I can’t even talk about how happy this photo makes me
COLEY BREE
-
-
→
-
→
Source: carnivalsaloon.blogspot.com
-
Earlier today I heard someone say “you should be obsessed with each other” they were speaking about the early years of marriage. The person went on to say that when they were married they didn’t want to go to work because they never wanted to be apart, that they were excited to be with each other. I felt really lucky because that’s how I feel about my current relationship.
Today I had my first DJ Ing event in about two years and I was really nervous I was feeling something was wrong. it was strange because it was like this battle inside myself half of me was saying what are you worried about? you know how to do this. You used to do this in front of huge crowds, for years, and you know how to do this, you know the program it’s not that hard and everything will be fine. But a part of me kept nagging at me…you’re nervous, you’re anxious, you don’t want to do this, you don’t feel sure,you don’t feel right. When I got there I saw everyone in gowns and tuxedo’s it was a black tie event and I was in jeans and boots and a hoodie. I felt like crap,I felt like I was unprofessional. it was fine everything worked out and she even said “I didn’t tell you was black tie and you look great” everyone had a great time but still.
I was thinking about how theres nothing that I don’t do. I do photography,and I write, DJ, and I wonder if it’s because I don’t have a clear path. this year’s been all about, well this year so far, is all about me realizing that I’ve become a person that works really hard and doesn’t stop and I have this strange ambition all of a sudden and it’s kind of scary.
-
I’m not sure I’m doing the right thing anymore. I’m not sure these deep traits that are woven into the DNA are something I can deal with. It’s not something I can accept. Maybe I’m just jumping from good time to good time, but really I’m waiting to get through the bad time. The bad time always comes. Part of me keeps saying “but the good times last longer and longer maybe it’ll last years!” but the bad will always come back.
I feel like giving up on everything. Mostly because I know I’m half assing it. I hate that. I like to go balls out on every thing I do. But lately I’m not. I’m doing things I know won’t rock the boat. I was driving home thinking about my next project, I realized I could never write the way I want to, or the way I know I’m capable of because I’ve capped that side of myself.
Trevor told me when we first met he didn’t know if I wanted to date him or murder him, because of all the weird shit I knew about and was interested in. I used to dive really deep into the recesses of my mind, I had no fear about exploring that deep dark weird part of me. That’s changed.
I’m a shell of what I was and I hate it. I liked that I was weird and odd and new when serials committed their first murder and their body counts. I liked that I could come up with random wild stories about my cat having a secret lair under his litter box where he conducted experiments with bunson burners. I don’t do any of that anymore. Instead I wonder if I changed my hair if I’d feel better, I never want to leave the house because I’m afraid of what I’ll see or what will damage me next. I’m like this stupid wounded fawn and I hate that. I was tough, I wasn’t afraid of anything. I could handle every thing, now I can’t handle any thing.
I hope I snap out of this bullshit soon.
-
Jack Huston – Making His Mark On Hollywood
November 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Anyone who’s watched HBO’s Boardwalk Empire knows the name Richard Harrow, the name they don’t know is Jack Huston. Jack Huston was born in London, England to Lady Margo Lavinia Chomlondeley and Walter Anthony Huston. He’s also Hollywood Royalty; his Grandfather was director John Huston, and he is the nephew to Angelica and Danny Houston. That’s just on his Dad’s side.
On his Mother’s side he has Hugh Cholmondeley, 6th Marquess of Cholmondeley as a Grandfather, and his ancestors are David Sassoon, the Treasurer of Baghdad, Robert Walpole, first Prime Minister of Great Britain, and Mayer Amschel Rothschild, who founded the Rothschild family international banking dynasty. Jack banked on his talent and moved to Hollywood. He’s had a few bit parts in some indie films, most notably “Factory Girl” with Sienna Miller as Edie Sedgwick. He had a taste of a franchise in the Twilight series where he played Royce King II, but it was at HBO that he found his niche.
Houston plays Richard Harrow on Boardwalk Empire, as I mentioned. Richard Harrow was injured in the war and wears a mask to hid one side of his disfigured face. Jack is acting with only half a face. His performances in the two seasons of Boardwalk thus far have been beautiful. He’s like watching a concert pianist. His character says very little but conveys so much. The small nuances that he’s added to the character are flawless. With every scene he breaks your heart, but also is formidable enough that you would never want to cross him. It’s a delicate line that he balances on, and he does it brilliantly. Tune into to HBO every Sunday at 9pm to see Jack Houston as Richard Harrow on Boardwalk Empire.
Miranda Kerr’s Monday Fashion
November 22, 2011 By Leave a CommentStarting of her week in style, Miranda Kerr was spotted leaving her NYC apartment on November 7th looking extremely stylish to run some errands.
Mrs. Orlando Bloom looked city chic in a leather jacket and long black dress as she stepped out onto the street where shutterbugs were waiting eagerly.
Coming up on November 29th, Miranda will model the 142-carat, $2.5 million Fantasy Bra at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
And she’s ready to go. Ms. Kerr told press, “I’ve waxed, shaved, done laser. I’m prepped at this point.” Miranda is also enjoying her fulltime role as mommy to her son with Orlando Bloom, baby Flynn. “I’m still breast-feeding. I’m pumping, and it’s going well.”
It’s Time For A Sexual Revolution with Andree Belle
November 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Andree Belle walked into the bar where I was meeting her and immediately brightened up the room. There is a warmth, and an almost physical presence about her. Once she sat down and we began to speak it was clear what I was feeling, I was feeling connected. A singer and song writer, newly certified yoga instructor, but that’s not all, Andree is also on a mission. With her new album “The Soft Glow of Electric Sex” she hopes to start a sexual revolution. It’s important to her to feel that women are empowered and are valued, that we’re more than our bodies or our looks. She’s working extremely hard on her new album in the hope that it will bring a platform to inspire young girls, and of course…get people moving!
NB: Tell me about The Soft Glow of Electric Sex”
AB: The name of the album comes from A Christmas Story, the leg lamp….and its funny to me because its sounds so sexual, and I think that it draws attention to our sexuality and I want to focus on how multifaceted I think sexuality is and that we’re so much more than that.
We need to teach young girls to value their minds. I think its important to be genuine and make people feel comfortable. Dancing is my therapy, I can’t sit on stage with a piano or guitar- I’d love to- but I’ve got to move. I’ve been to shows where there’s a woman expressing herself and it makes the other women uncomfortable. I’m a girls-girls, and I love making females feel empowered. So it’s a fine line when I do a show, I want girls to feel inspired. My goal is explore sexuality in a multifaceted way, in a positive way, in an empowering way.
NB: How is this EP different that your first album?
AB: My first project was me learning a lot. It was very eclectic. This is a more focused, organic process.
We’re recording at an avocado farm in Ocean Side, and actually we recorded a little bit for the first project too. With this one we’re bringing the whole band and making it a very cohesive unit. Spending a few days and rocking it out. Just get away from LA and just focus on the music and really feel the vibe there.
NB: How much does your heritage come into play…would you every “tone down” your Latin vibes?
AB: I’m Puerto Rican and French, I will lapse into Spanglish at any time, its a part of who I am. It will never go away. There’s one song called Bijou its a little interlude, its for my love. He’s from Brazil but that’s the only Latin song on this album, on the other album we had about three. But this time it’s just Bijou.
NB: What’s your creative process? Do you like writing with people? What inspires you?
AB: I don’t like to box myself in. I like creating in every way. By myself, with other people, art, dance everything. My life is what inspires me. There’s a song that I wrote called Sexplotation, and it explores me paying my way through college by working at a burlesque show. I learned a lot there it can be very dark, and its been very cathartic for me, it’s been scary too… to be that vulnerable. But I feel like you have to be that vulnerable for people to really feel it.
NB: You talk a lot about sexuality, and a sexual revolution. But you’re not promoting promiscuity…so what are your feeling on monogamy?
AB: I think whatever is true to you. I’m all about honesty, whatever works for you. If you know that you are in an open relationship and you can handle it than great, do you. For me I’m a serial monogamist because to me its so much more than sex, there’s a real connection, emotionally, mentally, in every facet.
NB: How important is it to you that this project do well?
AB: I really want this project to go big. I want to go on tour and reach people. I want to influence people and I’m very determined. It’s everything, connection and the message is everything. What is the purpose of fame unless its to influence in a positive way? Every time I’m on stage I think “this is gift” I’m so grateful. The more success you have the more you’re in a position to talk about bigger things.
NB: Who are your idols?
AB: I love all the old school soul, Aretha, Marvin, Billie, but new music would be, The Black Keys they’re really dope. Janelle Monet she’s electric on stage, she’s very inspiring she’s very conceptual. Little Dragon, I love Little Dragon, Fifi Brown is super creative and she’s about the message too. She’s a real, true artist and I think that’s needed and important in pop music. I love Erka Badhu she has the perfect kind of fame where she’s not harassed but she can still have a lot of reach, I’d love to open for her.
NB: Any plans for acting or fashion??
AB: I am a bit fashion obsessed, and I’m intrigued by acting, I’m not drawn to TV shows but I love the psychology behind it, its very similar to music. So if the right role came then sure.
NB: You’ve written about how you didn’t have the easiest of childhoods, you’re parents relationship wasn’t ideal. Has that inspired you?
AB: Growing up I didn’t see a loving communicative relationship. There were cops coming to the house, my Mom was extremely loving but she was more like a sister. I put a lot of this out on the blog and people would email me and it was beautiful to see how it touched people and inspired them.
I was lost I saw a lot of things I shouldn’t have, but I think that’s what makes you who you are and it makes you stronger. My Mother has always been a positive person and in LA I developed a talent for putting a positive spin. LA can be very cold and plastic. But once you find your people it can be great. I came from a small town and it felt like it was “the big city” and now it’s like a small town to me. So, yeah I think it’s helped me learn.
NB: You mentioned “your love” tell me a bit about him.
AB: My boyfriend is one of those lucky souls that have never worked a job other than music. He’s a genius. He does everything. He’s an inspiration to me for sure. He teaches me so much even the way I listen to music. The details, the effects, the different instruments. Its one of the reasons I’m excited about this record because I’m fearless now and I hear it differently.
NB: How important is it that people feel connected to you through your album, or feel the love you’ve put into it?
AB: It’s important but I feel like people would feel more love in my live performances. I feel like its just so much better, to feel that connection. You feel it in the record but on stage it’s just different.
NB: What’s your main goal with this album?
AB: My goal is to spark a sexual revolution where we are embracing our sexuality in a healthy and multifaceted way. Mind, body, and spirit. American culture is so funny, we’re either repressed, just so afraid of it, some people are afraid of the word and that’s’ crazy, or we’re at the opposite end of the spectrum where its sex, sex, sex, pornography, pornography. I think the repression has led to this obsession with it. Thinking about it historically, women were the leaders and now we’re repressed. I think its great to be empowered by sexuality like Beyonce with her “Rule the World”, but I feel like there’s so much more to us that we need to talk about. There are some pop stars that are just that, I think it’s great to grind it out, but what else is there? You look at Madonna and she was very provocative and that makes me feel and think differently then maybe just some girl straddling a cylindrical object. Some girls think that’s all they are. What do you do when you’re 65? You’re so much more than that. What are you standing for? How are you going to be happy in your life when that’s all you think you are? Part of my platform is to inspire girls to want more, know that they deserve more.
NB: Pop music is so auto-tuned, you’re not doing any of that on this album, why not?
AB: It’s the imperfections that are beautiful and I’m all about celebrating our imperfections as women. I think its a travesty that everyone is so auto-tuned and sounds the same it’s causing ear fatigue. I’m all for adding effects but to change a voice to make it perfect…I feel like you can’t hear imperfections anymore. Music is sad right now, we need a revolution.
Visit Andree Belle on Facebook or Twitter today!!!
Written By: Nicole Breanne
The Beautiful and Genuine Zana Marjanovic
November 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Zana Marjanovic was born in Srajevo, Bosnia and Herzagovna. She was absolutely stunning in the 2008 film Snijeg/Snow; she instantly caught my attention as as someone to watch. I was beyond pleased to learn that Angelina Jolie cast Zana in her directorial debut “In the Land of Blood and Honey”? the movie, that is also written by Jolie, looks at how one couples relationship is affected by the Bosnia war. Jolie spent time in Bosnia on her Goodwill Ambassador Missions, speaking to women and other survivors of the war and the project is very near and dear to her heart. The project has been kept a closely guarded secret, and no one knows how in-depth Jolie went into writing about the prisoner/rape camps. There has been a lot of uproar about the project in Bosnia, but one thing that no one is complaining about is Zana. She has a quite serenity and strength in her face through all her scenes and carries herself with such grace and dignity even when she is chained to a bed, left for dead or worse. I’ve always been a big fan of silent movies, and that’s what struck me about Zana, she is a silent actress. She says so much with her face, she needs no words, and she certainly takes your breath away.
The Time of Your Life With Maurice King
November 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Maurice King is a comedian who runs a show every other week at Sal’s Comedy Hole on Melrose. He does sketch comedy that you can see on his youtube page (http://www.youtube.com/user/mauriceking40 ) and he is every bit a Southern Gentleman. Maurice is not only hysterical he’s thoughtful and kind. He’s someone that you instantly feel comfortable with, and you know you’re gonna have fun. We spent a few hours chatting and drinking and there was more than one occasion that someone entered the bar and screamed “Maurice!!!!” and ran up to hug him. I sat down with Maurice for an interview I had met him once or twice before but never spent any real one on one time. So this was my time to really get to know Maurice King:
NB: Why did you get into comedy?
MK: I got divorced. I always wanted to do stand up, since I was 4 years old growing up watching Eddie Murphy. I got married when I was 20, it didn’t last. So, I thought well I could go back to school, or be happy and do comedy. So that’s when I decided I need to do it and come out to LA.
NB: Any kids?
MK: I never would’ve done comedy if I had kids. My father was always there for me, I always told myself I would always be there for my kids. My dad is a basic guy. He works every day, stand up guy, honest, hard working. Everything I’m not. (laughs). He’s supportive. He worries about me being in the big city cause I’m from a small town.
NB: You’re from Texas, you don’t have an accent!
MK: I do have an accent…I’m just doin an interview.
NB: Tell me about your first stand up experience.
MK: It was open mic at the Laugh Stop in Houston, Texas. I brought my friends, I told them “yo man, I’m about to make it happen”, told them I was gonna do it and they all came out to see me bomb. We had drinks and I went up around 1 am, I was like, the last one. Once I went up it was the best feeling in the world.
NB: You didn’t bomb?
MK: Oh yeah, I bombed!
NB: Why comedy?
MK: I like people to have smiles on their faces. I think if you laugh it prolongs your life, you ain’t worried about nothing else. That’s the best feeling in the world, if I can help with that…that’s all I want.
NB: When did you decided you needed to come out to LA?
MK: First time bombing I knew I wanted to come to LA. I’m also an actor and I always told myself if I was gonna do it, do it right. You can’t stay in Houston the majors are out in LA. No matter how hard it was I was gonna come out here and do it.
NB: Do you think there’s a darkness in comedy?
MK: Every person looks at if differently. I’m crazy, I’m a dark person. I can laugh at certain things that other people couldn’t fathom to laugh at, until I tell them in my own words. I don’t like feelin bad, so I find a way to turn it around make a dark thing funny. If I could help that one person get away from their sadness or get away from doing something stupid. Lets do it.
NB: What is your creative process?
MK: I don’t even know! When I’m not playing video games or sleepin (laughs). Nah, sometimes I just write and it clicks. I really haven’t figured it out yet. It just kind of happens, I thought something was funny. I work it out, I try out different things, this worked, this didn’t and you’re just constantly tightening it up.
NB: Do you improv on stage?
MK: I believe you gotta be prepared, I try to write it out.
NB: You were a road comic, what was that like?
MK: Being a road comic was the best time of my life. But it takes you away from LA, from the business. But you meet so many people, different cultures, it’s great. Lot of driving, I’ve been all over, lot of places, met a lot of people, lot of great people. They just really want to have a good time and you’re the life of the party. It was fun. But I hate to drive, I want a car, but I hate to drive. If I could fly or do a tour buss I never would’ve stopped.
NB: What else keeps you busy?
MK: I do my own room, I host my own comedy show. I find 4-5 comedians and do a show at Sal’s Comedy Hole. For about an hour and half you get gut busting comedy. I’m really proud of that. I also do comedy sketches. Work with a lot of actors and actress.
NB: How important is it to you to be respected by other comedians?
MK: It’s so important for the work, you gotta be respected. Its one thing to be the guy that just hangs around. It’s another thing to be doing it for yourself. I was a stand up when I first got out here so I was just trying to prove I was funny. There’s a fine line between being funny and being a professional.
NB: Comedy seems to be a “boys club”, what do you think about all the influx of females coming in?
MK: I don’t think comedy is a boys club. I just think a lot of guys do comedy! I think women are a lot more funny. I know a lot women that are just crazy, just nuts. I would say it’s male dominated because there’s a lot of dudes that do it, but there’s a lot that do it… that shouldn’t. When a woman comes out they come out stronger. Look at Whitney Cummings, that chick’s hilarious. Rosanne Barr, Whoppi Goldberg, those are legends. At the end of the day everyone wants to make someone laugh. Guys are a lot more open about stuff, guys are more secure with not caring, where as woman has a certain plateau very seldom will you find a woman that lets herself go. Show you their black swan you could say, just let it go, have fun, do you. Very seldom do you find a person is creative and has the guts, Whitney Cummings is secure with her good and her bad side. They don’t want to be judged, but it’s not about judging its about putting your flaws out there, love yourself, fuck everyone else.
NB: How do you feel about stealing material?
MK: You don’t want to steal anyone’s material. You wanna be the best you can’t steal. It’s hard coming up with new material but that’s what open mics are for. I’ve been doing comedy for nine years I have stuff that I know will work, but that’s not growing. Pushing yourself is taking your life right now and coming up with stuff, you keep elevating. You don’t want people to get tired. You gotta change with the times. You can’t steal, but you can buy them. Lots of comedians have writers, you put someone in your pocket, instead of “hmm that was funny where’s my pen at.”
NB: Are you a topical or observational comic?
