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No More Malaria

Spend $10 on a bed net and help save an entire African family from malaria. I heard about this initiative right before George Will's tirade against personal blogs (Will's job security is threatened methinks). Malaria has been brought under control on many continents except Africa. A small donation of $10 can help a whole family survive and thrive. Click here- Malaria No More

Call the White House--tell W what you're thinking

After the latest Presidential address, I looked up the White House comment line phone number, I was polite but sure had some steam to blow! (Remember I'm a . . . ah dreaded word . .liberal! Yes I believe in health care for all, I believe in a livable wage for a hard day's work, I think teachers should be paid more than strippers, I don't believe billionaires need to leave their billions to their kids. . I mean Paris Hilton, need i say more?)

White House Phone number--ask for the Comment Line:
1 202 456 1414

2007!!!!!

Greetings from NYC!
New Home for RJ's Adventures

First off--this is a new platform, hopefully easier to read and for me to compose for the silly stuff i post. Secondly. . you can respond/post comments automatically to the site, if you wish and i do hope a few of you do. A few things on that--the easiest technie way is to post as "anonymous" but please do sign your name at the bottom of any post so i know who you are. And the reason for the "word verification" is to try and stop from being spammed.

Brent turns another year younger in NYC

My friend Brent from SF visited in late September/early October for our 3rd annual "let's turn younger" soiree in NYC. Strangely enough, I was rather muted this year, not up for much partying. . only 39. . .egads! Well, i've never been much of a partier (no heckling here!) So a modest dinner out with a few drinks was fine for moi. Hope Brent returns for a 4th year, especially now that he's graduated to Not For Tourists Guide to New York

Another weekend in Niagara on the Lake

I spent another weekend attending the Shaw Festival with several friends and partaking of the stunning scenery. The photo below was taken before a group of us got onto the torpedo-like boat for a spin around the falls area. This jet boat closes over us so we did not get wet, very important when you're trying to look like a star with perfectly coiffed hair!

Just for FUN!

One of my favorite movie clips--I really think Steve Martin should've won something for this! Watch it especially before having dental work done.

Johari Window

A friend sent me this link, so i set it up for myself --what is a Johari Window? From the website: The Johari Window was invented by Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham in the 1950s as a model for mapping personality awareness. By describing yourself from a fixed list of adjectives, then asking your friends and colleagues to describe you from the same list, a grid of overlap and difference can be built up. Go check out mine and get your own . . .it only takes a few minutes and well. . its surf the web and read stupid gossip or do this and maybe learn about yourself (or not). RJ's Johari Window

Which Golden Girl are you?

My parents remember that i loved the Golden Girls during it's first run in the 1980s. They didn't understand why I so enjoyed watching a 4 50-something ladies every Saturday night. .they didn't understand then, they do now. They tell me they're addicted to Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sophia's antics. My parents and most gay men. The gay love of the Golden Girls was recently chronicled in the book The Q Guide to Golden Girls by Jim Colucci. Jim is an acquaintance of some pals of mine--impersonators Peter Mac and John Schaefer .

So for a fun 3 minutes, take this quiz put together on Lifetime (which my friend Rebecca Mat works for and who helped put together this quiz.) Find out which Golden Girl you are?!

I was unsurprisingly (given my reputation as no nonsense, sarcastic and those masculine traits (directions?I dont ask get me the map!)):

Richard Seff: Supporting Player-new biography

During my research into Grayson Hall's work with Alan Alda in a play entitled The Whole Nineth Floor, I met Richard Seff. Seff worked in various aspects of theatre, he was Chita Rivera's agent, wrote The Whole Nineth Floor and many other adventures (which I'm soon to learn about reading his memoir.) He was quite lovely about Grayson, and makes mean roast chicken! I look forward to devouring this book, if you like theatre, consider it! Order from Richard's website.

Two San Franciscans in NYC

Two pals from the Left Coast visited New York for a jam-packed 24 hours wherein we visited the Met to view the annual Christmas tree and the disturbingly provocative exhibit Glitter and Doom. This is also where Timonie and John failed to spot, even though I was pointing them out (subtly of course)-- Stephen Speilberg and his wife Kate Capshaw in line ahead of us. Then we also visited the Lower East Side-NoHo for grub and an interesting musical venue in my neighborhood, Session 73.

John and Timonie take in (and a bite) the Central Park Alice in Wonderland sculpture
2007

I think it's time for recommendations again on my annual 'theme song'. Leave a comment and suggest a song to keep grovin' toward in '07. I accomplished one 25 year goal with the book. . now I need a new goal, okay a 2nd book is one but. . . i need a theme song to get me groovin'. Maybe I should shake my groove thing on down to a size 8 --yeah yeah yeah. ..

