Actually I was not, (singing in the rain that is.) America is fabulous for the way you are able to acclimatize your room, last night I went to lay by the pool with my script partner rehearsing our lines for a scene today, it became quite chilly, very cloudy and yet I saw the most stars in the sky I have in LA…that would be 2 plus the flashing lights of an aeroplane. Went home, went to bed woke up at about 2am freeeeeezing like I have not froze before as I woke up my acclimatized room had once again deceived me, this morning walked outside..ran inside, got another jacket and scarf, went outside…ran back inside for an umbrella…ahhhhhhhhh

The weather raining, pouring, raining, pouring. (Last night when the cable guy (yes I have a cable guy…living the dream) came over to fix the cable I think we jinxed the gorgeous weather, “oh LA is wonderful this time of year mam, you can wear shorts and t-shirt and it’s great.” )

Oh what a lovely brisk walk to school, I hop the curb and my beautiful white canvas shoes now soaked through to my once beautiful warm socks, I didn’t really care, it’s only water, more horrifying the next 3 hours of intense physical movement hehhehehe, which once again was awesome, today we learnt HIP HOP and did we all have moves! What the people driving by in their cars looking up to our fogged up studio glass windows must have thought!

Voice training followed which proved to not be a test of who can sing the best (a sigh a of relief by everyone) but actual voice training, speaking, breathing, anything and everything we need to know to use our voice for every scene will be taught in this class.

Everything is becoming more intense and more expected not from just your teachers or peers but what you begin to expect from yourself. It is frightening feeling the places we as actors have to go in training and that place inside is confronting for a lot of us, to reach there though will determine and separate those who are serious and willing to give all, to lose yourself in order to become a character and tell a story and then those who just can’t make it, not because they are not talented or willing just because that place as an actor is a long journey to.

We will continue to work hard, night and day for the next 7 weeks, developing, learning, and tomorrow we act our first monologue and then our scenes we have been working on for 1 week. There are three scripts we got at the end of last week that by tomorrow must be perfected.

Coming to LA has been and no doubt will continue to be the most rewarding experience and we are only at the beginning of our second week, and already everyone is asking themselves I’m here, what is it I am fighting for and how do I get it, though not as a character this time but as ourself? If you knew that there was a definite barrier blocking you from your dream and you had travelled to the one place you knew could inspire and motivate you, where you realized everything is real would you sit back and let it be the reason you don’t succeed? I know for me there are two obstacles I need to climb and in order to get to the other side of the wall, it’s time for me to step up, because I am ready! I am ready!

Until Then…

Miss D

(originally published 11/19/09 on a private Ning network)

To prepare for NAEYC Annual Conference - 25,000 Pre-K’ers, yehaa! – I have been following #NAEYC, #NAEYCAC and #ece on twitter (the latter stands for “early childhoood education.”)

One story cycling through has elicited a collective cyber-gasp: “Ready, Willing and Unable to Serve,” a new report that about the shockingly bad state of the nation’s 17-24 year olds. According to the study, a staggering 75% of them are, well, staggering: too fat, sick (asthma, diabetes) and uneducated to be accepted in the military.

From the Washington Post:

About 75 percent of the country’s 17- to 24-year-olds are ineligible for military service, largely because they are poorly educated, overweight and have physical ailments that make them unfit for the armed forces, according to a report to be issued Thursday.

Other factors, such as drug use, criminal records and mental problems, contribute to what military leaders say is a major problem that threatens the country’s ability to defend itself at a time when the all-volunteer force is already strained fighting two wars.

To combat the problem, a group of retired military leaders has joined Education Secretary Arne Duncan to call for greater investment in early education, which advocates say helps boost academic achievement and social development.

“We are very concerned,” said retired Army Maj. Gen. James A. Kelley, a member of Mission: Readiness, the Washington-based nonprofit organization that issued the report. “We do have the greatest military in the world — we have the greatest planes, the greatest tanks, the greatest ships — but the key goal is having great people. Right now, we’re attracting very highly qualified folks but that could change over time.”.

Although I am all for a fit smart nation, with a population healthy enough to be able to serve and protect, there is something a bit disconcerting about resting the fate of the Republic on the shoulders of 4 year-olds.  Still, 75%?!

