photo courtesy of newtek.com

Anna announcing that the V’s will be offering vitamin injections. Ryan quickly figures out that this is part of a larger scheme. He says it is the reactivation of an old plan. Erica runs all of the names of the V’s that were involved with the old plan through the FBI and find one lead, Peter Combs.

When Georgie, Erica, Ryan and Jack go on their little spy mission, Georgie goes a little nutso and shoots Peter, but Peter shoots back. Peter swallows a suicide pill so that be fry’s into ashes. Turns out Jack is was in the military and stitches Georgie up so he’s just fine. A little bonkers in the head, but physically fine. “Pretty soon you’re going to need to decide what you are, a priest, or a solider.”

Erica finds out that Ryan is a visitor when Peter calls him a traitor. Ryan tells Erica about the 5th column. She gets over the fact that Ryan is a V rather quickly.

Erica, Ryan and Jack break into some building to investigate a lead gathered from Peter’s briefcase. Originally, they thought the V’s were going to put their drugs into the vitamin shot, but here they figure out that they are putting R6 into the human flu vaccine. See, no government agency is going to be concerned about the flu vaccine when there is a new vitamin shot and with these vaccines mingled in with others, there is no way to pick them apart. In this building they tested the shot, and that is why it is filled with dead bodies. The V’s find out that they’re in the building, a couple punches, gun shots and strangles later and the building blows up.

Our human nature is very calculated. They more predictable we are, the more vulnerable we are.

photo courtesy of abc.com

The world gets a little smaller. We find out that Valerie is Tyler’s psychiatrist. Tyler gets Valerie an appointment at the V’s healing centers. At her appointment there, she discovers that she is pregnant. Little does she know, she’s pregnant with half a V/half a lizard.

Chad does a report on the medical miracles that the healing center is doing. He gets a funky diagnostic full body scan to demonstrate the procedure. While he is getting this scan, he gets some startling news. He is going to die in 6 months unless he lets the V’s heal whatever is going to develop in his brain. They can determine medically what has happened and what will happen.

Erica’s former V partner was murdered by a member of the medical staff and Anna is on the hunt to find out who. As far as we know, there are 2 members of the medical staff that are a part of the 5th column. The one who didn’t murder her partner takes the blame because the other is the chief medical officer and he’s too valuable. His sentence? Skinned to death.

photo courtesy of abc.com

Jack is stabbed by someone who comes in the church pretending to look for help after hours, I believe it is a man/V from the warehouse that was blown up.

This new show has got me pretty hooked, but I have one major complaint. This was the last episode of 2009. What kind of crazy show has 4 episodes and then stops for the year?

Watch The Full Episode

With the image of clear blue water behind them, Natasha Poly and Snejana Onopka star in the most recent Gucci Cruise campaign. Photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, the duo alongside male model Ryan Kennedy, are the perfect picture of relaxation as they luxuriate poolside with Gucci bags and shades.

[photo credits: Gucci]

Before the Thanksgiving festivities of the Bowles’ home got hub-bubbing with five grandchildren under the age of 10, 3 more Bowles sisters (LAB’s the youngest of 4), all of their hubbies, a redheaded mother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Bowles, a cat named Minka (that’s got a mean pyscho feline stare) and best friends visiting from other states (that includes me), I finished reading Megan McCafferty’s FOURTH COMINGS from my air mattress at the foot of Leigh Anne’s bed.  And I immediately want to get the next (and final) book in the Jessica Darling series, PERFECT FIFTHS.

The Marcus and Jessica love story is in my top ten of ficitional romances probably because it feels far from fictional.  My own experiences in love could be a novel, and Megan’s that good; she knows the power of forbidden love in teenagerdom.  See her recent dissection of TWILIGHT.

*** FOURTH COMINGS SPOILER ALERT ***

FOURTH COMINGS takes place over a week that starts with Marcus proposing to Jesica and ends with Jessica’s rejection of his hand. It’s final pages are a letter from Marcus to Jessica.  Megan has never done this before — the previous novels are written in Jessica’s first person, diary entry form.  But everything is different now.  Marcus and Jessica’s relationship has taken a hairpin turn in it’s destiny and for the first time since they unsuspectingly connected to each other they are separate.  Jessica is letting go of Marcus for the first time ever.  In response, Megan finally gives us Marcus’ voice, a glimpse into his perspective. It’s a brilliant cliffhanger and a genius transition into the 5^th book, which is written in third person.

His final words to Jessica are achingly beautiful because of their honesty and pain. After a story of how the Asian calligraphy tattoo he got when he was a druggie didn’t say ‘forever’ as he thought but translates to ‘whatever,’ Marcus says:

“My proposal to you could not have been more sincere. But it seems that my life is imitating badly executed skin art, turning my intentions for FOREVER into something else altogether. And so I’ll let you go, and let it be.

Whatever, Marcus”

From my air mattress, I saw Marcus and Jessica are grappling with the very un-Disney reality that sometimes just because you love someone and they love you, it’s not enough.  For all the unforgettable sparks Marcus and Jessica have provided us fans, this truth is just as worthy of our admiration.  It’s akin to Megan NOT letting them get together at the end of book one.  I love Marcus and Jessica so much because they are real.  And them parting is heartbreaking but it is real.

The next book takes place three years later for the duration of one day.  A meaningful day.  It’s the day Jessica and Marcus run into each other at an airport having not seen, heard from, or spoken to each other since Jessica’s answering of his proposal.

