my department was walking the other way, clutching his coffee mug and a small box of personal effects. Jokingly, I said to him, "Executive hours?" to which he replied, "I was just laid off." This colleague has one of the best sense of humours of anyone I know, so it didn't occur to me that he was actually serious. But I kept looking at his face, and knew him well enough to know that he wasn't joking. He then continued walking to his car. I then quickened my pace into the building only to realize that my co-worker wasn't the first to have already "walked the green mile" so to speak. As I sat down at my desk, I kept seeing other colleagues in my department being called to the front of the building, being escorted by the department manager, never to return. I sat there cowering in fear and hunched over, foolishly thinking that if my manager didn't see me, maybe I'd be safe.<br /><br />After about 2 hours of being completely destroyed emotionally, and bewildered by what was going on (not knowing was the worst aspect of this), another manager in my department came over to me to see if I was ok. I told him no, of course. My face was pretty pale and I was about to throw up. He went to the department manager and told him that he'd better clue me in on what was going on for fear that I'd collapse. By that time, the layoffs had ended and the department manager came up to me and told me that it was going to be ok. I was finally able to breath again, but I was still stunned to see my department shrink from 11 people to 5. This experience made me to learn to position myself strategically within any company that I'd work for -- make yourself indispensable. Do your best, and you'll be too valuable to be let go, regardless of your job title.<br /><br />Being in my late 20's at the time, newly married, and with a large mortgage to pay, the thought of being laid off was incomprehensible. It would have been the most traumatic experience of my life, so I thought. Feeling like a failure, feeling worthless. And then the thought of going through the effort of finding a new job... The interviews. The waiting. The salary negotitation. I couldn't bare the thought. Fortunately, I never had to really face this threat in practice, but being surrouded by the cloud of layoffs for several years helped shape me into the entrepreneur that I am today.<br /><br />My prediction is that 2009 and 2010 will see unprecedented growth in sole proprietorships. I've been seeing this already since mid-2008 as more and more new companies have been coming to Red Dream Studios in search of logos, business cards, and a website -- the earmarks of a new company offering. Since our niche has long been small business and entrepreneurs, we've been fortunate enough to cater to quite a few of them.<br /><br />As people will find themselves in the unfortunate position of having lost their job, questions of course arise -- to find a new job with another company (and obviously face that miserable possibility of being laid off again), or become one's own boss, with merely one's own potential to be held accounted for as a business success or failure. What excites me about all this is that countless of great ideas are floating out there in people's minds -- however the fact that many of these ideas never get off the ground into something tangible because the people that have these ideas are locked into careers (which they may or may not even be passionate about), is something truly devastating.<br /><br />What if someone knew how to solve the world's energy crisis, but felt compelled to keep their job buying socks for the president of some company for fear of not earning an income. Would they have the possibility of bringing their idea to the rest of the world? Possibly not. This is why I think that entrepreneurs are the most powerful and respected people on the planet. They take the risks that most others would not. They dare to explore the possibility of human potential and dare to dream the ideas that others dare not.<br /><br />So despite all the doom and gloom predicted for the next 2 years, I am excited to see the human potential that arises from tragedy. When people are pushed to explore options they dared not challange, what a fantastic world this could be.<br /><br />What do you think?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583965377647675585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10468496.post-76286279198132417512008-12-12T14:02:00.003-05:002008-12-12T14:04:17.910-05:00Happy Holidays from Red Dream Studios<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2x26_b1wKHo/SUK1pbQRRAI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/ed5UvlTszrA/s1600-h/Greeting-Card-2009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278981436526904322" style="WIDTH: 261px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2x26_b1wKHo/SUK1pbQRRAI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/ed5UvlTszrA/s400/Greeting-Card-2009.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2x26_b1wKHo/SUK1e7llytI/AAAAAAAAAGI/eagGg_TLQ6o/s1600-h/Greeting-Card-2009.jpg"></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583965377647675585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10468496.post-63458083740488828682008-12-04T18:49:00.003-05:002008-12-04T18:54:29.484-05:00Maskarade MultimediaBased on Truman Capote’s famous 1966 masked ball at the Plaza in New York, MASKARADE 2009 will recreate a night of glamour and mystery following a black and white theme with everyone in masks. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, February 28th, 2009 at the Centre Sheraton Hotel in Montreal.<br /><br />Sixteen years ago, Ron Farha found the courage to stand up and take off his mask. He was willing to stand up before society and say, “I have AIDS and I am going to do what I can to give back to my community.” With his courage, the Farha Foundation was born. <br /><br />There are many people that are living with HIV and AIDS today who still live life behind a mask. There are children who must hide it from their classmates, women who must hide it from their families and men who hide it because of the stigma attached to these four little letters: A.I.D.S.