6.30.2008

English to English Translations

I have a new business model. Well, perhaps it's not new, but it's
certainly necessary. It's called English-to-English translations.

You know how sometimes you say "excuse me" to someone, and yet, this
person refuses to move? Perhaps they needed an English-to-English
translation.

Is there a mumbler in your life? A low talker? You may need the
services of an English-to-English translator.

You see the multiple applications? A person at work not making
sense. A child just learning to speak.

It's the business of the future!

Posted from my iPod
www.piawilson.com
www.piaquarterly.com

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6.29.2008

Nu New Kids On The Block

Why? Why? That's all.

Posted from my iPod
www.piawilson.com
www.piaquarterly.com

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6.25.2008

Happy Birthday, Mr. Lewis!



Mr. Jason Lewis — he of six feet and one inch — turns 37 today, as I will turn 37 on July 1. Let me tell you that 1971 was a magical year indeed. Jason and I are both Cancers, and Jason shares his day with the great writer George Orwell. Happy Birthday, Mr. Lewis. Happy birthday to you.

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6.24.2008

In Which Mr. Gandy Gets All IKON-y on Us



Oh my, the very swoon-worthy Mr. David Gandy is coming ashore from the blue waters of Dolce & Gabbana's Light & Blue fragrance for a moment — and Zirh is providing him a towel. Apparently, Zirh has whipped up a new men's fragrance and will debut it in September. The scent is called Ikon. Mmmmmm-hmmmm.


Now, any number of hacks could have come up with an easy ad campaign featuring male icons like James Dean, Marlon Brando, et al. But Zirh is keeping it young and sexy. The cologne itself sounds sexy (with notes that I especially like, e.g. a base with patchouli). There's ginger, cardamom, black cinnamon, and cloves, but it probably won't smell like a cookie. There are also notes of Davano flowers, iris root and French labdanum.


The perfume was created by Frank Völkl of Firmenich, who also put his stamp on the Sarah Jessica Parker fragrances and Kenneth Cole scents, specifically Reaction, RSVP, and Signature. Frank loves the patchouli, as all the Kenneth Cole scents have that note. Photographer Daniel Jackson has also shot pictures for Kenneth Cole, but that may just be a coninkidink.

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Who Will Care What the Bread Tastes Like ...

when you've been laughing so hard at this video?!


Enjoy!


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6.23.2008

The Five Internet Jokes That Will Make Obama Win [Barack Obama]



 
 

Sent to you by Pia via Google Reader:

 
 

via Gawker by Nick Douglas on 6/13/08

mccain-tech-illiterate-thumb.jpgThe Internet can change elections! Just not through Meetup and Friendster like some people thought. Okay, these five pictorial jokes about Barack Obama and John McCain won't be entirely responsible for Obama's imminent November victory. They're just mobilizing the base! Because Influential Thought Leaders don't join "One Million Strong For Obama On Facebook," but they do link to political jokes on their Tumblr blogs.

1. NOPE
Grabbed from the ether and copied all over Tumblr, a parody of the Obey Giant "HOPE" poster.

Less faithful to the aesthetic, but with a satisfying result:

mccain-nope-realistic.jpg



2. President of Awesome
Taken from a 4chan forum.


3. Send Barack Your Baby

4. Barack Marx Hitler Bin Laden Birth Certificate
Made by Shakespeare's Sister, a blog that's now investigating the rumor that McCain fellates livestock.

5. McCain: For The Tech Illiterate
From Daily Kos.



 
 

Things you can do from here:

 
 
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6.22.2008

Kung Foo Girl Riesling



I haven't had a nice wine at home for a while. Actually, I haven't had a nice wine out in a resto either lately ... but that's another story.

Anyway, I stopped by Amanti Vino on Chuch Street in Montclair, after a late morning coffee at Bean's. (The coffee was a nice Mexican grind ... I can't remember the name, but it was excellent.)


It was raining cats and dogs outside, so I dipped into the wine shop, looking for a nice white to go with the salmon croquettes and homefries I'm making later this evening.

