Sewing sewing sewing...

So yesterday and today, Stevie and I have been working on what will become a performance outfit (and possibly an everyday style thing). It's Victorian style clothes: slacks, shirt and waistcoat (pronounced "waiscot"). I've gotten the pants and vest cut out and will be working on the shirt tomorrow, and Stevie's got a good deal of the pants put together. It's mostly linen with the lining of things in muslin; the shirt is a white on white floral fabric which is going to be tea-dyed slightly.

It's a long, tedious stuff, but I can't wait to see it finished. I'm learning to sew button holes right now and so far I feel like I'm absolutely perfect at it - if I were sewing some sort of Frankenstein/ Tim Burton character.

I may also be performing at a promotional dinner for the new movie "The Dinner for Schmucks." It's a remake of a French film le diner de cons (which is fantastic) and someone from Paramount asked if I would be interested in performing at their dinner event thingy. Also Friday I'm talking to a studio about teaching magic classes there and I've emailed a group that is doing a new vaudeville/speakeasy style show downtown, so keep your fingers crossed.

Other than that, tomorrow I'm going running with a friend and then hanging out a bit and this week I'm fixing up my table and such for the demo video I'm filming Friday night.

Anyway, back to Aladdin and buttonholes.

Men build bridges and throw railroads across deserts, and yet they contend successfully that the job of sewing on a button is beyond them. Accordingly, they don't have to sew buttons.

- Heywood Broun

Politics

So somehow the Santa Monica Buskers have managed to keep themselves in line for years, but this summer, "the man" wants to change the busking assignment to a lottery system, effectively making it to where you are assigned a spot, at random, for two weeks at a time. At the end of the period, there is another lottery. So what if you don't get drawn (there are over two hundred street performing permits)? Sucks for you. Don't get drawn two periods in a row? Sorry.

Now so far, everyone has managed to keep their cool over this and deal with it rationally. That is until some busker was slighted by another and now they have a feud going that has polarized the entire Pier and led into some sort of fiasco which proves to "the man" that we can't govern ourselves and we do in fact need a lottery.

Thanks children.

--------------------

In other news, this week has been rather average. Got patterns cut out for the clothes Stevie and I are making and have started reading Niel Gaiman's Sandman. It's quite good.

I'm talking to some people this week about teaching magic classes at their studio, sot hat should be fun, and I was going to shoot a commercial yesterday, but it fell through.

Also been dealing with the bank. F***** bank.

Also, I may be going to the Hollywood Improv on Tuesday. I have a bunch of free tickets, but I'm not sure about it because it's a 2 drink minimum, so I'll have to talk to the gang (the crew? the assorted group of random personalities? The inmates! There we go) about it.

So that's what's happening here.

Three in the afternoon

And I'm having a glass of wine...my grandmother would be proud.

It's been a long day of job hunting again. For those of you who missed it, we're looking for a part time job so that we can keep on this adventure. It seems that most places I've applied for I have insufficient work experience and am over-educated (apparently Fossil thinks you can't learn to sell a watch if you haven't done it before.)

I'm beginning to see the horrible problem that has been facing graduates: 2 years experience needed. Just because you're educated doesn't mean you can learn. Someone told me that the difference in Europe and the US is that in Europe they want employees to be educated and here we want them to be experienced. The real problem with this is where the hell do you get experience? I'm pretty sure that it's not that damn hard to sell a bloody watch. Here, let's try:

Customer: Um...I want this watch here.

Me: Ok.



Me: Have a good day.



Perhaps I'm wrong...perhaps they want a high-pressure, boiler-room style watch sale:

Me, dragging a customer in from the street: How are you today sir? Great! Now this here is our top of the line Aviatronix 275000. What's that? You betcha it's a genuine japanese time movement, made by hand in the finest watch shrines, carefully cultivated by the highest order of Quartz Monks. Look at the detail! How exquisite! And look at this genuine leather* band. Doesn't it look sooooooooo comfortable? Oh and look, it goes perfect with your eyes, i mean hair, i mean belt, i mean shoes, i mean girlfriend. Fantastic. Well, have a good day sir, and enjoy your new low-quality over charged watch!

See... perfect for the job.

It should be noted that I'm picking on Fossil, but this equally applies to every other place that thinks you need 5-7 years experience to sell their handbag/hamburger/insurance/pony ride.

Anyway, back to the grind.