2006 Installment #3

Installment #3

Book Launched

I officially launched Grayson Hall: A Hard Act to Follow at the 40th Anniversary Dark Shadows Festival. My hand was a claw after the weekend, signing nearly 200 copies. People were very gracious with their comments, "thank you for writing something for adults" and "thank you for your candor" were two of the compliments that resound the loudest. I had only three bizarre little episodes (which given the venue is less than expected)--1st) A strange little man man kept insisting my subject's husband had another name, something like Carbunkle, Arbuckle --2nd) another women hogged up the front of my line and kept asking me if I'd been inside a VA hospital? She flashed several different IDs and my, ultimately, tart retort did not drive her away. Finally a friend went into another room and rang my cell phone, escape! and 3rd) as I awaited a car to take me to the hotel where the event took place, a friend called to tell me Sylvia Miles had just stopped him on the sidewalk at Lower Broadway and Houston with "tell Rebecca the book is beautiful!" Mind you my friend had spoken to Miss Miles on the phone to help arrange an interview but had never met her-- I spoke with her a few days later and she did confirm the story and she still strongly believes she's met my friend~~~~

Grayson's friend and co-star on Dark Shadows, Nancy Barrett

Link--Click Here to view the YouTube video of Launch Event

Rebecca, how did you have time to write a book? Several folks have asked me that this last year. My reply--I don't have kids, I don't have a house requiring maintenance, I don't have a boyfriend (at present) requiring attention, my job is no longer all-consuming. I have plenty of time--3 to 4 hours every night (face it there isn't much on tv), weekends ( 6 hours Saturday, 6 hours on Sunday leaves plenty of time for dinners, parties, cocktail hours, theatre!) Like I said--plenty of time!. Now that it's done--yeah, i'm bored. So I'll pull out another project in October and work on a timeline and chapter outline for finishing it next year. Wish me luck!

With Love

For those of you who've seen a copy of the book, it is dedicated as follows, "To my mother, Arlene, and my friend Helen, with love." I spoke to my mother over the phone as she saw the dedication. It was a teary moment. I went to Washington, D.C. to give a copy to Helen, 87.

Nah, she ain't me. ..

As many know, I have been mistaken for 'someone' more than once since moving to NYC. People starring a bit longer than necessary, walking away and saying to one another "Was it her? Why didn't you ask?" More than one pal has suggested folks might think I'm Julianne Moore--based on this photo comparison below--yeah, I don't think so! I outweight her by at least 30 lbs. Another pal suggested perhaps Mary McDonnell? (You know she was in Dances with Wolves or the great updated show Battlestar Galactica--seriously if you're not watching this show--you missing something very special. A thought provoking, political show about survival in the wake of a dessimated society--not the space-crap we got in the 70s.)

Dame Helen!

My plug for folks to watch the final installment of the great British program, Prime Suspect 7. Check the link for PBS airings in your area. This really is a favorite program of mine starring an admired (non redhead?!) actress, Helen Mirren. This program has always been a well written exploration of a mature woman making it in the London Police Department with her brains not her "assets" though Dame Helen has quite a few assets. Anyone familiar with her work, e.g. Excalibur, The Cook The Thief His Wife and Her Lover, The Madness of King George, or most recently a movie that I really liked (and few critics did), Shadowboxer with Cuba Gooding, Jr (finally making a decent film)--knows she's not adverse to artistic exploration or kinda kinky behavior! She's married to director Taylor Hackford who directed the Oscar-winning Ray (biop of Ray Charles). She has a new film coming out entitled The Queen for which she received a 15-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival.

600 feet below the City

One of the few fun work activities that I participated in recently was a tour of a place few have gone before..less than 100 people actually and that is 600 feet under Manhattan where the construction of a new water tunnel has been on going for over 20 years. After a 13 minute elevator ride down into the bowels of the City, we arrived to an area blasted out by dynamite to make room for a "digger" which constructed 60-miles of tunnels through granite and Manhattan shist. The tunnel is expected to be opened and operational in 2020 at a cost of $6 billion. Here's a link to more info about the site (for the rock geeks amongst you.) It was definitely a case study of the difference between the sexes. After 20-30 mins the women were done but the boys stood around ewww-ahhing over the tunnel boring machine and the rocks. blech!



What's next? Heck, wasn't this enough? As said above, I have another writing project, and well I turn 39 in a few weeks (Brent will be making his annual return for duo birthday festivities). I'll begin planning that "Turning 40 in Italy" vacation in earnest. . . I heard from lotsa folks interested in joining me in Italy--all i know is it is going to be near water, maybe Como or another mountain lake or maybe along the southern coast. . I just want to sit by the water with a few books and some wine and cheese and some fun filled friends for a month--that's the goal! Hopefully I'll have a chosen locale by the end of the year and then commitments in cash kids!