I want to read it immediately but I’m also scared to.  It’s a precious commodity: the last available NEW Jessica Darling material on the planet… for now.

Marcus. from East Memphis usually has some of the countriest song titles around. This song has a more plain one, but it definitely hasn’t got the attention it deserves.

Marcus. – “Don’t You See (feat. Car Mike)”

Bonus cut:

Alabama Kenny is namedropping.

Kenny Thomas – “Name Kallin”

Ok beat, ok delivery but the lyrics makes it worthwhile, if you know your Hip-Hop that is.

Via: BLVD ST

Zelda and I made it! We finally saw New Moon! Yesterday we went to the premiere here with a couple of friends and Mama Soul. We saw some people wearing Twilight-shirts, a couple of Twimoms and even a Twidad. I didn’t even know they exist until yesterday… And a lot of girls wearing plaid. Coincidence? A subtle tribute to Rob? Who knows? (I do!) Our premiere outfit? A blue blouse just like book-Bella, Ray Bans like Edward and the original Bella-bracelet from Italy (Great story concerning that one, I’ll tell you soon in another post!). So today we’re gonna present you our New Moon review part 1. Part 2 will follow soon… and include a lot more details cause we’re gonna see the movie about 23 more times before writing that. Just in case you haven’t seen the film yet (You better got a good excuse for that!) and want to have the real surprise when watching it for the first time: SPOILER ALARM! Starting now and ending at the end of this post. So here we go:

Taylor Lautner sometimes wears a shirt in New Moon...

First of all, down with Cathy the Cougar! Chris Weitz, do you want to marry me? What an enormous improvement in comparison to Twilight! I’m not going as far as to say it was the perfect movie, but honestly Chris, you’re so down with the kids! Or rather the Twilight-fans. Or Zelda and me. This is how vampires should look when they sparkle! Like diamonds and not that ringing and tinkling in the woods crap. Two minutes into the movie and I already love Charlie so much. How sweet when he almost started to sing, or when he came to look after Bella when she was screaming in her bed. We even got the names of the months after Edward left. Something I had really been hoping for!

... but most of the time doesn't, because he shouldn't!

And the e-mails for Alice idea to show how Bella feels, what an incredibly clever move of you, Chris! And I loved that Harry Clearwater, the king of homemade fish-fry, died as a hero trying to protect Charlie from Victoria. And oh how Rachelle looked awesome with her flaming red hair. Zelda totally liked the cliff diving scene. When Bella first sees Victoria under water and then there’s Edward beside her… epic! And the funny stuff, like the cinema scene or the “You like older women, huh?”. Not exactly as funny as the spider-monkey line but still… And Jasper and Emmett were so much… uhm, cooler, cuter? Whatever, better anyway!

Ok, there were a few things that were kind of strange and I think we got to mention them as well in order to try and stay honest. Sometimes it was a bit too cheesy. Cheesier than the books. I even felt kind of 2nd-hand-embarrassed for Edward being so hardcore romantic. I noticed that Edward’s abs seem to have looked a lot better on the pics from the set we saw a few months ago. In the actual Volterra scene, they were barely visible. So what happened there? I mean, isn’t Edward supposed to have at least a six-pack? Jacob even got an eight-pack, so in comparison to that… sorry to say Rob, but Taylor wins this one!

Caius Malfoy and his Volturi friends

Did anyone else think Marcus and Caius looked like Denethor, Faramir’s dad from Lord of the Rings, and  Draco Malfoy’s older brother? Did the Volturi fight scene between Edward and Demetri remind you of the Gandalf vs. Saruman battle in the LOTR?

And there’s another thing. Not your fault Chris, this is just how Stephenie Meyer wrote Bella and the reason why this girl sometimes annoys the crap out of me in the books: Who do you think you are, Bella “don’t hurt him, kill me instead” Swan? Why should the Volturi treat Edward’s life against yours? You’re nothing but a weak clumsy girl, okay? Sorry to say, but deal with it!

All in all, we got everything we wanted… Well, almost. Taylor Lautner wore a shirt in at least three scenes. BIG FAIL! Sorry Chris… But don’t worry, Zelda and I enjoyed the movie a lot. We’re probably going to watch it over and over again for the next few weeks… Only because of important blog journalism of course so that we can present you a more detailed review soon. Wanna know what Mama Soul said about New Moon? She made so many great hilarious comments that she will get her own post this week. Don’t miss it! There’s no better way to watch this film than sitting in between her and Zelda. We’ve got enough stuff to write about for at least four weeks, so keep coming back to check what else we got in store for you!

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Off to call Zelda and ask her when we’re going to the cinema again

Saveyoursoul

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PS: We rate New Moon 4 out of 5 Heineken bottles

How did you like New Moon? Do you wanna marry Chris Weitz as well? Because I do… Which scenes were your favorites? Could the movie live up to your expectations? Any details or thoughts you want to share? Leave a comment or write an e-mail!

(images: google and me)

The funniest things happen when you leave your kids alone.  Here are 3 separate incidents that happened today.

1)  I left the kids to play by themselves while I did some stuff upstairs.  They seemed to be playing nicely until I heard Marcus’ angry-man crying fit.  I assumed he either was frustrated at not being able to do something, or that Audrey wasn’t sharing her toys with him.  Being the presumptuous mom that I am, I was ready to give a reprimand, until I heard Audrey sighing.  She had a Starbucks napkin in hand and said, “Mom, I’m trying to wipe Marcus’ nose.”  She was so discouraged at Marcus’ reaction to her helping him that she sighed, gave me the schloppy snot napkin and said, “Mom, can YOU do it, please?”

