Bogie is confused. Confused about everything it seems, except his sexuality. The star of KoldCast TV’s new comedy series Acting Out, Bogie is a neurotic, wildly insecure, pastel wearing, high-pitched archetype of the modern gay man. In attempting to break out (pun intended) as an actor in Hollywood without being typecast as, well… gay, he’s decided to “fake it straight”. Bogie’s taken on quite the arduous task, especially as someone who elicits the adjective “princess” from a perfect stranger.

A fool’s errand it seems, but Bogie may not be above the designation. He remains frozen for almost a full minute like a deer in headlights after his indifferent best friend catches him in the buff, bent over on the living room floor. Bogie was rushing out of the bathroom, sans wiping, to answer an important phone call à la George Costanza. To his boyfriend’s Ernest Hemingway reference, Bogie wonders to himself, “Who the hell is that? Is that a person or a band? Quick, change the subject!”

Acting Out – The Manager: Part 1

Not every gay man can have the intellect of Truman Capote, but they can all share their stories. The controversy universal to gay men coming out of the closet has provided much movie fodder for Hollywood in the last thirty years, as the real story of gay life in America became public and continued to evolve. In February 2012, Washington and Maryland legalized same-sex marriage, and the issue is now back in the courts and on the ballot in several more states.

That Acting Out’s protagonist is stepping back into the closet is a testament to the changing landscape of gay society. Instead of Bogie owning his homosexuality in the neo-traditionalist way, he’s already out and about – and it’s no big deal. Amongst friends and neighbors, he shines as the supreme queen his precious heart yearns to be. Bogie’s self-imposed dilemma, rather, is whether he’s too gay for an industry saturated with his type, or more accurately, his stereotype.

Little Bogie’s situation is kind of like the second cousin to resenting the “minority” label tied to someone’s achievement in your minority group. The first African-American, Jewish, blind, gay or vegan Secretary of Agriculture need not necessarily be designated as such, but they always are. Now that you’re wondering, there’s been one woman and one African-American to hold the position in its 123-year history.

Its human nature to point these things out and the truth is we’re nowhere near past addressing them. Society’s progress is measured by the changes – for better or worse – that it undergoes. When something is no longer taboo, it’s the new norm. Historians are left with the task of analyzing the forward progress or retrograde slide set in motion by the issue.

As silly of a goose Bogie may be, he’s a fool triumphant in the meritocratic theme his character unknowingly touts, that an actor (or someone seeking any type of work for that matter) should be judged on their talent and drive, not their sexual orientation. Throughout the show, the young effeminate is routinely told to “just be yourself” by his well-meaning friends. His trigger response is a steadfast “no”; keeping the audience in grips about the dramatic question his rather stuck character poses: Will Bogie ever take the leap into the self-acceptance required for him to evolve beyond his defining gay stereotype?

Acting Out – The Manager: Part 2

Several stars have set the stage for our flaming friend in notable “coming out” movies over the last twenty years. Some are serious, Oscar-worthy dramas. Others are laugh-out-loud romps. All tackle the same question: On what side of the closet door should you be?

Tom Hanks in Philadelphia (1993)

Hanks won his first academy award for his performance as an HIV-positive gay man suing his former law firm for discrimination after they fire him upon learning of his sexual orientation and disease. The film broke ground as one of the first mainstream movies to address homosexuality and AIDS. Denzel Washington also stars as a homophobic man who grows into acceptance through Hanks’ plight.

Robin Williams in The Birdcage (1996)

This rip-roarious movie must have been the true inspiration for Bogie. Williams had people saying “Fosse, Fosse, Fosse!” for months after his incandescent role as Armand, a gay middle-aged nightclub owner whose son is marrying the daughter of an ultra-conservative senator. Armand has to play it straight when the senator, Gene Hackman, and his wife come to visit. Can’t take anything away from Nathan Lane either, who was equally hilarious as Williams’ flamboyant partner.

Kevin Kline in In & Out (1997)

Klein plays a closeted small town high school teacher outed on national television by a former student. He’s just as shocked as everyone else in town, and awkwardly tries to assert his straightness to his fiancé and the entire community. The one person he can’t fool is a quite manly and gay Tom Selleck, who plays a reporter waiting out Klein’s wedding. As he expects, instead of saying “I do,” Klein gives in with an “I’m gay.” The movie ends with the entire cast dancing to the Village People’s “Macho Man,” so it’s ok.

Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain (2005)

The late, great Ledger plays Ennis, a cowboy who finds a star-crossed lover in fellow rancher Jake Gyllenhaal. Their secret romance begins in 1963 and spans decades as neither man can break through the threatening societal mores. Gus Van Sant’s haunting love story was nominated for the most Oscars for any film that year and went home with three Academy awards. Italian audiences everywhere were confused when a state-owned network aired a censored version of the film, cutting all homoerotic references.

Adam Sandler in I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007)

With the exception of the ambitious Reign Over Me, pretty much every Adam Sandler movie is a box office smash hit. This one comes with a social message! Sandler plays Chuck, a firefighter who does his best friend Kevin James solid by marrying him so Kevin can claim his kids as beneficiaries on his life insurance policy. Sandler’s a womanizing man’s man, and in trying to “play it gay”, he is delightfully awkward. Memorable quotes include “Gay guys know how to dance good. It’s like the law or some shit.”

For more fabulous movies, check out gay pop-culture site AfterElton’s list of the Top 50 Favorite Gay Films!

