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49 comments:
- Joe Bluhm said...
Wise post, my friend. :)
- Eric Braddock said...
Hahaha... what a quote.
- Ericka said...
ok I agree with everything except the wife thing...come on, that's just cruel. Poor wife. haha.
- Pop-Monkey said...
As much as I admire Rockwell, I disagree with this statement. The degree to which I disagree depends on whether he is speaking purely about money, or about time, or about a combination of both.
Putting your family on the back-burner to focus the majority of your attention and effort on anything is just immoral, in my opinion. Your kids and your wife aren't going to thank you for being largely absent from their lives as long as you "make it" later on in life and are able to buy them nice things. No one ever looks back on their life and says, "I wish my parents were more rich and successful so we could have had nicer stuff". There is, however, plenty of regret to go around when one finds themselves thinking "I wish I was there more and spent more time with my family".
It's misguided and damaging to put more focus on success and riches than the loved ones in your life.
Francis, I hope if you ever get married and have a family, you will not follow Mr. Rockwell's advice. Family comes first.
Of course, if Rockwell is simply referring to money, as in splurge on the top of the line paintbrush instead of your wife's birthday -- well, I don't know if I agree with that either. Concentrate on what really matters first, and everything else will fall into place. Terrific artists aren't always the most wise individuals.
- Pop-Monkey said...
And remember, Rockwell's first wife left him for another man. Perhaps this attitude contributed to that. No woman with half a brain and a decent measure of self-respect is going to stick around and let a man put his art before her.
- Michael Eugene Burdick said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- MB3000 said...
Well, you're in luck.
I just heard that Obama's cabinet is working on constructing a time machine.
- Francis Vallejo said...
Thanks for the post Jared. There is substantial documentation that Rockwell wasn't always the best family man. It wasn't until he found his second wife, did he find someone that was able to understand his commitment to his paintings. His son's have made some very political statements about their dad's involvement in their lives.
I'm at an interesting point of my career in that many of my priorities are changing. Before college I went to the gym 6 days a week, flossed my teath, combed my hair, and dotted my i's. Now all my clothes are from Goodwill, I shave my hair, and spend all my money on art related trips and supplies. It has taken its toll, and I realize I have to take better care of myself, and have found value in taking a little time out to run in the mornings, and eat better, which improves my day as a whole.
I suppose I can't imagine the full perspective of this statement since I have no idea what a family requires. My mom still sends me care packages....But I do understad the fact that a bad picture will comlpetely ruin my mood for days, but a good picture will put me on top of the world. No possession or food can do that. Good pictures made Rockwell happiest; that's why I think he put so much emphasis on them.
I wonder how jokingly Rockwell felt when he made the jab with the wife quote? I think overall, most artists are consumed by their work, so it is not fair to ask their wife/husband to accept the lack of attention. It's weird because you can't just turn off your artistic mindset. David Apatoff over at Illustration Art has a whole series of posts on "artists in love." Finding a good balance of a passion for art and a civilian life has, and will always be, a tough path.
- Pop-Monkey said...
Hi, Francis.
It's always important to keep your priorities straight and it's interesting to hear about your shift of perspective. As a married man with a family, I'm especially wary about giving my family the necessary attention and care. I sacrificed a lot during my time at Ringling. I was attending art school with a wife and child at home, and I ended up putting them aside for 4 years to focus my attention on school. It's a decision I regret, as it very nearly cost me my family in the end. Even after school, I felt that I needed to continue to throw all my efforts into getting my name out there and "making it" at my family's expense. I very nearly went through a divorce because of it, and I'd hate to see other artists fall into that same trap.
Family comes before career. It is a bit of a catch-22, because it's so easy to fall into that mindset of "I'll bust my ass now so I can provide much better for them later", but that's a slippery slope as it's never guaranteed that the type of success you are looking for will come, and the damage done by the time you do find "success" may be irreparable.
Believe me, I do know what a struggle it is to escape that artist's mindset which becomes such a part of who you are inside. If I don't have a good day art-wise, then it tends to color my mood and attitude for the rest of the day or week until I feel I hit a groove where things are going well at the drawing board/computer. I have to work very hard to shift focus when the family needs my time and attention, and I'm never able to shut if off completely (I don't think artists really can "shut it off"). I'm always thinking about ways to make my art better or mulling over ideas for new illustrations or new avenues to gaining some notoriety and paychecks, but I try to be careful not to let that mindset overwhelm me when I'm not "at work".
Sorry to go on and on about it. This is a very interesting subject you've brought up and I felt it important to chime in. Since I've "been there and done that" I thought I could provide some cautionary feedback on the matter. Thanks so much for your thoughts. It's always nice to get inside an artist's head.
- Francis Vallejo said...
Thanks again for the response Jared.
I'm trying to imagine including a wife and child into my schedule now...and it seems daunting. Much respect to all the artists that find a way to do so and maintain their art careers. I suppose I am in a fortunate position that I can focus most of my commitments on my artwork, but we all long for companionship, and I of course would love to have a family in the future. Even now the days of just working on my pictures seem far away, with tons of emails, keeping my place livable, and other duties, finding soild blocks of time to work are getting harder, and I don't imagine it will improve. I realize that it will not get easier if I include a girlfriend/family into it...so I guess what Jared is saying (if I may paraphrase) is that as young artist's with few major commitments, we should take advantage of our positions, and get the work done, because time will become more precious as we get older.....(hope thats accurate:))
- francisvallejo said...
...but that's only from my 23 yr. old speculation. Jared is speaking from experience, so listen to him first.
I've had quite a few conversations with other artists on the merits of creating art as a career to pay the bills vs. creating art that satisfies the client, but also pushes the medium and satisfies yourself. I never want to become a wrist, meticulously working away on someone elses idea, with no personal relationship to the piece I am creating. I'm not a machine, I have a unique perspective to inject into my work. I think that is what Rockwell is talking about. At his time there were a ton of Leyendecker and Gibson "high society" artists. His first ideas for the Post were similar to the trends. But then he realized he had a unique perspective to offer. Then he became a legend. He knew that as long as he created work that came from his inner most core, and was the result of passionate work that was always given the utmost attention, the success would come.
What's better, having a body of work you are happy with that is really making a difference in society, along with the respect of your peers....or...creating art to purely satisfy a client, and checking out at a determined time, only to fade into obscurity. BUT being better able to spend time on other things...like a girfriend/wife/family?? In comparison to the first artist that most likely has problems in his relationships, because of his work schedule.
Interesting decision we are faced with, which direction will bring the purest form of happiness? I'm not sure if I'm articulating myself as I would like to, but this subject is constantly on my mind.
- Unknown said...