Gogol Bordello

So yesterday I managed to get two tickets to go see Gogol Bordello at the Mayan in downtown. So Curls and I headed down there and the person in front of us, gives us another ticket (which, after determining that there wasn't anyone who could make it downtown quick enough scalped for $15).

The Mayan is incredible! The entire club is set up on a multi-level plan, so there really isn't a bad view of the stage. Also, the entire club is decked out in Mayan artwork and carvings. It was great!

But Gogol Bordello was even better. Talk about an amazing mix of gypsy/punk music. They put on a great show and had everyone at the club dancing and jumping and having a good time.

---------------

This morning I woke up and immediately had a 15 minute nose bleed. I guess it's to be expected since I was having a dream where a giant, spiky trebuchet looking thing hit me in the head (I was wearing a helmet...a crappy helm, but I had one on).

Yeah, talk about insanity fueled dreams...I can't remember them all, but I do remember most of them being crazy.

Anyway, gotta run.

Submitted an Article

This is a semi-cross post from Magic Today, but this one contains more info on what else is going on.

I submitted my article, "Exposure and the Real World", to MAGIC Magazine today, so keep your fingers crossed on that. It doesn't pay anything, but if the editor decides to use it, I'm hoping to at least get a subscription to the magazine in return, especially since there are other articles of mine that he wants to read.

So had a great small birthday gathering last night with Stevie, Daniel and Curls. Stevie and I went to the farmer's market and then spent all day cooking spinich and ricotta pie, stuffed zuccinii, and cherry-rhubarb pie. Stevie also whipped up a cucumber salad and a side of oranges too. We introduced Chopper (Stevie's boxer) and Jack (Curls' pitbull). Talk about an interesting experience. I think the two dogs would get along if they had some acclimation time, but as it was it was a bit stressful (for me, less for the dogs I think.)

After dinner we played a game of Demon in which Daniel and I reached 100pts at the same time. Stevie (who is like a god at this game) managed to score a 72ish (because she *let* me win...) and Curls, in his first time playing this fast-paced, screaming, yelling card game, scored a -78.

Towards the end of the game, the neighbors (who were at Disneyland all day) made it back and had gotten me a fairly large package. I started opening it and the wrapping just kept going, and going, and going until the rather large package became a rather normal sized mug with Mickey Mouse that said something like "To me you're magic." Apparently they decided against the "Once a princess always a princess" mug. Thank you.

Anyway, today is a writing day, so I better get to it. I've got another article for MAGIC to finish up and then I may have a deal doing some of those little "fingertip" books (the reall small ones, think pocket sized). It's not a particularly wonderful gig, but I could write on an amazing amount of hilarious topics (like how to survive the impending zombie invasion.)

Oh, for those of you who care, my brother will not be deploying early (date is still september) and I may be joining him on 4 July for a boat party.

"Too few people understand a really good sandwich."James Beard

World Vision Fundraiser

I just got back from the World Vision fundraiser event that I was performing at. It took place at the Graystone Mansion, where X-men, Spiderman, The Prestige, and a crap-ton of other movies were filmed. I've got some pictures on my phone, so as soon as I can figure out how to transfer them, they'll be up here.

The event was fantastic, and I got to mingle with an amazing number of people who could buy a new Rolls or Bentley and not even blink. The show Desperate Housewives? The Real Housewives of Orange County? Yeah, these people are who those shows were based off of.

Anyway, I also became friends with the executive director of World Vision, and I may be doing more events with them directly. I may also be doing things for the Women of Vision group in Orange County and the new LA group. I also met the women who run a classical Chinese Dance school in San Fransisco and train the touring groups, one of which will be in LA in three weeks or so, so I may go to see that.

Anyway, I've gotta go walk the dog. Pictures ASAP!

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. ~Margaret Mead

Malabamba

Wow... The Bordello club is amazing, black crystal chandeliers and red light bulbs and fascinating people, and the music at Malabamba (the event that I went to tonight at the Bordello) was simply fantastic!

Anyway, time for sleep. If I remember, I'll try to write more.

Dunno...

It seems like a bit since I last posted anything of relevance, but I guess it hasn't really been.

Tomorrow I'm going to be writing two articles for the editor of Magic Magazine to read and see if they are something publishable. I sent him a synopsis of the articles and he said he's interested, so here's hoping!

Stevie is helping me put together a character for my performances. We ordered patterns for victorian era clothes (thanks Sage!) and I'll be shaping my character from there. I think I'm going to try to write out a few paragraphs about what kind of character he is. It's easier than sitting here just thinking about it. But he's definitely designed around the Victorian style of clothing, most likely with a steampunk twist.

