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Maurice Ali



Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7656
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Sat Oct 09, 2004 5:22 am    Post subject: Our New Office! Reply with quote

Our New Office!


By Maurice Ali, Journalist


We are continuing to make structural improvements in our organization; including the official head office of FOF and IAIJ! I really loath doing up an office as I consider this bad luck - the good part is that we have to do it and it is not just a vanity. "Have to do it" is the key word for doing it and now that we are inviting the government to look us over, we have to have a physical place truly dedicated to the companies. So our offices will be where they always were - in my basement - but now they will be proper offices with separate entry, studio, office, three piece bathroom, bar, storage room with fridge, etc.. I have set aside this long Thanksgiving Day weekend to do it. I will also make this "exclusive report in replies to alert regs to new additions (if they are interested in this stuff) as I proceed with the office "make-over". I will try to do this with as little money spent as possible so as not to jinx us; so don't expect the Sisteine Chapel when I am done.....but, it will be our official office and I am really excited about this!
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Maurice
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Joined: 13 Oct 2003
Posts: 614
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Sat Oct 09, 2004 11:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Step One.....

Here is the front entrance (as opposed to the main entrance which is at the back of the house):



Before

Rather plain; and here is the front after:


After

I especially liked the prop microphone as it is a media company and journalist association. I may get a guest book and mount for our CD advertisement to finish it off. The real work though is to mount a door. I originally wanted to use the inside office door to save money, but it could not fit so I had to go with my dad and pick up a new one.....


The new door.....

The door is now hung but has to be planed and I have to get lockable door knobs - so I will leave that till later.....
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Maurice
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Joined: 13 Oct 2003
Posts: 614
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Sun Oct 10, 2004 2:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Please note:

I should let you know that my main computer is giving me problems right now and I may have to reformat. This is a regular thing nowadays and part of the price I pay monitoring free speech venues. I will not lose any data as I run dual drives and back up constantly. But I may not have the access I usually have until the fresh install is done.....



The front entrance is done! I have just finished putting up one of our plastic logo sheets (With black tacks no less!) at the entrance and that part of the office is finished! I can actually have people come over and the office is there!:





This was not without incident; I accidently broke a light fixture on the ceiling as I was installing the door..... You never see that on Bob Villa..... The door required much fitting but is solid and locks properly now. I will continue with the move and post the new "spartan" studio. Most of the stuff in the main area will end up in my office and I will also bring down my back-up computer which will be used for accounting. More as it happens.....

Oh - I also bought a super-video connector for the camera - 50.00 dollars..... When will it ever end.....
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Maurice
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Joined: 13 Oct 2003
Posts: 614
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Sun Oct 10, 2004 7:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Some more pics on the server. The post takes a long time to load as it is - so this will be linked:

The Bathroom (with Bobrick Stainless Steel fittings!

Some of the shower

Storage Room!

More Of The Storage Room!

Clutter at the bar!

Clutter behind the bar!

I have been screwing around too long this morning - Back To Work!!!!!
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Maurice
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Joined: 13 Oct 2003
Posts: 614
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Sun Oct 10, 2004 12:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The office gets completed slowly as we move stuff out. I am continually impressed with how impressed others are at the idea that we have official offices. It seems that the newspapers and books and the office have a reality that reinforces the legitimacy of our organization. This is the desired effect and can only help us as we go to larger projects; and we need the space!

I have to get some shut-eye and do the Thanksgiving thing later, then reformat my main computer (I am doing this on a 166!).


Last edited by Maurice on Mon Oct 11, 2004 7:26 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Maurice
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Joined: 13 Oct 2003
Posts: 614
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Mon Oct 11, 2004 5:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

A New Day:



Found this old photo and figured I would post it to show how large the studio is. It is roughly eleven by thirty seven feet! This is a usable size.....

The main (as opposed to the front which is access through a door at the front of the house) is here:





A bit shabby with weeds and cracked patio blocks. I will just clean this up a bit and leave it till the spring when it will get a new look and new commerical doors as it becomes the real entrance to the organization - the office really looks like it will turn out well. Commercial space in Toronto is high and my house is perfectly placed at the junction of two of the largest freeways in North America, we save mega bucks with this location and have easy access to all GTA media locations and services! Rent is a killer for any business, we pay nothing!
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Maurice
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Joined: 13 Oct 2003
Posts: 614
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Mon Oct 11, 2004 1:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Major Strides.....


My office is now cleaned out and ready to move in. I get to make an IKEA bookcase to hold the rest of my 640 book library! I also have to move an enormous desk construct into this room.

To all my Yahoos - same time and place but I have to get my sound blaster to work!

Please realize that I could have posted an interesting story on 911 but my responsibility now is to this office set-up. There are people in real life over here who have put some faith in me to make this organization work. There are people involved here who genuinely look upon their participation as a way to further themselves in work. And, this organization needs an office if it intends to be taken seriously in the more involved projects we are getting into. I intend to deliver on all of these expectations. No more play acting, we are doing the real thing now; I even need a P/T secretary and a real accountant to handle the very complicated tax affairs of a four company conglomerate (but I can handle the bookkeeping.....).

