Viola Davis Dazzles at Elle Women in Hollywood Awards

I simply can't say enough about this woman.  She's exceptionally eloquent in her mission to make sure women of color are acknowledged and given the attention they so richly deserve.

Enjoy.

Happy July 4th

This Fourth of July is a wonderful reminder of who we are as a country, what we stand for.  And even though we as a people are still at odds over a number of issues, I know we all are united in our continued quest for healthier lives, the liberties we fight for and continue to enjoy and the pursuit of happiness.

God bless us all.

2011 Tony Awards Closing Number - Where Speed, Brilliance and Doogie Intersect

I love this in-the-making moment of the closing act of the 2011 Tony Awards hosted by Neil Patrick Harris -- forever known to me as Doogie, was absolutely brilliant.  It was an end show rap or riff on the doings and winners. 

As a writer, I'm amazed at how this was done -- on-the-fly, backstage just winging it.  Talent wins here.  It's that good.  Kudos to writers Lin-Manuel Miranda and Tommy Kail, and of course, Mr. Harris aka Doogie. 



And this is the performance as it was seen by those in the audience, and at home.

Yahoo Studios Readies Dramatic Expansion of Web Video & Scripted Content

Great to see that Anna Robertson ,Yahoo Studios Chief, sees the future of content as tablet, TV and mobile.

I'm right there with her!

MC Hammer leads the way with Social Media & Storytelling

I'm just blown away by what Hammer's doing here.  He gets that storytelling and social media, telling a story around a message is the way to do business.  I'm down.



Enjoy.

Screw You - Creatives Deserve to Get Paid

The following video is awesome in that it's a message that can't be repeated enough.  Pay me... for work that's already been completed.

For creatives out there -- from any discipline, having a client renege, bail or downright refuse payment for services rendered, this message is for you.  Find a lawyer, soldier on and get your money.


2011/03 Mike Monteiro | F*ck You. Pay Me. from SanFrancisco/CreativeMornings on Vimeo.



The video, from Venture Beat, really outlines the specifics.  A must see, must have for any entrepreneur.

Winning

I'm in no way making light of Charlie Sheen's current troubles, but this brilliant impersonation by Jimmy Fallon is dead on.  Sheen's troubles have set the world atwitter. 

I hope Sheen can win, reversing his unfortunate turn of personal and professional mishaps.  Not for a dispassionate audience who truly has no stake in his life, but for his family who depends on him to be there.

Net Neutrality

I think it's safe to say that those of us who troll, write for and live vicariously through the Internet, love the fact that we can do and be all we are on this marvelous platform.

I don't want that to change.  Do you?

An open Internet or Net Neutrality is essential for writers.  I think it's critical to anyone who enjoys the web.  

The following is taken from the Writers Guild of America website -- "Media consolidation and the resulting decline in the number of studios have made the Internet an important platform for writers. For this reason fighting for Net Neutrality is a focus of the Guild’s public policy work."

"On December 21, 2010, the FCC adopted rules to protect an open Internet.  The FCC believes these rules are important because the Internet is a platform for innovation, competition, free expression and civic engagement. The agency further states because broadband providers have both the incentive and the ability to limit Internet access and openness, the benefits of protecting an open Internet outweigh potential harms."

"The Guild submitted several filings to the FCC during their review of Net Neutrality. We consistently called for the Commission to prohibit Internet Service Providers (ISPs) from interfering with legal traffic, arbitrarily prioritizing certain content over others, charging customers for prioritized services, and to require ISPs to disclose their network management practices. While we didn’t get everything we wanted – such as application of all rules equally to fixed and mobile broadband – much of what we wanted is there."

"There is now an effort in Congress to block these new rules from taking effect. Using the “Congressional Review Act,” members of both the House and Senate have introduced legislation that would block the FCC from enforcing its new Net Neutrality rules. Additionally, not only would the Act stop these limited rules from taking effect, they would preclude the FCC from taking up this issue again without being specifically allowed to do so by Congress."

If you want to continue enjoying all those web liberties we all take for granted, talk to your local representative.

Let them know keeping our freedom to find information is as vital as free speech, and should remain as easily accessible.

Righteous Rebellion

I really don't know what's happened the past month, but the liberties sought, and realized, by the Egyptian people has sparked a wave of righteous rebellion across the globe.  Egypt, Tunisia, Wisconsin...

The driving force behind many of these actions is parity -- economic, social, cultural and so on.  It would seem people want to live their lives freely, with necessary but minimal government oversight, whereby everyone has just about the same amount of civil rights.  Imagine.

Looking at the 'why' people are doing what they doing, it's pretty simple really -- money.  You need it to live.  And when people have had enough of being oppressed, repressed, suppressed, not allowed to move the barometer to improve their lot, change becomes necessary, vital.  Life altering.

Exciting, these times.  Scary too.  But at the end of the day, we all want the same things.  The right to live our lives the way we see fit, within reason and healthy amounts of comfort and freedom.