my bonnie & clyde

Let's all make some sense for once...

Electronic music masters, Hot Chip, have teamed up with VICE magazine on a quest to find five creative talents as part of their ‘Creating Sense5’ competition. The winners will be showcased at a one-off event curated by Hot Chip at The Arches on 4th June. The band will be inviting some favourite acts to play on the night and performing a special DJ set.

Hot Chip will join a panel seeking out creative talent from any field and the competition is open to all - musicians, designers, photographers, artists, film-makers etc.

For more info, or if you just fancy coming down to the night click here for tickets (http://www.viceland.com/creatingsense5/) **I highly suggest hitting up this link**

Love is a work of art.

"If you're lucky, you find that person that will help you to fulfill your destiny." -Isaiah Zagar

HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

Wishing everyone a very Merry and bright Christmas!

On this day, may you all find yourselves safe, happy, warm and with those that matter the most to you.

xoxo, MB&C

My Five Cents.

'Tis always better to give than receive. Right?

Let me preface this with : I probably shouldn't knock any opportunity given to the public to contribute to a greater cause. (Although, don't we have opportunities to GIVE every single day? Or do we need a special purchase to grant us with their gracious percentage donation? But, I digress...)

As I was saying, I shouldn't knock it. But, I'm sure you know me better than that.

Billion dollar company, Starbucks, is hosting an "event" called, "Starbucks Goes Red for World Aids Day." I was introduced to this affair by an event invitation today on Facebook. (Even if you aren't familiar with FB, you can reach the logical assumption that it is a publicly accessible event invite with information regarding the event. The interesting feature about the FB invite, is that members can respond, reply or RSVP to the event.)

So far, so good. In the description of their "going red" for World Aids Day, Starbucks is explaining that for every drink purchase on Dec. 1, they are going to make a donation to the Global Fund. Sure, I would prefer it if they would donate the sum of their profits for that entire day, instead of a portion, but heck...giving is giving, right? Hmm. But then, I get to the part of HOW much the donation really is. The Starbucks corporation is donating $0.05 per HAND-CRAFTED DRINK purchase in the US and Canada. That's right, 5 cents on every drink purchased with an average of $4 a pop.

My, how generous of you, mega corporation. And to think, on the very day news breaks that Starbucks may be cutting out the "Venti" drink size, due to lack of purchases. In such struggling times for you, how can you possibly afford to donate $0.05 on every cup for one whole day?!?

I mean, to cover costs like that, you would need to somehow magically make more sales than you've been acquiring in the last several months. Especially during the Holiday Season, when Americans will be scrimping together all their pennies for gifts, and most likely cut back on expensive extras like a piping cup of Starbucks Coffee. 

WAIT. What if you came up with some brilliant marketing strategy to get more customers in the stores during this holiday season? But how?

I'm just going to throw this out there, but WHAT IF you used a National Awareness day right at the brink of the Holiday Season as a ploy to get sales? You could even advertise it on mega site Facebook, home to roughly hundreds of thousands of twenty-something, progressive-thinking coffee drinkers? Whereas if one person was to respond as "attending" to the event invite, their entire network may be privy to this invite and reply. This, of course prompting their do-gooder friends to join in the "giving" spirit, and thus accumulating one, after another, after another...attendees?

BRILLIANT. I applaud your marketing team. In a time where our economy is crumbling, much to the credit of greedy corporations, it's refreshing to see that the consumer's best interest is still in mind. It's clearly a win/win. What better way for you to give a little and receive a lot, Mr. Starbucks?

Unfortunately, I will not be able to join the thousands of attendees to your generous day of giving. Instead, I will be donating my 5 cents directly to the Global Fund, without needing the middle man, feeding the corporate giants or consuming the extra caffeine. To top it off, I believe I'll be making an event invite to all of my friends to do the same.

I implore you all to donate directly to the Global Fund, to help fight Aids across the world, by clicking the link below :

http://80.80.227.107/en/donate/why/?lang=en

For every donation of five cents, I'll be donating a high five.

'Tis always better to give than receive. Right?

Let me preface this with : I probably shouldn't knock any opportunity given to the public to contribute to a greater cause. (Although, don't we have opportunities to GIVE every single day? Or do we need a special purchase to grant us with their gracious percentage donation? But, I digress...)

As I was saying, I shouldn't knock it. But, I'm sure you know me better than that.

Billion dollar company, Starbucks, is hosting an "event" called, "Starbucks Goes Red for World Aids Day." I was introduced to this affair by an event invitation today on Facebook. (Even if you aren't familiar with FB, you can reach the logical assumption that it is a publicly accessible event invite with information regarding the event. The interesting feature about the FB invite, is that members can respond, reply or RSVP to the event.)

So far, so good. In the description of their "going red" for World Aids Day, Starbucks is explaining that for every drink purchase on Dec. 1, they are going to make a donation to the Global Fund. Sure, I would prefer it if they would donate the sum of their profits for that entire day, instead of a portion, but heck...giving is giving, right? Hmm. But then, I get to the part of HOW much the donation really is. The Starbucks corporation is donating $0.05 per HAND-CRAFTED DRINK purchase in the US and Canada. That's right, 5 cents on every drink purchased with an average of $4 a pop.

