#stephen neff

[reluctantfarburgblog]

How I Learned to Love Editing/Book Review!

One of the most unexpected results of my journey to becoming a published author was learning to love the second draft. Yes, I was one of those people who felt as though I had to get it right, or at least 99.5% right, on the first go. The second draft was supposed to be the coat of polish to fix it and the effort required would be just as shallow. 

I’ll be honest; a lot of it was ego-driven. I wanted my beta readers to be impressed with the first draft, so impressed that revising wouldn’t be necessary. Sentence after painstaking sentence, paragraph by paragraph, I labored to make that first draft as pristine as possible. 

I think it was the myriad of revisions prior to publishing that broke me of that assumption. I am not exaggerating when I say I cannot recall how many times I went over my novel in the revision process. On the second go around, I had to further flesh out a supporting character that somehow gained more prominence as the plot continued. I also had to hammer in a paragraph here and there to deal with the concerns the beta readers had. The next couple of revisions were to fix the mistakes that I saw. And then the ones I missed after that. 

Then, I had it sent to the editor. I swore that after they did their work, I wasn’t going to look at my manuscript again. I was sick of it. It was a labor of love for years. I remember being proud when the initial feedback I got on it was better than I could have hoped for. However, I had re-read it so many times I was nauseated by it. Eat your favorite food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and see how long it remains your favorite. 

Somewhere in that wild fever dream of red marks and re-chiseling word aggregate, I found myself enjoying the process of refining the very rough first draft. It was sick by the end of it, of course, but that was well past the second draft mark. 

For me personally, the first draft is where I go through the process of setting up the scene and trying to make it at least somewhere coherent. On the second go around, I have an easier time refining the coherency and a better mental image of what else needs to be written. “Missing pieces” are easier to spot, and I think I enjoy putting in clarifying paragraphs more than I enjoy deleting needless script. 

So, all that to say this: don’t fear the second draft. Don’t try to make the perfect first draft. Word vomit on the page and then clean that mess up later. It easier once you have the framework to work with. 

And here’s a quick book review on Justice in Blue and Gray by Stephen C. Neff. I recommend it for the history and law nerds and armchair American Civil War historians. It’s a fascinating piece of non-fiction, and I was surprised to find how much legal ground was laid down during that conflict that still affects us today. However, since I prefer history more, I felt a bit like the nerd sitting at the wrong fandom table at times when it leaned more heavily on legal theory. 

[emotionaldashtoons]

Here's my poster of my official version of my version for my DisneyElseWorld's Pixar's...

INSIDE OUT 2!

I saw the new Inside Out 2 trailer, and they made Anxiety, Ennui, Embarrassment, and Envy bad by betraying the old emotions. Lots of crazy stuff is about to happen! We don't know what's going on, lots of details are there too. But what would the ElseWorld version be like?

SO!

For my idea. I have 6 new emotions, the OC emotions like, Courage, Surprise, Pride, Trust, Shame, and Frustration.

MAIN VILLAIN

I am using on of my oc villains, Spite, to be the main villain of the AU second movie.

OTHER CHARACTERS

Characters like Nia, the assistant of Ego, she runs the business with him but she tries to avoid him to help others. Bud, Courage's blood cell buddy, he doesn't speak but he's sweet, nervous, cute and got some attitude. And Brain, the big boss of Riley's mind, and the emotions need his help to stop Ego.

What New Places Would the Emotions Go To?

In this AU, far from HQ and Long Term Memory, instead of the back of the mind being empty, there is a huge mind-filled city called Mindtopia, aka, The City of Riley, where everything in the mind has everybody for Riley's Inner Workings in her mind. That also includes Headquarters. And guess what, they're not the only company, there's also banks, council buildings, restaurants, malls, houses, apartments, and everything for Mind Workers after they work at Long Term Memory. And The Mind Councilman, Chairman, is the Mind Prime Minister.

Returning Cast like...

Amy Poehler as Joy, Bill Hader as Fear (YES! I'm bringing Bill Hader back! He's so much funnier then I expected), Lewis Black as Anger, Phyllis Smith as Sadness, Kensington Tallman as Riley, Diane Lane as Mrs. Andersen, and Kyle MacLachlan as Mr. Andersen.

Recast Alert!

I actually like Liza Lapira playing Disgust. After what Mindy Kaling did in Velma, it wasn't enough for me. Because the show and her are piles of shit to me.

With All-Star Cast like...