MK: I’m very observational, I love the human nature of people. I love hypocrites. I’m starting to get into the news and get topical, I didn’t when I first started. But now I like to see Kim Kardashian. Back in the day I was like “everyone does that” now I’m like “what’s Kim up to?” you gotta do it cause your audience is doing it. You can’t be out of touch, you want your audience to want to hang out in their living room with you.
NB: When people find out you’re a comedian do you feel like they expect you to be “on” all the time?
MK: I tell people I’m a janitor. I never have a joke for them. I had a chick when she saw me get pissed of she was like “you’re supposed to be a comedian!” and I was like “yeah but I’ve got feelings! I’m human!” comedians are probably more human cause we’re so in-touch with ourselves.
NB: Is it hard to date as a comedian? Do girls ever say “don’t put this in your act”?
MK: When you date me it’s going on stage. If I can put myself out there then you’re going with me. It’s in a loving way, I don’t use names, unless you’re my ex wife. I mean people talk regardless, so lets spread those rumors.
NB: You mentioned Eddie Murphy earlier, is he your idol?
MK: He’s the guy that got me started, he was influential. But I think Dave Chappelle is the greatest. He’s clever, smart, genius, new how to do stand up and do sketches, he’s a total package. Robin Harris, always gave a great show, gave more than people’s moneys worth. Sam Kinison, Bill Burr genius to me. I like anyone that enjoys their job and takes their job seriously.
NB: Do you feel that there are some things you just don’t talk about in comedy? Like a race issue?
MK: Funny is funny. Some people like to say that, but I don’t believe that. I hate that. If Richard Pryor could get away with calling white people honkeys in the 60s and 70s it should be a piece of cake in 2011. People have a right to love you and a right to hate you. Go to my youtube page, I don’t take down any of the hate. They have every right to put it up, but if you don’t like me than change the channel cause I’m not going anywhere.
NB: Is it important for you to have a message in your comedy? To make people think?
MK: I don’t want you to think. I don’t like to think. I don’t wanna be considered a genius I just want to be great at standup. I just want to get people to laugh. I don’t care if you go “I never thought of it that way” it’s just like “okay, but did ya laugh? Did I do my job?” I think people take their jobs a little too seriously. Even me, sometimes I’m working on something and it’s not hitting like I need it to…so I throw in a doodie joke, just to relieve the pressure.
NB: What keeps you fresh, what inspires you?
MK: I try to stay on stage as much as possible. I like watching great comics. Keeps me on my game, I know its not over night, it’s blood, sweat, and tears.
NB: What is success to you? Is it enough to just be one of those guys that’s known in circles as a great comic or do you want to be like Chris Rock?
MK: The money, the status, the power, the respect, movies, all of that. It’s cool to be known as a good comedian but I came out here to rob the bank. I like to push myself, I’m competitive. I respect people that are like that. I got a buddy that said he’s more like a Trent Dilfer, he played for the Ravens wasn’t a great quarterback but he got a Superbowl ring, I said I wanna be like Dion Sanders…I wanna be prime-time if you aint playin what are you doin? Give me three rings! That’s just me I’m competitive. But I respect everyone that’s doing it.
NB: Addiction and depression seems to be a theme with comedians. Do you find that you turn to booze or anything to deal with depression?
MK: I won’t blame that on comedy. It’s a theme, but I think it’s a depression with excelling. I remember being married and being depressed, being in high school being depressed. When you’re working at something and its not clicking the way you want to, you start getting down. So yeah I go through it some times.
NB: What brings you out of it?
MK: Hanging around positive people. I’ve got a good friend that can pull me out of it. I’ve never seen her mad. She’s got the roughest job, working at a hospital, looking at death, and she’s always up in spirits. So when I’m down and depressed I think about her and I’m like “let me get my lazy ass up”.
NB: So back to dating, could you date another comedian?
MK: I couldn’t be with someone in the entertainment world. I need someone to take care of me. You got a chick in entertainment, you gotta take care of her. They think they that, and you gotta match it, and you compete. I like actresses, I think they’re beautiful but its hard, you can’t be selfish and it can get that way. You get an audition shes like “how’d you get that?”, if you don’t get it… then you’re not doing it right. She’s sleeping with everybody, and you gotta deal with it like, “Well, he is a celebrity, see if he’s got a part in there for me too, since you’re out there sleeping with everybody…don’t be selfish we’re in this relationship together! I’m late on my rent cause of you…get me a part too!” (laughs)
NB: What was it like the first time you got paid for a gig?
MK: Oh man, I couldn’t’ believe it, it was the best feeling in the world. I can’t believe I got paid to do stand up. It was crazy cause the first time I got paid I got booed! It was BET and I never should’ve done the show. I was 5 months in the game and they flew me out to Miami and none of my jokes were tight and they were terrible and they were all hanging on and I said “yeah, man I moved out to LA and I gotta get a job cause I ain’t gonna starve to death cause ya’ll don’t like me.” Guess they needed more commitment from me cause they booed me. One thousand people let me have it. There were some old ladies in the front row clapping like “don’t worry about it baby, go on with your show” like I’m a charity case. But BET paid me and I felt like a real slut. But after that I said never again will I get paid and get booed, and I never have. I don’t do shows if I’m not ready. I’m gonna get you way more than your moneys worth.
NB: What advice would you give a first time comic? Someone thinking about giving it a try?
MK: Have fun, do what you wanna do. Just try it. It don’t hurt, you may like it. Do what you think is funny, not what you think other people will think will be funny.
NB: How do you handle hecklers?
MK: I bring them into the show. Hecklers just want attention. I ain’t trying to hurt nobody. I noticed that people sit in the back it’s like this ain’t def jam, come up front! You don’t pick on people to hurt people. I don’t like that.
NB: Does it bother you when someone is just a “shock comic” or a “clean comic”?
MK: It doesn’t bother me when comics are shock comics, or clean comics. If you’re funny you’re funny. I like Bill Cosby not because he’s clean but because he’s funny. That’s what I sell, I sell the time of your life. We will have fun, by any means necessary.
NB: Are there comedy groupies? Cause girls like a funny guy.
MK: There’s groupies in everything. There’s groupies in this bar right now! It’s drunk girls, it’s as good as everyone thinks it is. You’re not lonely unless you want to be. I’ve gotten a lot of girls off comedy. Girls that hated me that saw my act and were like, “oh yeah!” I mean if you’re good you’re good. A girl sees you’re funny and she invites you the Sky bar, or the bathroom, or her parents come up and say “don’t touch my daughter!” depends on where you’re at. (laughs)
NB: So you’re a rockstar! Not a bad life!
MK: (laughs) When you put it like that it ain’t that bad!!
NB: What’s really important to you?
MK: Family is important to me. If I’m your friend I’m your friend for life. Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, comedy shows. I believe in that. I believe in family. I care about what those people think of me. Forget everyone else, those people are the ones that matter. I don’t want to be a failure. I don’t want to be that loser. I don’t want those people to be worried about me. I wanna be the guy that helps.
NB: What’s one thing you wish someone would have told you about comedy?
MK: Its a business. You gotta know the business. I wish I would’ve been more business oriented. You gotta have a product. No one is gonna look at you and say “you’ve got nothing here let me dump all this money into you”. You gotta have something. I believe that a comedian needs to promote himself.
NB: Do you use social media?
MK: Oh yeah! Twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/mauriceking40 ), Facebook, all of it its a great tool, I think social media is vital to a comedian. I test jokes out, I tell people where I’m gonna be. It’s a business.
NB: Would you ever give it up?
MK: I’ve tried to quit. I got tired of the business and I left. I just wanted to have a 9-5 job, but I can’t…they fire me! I always get fired…so I’m like “well, I’ll go do some comedy today”. I love it. I love comedy.
Written By: Nicole Breanne
Chris Norton Winner of CBS Courage in Sports Award
November 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Chris Norton is an inspiration every time his stands. Chris can’t walk without assistance, but on Nov. 13 he will win the America’s Choice Honor for the CBS Courage in Sports award.
Norton began October 16, 2010 as a normal college student with no chance of winning the award, given to individuals who overcome obstacles to achieve their sports dreams. He was a special teams player for Luther College, a Division III school in Decorah, Iowa. In the third quarter he was covering the kickoff, running down the Luther College sidelines. His family had a great view to watch him make the tackle. The returner cut toward the middle and Chris’ head got caught on the ball carrier’s knee.
“You would have never known someone was hurt,” Chris’ father Terry said. “It wasn’t an ooh-ahh tackle.”
But Chris didn’t get up. He’d played through a 30 percent tear in his shoulder and broken nose in high school. He’d always been the type of kid coaches had to drag off the field. Now he was being carried off on a stretcher. On the same day, in the same quarter, Luther’s Chris Norton and Rutgers’ Eric LeGrand suffered spinal cord injuries covering kickoff returns. Both were paralyzed. Both expect to walk again.
Chris admits rehab is the hardest thing he’s ever done, but not much has come easy for the 19-year-old. He grew up with a reading disability, but worked with a tutor to graduate high school with a 3.86 GPA. At age 10 he was upset after a basketball practice and wouldn’t leave a gym in Altoona until he could make 10 left-handed lay-ups in a row. His father, then the head basketball coach at Bonburant-Farrar high school, tried to tell Chris that some of his high school kids couldn’t make 10 left-handed lay-ups in a row, but Chris was never content with being average. He was never the biggest or fastest kid, but he finished high school as an All-District football player, a 1,000 point scorer on the basketball court and an Iowa state track meet qualifier.
“It’s like he was preparing for this his entire life,” said Alex Norton, Chris’ older sister, who now stays with him in Decorah and drives him to physical therapy in Rochester, Minnesota two days a week.
Doctors told Chris he had a three-percent chance of ever walking again. When he started physical therapy, the Mayo Clinic therapists said the average person with a spinal cord dislocation gets three hours of physical therapy per day. He immediately requested four hours, because he isn’t average. His family also hung a list of things Chris could do at home in addition to the four hours of PT. Chris regularly uses his hand bike and foot bike during his “free time” — like when he’s doing an interview for SI.com. Chris can now walk and stand with assistance, something that helped him earn the Courage in Sports Award. To Chris, winning the award is an honor he shares with the family that has supported him throughout his journey.
“I really want this award to not be about me, but how I did it,” Chris said. “I couldn’t have gotten to where I am without the support of the community.”
That community has been inspired by Chris’ story. His Caring Bridge websitehas received almost 400,000 visits. The Norton family regularly gets messages of encouragement from people they’ve never met. Chris even picked up an adopted Grandma — LuAnne Smith — who met Chris on her 70th birthday and now sends him care packages weekly and goes out to dinner with Chris and Alex.
Luther College football has a saying: 1-0 everyday and every way. ” He epitomizes that saying to the nth degree,” said Coach Mike Durnin. On September 10 Chris joined his teammates as an honorary captain. With his teammates’ help he walked out to the coin toss and stood for the National Anthem.
“They took a tragic event and made sure it didn’t become a tragedy,” Durnin said. That message has spread outside of Decorah. Chris, a life-long Iowa fan, has spoken to Hawkeyes including offensive coordinator Ken O’Keefe and former quarterback Ricky Stanzi. He’s also talked to Pittsburgh Steelers’ safety Ryan Clark, who suffered a near-death experience of his own due to complications of his sickle-cell trait. The NFL player said Chris’ story shows that “with faith, family and belief you can do anything.” (Both O’Keefe and Clark were reluctant to do interviews because they wanted the story to be entirely about Chris and his family.) “This guy’s just doing it on his own,” O’Keefe said. “He and his sister are doing all the work.”
Chris’ sister Alex, a registered nurse who graduated from college last year, moved to Decorah to take care of her younger brother while he continues his studies at Luther College. She insists that she isn’t making a sacrifice. Her college experience included some of the best four years of her life and she just wants her brother to be able to do the same thing. “I don’t really feel like I’ve lost anything,” Alex said. “This is our new normal.”
That new normal means Terry and Deb Norton own a handicap-accessible van paid for by the NCAA Catastrophic Insurance Program. Their youngest child, 15-year-old Katie, takes time away from her high school friends to see her big brother. The Norton family always spent Sunday nights together eating pizza or grilling out (the kids knew not to make plans), but Chris’ situation has brought them even closer together. They’re optimistic that Chris will be able to stand and walk without assistance because Chris has regained feeling in all parts of his body.
Chris also has these goals, but doesn’t set a timeline. There’s no fixed formula for recovering from a spinal cord injury. A year after the accident he can feed himself, brush his teeth and walk with assistance. In October he stood unaided for three minutes straight — a personal record. Last week he had his best walking therapy and is closer than ever to going from a sitting position to a standing position on his own. All he knows right now is that any progress is good progress. “I just take one day at a time and try to be better for tomorrow,” Chris said. He’s shown thousands of people how to have that outlook on life, just by standing up.
Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/football/ncaa/11/12/chris-norton/index.html#ixzz1dto8sC3r
Written By: Nicole Breanne
Laughter is the Best Medicine – Peter Eichler
November 20, 2011 By Leave a CommentPeter Eichler lives with Asperger’s Syndrome, he founded a non-profit and now he’s taking on stand-up comedy. Peter’s foundation is Adam 2 Adam, which supports young adults with Asperger’s and embraces humor, creativity, music, exercise and relaxation techniques as forms of therapy.
Eichler made his stand-up debut on October 16 at New York City’s Gotham Comedy Club, where he assumed the persona of a character named Melvin. “After the show, I was convinced my first performance would be my last. I found the writing difficult, the rehearsal intense and my stress levels very high,” he stated, noting that this level of sensory stimulation is especially difficult for someone with Asperger’s. “However, the feedback I received was overwhelmingly positive, and ideas for new jokes kept flowing – so I brought ‘Melvin’ back out of retirement.”
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/11/prweb8961029.htm
The Sun and The Moon with Molly Nourmand
November 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
In the fast pace life of Hollywood there’s not a lot of time for yourself. Everyone is so busy and so focused that we forget to look after what really matters, our bodies, minds, and spirits. Here is one person, Molly Nourmand, who is balancing both Hollywood and health. Molly is a yoga teacher here in Hollywood, so I spoke with her about her yoga, her advice for a healthy lifestyle, and finding balance.
NB: Tell me about Hatha Yoga? What makes it different?
MN: Hatha is translated as ha meaning “sun” and tha meaning moon, and the aim of Hatha Yoga is to harmonize the pairs of opposites within us. Hatha Yoga emphasizes the physical aspects of the transformative path and actually encompasses many different forms of yoga, including vinyasa flow, which is the type of yoga that I teach. Vinyasa means linking movement to breath and the centerpiece of this style of yoga is the sun salutation.NB: Why did you choose to teach Hatha?
MN: Vinyasa flow, a variation of Hatha Yoga, is like a moving meditation. Given my dance background, practicing and teaching this form of yoga feels very natural to me.NB: What got you interested in Yoga?
MN: My mother actually got me interested in yoga, and I took my first yoga class with her when I was a freshman in college. (Thanks, mom.)NB: What made you decide to teach it?
MN: While in college, I was studying and teaching dance and starting to become engrossed with yoga, yet only flirted with the idea of teaching it. Upon graduation, much to everyone’s surprise, I did not go to New York City to pursue dance professionally; instead, the winds of my intuition blew me to Los Angeles to study yoga. In 2004, I learned both the science and art of teaching yoga from some of the most celebrated teachers (Saul David Raye, Shiva Rea, Max Strom, and Sherry Brourman) at Exhale’s Center for Sacred Movement in Venice Beach. Having the desire to exponentially share my passion and enthusiasm for yoga with others was the impetus for me deciding to teach.
NB: When did you get your own studio?
MN: I actually do not have my own yoga studio—yet—but I have my own company, MOLLYOGA where I teach yoga privately at client’s homes or businesses, or at my home studio. Over the years, I have taught at a handful of places in Los Angeles including yoga studios, gyms, businesses, spas, schools, as well as a community mental health center and women’s shelter downtown. Currently, I teach a weekly mixed level flow class at Swerve Studio in West Hollywood on Wednesdays from 12:30-1:45pm ($10 per class).
NB: What lifestyle advice do you have for those of us who are young in Hollywood?
MN: My advice would be to make time in your busy schedule to practice yoga (even if it’s only once a week) because the benefits are myriad. Had a bad yoga experience? Finding the right yoga teacher can be like dating, so be patient. You have to find out which studio, style of yoga, level, time of day, and teacher suits you, so don’t give up right away—try, try again until your find your match.
NB: How disciplined do you have to be to practice this yoga?
MN: It takes a helluva lot of discipline to practice yoga consistently and stay on a path of wellness and loving-kindness. I have to make non-negotiable yoga dates with myself and put it in my calendar. Some days I do not feel like practicing and I make try to make excuses to justify why I cannot go. But I never regret going to class, I only regret not going, so I drag myself—sometimes kicking and streaming—onto my mat. The more I do yoga though, the more the gifts of this practice reveal themselves to me.
NB: Is there a spiritual aspect to this and how important is it to connect with that part of it?
MN: There is absolutely a spiritual aspect to yoga. This ancient practice was crafted in India thousands of years ago. In yoga philosophy, there is an eight-limbed path that forms a blueprint for the yoga practice. Of the eight limbs (or steps), asana (physical postures) is only one of the limbs. However, here in the West, asana is essentially the only limb that we focus on, which can dilute the richness of the practice. So while yoga is an excellent physical practice (it helps keep all the systems of your body healthy and can create more strength and flexibility) we’re kind of missing out if we just focus on asana. Yoga is inherently spiritual, so even if you are not initially drawn to the spiritual aspects of the practice, they just may find you as you open up and your consciousness starts to shift.
NB: Do you feel that Yoga is essential to emotional and mental balance especially in a city like LA?
MN: I may be biased, but yes, yoga is an essential component to mental health, which gets tested for us Angelinos—especially while we’re sitting in traffic! The mental and emotional benefits of yoga are just as important if not more rewarding than the physical perks. Yoga definitely keeps me sane and reminds me what is important in my life. On our mats we learn how to breathe in challenging, awkward, uncomfortable postures with the hope that this will translate to challenging, awkward, uncomfortable moments in our lives.