<br /><br />This year, Red Dream Studios was honoured to be asked to participate in the event by donating its expertise in the field of multimedia production. Large video walls will be instrumental in the evening presentations upon which content created by Red Dream Studios will be displayed. More information about the event can be seen by visiting the Farha Foundation's event page <a href="http://www.farha.qc.ca/en/html/act_mask.html">here</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583965377647675585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10468496.post-81391498181354187572008-10-15T06:40:00.006-05:002008-12-04T18:46:57.145-05:00My Real Estate Nightmare (Part 6) - The Final ChapterWith my brother-in-law now in the process of cleaning up the gigantic mess that everyone who was previously involved in my real estate nightmare made, things were finally starting to look brighter. His first plan of action was to sort through all the contracts, the lawsuits, the errors, and establish a time line of exactly who screwed up, and when.<br /><br />At the root of the problem was a bank (Scotia Bank) that issued an <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic">unconditional </span>mortgage, only to retract it 1 1/2 months later. But by that time, we had already purchased our new house and were essentially locked into paying two simultaneous mortgages. From my limited knowledge, once a bank issues an unconditional mortgage, there shouldn't be any financing issues down the road, right? Right?<br /><br />Second, was a real estate agent (mine) who did very little in tracking down the problems, fighting for my rights, protecting me, calling the bank to find answers, or dealing with the other agent in a pro-active manner.<br /><br />Third, was a real estate broker (mine) who was untrustworthy, and acted in the best interest of his agent (mine), as opposed to the client (me).<br /><br />Fourth, was another real estate agent (the buyer's) who kept promising things and failed to deliver.<br /><br />Finally, was a buyer who kept stressing the fact that he wanted to buy my house, but did nothing concrete to prove his sincerity. Throughout this process, I took it upon myself to believe that this man was acting in relatively good faith. I was the only one who believed in his intentions, and the fact that he got shafted on the sale of his own home, was a situation that was not creating malicious intent on my side.<br /><br />After the signing date had passed, we solicited the services of a lawyer to draft a "lawyer's letter" that would render the original Promise to Purchase null and void, and essentially claim compensatory damages from my buyer on an on-going basis until the house was sold. Believe it or not, the cost of carrying mortgages was going to amount to about $70/day!<br /><br />We would only legally be able to resell the house if the buyer had acknowledged receipt of this letter. But tracking the buyer down was another issue. His agent was sketchy in giving us his address (be it at home or at work), and during this time, the buyer wasn't answering his phone so we couldn't contact him directly. So for about a week, we were on a manhunt. We even had the lawyer send the letter by bailiff, but even the bailiff came up empty-handed. Were we going to be locked into selling our house to this buyer for the rest of our lives?!?<br /><br />Finally, a breakthrough. The buyer acknowledged the receipt of the letter to waive the Promise to Purchase via email, which was apparently enough to stand up in court, should we have resold the property and the buyer contested it was his all along.<br /><br />With our freedom now restored, we listed the house back on the market (now for a 3rd time) at the beginning of August. Because we were now paying 2 mortgages, the goal was to obviously sell our house as quickly as possible -- and if lucky enough, even sell it for a higher price. Along the way, my brother-in-law's girlfriend had also become a real estate agent becoming the better half of a tag team real estate team. She had great vision when it came to home staging and properly decorated my now empty house. We also did some minor renovations to bring the house into mint condition. We were very encouraged, although, as luck would have it, selling a property in a supposed hot area proved to be a challenge.<br /><br />It was now September, and our house hadn't had so much as an offer on the table, and of course, we were getting pretty antsy. Oddly enough, the old buyer was still in the picture. Despite being sued, and no longer legally bound to buy my house, his agent (who had gone silent for about 2 weeks) emailed my brother-in-law out of the blue stating that my buyer had received a verbal approval on a new mortgage (by the aforementioned Scotia Bank), and was still intent on buying the house.<br /><br />Well, we've heard that song and dance before. Frankly, I was getting tired of being strung along. So we took appropriate action -- we demanded that the buyer sign a new Promise to Purchase and within it, he would agree to compensate me for all my damages up front. While a good idea in principle, it would take about another 3 weeks after that suggestion (as well as a personal meeting between my brother-in-law and my buyer's agent) to convince the buyer that this was the most logical (and legal) way to go. The buyer was fearful of being sued again, this time by my old realtor and old real estate agent for her lost commission on the botched sale. (NOTE: as of today, we still do not know if they will in fact sue or not). However, my brother-in-law was pretty convincing in that my old agent would not have a valid case (due to her massive amounts of incompetence), and we finally got a new Promise to Purchase. (At this point, <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic">ANY </span>Promise to Purchase was a godsend). At the end of September, we all met at the property to sign all documents in person and to make sure that everything was legit.