Click to play Episode 3 of comedy series ACTING OUT

Ariel Nishli has a big apple in his heart but moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the entertainment industry after graduating from Vanderbilt University in 2007. He started in the motion picture literary department at ICM before moving on to feature film development at Parkes MacDonald Productions. Ariel’s wardrobe has steadily devolved from designer suits to worn out slippers, as he now focuses on screenwriting and freelance writing.

A poem is sometimes divided into units called a “stanza”, an Italian word that means, “room.” It is in these “rooms” that words and people are brought together. The Internet television series, VERSE: A Murder Mystery, brings viewers into the homes of some of New York City’s most infamous and legendary poets’ and writers’ haunts. VERSE blurs the lines between documentary and fiction by using real poets and writers to play themselves in important literary landmarks – often their own.

The story is about a young poet, Jon Sands, a real spoken-word superstar, who discovers a lost manuscript and is drawn into the New York City literary world with the only key to an unsolved, 30-year-old murder.

VERSE: Chapter 1

One of the first sites shown in the series is the White Horse Tavern — a West Village bar and restaurant most associated with the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, who drank himself to death at the tavern. Through the years, many poets and artists have claimed the White Horse as a meaningful meeting place where inspiration has been sought and cultivated. In Chapter 2 of the Show, a scene takes places in the tavern and you can briefly see Dylan Thomas’ portrait in the background.

VERSE: Chapter 2

The Chelsea Hotel, in the Chelsea neighborhood, is a location rich with décor, which reflects its artistic history. Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso, Patti Smith, Charles Bukowski are among the poets who have lived and created within its walls. A dramatic scene of a brooding poet overlooking the famous staircases is beautifully rendered in Chapter 2 of VERSE.

Heightening the drama of a crucial scene in Chapter 6 is the graveyard of the East Village’s St. Mark’s Church, home of the 46-year-old Poetry Project which has featured poets from Kenneth Koch to John Ashbery to Alice Walker to Anne Waldman and countless others. This is a poetry temple in all sense of the phrase – many poets make the trek here each New Year’s Day for the marathon reading and Monday night open readings.

In the Bowery, VERSE’S protagonist, Jon, wanders into beat writer and infamous junkie William S. Burroughs’ dungeon layer called the Bunker. In Chapter 5, Jon discovers that Burroughs knew the murdered poet and is invited by its current resident and poet legend, John Giorno, to search around the place. While in the Bunker, Jon is mesmerized by Burroughs’ typewriter, which was used to type his famous novel, “Cities of the Red Night.” Also, Jon blows on Burroughs’ blow-gun which was alluded to in “Naked Lunch.” In the Bunker, William S. Burroughs hosted many famous people from Andy Warhol, Mick Jagger, and punk rockers who would head over to the Bunker after their sets at CBGBs, only a block away.

VERSE: Chapter 5

The Bowery Poetry Club, a relatively new poetry-home founded by Bob Holman in 2002, hosts more than 1,200 events annually. Jon Sands lights up the room in Chapter 7 with his performance. The warm, friendly atmosphere of Bowery is encouraging to young and old poets alike and has proven to be a long-standing poetry beacon.

VERSE: Chapter 7

A just a few blocks from the Bowery Poetry Club is the run-down apartment of the first underground movie star and poet, Taylor Mead. The neglected abode is where Taylor has lived for decades and is featured in grim detail along with him in Chapter 4. Taylor was the star and muse for many of Andy Warhol’s cult films including “Tarzan and Jane Regained… Sort Of” and more recently in Jim Jarmusch’s “Coffee and Cigarettes.” Taylor is the unofficial poet laureate at the Bowery Poetry Club and can be regularly seen there at the corner bar telling stories and dirty jokes.

VERSE: Chapter 4

And finally, throughout each episode, VERSE offers a literary-map to navigate the very streets of New York City where many poets and writers have wandered and stumbled upon their greatest source material. Words caught careening off passing conversations; the community of strangers; the hustle of taxis, bikes and street vendors all composite the thriving, ever-challenging cinematic pallet which artists have pondered for centuries and will for centuries to come. We are lucky to have these vivacious landmarks which remind us that in New York City, poetry is always at home.

Watch VERSE: A Murder Mystery from the beginning!

Susan Brennan’s poems appear in various publications. She co-wrote Vegas – Based on a True Story, which premiered in competition at the 2008 Venice and 2009 Tribeca Film Festivals. Currently, she wrote the script for the web series Verse, a poetry murder-mystery produced by Rattapallax Productions, awarded first place at the LA Webfest for dramatic script. She is the first place winner in the Tribeca/Amex My Movie Pitch Contest, which will feature a short film based on her pitch written, produce and directed by Edward Burns. She received her MFA in Poetry at NYU and is a yoga teacher. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband Ed.

Jody Lyn O’Keefe and Kelly Stables, stars of the Internet television series Soul Fire Rising, are actresses who are not content to showcase their talents in only one format. Broadcast television, while its future is in question, is still the primary platform for episodics. However, many stars are finding it more and more limiting and are looking for other outlets where they can let their talents shine. After all, life is short in broadcast television. It’s not at all like cyberspace, where one’s image may last forever.

Soul Fire Rising – I Give You My Soul

Take Kelly Stables, for instance. She’s had recurring roles on such big-name series as Two and a Half Men (CBS), Romantically Challenged (ABC), and The Exes (TVLand). These shows and their networks have no shortage of viewers or advertisers, yet Ms. Stables has elected to branch out into the world of Internet programming. As Eve, in the captivating series Soul Fire Rising, Ms. Stables portrays a “Winger” (angel) whose soul is “worth over more than a million mortal souls”. She became mortal when she intervened to help the man to whom she was assigned as a guardian. This is a story line which might not necessarily hold a large audience in a traditional television lineup but has proven popular online. In addition to playing Eve, Ms. Stables is also a producer of the series. The opportunity to exercise her talents behind the camera is one of the many benefits Ms. Stables, and other actors, appreciate about Internet programming.