Jake Johnson (the Spider-Verse films) as the new outside leader emotion known as Courage, Sam Richardson (Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken) as Surprise, Kate McKinnon (Ferdinand & Saturday Night Live) as Frustration,

Andrew Rannells (Trolls 3) as Trust, Randall Park (Paw Patrol: The Movie) as Pride, Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family and The Secret Life of Pets films) as Melancholy, Paula Pell (Saturday Night Live and The Cat In The Hat) as Aunt Feely & Mrs. Andersen's Anger, Henry Winkler (Barry, Monsters At Work) as the mind algorithm/brainiac boss of the mind known as Brain, Nathan Fillion (Monsters University & Cars 3) as the villainous and hilarious, but very evily whiny, yet hateful, Spite,

Zooey Deschanel (Surf's Up and Trolls) as Ego's sarcastic female assistant, Nia, Lucas Neff (Raising Home and Monsters At Work) as Yes Man, Will Forte (the Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs films) as Mind Gate Guard Jimmy, Peter Sohn (Ratatouille, Lightyear, and Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse) as the emotions new best blood cell companion buddy named Bud, Stephen Root (Barry, and King of the Hill) as Mind

Natasha Rothwell (the Sonic films) as Riley's middle school P.E. coach, Mrs. Hutch, Thomas Barbusca (Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life) as Jordan, Haley Tju (Amphibia) as Kelli, Beanie Feldstein (Neighbors 2) as Riley's bully, Frances, and Josh Peck (Drake & Josh and Drillbit Taylor) as Frances' friend, Nate.

CREW

Written & Directed by Josh Cooley

Co-Directed by Bob Peterson and Ronnie Del Carmen

Produced by Mark Neilsen, p.g.a.

Executive Produced by Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, and Jonas Rivera

Story by Josh Cooley and Pete Docter

Edited by Kevin Nolting

Cinematography by Patrick Lin and Kim White

Production Designer Craig Foster

Story Supervisor Peter Sohn

Additional Dialouge by Dan Scanlon, Bill Hader, and Amy Poehler

Visual Effects Supervisor Bob Pauley

Supervising Animators Jerome Ranft

Music by Michael Giacchino

Score Cordinator Andrea Datzman

Casting by Kevin Reher & Natalie Lyon

[kwebtv]

Monsters at Work - Disney+ - July 7, 2021 - Present

Animated Fantasy (10 episodes to date)

Running Time: 22 - 24 minutes

Voice Stars:

Billy Crystal as Mike Wazowski

John Goodman as James P. "Sulley" Sullivan

Ben Feldman as Tylor Tuskmon

Mindy Kaling as Val Little

Henry Winkler as Fritz

Lucas Neff as Duncan P. Anderson

Alanna Ubach as Katherine "Cutter" Sterns

Recurring:

Bonnie Hunt as Ms. Flint

Curtis Armstrong as Mr. Crummyham

Jennifer Tilly as Celia Mae

Stephen Stanton as Needleman and Smitty

Christopher Swindle as Jeff Fungus

[typingtess]

Tiptoeing through the guest cast of “Glory of the Sea”

The press release mentions Deeks helping his Mom find an apartment but Pamela Reed is not in the guest cast.  In the “Flesh & Blood” press release, not only was Reed listed in the guest cast, the sub-headline of the press release mentioned her return.

Duncan Campbell as NCIS Special Agent Castor Returns from “Of Value” in mid-October.

John O'Hurley as Navy Rear Admiral Ted Gordon Longtime working actor in dramas, comedies, animated series, soap operas and as a game show host.  

Was Robert McSwain in Over the Top, J. Peterman in Seinfeld and Christopher Neff on Devious Maids.  Was the sixth host of The Family Feud, hosted the revival of To Tell The Truth in 2000 and currently hosts the National Dog Show on NBC every year on Thanksgiving,  

Soap opera roles include Greg Bennett in General Hospital, Greg Schaeffer in The Edge of Night, Keith Lane in Loving, Dr. James Grainger in The Young and the Restless, Stephen Slade in Santa Barbara, Allen Cooper in Valley of the Dolls and Kit Sterling on All My Children.

Guest starred in dramas including Heartbeat, Nurses, Dark Justice, Silk Stalkings, Baywatch, Sisters, Murder She Wrote, Baywatch Nights, The X-Files, Diagnosis Murder, Hercules, Ghost Coup, Sunset Beach, For Your Love, The Mullets, Come to Papa, Quintuplets, The Mentalist and Gravity Falls.

Comedy guest roles include appearances in Frasier, PigSty, Platypus Man, A Whole New Ballgame, Living Single, Ned and Stacey, Coach, Weird Science, Mad About You, Boy Meets World, The John Larroquette Show, Life with Roger, Lost on Earth, Men Behaving Badly, Damon, Ellen, The Weber Show, Son of the Beach, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Style & Substance,  Josh & Drake, Hope & Faith, The Wizards of Waverly Place and Retired at 35.

