This Must Be POP!

An overwhelming response for "Unwritten"

Yeah Natasha Bedingfield!

I don't have anything witty for this, I just really like all of these songs... well I don't really like "Big Girls Don't Cry" all that much (okay, I still sing to it in the car).

Madtv: Apple i-Rack

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

from Marcy and the Peanuts gang

The Science of Sleep

Gael Garcia Bernal (Motorcycle Diaries) stars as an inventor who had trouble keeping his subconscious out of his everyday reality. The visuals of this movie were interesting:

However, the movie is really boring. Stephane (Bernal) is not likable... besides that fact that he is so good looking... because he is so selfish. You never really want him to "get the girl." The whole movie I found myself wanting the story to get out of the way so we could just watch the visual stuff the director was doing. There was one point at which I thought we were going to switch over into his subconscious totally, and that would have been interesting, but that didn't happen. Ah well. I don't recommend seeing this.

A to the S grade: D
Teacher Comments: The only thing that is keeping you from failing, is your innovative style. Either commit to making the movie all about the visuals, or fill out the characters and work on the plot. I am very disappointed in your work because I think you can do better. See me after class.

Celebrity Couples

Okay, is it just me or does these two love each other?

They have been on Iron Chef together, and some Holiday shows, and they definitely want to bone each other. Next time you see the two of them on the Food Network, keep an eye out.

Also, this would be totally scandalous because they are both married. Bobby has been married twice before and has one daughter. Giada is married and is expecting a child.

Candy of Choice:

Hands down. Always. And always together.

P.S. What ever happened to these:

Defiance

I recently saw John Patrick Shanley's Defiance at Next Theatre with some people from my cast. I have to say, I thought this was an early work, but it was actually brand new. What I liked so much about Doubt, was that Shanley chose to show us only the scenes that are interesting on the stage. I cannot say the same for this play. This play's plot sorta never got going, and then it ended. So basically exposition, one scene of build, small climax/ending.


The acting was good overall. The Chaplin and the Colonel were excellent. Otherwise, there was a lot of acting that involved finger pointing...literally, the pointing of a finger. I wished some of them were more in their body because it really could have made some of the scenes explosive.

The set was very smart, and conveyed the mood and time of the entire play. The transitions were also very crisp and moved the play along.

This production was very good, but the play itself just bored me.

Absurdists

These are just some short thoughts on two pieces I recently saw and read:

After falling asleep twice, I finally got through The Rise and Fall of Mahagonny featuring Patti LuPone (that bitch needs to be named first), and Audra McDonald on PBS. The four of us reunited...hey, did anyone else just notice they both have two capital letters in their last names?....weird. So this is Brecht (playwright) at his finest, and perhaps John Doyle (director) at his finest as well. The singing: outstanding , the staging: stunning, and the writing: poignant.


Okay, next piece of work: Seascape by Edward Albee. After several breaks at work, I finished reading this play. It is a tame play for Albee. It seems restrained, but still gets all of his points across. It's kinda like a Shaw play, very didactic with almost no action. I liked it, though. It was a nice read. I dunno how it would work on stage. I will have to keep my eye out for a production of it.

Addiction?

We got Guitar Hero III at work to play on our breaks. I played. I was pretty good for a starter. Now I am determined to get awesome. I know this will make me very uncool. I don't care. I will get awesome. I will still not be able to play a real guitar. Deal with it.

Put it on "Silent," Bitches.

So hands down, the cell phone talker is the worst. Someone did vote for the loud reaction person... all I have to say, is that I am a loud reaction person, so don't sit next to me.

Alright, time for a new poll!

Not New Pictures

This picture (left) is of the cupcakes I made for work on Tuesday. After my audition, I had some left over energy so I made some funfetti cupcakes with chocolate fudge frosting. They were pretty good. Better than the last batch, I think. Although, it's hard to fuck them up when everything is out of a box. It's the thought that counts though, right?





This one (right) is from my trip to California. That's Duma and I trying to have fun in the middle of motel alley at a Chilli's... the margaritas helped.




This one (below) is of Corey and me on one of the many planes we took to and from California. It was a long and scary trip and somehow we are still smiling. Thank goodness for ipods... and good company.

Umm...

So what have I been doing? Nothing really. This blog is boring and I need to fix that. However, all I've been doing is working and doing my show and auditioning. All three have been pretty much consistently the same.