My community story taught me to be ready.

Given that the world is a journey, you must be prepared for what might come to pass. Griselda Blanco began a journey from Columbia to New York where she was introduced to the drug trafficking business. She was ready to learn the skills she would need to become the biggest Kingpin Miami had ever seen. She was ready for those who opposed her, ready for the spoils that came with trafficking, and ready for the consequences that came with her business. She turned what she learned into a profitable business that shaped Miami. Only by being prepared for her journey was she able to come out successful. I’m inspired to be ready for anything when starting my journey.

Although the economic recession has clearly affected the U.S. tea market, slowing previously double-digit sales growth in the pricier RTD segment while slightly lifting sales in the more affordable bags/loose tea segment, tea’s appeal as an “affordable luxury” and its compelling image as a healthy product have kept sales in the black when many other CPG categories have seen declines. Moreover, considering the 2005-2009 period overall, sales have done well, and as the economic picture brightens the recession may turn out to have a silver lining in that it has compelled tea marketers to innovate along value-added lines likely to continue to resonate well with consumers in the years ahead.

Market thrusts examined in the report include exotic superfruit flavors; hybrid products designed to compete with other beverage categories including bottled waters, energy drinks and sodas; new RTD spins on green tea that promise to mainstream this tea type once and for all; emerging segments including yerba mate and Kombucha; the upswing in fair trade and other “ethical” appeals; social marketing via nontraditional media like Facebook and Twitter; and a strong tea push in the convenience store channel by marketers and operators alike. At the same time, foodservice players from fine restaurants on down are expanding their tea offerings even as tea rooms and coffee/tea shops surge, suggesting tea may be headed toward much broader levels of distribution and popularity à la Starbucks.

This fully updated report examines the U.S. market for tea across the retail and foodservice spectrum, including ready-to-drink (RTD) tea, leaf (bagged and loose) tea, and instant tea. Following an introductory chapter documenting tea types, packaging trends, “the ethics of tea,” and global market trends, the report segments and quantifies the market by channel and product type, providing historical sales figures and projections through 2014. The report examines market drivers and trends and thoroughly maps out the competitive situation to the marketer and brand share level, profiling brands including Arizona RTD Tea (Ferolito, Vultaggio & Sons), Bigelow Tea (R.C. Bigelow, Inc.), Celestial Seasonings (The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.), Honest Tea (Honest Tea, Inc.), Lipton (Unilever) and Starbucks and Tazo Tea (Starbucks Coffee Co.). Trends in new product introductions are analyzed at length, based on data from Datamonitor’s Product Launch Analytics, as are trends in the c-store and foodservice channels.

An exclusive feature of this report is custom survey data from Packaged Facts’ February 2009 online poll of 2,600 U.S. adults, which was conducted to measure purchasing patterns, attitudes and demographics specific to tea and other functional foods and beverages. Drilling down to the brand level, the analysis also relies on consumer survey data from Experian Simmons’ Spring 2009 National Consumer Study to chart consumer demographic and psychographic trends, Information Resources, Inc. InfoScan Review data tracking product sales in mass-market channels, and wholesale data from leading natural/specialty channel distributor United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) to quantify sales and market shares of natural and specialty products.

For more information, please visit :
http://www.aarkstore.com/reports/Tea-and-Ready-to-Drink-RTD-Tea-in-the-U-S-Retail-Foodservice-and-Consumer-Trends-34626.html
Or email us at press@aarkstore.com or call +919272852585

Grizzly Bear’s new video for Ready, Able off their new album Veckatimest. Great claymation

Smartphone symphony: a group of US students have built music applications and written scores for their iPhones…. From BBC News. Full story

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The book is available for purchase!

I received my proof copy in the mail today, clicked approve and immediately the book went live on my printer’s website.

Excellent!

It’ll still be a week or more before the print version of the book will be available on Amazon.com, but you can order it TODAY, directly from the printer — or for the Kindle fans, a Kindle version is available now as well.

Thanks for all your support! I hope you enjoy the book and it challenges in fresh new ways.

Available now!

Available now!

