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Saturday, August 15, 2009

SPECIAL CONNECTION WITH HEATH LEDGER NOT UNIQUE


I know I am not unique in feeling a special connection to the soul of Heath.

I know because I watch the videos that fans make on different video hosting sites. You can see the special feelings that Heath enlivens and inspires in his fellow human beings.

And we are grateful. It make us feel more alive.

So in this way death does not end a life . . . . Heath is still with us.

Inside us.

Just like his characters came from inside him. He let them get in there and come through him.

Here is my second video tribute to Heath

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Heath Ledger as Dan in
Candy
and William in
A Knights Tale

Uploaded by ilovemylifesblog

Heath played such diverse roles. He showed whimsy, depth, intelligence, sexiness, vulnerability, strength and humor. These two movies alone show contrasts that make me marvel at his talent.

For Heath . . .

i carry your heart with me
(i carry it in my heart)
i am never without it
(anywhere i go you go, my dear;
and whatever is done by only me
is your doing, my darling)

i fear no fate
(for you are my fate, my sweet)
i want no world
(for beautiful you are my world, my true)

and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;
which grows higher
than the soul can hope
or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart
(i carry it in my heart)

ee cummings

I became interested in Heath Ledger's movies earlier this year.

Heath Andrew Ledger was born April 4, 1979 and died January 22, 2008.

I have seen some of his movies in this order
A Knights Tale, The Four Feathers, Brokeback Mountain, Ten Things I Hate About You, The Order, Ned Kelly, Cassanova, The Brothers Grimm, The Patriot, The Dark Knight, I'm Not There, Monsters Ball and Candy. I bolded the ones that I found myself relating to in a special way or being drawn to with a special connection. I didn't want to see Candy because it is about addiction, but the music at the beginning is hauntingly grabbing and the way the characters are played is exceptional. And Heath as Dan, pulls you in. Heath is special that way. He is able to get inside the character. Or the character gets inside him and Heath let's it play through him.

My plan was to make a video while using four of his movies to show the diversity of the roles and his ability to become the contrasting characters from the inside out. But in the in end my computer wouldn't allow me to use more than the two in the above video - not enough hard space, so it said. And because of this, I wasn't able to fine tune the transitions, the video is disappointing from a creative point of view for me. I learned some things when I did it and will try to improve on it in my next effort. The movies I used, Candy and A Knights Tale, do show contrasting roles. Later, I hope to use The Four Feather, Brokeback Mountain, I'm Not There and Monsters Ball.


Heath supported and participated in The Masses


The following is taken from The Masses website:

The Mission of The Masses

The Masses is a collaboration of directors and artists united by a passion for music and driven by unique and diverse cinematic visions. Our goal is to connect with the audience, inspire the crowd, and function as a factory of ideas without losing the ideal. Within the intersection of art and commerce, we find the message and deliver it to the masses by the most powerful, visionary and authentic means possible, be it film, music, advertising, or multi-platform content.

We are all connected. We, the consumers. We, the creators. The Masses creates for the fundamental spirit in all of us.

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In January of 2007, while visiting his homeland of Australia, Heath Ledger presented Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse with an idea to direct a video for their yet-to-be-released song “King Rat”. Heath’s vision, brave and unapologetic in its nature, would marry his love of bold and original music with his impassioned stance against the illegal commercial whale hunts taking place off the coast of Australia each year.

Always one to operate from his heart and take a stand for what he cared deeply about, Heath’s intention was to raise awareness on modern whaling practices through a potent visual piece without having to say a word. It was his way to let the story, in its candid reversal, speak for itself.

The video was fully conceived down to the last detail but unfinished when Heath passed away in January of 2008. We completed the video in his honor with the support and advocacy of Isaac Brock.

Proceeds from iTunes video downloads in the first month of release will go toward Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization committed to ending the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world's oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species. Sea Shepherd uses direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas. We encourage you to visit their site if you are compelled to make a larger donation or volunteer your time. http://www.seashepherd.org

The King Rat video was directed by Heath Ledger, co-directed and illustrated by Daniel Auber with lead animation by Norris Houk, animation by Jade Taglioli and produced by Sara Cline of THE MASSES.

THE MASSES and Modest Mouse are proud to present “King Rat”. We hope Heath’s work inspires you in the same way his passion and bravery inspired us.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

Source: http://www.wearethemasses.com/

The final movie release that Heath is in will be The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009) Tony

Those of us who feel Heath's spirit is connected to our own have Heath to bring us together I find. Those of us who check Youtube daily for new Heath fan tribute videos begin to respect one another's interest and honoring of Heath.

