Chitchat

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Something about him is smoulderingly hot. He looks really scruffy in RL, but clean him up, put him in some nice clothes...and I can't take my eyes off him. He just has "it", whatever that is....

Ahhh...Luca. Something else we have in common, I guess.

I'll give you a story of my friend who works at the studio I used to work at:

There's this really scruffy guy quoting Shakespeare and walking behind her. She's totally creeped out, signaling to the guard on her way onto the lot. Confused because he let the guy sail on through.

Then she gets to her building and holds the door open for her...yeah, it was Keanu.

Brings to mind one day on the lot, I was going into a building and Billy Zane held the door open for me and smiled at me. He was so tall I walked under his arm.

Billy Zane!! :dies:

Green Eyez wrote:

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Then she gets to her building and holds the door open for her...yeah, it was Keanu.

Brings to mind one day on the lot, I was going into a building and Billy Zane held the door open for me and smiled at me. He was so tall I walked under his arm.

Eeek! I love those stories! Thanks for sharing them GE! It sounds like Keanu and Billy are gentlemen on top of being "smouldering"! Oy, what a combination!

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I went to the artsy video rental store today and Keanu Reeves was just coming out. It amazed me to find my pulse racing, given that he doesn't particularly interest me as an actor. Celebrity is a very powerful thing, even to people who think they are above all that (i.e. me!) I almost squeed.

Hey, Keanu Reeves may be an awful actor, but he's one of the most gorgeous men on the planet and has been for a long time. Glad he was so nice to you.

On Keanu...I pretended I wasn't looking at him, so had no interaction at all, so nice or not nice...I have no knowledge.

He was dressed all in black, looking quite young and delicate, and a little nerdy.

He wasn 't scruffy--clean-shaven, hair normal-long like most actors not in a specific character--turns out he is in the midst of shooting a movie (a woman in my acting class has two days on it).

The car he got into (he was by himself) was black, smallish and nondescript.

And that's all she wrote.

I also saw Zach Quinto (the killer Sylar on HEROES) in the passenger seat of a car next to mine a few weeks ago. He was with two unknown guys. Again, I pretended I wasn't looking. But he, too, looked kind of young and delicate, and a little nerdy. The car he was in was black and nondescript.

I think maybe age has made me see them all as young and delicate, and a little nerdy.

I think the black nondescript cars are real, and not just my perception.

I love love Keanu. I Never miss any of his movies. I really love him. He is the epitome of cool.

Zach Quinto, even as Sylar, looks delicate and a bit nerdy to me. Did you see the episode when he visited his mother and she picked up the snow globe with his picture in it? It was a picture of him as a young boy and neeeeeeeeeeeeeeerd!

Glad to hear Keanu's cleaned up. It may be for the movie though. Excited to hear he's going to be in one so I can stare at him up on the big screen.

When I saw Billy, I was younger and cuter, so his smile was a bit flirty. It was a nice moment.

I'm also good at pretending I'm not looking at them. When I worked on a studio lot I became very proficient.

Love Keanu.

It's weird; I've gotten SO used to seeing pix of famous people that Neill has taken that when I saw some live celebrities a couple months ago, I felt almost nothing. It was just like a large pic come to life! I saw Quentin Tarentino, Kurt Russell, Rose McGowan, and Robert Rodriguez (the director), at that premiere thing I went to, and I felt no great excitement or anything.

I'm enjoying my music class; it's over next week already. I will probably take more in the fall (actually starts late Aug).

Had to do a paper on "This is Spinal Tap." Pretend we were a music business consultant and advise them how to better their business. It was fun!

The class is mostly guys who are musicians. It's really interesting being in there with them. There's also a woman jazz-type singer who's about 60. She's a riot.

This is the myspace of the guy who sits next to me. He's a great guy (from the little I know about him.) He's played and sung live for us a couple times in class. http://www.myspace.com/rigelthurstonband I think I might get him to play during the dinner hour during my son's bar mitzvah.

I am so glad that you have enjoyed your class!

This Is Spinal Tap Such a great movie! What a fun assignment!

Your classmate has a very good voice. I am afraid that Jazz is one type of music I just do not really enjoy, but I can see where it has it's place during dinners, weddings etc. That would be very cool if he could provide the entertainment for your son's big day!

Austin, I would love to see your Spinal Tap paper! Feel free to post it here if you are willing.

What a great thing for a class!

I second that! We would love to read it!!

I pretended that Spinal Tap was a real band and that I was really trying to help them; so it sounds pretty serious, but there are a couple of instances of just being goofy in there if you make it that far. It's a little embarrassing. But, for you guys, I'll do it.

("Positively 6th Street" is an Austin (the city) joke.) "Positively 4th Street" is an old Dylan song, and 6th Street is the most famous entertainment drag in Austin, so I combined them.)




Positively 6th Street
Music Business Consulting



I have been asked to observe the band Spinal Tap (ST) and give my professional opinion as to ways to help the band improve its business.

There are many problems with ST that are not conducive to running a business successfully, and yes, a band is a business. The top two reasons that a business fails are management incompetence and marketing ineffectiveness; I found both in ST unfortunately. Here are some of the issues that need to be looked into:

1. The manager of the band, Ian Faith, did not seem to have a master plan for the band. Too many important details were being forgotten. Eighteen inches is quite different from 18 feet (Stonehenge problem.) Things were just not organized enough for a major tour of the United States. Many things that should have been taken care of long before the tour were just being thought of while the band was on the road; this is not an acceptable practice.

2. ST did not have a tour manager, just a business manager. A tour manager is the person who takes care of all the things that crop up while on the road, leaving the manager free to handle the on-going business.