There's something you should know about me: I'm a bit of a lookist. This is probably the part of me that makes up the graphic designer in me. So, yes, sometimes I'll buy a book for its cover, or in this case, a wine for it's label.

Meandering about the shop, I wound up at the refrigerator, and I saw this darling label on a tall bottle. I could barely resist opening it right there. I don't think I even saw any of the other wines. Kung Fu Girl Riesling from Charles Smith Wines was it for me. I nabbed the 2007 by the way and a lovely bottle of the 2006 Holy Cow merlot which I haven't opened yet.

The Kung Fu Girl is light and sweet and delicious. Because I haven't cooked yet, I had a little of the Riesling with a couple of slices of the marble bread I bought yesterday at the Walnut Street Farmer's
Market. Delish!!

So, check out www.charlessmithwines.com for more information.

Posted from my iPod

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6.20.2008

Calling Fox News Out on Its Racism

Dear Friends,

Right now, Fox News is trying to paint Barack Obama as foreign, un-American, suspicious, and scary. They're trying to send Americans the message that our country's first viable Black candidate for President is not "one of us."



I've joined on to ColorOfChange.org's campaign to push back on Fox, publicly demanding they stop their race-baiting and fear mongering. If that doesn't work, then we'll go to their advertisers and the FCC. I wanted to invite you to sign on as well. It takes only a moment:



www.colorofchange.com



Here's what happened recently:



After Senator Obama won the nomination, he and his wife gave each other a "pound" in front of the cameras. Fox anchor E.D. Hill called the act of celebration a "terrorist fist jab." Then last week, a Fox News on-screen graphic referred to Michelle Obama as "Obama's baby mama" — slang used to describe the unmarried mother of a man's child. It was a clear attempt to associate the Obamas with negative cultural stereotypes about Black people, an insult not only to Michelle Obama but to women and Black people everywhere.



After each of the incidents mentioned, Fox issued some form of weak apology. But what does it mean when you slap someone in the face, apologize the next day, then slap them again on the third? It means the apology is meaningless.



These aren't one-time incidents — they're part of a pattern that continues no matter how often Fox is forced to apologize. Fox has a clear record of attacking and undermining Black institutions, Black leaders, and Black people in general.



If we don't push back now, we will see more of the same from now until November. Please join me in helping to bring an end to Fox's behavior.



www.colorofchange.org



Thanks, Pia

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6.19.2008

Whatever & Delicately Opens Tonight!

My play, Whatever & Delicately, is going to be a part of THE LOOKING GLASS Spring 2008 Writer/Director Forum, starting tonight and ending its run on Sunday. The Looking Glass Theatre is at 422 West 57th Street, and tickets are $15. My show is only about 25 minutes, but the entire production runs just under 2 hours with an intermission. It's all going to be very exciting!



I went to a tech rehearsal Monday night, and the performances were lovely. The director, Naima Warden, found a heart in the piece that wasn't quite there when I directed it myself last year. So, if you saw Whatever and Delicately during Wonder Women Week in December 2007, this production is absolutely different. Claudia Debbs and Sarah Pullman are starring as Yadra and Lisa, respectively.



In Whatever & Delicately, bathroom attendant Yadra teaches the daughter of a diplomat a thing or two about manners and making presumptions. I did the piece in large part because I read somewhere about how Dostoevsky caused such a stir in Russia because he wrote about a clerk — civil servants were generally ignored in life and especially in art. Dostoevsky brought this type of person to the national conscious. That started me thinking about the people who are invisible in this society, and I thought that no one was more ignored than bathroom attendants. They have lives and loves and food and drink, and we should treat them as we would anyone doing us a service. So, that was the ur-story that drove me to write Whatever & Delicately. On piawilson.com I talk about another influence on the play.



Also on the bill for this evening:
HOLYMARRIAGE.COM by Kate McLeod
directed by Cristina Knutson
Do people really want to reveal everything about themselves, even to the person they are most intimate with?

THE UNTITLED PREGNANCY by Michelle Bradley
directed by Nikki Rothenberg
An unexpected pregnancy causes a Manhattan 20-something to take a deeper look at her life and the choices she's made.



