I have been working more on videos. Here is a quickie I shot today. Would love to know what you all think about it. Basically, I was practicing using opacity and layers. Plus I love this song, and have felt this way many times.
** Note. If you have looked at this, look again. I tweaked it.
Living in New York City, you are almost constantly bombarded by independent musicians just trying to get a break. You see them everywhere. On the street, in the subway, in the parks. Most of the bands are good. Many are very good, yet their sound really is not that much different than what is out there now. It's those rare artists who break away from the mainstream who are able to break out of obscurity. "Fear Called Living" just may be one of those bands.
Unsigned.com bills itself as, "the new voice for independent Artists looking for the chance to be discovered". They boast that over 2000 independent Artists have already signed on. The website is unique in that it allows listeners to interact directly with the artists, thereby building a "grass roots" listenership.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a hip-hop fan. Do not let the use of that term to describe this music steer you away. This entire genre of music is out there, and is not being played outside of big cities. All you have to do is ask. If you like a band that is getting no radio play, call the station and ask for it. Keep calling. Get everyone you know to call. That's what happened to John Mayer.
In the meantime, check out Fear Called Living and the entire trip hop genre at unsigned.com. While you are there, you can look around at some of their other genres...but trip hop is definitely something you may have never heard before. And I guarantee you will like it.
View the page here: Trip-Hop Bands
This post sponsored by UnSigned.
If you know me, you know that I am a compassionate meat eater. I was at one point a vegan, but very unhealthy. I have always stood firm on animal rights, and it is a passion of mine to speak out for those who have no voice to speak for themselves. That being said, it is with great pleasure that I point out:
Burger King set to make "historic advance" in animal welfare: "...the world's second-largest hamburger chain, said Tuesday that it would begin buying eggs and pork from suppliers that did not confine their animals in cages and crates. The company said that it would also favor suppliers of chickens that use gas, or "controlled-atmospheric stunning," rather than electric shocks, to knock birds unconscious before slaughter. It is considered a more humane method, though only a few slaughterhouses use it."
Spring has sprung here in NYC. As of the end of last week, you couldn't really tell. The ground was covered in snow and we were still all wearing our puffy coats. Alas, the equinox has noxed, and we are now beginning the "light" half of the year.
Speaking of the light half of the year, Daylight Savings Time really kicked my ass this year. I don't really know why. All of a sudden, the clocks sprang forward, and left me behind in the dust. I have slowly recouperated in the recent weeks, but it. was. a. bitch.
My friend from my previous life, Ashley, came in to town this weekend. He was here for a blogging convention. He is working in Marketing at PayPerPost, and was here for a BlogHer convention. Ashley and I were friends through a girl that I dated over 10 years ago. We eventually became roommates and had some great times. He has lived in Orlando for a while. 
Due to just plain life, distance, and my phone anxiety, we have been spotty about keeping in touch. This weekend was the first time that I had seen him in about 7 years.
Anyways, Friday night we decided to go out and get drunk. We started our night at VYNL, which is one of my favorite places in Hell's Kitchen. After eating a little dinner there and of course having a couple of their amazing martinis, we decided to start our night. That's me standing outside VYNL.
When we were leaving VYNL, we ran into Kacy, mine and Justen's roommate, and his friend Brad. We decided to all meet up at Phoenix in Alphabet City. (Justen was on the way). The Phoenix is a really cool place to start your night. It has the feeling of a pub and is quite laid back. The music is not loud. It's very much a hang-out place. There is a pool table there. The movie that I was just in, Skull and Bones used it as a location. We took a seat in the side room (which looks like a dungeon) and waited for Justen. We drank a couple of more beers while there, and Justen came and joined us. Every time I go to Phoenix, I see a celebrity. Well, I use the term celebrity loosely. I see someone who is on TV. Last time I was there I saw the guy who plays the forensic investigator on Law and Order SVU, and this time, we saw Jay McCarroll, who was the winner of Season 1 of Project Runway. He has finally released his ready-to-wear collection and was there at Phoenix with a small entourage. He was wasted. When we were outside about to leave, he came barrelling out the door slurring his words. Either that or he may have been completely sober and speaking in tongues. I'm just sayin'.
We left the Phoenix and decided to cab across town to Mr. Black. This hipster haunt on Friday nights sports waiters wearing only aprons. The cover charge was $10, but we thought it may be fun. On the way there, we saw Kacy stumbling down the roadside, so we did what any friend would do. We rolled down the cab window and heckled him. Priceless.
The line at Mr. Black was around the block, and we didn't feel like waiting, so we walked into the West Village to Pieces, which is a little dive bar. Its right there across from the gay pride statues. We stayed there about 1 beer's length and were deciding to call it a night.