Bryan Lillis as Jessie Fiore Lillis guest starred in episodes of The Suite Life on Deck, State of Georgia, Big Time Rush, Modern Family, Fam, 9-1-1 and Shining Vale.

Audrey Wasilewski as Meredith Huxley Voices characters in many animated projects.

Was Gwen Sheridan in Push, Anita Olson Respola in Mad Men and Pam Martin in Big Love.  Played Shirley Wilkes in the “Season No Evil” season two premiere of NCIS.

Guest starred in episodes of George & Leo, Total Security, Saved by the Bell:  The New Class, Sunset Beach, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, It’s Like You Know, Party of Five (2000), Ally McBeal, FreakyLinks, Charmed (2001), Even Stevens, Diagnosis Murder, State of Grace, The Nightmare Room, Providence, General Hospital, VIP, The Agency, For the People, 7the Heaven, ER, The West Wing, Columbo (2003), Friends, Tremors, Wonderfalls, Two and a Half Men, Without a Trace, Cold Case, Gilmore Girls, Inconceivable, Strong Medicine, Boston Legal, General Hospital: Night Shift, Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone, Private Practice, Monk, Bones, Saving Grace, 10 Things I Hate About You, Grey’s Anatomy, Outsourced, Last Man Standing, Southland, Hart of Dixie, Scandal, The Mindy Project, Shameless, Stalker, Justified, The Night Shift, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Criminal Minds, 9-1-1, Homecoming, Good Girls, Young Sheldon and Love Victor.

Charles Kohut as Jim Bones Was in episodes of Driven and Forbidden. Hanging with Chris O’Donnell and LL Cool J.

Brent McGregor as Long John Was Kurt Kaster in Friday Night Lights.  Had guest roles in My Own Worst Enemy, The Middle, We are Men and Shameless.  Was Rodney Romano in the season 10 “Detour” episode of NCIS.

Tre Hall as Marcus Moore Hall guest starred in episodes of Rebel, Ten Days in the Valley, Bosch, Lethal Weapon, Dear White People, Criminal Minds, The Rookie, Black Monday and was Carl Hammond in the “All Hands” season 19 episode of NCIS. Hall on set with his co-stars Caleb Castille and Daniela Ruah.

Written by:  Faythallegra Claude wrote season 13’s “Perception”.

Directed by:  Terence Nightingall directed "Expiration Date", "Old Tricks", "Warrior of Peace", "The Sound of Silence", “A Bloody Brilliant Plan” (which he co-wrote) and “Divided We Fall”.

[qu-film-history-to-1968]

I think it’s interesting how certain themes that we typically only think of being prevalent in the modern day have always been around, just lying deeper under the surface. To get a better idea of the mindset of the era, we can examine the treatment of people of color during this time period. Seth Browner writes about different methods that were used to keep minorities in one area and one area only post-WWII. I had heard of zoning, gentrification, and how the push for suburbs created a lack of housing for people of color. However, he mentions a term called “blockbusting,” which I hadn’t heard before in this context, which was essentially a way to separate the whites from the Blacks rather than the other way around through fear mongering (3).

Examining films specifically, we see these themes in everything from dramas to comedies to horror. One example is “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” which, as Paul Thomas wrote, “showed ‘how easy it is for people to be taken over and to lose their souls if they are not alert and determined . . . to be free…[lending] itself to both right-wing and left-wing readings—either a drama of communist subversion or a parable of suburban conformity’” (82). No matter what the political lean was supposed to be, the fact that there were these strong undertones is a surprising fact.

Another example of this is in Billy Wilder’s films of the 1940s-60s. Stephen Farber writes about it, saying “Homosexuality plays a furtive role in a number of his films…the transvestitism of Some Like It Hot [is] obvious…The relationship of Neff and Keyes, the two insurance investigators in Double Indemnity, certainly has [homosexual themes] as well. Keyes has rejected women, and in the course of the film Neff too comes to see the treachery of women; at the end the flickerings of tenderness between them- as Keyes lights Neff's cigarette- are the only moments of warmth in the film” (16). While I haven’t seen the original Some Like it Hot, I have seen the recent Broadway musical, that leans into these queer themes much more prevalently. Double Indemnity, though, is one I have seen, and I never noticed any of these homosexual messages, but it might be because I wasn’t expecting them. 

Technology is practically the opposite, where elements that we take for granted in the modern day actually have a long and storied history behind them. Take the widescreen. I’d never thought twice about the fact that nearly all films of the modern day are in is same wide aspect ratio, but after reading Paul Schrader and Robert Brink’s writings on the topic, I got a new perspective. Not only was widescreen never used, it was extremely difficult to make the switch from the thinner aspect ratio and was met with lots of differing opinions. It even emerged, and died off again before it became the norm (64).