Oh, Auj.  The snot must have been crazy because she KNOWS how much Marcus hates getting his nose wiped.  Brave soul, that girl.  Kind of reminiscent of this, no?  What would Marcus do without the Auj?

2)  After that, I brought Marcus upstairs to play while I finished my stuff.  He was exploring in his room and in our room and crawling back and forth.  There was a stack of really big books that we took off the shelves to use for trapping some wildlife that came into our house AGAIN (surprise, surprise).  Apparently, he was interested in his dad’s book collection because he was quiet for a long time.  And when I went to check on him, he was intently reading one of the big books he picked out.  Move over Brown Bear and Goodnight Moon, it’s Expository Preaching for our boy now!

3)  Marcus had a hard time settling down to nap today, so I went into his room and we ended up napping together while Audrey had her rest time.  After she played with her beads and read books and did who knows what else, she decided that she needed something else to do.  All of a sudden, I heard her tap Mike’s drumsticks in the air and yell, “A one, a two, a three for five!”  Then she performed the loudest drum solo on every different kind of box, toy, and drum.  That was then followed by, “I AM A ROCKSTAR!!!”

She sure knows how to have fun…even if it’s all by herself!

New Moon, the meandering new entry in the Twilight series directed by Chris Weitz, continues the same theme of melodramatic teen passion/symbolism for abstinence. This time, however, we get more than two hours of it, and the basic “plot” of lonely Bella meets a hot guy who it turns out is secretly a monster while other dangerous vampires put her in danger just seems like a re-hash this time around. The budget is bigger and the effects far more lavish, but the dialogue is also more laughable and the logic behind events harder to understand. While trying to place emphasis on a Twilight sequel is ignoring the fact that the overwhelming majority of the audience is only going to fantasize about rubbing Taylor Lautner’s abs, I couldn’t help but notice the lion’s share of folks sitting with me laughing at every attempt at earnest passionate dialogue. Could this be the first hit film that people know going in is going to be bad?

We pick up where we left off… in Forks, Washington, with Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) deeply in love and talking about it often. Bella wants Edward to bite her and make her a vampire, so she can be close to him forever. However, Edward thinks to do that would be to take away her precious soul. (Soul is the symbolic word for virginity in these films.) When an accident causes one of the Cullen clan to attack Bella, Edward decides in order to protect her, he must leave her forever. Enter Jacob (Taylor Lautner), who is the prototype of the “best male friend,” except that he’s a total hunk– and he’s a werewolf. It takes Bella way longer to figure this out than it takes us in the audience. She’s let in on the secret surprisingly easily, and then the natural conflict is clear. Will Edward come back for Bella? Will Bella ever give Jacob a chance? Who will win in the epic werewolf-vampire fight? And will Jacob ever wear a shirt again?

Please don’t leave me hateful comments for my snide remarks regarding the quality of this sequel– as I stated in my Twilight essay, I thought that the first film was decent enough, and that it gets a rawl deal in terms of the thrashing it receives at the hands of those who hate the series, or Pattinson, or Stewart, or all of the above. This film does have some noteworthy improvements over the first. The effects are vastly superior… not even in the same ballpark, really. When Jacob jumps into the air and phases into a werewolf in mid-jump, it immediately destroys even the best effects in the last film. The film is also shot with more confidence; while it loses the right-in-the-thick-of-it indie feel that Catherine Hardwicke gave the first film, Chris Weitz shoots this film like an epic action romance, the way it wants to be shot. The score is dramatic, the music indie and emo, and the color palette far more fleshed out.

Also, this film gives opportunities for a few actors to shine. Taylor Lautner is a charming young actor who gives a usually gloomy series some much-needed warmth. He is also in possession of ten to twelve abdominal muscles that would merit a Best Supporting Actor nomination if anyone from this film would. Michael Welch provides humor as Mike, the goofball average joe friend at school who crushes on Bella and clearly stands zero chance (forget Team Edward and Team Jacob– I’m firmly on Team Mike). Billy Burke gets several warm moments as Charlie, Bella’s father, who doesn’t understand Bella but at least tries hard. Ashley Greene is peppy as Edward’s psychic sister Alice, and she provides necessary eye candy for any guy dragged by his girlfriend to see these films. Dakota Fanning appears in a “what is she doing here?” cameo as a powerful vampire who has the ability to torture people… or something– her intensity seems far less forced than many of the other vampiric actors. Finally, there’s Michael Sheen, who chews scenery (and necks) with great gusto as Aro, the leader of the Volturi, a group of ancient vampires in Italy who… well, who they are isn’t really important, just know that they put Edward and Bella in danger. His hammy performance showed me what kind of film this might have been with more capable actors, one where the intensity is fun to watch and the actors seem to be enjoying themselves and the great powerful passion they throw themselves headfirst into.