<br /><br />One thing that reassured me was that you could see the look of regret and remorse in the buyer's eyes as I stared at him across the rented dining room staging table. By the end of the signing, he even apologized. While it looked like a pretty safe bet that the house would officially be sold at this point, what irked me was that I'd be incurring a financial loss over this whole mess -- at no fault of my own. With over $8,000 accrued in unnecessary staging costs, renovations, insurance, lost interest, extra Hydro fees, and of course, an extra mortgage, the buyer had offered only $2500 in compensation. With our hands tied, there was really no point in negotiating. I wanted the 100-ton monkey off my back, and I wanted it now.<br /><br />By the end of September, the buyer officially got his financing. This time, the bank confirmed, reconfirmed, and reconfirmed the financing was in place, and it was just up the notary to request the funds. So we set up a signing date for October 6th, which just happened to be my son, Ethan's 2nd birthday. I took that as a sign of good things to come.<br /><br />The morning of October 6th, my wife, my agent and I drove to the notary's office. We had a meeting at 10:00am. The obvious trepidation at this point would be whether or not the buyer would show up to the office to give us his signature and cheques. By 10:03am, and the buyer hadn't yet walked through the door. With a tremendous bout of anxiety setting it, I walked out of the office and took to the street. By 10:05am (the longest 2 minutes of my life), I spotted him out of the corner of my eye walking up the street towards my location -- and I quickly bolted back into the notary's office to make sure he hadn't seen me. A massive sigh of relief overcame me and I annouced to my wife and agent "he's coming."<br /><br />By 11:00am, the deed was done. After several months of stress, anxiety, and harrowing ups-and-downs, my real estate nightmare finally came to an end.<br /><br />As a final lesson in all this, I can only offer one piece of advice to someone who is buying or selling a home -- to surround yourself with people you trust implicity. Make sure that those working on your behalf know what they are doing, and that they've got nothing but your best interests at heart. And if you think the worst thing can happen, it probably will -- so prepare yourself for it.<br /><br /><em>PS: We are currently awaiting the results of an internal investigation at Scotia Bank for their negligence that was a catalyst to our situation. We decided that if we couldn't fully claim the damages from the buyer, we could do so from the bank. If the world works the way it should, we will get back all of the money we lost at no fault of our own. Keep your fingers crossed!</em>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583965377647675585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10468496.post-64247821039220944432008-09-12T09:40:00.002-05:002008-12-04T18:46:57.146-05:00My Real Estate Nightmare (Part 5)With my brother-in-law now on a mission to destroy all evil-doings in real estate (ok, maybe just all the shenanigans that happened to us), things were finally starting to look positive. Over the course of a few days, we were able to determine very quickly just how negligent our previous agent was, and how with the right agent on your side, how smooth things should typically go when selling your home.<br /><br />On August 4th, when it was clear that our buyers (who were being sued for damages at this point) were no closer to fulfilling their obligations, we decided to put our home back on the market. We had had the original Promise to Purchase officially declared dead, so my buyers were no longer responsible for the house, but they <strong><em>were</em></strong> responsible to pay any out of pocket expenses I'd have to incur by carrying 2 mortgages.<br /><br /><strong>Lesson 7</strong>: Always read brokerage contracts in full. It is also the law that the agent must clearly "walk through" the contract at the time of signing so that you understand everything being written (even if a similar document had been previously drafted).<br /><br />In order to relist the property online, my wife and I had to sign a new document listing the price and granting the rights to list. When my agent presented me with the paperwork to sign, there was no mention that the document was a new brokerage contract -- which would extend her contract to us until December! At this point, I thought I was only signing permission to list the property online, not to continue working with a negligent broker for 6 more months... It was an error on my part for not thoroughly reading what I was signing (working on her guise that "you've signed this before, it's the same thing"), however, by law, she needed to explain to my wife and I what exactly we were signing. There was no way I was going to be held hostage for another 6 months like that.<br /><br />Upon the advice of my brother-in-law, we decided to release hell. We called the broker directly and demanded either a shortened (1-month), non-exclusive contract with our agent, or to cancel what we just signed immediately.<br /><br /><strong>Lesson 8</strong>: When the agent is a bad seed, the broker is typically the bad apple.<br /><br />The broker's response was to wait 2 weeks before making up our minds, and then we'd re-evaluate the whole thing. In real estate, you have 3 days from receiving a copy of a signed contract to cancel it without any legal penalty. So what was going on here? <em>The broker was trying to goad us into a lawsuit</em>. Had we cancelled our contract 2 weeks later, we would have been totally lible for any commission our former agent would have lost should we have sold our house under a new agent. We couldn't believe this was happening to us. Not only was our buyer screwing us, but now our own agent was trying give it to us too? This whole situation was completely insane.<br /><br />Fortunately, my brother-in-law, well versed in the anals of real estate practice, advised us on how to officially cancel the new brokerage contract by submitting a registered letter to the broker himself, as well as one to the Quebec real estate commission.