2008 so far
Current mood: creative

Next month is a reunion of Professional Children's School, where I went when I was doing my Broadway show.  A lot of the people who went there wound up working professionally as adults (Christian Slater, Jerry O'Connell are two I remember) but for the first time, I'm as proud of what I'm doing as they are of what they're doing.  I've been looking backwards for a decade to the time when Steven and I were making movies and tv shows, but as my old friend Lisa Wahla once told me, I have the heart of a teacher.  It's finally feeling that way.

It's been very surreal teaching at Cal State Northridge in the very room where I had my very first acting class back in 1990!  The first acting game I played with my students was the very first acting game I played in that room.  A little tribute to the late professor Richard Shank!  So far the students are responding to me in a very positive way, and it's great to work with ADULTS.  At OC High School of the Arts, I'm directing a one-act about Queen Victoria, so I get to use my love of history as well as theatre.  The cast is first-rate, and I really feel like the kids respect my work. I'm also enjoying teaching Acting for the Camera, a class that pulls from experience when I was a working actor. At Performers Academy, I'm doing Camp Rock.  I would have a harder time with that nonesense if it weren't for CSUN and OCSHA to balance it.  It's a challenge directing 6-10 year olds, but thank God I've got Lizzie to help me.  She's the hardest working woman in show business. 

 And let's not forget the Poxy Boggards. Although I'm missing Northern Faire because of CSUN, it's still been a good year with the band.  Steven and I have three new songs, and we're trying one out up north next week.  I can't wait to hear how it goes! My other band, Celtic Squall, is recording a song a week, and we'll have a product out probably by Christmas.

Kimi and I are loving Long Beach, and each other. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have won 3 games in a row. Obama is ahead in the polls, and November 4 is coming up fast. Oh my God, 2008 is LOOKING GOOD!

Currently watching : Ishtar

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John Adams
Current mood: enthralled

I just finished watching a great miniseries from HBO on DVD: John Adams starring Paul Giamatti.  What a great work of art!  All those figures from the American Revolution that we know only as myth and pictures on currency are brought to human, dirty, flawed, glorious life.  Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Hamilton, Benjamin Rush, Sam Adams, and John Quincy Adams are all portrayed as they should be: men, not gods.  And of course, the 54-year love affair of John and Abigail Adams is one of the most extraordinary romances in the history of the world.  Exceptional cast, poignant stories in seven episodes, and filmmaking of the highest calibur.  The film is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book John Adams by David McCullough, who has written several great books on the Revolution, my favorite being 1776, which details that remarkable year in America and England.
If you have never been a fan of history, it doesn't matter.  If you're a fan of costume design, makeup, architecture, literature, great acting, or just top-notch storytelling, you will not be disappointed. The story is an American story that is as real and relevant today as in their time.  If you get a chance to rent it, buy it, or catch a repeat on HBO, please sit and watch.  And enjoy.

Currently watching : John Adams (HBO Miniseries) Release date: 2008-06-10

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It’s done

I've gotten rid of all the angry blogs about this primary season.  None of that matters anymore.  Barack Obama is now the nominee of the Democratic party.  The first black man to be chosen to lead the party, he is also the most intelligent, well-spoken, well-written, and most forward-thinking candidate the United States has seen in a very long time. The potential this man has for making America the country we all know it has been and can be again is astounding. 
Here's a man who built an organization from practically nothing and took on the Clinton Machine-the most powerful family name in Democratic politics. He studied, planned, and strategized, based on the rules in place, exactly how he could beat her. And he did. Not by much, but a win is a win is a win. Does it take away from the New York Giants stunning win over the heavily favored New England Patriots the fact that they only won by 3 points? It does not. The man is smart, clever, and a strategist. It should say something about what kind of President he's going to be.
I am proud to be an American today.  And not in that country music gun waving love it or leave it bullshit kind of way.  But in a personal, profound way that re-establishes the heart and soul of the country with my own heart and soul.  The country and I have not been on the same page for 8 years(and not because Bush is Republican, but the illegal war, the tortures and treatment of prisoners, the fear mongering, the isolation, the ridicule, etc.) and to see that page ready to turn and the country ready to elevate itself to a place where its values, opportunity and equality, have been represented in the man who is running, is very satisfying.  Regardless of the outcome, it's a good day for the United States of America.  Somewhere out there, Jefferson and Adams, Lincoln and Frederick Douglas, Booker T and Langston Hughes, Jack and Bobby Kennedy, and Malcolm and King are enjoying this!

