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February 27, 2003

According to Jay Leno...

(thanks, Joni), our show is called Joe Paperbag Head. Hee hee.

Time for more details: We're populating the series in just the next two weeks, so a nationwide search is on for one "princess" and 25 suitors.

The suitors will be masked in every encounter with the princess, while they live together in a castle, go on dates, and learn about one another... without the guys' looks being a factor.

The viewers will get to see the suitors in their on-camera interviews and all that good stuff.

The series begins shooting March 24th, so we've hit the ground running.

Open calls are taking place starting tonight in the following cities (through March 9th): Atlanta, Tampa, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Chicago, Boston, Austin, Dallas, Tucson, Scottsdale, Las Vegas, San Diego, Sacramento, and Los Angeles.

The first LA open call is Sunday, 3/2, at 1918 W. Magnolia Blvd., Ste. 206, Burbank, 91506, from 11am to 5pm. Applications are available on the website, but if you're coming to an open call, we'll give you the paperwork to fill out there. Videotaped submissions are accepted through March 8th at the above address and must be accompanied by an application form and video release.

Casting hotline: 1-800-813-CAST.

LA singles... I'll see ya Sunday! And any of you who like to do the host thing, if you want to gimme your host reel, we'll need one of those types too!

Posted by bonnie at 8:57 PM

February 26, 2003

Details on my new job...

At TV Guide.com. Also got press in today's Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and USA Today, from what I hear.

Audition information (including the application I designed... tee hee) at the Fox website and hotine at 1-800-813-CAST. Things will calm down a bit after I get a couple of recruiting crews on airplanes in the morning. And then things will wind back way way way up when tapes start coming in.

Our LA open calls are Sunday and the following Saturday. I'm pretty dang psyched. But exhausted. I'm working my booty off!

Posted by bonnie at 10:10 PM

February 25, 2003

Well, holy bejeebuss

Guess who's the new Casting Coordinator for the latest Fox Network reality show... ala Joe Personality... even?

Yeah... that'd be me.

Be ready to not see me around for a bit. Four weeks of ass-off working to coordinate the nation-wide search for 25 men and one faboo fem for the show... I'll be busy. But I'll still host Hollywood Happy Hour with Nelson and Kris on the 6th. Amazing how one (me) is able to negotiate a deal around the schedule that already exists somehow.... Tee heeeeeee.

To RSVP for HHH, email info@HollywoodHappyHour.com and you'll be all set. To get on the big Bon's got an effin' mailin' list mailing list, email info@CricketFeet.com and you shall be there!!

Okay... time to get an hour or so of sleep before starting a new JOB. God help me!!

Posted by bonnie at 12:06 AM

February 15, 2003

Checking In Before Checking Out

Keith's mom died last week. It's a relief. She'd been hanging on through two strokes, two heart attacks, kidney failure, lung cancer, and end-stage diabetes for far far far too long.

Now it's the family stuff. Oh, man... Poor baby Keith.

Honestly, I'm better--emotionally--now that his mom has gone on than I was while she fought and struggled to hold on. That brought up too many old ghosts for me. In a sad piece of irony, just as happened to me the day my mother passed away, Keith had a flight home scheduled for just hours after she would end up dying. I have to believe that neither of us were meant to be at our mothers' side while she died... but I also have to admit that it hurts like hell to have been anywhere else at that moment, knowing we were both on our way there at the time.

Sunday, we will drive up the coast. I've never done that before, so we're taking the rental car the long way... up the PCH and across the Golden Gate Bridge. I look forward to that part of the day. Then come all the things I dread--but nowhere near the level that Keith must dread them--for so many reasons. Ugh.

And then we head back Monday.

Happily, I will be an industry judge at The Best of FEM that evening. Keith was more reluctant to miss out on it than I. He needs to get back to normal and that showcase of outstanding female talent in this town is a ritual for us. He needs it.

The outpouring of generous support during this time from friends and mere acquaintances has been outstanding. We really do have a majestic group of friends and associates. We are very blessed to live as we do.

Ah. Yes. Live. Let's do that.

