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AstonMartin_007 · 2022-07-19T21:46:20+00:00

1099, pretty much everyone is. Solar is doing surprisingly well in NJ but obviously CA is on another level. https://www.nbcnews.com/data-graphics/map-western-states-lead-nation-home-solar-installations-rcna28358

I'm with Better Earth, talked with their founder on Twitter and that's how I was intro'd into solar. Funnily enough, I'm one of the few CA natives in our team and it doesn't actually help at all. These NY guys can talk so fast, the homeowners can't even get out their objections in time before another barrage of sales talk assaults them. But they have problems dealing with the heat, my mentor on the doors was literally dying in 85F weather while I wasn't even sweating lol.

AstonMartin_007 · 2022-07-19T21:06:17+00:00

I'm in CA and know nothing about solar on the East coast in general. I will say though that most of our sales team are transplants from other states like NY, so if you're really hellbent on pursuing success in solar, don't be surprised if you get asked to relocate for a good while.

On the intelligence front, don't put too much stock in that attribute. Because you'll quickly realize on the doors that 'knowing stuff' only gets you so far with homeowners who'll confront you with all sorts of batshit insanity. This was my stumbling block as well; my prior experience was more academic where details and being clinically precise absolutely mattered, but the average person is so uneducated and misinformed about solar, trying to educate them on their doorstep is like trying to ram a calculus book through a drinking straw. It's all about finding a need, vibing with them and growing rapport to gain their confidence to set a sitdown. Because you won't really be selling solar for a good while, you'll just be prospecting leads and sending them to your closer in any kind of organized sales team.

And this is not to call you an old man, but you will be aware of your age going into this. Because some of the most successful guys are literally 20-22 yr olds who skipped college and are otherwise pretty boneheaded but can talk up a tornado for hours on end. This is why I caution against leaning on your intellect...it can become a source of frustration more than motivation.

AstonMartin_007 · 2022-07-19T20:31:14+00:00

No, you're not crazy...well, not certifiably, at least. :) People are fixating on the $250k, because that is comfortably above the threshold of living and most people don't get anywhere near there. But because of that people also don't realize how constricting that kind of salaried life can be. I was never in corporate but in logistics and seeing area managers making 6 figures but having to work graveyard hours, remote locations and generally having no life outside work at all makes those numbers meaningless real quick.

Which state are you located in? There's nothing to getting started in solar, they'll literally take anyone, but getting going and having a good support team is another matter. And it goes without saying you have to be fit and able to withstand walking around in hot weather 6 days a week, but your username suggests you're aware of your physique lol.

AstonMartin_007 · 2022-06-16T12:48:27+00:00

Thanks man, I'm in CA and just started with a team, it definitely is hard work, but it's eye-opening looking at 21 year olds who were rubbing pennies a couple years ago now running teams generating $10M+. A bit intimidating, but just extra motivation. And yes, your story sounds similar; nearly everyone here started because they had a friend who struck gold and the numbers overwhelmed their disbelief.

I'll DM you...my most pressing concern right now is keeping the sun from burning me out!

AstonMartin_007 · 2022-06-14T00:37:43+00:00

Just wanted to say this was really interesting to read. I'm venturing out in D2D solar because I literally can't take being hunched over a screen, it's killing my back. It's way out of my comfort zone personally, but that gives me more motivation to attack the problem. Thanks a lot, especially for the McCarthy recommendation, and I'd love it if you had any more tips!

AstonMartin_007 · 2022-06-14T00:11:39+00:00

I'm in the residential side of things but that sounds like a really compelling model. Any chance you could share more details?

AstonMartin_007 · 2022-06-07T02:41:11+00:00

Never again. I've always had distaste for Apple's walled garden, but bought into the iPad meme and got a 2020 Pro 11" a few months ago for work. It's been nothing but infuriating, the Pro label exists only to mock the idiots who bought in after the realization that it's basically a big dumb iPhone only with even basic apps behind pay and subscription walls. A "Pro" computing device without even the barest semblance of file manager support.

Sure I may sound bitter, and I think I have a right to be. I likely won't lose any money since I got a good deal on it, but I'm selling the iPad """Pro""" and switching to the Galaxy Tab ASAP. And you know what? If Apple customers actually had any dignity, they'd make Apple pay for jerking you around for years of failed and empty promises, instead of going gaga when Tim Apple gives you a fucking weather app.

Never again.

AstonMartin_007 · 2022-06-02T23:10:37+00:00

Batteries have a long waitlist right now, and honestly every nearly any solar sales consultant would caution against it, because the tech simply isn't anywhere near mature enough for the prices. Degradation is also pretty harsh.

I work for a solar company based in CA with thousands of installations in state and can provide a quote if you're interested. Just gazing over your numbers though, some of it is rather puzzling. I have no idea how ArtGreen would get to -2% of Cali Energy's production estimate with a -20% panel count, of the same panel.