Currently reading : Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln By Doris Kearns Goodwin

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Relationships
Current mood: blessed

Men and women have completely different thought patterns.  This is not news to anyone.  Neither is the idea that intimacy by its very nature unleashes all kinds of feelings, both good and bad, right at the person with whom we are intimate.  We can destroy relationships as fast as we build them thanks to this phenomenon.  But the one thing that has kept my current relationship working so well is not just communication, although that's a big part of it. But it is self-examination that has saved us time and time again.  Example: during a recent spat over an unimportant event, the tension was escalating.  Although I was getting angry and so was she, I was aware enough that I could see she had no interest in fighting and wanted to unlock our horns.  So I quietly said "sorry I'm reacting this way."  She said "I'm just looking out for you and I'm frustrated you're not accepting my advice."  I said "I think my male ego is interpreting it as you're telling me I can't take care of myself", to which she replied "of course that's not what I mean." I answered "I know." And the fight was over.  It was our maturity, our ability to read the other person, and our self-awareness that diffused the situation.  It is not an inherited behavior by any means, and I wasn't very good at it ten years ago. I had to learn it and get better at it.  And every relationship I had prior to this one helped me.  So to all of my young myspace friends out there, please be patient with whatever shit you're going through with your current relationship or lack of one.  In the future, it will all make sense and you'll be thankful for all your exes so that you can really enjoy the time you share with your future significant other.

Happy New Year to all.  And I love you Kimi!

Currently reading : The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream By Barack Obama Release date: 06 November, 2007

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Life After Tomorrow

I just had this overwhelming experience watching a documentary called Life After Tomorrow.  It's about all the kids who were in either the Broadway or National Touring companies of Annie in the late '70s and early '80s.  Now, obviously I wasn't in Annie.  But Steven and I were their age and from New Jersey and in show business so we knew a lot of them.  We were at the same talent shows and auditions and had the same managers.  Having spent 2 years ('82-'84) in On Your Toes on Broadway from the age of 13 to 15, I can relate to the Annie experience. We were just children who experienced things that most children do not. The ups and downs, the tutoring, the parents, life in the theatre, and life since.  In the film, most of the actors are now just regular people who still dream of being in the business.  That hit home.  I miss it as well.  But like most of them, I'm happy doing what I'm doing, and I'll have the memories forever. Here's to all the kids.  It was nice to see you on film.

Currently watching : Life After Tomorrow Release date: 2008-02-26

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Destroying our idols

I heard Britney Spears stunk it up on the VMAs.  There's been a little footage of it online, so I watched it.  I didn't care much for her when she was on top of her game, but this was clearly not her best performance. She seemed tired, out of shape, and lackluster.  But the worst part was the shots of the audience.  Visible laughter and looks of disgust.  Why is it that the same people who build her up to be the second coming of Christ are the ones who are most enjoying her fall from grace?  There are other examples of our society doing this, most recently with Lindsey Lohan.  People everywhere are taking her picture and begging her for 5 minutes, and the next thing you know she's in trouble and therefore the butt of a thousand jokes.  Michael Vick was the savior of pro football, but now he's a felon who let us down and so we have more jokes. We build up these idols to worship, and at the first opportunity we want to tear them down and laugh.  Then we look elsewhere and go through the same thing.  Are we as Americans constantly dissatisfied?  Do these idols just do this to themselves? Are we ashamed of the people we worship? Are we embarrassed that we're worshipping in the first place?  Are we subconsciously looking for the Messiah?  Britney was no messiah, but it's kind of sad that she's a has-been at 25 years old.  We shouldn't be laughing.

