Sunday, October 31, 2010

Out Spotlight

Today's Out Spotlight is a composer, writer, philosopher, visual and performance artist, and cofounder of the New York Mycological Society for the study, collection and appreciation of mushrooms and fungi. Today's Out Spotlight is John Cage.

Cage pushed the boundaries of traditional music, experimenting with sound, environment and audience perception. His avant-garde work influenced music, painting, dance, performance art and poetry.

John Cage was born in Los Angeles, September 5, 1912. His father was a somewhat eccentric inventor of largely useless devices who told him "that if someone says 'can't' that shows you what to do." He described his mother as a woman with "a sense of society" who was "never happy." It was not obvious from his early life that he would become a composer; he was born into a Episcopalian family, and his paternal grandfather regarded the violin as the "instrument of the devil". Cage himself planned to become a minister at an early age and later a writer. He was playing piano on the radio regularly by the time he was 12. From the influence of his inventor father, he developed a reputation for innovation and originality; qualities that became the hallmarks of his career.

Although music was not clearly to be his chosen path, he did say later that he had unfocused desire to create, and his subsequent anti-establishment stance may be seen to have its roots in an incident while he was attending Pomona College. Shocked to find a large number of students in the library reading the same set text, he rebelled and "went into the stacks and read the first book written by an author whose name began with Z. I received the highest grade in the class. That convinced me that the institution was not being run correctly." He dropped out in his second year and sailed to Europe, to pursue a less traditional education. Settling down in Paris, he spent 18 months painting, writing poetry and composing music, before returning to California to focus on his music.

From 1931 to 1936 he study music. His composition teachers included Adolph Weiss, Henry Cowell and Arnold Schoenberg. Schoenberg declared the young man “not a composer, but an inventor of genius.” In 1937, Cage worked as a dance accompanist in Seattle, where he met dancer and choreographer Merce Cunningham. The two became professional and life partners for the next 50 years. In 1938, he began to experiment with his music. He composed pieces for the prepared piano—a piano he created with objects placed on and between the strings to alter sound.

He founded a percussion orchestra for which he wrote his First Construction (In Metal) in 1939, a piece which uses metal percussion instruments to make a loud and rhythmic music. He also wrote the Imaginary Landscape No. 1 in that year, which uses record players as instruments, one of the first, if not the first, examples of this. Cage wrote a number of other Imaginary Landscape pieces in later years.

Cage continued to pursue unorthodox techniques into the 1940's. His fascination with Taoism and Zen Buddhism led him to chance music. Based on the “I Ching”—the Zen book of changes—and the flip of a coin, Cage created compositions solely by chance.

Cage joined the faculty of the Chicago School of Design. While there he was asked to write a sound effects-based musical accompaniment for Kenneth Patchen's radio play The City Wears a Slouch Hat. He then moved to New York City, but found it very hard to get work there. However, he continued to write music, and establish new musical contacts. He toured America with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company several times, and also toured Europe with the experimental pianist (and later composer) David Tudor, who he worked with closely many other times.

In 1948, he joined the Black Mountain College faculty and began collaborating with David Tudor and Robert Rauschenberg, among others. He composed his most controversial piece “4’33’,” three scores of silence over 4 minutes and 33 seconds. The intended “music” of the piece is the unintentional sound created by the audience and the environment.

The premiere of 4′ 33″ was given by David Tudor on August 29, 1952, at Woodstock, New York as part of a recital of contemporary piano music. The audience saw him sit at the piano, and lift the lid of the piano. Some time later, without having played any notes, he closed the lid. A while after that, again having played nothing, he lifted the lid. And after a period of time, he closed the lid once more and rose from the piano. The piece had passed without a note being played, in fact without Tudor or anyone else on stage having made any deliberate sound, although he timed the lengths on a stopwatch while turning the pages of the score.

He continued to compose and collaborate with other artists. In his later years, he focused on electronic music, often using radios and “Happenings,” what he called them—pieces that are mostly unwritten, except for timed intervals in which a note, a sound or silence is scheduled.

Cage passed away in New York City on August 12, 1992.


“I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones.”


John Cage’s “4’33”” performed by David Tudor


A reminder to stop by and see one of our favorite bunnies, Mr. Peabunny. He is currently campaigning to be Pet of the Month at South Arundel Animal Hospital.

"Vote Early and Vote Often."