I Know Yaw Don’t Remember Lloyd When He Was In The Group N-Toon This Nigga Look Like A Lil Gerbil. I Wonder What Ever Happened To The Other Lil Niggas??? Watch @ 2:27 When His Voice Go Out Bwahahaha ROTF LMMFAO Okay I Quit Enjoy Though LOL.

Ahhh yes, the month of my birth. November has come to its end.
December has finally arrived–well in just one more hour anyway.

December, December, December, how I’ve missed thee. Hmm…I wonder if I should write an ode to December. No, I’m not conceited. I’m just excited to see another birthday. I am excited to see another year. I am excited to dream of the many things in store for me within a few days, weeks, months, and even years.

I feel as if I am embarking on a new journey that will forever change my life. I have but two weeks to wait and then my big day will finally be here.

2010 has to be my year. It has to be the year when things happen for me. 2009 was the absolute worst, but you can’t get the best without first going through the worst, right?

So I pray that God take the helm of my life. I pray that He guides my every step. I pray that He pushes me to reach for only the best and attain levels that I wouldn’t have reached on my own. I pray that He watches over me now more than ever. I pray that God uses me more than ever, because I feel the change that is due unto me.

Someone’s life is going to be changed because He intervened through me. I hope that 2010 will be remarkable, memorable, unforgettable, inspiring, life-changing, exciting, and so much more.

The countdown to my 24th birthday starts in under 60 minutes. December 16, 2009 is the day. Are you ready, because I certainly am. YES, Lord thank you for bringing me this far!

I’ve just released a new ‘Matt TV’ episode! It covers last weekend’s Wanneroo Show – which was totally awesome by the way. There were bands, rides, food & t-shirt stalls and much, much more!

Check It Out!

Hope you guys enjoy it

Matt

1/22/10 School of Rock – South Hackensack, NJ
1/23/10 Webster Underground – Hartford, CT
1/24/10 Crazy Donkey – Farmingdale, NY
1/26/10 The Loft – Poughkeepsie, NY
1/27/10 Higher Ground – South Burlington, VT
1/28/10 Mohawk Place – Buffalo, NY
1/29/10 Eldolyn Terrace – Altoona, PA
1/30/10 Grog Shop – Cleveland, OH
1/31/10 Beat Kitchen- Chicago, IL
02/02/10 Eagles Club/The Rave – Milwaukee, WI
02/03/10 Mixtape Cafe – Grand Rapids, MI
02/04/10 The Basement – Columbus, OH
02/05/10 Diesel – Pittsburgh, PA
02/06/10 Crocodile Rock Cafe – Allentown, PA
02/07/10 Ottobar – Baltimore, MD: Tickets
02/09/10 Greene Street Club – Greensboro, NC
02/10/10 The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
02/11/10 Backbooth – Orlando, FL
02/12/10 Jack Rabbits – Jacksonville, FL
02/13/10 Swampgrass Willy’s – West Palm Beach, FL

Which show(s) do you plan on attending? We’re going to the January 22 one in South Hackensack, NJ! Our friends, Hart Attack, will be playing the show as well!

Artist: Gentalica
Title: Kabooom/Ready
Label: Avio
Genre: Hardstyle
Store Date: 07.04.2009
Source: Vinyl
# Tracks: 2
# Vinyls: 1
Lenght: 11:54
Quality: 320 kbps
Channels: Joint Stereo / 44 khz
Nonstop mix: no
*.cue: no
Archive size: 27,5 MB
Recovery record: no

Tracklist:
A1. Kabooom! [5:45]
B1. Ready..? [6:09]

Download

When your outline is complete and you are ready to write your first draft, many writers make a common mistake at this point. They try to “get it right” the first time. They may work on a paragraph for hours, fine-tuning the words until they are perfect. Writers thus shut off their creativity by insisting on profession.

Remember, the first draft is a working draft. It should be written quickly without too much thought to elegant expressions or final order and paragraphing. Your object is to get the material on paper to flash out the structure of your outline. Let the words flow. Start wherever you can—in the middle, even near the end. The opening or introduction can be completed later. Any weaknesses in logic or gaps in information, any points that are out of place can be corrected in the final version.

As you write the first draft, keep your audience in mind. Doing so will help you stay focused on the purpose of your work. Keep writing until you have completed the first draft.