Soul Fire Rising – Raum Cometh

Jody Lyn O’Keefe, recognizable from her roles on Nash Bridges (CBS), Prison Break (FOX), and Two and Half Men (CBS), made the leap to Internet programming as well. As Soul Fire Rising’s Lilith Reborn, Ms. O’Keefe gets the chance to play a soul-stealer sent to Earth to hunt for Eve. Though only appearing in the final three episodes of the series, Ms. O’Keefe played a pivotal role and leaves the audience anticipating her return in the next season. While Soul Fire Rising gained popularity, Ms. O’Keefe was able to add a few more projects to her resume including a big-budget studio flick (The Frozen Ground) and a new broadcast network series (The Finder on FOX).

Soul Fire Rising – The Deal

What Ms. O’Keefe and Ms. Stables have done is show how seamlessly actors can travel between the worlds of big-money sponsored media and consumer-driven Internet entertainment. Just a short while ago it looked like Internet programming was only for those either trying to get into the business or for actors who were no longer popular on broadcast television. This is no longer the case. According to the trade group CTIA, 95.8 million Americans now own smart-phones. This has contributed to the huge growth of viewers who are taking in their television viewing via Internet sources; approximately 145 million people are now watching programming online, as reported by Vator News. This amounts to about half of the entire television-watching population. Considering the huge, and ever-growing worldwide audience, it makes sense that more actors would take advantage of the opportunity to be a part of Internet television.

Even actors working regularly in broadcast television or on big studio projects can benefit from having roles on Internet shows. Beyond being able to expand their off-screen talents, as Stables and O’Keefe have been able to do, they can maintain their fan-base during “off season”. The Internet format is particularly favorable since it’s easily accessible and often delivered in smaller sizes. For those many viewers who watch shows on their mobile devices, shows such as Soul Fire Rising, which clocks in between four and ten minutes per episode, are perfect to take in while in line at the DMV, sitting in the waiting room of the doctor’s office, or commuting to/from work via bus or train, among other everyday opportunities to watch. Available time, as we all know, is in short supply.

As other media outlets, such as Amazon and Netflix, join the ranks as producers of original, Internet-only content, we will see an increasing number of celebrities using their summer hiatuses as a time to participate in Internet TV projects. Whether they are keeping their fans happy with new on-camera characters or honing their behind-the-scenes talents, broadcast television stars are now able to take full advantage of the Internet TV platform. With the example both Kelly Stables and Jody Lyn O’Keefe have set with their participation in Soul Fire Rising, more actors are sure to see the benefits of working on and in Internet television.

Julia Todd lives on the Central Coast of California with her two young sons. When she’s not at the office or doing coursework for her MBA she tries to squeeze in a few hours of sleep. She also enjoys watching movies, wine tasting, reading, baking, and traveling. She has high hopes of finishing one of the many books she’s started. Her dream is to spend a summer in Reims writing and listening to her boys learn French.

I’m betting that you clicked to investigate this story in greater depth because you thought the title was going to link to a story about all the crazy things contestants on TV’s Survivor eat to compete and survive. Well, I’m sorry to disappoint, but this brief story isn’t about the culinary exploits of television survivors, it’s about the food people actually eat to live.

Having recently met the winner of one of the first season’s of Survivor, I learned that Survivor competitors really do have it tough “on set”, and that food is genuinely hard to come by at times. In fact, the winner I spoke with would have eaten anything to survive… and did. However, every Survivor competitor knows that unless they quit or die, they’re going to eat pizza and hamburgers again. Their temporary and voluntary plight really isn’t about life and death, like it is for so many others around the world.

Granted, food preferences can be regional and geographic in nature. Remember, Americans and others eat cow for protein. In some parts of the world, eating cow is sacrilegious. Examples like this are plentiful. So just what gave rise to this story? We recently took a trip to Cambodia via UnRestricted, a new documentary travel adventure series set to premiere at the end of February on KoldCast TV. In the first episode of the 13-episode series, we learned how Cambodian children survive. There are no Safeway’s for any Cambodians, let alone for those who live in remote locations around the country. They eat what the earth provides locally. Enter this segment taken from Episode 1 of UnRestricted. Warning: if you have a squeamish stomach, you might want to move on without watching.

Excerpt from Episode 1 of UnRestricted

Traveling in his wheelchair, filmmaker Mitch St. Pierre and friends Skot and Shawn set out on a journey in search of Cambodia’s legendary Bamboo Express, an alleged train made out of bamboo. As the team treks into the unknown they encounter ancient ruins, floating villages and many more unusual scenarios and awe-inspiring moments.

In the segment above, the guys are introduced to the village’s dinner specialty. Will they be hungry enough, and gutsy enough, to eat with the locals?

The full 55-minute Episode 1 of UnRestricted will premiere on KoldCast TV at the end of February. In the interim, we’ll be sharing excerpted segments each week. Stay tuned.

David S. Samuels is the CEO and Co-founder of KoldCast Entertainment Media.

The Indie Soap Awards, sponsored by WeLoveSoaps.net, celebrate excellence in the world of independent soap operas while promoting and preserving the genre.  The 3rd Annual Indie Soap Awards Ceremony will be held February 21, 2012 at the New World Stages in New York City.

