The Watsons Go To Birmingham

photo courtesy Hallmark Channel

photo courtesy Hallmark Channel

photo courtesy Hallmark Channel

photo courtesy Hallmark Channel

The Watsons Go to Birmingham is coming to television.  The adaptation of the historical-fictional novel written by Christopher Paul Curtis (1995) will premiere on the Hallmark Channel Friday, September 20th at 7pm(EST). Many children and parents are familiar with the award-winning novel written by Curtis; it was his first novel and it earned him the Newbery Honor, the Coretta Scott King Award, and the Golden Kite Award. This long awaited film stars Anika Noni Rose, David Alan Grier, LaTanya Richardson and Wood Harris. It was directed by Kenny Leon and produced by Tonya Lewis Lee; wife of film director Spike Lee.

The story is about an African-American family in the summer of 1963 living in the town of Flint, Michigan. When  one of the children begins to get into trouble, the parents decide he would benefit by spending time with his very strict grandmother in Birmingham, Alabama. The entire family takes the trip together and during the visit, tragic events take place that affect not only the Watson family, but American families all over the U.S.

The story integrates the 1963 tragedy of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing that killed four young African-American girls. This year, September 15th marked the 50th anniversary of the bombing which became a major turning point in Civil-Rights Movement.

http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/thewatsonsgotobirmingham/video/OnLocation/TheWatsonsOnLocation

'Watsons Go to Birmingham' Newseum DC

‘Watsons Go to Birmingham’ Newseum DC

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'Watsons Go to Birmingham' Newseum DC

‘Watsons Go to Birmingham’ Newseum DC

The Watsons Go to Birmingham  D.C. premier  was last night at the Newseum. Hallmark Channel President and CEO Bill Abbott had this to say: “This very special film represents the very best of what Hallmark Channel is about: quality, family friendly entertainment, compelling stories with life-affirming messages, and the collaboration of an incredibly talented group of individuals.”

I highly recommend seeing this movie with family and friends. The movie like the book will open the doorway for family discussions about a  very difficult chapter in American history.

Sholdit: Hands Free Clutch!

Apparently, I have been out of the loop! I did not know this accessory existed!

Sholdit Clutch Bag was created to make things easier for women on the go. It’s a zippered clutch that can be unrolled into a shoulder wrap and worn across your body or worn as an infinity scarf draped around your neck or as a head cover. Very cool, huh? This functional, hands-free, three-in-one accessory includes a hidden zippered pocket where you can put a cell phone, small wallet, lipstick and a key. There, now you’re set to go. . . Hands free to go to the movies, out to dinner, gallery, dog park or where ever!

I think this is worth ordering.  Check it out and see what you think www.sholdit.com.

‘Free Angela’ Documentary

MV5BMjA0MzA4MzA1NV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTI3NjU0OA@@._V1._SX214_CR0,0,214,314_Shola Lynch ‘s  documentary about the life of  Angela Davis, “Free Angela & All Political Prisoners” has been a long time coming, but with the help and support of the Ford Foundation, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Will Smith, we can now see this intriguing documentary that reveals a part of American history we thought we all knew. Describing her approach, director Shola Lynch said of the film:

“Free Angela and All Political Prisoners is a documentary movie that asks how a bookish 26-year-old philosophy professor ends up on the FBI’s Most Wanted List and an international political icon in the early 1970s. The story is a political crime drama with a love story in the middle and many questions that can’t be answered.”

http://www.amctheatres.com/movies/free-angela-and-all-political-prisoners

https://www.facebook.com/freeangelafilm

http://movies.nytimes.com/2013/04/05/movies/free-angela-and-all-political-prisoners-by-shola-lynch.html?_r=0

Free Flow Forum

FreeFlowCurrent

Free Flow Forum is an open mic dedicated to artistic expression and music. Boasting a live band that enhances the entertainment provided by  various Poets, Singers, Musicians, Comedians and Dancers that grace the stage. Located in the jazzy urban U Street district of Washington DC, Red Lounge attracts the professional business art crowds of the city. Flowrhythmic  brings a spotlight to the art community to showcase its best, brightest and most valued performing artists.

Every 2nd and 4th Wednesday @ Red Lounge 2013 14th St NW (U Street) Washington D.C.  8-11pm – $5

 Twitter Handles: @FlowOpen – Producer/Co-Host: @J_D_A_B –  Band: @flawedlogikband – Host: @PresidentLDavis – Free Flow Forum Open Mic – Hosted by President L Davis.

 

 

 

Set Up a Facebook Fan Page That Works

I’ve recently come across a few really creative FB Fan pages! This inspired me to tweak my FB page to look better. (still working on it) So I started searching the Internet for good “how to” ideas. Unfortunately, I didn’t really find great information that addressed what I was looking for (something with more graphic elements) However, I did find the post below which I thought was well written and worth sharing. Let me know if you know of any good sites on custom design of FB Fan pages.

Post by Dean Rieck “Direct Creative Blog”

I’ve been talking to several people recently about setting up a Facebook fan page, how to get more fans, and how to use Facebook effectively.