The same goes for color in films, though this change is more obvious and well-known. However, the interesting aspect is how Technicolor went from two-color to three-color. As Gorham A. Kindem writes, “Technicolor offered contractual incentives to two small, independent producers, Walt Disney and Pioneer Films…Technicolor offered Walt Disney the exclusive rights to its three-color process for cartoons from 1932 to 1935” (33). Similar to the rebirth of widescreen, Technicolor had gone through a dip in popularity as people became disenfranchised with two-color, but with the support from Disney accompanied by two Academy Awards skyrocketed demand.

-Haley Ruccio

Farber, Stephen. “THE FILMS OF BILLY WILDER.” Film Comment 7, no. 4 (1971): 8–22. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43752857.

Browner, Seth, "The Post-World War II Suburb in the United States". The First-Year Papers (2010 - present) (2013). Trinity College Digital Repository, Hartford, CT. https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/fypapers/46

SCHRADER, PAUL, and Robert Brink. “WIDESCREEN.” Film Comment 51, no. 5 (2015): 62–65. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43577950.

KINDEM, GORHAM A. “Hollywood’s Conversion to Color: The Technological, Economic and Aesthetic Factors.” Journal of the University Film Association 31, no. 2 (1979): 29–36. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20687473.

Thomas, Paul. “Witchcraft.” Film Quarterly 64, no. 4 (2011): 82–83. https://doi.org/10.1525/fq.2011.64.4.82.

[project1939]

Day 34- Film: Diplomatic Courier 

Release date: June 13th, 1952. 

Studio: 20th Century Fox 

Genre: Spy Noir 

Director: Henry Hathaway 

Producer: Casey Robinson 

Actors: Tyrone Power, Patricia Neal, Stephen McNally, Hildegarde Neff, Karl Malden 

Plot Summary: Mike Kells is an experienced diplomatic courier for the US State department who must suddenly meet colleague Sam Carew in Salzburg to receive top-secret-documents and bring them safely home. Both men are clearly being followed, however, and things quickly go awry. When Sam ends up dead, and the documents are still missing, the danger and intrigue only increase. Who can be trusted and who cannot? 

My Rating (out of five stars): ***½ 

For the most part, I found this to be a very enjoyable and engrossing film. It wasn’t the most mind-blowing thing I’ve ever seen, but I do think that in key aspects it was very cleverly made. This was, in some ways, a more conventional spy film than 5 Fingers.  We have a clear hero with a clear mission, and two beautiful women keep weaving in and out of his story. The film was most affecting when it left you in suspense and suspicion over which characters you could believe or not. There were times I was so anxiously frustrated, I could not sit still. I think I even shouted at the screen at one point. Usually there are giveaways somewhere and you kind of know, but I had genuine anxiety about this one! 

The Good: 

Tyrone Power. I loved him in his films of the 1930s. He’s not the most accomplished actor, but he is one of those uniquely stunningly beautiful people that you can just gaze at for hours. I was actually really impressed with him here- by 1952 his acting had improved significantly. He’s a little older, so his youthful beauty is fading, but he’s still the owner of the most luscious pair of eyelashes a man ever had. He’s also just extremely likeable, and with the addition of his improved acting, it made it very easy to care about what was going to happen to him.  

Patricia Neal. I adore her. She is so good at playing sophisticated song-willed women with a quick and incisive mind. Her voice is so wonderfully distinctive, too. Whenever I see her name come up in the credits, I sit up, and she didn’t disappoint here. 

Hildegard Knef as Janine Betki. She was the character that literally kept me guessing until the end. She had this cool European look and vibe about her. She was also quite a good actress. 

The suspense and questioning over who was trustworthy or not. Trying to put the pieces together was a very enjoyable part of the film. 

The suspense on the train early in the film was also well done. Who was following whom? And why? There’s also something about the closed and cramped confines of a moving passenger train that elevates the drama even more. 

It often had the feel of a 1950s European film, which was a good thing in my book. Some of that might just have been because it took place in cosmopolitan Italy, and I think there may have been some location shooting. 

Out of seemingly nowhere there was a drag performance scene! In a film in 1952! Mike goes into a nightclub early on, and the entertainment is a real drag artist. He impersonated Carmen Miranda, Betty Davis, and even FDR! His skills of mimicry ended up being important later, but it was shocking to see so much screen time given to him. There was no overt hint of him being gay, but come on, it was classic drag!  

The Bad: 

Sometimes things were maybe a little too vague about what the top-secret documents were. We got one line specifically about some of what it was, and the film continually told us that it was information that could save thousands of lives... but I was left wanting a little more. I don’t like it when movies spoon-feed information, so I wouldn’t want it to go too far... but I guess I just wanted a little less subterfuge. 