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE SOAP!

Voting is now open for the “Fan’s Choice Indie Soap of the Year,” which will be announced at the ceremony on February 21. Voting ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on February 13, 2012. You may vote once per day.

Congratulations to all the KoldCast TV Content Partners that are nominated for this year’s Indie Soap Awards:

Gregory Way TV

Tom Gregory grew up always imagining himself as a famous movie star, but life got in the way and Tom ended up falling in love with the man of his dreams, a rich business tycoon and technological entrepreneur. Now, Tom finds himself heading into the second half of his life and decides it’s time to make some changes. He decides to open up his own art gallery just down the street from his hous  and meets a young flashy would-be assistant Andy, with a flair for danger and a lack of authority. Tom hires him in the hopes that his lewd womanizing behavior might rub off a little bit on him, making him less  ’gay’. The two love to egg each other on, and if Andy could have his way all the time, their lives would be nothing but girls, parties, and road trips to Vegas!

Nominated For: 

• Best Actor (Comedy) – Tom Gregory
• Best Supporting Actor (Comedy) - Andrew Long
• Best Writing (Comedy) - Tom Gregory and Marc Dauer
• Best Directing (Comedy) - Andrew Long
• Best Ensemble (Comedy)

Watch more episodes of Hollywood reality series GREGORY WAY TV

DeVanity

Ruthless. Tyrannical. Sordid. Sexual. The saga of the DeVanity family unfolds as Jason DeVanity desperately tries to keep his late father’s crumbling jewelry empire alive. Trapped by his manipulative and scheming wife Lara, Jason must control his wayward siblings Byron, Bianca, and Jackie in order to restore his father’s legacy. At any cost…

Nominated For: 

• Best Web Series (Drama)
• Best Ensemble (Drama) 

Watch more episodes of dramatic soap opera DEVANITY

Miss Behave

For the past few years the Archer children have come to expect very little from their parents. Growing up with mega-successful parents, William (a famous author) and Elizabeth (Hollywood’s publicist to the stars) the siblings both have bitter attitudes and something to hide. Sixteen-year-old Tori has two sets of friends and two sets of problems, two sets of mistakes, and most importantly, two circles of lies. She has a heart of gold and knows right from wrong but consistently makes poor choices that cause irrepressible situations and problems. Older brother Billy has his own set of issues. Expelled from college during his sophomore year, Billy is struggling to find his sexual identity while attempting to make amends with his ever absent parents and keep his little sister afloat.

Nominated For: 

• Best Actress (Drama) – Jillian Clare (Tori Archer)
• Best Guest Appearance (Drama) – Patrika Darbo 
• Best Cinematography (Drama) – Kevin Patrick Wright
• Best Use Of Music (Drama) – Miss Behave

Watch more episodes of teen drama MISS BEHAVE

Anyone But Me

Introducing a new generation of teens: gay, straight, and ethnically-diverse, struggling with identity and modern relationships.

Nominated For: 

• Best Directing (Drama)- Tina Cesa Ward
• Best Writing (Drama) – Susan Miller and Tina Cesa Ward
• Best Actress (Drama) – Rachael Hip-Flores (Vivian McMillan)

Watch more episodes of high school drama ANYONE BUT ME

“New Year’s Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you begin paving hell with them as usual.” – Mark Twain

Good intentions aside, a University of Hertfordshire study found only 12% of study participants successfully followed through on their New Year’s resolutions by year’s end. Accordingly, logic dictates that easier resolutions are more likely to be kept – and perhaps increase this probability. However, the heady feeling of being able to start fresh, mingled with popped corks around the globe, often means logic is ignored – often resulting in lofty goals for the New Year.

This being the case, in 2012, go BIG or go home.

Make More Right Turns

Part urban myth and part common sense, it is believed that UPS drivers are forbidden to make left hand turns. The fact is, UPS utilizes a route optimization system, minimizing the number of left turns, thus reducing the time and gas drivers spend idling at stoplights. Resolve to trace Brown’s driving routes, make as many right hand turns as possible, and save money in the New Year!

Think Globally, Act Locally

Harder than losing weight, more time-consuming than finding a new job, and far more frustrating than resolving to quit smoking, buying only locally-made products is a New Year’s resolution with odds stacked in favor of failure – but still worth a try. Over the past decade, the manufacturing sector in many developed countries has shed millions of jobs. Factories have closed, and those remaining open often buy machine components and supplies from overseas. Oftentimes, seemingly locally-made clothing, silverware, toys, and tools are all made elsewhere. In fact, the flag emblems worn by all U.S. military personnel are made in China.

Be a Yes-Man

Nobody likes a Debbie Downer or a Pessimistic Paul. Start the New Year off on a positive note by resolving to answer all invitations with a resounding “YES!” Surely, you can’t be everywhere at once, but saying yes when your schedule permits will expose you to new experiences, bring you closer to family and friends, and keep you busy. House painting parties, helping a pal move, going to the ballet, attending a lecture on green technology, and accepting invitations to baby showers, weddings, and trips to the Alpaca farm will decrease the opportunity for “woulda shoulda coulda” and make you a more interesting person.

Dance to the Beat of Your Own Drummer

Resolve to start the day with your own personal soundtrack by selecting a song to live by for 24 hours. Take it a step further by tailoring your wardrobe, attitude, and speech to match. I’m not saying you need to dress exactly like Lady GaGa if Monday starts with “Bad Romance,” or talk like a three-pack-a-day smoker if Tom Waits ushers in your Sunday morning. Just embody the spirit of the artist/song. Towards the end of the year, you can compile the songs on a CD and give the collection as a holiday gift.