Keith's episode of Lingo aired this week. That means that he and Rich should each see $2500 checks next week or so. Even though I knew they won, it was a nail-biter, as gameshows go. I'm such a sucker in the audience!

The casting director panel Wednesday night was, simply stated, rock star good. I couldn't have asked for a better mix of people... and this time there were more actors in attendance than ever before: 150 by my count, and I couldn't even see everyone there. Sadly, the owner of the bookstore is going to have to take RSVPs for the next event (March 26th), as we're really violating firecode, at this point.

I now totally get why it is that unscrupulous people in this town gouge actors for the "privilege" of getting to see casting directors. The demand is there. Forget it. I'm keeping these things free as long as there's room to put 'em up and folks in casting willing to do them for free. As it stands now, that could be a long long long time. Fine by me. I love moderating these panels.

Color me the next Oprah Winfrey, baby. I got goals!

Hollywood Happy Hour is chugging along nicely. We got an amazing new corporate sponsor and the enthusiasm (and RSVPs) from our soon-to-be fans is building steadily. Very excited to get this up and running on March 6th!

I'll spend a week working at the paper when we get back from NoCal. That's always nice for a change of pace. Once that week is done, it's time for the final planning, goodie bag-stuffing, sound-recording logistics, and program creating/printing/folding to take place. Can't wait! It's like throwing a big party, but not having to clean anything up after. Woo hoo!

Stuart's book is edited an on its way to the printer. Can't believe that means my second book is next up. Yikes! Still so much to do! Labor of love, labor of love, labor of love!

Oh, we received a check today from a bookseller in New York. He'd been in town here for a conference in early January and we gave him a case of books to sell back in New York. They all sold! Already! So...

I guess I have to admit this book is good. Thing is, my big, crying moment was when the University of Illinois picked the book up. That would've been the accomplishment that most filled my mother with pride. That's her kind of glory.

Thanks, Mom, for staying with me on this journey.

Posted by bonnie at 10:18 AM

Fear Based

I'm afraid to post this out loud.

In fact, I'm going to put this article up quietly and then slink out of town for a few days to see if I can get away with saying all of this without causing much of a stir.

I think I may be turning into a Republican.

*cringe*

Now, I know it's not possible for me to ever really be a Republican, as I am a huge sucker for human rights, civil rights, reproductive freedom, domestic partnership legislation, federally funded programs for school lunches and the arts, and all that jazz. But...

I want a war.

So far, all of my way liberal friends (among whom I've stood at many a rally, fundraiser, or protest over the years) are coming out way anti-war. They want peace and they want it now.

I want Dubya to push the magic button and blow some shit away.

I'm tired of being tense over when the next strike against Americans will take place. I'm tired of being anxious after hearing the three thousandth story on the local news about how to properly duct tape ourselves into our homes and eat foods we've learned how to grow in our windowsill gardens. I'm tired of wondering just how many more suicide bombings in America-friendly locales have to take place before someone with some fucking firepower takes out the assholes who have the audacity to say that the space shuttle's deterioration on reentry was an act of a God who knows how evil America is.

Every time I hear a low-flying airplane, I am certain it's headed into the Hollywood sign just above my home and that it's being hit simultaneously with the Golden Gate Bridge, the Gateway Arch, and the Statue of Liberty.

I am sick of living in fear.

And, because being sick of living in fear means I want some action taken before the next attack on us, I live cloaked in a second layer of fear: that of being an un-closeted Republican.

Well... whatever. If my pro-war (and pro-right this fucking second) mentality makes me an evil Republican on the matter, I'll take it. I can joke every day about "not letting the terrorists win" and seeing the Terror Alert scale go from Bert to Ernie in color, but that doesn't mean that I'm not scared to death of living in this post-9/11 world of ours.

And to walk around with that fear... when we could just annihilate the source and be done with it?? Well, call me short-sighted. Perhaps I am. But after a year and half of looking over my shoulder as if a rapist is on my heels again, I'm exhausted.

Go get 'em, boys. Spank those fuckers down. Now.