I think that sentiment comes from the stereotype of the bohemian,alienated artist.I really owe my career to my wife, Jon Foster has said the same as I'm sure many others could. And now with a 3 month old I'm more inspired then ever. It's a balancing act and is difficult at times but I think it's a lie that one must choose between a family and an art career.
- Matthew Lopez said...
i didnt read all that was posted, but i think that you have to find someone who understands your number one love for art (if it is) and who accepts that you spend most of your time and money on it.
goodwill and cheap noodles =)
- RAWLS said...
Wow...you sparked some good thoughts and conversation with that one Francis! Nice job my friend. I love Rockwell, and I totally understand where he's coming from, but all in all, it is a continual balancing act, that I honestly wouldn't change for the world. If you do it with the right attitude, as I'm trying to learn to do, the two sides really do strengthen each other. My wife and daughter make me strive everyday to be better, in life and art. And the way my mind works as an artist, makes me see my wife and daughter's beauty in a very unique way... again leading to inspiration.
- Pop-Monkey said...
Francis, I think you've got a handle on what I mean and what I believe (and I'll try not to drone on in this post). This is an important part of an artist's life and mindset that deserves careful scrutiny and attention, and we cannot separate who we are as an artist from who we are as a person.
I got a late start on my art education/career and already had a family going by the time I enrolled in art school. I believe I didn't get all that I could have out of school had I gotten an earlier start, like you young whipper-snappers, but I did harm my family relations by throwing so much of myself into my art education and career-hunting. In the end, I have to be content (not necessarily "happy") with working for others during my regular working hours, making time for the family and then using my spare time (after everyone's gone to bed, usually) to work on my own stuff. This allows me to attempt to pay the bills, pay my family their due attention and get my own artistic needs met. I don't have much free time to have much of a social life to speak of, but I'm hoping a break will come soon that will allow me to do more of my own thing and less of the soul-draining freelance junk.
You are a tremendous talent, and are already "breaking out", Francis, and I'm sure you'll find yourself able to do your own thing exclusively very soon. Then you'll be able to give a wife/girlfriend the time and attention they deserve. Do yourself a favor, though, and if you choose a long-term family commitment, always put them first. You'll be a better, happier person for it in the long run.
Thanks again for the discussion, and your point-of-view. Hope to see you at a con this year so we can talk again in person!
Fancis: As long as you always include God in your life, everything will work out for the best. I know that for a fact and I think you do too. Love you and God Bless EMV
- Haylee said...
I took the liberty to ask James Gurney's opinion of all this, and this was his response:
"Hi, Haylee,
Thanks for your kind words. I followed the link and read the quote from Rockwell, which was new to me. I would agree with the general statement that you have to pull out all the stops and do your best work, and Rockwell's legacy is proof of the value of his incredible effort.
Where I would disagree is the idea that it has to damage your personal life. Here are some things I'd recommend to a young artist who is thinking about this:
1. Either stay single (like Leighton or Sargent) or marry another artist. An artist spouse actually helps deepen your commitment to your work.
2. Put you studio in your home if you can. If you have kids, make the studio a place that they're welcome. Then they can be a part of your work life. We used to have a box of Legos next to the painting table.
3. Try to keep normal hours and schedule time off and time for inspiration. This just makes quality and productivity better anyway.
I don't know if I'm repeating what anyone else is saying, but it's a great topic.
James Gurney"
To put in my two cents: God must always be the center of everything. Without having that key factor in your life, then you are sure to eternally search for true happiness.
- jeremy melton said...
Well i agree with you, I would have liked to meet him too. The conversation would be interesting nonetheless. :) Beautiful work on this blog. Excellent work my friend! 18 years you lived there? Thats cool, i have been there a better part of my life as well. I miss it and i dont all at the same time. Ha! Cheers!
- Chanp said...
great quote! inspiring indeed.
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- Mooshe said...
Too many people express themselves through their families. The more people that wise-up and make something more beautiful and innovative than a baby, the better.
- Pop-Monkey said...
More beautiful than a baby? You're not a parent are you? There's nothing more beautiful that a person can make. That's the problem with many children today: their parents don't acknowledge, treasure and nurture the beauty they have created.
There are too many parents who try to live vicariously through their children, which is wrong, but there's nothing more beautiful than the life you have helped create.
I agree with Mooshe. Art, science and technology are more beautiful and innovative than babies because they require a lot more consciousness to pull off. It's a different kind of beauty but since it takes more intellect and reason to create, it has more to offer the world than something even four-legged animals can do. The world needs more rationality, it has more than enough sentimental mushiness.
- Pop-Monkey said...
Where do you people think art, science and technology come from? They come from people. People who were created and raised by other people. I'm not talking about the animal act of screwing and impregnating someone -- any idiot can do that. I'm talking about the long, arduous and miraculous process of creating a life, nurturing that life and instilling that life with the basic compassionate humanity needed for our species to thrive and engage in the things you seem to value above humanity.
This is the last I'm going to say on the subject, cuz I'm not sure Francis wants me hijacking this discussion as I seem to be, but I don't want to live in the world some of you folks are trying to create. That's what got us in the mess we are in right now. Art is great, but it's not the be-all and end-all of human existence and should never be valued above people, especially those you call your family. Art can certainly be a part of the process of nurturing and caring for your family, but it does not and should not trump that.
Sorry if I sound like a jerk, but I believe in arguing a point if it's something I believe strongly in.
You're not being a jerk Pop-Monkey. I like your passion but I happen to think you are very wrong. I may respond to what you wrote later when I have more time.
- Augie Pagan said...
Vallejo, just wanted to leave a late comment and thank you for posting the link for the Dean Cornwell images. Very nice! As for the Rockwell comment, looks like enough has been said about that. Either way, the comment made me laugh. I think I'd rather meet Leyendecker before Rockwell.
- McLean Kendree said...
I'm going to fall in the "disagree" category. A lot of really well-thought discussion has already taken place here, I'm not really sure what I could add. But we'll give this a shot.
If you're not in a relationship where your SO is fiercely in-tune with your own goals and ambitions, then you can't expect them to understand and excuse your inattentiveness. Unless you can find someone who is on the same page (and if you do find someone like that, don't ignore it!) I think that one relationship with your art is enough, without complicating it with a second relationship. You shouldn't have to feel as if you're faced with either cheating yourself or cheating your girl. Thats a bad place to be, and will never end pretty.
That is, of course, if you feel that art will always come before family.
You'll figure it all out though! On a side note- did you have any idea that such a small blog post would spark such a conversation!? Using blogs as a means of thoughtful dialogue is exciting to me these days.
- Francis Vallejo said...
El Pagano: No problem, glad that you enjoyed them.
Mooshe and PopMonkey: Although I'm real far away from having a child, I can imagine that it would be my best creation to date. I agree with PopMonkey (Jared) that the act of raising the child properly would prove to be the hardest and most rewarding aspect, and is a psuedo-artform in itself.