I wanted to know a little more about Patricia Neal’s character as well. She suddenly disappeared before we really knew her story. 

I’m not sure how I felt about the last shot/scene of the film. I liked a little bit of it but groaned at most of it. 

[spikygurl89]

Books To Be Read April 2023

In Progress:

Black Hole Blues and Other Songs from O… by Janna Levin The Ode Less Travelled: Unlocking the P… by Stephen Fry The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt Piranesi by Susanna Clarke Faking It: The Quest for Authenticity i… by Hugh Barker

To Read:

Sing: Find Your True Voice - Mary Setrakian Why Good Sex Matters: Understanding the Neuroscience of Pleasure for a Smarter, Happier, and More Purpose-Filled Life - Nan Wise The Elements of Song Craft: The Contemporary Songwriter’s Usage Guide To Writing Songs That Last - Billy Seidman Existential Kink: Unmask Your Shadow and Embrace Your Power; A Method for Getting What You Want by Getting Off on What You Don't - Carolyn Elliott PhD Bow Down: Lessons from Dominatrixes on How to Get Everything You Want -  Lindsay Goldwert Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women's Anger - Soraya Chemaly The Assertiveness Guide for Women: How to Communicate Your Needs, Set Healthy Boundaries & Transform Your Relationships - Julie de Azevedo Hanks, PhD, LCSW Fierce Self-Compassion: How Women Can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power, and Thrive - Kristin Neff The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully - Frank Ostaseski What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing - Oprah Winfrey and Bruce D. Perry The Power of Agency: The 7 Principles to Conquer Obstacles, Make Effective Decisions, and Create a Life on Your Own Terms - Paul Napper, Psy.D and Anthony Rao, PhD Living Untethered: Beyond the Human Predicament - Michael A. Singer Lifting Heavy Things: Healing Trauma One Rep at a Time - Laura Khoudari Anatomy: A Love Story - Dana Schwartz The Nice Girl Syndrome: Stop Being Manipulated and Abused -- and Start Standing Up for Yourself - Beverly Engel Of Sound Mind: How Our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World - Nina Kraus Deathless - Catherynne M. Valente The Journey from Abandonment to Healing: Surviving Through and Recovering from the Five Stages That Accompany the Loss of Love - Susan Anderson The Sound Book: The Science of the Sonic Wonders of the World - Trevor Cox Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland - Gerald Clarke Sinatra: The Chairman - James Kaplan

Amazon wishlist: 101 Songwriting Wrongs and How to Right Them: How to Craft and Sell Your Songs (101 Things) - Pete Luboff The Frustrated Songwriter's Handbook: A Radical Guide to Cutting Loose, Overcoming Blocks & Writing the Best Songs of Your Life - Karl Coryat The Songwriter's Handbook - Tom T. Hall The Monster I Am Today: Leontyne Price and a Life in Verse - Kevin Simmonds Train Like a Fighter: Get MMA Fit Without Taking a Hit - Cat Zingano Strength Training Exercises for Women: Tone, Sculpt, and Stay Strong for Life - Joan Pagano 7-Minute Body Plan: Quick workouts & simple recipes for real results in 7 days - Lucy Wyndham-Read

[phillipcole]

Post-AGT Appearance 1235: TMZ on TV January 17

After that performance more people would start betting on Ted Turner.  The Weathervane points to Love would drop to 90th last weekend.  I would have flown to Boston late Thursday night to visit relatives, including an uncle who turned 80 Sunday.  My stay on the east coast would get extended however.  My wife’s brother in law died on January 10.  They would not adjust the date of the funeral for us.  It’s scheduled for Saturday in New jersey.  I would still be quite unhealthy.

Colbert would have a problem.  The management would assume I was exaggerating my symptoms and they would try to create a new rule that no unhealthy person can appear on the show.  Since Colbert wanted me back in late April that would be a problem immediately.

This would have been the first time in years that the Late Show didn’t tell the person in advance.  On Sunday someone would show Jane Fonda the video and she would go into a rage.  A servant would have leaked the story to the press.  This morning my agent would have asked me to post a reply and I would.  The first to quote me would be TMZ on TV today.  Harvey Levin, Loren LaRosa, Melanie Leanne Miller and Charlie Neff would speak.

Levin: So, Loren, we have an update on the Jane Fonda situation.

LaRosa: Yes we do!.  Last Thursday on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert Norbert Adams, representing Phillip and Cole’s Variety Team gave this satirical love letter to Jane Fonda.

(They show a clip as posted.)

LaRosa: One of her staff showed her the video and a person close to Ms Fonda said she went into a profanity-laced rampage.

Miller: None on video, unfortunately.

