Turning ordinary daily office and household noise into percussion and rhythm is an automatic process in my brain. Noise is music to me. But this AiAiAi crew took it to a technological extreme and it's extraordinary!
Watch the video and then read the article when you have time. It's crazy awesome genius stuff!
These irregular shaped spider webs appear on our property all the time. We also have spiders who make perfectly formed spider webs, so I'm curious to know why these 2 types are different. These are zig zaggy, seemingly irregular patterns in these spider webs -- if anyone reading this knows why, I'd appreciate links to scientific research. Halloween is the perfect time to learn this. Thank you!
Starry starry night
Paint your planet blue and gray...
Gotta love the midwestern girls gettin' the job done! LMAO!!
Yes, this is your free viewing of award-winning, super-awesome & hilarious short THREE-FIFTY.
At one film festival, an audience member asked, "Why does anybody make short films?" To him it seemed pointless - and I can understand that perspective. In the four-year follow-up that is required for a successful film - don't you know that question went through my head at least once?
But this short comedy "Three-Fifty" is an anomaly. One Oscar nominated cinematographer, who watches every short comedy submitted for an Oscar ever year (for the last 30 years), said "Three-Fifty" was funnier, better written and better produced than most, of the shorts they receive for Oscar consideration. So, there's one reason.
"Three-Fifty" is also one of the few American-made short films to make it's money back. A whole lotta fancy Hollywood people can't say that. So, there's reason number 2.
Hundreds of people in film festivals (over 45) all over the world laugh and many thousands of people in Europe and Asia laughed as they saw it on television (4 years). So there's reason number 3.
Supporting a writer's whose original works might otherwise never see the light of day - that's the priceless reason.
If you've ever been bored by a zillion dollar movie from Hollywood - you understand. If you ever experienced the degree to which emerging writer's works are held back in the Hollywood "system", you would feel the same fire we feel about Mauric Chauvet's film "Three-Fifty" and how we feel about his next film, too.
Now you can watch Maurice Chauvet's first short comedy "Three-Fifty" online for free through Sept. 17, 2012. And if you click SUPPORT OUR NEXT FILM, you can support Maurice Chauvet's next comedy on Indie Gogo
Free viewing of award-winning, super-awesome, hilarious short THREE-FIFTY right here:
Some researchers state that a young girl's self esteem peaks at age 9. A dreadful idea. The bombardment of media images has left many of them to "stop trying" because they feel they just don't meausure up to what society wants and expects.
Holly Fulger decided to do something about it. After a lifetime of battling her own conflicts of inner and outer beauty, Holly has interviewed 16 women on their understandings of how focusing on inner beauty has made all the difference for them.
Holly admits in the promo - she loves makeup and she loves clothes - but the real beauty is an inside job.
In this video, Holly Fulger gives you a summary of what her series "Speaking of Beauty with Holly Fulger" is all about. Interviewing some of her favorite every-day heroines about inner beauty and how focusing on inner beauty has informed and enhanced their lives. Enjoy!
This episode of Speaking of Beauty is one of the most popular - Cynthia Oredugba:
You can see all the episodes at http://speakingofbeauty.tv
Do you ever get tired of looking at magazine covers of women who've been photo-shopped beyond recognition? Then be sure to get on the list so you can get early access to Actress Holly Fulger's new webseries "Speaking of Beauty TV"
A series of interviews with 15 women revealing their strategies for creating their own standards for beauty - SUHWEET!
Read about it here:
One day, Maurice Chauvet sent me an email and a script. Title on the script -"Suicide Sam" and I laughed and I thought ... "Maurice -- WHAT?"
I have different levels of happiness all year long - just like you - and at the time he sent it I was ecstatically happy about some random thing, so the script seemed very dark and too dark for me. So I had to say - "Thanks, but no way. Too dark for me."
But, Maurice is smart. He waited a few months and then tried again. And I'm all "No... and here's why," and he's all "Come on...here's why..." and I just end up mareveling at his depth and intelligence and say yes. But not without asking...
"What is this story really about?"
"Suicide Sam" is the story of a guy (Sam) who is so good at selling, that he can sell ANYTHING -- even death. Now he's selling a governent approved home suicide unit, and Sam’s effort to convince a down-on-his-luck man named Frank that being the first human to use this machine is his last chance to do something substantial with his life.
Ohhhh... so I read it again. And then I got it. Because Frank has lost everything that was dear to him - his work, his wife, his kids, his house - the only chance for him to create what is supposed to be The American Dream for his children's future - is to be the first human to use this machine. Whoa. And I wondered - how many people might there be who kill themselves or others slowly or metaphorically on a daily basis to keep an expired life-style model alive? I've met a few.