<br /><br />What would prove to be another error in a list of errors that we're still tabulating, we also found out that the agent indeed had the house relisted, but had left the OLD listing online as well, indicating that the property sold for $298,000. Had anyone decided to make an offer at that point, they would have been fully aware that we settled on that specific price -- so how could we have ever sold the house for more?<br /><br />With a negligent agent now officially off our backs, we were able to look forward and open a new chapter in the process of selling our home.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583965377647675585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10468496.post-68868412295779419952008-09-03T10:03:00.002-05:002008-12-04T18:46:57.146-05:00My Real Estate Nightmare (Part 4)With our home officially sold, and the cherished "Sold" sign now affixed to our realtor's signpost dug into our front lawn, we quickly signed away the condition that required us to sell our home prior to purchasing our much-sought-after new one. I've watched many episodes of the HGTV show "Buy Me" within 30 minutes, everything pretty much seems to go so smoothly. Everything works out. Both the buyers and the sellers (and the agent) are happy campers, the credits roll, and that's the end of the story.<br /><br />Our story doesn't bode as well.<br /><br />There was about a month and a half delay from the time all the paperwork was signed, to the time when we were supposed to meet at the notary to pass title to our buyers. This time was spent acquiring boxes, packing materials, and planning for the move.<br /><br /><strong>Lesson 5 (about packing):</strong> Pack early. The more organized and clear cut you can be, the quicker the unpacking process will be (<em>NOTE: We eventually settled into our new home within 1 1/2 days</em>).<br /><br />It was the end of June and there was a fair amount of time that had passed where we were in "radio silence mode." I hadn't heard anything from my agent, nor the notary, nor my buyers. I figured that this was pretty much normal. By the time June 28th had come around, and passed, things were still quiet. If you recall from my previous post, weren't my buyers supposed to have taken possession at this point?<br /><br />Another week and a half passes by, and we are now into early July. By this time, it had occurred to me that something had gone wrong.<br /><br /><strong>Lesson 6</strong>: Make sure your agent is proactive in adhering to deadlines.<br /><br />When June 28th had passed, and we had not met at the notary, bells, alarms, and fireworks should have immediately gone off. Instead, my agent waited for almost 2 weeks before addressing the situation. At this point, my buyers were officially in breach of contract. It took a few more days to finally uncover the truth behind what was happening -- my buyer's own house hadn't sold, and were therefore unable to obtain their mortgage in order to purchase my home. We would later find out mid-August that my buyers were in fact mired in debt, further compunding the problem in obtaining financing.<br /><br />So why hadn't my agent gotten to the bottom of this earlier? Why did it take several weeks before uncovering that my buyers were financially crippled? These were just a few of the enormous number of questions that we began to ask ourselves over the course of several weeks. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get any answers, and our own agent began to know less about the situation than I did.<br /><br />Refusing to sit idly by, I began to make daily phone calls to my buyer's agent. This goes against protocol, however, I felt that my own agent wasn't able to get the information I needed. My buyer's agent, for some reason, also seemed more inclined to talk to me than my own agent -- for what reason I'll never know. Over the course of the weeks that followed, we began to hear confusing stories and melodrama, <strong><em>NONE</em></strong> of which ended up being true:<br /><br />- My buyers home (a bungalow) is going to be sold in a matter of days. They're just waiting for the paperwork at the bank to finalize.<br />- The paperwork was final. We'll be getting our financing in a matter of days.<br />- The buyer's own a 4-plex and have actually sold it as well in order to provide a backup financing path.<br />- The buyer of the 4-plex is getting his mortgage approved in order to buy the property. It's just a matter of days.<br />- My buyer is working on paying off his debts. Once the debts are paid off, the bank will issue his mortgage to purchase my home.<br />- By August 15th, we will be meeting at the notary.<br />- By August 25th, we will be meeting at the notary.<br /><br />As I write this, we still haven't met at the notary.<br /><br />Of course, by now, my buyers had been sued for breach of contract, however, it was only suggested to me several weeks after the breach date that I proceed with a "lawyer's letter" in order to officially terminate the Promise to Purchase by providing a "rigorous date." Had my buyers not purchased my home by that date, we would be entitled to resell the home, and any costs associated with that would be borne by the buyer. This date was July 31st, ironically my wife's birthday. Unfortunately, it would turn out to be one of the worst birthday's for my wife.<br /><br />On August 2nd, when it was clear that my buyers were in no position to buy my home, we decided to relist the property. By now, we had moved out and were in a delayed state of elation by being in our new home. It was difficult to celebrate with a 500-ton monkey sitting on your shoulders. We were mortified by the prospect of starting from scratch. It was as if the previous 5 months were a complete waste of time and energy.<br /><br />By this time too, two auspicious events had transpired. One, my agent's broker's contract had expired, and two, my brother in law had just become and agent himself. This would turn out to be a fortuitous set of events that set the tone for the month of August.