Time out for Thomas

The last ten (10) days or so have blown by in a blur. What kicked it off was sad news: my cousin Thomas had succumbed to bone marrow cancer.

Tommy was my paternal cousin and a key player in my life. He was tall and lanky, and I looked up to him in more ways than one. For example, he patiently taught me to roller skate in Grandma's long driveway in Queens; often hung out with my dad, my brother and me when we went boating, picnicking, and to auto races and movies; visited me at Harvard and attended my graduation; helped me move (many times, and on each occasion advised me to rid of some stuff); and was one of my go-to guys whenever I had electronic or mechanical problems.

Tommy, like my brother and father, loved gadgets and cars; all three would have been miracle workers if they'd applied their passions and talents to medicine. It's largely because of them that I am so handy and that I admire smart men who are willing to roll up their sleevs and get their hands dirty once in a while.

Tommy was generous and civic minded, too. He was an auxiliary policeman, and frequently extended favors and hospitality to others. Talking with Tommy was comforting to both Daddy and me when Dad was dying, and I appreciated my cousin's big brother wisdom afterward.

Obviously, I knew Tommy had been ill, but I thought he was getting better. That's what he had led me to believe. As his brother explained at the repast, Thomas' positive, hopeful attitude had bought him five and a half years longer than his initial, six-month, prognosis.

Thomas' death hit me hard. I was the first in my branch of the family to learn about it. Thomas' sister had distributed the news the same way that most organizations and social groups do when they want word to get around quickly: by email and by phoning key nodes in the network, otherwise known as gatekeepers.

I've now the go-to node-gatekeeper for Dad's family line. In that capacity, I spoke to at least one member of each of the other clans (all now headed by my first cousins). Some of the conversations were comforting, but a few others were shocking, such as the one that informed me about the car crash that killed second cousin Mark-by-marriage this January, and others in which my midwestern cousin (another favorite) informed me he was returning (!) to the hospital to review his recovery from a serious fall from a tree and in which a close family friend said she was took ill from AIDS to go out that day.

There's a lesson to be learned there: don't wait for funerals, weddings or holidays to touch base with loved ones. Our time together is too short and uncertain to squander it.

As someone remarked at Thomas' funeral: our clan's shrinking fast. That observation is not completely accurate: marriages and births are constantly replenishing the family tree. But I know what Cousin meant; I feel it too. We're newcomers to the old guard - the family gatekeeprs - which is a role we grew up attributing to Great Grandma and Great Aunt Lizzie before they passed the torch to Grandma, who then passed it down the ladder of aunts and uncles to us.

Now my generation is at the top of that ladder, and it is kind of lonely at the top. From that vantage point, two things are clear. One: families don't grow as large as they used to. Two, and more importantly: as much as we welcome newcomers with loving, open arms, there's no substitute for the long-term relationships we're saying goodbye to at an alarmingly rapid rate. Consequently, it's all the more important to cherish our loved one while we can.

I hope Cousin Tommy knew how much I loved him. I'll make sure those who are still living know that now.

Pas de deux: James Lipton and Dave Chappelle dance and dish Inside the Actors Studio

Niggar please! This is some funny stuff! Watching James Lipton and Dave Chappelle's Chappelle's Show (e.g., the Rick James spoofs and the Niggar Family sketch), will crack you up. Before you finish rolling, though, you'll hear some things will make you go, hmmm, and aha!

Read the reviews, then watch the show on Bravo TV or, better yet, on DVD. The must-see DVD includes such features as James Lipton: Flashbacks, and Great Moments That Didn't Make the Cut.

Man, I hated it when the show got the hook (i.e., when the Actor's Studio theme music began playing, signalling the end of the show and the rolling of the credits). That episode, like so many others, needed to be longer. In this case, somebody should have told Director James Wurz to make it a double. After all, it's Dave Chappelle, b*tch!

Maybe we can find a banana for your aye-aye

Today I stumbled across the slideshow: "Bye-Bye to the Aye-Aye." Slate Magazine summarizes Mike Levitin's piece thusly:

"WHO WANTS TO SAVE AN UGLY ANIMAL?"

The aye-aye may be one of the most repellent animals in the world. It also happens to be on the verge of extinction. Click here to read a slide-show essay about an effort to save the endangered species that got hit with the ugly stick.

The piece addresses serious issues: endangered species, conservation and ecology. It also highlights how shallow we humans can be:

"Cute" animals [...] are the cash cows of the conservation movement; we pull out our checkbooks for the faces we find most adorable. For many years, conservation efforts tended to focus on individual endangered species—the white rhino, the gray wolf—that could be easily marketed to the cute-loving public. However effective these programs may have been, they gave short shrift to ugly, endangered, and genetically distinct animals like the aye-aye.

