The Sting, Part 2

Well then...I became brilliant. The first order of business is a computer. So, why not hit up various computer dealers offering them (heh heh) the opportunity--the Lofty Opportunity of making a donation to a good cause. In the process of culling the web for computer resellers. I came across a B2B import/export site that was offering the exact, ex-gen computer I wanted for the insane price of $9.00+$45.00 shipping! I talked to a friend of mine whom I knew to be in the import/export business.

$9.00! I said, $9.00! Is it possible? Of course, she told me. Electronics are so cheap to manufacture and if you are able to buy direct from the manufacturer, it's entirely possible.

Yes. Well. Of course $9.00 was a typo (accidentally on purpose or not) the real price was $900. And as silly as it sounds when I found out, I, for a while, was deeply depressed. For at least 10 or 15 minutes. $900! The price might as well be $9000! And because they had a minimum order requirement I had to buy 2 of them! But then, I started thinking. (Full stop. Yes, if only I had. Stopped, that is) What if I sold two on eBay, had them shipped from the manufacturer in Asia, and then kept one for myself?

And wonder of wonders, they were willing to give me an even lower price if I bought 5. That way my friend could sell a couple as well and take a little money for arranging the shipping and all that custom, export stuff.

So okay, we did it. We sold four, ordered five and any minute DHL would rain down computers from heaven. (You don't know how unbelievably stupid I feel telling y'all this) Expect for one thing. Whenever my friend and I got together for a little game of 'count the computers', something odd would happen. 1 for me, 2 for customers, profit to me; 3 for customers, profit to you (mygooddearwonderfulfriend)? Wait, that's six!

No, no. That last part should be '2 for customers, profit to you'. Oh...i see (starting to hyperventilate just a tad) you say you sold 3 computers instead of 2. But you didn't tell me...hm. Just ad to the order you say? (Starting to get mad, she knows durn well we can't "just add to the order" thato has already been invoiced and staged, and we have customers waiting I've only said so five times)

Tomorrow, Part 3 of our saga.
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So for now, soon, I'll be coming out of the other side of this. But it has weighed on my mind a lot. And my health a little. Not a lot of left over energy for creativity.

But yesterday, I received my copy of Once and Again, Season 2. I'd forgotten how good the show was. The way it took the events common to everyone's life and reflected...no, created from those events a story that is as emotionally true as anything that has happened in our own lives.

It's a Zwick, Herskovitz, Holzman thing.

Remember My So-Called Life? Anyone? Anyone? Every girl who ever saw the series recognized the emotional intensity of Angela's crush on Jordan Catalano. We've felt it. Remember that guy in high school or junior high, the one that made you forget to breathe just by walking past you in the hallway? Crazy. It never to me that anyone would capture that feeling in print and then convey it on a television screen in a way brought the old madness back all over again. It never to me that any one could, or that anyone would want to. But for these guys, Z, H and H. It's their specialty.

They can make us feel these things. Like an emotional memory.

So there's this art gallery in Half Moon Bay. They carry, display, show the work of a particular artist I would like to feature on BotP. But then, I looked at their site and realized, I would like to get the gallery itself involved in the de Bergerac Society. It could be kinda cool. They seem kinda cool. I'll let you know what happens.

Also, there are actors in the Bay Area I wish to interview. And a filmmaker or two. So everyone, the site is shaping up. It's a continual work in progress and you never know what's going to happen next.



--dB

The Sting, Part 1

***The New News***
Yesterday called Bedford Falls Company, production company of Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz to ask for sponsorship...imdb'em, if you don't know who I mean, you'll be surprised. We'll see what happens.
***The New News***

It happens so often as to seem commonplace, and yet, like everything else in life, from falling in love, to falling off a log, when it happens to you it feels anything but.

I been stung, scammed, ripped off. And to add to the horrific nature of the situation, I lost not only my own money (all of it), but that of a few other people into the bargain.

