Slowly moving this blog to my own wordpress blog

These days I am learning how to use Wordpress.  I know my learning curve is like molasses - but this old dog is trying to learn the kind of tricks all the new kids on the block are using to communicate.  (did I just use and mix two old clichés in one sentence?)

Here is the migration link.  I have not worked the bugs out, but here is the link:

http://thewhirlybird.com/blog

Okra and my Blog revisited

Took the photo on the left there last week up in the Ozarks.
I've got a New Year's resolution in mind - I am starting a new blog for parents, teachers, caregivers - anyone working with children of all ages.  The new blog is called How To Discipline With Humor (http://howtodiscipline.org).  Check it out - even though I have not officially launched it yet.  I am working on a book with the same theme and will use the blog as one way to get the word out.
Now about OKRA - I did get some good feed back about my last blog about okra - you can find it HERE.

I had a conversation with my sister-in-law, Misty Phillips, over the holidays and she was telling me how delicious grill roasted okra was.  She said it was hard to stop eating.  So, I am excited about grilling okra when it is in season.  BTW - we still have a lot of okra seed from our garden.  Just let me know.

Photography Show at Cité des Arts - October 2011

During the month of October, I will be having a photography show at Cité des Arts, downtown Lafayette, LA , 109 Vine Street.  Come by and see my a small part of my work.

The one on the left is a large ashtray, sitting outside the Swamp Gravy Theater, Colquitt, GA. I was on a trip to experience storytelling-story collecting and improv community performance of stories collected.  It had rained and the large ashtray was filled with water, cigarette butts and other garbage.

I made three different "mandala images" from the photo.  My favorite is in my show.  The play of the light reflection and the way the water bulges at the edges and causes shadows is very interesting.

The photo on the right is of an old door I found in an alley in Colquitt, GA.  I collected quite a few very inspiring photos on my iphone that day in that alley.  This door had the number "6" painted on it and had rusting nails and a diagonal pattern of the boards.  It reminded me of many doors that I saw in Spain as I hiked the sacred mountain up to the Alhambra with my son, Bogar - that was too many years back to mention.

But, I like the idea that towns across the US have doors with as much character as those very old doors in Spain.

I love the photo on the left - again, the alley Colquitt, GA was a treasure trove for my eye and my iphone.  It is a painted pink wall.  There may have been a patch of some sort at one time that got painted over to cause the circle.

Time and Nature can create beauty in mysterious ways.  This has a very subtle Rorschach affect on me.  I see so many things in the simplicity of the faded color and age lines and cracks.


That Alley!  Amazing.

One simple light cover over a door on a metal building makes a great pattern.

This photo is a corner of a painted white storm drain - the dark material is broken up asphalt that has run down into the drain, clogging most of it.

There is a bit of organic matter here and there - pine needles and a small leaf or two.

I call this "goop" but it was a very weird pile of trash, found objects that somehow found their ways into this spot that pink paint (I imagine left over and poured out after the pink wall in the alley was done).

I think it was left over cement or plaster or some kind of adhesive material dumped in the alley and then the paint was dumped on top - there is a small thin hose and some other stuff - a plant or two growing up through the man-made mess.

It does make for an interesting mandala - bringing the profound to the profane.

This manipulated image is difficult to explain.  There was an abandoned building with stuff piled up in the street-level window.  I took several photos of the stuff in the window and this is the counterpart photo I came up with for one of those photos.


Once again, time and nature.

 The next three "Counterpart - Mandala" photos are of wooden rafters, beams and ceiling that was part of an old gas station (I think) - some sort of service company with a large over covered area that could be driven under.

 I used the same photo for all three - some manipulation can make a big difference in the way the counterparts affect the image.

This one looks more like a ceiling with rafters - the color is what it looked like.  I did not manipulate the colors at all.

October 2011 Re-invention & Invention

REINVENTION  The Wall Street Journal has quite a lot of space dedicated to the reinvention of careers.  You can find it here.  I suppose I am working on reinvention of self and career.

My studies regarding the human brain and learning are requiring me to stretch my imagination and push past the edges of my preconceived ideas of who I am.  The photo to the left shows me at a time when I really looked good in a suit.  It has been a struggle since those early days - to look good in a suit, that is.  I remember the bow tie in the photo on the left as red.

I have decided that I need a few suits just in case my newly reinvented self needs them - so, Goodwill here I come.  Wonder if I can find an adult-sized red bow tie at Goodwill?

I have to admit that it will take a bit of "getting used to it" to see myself as a professional movie actor - especially since the clothing I am acting in is a bit different than a suit - Mother, cover your eyes - hospital gown - underwear - speedo!  But, we finished the shooting of Tom Krueger's full length "Indie" - Tom is off on an editing journey - hopefully, Christy and I, Tom, and the rest of the cast and crew will be meeting in Park City, UT for the Sundance Film Festival in January of 2012.  I know what I am not planning on wearing at Sundance - although there were threats that I might be asked to pull the speedo out of wardrobe for public humiliation - I mean publicity....

INVENTION  I am currently putting up a photography show at Cité des Arts.  Below are some of my images.  I talk about this process of photography in an earlier blog.  Here it is....