Now I'm speaking from extremely recent experience that a obsession with your artwork can cause problems. I recently split with a young lady that I've been with for 6 years. Among other reasons, my wild art hours were a factor in this break. As a fact, many artists, especially freelance artists, live very solitary lives, spending much of the time by themselves. I'm realizing the importance of having someone to talk to at the end of the day to keep you sane....Like McClean mentioned, if you do find a girl that understands your passion to make these silly pictures, and has a passion of her own, REALLY keep her close.
here's a counter argument to Anonymous who said "The world needs more rationality, it has more than enough sentimental mushiness." - - does your Art, Science and Technology make you a cup of tea at the end of a hard day's work?
PS. francis, love your work! i especially dig your sketches
Well, I can make my own cup of tea and thanks to science and technology, I can do it faster with a lot more choices as to the kind of tea I want. I'm not sure how you thought that was a counter argument to what I said. Also, remember that because of science and technology, a hard day's work isn't as hard as it used to be 100 years ago. Who knows, it's possible that in the future we won't even need to have sexual intercourse in order to perpetuate the species anymore....
I know that sounds pretty bleak to the sentimentalists out there but think of all the relationship problems we'd avoid once coupling with the opposite sex is no longer necessary. The egotistical idea of possessing another person would take a hard hit. Our notions of love and respect would be forced to evolve into something more rational.
Sounds good to me.
- Pop-Monkey said...
Sorry, I know I said I was bowing out of this debate, but after that last ridiculous comment, I had to chime in one last time.
To everyone who thinks like that last brave "anonymous" fellow: you are heartless, inhuman robots and you're going to fuck up humanity even more than it already is.
Hard work and romantic love are virtues that do not need to be parted with, they need to be encouraged and refined. That's why we're becoming the lazy, whiny, entitled and immoral refuse that we are. And you want to keep going in that "progressive" direction? Real love and intimacy has nothing to do with "possessing" another person. If you see examples of that occurring, or folks who hold to that notion, guess what: that's not real love, so it doesn't need to be "evolved" beyond. Humanity's evolution can only go so far before it begins to seem like devolution. Let's erase all sentiment from humanity and see where it gets us.
Cripes, even Spock showed some heart and emotion now and again! (Yes, I just dragged a STAR TREK reference into this, sue me!)
- Francis Vallejo said...
I agree with PopMonkey. Art is a romantic creature, intended to illicit emotion from the viewer. If the artist has no sentiment, the resulting work will be emotionless, boring drab.
I think I can speak for a majority, that although the opposite sex makes me pull my hair out and I'll never understand them, they are beautiful people who I can't imagine living without. It's not egotistical, and no one in a good relationship believes they own another person. Anonymous, if I may be so bold, it sounds like you have had some hard times with the opposite sex. Me too. But I believe that once I find the right girl, my artwork, and life, will improve.
Now, going back to the original post and conversation....it started with the notion that your artwork must always come first. I interpret this as meaning you cannot be with someone who expects you to undercut your passion. For example, if you have a large important gig to complete, and the person is complaining that they want to watch a movie, then that's no good. But if they understand that what you are doing means a lot to you, and when you finish you will give them your undivided attention, then you have found a terrific girl.
We can't just turn off our artist's eye and brain. I'll be with a young lady, and instead of trying to be smooth I'll notice a great reflected light under her chin...hahaha....I know Rockwell loved women, they were integral to his work. His 2nd wife read to him all day while he worked! He just made the distinction that he would not allow himself to enter a relationship with someone who would have unfair expectations, that would ultimately, negatively effect his work.
Ha, yes, I am even more ruthlessly logical than Spock from Star Trek.
You brought up a good point. There's always a chance that advances in technology will be used for unwise purposes, we have plenty of examples of that to look at. However, the way to avoid going down that path is not to revert to emotionalism and sentimentality, love and all that squishy feel-good stuff. The only way to do it is to become even more rational and as objective as possible. That means questioning all our assumptions and beliefs in order to become more sane.
Do I need to list all the insane things that love and other emotions make people do? How can you say that romantic love is not possessive? Would a man who is in "true love" with his wife be overjoyed and totally accepting if she tells him of her plans to leave him for someone else?
Things like romantic love only separate people into groups. They don't unite us the way people would like to believe. You can't have love without hate. If you love a particular person the potential for hate is always there should anyone want to take that person away from you or hurt that person in any way. The only acceptable form of love, from a logical stand-point is what the ancient Greeks called Agape, that is equal love and respect for all things. This has no resemblance to common romance. If you regard all things equally then no particular person or thing can stand out. Romantic love cannot exist in the mind of a person who has attained Agape. There is nothing to hate except ignorance itself. That's a superior mentality.
I'm not advocating the destruction of sentimentality. I'm saying that it should be taken for what it really is which is a crude way of dealing with the challenges of life.
- Francis Vallejo said...
Anonymous, although I don't agree with your response, I appreciate, and am interested, in you explaining your stance.
If romantic love was somehow removed from humanity, how do you think that would effect art?
- Pop-Monkey said...
The Greeks had/have many words for love, and to infer that they held agape love as the ultimate form above all others is misleading and wrong. It is merely one type of love, and is a more specific use of language than the English "love". There is also Eros (being romantic love), Storge (being natural familial affection), Philia (friendship and brotherhood) and Thelema (desire or want, not necessarily sexual). To insist on agape love being the only logical form of love is silly -- it's not nearly descriptive or deep enough to encompass the full range of feelings of love and desire that humanity should naturally be allowed to express. All of the above are necessary.
There's a difference between being hurt that your love for another is being threatened and feelings of possession of that person, though the two can exist concurrently. I do not presume to possess my wife to the degree that I can control her thoughts and actions and dictate ultimatums to her. We do both belong to each other, as we have said as much and more in our vows, however, and are expected (within the bounds and definition of a marriage relationship) to be accountable to each other, to serve each other and to meet each other's needs. It's not about expectations leveled against the other person, it's about expectations of yourself to uphold your responsibilities in the relationship. If you both concentrate on what you can and should do for the other (not because you are their possession, but because you truly love them and have promised certain things), many of the problems that occur in marriages today will be lessened.
The potential for hate will always be there because we are human, not because we insist on sentimentality. We are flawed creatures and the notion of worldwide unity and brotherhood can never be fully realized. It is an ideal we should strive for (I'm not saying to embrace hate), but turning to pure logic and shunning sentimentality and emotion is not the answer. Much of the greatest achievements of humankind have been "illogical". I'm not saying logic in itself is bad, but it's far too broad a subject to apply here in such base terms, and I don't believe that sentimentality and emotion are necessarily exclusive to logic and reason in all instances.
Now, I really do have work to do...