I find it difficult to think of Heath as gone in a way. There he is so real in the films and in the interviews in the dvd's special feature sections. These special features are gems.

Thanks to the directors of the films who put these special features together and respected Heath and his talent so much.

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Saturday, August 8, 2009

THE NORMAN CONQUESTS - ROUND AND ROUND THE GARDEN

I JUST UPLOADED THE ENTIRE SECOND ACT OF ROUND AND ROUND THE GARDEN FROM THE NORMAN CONQUESTS

I played the role of Ruth in this production. The video quality is poor. It started out as a VHS video cassette, then I transferred it to a dvd, then I transferred it to iMovie which turns it into a Quick Time movie, then to Youtube where it lost a bit of quality. It
was slightly clearer in iMovie and Quick Time than Youtube. I posted Act 2, Scene 1, Part 2 March 17, 2009 - it is the second video on this post. And have been surprised with the number of views it has received. Even some have favorited it and a couple gave it five stars. That just made my day when I saw that this week. I have a total of 9 youtube videos posted of the second act. The videos are no clearer at Vimeo. And most of the videos are over the 500 MB limit for a Vimeo free account, which is what I have there. So if you are interested in viewing them, I suggest, using the black arrow (which turns red when the mouse is hovering over it) at the upper right of the video to see them in a different window. It is slightly an improvement. To have access to the red arrow, you need to go to youtube. Double click any embedded youtube here and you will be taken to the youtube page of that video.

If you have a youtube account, you may know that you can see what people are coming from to see your videos, what sites, links, embeds and what countries and states. New Jersey leads viewers in the USA.

The Norman Conquests
by Alan Ayckbourn

The Third Play is
Round and Round the Garden
A British Trilogy
A comedy


Here I have posted embeds for
Act Two, Scene One
Four youtube videos

The Norman Conquests was playing in New York
April 23, - July 26, 2009
The play was playing at the Old Vic Theatre in London

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Act 2, Scene 1, Part 1
Uploaded by ilovemylifesblog

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Round and Round the Garden
Act 2, Scene 1, Part 2
Uploaded by ilovemylifesblog

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Act 2, Scene 2, Part 3
Uploaded by ilovemylifesblog

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Act 2, Scene 2, Part 4
Uploaded by ilovemylifesblog


If you want to see the Act 2, Scene 2 that I posted on youtube, I will embed them here eventually.

Here are the links to them:

Act 2, Scene 2, Part 1
Featuring Patti Corriveau (Stage Manager)

Act 2, Scene 2, Part 2

Act 2, Scene 2, Part 3

Act 2, Scene 2, Part 4

Or you may go here www.youtube.com/user/ilovemylifesblog
They are numbered in order.

Some reviews:


Providence Journal
Try clicking on the article and hopefully it will enlarge to be able to read it.


A paper called The Eagle


"Round & Round the Garden"
of
"The Norman Conquests"
British Comedy Trilogy

"Table Manners"
"Living Together"
"Round and Round the Garden"

Production by TIFOBET ~ The Incredibly Far Off Broadway Ensemble Theatre
Swanhurst Theatre at Bellevue Avenue and Webster Street
Newport, Rhode Island
April 1983

The video was originally shot by an early VHS video camera, therefore the poor quality. I apologize.

Cast
Sarah..........Lori Brainerd
Tom............John Chatty
Norman......Jim Ernest
Ruth...........Sandra K. Hammel
Reg............Paul Ruggeri
Annie.........Linda J. Vars
Featuring Patti Corriveau (Stage Manager)

Eventually, I plan to post the other two plays,
Table Manners, and Living Together

I notice I am fidgeting a lot in these videos . . . scratching although nothing needed to be scratched. And the voice needed to be lowered. But upstage it was hard to be heard because there was a dead spot back there. So,
there, I have a reason. Otherwise, the direction was barely there, so I pretty much directed myself. It would have been nice to be told to lower my voice, but I have to live with the high pitched voice....a bit annnoying.


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Monday, February 23, 2009

THERE'S HUGE TALENT IN HUGH (JACKMAN) - THE BEST PART IS THAT HE HAD FUN WHICH MADE HIM FUN TO WATCH

So you can't please everyone. Nothing new there. Another raved about it. I loved Hugh Jackman's parts of the show. So refreshing, fun and entertaining to see someone simply adoring being on stage and being "our show". That is the key, really. A Big Talent that made me fall in love with him. It "translated" to me. It's an award show and unless you take the award part out of it - it isn't going to be other than an award show. Maybe, the LA Times is expecting too much out of a self-congratulating awards show to be something other than it has the roots to be. Perhaps the LA Times critic could be put in charge next year of producing the show.

This is a good read - Best and Worst of the Oscars Hugh Jackmania!