Be an Organ Recipient

Vegetarians and vegans are exempt from this one, but all meat eaters should resolve to try a different “weird meat” once a month for the course of the year. Why? Because organs contain the highest nutrient density – something predatory animals know instinctively but which evolution and grocery stores have erased from man’s memory. Meats to consider include liver, kidneys, brains, hearts. Try deer penis, rabbit brain, or yak nards, you may be pleasantly surprised – or at least you’ll have an interesting story to tell on Facebook or at dinner parties.

Lighten Up, Meow

The movie Super Troopers has a scene in which cops play “Cat Game,” the goal of which is to incorporate the word “meow” into conversation with motorists. As in, “Alright meow, hand over your license and registration,” or “Hurry up, meow.” Resolve to play Cat Game at least once a day, trying to match or break previous records of meow usage. Expect no benefit from doing this, however. It’s just stupid fun.

Live Rent Free

What’s up?

Nothin’ but the rent.

Why not resolve to eliminate rent from your monthly budget? Move in with family, live in a friend’s garage, and barter services in lieu of rent. Perhaps try what New York pals, Hank (Brendan Bradley) and Alex (Erik Scott Smith) do in the comedy, Squatters. When faced with a rent hike and eviction, the friends bet on who can live rent free for a year, while following three simple rules: (1) no staying with friends, (2) no paying for housing, (3) no leaving Manhattan.

Squatters – It Starts With A Bet

Resolve to Make a Daily Resolution

One resolution that lasts a full year? That’s crazy talk. Why not make daily resolutions with 24-hour deadlines?

• January 1: Resolve to research and share hangover remedies with family and friends.
• January 2: Resolve to write “thank you” notes for all the holiday gifts received.
• January 3: Resolve to smile at every stranger who makes eye contact with you.
• January 4: Resolve to stick your tongue out at every person who ticks you off.
• January 5: Resolve to eliminate annoying speech patterns.
• January 6: Resolve to add a foreign word to that day’s vocabulary and use it correctly.

You get the picture. Stick to a year’s worth of resolutions in 24-hour increments, and be among the few who claim success at year’s end.

Squatters – Take Me Home Tonight

Squatters – In Search of a Douche

Watch more episodes of couchsurfing comedy SQUATTERS

Raised in both the DC Metro Area and West Africa, Jessica Shear pulls from life experience in her quest to become one of the great essayists of her time. Failing that, she finds solace in riding her motorcycle and in playing with her cats and boyfriend – all requiring patience, a keen eye for obstacles and the ability to speak sweetly and slowly. A freelance writer for 15 years, Jessica’s work can be found online via Demand Media, in marketing collateral of all kinds, in Underwired, CommonGround and Hype in Type magazines…and filling her parents’ junk drawers.

Hobbies relieve stress, unleash creativity, and bring like-minded people together. They can promote the study of history and inspire appreciation for the arts. But, not all hobbies are created equal. For every coin collector, scrap booker, or civil war re-enactor, there’s also a belly button lint collector, amateur taxidermist, and chainsaw sculptor. Hobbies run the gamut from tame to terrifying and from crafty to creepy. What all hobbyists share in common, however, is a passion for what they do.

Street Poetry

Who said poetry is dead? With poetry slams sharing space in book stores and hookah joints, it was just a matter of time before religious ranters and orange sellers had to give up their street corners to today’s poets. The documentary/comedy series White Collar Poet tells the story of Richard Scribe, who balances his otherwise less than fulfilling life as an insurance broker with his love of poetry. Standing atop a newsstand in Vancouver’s financial district, the aptly named Scribe recites his own work to gathered crowds of varying size. He uses street poetry not only as an outlet but as a means to make “the art and business worlds collide.” Street poetry is not all glory, however, you must endure unappreciative listeners that may heckle, spit, or pick a fight with you.

Do you ache to wax poetic during your lunch hour? Maybe you should take some notes from Scribe, jot down some lines in your smartphone, and hit your nearest street corner.

White Collar Poet – Epiphany

Locksport

Many of us have jiggled butter knives into the knobs of locked bathroom doors or used a bobby pin to open a sibling’s diary. Maybe you even graduated to the old credit card against the tumblers trick. Still, all that’s just child’s play when it comes to the evolution of lock picking.

Locksport is the practice of lock picking as a hobby, either individually or as a member of a locksport team. Originally as a means to test the world’s best locks, manufacturers and security companies have been challenging lock pickers for over two hundred years. However, it wasn’t until 1997 that the first locksport group was founded in Hamburg Germany by Steffen Wernéry and Juergen Dreessman.

The first locksport competition, The German Open, was held that same year. Over the next few years, locksport groups followed in The Netherlands and the United States. Competition events include: The Gringo Warrior (defeat locks of increasing difficulty in an attempt to escape a fictitious Mexican jail), The Defiant Box (handcuffed together, teams of two pick sets of locks in five-minutes), and Lockpick Wizard (blindfolded, participants pick as many locks as possible without seeing their tools or locks).

Playing Dead

Chuck Lamb loves to play dead. It’s a hobby that has really taken him places… reclining in a bathtub, wedged under the garage door, slumped over a desk. Chuck parlayed his hobby into a means of fulfilling his dream of being in movies or on TV by filming himself in various “death poses” and posting the footage on his website www.deadbodyguy.com. The site has received over 40 million hits and garnered him tons of press.

