Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Yeah for the Garden State!

"New Jersey's highest court opened the door Wednesday to making the state the second in the nation to allow gay marriage, ruling that lawmakers must offer homosexuals either marriage or something like it, such as civil unions."

I have to agree with the majority in this case as well. I know the dissenters wanted more, but this is the problem I have always seen. Gay couples rally that they want marriage, but the term "marriage" is too wrapped up in the religious institution. That marriage has both legal and religious connotations has always been the problem, even though people could get legally married with out any religious involvement.

I have always believed that if activists asked for a legal institution that was the same as the one afforded marriage, but that was called something else, far less people would object.

I know, they will say gays have the right to be called married, but no one can stop you from saying it that way. But, no court in the world should be asked to make a religious institution perform or recognize a marriage.

Just as religion shouldn't govern how we make our laws, government is not supposed to govern religion. As long as a gay couple can be afforded the same LEGAL rights as a hetero couple, this is a victory. It doesn't matter if it is called a civil union or a marriage. A rose by any other name ...

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

What's on my Ipod?

Very often you see people posting "What they are listening to now?" or "What's on your Ipod now?"

I filled up my Ipod Shuffle completely this week for the first time, so I thought I would share what was on it. Not every title. Ack! That would be ridiculous. Maybe someday in a streaming paragraph when I am THAT bored.

I give a listing by genre. Since Soundtrack is so varied, I did a subdivision of that by Title. Plus occasional commentary.

Alternative – 9
Alternative & Punk – 11
Classical – 2
Country – 1
Disney – 2
Experimental Jazz – 2 (both The Hundredth Monkey. Indie Indy band of a friend with no label and thus no Itunes Genre. Went with their MySpace genre)
Holiday – 1 (Diana Krall's Jingle Bells!)
Inspirational – 4
Pop – 10
Rock – 9
Soundtrack – 72
   You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown – 2
   Will Roger’s Follies – 1
   Wicked – 10
   West Side Story – 1 (by Little Richard no less)
   Urinetown – 2
   Tick tick Boom – 12
   The Producers – 1
   The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee – 3
   Spamalot – 2
   Rent – 9
   Ragtime – 2
   Moulin Rouge – 4
   Little Women – 4
   Hairspray – 1
   Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?– 1
   Dirty Rotten Scoundrels – 2
   Bernstein’s New York – 2
   Avenue Q – 12
   Animaniacs – 1
Vocal – 10
World – 1 (The Orange & The Green)

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Stupid or Smart?

When I was in college, studying to be an actor, they required you to take a class in another discipline your sophomore year. I took stage management. I enjoyed it and I thought having another skill might make me more employable.

My Junior year I took lighting design and technology as an elective. Also enjoyable. Another diverse skill.

Years later, after making my break into the Houston theater scene with "Assassins", I picked up some Stage Management jobs as a way to introduce myself to various theaters. My fondest memory of that time was having an actor, who had been in "Assassins", see me working on a show as the SM and saying to me, "What a wonderful direction for you to go in!" Ah, memories!

Now, from my current vantage point, I wonder if that wasn't all a big mistake. Some people might agree. When they find out you are good at a non-acting skill that few people are good at, they begin to rely on you for the non-acting skill instead of the acting.

I have worked hard for people to see me as a diverse artist, capable of doing many things to be a working artist, but I am not performing as much as I would like. I am not getting the kind of work that I want.

So, I fear lighting and other general techie stuff will have to go on sabbatical. Sorry you two! Hope you don't get too rusty sitting there in the closet!

My friend Carol, the ancient yuletide troll, is making the big move to NYC at a time that many people would say is late in one's career. This is a very brave and scary thing.

Though I love NYC, and living there would definitely be an adventure, I am also devoted to the idea that one should be able to live in the provinces and survive as an artist. I have role models to follow and fellows who agree. But demands of jobs taken for my technical skill have gotten too much in the way.

Times they are a changing. I am a changing. It is time to not be afraid any more.

It could also mean I am a crappy actor, a second rate singer, and should be happy to be pushing the GO button on the light board in a cramped, stuffy booth. But enough of self pity...

Monday, October 16, 2006

I can get into this result!

Your results:
You are Spider-Man
























Spider-Man
90%
Catwoman
85%
The Flash
80%
Superman
75%
Green Lantern
70%
Iron Man
70%
Robin
65%
Batman
40%
Hulk
40%
Supergirl
35%
Wonder Woman
35%
You are intelligent, witty,
a bit geeky and have great
power and responsibility.


Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Yahoooooooo!

So, a month ago I started using the Yahoo calendar feature in my Yahoo mail on-line and it is kind of actually working. Since I have access to it any time I am at any computer, I can but appointments on there anytime I get referenced to them via e-mail.

Of course, if I need my calendar handy for anything, I have to print the month or two, but I think I can get used to that idea.

What I like best are the reminders you get via e-mail. I get two remainders (24 and 6 hours) for each appointment and a daily e-mail listing all appointments that day. Now I have no excuse to forget what is coming.

Now that my schedule is organized, I wonder if I can get the rest of it sorted out ....