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You don’t have to do anything. You are perfect and special and beautiful just as you are – just because you’re you.
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Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Remind Yourself
Miracle-Gro on your Character Defects
“Getting into a relationship is like putting Miracle-Gro on your character defects, because everything is going to come out,” says Laura Young, a Manhattan therapist who estimates that 70 percent of the couples she treats are unmarried. “All your insecurities, all of your flaws. And the question is, can you tolerate it? And can you tolerate this person’s defects? And can you help each other to work on them in a loving way?”
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The Private Eye who Wears Mascara
Meet Miss Donovan, the private eye who wears mascara. She’s easily the most beautiful shamus living.
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Lurid Window: Tigresses and Temptresses + Sirens and Vamps
She Tried to Be Good: Sirens and Vamps from the Pulp Classics (Pulp Postcard series) Card Book – March 1, 2002
by Prion Books UK (Author)
As America slowly relaxed its moral codes in the postwar era, pulp novels offered an initiation to the previously hidden demimondes of sex and hedonistic excess. While the cover blurbs feigned shock and disgust, the cover art reveled in illicit danger, their titillating scenarios offering a lurid window on America’s suppressed desires. Now, collected here, are 23 postcards featuring tigresses and temptresses in all their reckless glory.
Love was Cheap Life Was High
Love Was Cheap and Life Was High: Postcards from Paperback Cover Art of the 40s and 50s Paperback – December, 1990
by Jay Barry Kaplan Step into the world of sedutive women, violent men, passionate embraces, dark secrets and blood on the page. Here is the first-ever postcard book collection of paperback cover art from the 40s and 50s, the golden age of the pulp era, containing 31 detachable reproductions of the covers from such classics as THE BIG SLEEP, BUTTERFIELD 8, GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, and such campy titles as BEHIND THE FLYING SAUCERS, MUSK, HASHISH AND BLOOD and THE HAUNTED HOTEL.
Book
Midsummer Night
Tonight is Midsummer Night's Eve, also called St. John's Eve. St. John is the patron saint of beekeepers. It's a time when the hives are full of honey. The full moon that occurs this month was called the Mead Moon, because honey was fermented to make mead, and that's where the word "honeymoon" comes from. It is a time for lovers. An old Swedish proverb says, "Midsummer Night is not long but it sets many cradles rocking."
- The Writer's Almanac
Monday, June 22, 2015
Phyllis Sues: Loving Life at 90
Article
AGING GRACEFULLY
To look good and feel good is work. To look great and feel great is a full-time job. There is no cheating! It's daily! Minute-by-minute, second-by-second. This is the process I love and love to work at. The reward is liking myself and living a creative life. I will turn 90 on April 4 and hope I can still create this in 10 years time.
Life in itself is a challenge and you can either, accept it and take action, or you can sit and do nothing. My advice is there is only one winner: accept the challenge, take action and get on with your life no matter what age.
I'm not aware of being 90. I'm aware of feeling physically as good as I have ever felt and mentally even better. I practice dance and workout every day. This body has to know who's boss and being 90 and feeling 20 is as good as it gets! People ask me all the time what's my secret. I tell them move, learn and listen.
The reward is a healthy body and mind. I'm totally selfish in that me and my body and mind are one. We are partners and we work play and live as one. So if that is so, we can't sit around and think about tomorrow. Our body and mind has to be trained from the first breath, otherwise it's down hill all the way. Numbers and dwelling on age is a trap. There is no age, it's living each moment to it's fullest.
I started my own fashion label at 50, became a musician and learned Italian and French in my 70s, took tango and trapeze at 80 and walked into my first yoga class at 85. So, if you think you're old, think again!
What inspires me is the process of learning. Inspiration creates creativity and creativity creates a better life. I like experimenting and have no fear of trying something new, so flying high on a trapeze at 80 was never a question. Becoming a musician late in my life was not accidental. It was meant to be.
I love to move and exercise, so my work out regime consists of yoga, tango, jump rope, hiking with my poodle Nicko and playing tennis.
Yoga gives you a life you didn't have yesterday. It's a wakeup call to every cell in your body. Every muscle sits up and pays attention. I live to do yoga and I do it to live.
Do every pose as good as you can and then do it a little better. I have arthritis in my spine, but I can do a full back bend, headstand and splits.
Dance has always been my passion. I had my first ballet lesson at 14 and knew then dance would be my life. Four years later I was performing in a night club in Boston and soon after that I was performing on Broadway.
Bloomer Girl, Oklahoma, Brigadoon, High Button Shoes and Kismet. I then went to Rio de Janeiro with the Ballet Russe De Monte Carlo. So from age 18, work was constant and life was and is really good. I'm still working creatively and love what I'm doing and have no intention of changing direction.
