Manufacture New York & Bob Bland on CBS News

My lovely and visionary friend, Bob Bland, was on CBS news for her extraordinary efforts on behalf for local manufacturing of clothing products in the US, and specifically in New York. I'm so on board with her Manufacture New York. 

Here's a snippet from the new program:

There was a time when clothes worn by Americans were also made here. By 2011, more than 97 percent of the clothes sold in the U.S. was made overseas. Fashion designer turned apparel advocate Bob Bland explains why in an interview with "CBS Evening News" Saturday anchor Jim Axelrod. She's behind Manufacture New York, a new initiative to bring clothes manufacturing jobs back home.

It's not a good deal if the true cost is someone dying in the process.

I Burned Through All of House of Cards Last Week, So Now What Do I Do With My Life? Friday Links

How can I be this busy without having a proper job? Or perhaps a better question is, how was I getting all this done when I had one? Never mind, it's all fifth gear over here in Melrose Hill, home of the revamped, suped-up littlewowproductions. We were in the studio most of the week with Nicholas & Alexandra and we've got some tracks we're so excited and nearly ready to show you. After this week though, I'm taking it easy over the next few days and logging some hours in my PJs. 

Next week, I will reluctantly bring you my third annual crush week. Though pretty much the only thing I have a crush on is House of Cards on Netflix and my Magic Bullet Smoothie Maker. 

- Intriguing passports of famous artists and writers. 
- Eight days alone in London.
- I won't hire people who use poor grammar. WORD. 
- The comedy of cruelty.
- Reeeeally interesting article about ADHD treatment and our love of prescriptions. 
- Money and Depression: Telling Your Boss or Not
- I'm still loving the crap out of Pedestrian Verse. Now I want the vinyl. 

Finally, more Roald Dahl turned into musicals! Hooray! Brits! Shaiman & Wittman (again.) Candy!

New Duncan Sheik - Lay Down Your Weapons - Free Download

Duncan released a new song today, available for free download off his website. It has a similar vibe to the other stuff he was writing at that time period, while he was touring Indonesia. And it seems to be coming from the same emotional plain. 

One of the things I've always liked best about Duncan is his ability to see how the pieces all connect. And in my life, Duncan has served as a little indicator light for connecting things as well. Whenever he turns up-- be it in person and we chant together, or in music-- I am reminded of my own proclivity and need to step back and see how the way we do one thing is the way we do everything. And to be aware of that. Here is his commentary on the song. You can download it for free here. 

I wrote Lay Down Your Weapons in 2011 while on tour in Indonesia. I have been playing it live during the past couple of tours and there have been many requests that I release some version of it. Because of the the senseless, ongoing gun violence that is plaguing America I felt even more acutely that I wanted this song to be available to anyone who wanted to hear it. The lyric was not written as a political statement and is obviously a metaphor about fraught human relationships but I do feel personally there are many types of weapons out there that need to be “laid down” for good and forever. Thank you for listening.

Amen. 

New Year, New Job, New Website

Many of you noticed that I got a new job in December, (Thanks for the well wishes on that, too, people. Much appreciated.) as the Director of Communications for voice over casting and production company, Resnick Interactive Group. I've been getting the lay of the land for the past month, but also working on our new website! 

I get to write a lot, so that's the main thing. Content for the site & our blog, press stuff, script stuff, etc.  But I also get to get in there on where the business is going to go next and so I'm excited that direction is onwards and upwards with more children's entertainment. Which is perfect, since that's right up my street! We already work on tons of animation including the hit show Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse (Seen by over 100,000,000 viewers and starring the one and only Haviland Stillwell as Barbie's nemesis, Raquelle. Also, doesn't it just seem fitting with the universe that I should write for a Barbie show? I mean, amiright???) and I can't wait to see what 2013 brings from our efforts. 

They're even shipping my NYC keister back to my favorite city for most of the month of February (not actually the month I'd choose to spend in NYC, but that's neither here nor there) and throughout the year--- so people of the Big Apple, prepare ye for my imminent return! 

And check out our new website! Happy Monday!

Oops, I Ryan(n)'ed again

PS- I know you guys just got Downton Season 3 last night, so I'll remind you of my previous writings, here. 

BaubleBar is Hiring!

Perhaps it is a contradiction in terms to post one day about the high price of materialism and the next about jobs in consumerism...however! Everybody's gotta get paid and most everyone wants to look pretty. And at the fundamental level, I'm super proud of one of my oldest and bestest pals from childhood, Daniella. Her company, Baublebar, is like the gold standard in affordable jewelry. And you can flip a page of US Weekly or whathaveyou in the line for the grocery store (actually, they don't have that at Trader Joe's and that's the only place I shop, but you get the idea) without spotting pictures of every starlet on that planet wearing some gorgeous morsel from Daniella and Amy's venture. 

Daniella and I became friends in junior high because we were neighbors, sort of. We'd walk home from school a lot together until we both finally got cars. I rolled in the same group of girls for pretty much my entire childhood. A gift I didn't realize was so valuable at the time. Daniella and I had a lot of the same irritations with adolescence and high school-- wanting to get somewhere that valued people for their brains, etc etc. She went to Penn and the Harvard. I went to Rice and the St Andrews, but we were neighbors again for a long time in the East Village too, when she had a sweet deal on a place on 4th and A....and I did not have a sweet deal on either 4th and B or 4th and Second. But, ah, that delightful neighborhood!

Anyhow, BaubleBar is hiring! Most notably for anyone reading this blog, the Social Media Coordinator. New Yorkers, get on this one! I know I'd probably be all over it if I were there. I like their style, and by that, I mean their attitude. I think it's a really good sign when a company asks you what your 'at-bat' song would be. 

They also just opened their first brick & mortar store on Fifth Ave this fall!