As we were walking down the street to get to the train, I saw Marie's Crisis, and knew we had to stop in. Marie's Crisis is a little bar in a basement that is a piano bar. You can go there and get a drink from the bartender and sit at the piano and sing along with god only knows who. Last time I was there, Dawn Weiner from Welcome to the Dollhouse was there. She was apparently having a sapphic convention there, and was getting a lot of attention. We arrived late, and there were no notables there. We all decided to do a Lemon Drop shot. I did mine, but Justen and Ashley didnt like theirs, so I did theirs too. That was my mistake. I was fine until I drank 3 shots of cheap vodka.
We got in a cab headed back to Astoria. We took the Williamsburg Bridge, which was bumper to bumper at 4am, then came here and crashed. I managed to get the airbed blown up for Ash, allthough I don't remember.
The next morning I awoke at 3pm in a black haze.
Justen went to dance class. God. 31 sucks.
Ok, I did it. Since last year, I have been secretly lusting after the Nintendo wii. (which is still, btw, impossible to buy in stores). Yesterday, afterreceiving birthday money from my parents, I went and stood on line outside the Nintendo world store in midtown from 6:45am until opening--i was first in line--and got the Nintendo wii.
Why may you ask? Well as a young man, I used to stay up nights with friends playing my first-generation Nintendo trying to beat the games. Many of you have been there with me--Super Mario Brothers, Duck Hunt, and most importantly THE LEGEND OF ZELDA.
When Legend of Zelda came out on the NES, I played it and played it. My nights were filled with the quest to rescue this princess. Later versions of Zelda also transfixed me. I was particularly into The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time. This was for the Nintendo 64.
After seeing the advertisements for the wii, i thought that this would be the game system for me. I owned a PlayStation 2 for many years, and eventually sold it because I never played it. I had beaten "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds" and lost interest in the system completely. The games for the PS2 were just not for me. Most were war simulations and battle type games and frankly I never liked them. I started seeing the "trailers" for the new Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and my interest was picqued again. I researched the wii to determine if it would be a one-hit-wonder with me. I don't think so. Here are the reasons:
DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ONE OF THESE THINGS? IF YOU HAVE A wii, my number is: 6047 9712 3060 1158
Happy Day to everyone.
I would like to start this off by saying that I am so excited to be in my thirties. If your twenties are representative for the quest to find yourself, then the thirties are definitely a time to chill inside said self. All of the pressure that I used to feel to "assimilate" or "be" or "do" is no longer there. I am just as happy on the sofa watching TV as I am at the movies. It's just that chill. Go out to eat, order takeout, cook...these are the questions that plague me daily...now I just go with the flow. If I want pizza, I eat pizza. If I want to fry chicken, I fry chicken. If I want to make brownies, I make brownies. And don't care.
The feeling of "laissez le bon temps rouler" or "laissez-faire" has spilled over into my professional life. Thats not such a good thing. If I go to an audition, I go. If I don't, I don't. I no longer have that little cheerleader Daniel in the back of my head saying "DO IT" "GO THERE", etc. And honestly, I don't miss that twit at all.
That being said, I realize that at some point, I do have to "shit or get off the pot" so to speak. But now I don't feel terribly motivated. And that's okay. I feel like as an actor I am in a weird transitional period between playing the roles that I have played thus far and the roles that I am yet to play. I think I am just gonna coast for a while. And pay my student loans.
So as I wake up today, closer to 40 then I am to 20, I wonder what will this decade hold. I am only one year into it, and I love it. So far. The past few years of my life have been the best ever:
Golly, it has been a little while since I last blogged. So much has happened...lets see where to start...
First, the audition I went on was for Periwinkle National Theatre's tour of HALFWAY THERE.
That being said, getting that job has opened a door for me. Actually it kicked me in the ass a little. So, I quit my PR job. I think that I need to focus hard-core on working in the business here, and with my cushy job, I cant do that. I am only going on safe auditions, and I need to get out there more. And make money. So thats that.
Tim and Derek came over President's day weekend, and I made some good 'ole gumbo for everyone. Beau (their puppy) stayed with us while they went to the theatre, and Naomi had a field day. I haven't seen her play like that in years. It was so refreshing. Beau is welcome in our house ANY day.
Later that night, Justen, Tim, Derek and I went to a local bar called Albatross. I have nothing else to say about this bar. Its there. 'nuff said.
LOST is actually getting better. Thank God. Maybe it wont get canceled now. We will see.
Are Jim and Pam ever gonna get together on the Office? I wonder. Cause probably if they did, there wouldnt be any reason to watch. Except that I love that show. I love it bad.