Jim is Launching acting workshops & holding auditions for improv work

I'm charging ahead with my plans.  I can thank director/writer, Tom Krueger, for the outfit I am wearing in the photo (and Claire Hedlund for the chest art - "Claire, that was one of my favorite memories") - "What outfit? You say.  There IS something down there... under ... uh, under my big ol' belly bulging out there like ripe, snow-white honky-tonk'n watermelon....

I took this photo of myself on set of Daisy Chain while working on character background and trying to keep cool in 100 degree weather, getting ready for a big scene -   Go, Tom, Go - Tom is working hard on replenishing the coffers - since he spent the farm and the chickens on his awesome indie film - so, he is doing commercial work at the same time as trying to edit the film and keep sane.

Just heard from Tom and, not only is he still sane, he is happy with the film and its progress.  I am so excited - luckily I have plenty of work to keep me occupied while waiting for Daisy Chain to come out.  You may see me at Sundance - yet.  I will have a different outfit.

I will say that my work with Tom has inspired me to get on with a part of my creative life and career that I have neglected for years - acting, film, theater, writing.  But, no more.  I am launching several programs in the month of August.


Improvisation Group
First - On Monday, August 22, 5:30 to 8:30, I will be holding auditions for an improvisation group that I will direct, and, of which I will be a partner on set.  I have also been working at Cité des Arts to upgrade the cafe into what has now become The Flying Saucer Cafe.  The improvisation group will be regularly performing on stage at The Flying Saucer at least once per month on Saturday nights - description:


Adult Improv - Jim Phillips is forming and directing an improvisation group that will be working together on a weekly basis, and, performing in the Flying Saucer Café at Cité des Arts at least once per month on Saturday nights from 10 - 12 PM. He is looking for females and males - mainly humans of all forms, sizes and experience. Jim likes to call this creative process "no parachute" improv. - come and hone your acting skills - release your inner energy - live and play in the moment - even if you are not a "performer" you will use these skills in your everyday life. If you are an actor, this is the fastest way to develop skills and learn about how your many forms of energy connect you to the world, and how to focus in the moment. Questions? You can call Jim at 337-290-160

Acting Workshops & Talent Showcases

Second - Starting Tuesday, August 23 and running every Tuesday afternoon through Tuesday, November 8th, I will be starting acting workshops for kids ages 7-17 in the afternoons and adults in the evenings. The Kids workshop will be Tuesdays, 4 - 5 PM  - and the Adults workshop will be Tuesday evenings, 6:30-8:30 PM.  The Kids Workshops run for a total of (12) 1 hour sessions.  At approx. $16 per hour session the total cost for the kids workshop is $200 for the 12 sessions.  The Adults Workshops run for a total of (12) 2 hour sessions.  At approx. $16 per hour session the total cost for the adults workshop is $400 for the 12 sessions.  Description:

Developing acting skills for film. stage and personal growth. Breathing, Voice, Posture, Sensory Awareness, Listening. Clear Thinking Learning how to "nail" auditions. * Prepare for an Actors Showcase to be performed in front of Louisiana-based talent agents and casting directors tentatively set for Nov. Questions? You can call Jim at 337-290-1601
 

Kickstarter Launch tonight!

Check out my movie Project:

Kickstarter Project: A Story For Survival

The Bio & Socio Diversity of Fred's Lounge

Christy and I headed up to Fred's last Saturday morning - to dance to the world-class French music of Jason Frey on the accordion, along with amazing fiddler, Joel Savoy, and the singing encyclopedia of Cajun-French tunes, Ray Thibodeaux, who also was on drum.  We danced - AND we certainly enjoyed the unique and diverse "cultural assumptions, goals, values and behaviors" represented by Fred's Lounge's patrons.

We had so much fun dancing, participating in and soaking in the joie de vivre!  Although we do not see coming to Fred's every Saturday morning as an integral part of our activities, we talked about how much this particular visit was important to us - how we needed to visit Fred's on occasion to remind us of the dynamic nature of the culture that brought us to SWLA.
  

There were more than a dozen folks there we knew and that are important figures in our socio-culture here.
We talked about how happy we are that places like Fred's have been preserved, and, how we hope it will continue after those that have played important roles in making it happen are gone. You cannot find places like Fred's in Lafayette, or out at the Mall.

According to Wikipedia:  Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Greater biodiversity implies greater health.

And, according to The International Journal of Social Economics, "the loss of bio-diversity has received increasing attention as one of the most serious environmental threats we face. Yet not only biodiversity is being lost at staggering rates, socio-diversity is being lost as well. Socio-diversity is defined as the various social and economic arrangements by which people organize their societies, particularly the underlying assumptions, goals, values and social behaviors guiding these arrangements.


Socio-diversity is a measure of the health of social systems and our communities. Greater socio-diversity implies greater health.

I highly value bio- and socio-diversity - and I believe Fred's Lounge in Mamou, Louisiana is a measure of cultural health.  What a boring, watered-down, weak, listless and barren world we are headed for if we let places like Fred's Lounge disappear.  We should encourage others to experience places like Fred's.