I have realized, that anything is possible, if you like who you are and what you do. Yes, anything is possible and even probable.
If you don't train the body every day it withers. If you don't train the mind everyday, you lose it. That's why I learned Italian and French, as learning a language is a great mental exercise. I then challenged myself to write music. I wrote the music and lyrics for my first song "Free Fall," which was inspired by flying on the trapeze. A CD followed with 12 songs: Scenes Of Passion. And then six tangos for Tango Insomnia. I now write short songs daily about things I do.
Tango dancing is a fantastic exercise, as it's physical and emotional. It's the only time, when I turn off my mind and just dance, so I am in the moment. To look effortless in dance is sheer beauty. That's my desire. I'm still performing, as it keeps my body in tune, is good for my memory and it makes my life a joy. A triple Boleo in the air would make my journey complete. Marcos (my teacher/dance partner) says it will take two years. I tell him, I have time!
I admit, I'm driven but I'm driven by desire and that's the formula. Desire is so powerful, like you are propelled as if from a canon. Desire to me is the driving force, but action is the result.
Working and accomplishing something mental and physical makes my day worth living and suddenly there is a break through, another step on the ladder. I don't give up. The sun and moon are there for everyone. The journey is worth it! This trip has been good to me and I wouldn't trade it for all the stars in the universe.
There is a way to beat the clock. Stay fit and enjoy the journey. Accept the challenge and go for it!
That's what I did!
Check out the slideshow below featuring photos of this blog's author.
Hazards of Oversleeping
Headaches. For some people prone to headaches, sleeping longer than usual on a weekend or vacation can cause head pain. Researchers believe this is due to the effect oversleeping has on certain neurotransmitters in the brain, including serotonin. People who sleep too much during the day and disrupt their nighttime sleep may also find themselves suffering from headaches in the morning.
Depression. Although insomnia is more commonly linked to depression than oversleeping, roughly 15% of people with depression sleep too much. This may in turn make their depression worse. That's because regular sleep habits are important to the recovery process. Need another reason not to overdo the ZZZs when you're blue? ? In certain instances, sleep deprivation can have a temporary antidepressant effect.
Article
Magnetic Treatment for Depression
At Butler Hospital, magnetic treatment for depression
“I can’t be sure, but I think that it was about the 25th treatment, maybe the 24th," said Bouchard. "One day I was walking out of Butler, walked down the steps, and all of a sudden I noticed the sun and the trees; they just looked beautiful — I had not felt like that for years.”
“It was a beautiful day for me and for my family. I felt like I was 'back' — in my right head, without the fear, the darkness and the self-loathing.”
[...]
TMS uses a targeted pulsed magnetic field, similar to what is used in an MRI. While the patient is awake and alert, TMS stimulates the area of the brain — the prefrontal cortex — that is underactive or disconnected and re-establishes nerve pathways, which can ease depression and improve mood.
Writing a Fan Letter to Batman and Robin
When my sister Arlen and I were five and seven we wrote a letter to Batman and Robin. We were thrilled when we got an illustrated letter back and we hung it up in the kitchen. When we got a few years older we learned that an illustrator who in my stepfathers Art Studio named Sam Rockman, wrote and illustrated the letter mailed to us. Thanks dad! I have been writing fan letters ever since.
Can Dogs Swim In Chlorine Pools?
ASK American Kennel Club
Dear AKC: I have two wonderful German Shorthaired Pointers I got from rescue. The older male could care less about our pool but the younger female wants to be near the family when we go swimming. I've heard chlorine is bad for their eyes, bad to drink and causes ear infections. How true are these claims and can I safely take her swimming with us? -- Swimming with Shorthairs.
Dear Swimming: Many dogs enjoy a plunge in the pool with their owners during the warm summer months. Most "pool people" will tell you that chlorine is safe at the levels used in pools. Humans swim in it and occasionally will ingest some water accidentally without great harm. A dog's eyes, nose and ears are more sensitive than a human's and as such may be a tad more susceptible to the effects of chlorine. I wouldn't want the dog to drink large amounts of chlorine. Some dogs think of the pool as one big personal dog bowl to lap up, not unlike the toilet bowl. This behavior should be discouraged. As for the ears, most infections in dogs with floppy ears are caused by water and dampness, not the chlorine in the water.
Some pool owners opt for non-chlorine chemicals like bromine which may be less harmful to pets. To be on the safe side, give your dog a quick spray with the hose to rinse off the chemicals after a swim and give his ears a dab with a dry towel or use a blow dryer to keep them moisture free.