There's been some drama between cast members, but that's to be expected. Work is slow. Ali came by and met me for lunch today which was really fun. Then I ran into an old family friend of Ali's after work. Then I had adventures at Best Buy... but ended up not buying anything.

Also tonight Will came to meet me at my house. We went to Noodles n' Co. and got a free rice krispies treat, then went back to watch movies at my place.

We watched Show Business and Sweeney Todd in concert... well, we only watched the songs we know are good. It was just like being back at college. Loved it.

Ooooh! Also, Will bought me an Albee play for the holidays. I am very excited to read it! Fun night.

The Dreamland of Your Dreams

Crazy Filling Shit

Today my mom and my "aunt" Doris came to see my show. Then we all went to dinner with my dad to Maggiano's where I ate entirely too much. Then I came home and fell onto my bed to watch dumb TV while I coasted out of my food coma. So let's talk about this now:


Stupid, stupid, stupid. I knew we were in trouble from the beginning because it was on the Sci-Fi channel. However, there were some good actors in it, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Totally worthless. Lots of nerdy guys are gonna love the stupid effects, and girls dressed in latex and metal. The lines are very kitchy. It looks like it's trying to be a cult favorite, but its aesthetic is too dark/boring/flat, and there aren't enough ridiculous things to make it interestingly bad enough for that.

A Night Out: A Post of Links

On Wednesday after work, I got a haircut. That is always fun because I love the guy who cuts it, and I feel like a rock star right afterwards. I drove downtown to the Apollo Theater to see The Sparrow with this guy I met through theatre stuff. My family had two free tickets from an auction somewhere so free plays are always great! The show was really innovative, some very good acting, some okay acting, and some Sufjan inspired original music. At intermission I ran into a few people from Cherubs, which is always fun. Everyone sorta keeps up with everyone which is great because it's all theatre networking stuff.

After the show we headed to i.O. to see "TJ and Dave." Since we had some time to kill we got a beer at Bar Louie next door. I wish I remembered the name of the beer we had cause it was like a better version of a Blue Moon. We sat down and the place was pretty packed. We ordered Duvel, which I didn't really like all that much. It kinda tasted like a more bitter, richer Hoegaarden.

The show was pretty funny, but more importantly Jeff Garlin sat right behind me! I had heard that he was going to be there, and I had just listened to him on the radio that morning. He laughed his distinct laugh through the whole show, and it made it all that much better. Afterwards I told him that I saw him and his movie at the Musicbox and how much I enjoyed it. He seemed genuinely touched that I like his film. So whether or not he did, he was still very nice.

Overall, the night was theatre and beer-filled and it was great. It was also 15 degrees and that sucked.

Holidays

Okay here are the results:


Sorry these polls have been lame. This blog has become a bit of an after thought lately. I am hoping to catch-up a bit tomorrow.

DSG: Reviews

Mostly positive reviews:
Broadwayworld.com
TimeOut Chicago

Chicago Reader
Goldstar.com
Centerstage Chicago

Not-so-positive reviews:
Chicago Critic
Chicago Tribune

This Month...

...in a nutshell:

*Set-up Michelle and my co-worker to great success
*Was flown out to California for a screen test
*Got sick
*Opened my show to some very nice reviews
*Got better slowly
*Doing a podcast with the cast for Broadwayworld.com
*Working a billion hours
*Auditioning a few times
*Had a nice Thanksgiving with just my immediate family
*Saw some old friends who were in town
*Finished Season 2 of "The Office" and am halfway through Season 3
*Got a new larger internal HD on my computer, installed Leopard and downloaded new iChat video backgrounds
*Updated my website

Meet My Boyfriend:

...alright, alright. We all know he's not my boyfriend. However, he maybe should be. He is jewish and has a cooking show called "Good Deal with Dave Lieberman." Hahaha. Of course us Jews have the only cooking show on The Food Network about saving money. Way to perpetuate stereotypes. Awesome.

Seriously, though, he is hot. I think he has a good body under there too. He cooks, he's jew, he seems really sweet, and he's smart (went to Yale). So, basically, if anyone could set me up on a date, or just arrange our wedding, that would be awesome. Cool. Thanks guys.

Pills

Bah-humbug! I must have caught something from the four planes I have been on in the last day and a half... or maybe it was from the Motel 6. Ah well, either way, I am on a Z-pak. As of now, I don't feel any better. Maybe it takes more than six hours to kick-in, but I really need to not be sick.

