If you like comedy, PR or the occasional inside scoop on the entertainment world,
then drop by for a daily dose written by me, Kambri Crews, producer and publicist to comedians and more!
Friday, August 31, 2007
Oh, What a Feeling! Toyota! This is one of my favorite pictures of Dad taken Winter '86 in front of our Toyota. It captures everything I love about him.
Dad taught me how to drive in this truck. Well, technically he finished teaching me what Mom had started. She wouldn't let me drive the Toyota -- it was the nicest vehicle we had ever owned and I was only 13.
--Kambri Sick with a summer cold. Poo.
Link - 12:03 AM -
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Wow. You Guys...Wow.
In part of my research for my book (Hehehehe! Woo!) I ordered the transcript from My Jailed Deaf Dad's trial and punishment phase. I received it this morning and just finished reading it.
Big sigh.
It was very emotional and very interesting. I hope to write more over on Love, Daddy, which is seeing a huge surge in traffic due to being picked up on some Deaf sites. But, my GOD, it makes my heart ache for my mom, the teenage me, dad and, of course, Gloria*.
*Not her real name.
--Kambri Time to hit the keyboards. Love, Daddy post to come soon, I hope.
Link - 7:32 PM -
Monday, August 27, 2007
I Did It!
I just hit "send" on an email to my agent (HEHEHEE!) with my proposal attached. The whole mother fu*king kit and caboodle. Four days before the deadline I set for myself back in July. Now, the whole thing could be a disaster and I'll have more three day weekends spent holed up at home alone but at least then I'll have some editorial feedback from my agent (HHEEE! HEE!) now that he has it in his grubby little hands.
--Kambri Going OUT for the first time in two weeks.
Link - 9:28 PM -
Table of Contents
I'm *almost* done with my book proposal except for the Sales & Marketing Section. My self-imposed deadline of September 1st is still a safe distance away. I finished the "Table of Contents" this weekend which included summaries of each chapter. For no reason other than I want to share with someone, here are the headings:
BLANKENSHIP DRIVE CHAPTER 1 - THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE CHAPTER 2 - I LEARNED IT BY WATCHING YOU CHAPTER 3 - BARBIE'S DREAMHOUSE CHAPTER 4 - WHERE DID I COME FROM? BOARS HEAD CHAPTER 5 - PIONEER DAYS CHAPTER 6 - MOVIN' ON UP CHAPTER 7 - ANIMAL KINGDOM CHAPTER 8 - THE LONELIEST NUMBER CHAPTER 9 - SHOWCASE SHOWDOWN CHAPTER 10 - WORKING FOR A LIVIN' CHAPTER 11 - JUNIOR HIGH HELLCAT CHAPTER 12 - YOU'RE A GOOD HORSE, CHARLIE BROWN CHAPTER 13 - BACKSLIDING
GROVE STREET CHAPTER 14 - THIS BUD'S FOR YOU CHAPTER 15 - THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON DRUGS CHAPTER 16 - DON'T FUCK CHAPTER 17 - PRIDE & JOY
WEYLAND DRIVE CHAPTER 18 - EXCESSIVE NOISE DISTURBANCE CHAPTER 19 - NIGHT PROWLER CHAPTER 20 - SAILING AWAY FIFTH AVENUE CHAPTER 21 - ANACONDAS CHAPTER 22 - NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH CHAPTER 23 - MY JAILED DEAF DAD
--Kambri Give or take.
Link - 12:13 AM -
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Can She Find Myrtle Beach?
I shared this with my pal who is missing Myrtle Beach since she moved but it's too good not to share with you:
Finally!
Finally, an NYC daily is giving comedy some coverage and Sean McCarthy has the honor/task of doing the reporting. If you're a comedy fan, especially living in NYC, then bookmark his site.
Braggy McBragalot
I have spent the last three days in near isolation trying to work through the basic overview of my book proposal. It sounded easy enough when I started out a few weeks ago: Deaf parents, lived in the woods, a couple of attempted murders and voila! You have yourself an "overview." Yeah, right. My tone was all wrong. I've been working in PR too long and drafting too many pitches and proposals. The overview I had submitted to my agent (HEE HEE!!!) looked like a business plan. Booorrrinnng. Finally at 1:40 AM yesterday when I blogged, I had done it. I found the thread that pieced all the sections together and injected the tone I aimed for: no self pity, hints of crazy tales and some funny one liners. Now with THAT out of the way, I can re-do my Table of Contents and flesh out my chapter summaries.
The whole process reminded me of when I started Ballyhoo Promotions. I simply COULD NOT move forward with trying to get clients until I had a website and I couldn't build a website without first settling on a name. Christian likened it to the band who is always brainstorming names but never actually plays a song. I begged to differ and insisted on thinking longer and harder till finally settling on Ballyhoo. Once I got over that hurdle, I built a website in one day (not the current version online now), took on my first client and the rest is history.