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583965377647675585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10468496.post-77109309418420809382008-08-28T07:00:00.003-05:002008-12-04T18:46:57.146-05:00My Real Estate Nightmare (Part 3)It took only 4 days after the disastrous turn of event on the purchase of my home to see another offer come our way. The selling of our home was truly turning out to be a real roller coaster ride of up and down emotions (which, as of this writing, has yet to end). In what was another "meant to be" moments I'm trying to infuse into this whole situation, we actually signed a new Promise to Purchase with a new buyer that was willing to pay more than our previous offer -- $2,000 more.<br /><br />Well, that was exciting now, wasn't it?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lesson 4</span>: Never get excited until the money is in your bank account.<br /><br />As before, we had to wait again until the home inspection was carried out on our home, however, this time around, we didn't have to wait the arduous 7-day period + 3-day reply to get the confirmation of a sale. By now, the exposed basement wall was completely covered by a fresh new layer of drywall and paint, so there was no longer any evidence of the latent defect that my home suffered with.<br /><br />The 2nd inspection of our home was a little more thorough (although I've yet to actually see the report). In the end, only one major defect was uncovered: the roof. The shingles on the back half of my roof, which faces the sun most of the day, were beginning to curl. The inspector estimated only a few good years of life left, and would then have to be replaced. As such, the value of my home suddenly dropped. In an instant, I lost the $2,000 extra that I thought I had gained with these new buyers.<br /><br />We then received word that the buyers wanted to take possession of our home 1 month earlier, and effectively "rent" our house back to us until we moved into our new home at the end of July. So we signed an amendment that on June 28th, our home was no longer ours, and I would be living "mortgage free" for one month.<br /><br />Ok, so we were back to the $298,000 sale price that we thought we had a few weeks prior. Still not so bad, and we stood to make a $20,000 profit after taxes and commission. At least the house was sold.<br /><br />Or so we thought...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583965377647675585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10468496.post-20099893646029535462008-08-26T06:52:00.003-05:002008-12-04T18:46:57.146-05:00My Real Estate Nightmare (Part 2)After 40 days of our house being on the market, we had an accepted Promise to Purchase on the table. The buyer's had purchased our house for only $11,000 less than our original asking price. We were of course, elated and relieved. Then, anxiously waiting 7 days later (the maximum time permitted) it was time for the inspection.<br /><br />One thing I should mention is that my house had unfortunately suffered from a latent defect that was revealed to me about a year ago. The original builders of the house had built a window in the wrong location in the basement, but didn't seal up the window properly when discovering their mistake. Thus, the concrete of the foundation and the now filled-up window didn't bond together properly. Over time, water would begin to infiltrate the seam of the window and leaked into the basement. I discovered this when the carpet began to get moist about 3 years after I took possession of the house. Needless to say, I had this repaired (and didn't bother suing), paid for by my insurance company.<br /><br /><strong>Lesson number 1</strong>: Have your agent insist that the buyer's entire family NOT partake in the inspection process.<br /><br />When the inspector showed up along with my buyers, other family member's showed up too -- most annoyingly, an over-protective, over-reactive mother. Before even stepping into the door, the mother began shouting things (within earshot of me) like, "what's with this bush? It's overgrown!" "I don't like that!" "What's with the colour of the paint?" These were obviously silly things, but annoying to hear -- particularly since her daughter had fallen in love enough with the place to want to buy it, and here she was ripping <em>it</em> apart.<br /><br />So after the quickest inspection I'd ever heard of (about 45 minutes), the entire clan came downstairs and began to rip <em>me</em> apart. Well, to be more accurate, the shmuck of an inspector began to grill me in front of his clients about the fact that there was no GFI outlet in the bathroom. There was a concern about the basement, of course, but at that point, there were no tell-tale signs of any water-penetration. The bare wall in the basement was still exposed where the water was entering the house, but with the foundation having been properly repaired, injected with polyurethane, and no more water actually coming in, the wall looked like crap, but was fixed. A home inspection is a VISUAL inspection only, so the inspector could not comment on what had happened previously, but did nonetheless. I tried to defend myself by stating exactly what the insurance company had told me -- there was no significant damage to the basement, and nothing that should be cause of concern. There was also a healthy 10-year guarantee should the problem resurface.<br /><br />Feeling attacked by an inspector and prospective buyers is not fun. I felt humiliated as well. And where was my agent in this whole debacle? Standing off to the side without saying so much of a word. Now I don't know if it was her job to step in an defend me, but it was obvious that the sale was now in jeopardy as was her beloved commission.<br /><br />After waiting another anxious 3 days (the maximum time permitted), my agent received a text message saying that the buyer's have walked away.<br /><br /><strong>Lesson number 2</strong>: Choose an agent who's sympathetic to her clients.<br /><br />My agent relayed the tragic news to us in such a non-chalant manner, almost with a humourous tone in her voice, and even worse, around 9:00pm in the evening, that the phone call was almost worse than the news itself. Needless to say, we didn't sleep well that night. And the casual way in which she broke the bad news was even more disturbing.<br /><br />The next day, the anger set in. I demanded to see the inspection report. What probable cause did the buyer's use to get out of their Promise to Purchase? By the end of the day, my buyer's agent's wife dropped off the inspection report. She was quite sympathetic to our situation, and sadly, much more so than my own agent.