Tonight my show opens, and there are gonna be reviewers and people on the Jeff committee there. I hope people in my show don't do stupid stuff to make their performance "better." I don't know what people will think of the show actually. Last night's audience seemed to really enjoy it, and the director seems super happy with it as well.

Who knows. I have a feeling the reviews will mostly be about the play itself and not the production. Then it will say that it was a nice ensemble, that had some melodramatic acting but funny parts as well.

Anyways, here I go!

Beyotch

Well, look at that! The sexy costume still prevails. Alright, I'm going out of town for a day or two and then my show opens, so I may be gone for a bit. Details to come.

Sometimes

Sometimes I love people, too! As in, someone who does something totally unselfish and saves you from a panic attack. ::PHEW:: Seriously, I love people, and this is what I look like now:

Ya Know?

Ya know when you are trying to figure something out or having a hard time with something? Then do ya know when those people you can just barely tolerate say things to you about the former? Then ya know when you just want to punch them in the face, and tell them to SHUT THE FUCK UP and LEAVE ME ALONE? Then ya know when you don't do that and you are just silent and go home to cry? Yeah. Ya know.

Lars and the Real Girl

I was tempted to see this movie, from the get-go. It was hard to tell the style of the movie from the previews, so I knew it would either be 100% great or 100% mediocre. Luckily for me, it was the former.

The acting and story telling are full and rich. It moves fast enough to stay a step ahead of you, but allows enough time to develop the characters. You care for everyone in movie, even Bianca (the life-sized doll).

What's nice about this movie is it allows you to laugh at the situation and not feel bad about it. You are encouraged to laugh with the characters and not at them which makes them even more endearing. It's not a shallow plot, but one with deep family and self-worth issues at its heart. I don't want to give too much away, but the ending is satisfying and the doll isn't just a gimmick for a movie. I would encourage you to see this.

A to the S grade: A
Teacher Comments: You excelled in story telling and creating lovable characters in your movie. The mood of the piece is just right. You can laugh and cry and you never take yourself too seriously. I feel that the movie would have failed without that delicate balance. Great work.

Last Days of October - PART 1

Okay so I went last minute to a costume store and I decided to buy this ladybug costume:(-minus the fishnets, boots, and sluty blonde... +plus leggings and a short-sleeve leotard)

We went to McFadden's which was fun and packed. I had work in the morning, so I couldn't drink too much or stay out too late. Luckily my friends aren't big drinkers so we all had a good time together. There were a ton a girls in short dresses and guys in creepy costumes and everyone was making-out with everyone else. I think I needed to be more drunk to participate in the night's festivities. Ah, Halloween... good times.

Last Days of October - PART 2

So from my experience at McFadden's, I decided that wings are the most annoying accessory to a Halloween costume. And so I began my search for a wingless creation for Wednesday. I decided to make myself into a blue nano, and I got as far as making the wheel and buying the blue clothing, but my boobs made a flat screen kinda difficult. As I began making darts in my gray felt screen, a friend suggested I get a green cardigan and reuse my ladybug costume and go as a watermelon...Brilliant! So I bought a green cardigan at Target and headed down to meet-up with the cast of my show. We dressed up as Charlie Brown characters from "The Great Pumpkin":



I was the ghost with lots of holes cut into the sheet. We marched in the parade and handed out bubble gum cards with our characters on them to advertise for the show. Lots of fun costumes and fire and loud people. It was a great thing to do on a Wednesday night.

When we all met back-up, some bitch spilled her red wine into the bag that had my halloween costume (including the sweater I had JUST bought) in it. She didn't apologize or ask to help me. In fact, she was rude to me about it. The weird thing was there were only eight people or so at this chill apartment party, and no one had anything to drink yet. So, she was just a bitch who ruined my costume.

She must have felt selfconscious about it because five minutes later she stormed out in a huff. After drinking and eating candies, we watched the finale of South Park's "Imagination Land" episode. Then I met-up with some college friends at a bar for a beer and burgers. Overall, a successful Halloween week.

Sweet Home, Chicago

Alright, so the winner is CHICAGO!
It seems we all love all of Chicago (alright, not Navy Pier).
Yeah Chi-town.

Cupcakes For A Better Life

I made cupcakes for work yesterday. I began trying to make pumpkin muffins with cinnamon icing from scratch and ended up making chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting from a box mix. I did, however, make the frosting orange for Halloween and sprinkled purple sugar on top. It was the release of out new operating system, so it was like a party day.

----------------------------------

This is an advertisement for "The Foundation For A Better Life"...

