I can't for the life of me figure out what I want to do about my smart phone situation. I've currently got a BlackBerry Curve 3G that I bought from my last job when I left. I'm with Sprint, and I don't have a long-term contract right now.
I really like my BlackBerry. I don't really want my phone to be too much more than a phone. I want to check my email, text, Facebook, Twitter and GPS. I want a keyboard, and I don't want to be updating apps all the time. I *do* want to be able to take and post great pics.
But. The camera on my current BlackBerry BLOWS. Like seriously, what about "I want a real keyboard" says "I don't care about my camera"??? I don't get it.
I'd upgrade to the newest BlackBerry, but the camera still isn't as good as iPhone. And any upgrade is going to cost me at least $100 or $200 dollars AND commit me to a two-year contract, which I hate.
And I'm just not ready, people! I don't know what I want, and it feels like nothing out there is clicking with me.
You know what would solve this problem? Winning a smart phone. Any smart phone. Then: Decision Made.
I've won an iPad in the past, people. (Thanks again, Momversation and Help A Mother Out!) Winning cool tech is TOTALLY AWESOME.
Plus, if you enter the contest and sign up for BradsDeals, I maybe get an Amazon gift card. With which I will buy ink for my printer. Because that's the kinda crazy girl I am. Can't make a phone decision, uses Amazon gift cards to buy ink. It's a fabulous life, people, but somebody has to live it.
I have a confession to make. I'm not a big zombie aficionado. Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland, Bite Me, that's really as far as my live-action zombie knowledge and experience goes.
My best friends and business partners, on the other hand, are into zombies. Like *really* into zombies. (See Bite Me, listed above.)
Luckily, there's a supercool place where our passion for the undead comes together. It's kick-ass, it's animated, it's XOMBIE. The Xombie universe features an animated webseries, online comic, comic books, a novel, and a whole lot of Xombie goodness spinning around this guy, DIRGE:
Name: DIRGE
Etymology: Mournful lyric / leader
Status: Undead
Weapon of Choice: Shovel
A mortally challenged man with a mind of his own, Dirge struggles to cope with the annoyances of unlife, all the while keeping tabs on Zoe - the one person who makes him feel alive. Forever the pessimist, Dirge fights against his posthumous tendencies, determined to be a good person no matter the inconvenience.
Of course, there's a whole host of cool characters, including a human girl, ZOE; a now-back-among-the-moving Egyptian beauty, NEPHTHYS; and Dirge's trusty puppy xombie, CERBERUS. And many more.
Xombie: Dead on Arrival follows Dirge, a mortally challenged monster with muscle to spare. Armed with reason, and impervious to death, he will face unspeakable horror on his way to reunite a lost little girl with her family. Can he protect a single living soul from certain death? Can he outrun the nebulous forces behind the zombie plague? And if a monster truly saves a human life, is it really a monster after all?
You can watch all the Xombie flash cartoons here. I just rewatched them all this morning (yes, I get up at 5:30am on Monday morning before work and watch animated cartoons and then blog about them), and I am SO EXCITED for season 2. Which brings me to the issue at hand. Oh, yes, my friends, there is a Xombie Kickstarter campaign, and I would REALLY, REALLY appreciate it if you would check it out:
I have another confession. I made a big resolution this year that I didn't blog about. Yet. 'Cause here goes. I resolved to get paid to direct for the first time, this year. I filled in one eye of my Daruma I've been sitting on since I bought it in 2009 at a very special place to me, the Morikami Museum in Florida, and I vowed. This is the year. 2012.
So while my Xombie interest is strictly fan-based, I've got eggs in the Epic Level Entertainment basket. I'm invested in them for so many reasons. And not just 'cause they'll read my stuff.
They're my friends. They've got mad skills. They work with and nurture supercool talented people. And the worlds and stories they bring to life rock. Often, on the Interwebs. Which is a wild, wild west that I love very much.