Special shout-outs to Assistant Director/Stage Manager: Sarah Wansley and lighting designer Jason Miller.




THE LOOKING GLASS SPRING 2008 FORUM
June 19-22, 2008
SCHEDULE: Thurs - Sat @ 8PM, Sun @ 5PM
TICKET PRICE: $15
ADDRESS: 422 West 57th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues
SUBWAYS: A, C, B, D, 1 to 59th/Columbus Circle; N, R, W, Q to 57th/7th
PHONE: (212) 307-9467
RESERVATION #: (212) 352-3101 or www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/45901
WEBSITE: www.lookingglasstheatrenyc.com
CONTACT/INFO EMAIL: admin [at] lookingglasstheatrenyc.com
TDF Vouchers Accepted!



--

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6.16.2008

From the "This Is Just Wrong" Files

Fashion is hard, y'all. And so is keeping a straight face as a newscaster. Sorry, Edward R. Murrow, this was funny.



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6.15.2008

On Why The Incredible Hulk Was Awesome



I can tell you why Marvel's The Incredible Hulk was awesome in two words: Bruce Banner. I bet you thought I was going to say Ed Norton or Liv Tyler or special effects. While Ed, Liv, and the special effects team were great (more on that later), I think the core success of this movie version of the Marvel comic was due to the perfect balance in the Bruce Banner character. If you don't care about Bruce, you aren't going to care as much about The Hulk.


A lot of the credit does go to Ed Norton. I'll confess that I didn't see the 2003 Hulk movie, starring Eric Bana for two reasons:



  1. I'm not that big of a Hulk fan — Batman, any day of the week, but The Hulk ... meh.

  2. Eric Bana ... again, meh.

But Ed Norton ... he's got something in his eyes, a glint of something. I didn't even want to see this version of The Hulk, but I saw a commercial on television, and there was something in Ed's eyes, and I felt he would make a fab Bruce Banner. I was right. He's the perfect heir to the late Bill Bixby. Ed has perfected the Bruce Banner temperament, particularly that panicky feeling that The Hulk is about to appear. His Bruce is also charming at times, like a smart man would be. Kudos to Mr. Norton.


Liv Tyler was terrific too ... as much as any woman could be in this type of role. Betty Ross is a doctor too, just like Bruce, and we know that thanks to the nifty glasses Liv is wearing for us. But, Liv, too, like Ed Norton, gets the temperament down pat. Nice job. Next time, though, I'd suggest to the writer(s) that they give Betty more to do than hold Bruce's hand or look at him lovingly/anxiously/forlornly.


Tim Roth ... nice job. But since I don't really care about his character, I'm going to skip over him. He's a good actor, our Tim is, so his performance ... well done.


Now, on to my boyfriend, John Hurt. What can I say, I love him, even when his character is a bastard. He's got those puppy dog eyes, and something about him just works for me. Is that really a review of his performance? No. Do I care? No. Kudos to you, darling.


Basically, go see The Incredible Hulk. It's not making the money it should. Next up ... Batman!

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6.12.2008

V A Model! It's the Girls' Turn


You wanna be on top? Oh, wait, that's another modeling contest. This is totally different ... no TV reality, just reality ... and sadly, no Tyra circus. Anyway, VMagazine.com is running another model search — and this time, it's the girls' turn.


Up for grabs is a three-year modeling contract with Supreme Model Management (a company seriously lacking in diversity!), a fashion story in an upcoming issue of V, and a trip to NYC for a round of casting go-sees.


You can strut your stuff on over to the VMagazine website to enter.


And in case you were wondering, here are the finalists from the boys' contest.

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Sprintcuts: Quick-Dry Nail Polish



So, Sprint has sucky cell coverage (I hear ... I'm abused by Verizon), but Sprint sponsors these really cute and helpful hints on YouTube. The Quick-Dry Nail Polish one is a fave.

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6.11.2008

Angie ... Angie, Where Will It Lead Us from Here?