...really? Really. I bet men will remember this ad when they are about to have a one-night stand, and think "that guy in the PSA was a douchebag, let's screw."

Guess What's Back...

(besides my posting.. that didn't last too long) That's right. My favorite American Family Restaurant is having the best deal ever. I wait for this every season. I mean, 3 courses of goodness, and 3 delicious words: Jack Daniel's Sauce. And let's not forget about fried green beans, and Cinnabon® Cheesecake. I've got my T.G.I.Friday's Gold Points Card all ready to go, and I can't wait. I'm gonna get me a big margarita and eat the mostest. I am really very excited....

...mmmm...

...sorry I trailed off for a bit

::wipes off drool::

So I hope to see you all at Friday's. Don't worry about telling me when you are going because I will be there until the deal is over.

Mistakes

this one IS brought to you by nataliedee

So as my last entry so beautifully illustrated, I have been making lots of small but significant mistakes lately. In case you didn't know, I hate making mistakes. I try my best to move on and learn from them, but I tend to dwell on them for days or weeks afterwards.

Recently, I think it comes from a lack of organization of my time. I waste whatever little free time I have writing a stupid blog entry, or watching a stupid TV program. I should probably be reading more plays, sleeping more, flossing more, etc. The worst part is that I only foresee my free time becoming even more scarce. I think I should take a vacation from my blog for a bit. Maybe something exciting will happen tomorrow and I will have to write about it, but otherwise I am gonna leave this puppy alone for a week or so. I will also only watch the TV shows I've pre-recorded, and I will go to the gym... maybe.

250 Miles Far Away

brought to you by explodingdog

ain't that the truth.

So Much, Must List, Must Link

• Saw The Miser at Northlight Theatre and it was a fun farce that I enjoyed way more than I thought I would
• Had a sleepover with Michelle and went to Walker Bros. with her and my mom
• Hung out with my cast after rehearsal at Sidetracks which is a really fun bar... although I may have been one of eight women there
• Got a parking ticket, and will be contesting it, as it was for a meter that ended before the ticket was issued
• Got hit driving, and will be getting my car fixed and payed for by the person who hit me
• Saw Passion at Chicago Shakespeare's Skyline Theatre and I loved it even though I never liked that musical
• When to Davenport's and met new people, and saw/participated in the cabaret show there that was very fun
• And, of course, worked

Last Night

Last night was a long horrible night. No more late-night blogging and no more video blogging.

Video Blogging?...

...maybe this was a bad idea.

Do I Know You?

I have this thing about me. This thing that sends out a message to strangers that tells them I want them to talk to me. That I am interested in what they are doing, or their opinion about what I am doing, or that I am interested in talking them at all.

Whenever this happens to me, I am reminded of one of my dad's childhood friends. Whenever a stranger would make chit-chat with him in line, he would turn to them and sincerely ask, "Do I know you?" The person usually would respond with a polite, "No."

"Then why are you talking to me?"

Now, that is a little harsh, but it's what I am thinking every time in my head. Just because I look like a nice young lady, it doesn't mean I am. I mean... I am, but they don't know that. And even though I know people are just being nice, and want to chat with someone, make one connection in their long day of errands, I don't care. Don't talk to me.

Fatty Poll

What food can you guys eat the most of?...

ICE CREAM and CHEESE! Now, look at the picture I was forced to post. Eww, guys ...eww. Not gonna lie, this poll made me feel like a fat ass and I couldn't wait until it was over.

Okay, onto better and healthier things.

Slightly-Less-Than-New Movies

I Want Someone To Eat Cheese With

I recently saw this movie at the Music Box and Jeff Garlin was there to give it an introduction. On my way to the ladies room he actually stopped me and said hello, and although I sorta started giggling like a sixth grade girl, it was pretty cool. So the movie...

The movie was all shot in Chicago, there were lots of great people in it, and it was pretty funny. Definitely worth seeing if it comes out on video or to movie theatres again. The plot is simple enough: Follow Jeff Garlin (James) around and see him deal with being an overweight actor in Chicago, living at home with his mom. All of the people he meets are fun and quirky, and although some of the jokes are generic the movie is not. Check out the trailer:

A to the S grade: B+
Teacher Comments: You've captured the charm of Chicago, and Chicago theatre. You did a great job creating interesting characters, and specific intereactions between them that gave this movie heart

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

This movie was recommended to me a while back, and I finally caught it on TV. I thought this movie was so clever and funny. Has anyone else seen it? Why haven't we all talked about how great it was?