My concerns about those topics run deeper than that. Nonetheless, I confess: reading "WHO WANTS TO SAVE AN UGLY ANIMAL" made me recall Flip Wilson's ugly baby skit. I couldn't help myself; the devil made me do it.

Can you suggest quick, easy-to-get sources of LEGAL income?

Brothers and sisters, can you spare some time?

I'm researching a talk radio/podcast series (and possibly more!) addressing ways to raise two types of income, LEGALLY. Specifically, I'm seeking stories about how people snag...

1. Cash in a flash when your back's against the wall and the wolf's at the door, and
2. Easy-to-get gigs that pay steady, reliable, SUSTAINABLE income - the kind of jobs that tide you over until you land your dream gig or your ship comes in. (Anna Nicole would know what I'm talking about.)

The topic's nothing new but fresh suggestions are needed. There are eight million (and more) stories in the naked city. You surely know at least one.

What types of hourly jobs, moonlighting gigs or parallel careers do artists and entertainers, students and entrepreneurs do to fund their passions? How do job seekers who are harder to employ - such as those who are "overqualified," gray haire, ex-cons and returning-to-work people with gaping resume gaps make ends meet?

It's my goal to compile and share actionable advice, specific leads and success stories and share them with the world! Aunt Lisa wants YOU to help.

CAVEAT 1:

Suggested gigs MUST be legal (UNLIKE selling s-e-x or illegal substances, stealing, scamming, extortion, kidnapping, killing-for-hire, engaging in green card marriages, smuggling, etc.). However, suggested gigs NEED NOT BE traditional, resume-material, or anything to write home about. In other words, it's OK to suggest manning a psychic (or Girl 6-like) hotline or bartending at a strip club.

CAVEAT 2:

Suggested gigs CANNOT be hazardous to one's health (UNLIKE selling body parts). However, suggested gigs CAN involve selling hair, eggs and s-p-e-r-m or participating in legitimate medical studies.

CAVEAT 3:

PLEASE DO NOT share WORK-AT-HOME SCAMS or MLM SUGGESTIONS!!!!!!!!!!

FOR EACH SUBMISSION, PLEASE:

Clearly distinguish between cash-in-a-flash solutions and sustainable-gigs. Also, please specify:

• Exactly (a) WHAT ONE MUST DO (b) to OFFER WHAT GOODS/SERVICES (c) to WHAT CLIENTELE (d) in WHAT VENUE (e) for WHAT EMPLOYER?

For example: (a) Wear a Santa suit and conduct customer intercept surveys (b) to gather consumer data (c) from male and female golfers and other patrons age 18 and older (d) at the 19th hole at Swinging Greens golf course in Yourtown, Yourstate (e) for In-Your-Business, Inc.

• HOW FAST can you GET THE GIG and START WORKING? The problem with many highly paid opportunities is the lead time between finding them, signing the dotted line, and reporting to work. On the other hand, some other gigs (like day labor) start right away.
• HOW MUCH does the opportunity pay?
• HOW FAST do you get your first paycheck?
• WHAT IS THE PAY SCHEDULE? Is your check (a) based on piecework, (b) time-based (hourly/daily/weekly/monthly), or (c) based on another scheme _____ (please specify)?
• WHAT IS THE COMPENSATION BASIS? What percentage each are: (a) commission, (b) bonus, (c) base pay, (d) tips, (e) percentage collected, (f) based on another scheme ______ (please specify)?
• WHAT ARE THE OTHER BENEFITS and PERQS?
• HOW STEADY AND RELIABLE is the work? (a) Is the opportunity seasonal, (b) event-based, or (c) based on some other schedme? _________ (please specify)
• HOW/WHERE/THROUGH WHOM DOES ONE SIGN UP? Can you apply (a) online, (b) in person, (c) other ______(please specify)? Must you be referred? (If so, by whom?)
• WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS TO ENTRY? Are there prerequisite credentials (specify), tests (specify), citizenship (specify), residency (specify), experience (specify type and number of years), looks, demographic characteristics, temperaments, age, etc?
• HOW CAN ONE HURDLE THE BARRIERS? For example: cover up body art.

Got suggestions? Please email them to: info AT 360meridian DOT com with LEGAL INCOME in the header, or fax them to: (01) 309-279-7528.