John Oliver (from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart) gives his take on Hugh Jackman's job...
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Hugh Jackman's Opening Performance at the 2009 Academy Awards Live Performance
Uploaded by
TimOfTwilightAndHP

Hugh Jackman - Preparation for the Academy Awards 2009 - The 81st


Musical Numbers at the Oscars


OSCARS: Baz Luhrmann on Hugh Jackman's hosting performance

At least one early review of Hugh Jackman's Oscar-hosting performance is in, and it's a rave. EW caught up with Baz Luhrmann (Jackman's Australia director and friend) at the Academy Awards on Sunday. The filmmaker said he was thrilled with how Jackman's emceeing turned out: While the show was mostly the vision of coproducer Bill Condon, Luhrmann said he helped Jackman with some of the choreography in the host's dance number with Beyonce. "At this time, his style, elegance, and grace is really resonating," Luhrmann said. "I spent six months with him touring around the world and two years making a movie with him in the desert. I know him almost as well as his family does. What you see is what you get." --Nicole Sperling

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Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman as
The Boy from Oz ~ 2004 Tony telecast
Uploaded by wa8

This is the Medley Hugh Jackman preformed at the Tonys.

Hugh Jackman
- His career

Hugh Jackman - Irish Interview


Click on the post title or here: Hugh Jackman interviewed by Parkinson, as well as singing - on the BBC


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Genocide Ends
When Enough of Us
Stand Up
Against It

JOIN US
1-800-GENOCIDE


www.savedarfur.org
www.genocideintervention.net

www.standnow.org

www.miafarrow.org


Write President Obama
www.whitehouse.gov


You can also call or write to the President:

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Comments to President Obama:

202-456-1111

or

1-800-GENOCIDE


The White House available 9 AM - 5 PM EST weekdays


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Call your Senators and Representative Today!

Find your elected politicians contact information at this link:

www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To call the USA Secretary of State

202-647-6575

The USA State Department public comment line

works 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sample of what to say:


* I'm calling to ask President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton and Ambassador Rice to protect innocent civilians in Darfur in the wake of Bashir's arrest warrant. Please issue immediate warnings to Bashir and the government of Sudan specifying consequences of attacks on civilians. Please also prepare an emergency response plan to address further violence and appoint a full-time senior level envoy. Lastly, please stand firm in support of the ICC indictment and veto any delay in the prosecution of Bashir.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

IF NOT,

THEN,

YOUR SILENCE

CONTRIBUTES

TO

ANOTHER

GENOCIDE.


www.savedarfur.org/content

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Monday, February 16, 2009

HAVE YOU TAKEN A RISK TO FOLLOW YOUR HEART'S DESIRE?

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"To believe in God is to know the thing you are shall make you live and it will never make you do anything less."
from Joseph Pintauro's little book To Believe in God


I LIKE THE IDEA THAT IT IS OUR JOB TO BE HAPPY

In my post Taking A Turn Toward Bliss (near the bottom) I shared a fear of mine. Have you ever wanted to do something, but didn't do it? You did other things, mundane things, things because they were put on a list, but the thing you really wanted to do was never put on a list. So it was always something you wanted to do. But you never did it.

Or you tried once or twice and it never went any further.

For me, singing in public is it. I want to do it. But my mind plays with me and then my body responds to the mind telling me all sorts of things that tie me up on the inside. Here is a quote from the previous post:

"...They are just people looking at me, but they scare the living daylights out of me. It is not something I can pretend to overcome. Breathing and relaxing the throat muscles is my mountain to overcome. Wouldn’t it be great to actually overcome this and feel the freedom from the fear? If that day ever happens, I’ll get back to you. I would relish that I did this.

You don’t know if you don’t try.
"

Well, I tried again today. I hadn't even planned doing it, until last night when my son said he wasn't coming over and my Sunday afternoon opened up. I practiced three days this past week, but not for long. So I didn't feel I had paid the price enough to risk embarrassing myself twice in a row. Well after sitting there at the coffee house waiting my turn to perform three songs, it was finally my turn after two and half hours. By that time the late night blogging the night before and getting up to watch Rafa Nadal lose the final in Rotterdam Sunday morning (he was playing injured unfortunately) started to take the zest out of me. I felt more like I wanted to take a nap than test drive my nerves again. This was only the second time that I have ventured out on the singing limb and since the first time was a disaster, I knew it could be a repeat performance of a disaster.