I used to subscribe to Vanity Fair, and then, I realized how little I like the magazine (not the Africa issue, loved that). They really pushed me over the edge with this horrible, tarted up Nicole Kidman cover. I was done ... over and out. Now, for my birthday month, Graydon and crew have gone and made Angelina Jolie the cover girl. As those of you who know me and my obsession with My Heritage's face recognition software, Angie is one of my look-alikes, so I enjoy seeing how they shoot her for magazines.


Except for the picture with the green wig, I think Angie looks great. Here's a slideshow from VF.


Speaking of VF, some poor kid has been put in charge of getting 10,000 fans for VF on Facebook by August. You can help him out here.

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Turning Japanese



Reese Witherspoon mingled with female breast cancer survivors in Japan today as a guest of honor at a traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony ... on behalf of Avon. Think Elle Woods meets Karate Kid. I love when corporate shills (even as cute as Reese) bring messages of "empowerment" to new sales markets for the corporation ... all under the cover of a charitable effort. In addition to the tea ceremony, Reese introduced the Asia-Pacific region to Avon's first-ever global fundraising product, the Women's Empowerment Bracelet.



But, hey, Reese does look fab in the kimono. I guess she would, since she was wrapped up by a prominent kimono dresser, Midori Yogi. Ms. Yogi's family has dressed the Japanese Imperial Family for weddings since 1952.



Reese is doing a good thing by discussing breast cancer in Japan — as there's a high rate of breast cancer in the country and the Asia Pacific region as a whole. Only about 12 percent of women in Japan receive regular breast cancer screening, due to the lack of testing equipment and breast cancer experts in Japan.


Company rhetoric:



Avon's global philanthropy has raised and awarded more that $525 million for breast cancer research and to ensure the best care and treatment for all breast cancer patients, regardless of their ability to pay. Avon is the largest corporate supporter of the fight against breast cancer in the world. Avon Japan is committed to changing these statistics and creating greater awareness with an emphasis on the importance of early detection. Since the beginning of their breast cancer campaign in 2002, Avon has held some of the largest breast cancer awareness events in Japan as well as donated nearly $2 million for mammography screenings, equipment donation, research and care for survivors and their families.

I wonder how all of this would have gone, if Gwen Stefani had been the Avon Japan ambassador.

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6.09.2008

Adorable Garrett Neff Video

I used to watch this woman with salt and pepper hair on Fashion Television. I've got to find her name. She was always hilarious. This was when FT was basically a show that ran at seven in the morning. I digress.


I happened on this FT video from December 2007, featuring the very cute and charming Garrett Neff. Perhaps Escada could find a way to use him in their next online video. Garrett, darling, do you sing?



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The Hulk

I want to see it ... In spite of the CGI, as I tend to like a "human"
Hulk like Lou Ferrigno.

Ed Norton is looking like he's going to be a fabulous Bruce Banner.
This is CRUCIAL because this is who the audience loves And Liv Tyler
looks like she's going to be more than an outline of Betty.

Hulk smash!

Posted from my iPod
www.piawilson.com
www.piaquarterly.com

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Tragic Advertising: "Video" for Escada's Moon Sparkle



I have a split personality ... with my fragrances, that is. Part of me loves a sexy scent ... like Nuits de Noho ... a womanly fragrance ... like Bvulgari's Rose Essentielle. But then, I have a side of me that dotes on sweet perfumes that were really only appropriate for me when I was in my early 20s (hello, Flowerbomb) ... the kind that makes you hungry when you put it on in the morning. Escada fragrances fit that bill. Still, I love them, and each summer, I buy whatever Escada is peddling.


So, today, I go to the Escada website, and my stomach sinks just a little when they promote the very cool Margaretha bag as the one "see in the Sex and The City movie." Blech. I carry on though ... towards my fragrances page ... and see Moon Sparkle. I think it's a cute name. I was born in July ... I'm a moonchild ... Moon Sparkle speaks to me. Also, there's a cute page with some kids on there who look like they've stepped right out of the '80s. I also think that's cute. Then, thinking kitschy fun is ahead of me, I click on the "play video" button.