Other than that, it's been the same stuff running through my head.


Again and again, the impossible problem is solved when we see that the problem is only a tough decision waiting to be made. Robert H. Schuller 

Cheer Up

http://i.imgur.com/HWhvy.jpg

A Long Day

Today I called thirty five different places to see if they're hiring (gotta get a job...it happens) and then called another thirty event planners to see about getting listed with them as an entertainer.

Out of that one of the event planning companies I called actually offered me an audition-gig. There is a charity event on Saturday (http://worldvisionusprograms.org/second-start.html ) and I'm going to be doing some walk-around magic there. The really cool thing is that the woman who owns the event company is donating her time and energy as well and actually said she wouldn't ask me to perform for free otherwise. Finally someone who understands not performing for just "exposure". The coolest part is...drum roll please...she's an Aggie! So there is a fantastic opportunity. Whoop!


I was also contacted today to put together a Halloween show. The guy asked for 2 magicians for 600 "VIP's CEO's & CFO's" so it looks like it will be a fun gig. Keep your fingers crossed on that one.


I skipped out on playing parkour in the park tonight because after all the phone calls and trolling craigslist and going up to Citywalk to look at job-y stuff, I was exhausted. 


So yeah, long day. Just got back from dinner with Stevie and Daniel. Fantastic sushi place. Really awesome. 


Also, I did laundry and Stevie is helping me develop a character for my act (well, develop a character to develop a cool act around.) I'll post links and such to coolness later.


"...I love you as certain dark things are to be loved
in secret between the shadow and the soul..." ~Chile's Great Poet: Pablo Neruda

Scrumping!!!

Just got done scrumping with Stevie. It was awesome. I'll expound pon last night's events (hung out with Curls and his neighbors) later.

Just had to brag about scrumping plums.

P.S. Being in the tippity-toppity-tip-top of a tree when a strong gust of wind blows is amazing!

Wow...strange moment

Ok...just got a call from the Ex-Mother-in-law... talk about insane. I've been expecting a call from a friend back home about some gig advice and when I answered, she just started talking and it took me a few moments to realize this was not the person I was expecting (the phone was cutting out so I was only getting every other word or so).

The conversation went something like this:

Her: Hello, Cameron?

Me: Yes?

Her: This is Mar *STATIC* do we got you se up *STATIC*. It's behind the table so *STATIC* or not. Anyway *STATIC*...

Then the phone cut out, and I thought about it and realized that the "Mar" sounding name I was waiting for was not the "Mar" sounding name that had called me. So when she called back I checked the number...Yup, 830 area code. Definitely not the person I was expecting a call from.

Her: Cameron?

Me: Yes, but I think you have the wrong person.

Her: *awkward silence* I'm sorry.

Wow...

What a crazy random happenstance... Well, back to working...

Just made it home

Just got in from parkour. Class starts at 8:15 - 8:30. Curls and I stayed 'til 1 with a handful of other people.

I am so exhausted and my arms hurt and I twisted both my ankles (separately) and my back is sore, but it was amazing. I may have to start staying every night. Curls said that sometimes they stay until 3 or 4am.

So this won't make sense to most of you, and it's too late to find youtube videos for examples, so just stay with me: I managed to do a kong over a tall balance beam and stick a precision landing onto another balance beam. It's exciting. Took me forever, not because I couldn't make it to the spot, but because I was terrified of screwing my foot up on the balance beam (which I didn't...it was my ankle). Got a lot of tips on my form for the various moves we were messing around with and a greater insight into everyones personalities.

Got lost on the way home but Curls found an awesome taco stand. We may be expanding our Monday parkour group (it was me, Stevie, Curls, <---his friend, and the neighbors this week), and that would be cool.

Curls told me about a site called Meetup where people get on and find groups with the same interests. Sounds fun.

Ok...sleepy time.

 I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. ~Ghandi [truer words my friend, truer words]

Clean air without the chlorine smell

So my family has had these "ionic air purifiers" for a while and the absolute worst thing is that you walk into the house and it smells like chlorine or possible an over concentration of O3.

Now that's a thing of the past! As it turns out, plants, something that occurs naturally, can actually, wait for it, you'll love it:

Plants can actually clean and purify air.

There, I said it. I know you don't believe me, but take a look at some of the best plants to purify air:

http://proswhoknow.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/best-houseplants-to-improve-indoor-air-quality/

Parkour in the Park

Yesterday was fun. I went to the grocery store (2 of them) with Stevie and she dropped me off at the coffee shop that I like to write in, Lulu's Beehive, where I spent several hours writing. The Robin Hood story is up to about 12,000 words and most of it isn't crap, so that's a plus.