<br /><br />The report was a complete joke. I was 2 1/2 pages long. It was filled with silly (albeit practical, I admit) recommendations, like "don't forget to lower your thermostats at night to save energy". However, this isn't the stuff that inspection reports are made of. Even I know this. And 2 1/2 pages?!? Not a single picture? Needless to say there was no valid reason for the buyer's to have broken their contract.<br /><br /><strong>Lesson number 3</strong>: Go with your OWN instincts when selling real estate, not your agent's.<br /><br />I wanted to sue, and I'm convinced that I would have won (I was later able to confirm this when speaking with the ACAIQ). This whole mess would have been over back in March. However, my agent persuaded me not to go down that road. Even scolded me a bit for even thinking along those lines. "If they don't want the house, there's no sense in trying to force them into it," I was told. So without so much as hearing the real reason for the buyer's to renege, they were forgotten. Apparently, these buyers were sadistic people who'd previously made 3 other offers on other properties, and ultimately backed away. We found out that day too that their agent had fired them. I guess we weren't the only ones who thought these people were insane.<br /><br />What was even more comical was that there was no mention of the basement issues in the report. So it seems as though the buyer's listen to the mother as opposed to the inspector.<br /><br />So we were back to square one, and were on the hunt for a new buyer, hopefully for one final time. This house <em>HAS</em> to sell. The next buyer <em>WILL</em> buy this house.<br /><br />Or so we thought...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583965377647675585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10468496.post-32347605968968664092008-08-23T12:52:00.002-05:002008-12-04T18:46:57.146-05:00My Real Estate Nightmare (Part 1)So I've been pretty distracted for the past couple of months. For those of you who tune into my blog now and again, you may have noticed that I've been on hiatus. The real issue is that my family and I have been living in hell.<br /><br />It all started back in February when on a whim, my wife and I decided to start cruising around Dollard-des-Ormeaux to look for what might potentially be our new house. We had decided that our previous home in the Bois Franc area, was getting to be a little tight, especially with my son Ethan being so vivacious. We were also fully aware that this was going to be a starter home for us, and had planned to stay in it for only 3-4 years. So that time had arrived.<br /><br />It turns out that after only visiting 3 or 4 houses, we landed upon a true gem. The house ended up being exactly what we were looking for. Central air, double-garage, beautiful backyard, the works. And immaculate. The owners had also invested roughly $30-$40,000 in new windows, double insulation, and what not, in order to improve the house's energy rating. Long story short, we made an offer on the place about 3 days later, and after a bit of haggling, settled on a reasonable price.<br /><br />Being the cautious guy that I am, we instated a clause specifying that we needed to sell our house first prior to finalizing the Promise to Purchase. We had 30 days to do so. And the race was on.<br /><br />The first week we listed our property saw roughly 30 people dissect our home. The first open house we had saw roughly 75 more. The house had TONS of traffic, but no offers. 30 days was just around the corner and we were stressed. We were terrified at the prospect of losing our new home. "There'll be others" we were being told, but not to us. We wanted our house, and we just kept visualizing ourselves in there.<br /><br />Then the 30 days passed. In the only good piece of news in this whole ordeal, the sellers had agreed to give us an extension, particularly since they hadn't yet found their new home. So this extension was granted for another 30 days.<br /><br />It turns out that 10 days after we were granted the extension, we received our first offer! We were ecstatic, and mostly relieved, in that we were beginning to believe that our house just wouldn't sell. So the bargaining began, and we finally settled on a reasonable price. At that point, we were more relieved to have sold our old home, and that we were ready to receive our new one.<br /><br />Or so we thought...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583965377647675585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10468496.post-24665123722146068592008-07-24T11:17:00.002-05:002008-07-24T11:19:46.034-05:00Red Dream Studios is Moving!<a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_2x26_b1wKHo/SIiriogFWII/AAAAAAAAAD0/hNfeJcvK6Yc/s1600-h/RDS-Move.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226615979039348866" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_2x26_b1wKHo/SIiriogFWII/AAAAAAAAAD0/hNfeJcvK6Yc/s400/RDS-Move.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_2x26_b1wKHo/SIirZRR5D8I/AAAAAAAAADs/jgtF_PTE9yM/s1600-h/RDS-Move.gif"></a><br /><br /><div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583965377647675585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10468496.post-12781200628295016292008-06-30T12:59:00.002-05:002008-06-30T13:20:55.054-05:00Turning your Vision into RealityI recently attended the last session of the inaugural West Island Leadership Development program, an initiative of the West Island Federation CJA that aims to foster future community leaders by training us about fundraising, entrepreneuring, and community activism. Guested by Dr. Ken Robertson, Director General of Champlain Regional College, the focus of the session concerned establishing a vision, and learning how to set goals, prioritize, and meet objectives.<br /><br />I found this session particularly interesting because the issues covered not only applied to your career path (i.e. where do you see yourself in your job, or how do you envision your company's growth 5 years from now), but also to your everyday life.