NB: What do you say to the nay-sayers who came out with a study that said Yoga doesn’t help your mind to relax or to ease stress?
MN: There are always going to be cynics out there, but I can attest that for me, yoga works. Not only does it help me relax my mind and manage my stress—it has changed my life for the better and illuminated my path for me.NB: What about diet? Is it enough to just exercise or do we need to be aware of what we fuel our bodies with?
MN: Adhering to a discipline like yoga, which purifies and detoxifies our bodies, has a way of organically making us want to nourish ourselves with healthy food. I think diet and exercise go hand-in-hand and we will get better results and feel more of an overall sense of wellness if we’re not only exercising, but fueling our bodies with nutritious food as well.
NB: Hatha teaches connects to the ground, breath, and spine, why do you feel that we need to connect with nature, how does this impact us?
MN: Yoga means union or oneness. Practicing yoga expands our consciousness, which takes our focus off of ourselves and helps us get in touch with our connection to all things and all people. Taking the time to connect with nature is part of this experience of oneness and can be a very powerful transcendence.NB: Any overall advice?
MN: One of the biggest mistakes I have seen people make is going to an advanced yoga class for their first yoga experience. Consequently, they often get turned off, intimidated, and/or injured. If you have never taken yoga before, either take some private yoga sessions to learn the basics before you venture out to group classes, or start with a Level 1 class and work your way up, or not; there is no destination in yoga and you do not have to be flexible to do yoga—that’s a total misconception! We all begin where we are and go from there. If we did every posture “perfect” during our first yoga class, then we would never get a chance to fall down and taste the mud on our journey towards our inner lotus flower blossoming.
NB: What are your future endeavors?
MN: I am currently enrolled in a masters program in Counseling Psychology at the Pacifica Graduate Institute, and I am interested in developing a mind/body integration treatment program that would combine traditional talk therapy with yoga. In addition to having my own private practice, I would like to open a woman’s wellness center that would offer traditional talk therapy, plus yoga (of course), massage, acupuncture, and nutritional education.
Molly is available for customizable private, semi-private, and group yoga classes. She can come to your home or work place, or you can come to her home studio. Sessions include:
*Yoga poses and breathing exercises tailored to different needs and goals from getting in shape to stress reduction
*Pose-enhancing, hands-on adjustments
*An assortment of ambient, meditative music
*Calming aromatherapy
*Final relaxation at the end of each session
Get in touch with Molly to book a session today:
“Like” MOLLYOGA on Facebook
Check out MOLLYOGA’S website: www.mollyoga.netPhotos By: Jasper Johal
Written By: Nicole Breanne
How To Make a Temp Job a Permanent Job
November 18, 2011 By Leave a CommentThe economy is rough, but it’s the holiday’s so there is a lot of season/temp work. Here are a few tips on how to turn that temporary job into a permanent one.
1. Make your intentions known from the start that way when an full time position is available, your manager will know you are interested in the job.
2. Provide above and beyond customer service
3. Be proactive, not passive
4. When someone calls in sick or asks for a day off, volunteer to pick up the additional shift.
5. The more projects you work on and additional hours you log, the more exposure you’ll get to your manager and to the company’s various functions.
6. Show you care about the company ask thoughtful questions about the organization.
7. Ask your employer about the company’s values.
8. Prove you are forward-thinking.
The bottom line for all seasonal job seekers: The season is an opportune time to turn a temporary stint into a full-time, permanent career. If that’s your goal, make sure to apply early, let the manager know from the start that you’re interested in long-term employment and prove you’re an indispensable asset to the company.
Two books on Google Applications published
November 18, 2011 By Leave a CommentPackt Publishing is pleased to announce the publication of Google App Inventor and Google Apps: Mastering Integration and Customization – two books and eBooks for Google Developers and Professionals wanting to learn all about Google Apps.
Google’s App Inventor is an application that can be used to build apps for Android phones. It provides users with drag and drop facilities to build almost any kind of app. Google App Inventor, the book, has been written by Ralph Roberts (an author with over 100 books to his name) to provide an entertaining, informative, and memorable learning experience. The book begins with basic instructions on installing and getting started with Google App Inventor, then quickly moves onto creating complete apps that are ready for real world use. The book details apps that communicate, pull data from databases, and surf the Web and other networks. Additional information covers the utilization of GPS and various sensors on phones, and game development.Google Apps offers a set of office tools (email, calendar, word processing, and spread sheet) for a price which is two to five times more cost-effective than traditional offerings. Google Apps: Mastering Integration and Customization is a book all about making your transition to Google Apps fast and easy. It shows readers how to develop a customized adoption path, and takes them through extending and securing apps whilst teaching readers how to manage administrative tasks.
Full details on each book can be found on the Packt website. All Packt’s Google Books can be found on the Google Books category page.
Packt is committed to providing first class learning resources for the Google-verse, and has previously published other titles on Google, including:
- Google App Engine Java and GWT Application Development
- Google Web Toolkit 2 Application Development Cookbook
- Google SketchUp for Game Design: Beginner’s Guide
In turn, Packt has two more titles scheduled for publication soon:
- Google Plus First Look: a tip-packed, comprehensive look at Google+
- ExtGWT Rich Internet Application Cookbook
About Packt:
Packt Publishing is one of the world’s leading providers of books, eBooks and eLearning for a range of titles on Google technologies. All Packt titles are available in print form, Kindle, ePub, mobi, and through online library platforms. Packt recently launched its own library platform ‘PacktLib’ where web users can access all Packt’s titles for a low annual subscription. Hot on the Wire
The Grey Trailer: Liam Neeson Fights Back
Liam Neeson has become quite the action star with his recent work on Taken and Unknown. His latest headlining action flick, The Grey, has its trailer premiere and you will never look at grey wolves the same way again. Neeson stars as a man lost in the woods. Unfortunately in The Grey, his wandering soul lands smack in the middle […]
JOSH TANGNEY – CREATING YOUR CONCERT
Born in a small town outside New York City, Josh Tangney always had a passion for music. He knew his interests lay on the business side, and focused on that, as opposed to pursuing a performance career himself. Hoping to eventually break into the music industry, Josh studied marketing and management at SUNY Albany, while […]
ECO-FRIENDLY & FABULOUS: OUR FAV ‘GREEN’ JEANS!
What’s better than slipping on a pair of perfect-fitting jeans? Um, NOTHING! So obviously we here at DIY had to put a list together of our favorite denim duds. But, wait…there’s more! This time around you won’t only look good in the pairs featured in our jean selection, you’ll feel good being in them, too! […]
Michael Jackson’s Kids Check Out The Immortal World Tour
With the manslaughter trial of Conrad Murray behind them, the children of Michael Jackson were treated to a cheerful night at the Las Vegas premiere of “Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour by Cirque du Soleil” on Saturday (December 3). Held at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Paris, Prince and Blanket Jackson hit the red carpet […]
Dakota & Elle Fanning Cover W Magazine December 2011
Making for one of the more gorgeous spreads of recent memory, Dakota and Elle Fanning grace the cover of the December 2011 issue of W magazine. The two beauties posed for an angelic shoot taken by photographer Mario Sorrenti while answering a full range of questions asked by Lynn Hirschberg. Highlights from the Fanning ladies’ interview are as follows. For […]
San Francisco 49er Running Back Frank Gore and Recording Stars Pia Toscano & Andy Grammer show their support for Autism Speaks
On November 29th San Francisco 49er Running Back Frank Gore and recording artists Pia Toscano & Andy Grammer participated in a holiday tree lighting at San Francisco’s famed 555 California Street. The free event was open to the public and benefitted Autism Speaks. The tree lighting was hosted by Vornado Realty Trust, a New York-based real […]
TRH – Trailer of The Day
Albatross Release Date: January 2, 2012 (limited) Studio: IFC Films Director: Niall MacCormick Screenwriter: Tamzin Rafn Starring: Sebastian Koch, Julia Ormond, Felicity Jones, Jessica Brown Findlay Genre: Comedy, Romance MPAA Rating: Not Available Official Website: IFCFilms.com Review: Not Available DVD Review: Not Available DVD: Not Available Movie Poster: Not Available Production Stills: Not Available Plot Summary: ”Albatross” is the story of Emelia Conan-Doyle (Jessica Brown Findlay, “Downton Abbey”), a cheeky […]
Nicki Minaj Launches Own Line of OPI Lacquer & Shatter Nail Polish
The world’s reigning hip-hop queen, Nicki Minaj, has collaborated with OPI Nail Lacquer and will be launching six fabulous shades of her own in January 2012. The hotly hued collection resembles her fun and outrageous persona – a trait she is known and loved for. With bold, bright shades such as lime, green, teal, and […]
Demetri Martin talks about his evolving career, his multiple interests and the science to building a perfect performance
The comedian talks about his influences and how he balances writing, stand-up, music, and art, and blends them to create his unique style of humor. For a comedian with as big a career as his, Demetri Martin has left much to chance. After departing a future as an attorney, Martin found his calling in New York’s stand-up […]
Neal Brennan talks about his influences, writing race-sensitive material and the state of contemporary comedy
Comedians are literally paid to say provocative things, but typically even their most shocking material has been massaged down for maximum digestibility. But after two and a half seasons working on one of the most incisive and incendiary comedy shows in the last decade, “The Chappelle Show,” Neal Brennan is bold even by normal standards of button-pushing. […]
Want To Come Over? I Have A Great View! The Brilliantly Engineered LEAP Alpine Pod
Genius Italian design firm, ‘LEAPfactory’ are the brains behind extraordinary alpine modular lodge. Designed for high alpine expeditions, LEAP (acronym for: living ecological alpine pod) is described by the firm as, “living in nature on tip toes” and to live efficiently amongst the natural environment. The alpine pods are built off-site and are ready to […]
Yummy! California Based Company ‘Gotta Have Smore’ Reveals Their New Twist On The Classic Treat
Don’t think of S’Mores as just a summer sitting-by-the-campfire type of treat. A S’More is a delicious treat all year round. But let’s take the traditional S’More up a notch to something called S’muffins! At first sight, a S’More is the fist thing you think of when you see an S’muffin. However, the concept is […]
Taylor Swift, Scarlett Johanson, Evan Rachel Wood and Lea Michele Face off for Role in New “Les Miserables” Movie
What do Scarlett Johansson, Taylor Swift, Evan Rachel Wood and Lea Michele all have in common? They’re all fighting for the role of Eponine in Tom Hooper’s upcoming musical adaptation of “Les Miserables” reports that all four actresses have already auditioned for the part, and they’re just waiting for Hooper’s decision. A source close to […]
Wendy Glenn: Words Cannot Describe Her Charm
The day after Thanksgiving, I had the opportunity to chat with the delightful Wendy Glenn. I asked her how her holiday was and she said, “very well thank you, although everyone is walking around here today in a food coma!” London born, Wendy began her career at the very young age of 4. She […]
The Sky is the Limit for Jordan Pomaville
Jordan Pomaville is one of Hollywood’s hot, up-and-coming writers. From a young age, he knew he wanted to be a writer in the entertainment industry, “When I was in elementary school, I started writing stories,” he told me. “I would write something called, “The Clubhouse Kids” which was something I took from “ The Boxcar […]
Come get all the Spa treatments the Rising Stars are getting today!!! Use the code “Rising Hollywood” when you call and receive 15% off all services. Call Today: 310-770-9177
-
→
Natalie Hall moves to ABC Family
November 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Natalie Hall was born Canadian but became a star here in the States. She’s spent the last three years on the iconic soap opera portraying Colby Chandler (a rich rebellious teen) but now Natalie is striking out and is has joined the cast of ABC Family’s hit Pretty Little Liars as Kate Randall, Hanna’s soon to be (evil) step-sister!
Vintage Jewelry with a French Twist
November 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment
I love accessories, I’ve been know to spend more time deciding on a piece of jewelry then my outfit for the evening. I clearly have priorities. Sometimes it’s difficult for me to find a piece that I really love, I’ve been searching for accessories that marry edgy style and classic design. Just my luck, someone introduced me to French Kande. I was so enamored with the line that I had to find out more. Kande was in Paris but was kind enough to indulge me in a interview.
NB: You started your line making necklaces for yourself; from pendants you found in France…do you feel very inspired by French design?
FK: I am inspired by the romance and critical attention to design details that I find abundant in the French people that are my friends, as well as the culture in general. I am drawn to classic designs that include olive branches, fleur de lis,family crests, cherub faces and such. The medallions that I use were not originally used as jewelry, and thus, I did not begin by being influenced by French “jewelry design, rather the total French culture.
NB: You’ve said how much you love pearls, nowadays you just don’t see people wearing them as much, I know I love the look but just don’t feel “proper” wearing them. There’s something about your line that makes pearls hip and even a bit edgy. Was it your intention to bring old school fashion up to current times?
FK: I have always liked pearls, because they are so feminine –however never have I worn them in a traditional sense. I had a couple of pearl necklaces passed down to me by family members, and I never wore them because they were too conservative and ’old’ looking. Then my mother bought me a triple strand of large 10 mm white pears for my birthday, and also a triple strand of large light-coral pearls. She gave them to me prior to me discovering French Kande medallions. However, even back then, I was wrapping a ribbon around the three strands or wrapping an old garnet necklace around them to give them some edginess. I love the luster of natural pearls and the feminine impression they project. I just wanted to take it to another level and when I discovered the medals in France, and added these rustic medals to my pearl necklaces, it was magic — like– right away! I loved the juxtaposition (on a design level) and it really clicked.
NB: Are all the pieces really vintage? What’s the oldest piece you’ve worked with?
FK: Yes they are, however I have recently begun to create my own ‘French Kande’ designed pieces with the help of my hubby who is a Los Angeles based graphic designer and marketing guru. The oldest piece I’ve worked with is 50 years old—and all of my medals (thus far) are from the 1960′s. I am now casting them and plating them in heavy sterling silver and brass, then oxing them to give a vintage patina. I learned early on (like last year) that I’d not have a very long life cycle for my company if I sold my originals. I have now collected well over 1000 individual pieces with the plan to launch new collections 4-6 times a year.
NB: Do you draw from any historical inspirations?
FK: Ah yes… I consider Marie Antoinette my muse. She was the ultimate celebrity and broke the mold from a fashion sense and her hair–WOW, amazing and edgy! I have an appreciation for great hair stylists… they are few and far between. MA took her style far into the realm of ‘statement’ making; from her dress, shoes, coiffure, to her jewelry, and more.
NB: Do you know any of the stories behind the pieces?
FK: Absolutely! The stories are a key part of French Kande style and statement. They all have a unique history and we create what we call “Romance Cards” that accompany each piece when it is sold. This is what makes the pieces so unique and worthy. People are looking for spend their money on items with staying/keeping power, not ones that are trendy. FK has rich history and some of it is sexy and some of the stories are plain and simple. All are intriguing.
NB: Where do you find your pieces? Do you still go to France for them?
FK: I travel extensively through out France on a yearly basis in search of the perfect pieces that ‘touch’ me. I am in France as I write this. Staying in an apartment on the Left band on Rue Bonaparte. It’s amazing. So lovely and romantic. I get home next Tuesday 11/15!
NB: How do you decide on a piece? What’s your process?
FK: I know right away when they are right. I have a distinctive sense of what will work for my line. The travel and uncovering of romantic, beautifully designed pieces is what I love–and live for– a real adventure the makes my heart beat faster.
NB: Going into fall fashion season, and winter, what do you feel the upcoming trends for accessories are?
FK: Pearls and FUR are hot fashion statements for Fall. Right now, we are seeing large orders for our custom chains…then, again, our awesome client in Las Vegas called BluNoir, just ordered all Peacock Pearl necklaces… they are selling out in Vegas… go figure! Another new Vegas customer purchased our new Alligator (authentic alligator) cuffs and our black Lamb Fur cuff…edgy and singular in style and look. We just showed these in Los Angeles and Dallas markets to much success!
NB: I’m a ring-aholic, any plans on maybe doing something with rings?
FK: Oh yes… I can’t wait. I’ve been planning our ring designs for a couple months, and will launch them first quarter of 2012.
NB: How do you want to see your line developing?
FK: I am infatuated with the concept of helping women to look their best. I like to look cute even when making a trip to the market. Essentially, I’m believe accessories are what make a decent outfit ascend into a sexy and feminine ”look”—what most women are looking for. They want attention due to the way they present themselves, and that should always be classy. Who influenced you?
NB: If you could have someone be “the face” of your line (from any time in history) who would it be? Who do you feel really embodies the style you’re putting out?
FK: What would happen if Jackie O and Marie Antoinette collided?
NB: You went to FIDM, was the focus always on jewelry or did you feel like maybe you’d do a clothing line?
FK: My focus was on merchandising and design when I attended FIDM. Jewelry design was a natural progression as I was always a fine artist in high school, and attended city college for fine art, then FIDM, then UCLA in their extension classes for graphic design. It all mushed together to enable me to design jewelry that makes women look beautiful.
NB: Any style advice for someone (like myself) that sees themselves as fashionably challenged?
FK: Yes, I’d recommend subscribing to Maire Claire, Lucky and InStyle magazines. Read them, tear out pages that show ‘how to’ wear the latest looks. These magazines offer great style for their readers and you can emulate by FIRST looking through your closet to see if you own any of the items in the outfit, next, take the pics with you to your favorite stores and choose pieces to complete the ‘look’. Easy, and you’ll be amazed at how cute you will look by taking your cues from some of the best stylists in the fashion business.
Written By: Nicole Breanne
Kristen Stewart is Back On Set
November 10, 2011 By Leave a CommentKristen Stewart was spotted on the set of “Snow White and the Huntsman” in Surrey, UK on Thursday (November 10).
The “Twilight” actress was decked out in a warrior princess look and seemed to be focused on her scenes while being instructed by director Rupert Sanders.
She told Parade magazine, “It’s PG-13, but it’s pretty graphic and bloody. If it is too much for somebody who is younger, than discretion should definitely be used by parents.” This is not your Disney Princess Snow White!As for her soon to be released “Twilight Saga” film, Ms Stewart recently advised parents to think twice about letting their little one watch the birth scene in “Breaking Dawn – Part 1,” which is due out November 18th.