Chuck has never wanted to play the leading man – he knows he’s not drop dead gorgeous. All he’s ever really wanted was to just drop dead for the camera. His hobby finally paid off after four years of self-promotion with “dead body” credits in Cerebral Sin and Stiffs, and roles in Thankskilling and Book of the Dead.

Furries

Taking the love of stuffed animals to a whole new level, Furry hobbyists enjoy the depiction of anthropomorphic characters (non-human things with human characteristics) often found in comics, video games, cartoons, science fiction, and commercials. Role play, in which participants dress in fursuits, is common among these hobbyists, usually selecting an animal character with which they feel a spiritual connection. Furries have large online communities, are usually adults, and hold conventions open not only to Furries, but also many subgroups:

1. Fursuiters: those who like to dress up
2. Otherkin: those who believe they are non-human in spirit
3. Furries: those who like to role play, draw, or write stories about furries
4. Furverts: furries who indulge in fetishes
5. Trans-species: people who physically alter their body to resemble their respective animals

Recycling (German Style)

With so much waste moved into landfills each day, recycling has become an increasingly important practice worldwide. Germany, known for its unrelenting need for order, leads the world in recycling, where doing so isn’t just good for the planet, it’s the law. Producing more than 30 million tons of garbage annually, Germany employs a green dot system whereby manufacturers pay for green dots on their products as part of a mandatory program to take responsibility for their own product waste – the more material and packaging, the higher the fee.

So where does “hobby” come into play? It’s all in the sorting. Although newcomers to the system are daunted by the rules, regulations, and procedures involved, German families spend time together at recycling areas (often covering acres of neatly segmented ground), each tasked with becoming an expert at disposing of a particular kind of waste – brown (biological waste), blue (paper), yellow (plastic and tin/aluminum) and gray (household waste). Although this seems pretty cut and dry, it’s not. Tissue doesn’t go in with paper. It goes in the gray bio-waste bin. Furthermore, some bins have different slots for subgroups.

German Recycling Fact: In Germany, graves are leased in 20-year increments. If the rent isn’t paid, the headstone is removed and another person is added to the space with their own marker. Now that’s recycling.

Planking

Originating in Adelaide, South Australia, the hobby of planking has caught on globally with the help of the Internet. Participants lie facedown on an object/person/animal/landmark – any item of choice. They then stiffen their body, with arms to their sides and legs straight out, until they resemble a plank, at which point the plank is photographed or recorded. The success of each planking is all about location, execution, and exposure via social networking sites, where viewers comment on difficulty, location, and comedic value.

Tachiyomi

While you don’t have to be in Japan to stand up while reading a magazine, book, or newspaper, the Japanese have taken the habit, given it its own name, and turned it into a hobby. Tachiyomi literally refers to the act of standing and reading comics and magazines off a merchant’s rack. It is not uncommon to see a row of men in business suits, all standing and reading in a convenience store or airport bookstore. It is believed that the practice has been allowed because Japanese merchants expect those who sit and glance through pages to purchase the publication. So, if a person stands, the theory is they aren’t obligated to make the buy. Only recently have certain publications started coming in individual shrink-wrap or plastic holding bands, but that is still the exception to the rule.

Funeral-Crashing

In the 1971 cult classic, Harold and Maude, teenaged Harold (Bud Cort) meets septuagenarian Maude (Ruth Gordon) at the funeral of a stranger. Harold’s obsession with death is matched by Maude’s celebration of the cycle of life, and an unorthodox relationship is born out of an equally unorthodox hobby: funeral-crashing.

People who practice this hobby do so for different reasons, but most claim to do so more out of a desire to connect with other people than any morbid feelings about death.
Taking the hobby to loftier heights are two Dutch men – a poet and a civil servant, whose story was aired on a BBC World Service radio program called The Lonely Funeral. Ger Frits provides dignified funerals for the city’s anonymous dead. Without Frits, who has attended over 500 services, these lonely souls would have no mourners. He attempts to learn what he can about each person, and insists each service include a chapel, flowers, three pieces of music, four pallbearers and finally – a poem written specifically for that individual and read by the author. Since 2002, that author has been noted Dutch poet, Frank Starik. The respect the men have for each other is born of a the great regard they have for their fellow man, believing all people deserve to have a proper ending to their stories.

White Collar Poet – The Business of Art

White Collar Poet – Served & Witnessed

Watch more episodes of documentary series WHITE COLLAR POET

Raised in both the DC Metro Area and West Africa, Jessica Shear pulls from life experience in her quest to become one of the great essayists of her time. Failing that, she finds solace in riding her motorcycle and in playing with her cats and boyfriend – all requiring patience, a keen eye for obstacles and the ability to speak sweetly and slowly. A freelance writer for 15 years, Jessica’s work can be found online via Demand Media, in marketing collateral of all kinds, in Underwired, CommonGround and Hype in Type magazines…and filling her parents’ junk drawers.

Among several types of television that have become more popular over the last few years – such as cooking shows, competitive reality television, etc. – travel TV has become one of the most watched genres on TV. Along these lines, a show called Another Shade of Blue has recently garnered a good deal of attention, though it is currently only available on KoldCast TV and Tuff TV. However, due to the show’s popularity and its attractive range of material – as well as its charismatic host/subject – no one would be surprised to see this show available on satellite through DirecTV some time before too long, at which even more people could begin to enjoy its content.