Unfortunately, many of the problems from the first film linger into the second. Pattinson’s intensity as Edward seems put on and bordering on self-indulgent. He takes his part so seriously that it forces teen girls to stifle giggles at the wooden dialogue he is forced to deliver. Stewart shows a little more life this time around, but she is now stuck with a great dilemma– the audience will clearly find Jacob the more reasonable choice of mate, yet she doesn’t give him the time of the day. In fact, she refuses to even give him one shot. Why? I know, I know, Team Edward followers will tell me how deep their love is, and that’s the reason why she can never be with anyone else. The problem is that the clunky script doesn’t give them any real connection of love, other than moany angsty one-liners. Jacob makes her smile, makes her laugh, and gets her out of the house. Edward never does those things and threatens to take her eternal soul. If Edward was portrayed by a more charming, less moody actor, perhaps this duel would seem more even-handed. Also, the plot mopes along like a raincloud. Aside from Bella experiencing adrenalin rushes to see Edward (in a misty cloud effect that also provokes chuckles nearly every time), there’s very little true action to speak of for a very long stretch of film. When the format is essentially the same as the first, repetition of the first film’s structure is not a good thing at all.

Of course, the set up for the sequel is a doozy. *SLIGHT SPOILER AHEAD* Edward says he’ll only bite her if she agrees to marry him. (Still think the pro-abstinence, bloodlust-as-real-lust metaphor is hokum?) And Edward and Jacob have the beginnings of what I pray will be an epic showdown. Yet cruel tease that the film is (and the one before it), it saves the most fascinating moments for the last five minutes. Naturally, with this movie making serious bank, it comes as no surprise that this film should be seen if only to keep your fingers on the pulse of popular culture. However, and forgive me since I haven’t read the books, if the plot doesn’t pick up for the third film, it will be increasingly difficult for me to motivate myself to donate another two plus hours of my life solely for the purpose of keeping up with the times. On the plus side, it won’t take very much for it to eclipse this entry.

I was looking up Edward Cullen on Wikipedia and I saw that it said that Edward was a Byronic hero. Because of that, I clicked on the link that explained what a Byronic hero was. Anyway, as I was reading the characteristics, it did sounds like Edward As I continued down the website, it mentioned that Lestat from the Vampire Chronicles and the Phantom from the Phantom of the Opera were Byronic heros as well, but I digress with the Phantom. That made me think about how much Lestat and Edward were alike in the sense that they are both Byronic heros. I think that’s the reason why I don’t like either character. I mean, it’s not that I hate them, but it’s just that they’re not my favorites characters from their respective series. Anyway, I think that’s the reason why I don’t like Lestat and Edward is the fact that they’re Byronic heros.

In my search for any Lestat vs. Edward stuff, I found quite a few pictures that made fun of Edward and the Twilight series or making fun of the fact the Twilight series “outshines” the Vampire Chronicles. The one that I found to be the most funny was the one where it showed Edward and Bella together in the first box, and the following three boxes showing Louis, Lestat, and Armand telling their opinions on the series. I found that Lestat’s and Armand’s reactions to be the most funny. Their reactions were classic Lestat and Armand. Anyway, the next one that I thought was funny was the one where Lestat as picking on Edward. I just found those funny. By the way, you can find the originals at this site.

Henry e sua "mão de Deus".

O Gol marcado na prorrogação do jogo França x Irlanda, com a ajudinha da mão de Thierry Henry, pelas eliminatórias da Copa do Mundo esta repercurtindo o mundo inteiro. Porém em poucos lugares o lance esta sendo tão criticado quanto no Brasil. Justamente aqui onde cada vez que erros da arbitragem acontecem soltam o jargão, “Essa é a graça do futebol” entre outro blá blá blás inadmissíveis.

Mas é facilmente compreensível o por quê de um gol de mão estar sendo tão criticado e chamado de o maior erro da história do futebol. Sabem qual a razão? Simples, foi gol da França, os gauleses estão na Copa! Isso é terrível para a seleção Brasileira, pois foi essa França que humilhou os brasileiros na final da Copa de 1998 naquele jogo cheio de mistérios que até hoje não foram bem esclarecidos, É a França que em 1986 liderada por Michel Platini eliminou a seleção brasileira. E tem mais, este gol contra a Irlanda foi protagonizado por Henry (ainda que ele n tenha feito o gol), aquele que acabou com o sonho do Hexa em 2006 em uma das maiores atuações de Zidane e sua França.

Chamar de o maior erro da história é no minimo mostrar desconhecimento sobre futebol. O que seria da FINAL da copa do mundo de 1986 e o gol de Maradona? A mágia do futebol? E o crime praticado contra a Espanha naquele jogo contra a Coréia do Sul na copa de 2002?

A única explicação para tamanha revolta dos Jornalistas e pseudojornalistas é o RECALQUE, o não saber perder, se esse mesmo lance fosse protagonizado por Robinho (um jogador que não passa de mediano e que, inexplicavelmente, é amado pela mídia) e fosse a classificação do Brasil para uma Copa do Mundo, eu não tenho duvida que teria manchetes enormes dizendo, JEITINHO BRASILEIRO ou MOLECAGEM DO BRASIL.

Portanto meus caros, erros existem SIM, a França está na COPA da África do Sul, resta ao Brasil torcer para evitar o confronto com os Gauleses, e se ocorrer, é simples, basta jogar o futebol que vem apresentando, pois essa Seleção Brasileira que Dunga montou no ano de 2009 é de longe o melhor Brasil dos ultimos anos… e é aí que mora o Perigo, mas isso é assunto pro próximo post.

The Public Theater is presenting the world premiere of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s THE BROTHER/SISTER PLAYS PART 1 & PART 2, with performances through December 13. McCraney, one of America’s most acclaimed young writers, returns to The Public to complete his trilogy following the success of The Brothers Size in 2007. Tina Landau is the director for In The Red and Brown Water and Robert O’Hara is the director for The Brothers Size and Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet.