So if things seem slow on the board; nothing could be further from the truth over here.....and YOU can always contribute a story..... Pictures and stuff later when my PC is up and running.....
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Maurice
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Joined: 13 Oct 2003
Posts: 614
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Mon Oct 11, 2004 7:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Going down to the wire.....



The room cleaned out - The Before Shot!


Ok, this is my office - or the office of FOF and IAIJ! It could look really good with some money for furniture.....but we don't have it.....

I did have some cash for a thirty dollar bookcase and the three photos or so below will show you how it was made:



Bookcase As Purchased

The Frame

The Bookcase!


With the bookcase made up and full of books; it was time to fill the room with scavenged furniture. I am not kidding as the photo below shows. Looks like a hobo's halfway house.....




Anyway, this should give us lots of luck and give the image of frugality..... Back to work for me as I still have three to four hours of work left!


Last edited by Maurice on Mon Oct 25, 2004 6:48 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Maurice
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Joined: 13 Oct 2003
Posts: 614
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 2:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It is finally completed!


Yes, at two forty in the morning I actually "locked up" the office for the first time. Yup; I literally locked it up and I have no reason to open the place until I am finished work tomorrow. The significance of that act can not be underrated.....it is an office in the true sense.

One tough long weekend - but very rewarding. Change of focus as we return to the licence business and TV productions. I am even thinking about posting new stories on the board.....How about that!
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Maurice
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Joined: 13 Oct 2003
Posts: 614
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 6:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Most of the studio is now cleaned up and I will post pictures tonight. I will also attach the camera to the tripod and dolly and take it for a spin! This has never been done before as the previous picture is just the tripod resting on the dolly, and I have to see how smooth it rides before we replace the cheap flooring.
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Maurice
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Joined: 13 Oct 2003
Posts: 614
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 10:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am totally exhausted! But I took these photos anyways:


The Studio!

This is the studio so far and completely cleared of furniture and rubbish. There are some tools of the trade there like the lights and some booms and a lead singer stand.....in addition to the cameras and their stands. THe camera stand for our "run and shoot" PD170 looks a bit much for this tripod and this is the case. We purchased this tripod and dolly to handle a studio camera of up to 33 pounds.


The camera and dolly test!

The camera worked fine on the wheels so that was money well spent (even though the bearing surfaces on the dolly were rusted. I will continue to work on the office as things really seem to be coming along.


Last edited by Maurice on Mon Oct 25, 2004 6:50 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Maurice
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Joined: 13 Oct 2003
Posts: 614
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 5:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Back in the saddle again.....

First it is funny how a couple of rusted washers on the dolly bother me so..... Anyway, I was looking at the other folk applying for radio stations and one has total earnings of 28 million or so last year; and our earnings are..... Laughing Some would say "why bother?"; but we are a free speech group "bringing the mass media to the masses". That is our mandate and we have to try. Besides.....They all started out like us anyways. These guys and gals don't have halos over their heads, their dicks aren't larger than mine (especially the gals.....); so we carry on!

I can not be motivated purely by money, bigger cars and TV sets, etc.. I can be motivated by leaving my world an organization which promotes the freedom to express yourself - That Is What Motivates Me! I just get the biggest kick out of starting this organization and trying to make it work! We have already surpassed at least ninety nine percent of organizations devoted to this cause. Look around at truly active advocacy groups and you will see what I mean. For a world of 5 - 6 billion people; incredibly few organizations doing what we are doing..... Think about it.....

CLICK HERE
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Maurice
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Joined: 13 Oct 2003
Posts: 614
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 11:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This will be short because I must sleep and I am exhausted. The office proper, looks like an office as I took the apartment furnishings somewhere else. I also added the now completed second bookcase. The filing cabinet is in a proper place and the files are stacked on my desk to be sorted - yes it looks like a place of business! The bar area is now clean and the studio looks like a studio now. Everything else seems to be finding a new home so this "exclusive report will soon be at an end (but not quite yet). I just wanted to archive our humble beginnings and look back upon them in the future.....I am that kind of person.....

More pictures tomorrow!


Last edited by Maurice on Mon Oct 25, 2004 6:53 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Maurice
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Joined: 13 Oct 2003
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Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Thu Oct 14, 2004 5:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Almost done!



The Latest Version Of our Office!


I made some changes to make the office look like a real office and because we are running out of room already. I also have a chance at a good nights sleep and time to keep pushing for the credit application and the regular things like new stories (should have one soon).


Last edited by Maurice on Mon Oct 25, 2004 6:55 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Maurice
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Joined: 13 Oct 2003
Posts: 614
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Details.....






I purchased this red nightmare of a desk lamp because I liked a design that would never get anywhere other than at IKEA. The lamp was my one concession to doing the move all of the week. If you look closely you will see that we now have a computer there and it fits on top of our filing cabinet! Real progress.....


Last edited by Maurice on Mon Oct 25, 2004 6:58 pm; edited 1 time in total
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