Posted by bonnie at 2:51 AM

February 7, 2003

Wow

The University of Illinois just ordered the book for its Spring Semester.

Wow.

Posted by bonnie at 2:50 PM

February 5, 2003

(Low Carb) Catch-Up

Goodness gracious, it has been quite a few days! Busy, but happily so, as usual. I've learned that my body likes three hours of sleep for every ten hours awake, if possible. When that doesn't happen, I sleep for about six hours and then am up for 20. That means there's no telling when I'll be sleeping. That's proved interesting, to say the least, when trying to conduct a little business with normal people.

Who am I kidding? I know very few normal people.

Okay, so Hollywood Happy Hour is up and running. We had a meeting Monday night at the site for our first event (March 6th) and it went just great. We are really gearing up!! In preparation for our live event, we're doing a discussion forum and mailing list thing. Feel free to come join us! It's a blast, thus far.

Atkins eating is doing well for me, it seems. Finally broke down and bought a scale, so that I'm not always counting on showing up at some person's apartment and sneaking into their bathroom to use theirs in order to check my progress. So, according to the scale, I'm down 15 pounds (and as many inches) since starting Atkins just over seven weeks ago. That's pretty dang cool. Keith and I started really sticking to an exercise pledge this month and we really are supporting one another really well. Also, it's like the only time we get to spend together, since my sleep cycles are so out of whack. Oh, and Keith (damn those boys) has lost 30 pounds so far!! Sheesh! He only has about ten more to go. I, however, cannot say the same.

Okay, time to catch up on some blogs and such. Bear with me.

Chip said: Susan and I are writing a pilot for a TV series. I doubt this will go past the story treatment stage but we might actually write the script. Still too many details to work on before I write more here. Susan says she can't work with me because she gives ideas and then I boil them down to "It's Deadline meets Freakylinks with some Boston Public and My So-Called Life thrown in. I just do it to annoy her.

Chip, you do realize that that is EXACTLY how concepts are pitched to studios and networks here, right? You are totally on the path to Hollywood. Let Susan keep feeding you ideas, you keep boiling them down to hybrid concepts and loglines (25-word descriptions) and you will be ready to pitch next season!

Oh... and make sure you write everything down.

Courtney, I love the concept of the curtains you're making. The whole idea of beading and fringing and ribboning those plain sheets on hoops with clips... wow. You're right. Pure genius. Please do share photos. As for the other stuff in your blog... please know you can always count on your friends and family to help you out. Take care of you and the rest will fall into place. We love you.

Big Mike, Shelley is right. I don't know you, so that's why I haven't commented on the Armida situation either. I have no business advising you, as I don't know anything more than what *I* would do in such a situation. And you're not me, nor would you want to be. Just please be careful. Shelley, good goin', girl.

Happy Belated Birthday, Trevor!! You're still my favorite BLUE!

Oh, dear God, how much do I love that article you found on the cult of the Franklin Planner. I am SO there! One of the hardest things I ever had to do was trade in my planner for my Handspring Visor. Well, technically, I traded it in for a reconditioned Palm Pilot, then upgraded to a Visor the next year. Point is, I still miss my planners. Desperately. They were such a source of happiness for me. I wrote in different color inks, I used them as journals, I put stickers inside them, taped in motivational quotes and photographs of every celeb I spied. I miss that. Truly. If it weren't for the 2243 contacts in my Visor (organized, categorized, sorted, and backed up on my iBook), I'd probably go back. Ah... simpler times.

Trevor, how did you have the patience to scan all of those photos? I brought home boxes of photographs from Mom's house on our trip in May and my goal was to get all of the photos scanned, named (in some organized fashion), and burned to CDs by around December 2008. I still think that's an attainable goal, but I'm beginning to think that I'll have to employ someone else to do the actual scanning. It's just too monumental a task for me to undertake with any passion. What do you recommend, seeing as you've been down that path with some success?

And may I just say, Trevor, this quote of yours is top-notch. It isn't that the planner puts me in control of my world, but rather that I can dynamically react to the chaos that is my life. Brilliant.