Mr. Peabunny's Blog


Happy Halloween from OMG



Saturday, October 30, 2010

Party Lines

Nic, What are you wearing?

What are you wearing?

What do you think? I'm Jake.

I know you're Jake. But where's your costume?

I'm wearing it.

You're wearing one of your black suits with sunglasses and a hat.

Exactly, because I'm Jake. But that doesn't explain what the hell you're wearing.

What? I'm wearing what you told me too. But I don't get why you would want to pick this one for us.

I said Elwood! Not Elle Woods!


Ohhhhhhh. OH! OH!


Ohhhhh Atti what did he do to you?



Check out Austin's handiwork with a pumpkin.

Now Mr. Nichols, the big question is Cheetara or Lion-O?

Friday, October 29, 2010

Surprised by Joy

Not really the question you hear often in interviews or expect for a surf event.

But here's Austin talking about spirituality, and finding it in the great outdoors, and doing what he loves, that brings him joy.



Why is hiking, running, and biking sound more this smiling fella, than someone else Austin has spent time with the last season or so.


That smile looks familiar.



One more piece of Austin news - His newest movie LOL was picked up by Lionsgate. Lionsgate has obtained the U.S. rights from Mandate Pictures. An April release date is rumored.

It could be a double movie date in April for the fellows.

Happy Austin Friday!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Screen Treats

Both Jake and Austin have made their own movie treats for Halloween.
So turn out the porch light, get the popcorn and keep all that candy for yourself and watch.


Austin did his odd and creepy in a remake of Edgar Allan Poe's Fall of the House of Usher.
And Jake took his odd and dark turn in Donnie Darko. While the movies are very different they did have a few similarities and shared one thing.









You know Austin looks like he's wearing an IMF Viewer. What pictures would he want to look at in those?

And what did the two movies share?

Beth Grant

And with almost the same hairdo.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Into the Woods

He works for Disney, hangs out with blondes, hides in the trees, and lives with tall big guy who likes Tink too.

Who is he?
Nope this guy!

It's Bobble. Who lives in Pixie Hollow with Tink and her friends.

Let Disney tell you all about him.

Nickname...
His full name is "Phineas T. Kettletree, Esquire," but no one uses it except "Bobble"

Best Friend...
Clank, who else?

Talent...
Has a talent for tinkering... and loves it!

Personality Traits...
Good-natured, friendly, and a bit of a know-it-all -- he's a real tinker geek!

Description...
A teeny guy with short, spiky hair and dewdrop goggles (for detail work)

Fashion Statement...
Leaf work shirt and mossy pants

Home...
Shares a knothole bungalow with Clank on the roots surrounding Tinkers' Nook

Known for...
Being a "close talker" because of his nearsightedness

Crazy About...
Creating new things and talking shop
Pet Peeve...
Sprinting thistles are not a favorite of his

Favorite Fairy Game...
Hide-and-seek

Favorite Treat...
Acorn pancakes... yum!

Biggest Secret...
Thinks he's smarter and more refined than Clank


Scared of...
Getting into trouble with Fairy Mary!

Notable Quote...
"Oh splinters, Clank... say it, don't spray it!"



Tuesday, October 26, 2010

One Treet Hell

It's not all tricks this week... there is at least one treat.

There is no new crazy on the Crazy Tree Tonight.

The one week you would think heart eating dogs, psycho nannies, Grease 2, stalkers, ghosts, zombies, oranges out walking amongst the living, out of body experiences and

Nick Lachey (ooooo scary!) would be the norm, the Crazy Tree sits one out and repeats on itself.



Am I really on this show?



And because you never stop at one treat. Here are a couple more treats from the past few months.




And if Julian was a piece of Halloween candy what would he be?

Mounds of course.


Almond Joy's got nuts, Mound don't.

(....then there's that whole boob thing)

Monday, October 25, 2010

212* Questions

Riddle this:

So if Austin landed in NYC yesterday at JFK


Landed in NY and found out we got a full season. I should leave the country more often.

and then tweeted about LaGuardia today

I couldn't find any recycling bins at LaGuardia. I'm not gonna say which terminal. But come on yall, this is 2010.
Where was he last night?



How is it you are back stage at SNL and "all around New York" and there was only one tweet late Sunday afternoon, until a gossip from the west coast of Canada was the one with the exclusive and breaks it just before noon EST Monday morning ?