Ugh. It should have said, "Play Tragic Video." It featured what I would describe as a band of models (models pretending to be a band). And they're walking around a party? I don't know. And the music isn't fun or sexy. The video reeks of old people (think ancient ad execs) trying to be "hip," instead of giving the young execs a hand at coming up with something. Awful. Boo on Escada Moon Sparkle web creative.


I'll sniff the perfume later though. It's supposed to be fruity and floral ... that's a summer fragrance for you.

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6.06.2008

Speaking of Bags ...




I thought this was a fun idea ... making a purse from a book.



How to Make a Book Purse


from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Here's a novel purse that is perfect for the bibliophile in your life!
Make this purse out of an old (preferably cheap and unloved) book. It's sure to be a conversation starter wherever you take it and you'll get to recycle a discarded book in the process.

Steps


  1. Obtain a largish hardcover book. Used book stores, library book sales, and thrift stores are good places to find a tome that will suit this purpose.
    • Look for something with an attractive cover in a color that suits your (or your recipient's) style. Some old books are bound with leather (or a lookalike) and embossed.
    • Look around for textbooks, mismatched/outdated encyclopedias, Reader's Digest Condensed Books or anything that you think will be worth more for its cover than its contents.

  2. Cut the pages away from the cover. You can use scissors or a craft knife. Open the cover and cut along the gutter (crease) line.
    • If you like, hang onto the pages or part of them for use in collage or other paper crafts. Text, even if it's nothing in particular, can lend character to craft projects, and things like old encyclopedias can be great sources of images and inspiration.

  3. Trace the book cover onto some firm pressed cardboard. Heavy mailing envelopes work fine.
  4. Cut your tracing out. Cut slightly INSIDE your tracing lines so that you get a cardboard rectangle that is just slightly smaller than your book cover(s).
  5. Cut the spine section away.
  6. Check to see that the cardboard cutouts fit the covers of the book, and that their edges fit slightly INSIDE the edges of the book covers.
  7. Cut a piece of pressed cardboard slightly smaller than the size of the book spine. This will support and reinforce the bottom of your new purse.
  8. Launder your fabric.
  9. Iron the fabric smooth. You may starch the fabric to make it stiffer and easier to use if you like.
  10. Use your cardboard rectangles as a template to cut your cloth. Lay the cardboard on the cloth and cut around it, leaving an inch or so in every direction.
  11. Repeat for the spine cardboard piece.
  12. Cut the ends of your purse.
    • Fold a quarter yard (23cm) of fabric into quarters (fold once along a vertical centered fold line, then once along a horizontal fold line). You should end up with a rectangular shape, with folds on two adjacent edges and four layers of material.
    • Measure and mark the following:
      • One spine width from the corner where the two folded edges meet, along the edge with two folds. This measurement is shown by the red line in the previous diagram.
      • One book cover width from the corner where the folded edges meet, down either of the longest sides. This measurement is shown by the blue line in the previous diagram.
      • A diagonal line from the end of the first measurement to the end of the second measurement.

    • Cut the triangles from the markings you made.
    • You should now have two triangles that measure as follows:A = twice the spine widthB = the length of the short side (width) of the book coverC = the distance that you want your book purse to open up
    • Repeat the process to make two more triangles with these dimensions, making for a total of four triangles.

  13. Trim the top of the fabric to one quarter inch (or so) longer than the width of the cover. (see photo for pointers)
  14. Sew the long sides of each pair of triangles. Right sides together.
  15. Turn and press the seam.
  16. Topstitch.
  17. Fold the bottom, narrow edge of your triangle in half to form a dart at the bottom.
  18. By hand or by machine, begin your stitch slightly less than halfway from fold to edge. Stitch up the fold at least an inch. This will help your purse to close cleanly without the fabric bunching outward.
  19. Cover the two large cardboard rectangles with fabric, gluing the edges to the back side. You may glue the fabric to the front side if you wish as well.
  20. Place the narrow, darted edge of the triangle(s) onto the inside, spine ends of the book cover. Be certain that the dart lies to the inside of the cover. Glue into place.
  21. Lay one of the thin strips of cardboard on the back side of its fabric.
  22. Wrap the short ends of the fabric over the short ends of the spine cover. Glue into place.
  23. Glue the long, raw edges of the triangles to the top and bottom edges of the book cover to form the sides of your purse.
  24. Make two loops of bias tape, one to hold the button/bead closure and one for the button to slide through.
  25. Place the bias tape loops in the center of the openings and glue them carefully to the edges.
  26. String beads on the bias tape or similar for your handle.
  27. Measure carefully and glue them into place.
  28. Glue your covered rectangles to the inside of each book cover, covering all raw edges.
  29. Press bottom corners to the inside of purse and glue them into place.
  30. Your new purse is ready to dazzle and amaze!