Val Kilmer and Robert Downey Jr. are perfectly cast. The style is witty and self-mocking. The plot is complex, over-the-top, and tons of fun. It's a detective, action, mystery type genre with cliché yet unique twists throughout.

A to the S grade: A-
Teacher Comments: Congratulations! What a fun little movie you've made. I'm sorry more of your peers didn't support you.

Free Time

"theatre actor"

anagrams to

"to the rat race!"

Brought to you by Anagram Genius and an inability to use my free time constructively.

Don't Miss It

Okay, This American Life is airing one of my favorite episodes "Act V" next week.

If you get a chance, take a listen. It's about inmates performing Hamlet. So basically, method acting to the extreme.

October Fest

Damn. It's October. That means I've been 5 months out of school. That is almost half a year. So I know other people like making goals, and I do it in a less concrete way usually. I think am going to make mine more concrete:

-I need to be doing something theatre related at all times (shows, auditions, and/or classes)
-I need to keep my main focus on theatre while allowing my focus to wander every now and then to activities that will allow me to continue to do my art
-I need to be proactive in keeping up with friends and family
-I need to take care of myself and my things
-I need to save/track my money

So those are pretty basic but necessary goals. They need some refining, but having them written out in any form is a good starting point.

No Time

Very busy. No time to post. No time to talk. Maybe later tonight. See you all then.

-A to the S

Drinks, Rain, and Rock n' Roll

So today I got up early and headed downtown for a cattle call for a Broadway show. When I arrived the line was so far back that I was sitting in a gas station. Luckily, my friend Laura from college was there too! We kept each other company while we waited to audition.

Then it began to rain. I ran to my car to get an umbrella for us, only to discover that I had actually cleaned it out recently. I ran into a White Hen and they didn't have any, so I bought a box of garbage bags. While draping garbage bags over myself and Laura, we handed out extra ones and made friends with the people around us. Since it was raining, the casting monitor started handing out numbers and hour chunks to return. I was number 248, and I was to be back for the 3-4PM hour, and it was currently 10:30AM.

Laura and I and our 2 new out-of-town friends piled into my car and we drove to Wishbone. We had a delicious breakfast together. We drove back to the audition place, and Laura left to get some things for work later. That left me and the 2 guys. We hopped into the bar across the street.

So we drank together, had a shot with the awesome bartender and got to know each other. When 2:00 rolled around, we closed our tab and took a walk around the block. Then we met up with Laura and we began waiting, again.

Finally we were ushered into a dance studio to wait some more. We were lined up in groups of 20 or so and made to wait in a hallway. I went in and sang, it went really well. I don't think I was the correct vocal type for the show, but at least I did a good job! We cheered each other on, and one by one we finished. None of us got a callback. We said our goodbyes, exchanged information, and were happy to have had such a nice day.

Arrested Development

The results are in...

and GOB is the WINNER!

CONGRATS GEORGE OSCAR BLUTH!

Gender Roles in Advertisement

...oh Harvey.

The Good and the Bad

As my theatre teacher always told me to do, I'll start with what's positive:

The people I work with are great. They all responded super fast to my plea to switch work shifts, and most people wished me luck on my audition. That was so nice. Also, no one has punched me in the face for asking one million questions. So that's also really good.

The people in my play seem pretty cool too. I've only had two rehearsals, and one was just a reading, but they seem like a good group of people. I'm excited to really start to get into it.

Alright now what's bad:

My audition today was all over the place. The songs I ended up doing went fine, but I was somewhere else. I'm pissed that I let myself get so flustered, but they told me about five minutes before I went in, that they actually wanted a different genre than they had said on the phone. Great. Good things I had my book, but I still wasn't totally prepared. The piano player was super nice, and she made the audition bearable.

I am unmotivated. I haven't been working on new monologues, reading plays, or doing any movement work (yoga, exercise, combat, or dance). When I have more free time, I tend to let things slip. Someone needs to just come and organize me a bit and give me deadlines and goals... although I suppose I'll just be proactive and figure it out myself.

Talent alone won't make you a success. Neither will being in the right place at the right time, unless you are ready. The most important question is:
'Are your ready?'"