My Consultancy–Asif J. Mir - Management Consultant–transforms organizations where people have the freedom to be creative, a place that brings out the best in everybody–an open, fair place where people have a sense that what they do matters. For details please visit www.asifjmir.com, and my Lectures.

Today was a hard day, and a joyous day. My friend got married, I love weddings because it’s a celebration of love and this couple is definitely in love. Not only because they remained pure until their wedding day but you could see it in their appreciation of one another and how they encouraged and challenged one another. It was a hard day because love can be hard sometimes especially when you are not expecting it to happen, sometimes at the wrong time. For me it’s complicated, but I know what I want, and I am open to love for the first time in a long time. I can see myself in love and doing all those things that I despised seeing couples do lol. OK call me a hater but I know where it stems from

Welcome Love

I’m done.

I’m through.

It’s over.

I’m finished trying to run, finished trying to control, and finished trying to be independent. Trying to be a grown-up. Let fate fall where it may, and I guess I’m leaning against the old fallback of “if God wills it.”

But seriously. At this point, if God wills it, I’ll be one intensely blessed grateful dumb shit.

I’m done.

I’m done with pretending that I’m an adult. I’m not, okay? So get over it and leave me alone. I’m struggling to get into a college that I know I’m not prepared for in a competitive world that’s waiting with eager, dripping jaws to eat me alive. I’m not ready.

I’m through.

I’m through sitting back and letting my hundreds of responsibilities run amok over me. It’s partially my fault through disorganization, partially my fault through neglect. I’m doing so much I can’t focus on the important things. If something doesn’t go, I will. I’ll go insane. So I’m through being trampled by my own many loves and passions, and I’m through being choked and hung by the dramas of my friends and school life. I’ve got to distance myself from it, before it gets me. If I don’t focus, and work my ass off on the thing that is most important, I won’t get anywhere. Ever.

It’s over.

So it’s over, kids, and here I am typing as a shakily resolute and keenly terrified individual who’s not grown up and who’s ready to practice and who really just wants to stay home and love her life and her family in peace.

But Time and Nature won’t allow it. So ready or not, I’m out in less than a year. If I go to a shitty school, well hey, that’s my own fault. Goodbye, Eastman. Nice looking at your name on the website, C.I.M. I wish I would have been good enough. I’m sorry for wasting your time, Heather. I’m deeply sorry, Mrs. Ripley.

What happens, happens. If I can’t contact anyone and have them be my savior with my transcript and SAT score report today, then I am fucked. And who can or will help me, the irresponsible procrastinator who is falsely deluding herself that she can make it in the vicious world of music?

I just want to sing. And that will probably never happen now, because I’m a fucking retard.

So guess what.

I’m done.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a national holiday tradition, and has been so for the past 83 years, and this year the tradition continued.

This year, the parade route returns to its roots with it ending at 34th street right in front of the Macy’s store. This is different than it has been in recent years.

 There is a list of performers that include Katharine McPhee, Jane Krakowski, and we have Spiderman, Kermit and Spongebob floating down the parade route. Ziggy Marley, the son of the legendary Reggae singer Bob Marley, performed a song with his daughter on a float decorated as a pirate ship.

Ziggy Marley and Daughter awaiting performance at Macy Thanksgiving Day Parade today

 Ziggy performed his new song ”It’s Family Time” while holding his daughter in his arms so she could reach the mike…very cute.

Katharine McPhee, sporting her new sassy blonde ‘do, performed her new single “Had It All.” Jane Krakowski performed a Christmas tune. She may play a ditzy spoiled celeb on “30 Rock,” but in real-life Krakowski is quite the songbird.

Teen superstar Miley Cyrus made an exuberant appearance waving to her throngs of excited fans that lined the parade route waiting patiently for the international superstar. She looked great, in light of the bush crash tragedy that killed her long time tour bus driver this past friday. Today was much happier times for her.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade aired on CBS and NBC at noon ET/9 am PT.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING…NOW GO EAT….

Smartphone symphony: a group of US students have built music applications and written scores for their iPhones…. From BBC News. Full story

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Get ready to be ready.

The last journal requiered for the class is fianlly here. It’s about music, so enjoy!