the internets are serious business


a friend’s baby

Hey Jude: Times Square subway sing-along

I just bought a white topped IKEA table desk at a very steep discount off Craigslist to replace the desk I sold several years ago. This, for a multitude of reasons, is far more exciting than it has any right to be. Lung helped me bring it home and wrestle it upstairs to my apartment and even into my room, for which I am deeply grateful. The desk, more of a table, really, is not very big, but my room is smallish, so almost every piece of bedroom furniture had to be moved to accommodate it. My entire body hurt from how much work it took, but it’s so amazing to finally have a workspace again that all the hassle was completely worth it. (Even the bizarro Trial Of The Talking Computer, which apparently complains out loud of overclocking failure when it needs a new BIOS battery.)

My next big step will be to get my website up and running again, this time with a focus on photography, with a page, too, devoted to the various Thread of Grace projects. I am slow with websites, though. I begin to have a general design figured out, then find myself lost among the apparently endless methods of developing a gallery backend. Realistically, I don’t much care what it looks like, as long as what I end up with is easy to update and allows people to link to each image. Simple, understated, a bit of text with each picture. Uncomplicated. (I’ve started looking for that pop up gallery everyone’s been using for the last couple of years, where the image slides up over the page, and there’s tiny little > and < for right and left). In the world of fanciful imaginary land, however, I'd also like an automatic flickr feed widgety thing in a sidebar somewhere, thumbnails that offer a preview when a mouse hovers over them, and a significantly prettier interface than most templates offer. An overnight degree in graphic design, plane tickets to somewhere tropical and warm, and an oceanside horsie ride wouldn't hurt, either.

they both have the same name

Ahmet Zappa is developing Fraggle Rock into a full-length feature film.

It is maddening to be able to write clearly and concisely about the frustrations attached to writing a business plan without having the instant skill to apply the same to the business plan itself. The language is entirely different, if not, possibly, the entire vocabulary. It’s like how I don’t know Dutch, though the alphabet is the same.

Mostly thanks to Warren, Foxtongue.com hits are already nearing 2000 and we’ve only been up for a little over 24 hours. (I expect it to hit 2000 by the time I get up in the morning for work). Thanks to the popularity of the website, we seem to have added a lawyer to the mix of volunteers, a few film-makers, and a neuro-scientist. I’m not sure what we’re going to do with the last one, but I’m more than certain I want to know her anyway. Over the course of yesterday and today, I broke both my mail-boxes with the sheer volume of letters going in and out. I would be amazed, except that I’m more annoyed with myself for not remembering that I kill them every time I’m working on something serious. A mailing list will be set up next, hopefully available as of tomorrow. A nice, handy, not-going-to-count-against-my-limit mailing list.

Also, I need some press releases. Also, still an artist sketch rendition of what the place will look like once we shiny it up and info and archival materials on the New York Theatre.

There’s an english language trailer for “Perfume” available.

Heart of the World (broke my mail-box)

The plan in essence is laid out here: www.foxtongue.com. I’m asking you to forward this as e-mail to absolutely everyone in your address books, to post it to every forum and mailing list you can think of, to carpet-bomb the internet with this pitch. (Even this intro bit, yes). The more people we have read this, the more chance we have to exist. We have three weeks to raise a million dollars. Please, go to.

_________________
Imagine buying a space and starting your own theatre, or your own art gallery, or your own movie theatre, or your own music hall. Imagine being able to host performances of all sorts- giving your creative friends space to perform or exhibit their work. I’ve got friends who are dancers and painters and lighting designers and actors and directors and writers and photographers and cinematographers… it would be amazing to give them a space to create what they dream of, to be seen, heard, and appreciated.

I found an old cinema in Vancouver, built in 1910 and most recently used as a Bollywood house. It used to be The New York, where Neil Young and Sonic Youth once played. And it’s up for sale.

I want to turn it into a 21st Century “multi-disciplinary arts facility featuring inspiring work from all over the globe that recaptures and surpasses its previous glory.” And I want to call it Heart Of The World.