The three plays are being presented as two separate shows to be enjoyed independently, in any order, or experienced together. Marathon performances are scheduled for weekends so audiences can experience all three plays in one day.

Tarell Alvin McCraney’s trilogy is a collection of modern-day stories of kinship, love, heartache and coming-of-age centered around an extended family and community in the Bayou. Winner of the inaugural New York Times Outstanding Playwright Award, McCraney’s stories traverse the gritty and lyrical, urban and mythic.

The cast for THE BROTHER/SISTER PLAYS features Sterling K. Brown as Shango/Shua; Kimberly Hébert Gregory as Aunt Elegua/Shun; Brian Tyree Henry as Egungun/Oshoosi/Tarell; Andre Holland as Elegba/Marcus; Marc Damon Johnson as Ogun; Sean Allen Krill as O Li Roon / Man From State; Nikiya Mathis as Shun/Shaunta Iyun; Kianné Muschett as Oya/Osha; and Heather Alicia Simms as Nia/Mama Moja/Oba.

THE BROTHER/SISTER PLAYS features scenic design by James Schuette; costume design by Karen Perry; lighting design by Peter Kaczorowski; and sound design by Lindsay Jones.

TARELL ALVIN MCCRANEY (Playwright) is the author of the Brother/Sister Plays – The Brothers Size, In the Red and Brown Water, and Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet - which have been produced at The Public, Studio Theater, Abbey Theatre (Dublin), Foundry Theater, the McCarter Theater, the Young Vic, and Alliance Theater. His other works include The Breach (Southern Rep. Theater New Orleans, Seattle Rep.), Wig Out! (The Vineyard, Sundance Summer Theater Institute), Without/Sin (Yale Cabaret), Run Mourner, Run (Yale Cabaret), and A Taurian Tale (52nd Street Project). McCraney is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama and has been honored with the 2009 Steinberg Playwright Award, Cole Porter Award, Paula Vogel Playwriting Award, Whiting Writing Award, Outstanding Achievement by an Affiliate Theater Olivier Award nomination, residency at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Hodder Fellowship at Lewis Center for the Arts, and a seven-year residency at New Dramatists in New York.

TINA LANDAU (Director) returns to The Public following the acclaimed production of Space, which she wrote and directed. Her Broadway directing credits include the current production of Tracy Letts’s Superior Donuts and the 2001 revival of Bells Are Ringing. Her off-Broadway credits include Wig Out! (Vineyard), Iphigenia 2.0 (Signature), Mary Rose (Vineyard), Miracle Brothers (Vineyard), Saturn Returns (The Public), and Cloud Tectonics (Playwrights Horizons). She wrote the book and lyrics for Dream True: My Life With Vernon Dixon (Vineyard) and Floyd Collins (Playwrights Horizons), which she also directed.

ROBERT O’HARA (Director) wrote and directed Insurrection: Holding History at The Public in 1996, which won the Oppenheimer Award for Best New American Play. In 2006, he received an OBIE Award for his direction of In The Continuum; in addition, he has been awarded a Rockefeller Fellowship, TCG Extended Collaboration Grant, NEA/TCG Fellowship, a Van Lier Fellowship, the Mark Taper Forum’s Sherwood Award, and the TANNIE Award for Exceptional Body of Work. He has been an artist-in-residence at the American Conservatory Theater and Theater/Emory as well as a Visiting Professor at DePaul University School of the Arts, Mark Taper Forum, National Endowment of the Arts, McCarter Theater, Theatres de Nimes, Le Theatre L’odeon, and Theaterworks/USA.

STERLING K. BROWN (Shango/Shua). His off-Broadway credits include Macbeth (The Public, 2006) and The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (National Actors Theatre). Regional credits include Intimate Apparel (Guthrie Theatre); Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me (Westport Playhouse); Topdog/Underdog (Hangar Theatre); Romeo and Juliet (McCarter Theatre); and Much Ado About Nothing (Berkeley Rep).

KIMBERLY HÉBERT GREGORY (Aunt Elegua/Shun). Her regional theater credits include Amen Corner (Goodman), Nickel and Dimed (Steppenwolf), Waiting to be Invited (Victory Gardens Theater) and Julius Caesar (Chicago Shakespeare Theater). In addition to regional work, she played the role of Shenzi in the national tour of Disney’s The Lion King. Her TV and film credits include I Think I Love My Wife, “Gossip Girl,” New Amsterdam, and “The Black Donnellys.”

BRIAN TYREE HENRY (Egungun/Oshoosi/Tarell) recently appeared in the world premiere of Paula Vogel’s A Civil War Christmas (Long Wharf). He played Oshoosi Size in the world premiere of The Brothers Size at The Public Theater and Studio Theatre and recently toured with the play to the Abbey Theatre (Dublin). Additional theater credits include Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet (The Public), Marcus G. in the world premiere of Marcus Gardley’s Dance of the Holy Ghost (Yale Rep), and Sterling in Radio Golf (Yale Rep).

ANDRE HOLLAND (Elegba/Marcus) recently played Eric in Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Wig Out! at the Vineyard Theater. His other New York theater credits include Tempest Tossed at Classic Stage, Blue Door at Playwrights Horizons, and As You Like It and Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare in the Park.

MARC DAMON JOHNSON (Ogun) last appeared at The Public in the world premiere of John Belluso’s The Poor Itch. He played Bronson in the world premiere of Paula Vogel’s A Civil War Christmas at Long Wharf and earned a Drama League nomination for his performance in Mr. Fox: A Rumination at Signature Theater Company. He played Ogun Size in the Abbey Theatre’s production of The Brothers Size and appeared at Shakespeare in the Park in Measure for Measure and Two Gentlemen of Verona.