My, how generous of you, mega corporation. And to think, on the very day news breaks that Starbucks may be cutting out the "Venti" drink size, due to lack of purchases. In such struggling times for you, how can you possibly afford to donate $0.05 on every cup for one whole day?!?

I mean, to cover costs like that, you would need to somehow magically make more sales than you've been acquiring in the last several months. Especially during the Holiday Season, when Americans will be scrimping together all their pennies for gifts, and most likely cut back on expensive extras like a piping cup of Starbucks Coffee. 

WAIT. What if you came up with some brilliant marketing strategy to get more customers in the stores during this holiday season? But how?

I'm just going to throw this out there, but WHAT IF you used a National Awareness day right at the brink of the Holiday Season as a ploy to get sales? You could even advertise it on mega site Facebook, home to roughly hundreds of thousands of twenty-something, progressive-thinking coffee drinkers? Whereas if one person was to respond as "attending" to the event invite, their entire network may be privy to this invite and reply. This, of course prompting their do-gooder friends to join in the "giving" spirit, and thus accumulating one, after another, after another...attendees?

BRILLIANT. I applaud your marketing team. In a time where our economy is crumbling, much to the credit of greedy corporations, it's refreshing to see that the consumer's best interest is still in mind. It's clearly a win/win. What better way for you to give a little and receive a lot, Mr. Starbucks?

Unfortunately, I will not be able to join the thousands of attendees to your generous day of giving. Instead, I will be donating my 5 cents directly to the Global Fund, without needing the middle man, feeding the corporate giants or consuming the extra caffeine. To top it off, I believe I'll be making an event invite to all of my friends to do the same.

I implore you all to donate directly to the Global Fund, to help fight Aids across the world, by clicking the link below :

http://80.80.227.107/en/donate/why/?lang=en

For every donation of five cents, I'll be donating a high five.

Fortune cookie cracked :

"Whether you choose love or fame, you'll be able to handle either or both."

CALIFORNIA PROPOSITIONS : Get informed before making your vote count.

For information on Propositions 1A through 12, please visit the following link :

http://www.californiapropositions.org/

Current spins.

1. Alive - VHS or BETA

2. Sedated Times - 120 Days

3. Jump in the Pool - Friendly Fires

4. Kelly - Van She

5. A Skeleton on Display - Now It's Overhead

6. Days Go On - Greg Laswell

7. Stay Golden - Au Revoir Simone

8. You Could Be Happy - Snow Patrol

9.  Kingdom - Working for a Nuclear Free City

10. Cure Me - Statistics

12. Shine - The Album Leaf

13. Harrodown Hill - Thom Yorke

14. Spit It Out - IAMX

15. Kim and Jessie - M83

What you need to know about recycling certain items.

Packaging/Shipping/Mailing Materials :

1. Styrofoam peanuts are NOT recyclable in most areas, but you may return them to mailing stores, such as the post office, UPS, etc. Or, find a “peanut reuser” by visiting http://www.loosefillpackaging.com.

2. Bubble-wrapped envelopes are not recyclable. Opt for the padded with insulation/lint type, instead.

3. Plain paper envelopes and those with plastic windows may be added to your regular paper recycling.

4. Goldenrod (like the type seen in offices for mailing documents) are NOT recyclable. The paper is too heavily saturated with dye, as is fluorescent or dark colored paper.

5. Wrapping paper is usually accepted with other paper recycling. Try to remove the tape first, as the gum hinders the recycling process.

Plastic Bottle Caps :

These are NOT recyclable. The plastic is of a different type than that used for the actual bottle, and it damages the melting process when they are mixed in.

Take-out Food Containers/Plastic Flatware :

Most of these are NOT recyclable, mainly due to food remnants contaminating the recycling process. This goes for the paper ones (like Chinese food containers), as well as the plastic and styrofoam ones. In addition, currently there is no program for recycling plastic flatware or utensils in the US.

Sneakers :

1. Nike has a Reuse-A-Shoe Program that accepts old sneakers of any brand and recycles them into sports’ courts. There is the option of mailing the old sneaks to their recycling center, or dropping them off at a Nike store or participating retailer.

http://www.letmeplay.com/reusableshoe

2. If the shoes are still usable, donate to needy athletes!

http://www.oneworldrunning.com

Shower Curtains/Liners :

Mostly NOT recyclable, due to the PVC they are made of.

Stereos/VCRs/Electronics :

1. For a list of Stereo/VCR recyclers, visit

http://www.earth911.org

2. For a list of other ways to handle electronic waste :

http://www.greencitizen.com or http://www.freegeek.com.

3. Make note that actual videotapes are not accepted at local facilities. Send them to ACT, http://www.actrecycling.org, to be cleaned up and reused.

4. Bring old televisions to Office Depot to be recycled.

Pizza Boxes :

These can be included in your regular recycling pick-up, but you must rip off all cheese or greasy areas. Food residue can contaminate and ruin an entire batch of paper when included with the recycling process.