Housed in a classic 300 seat theatre built in 1910, the heyday of theatre, before any “leaky condo” fiasco, Heart of the World is to address the contemporary artistic and creative needs of the constantly evolving geographic location in which it is situated, offering competitive rates and a multi-faceted performance space. Complete with a full sized stage, a balcony with box seats, and a fully functional projection booth, the bones of the space hold limitless promise – able to show films, dance, theatrical productions, acoustic and amplified concerts, and cabaret events. In the foyer, artists both local and international will be able to advantageously display their work, whether it is photography, painting, drawing or sculpture. As a web presence, Heart of the World will offer podcasts of performances, a gallery of streaming video of performers, the chance to chat with featured artists, and up-to-date interviews, reviews and schedule listings.

How to help Jhayne:

So you don’t have money or don’t know what to say- make it short, make it sweet, don’t say anything you don’t mean, and copy-paste pass on the word to your friends/coworkers/contacts.

If you’re contributing a few bucks, your endorsement can be merely, “My money’s worth it.” If you’re willing to contribute time/energy, your endorsement can be “I’d sweep the stage,” or “I’d stuff envelopes,” or “I’d work on the theatre’s electrics crew.” If you don’t think you can do those things, but you want to see this happen for your own entertainment purposes, your endorsement can be “I’d pay to see a performance at Heart of the World.” If you live too far away, but you think this is a good idea, write “I wish Heart of the World were in my city,” or merely “This is a great idea.”

Be honest, and don’t bite your tongue. Feel free to copy and paste, if any of these sentiments echo the words that are not coming from you.

Don’t do this because I’m telling you to, though. Do this because you want to help or because you think it’s a good idea.

Of special merit are local bands/theatre troupes/cinematographers/other performers and local entertainment patrons.

All you have to do is promise to go to a show.

Short and sweet means that potential contributors see more endorsements.

Marc said he’d get us heartoftheworld.ca


Raja Cinema
Originally uploaded by SqueakyMarmot.

THE WEBSITE FOR HEART OF THE WORLD HAS GONE LIVE!

It’s rough still, but I’m continuing to build on it. There should be be more sections by the end of the day. If you’ve got suggestions, lay them on, but keep in mind I have an obscene amount of writing ahead of me, so any suggestions will have to be the sort I can implement within the existing structure.

I still need artist sketches, representations of what the place will look like when we’re up and running. Here‘s a good shot of the exterior as it presently stands. I want it shiny – gray exterior, red highlights, keep the brass.

One of the pages I want to have started by the end of the day is one of Potential Clients. I want letters of support, laying claim to time in the theatre, wanting to show in the gallery, whatever. Just apply to book the space, basically, and do so professionally, and I’ll toss it up.

“Jhayne’s trying to do something incredible here. If you’ve got some spare change, go ahead and donate a little to her cause. If you’d perform at a venue like Heart of the World, write up a little paragraph saying what your artform is, and where you’d come from to work on or perform/exhibit in Heart of the World, and e-mail Jhayne with your endorsement. It’ll help persuade investors. At very least? Check out her site and see what she’s trying to do.” via inktea

my life looks better when it’s written down

postsecret.blogspot.com - 4672833129

I was given website hosting this week, (still under construction, I’m tackling the learning curve best I can, but it’s a damned wall. Suggestions and coding help welcome).

Last night I threw panties onto a stage where Mark played Frank Zappa with his teeth, rock-star style.

Wednesday, the Celluloid Social Club showed Kryshan’s Zombiewalk film, had me come up and talk about it, gave me a chance to promote like an expensive whore, and my friends won the Bloodshots 48 Hour Horror Film Competition with a Italiana Nunsploitation flick that you can watch here. See: Steampower Films.

Today my work has decided to pay me, (with a slight raise), to attend the Rolling Stones concert next Friday and look pretty.

None of which, by the way, makes up for the fact that they pulled my fireworks show out of the Parade of Lost Souls.

Oh, and for all these lily innocent doe-eyed “what’s this parade thing?” types, the Parade of Lost Souls is possibly the only completely marvelous event that Vancouver actually has. Be there unrestrained and fanciful or I will always cherish the initial misconception I had about you and nothing more.