Eddie Murphy Withdraws from the Academy Awards
November 10, 2011 By Leave a CommentEddie Murphy has withdrawn as the host of the 2012 Academy Awards. The sudden announcement was made on Wednesday (November 9), with the “Tower Heist” actor breaking the news just after his good friend Brett Ratner resigned as producer of the show.
Meanwhile, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak later said of Eddie’s decision, “I appreciate how Eddie feels about losing his creative partner, Brett Ratner, and we all wish him well.”Of the decision, Murphy said in a statement, “First and foremost. I want to say that I completely understand and support each party’s decision with regard to a change of producers for this year’s Academy Awards ceremony.” He then added, “I was truly looking forward to being a part of the show that our production team and writers were just starting to develop, but I’m sure that the new production team and host will do an equally great job.”
Fashionable Activism with Beth Doane
November 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Beth Doane is a fashion designer, author, activist, entrepreneur and under the age of 30. She launched Andira International at the tender age of 22 and has never looked back. I got a chance to interview Beth, she is not only ambitious and successful, she’s selfless and inspirational. From the environment, to animals, to human trafficking, Beth feels a connection to everything. You could say she just feels connected to the world, and feels responsible for her role in it. It’s always refreshing to meet someone that’s young and involved, someone who’s doing something to change the world. Beth Doane is doing just that, she’s changing the world, saving rainforests, and making it fashionable.
My One on One With Beth:
NB: You became an activist at a young age, what inspired you?
BD: I have always felt a deep and powerful connection to nature and animals. I grew up on a small farm in rural Ohio and learned about the environment and ecosystems when I was really young. I was rescuing baby animals and hiking through forests before I was in kindergarten.
NB: What took you overseas?
BD: I have always had an adventurous spirit. I wanted to spend time abroad during and after college and traveled through Asia and Europe initially. I was teaching English in Spain and Italy and since then have lived briefly in some other places too.
NB: At 22 you started Andira International while living in London, tell me about that process?
BD: I actually began the company when I moved back the United States. London is one of my favorite cities and I was really into the fashion and art scene there and eventually worked with a lot of British and European designers to help them launch their brands across the United States. It was an exciting process and allowed me to work with some incredible international talent.
NB: You debuted at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Los Angeles in 2008, that’s huge! Tell me about that experience…
BD: It was exhausting and exhilarating all at once. We launched at the highest attended show alongside other incredible sustainable brands and international designers. My favorite part was seeing the children we had in our show come down the runway in our kids collection and how it brought a smile to everyone’s face. Our brand is really all about reminding people that our children will inherit our choices and its up to us to make responsible decisions for their future and the future of our planet.
NB: Why is the environment so important to you?
BD: When I spend time in areas like the Amazon or Australia and Africa and see how climate change is destroying communities, endangering lives and causing severe extinction of species crucial to the delicate balance of our planet it makes me terrified because I don’t think people realize what is really going on here. Perhaps when people are forced out of their comfort zone enough they will begin to see how important it is for us to change almost everything about the way we are consuming and manufacturing today. We can’t afford to cause continual harm to the earth because we don’t get a second chance.
NB: Tell me about Rain Tees…BD: Rain Tees is an eco conscious tee shirt brand I created that plants trees with tees. We donate school supplies to children in need around the world who are living in areas threatened by severe deforestation, especially within our last remaining tropical rainforests. Every piece of apparel features their artwork and for every Rain Tee sold, a tree is planted in a critically endangered area of the world to replace one that has been destroyed through our charity partner Trees for the Future. Rain Tees now works in over 30 countries, has planted more than 40,000 trees and donated thousands of school supplies.
NB: I absolutely love the look of your shirts, especially the Tucan design, where do you come up with your ideas for them?
BD: Everything is based on the designs drawn by the children that we donate the art supplies too – so my job is to help bring their art to life on fabric. It’s a challenging process at times because we have to stay true to their images while making sure the final product is marketable, fashion forward and fits beautifully on a piece of apparel.
NB: Do you plan to grow the line even more?
BD: Absolutely. We are in the process of creating and selling our second collection.
NB: You’ve been incredibly successful, how do you remain grounded?
BD: I am a yoga teacher and the past few years took on mediation on a regular basis which changed my life. I always knew that mediation was an incredible tool and I used it on and off for years but somehow waking up and reaching for a Blackberry still seemed far more important than meditating. I learned my lesson and practice daily yoga and mediation now.
NB: You’ve written a children’s book, teaching them to take care of the environment, how did that project come to you?
BD: I was being asked all the time to share more of the personal stories of the children we are working with across the globe. Their stories couldn’t possibly all fit on tee shirts or other products but a book seemed like the logical way to spread their messages of hope, love and the struggles they are facing in countries that are really struggling right now with illegal environmental and social practices and corrupt governments.
NB: What was it like knowing your book will be published?
BD: We are still in the process of contracting right now. Expected launch date is Early 2012 and the prototypes look amazing
NB: You’ve been photographed as 100 people making a difference along with Steven Spielberg, Michelle Obama, Al Gore and John Travolta, can you tell me a little about that?
BD: I was asked to be part of the project earlier this year and it was definitely an honor. Working with John was so lovely as he is a very kind person and I am really excited to see that project come to life. I think it will be a wonderful book.
NB: You helped create and co-founded the charity gala Ferdinand’s Ball, to save retired racehorses from slaughter…do you feel that this issue as well as other animals (racing dogs, sea world, circus) plights aren’t getting enough attention?
BD: Actually I think that there is finally a greater awareness and concern for issues surrounding animal cruelty and injustice but still so much more work needs to be done. I am very passionate about animals and the numerous issues that surround animal rights and it was an honor to be asked to create the inaugural Ferdinand’s Ball. This is also the second year that I am working on an annual red carpet gala here in Hollywood to benefit Best Friends Animal Society with my good friend and LA based publicist Deanna Reyes. Best Friends is the largest animal rescue in the United States and the work they do is fantastic. I always volunteered at my local Humane Society and have worked with numerous other national non-profits for animals because its so important to me. With millions of dogs and cats euthanized each year simply because there are not enough homes for them I think more people need to support rescue organizations like Best Friends.
NB: What advice do you have for people today who want to get involved with issues?
BD: Find an issue you are passionate about and then use the web to find the best organization for you to work with. Its really that simple!
NB: As an advocate and activist how do you feel about what’s going on right now with Occupy Wallstreet?
BD: Its fascinating how its become a global phenomenon and very inspiring to see so many people behind a cause. I think demonstrations and protests can be very powerful if done well and its great to see this one being done non-violently.
NB: What issues are most important to you, or closest to your heart?
BD: Human trafficking, hunger, animals and of course the environment.
NB: What are you currently working on right now?
BD: We are creating a campaign to Plant One Million Trees for Earth Day with Earth Day Network in Washington DC, and we are really excited for that. Last year we worked with an amazing magazine called Living Green and planted 10,000 trees in an area of the Amazon that was on the verge of extinction so we are going even bigger this year.
NB: What are some of your upcoming projects?
BD: This year was the first year we worked in Africa and so we are focusing some more of our efforts there now and also created our international pen pal program which gives our fans a chance to connect with youth around the world and support them through positive letter writing. Its been a really profound project for everyone involved and one that we are all really proud of.
NB: How do you unwind?
BD: I love hiking around the mountains in LA and being near water is really important and very relaxing for me.
NB: With such a busy lifestyle do you have any time for a personal life? Do you make that a priority and if so, how do you find the balance?
BD: Many of my friends and colleagues have their own companies or live a similar lifestyle to mine so that makes staying connected a lot easier. Our company is still small and therefore I find myself working almost constantly. It is hard to stay balanced but life is also far too short to become obsessive or run down. I remind myself all the time to continue to just “follow my bliss” and relax as much as possible.
NB: Have you been using social media to help get your message out there? Are you feeling a response?
BD: Yes, social media is an amazing means of global communication and I have used it in all my businesses. Also, when you look at the power of social media to raise funding for crisis causes like what happened in Haiti or Japan its mind blowing and really positive. We have definitely seen a difference and love getting to know our fans.
NB: Do you feel that with twitter, tumblr, and facebook all of these sites that it is breeding “slacktivism” that people just tweet about it instead of getting involved in an issue?
BD: Sometimes just tweeting something is in actuality really being involved because the power of that one tweet is unlimited. It would be great if people did even more than just tweet but tweeting is a great start and may inspire others to take on causes they hadn’t heard of the day before.
NB: Who are some of your idols?
BD: I have always loved Jane Goodall and someday would still love to work in Africa or Asia and study primates myself. I also had the honor of getting to know some of the Cousteau’s this year and really love what they have done for decades to preserve our oceans. So many people don’t realize the horror of what is happening to our oceans and how crucial they are.
Written By: Nicole Breanne
Midwest Country with Molly Rocklind
November 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment
I’ve known Molly Rocklind for a while now. When I first met her, I took one look and thought “Oh my god this girl is adorable!” she’s incredibly sweet and constantly compliments me on my ability to “tell it like it is”, mostly because she would never say a negative thing about anyone. I’m serious, I like to tease that if Molly met Ted Bundy she’d probably compliment him on his well planned ruse while he was kidnapping her. That’s just how she is, inherently good, and she tries to see the good in everyone. She wrote me sweet, understanding, and supportive emails when I went through a rough time, and lets me pretend her two adorable Persian kitties (called Linus and Lucy) are actually mine and she’s just watching them for me. None of these personality traits are shocking, once you see a picture of Molly and look at her naturally (okay slightly enhanced) blonde hair, and blue eyes you can’t help but think, “this is a good girl”, what is shocking about Mollly is her voice.
I was told she was a singer, and that she was having a little show at this place so I went. When Molly stepped up to the mic I was blown away. I mean, are you kidding me? I know this girl…where is this voice coming from?! And why does it have a Southern twang?!?! I ran to her website and listened to all the posted songs, and the Southern twang made sense. See, pop music now a days can be very surface, not a whole lot of story telling goes on, but that’s what Country music has always been. Storytelling. And Molly Rocklind is a story teller. She sings crossover country, she fits right in with Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood, she has a really catchy and funny song about Facebook, and there’s a line in her song Living a Life of Music in Tennessee that says: I have a dream that’s everything to me/ that I’ve been prayin for since I was eight years old/ I never thought I’d do anything else/ than living a life of music in Tennessee . Every time I hear it my cynical, sometimes jaded heart swells and I want to run to her apartment and tell her all her dreams will come true (then try to make off with her cats in my bag)!That’s what good music does, it moves you and Molly makes good music. I sat down with my Minnesota Country Belle and asked her a few questions:
NB: When did you know you wanted to be a singer?
MR: I always enjoyed singing ever since I was a little girl. However, I think I took it more seriously once I started competing at age 13. It wasn’t until my early 20′s where I established my identity as a country singer.
NB: You’re from Minnesota, why Country?
MR: Minnesota has a very large country music following, primarily because of it’s rural landscape. Country music feels most natural to me. I identify with the lyrics and the lifestyle that it portrays. It’s authentic.
NB: How did you get started?
MR: As so many artists do, I began singing in my church as a little girl. I participated in all the children’s church musicals and vocal ensembles. In 8th grade I auditioned for a solo at school and earned the opportunity to perform the song in front of a large audience. After that, my confidence on the stage grew and I began participating in competitions, singing the National Anthem at sporting events and sitting in with local bands.
NB: How did these earlier experiences help hone your craft today?
MR: Being that I started competing at a relatively young age, I learned a very important lesson early on, the art of losing. My mother taught me that no one likes a sore loser. Of all the competitions I have been involved in (and it’s been a lot), I can count on one hand how many I’ve actually won. My losing had nothing to do with my singing ability. Competitions are subjective and many variables play into who is crowned “the winner.” That being said, I decided that no matter the outcome of a competition, I was going to go up to the winner with a smile on my face, shake their hand and congratulate them. Of course I was dying inside, but I knew it was not the end all for me. My vision was much greater than a local singing competition. So, I stayed focused, did my homework and continued to hone my craft.
NB: Has it paid off?
MR: Yes, most definitely. I became a Top 30 finalist on one of country music’s most successful competition shows, “Nashville Star.” Again, I did not have to win the coveted title to gain anything from the experience. I met so many cool industry contacts, made great friends, learned more about the industry and discovered more about myself.
NB: How did you get involved with “Artists 4 Peace” and the Stevie Wonder Tribute?
MR: Stevie Wonder is affiliated with a wonderful organization called, “Artists 4 Peace.” Each year, a concert is organized by a wide variety of world renowned artists to raise awareness and underline the importance of the prevention of crimes against humanity. Stevie and I have a mutual friend who produced a segment at this year’s concert which honored his involvement with this very important cause. I was asked to participate in this tribute and gladly accepted.
NB: What’s your process for writing songs?MR: Depending on my mood, I will either sit down at my piano or with a guitar in my hand. I will start playing whatever feels good to me at that moment. Sometimes a melody will just jump out at me and other times, I will have to search for it. Melodies typically come faster to me than lyrics. Once I get the melody down, I will start working on a catchy hook first and than I’ll go from there. If I’m co-writing with someone, I’ll often collaborate with a writer who has complimentary strengths. Co-writing is done a lot in Nashville especially in country music.
NB: How about being on stage? I’ve heard singers say it’s their therapy, do you feel the same way?
MR: I have heard other singers say this, yes. However, I don’t look at singing on stage as my therapy. I look at it as my audience’s therapy. Music has a beautiful way of stirring raw emotion and healing our soul. As a performer, my goal is to deliver a lyric that evokes those emotions that so few can articulate. If I can do this successfully, I’ve done my job.
NB: Who are your idols?
MR: Sara Evans, JoDee Messina, Brian McKnight
NB: What else are you doing?
MR: Up until 2010, I was basically living a double life. I worked a corporate sales/marketing job by day and than became a musician/performer by night. Financially, it was great, but the long hours left me exhausted both mentally and physically. It was impossible for me to tap into my creativity when I was so tired from my demanding day job. So, one day I put together a business plan and slowly started my own private voice and performance coaching business. Now, I work with voice students several days a week, perform in several music ensembles and periodically sing as a demo singer for area producers and songwriters.
NB: You’re all over social media, do you feel it’s helping you? How much of your personal life do you expose?
MR: I often joke about how managing all your social media sites as an artist can be a full-time job! Today, everything is so fast-paced that you really need to stay on top of the newest trends in online media to stay current. I wish I had more time to devote to my online presence, but I do what I can. As far as what I expose, I’m afraid my personal life isn’t anywhere near as exciting as my professional life, so my focus stays more on the professional side of things.
NB: How do you deal with the pressure?
MR: There is a lot of pressure in the music business and it comes from every angle: The pressure to look a certain way, the pressure to deliver a quality product, the pressure of being judged by those who don’t even know you, the pressure of the internal clock ticking away that every artist talks about… It sounds cliché, but you really have to be comfortable with who you are in order to handle the ongoing pressure. The pressure is always going to be there, so the more comfortable you are in your own skin, the better equipped you’ll be to handle any situation.
NB: What’s your advice to new singers?
MR: I can’t stress enough the importance of learning about the “business” of music. They don’t call it the “Music Business” for nothing. If you are serious about a professional singing career, educate yourself by attending seminars, reading books, setting up informational interviews with industry professionals and taking classes at a local community college. The more informed you are, the more likely you’ll make good decisions about your career. Be a sponge. I still attend seminars, study artists and challenge myself daily to learn something new about the industry.
NB: Tell me one of your most nerve wracking moments on stage?
MR: I was recently asked to perform at a concert honoring Stevie Wonder. The song was, “We Are The World” and I was slated to sing a solo in one of the chorus’. I can’t tell you how many times I have sung that song in rehearsal, not to mention in my entire life! Who doesn’t know the chorus, right? Well, imagine you are on a very large stage, cameras rolling, moments away from your solo, with Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan standing in the sidelines, and you realize as you walk to the microphone that you have no recollection of the lyrics you are about to sing. ”Come on, really? The easiest chorus in the world and I can’t remember?” I honestly came to terms as I approached the mic that I may open my mouth and not know what vowel I’m supposed to form. It’s amazing how many scenarios your head will process in a mili-second. All I could do was wait with a smile on my face until that very moment I was suppose to utter my first line to see if the words would come to me. Thankfully, they did.
NB: Do you just want to sing or would you like to cross over into acting or musical theater?
MR: I’ve lived in LA for over 6 years and I have yet to be bitten by the acting bug. I’m so passionate about creating and performing music that I don’t have much time for anything else right now. I do enjoy being challenged with new opportunities though so I’d be open to trying my hand at Improv.
NB: You’re absolutely adorable, how much time does your career leave for a personal/dating life?
MR: Haha, well… not much. Living in LA is a lot of fun, but also challenging. Living in LA while having a demanding career is even more challenging. Because I love what I do, I could easily spend every waking hour singing, performing, and writing. However, I truly want someone special to share my life with and so I recognize the importance of making time for that all to happen.
NB: How do you stay so grounded?
MR: It’s quite simple actually. I know who I am and I know what I’m not. I don’t pretend to be anybody but myself. My faith is in God and that is what keeps me humble.
NB: What’s on your “pick me up” playlist?
MR: Katy Perry “Firework”
Rascal Flatts “Every Day”
Sarah Buxton “That Kind of Day”
Rhianna “We Found Love”
NB: What song really inspires/moves you? Why?
MR: “How Great Thou Art” (Carrie Underwood delivers an amazing rendition of it)
I was raised in a traditional Baptist church where I grew up singing all the great hymns. It’s a song that centers me and reminds me of my humble beginnings.
Written By: Nicole Breanne
Kaley Cuoco’s Big Bang Life
November 9, 2011 By Leave a CommentKaley Cuoco first came onto the scene as Bridgette Hennessy on 8 Simple Rules, she then turned heads as Billie Jenkins on Charmed, now she’s every fan boy/geeks dream girl as Penny on The Big Bang Theory. Penny is an aspiring actress and employee at The Cheesecake Factory who lives across the hall from two nerdy scientists, Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Leonard (Johnny Galecki). In 2011 Cuoco appeared in Allure magazine’s annual “Naked Truth” feature.