- Johnny Carson

Across the Universe

This movie made me mad. It made me mad because it had all the right elements to make a great epic movie (The Beatles, Julie Taymor, and young new actors with distinct voices and looks) and yet it didn't work. So here is the list of what didn't work:

1.) There was no focus. What was was the story about, whose story was it, and why should we care? Also, the concept was also all over the place in style.
2.) There was no character development. We get snippets of the different main characters for the first ten minutes of the movie cutting into each other and then we are into the movie. So when things happen to all the characters, we don't care. We don't know anything about them. We are still waiting for our introduction.
3.) The cinematography was boring. I expected every shot to be beautiful or interesting. A lot of it was just boring realistic looking medium shots. Why would you do this in a musical? Musicals have an inherited sense of fantasy, which was ignored by the filming of this.
4.) The tone of the piece was confusing. Was it supposed to be funny? Was it kitchy? Was it making a serious point? Who knows.
5.) Julie Taymor reused lots of things she has done before. She used music from Titus, masks from other shows, and that deer image and dog head from Titus too. It was as if someone else made the movie and decided to throw in some Taymor style just for the hell of it.

There were some scenes where fantasy was explored. Those were more successful and could have been even more crazy. It seemed like the purpose of this movie was to somehow fit Beatles' songs into a plot, however awkwardly, just to do it. It wasn't done with purpose or style. The whole thing reminded me of a horrible ripoff of High School Musical meets Moulin Rouge thrown in with some Titus aesthetics. In fact Baz Luhrmann, would have really made this story sing. I think he has a better understanding of pop music and it's purpose.

The main character is an artist. Only once did his art get used in a song sequence. Why didn't they tie into his drawings, and show how the world around him influenced his art which influenced the songs?

This is one of those pieces where you just want to take all the good ideas of it and remake it yourself. Maybe in ten years I will.

A to the S grade: C
Teacher Comments: This was average in every way. The only things that saved this were the actors and the music.

A Discussion On Loneliness

An artist is always alone—if he is an artist. No, what the artist needs is loneliness."

-Henry Miller (1891-1980)

I don't know that I agree with this. Shouldn't an artist be someone who is the most connected to other people and the world? Don't you need to be so in touch with the world around you, that you can comment on it?

Maybe an artist needs that distance in order to comment on life. Or maybe, since most everyone feels alone now and then, an artist's constant loneliness is really being very connected to a universal feeling.

Thoughts?

NPR: All Things Considered

Race
Beating Charges Split La. Town Along Racial Lines

by Wade Goodwyn

All Things Considered, July 30, 2007 · As at hundreds of other high schools across America, black and white students at Jena High School in Jena, La., rarely sit together. The white students gather under a big shade tree in the courtyard, while black students congregate near the auditorium.

But last year, a few days into the first semester, a new student, a freshman African American, asked the principal at an assembly, if he, too, could sit under the tree. He was told he could sit anywhere he liked.

Three white boys on the rodeo team apparently disagreed. The next morning, there were three nooses hanging from the shade tree in the courtyard.

Anthony Jackson is one of two black teachers at Jena High School. He laughs ruefully, as he recalls watching the nooses swaying in the tree.

"I jokingly said to another teacher, 'One's for you, one's for me. Who's the other one for?'"

Many in Jena's black community wanted the three white students expelled. But when the white superintendent and other school administrators investigated, they decided the nooses were a prank. Instead of expulsion or arrest, the three received in-school suspension.

Blacks called the punishment a double standard.

"White students can do things and receive a slap on the hand," Jackson says. But authorities "want to throw the book at blacks," he adds.

An Incident Escalates

A few of the black athletes, the stars of the football team, took the lead in resisting. The day after the nooses were hung, they reportedly organized a silent protest under the tree.

The school called an assembly and summoned the police and the district attorney. Black students sat on one side, whites on the other. District Attorney Reed Walters warned the students he could be their friend or their worst enemy. He lifted his fountain pen and said, "With one stroke of my pen, I can make your life disappear."

That evening, black students told their parents that the DA was looking right at them. Walters denies that. Billy Fowler, a member of the school board, doesn't believe it, either.

"He said some pretty strong things," says Fowler, "but I don't think he was directing it to anyone in particular. I think he just wanted people to calm it down."

But things didn't calm down. Some whites felt triumphant; some blacks were resentful. Fights began to break out at the high school. But that year, the football team was having an unusually good season and the black athletes were a major reason why. So while there were fights throughout the fall, nobody wanted to take any action that would hurt the team.

When the season was over, so was the truce. On Nov. 30, somebody burned down Jena High. Whites thought blacks were responsible, blacks thought the opposite.