Swing with these rare Treemonisha performances on WGBH 89.7

Yeah, boyee. The web is a wonderful tool. Just look at how my random post a few days ago has reverberated through the internet to create an informative cultural exchange:

• On Sunday, 11 February, 2007, I posted "Fashion as a power tool: What do you watch and wear that makes you feel powerful?" The post makes several mentions of Scott Joplin's opera, Treemonisha (among other things).
• On Thursday, Thu, 22 Feburary, 2007 Ben Schwartz, Marketing Manager at WBGH (Boston's NPR, Arts and Culture Station, which I enjoy, when in Beantown) emailed me:

Hi Lisa - I just came across your mention of Joplin's Treemonisha, and just wanted to let you know that you can hear a rare performance of the opera next week, Feb 26-28, through WGBH 89.7's Web site at http://www.wgbh.org/classical.

You can also find a press release about the broadcast http://pressroom.wgbh.org/pages/clas.html

Thanks,
Ben

No Ben, thank you!

I'd planned to share some info and excerpts from Treemonisha on Wednesday's Lisa Tolliver Show, during which I'll be celebrating Black History Month. But maybe, instead, I'll refer listeners to WGBH and use my precious 1/2 hour, from noon to 12:30 PM, Eastern Time, to share some other treasures. For example, one guest, Jerome, will perform a famous gospel tune a capella. Another participant will read a poem. There'll be plenty more and the joint will be jumpin'.

Here's how to join us:

• WHEN: Tune in at noon, Eastern Time.
• WHERE: WVOX 1460 AM and www.wvox.com.
• PARTICIPATE: Phone our call-in line, (01) 914 636 0110.

Image attributions:

• The public domain photo of Scott Joplin is from About.com
• The public domain image of the Treemonisha opera bill is from Wikipedia - Treemonisha.

Food for thought: Advice for thriving, not starving as an artist

I was 14 when I attended a performing arts camp whose youngest chaplain blessed our picnic lunch thusly:

Man cannot live by bread alone. He must have peanut butter and jelly.

That tongue-in-cheek prayer came to mind this morning, when I was seeking resources to support my multimedia projects. Some such resources were posted at Creative-Capital.org.

For example, an article in the Creative Capital Artists' Toolbox provides food for thought for greedy artists and fundraisers who want to pursue their passions AND eat three squares daily. The piece, entitled, "Fundraising Advice for Individuals," is an artist interview with Creative Capital Assistant Director Alyson Pou.

The article was excerpted from Margaret Lazzari's: The Practical Handbook for the Emerging Artist( Second Ed. USA: Harcourt College Publishers, 2002). As the title suggests, the book provides practical advice for thriving, not starving as an artist.

If you have room for more after devouring that book, take a bite out of Caroll Michel's How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist: Selling Yourself Without Selling Your Soul.

ON TV: Reel To Real - Malcolm X

Today's Academy Awards Sunday. It's also the tail end of Black History Month. What better way to start the day (besides going to church), than by watching movies about black history?

The History Channel hit the spot this morning with a 240-minute documentary, Reel To Real - Malcolm X. The movie's characters, cast and crew comprise a veritable constellation of role models spanning six decades.

As the History Channel describes, the movie is an:

Epic biography of America's fiery civil-rights leader, who is superbly played by Oscar-nominated Denzel Washington, from his early days as a zoot-suited hustler known as "Detroit Red" to his spiritual maturity after his pilgrimage to Mecca, as a Black Muslim by the name of El Hajj Malik El Shabazz. Directed by Spike Lee the film also stars Angela Bassett, Albert Hall and Delroy Lindo. (1992)
- Movie: Reel to Real - Malcom X. (1992). The History Channel website. Retrieved 13:40, February 25, 2007, from www.history.com/shows.do?episodeId=211066&action=detail

Some other prominent figures featured in the film are Muhammed Ali, Nelson Mandela and Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Junior.

Search the History Channel Schedule to learn when this and other Black History Month films will air in your time zone.

ON STAGE: As in 'American Idol', the audience and judges select The Strawberry One-Act Festival winners

They're baaack! The audience, judges and wild card have spoken: Welcome to Norway's cast and crew are survivors. They have advanced from last week's round in the 12th annual Strawberry One-Act Festival to the next.

The next showdown will be staged tonight at Manhattan Island's Riant Theater. Check the schedule.

As I posted in "Kissing and Telling," Welcome to Norway (by writer-director Robin Anne Joseph) is about a woman (played by Laura Maggie Kramer) who "discovers a powerful lesson about life's destinations and how to accept it." Also acting up acting out acting again in the production will be my pal, Stephen Plaushin.