That same year, she appeared in the films Hop, The Last Ride, and Darkness Falls, and hosted the 2011 Teen Choice Awards. On October 25, 2011, Cuoco announced her engagement to boyfriend Josh Resnik, an addiction specialist and former bassist for Danzig.Written By: Nicole Breanne
VolBeat – Metal ‘N Roll
November 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment
If you’re looking for an interesting sound, one that won’t leave you bored, look no further than Volbeat. The band plays a mix of rocakbilly, classic rock and roll, and heavy metal. Not to stop with just an interesting sound, these guys have an interesting story. If I were to say to you, “find me band’s with sounds of: rockabilly, classic rock, and heavy metal” you’d probably come to the States. But I suggest you think outside of the box, and way across the pond, to Copenhagan. That’s where Volbeat was fromed in 2001. Made up of vocalist and guitarist Michael Poulsen, guitarist Thomas Bredahl, bassist Anders Kjølholm and drummer Jon Larsen, Volbeat has released four studio albums and one live DVD – all chart toppers and/or certified gold in Europe, with their seminal release “Rock the Rebel/Metal the Devil” certified Platinum.
Poulsen describes where the sound came from, and credits his childhood for the blending of sounds: “I think it all has something to do with the fact that since I was a child I was really interested in old rock and roll music. My parents were playing Elvis, Johnny Cash and Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, all the music from the 50’s – they were playing it all of the time, and generally my family were all interested in music but no one was writing or playing – they were just listeners. I remember listening to some of the old records that belonged to my sister’s boyfriend. He had old vinyl from Black Sabbath, Dio and bands like that and early Metallica—I got really hooked into the metal scene. In school, I gathered some friends and tried to form a metal band but it seemed like I was the only guy that was 100% dedicated and serious. So I had to seek out something different.”
The band got the opportunity to play in front of Metallica, and James Hetfield joined the growing fan club as well, telling Michael after a show, “I heard you translate in to some kind of Elvis metal…I really like it!”
As 2010 came to a close, the band’s fourth studio album “Beyond Hell/Above Heaven” hits the shelves in the U.S. Poulsen shares, “it’s different but still holds true to the Volbeat style. We have fast, slow and mid-tempo songs. We still blend different styles of punk, rock’n’roll, rockabilly, metal, heavy metal, thrash metal, and country.”
Written By: Nicole Breanne
Date Night for Audrina Patridge
November 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The relationship has been a bit of a rollercoaster but on Saturday night the relationship between Audrina Patridge and Corey Bohan seemed to doing just fine. The couple was all smiles and holding hands as the “Hills” star and her BMX biker-mustache sporting beau were spotted leaving PINZ bowling lounge in Studio City, CA on Saturday night.
Never one to shy away from fans or cameras, Audrina posted several pictures via Twitter from their bowling date, including one with the caption, “Turkey!!!!!!”
As for her rocky relationship with Bohan, Audrina recently told press, “I know during my show filming it was a hard time. You want to keep viewers interested and keep it spicy and keep viewers on the edge of their seats.”
Luckily, since the show ended things between them have been better and they’ve had time to work on the relationship. “He’s my best friend and we do everything together.”
Behind the Scenes with Rihanna
November 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Rihanna has opened up her tour bus and given back stage passes to all her fans…so to speak. Rihanna recently posted some personal photos on her Facebook page.
The photos feature the “S&M” songstress in a variety of outfits including some where she’s not wearing any makeup and others where she’s gussied up just ahead of a show.
Of the photos, RiRi tweeted, “New LOUDtourUS #backstage photos up on @facebook … ENJOY!!!! Love wunna real bad!!! kisses to all…AND i want em back!!!!!
”
In related news, Rihanna is gearing up for the release of her new album on November 21st.
Hot on the Wire
The Grey Trailer: Liam Neeson Fights Back
Liam Neeson has become quite the action star with his recent work on Taken and Unknown. His latest headlining action flick, The Grey, has its trailer premiere and you will never look at grey wolves the same way again. Neeson stars as a man lost in the woods. Unfortunately in The Grey, his wandering soul lands smack in the middle […]
JOSH TANGNEY – CREATING YOUR CONCERT
Born in a small town outside New York City, Josh Tangney always had a passion for music. He knew his interests lay on the business side, and focused on that, as opposed to pursuing a performance career himself. Hoping to eventually break into the music industry, Josh studied marketing and management at SUNY Albany, while […]
ECO-FRIENDLY & FABULOUS: OUR FAV ‘GREEN’ JEANS!
What’s better than slipping on a pair of perfect-fitting jeans? Um, NOTHING! So obviously we here at DIY had to put a list together of our favorite denim duds. But, wait…there’s more! This time around you won’t only look good in the pairs featured in our jean selection, you’ll feel good being in them, too! […]
Michael Jackson’s Kids Check Out The Immortal World Tour
With the manslaughter trial of Conrad Murray behind them, the children of Michael Jackson were treated to a cheerful night at the Las Vegas premiere of “Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour by Cirque du Soleil” on Saturday (December 3). Held at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Paris, Prince and Blanket Jackson hit the red carpet […]
Dakota & Elle Fanning Cover W Magazine December 2011
Making for one of the more gorgeous spreads of recent memory, Dakota and Elle Fanning grace the cover of the December 2011 issue of W magazine. The two beauties posed for an angelic shoot taken by photographer Mario Sorrenti while answering a full range of questions asked by Lynn Hirschberg. Highlights from the Fanning ladies’ interview are as follows. For […]
San Francisco 49er Running Back Frank Gore and Recording Stars Pia Toscano & Andy Grammer show their support for Autism Speaks
On November 29th San Francisco 49er Running Back Frank Gore and recording artists Pia Toscano & Andy Grammer participated in a holiday tree lighting at San Francisco’s famed 555 California Street. The free event was open to the public and benefitted Autism Speaks. The tree lighting was hosted by Vornado Realty Trust, a New York-based real […]
TRH – Trailer of The Day
Albatross Release Date: January 2, 2012 (limited) Studio: IFC Films Director: Niall MacCormick Screenwriter: Tamzin Rafn Starring: Sebastian Koch, Julia Ormond, Felicity Jones, Jessica Brown Findlay Genre: Comedy, Romance MPAA Rating: Not Available Official Website: IFCFilms.com Review: Not Available DVD Review: Not Available DVD: Not Available Movie Poster: Not Available Production Stills: Not Available Plot Summary: ”Albatross” is the story of Emelia Conan-Doyle (Jessica Brown Findlay, “Downton Abbey”), a cheeky […]
Nicki Minaj Launches Own Line of OPI Lacquer & Shatter Nail Polish
The world’s reigning hip-hop queen, Nicki Minaj, has collaborated with OPI Nail Lacquer and will be launching six fabulous shades of her own in January 2012. The hotly hued collection resembles her fun and outrageous persona – a trait she is known and loved for. With bold, bright shades such as lime, green, teal, and […]
Demetri Martin talks about his evolving career, his multiple interests and the science to building a perfect performance
The comedian talks about his influences and how he balances writing, stand-up, music, and art, and blends them to create his unique style of humor. For a comedian with as big a career as his, Demetri Martin has left much to chance. After departing a future as an attorney, Martin found his calling in New York’s stand-up […]
Neal Brennan talks about his influences, writing race-sensitive material and the state of contemporary comedy
Comedians are literally paid to say provocative things, but typically even their most shocking material has been massaged down for maximum digestibility. But after two and a half seasons working on one of the most incisive and incendiary comedy shows in the last decade, “The Chappelle Show,” Neal Brennan is bold even by normal standards of button-pushing. […]
Want To Come Over? I Have A Great View! The Brilliantly Engineered LEAP Alpine Pod
Genius Italian design firm, ‘LEAPfactory’ are the brains behind extraordinary alpine modular lodge. Designed for high alpine expeditions, LEAP (acronym for: living ecological alpine pod) is described by the firm as, “living in nature on tip toes” and to live efficiently amongst the natural environment. The alpine pods are built off-site and are ready to […]
Yummy! California Based Company ‘Gotta Have Smore’ Reveals Their New Twist On The Classic Treat
Don’t think of S’Mores as just a summer sitting-by-the-campfire type of treat. A S’More is a delicious treat all year round. But let’s take the traditional S’More up a notch to something called S’muffins! At first sight, a S’More is the fist thing you think of when you see an S’muffin. However, the concept is […]
Taylor Swift, Scarlett Johanson, Evan Rachel Wood and Lea Michele Face off for Role in New “Les Miserables” Movie
What do Scarlett Johansson, Taylor Swift, Evan Rachel Wood and Lea Michele all have in common? They’re all fighting for the role of Eponine in Tom Hooper’s upcoming musical adaptation of “Les Miserables” reports that all four actresses have already auditioned for the part, and they’re just waiting for Hooper’s decision. A source close to […]
Wendy Glenn: Words Cannot Describe Her Charm
The day after Thanksgiving, I had the opportunity to chat with the delightful Wendy Glenn. I asked her how her holiday was and she said, “very well thank you, although everyone is walking around here today in a food coma!” London born, Wendy began her career at the very young age of 4. She […]
The Sky is the Limit for Jordan Pomaville
Jordan Pomaville is one of Hollywood’s hot, up-and-coming writers. From a young age, he knew he wanted to be a writer in the entertainment industry, “When I was in elementary school, I started writing stories,” he told me. “I would write something called, “The Clubhouse Kids” which was something I took from “ The Boxcar […]
Come get all the Spa treatments the Rising Stars are getting today!!! Use the code “Rising Hollywood” when you call and receive 15% off all services. Call Today: 310-770-9177 -
→
‘Like Crazy’: Improvisation inspires Anton Yelchin
November 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Anton Yelchin was only 11 years old when he had his breakthrough role in “Hearts in Atlantis,” holding his own opposite Anthony Hopkins and Hope Davis in Scott Hicks’ adaptation of a Stephen King short story and winning a Young Artist Award for best young lead actor in the process.
Since then, the 22-year-old Leningrad native has contributed memorable turns in indies such as “House of D,” “Alpha Dog,” “Charlie Bartlett” and “The Beaver”; and in Hollywood movies such as “Star Trek” (taking over from Walter Koenig as Chekov), “Terminator Salvation” and “Fright Night.”
But nothing in his varied resume compares to his experience in Drake Doremus’ “Like Crazy,” this year’s Sundance Film Festival Dramatic Grand Jury prizewinner, a romantic drama in which all of the dialogue was improvised.
Hey Girl! An Interview with Molly McAleer
November 5, 2011 By 1 Comment
When I started working with The Rising Hollywood, I instantly thought of Molls. Molly McAleer is one of the most brilliant young female writers currently working in Hollywood, in my opinion. I stumbled onto the Molls tumblr through twitter. I was instantly taken with her writing style, her honest, funny, and open approach to her life, and her ability to make me forget about mine while reading about hers. I started following her tweets, and checking the blogs, and was amazed by her hustle and ambition. I watched her go from freelance writer, to co-founder of the very funny HelloGiggles website (with friends Zooey Deschanel and Sofia Rossi), and then onto become a writer for the CBS show 2 Broke Girls starring Kat Dennings and Beth Behr. I approached her for an interview and to my delight she responded in true Molls style, “Totally!! Email me!” I fanned out; I was a giggly school girl which is so not like me. I was so excited and became a bit nervous, I interview people all the time that’s my job…but this is different, this is someone who inspires me and who I really admire…what if she isn’t what I thought she would be? What if all my dreams are crushed? After completing the interview I am proud to say that my girl crush remains intact as does my admiration. Molls is everything I thought she would be and more. I’m usually very good at being an unbiased writer and I tried to be one on this piece, but I just couldn’t. Every intro I wrote (and I went through several drafts) sounded like a love letter. So, I decided that in honor of Molls honest approach to writing I would stop trying to make this piece anything but what it was meant to be. Here is my interview (love letter to) with Molly McAleer:
NB: In a recent interview you said that you’re actually a very guarded person in your real life as opposed to the person you portray on your blog, how do you manage to find a balance between keeping your real life personal and also writing in such a way that your followers feel they know the real you, and it’s not a character?
MM: My blog is a hybrid. I think of myself as a reality TV producer with my own best interests in mind. I want to share the good things about myself, the honest things about myself, and the very ugly things about myself that might come across as relatable or humorous to others. I try to “keep it real”, so to speak, without the expense of my soul or compromising those around me.
I refuse to make my friends and family and romantic interests a victim of my hobby. My blog has been a huge part of my career, but in a financial and long-term sense, it’s a hobby. I don’t even run ads. I don’t mention my family unless I know they’d laugh about what I wrote or otherwise enjoy it. I don’t post pictures of my friends they don’t approve. I don’t share things about people I love or situations that are precious to me unless I know it’s 100% okay with everyone involved.
In my opinion, if we think about all of the things we hold dear to us vs. everything else about us, there’s still enough in that second category to piece together a realistic portrait of your life.
NB: Straight out of college you became a writer and producer for HBO, then moved to Gawker, and did a lot of freelance work, you seem to hit a few rough patches between HBO and 2 Broke Girls, was there a time after HBO where you thought maybe that was a good as it would get? Or did you always believe you’d get to this spot?
MM: No. I had a really rough few years. I wondered at some point in every day if I made a mistake moving to LA, if I came out here and wasted time just to go home to Massachusetts and live in my little brother’s bedroom because I don’t even have a room at my parent’s house anymore. You know, I honestly still worry about that from time to time because things happen.
I cried and worried a lot. I couldn’t sleep a lot of nights when I was freelancing and pulling side gigs and scrapping together a thousand bucks here and sixteen bucks there. I, at one point, lived in a one room apartment with a combination kitchen-bathroom-closet. At another point, I filled out an application to work at a Blockbuster and laughed my ass off when I wrote that I was a Boston College film major in the “education” section. I didn’t even get a call about that job.
The economy changed greatly between the time I moved out to LA and this very moment. And the craziest part of all of this? I didn’t even try to write for TV until this year. I didn’t think that was ever going to be a part of my future. I thought I was going to be an actress or host or something. I thought I’d pave new ground in the digital realm before I went over to TV.
Just a year after filling out that application, I was encouraged by my friend Todd to write an original spec. I didn’t view it as a vehicle to get staffed; I just thought it was time that I wrote something offline that would make people think of me as more than just a blogger. I’m still amazed that that spec got me a meeting that got me a job on 2BG. My mind is still blown every day. I’m constantly saying to my boss, “Hey, dude. Yo, please don’t fire me,” because this overly self-aware part of me realizes that I hit the fucking jackpot and could be called out as a fraud any second now.
NB: You’ve been extremely open about your monetary issues as well as your struggle with depression, was it cathartic for you to share your struggles in such a public way? And how much did you hold back?
MM: I have no problem admitting that I’ve counted change to buy my food supply for the week. If anything, I’ve felt like I was the only one saying it when everyone I knew who was my age and not being supported by their parents was doing it in silence at the same time. Who cares? I ate steak at the Ritz in a mink when I was five and then I chose to move to Los Angeles when I was 21 and cut myself off from the comforts of home all together. Both scenarios are real and I’m not more or less embarrassed to admit either one of those things.
Same thing with depression. Most of us have been there. Acting like lacking wealth or sublime happiness is something to be ashamed of is an alien-like quality.
I’d tell you that I want to kill myself before I mentioned the last fight I had with my family or the last dude that made me cry. Money and sadness is universal and to assume it’s personal is narcissistic.
NB: Your Mom, Seana, is featured on your blog quite a bit, how important is your relationship with your family?
MM: My mom is everything to me. We spent the first 18 years together alone, more or less. The only thing that means as much to me as my mother is my relationship with my maternal Grandparents, who passed away five years ago this year. Nothing has ever meant more and I miss my Grandparents, especially my Grandmother, who was my best friend in the world, every second of every day.
NB: Did you always want to be a writer for the entertainment industry (television/movies) or did you think about being a novelist like your Grandfather?
MM: I didn’t see myself being a writer. I’m still surprised that anyone thinks I’m good enough at it to make a living. I’ve always enjoyed it, but I guess I just thought of my Grandfather and his friends and everyone in Hollywood as such unicorns that I didn’t even dream this life for myself.
NB: You’ve gone from being someone who was a struggling writer to being a success; do you think that has changed your brand at all?
MM: Just in the sense that I have less time to chronicle it. I am still, fundamentally, the same girl in the same shitty clothes, trying to get her opinion about whatever strikes her fancy across in a jumble of words.
NB: How did Hellogiggles come about and why did you feel that now was the time for a girl friendly website?
MM: Long story short, Sophia said, “I wanna start a FunnyOrDie for women”, I said, “Yeah, me too,” we went back to my place and registered the domain “HelloGiggles” because it sounds like my “catchphrase” “Hey, Girl!” then she mentioned it to Zooey and six months later it was a website. We’re just friends who started a website based off a series of half-baked ideas that became full-baked once we sat down and decided to make it happen. It just seemed obvious and easy and possible to all of us and it turned out to be all of those things and then some.
NB: How have the 4 Daze t-shirts been doing?
MM: Great! I am so lucky to have found Pete Gibson, who prints all of our t-shirts on his own and sends them out. He’s just the nicest kid, a student. It’s a small little side biz for both of us, but it makes us happy and hopefully others happy, too.
NB: How has your dog, Wagnstuff, adjusted to your new busy schedule?
MM: Eh, he’s my boy. I’ve had gigs that have taken me out of the house for 14 hours and since I never really date or find myself out of town, we still spend plenty of time together. I miss his fuzzy little bod whenever I’m not with him, though.
NB: Who are the writers you most admire and why?
MM: I don’t really know, to be honest. I like most of my sitcom writing peers.
Dave Sedaris makes me laugh til my bones hurt. David Rakoff changed my game. Michael Patrick King and Jhoni Marchinko who write on 2BG are the best people in the game to learn from. I’m also a weirdo who just really likes reading “My Antonia” and “Catcher in the Rye” over and over again. Willa Cather and Salinger really “get it”.
NB: Any advice for people chasing their dream here in Hollywood?
MM: Just be self-aware and a combination of good and scared for your life. Other than that, it’s all subjective/whatever.