Phone Books :

Visit www.yellowpages.com/recycle

Printer Cartridges :

These are actually NOT recyclable, and take a very long time to break down. Your best bet is taking them to Staples or Office Depot, and getting them refilled, or returning them for a few dollars off your next ink purchase.

Sponges :

Another standard household item that is NOT recyclable. Opt for using natural sponges made from vegetable cellulose, as they are biodegradable.

Writing Instruments :

Those great 10 packs of Bic pens we all used to get at the beginning of the school year? Yeah. NOT recyclable. Choose refillable pencils (save the wood for the trees!), biodegradable pens (http://www.grassrootsstore.com) or pens with refillable cartridges.

Yogurt Cups :

For the most part, recycling facilities are NOT able to recycle yogurt cups as they are made of a special plastic.

Plastic Storage Baggies/Zip-locks :

If your local facility will accept other plastic bags, they will accept clean sandwich/storage baggies as well. For the zippered type, just cut the zipper portion off first, as that is made of a different type of plastic.

Sites to visit :

http://www.recyclingcenters.org

http://www.terracycle.com

http://www.plasticbagrecycling.org

http://www.grassrootsstore.com

http://www.actrecycling.com

http://www.sony.com/recycle

http://www.freegeek.org

http://www.playitagainsports.com

http://www.thestarfishproject.com

http://www.earth911.org

http://www.epspackaging.org/info.html

http://www.yellowpages.com/recycle

http://www.iloveschools.com

http://www.letmeplay.com/reuseashoe

Many thanks to Real Simple Magazine for bringing much of this information into light.

purpose.

This is a blog I posted on my personal page a few weeks ago. I decided to share it with the MB&Cer's, since it is related to art. Please do not take this as anything more than a cluster of my personal thoughts and feelings, and in no way is this meant to pass judgement or offend anyone in regards to their personal or spiritual beliefs, as I respect all persons' right to individual choices. It is simply a reflection of myself and my inspiration.

xoxo,

c. 

 

I had a revelation this afternoon.

More so lately, I have been struggling with the question of why it is that I want to do what I want to do? Why is the art of acting such a passion of mine, and is it for the right reasons? What are the right reasons? Hopefully, I am not trying to fulfill some narcissistic desire or deficit from my life. That has always been my biggest fear. Not failing, but doing it for the wrong reasons. Why is it so important to me to be an artist? Is it simply because it was something I was good at as a child, so stuck with it out of ease and self indulgent recognition?

I had been having some anxiety attacks today about some upcoming changes in my world, so I sat down this afternoon to meditate, with the hopes of calming my mind. Literally as soon as I closed my eyes, I was overwhelmingly flooded with information.

Art is beautiful. But beauty is not something that I see with my visual eyes alone. Yes, it may begin with sight, but then proceeds to dance over my eyelids and gently seep into my iris. Then, like billows of smoke, travels whispily and dreamily into my self, my soul. It wraps itself around my inner essence and seamlessly merges into one with the foggy spirit that resides within my skin. It becomes a feeling and a life of it's own, radiating love and peace and God. (No specific religion's God, but God of all and every religion.) This is the closest I ever get to what I perceive is Truth.

Words are beautiful, as is silence. Nature is beautiful, as is the complexity of Science. Thoughts, emotions, sights, sounds, smells, touch; all are beautiful. The mere existance of life in form is beautiful. The majesty and wonder of each single breath is the simplest, and yet most complex art ever created. If you have ever watched the invisible wind blow over the tree tops, and each individual branch bend gracefully like a choreographed ballet, then you know the art I speak of. Or if you have heard chords on the violin played so perfectly, that it makes every strand of hair on your arms stand up. Or if you have ever watched a film where you learned heartfelt compassion and understanding for lives that are completely and utterly foreign to your own. Or seen birds soaring gently and effortlessly through the air and felt a surge of inspiration run through you. Or fallen in love with words on a page because it carried you away to far off worlds that can only be seen in the tiniest corners of your mind. Or noticed how the sunlight hits the perfect spot through your window creating a prismatic rainbow that dances around the walls of your room, and wondered how you never noticed it before...then you know the art I speak of.

I love to create art, because I hope to reach that delicate place in a viewer's being, and invoke any form of beauty inside of them. If I have been given the gift to be able to spend my life producing and sharing beauty with the world and beyond, then I will be incredibly fortunate and eternally grateful.

Whether through laughter, tears, words, pictures, or silence, I want to help construct the world and life itself into a continuously more beautiful place, inside and out.

Sponsors Needed!

I am asking all friends of MB&c to consider sponsoring me in the 15th Annual Entertainment Industry Foundation Run/Walk for Women benefitting cancer research. All money raised will be used in raising awareness and critical  funds for women's cancers research, counseling and outreach programs.

Visit my personal sponsorship page for more information or to make a donation. https://www.revlonrunwalk.com/la/secure/mywebpage.cfm?pid=440844

Every penny counts towards saving lives, so please consider helping me raise dollars for this worthy cause. *All donations are 100% tax deductible. Donors are welcome to donate in the name of their company, friend, self, etc.*

Thank you for your support, sweet loverlies!!!

Caroline Bolter, Pres/Owner

My Bonnie & Clyde