I wish I could say I found my M.O. for creative work but they're so different. A company name is so specific and an overview is, well, an overview...a broad sweeping summary.
Now I know that writing will be more difficult; there will surely be more writer's block to plague me. But, whatever, I'm glad my hurdle was lept.
I stayed sober, watched no television, went no where except for my morning coffee and stayed at my computer even when I was making no progress. Was the weather nice? I have no idea and went out too early in the morning to tell. I even kept the shades drawn so as not to be tempted.
--Kambri The mice say "Hi!" Oh, yes, did I forget to say they were back again tonight and one on my motherfu*king foot? No fear these two.
Link - 1:11 AM -
Sunday, August 19, 2007
YEAHAHAHAHAYAYYAYA
WOWOWOWOOO HOOOO! I just had a little break through in writing and need to share! ARGH! The agony of having only a dog, bunny, birds and feral mice to talk to. Christian's last show should be wrapping up soon. I'll bug him.
--Kambri Picture of tiny, little, brave mice to follow once I synch my phone to my laptop.
Link - 1:42 AM -
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Warrior for the Deaf
I received a 25 page letter (!@!%#$!!!) from Dad yesterday. While it's full of great stuff, my Loved, Daddy blog entry isn't all that entertaining...just an update, I guess. Christian is in Miami so I've been hunkered down in my apartment writing my proposal, researching and reading a lot so not much fun to report. Unless you count having two mice come into my office reeeallly close to my bare feet as I was typing at my desk.
The first was so silky and shiny brown and tiny and cute that I just watched it for a few minutes. After I lifted my feet, of course. EEK! It wasn't too unlike Christian's hamster Aretha. But then the other one came out and I thought, "Oh no, I can't have this." So I waved my hands around to make them see me and they didn't care! It wasn't till I screamed at them, "Hello?! You gotta GO!" that they skedaddled.
--Kambri Waiting for them to come back and keep thinking every little shadow is them.
Link - 7:28 PM -
Friday, August 17, 2007
Duff Beer & Dana Gould In honor of Dana's appearance at Comix we're serving up some Duff Beer! Check out the tap our awesome web dude Kirill made!
Link - 6:33 PM -
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Dana Gould, Duff Beer & Donuts!
Dana Gould, one of the great minds behind The Simpsons, takes the stage for a not to be missed weekend at Comix. He recently appeared in the film "The Aristocrats" and is preparing to record his next stand-up CD! During Dana's shows, Comix is offering $3 "Duff" beer in the bar, $5 "Duff" beer in the Showroom and $5 donuts!
FRI, AUG 17 @ 8:00 & 10:30 PM SAT, AUG 18 @ 8:00 & 10:30 PM
Save $5.00 with the promo code "DGVIP"
Comix 353 W 14th Street www.comixny.com 212.524.2500
--Kambri Link - 10:30 PM -
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Another Kind of Anniversary
"It was nineteen years ago tonight my Dad tried to kill my mom."
Sometimes when you try to say a sentence like that out loud it comes out all twisted and garbled because your throat knots up and simply won't cooperate.
Christian on Keith Olbermann Tonight
Not "on" him in the literal sense, of course, but on his show. (Ba dump bump.) Check out the video here.
--Kambri Can we stop talking about Britney soon? Please? PLLLLEEEEAASSEEEE?
Link - 9:30 PM -
Monday, August 13, 2007
Cupcakes and Boggle Our first year anniversary was so lovely and perfect, just like our actual wedding day. We brunched at Cup like we did one year ago then headed to Astoria Park and played Boggle, read the Sunday paper and generally relaxed. We then walked over to Lil Bistro 33 in its new, far-from-our-home location and dined on our favorite menu items and topped it off with their scrumptious bread pudding. When we finally got home we were pretty beat but mananged more Boggle and ate our frozen since 8/12/06 wedding cupcakes. Not so good but certainly better than we expected.
Christian got me a new bottle of my favorite yummy smelling perfume "Serendipitous" from the famous restaurant Serendipity 3 and beautiful navy blue silk BCBG dress. He's the best. Even better? He picked up my laundry today.
--Kambri All 31 pounds of it!
Link - 5:33 PM -
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Happy Anniversary to Us!
One year ago today, Finnegan & I got hitched during the most awesome party ever -- no joke, it was FUN and not stuffy or full of random strangers. We did it at Galapagos Art Space, a former mayo factory, and he & I came downstairs from their loft space and worked our way through the crowd to the main stage to the tune of "Head Over Heals" by Tears for Fears. The best wedding march song ever: great, dramatic opening piano/keyboard-y sound and the lyrics are great for schmaltzy romance, too.
--Kambri Link - 12:22 AM -
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Working Titles -- For Reals
I'm thinking of these as working titles:
Being Anything Bone Collecting Cranberry Falling Upwards Unheard Of
--Kambri Tomorrow's our 1st year wedding anniversary, y'all!