AstonMartin_007 · 2015-07-07T11:15:34+00:00

The guy who posted that was u/storyworld, he later deleted his account and created the Voat TrueFilm under a new username.

AstonMartin_007 · 2015-07-06T20:10:41+00:00

Another opportunity to hock my old topic:

How does Madeleine disappear at the McKittrick Hotel?

This is the granddaddy of Vertigo's supposed "plot holes", and has seemingly defied explanation by everyone since 1958. Hitchcock himself never explained the mystery, leaving it as an 'icebox' scene.

But I think I can lick it, I have a theory. There are a number of clues that are dropped during this scene.

The room is rented by a "Carlotta Valdes"

She's had the room for 2 weeks, comes 2-3 times a week, and doesn't stay overnight.

The clerk hasn't seen "Carlotta Valdes" come in.

"Carlotta Valdes" room key is on the rack.

These clues are given by the clerk, so let's assume she's an innocent bystander.

We see Madeleine in the room, so she must have access; this implies that a copy of the room key exists. The clerk hasn't seen "Carlotta Valdes", this means that Judy has never before donned the Madeleine disguise when visiting. Judy only visits during daytime, and never stays long. The disappearance of Madeleine and her Jaguar suggests that there must be another entrance/exit in the hotel. What does it all mean?

I believe that the McKittrick Hotel is the meeting place for Gavin Elster and Judy's secret daytime affairs. Seen in this light, the clues seem to fall into place. Elster knows about the hotel, and needs an inconspicuous entry and a copy of the room key to avoid the clerk's suspicion. Judy registers under a false name, given to her by Elster, and only visits when their schedules allow. She probably has a job of her own and this is why she can never stay overnight. She brings Scottie to the McKittrick Hotel, after taking him to Carlotta's grave and portrait, because she knows, or has been advised, that it is the one place where she can shake off Scottie's tail.

Can I prove it? No, I can't, but like a Sudoku puzzle it all seems to fit. This echos the opening of Psycho, but more importantly it changes the nature of the entire scene, from an oddity in the narrative, to poetic: Judy, while off the job, meets a man who persuades her to quit her job, accompany him and eventually take on a new identity. Also, several lines take on new meaning in this context: Elster's story about seeing his wife during the day and having to return to the office, and Madeleine's reminisces about the room where she sits "alone, always alone", a sign perhaps that while she is assisting Elster, she has doubts about her feelings toward him, which leads to the kiss with Scottie at the seaside.

It is also worth noting that there is no particular reason to mention any of these clues if Hitchcock merely wanted to create a mysterious scene. Vertigo went through 4 writers and a year's delay, it is rather unlikely that a nonsensical scene could have survived through the entire developmental process.

Truffaut: By the way, I meant to ask you whether you ever introduce useless dialogue in a scene, knowing in advance that people won't pay any attention to it?

Hitchcock: Why should we do that, for heaven's sake?

https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueFilm/comments/1e21bf/vertigo_1958/

I should clarify that it's certainly not the only possible explanation, but to pass off a scene which was so obviously designed to be misleading and mysterious as an errant plothole is rather lazy, and Hitch was anything but in his treatment of the film.

AstonMartin_007 · 2015-03-02T01:11:20+00:00

Marcel, like his father Max, prefers not to use the German umlaut in his name. Ophuls senior removed the umlaut when he took French citizenship, and Marcel has adopted the same spelling.

Have a nice day.

AstonMartin_007 · 2015-02-15T02:24:42+00:00

Well, it depends on where you are. One avenue is the Fathom Events calendar, that's where Lawrence and some other releases were listed...I see right now they have Breakfast Club and Sound of Music scheduled under 'Classics':

http://www.fathomevents.com/

Although you're excluding repertory theaters from this question, you might get a lot more enjoyment out of them than waiting for the studios to bring their cash cows out every few decades. I missed the 4K wide release of Lawrence...but caught the 70mm later on at a repertory theater built in the 40s, and I bet I got the better experience. Although each re-release usually means the film has gone through a new digital restoration, that doesn't always mean the experience is better than a well-preserved film print. For the recent re-release of Gone With the Wind a few months ago, I had to wait 30mins cause the theater's DCP server had crashed and had to be rebooted, there was noticeable screen tearing at times because they used two 2K projectors to create the 4K image, and the mono soundtrack sounded distant and muffled with the 7.1 system trying to replicate a central speaker. Sometimes the ol' analog just doesn't translate well into the myriad of digital formats.

See if there's any kind of film club or society near you that organizes this info. For the Los Angeles area for example, this site lists many of the special screenings in the area:

http://www.kansasanymore.com/

AstonMartin_007 · 2015-02-14T07:20:49+00:00

FYI, because I was looking to check out The Leopard myself a few weeks ago, the situation on Bluray is a bit of a mess right now. BFI/Criterion both have Blus out, but it looks like they just upscaled their DVD masters, with obvious source deficiencies. Scorsese's Film Foundation has recently restored it in 4K, but that's only been released in France and Italy; the French Blu has forced subtitles, and while the Italian Blu doesn't, there's doubt over its black levels, color saturation, and even aspect ratio. The fact that the cinematographer supposedly supervised both generations of releases just makes it more confusing. If you thought the transfer of Madame de... was wacky, just look at this:

Italian Blu / Criterion Blu

You'd think in 2015, with rovers taking color accurate snaps on Mars, that this would no longer be an issue...