So today, Xombie, Death Warmed Over. It's a big campaign, and Xombie is overdue for some love. My research shows, that projects that fund at the higher levels do so greatly due to numerous contributions at the lower levels. So if you want to support me, and/or Xombie looks supercool to you, even a $5 or $25 donation will - seriously - go a long way. The $50/$75/$100 levels get epically cooler, too. Donate there, and make me jealous.
'Cause when I look at Kickstarter campaigns, it's a lot like being at an art show for me. Few things please me as much as being able to support artists that I appreciate, and yet, I remain the broke-ass I've almost always been. I can't go to an art show and buy a painting, and I can't give James Farr the thousands that I would if I had it to give.
If *you've* got big bucks to give, Xombie, Death Warmed Over is a great project. James Farr and Epic Level Entertainment are total pros, and I've no doubt that Xombie Season Two will knock the socks off of the Interwebs. (Try to picture that for a beat.)
A bigger Kickstarter campaign is a marathon. At times, the goal seems hopelessly far away. But each hurdle gives the campaign more and more momentum and exposure, and the number begins to climb. And filmmakers are no stranger to what it feels like to stand at the base of a creative mountain and look up and believe you can get there. Right now, with 30 big fat days to go, the next hurdle for Xombie is that first $10K. Can you help today?
Xombie rocks, people. I want to see more. Interest peaked? Get involved, join the Xor-Gothuan Army, spread the word. The journey starts here. Chapter 1, The Dead Sea. It's under 5 minutes. Check it out, and get hooked. Or hit by shovel. Something like that.
Well actually, right now you're invited to help create a "Destruction Party." Or really, a film short about one.
I found the concept intriguing, so I'm going to let Writer/Director Amanda Mae Meyncke tell you about it in my first ever guest post on Everyday Goddess. Take it away, Amanda Mae!
Imagine your friend told you she has never felt pretty in her life, or that she felt like nothing had turned out the way she wanted. Now imagine you could hand her a piece of china, and tell her to throw it and release all her anger as you both watched it shatter.
My name is Amanda Mae Meyncke and I am the writer and director of a short film, Destruction Party. The film takes place in a single afternoon as four life-long female friends assume they’re gathering for a dinner party, when in fact they are about to share the struggles they’re going through and in return be given various pieces of china to smash. Though the girls are hesitant at first, they soon get into the swing of things as old worries and new hurts come to light.
Attending Sundance this year really opened my eyes when it came to films that spoke to my experiences. I wondered where the movies were that represented problems faced by myself and the girls I know. Who was telling our stories? Very few women, it turns out. I set out to write a short film that would reflect real relationships and the issues women in their late twenties deal with, including uncertainty, fear, regret, as well as the joy of being known and loved as you are. These are real girls, talking about body issues, family matters and relationships, and their friendship is the core of the film. Hopefully this is just the start and we’ll get a chance to continue making films that reflect real women and their relationships.
The film is written and produced by women, our four actors are women, and our 40 person crew is currently about 70% women. This is definitely unheard of in Hollywood, where women still make up a sliver of the workforce compared to men. We’re shooting over two days in late June, and filming on the Red camera. We have some very talented actresses on board including Lacey Chabert (Mean Girls) and Amy Davidson (8 Simple Rules) and are very excited about the project overall. Everyone is donating their time and energy to get the picture made, and I couldn’t be more pleased with where we’re at, two and a half weeks out.
Hi, it's Liz again. Jumping in here to encourage you to check out the Destruction Party Kickstarter page. As I'm posting this, they're only $2,000 away from their goal. Check out their video for more about "Destruction Party."
BlogHer and BookRenter,
a company that rents textbooks to college students, have joined forces
because we know that books makes a difference.
From May 3-28, together we are working to make a difference in
children's lives by generating new books for children who need them most
-- via the nonprofit organization First
Book.
Want to help? For every answer we receive in the comments to the
following question, one book will be donated:
What book has had the greatest impact on your life?
That's right: All you need to do is leave a comment, and BookRenter
will donate a book to a child in need -- up to 1,000 books.
You'll have to join BlogHer or log in with Facebook to comment. And if you blog about this campaign and put it into Mr. Linky, that's *another* book donated!
