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

Pink Elephants in Space

I can come up with really great titles. Even when I have nothing to say.

--dB