Tips


  • Hot glue works well because of its minimal drying time. You can use craft glue, but you will need to clamp each section into place and allow it to dry before proceeding to the next step.
  • It works well to Make a Hollow Book and attach the handle.


Warnings


  • Take care when handling scissors, craft knives and hot glue guns.
  • It is possible that the bibliophile in your life would be offended at a notion of repurposing a book rather than reading it. At the least, choose an old volume with no particular value.


Things You'll Need


  • A large, old book that no one wants.
  • Craft knife or utility knife
  • Scissors
  • Iron
  • Sewing machine
  • Hot glue or similar
  • Fabric to match the book.
  • Pen or pencil
  • Straightedge (optional)


Related wikiHows





Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make a Book Purse. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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A Bag Revolution for Men: The Father's Day Post


Men, I love you. I don't love your bookbags.


It actually depresses me when I see a 50-year-old man walking around with a bookbag on his back, especially when he's wearing a suit. Fellas, you don't look good. You look sad ... and kind of pathetic (minus the "kind of"). And they're always packed! What are you carrying in there? Bodies?


I know. I know. Women get to carry all kinds of purses and bags with nary a glance. So, what. Get yourself a decent-looking bag, man! There are a wide array of bags available to men ... e.g. the very posh example above, brought to my attention by Barneys New York. Yes, it's $2,300. But it's gorgeous. Of course, you can always buy on the lower end. Or you could do the very cool saddlebag on your shoulder.


You know a really good excuse for getting a new bag ... Father's Day (June 15th). Buy a decent bag for yourself and your father, or if you have a family of your own, have them buy you something decent. Ladies, if you're doing the shopping ... why in the world did you let him do the bookbag thing in the first place?!


Anything. Please, fellas, please. No more bookbags. Thanks.

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6.05.2008

Achtung! Self-Promotion! Whatever & Delicately Opens Soon



An excerpt from Whatever and Delicately ...

YADRA: When a lady wants to tip me, she looks me in the eye and hands me the money and thanks me for my service. I put her gift in my pocket. Someone who wants to throw a bill in a glass jar — or worse, a cut-up plastic something — that someone can keep her paper. It's worthless to me.

LISA: You probably lose a lot of money that way.

YADRA: Less than you would think, and you know, there's more to life than money.

LISA: So says the woman who sits next to a crapper all day.



My play, Whatever & Delicately, is going to be a part of THE LOOKING GLASS Spring 2008 Writer/Director Forum, which opens today! W&D is part of the programming for week 3, which takes place from JUNE 19-22. Get your tickets today!


The Spring 2008 Writer/Director Forum, a festival of workshop productions of plays featuring new writers and directors, runs June 5-29 at The Looking Glass Theatre (422 West 57th Street).


The Looking Glass Writer/Director Forum is part of the company's mission to reflect life on the stage with truth and theatricality while exploring a female vision/aesthetic. The festival is held twice a year at The Looking Glass Theatre. This year's spring festival features the work of twelve emerging female directors tackling new works. Throughout the four-week festival, directors will present a wide range of styles, from new adaptations of John Baptiste Racine's PHAEDRA to new works such as Whatever & Delicately by moi.