Safety Rules
More important than what your dog swims in is how it learns to swim. Your younger Shorthair may be very interested in joining the family in a round of ring toss, but first you must build confidence in your dog around the pool. Many dogs are fearful the first time they enter the water. Take it slowly and praise your dog each step of the way. Making it a pleasant experience will have the dog swimming in no time. You don't have to teach the dog to "swim" since they are natural swimmers. It is easy to teach a dog to jump in the pool, either toss a toy in the pool or escort her over the side.
However, most dogs begin to panic when it is time to get out for the first time. They are unaccustomed to exiting using the human steps or ladder and need to be taught how to use them. A thrashing dog trying to escape will get tired and may drown. Never leave your dog unsupervised in a pool. They may need your assistance if they are in trouble and can't bark to grab your attention. With proper guidance you and your pet can have lots of fun in the pool and if you are lucky he can teach you the proper way to do the dog paddle.
Article
Emma Coats: 22 Rules of Storytelling
Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling
These rules were originally tweeted by Emma Coats, Pixar’s Story Artist. Number 9 on the list – When you’re stuck, make a list of what wouldn’t happen next – is a great one and can apply to writers in all genres.
You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.
You gotta keep in mind what’s interesting to you as an audience, not what’s fun to do as a writer. They can be very different.
Trying for theme is important, but you won’t see what the story is actually about til you’re at the end of it. Now rewrite.
Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___.
Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You’ll feel like you’re losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.
What is your character good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal?
Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard, get yours working up front.
Finish your story, let go even if it’s not perfect. In an ideal world you have both, but move on. Do better next time.
When you’re stuck, make a list of what WOULDN’T happen next. Lots of times the material to get you unstuck will show up.
Pull apart the stories you like. What you like in them is a part of you; you’ve got to recognize it before you can use it.
Putting it on paper lets you start fixing it. If it stays in your head, a perfect idea, you’ll never share it with anyone.
Discount the 1st thing that comes to mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th – get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself.
Give your characters opinions. Passive/malleable might seem likable to you as you write, but it’s poison to the audience.
Why must you tell THIS story? What’s the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? That’s the heart of it.
If you were your character, in this situation, how would you feel? Honesty lends credibility to unbelievable situations.
What are the stakes? Give us reason to root for the character. What happens if they don’t succeed? Stack the odds against.
No work is ever wasted. If it’s not working, let go and move on – it’ll come back around to be useful later.
You have to know yourself: the difference between doing your best & fussing. Story is testing, not refining.
Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of it are cheating.
Exercise: take the building blocks of a movie you dislike. How d’you rearrange them into what you DO like?
You gotta identify with your situation/characters, can’t just write ‘cool’. What would make YOU act that way?
What’s the essence of your story? Most economical telling of it? If you know that, you can build out from there.
Read More About The Story Spine: Pixar’s 4th Rule of Storytelling
Watch Pixar’s Andrew Stanton Reveal the Clues to a Great Story
The Art of Spontaneous Theater
How to Improvize a Full-Length Play - The Art of Spontaneous Theater
Kenn Adams
Allworth Press 2007 - 16.95 USD
A very interesting but a-typical improv book. The claim it makes it to teach the reader how to do Long Form , but what it really is is an introduction into (possible) structure of (good) stories, followed by an approach to using this understanding into the mechanics of a full-length improvised play.
We would not classify this book as the definite work on improvising plays; it is *one* technique which may or may not be helpful to you. Those of you used to longform structures such as the Harold may find the approach a bit bizarre. Nonetheless, a recommended book.
Story Spine
Description
This is an idea/tool about the spine of any story. The whole point of the tool is to provide a model for a well-constructed story with a beginning that establishes a routine, an event that breaks the routine, a middle that shows the consequences of having broken the routine, a climax that sets the resolution to the story in motion, and the resolution. It goes like:
Once upon a time...
Every day...
But, one day...
Because of that...
Because of that...
Because of that... n
Until, finally...
And, ever since then...
And, here's how the lines correlate to the different sections of a well-constructed story:
The Beginning that establishes the routine: Once upon a time... Every day...
The Event that breaks the routine: But, one day...
The Middle that shows the consequences of having broken the routine: Because of that...
Because of that...
Because of that...
The Climax that sets the resolution to the story in motion: Until, finally...
The Resolution And, ever since then...
This little structure teaches performers to advance a story by changing things. There are hundreds of variations known to this, one of which we`ll present here as well:
The balance: Once upon a time ... and every day ...
The un-balance: But then one day ...
The quest for a resolution: ... and because of that ... and so ... until finally ....
The new balance: ... and ever since that day ....
Origin
The original story spine was created by Kenn Adams who also kindly offered the summary text above to this site. Kenn has a book published on this topic: The Art of Spontaneous Theater .
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