* 212 is one of the area codes for NYC

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Out Spotlight

Today's Out Spotlight is a businessman, software entrepreneur, LGBT rights activist, philanthropist and snowboarder. Today's Out Spotlight is Tim Gill.

Tim Gill was born in Hobart, Indiana,October 18, 1953. His family later moved to Colorado, where he attended Wheat Ridge High School where he got hooked on computers when the school got its first computer. Soon he taught himself to create complex programs. Instead of following in his father's footsteps as a physician, he went on to major in applied mathematics and computer science at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

After jobs at Hewlett-Packard and a consulting, he started his own company, Quark, Inc., in 1981 with a $2,000 loan from his parents.

His company Quark produced successful page layout software for the graphics market. He is recognized for revolutionizing the publishing industry with innovative, affordable, page-layout software. The company expanded into data storage devices, which brought Quark to the brink of bankruptcy and forced Gill to lay off half of his workforce. In 1986, he brought Farhad (Fred) Ebrahimi as CEO and the monumental success of QuarkXPress introduced in 1987, with Gill becoming a multi-millionaire. While achieving his success, he establishing a reputation for innovative, socially conscious business practices. He has been included on Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest people in the US.

Gill began to speak out publicly as a gay man in 1992 when Colorado voters passed Amendment 2, which banned laws designed to protect GLBT people from discrimination. In 1994 he established the Gill Foundation with the mission of securing equal opportunity for all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender expression. he is now the foremost leading fundraiser in that movement. He created the Gill Foundation, in 1994, and was one of the first major foundations to benefit the GLBT community.

In 2000 he sold his 50% interest in Quark, Inc., in order to devote his energies to the foundation, and philanthropic and activist endeavors . In 2004, the Gill Foundation endowment was $220 million.

Gill Foundation has been an advocate for LGBT equality. They are committed to securing equal opportunity for all Americans, including sexual orientation and gender expression.

The foundation is also dedicated to advancing equality by supporting nonprofit organizations that serve lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and allied individuals, as well as people with HIV/AIDS. Since its inception, the Gill Foundation has invested more than $178 million in nonprofit organizations throughout the country.

Their work is split into three primary areas. Advocating for equality by partnering with LGBT nonprofits – both state and national organizations – that work every day to bring about equality. Commitment to build a better Colorado by partnering with hundreds of organizations that share their commitment to improving the quality of life for people across the state. Educating and energizing the public and donors about the wide variety of LGBT nonprofits that further equality every day. One of its projects is the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado. The Fund has provided financial support to numerous organizations which serve the general public, including nearly $1 million to the American Red Cross for Hurricane Katrina disaster relief.

A major donor to the Democratic party and to various political causes, such as the failed effort to pass Referendum I, which would have established legal domestic partnerships for same-sex couples in Colorado, his political endeavors, are directed through the Gill Action Fund. He has created Connexion.org as a vehicle for engaging the GLBT community in political activities.

In addition to funding the gay and lesbian movement for equal rights, Gill is also a strong supporter of social justice organizations and educational institutions. He was one of the first major contributors to the Colorado AIDS Project and has long supported local public radio and television through program underwriting.

Gill married Scott Miller, 31, UBS wealth adviser, in an intimate ceremony at Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, Massachusetts, in April 2009. They live in Denver, Colorado.

" This fight is not just for the long haul. This fight is forever. "
Gill Foundation


Now a very special revisit of someone near and dear to OMG.

Well Peabunny has his own blog and is inviting all of OMG to stop by and see him. He is currently campaigning to be Pet of the Month at South Arundel Animal Hospital.

Stop by and say hi! and as they say, "Vote Early and Vote Often."

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Not so Silly

Jake Anne and Ed's Q & A from Wednesday evening has been discussed, but let's take a closer look. Because Jake spoke out without saying a word. How?

He chose to accessorize.



What is it? A Silly Bandz bracelet.

Doesn't seem like a big deal. But...

... it is the day he chose to wear it and the color of the bracelet that makes you think twice.

On Wed. Oct 20, GLAAD asked everyone to wear purple to show their effort to support the end of anti-gay bullying.

While it was subtle, it seems to be that Jake was joining in sending a message of support.



Here are video clips of the evening courtesy of MTV.com

Anne And Jake Say They Used Life Experiences To Feed Their Roles




Jake and Anne Comment On Wanting Justin Bieber To Take Anne's Role



On The Nudity In The Film



Jake On His Connection To His Character




Jake Talks About Viagra, The '90s