We saw Pan's Labyrinth recently. I will write a separate review of it at some point, but the gist is, go see it. Its beautiful. Its also a bit bloody, but it is good. If you are expecting Narnia, its not like that at all. More like Titus. or if Titus and Narnia had a child, it would be Pan's Labyrinth. Oh, and the child would have to be Spanish.
I have been working hard on my ancestry. Nothing crazy new to report except that Gore Vidal is actually a very close relative to me. 3rd or 4th cousin. Kinda cool, since I like him.
OK. time to go back to work.
So on Saturday, which was also the day of Jen Nelson Lane's big blowout birthday party, I went to an audition for a character in a TYA show. The character is basically the personification of bad. He tempts the characters back into a life of drugs, booze, or whatever. ANYWAYS, the part is masked, and a mime.
Ok, so it has been a while since I have mimed. Maybe since my last mime at grad school (i remember all of us doing a scene where we were all in a gym. Then another scene where we were attacked by our bathroom necessities---mine was shaving cream.) where was I...OH yeah. pain.
I did a little of the choreography from the show as well as some leans and other basic mime stuff on Saturday. No problem. I was actually quite good. Problem is...it is monday now, and I still cant walk right. I used muscles that havent been used in years. There are parts of my quad which are used in mimin' that arent used in anything I have done since 2003.
I put a heat patch on today, and had to take it off cause I was sweating my ass off. And it felt like the skin on my thigh was gone. all of it.
Anyways, I have a callback for this part on Wednesday. Please pray for my little used muscles.
and my burned up thigh.
Last night, Justen and I went to see Spring Awakening with Brent (who was in town for the week). It has been a while since we had seen a show for several reasons--nothing really piqued our interest, and we just never went to get tickets. I am so glad that we decided to go see this show. Duncan Sheik (of the 90's Barely Breathing) and others have adapted Frank Wedekind's 1891 play "Spring Awakening" to this year's Broadway smash. The play centers around a group of teens who are dealing with their burgeoning sexuality juxtaposed with the adult world which is withholding information from them in the name of protecting their innocence.
The cast is an ensemble of fresh-faced young actors (average age here is probably 19) who take on this material with voracity. What RENT was to me years ago is what I feel this will be to young people seeing this today. The music is angst ridden: at times melodic, at times raucous. The stand-out of the cast is definitely John Gallagher, Jr. in his role as Moritz. From the moment he takes the stage in the first number, you can see he has a fully developed character that only comes more to life throughout his subsequent scenes. Also noteworthy is Lea Michelle, playing the female lead role Wendla. Her angelic voice echoes throughout the theatre as pure as a ringing bell from her first scene to the last. Jonathan Groff, who plays the male lead Melchior, comes off a little flat against the colorful supporting characters.
The choreography, done by Bill T. Jones, is at times beautiful and at other times odd. I found the phrase of movement repeated throughout the show to be quite interesting, yet I could decipher no real reason or meaning for it. There were points in the show when I felt that the movement expressed the pent up sexuality of the characters, and other times when it seemed that the characters were simply playing with themselves. or mentally challenged.
The set design and lighting design were brilliantly executed. It is obvious that these two designers worked very closely together to achieve a certain aesthetic. The show is played on a simple acting space with audience on three sides and the band behind. The characters intermingle with the audience, some vocalists are seated as members of the audience the entire time. This Brechtian presentation forces actors to become observers thereby almost making the "audience" another character in the play. I would even go so far as to say that at times, the set and lighting were just as interesting as the characters on stage.
New York Times, New York Post, and USA Today have all called this the best musical of the year. I would have to agree. (But I have not seen any of the others). The raw energy of this show leaps from the stage early in the show (BITCH OF LIVING) and stays strong. Due to plot points being resolved in the second act, the mood is much softer and the energy is a little low. I'd love another big number early in ACT 2, but honestly couldn't imagine where it would go.
Overall, I think that Spring Awakening is the show to beat at this year's Tony's. I hope that this show stays around for a while. It is so refreshing to see something on Broadway that is truly original. Like it or lump it, Spring Awakening is a force to be reckoned with.
Enjoy the clips:
I have learned that Anna Nicole has passed away. Get ready for the media maelstrom to commence. Its so strange that this one event can trump all of our PR efforts.
uggh.
OK, now that the news has broken....
I can not believe that I knew about it moments after it happened. MOMENTS. Calls poured in from all over bumping our client.
Now we just have to take this and use it to our client's advantage.
