SCIENCE ENTERTAINMENT

There are several very interesting and very popular programs devoted to "science entertainment" in the New York area. (NOTE: THESE PROGRAMS ARE OFTEN OVER-SUBSCRIBED. IT'S BEST TO MAKE A RESERVATION EARLY AND ARRIVE EARLY!)

The CUNY Graduate center program (led by Dr. Brian Schwartz and Adrienne Klein) includes robots dancing and a look at the history and craft of the Stradivarius violin.

At the Cornelia Street Cafe, Nobel Laureate (chemistry) Roald Hoffman's program includes a look at Darwin, with guest Jonathon Weiner, author of The Beak of the Finch (a great book about a research program observing evolution occuring in "real time" in birds at the Galapagos Islands),

AT THE CUNY GRADUATE CENTER

• February 14 - "Science Valentine" (Tuesday, 6 PM, Free)
• March 1 - "Soft Science: Experimental Films On Science" (Wednesday, 7 PM, Free)
• March 28 - "An Experiment with an Air Pump: Furtive Romance, Farce, Science and Buried Secrets" (Tuesday, 6 PM, Free)
• March 31 -"Robot Dance Competition" (Friday, 2-3 PM, Free)
• April 5 - "The Violin: De-Coding Perfection" (Wednesday, 6 PM, Free)
• May 15 - "Big Bang: Premiere Of a New Musical Work Inspired By Astrophysics" (Monday, 6 PM, Free)
• May 22 - “ 'Intelligent Design' under the Microscope" (Monday, 5-9 PM, Free)
• June 17-18 - Street Fair Science, (Saturday and Sunday)

AT THE CORNELIA STREET CAFE

• Feb. 5, 2006 - "Darwin" with Richard Milner
• March 5, 2006 - “Hearing, really Hearing” with A.J. Hudspeth and friends.
• April 2, 2006 - to be announced...
• May 7, 2006 - “The Hard Stuff: Biomineralization” with Lia Addadi, Joanna Aizenberg and friends
• Coming... "Wine and Other Intoxicating Beverages" with Patrick McGovern

MARIA BARTIROMO AT DAVOS

For her show, Wall Street Journal Week, with Maria Bartiromo, reporting from Davos Switzerland, Maria (I don't know exactly what's appropriate to call her here, so I'll go on a first name basis) provided extremely interesting notes.

This gathering includes many of the most important industrial and political leaders and economic figures in the world.

She did confirm, from personal observation, that Angelina Jolie is pregnant! (In addition to being an actress and a staple of gossip magazines, Angelina represents the UN around the world.)

Maria reported that Bill Gates is committing $900 million toward the study, treatment, and prevention of tuberculosis. She commented that, sometime in the future, he may be remembered more for his foundation's accomplishments than for creating Microsoft.

She reported that the conference was very interested in the developing economies of China and India.

She reported that a major trade agreement with Korea will be announced next week.

An on-camera interview with Ann Linblad, an important Silican Valley venture capitalist, and Craig Barrett of Intel, pointed to the importance of computer software, especially in the areas of collaboration and VoIP. (That was of particular interest to me, because, when I worked for IBM, I developed demonstrations of technologies that allow video and VoIP collaboration over the Internet from websites and kiosks.)

It was a very interesting, right-to-the-point report.

RED EYE

Red Eye starts off great. It's exciting and real and dangerous.

Rachel McAdams is attractive and feisty. (She has been on a tear lately with The Family Stone , Wedding Crashers , The Notebook , Mean Girls and The Hot Chick.)

Cillian Murphy plays just the right character notes.

Unfortunately, after a while everything becomes much less credible. The heroine starts doing the kind of stupid things that heroines do in movies to keep plots going in an unimaginative way.

I'll stop here: in this preview it's not possible to go into any detail without giving away the story. The less you know about this movie going in, the more you'll enjoy it.

TSI/PLAYTIME ON WCBS

TSI/PlayTime is an Off-Off-Broadway theater group that has been presenting a wealth of short plays for 11 years. It provides a terrific opportunity and venue for playwrights, directors and actors to create and present new work and adaptations from classics. It has been the subject of several posts here: (May 13, 2005 - May 22, 2005 -- Sep 9, 2005 )

The building in which they have been operating is closing down to make way for luxury apartments, and they have to move. Their story was the subject of a segment of the CBS evening news last night.

They are looking for contributions and other support to help them relocate (and prosper in the new location!)

Check out their BLOG and their website for their latest news, to develop your own material there, and to pledge your support.

CRAVE

Bosley Theatrical Productions is putting on Crave, a play by Sarah Kane.

She wrote several intense plays dealing with violence, including 4:48 PSYCHOSIS, which was recently performed at BAM in Brooklyn, in a French language version with Isabelle Huppert.

Sarah Kane committed suicide at a young age after writing just a few plays.

It is troubling that, in the last hundred years or so, it seems like too many prominent female writers have committed suicide. I do not know what is cause and what effect.