Yeah, so, I'm totally one of those customers who will tell you how I've been going to Wax Poetic since it was just one space. Pretty impressive when you see that now it's 3 spaces with a wonderful art gallery on one side. But even I can't believe it's TEN YEAR anniversary time! That's so amazing.
I've been playing introvert a lot these days, but you know I wouldn't miss this! Here's the 411, if you're an L.A. peep and you want to check it out:
WAX POETIC GALLERY PRESENTS BABY TATTOO’S PRIVATE COLLECTION: 7 years of Art Shenanigans. SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 2010.
Wax Poetic Gallery is proud to present Baby Tattoo’s Private Collection: 7 years of Art Shenanigans as part of their 10 year anniversary celebration. Opening reception will be Saturday, January 30, 2010 from 8-11 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Records will be spinning and refreshments will be served.
This is the 7th collaboration between Wax Poetic and Baby Tattoo. “I think it’s cool that both of these art based businesses originated and continue to thrive in the San Fernando Valley,” says Baby Tattoo founder Bob Self. It’s going to be an amazing show. We will have original art, limited edition prints, out-of-print products and seldom seen collectibles by today’s most popular contemporary artists.”
“I love working with Bob”, says Wax Poetic owner Kerry Hite. “We have a very similar sensibility, we are both a little left of center. What’s particularly interesting to me about this show are the collaborative paintings. It’s fun to look at the paintings and try to figure out how many of the artists work you recognize. What’s even more exciting is that some of the paintings on display have never been exhibited in Los Angeles.”
Baby Tattoo, Inc. is a Los Angeles based company that publishes books, produces events and promotes artistic lifestyles. Over the course of seven years in the art business, Baby Tattoo has developed professional relationships with some of today’s most popular contemporary artists, and has amassed a fascinating collection of artwork.
Some of the artists Baby Tattoo has worked with (as a publisher or as an event producer) include Ana Bagayan, Glenn Barr, Gary Baseman, Tim Biskup, Luke Chueh, Dave Cooper, Bob Dob, Gris Grimly, James Gurney, Thomas Han, James Jean, Christy Kane, Audrey Kawasaki, Frank Kozik, Joe Ledbetter, Lola, Travis Louie, Elizabeth McGrath, Tara McPherson, CJ Metzger, Miss Mindy, Buff Monster, Brandi Milne, Daniel Peacock, Ragnar, Johnny KMNDZ Rodriguez, KRK Ryden, Jeffery Scott (1019), Shag, Seonna Hong, Greg “Craola” Simkins, Amy Sol, Jeff Soto, Amanda Visell, Michael Whelan and Yoskay Yamamoto. Many of these artists will be represented within the exhibition.
The dorky thing I always do is that I have an appointment today, so then I end up going into Wax Poetic and being like, I'm not looking! I'm not looking! lol It always feels like cheating to see the art early.
WAX POETIC GALLERY PRESENTS THE ART OF DAVE DEVRIES: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24TH, 2009
Wax Poetic Gallery is proud to present the electrifying, colorful, and transformative pieces from the artist Dave Devries. Opening reception will be held Saturday, October 24th, 2009 from 8-11 p.m.; records will be spinning and refreshments will be served. This show is suitable for all ages and will be on display through the end of December.
Based out of New Jersey, Devries’ artwork is centered around a comic book inspired form of illustration, taking characters from the pulp fiction classics and creating a dramatic sense of movement and atmosphere that is both playful, detailed and exaggerated. He’s done a few covers for Marvel and DC comics, but is mostly known for his trading card illustrations. There isn’t a more complete way to pay homage to such an iconic genre.
Devries also utilizes his talent in illustration in a startlingly unique way, with something known as the Monster Engine. Dave created an outlet for children’s artwork, taking the lopsided sketches and the painfully creative doodles that are typical of that age group and then elaborating on them with the professional skill he has. “Something really amazing happens when words collide with images”, says Devries. We agree. The finished product is an updated, detail oriented version of the original, staying true to the child’s vision while being realized as a true piece of art. He came up with this idea through his niece Jessica’s doodles and the curiosity to embellish upon them on a whim.