The lighting designer for the Spring 2008 Forum is Jason Miller. The full performance schedule is as follows:



WEEK 1 - JUNE 5-8
Assistant Director/Stage Manager: Jessica Lazar
SKETCH by Carolyn Kras, directed by Jen Browne
Opinions can very and people change, but when it comes to love what can be
forgotten and what is unforgivable?
AMERICAN INFIDELITY, By Isabella Russell-Ides, directed by Shira Danan
A president. His wife. His moony mistress. What if their lives are just an
American Dream?
SURFACING Written and Directed by Julia Martin
Do you ever think about the people you left behind?

WEEK 2 - JUNE 12-15
Assistant Director/Stage Manager: Rebecca Lewis-Whitson
MOVING PARTS by Judith Pratt, directed by Caroline Lakin
Day in and day out, what parts do you play?
BABY BOOM by Lia Romeo, directed by Krystal Osborne
Happiness is a warm gun - The Beatles.
GENTLE GIRL by Gail Bennington, directed by Rose Ginsberg
In which we meet two girls, a mouse and the ghost of a hero.

WEEK 3 - JUNE 19-22
Assistant Director/Stage Manager: Sarah Wansley
HOLYMARRIAGE.COM by Kate McLeod, directed by Cristina Knutson
Do people really want to reveal everything about themselves, even to the
person they are most intimate with?
WHATEVER AND DELICATELY by Pia Wilson, directed by Naima Moffet-Warden
starring Claudia Debbs and Sarah Pullman as Yadra and Lisa, respectively.
Bathroom maid Yadra teaches the daughter of a diplomat a thing or two about manners and making presumptions.

THE UNTITLED PREGNANCY by Michelle Bradley, directed by Nikki Rothenberg
An unexpected pregnancy causes a Manhattan 20-something to take a deeper
look at her life and the choices she's made.


WEEK 4 - JUNE 26-29
Assistant Director/Stage Manager: Melody Erfani
NO MORE THERAPY by Lyralen Kaye and Amy West, directed by Katrina Foy
The story of two self-help/therapy junkies who discover that love is
always about making it up as you go along.
INTIMATE THINGS by Laylage Courie, directed by Toby Bercovici
This is where the story begins. Here. In this room.
PHAEDRA by Jean-Baptiste Racine, translated by R.B. Boswell, adapted and
directed by Jacquelyn Honeybourne
When Gods ordain that man should err, he cannot disobey.

Casts Include:
Afreen Akhter, TJ Black, Jeanette Bonner, Joe Cappelli, Joe Carusone, Lizzie
Chazen, Lena Diechle, Jamie Farrell, Meghan Flaherty, Megan Gaffney, Hannah
Ginsberg, Jocelyn Greene, Jenna Harder, Nic Heppe, Katie Hyde, Adam Hyland,
Emily Marro, Leslie Marseglia, Blake Merriman, Katie Nelson-Croner, Chelsea
O'Conner, Jessica Palmer, Jill Pettigrew, Sarah Pullman, Leah Reddy, Ryan
Russell, Sana Sepehri, Zdenko Slobodnik, Daniel Smith, Ryan Sprague, Jared
Stern, Katherine Stults, Jowan Thomas, Alice Wiesner, Chris Wild and
Elizabeth Yocam.

About The Looking Glass Theatre...
The Looking Glass Theatre's mission is to explore and expand the feminine
aesthetic, producing works by historic female playwrights, new works by
women, and productions of the classics re-imagined by contemporary women
directors. In 2006, The Looking Glass Theatre and Artistic Director Justine
Lambert received The Lucille Lortel Award from The League of Professional
Theatre Women.

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6.04.2008

Rest in Peace, Mr. Diddley


The father of Rock & Roll has taken his rhythm & blues to the other side. Bo Diddley, 79, died from heart failure this past Monday at his home in Florida.


Born in 1928 as Ellas Bates, Bo Diddley would go on to create a new type of music, and in 1987, he was recognized for his influence by being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1998 he was given a Lifetime Achievement Grammy. His stage name was a nickname childhood friends gave him: Bo Diddley.


His first hit song came in 1957 with “Love Is Strange." He made 11 albums between 1958 and 1963. In 1997, he had an all star guest performance on his “A Man Amongst Men” album that included Keith Richards, Ron Wood, and others.