- Sarah Watts said...
I agree with the quote, but if the wife is the sugar mama while the artist is getting on their feet, then they must be nice.
- Francis Vallejo said...
I just read an interesting passage in Rockwell's book "My Adventures of an Illustrator."
It goes:
"I developed a principle: if you don't love anybody, I said to myself, if you don't become involved, then you won't get hurt. So I filled my days with work and my nights with parties and tried not to think about anything, succeeding pretty well. And after all I had my work and the habit of going out to the studio every day, which reminded me every morning that life wasn't just bootleg gin and pleasure...."
Rockwell had this revelation about a year or two before he went through a divorce with his 2nd wife.
"if you don't love anybody, I said to myself, if you don't become involved, then you won't get hurt."
Yikes, that's just an awfully childish and cowardly way of dealing with the issues of love and romance. Basically, he's just running away because he doesn't like getting hurt. He was trying to ignore and maybe even kill the part of his personality that wanted to be loved. Obviously it didn't work because he got married a couple more times after this "revelation".
You can't deal with the pain of love by running away and ignoring it. Ignoring something doesn't mean it isn't still there having an influence on the choices you make. That actually makes you more vulnerable. The real solution requires scrutiny over every possible aspect of it until you uncover the delusions that cause you to have such an exaggerated desire for another person.
Romantic love is merely nature's way of tricking us into reproducing. All the pomp and circumstance that society piles on top of it is actually quite hollow if you really look at it. We don't need to be in love to make art. Unless of course, the opposite sex is your main source of inspiration. Then I suppose you'd be screwed if you ever found out how false love really is. Unless you found another source of inspiration.
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Is it really so tragic when a marriage fails? Marriage is an outdated institution. There is no shame in failing at something that you did only because you weren't in your right mind at the time.
Loneliness is what addicts to the company of other people call boredom.
- Pop-Monkey said...
If marriage is an "outdated" institution, then it only speaks of our tragic degradation and moral atrophy as a people. The breakdown of the family is one of the major root causes of all that is wrong with society, and it is producing people who have no idea what real love is, why it is important and who don't have the maturity, responsibility, dedication and sense of commitment to uphold worthwhile and critical ideas like marriage, family and parenting. I think those failures are quite evident here in some of the responses. Art without love? Nature "tricking" us into reproducing? There are higher things than these at work in this world and to ignore them is folly. You think you want that kind of world, but you really don't. It will only hasten our downfall.
I don't think family break-ups are tragic either. What the world needs in order to become sane is more authentic individualism. A true individual is someone who can think for himself and doesn't just blindly accept social traditions like romance and family, someone who isn't in a constant and desperate need for the approval of others. True individualism requires honesty. The truth is that we are always alone in the world. You can never be absolutely certain that your wife/parents/children/friends love you. There is just no way of knowing someone else's thoughts. Anything you do to convince yourself that you know what someone is feeling is necessarily a fantasy. Millions of people pursuing this fantasy is obviously what causes the world to be as crazy as it is, because they are basing all their expectations on a delusion. We are born alone and we die alone. If that sounds depressing to someone then it's because they've spent most of their life trying not to think about it.
Seeing love for the delusion that it really is automatically gets the individual rolling in the right direction towards his development as a sane and highly conscious person. Without that you are always depending on other people for your sense of worth or identity. And as is clearly evident, even if you uphold your part of the bargain in a relationship there is no guarantee that you won't be betrayed. Even if you are the best partner the world has ever seen there is no guarantee that the relationship will last. Anything can happen and when people put all their hopes and dreams into such a fragile arrangement it's no wonder why they go insane when things don't go their way.
Wanting to possess someone and depending on them for your own sense of worth is unwise. It's better to let people be free and not place any unrealistic expectations on them. Let them develop into free-thinking, non-attached individuals. Things like marriage and the myth of romantic love only destroy the potential we all have to become highly conscious, truly human individuals.
- Pop-Monkey said...
I LOVE these "anonymous" individuals who have the answer to life. What truly miserable human beings they will end up becoming. Keep "evolving", pal -- you're obviously well on your way to achieving the pinnacle of selfish human existence. Marriage and relationships are too "hard" and "fragile" for you, eh? I guess that makes them not worth the effort then, huh? Pity. Your "truth" smacks of pathetic loneliness and bitterness to me.
I also love how folks like yourself assume that because someone holds to a particular notion or ideal that you don't, or that has been around for longer than your tiny mind, that they do so out of "blind" adherence to tradition or "the norm". Can you perhaps find it within your self-absorbed skull to imagine that some people actually devote a great deal of thought and concentration to the things they believe. Simply because an idea has been around for a long while does not make it outdated or irrelevant and deserving of societies turning away from it. Such progress merely for the sake of progress equates to futile and childish rebellion. Like a toddler squawling at his parents for not allowing him to play with a sharp object. Or, perhaps more accurately, a child lashing out at his playmates and smashing their toys because they hurt his feelings.
This notion that we are always alone, can only rely on ourselves and we are the only ones worth living for is stupid, selfish and immature, not to mention depressingly narrow. Is it wrong to believe that there are greater things in this world than oneself? Do you honestly think humanity stands a chance if it subscribes to your callous notions? It's quite clear, from looking around this world that your path leads to destruction. We're reaping the results of your wrongly idealized notions that love is irrelevant, family is not worth the attention and effort and a man's greatest concern should be himself. THAT's what got us into the messes that we're in, not the "fantasy of love", don't you get it? I'll say it one last time -- I don't want to live in the world you're prescribing, and you wouldn't either if you could see where it would lead.
Sure, there are a lot of screwed up families, individuals and governments out there, but that's because we're becoming increasingly self-centered and callous, not because the long-standing tenets of our societies are wrong and outdated. It's YOUR way of thinking that has resulted in all these ills in the first place -- so you want to evolve and become "higher beings" by continuing down that slippery slope instead of rolling up your sleeves, looking past your own bloated sense of self, and committing to do the hard, self-sacrificing, honorable work of living for others and passing on noble sentiment and example to the next generation? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Your ship will run aground with you at the helm. Read a map and change your course, because you're not helping things, "anonymous".
I would certainly argue that family breakups are tragic. I would bet that you've experienced the negative affects of a family dissolution/mismanagement as it's clearly warped your point of view. Anyone who speaks so coldly of love has had to have been embittered by someone treating them poorly. There's a nation of children out there whose maturation and development have been stunted, whose sense of morality, ethics and personal responsibility has been skewed and who grow up with a sense of destructive entitlement because their parents couldn't be bothered to show real love to their kids and insist their kids mirror that love in their lives. So, we get an atrophied generation who passes that atrophy on to the next, which causes further atrophy, and so on.