Afterwards a group of us went to do parkour stuff in the park which was a lot of fun, but still more difficult than inside. As it turns out, trees and tables and the like aren't padded gymnastics foam.

Then dinner, which was fantastic. Curls and his friend (who both were at the park with us) stayed for dinner, and hilarity ensued.

So overall a good day.

Spending today trying to finish up what I can on my press packet stuff. Need to get that done ASAP so I can apply at all the places.

Other than that, an Orange County appellate court ruled that red light camera tickets were not legal because they were hearsay. The reason behind the ruling is that no one who actually has first hand experience with the way the system is run or maintained nor the person who processed the photo originally testified. So that's another step forward to get those damn red-light cameras gone. For once College Station is ahead of the times. (It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I for one am all misty eyed when I think about it. /sarcasm)


Congress, the press, and the bureaucracy too often focus on how much money or effort is spent, rather than whether the money or effort actually achieves the announced goal. Donald Rumsfeld 

A thank you

I know that I'm not the best at keeping in touch with everyone, which is a big reason for me having this blog, but it recently occured to me that I may be, in my attempt to keep in contact with everyone at once, be  neglecting everyone at the same time. So, this post is for everyone at the same time as well as for everyone individually.

Thank you. Thank you all for your unending support. It's great having a group of people who are cheering me on and wishing me well.

I love you all. You guys are fantastic and without your love, help, support, and hope for me, I wouldn't be able to do this. I miss you all, each and every one of you, and I cannot wait to see you all again.

So please remember that if I'm not constantly updating you individually on everything that I am thinking of you when I post on here. So once again, Thank You.

Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.
C. S. Lewis 

Universal Studioso,

So my brother wasn't able to make it on Saturday, but that's no reason to allow $120 tickets (a piece) to go to waste, so I invited a friend from parkour named Curls.

Let me just say that Universal Studios was fantastic! It was amazing and a day filled with easy fun and entertainment. The park isn't sprawlingly huge like some are, and this made it very easy to find everything and see it all in a single day.

We started at the Waterworld (after the movie of the same name) show and it was amazing! They threw an actual plane that was on fire at the audience. Then we moved on to the haunted house which was great! Our imaginations, along with the live actors, really made the place great.

Then there was the Simpsons Virtual Ride. Talk about something absolutely phenomenal! I can't even describe it, all I can say is that it was amazing and everyone should experience it if they can.

So the day was outstanding, partly due to the free tickets, partly due to the innate amazingness of the park, and a large part due to how awesome it is to hang out with Curls.

After returning to the apartment, we (me, Stevie et. al. [not Curls]) went to see Prince of Persia. It was...about what you'd expect. The parkour was pretty amazing and the graphics were good, but overall it was a video game movie.

Today I'm working on figuring out how to put a press-kit together so I can apply at Disney, Universal Citywalk (not giving up on that), and Six Flags. I'm also working up a silent act, which I need to have in order to think about working with a group Stevie knows.


When the world says, "Give up,"
Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."


EDIT: spelling

A new friend

So I headed down to the pier today and spoke for a bit with my characiture friend. After a bit, as I sat there waiting for my spot, an attractive young woman with a video camera walked up and started talking to me.

Turns out that she is traveling the country interviewing people about life and things in general. It was pretty spectacular talking to her, and hopefully I will stay in touch. Talk about a much needed breath of fresh air. I can't wait to see the film at the end of her trip.

The pier in and of itself was pretty slow today.

Bitched about life to Tegan, who so far is very tolerant of my complaints.

Ian can't make it tomorrow, so, having tickets I don't want to waste, I invited a friend from parkour.

Had Shepperd's pie for dinner. Fantastic.

One experience after another

Showed up at Santa Monica Pier today and made a new friend. He does characitures and we spoke a bit. Then an older man came up and started talking to us about quite a few random things; from gangsters and drug users to why women think men are complicated, we covered it all. One thing that my new characiture friend said was that for Memorial Day, spots for the 9am-11am shift and the 1pm-4pm shift were gone the night before and people started lining up for the 7pm-10pm shift at 2am on Memorial Day. So...if I want to get a spot for a holiday, 17 hours before hand I need to be there (remember, you can't leave for more than 10 minutes at a time or you lose your spot.