Written By: Nicole Breanne
Smoking Popes – Blending Sounds, Rising Quickly
October 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
“Ever wonder what a traditional saloon singer would sound like backed up by a punk band? The Smoking Popes take that concept one step further: They’ve created a unique kind of music that some listeners are describing as ‘hyperkinetic tear-jerkers’.” Los Angeles Times
Smoking Popes are an influential band, to say the least. Now, Alkaline Trio, one of their devotees, has invited them on their 15th anniversary tour.
It’s easy to see why they have a legion of fans, as well as being idolized and admired by other musicians. Smoking Popes blends heartbreak with punk spirit and kick-ass melodies, and when you’re insides feel like they’ve been ripped out with a grappling hook, what-else would you want besides good tunes. Okay, maybe some whiskey too.
For More Information Visit: www.smokingpopes.net
Written By: Nicole Breanne
Danfung Dennis, Photojournalist and Documentarian
October 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Danfung Dennis is a freelance photojournalist and first time documentarian.
He has covered the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq since 2006 and has now released a documentary called “Hell and Back Again”. Dennis was embedded with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Company and his documentary takes an inside look at the life changing and devastating affect that a Taliban bullet has on 25 year-old Sargent, Nathan Harris. The film combines an intimate portrait of Harris’s life in North Carolina where he struggles to readjust to civilian life and images of the war he left behind. Danfun Dennis is a master story teller and I think his career in documentaries is only beginning.
In 2010, Danfung Dennis won the Bayeux-Calvados Award For War Correspondents, was named one of the 25 New Faces of Independent Film by Filmmaker Magazine and one of the 30 New and Emerging Photographers by PDN Magazine.
HELL AND BACK AGAIN Trailer from Danfung Dennis on Vimeo.
Written By: Nicole Breanne
New Power Couple On The Rise in LA
October 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Jessica Garvey and Matt Ritter both went to the University of Pennsylvania, they both lived in New York for a short time, and both had dreams of acting, but it wasn’t until they met in LA that this mini power couple was formed. After a year of being together Jessica and Matt have begun building an empire separately but now, they’re working on something together. What Jessica affectionately calls “Matt’s love child” it’s a webseries called Bottom Rung, Matt describes it as Party Down meets The Office. So I met up with Jess and Matt to talk to them about their projects, dating in Hollywood, and their futures.
NB: So, tell me about Bottom Rung, you’ve got ten episodes in the gate and it premieres on the website in December. What’s it about?
MR: Well, I write for this website called “Bitter Lawyer” and I wanted to create this series so I went to them and they gave me cart blanche. They said “Go, do it.” So I did. It’s about this really boring part of law called document review. It’s a bunch of people who just want to get out and chase their dreams. My character is a guy that’s a loose adaptation of me, he’s this guy who thinks he’s a great comedian but he’s only made like ten bucks doing comedy. He falls for this girl, played by Jess, that’s a total hippy and dates musicians, but she got tired of dating drummers so she decides to go to law school to figure things out, and this hot shot associate gets her this job but he just wants to get in her pants. I meet her and totally fall for her. These characters are based on people I really know. You’ve got these “lifers” and these really smart people doing this awful job. Some of these people are living in their cars and working at a law firm. It’s so strange and funny.
NB: So you do freelance writing work?
MR: I write for a bunch of different websites, Bitter Lawyer, Crushable. For Crushable I write about girly reality shows. I write a lot about the bachelor. I love the bachelor.
JR: I never saw an episode until I met him.
NB: So you guys are working together, what’s that like?
JG: Some couples work well together and some don’t. Starting to date someone in the same field, you don’t know how that’s gonna work. But with us it worked so well! We not only encourage each other we’re that other person that’s there to help that a lot of people don’t have. He’s someone I rely on.
We’re not in competition; I’ve never seen it that way. I honestly feel like so much of my success is because I have him there helping me and pushing me forward. And not only the support, I want him there.
MR: When I tell people I’m dating an actress they say “Oh, well, that’s not gonna work”, that’s so strange to say there’s no reason why it wouldn’t. There’s no jealousy, we play each other’s personal assistant roles. I’ve helped her with standup auditions, and I accidentally crashed her SEARS commercial audition and we booked it because we were together. You know what, yeah there was some jealousy. Shortly after we booked the SEARS commercial she booked a BUSH’s BAKED BEANS commercial, and we got champagne and beans to celebrate (laughs). But when I realized our commercial only ran for three weeks, and the Bush’s one ran for over a year I was pretty jealous! (laughs) Those checks are still coming in (laughing).
JG: (laughing)
MR: We’ve got a lot of things going on that are extremely different. We’re in entertainment but we’re not doing the same things.
MR: What’s funny about commercials is for, me as a comedian, that’s not how I want to measure my success, but a commercial is for back home. That’s what you tell Grandma about….it’s SEARS, Grandma knows SEARS she understands that, she calls me and says “how are the bits going?” and I say “you saw the commercial right, Grandma??” When people ask how’s it going it’s hard to bench mark for comedy when you’ve got a commercial it’s easier to point to something. I think it’s funny when people are like “oh he came out of nowhere” it’s like “no he’s been working for years and years and years, you just haven’t heard of him.” and that’s pretty much how it is so it’s nice to point to something sometimes.
NB: You do a lawyer character when you do your standup, are you going to continue that?
MR: When I started doing standup I didn’t want to be labeled as a lawyer comedian, I wanted to earn my stripes, I’ve feel I’ve earned that among my fellow comedians. But when I started and I wouldn’t do law jokes I thought “I’m missing out on this niche, on this area that not a lot of people are doing”. So why would I not fill that role? But there is a time and place for everything, I’m going on tour to law firms and law schools all over the country with (the group) Comedians-at-Law in January and I’ll tell law jokes there, but the show I’m doing tonight it probably won’t come up. I like entertaining those people, I know that crowd, and I know they’ll like this. Tonight when I walk in I have no idea who these people are, I don’t know if the show will go well, with the law audience I know it will go well.
NB: Why comedy?
MR: I was always cracking jokes in school. This is a funny story…my mom tried stand up one time when she was seven months pregnant with me and she bombed, she ran the light by like five minutes, the host pulled her off stage and said you don’t have one ounce of comedy in you. True story, that host was Eddie Murphy! Now I feel like I need to meet him and be like “you were wrong buddy! I was several ounces!” I feel like I will die on stage, comedy… it’s in your bones; it’s in your core.
NB: Who are your idols, both of you?
MR: Comedians that tell a good story, that have a strong point of view about the world and politics, make you think, I should change the way I do things, Louis CK Patton Oswald, Bill Burr, Doug Stanhope. They tell jokes but really they’re telling you things, they’re making you think. The dream is to be in the same conversation as those guys. I just want to entertain people
JG: Resse Witherspoon is effortless, musicals, comedy, and drama. I want to be the girl next door that can do it everything, that people want to be friends with, not intimidated by.
NB: Why the move to LA from New York?
MR: I love standup in New York, there are so many amazing comics in New York, but LA is where you go for TV and writing and all the other stuff. You can do show after show after show out there and never see anyone; mangers come maybe once every five months. Here someone’s at your show for a specific reason. I wanted to be immersed in a place where there are creative types, where anyone I meet I can work with. I love New York I miss New York, we talk about how we would love to do the bicoastal thing, but for me right now I need to be here.
JG: I studied Communications at Penn, I was reporting for Fox News’ college network and they sent me a camera, tripod, a microphone, and told me “Go. Do it. Produce, write, get interviews, and edit on your own”. So that’s where my reality stuff started, after college I needed to make decisions I went more creative my junior and senior year. I had to decide what do and I loved broadcasting but acting scared me the most so that’s what I decided to do. I moved to New York for a month, I ran into my cousin who said “Go out to LA and meet with some people I know” I did and they said “We’d love to help you but we don’t deal in New York you gotta come here” and I had to make a decision. So two weeks later I moved to LA with two suitcases on my own, in a one room sublet and sat in my bathtub crying to my friend like “what am I doing here?” and two years later is unbelievable to see what’s happened. I just got that push and I took a leap.
NB: Jess, tell me about your reality show.
JG: It’s called The Starter actress. I got a really good piece of advice from casting director friends out here, they said “Do something that you love to do that has nothing to do with acting, or very little to do with it just something to take your mind off it, most of the time it’s what you’re doing on the side that helps you get to your main goal”. So I started blogging about my experience trying to be an actress, going to auditions and bombing and crying for days, waiting for the calls. And people responded to it like “wow this is what it’s really like” then I started doing it as a reality show for a Penn entertainment website. So, I was doing that for about a year then I started to see it affect my career which was amazing. Off of that reality show I got an audition for a pilot with Jeffery Ross! It’s called “Blowing Up” it’s very Entourage meets It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. In an industry where you have no control, that gave me control. That’s always my advice “do something you can control” you have to go out and do it yourself no one will do it for you. I got a lead role in an independent pilot based of my realty video.
MR: Her videos are hilarious; she turned a process like auditioning, which is horrible into something really funny. She shows cool stuff, riding around on the Universal Lots, getting ready for the auditions, the panic of an audition.
JG: Yeah it’s not glamorous but it’s really funny.
NB: You do a lot of Do It Yourself videos too….
JG: When I first got out here I worked for a party planner for a couple months, and I just always have thrown parties. I threw a large sit down dinner in a small apartment, moved out my couches, did the whole thing and Matt said, “Not a lot of people your age know how to do that”. So I said “what should I do with that?”, so I started writing a book about how to throw a party on a budget, I give little tips about how to make it special without going overboard. It’s for the young broke and fabulous, called The Hostess Handbook. It’s the little touches at parties that people remember, a misting punch at a Halloween party, a little take home thing, they’ll remember that party that they got that ring from. I’ll be featured on several websites for this hostess handbook and soon it’ll be a book. Which is odd, because I had to go to a special school for dyslexia, and I didn’t learn to read until I was four. Writing was never something I thought I could do, or thought I was good at. So it’s funny that life has taking me down this road, I never imagined it. Writing a book and writing these blogs and having people respond to it is amazing.
MR: She just has mogul blood, if Charlie Sheen has tiger’s, she has mogul. She’s just a machine. When you’re an actress there’s so much luck involved, but Jess, she’s just got so much. She’s using creativity and this is hers, it’s all hers. I think it’s amazing for her to be writing a book, I just think that’s pretty amazing. Tell them about the movie! You were in a movie!
JG: Oh yeah I was!! I was just in a major motion picture, it’s a spoof film, it spoofs twilight, it’s really funny.
MR: When you’re just an actor it’s hard not have anxiety waiting for those phone-calls, there’s so much more you can be doing, we’re building things here and while you’re waiting for those calls you can be doing so much more.
NB: You both have so much going on right now, what are you planning for the future?
JG: I think there’s a lack and a space for a young, hip, Martha Stewart type. So that’s where I’m heading. I like to set goals every day; I just like working hard every day.
MR: Sometimes we look at each other and say “how’s your week?” and I’ve been with her the whole time. We get up our computers face each other and we just work. And we know that we will get to enjoy and we are enjoying it but now is not the time to rest. I was a lawyer, very traditional job; you make a good living you are entitled to a vacation. But with this… it’s so unstructured you can take a break during your day but you’re not entitled to a vacation. Those people working nine to nine, that’s their grind they earn that vacation! For me I’ve earned my vacations when I’ve achieved the success that I want. That’s how I feel about it.
Matt and Jess are a refreshing breath of fresh air. They’re motivated, down to earth, and really supportive of each other. They’re inspiring and extremely cute together. The sky is the limit for these two! You can see Matt at his monthly show at the Hollywood Improv called Six Degrees, and Jess can be seen at her website www.JessicaGarvey.com.
Thank You Jessica and Matt for a great interview, TRH can’t wait to see what’s next for you two!!!!
Written By: Nicole Breanne
Pepper – Bringing The Hawaiian Vibes To LA
October 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment
America has SKA bands like Sublime, who is from Long Beach, CA and No Doubt started as a SKA band, and they’re from Anaheim, CA…now SKACORE came from the United Kingdom and United States…but SKA is islands, its reggae, it’s not bleach blonde, bindi wearing, heroin addicted California. I’ve had issues with SKA in the States for quite some time. I’ve often screamed at Sublime on my radio “Yeah, you’re okay, but this is not real SKA!” Well, my wait for decent SKA in America is over. I was told about this band when they rolled through Hollywood at the Nokia Theater a couple weeks ago. I didn’t say anything because I wanted to check them out before I told you guys about them, well ladies and gentlemen….
Introducing PEPPER, Hawaiian surf punk reggae, and they’re good. They’re not just banging drums and speaking really, really, fast. They’re melodic, which a lot of SKA and punk forget to be. They blend musicality and a laid back vibe. Sitting in a cubical in corporate America is a little more tolerable with the islands in my head phones.
They’re hard workers too, touring non-stop and starting their own label. They’re not a one trick pony either, sure they’ve got fun upbeat songs like “Drunk Girl”, and “Wake Up”, but they’ve also got smooth, soothing, “Lonely”. Kaleo Wassman has an incredible tonality to his voice, Bret Bollinger harmonizes perfectly and keeps his bass right in line, and Yesod Williams is the perfect fit on the drums. They credit Hawaiian icons Gabby Pahinui and Israel Kamakawiwo’ole as their inspirations; well I’d say they’re making their hero’s very proud. Keep up the good work boys.
Written By: Nicole Breanne
Egypt Central – “Kick Ass” Music
October 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment
I’ve written about Egypt Central before, but they’re so good I’m doing it again. Egypt Central has announced a nationwide tour with Hinder, Pop Evil, and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. For those of you who don’t know, Egypt Central is a rock band out of Memphis, Tennessee. Their sophomore album, White Rabbit, was released in May of 2011 and they were headling their own tour by July.
Now they’re on the road promoting their new single “Kick Ass”. The single has become the #1 Most Added song on the BDS chart and #2 Most Added song on the Mediabase chart at Active Rock radio. In staying with the season, Egypt Central produced a “Gridiron Mix” version of “Kick Ass’ aptly named “Kick Off” for the NFL season. The Baltimore Ravens picked “Kick Off” as their official song of the season and even made a video for that can be seen on their website: http://bit.ly/oBzq5n.
The Ravens also invited the band to perform at their annual “Countdown To Kick Off” party held in Baltimore. But the Ravens aren’t the only team partnering up with Egypt Central, the tamed down version of the song can be heard by any Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, and Dallas Cowboys fans attending home games.
Hardrockhaven.net has said of their live performances: “From the moment that John Falls and Egypt Central hit the stage, the band commanded attention.” Musictourreviews.com agreed: “…they always bring their A game and I have never seen a bad show from them.
Written By: Nicole Brine
Township Kitchen Americana and Saloon – Restaurateur George Abou-Daoud Has Done It Again
October 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A brand new restaurant is blossoming on Sunset. Restaurateur George Abou-Daoud (owner of Bowery, Mercantile, Mission Cantina, Rosewood, and Delancey Restaurants) has now opened Township Kitchen Americana and Saloon. Township has a real emphasis on bourbons, U.S. whiskeys, rye, and corn whiskeys, playing to the Americana theme there are twelve lesser-seen, regional drafts, like Idaho’s Sweetgrass IPA and Montana’s Moose Drool Brown ale, and my personal favorite, based on name alone, the Gonzo Imperial Porter. Cocktails are traditional with mint juleps, boozy egg creams, and Texas tea. The whiskey is served on the rocks, which are perfectly squared ice cubes keeping the liquor ice cold through the duration. It’s heavenly for a Whiskey lover.
The menu is very down home sounding, but absolutely amazing to taste. The entrees that were on my chopping block were the Yankee Pot Roast, and Memphis Rub Baby Back Ribs. But I started with the Spicy Buffalo Wings served with Ranch. Now, I’m not a spice lover. But this was perfect. My guest for the evening is a huge spice fan and it kept them happy as well as allowing me to enjoy it without being over powered. It comes on very clean and very evenly, you’re not knocked out by it but after the first bite I definitely felt the fire.
When we moved on to the entrees, I was bowled over. The Pot Roast melts in your mouth, it’s seasoned perfectly and the potatoes and carrots are covered by a buttery puree. Even as I write this my mouth is watering for more. The Ribs are rubbed with a very nice delicate and at times very sweet sauce and the coleslaw was fresh and inventive. For dessert it was the Mississippi Mud Pie, served in a large metal bowl, like something you would see at your family reunion at Grandma’s farm down south. The whiskey and cocktails are served in mason jars with handles it’s extremely charming. The portions on both of the entrees, the wings, and pie were very hearty; you’re definitely getting what you paid for.
The atmosphere is a mixture of class and sports bar, with games playing on large flat screens, and warm wood decorating the entire restaurant. There is ample seating that the bar, several high tops, and booths all of which are extremely roomy. You’re not penned in. My favorite part of the décor has to be what I consider to be the most thoughtful as well; there are hooks on the high tops and on the pillars between them for ladies to place their purses on. No setting your prized bag on the floor at this place. The wait staff was extremely knowledgeable and friendly, checking on us often but not hovering.
This place is truly American with a bit of Southern Gentlemanly charm. It’s a great place for watching the games, a nice casual date, or a catch up with friend. George Abu-Daoud has hit this one out of the park. Township Kitchen Americana and Saloon, 6612 Sunset Blvd. Hollywood. 323-464-5700.
http://www.townshipsaloon.com/
Written By: Nicole Breanne
Daphne Blunt – Let’s Just Say She Has It All
October 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A throwback to the 1940’s Radio Disney puts out old school radio shows like “My Dream”. The star of that program is Daphne Blunt. But Daphne doesn’t have a face for radio; she’s got all the beauty of a movie siren, so aside from radio, Daphne does webisodes, and T.V. But when she’s not on the airwaves, on your T.V. or heading to the big screen she’s hosting Daphne’s LaLaLand on Fanlala.com.
Daphne is also staying well rounded and giving back. She is the founder of Green Hope, a charity to encourage kids to get involved and make the planets a better place to live. She also uses Daphne Blunt Charities and her official webpage in order to raise money for other charities, most recently she helped raise funds for Haiti Relief.
Come Visit Daphne at www.daphneblunt.com to see everything she is up to!!!