Sam's efforts to convince said "down-on-his luck man" to be the first person to use the machine are verrry seductive. Just like ads for other things that can kill you. It's dark. And it's funny. And it's dark. And it's funny. Kinda like Dr. Strangelove.
Maurice Chauvet new comedy IndieGoGo Campaign
Maurice Chauvet is an extraordinary writer. And as writer/director - he has a skill for communicating profoundly truthful concepts which should help his career last for a really long time.
The actors are theatre actors so the film will be rehearsed as if we are preparing for a live performance. That means several weeks of rehearsal. In Maurice Chauvet's first short comedy "Three-Fifty" many festival directors, audience members and other filmmakers commented that the acting is so very real in Three-Fifty. And we felt that that was true for a couple of reasons: (1)The actors are actually that good and have all worked together for some years in live theatre (2) The film was a stage play first and the actors that played it on stage were the same actors in the film.
Suicide Sam was staged in 2002 with some people I've never met - and now we have some great new actors for the film. Since we are all theatre people, we'll be preparing the way we know best: Rehearse, experiment, discover, do this homework, rehearse some more, experiment some more, discover some more and then - bazinga - one day it's a living breathing real story. It's a process that still amazes me. There is the precious moment when you feel the character has dropped into the actor's body and is now really alive. Amazing.
And so I said "yes"
You can read about Suicide Sam here on our IndieGoGo page. We hope you'll join us in making another Maurice Chauvet short.
Maurice Chauvet new comedy IndieGoGo Campaign
Quick link to BlogHer2012 Twitter feed, article from Huffington Post about Obama addressing over 5000 women at the BlogHer Conference:
Saw it sitting on a shelf at Target. Bought it, took it home. Read it in 2 days. LOVE it!
Best lessons from Tina Fey's book "Bossypants":
1) Double-check to make sure you're not guilty of treating your gay friends as if they exist for your personal "entertainment".
2) Always in awe of them, now I know for sure that good comedy writers are even smarter than I originally imagined.
3) I'm not the only one who ever thought a denim suit was awesome.
4) I don't understand why anyone would think Tina Fey is not beautiful.
I read it the old-fashioned way - a real book with pages and stuff - and for my own bossy moment, I'll say, "I think you should read it that way, too." Just click the link and buy it. Genius.
It's a Friday morning of a long weekend. Sunny Los Angeles is in a dense fog.
No one's working. Or ARE they?
The landline phone rings.
The landline? Shit. That's never good news. Scenes from "Dial M for Murder" drift through my head.
Me: Hello?
Other side of the phone says: ------nothing.
I wait b/c that pause, that deafening silence can mean only one thing. Well, it can actually mean 2 things.. but it mostly means one thing - it's a telemarketer - who IS actually working on a dark, foggy Friday morning of a long weekend. I stand corrected.
I wait ... and I wait ... as I knows it's dangerous for me to say "hello" a second time. I could blow my cover. So I just wait.
And the telemarketer speaks. International accent. (Wow. There's a surprise)Telemarketer: Hello?
Now it's my turn to say ----- nothing.
Telemarketer: Is anyone there?
Me: I'm mostly here - if you ignore the physics of it all. What do you want?
Telemarketer: I'm calling from Windows technical support about the report you sent to ....
I think, wow! The scam's been all over the newspaper and the internet and the news and they're still making these calls. What a fun!
Me: Ha, ha... good one. Microsoft doesn't work like that. You're all over the news and the internet. Everyone also knows you're a scam. Go get a different job!
Telemarketer: Click!
So, if in some foggy dream you think any 21st century tech support service might actually be pro-active and call you b/c the psychic told them you're having issues w/your computer, please wake up. The scam is still running.
The 411 directly from Microsoft:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/avoid-phone-scams.aspx
Don't wait until love, justice and force are gone, say "hi" to your mom today...
" 'cause when love is gone.... there's always justice. And when justice is gone... there's always force... and when force is gone... there's always mom. Hi mom...
Some people see so deeply into nature. This fisherman / biologist is considered the finest scientific illustrator of fish in the world.
The story of how he has catches the fish, where he finds them, etc... here:
Well, I'm a girl who likes libraries, so it's appropriate that I'll be in a staged reading of George Bernard Shaw's "Major Barbara" at Calabasas Public Library on evening of Monday, May 14.
Evangelism, wealth, poverty, trombones! There's something for everyone! I'll be playing the role of Mrs. Bains which is one of the best roles and I won't spoil the surprise and tell you why.
My friend and co-actor Matthew Henerson http://imdb.to/KqiZt5 is producing a 3 play series of staged readings. Why these plays? Why now? His reasoning is very intelligent - take a look"
http://spotlightthearts.org/comingevents.html
Here are the details of the event:
What: Staged reading of George Bernard Shaw's "Major Barbara"
Date: Monday, May 14
Time: 7:30pm
Where: Calabasas Public Library
Founder's Hall (behind the library)
200 Civic Center Way
Calabasas, CA 91302
Price: Free, darling, totally free. (unless you count the GA$ to get there.)