<br /><br />There are 2 fundamental conclusions that Dr. Robertson conveyed, which I found particularly poignant:<br /><br /><ol><li>Achieving future success is dependent on 2 things: the successful relationship building with others, such as your colleagues and friends; never forgetting to look back to see how you arrived to your current situation in the first place.<br /><br />Personally, I'm completely turned off by arrogance. I distate people who are so arrogant, they feel it necessary to belittle you in order to maintain their level of arrogance. This applies to people who do not feel it necessary to even speak to you if they feel you have nothing to contribute to their lives in any way. This also applied to people who have success dumped into their laps by either being born into a successful family, or marrying into one. People like that often develop a hoity-toity attitude which just completely sours my grapes. Thus, the true measure of success, in my opinion, is summarized by the first point.<br /></li><li>The "finite" vs. the "infinite"<br /><br />Invariably, when trying to build yourself up, someone along the way will try to keep you down, either literally, or by verbal criticism. It's therefore important to never allow the finite to influence the possibilities of what you can do.<br /><br />For example, a violin has 4 strings and is 12" long. This is finite. However, for several hundreds of years, composers have been using the violin to create an infinite number of combinations of music, and are still doing so today. </li></ol><p>Just think what you can do when your vision isn't hampered by the bounds of reality...</p><p> </p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583965377647675585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10468496.post-9873982638399732442008-06-23T19:42:00.001-05:002008-06-30T13:22:18.842-05:00Creating a Personal BrandOne question I'm often asked by entrepreneurs is how to create a "personal brand" to better market oneself to others.<br /><br />What you're basically asking is how to "productize" yourself. Meaning, if I went to a supermarket, and found a picture of you on a bottle, would I buy it? And furthermore, would I drink from the bottle?<br /><br />Find out what makes you, you. What makes you unique. Mitch Joel, a marketing guru I've had the pleasure of listening speak, would dare you to find your "it" factor. What makes you stand out in a crowded room of billions of people asking the same question, all trying to make a buck.<br /><br />Why is that only a handful of people in the world have procured the most wealth the world has to offer? It's because they've found out what it takes to unlock that something magical and get people to believe in what they're all about.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583965377647675585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10468496.post-50218007460899231792008-06-20T08:41:00.002-05:002008-06-20T08:45:41.330-05:00Being Unique as a Graphic DesignerI was recently asked the question about being a graphic designer, "Other than serving a niche market, how do you differentiate yourself from other designers or small design shops?"<br /><br />Graphic design is a saturated field. But the bigger problem lies in getting recognized and hired in a flooded field of talent.<br /><br />I find that graphic design is very much like acting -- you're only as good as your last performance. However, in addition to raw talent in what you do, what will set you apart from other designers is <strong><em>customer service</em></strong>.<br /><br />Graphic design unfortunately suffers from a bit of a "bottom-feeder" syndrome in that everyone believes they can be a designer, but few actually can. With that said, the dollar figure attributed to graphic design tends to be quite low.<br /><br />So to distinguish yourself from the pack, you must cater to your clients uniquely from the rest. Be good to your clients, treat them with the utmost respect, and they will respect you.<br /><br />With respect comes repeat business.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583965377647675585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10468496.post-21052731412058360432008-06-18T19:48:00.005-05:002008-06-30T13:22:18.843-05:00Free Ways for Entrepreneurs to NetworkIn browsing through the internet today, I stumbled across a great resource for discovering groups of people with common interest who meet, yes, in the real world. While social networking is becoming more and more popular, meeting with someone face-to-face still ranks extremely high, if not appearing on the highest rung on the successful business ladder.<br /><br />I've complied a short list of best resources for entrepreneurs to network (in no particular order):<br /><ol><li><a href="http://www.meetup.com/">MEETUP.COM</a>: Meetup Groups meet face-to-face to pursue hobbies, network, get support, make friends, find playgroups or even change the world. What's interesting here is that while you can still meet and chat in a virtual world, the true power here lies with the ability to meet with the people you connect with in a real-world setting. So chances are while you've plugged your services online, you're way ahead of the game when meeting with potential clients at a later date. There's already that sense of familiarity... And yes, very often these group meetings are free.<br /></li><li>LINKEDIN.COM: LinkedIn has been around for several years and has begun porting several features from the more common social community websites. The advantage of LinkedIn is that it's geared to drive more "professional" connections as opposed to social or friendship liaisons. LinkedIn also has a Q&A feature which lets you position yourself as an "expert" in your field depending on the number of questions you answer from the public and of course the quality of your answer. The trick is to always leave a link to your website as part of your signature. The disadvantage of LinkedIn is its lack of a portfolio feature, so if you're in a creative field, it difficult to directly expose your work.