You say "free-thinking" and "highly-conscious", I say "uncaring, callous robot". You don't have the slightest inkling of what it means to be truly human -- it's not perfect, and it takes hard work to do it right, but it's worth it in the end because we are not alone. Or maybe you do know what it means, you just can't be bothered with the effort and the occasional skinned knee.
- Pop-Monkey said...
That really is my last word on the subject. I'm through arguing my point. You're not going to change my mind -- I'll only feel sorry for you and grind my teeth that there are people in the world who think that way -- and it's going to take a real-life revelation to jerk some of you out of your stupor, not my rambling blog comments. All will be revealed to you in the end.
Pop-Monkey, over and out.
I would never say that marriage and relationships are too "hard" to maintain. They are in fact, relatively easy. Thinking for yourself and not relying on others for your happiness or sense of satisfaction are far more difficult. Things like marriage are popular despite the obvious shortcomings because they allow the person to relinquish any responsibility over the difficult task of becoming a true individual. They relieve the anxiety that comes with making important life choices. Indecision is reduced to a simple task of copying what everyone else is doing. All you have to do is what makes you look good in the eyes of others. The question of whether it's right or wrong never enters consideration in any truly cognitive way and that comes as a great relief. Is it really a mystery why the world is crazy if people don't bother to question what's right and wrong and only do what feels good?
The fantasy of love is purely selfish. All love is self-love. Everything you do out of love for others would mean nothing if you weren't getting something back for it. It's actually quite simple. The benefit with becoming wise and non-attached is that you no longer experience selfish desires because your mind dwells only in what is ultimately true. True wisdom is not uncaring; non-attachment and indifference are not the same thing.
I didn't say that marriage is outdated simply because it's been around a long time. It's outdated because it's based on egotism. True wisdom has been around a long time too (maybe even longer) and it will never be outdated. Just because most people are ignorant of it doesn't mean it isn't valid.
As for your personal attacks I won't comment except to say that my family has always loved and supported me even though they don't agree with my philosophy. As for my love life, I've had my fair share of ordeals with the opposite sex. The only difference is that I came to see what an endless circle I was running in at an early age and it has made all the difference in my life.
- Francis Vallejo said...
...I deleted a comment above that wasn't needed on my blog. You may say whatever you like about me, but DO NOT bring up any negative talk, especially personal, if it concerns other contemporary artists. This is a public forum, a lot of people read what is said.
Staying anonymous is fine I suppose, but would you type these same things if you were signing the posts?
I'll type up a formal response to these thoughts soon (moving into a new place..) I didn't realize the conversation was still going.
- Pop-Monkey said...
Francis, when I saw that you had come back and deleted a comment, I assumed it was my last rant, which probably should be deleted, but I see that it was not. I was going to come back and apologize for it and ask you to delete it, so that's what I'll do.
I don't know whom I'm apologizing to, as you did not care to use any sort of name, but my comments were a bit over the top. I still stand by my beliefs and I disagree with just about everything you have said, and still believe your way of thought will cause further ruin, but I certainly did not need to phrase it in such a way as to be rude and insulting. As you can tell, I feel strongly about this subject, and I'm going through a very stressful and emotionally draining time in my life right now. I think I need to stay away from message boards and blog comments as it's just too easy to lash out right now.
My sincere apologies to "anonymous" and to Francis for hijacking your post comments with such increased venom.
- Francis Vallejo said...
Jared, No problems with your comments man. I really respect your opinion since you're living through much of what we're talking about.
I deleted a comment above that was aimed at the personal life of a valued teacher of mine.
No apology needed. "Venom" is required in discussing these sorts of things. Knowledge is never acquired painlessly.
Good luck with whatever is causing you stress.


text:
Patrick Bradley necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 94 diseños de 21 diseñadores freelance.
Bradley School of Music http://www.bradleyschoolofmusic.com
Bradley School of Music is Located in Concord, CA. We specialize in teaching & performance. Bradley School of Music is a first class choice for music instruction. We are about the music above all else. We offer private lessons for guitar, bass, vocals, drums, percussion, ukulele, mandolin, banjo, trombone, trumpet, clarinet, saxophone, music theory, arranging, improvisation, and sight reading. Students have the opportunity to perform & jam with BSM owner Patrick Bradley & Grammy Nominated Orestes Vilato. We are committed to excellence in teaching and emphasize the fundamentals so students can apply these to any genre of music. We offer performance & private study, along with group classes, clinics, and celebrity guest master classes. The ceiling for education is very high at BSM-meaning a student can come here and expect to achieve the highest level of education. For a student who is not motivated to be a professional, we are not exclusive. We will take anyone and teach him or her music the right way. Bradley School of Music is building a community of people who love music.
Target Audience: 4 primary targets (overall-Ages 5+)
1) Parents (5-25)
We target to parents who have kids anywhere from age 5-25. These students are usually beginner students, but not always.
2) Adults (40-80)
Social Adult-The social adult comes to our monthly jam sessions and jams with the instructor at lessons. Is in it for the social aspect of it. They want to learn songs to play for family & friends, and to be able to jam with fellow musicians.
3) Dreamers (10-30)
This target loves the flashy edgy side of being a musician. Looking to pursue music in their life. They are interested in the performance side-being a rock star, pop star, writing music, studio work. They want to be challenged.
4) Professional (15-60)
This targets the professionals looking to polish their skills for their professional work in the music industry.
a) Sophisticated-Working to pass college audition for music school, interested in making music a career one day in teaching or performance.
b) Pro Adult- ages 30-40 who are at the intermediate-advance level. Plays at gigs.
-Would like the logo and color scheme incorporated (see scanned images of the brochure and business card w/logo on each). Overview of the school up top near logo. Keep it simple and clean. Professional.
-Would like to have a banner across the top (see berklee college of music website for reference.)
-Would like to introduce instruments offered with drop downs. Guitar (guitar, bass, mandolin, ukulele, banjo), Drums (drum kit, percussion), Voice (no drop down), Group Classes (group classes,clinics,ensembles) Horns (trumpet, trombone, clarinet, saxophone.)
-Button on front page "sign up here for a first free lesson."
-Button for "find us on yelp"
Project Objective-
New home page, Give the current website a facelift, replacing it with a professional looking, more engaging, user friendly, visually appealing site. Only design-no coding.
5) Optional Suggestions:
Nav Bars
Nav bar on top: including about us (mission, FAQ, overview), Instruments or private instruction (guitar, bass, mandolin, ukulele, voice, drum kit, percussion), pricing (half hour lessons, hour lessons, home study)
All have drop down options.
Side Bar: success stories, location, BSM Trio
Nav area: (smaller text top right) home, contact, consult, search
Social media buttons (top right under nav area: twitter, facebook,
myspace, flickr, youtube.
News and announcement in the center of the front page.