Levin: Just what I want to see her doing in her old age.

Neff: That’s right.  Remember Norbert was saying how much he likes her.

LaRosa: Ha ha, they say she went on an on for about 10 minutes calling him every name in the book.

Levin: Yes, uh uh, we talked about all of that yesterday.

Miller: You have an update.

LaRosa: Yes I do, right here.  Phillip and Cole’s Variety Team has released a comment on the situation.

Neff: This should be good.

Levin: What does it say?

PBC: No comment.

(Groans)

Levin: Ha ha we’ll have some real news after this.

[geekcavepodcast]

Monsters at Work Trailer

Monsters at Work takes place six months after Monsters Inc. Scaring is out and laughter is in. Tyler gets a job at Monsters Inc. in the M.I.F.T. department (Monsters Inc. Facilities Team).

Monsters at Work stars the voice talents of John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Ben Feldman, Mindy Kaling, Henry Winkler, Lucas Neff, Alanna Ubach, Stephen Stanton, Aisha Tyler, John Ratzenberger, Jennifer Tilly, and Bob Peterson.

Monsters at Work premieres on Disney+ on July 7, 2021.

[jewishbookworld]

The Confederate Jurist: The Legal Life of Judah P. Benjamin by William C. Gilmore

The Confederate Jurist: The Legal Life of Judah P. Benjamin by William C. Gilmore

Foreword: Stephen C. Neff This is the first biography written from a legal perspective on the public life of Judah P. Benjamin (1811–1884); a prominent figure in the common law world in the second half of the 19th century. Drawing on a range of primary source materials including newspaper articles, case law and extensive archival research in the UK and USA, it charts his rise as a lawyer first…

[disneytva]

Mindy Kaling Joins the Cast of Monsters At Work on Disney+ Including First Look Images

One of the first original series announced for Disney+ was “Monsters At Work”, which takes place the day after the Monsters, Incorporated power plant started harvesting the laughter of children to fuel the city of Monstropolis, thanks to Mike and Sulley’s discovery that laughter generates ten times more energy than screams. It follows the story of Tylor Tuskmon, an eager young monster who graduated top of his class at Monsters University and always dreamed of becoming a Scarer, until he lands a job at Monsters, Incorporated and discovers that scaring is out and laughter is in.

Today, Entertainment Weekly has released the first look at some new images of the new characters from the series:

The multitalented Mindy Kaling—who voiced Disgust in Inside Out has joined the hilarious cast of Disney+’s highly anticipated animated series Monsters At Work. Kaling will voice the character Val Little, who is an enthusiastic member of the Monsters, Inc. Facilities Team (aka MIFT). Additionally, Bonnie Hunt will reprise her role as Ms. Flint. Formerly in charge of training new Scarers at Monsters, Inc., Ms. Flint now manages the department responsible for recruiting and training the funniest monsters to become Jokesters. Monsters At Work will begin streaming on Friday, July 2, exclusively on Disney+.

Ben Feldman voices the lead character Tylor Tuskmon in the series, which will introduce new monsters alongside returning favorites—including Mike Wazowski and James P. “Sulley” Sullivan, who will again be voiced by Disney Legends Billy Crystal and John Goodman. Starring alongside Feldman and Kaling as part of the MIFT crew are Henry Winkler, who voices Fritz, the scatterbrained boss; Lucas Neff, who voices Duncan, an opportunistic plumber; and Alanna Ubach, who voices Cutter, the officious rule follower.

In addition to Crystal, Goodman, and Hunt, returning voice actors from the beloved film franchise include John Ratzenberger as Yeti and Tylor’s dad, Bernard; Jennifer Tilly as Celia Mae; and Bob Peterson as Roze, the twin sister of his original Monsters, Inc. character, Roz. Voicing additional new characters are Stephen Stanton as Smitty and Needleman, the bumbling custodial team at Monsters, Inc., and Aisha Tyler as Tylor’s mom, Millie Tuskmon.

Produced by Disney Television Animation, the series was developed and is executive produced by Disney animation veteran Bobs Gannaway. 

It is produced by Academy Award-nominated producer Sean Lurie. Kat Good and Steve Anderson are supervising directors. The late Rob Gibbs (Monsters, Inc.) served as director on some earlier episodes.