3. There were many problems with promotion on the tour. The Boston show was cancelled without explanation; the Memphis show was cancelled due to a lack of advertising money; no one showed up at ST’s in-store signing. When the mid-western cities were also cancelled, it was obvious that the record label was not helping to promote these shows enough. Artie Fufkin who worked in promotions for the label was ineffective; one reason may have been his serious self-esteem issues.

4. The label rejected the album cover art because some stores would not stock it as it was considered sexist. This is a problem that should have been discovered long before ST was touring. The album needed to be in stores and available while the tour was going on. Also, the totally black album cover was a poor marketing tool; ST’s name is not even on the cover.

5. ST’s market is mostly young boys. Although many bands do well within a narrow market, ST really needs to bring in as many fans as possible at this time.

6. Jeanine, David’s girlfriend, was asked to be, or invited herself to be, the new band manager when Ian walked out. She apparently had no experience and did not get along with Nigel the lead guitarist of ST.

7. The many personnel changes because of the continuing loss of ST’s drummers are a problem. Continuity is important in building loyalty among fans.

In order to correct the problems that I have specified, I have come up with a plan called the Spinal Tap Defense (STD). The band needs to make sure that everyone they come in contact with is affected by it. No one should be immune to the STD. This STD will make the band as infectious as possible to as many people as possible.

I recommend that Ian be replaced with a better-qualified professional manager as soon as possible. The role of manager in a band or any commercial enterprise is an important one. Ian has shown some serious lapses as a manager. Among other things, he was not organized enough and did not do the research that the band needed. He was not well informed regarding the U.S. market. “New York is not a big rock and roll town,” and “Boston is not a big college town,” are the statements of someone who does not know his market. He was also not being realistic or was perhaps delusional, when he disagreed that the popularity of the group was waning, but rather thought “their appeal is becoming more selective.”

Jeanine should not have been allowed to take over as manager. That job should not just be given to someone because they are there and/or because they know someone. Jeanine and Nigel obviously had some very serious personal relationship issues, (perhaps relating to jealousy and/or control over David), and she probably did not have Nigel’s best interests at heart. At least Nigel would not trust that she did, and the members must be able to trust their manager. She also apparently had no experience with almost anything but astrology and ST could not afford to have her learn on-the-job. A manager needs to give advice, guidance and counsel. Jeanine was quite under-qualified for this role.

ST needs a dedicated tour manager the next time it is on the road. There are just too many day-to-day details that need to be handled while on tour. This is a full-time job; Ian could barely do one job, much less handle two correctly.

ST was not receiving what it needed promotionally from the record label. The manager needs to meet with Polymer Records and express that in order to be successful it needs the help of the label. ST was probably not receiving its contracted promotional support.

ST needs to have its latest album available in stores when it goes out on tour. The album must have the band’s name very visible on the cover and perhaps have some interesting design on it that will not offend mainstream stores in which the album needs to be carried.

I suggest that in light of ST’s sad history with drummers, that any candidate for that position needs to have complete mental and physical examinations before being asked to join the band. The rate of spontaneous combustion for the band’s drummers is much higher than would be expected. Also, I believe a thorough inspection of the drum kit must be undertaken, perhaps to look for sparks or some such thing that could be causing this problem. Constantly losing a band member and having to replace him is not conducive to building fan loyalty.

It is important to increase ST’s audience. Girls are scared away from them, according to David and Nigel, because of their very large penises, (I have not independently researched this.) Perhaps in order to broaden their fan base, they could somehow de-emphasize that part of their anatomy, perhaps by wearing pants that are not quite as form fitting. Although, at airport security, Derek, at least, was found to be adding padding to that area. Perhaps the ability to give up being thought of as very well endowed is in order, so as to not scare the girls who perhaps would then purchase their music.

If you need any assistance in implementing this STD, I will be happy to work on that project as well, but only as long as I don’t have to deal too much with Jeanine. But please do tell her that I’m a Pisces.

Thank you for this opportunity to provide my input.

Great job Austin!

If I had a band and needed a manager I would give you the job!! Though I would not be in need of someone to deplete my penis

LOL! The STD, the suggestions about spontaneous combustion of drummers, and of course the big penis problem! Well done!

I just noticed we have a new member!

Welcome Sami1! Thanks for joining us here and I hope you post with us! We do not bite! I LOVE new people!

Austin, that was great!

Thanks guys! It was fun to do. My next paper, just done, wasn't nearly as much fun. The subject, "What's Wrong with the Music Business?" No talk of penises or spontaneous combustion.

Hi Sami1!

No penises!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry. You'll have to read about penises (or should it be "peni") somewhere else.

Austin, just got a chance to read your STD thing. Funny!

OK, you're not going to believe this. I just went to the side yard of the house where I dogsit to throw away some recycled stuff. As I'm walking back, I look down and notice...A DEAD FREAKIN' RAT!!!!!! WTF??? So, first of all, I'm not picking it up because...EWWWWWW! Second, you're not supposed to dispose of dead rats by yourself. So, I called my mommy and she said to call Animal Control, which I did. They told me to call The Dept. of Sanitation. Voila! They're coming to pick it up. At first the recording said they don't come on the property and you had to have it in a plastic bag at the curb. When I spoke to the guy I said, "if I could pick it up and put it in a bag, I'd just dispose of it myself!" They said they will come and remove it within the next 24 hours, so THANK GOD FOR THAT!

EWWWWW is right

Glad you don't have to deal with it yourself!!

So sweet that you called your mommy!! A child is never to old to ask mom for advice!!

Are you kidding, FC? She's always the first call I make when I'm panicked! Also, when I'm excited, scared....

Me too! We are best friends (even though she makes me crazy sometimes ) I can't imagine that there will be a day that I will not be able to call her as soon as something exciting happens

My mom makes me crazy ALL the time. Still, always the one I turn to and my best friend.