I looked at the list and knew I was next. My heart started doing its usual racing. My mind was trying to find something to think about to bring me to some place of possible...hmmm....attitude of "let's have some fun"...my internal talk of "it's you and the music" - all the stuff that works at home in front of the furniture and pretend "out in public scenarios". But then I get in front of real people and the doubts take over. .. You're not good enough. Who do you think you are - putting yourself front and center? Your voice will probably fail you again. I can't even remember all the crap that enters my mind and makes me feel that I am some "other" kind of person and only those I watch have the right to be on the stage. Until I actually open my mouth and go for the singing, I just never know what is going to come out.

Well, today was not a disaster. People, several people were actually encouraging. I was sort of out of my mind in a way, because I think I remember what people said to me right after, but I find it hard to believe. There were some "woots", people seemed to get into the rhythm and mood of the songs. The emcee said something very positive in front of the audience and told me to keep coming back. As I was walking off the "stage" one young man, asked me if I had fun - he felt it looked like I did. A husband and wife both gave me positive nods as I walked off. All in all, I thougth they liked my performance. It wasn't perfect. I knew it wouldn't be. I never know
which mistakes I am going to make, but I gave up expecting perfection when I began this little trip down my dreams.

The follow-up reactions during the remainder of show were basically warm and encouraging. There was only one strange reaction. The thing is it can't matter what others think as much as the feeling that I came away with. I felt pretty good. Relieved that I could keep trying this and it just might get easier and the more I relax, I know the better I will perform. Big improvement over the first time I sang recently. Huge really. But then I needed huge. It was so bad the first time. Embarrassing.

My voice at least sounded mostly like well... me, today. Nothing great. But I let the music inside me. And I let it play through me. That is my goal. My favorite singers are those who don't perform the music but let the music perform them. If that makes any sense.

So, what a relief. It wasn't a disaster. And it actually felt good.

I played my keyboard and sang "Morning Train" an upbeat, rhythmic song in f minor. And I performed a song I composed called "Mom's Blues". And I finished with John Jacob Niles song, "Go 'Way from My Window" - a traditional blues, which I added a tag on the end.

And what was also terrific was my son called me just as I was unloading the car, to say he could come over for a short visit. He took my picture.
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My advice about pictures:
Have lots of pictures taken of yourself
when you are young.
It is hard to get a good picture of yourself "later on".
I'm in my
"later on".
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In His Own Words - Gerard Butler

There is no embed, so...the solution is to go to the link.
A tribute to the actor
Channel Icon
Uploaded by LostLover420
My comment left at this video on Youtube:
The Music, The Collection of Pictures and Quotes - make a stunning video. What I like about Gerry is his zest for life - like he enjoys living in a candy store - I never fail to smile when I watch these videos made by his fans.
Great job! Definitely 5 stars for you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"To believe in God is to be one of those kids who just refuses to grow up
and get older and older and die forever."
from Joseph Pintauro's little book To Believe in God
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Peace will not work
if just one man alive
is unjust
if one man alive is ignorant or hungry or crazy or ashamed .
For we have seen
if only one of us
decides to pull the plug,
the millions of us can kiss the world good bye
whether we like it or not. .."

from Joseph Pintauro's little book To Believe in Man

Call President Obama at 202-456-1111
or 1-800-GENOCIDE
and pressure him to immediately take steps
to ensure the protection of civilians in Darfur!

An example of your phone call text can be found below.
It is encouraged that you make it personally your message. *

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And call the USA Secretary of State


The USA State Department public comment line works 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Please, call as soon as possible.

Call the State Department's public comment line 24/7 at 202-647-6575


The White House (9 AM - 5 PM EST weekdays) at 202-456-1111


or 1-800-GENOCIDE with a similar message as the one below.


If you have called already, please call again:

* I'm calling to ask President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton and Ambassador Rice to protect innocent civilians in Darfur in the wake of Bashir's arrest warrant. Please issue immediate warnings to Bashir and the government of Sudan specifying consequences of attacks on civilians. Please also prepare an emergency response plan to address further violence and appoint a full-time senior level envoy. Lastly, please stand firm in support of the ICC indictment and veto any delay in the prosecution of Bashir.


Call your Senators and Representative Today!

Find your elected politicians contact information at this link:

http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Genocide Ends

When Enough of Us

Stand Up Against It

JOIN US
1-800-GENOCIDE
www.savedarfur.org
www.genocideintervention.net

www.standnow.org

www.miafarrow.org


Write President Obama
www.whitehouse.gov
You can also call or write to the President:

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Comments to President Obama: 202-456-1111

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


IF NOT,

THEN,

YOUR SILENCE

CONTRIBUTES

TO

ANOTHER

GENOCIDE.

www.savedarfur.org/content

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Wednesday, October 17, 2007

I JUST CAN'T QUIT YOU, PAUL GROSS


PAUL GROSS

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