Charges and Public Outrage

The next night, 16-year-old Robert Bailey and a few black friends tried to enter a party attended mostly by whites. When Bailey got inside, he was attacked and beaten. The next day, tensions escalated at a local convenience store. Bailey exchanged words with a white student who had been at the party. The white boy ran back to his truck and pulled out a pistol grip shotgun. Bailey ran after him and wrestled him for the gun.

After some scuffling, Bailey and his friends took the gun away and brought it home. Bailey was eventually charged with theft of a firearm, second-degree robbery and disturbing the peace. The white student who pulled the weapon was not charged at all.

The following Monday, Dec.4, a white student named Justin Barker was loudly bragging to friends in the school hallway that Robert Bailey had been whipped by a white man on Friday night. When Barker walked into the courtyard, he was attacked by a group of black students. The first punch knocked Barker out and he was kicked several times in the head. But the injuries turned out to be superficial. Barker was examined by doctors and released; he went out to a social function later that evening.

Six black students were arrested and charged with aggravated assault. But District Attorney Reed Walters increased the charges to attempted second-degree murder. That provoked a storm of black outrage.

"Jena has always been a racist town," says Bailey's mother, Caseptla Bailey. "We've understood that….It has been that way since I've lived here."

But school board member Billy Fowler disagrees.

As far as racial problems, our community is no different than any other community," Fowler says.

Fowler is one of the few leaders with the school administration or local law enforcement willing to talk to the media. The principal, the school superintendent and the district attorney all declined repeated calls for comment.

Fowler says he is appalled at reports by outside media outlets that he claims portray Jena as a racist community. But he and many other white leaders agree that the charges are unfair.

"I think it's safe to say some punishment has not been passed out fairly and evenly," Fowler says. "I think probably blacks may have gotten a little tougher discipline through the years.

"Our town is not a bunch of bigots. They're Christian, law-abiding citizens that wouldn't mistreat anybody."

But the black students and their families feel mistreated. The first to go to court was Mychal Bell, the team's star running and defensive back. Bell's court-appointed lawyer refused to mount any defense at all, instead resting his case immediately after two days of government presentation. An all-white jury found Bell guilty.

A talented athlete, Bell had a real shot at a Division I football scholarship. He now faces up to 22 years in prison. The other five black students await trial on attempted murder charges.

Over the weekend, Jena High School had the big shade tree in the courtyard chopped into firewood.

Cowards

Okay, so either no one has been reading my blog this week or you are all cowards! The poll had only 3 votes after extending the end date. Perhaps you were all embarrassed to expose your spelling skills. The final results were:


Alright, I am going to think of a good one. You better answer up people.

Regina's Words

I really like the images that Regina Spektor uses. Here are some off her older album Soviet Kitsch:

Us
"They made a statue of us
And it put it on a mountain top
Now tourists come and stare at us
Blow bubbles with their gum
Take photographs for fun, for fun"

Ghost of Corporate Future

"Well maybe you should just drink a lot less coffee,
And never ever watch the ten o'clock news,
Maybe you should kiss someone nice,
Or lick a rock,
Or both.

Maybe you should cut your own hair
'Cause that can be so funny
It doesn't cost any money
And it always grows back
Hair grows even after you're dead

And people are just people,
They shouldn't make you nervous.
The world is everlasting,
It's coming and it's going.
If you don't toss your plastic,
The streets won't be so plastic.
And if you kiss somebody,
Then both of you'll get practice."

Poor Little Rich Boy
"Poor little rich boy, all the world is okay
The water runs off your skin and down into the drain
You're reading Fitzgerald, you're reading Hemmingway
They're both super smart and drinking in the cafes

And you don't love your girlfriend
You don't love your girlfriend
And you think that you should but she thinks that she's fat
But she isn't but you don't love her anyway
And you don't love your mother
And you know that you should
And you wish that you would
But you don't anyway

You're so young, you're so goddamn young."

Ode To Divorce
"The food that I'm eating
Is suddenly tasteless
I know I'm alone now
I know what it tastes like
So break me to small parts
Let go in small doses
But spare some for spare parts
There might be some good ones
Like you might make a dollar
I'm inside your mouth now
Behind your tonsils
Peeking over your molars
You're talking to her now
And you've eaten something minty
And you're making that face that I like
And you're going in, in for the kill, kill
For the killer kiss, kiss for the kiss, kiss

I need your money, it'll help me
I need your car and I need your love
So won't you help a brother out?"