Realizing one’s potential is probably the most important goal and landmark of growing up as a child, and it’s a rarity to find the platform by which to do that. Every once in a while a talented individual acts as a mentor to those who have the vision but perhaps not the resources.
Says Dave, “Kids are entertaining, but, to my knowledge, are rarely taken seriously. They're like the world's mascots--cherished yes, but trusted with important tasks, no. When they draw they are largely ignored because their art serves no practical purpose--- and frankly adults don't ask about the content with any real interest. Sure some adults care but as a whole most ignore kids' drawings. In contrast, after I complete a painting based upon a child's drawing, I conduct an interview. Since I sincerely value their art and keenly listen to their monster descriptions, children open up and share their energy. One boy started his interview sullen and withdrawn, clearly and sadly inhibited by his parent's dismissive pre-interview comments, but once he saw how much I cared about his ideas, he lit up despite his parent's presence. That said it all to me.” Such is the case with Dave Devries, an artist with a touching outlook and an engaging eye for the supernatural. We excitedly invite you to attend our Halloween show, so that you can first hand experience the enchantment and delight that we so happily look forward to.
I'm unemployed right now, which means I'm getting enough sleep. Leading to the revelation that going out every night is still challenging! Even when I'm not running to work in the morning and then straight out after. I'm rested, but it's still with the getting dressed and the figuring out where I'm going and having cash when you need and coordinating with peeps and being out, out, out. And, of course, I'm still working all day, it's just at home and a lot with the resumes and still a lot with the computer screen screen screen.
Of course, I'm still going out way too much at night no matter how much it hurts, because Hello With The Awesomeness. This past week I hiked and grilled with MBF on Monday, hit Avalon for drinks with some awesome industry friends new and old on Tuesday, saw Real George at The Bootleg Theater on Wednesday, attended "The Ugly Truth" premiere and party on Thursday, grilling tonight at MBF's, and tomorrow, besides a dinner, it's gallery opening time at Wax Poetic!
This Saturday night, July 18th, at Wax Poetic Gallery
3208 W. Magnolia Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91505, will be the opening for the art of Christopher Ashe from 8 to 11 p.m. .... and as always:
records will be spinning and refreshments will be served. I'm planning to be there, and so is the artist! It's always so much fun when the artist is in attendance.
And next Wednesday night, early Thursday morning flight to BlogHer be damned, I'm going to Blogger Prom, baby! Prompting me to think, Geez, those 3 inches pink heels with the white lace I had in 1984 would go so great with my tulletastic dress. Why did I ever get rid of those???
But first: the 411. Opening in limited release this weekend (May 22) in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Palm Desert, "The Boys, The Sherman Brothers' Story" is a new documentary about the Sherman Brothers who wrote a truly amazing amount of wonderful music for Disney, including the music for Mary Poppins, Jungle Book, and Winnie the Pooh. My boss is one of the producers on the film, which focuses on the often difficult personal relationship between brothers Robert and Richard Sherman, as well as on the beautiful music they created together over six decades. Cousins Jeff and Gregg Sherman, who met as adults despite having grown up down the street from each other, created the documentary about their fathers.
Sherman Brothers' songs were made for singing! Yes, my vlog includes singing, so I strongly suggest watching it before you see the real thing in the trailer. I can (pretty much) carry a tune, but I am SO no Julie Andrews!
OK, here's the official trailer:
Finally, here is the list of theaters for this coming weekend and the following week:
Landmark Sunshine Cinema 143 East Houston St New York, NY 10002
El Capitan Theatre 6838 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90028
Landmark’s Regent Theatre 1045 Broxton Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90024
AMC Metreon 101 4th Street San Francisco, CA 94103
If I may suggest, seeing it in a theater with a full sound system will be quite a treat. You can read lists of their songs and be impressed, but the magic happens when their music surrounds you in your theater seat and the full weight of their talent and their history and their ongoing accomplishment in spite of personal conflicts rolls over you.
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