SEAN ALLEN KRILL (O Li Roon/Man From State) recently starred on Broadway and on tour as Sam Carmichael in the hit musical Mamma Mia! (Outstanding Leading Actor Award, BroadwayWorld.com). His regional credits include Sunday in the Park With George, The Comedy of Errors, and Brigadoon. Krill is a recipient of the Lily Tomlin Scholarship for Theatre.

NIKIYA MATHIS (Shun/Shaunta Iyun) originated the role of Maima in Danai Gurira’s Eclipsed at the 2009 IN-Festival (McCarter). A 2008 graduate of NYU’s Graduate Acting Program, her favorite credits include The Glass Menagerie, The Continuum Company’s Romeo & Juliet, Crumbs from the Table of Joy, Sparkle: the Musical, and The Bluest Eye.

KIANNÉ MUSCHETT (Oya/Osha). Recent stage roles include Inez in Our Lady of 121st Street, the title role in Ella, and T-Anne/Andwyneth in Anton in Show Business. Her TV and film credits include “Guiding Light,” “One Life to Live,” The Forgotten Ones, and Tricks.

HEATHER ALICIA SIMMS (Nia/Mama Moja/Oba) appeared on Broadway in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, A Raisin in the Sun, and Gem of the Ocean and off-Broadway in The Exonerated, Insurrection: Holding History, and Breath, Boom. Her regional credits include The Kennedy Center, Alliance, Denver Center, The O’Neill, Sundance Institute Theater Lab in Residence at The Public Theater, Cincinnati Playhouse, Missouri Rep, Stamford Theatre Works, and New York Stage and Film.

THE PUBLIC THEATER (Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director; Andrew D. Hamingson, Executive Director) was founded by Joseph Papp in 1954 and is now one of the nation’s preeminent cultural institutions, producing new plays, musicals, and productions of classics at its downtown and at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. The Public’s mandate to create a theater for all New Yorkers continues to this day onstage and through extensive outreach and education programs. Each year, over 250,000 people attend Public Theater-related productions and events at six downtown stages, including Joe’s Pub, and Shakespeare in the Park. The Public has won 42 Tony Awards, 149 Obies, 40 Drama Desk Awards and four Pulitzer Prizes. The Public has brought 52 shows to Broadway, including Sticks and Bones; That Championship Season; A Chorus Line; The Pirates of Penzance; The Tempest; Bring In ‘Da Noise, Bring In ‘Da Funk; On the Town; The Ride Down Mt. Morgan; Topdog/Underdog; Elaine Stritch at Liberty; Take Me Out; Caroline, or Change; Well; Passing Strange; and, most recently, the current Tony Award-winning revival of Hair.

The performance schedule varies; please check www.publictheater.org for the most up-to-date information. The Public Theater is located at 425 Lafayette Street. Tickets are $60 for all performances with the exception of Saturday evening tickets, which are $70.

Subject to availability, $20 Rush Standby tickets will be sold 60 minutes before each performance at the Public Theater Box Office. The number of tickets varies from performance to performance. Limit two tickets per person. Cash only.

Subject to availability, $25 Student Tickets can be purchased in advance at the box office for every Public Theater performance on sale to the general public. Must have a valid student ID at the time of purchase. Limit one ticket per person. Cash only.

To purchase tickets, please call (212) 967-7555 or visit www.publictheater.org

Lia Chang is an actor, performance and fine art botanical photographer, and a multimedia journalist. A former syndicated arts and entertainment columnist for KYODO News, Lia is the New York Bureau Chief for AsianConnections.com. As a photographer and videographer, Lia is frequently tapped to collaborate with artists, organizations and companies in establishing their documentary photo archive. She has been documenting her colleagues and contemporaries in the arts, fashion and journalism since making her stage debut as Liat in the National Tour of South Pacific, with Robert Goulet and Barbara Eden.

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André De Shields in Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory from Douglass to Deliverance

I was bored recently and was on my computer I don’t know why but I typed Lestat vs. Edward into Google to see what I would get. Anyway, a lot of stuff that popped up were drawings of people making fun of Edward through Lestat’s point of view, and videos and articles asking who would win in a no-holds bar fight. I immediately thought that Lestat would definitely win. I say that because, after looking up their powers as a refresher, while Edward has super strength, super speed, and can read minds, Lestat can do or has all of that, plus so much more. Lestat also has pyrokinesis, the ability to fly, and he’s telekinetic. Plus, he killed an entire wolf pack by himself, albeit with the help of his two mastiff dogs. Anyway, I really think that Lestat would definitely win the fight against Edward, and that’s assuming Lestat doesn’t fall in love with Edward first, which I doubt would actually happen, and that Lestat doesn’t hurt Bella.

I finished reading Eclipse about a month, maybe a month and a half ago. The thing that I found most funny was in chapter 18 when Jacob, when he was in wolf form, came up to Bella and licked her. In that same general area, I also liked when Jacob, again in wolf form, looked like he was smiling. I think the reason why I liked those two parts was because it’s typical of Jacob to be happy-go-lucky. Anyway, I just found those two parts to be funny.