Payement Method: Pay Pal
Attached files:
Business card, brochure, and Logo.
http://www.berklee.edu/ (like the banners on top and how the photo changes, emphasis with the pictures is focused on the music and does not have pictures where direct eye contact is made. They have professional candid photos of what appears to be events going on at the school.
http://www.musictogether.com/ (consistent with the brand, feels friendly, and well organized.)
http://www.mi.edu/ (managed to combine flashy with professional)
http://www.juilliard.edu/ (easy to navigate, and very clean and organized. A little too plain for us, but we like the organization)

subset: commoncrawl


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2013-03-15 - San Francisco-based doom rockers ORCHID have released the first album trailer for their upcoming masterpiece "The Mouths Of Madness".
"The Mouths Of Madness" is going to be released April 26, 2013 via Nuclear Blast.
Pre-order your CD/Vinyl copy via http://smarturl.it/Orchid
Check out singer Theo Mindell talking the album's artwork:
As an appetizer for "The Mouths Of Madness", ORCHID recently released the exclusive 10" vinyl EP "Wizard Of War", containing a brand new track, a rare bonus track as well as one song off the band's stunning debut album "Capricorn". The EP can also be purchased via the above link.
ORCHID have been named "The best and most important doom band of the past five years" by ROCK HARD Germany's chief in editor Goetz Kuehnemund and BEHEMOTH's legendary mainman Nergal stated "BLACK SABBATH should do an album like "The Mouths Of Madness"!"
Also check out:
"Wizard Of War" lyric video:
"Capricorn" music video:
26.04. D Lichtenfels - Paunchy Cats
27.04. D Berlin - Desertfest
28.04. PL Warschau - Progresja
29.04. PL Krakau - Lizard King
30.04. A Wien - Szene
01.05. D Darmstadt - Steinbruch Theater
02.05. D München - Backstage Halle
03.05. D Siegen - Vortex
04.05. F Paris - Trabendo
06.05. NL Tilburg - O13
07.05. CH Aarau - Kiff
08.05. F Luynes/Aix - Le Korigan
09.05. E Barcelona - Razzmatazz 3
10.05. E Madrid - El Sol
11.05. E San Sebastian - C.C. Intxaurrondo
12.05. F Toulouse - Le Saint des Sains
13.05. I Milano - Lo Fi Club
14.05. I Rome - Traffic Live Club
15.05. I Bologna - Freak Out Club
16.05. A Dornbirn - Schlachthaus
17.05. D Stuttgart - Universum
18.05. D Hamburg - Markthalle
19.05. D Gelsenkirchen - Rock Hard Festival (ORCHID ONLY)
21.05. UK London - Underworld (ORCHID ONLY)
|Linked bands
ORCHID - announce new drummer!
2016-04-21 19:45 - San Francisco-based classic doom metallers ORCHID have parted ways with drummer Carter Kennedy. The split happened last July after the band had returned home from Europe ... Details
ORCHID - release 'Helicopters' video!
2015-11-13 15:00 - San Francisco-based classic doom metallers ORCHID have released the official music video for the song 'Helicopters' off of the band's most recent EP, »Sign Of The Witch«. Details
ORCHID – brand new EP out now!
2015-07-17 14:00 - San Francisco-based classic doom metallers ORCHID have released their brand new EP »Sign Of The Witch« via Nuclear Blast Records today! Check out the official lyric video ... Details
ORCHID – release lyric video!
2015-06-17 16:15 - San Francisco-based classic doom metallers ORCHID have released the official lyric video for the title track of the band's brand new EP »Sign Of The Witch« which will be ... Details
NUCLEAR BLAST - artists at OUT AND LOUD
2015-05-29 14:30 - Next week, June, 04th to 06th, OUT AND LOUD FESTIVAL (ex-BEASTIVAL) will take place in Geiselwind, Germany, for the 3rd time. Bands of NUCLEAR BLAST will be high in number ... Details
ORCHID – new EP release date announced!
2015-05-28 09:30 - San Francisco-based ORCHID's brand new EP »Sign Of The Witch« which was scheduled for a late May 2015 release will now be released July 17 via Nuclear Blast Records. Details
ORCHID – will arrive in Europe next week
2015-05-22 00:00 - San Francisco-based classic doom metallers ORCHID will arrive in Europe next week to play big festivals like Rockavaria and Rock im Revier on the Centerstage Details
ORCHID - announce European tour dates!
2015-02-24 09:00 - San Francisco-based classic doom metallers ORCHID have announced tour dates for Europe this coming summer. Details
ORCHID - announce new EP!
2015-02-13 13:20 - San Francisco-based classic doom metallers ORCHID have announced to be releasing a brand new EP, named »Sign Of The Witch«. Details
NUCLEAR BLAST Bands @ "Fear FestEvil 2015"
2015-01-14 14:30 - Performing live at the RockBar Theater in San José will be MESHUGGAH, AGNOSTIC FRONT, and ORCHID, in addition to the North American debut of BLUES PILLS! Details


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Yorman Rodriguez
Height 6-3, Weight 180, B/T: R/R, DOB: 08/15/1992
2009 Redlegs Baseball Prospect Ranking: #17
Yorman Rodriguez runs neck and neck with Billy Hamilton for the title of Best Athlete in the System. His raw athleticism gives him one of the highest ceilings in the entire system, while his raw, unrefined set of baseball specific skills leave him a rather low floor. Hamilton and Yorman are similar in their athleticism, but arrived in the system in different ways.
Rodriguez is a byproduct of the Reds renewed emphasis on international scouting, which has brought in a tremendous amount of talent in the form of Johnny Cueto, Juan Duran, Yorman Rodriguez, Miguel Rojas, and others. In the modern game, the financial structure of Major League Baseball makes international scouting almost a necessity for small/mid-market teams to attain any measure of success. Supplementing the flow of prospects acquired in the Rule IV draft with international free agent signings increases both the quality and quantity of prospects of the farm system. Yorman is the brightest light of the Reds' recent international signings.
Rodriguez split time between the Gulf Coast League Reds and the Billings Mustangs, which is an impressive feat in and of itself for a 16-year old. In fact, one of the most impressive and telling aspects of Yorman's performance is his performance against much older and more advanced competition. A prospect's "age vs. level" provides necessary context for evaluating his performance and Yorman's speaks highly of his overall abilities.
In the Gulf Coast League, Yorman posted a .274/.347/.321/.669 with a 23/10 K/BB ratio over 22 games and 95 plate appearances. He also flashed good wheels, swiping 5 bases in 5 attempts. He collected 23 hits, but only 3 of them went for extra bases (2 2b, 1 3b, 0 HR). He hit line drives at a 14% clip, which makes his hit luck (BABIP of .377) look even more unsustainable.