Although thespian rather than musical, the Riant Theater's competition smacks of American Idol (sans Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Ryan Seacrest, of course), but it's better. According to the Riant Theater website:

The Strawberry One-Act Festival [...] is a play competition in which the audience and the theatre's judges cast their votes to select the best play of the season. Twice a year, hundreds of plays from across the country are submitted for the competition, of which 40 are chosen to compete. Plays move from the 1st round to the semi-finals and then the finals. The playwright of the winning play receives a grant and the opportunity to have a full-length play developed by the Riant.

Van Dirk Fisher created the Strawberry One-Act Festival a dozen years ago to find and nurture best-in-class talent. I'm sure he also recognized it as a good device to garner attention and revenues for the competition's venue. The same can be said for FOX-TV's creators of American Idol (which debuted less than a decade ago).

Despite their similarities, the series' philosophies and approach differ drastically. The Strawberry Festival's producers publicize the competition at the Riant Theater as "a wonderful opportunity for the audience and the industry alike to see some of the best talent in the nation." The festival staff cherry-picks the Strawberry Festival entries and presents only the best-in-class contenders. Submissions that don't pass muster never see the lights of the Riant's stage, and consequently are never seen by the festival's audience. And the audience - although involved (they vote by ballott) - is tame and civilized.

American Idol drums up drama differently. Each season, early episodes of the hit FOX-TV reality series feature the show's talent-shopping spree and weeding-out process. Ratings are spiced by screening samplings of well-done, medium-well, and bloody-bad performances. Selected performers who make the cut are served, like raw meat, to the judges and TV viewers, whose worst remarks couldn't possibly rival Simon Cowell's notoriously cutting, sometimes vicious comments.

If the Strawberry One-Act Festival suits your palate, check it out. Two flavors are available: sit down and take out.

Admission to sit down in the theater costs $20-$25. To take out, view the productions online at www.therianttheatre.com/video the day after they are performed on the boards.

To Stevie and company: break a leg!

Does your first date signal "keeper" or "cast another net"?

Today, MSN Dating and Personals united this pair of articles under "Finding the One". His read: 10 sure signs she's a keeper (a.k.a., She's a keeper!). Hers said: 6 First-date signs he's Mr. Right (a.k.a., First date signs he’s a keeper).

Those articles evoked memories of dates I've had and those of my friends. We've got tons of tales to tell about belles and beaus whose first date behavior signalled either "keeper" or "cast another net".

I'm sure you have stories worth sharing, too.

If so, I invite you to share them in a series of intimate conversations I'm planning for a few million listeners and me. They'll air during episodes of my upcoming talk radio and podcast programs.

Whether you're shy and commitment phobic, or demonstrative, even exhibitionist, not to worry. We can engage on any number of levels of involvement. You could:

• Emulate Cyrano de Bergerac by submitting your story, tips and advice for my team and me to report for you;
• Speak your own piece, live on air;
• Keep me, by serving as a paid sponsor, and, in return receive public displays of gratitude and promotion of your products and services;
• Serenade, and otherwise tantalize all involved, by submitting original AND RELEVANT (!) music, poetry, script, love potions, recipes for romance, and other products and services for consideration.

[NOTE: my team and I reserve the right to select and edit submissions at our discretion, and intellectual property rights to transcripts and recordings of my broadcasts and other media will be held by original creators and 360 MERIDIAN, LLC.]

Here's how to reach me. Email ltolliver AT 360meridian DOT com, or phone or fax (01) 309 279 7528.

Gung Hay Fat Choy! (Happy Chinese New Year!)

Goodbye Year of the Dog; welcome Year of the Red Fire Pig or Boar.

According to the Western solar calendar system, The Year of the Pig or Boar began two days ago. Consequently, according to the Chinese lunar calendar system, this is year 4705: a new moon day, the first day of the first Chinese lunar month, and a yin year.

123ChineseNewYear.com says New Year's is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. Because of cyclical lunar dating, the first day of the year can fall anywhere between late January and the middle of February. Holiday Insights explains that the 15 day celebration begins on the first day of the new moon, and ends on the full moon. The celebration on the15th day is called the Lantern Festival.

The astrological new year in China begins a short time later, at the winter solstice. According to the Chinese Fortune-Telling calendar system, the Red Pig New Year began February 18th, 2007, coincident with first day of Tiger month and the Start of Spring.

I hope your year will be happy and healthy, joyful and prosperous.

• More resources: Access Websites that provide more details and ideas for celebrating the Chinese New Year. Access a book list, delectables, music, and music items.
  
• Image attributions: Astrology On the Web.