Spotlight On Committees Of Action

As Labour and the Tories compete over who will deliver the most savage cuts, and the bosses and bankers demand the working class pay for their financial crisis, we need to think strategically about how we can organise the fightback. Joy Macready explains Marxist tactics

The mainstream parties’ assessment of the extent of the pubic sector cutbacks needed – an estimated 10-20% cuts in the health sector, £2bn cuts in education, 10 per cent savings across government departments – is staggering. Their representatives and their loyal friends in the media, however, never mention that it is caused by the gaping hole left in the public purse from the £1.3 trillion bailout of the banks.

Meanwhile, private sector bosses are using the recession to relocate production, sack workers, cut their wages and steal from their pensions. Share prices and profit margins may be recovering, but this is not enough for the greedy capitalists; they want to inflict further damage on working class families and communities.

Solidarity
But already we see the signs of a militant fightback. Occupations are leading the way: Visteon, Two Sisters, Prisme, Waterford, and Vestas, to name a few. Parents and teachers in Glasgow and Lewisham occupied their schools to prevent closure. Postal workers are balloting for a national strike against redundancies and reductions in hours and wages. Tower Hamlets College lecturers took all-out indefinite action for four weeks, while Leeds bin workers are still all out.

The list of struggles shows that it is not just the public sector that is under attack, but also the private sector; it is not just workers fighting back against service cuts, but the users of worsening services. Although the public sector is in the direct firing line of the government, all workers will be affected by cuts in housing, healthcare or education.

As Marxists, we do not just live in the realm of ideas and theory, but we put our theory into practice. The challenge is to find a way to link these struggles together, overcoming the division between public and private, between providers and users, and between the various unions. Those struggles listed above are inspiring but all are isolated to a degree.

Within the different struggles, Workers Power has argued for local committees of action to unite activists at a community level. The Vestas solidarity committees, which attracted workers from many different unions, community and green activists, and socialist organisations, were an encouraging step in this direction. But we need a more permanent form of organisation that goes beyond the limited scope of one struggle, one strike or one issue – committees of action that can be mobilised to fight on a number of fronts at the same time.

Such committees can react quickly to events, overcome divisions between workers in different unions, and also bring into struggle the unemployed who have been thrown out of work. They should also include users of public services; as the government and bosses try to lay the blame for deteriorating services at the feet of public sector workers, pubic opinion must be won to the struggle of these workers for quality services.

Unity from below
Britain has developed organs of class struggle like this in the past. During the 1926 General Strike, councils of action were built by the trades councils in each town and city – all working class political, industrial, co-operative and unemployed organisations were represented, and, importantly, women were also heavily involved. They counteracted the “poisonous and pernicious propaganda” of the government and the employers’ organisations and even took control of food supplies, organised defence corps against scabs and the police and army, and directly controlled the strike locally.

In 1984, during the Great Miners’ Strike, a network of Miners’ Support Committees criss-crossed the country, providing vital solidarity like food supplies, Christmas presents for the miners’ children, speakers to factories to explain why the miners’ needed support, campaigning against police harassment of strikers and mobilising support for the picket lines.

But, say the sceptics, Britain today is not at that level of class struggle – the working class does not have the “confidence” or the fighting spirit to create committees of action. This is a self-defeating argument. In every area where there is struggle, strikers can put out the call for committees of action and rally support from others. The committees will in turn help to boost confidence and raise fighting spirit.

Take the Vestas struggle, for example, where workers occupied a plant that made blades for wind power when bosses announced its closure. It was the solidarity movement – the climate camp and Campaign Against Climate Change – that encouraged the workers to occupy the plant. If solidarity committees could be built for Vestas, then why not for other struggles? By building committees of action in every town and city, more workers will feel able to take militant action and the general level of the class struggle will rise. But to do this, they must do more than simply raise donations, hold meetings and stand on picket lines, crucial though these acts are. They can start to become an alternative centre of power in society.

Alternative power
What do we mean by “an alternative centre of power”? Three things.

First, we know from bitter experience that the trade union leaders often sabotage our struggles, selling them short, calling off action, disuniting strikes. Committees of action can help thwart such treachery by building unity from below.

Second, committees of action can also lay the basis for a political alternative to Labour – a basis from which to build a new anti-capitalist party in Britain, one that will fight for the interests of the working class.

Committing to a new party is not a precondition to joining the local committees of action – many workers who still look to Labour or who are against all parties can be rallied to them. But, because these will be engaged in the local struggles, because they will be coming up against the government’s cuts and attacks, many will begin to realise that only a working class political party can secure general, society-wide victories for our class through fighting for the overthrow of the capitalist system and the formation of a workers’ government.

Finally, a government of the workers would be based not on an unelected civil service bureaucracy, unelected generals, unelected millionaires in the boardrooms, and 600-odd MPs who are elected every five years but are free to break their promises itself. It could be based on democratic organisations of working class delegates from below, workers’ councils with all delegates recallable by the workers who voted for them. The formation of committees for action is a step in that direction – a step towards an alternative centre of power for the whole of society.

Click here to download lyrics ==SUACS Song

 The SUACS SONG

We want jobs, we want to live
This is something that war and unemployment cannot give
We will fight to take their power
We will strike their ivory tower
Revolution comes closer by the hour

We are marching through Europe together
Youth from all countries unite
We’ve a future to win and nothing to loose
Take the power, complete Marx’s fight

We want jobs, we want to live
This is something that war and unemployment cannot give
We will fight to take their power
We will strike their ivory tower
Revolution comes closer by the hour

Labour and Tories want to smash us
They want to destroy the working class
There is no way that we can reform them
‘Cos their so called democracy’s a farce

We want jobs, we want to live
This is something that war and unemployment cannot give
We will fight to take their power
We will strike their ivory tower
Revolution comes closer by the hour

The army and police they want to kill us
With bombs and missiles by the score
So we’ll seize their armouries and take the power
And put an end to third world nuclear war

We want jobs, we want to live
This is something that war and unemployment cannot give
We will fight to take their power
We will strike their ivory tower
Revolution comes closer by the hour

Sorry for the long wait for the update folks. So many pictures.