This has been keeping me stressed, awake, riddled with guilt frantically searching for ways to make good and, well, away from here. There is another emotion. One I shy away from mentioning, or even feeling, because it seems so silly to my logical mind. My feelings are hurt. What a ridiculous thing to say, huh? But they are. We know con artists exist. We know there are bad people out there who pocket their profits illegally, using the sweat of everyone else's brow. Dishonesty, crime...it's epidemic. One would think, that when it happens to you, you wouldn't take it so personally.

But the story; Part 1, anyway

I need a laptop. My health is such that working from bed is often desirable (read: necessary). And sharing space and time on a community computer, while trying to create and finance a magazine, verges on intolerable.

So, I got busy calling various Arts organizations in California to see about getting a helping wallet with start up costs, including the cost of a new laptop. That Arts funding in this country is in a shocking state, I sorta knew before I started, that the California Arts budget had been cut by a whopping 95%. 95 PERCENT! I did not know. As a result all arts organizations are feeling the pinch and needless to say disinclined to fund upstart Arts organizations who have not even their 501(c)3 standing. Ohwelltoobad.

Well...then...I became brilliant

Part 2, tomorrow
Tags: artistic activism, nonprofit, philanthropy, zine, artists, bakery of the poets, internet fraud, stupidity

Stalking Darragh O'Donoghue, Part 2,

This just in. as in hot off the presses!

Wait...yes, it has been a week and for the past few weeks posts have been thin on the ground. There is a very good reason, which I'll get into tomorrow. But for now...

Hot off the very hot presses! Newsflash.

Okay, you may or remember, I have been desperately seeking great reviewers for this site one in particular Stalking Darragh O'Donoghue. Who would of thought in the day of imdb Amazon.com, Netflix, etc, customer reviews, that getting someone to pick up the stinking phone (figuratively, of course) and take my call would be nigh on impossible. You know, the call that says, (suave lounge lizard voice...with a southern accent) "Hello...I've seen your work (on Imdb, Netflix, Amazon) and I like your style. Write for me."

How many people have I emailed? Well clearly I can't tell you, 'cause it would be too embarrassing once I tell you that not a single person responded. Not one!

So Darragh...
I was determined not to let him go. Finally, I let my fingers do the walking through the international white pages. And what did I spy with my little eye? A phone number!

I let my fingers do more walking...and more walking...and more walking, until just a moment ago...results!

(youngish male voice...younger than I expected actually): Hello?

Me: Hello, is this Darragh O'Donoghue?

Darragh: Yes.

Me: The Darragh O'Donoghue who writes movie reviews?

Darragh: No. (what!) No but I've heard quite a lot about him.

Wait a minute, I'm still hung up on the 'No'. How can it be 'No'? They have the same name, they're in the same town in Ireland. How is it 'No'? Finally I start listening so I can find out. "I've heard quite a lot about him. We belong to the same film club, actually. It's funny, I go to the bookstore to pick up a book I've ordered, and they say, "Oh no, Mr. Donoghue, you've already picked it up. Like I said, we belong to the same film club. I went to join and they told me 'But Mr. O'Donoghue you've already signed up.' He was just in front of me actually, like I was 68 and he was number 67." He pauses. "Best of luck in finding him though."

What? No wait, don't hang up. All I could see was the ocean that lay between me and my goal, whereas he-- "You've got to help me."

He'd been terribly friendly up till now, and well, still was. It was a fine joke between he and I, getting hold of the wrong Darragh, but to drag in an innocent Darragh (even if it was the Darragh I wanted) using him was another matter. He began to get cautious. "What do you want him for?", he asked (you know, cautiously). "I am desperately seeking a reviewer for my site." I replied, well desperately. "Let me take your email, actually I write reviews as well," he sandwiched in almost under his breath, "but I'll see if I can get your information to him."

This statement of course sent me into a whole new flight of fancy. Two Darraghs! Darragh the Elder and Darragh the Younger, The Dynamic Dueling Darraghs. All sorts of things...heh heh.
(No...guys, wait. Don't run away. I promise not to use any of those titles. I won't. I really won't.)

The long and short?
Another exciting chapter in the Stalking of Darragh O'Donoghue
Tags: artistic activism, nonprofit, philanthropy, zine, artists, bakery of the poets, darragh o'donoghue, movie reviews