If you can be there, we'd love to see you! It is truly amazing watching a read-thru of a play that premiered in 1905. It's 107 years old. ( Just 4 years older than my eldest neighbor lady who is still busy watching her cholesterol...)
Believe it or not, the issues haven't changed much in 107 years. Watch it and see. If you're not in the area, dig up a copy of "Major Barbara" and read it! Or just click the title and read the Wikipedia You'll laugh and you'll wonder...
Fast Company is always a great read. Hey, wait - what's an actress and production nerd doing reading Fast Company? Simple. Actors and production nerds are business people too. :-)
In my past lives I've worked with a number of executives at big, medium and little companies sharing with them the sales, team building and story telling skills that seem to come naturally to actors and production people.
Today while wandering around Fast Company I found three articles worth sharing:
How do you help new hires feel comfortable so they can be productive? I assisted in the design of an employee orientation for a medium sized company that was the envy of their friends at big corporate giants. Answering the most important question of all ,"But what if we all screw up?" read about Valve's employee handbook.
Design before finance? I have been inspired and humbled by designers more than a few times in theater productions and films as well as in marketing meetings. Good design can trigger deep emotional triggers, provide additional depth to a story and move customers to action. Read why an MBA and an MFA might not always be the best person to solve your business issues...
The home 3D Printer - The coolest of the cool gadgets. I don't need one, but I really, really really want one and will figure out a reason to need it. Read about it - amazing: http://bit.ly/I8sKfN
or watch the video and get your geek on...
When I'm not performing (20% of the time) or looking for performing work (80% of the time), one of my favorite things to do is write for our wine blog: Barrysentials Wine Blog, The He Said ~ She Said Wine Blog.
I've learned so much about wine from Barry, my husband, and am always fascinated when he shares what he knows, what's he's experienced, what he's tasted. His palate is infinitely more sophisticated than mine and he's been defining and tasting wine for over 20 years.
I'm the comic relief. :-)
I hope you'll hop on over and read a few posts - today's post is about Frog's Leap Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon and how I accidentally brought the highest scoring wine to a blind wine tasting. :-)
http://barrysentials.wordpress.com/2012/04/16/frogs-leap-rutherford-cabernet-...
I've been waiting my whole life for my coronation. Many thanks to everyone at the Louvre for staying out of the way for this picture. :-)
If you have a sense of humor about the battle of the sexes, you might find this photo hilarious.
I call it "The History of the World, Part 2" or "Around the Corner from Aphrodite" as it's near Aphrodite / Venus de Milo sculpture at The Louvre, in Paris. In the Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities Collection.
From my women's studies (ok, from a book I read by Gloria Steinem) I learned that early cultures were matriarchal cultures - so the matriarchy would be History of the World Part 1 - then patriarchal cultures - History of the World Part 2 - and soon - what? Metrosexual Culture - History of the World Part 3?? I don't know - but I can't wait to see how it all continues!
If you don't have a sense of humour, you'll want to know that this sculpture used to have another element to it - and that element was a large basin (if I remember correctly) that lay atop the shoulders of the men. And so their original stance was one of strength and service. Most likely they were slaves (sigh) but my notes are buried, so in this quick and easy version, that's what I'm writing.
The loss of the original top element has provided current generations with some laughs. :-)
If you have more accurate information, please share it in the comments! I promise my art history degree is on my list.
Best Indie Films at your fingertips. Can ya believe it? It's HULU!!
We live in a time when you can get one of the best indie films online for free. The only thing standing between you and this hilarious, charming, romantic comedy is a couple of commercials.
"16 to Life" has played a zillion film festivals all over the world with special screenings in Russia, Italy, Spain, been on NetFlix, Amazon, etc - and now it's right here for you - for free.
Hilarious story of a really smart, somewhat awkard girl who is larning that love isn't all it appears to be. Stuck between adult hood and teen angst of finally getting a real kiss, it's hilarious, charming and awkward - just like me. haha!
Watch it right here if you want!
Best Indie Films at your fingertips. Can ya believe it? It's HULU!!
We live in a time when you can get one of the best indie films online for free. The only thing standing between you and this hilarious, charming, romantic comedy is a couple of commercials.
"16 to Life" has played a zillion film festivals all over the world with special screenings in Russia, Italy, Spain, been on NetFlix, Amazon, etc - and now it's right here for you - for free.
Hilarious story of a really smart, somewhat awkard girl who is larning that love isn't all it appears to be. Stuck between adult hood and teen angst of finally getting a real kiss, it's hilarious, charming and awkward - just like me. haha!
Watch it right here if you want!