24

24 is the most exciting show on television. Anything can happen. Catastrophes and personal disasters that pull no punches trash TV's normal rules for acceptable plot twists. Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer is ruthless, interesting, sympathetic, intelligent, and relentless in the face of personal tragedy, bureaucratic impediments and terrifying danger. I'm invested in Jack, and also in all the minor characters (and every other character is a minor character). I want to know what will happen next. I root for the good guys, hate the bad ones, and my frustration over the stupid ones, who always come to the wrong conclusion, nearly wrecking the planet with their by-the-book misjudgments, is very disturbing. My heart pounds faster during the show, and stays pounding for some hours after.

However, so far this year, unfortunately, for all the excitement, the great characters, and my involvement, there is nothing new.

During the first two hours we had nothing that has not been on previous seasons. Jack comes back from the "dead". There is an army of bad guys. There is mass hostage taking; a teenager who tries too hard and becomes involved in the action; a love interest who is compromised; important people assassinated; lies; torture, threats, promises and lies leading to information; lots of government officials being dispatched by Bauer; a key insider linked to the plot... etc. Exciting, yes! But it's not new.

Unless things change, we can expect more torture, betrayal, twists, more bodies, Jack going in and out of custody (held alternately by both the good guys and the bad guys); and a lot of terrible threats. We have in previous years (in addition to the items already mentioned) had nuclear explosions and threats of global epidemics. How much worse can it get?

(One non-sequitorial comment: I miss Elisha Cuthbert as Jack's daughter. Since Jack has resurfaced, she ought to contact him. She had thought her father was dead. Now that he is known to be alive, she should spring back into action. In her years on the show, she had the worst, most ridiculous plot lines. But she herself was sympathetic, and I hope she comes back with a classy and intelligent story line.)

SUBMITTING A HEADSHOT AND RESUME BY E-MAIL

The object of submitting your headshot and resume is to get cast. Sounds obvious, but all too many submissions have errors that work against your getting cast.

To get cast you must

• Get noticed
• Show that you are the perfect person for the part
• Be remembered and contacted when the time comes.
  
  

Here are some simple suggestions:

1. Respond as quickly as possible.
2. Follow the instructions in the casting notice.
3. Include a personal note that addresses the requirements in the casting notice.
4. Check your resume for typos and mistakes.
5. If you are sending an attachment, don't forget to attach it.
6. Send a copy of the e-mail to yourself, so you can check it later.
7. Use an e-mail address that has your name.
8. To the extent possible, the following should have your name and the name of the project: The e-mail subject line, and the title of any zip attachments. The title of your resume and your pictures should include your name (eg YourNameResume.doc, YourNameHeadshot.jpg).
9. To the extent possible, all the following should have your name, your phone number, your e-mail, and your web address: the text of your e-mail (which should also identify the project for which you are submitting), your resume, and your picture.
10. Your resume should include a small copy of your picture. It should come out well-formatted both on a computer screen and when printed.
11. Your picture should be in color. It should fit nicely on a computer screen or when printed, and should not be too big (for example, 1000x1000 pixels is way too big).
12. If possible, your picture (or one of your pictures) should suggest you can play the part described in the casting notice.
13. For best results, the e-mail itself should contain a small picture,and a brief note expressing enthusasm for the part and highlights of your resume. You should attach a (not too big) zip with one or more pictures and a resume; and you should have a website, preferably www.yourname.com, (rather than scrungysite.com/yourname.
14. You should send the e-mail yourself, rather than having a service send it from some scrungysite.com.
15. When you return the call inviting you to an audition, and you have to leave a message, be sure you state your whole name and your phone number clearly and not too fast, preferably repeating it once.
16. It's usually a good idea to send a thank-you note a few days after an audition, expressing your interest in the project, especially if you learned more about the project during your meeting. (Many of the suggestions above apply to this note as well -- it should have your name and contact numbers in all appropriate places; double check it for errors; send a copy to yourself...)

Good luck!

2006

We have very exciting plans in place for 2006, including expanded coverage in all areas, a new front page for QPORIT, more PODCASTS, several series of short videos including VLOGs and contributions to Quick Flick World, and several new BLOG projects.

QPORIT = Quick Previews Of Random Interesting Things.

The key word is Previews. QPORIT is all about the future, and about all of the future: The future of entertainment, science, technology, finance, politics...

We have reviews, interviews, pointers to coming events, meetings, films and theater, and many other stories about things that will happen (or might happen... or shouldn't happen).

If you are involved in the development of any exciting project in any field, let us know (at qporit@aol.com). We'd love to write about you and your project!

LET US KNOW if you have a story previewing:

• A new film (or film festival)
• A new play
• New fashions
• A new product (especially related to new media)
• A new book being published
• New technology
• A new scientific discovery
• A new take on a political issue
• A new ...

QPORIT is a part of the project we are developing called

HOW TO PREDICT THE FUTURE

An Evening of Science Theater

+ Online Resources

This will be a live presentation that explains How to predict the future: what it means, how to do it, and how you can take advantage of this extraordinarily important information!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!