Written By: Nicole Breanne
Rachel Fox – Starlet On The Rise
October 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Rachel Fox was only visiting L.A and attending an acting camp, while her sister went to tennis camp, never did she think that her wildest dreams would come true. Only three months after arriving in Hollywood Rachel landed a recurring role on “That’s So Raven”. She appeared on a soap opera, and then landed in primetime playing a Young Jennifer Garner on Alias.
Next up was Wysteria Lane, what should have been six episodes playing Kayla Huntington Scavo on Desperate Housewives turned into a two-year series regular. Rachel keeps growing and succeeding as an artist, her second film is “Dream House” starring Naomi Watts, Daniel Craig, and Rachel Weisz, she’ll also be playing Jon Lovitz daughter in “Jewtopia” alongside Rita Wilson, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Joel David Moore and Camryn Manheim, when she’s not busy in her recurring role on ABC Family’s number one hit “Melissa and Joey” of course.
Written By: Nicole Breanne
-
→
The Sky is the Limit for Jordan Pomaville
December 3, 2011 By
Jordan Pomaville is one of Hollywood’s hot, up-and-coming writers. From a young age, he knew he wanted to be a writer in the entertainment industry, “When I was in elementary school, I started writing stories,” he told me. “I would write something called, “The Clubhouse Kids” which was something I took from “ The Boxcar Children ” series. It was just me and my friends doing things— Clubhouse Kids go to Florida, Clubhouse Kids go to the Tigers Game, I mean imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then I franchised it out. When we had a writing assignment, I would let other classmates write “Clubhouse Kids” stories. It got to the point where the teacher had to say, ‘I’m assigning a writing assignment and no one, including Jordan, can write a Clubhouse Kids story!’ I mean it got out of hand, The Clubhouse Kids watch figure skating at the Winter Olympics…cause that’s what young girls are into. So it was me and my friends watching figure skating—it didn’t make sense. Then in 9th grade, I got a public access show and we did that for about 2 years before we got a lawsuit threatened on the city…so they told us, ‘yeah, you can’t do this anymore’ but I was surprised we got to do it at all!”
Jordan went to the University of Michigan and majored in Film. In 2006, he interned out in LA where he did what he calls “a test run for life, I wrote a spec script for Desperate Housewives and won a scholarship so I used that to come out here and I got a job. I liked the city and decided that this was something I wanted to do”. After graduating, Jordan moved to L.A., where he got a job at a rather large literary talent agency. Dealing with writers and seeing the process in action inspired Jordan, but he knew that it wasn’t going to be an easy process or an overnight success. Jordan focused and worked extremely hard at the agency, impressing his bosses and making contacts. “When I got the job, the writer’s strike had just ended. I was driving the last leg of my trip from Arizona into California when they announced it. I was extremely fortunate. So, when I got the job my coworker said “We need to staff writers for a meeting, who do you know at NBC?’ and I just stared at him like… ‘um, well…is Seinfeld still on? That’s a really funny show.’ And he just looked at me and said ‘e-mail this guy, tell him this, this, and this, and set up these meetings.’ They really helped me and were really good to me. They knew I wanted to write so they said ‘look if you work hard for us, we’ll set you up with a writer.’ So, that’s what I did.”
I’ve heard horror stories about agency jobs, and a common theme in my interviews has been how hard it is to make it work out here in L.A., so I asked Jordan if he ever had a moment when he just couldn’t take it anymore; “I had heard horror stories from friends about bosses screaming at people, people going home and crying themselves to sleep, but I never really experienced that. I joked about crying myself to sleep, so I didn’t actually cry myself to sleep (laughs). My bosses were good to me and I mean, it was hard…the long hours and not a lot of pay…but nothing I couldn’t handle.
After the literary agency, Jordan became a Show-Runners Assistant on the Comedy Central show “Ugly Americans”. Eventually, he was moved up to Writers Assistant and got the chance to write an episode, which will air in the spring of 2012. I asked if it’s difficult to jump in right in the middle, how you write for a character that isn’t your own; “It’s knowing these characters, being on set, watching the voice-over guys, and sitting with all these talented, amazing writers. It’s really fleshing out a character and knowing them. They really do become real people. There’s all these running jokes about characters that the viewers never get to hear, but when you’re in the room you know these guys. When you’re writing, you may write a line that you really love but you just know that this character isn’t that guy… so you take it out. You know their motivations and limitations; these characters have to be real people to you.” I was also interested in movie writing, was that something that Jordan would like to do, he told me “I like movies, they’re great…but everything wraps up in two hours, and so many people have their hands in it and want to see it a certain way. Not to mention people invest millions of dollars into films, so they should have every right to see it done their way. But with TV, you can take your time. You can really follow the characters as they figure it out. It’s just a more real experience.”
Jordan is insanely funny and I spent most of our time together holding my sides and laughing till my cheeks ached. So, I inquired as to how such a funny man felt about all these funny women that are coming up. His answer was as charming as the rest of him is, “oh, it’s great! I’m really enjoying Two Broke Girls…I feel they overuse the guitar riff a bit (mimics sound) but it’s really funny. I’m so happy that there are three comedy shows with female leads that are doing well!! Hollywood has a habit of making knee-jerk decisions. Like, if these shows, The New Girl, Two Broke Girls, and Whitney, tanked they’d say ‘well, that’s because no one wants to see women being funny!’ They don’t stop to think maybe it is the writing, or the cast. So I was really happy to see these three succeeding and I hope there will be more. I mean we had the Golden Girls, awesome…Roseanne…hilarious. Women are funny.”
Writing for other people has to be insanely difficult. I write what I think and what other people say so I asked if it bothers Jordan when he writes a line and someone doesn’t say it the way he wrote it, or if he casts it in his head while he writes. I was very interested in his creative process he told me, “I mean, it’s never going to be as good as it is in your head, but the goal is to write it so it’s funny no matter how someone says it. I don’t know that I cast people when I write…I probably should. But I wrote a script and some of the notes were ‘this person does not exist he’s just too stupid’ but I really love that, I agreed about that character but over all I love that type of guy. I love these well-intentioned, slightly moronic characters that you just root for. The sheriff in “Twin Peaks” just kills me, he’s just adorable and it’s those kinds of characters that you want to watch every week. So to answer your questions….yes…sometimes (laughs).”
Hollywood is called the “land of dreams”, but it really should be renamed the “land of hard work”. So many people come out here and think the minute that they step off the plane they’ll have an agent and a major motion picture. Sitting with Jordan talking about his hard work and marveling at his “can-do” attitude I was re-inspired. I told Jordan when I went on job interviews and people asked me what I did I always said “what don’t I do?”, “My old roommate had a great line, he said ‘I came out to Hollywood ‘cause I’m for sale’ and that’s partially true. I’m out here to work hard and be a success.”
After Ugly Americans, Jordan has recently moved on to being a Show-Runners Assistant on Suits. “It’s funny, I remember when the script for the Suits pilot came to the agency I worked at in 2008! It was called something different, and had a bit of a different premise, but now here we are in 2011 and I’m working on this amazing show called Suits that I’ve seen from its conception!” So what’s the goal? To be working on a show? To be writing his own show? “Well, the big picture is just to write, so getting staffed would be amazing! But I’m also planning to pitch my own ideas someday. I don’t want to send in something and have someone go ‘are you kidding? This sucks, I don’t want to deal with this guy’. I remember being at the agency and ripping up unsolicited scripts and hearing the dream die…I mean it was me screaming on the dream’s behalf… so it was my version of the dream dying…but you get the idea (laughs). I want to make sure when I submit something, it’s the best that I can do, and that takes time.
Jordan’s talent, persistence, and hard work are paying off in a big way. Watch for his episode of Ugly Americans on Comedy Central in Spring 2012 and if you can’t wait that long you can catch Jordan and his sketch comedy writing skills on his sports podcast athttp://comedypodcastnetwork.com/en/shows/the-sports-sports-sports-podcast.
Emii: Kick Ass Pop Princess
December 1, 2011 By
Emii hails from Youngstown, Ohio and knew right away that she wanted to be on stage. At three years old while watching another performer she climbed on stage, much to the embarrassment of her parents, “luckily other people were amused, but even at three I felt the need to perform. When I first got into it my parents were nervous. It’s the entertainment industry, but once things started to pick up and I proved to them that I was keeping my head on my shoulders, and they realized my angle was making music– and not partying, they were really happy. They’re really happy now, but it was a process.” By the time Emii was a teen she had taken control of her career and bounced from Ohio to New York until she was old enough to move there permanently, eventually settling in Los Angeles.
Now in 2011 her single, “Mr. Romeo” (featuring Snoop Dogg), reached the #3 spot on the Billboard Dance club charts, the video has over 1 million views on YouTube and was the most viewed video the day it debuted. “I got a call at a friends house and they told me—I just kept pinching myself”, and her fan base is expanding rapidly. She has performed at Sundance Film Festival and SXSW Music Festival as well as network television on: ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, and The CW. She’s not just an American Pop Princess, Emii traveled to Beirut, Lebanon for the NRJ festival and the attendance broke records, “it was amazing, everyone knew who I was and knew the lyrics. It was amazing. I can’t wait to go back.”All her hard work has definitely paid off. But there is something to be said about being in the right place, at the right time. While recording “Mr. Romeo” the owner of the studio came in and loved what he heard. “He was loving it and we mentioned that we’d love to get someone like Snoop on the record, and this guy happen to have Snoop’s personal manager’s cell phone number in his phone. So he called him up and Snoop liked it.”
Emii’s new song “Stilettos” is strong and tough but also girly, that’s something that’s important to Emii; “I love to set the example of a strong, independent woman who knows how to work it, knows how to take care of business– but at the same time knows how to please her man, because that’s important too. It’s a healthy balance. Stilettos is about appreciating fashion and feeling fabulous. It’s just fun and frivolous.”
Balance is important to Emii, she, like her new song, is extremely feminine with strikingly beautiful features—but as I learned she’s also pretty tough. On her arm she sports a very large tattoo, “it’s a tiger, dragon, martial arts balance symbol. I got it for myself for my ten year martial arts anniversary.”She’s gorgeous, she can kick your ass, and she likes comics; “oh yeah, I’ve always been a big fan. I’ve found a lot inspiration from comics. Jean Grey and old school Rogue, one day I’ll go to comic con like that.”
Emii has been very active in charities and prides herself on being a positive role model; “It’s definitely something that has been consistent throughout my life. One of the main reasons I got into music is because I love to inspire people. I think it’s important to share the message that there’s gonna be a lot of trouble making, and fun and that’s cool, but it’s important to be balanced– cause we’re all in this together whether we like it or not. It’s important to me not to dumb it down for kids, because they learn no matter what. I went through a time where I questioned if I should put some things in my writing. But kids will learn it either way.”
With idols like Michael Jackson “my parents took me to the Michael Jackson show at Disneyland when I was little, at the end of the show I jumped up on my Mom’s lap, outstretched my arms to Michael and screamed ‘I LOVE YOU!’”, Chrissy Hynde, and Muse, Emii is extremely versatile and that is her advice to new artists, “The industry is ever changing, I think the most important thing is to adapt, and to truly love what you do. That will keep you afloat, that really helped me—you know, when you really, really love something, you kind of look passed the bad part. You gotta adapt and roll with the punches but you gotta love it, you definitely gotta love it.
You can follow Emii on twitter at: http://twitter.com/#!/emiimusic and on facebook:http://www.facebook.com/musicbyemii
or at: emii.net
Written By: Nicole Breanne
Glenn Ligon’s AMERICA at LACMA
November 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Glenn Ligon was born in the Bronx in 1960 and continues to live and work in New York. This is the first mid-career retrospective of Ligon’s work in the United States. The exhibition includes unknown early material and the reconstruction of seminal bodies of work such as: the Door paintings, the coal dust Stranger canvases, and the Coloring series. Ligon’s work explored American history, literature, and society through modern painting and more recent conceptual art. Ligon works in a variety of media, including painting, neon, installation, video and print. In the late 1980s and early 90s, Ligon became known for work that explores race, sexuality, representation and language. Check him out at Los Angeles County Museum of Art until January 22, 2012.
Our Week with Edward Redmayne
November 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Edward “Eddie” Redmayne is making his mark in the new movie “My Week With Marilyn” opposite Academy Award Nominee Michelle Williams. Edward plays Colin Clark, an employee of Sir Laurence Olivier’s who watches the tense working relationship between Monroe and Olivier play out while his own romance with Monroe blossoms, if only for that week. Based on the book written by Clark the movie has gotten rave reviews, many of which point to Edward’s performance. No stranger to praise Edward won a Tony Award in 2010 for his performance in Red. He also starred in the mini series The Pillars of the Earth, films like The Good Shepherd, Powder Blue, Savage Grace, The Other Boleyn Girl and Glorious 39. Next up for the new comer is the role of Marius for the remake of the musical film Les Misérables.
Mayra Dias Gomes Shivers: The Hollywood Dream
November 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Mayra Dias Gomes Shivers wrote her first book at 16. Mayra is the daughter of Dias Gomes, so I guess you could say it runs in the family. Dias Gomes started writing at 15 and went on to write the highest rated soap of all time. He was also the writer of Keeper of Promises which was the first ever Brazilian movie to be nominated for an Oscar, and he is the only South American to ever win the Golden Palm at Cannes. “My book was published when I was 19, I started it at 16, and finished it when I was 17. When I was a kid I had a really creative childhood, my father was always writing for TV and theater, my mother was an actress. So, I grew up imitating my dad writing horror scripts. I’d write things like ‘The Killing Chair, or The Killing Refrigerator: A Christmas Story, things a kid would write. I would have my friends come over and write the scripts and shoot it. I never wanted to be a writer, I thought I’d be a musician. But I’m not confident enough, I don’t like being on stage. I’m very stage shy. When I was younger I thought I’d be a rock star and I’ve written songs for bands– but when it comes to me going on stage, I freeze. It’s not fun, it makes me nervous and makes me want to cry. I don’t like the energy so I ended up not following that path.”
Mayra’s first book, Fugalaça, is a true-ish story. It started out as a cathartic process for her, “at 16 I was going through a big depression phase. I felt I needed to leave that part of my life behind somehow and start anew, so I started writing it down. All my destructive relationships, getting into drugs and I wrote it in about 6 months. It’s successful I guess, because it’s real, you can feel how sad I was.” It was hard after the book was published. Mayra would go out in Rio and people would talk, or judge her for being so honest. But it taught the then 19 year old a good lesson; “I learned how to tell my story so that journalist wouldn’t judge me. In the beginning I was naive and was portrayed poorly in the media, I was this wild, drugs, sex, rock and roll girl. I am a rock and roll girl but I’m not what I was in the book. So I’ve learned now how to handle the media.”
She was asked by the largest paper in Brazilian if she would be interested in writing for them. So Mayra became a rock writer; “my first interview was with Marilyn Manson!”. She worked with the paper in Brazil, then came Spin, and MTV all asking her to contribute due to the success of her book “it was very natural. They would say ‘we really liked your book would you write for us?’”At 19 she wrote her second novel, “Mil e Uma Noites de Silêncio (One Thousand and One Nights of Silence)”, a story about a girl who loses her adoptive mother and begins to search for her own real human connection.
As a twice published author, it seems only natural that she would move to Los Angels, the land of big dreams, but I learned that it was more of a whim than a plan, “I was not happy there [in Rio de Janeiro] , I felt like it was too small for me. I had done what I wanted to do there. I just wanted to spend one month to breathe. A friend of mine said I could stay at his house in Santa Monica. I came here and I feel so good here. My second night here, I went to interview someone, Coyote Shivers, who I was a fan of. We immediately fell in love, one week later we moved in, three months later he asked me to marry him, and six months later we were married. So I never went back.”
Not just a writer, after the fame of Fugalaça Mayra posed for Brazil’s Playboy, VIP, and Sexy magazine, she was Sexy’s cover girland had a 36 page nude pictorial on the road from Hollywood to Las Vegas. After branching out from writer, to model she’s now adding another title to her impressive resume: Producer. While living out here Mayra’s first book was picked up by a Brazilian production company; “A Brazilian production company bought the rights. They predict in three years we’ll have the movie! I’m going to be one of the producers, and the soundtrack director. I’ll get to call up the rock stars and say ‘hey we want your song in our movie’ (laughs). It’s moving really fast.”
Now at 23 living in L.A, Mayra is writing her third book, this one will thankfully be in English; “the first two books aren’t in English yet because I don’t want to start my writing career in United States with things I’ve written so long ago. I want to release this third book that is set in Hollywood, and then do the earlier work. I don’t want to start out going backwards.”
Mayra lives in Hollywood with her husband, musician and actor, Coyote Shivers, she describes married life as; “amazing! Perfect! Really good, actually I feel that as time goes by it gets better and better. I’ve never gotten along so well with somebody, and we’re literally together every single day. I would never have imagined it, and I could never imagine it! I took Coyote back to my room [in Brazil] and showed him his movie Empire Records on my shelf and I said, ‘see I still have your movie on the fucking shelf how weird is that?’ yeah I would never have imagined this.” Mayra’s mother also thinks the world of her daughters current lifestyle, “my mom thinks its great. She comes in all the time. So it’s good for her. Shes a surfer now, I think she would love to live here but she has 15 dogs and she can’t leave them. My sister lives here too, she goes to Stanford University she’s a political science major.”
This third book came to Mayra out of tragedy, “when first when I moved here, I felt I wasn’t inspired enough to write book here. I was too happy, I needed a sadness to write something. Then something happened. I lived at this building on Hollywood Blvd, The Hillview, Chaplin owned it, and a lot of celebrity stories happened there. Something strange happened to the building while I was there. The building went bankrupt and a new company bought it. They tried to illegally evict people. They thought they’d get more money if they evicted all of us, and brought in new tenants at higher rates This legal battle happened with people going to court every week fighting this eviction, me included. There was this couple, Paul Allee and his fiancee Enedine, one night Paul murdered Enedine in the hallway. They were my friends– he shot her in the back six times, she was left in the hallway, and he goes back into the apartment and goes on the internet. That’s it. So, Hollywood Blvd closes down of course, and the police surround the apartment building and they’re trying to get Paul out of there. They shot him with tasers and Paul comes out of the building in a wheelchair on Hollywood blvd, and there’s all the cameras filming it for the news. They both had a dream of being famous, and this was his moment: he just murdered his fiancee, and he’s being carried out in a wheelchair on Hollywood Blvd. We were really involved with that and it started giving me ideas about the stories in these buildings in Hollywood. There’s so many stories of these glamorous people and these horrible stories, and then there’s the haunting business. The tour goes by the Hillview now, and they talk about the woman that was murdered, she was my friend– so when you know the ghost it’s different. This is what has inspired this new book. It will be my first attempt at a horror story.”