[kwebtv]

Carol’s Second Act  -  CBS  - September 26, 2019 - March 12, 2020

Sitcom (18 episodes)

Running Time:  30 minutes

Stars:

Patricia Heaton as Dr. Carol Kenney

Ito Aghayere as Dr. Maya Jacobs

Lucas Neff as Dr. Caleb Sommers

Jean-Luc Bilodeau as Dr. Daniel Kutcher

Sabrina Jalees as Dr. Lexie Gilani

Ashley Tisdale as Jenny Kenney

Kyle MacLachlan as Dr. Stephen Fros

Cedric Yarbrough as Nurse Dennis

Recurring

Adam Rose as Jake

Patrick Fabian as Dr. Victor Lewis

[lorenzoandhismom]

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Adapted by Simon Stephens

Directed by Jonathan Berry 

Steppenwolf for Young Adults, Oct. 5 - 27

Review 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time tells the story of 15 year old Christopher Boone, played by Terry Bell in a tour-de-force performance). Christopher sees the world in a very particular way: He is a math prodigy who admires the writing of Sherlock Holmes. He does not like the colors brown or yellow. He asks his priest where heaven is, exactly, and how we can get there, the priest is flummoxed. Like the titular incident, Christopher is curious and direct; not everyone (including his otherwise loving mom and dad) knows quite how to deal with him. He can’t handle loud noises or too much stimulation in general. When presented with such, he puts his hands over his head, curls up into a ball and rocks. He is self-soothing, the best he knows how.

The woman who does see and hear him is Siobhan (Steppenwolf member Caroline Neff), Christopher’s paraprofessional and mentor. She works with him to draw out his particular strengths, and to adapt to a world that isn’t always kind to the hypersensitive.

Much of the play’s narration is delivered by Siobhan, who reads from the notebook that Christopher wrote about the incident. Simon Stephen’s adaptation (of the novel by Mark Haddon) is a play within a play, with many charming asides and meta-commentary. (Christopher says that he “doesn’t like acting” because “it’s not real.” Later, Siobhan warns him of boring the audience as he begins to detail a math proof.)

Our favorite part of this play was that neither the author nor the director diagnoses Christopher Boone; as a result we come to know him more fully, and not through the lens of a reductive diagnosis. Yes, he may have a way of being in the world that is not our own - and yet, we come to understand him. 

Steppenwolf’s production, directed by Jonathan Berry, allows us to see the world through Christopher’s eyes - and we are better for it.  

Steppenwolf’s design team uses film and lighting and a simple set to highlight the ensemble quality to the production. Six actors make up the ensemble, playing various roles and supporting each other in every scene. There are striking stage pictures, backlit by projections, and ensemble  choreography that brings to mind Anne Bogart’s Viewpoints. 

Terry Bell so completely inhabits Christopher, in body and mind, that it is hard to imagine him out of character. As his mother, Rebecca Spence is lovely, and maintains one of the more consistent and convincing British accents.

Lozo and the Moms recommend this play for families. Zo thinks that it might be a bit disturbing for kids under 11 years old; he and his buddy loved it, but found it pretty sad, at least in the first act. The Moms found the plot emotionally overwhelming - by intermission she wasn’t sure she could handle any more devastating plot twists. Still, Zo and the Moms know that the pain of this play reflects and sheds light on the pain of life, like all good art; the audience is rewarded for going on this journey with Christopher. You will gain empathy and understanding, and have the chance to live another life, at least for a few hours.

[shaizstern]

Article from WSJ: Is the Secret to Happiness Having a Gratitude Practice?

Even spending just a few minutes a day practicing gratitude can facilitate better sleep and lower blood pressure, according to research. How to get in on the healthy, easy wellness routine.

LLUSTRATION: HOLLY STAPLETON FOR WSJ. MAGAZINE

By Lane Florsheim

A surprising unifier has emerged over the last year in WSJ.’s My Monday Morning column, which chronicles the routines and productivity secrets people use to start their weeks: gratitude.

Before author Stephen King gets out of bed in the morning, he runs through a mental inventory of the things he’s grateful for. So does actor Tracee Ellis Ross. Musician and director Questlove writes a 15-item gratitude list every Sunday. Nike CEO John Donahoe spends time meditating on questions like, “What am I grateful for in the broad sense of my life? What am I grateful for in the previous day?” Actor Kate Hudson re-started her gratitude journaling after a reflective Thanksgiving car ride. Model Bella Hadid likes listening to a daily gratitude meditation every morning.

Gratitude isn’t a new concept or a practice that’s exclusive to celebrities. For one, it’s a tenet of most major religions. In modern times, it was popularized in 1990s self-help books like Simple Abundance: 365 Days to a Balanced and Joyful Life, a bestseller for which its author Sarah Ban Breathnach also created an accompanying The Simple Abundance Journal of Gratitude. Oprah Winfrey has extolled the virtues of gratitude journaling—writing down things she’s grateful for, which she’s been doing since 1996—numerous times over the years.

Dr. Robert A. Emmons, a psychologist and professor at University of California Davis who’s written several books on gratitude, says the pandemic is likely one of the reasons for the practice’s increased popularity right now. “In the face of crises and during troubling times, people rely on positive feelings to cope, and they seem to turn to gratitude more than any other positive emotion,” he says.