Anna Nicole Smith was just slapped with a class action lawsuit yesterday due to her TrimSpa campaign. It's a shame when someone's celebrity is related to their drug use, family trauma, and string of lawsuits. This was inevitable.
Now, the question I ask you....how come i know within minutes of Anna Nicole's death? Wonder how much better this world would be if every soldier that died in Iraq got the same media attention---we knew all about their life, their children, their families.
When we were at the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam, I noticed the following quote:
"One single Anne Frank moves us more than the countless others who suffered just as she did, but whose faces have remained in the shadows. Perhaps it is better that way: if we were capable of taking in all the suffering of all those people, we would not be able to live." Primo Levi
References to Anna Nicole and Iraq on Cable Networks After 3PM ET:
NETWORK ANNA NICOLE IRAQ CNN 141 27 FOX NEWS 112 33 MSNBC 170 24
Time Of Segments Devoted to Anna Nicole and Iraq on Broadcast Networks:
NETWORK ANNA NICOLE IRAQ NBC 3:13 0:14 CBS 2:00 2:17 ABC 2:21 2:58
Transcript:
LARRY KING: The death of Anna Nicole Smith — it’s the number one story around the world tonight.
BILL O’REILLY: Hi, I’m Bill O’Reilly. Thank you for watching us tonight. The talking points memo will be in our second segment this evening. It concerns how the left sees Americans killed in Iraq. But first, 39-year old Anna Nicole Smith dead in Florida.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: For better or for worse, would you call Anna Nicole Smith an American icon of the early 21st Century?
ANDERSON COOPER: Jennifer, you met Anna Nicole back in the early-90s through Playboy. You saw her at the Playboy mansion. What was she like back then?
GUEST: Back then…I remember coming home from college and everyone was talking about this really hot woman and um…
RITA COSBY: Although it’s interesting — we talked to a friend earlier today and he was saying she was dumb like a fox.
GUEST: Exactly.
ANDERSON COOPER: ‘Cause a lot of women become Playboy Playmates, but they don’t end up with long careers — certainly not in the spotlight.
MSNBC GUEST: But you know everytime we saw Anna Nicole, the reason people are watching is to see what she said or what she was trying to say through some of her slurred words.
GRETA VAN SUSTERN: Anna Nicole did not live anonymously in the Bahamas. People there knew she was living there.
RITA COSBY: So what was the charismatic blonde like behind the lens, and why was she so intriguing to so many people?
LARRY KING: Larry, this story will have a lot of legs, won’t it?
GUEST: Oh absolutely.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: David, why the obsession with Anna Nicole Smith? Why have the cable shows and even the broadcast news shows — and certainly the morning shows tomorrow — why have they all focused in on this story? And why are they going to be providing a lot more time to Anna Nicole Smith than the war in Iraq and the possible coming war with Iran?
GUEST: Well, you know, America has fallen in love with Anna Nicole Smith.
JACK CAFFERTY: Is Anna Nicole Smith still dead, Wolf?
WOLF BLITZER: Yes, We’re going to be updating our viewers shortly on –
CAFFERTY: Can’t wait for that.
BLITZER: — the mysterious circumstance surrounding that. Jack, thank you.
Well, here is my second run of the "training" program. There was a lot of rain, and I was dodging puddles the whole time (while getting wet). But, I still feel like I did a great job. If the image does not load, I did a total of 2.59 miles in 32 min and 13 seconds. (this is still the same 5 min warm up, 60 sec. run, 90 sec walk (repeat 6 times) then cool down for 5 minutes) I will be doing this again tomorrow, then next week moving on to Week 2 of the challenge.
I have also challenged my self to log 28 miles this month. Should be easy, if each of these is 2.5 miles. (They will be longer next week because there is more runnin')
Hope that everyone out there in Cyberbia has a great weekend. I know I sure am gonna try.
Speaking of trying, I think that Justen and I are going to take this new bottle of $20 wine we bought and go to the cafe on the corner. Gotta love New York--where you can bring your own bottle. everywhere.
Group of 3 13 year-olds:Girl: Did you know that Zeus had sex with three girls?
Boy 1: Really?
Boy 2: What's his last name?
Boy 1: Who's class is he in?
Girl: We don't know him. He's a God.
Boy 1: A God?
Girl: Yeah, a Greek God.
Boy 2: Oh.
I thought I was going to choke on my Cherry Coke.
Well, I promised that I would update you on the state of my new "Couch Potato to 5k" training.
I ran/walked the first training run of this week. It was actually VERY easy. I barely broke a sweat (well, it is very cold) and I barely lost my breath.