Full disclosure: Yes, I have a Facebook page, but it’s private. I use Twitter and LinkedIn for business, but I haven’t set up a page for my copywriting business.

However, I DO run a Facebook page for the same nonprofit that I mentioned in a recent post on email marketing. It’s performing well, averaging 50 new fans a day.

The first thing people ask me is what type of account is best? A group or a fan page? For me, that’s simple. A fan page. Why? A post on Mashable about the difference between Facebook pages and groups lays out the differences nicely. Here’s a summary:

Groups are great for organizing on a personal level and for smaller scale interaction around a cause. Pages are better for brands, businesses, bands, movies, or celebrities who want to interact with their fans or customers without having them connected to a personal account, and have a need to exceed Facebook’s 5,000 friend cap.

A fan page lets you grow as big as you want, send updates to an unlimited number of people, and keep the focus on the organization without revealing the administrator (unless you want to).

Okay, so once you’ve set up your account as a fan page, then what? Here are some tips:

Upload a logo or photo with a web address at the bottom. It won’t be clickable, but fans can see where to go if they want to visit your website.

Fill out your info page completely. Here you can have a clickable web address, company overview, mission, and products. You can give only what Facebook asks for or get creative and provide other information as well.

For example, in your company overview, you can list links to pages on your website, your newsletter signup form, other social media, or whatever you want.

Use FBML to create a landing page. FBML is Facebook’s version of HTML, which you can use with an application called Static FBML. This lets you render basic HTML in a box or tab on your page. You won’t find it in your default applications, but you can find it with a search in the application directory.

The idea is that instead of sending people to your wall, as most people do, you send them to a landing page with whatever message you want to provide. For example, you can give a short description of your organization and tell people to click the “become a fan” button.

This is one of those “duh” things you may not think about at first, but which can dramatically increase your Facebook growth. A landing page is just good direct marketing.

Click link below for full post.

How to set up a Facebook fan page that works.

Angelika Film Center Mosaic: TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM

Screen shot 2013-08-04 at 10.24.09 AMMaybe one of the best kept secrets in Fairfax County. The Angelika Film Center  opened last September in the Mosaic District, and if you haven’t been  you have got to put it  on your “must visit” list ASAP. This state of the art ‘bohemian’ theater has wall to wall screens and the latest in digital projection and sound. With plush stadium design seating you can watch the best in independent, foreign and specialty films in comfort and style.  Old hat in New York City and Plano, Texas, Angelika Film Centers have been  breaking box office records for independent films since 1989. . . and if the stylish building and seating aren’t enough,  Chef Lee Anne Wong (former finalist on Bravo’s Top Chef, and regular contributor on the Cooking Channel’s Unique Eats) has partnered with Angelika so patrons can enjoy a completely different food experience with prepared meals specially paired with beer, wine or champagne selections in the Café, Lounge or while watching a film!

You want more?  ‘Baby Boomer Thursdays,’ is a regular event and anyone 55+ can see a film for $7 and receive FREE popcorn with the purchase of a drink (sounds a lot better than ‘Senior Discounts)

Mondays at 11am,  parents and grandparents should check out ‘Crybaby Matinee.’  $6 admission fee (free for kids under 5 years old) adults can enjoy a movie with kids without the worry of unexpected tantrums and feedings in the dark –  and baby changing tables are provided.

Now Playing: Angelika Film Center Mosaic

2911 District Ave, Fairfax, VA
10:00am‎  ‎12:00‎  ‎2:00‎  ‎4:00pm‎

Screen shot 2013-08-04 at 10.25.17 AMSundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize Winner, TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM, is a true story about the backup singers behind some of the greatest musical legends of the 21st century.

Rare archival footage can be seen in, TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM as well as  interviews with Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Mick Jagger and Sting (to name just a few.)  However, in this film these famous figures take a backseat to the  backup singers whose lives and stories are center stage. Directed by Morgan Neville, cast include Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer and Judith Hill.

August Sunday Kind of Love

Sunday Kind of Love

Featuring Gregg Shapiro & The DC Youth Slam Team

Hosted by, Sarah Browning & Katy Richey
$5 online or at the door

Gregg Shapiro is the author of the chapbook GREGG SHAPIRO: 77 (Souvenir Spoon Press, 2012) and the poetry collection Protection (Gival Press, 2008). Shapiro is also an entertainment journalist whose interviews and reviews run in a variety of regional LGBT and mainstream publications and websites.
The DC Youth Slam Team uses spoken word poetry to teach and empower teens to speak up about issues of social justice. With free weekly writing workshops, monthly open mics, poetry slams, and annual travel to regional and national competitions, the team provides training and a platform for District youth to develop their poetry and public speaking skills with guidance from mentors and peers.
Check them out on Sunday August 18, 2013 -5-7 pm- Busboys & Poets- 2021 14th St. N.W. Washington, D.C.
Co-Sponsored by Busboys and Poets & Split This Rock

For more information:
202-387-POET

Reminder: I’m Giving Away Free Tickets to Fiji!