Currently listening : Ray Sings, Basie Swings By Ray Charles Release date: 2006-10-03

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War and piece

George Bush has a small dick.  No doubt in my mind. How do I know?  Because all he wants to do is shoot big guns with big bullets and fire big missiles to make big explosions. The man's completely inadequate, and is trying to compensate. Freud was right.  Lyndon Johnson must also have been tiny, because all he did was shoot big guns in Vietnam for his entire administration.  Then there's Kennedy.  During the Cuban Missile Crisis, he did everything he could to avoid war.  He also had lots of women in the White House.  The man was hung, I'm guessing.  Bill Clinton, of course, had Monica and probably others, and he avoided escalations in Kosovo and Rowanda.  No need for big guns during Clinton's time.  George Bush , Sr. must have passed on his genetics to his kid, because he was shooting guns in Panama and Iraq during his term.  Tiny penis, Dad?  I think about Kim Jong Il  from North Korea who was threatening to blow everyone up.  He shot one missile, which failed right after launching and splashed harmlessly into the sea.  Missile dysfunction. Haven't heard much from that guy since.   Osama Bin Laden?  Hung like a stack of buttons. No dick.  Hilary? Hmmm........

So remember, folks, when you look at the candidates in November 2008:  Small dick= big war.  Vote Obama.

Currently reading : Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America 1789-1989 By Michael R. Beschloss Release date: 08 May, 2007

2:22 PM - 6 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

I'm useful!
Current mood: creative

Written by my brother:

"Songwriting I used to shy from, since I can't write lyrics. Never could. I've only written two songs that may be considered original lyrics by me - My Splendid Emerald Isle (from Liver Let Die) and Buried at Sea (about to be recorded) - and both of those had imput from others. I don't even have a bunch of lyrics that sit around, waiting to be worked on. I mostly stare at the paper, and give up. Manipulating the English language into something you want to say, and say clearly, is very, very hard to do. Music, on the other hand, is fun and thrilling to work with. I LOVE writing music. I find music to be a majestic artform, and I'm always transported when working with it. Up 'till recently, I've written songs to Shakespeare's words, and one instrumental for the Boggards and Wives. But, lyrics? Feh!

"Then, my brother joined the band. We've turned into Elton John and Bernie Taupin. He has an excellent grasp on using words, and a wealth of ideas, which is all I've ever needed. We've each helped the other on both words and music, but it's essentially his lyrics and my music, although we agreed to submit everything we do as "Music and Lyrics by P. Schwadron and S. Schwadron. (It's alphabetical!). We will have four tunes for this new disc, which the band has embraced to our surprise and joy, and a fifth tune that was rejected (for good reason), although I'm still proud of it!  So, stay tuned. Anchor Management, or whatever it will be titled, is going to be one of the great thrills of my life so far."

Currently listening : Live at the Fillmore East By Neil Young and Crazy Horse Release date: 14 November, 2006

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Where have all the writers gone?
Current mood: productive

Reality TV is killing TV.  Why? Because great writers have nowhere to go.  They can't get their shit bought because America is watching reality shows.  Steven Bochco said that film is a director's medium, theatre is an actor's medium, and tv is a writer's medium.  Well, not anymore I guess. The problem with reality shows is that they're not real.  As long as the camera is on, people will act differently than they will in real life.  The other problem is they can take shots and edit them to look like something 's going on when it's not.  They can also re-shoot and create drama when it's not there. But the REAL problem with reality shows is that all the people on them are STUPID!!  They talk dumb, act dumb, and have nothing to say that changes my life.  The only ones ever worth watching were Queer Eye For the Straight Guy because I learned about what wine goes with what meal. Plus it had the added bonus of erasing prejudices against gay men. Deadliest Catch is the other one, 'cause those guys are truly riveting to watch catching Alaskan Snow Crab in the Bering Sea in the winter!  But Top Chef, Top Model, Top Designer, Top Ramen, Top This, Top That, etc etc.  Jesus Christ!!!  Where does one go to hear great writing again? House and Scrubs (and occasionally Two and a Half Men) are all that's left.

Currently watching : Falstaff Chimes At Midnight [Import]

1:00 PM - 6 Comments - 3 Kudos - Add Comment

And the next President is..........
Current mood: hopeful

Senator Barak Obama.  This guy is special:  smart, charismatic, inspirational, and unifying.  He gave one of the greatest speeches I've ever heard, at the 2004 Democratic Convention. His backround is the epitome of diversity in heritage. His father was an African from Kenya, his mother a white woman from Kansas, and he was born in Honolulu.  He's lived in Hawaii, Indonesia, Los Angeles, and New York City, and currently calls Illinois home.  He was the first black president of the Harvard Law Review, and he will be the first black president of the United States.  His momentum keeps growing, and I think he's the one to put our energy towards to take our country back from the whack job currently presiding over it.

Currently reading : Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance By Barack Obama Release date: 10 August, 2004

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