Somedays
"Some days aren't yours at all,
They come and go as if they're someone else's days
They come and leave you behind
Someone else's face
And it's harsher than yours
And colder than yours

They come in all quiet, sweep up and then they leave
And you don't hear a single floor board creak
They're so much stronger than the friends you try to keep by your side"

untitled

A good friend of my family passed away tonight. She had been fighting cancer for over ten years. I grew up in her home with her kids, and we shared at least a few Shabbats a year together. She always supported my acting and was a positive energy to have around even until the very end. It is truly amazing how long she fought and with a courage I have never experienced before.

The funeral is tomorrow, and it will be an extremely tough day to get through. That's all I can really write at the moment.

So...

Yeah, things have finally started to settle down for a bit. I've started working more, and well... that's about it. I start rehearsals next week, but that's only once a week for a while. Life is kinda boring actually. Everyone else is working. We meet up for dinner. We go home. We work. Luckily, the people are pretty interesting at my new job. There haven't been any auditions I've wanted to go on lately. So... I guess... that's why I haven't posted in a while. 'til next time.

-A to the S

Raise Your Hand If You Are Sick

Is everyone sick this week? I have had a horrible headache and a sore throat. It seems every other day I feel okay, but then I want to crash around 9PM. Someone suggested it is the weather change that is making everyone not feel so well. I think it might be, because it doesn't feel like I have a cold... I just don't feel good. To feel better I will post one of my favorite paintings:

Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte
by George Seurat

First Poll Results

Rachel Ray is the big winner with 75% of the votes! Tied for second is Martha Stewart and Bobby Flay for the cook we hate the most.

Don't forget to vote in this week's poll.

L'shanah Tovah!

Happy New Year!


Being Jewish, I get two New Years to reflect on my life. Taking a look around right now, I am thankful for where I am and for the people who surround me. Although I get frustrated with my progress, I realize I am in a transition period in my life.

I wish everyone a year full of positive and productive change.

Hot Mess

Hot Mess a.k.a. Britney Spears. About two minutes ago, I saw the VMA opening. This reminded me of the drag queens in the drag show I recently saw. Was she hung over or drunk? She just marked through the whole thing, and barely even did the lip syncing. She had no energy, and her ratty hair didn't help her out at all.

I'm not writing about this to diss on Britney Spears. I am just confused as to who saw that and thought it was worth putting on the air. It was boring and sad. Someone really needed to do her a favor and not let her perform. I mean it was cruel. They just exploited how much of a disaster she is now for ratings. Sad.

It's weird to watch MTV, the station I used to watch all the time in high school, and think how stupid it is. The people on the shows are my age. When I was younger it must have been cool to see the older people doing all that grown-up stuff. Now that I am that age, I realize it's all the stupid people that are on those shows. It's like when you grow too old to be the kids that Nickelodeon is talking to in their commercials. You are the adult that thinks kids don't know anything and can't do anything.

When I was a young kid, I thought I could do anything, and didn't get why adults were so negative. Well, we aren't negative, just realistic. Maybe we need some of that optimism though. Whether Nickelodeon was marketing to kids for financial reasons or to hold up some greater ideal to change the world, I think they were on to something.

Etc.

michelle: indiana jones is actually my dream man
michelle: he's so smart
anna: yeah
michelle: and so sexy
michelle: and brave
anna: and he is harrsion ford
michelle: exactly.

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I found a perfect apartment for me in every way, but thanks to an idiot friend, we won't be moving into it. Thanks for wasting my time, and making me lose the apartment. Please give me money from the credit check back soon, thanks.

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Paula Deen is crazy. Sometimes she seems just off-her-rocker, but sometimes it is endearing. She loves to eat and everything extravagant. I think what it is, is she is a unsophisticated lady with money and fame now. It's interesting to watch. This is just plain ol' cute and funny:

Also, I just watched Walk the Line and it was pretty good. Overall it felt a little flat... like I had seen it all before in Ray. I thought I would hate Reese Witherspoon in this movie, but she was the best part of it. No full review of this one, though, because I missed the beginning of it.

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Cleaning Up

Look what I found:

Yep. My pager, circa 1997. Remember typing codes that meant "pick us up at the mall" or "call me back"?

I also found my first phone:


I still think it's kinda cute.
Here's my new phone:


I don't really like it at all. It doesn't have a soft/silent setting. I have to manually put the volume all the way down, and the reception isn't great. Also, the volume is too soft for the ring and talking.

Here is my dream phone, which I hope to make a reality soon:


A girl can dream can't she?