Link - 6:29 PM -
Friday, August 10, 2007
First off, you all are just awesome and creative and hilarious, too. I said this in my comment but it stands to be said again and again. You guys ROCK!
So, yeah, yesterday there was a tornado in Brooklyn and some crazy flooding in the subways as every New Yorker already knows. I just walked to Queensboro Plaza and hopped on the 7 train, no sweat. Okay, a lot of sweat, but no problemo. I was tempted to walk over the bridge so I could add "flood" to my list of reasons (9/11 and blackout)I walked to/from the City but I had a meeting to get to. Getting home after HipGuide.com's 8th anniversary party was a bit of a buzz kill, though. I should have just hopped in a cab, which I eventually did do, especially at the late hour. Ding dong cheapskate took over for a spell. I gotta stop doing that: trying to save a buck when it's super late at night and/or I know there's potential bad subway business.
Tomorrow marks the last day of a nutso busy week. I'm looking forward to the weekend and getting back to writing the "Silent but Deadly" proposal. Oh, man, Kirsten, that's a winner!
--Kambri I wish I had thought of that one.
Link - 1:16 AM -
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
DSL: Doggy Sign Language
Can I just brag about my dog Paquita for a minute. Girl is six and half years old and she still learns new sign language. This morning I signed "coffee" as I've been doing with voice for about two weeks before putting her harness on and walking her to the deli for my regular morning java. Today I just signed coffee without any words and the girl went ballistic, excited to be going on the coffee run. She knows more signs than Christian!
So add coffee to the growing list that includes: Sit, down, roll over, go around (she turns around in a circle), play dead (I sign a gun pointing at her), wave, be cute (where she rubs her eyes with her paws), and lots of words not in sign language on top of that.
--Kambri Makes her mama proud.
Link - 9:28 AM -
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Gulp! What Have I Gotten Myself Into?
I knew this would happen, just not this soon. I feel overwhelmed and inadequate at writing even a *proposal* let alone a whole book.
Anyone have a suggestion on a title?
11:49 PM EDIT: Okay, I'm better. It was a stressful, very long day that I'm glad is winding up. I'm not so freaked out about my proposal since my last entry, thankfully. But I'd still welcome any suggestions for a title. I'm kind of stuck on thinking of plays on words having to do with sign language since that really sets my story apart from other memoirs. Whatever. I'm sick of me so I can imagine how YOU feel.
I'm tired and busy and August SUCKS for comedy. I wish I were in LA with Christian with all our friends who seem to be moving out there in droves. He's there doing an important showcase as I type this and I'm just wasting time for that three hour time difference to catch up so I can at least talk to him before I fall asleep. He'll be home Saturday so we can spend Sunday, our one year wedding anniversary, together in the park with Paquita. The way things should be more often.
Yeah, I'm in dour mood. Even feeling better about my proposal, I'm still dour and fed up.
--Kambri How are YOU by the way?
Link - 4:50 PM -
Monday, August 06, 2007
TV on Demand
Summer television is dreadful so I'm thankful that I never watched Dexter until now. On demand. Back to back to back to back episodes about serial killing and forensics. Hog heaven.
I just hit send to email my agent (heeeeehhheeeee!) the first few (easiest) pieces of my proposal.
--Kambri Let's hope they don't suck royally.
Link - 11:26 PM -
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Brand Loyalty "No! We will NEVER eat there, EVER!" Dad signed. His eyes became angry slits and his mouth was wrinkled as he mouthed the word "EVER" through clenched teeth and tight lips.
Scene Change! Hey New York, it's time for a Scene Change!
This is a new sketch comedy show I'm producing at Comix premiering on September 6th as part of the New York Television Festival and sponsored by Proctor & Gamble. P&G PEOPLE!
Scene Change is like seeing a bunch of mini-plays on one stage without a three hour time investment and a cost you can afford! It's the perfect entertainment choice for anyone with attention deficit disorder or on a budget.
On the Radio Christian is in Philadelphia headlining at the Helium Comedy Club. To promote his appearance, he did some radio. The subject of me and My Jailed Deaf Dad came up in the second half which created some interesting radio conversation. Listen to it here.
I'm So Glad for the Internet
And glad I had to wake up early for Danny Bonaduce's appearance I booked on Howard Stern this morning (plug!) so I had the rest of the morning to kill finding crap like this video of Christian:
Our first year anniversary was so lovely and perfect, just like our actual wedding day. We brunched at Cup like we did one year ago then headed to Astoria Park and played Boggle, read the Sunday paper and generally relaxed. We then walked over to Lil Bistro 33 in its new, far-from-our-home location and dined on our favorite menu items and topped it off with their scrumptious bread pudding. When we finally got home we were pretty beat but mananged more Boggle and ate our frozen since 8/12/06 wedding cupcakes. Not so good but certainly better than we expected.