<br /></li><li>FACEBOOK.COM: The most popular kid in school, Facebook provides a means of uploading and displaying our portfolio within a dedicated company group to which many of our contacts have willingly joined. As a result of our continued perserverance and belief in social marketing (and quite frankly, one of the best "free" forms of networking available to us), we've managed to connect with people that helped us secure projects with clients we would not have normally had the opportunity to work for -- case in point, SoftImage and Bell Canada.<br /></li><li>BLOGGING: <a href="http://blog.reddreamstudios.com/">Red Dream Studios has a company blog</a>, yes. It's used to expose what's going on at our company and showcase new designs as they are released, but to also educate about design and web practices, and how to use social media marketing to expose your company digitally throughout cyberspace. I think the real power of blogging isn't in the blog per se, but connecting it through various portals that index and scour blogs for relevant content such as Digg, Technorati, and StumbleUpon. By building communities who are "fans" of what you blog about, you inherently increase your relevance in the online world, and therefore that of your company's offerings.<br /></li><li>BEHANCE.NET: Behance is portfolio/networking site for creatives. While there are others out there, this is one of the more ingenious ones. Not only can you expose your creative portfolio here, but it's also a warehouse of tips, tricks, links, and lets you collaborate on projects with other creative gurus around the world.<br /></li><li><a href="http://www.reddreamstudios.com/">YOUR OWN WEBSITE</a>: I hesitated about putting this one in because you typically have to pay a little for the server space to run a website, but it's of course a primary way to get your business known to the public. In short, if you're not on the web in this respect, there's very little hope that your business will succeed.<br /></li><li>CLASSIFIED ADS: I find this a last resort to soliciting business because it's a little altruistic in my opinion. The most obvious choice here is to post a free ad on Craigslist in trying to promote your service offering even though it's a more ommon practice to ask for something on Craigslist.</li></ol><p>While this is by no means an exhaustive list, it's a few good ones to get you started. If you have any success stories you'd like to share, please feel free to comment.</p><p>Visit my Meetup Profile <a href="http://www.meetup.com/members/7474839/">here</a>.<br />Visit my LinkedIn Profile <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/nealcaminsky">here</a>.<br />Visit my Facebook Group <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5804372281">here</a>.<br />Visit my Behance.net Profile <a href="http://www.behance.net/MacGyver">here</a>.</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583965377647675585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10468496.post-74324526893537156632008-05-20T15:55:00.009-05:002008-06-10T08:46:47.085-05:00Flaming Hot Rod Text for Rez RidesEver since my fascination with Star Trek as a wee lad, I've wanted to be on TV. I was just discussing this with my lifelong friend turned Hollywood director, <a href="http://www.michaelgreenspanfilms.com/">Michael Greenspan</a>. When we were in elementary school, we did a lot of role-playing together and we're convinced it set things in motion for him to end up in film school and me doing my shtick in video production and editing.<br /><br />While I knew my path would never lead me to appear physically on TV as an actor, I had the pleasure of witnessing a logo I designed appear as part of the title sequence for the second season of <a href="http://www.aptn.ca/component/task,banner/showid,19549584/option,com_wse/">Rez Rides</a>, a Quebec production that airs weekly on the APTN network. It was quite a thrill!<br /><br />For the second season, the original logo (also designed at <a href="http://www.reddreamstudios.com/">Red Dream Studios</a>) was revamped to give it a classic hot rod treatment -- flaming tracer stipes painted over a hard, red glossy body. In fact, two versions of the logo were created -- the first was a pitted, mottled and rusted steel gray version, complete with spot welds, which after a digital painting, sanding, and buffing, transitions into the final version of the logo, the premise being, "bring your rusted crappy car into Mad Mohawk's autobody shop and walk away with a killer set of wheels." The transition effects were created by our partner, <a href="http://www.rev13films.com/">Rev13 Films</a>.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2x26_b1wKHo/SE6ETqJ7buI/AAAAAAAAADc/633vb0CuUYc/s1600-h/rez_rides_01.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210247292182556386" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2x26_b1wKHo/SE6ETqJ7buI/AAAAAAAAADc/633vb0CuUYc/s320/rez_rides_01.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The first pass of the logo showing Rez Rides in a "before" condition.</span><br /></span></div><br />Creating the logo was actually straightforward. The basis of the logo is the word "Rez Rides" written in the font "NiseHotRod" upon which various textures of flame decals were applied and masked around the letters. The flames themselves are also <a href="http://www.dafont.com/vehicle-decals-flames-art.font">font-based</a>, letting us easily scale up our design to conform to an HD resolution, the format in which the show is produced. The rest of the look is achieved simply by using Photoshop's own built-in style effects, although to get the proper highlighting and texturing, mutiple copies of the logo layers were assembled and composited using different transfer modes to get the final result.<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2x26_b1wKHo/SE6EZiOsU8I/AAAAAAAAADk/CKnsmAxXgNg/s1600-h/rez_rides_02.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210247393134269378" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2x26_b1wKHo/SE6EZiOsU8I/AAAAAAAAADk/CKnsmAxXgNg/s320/rez_rides_02.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The second pass of the logo showing Rez Rides in an "after" condition.</span><br /></span></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583965377647675585noreply@blogger.com0