Along with the book Mayra writes for Contigo! magazine (Brazil’s version of People), “I write about Brazilian people that come to the United States and went through a lot of struggles, and they accomplished something huge. That’s a really cool thing that I’m doing. I get to meet a lot of really cool people with amazing stories.” She’s also written a reality show that will air in Brazil, it’s called “Lá Fora”, –“in Brazil when someone travels we say they are going afora, outside”–about Brazilians living in Hollywood that is currently in a bidding war between three Brazilian networks.
When I asked what was next Mayra told me that she’s thoroughly enjoying the process of writing books and turning them into movies, that’s where her main focus is. Eventually, there may be talk of a family, or going on tour with Coyote, “he hasn’t written an album since we’ve been together, that’s an experience we’ll have to go through. But we’ve already said where ever we work the other one will go. We stay together. Rarely are we ever apart.”
Mayra’s advice to people coming out to pursue the Hollywood dream? “I would say do it! When you’re from somewhere like Brazil where it’s hard to get a visa it may seem like you cant do it but you can. And then you get here, and anything can happen to you here you can walk down the street and anything can happen. There’s a dream come true energy here and I would say do it!”
Written By: Nicole Breanne
Jennifer Nicole Lee Meet and Great at BSN Headquarters
November 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Three Time Oxygen Magazine Cover Girl, Sexy & Fit Jennifer Nicole Lee, Makes Special Celebrity Event for #1 Supplement Company in the World, BSN, on November 16th at the BSN Offices. Jennifer Nicole Lee is the CEO and visionary power house behind JNL Worldwide, Inc. Due to her wildly successful globally broadcasted and marketed fitness and wellness products, books, digital products, e-commerce, and merchandise, she is internationally recognized in over 110 different countries. JNL will be celebrating their “Athlete Day” where she will personally greet callers to her VIP private line, offering them her priceless fitness expertise and advice.
G’day Mate! Aussie Isabel Lucas
November 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Isabel was born in Melbourne but wasn’t there long, the actress bounced around from Cairns, Queensland, Switzerland, and Kakadu. She had enrolled in college but ended up auditioning for the role of Kit Hunter in Home and Away instead. Although the producer of the show felt that role was not right for Isabel, she was sufficiently impressed enough to have a new character, Tasha Andrews, created just for Isabel. Lucas won a Logie Award (for new popular talent) for her performance on the program. Lucas was cast as Gwen in the Steven Spielberg World War II miniseries, The Pacific. She also appeared in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen as Alice. But Isabel isn’t just a pretty face, she’s also an activist. In October 2007, Lucas was part of a group of thirty people from Surfers for Cetaceans, including actress Hayden Panettiere, surfers David Rastovich and Vaya Phrachanh who took part in a protest against dolphin hunting drive in Taiji, Wakayama, Japan. The group paddled out on surfboards to the dolphins to attempt to stop the hunt, but they were forced to turn around after being intercepted by one of the fishing boats. There is still an outstanding arrest warrant for Lucas in Japan. Lucas is a spokesperson for the Australian National Breast Cancer Foundation, and supports many organizations including, World Vision, The Humour Foundation, Women Against Violence, Oxfam Community Aid Abroad, Global Green Plan,[ Save the Whales Again. Her love for animals doesn’t stop at getting arrested for them, Lucas is also a strict vegetarian. Lucas was nominated as one of Australia’s Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrities on PETAAsiaPacific.com for 2010. You can see the beautiful Isabel next year in Red Dawn and Loft.
Media Obsession and Connection in LA with Gabe Sunday
November 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Gabe Sunday is from the Bay Area, he came out to LA seven years ago to work on Archie’s Final Project. Gabe stars as Archie a 17-year old media obsessed nerd who went from being invisible, to the most talked about kid in school. Archie announces that he’s going to kill himself- on camera- for a class project. Archie films every moment of his high school experience, hiding nothing from his audience: realities of life, death, violence, sex, drugs, and the intense media overload and hypocrisy. When I sat down with Gabe he told me he felt very connected to Archie, and his obsession with media. He also told me that there’s more to the film than the suicide that the subject matter was heavy, but not really. I’ve sat with a lot of people working and hustling the LA scene and Gabe is one of the very few people that was a completely positive person. We spoke about traffic in LA and I said I have very intense road rage, that sometimes I’m on my phone and just go into a stream of expletives and the other person says “You’re driving aren’t you?”, Gabe’s response was “I love driving in LA, it can be hard and frustrating but I’ve found a way to tune out all that bullshit. I’m driving and I’m looking around and seeing that this is where Magnolia was filmed, and over there they shot Reservoir Dogs, and it’s all so beautiful! It’s Hollywood, this is where dreams come true.” It was so nice to sit and talk with him and he reminded me why I do this job and why I work for The Rising Hollywood. This is a person who is making art, doing something in Hollywood, but doing something with meaning. This isn’t surface. Gave Sunday is the real deal.
Archie’s Final Project has very heavy subject matter a media obsessed, isolated teen decides to kill himself for his school project. But according to Sunday, “it’s a heavy subject matter but it’s so much more than suicide. Archie is just trying to reach out. The whole film is about connection, you’re waiting for this kid to kill himself– or to find out if he really is suicidal. But he’s just looking for a connection. I’m obsessed with media myself, and I’m constantly filming so I relate to that part of the character.” Gabe got involved with the project by a chance meeting. He met one of the writers who was working on the project, and did a PSA with him. That writer then introduced Gabe to the director, David Miller, “I moved into David’s house to start helping with the project in anyway I could. Then he said ‘we’re looking for an Archie lets try you out’. I wedged myself in so that they couldn’t make it without me. I lived on the set where Archie lived and would switch on a camera and record myself at night, it has a very YouTube feel.”
Archie is consumed by media, so it was only natural that the movie focus on their digital marketing, “our Facebook page has amazing art, and posters about Archie that are posted there by the fans. After the movie people would say “I’m an Archie”. I discovered I was an Archie too, I was really looking for my own connection and I found it with the film, and the filmmakers, and my circle, but I really found it when I connected and gave back to the kids. When they started writing me and I could help them, and give them advice.”
I’ve worked with suicide prevention, and I know how difficult it is to hear these stories. I asked Gabe how he felt about working with these kids and hearing their issues—how was it impacting him? “I think if I just acted in the movie, I would’ve struggled more with how to talk to the kids. But this was seven years of working writing, editing, acting, and shooting the film. We worked with suicide prevention the whole time, and then after every screening– kids would come up and say ‘I was suicidal’, or ‘I am’, or ‘my brother killed himself’, or ‘I was kicked out for being gay’. I was never suicidal but I could relate to it and I know now that it will forever be a part of my life. I will always be involved. Its amazing when kids reach out through social networking to say something they’ve never been able to say. It’s the anonymity of the internet that is allowing them to feel safe in saying the things they’re feeling, but it’s also Archie. If you got to the films Facebook or Twitter page you will see hundreds of posts from kids dealing with their own darkness. Right under those posts, you will see hundreds more full of love and support. People offering an ear, a number, a connection.
Like I said before, this movie is focusing on their “Digital Archie’s” as Gabe explained to me when I asked him about the premieres. “We had a really cool theatrical, we did 15 cities and AMC picked us up. But it’s the Digital Archie’s that have been our audience and on the 6th of December, we release to stores, iTunes, Netflix. We’re also doing live screenings on Facebook, which has never been done before, I’m pretty sure we’re the first. You log on and you can watch the movie together with all the other Digital Archie’s. We also had a really great festival run, we won a lot of awards. We got blessed by the Pope, pretty amazing stuff.”
The media obsession was very prominent in the film, and in my sit down with Gabe– he explained it by saying “Growing up in front of the TV– being birthed into the internet, and having that become such a huge part of our lives– constantly being around screens, and media. These kids are growing up feeling completely disconnected and over connected at the same time. I find that really interesting. There’s been a lot of films coming out with this same theme. It’s true when you constantly live in front of media it does weird things to you. So, it begs the question; when you don’t have real interactions what does that do to you? The film, is this kid is locked away with all this media, he’s isolated and loves it, but he has no real interaction with people. His family doesn’t understand him, he likes a girl but he cant talk to her, he’s not known at school so this is just his way of making a connection through his obsession.”
All this talk begged the question, what is connection to Gabe Sunday? “I grew up as the class clown but I struggled to be able to connect with people, it just seems to be a big theme with people my age and younger; just figuring out some way to do that. LA can be hard for that because the city is so sprawling and huge, and every one is so transient, and moving around, never really planting down and making it their home. I realized it more writing, editing, acting, and then being the admin of the Facebook page for the movie, reading what these kids have gone through; the pouring of their souls. There is a recurring theme about just wanting to connect and let things out. I didn’t expect it to be such a huge part of the film but it is.I’m from the Bay Area, I did theater, and films, and did my own stuff. I came out to LA to make Archie, and I moved into the directors house. His kids were really involved in the film, we all started shooting, raising money, and surrounded ourselves with people who wanted to work on this film. The movie took seven years. I was looking for connection too, like the character, and these people became my crew. Living in LA you can’t do it on your own. I eventually started a communal house, it was a castle built for porn and I lived there with 14 people. I met Adrian Grenier when he was screening his film about media obsession at the Sundance Film Festival. I got him to see my movie and we got to talking about media and I ended up moving in with him. I made about 15 short films about media obsession, and fame to promote his film. That turned into my little circle too, and he surrounds himself with really interesting artists. But yeah, I dance between these groups but you can’t just have your only circle be industry. It is so important to have your people.”
Gabe was so involved in this project, in every aspect that I was interested in his idols. Would they all be actor/director/writers? Tom Hanks? Sylvester Stallone? But Gabe doesn’t go very main stream for his role models, “The obvious answer is Quentin Tarantino. But I really love P.T Anderson too–these guys came from these odd backgrounds of having very little education, dropping out of their schools, and I never went to college. They’re driven by their dreams what they think is beautiful and frighting. I just love that. I’m big into watching The Graduate and Amadeus right now too. Those films are amazing, and complete opposites. Dustin Hoffman being so awkward, and again, looking for a connection, he’s so good in that film. Amadeus is just these evil and over the top characters, it’s so great. But as far a people go Matt Parker and Trey Stone (Southpark creators), they’re constantly pumping out brilliant work. Oh, and Darren Aronofsky I really like his work.
That only leaves one thing—what’s next for Gabe Sunday, “December sixth is our big release to the internet so I’m looking forward to that, really excited. I also acquired the life rights to a musician called Daniel Johnson, he’s a great musician he has a huge following in the art, and music world. So I’ve been writing that for about three years now, with David (the director of Archie) I’m gonna try to get it setup somewhere. I’m playing Daniel, and its a really cool story– very much a story of a mad man told from his perspective. I’ve got another project that kind of picks up where Archie left off about media. I’m really happy to be out here being in a place where people are doing it themselves and not waiting for the phone to ring. Its really exciting.”
Written By: Nicole Breanne
Photos of Gabriel Sunday By: Michael Bernard
What’s All the Brining About?
November 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Brining is a Thanksgiving Hot Topic, but it’s also a confusing one. So I headed over and did some research on Eatocracy, and Kat Kinsman has a brilliant article on brine. So lets break it down…first what is brining? Take it away Kat!
Brining is a technique used to enhance the flavor, texture and moisture of meat through the prolonged application of salt. Osmosis allows muscle tissue to hydrate, absorbing water and flavor.
Now…to the brine!
Wet vs Dry
There are two basic categories of brines: wet and dry. Many Thanksgiving fetishists will insist that starting a wet brine later than the Monday before Thanksgiving is a fool’s errand but most folks don’t have that kind of time. Nor do they necessarily need to. While many, many food media outlets are all a-bray about brine, failure to do so won’t condemn you to a dessicated dish. First of all – many birds, such as fresh Kosher turkeys and some pre-packaged varieties of brands like Butterball, have already been treated with a brining solution as part of processing. Read the label to assess saline levels.
Give that bird a bath
If the bird still could use a boost, don’t overthink it. In a glass or plastic container (buckets and coolers work well), or a plastic brining bag, dissolve 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup kosher salt into each gallon of water it take to thoroughly submerge the turkey. To figure out how much brine you’ll need, place the meat in the container, pour in plain water and measure how much it takes to cover.
Bay leaves, juniper berries, gin, spices, chiles and other flavor agents aren’t verboten, but they’re by no means essential.
Next comes the tricky part – keeping the whole mess chilled for the next 6-24 hours, or about an hour per pound. A cooler with frequently updated freezer packs (make sure to wash them off before and after contact with the raw poultry water) will hold at a steady 40°F, but your best bet is to clear out some shelf space in the refrigerator. The meat will need to be turned over halfway through the process, so be mindful of splashes and also resist the urge to leave the meat in for longer. You can always brine more, but you can’t un-brine and leaving meat in the solution will lead to mushy meat.
Once the cycle is finished, rinse the bird with cool water, pat it dry with paper towels and get cooking. This method works especially well if you’re planning on roasting.
Here’s the rub
However, if I were the one helming the meal, I’d rub that turkey – essentially dry-brining it – before smoking, deep-frying or roasting it. A solid, basic formula consists of:
1/4 cup Sweet paprika (or hot or smoked if that’s more to your liking)
1/4 cup Kosher salt
1/4 cup Brown sugar
2 Tablespoons freshly-ground black pepperCombine all ingredients in a bowl with your fingers, working out any brown sugar lumps.
From here, you can add your own personal twists – tablespoons or teaspoons of dry mustard, coffee, celery seed, dried chiles, powdered onion, garlic salt – up to you. Coriander and cumin play beautifully with heady wood smoke like hickory or apple, and dried herbs like thyme and sage add festive holiday notes.
Rinse and pat the bird dry with paper towels and, after removing any innards, pop-up timers or plastic trusses and trimming excess skin, rub the inner cavity, as well as under and atop the skin first with a light layer of cooking oil and then with the mixture. Put it back into the refrigerator while you either set up the smoker (complete with a big ol’ foil drip pan at the bottom) or begin to heat your oven or frying oil.
Though most smoking calls for a steady 225°F, bacteria control is paramount with turkey. Aim for somewhere between 235°F (30-35 minutes per pound) and 275°F (20-25 minutes per pound). Time, however, is just a guideline. For the turkey to be safely edible, the internal temperature needs to reach 165°F at its thickest part, read without the meat thermometer touching a bone. Place the bird breast-side up over the drip pan, close the lid and sidle away. Baste with oil or butter in the last hour of cooking.
Spatchcocking.
Spatchcocking is another option for either roasting or grilling in a hurry. Just cut out the bird’s backbone with poultry shears or a sharp knife, open it up like book, crack the breast and flatten the whole body. Not only will it save you a good bit of cooking time – it also gives you a great excuse to say “spatchcock” in polite company.
Smoke ‘em if you’ve got ‘em
It’s often said it’s a sin to waste good smoke, especially if you’ve got the monster stoked up all day. Slide in foil pans of halved lemons and limes, pierced ginger root, salt, cherries (when in season), apples, garlic, potatoes – and let them soak up the flavor as well. When you go to replenish the coals and wood chips, give the pan a shake and just make sure they’re not drying out. Rotate in pans of fresh supplies as needed and add an extra layer of flavor to every part of the meal.
Smoked cherries can be refrigerated in jars of whiskey or brandy, citrus and ginger made into crowd-pleasing cocktails, and smoked salt adds a kick to any dish it’s in.
Here’s to a divine brine and a stupendous smoke!
http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/11/14/t-minus-10-brining-seriously-stop-stressing-about-it/?hpt=hp_bn8
Thanksgiving Tricks and Tips – Happy Thanksgiving From The Entire TRH Team!!!
November 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Chef & Lifestyle Expert Jeanne Benedict Reveals Top Thanksgiving Trends and Tips:
Spice up Thanksgiving by infusing another type of cuisine and culture into your holiday meal, such as a Latin theme with a chorizo-salsa stuffing and cilantro-lime glazed yams. Bring in the blazing colors of autumn leaves by using red, yellow, and green chili peppers as a garnish on side dishes.
Stuffing Martinis and Mix-in’s Bar – Some folks love celery in their stuffing, while others prefer fruit such as apples and raisins. Please everyone’s palate by offering a delicious bowl of cornbread stuffing and “mix-in” ingredients in small bowls on the side such as sautéed apples, sausage, walnuts, herbs, and more for guests to tailor the stuffing to their own personal taste. Place Martini glasses next to the set up for guests to add the ingredients into as individual servings, so they can enjoy their stuffing in style.
Mini White Pumpkins as Individual Food Containers
Fun Food Shapes and Pops for the Kids
Thanksgiving Turkey Cupcakes
-
There is a scenario that i play over in my head a lot. I’m at a bar and this person who is half responsible for a really horrid thing that happened to me walks up and pretends to be nice. She would totally do that too because when I confronted her that’s exactly what she did. This girl reminds me a lot of my biological sister which is also why I feel I can accurately predict this occurrence.
So she walks up and would be all like “hey, how are you? I saw you sitting alone here so I thought I’d come make sure you were alright.”
I look at her and say “I’m really glad that we’re civil to each other and that you feel that you can come check on me—but every day I have to work to get over what you did. What you did caused my head to be so royally fucked that at some point, every single day since it happened, a moment will go by where I see the pictures, or remember what was said, i relive the night that my life became a lie and every thing was pulled out from under me and I am stopped dead in my tracks. You’re half responsible for that, so just know—we are not friends. If you ever say, or do something that I feel is crossing a line or a threat to me ever again—I will literally break your fucking face. I will permanently damage you, just to repay the favor”
I really hope this becomes a reality.