Reminder: I’m Giving Away Free Tickets to Fiji!.

Mary Ann Redmond Rocks the White House!

DSC_2343-101I saw the fabulous Mary Ann Redmond at a private soiree last month, hosted by friends Tim and Jean White. Ms. Redmond rocked the ‘White House’ with a few old favorites and  the song “Love Me Anyway” which awarded her and Todd Wright WAMMIES for (1) Song of the Year 2012 and (2) Songwriter of the Year.   Both her “live” performances and her four CDs to date have earned recognition from the music industry with an astounding 22 Washington Area Music Awards (Wammies). It was a fabulous evening with lots of good food, good friends and awesome music! Jean and Tim have a beautiful view of the Occoquan from their back yard; it made the perfect backdrop at sunset for Ms. Redmond’s foot stomping rhythm and blues performance.

If you have never seen her in performance you are missing out! Check out her calendar of upcoming events.
http://www.maryannredmond.com/show-dates-on-a-calendar/

“Love Me Anyway” was recorded by Celine Dion and Johnny Hallyday as a duet with French lyrics by Christophe Miossec and released on Celine’s French CD “Sans Attendre.” Whoot!

celine-sans-attendre

 

FIVE REASONS YOU SHOULD INVEST MORE TIME INTO YOUR BLOG

Re-post from  The Public Blogger

I Screen shot 2013-06-25 at 11.04.40 PMhad spent 15 years in the marketing arena, five of those years marketing my own work, so I knew about promotions and the need to promote my first post if I expected anyone to read it. My confidence was not low, it was non-existent, so I chose an inventive way to promote my work, while protecting my fragile ego in the process. I derived a pen-name, hence, thepublicblogger.

Knowing the importance of statistics, after conducting a generous amount of promotional work, I sat back and stared at the counter, which is a built-in part of the blogging platform. While tennis is a niche sport in my home nation, it is a major attraction in most other parts of the world, and to my surprise, U.S. Open: the drama in sports took off (on a relative scale). I would gain a 1000 views in the first week of that first post, and even some infighting in the comments section. And then, something remarkable happened….Kendall F. Person the writer was given a second life.

gardenI began searching for permanent employment, but continued to write and soon after published my second post, Rudyard and Michelle: A Literary Union forms a Century Apart. While the numbers were not nearly as impressive, the comments reaffirmed that the literary world was where I belonged. I continued to blog, even confirming – via the series BREATHE – rumors among close friends that thepublicblogger and Kendall F. Person were one in the same. Nearly one year, 30 posts, and 12 promotional videos later, I realized that investing more time into my blog, can only make me mentally stronger, more visible as an author, more determined as a writer and more knowledgeable about the world around me.

So without further adieu, I give you The 5 Reasons why YOU should invest more time into your blog.

If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run  – from If, by Rudyard Kipling

was a late bloomer when it came to blogging, not entering the scene until August 2012, and only at the suggestion of a close friend and fan of my work. When I posted U.S. Open: the drama in sports, it was not because I had suddenly seen the light and wanted to join the blogging community, which as it turns out, was the best decision I could have made, but it was because,  after a 12 year self-imposed exile, I wanted to discover if I were still able to write. I was not working at the time, having only recently returned from a 30-day project in Philadelphia, so time, as far as hours in a day, was on my side. Locating an apt subject was simple, for as a huge tennis enthusiast, the approaching United States Open afforded the perfect topic. Blogger, Google’s easy to use blogging platform, gave me the tool and my good friend had given me the motivation.

I had spent 15 years in the marketing arena, five of those years marketing my own work, so I knew about promotions and the need to promote my first post if I expected anyone to read it. My confidence was not low, it was non-existent, so I chose an inventive way to promote my work, while protecting my fragile ego in the process. I derived a pen-name, hence, thepublicblogger.

Knowing the importance of statistics, after conducting a generous amount of promotional work, I sat back and stared at the counter, which is a built-in part of the blogging platform. While tennis is a niche sport in my home nation, it is a major attraction in most other parts of the world, and to my surprise, U.S. Open: the drama in sports took off (on a relative scale). I would gain a 1000 views in the first week of that first post, and even some infighting in the comments section. And then, something remarkable happened….Kendall F. Person the writer was given a second life.

I began searching for permanent employment, but continued to write and soon after published my second post, Rudyard and Michelle: A Literary Union forms a Century Apart. While the numbers were not nearly as impressive, the comments reaffirmed that the literary world was where I belonged. I continued to blog, even confirming – via the series BREATHE – rumors among close friends that thepublicblogger and Kendall F. Person were one in the same. Nearly one year, 30 posts, and 12 promotional videos later, I realized that investing more time into my blog, can only make me mentally stronger, more visible as an author, more determined as a writer and more knowledgeable about the world around me.

So without further adieu, I give you The 5 Reasons why YOU should invest more time into your blog.

If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run  – from If, by Rudyard Kipling

The Five Reasons YOU Should Invest More Time Into Your Blog