Tahiti & Morea

Another Shade Of Blue is hosted by a young man named Ty Sawyer, who grew up primarily in England and Germany and developed, over the course of his childhood, a fondness and aptitude for traveling. In his professional life, Sawyer has worked his way up from entry-level positions at magazines to becoming a very accomplished and respected journalist who has helped to revolutionize the concept and content of travel magazines. Personally, Sawyer has made it his goal to see as much of the world as possible – not just in the traditional sense of visiting numerous countries and regions, or traveling often, but also in the sense of finding and enjoying what might be considered special about each of the places he visits.

This is essentially where we get the concept of the show Another Shade Of Blue, which basically follows Ty Sawyer on his worldwide adventures to the most fascinating parts of the Earth. Sawyer has a preference for going “off the beaten path” to find places that most would consider remote or irrelevant. It is in these locations that he tends to find the most amazing stories, details, and cultural elements that he collects for his magazine. Essentially, each episode of Another Shade Of Blue is an attempt for Sawyer to find something that will be a guaranteed good read in the next edition of his magazine. With his nose for uniqueness and culture, this isn’t usually hard for him to accomplish. In the end, Ty Sawyer winds up showing his audience the best way to travel for those who are truly interested in getting to know new places. He explores entirely foreign locations with a goal of finding the sorts of places and stories that only the locals know about and cherish, resulting in a unique situation in which he understands the world’s most remote places the same way that most people know their neighborhoods. It’s a treat for fans of travel to watch.

Rangiroa & Huahine

Grand Cayman

55 percent of Americans – non-religious included – believe that a guardian angel has protected them during their life.

This was the result of an extensive 2008 survey conducted by Baylor University Institute and published in Time Magazine. When you look at old religious writings, this result shouldn’t come as a surprise. Belief in guardian angels has been prevalent throughout ancient history.

• Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite developed a Christian hierarchy of tutelary angels in the 5th century.
• The idea that every individual is protected by a spirit sent by God has its roots in Zoroastrianism.
• The idea is echoed in ancient Greek philosophy and appears in the Old Testament as well.
• In Genesis 28-29, angels save Lot’s life before God’s distraction of Sodom and Gomorra.
• In The Book of Daniel, angels are assigned to particular countries, and Gabriel is referred to as “the Prince of the Persian Kingdom.”
• The Book of Enoch, an ancient Jewish religious work, talks about holy angels, which God will set to guard all the righteous during the end of times, while He destroys the wicked.

Although the concept of guardian angels is not considered a Christian article of faith, it can be clearly found in the New Testament. Christian scholastic theologians from the 12th century onwards have laid out specific schemes for guardian angels, and in 1997, Pope John Paul II addressed the guardian angels concept twice. Christian mystiques like Maria Valtorta and Saint Gemma Galgani have reported conversations and interactions with guardian angels. There are even Catholic and Orthodox prayers dedicated to guardian angels.

Still, not all angels are perceived as guardian angels. The Hebrew and Christian Bible, followed by the Quran and other religious scripts, have mentioned various types of angels. In Judaism alone there are Seraphim (who sing and praise God), Messengers (such as Gabriel), Fighters (like Michael), Azrael (the angel of death), and Satan (who acts as an adversary). Early Christianity inherited Jewish understanding of angels and later on developed it further, categorizing them according to their missions and activities. As far as Islam is concerned, different angels are described in the Quran and Hadith (sayings and traditions attributed to Muhammad): Jibraaiyl/Jibril/Gabriel (who reveals the Quran to Muhammad), Mikail/Michael (the archangel of mercy), and Zabaniah (who torments sinful persons in Hell).

With so many spiritual beings on contrary missions, celestial wars are inevitable. One such war, which threatens to divide and weaken God’s armies against the impeding forces of The Legions of Darkness, is foreshadowed in the series Passenger. Here Michael, a demoted archangel, roams the earth in human form. Except for immortality and the authority to act as God’s messenger (aka Hit-Man), he is just a foot soldier. He relies on receiving his missions via Passengers, shape-shifting Cherubim and Seraphim who are in the ranks of divine entities closest to God – soon finding himself a pawn in a larger conflict.

Passenger – Episode 1

In his epic poem Paradise Lost, 17th-century English poet John Milton tells the Christian story of the Fall of Man. Prior to tempting Adam and Eve, Satan (a fallen angel) rebels against angels faithful to God and a three-day angelic war over Heaven takes place. Uriel and Gabriel guard the sun and Paradise respectively, Michael leads the battle against Satan and his army, and Raphael warns Adam and Eve of Satan.

Battles between heavenly and earthly forces, however, had been introduced much earlier that Milton’s text. The Book of Revelation (the final book of the New Testament) sees John (the main character) witnessing God’s apocalyptic plan unveiled. While Michael and his angels lead the war in Heaven against the Dragon, most angels play a major role in carrying out God’s destructive plan:

• Seven angels blow the seven trumpets which precede seven earthly disasters.
• A flaming mountain is cast into the sea.
• Part of the sea turns into blood.
• The angels are told to pour out bowls of God’s wrath on the earth, causing further havoc.

The War Scroll, one of the seven original Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in Qumran in 1947, describes a seven-stage battle between the “Sons of Light” (local community members), led by the “Prince of Light” (Michael, the archangel), and the “Sons of Darkness” (enemies of the community), headed by Belial. The War Scroll goes into great detail, covering military strategy and weaponry, and predicts the victory of the “Sons of Light” after 49 years of confrontation.