Surprisingly enough, the 16-year old Yorman was promoted to rookie level Billings. For the Mustangs, Yorman posted a .219/.259/.344/.603 slash line with a 61/9 K/BB ratio, 3 homeruns, and 5 steals in 7 attempts over 46 games and 193 plate appearances. His line drive rate jumped to 22% while his BABIP was perhaps a bit low at .311. His 4.7% walk rate and 31.6% strikeout rate were more than a little unimpressive and would be a significant cause for concern if Yorman wasn't so young and have such a long development curve ahead of him.
The Reds were very aggressive with Yorman's development in 2009, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him return to Billings for 2010.
Rodriguez utilizes a pretty standard setup, including a slightly wider than shoulder width stance. He holds his hands up by his right ear and uses a slight bat waggle to keep his muscles loose. At times, he also uses a very small pre-pitch elbow movement that somewhat resembles arm flapping. It involves pulling both his elbows in towards his body and is another technique to keep his body loose and tension free while waiting for the pitch. Overall, it's a rather quiet, fundamentally sound setup that should serve him well as he advances up the professional ranks.
Rodriguez uses a two-step stride that contains minimal forward motion. His first move with his front foot is towards the plate and up onto his toes, which helps him cock his hips and load up to generate power for the swing. The second step is a small stride forward to meet the pitch, which involves enough forward movement in his stride to effectively transfer his weight to meet the pitch.
Rodriguez hits with a high back elbow, so before he can fire his swing he first has to drop the back elbow. When he does fire the swing, he takes a big swing at the ball and doesn't get cheated. He has a slight uppercut to his swing path, which should give him the loft on the ball he needs to hit for substantial power when he fills out physically. He has good bat speed and gets good extension out and through the ball, however those attributes also give his swing a bit of length to his swing. Sometimes a longer swing goes hand in glove with contact rate problems, as longer swings typically have more holes. The contact rate problem that frequently comes with a longer swing can be offset by plus hand-eye coordination or from improved selectivity at the plate. For now, however, Yorman still struggles with contact, as evidenced by his strikeout rate (GCL: 24.2%, Billings: 31.6%).
At times, Rodriguez loses his lower body in his swing and ends up with largely an upper body and arm swing. I do wonder if his stride is too minimal to effectively rotate his hips inward to cock them and maximize the load in his swing. Right now, it is simply too early in his physical development to determine whether the lower body action in his swing is robbing him of any power. It bears watching as he begins to add strength, but right now when Yorman loses the lower body in his swing it stems more from pitch recognition problems than any real flaw in his swing mechanics. If he improves his pitch selection, then his swing will necessarily improve.
The biggest problem for Yorman right now is that he swings at just about everything. He utilizes the Vlad Guerrero strikezone, basically everything from "his nose to his toes" is fair game. Not surprisingly, when he chases pitches out of the zone, he ends reaching for the ball which negates the power derived from his leg drive and hip rotation. Additionally, when he gets fooled by breaking pitches, he gets too far out on the front foot, which saps his lower body action and leaves him to flail at the pitch with his arms. It's difficult to let your swing work when you are constantly offering at pitches that make that impossible. Obviously, Yorman is very raw and needs some refinement to both his plate approach and swing mechanics.
Here are a couple of good looks at Yorman in action:
For such a young player, Yorman does a pretty nice job of utilizing the entire field. He's not afraid to take the ball the other way and he can do so with power. In fact, 2 of his 3 homeruns for Billings went to right field, which speaks volume about his ability to drive the ball from foul pole to foul pole.
Rodriguez sports tremendous raw tools. He has plus speed and a plus arm, which should enable him to become an above average defensive outfielder with the potential to develop into a true impact defensive player. Like the rest of his game, Yorman needs to continue refining his defensive play. He needs to get more game experience reading the ball off the bat and also work on improving his routes to the ball.
Rodriguez has the type of electricity to his game that you only see in players with plus speed. He's obviously a fast-twitch guy, as he has a bounce to his stride that makes him look like he's gliding over the turf. As he continues to refine and polish his game, he should be able to improve his ability to effectively utilize and incorporate his speed into his game.
As much excitement as Yorman generates, it's still difficult to get past his age and plate discipline problems. His age against level of competition is a big plus for Yorman, but it also means that he has a long way to go before he reaches the Major League level. And, it's difficult to know how his body will change as he continues to mature and fill out. He stands 6-3 and weighs in at 180 lbs, but he has room on his frame for another 15-20 lbs. When that happens, will it rob him of speed or quickness? Also, will he ever learn to become more selective at the plate? Or, will he forever allow the opposing pitcher to tilt the probability of success in the pitcher's favor?
Yorman's upside is tantalizing, but his downside is substantial. There have been any number of elite international prospects signed out of Latin America who ultimately didn't pan out, as they simply lacked the refined baseball specific skills necessary to translate their impressive athleticism into baseball production. Yorman's raw tools give me reason for optimism, but his poor plate approach gives me reason for concern. I'm a big believer in the importance of getting a good pitch to hit. In baseball, it frequently doesn't matter the quality of the swing mechanics or quality of a players tools if the player is trying to hit a pitch with which he can do very little. Baseball has always been more about refined baseball specific skills than overall athleticism. Kevin Youkilis is a prime example. His overall athleticism is rather poor and, to quote Terry Francona on his physique, "I've seen him in the shower and I can tell you he's not a Greek God of anything." So, Youkilis is short on tools and physicality, but he's long on baseball skills, which is what makes him one of the best, most productive players in the league.
Of course, in a perfect world, you'd have both tools and skills, which is when you have a true star player on your hands. For now, Yorman checks in at #7 on the list based largely on his tools. The future is bright, but there are still many wrong turns on his development path to be avoided before he can emerge as an impact talent at the MLB level.
A running discussion on the Cincinnati Reds and everything else in the baseball universe.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
2010 Top Prospect List: #7 Yorman Rodriguez, of
Labels: 2010, Baseball, Reds, Top 15 Prospects, Y.Rodriguez
3 comments:
- AnonymousMarch 27, 2010 at 12:53 PM
The second part of the conclusion just stops mid sentenceReplyDelete
Thanks for the heads-up. Not sure why that cut off like that, but made the changes.
Hola yorman. Un saludo desde venezuela soy amigo de tu primo eduard (mudito) y de tu mamá aracelis, éxitos chamo pa'lante y viva la costa de oroReplyDelete
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text:
Ferry Porsche once said: "We believe in quality, not quantity when it comes to building cars". And this attitude is one that we also live by. We are dedicated to fulfilling your wishes, to develop one-off vehicles which bring our motto "Individuality straight from the factory" onto the road.
With Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur, the human hand is our most valuable asset. From creating your vehicle on a screen in the Centre to the hands bringing your truly unique Porsche to life in Stuttgart. Speak to your Porsche Exclusive ManufakturConsultant in our Centre, who will be delighted to guide you through the opportunities available to you. You can also download the Porsche Personalisation app to your tablet and explore the possibilities in your home.Download the app
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Each Porsche is something truly special. This passion is the reason why the exceptional is created time and time again. Customised vehicles are a tradition at Porsche. Our wealth of experience goes back a long way. From the outset, we made it our goal to bring the customisation wishes of customers to life. From the implementation of the very first Porsche 356 special requests to this day, we have been producing unique models and limited production runs under the motto "Individuality straight from the factory."
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**Important information about the all-electric Porsche models can be found here.


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Michigan's new era of health care begins Tuesday, as many of its 1.1 million uninsured residents start deciding how best to obtain coverage required under the landmark federal health care law.
LANSING, Mich. (AP) ? Michigan's new era of health care begins Tuesday, as many of its 1.1 million uninsured residents start deciding how best to obtain coverage required under the landmark federal health care law.
A new online insurance market will launch, giving lower- to middle-income workers without insurance the chance to buy a private plan with the help of tax credits.
Though Tuesday is the first day to sign up, there is no rush. The deadline to be covered on day one ? Jan. 1 ? is Dec. 15. And people have until March 31 to sign up for a plan on the "exchange" without being penalized.
All told, roughly 450,000 more residents could have insurance in 2014, according to outside estimates. Within five years, the state's uninsured rate could drop from 11 percent to 6 percent of the population.
While most Michigan residents still have insurance through an employer, the recession and rising premium costs were unkind to many employees. More than a half-million people lost their private insurance from 2008 to 2011, according to the Center for Health Care Research & Transformation at the University of Michigan.
Those still with employer insurance are paying a lot more for it. Businesses increased employee premiums by half in the last decade. Deductibles more than doubled.
"The exchanges could offer choices to people who have really been left out or have lost affordable coverage," said Marianne Udow-Phillips, the center's director. "Each individual is going to have a different circumstance."
Tuesday not only is the start of enrollment, it also is when the public first finds out how much coverage will cost.
Michigan will make public premiums, cost sharing and designs for roughly 140 plans offered by 13 state insurers. A resident on average will have 43 plans to pick from, with those in metropolitan areas enjoying more choice and rural residents likely seeing less.
People will pay dramatically different premiums depending on their income, family size, age, hometown and tobacco use.
The Obama's administration recent review of average premiums on the Michigan exchange was positive, showing that a family of four with $50,000 in annual income could get a "bronze" plan for just $80 in monthly premiums thanks to tax subsidies.
But in choosing the lowest premium, the family would see higher cost sharing through annual deductibles and copayments. Avalere Health studied six other states and concluded the deductible for a mid-range "silver" plan averages $2,250, more than twice the typical deductible in employer plans.
To review and pick from four levels of coverage, people should go to www.healthcare.gov beginning Tuesday.
Despite the inherent complexities of medical insurance and the inevitable glitches to come with such a massive rollout of new information technology, the health law's advocates say many people should be able to enroll themselves. If not, "navigators" and counselors will walk them through the process.
"People should go ahead and apply right away to determine where exactly they are. Most people don't know exactly where their income falls," said Jan Hudson, senior analyst with the Michigan League for Public Policy.
The poor or near-poor earning up to 133 percent of the poverty line will be steered to Medicaid in six months assuming the federal government OKs the state's "Healthy Michigan" Medicaid expansion plan.
Those buying their own plan will see annual out-of-pocket expenses capped at $6,350 for an individual, $12,700 for families. Those below 250 percent of the poverty level will get help with out-of-pocket bills.
Someone who is healthy and goes to the doctor once a year might choose a lower premium and pay more out of pocket. Someone who is chronically ill and needs multiple medicines might want a higher premium with fewer out-of-pocket expenses.
Udow-Phillips said the exchange could especially help many early retirees who are too young for Medicare and now are uninsured or buy expensive coverage on the individual market. The health law allows insurers to charge older adults up to three times more than younger ones. That is less of a spread than in Michigan now.
The break for older people could hurt younger residents, though, who might decide to pay a fine instead of getting insurance.
One thing unique to Michigan is competition.
Of the 36 states in which the U.S. government will run or support a health marketplace, Michigan has the highest number of participating insurers. The total number of plans is above the national average, too.
"We have a lot of competition in this state for the first time among insurance companies. That's very exciting," said Don Hazaert, executive director of Michigan Consumers for Healthcare, which was awarded money to coordinate in-person assistance to help people buy insurance.
The umbrella group plans to pay $25 each time an agency enrolls someone.
Nonprofit organizations and low-income community health clinics will be crucial to signing up the uninsured because Michigan lost out on $31 million in federal money when Republican lawmakers rejected GOP Gov. Rick Snyder's plan to run the exchange or at least partner with the federal government on it.
Snyder is concerned about how the federal launch will go and expects confusion. He pledges that his administration will still direct callers to the right resources.
One such place is Enroll America, a coalition of health companies and advocates that deployed full-time organizers and volunteers here because Michigan is a big state with more than 1 million uninsured and to supplement outreach efforts since state government has a limited role. They are knocking on doors, visiting churches and calling people at home to get the word out.
"We're laser-focused on cutting through the noise and giving folks the just-the-facts information they need and want so they can make the best health care decisions for them and their families," spokesman Shawn Dhanak said. "We're telling people regardless of their situation, their circumstances, what their income level is, everybody on Oct. 1 should visit healthcare.gov. That's the first step."


text:
Tell Us More About Your BMW L7. View all models
AutoZone carries hundreds of thousands of parts and accessories.
Select your Year, Make, Model and Engine to find those that fit your vehicle.
We're sorry, but there are no results in this parts category for BMW L7. Please select another vehicle or click on the Parts tab at the top of the page to see the available parts for this vehicle.


text:
Toxoplasmosis is a common infection in people, birds, and animals
that often is not noticed or may cause mild flu-like symptoms. But the
infection can cause problems for a fetus (when the mother becomes infected) and
for people who have weakened immune systems.
Human infection usually happens when a person eats food that
contains the toxoplasmosis parasite, such as undercooked meat from an infected
animal. You also can get infected by touching an infected cat or its feces.
Most people develop an immunity during the 2 months after the infection.
Last Revised:
June 2, 2011
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine & Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology
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Shoe Type
Our wide range of men's footwear in large shoe sizesBigfootshoes is your one-stop shop for men's shoes, from size 12 upwards. We stock a wide range of brands and styles, including casual shoes, moccasins, Brogues, slippers, slip-on shoes and Chelsea boots, all at at competitive prices. Available in large shoe sizes for men.
London Brogues Gatsby Black£70.00