Friday the 13th celebrated Olivia’s 25th birthday (again) aka End of Season, lol, and also the going away party for Nick Chaney aka Massive Clearance, as he’s moving back to New Zealand.

Olivia has WAY more amazing photos than me, her with her wicked pro camera and photography skills and all. You can view her photos here.

What a celebration it was! We started off at Hook, the basement bar beside the 711 behind Luxy. Then moved on to Dark + Light put on by A State of Sound at Luxy, featuring Burn Electric (Stefan & Dom) and Genetically Modified Beats (GMB – Eben & Matt), with DJ Hooker (Dom) playing at the end of the night.

Max, looking oh so HUGE mag man:

Marcus’ mismatched Nikes:

Audrey’s bare back, why is this girl single again? Oh right, cuz she’s that hot. Don’t be afraid to talk to her!

Olivia looking fierce in my H&M dress:

She has always been one for masks:

Lesley and I:

Jer double fisting it:

Lilian rockin her Rhianna nails, they are sharp! (Drew in the background)

Abe and Liam:

Stefan and his girlfriend… (what’s her name?? I forget, sorry I am bad with names…someone please tell me!)

Nikki in Rice Society!!

Nick Chaney, oh how we will miss you!!

Carol looking so sleek. Nice hair, girl!

Marika rocking her Rice Society chain! The hacksaw

Brian and Jessica looking fine in glasses. Sexy secretary look is working for ya!

Ben’s cool shirt – had to cut out his head.

Vicki and Lisa:

Amanda with her Rice Society earrings:

Bathroom door at Hook, this is what I felt like waiting for the 4 people to get outta the only stall:

Dom yelling again:

Sandi and Cresencio. Justin said it best about Sandi when he said, “She is so rock n’ roll tonight. Look at her in the spotlight. It’s like Nancy looking for her Sid.”

This was in Hook near the entrance. it reminds me of the movie Big where he gets his wish:

Star Wars figures in the box gets points every time:

Two rad girls who I wish were my friends. Sen Sen is the one on the right.

Jer and Max, I’m gonna miss you guys when you go on vacation!

Me on a cop scooter. Ya, I asked him. He said it was cool. I was laughing so hard:

Moved to Luxy, finally and watched the glow stick/lazer dancers. (Special thanks to Daryl who got me in )

Marcus did not go to Luxy.

Toby was having fun! He wasn’t even listening to Ween, and he was having fun!

Stefan rocking out for Burn Electric on the guitar this time. Nice surprise change to the keyboard. This man is talented in the music department.

Burn Electric:

Dom introducing GMB, Eben pictured here:

I repeat, Marcus did not come to Luxy and he did not buy Justin and I drinks either. Eben & Matt in their awesome outfits:

Timmy! (but said in the South Park kinda way, hehe) Timmay!

GMB:

Jeff, that’s a nice leather jacket. Shop more.

Shelly looking saucy. Really love the spring on the strap.

This girl followed us here from Hook. I think she may have been on her way to Fly, or maybe she was slanging some sponsered alcohol. either way, she was super happy to pose for my picture!

Dom made a mixtape. Around his neck. And now he wants to eat it. Hmmmm….

Jack and Dom:

Abe, you need to keep this tiger on a short leash! Liking that color on Tasha:

Sandi in the washroom looking all Nancy again:

Ran into Helen:

Abe and Johnnie. Abe’s obviously having fun!

Nick and Justin, the last goodbye!

Doesn’t that shirt look like Nick’s, above? DJ Hooker (Dom) rounding out the night. Lookit that chick in that background, total celeb shock – OMG it’s HOOKER!

One of the coolest parts of the night was signing Nick’s Adidas and also the Jenga blocks. I think the blocks were Rachel’s idea. Great memories! Happy Birthday to Ola and Til Next Time, Nick!

Participate in the world’s one and only community site created by fans for fans of Microsoft’s OneNote.

Read my blog and participate in the discussions!

OneNote 2007, for the uninitiated (of which there are far too many as far as I am concerned, that’s why I,  a fictional character, created this site), is actually a Microsoft product of insane greatness – it’s part digital planner, part electronic 3-ringed binder, part life-saver.  In case you want to try it out, there is a free 60 day trial.

Chega um momento na vida de qualquer cara, que ele precisa mudar, tomar um novo rumo, deixar de ser fraquinho, ganhar alguns pares de músculos, cortar o cabelo, comprar umas roupas novas e viver mais.

Esse não é um post de que acabou de terminar um relacionamento. Esse é um post de quem está a muito tempo sem se relacionar, voltou para um país que não é o seu sonho de consumo e que não está contente com o ritmo lento que o trabalho exige.

Por isso, uma revolução é necessária, corpo, mente, relacionamento, trabalho, dinheiro e muitas outras coisas retratadas em um diário que envolverá filosofia, festa, estudo, musculação, produtos e companhia ltda.

Marcus B. Soares Yabe