The Book of the Watchers, the first section in The Book of Enoch, takes the interaction between angels and humans to a whole new level. Here, the fallen angels mythology is developed based on text from Genesis 6: The sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose… According to the Book of the Watchers, 200 rebelling angels (or Watchers) left Heaven and came down to earth. Samyaza, their leader, convinced the other 199 angels to take human wives and have children with them. This resulted in a new breed of giants or Nephilim (as they are called in Genesis). These giants ate everything and devoured mankind. Some of the fallen angels (chiefly Azazel) bestowed their divine knowledge onto humans. Subsequently, Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel pled God to judge the world’s inhabitants, after which Uriel was sent by God to warn Noah of the coming calamity.

However you see it, the intent, nature, and origin of angels is complex and subject to interpretation. So, to be on the safe side, the next time you come across an angel, take extra care. You may just be playing a small part in a story far beyond human understanding.

Passenger – Episode 2

Passenger – Episode 3

Watch more episodes of celestial action series PASSENGER

Adam Troudart is a blogger who is obsessed with words, people, and helping people succeed by using words.

“Just five more minutes. Let me finish this part.”

How many times did you use an excuse like this when your parents tried to tear you away from a great book, game, comic, or movie? Your parents were calling you to clean your room, go to bed, or sit down to dinner, but all you wanted to do was find out if Link had finally reached the Temple of Time, where he would hopefully find the Master Sword. For that one moment, you were a hero – pointy ears and all.

Great fiction has always played a large role in allowing us to escape and dream. We yearn for a place outside reality, where good defeats evil, love prevails, and everyone lives. Even more so, we like to dream there is another world, a lot like ours, but steeped in chivalry, clear lines of right and wrong, and great adventures. Some may describe this as a fairy tale, but fairy tales are rooted in unusual happiness. We’re talking about fantasy, a complex fiction rooted in adventure, brotherhood, and drama.

Traditionally fairy tales have been our first story experiences, handed down through generations. The Brothers Grimm, one the greatest contributors to the genre, collected many of these traditional stories together in “Children’s and Household Tales,” first published in 1812. When they committed these tales to paper, the brothers captured the full force of the stories – a girl who threw a frog against a wall and found a prince, a starving woodcutter who repeatedly abandons his children in the forest on the insistence of his second wife, a father who loses his daughter after a foolish boast.

Over time these stories have evolved. Many of them are now sanitized versions of themselves – a far cry from the brutal truths of the original tales. These brutal truths were the details that made these stories forceful, dramatic, and unforgettable. Today, fairy tales are seen as a children’s medium, aimed to gently teach morality and right and wrong. The genre has gotten so clean and “Disney-fied” that children soon grow tired of them, looking to stories with more conflict, more stakes, and more reward.

There is a big overlap between fantasy and fairy tales – with many people seeing fairy tales as a subdivision of fantasy, or fantasy as an adult version of fairy tales. J. R. R. Tolkien, in his essay “On Fairy-stories,” believed that fairy tales were far too useful to be consigned to children’s stories, acknowledging they had the power to demonstrate fundamental truths about life and human nature. The metaphors used may be couched in different terms, but fairy tales and fantasy serve the same purpose.

READ: How JRR Tolkien Came to Create the Lord of the Rings

Today, children still read books, but also have a vast array of other ways to become immersed in the fairy tale/fantasy realms. Video games, movies, and TV shows all deliver these worlds directly into their hands. In fact, fantasy was one of the first genres to be explored on the Internet. With hackers and computer savants already emerged in games like Dungeons & Dragons offline, it was natural for them to bring these stories to the digital space with games like Neverwinter Nights and Everquest.

Today, the digital space is filled with fantasy, featuring shows like Border Guardians of Ackernon, a fantasy series containing a predominantly female cast. In this story, Galiene is a sword master and teacher at the University who happens to be in love, and maybe in lust with, the rather roguish smuggler Vardin. Against her better judgment, she slips off to the tavern where he is staying for a conversation and an inevitable romantic encounter. Marloff, a “fixer” for a high ranking government official, witnesses the liaison and decides to use a little blackmail to gain her assistance. For this one night’s romp, Galiene’s entire world comes closing in around her, forcing her into actions that will only compound the problem down the road if she is discovered.

Border Guardians of Ackernon – Family

The themes and approach of Border Guardians of Ackernon is representative of today’s brand of fantasy. The genre has no gender, currently enjoyed by men and women. In fact, many fantasy storylines today feature female leads, strong enough to stand up to any male villain. From screenwriter/director Joss Whedon (Firefly) to novelist Lisa Shearin (Raine Benares) creatives are producing well-crafted and very popular fantasy storylines with powerful female leads.

The line between fairy tale and fantasy may be apparent, but it still separates two halves of a whole. This kind of story is meant to inspire and teach, with serious repercussions for those that don’t heed their warnings. From The Hobbit to Rumpelstiltskin, the fairy tale/fantasy is an integral part of our lives – whether it be to understand how to defeat evil or provide an cathartic escape from our safe, domestic lives.

So next time you make fun of someone for playing a little D&D on the weekends, make sure you don’t have a copy of The Little Mermaid at home first.

Which flavor of fantasy do you enjoy the most? Are they fairy tales reimagined or something different entirely? Let us know in the comments!

Border Guardians of Ackernon – I Have Nothing to Hide

Border Guardians of Ackernon – Vardin, Why Are You Here?

Watch more episodes of the sci-fi fantasy series BORDER GUARDIANS OF ACKERNON

Mary Higgins is a consultant specializing in web development and social media marketing. She has produced several web series including “Good Night Princess” and the recently released “Mind My Brain, Darling.” She resides in Vancouver, Canada and has been a Producer with Wolf’s Head Productions since 2010.