Anyway, today went ok. Not great, but ok. I'm very sunburned. The backs of my hands are sunburned. Stevie reminded me to get sunscreen on the way home from parkour. But the pier was good, except for one Japanese man who, while I was performing (crowd-building) grabbed my hands and forced my hand open while I was doing the rings. The only reason I didn't hit him or throw him from the pier was the baby in his hands. Bastard.

Parkour was great. We did rolls. They were amazing. I made people's minds melt with magic (you'd think after eight hours of performing you'd be tired, but not really...) A group of us is going to the park on Monday to practice/workout. Made a cool new friend. He looks/acts/is a laberdoodle.

Ian may(not) be coming Saturday, depends on Navy stuff, but I did manage to score tickets to Universal Studios, so that's a plus, which reminds me, I need to email that lady and say thanks...again.

Really enjoying things out here. Everything is starting to fall into place so things should only get better from here. It's not as easy as I'd hoped (or become accustomed to...damn not having to study in school!), but it's good.

Anyway, sorry for not a whole lot of detail, but it's enough for me to remember what happened to expand upon later. I gotta get up at 5am to be out of here at 5:30, so G'night!

~If people were meant to pop out of bed, we'd all sleep in toasters.




UPDATE: I almost forgot, Stevie managed to really mess with me today. Her expression was perfect. She just flat out pulled one over on me, though now I know what she looks like when she spins stories, so nyyygh! (That's the sticking out your tongue noise) expounded upon later :)

Cabaret and Magic Apple

So last night we went to see the UCLA production of Cabaret, and it was fantastic, absolutely amazing. Definitely worth flying in here this week to see!

Today I went to two different magic shops to try and find 7/8" or 1" crocheted balls and neither magic shop had them. The first one was Hollywood Magic Inc and it's inside a costume shop. Now I don't tell you this to insult all magic shops inside costume stores, Magic Etc in Ft. Worth is fantastic! Hollywood Magic Inc is  amazingly crappy.



Then I headed down to the Magic Apple, a genuinely good magic shop, but they were out of the balls I was looking for, but the guys ordered them for me, which means I'll be doing a revamped routine with just two cups. I hung out there for a while and made it home a few minutes ago.

That's about it. Plans now? Laundry.

“I believe you should live each day as if it is your last, which is why I don't have any clean laundry, because, come on, who wants to wash clothes on the last day of their life?”

So...it's been a few days

Things have been. That's about the size of it. Sunday was fun. Hung out with a Stevie and a friend. 

Monday I forgot it was Memorial Day (a holiday and thus a good day for busking) and managed to be chided and talked down to by almost every person I spoke with. Since I forgot it was Memorial Day, I headed down to a coffee shop where I wrote something like thirty pages of absolute worthless crap. It's all getting deleted. So all in all, Monday sucked. Except for learning Majong,

Today I headed out to busk (Stevie drove me, sparing me the pains of the Metro) and managed to be number 7 on the list, guaranteeing me a good spot, and I got one and got signed up to finish out the 9-1 shift at a good spot. Set up and gathered a large crowd straight away. Did my show, and everyone seemed to enjoy it though they didn't display it in a...how do you say...monetary fashion. Also I'm still nervous performing for people I know/give a damn about their opinion.

Then I moved on at 1 to my other spot down the pier directly across from Pacific Playground (thankfully zombie free) and proceeded to hang out for a bit before one of my rings broke it's weld. *great*. Shortly after, the wind caught the balls from my cups routine and decided that they were better off being donated to  the ocean than being used for their intended purpose. I thought about jumping in after it but decided going to jail wasn't worth it, so with 2 of 3 routines shot, I thought about an airline ticket, decided it wasn't as bad as all that and headed home.

Only to get on the broken bus, the one where the little voice that says "You're coming up to this stop" is all fucked up. It told me I was at my stop 11 stops before I was and trusting it, myself and seven other people got off only to realize we were at the wrong place. So we got on the next bus which was also broken (didn't have a voice) and the driver decided people didn't need to know what stop was coming up. So I missed my stop and got off on one where I knew there was a metro station and took the Purple line to the Red line to the Orange line to Home.

Then I had a Cuba Libre. Now I am waiting to go to the UCLA production of Cabaret. Also I emailed Disney World and Universal CityWalk about busking requirements (Disney) and about getting back to me (Universal). 

So tl;dr: two pretty sucky days, sucky metro, but there was Majong and Theater. 

Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive.  And then go and do that.  Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.  ~Attributed to Howard Thurman