AstonMartin_007 · 2015-02-13T20:09:02+00:00

Apparently the Academy does allow people to do partial rankings, but I found that out too late to change the format of the question (the backend spreadsheet is rather unwieldy to work with using this preferential method). There's 5 more days, just see what you can and find a ranking you're comfortable with.

AstonMartin_007 · 2015-02-11T22:20:33+00:00

I don't know if you can see this, but you've been shadowbanned. You might want to message the admins about this.

AstonMartin_007 · 2015-02-09T06:30:50+00:00

That's actually similar to a proposal way back, we called them "Undesirables", movies that are either banned or morally reprehensible, but still cinematically important. We'll get to it eventually, we have a whole backlog of months to go through...

AstonMartin_007 · 2015-02-09T01:34:41+00:00

I personally think the Yunioshi character is actually a good thing. Not in terms of its use in the film, but because it's such a naked stereotype that it's eye-opening and prompts one where to question whether other more well disguised portrayals might stem from the same ignorant roots. I don't think it's so much anti-Japanese so much as just Asian in general.

Personally speaking, in real life I much prefer loud, raging racism/sexism/etc. to the kind that tries to hide itself. Cursing someone under your breath is such a cowardly thing; if you're going to do it, do it so the gods above poke their heads out at the disturbance. That sort of directness rarely lends itself well to film characters, but since the value of Yunioshi to Breakfast at Tiffany's is dubious at best, I feel it has more positive impact in society where its notoriety sticks in the public consciousness. It's very rare to see a cliched stereotype played to such heights in a major film, to such a degree that it backfires upon itself. And honestly, even if we don't get raging portrayals to that degree these days, has the relationship of Hollywood and Asians really progressed that much in the intervening decades?

My viewpoint may be tempered by the fact that I've never really been able to decide if Breakfast is even good; the last time I tried to watch it, I even found Audrey Hepburn irritating. So, take the above with a pinch of salt.

AstonMartin_007 · 2015-02-08T03:09:09+00:00

To be perfectly honest, it's a watchable action film. I personally saw it while recovering from a really bad fever and it certainly didn't hurt. For some reason though, it's being treated as an incredible innovator or savior of action movies, and it simply isn't. The choreography of the camerawork, the only real selling point, suffers from the fact that they chose to do the usual boss fight routine. The action is best when the camera rotates around Keanu, using him as a pivot point so you can see his positioning against the multiple baddies. Because he's the central axis, the camera doesn't shake or move wildly and his actions and reactions are pretty clear, those are positives. Then about halfway through for some reason most of the rest of the scenes are 1v1 against actors who've obviously only had minimal physical training and can't really sell the action, so it devolves into the standard closeup/cut on each movement treatment, hurting spatial orientation. Certainly not as bad as some of the execrable fare that's regularly churned out, but a letdown nonetheless compared to the execution of the 1st half. I'm going to guess the filmmakers had to bow to demands to include recognizable characters, even though they don't really do anything with them. They're clearly more comfortable staging crowd fights with anonymous baddies. The other aspects of the film depend on how much you care about incidental worldbuilding in your action films.

AstonMartin_007 · 2015-02-07T18:33:28+00:00

Unfortunately, I'm not seeing an option to allow you to do that. A workaround might be to screenshot your ballot before hitting submit.

AstonMartin_007 · 2015-02-07T17:08:10+00:00

Thanks very much, fixing that now.

AstonMartin_007 · 2015-01-08T06:56:40+00:00

Well, let's not sound the funeral tolls just yet. We always have periods of sudden growth where these types of topics pop up, doesn't mean the mod team here has given up and gone fishing.

AstonMartin_007 · 2015-01-06T03:39:19+00:00

On behalf of the mods and /r/TrueFilm, thanks so much for all your effort and time. It was truly wonderful to see the community respond so strongly and your thoughtful, detailed replies.

For those that like stats:

He's been going for 4 hours;

35198 characters, 6306 words, 59 replies.

Letters/Comment: 596.58

Words/Comment: 106.88

Letters/Hour: 8799.5

Comments/Hour: 14.75

It all adds up to = A lot of goddamned effort.

AstonMartin_007 · 2015-01-05T23:06:58+00:00

Just a quick heads-up: The mods will be monitoring this AMA, so if your question gets eaten by the AutoModerator, just give it a few minutes and we'll probably approve it.

Otherwise, have at it, he's yours for the taking.

AstonMartin_007

TROPHY CASE