Alyssa Bonanno, 28, started her gratitude practice during a point in the pandemic when days started to feel as though they were blurring together. Bonanno, the co-owner of a creative agency in New York City, found that gratitude journaling in the evening was a nice signifier that work was done for the day. She uses a notebook in order to stay away from emails and says the exercise keeps her even-keeled the same way meditation or a workout does. “I also think it’s made me more gracious to the people who we work with,” she says.

“Don’t you feel like we’re all struggling a little mentally right now because of the surge?” says Amy Denet Deal, 57, the founder of Diné (Navajo) fashion and home brand 4Kinship. Every day, she wakes up at dawn, greets the sun and sets intentions for the day, as well as completing other practices that she doesn’t want to disclose publicly because of their sacredness. “Giving back is so helpful on all of these other emotions of fear, of depression, of all the things that have happened during Covid-19. It’s taking ownership of, How can I be grateful? How can I give back?”

Every day, Amy Denet Deal wakes up at dawn, greets the sun and sets intentions for the day.PHOTO: DILLON SACHS

The photographer, author and podcast host Amanda de Cadenet, 49, says focusing on what she’s grateful for tends to override any other negative emotions she might be feeling. Her gratitude practice incorporates social media prompts from the Hoffman Institute Foundation, which holds a week-long healing and development retreat called the Hoffman Process that she attended eight years ago; exercises from professor and author Kristin Neff, who focuses on self-compassion; and the tools she’s gained from her sobriety. “A big part of sobriety and recovery is based around acceptance of life on life’s terms,” she says. “I look for the small joys, like a neighbor of mine has the most beautiful-smelling roses.”

Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman, the director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Positive Psychology Center, says, “Humans are built to attend to the things that go badly in our lives. A lot of the exercises in positive psychology are ways of teaching people to savor and pay attention to what goes well.”

The psychologist Dr. Emmons says clinical trials indicate that gratitude practices can facilitate better sleep and lower blood pressure—and that people who keep gratitude journals are on average happier than those who don’t.

Benjamin Almeter, 28, the founder of public relations agency Dispatch, says his gratitude practice has allowed him to notice what’s made him happy—going on a long walk, taking 40 minutes to cook a meal instead of ordering takeout—and turning those things into patterns.

Some CEOs, founders and executives say their practices have strengthened their leadership at work. Stacey Boyd, 52, founder and CEO of philanthropic shopping site Olivela says she’s been practicing gratitude for 16 years and that it’s probably the most important thing she does every day. “It always forces me to reflect not only on how I’m powering through my day but as importantly, how I’m interacting with others, and as a manager and leader, how I can do better at inspiring more and better from them.” Others, like Susan Korn, 35, the founder of accessories brand Susan Alexandra, uses gratitude as a team-building exercise. “I think it makes people feel like they’re doing something special,” she says.

Susan Korn, the founder of accessories brand Susan Alexandra, uses gratitude as a team-building exercise.PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHNNY KOMPAR

A gratitude practice doesn’t have to be time-consuming. A few years ago, a friend gave Dianna Cohen, 30, the founder and CEO of hair-care brand Crown Affair, a book called the Five-Minute Journal. Now Cohen starts her mornings by filling out its prompts, which include writing three things she’s grateful for, as well as what she’s looking forward to that day. “It’s perfect if you’re going to the gym or have kids,” she says.

Writer Amanda Fortini, 45, describes her practice as an informal meditation that she does in bed as she’s going to sleep. Moving from small things (a meal she ate that day) to large (having shelter), she says she usually only gets to three of them before falling asleep.

Gratitude Adjustment

How different people think about and practice gratitude

Halah Flynn, 27, marketing professional, thinks through her gratitude list on runs to the Washington Monument.

On Tuesdays, Vera Papisova, 31, journalist, shares her “small wins” on her Instagram story, citing research that Tuesday is the hardest day of the week for most people; she posts her followers’ small wins, too.

Bonita Kye, 33, founder of Kye Intimates, practices gratitude on her daily walks to the beach.

Bonita Kye, founder of Kye Intimates, practices gratitude on her daily walks to the beach.PHOTO: TIANA MARIE COMBES

Amanda Baudier, 38, general manager of Melissa Wood Health, uses a monitor while she’s meditating that tracks her heart rate variability, which she says shows her whether she’s in an elevated space where she’s feeling emotions like gratitude and joy.

Poppy Jamie, 31, author and entrepreneur, shares three things she’s grateful for every day with her partner; he shares his, too.

Original article can be found here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/is-the-secret-to-happiness-having-a-gratitude-practice-11642691301