funkycold

This is truly amazing.

What is a good xmas gift for my 16 year old nephew who will be arriving in Seattle in 3 hours? He's an athlete, outgoing, and getting his driver's license...

THX for any ideas!

Let me borrow your wonderful brains.

My grandpa is turning 100 in January, and the family is having a big party for him in San Diego. There will be about 150 people there, in a ball room of a hotel (the Del Coronado), for a brunch. For his 95th bday party, I created a game of matching famous historical events to the year they occurred. It was a big hit, so my mom asked me to come up with a similar activity for this party.

Any ideas?? I've got nothing great so far.

THANKS.

Poll #1105624 What would you do?
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

If you left the market and got to your car and then noticed you accidently didn't pay for that $30 case of Red Bull on the bottom of the cart, would you go back in and wait in line to pay for it?

My grandma is 90, and for some reason social security decided her birtday is now February 14, instead of her actual birthday on the 4th. My mom goes down there to fix it, bringing all this proof of her correct birthday (passports, drivers license, etc.), but they say that's not enough - Grandma had to come down and fill out a form herself.

My mom says, "But she's in a vegetative state!" The clerk says, "Her not eating meat has nothing to do with this."

To teach dojo last night, I was preparing exercises on the theme of commitment and honesty in character work. That the audience needs more than just a funny show of witty gags, and at some point, something interesting better happen. This is what I came up with: "People don't want to see the circus every weekend - that's why it's a traveling show."

I asked each of them what their biggest stage-fear is. Most of them said a variation on a fear of looking stupid. I explained that how normal that is, and most of us don't want to fully commit to a character/choice for fear of looking stupid. BUT, that commitment is the only thing that will KEEP you from looking stupid. Full commitment is what the audience wants to see. Funny how you have to embrace the stupid to keep from looking stupid. I saw their lightbulbs going on, it was awesome.

I also gave them the two-minute version of my theory about how stage fright/perfomance fear is a rooted in us genetically for survival reasons, and berating ourselves over that fear is a useless pursuit. Understanding it in modern terms is how to get past it. They loved it, and even the shyest students really stepped up. One women in there (in her 40s, probably) said it was her first time EVER on a stage, and she was terrified. At the end, she came up to me and said it was so fun, her only regret was she didn't have the nerve to try it sooner. I love teaching that class!

I talked to my mom tonight. Their house is surrounded by fire, but the firewall is still a few miles away, so they are not yet evacuating. They know dozens of people who have, whose homes are in the fire zone and of uncertain condition. The city is employing Reverse 911, where 911 calls YOU and says, RUN. It's a disaster there right now.

My mom reminded me of something I had forgotten about. When I was about 12 and my sister was 14, we were home alone after school when police came to the door. There was a fire approaching fast up the canyon, and we had to evacuate. We had two large dogs, and neither of us drove yet. We called mom at work - she was about 30 minutes away. She started home, keeping us on the phone, while the police hurried us along to gather things and leave. But we wouldn't leave the dogs.

She got to the bottom of our hill and it was blocked - the police were only letting people come off the hill, but not up. Mom told them her kids were up there alone in the house. They said she could not cross. And SHE said, "My foot is on the gas, and I'm about to press it. I suggest you get out of the way." She gunned the engine, the officer leaped back, and she went through. I love my mom. She's a box of fire.

Picture of my friend's new son Walter. Much as I NEVER want another, I thought this was so sweet.

"I just realized that singing is like dancing with your mouth, and dancing is like singing with your body."

Here.

We went with two other families, which explains the pix of many people other than us. Enjoy. (Bdon, please note that I am wearing a Jet City shirt in more than one shot, particularly under a sign that states my location. Mission accomplished.)

Back from Alaska. We went with two other families – my best friend from high school and her husband and kid (Jason, age 6), and our friends from here and their kids (Eric age 6 and Ava, 3). The ship had a Kids Club, so we could drop all the kids off at various times during the day, and we also had dinner kid-free every night. Awesome. All meals were pretty good, with the exception of the Tepanyaki place (like Benihana), which was EXCEPTIONAL. Our room was great – balcony, pull-out bed for the kids and a king size for us. Pool with huge water slide and hot tubs. All us adults got along really well, despite the dysfuncionality of my high school friend and her husband. That’s a whole other post.

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Did a film shoot for the D.R. trailer at Evergreen Hospital. Very fun. The ER nurse hooked Rachel up to a cardio monitor - we got to use blood pressure equiptment, run the gurneys up and down the corridors...the real staff was very accomodating and entertained by us. Can't wait to see the footage! Can't believe we open next week - the show still has a wild feel to it, that I hope we reign in by then...many different challenges than CUT! had. But, some things are coming much easier too.

Piper's last day of school is tomorrow, which makes me very sad. 3 weeks until she starts summer camp. 3 weeks of no kid-free daytime. That honestly makes me feel a bit queasy.

My friend just saw the Columbia City Cabaret, and was stunned. She said it was very fun, and shockingly racy. And she's no prude. (ex. a dominatrix rapes a donkey pinata....) Burlesque, with improv. She said the most clothed person on stage was wearing a thong and pasties. Has anyone seen/heard about this show before? It was sold out.

Or, as my people would say, Feliz Cumpleanos y yom huledet samayach!

My dad (most of you know) is a symphony conductor, and at this very moment is on the radio, commentating on stuff. He's a great speaker, a master of off the cuff banter, and makes classical music really interesting.

www.xlnc1.org

And click Listen Now, to hear my silver tounged dad. If it pleases you. :)

When I notice on my phone I have a missed call from someone, I do not call back. I figure if they really want to tell me something, they'll leave a message. But more and more lately, people are telling me, "I called you, but you didn't call me back." I ask if they left a message, and they indignantly say no.

Am I the one with the bad phone etiquette here?

I love this guy.

www.settleforbrian.com

Pros and cons are awesome. I believe every word of it. I'm rooting for him big time.

Just finished Jesus is Magic. (thanks for the recommendation, Ian!) Not many comics (that I've heard) have the balls to take on 9/11 like that. And the holocaust. And AIDS babies. And every other taboo subject out there, which she just took and rolled in and shit on and ate it and spit it out again.

And it's funny. Not to dredge up tired gender stuff, but it's nice seeing a woman do it so succesfully. Or maybe that's why she can get away with it. The incongruity of hearing all that coming from this pretty, sexy, squeaky, girl's mouth.

I suddenly have an audition next week, and no headshots. Any recommendations for a quick headshot solution that doesn't look totally lame? I don't want to go the mall and spend $100 - I want to get real headshots done with more time.
Black and white? 2 sided with a resume on the back?
I am pretty inexperienced with these things.
Thanks for all info...