Jocelyn, my dear, this is the saddest thing I've read lately. Head coach of high school told my cheerleaders they needed to have three priorities in life. 1. Get married (my stomach turns even writing it), 2. Have babies (oh my god they're in 7th grade!!!), 3. Win state championships (I think I might puke).

Good lord. God bless the south.

Also, Jocelyn, you mentioned wanting a summer job in California. Lemmeknow what industry you want to work in and I'll see if I can hook you up. I know some people, and beyond that, I know some places to contact with your resumé, based on what you want to do while you're here. I think one of my former Athens Academy students is coming out here this summer to do some journalist type job. I'm so proud. *sniff* My little girl's grown up!

And with that, I'll sign off for now. Must get back to paying work. Be well, everyone! And XXOO to you all.

Posted by bonnie at 7:30 AM

Best Dressed

Have you ever been in love? I mean really in love? I have.

Soft to the touch, pleasing to the eye, absolutely flattering and sure to garner compliments whenever I wore it: my mustard yellow lambswool mock turtleneck sweater from the Tweeds catalog.

I bought it in 1988 along with an oxblood above-the-knee pleated skirt. I wore those two pieces along with my charcoal grey opaque tights and black penny loafers (the left shoe had a 1970 penny, given to me by my cousin Joni, and the right had a 1988 penny, on my person at the time Joni suggested the idea of one foot representing the year of my birth, the other the year of my graduation).

Whenever I wore this outfit, I was in high-confidence mode. I remember wearing it, with an oversized grey blazer, when I went to my audition for MTV's Remote Control in January of 1989. I had lost ten pounds over Christmas Break from college, and my, "I will not ride the bus to the dining hall" pledge had ensured that I had not gained the freshman fifteen in my first quarter of studies at the University of Georgia. I looked HOT. And the crowd's reaction during my audition segment proved that fact.

That sweater, when I pulled it out of the closet last month, had two little holes in it--the work of eager silverfish that found their way into my life. I tried to mend the sweater, but it was no use. The damage had been done, and the sweater now--15 years after it entered--would leave my life.

I actually wept.

But here's the real reason why--just so you won't think me more a freak than you already do.

Tweeds is no longer in business.

I populated my wardrobe with Tweeds clothing from the discovery of its catalog in 1988 all the way up until 1999, when I received word that they were discontinuing the catalog and going web-based only. I was disappointed to hear that, as was the phone operator in North Carolina who delivered that blow while I placed my order from an office across from Mann's Chinese Theatre, where I worked at the time. She agreed that we like holding the catalog, flipping through, folding down page corners, even cutting out pictures we like to come up with ideas for coordinating looks.

I received my order in June, 1999, of a periwinkle blue, ribbed, wrap/tie sweater, a black pair of shimmery dress pants, and the coolest black strappy sandals I have ever owned in my life. I think the order cost $99 including shipping and handling. I *still* wear those sandals, even though they are really ready for retirement. They are just that perfect.

And that's just it. Everything Tweeds sold was like that in my life. I have so many pieces of clothing by Tweeds that I still pull out and wear--many more pieces that are waiting for me to lose enough weight to wear them again--and they look like new. They are so well-made, so lovely, and in such delicious colors and fabrics that I just adore them all for the works of art that they are.

And now that they're rare, since there are no more Tweeds clothes to be had, they mean that much more to me.

The website for Tweeds did have a little "We'll launch with the Spring 2000 Collection" message up for most of 1999. For most of 2000, the site had no message, just an image of a woman wearing impeccably beautiful clothing. In 2001, the site redirected to its parent company's site, where no mention of Tweeds could be found. And last year, the domain name was for sale. *sniffle*

Tragic, really.

I will never understand why my dear Tweeds is no more. I know that I certainly could've kept them in business, if the thousands of dollars in business I gave them over the years is any indication.

All this to say, when you see me in a too-snug, slightly worn, lovely colored, well-tailored piece of clothing, please don't ask where I got it. I might just cry.

Posted by bonnie at 7:03 AM

February 1, 2003

Turn on CNN

Space shuttle explodes on re-entry over Dallas.

Posted by bonnie at 6:52 AM