After suffering a stroke in May 2007, Diddley retired from the stage, and in August 2007, he suffered a heart attack.


There will be a public funeral in Gainesville, Florida next Saturday. His is survived by his 3 children, 15 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren.


Mick Jagger has paid tribute to singer-guitarist Bo Diddley as an "enormous force in music" and "a big influence on the Rolling Stones." Jagger also called Diddley "a wonderful, original musician." Blues legend BB King was among other stars to honour Diddley, saying his legacy would "live on forever." It sure will!

Watch his performance on The Ed Sullivan Show ... on YouTube.

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Garrett Is at Hommes


Our favorite CK MAN, Garrett Neff, is the cover boy for L’Officiel Hommes. Models.com reports that Milan Vukmirovic shot more than 50 pages of Garrett and almost 200 pages total for the issue. So, clearly, this is the issue to buy if you love Garrett. Currently, Milan shoots and edits L’Officiel Hommes. Congrats to Garrett.

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6.03.2008

Viva La Vida (I like a Coldplay song?)


Um, yeah. I'm not a really big Coldplay fan. I think I liked that one song — and no, I can't remember the name of it — but I'm pretty sure that was only because I liked the video with goofy Chris Martin walking along the beach in the rain, singing. I remember thinking the imagery was sweet. Then, he married Gwyneth Paltrow, who I liked for a brief while (think, Sliding Doors) then actively began to dislike. I was all to happy to write them off together. Phew! Then damn Apple got involved.


MORE -->

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SATC's Jason Lewis Flies By Butterfly Ball


I am a non-profit girl at heart. I believe that opulence in life can exist without sacrificing humanity. So, since I absolutely adore Jason Lewis (happy to write a role for you anytime, Jason), I was glad to see him doing more than Sex and The City promotions.


Saturday evening, Jason joined other celebrities like Demi Moore and fellow former (current?) male model Ashton Kutcher at the exclusive Butterfly Ball fundraiser benefiting Chrysalis, a Los Angeles-based organization that helps homeless men and women find jobs and homes.


Other famous faces at the Butterfly Ball included Chris Kattan, who performed emcee duties, co-chair Rebecca Gayheart, Calvin Klein model Eva Mendes, Seth MacFarlane, Brett Ratner, singer Keyshia Cole, Patrick Muldoon, Amaury Nolasco, Buffy alum and Dollhouse star Eliza Dushku. The AP reports that the event was said to have raised over $1 million for Chrysalis.

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6.02.2008

Rest in Peace, Mr. Saint-Laurent

Fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent passed away this weekend at the age of 71.  The reclusive icon has been credited with taking Paris fashions to a higher profile in the 1970s, and he retired from the business in 2002.  He has said of fashion that he has "always given the highest importance of all to respect for this craft, which is not exactly an art, but which needs an artist to exist." According to AFP, Yves Henri Donat Mathieu Saint Laurent was born in the coastal town of Oran, Algeria, on August 1, 1936, at a time when the North African country was still considered part of France.  He arrived in Paris in 1953 at the age of 17, and in a fated string of events, he was taken under the wing of the legendary designer Christian Dior.  When Dior died suddenly a scant three years later, Saint-Laurent was poised to take over.
The International Herald Tribune  reports that "he was largely responsible for changing the way modern women dress, putting them into pants both day and night, into peacoats and safari jackets, into "le smoking" (as the French call a man's tuxedo jacket), and into leopard prints, trench coats and, for a time in the 1970's, peasant-inspired clothing in rich fabrics." Among the women of style who wore his clothes were Catherine Deneuve (whom he often referred to as his muse), Paloma Picasso, Nan Kempner, Lauren Bacall, Marella Agnelli and Marie-Hélène de Rothschild.
Oh, and the ladies can thank him for making pants acceptable everyday wear.  Believe it or not, when he suggested the idea in the late '60s, it was considered revolutionary!  "My small job as a couturier," he once said, "is to make clothes that reflect our times. I'm convinced women want to wear pants."  Merci, Mr. Saint-Laurent, we did and we still do.

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