Here is the status of my run:
Basically, I ran for 29:02. There was 5 minutes of warm-up and 5 minutes of cool-down. The graph you see is imported from my Nike+ website, and shows my "pace" throughout the run. Actually, I didn't do too shabby. I bet there are a lot of other beginners out there who don't cover almost 2.5 miles in the training. (Remember you are only running for 60 seconds at a time--then walking for 90 seconds.)
I will keep you posted. Tomorrow, I will do the 8-minute mile again, and go back to the long run on Wednesday.
Hope all is well out in Cyber-bia. (Did I just make that up? If I did, it's mine, if not--oops)
OH- I almost forgot...after my "workout" Lance Armstrong came onto my Ipod, introduced himself, and said "Congratulations, that was your longest workout yet!"
How cool am I?
I would like to ask your help. New York State Senate is about to vote on a bill that would increase the punishment for people who run puppy mills, fight animals, etc. Basically, this law would increase the crime to a felony for people who torture, beat, injure or kill, or deprive food or drink to 10 or more animals at a time.
Please politely urge your senator to support S913.
Then sleep a little better tonight knowing that you have given innocent animals a chance to live.
If you do not know what to write, here is a copy of what I wrote to my Senator:
Dear Senator Onorato:
I would like to take a second of your time and urge you to support Senate Bill 913. If it becomes law, S913 will make it a felony to torture, cruelly beat, unjustifiably injure or kill, or deprive of adequate food or drink to 10 or more animals at a time.
As you may know, animal abusers who wrong large numbers of animals—including animal hoarders, puppy-mill operators, and those who fight dogs and birds—are notoriously unlikely to end their cruel ways, especially when they only face misdemeanor charges. This piece of legislation would ensure that such criminals are appropriately charged for their cruel acts.
Thank you so much for taking a stance on this important issue. It is important that we New Yorkers speak up for those who have no voice to speak for themselves.
Best Wishes,Daniel Meredith
What else will they think of.
Should Naomi join?
Dogster: the dog lovers community to share pictures, stories, and information.
Yesterday, I noticed that I needed new sneakers, so I went to Macy's to take a look. I had a $25 off coupon, and while I was there, I became interested in the new NIKE+ shoe and program. Basically, there is this egg shaped piece of thing that sits in your left shoe, and talks to your ipod while you are running. It keeps up with your distance, speed, pace, etc. and loads it onto the internet.
This inspired me. I had heard about the "Couch to 5K" program before. Basically, it is a training program that gets you from couch potato to 5k runner in 9 weeks. I have decided to give it a shot. I will keep you posted. This is week one, and I have run a mile each day yesterday and today, but tomorrow, I start my "training" which are 20-minute intervals. I will do these intervals 3 days a week. On the days in between, I plan to do the quick little 8 minute mile that I already have started for myself.
Here is a description of what I will be doing this week:
"Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes."
I will let you know how I do. I have also given myself a goal of running four 8 minute miles this month. (These will be separate of the other training. Which is why I have challenged myself to only 4)
Keep your fingers crossed!
tartan, but in Welsh society, tartans and kilts were not quite as important as they are to the Scots--all though they were quite important.
and navy tartan to the right is the Meredith tartan. The very green one below is a more "modern" Meredith tartan. I like the classic one better.)
BECK: Dave, what is the -- what is the controversy? One of the guys called another guy a naughty name.GLOVER: Yes. Basically you have Isaiah Washington, who's one of the stars of the show, who referred to one of his co-stars during a heated argument as a derogatory term for a gay man that starts with "F", rhymes with maggot. Did it a couple more times after that. And do you like how I did that?
BECK: Yes.
GLOVER: And...
BECK: Do you know that The New York Times wouldn't even print -- I mean, we can say the word. We`re having an adult conversation here. Wouldn't even print the word "fagot [sic]."
GLOVER: Right.
BECK: Wouldn't print it. I find that amazing.
Courtesy of Andy Towle at TOWLEROAD:
Yesterday, George W. Bush issued a White House proclamation that Sunday was National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 2007:
Meanwhile, 12 U.S. soldiers died in a helicopter crash on Saturday, bringing the total number of American troops killed in Iraq to 3,054. Let's not forget the other coalition forces and the thousands of Iraqi civilians. The rest of the grim figures are here.
And Story Landis, the National Institutes of Health official overseeing the implementation of President Bush's embryonic stem cell policy, which is filled with restrictions, made what the Washington Post called "an unusually blunt statement" that the program is "delaying cures".
Yet Bush says he plans to veto a bill passed by the House this month that would lift restrictions.
Bush says he values the sanctity of human life yet pushes policies that say just the opposite. As AmericaBlog notes, a "mind-numbing hypocrisy".
