Sewing in Studio City

I've changed the name of my sewing blog to "Sewing in Studio City". Not quite as creative, but David said "The Singing Seamstress" sounds like "The Happy Hooker" -- not exactly the image I wanted to convey.
So, in case, you're interested in seeing how I've been spending my free time, head on over here:

Sewing in Studio City

What a weekend. For those of us living in Southern California, it was pretty unbelievable. First there was the Sylmar Canyon fire to the north, which tragically wiped out an entire community of mobile homes. Then from the south, the Corona fire followed on its heels, and I watched the TV in horror as it skipped the 91 freeway and raged westward, destroying beautiful homes indiscriminately. I live in Studio City (nowhere near the fires), and still, ash fell from the sky all day Sunday, and everyone was asked to stay indoors and conserve water. All this came just a couple of days after the terrible Montecito fire, just south of Santa Barbara. I've performed in Montecito so many times over the years, and I wondered whom I might know up there who might have been affected.

My heart really goes out to all these firefighters, who have been battling these blazes for days now. I can't imagine how exhausted and stretched thin these guys must be...they've managed to save hundreds of homes, and it looks like today that the fires are at least partially contained.

Not a heck of alot going on....

"It's the economy, stupid."

That must be it. No gigs, no shows, no plans. Everyone's feeling it right now. I'm taking the time to get "re-charged". I was so busy in the months of August and September, working a full-time job and singing all over the place. I think I'm going to start writing again.

And, to tell you the truth, I'm rather thankful that I even HAVE a job right now.

Other than that, I've been continuing with my Russian language classes. I hated to lose everything I learned this year, so I decided to continue. I am now officially an "intermediate level" student at the Beverly Hills Lingual Institute! (drum roll, please...)

Being a singer really helps, beleive it or not, because I've trained my ear over the years to duplicate sounds. My teacher says my accent is "perfect" - can you believe that? She asked me if I had Russian blood somewhere in my past.

That's about it in a nutshell. I hadn't posted in a while, so I thought I'd throw something up here.

I hope I have more interesting things to relay, later!

Earl Palmer 1924 - 2008

I was dreading this particular news, and on Saturday I got it. Session drummer Earl Palmer, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee who was featured on hits like Ike and Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High” and the Righteous Brothers‘ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” is gone.

Though Earl was a legend in the rock-n-roll world, I knew Earl in the jazz world. Earl actually got me my first gig on the jazz circuit, at the M Club in Downtown LA, and that led to all those years at the Money Tree. I sat in with him so many times - he would always invite me up to the "bandstand" to sing a few tunes, wherever he was playing -- Charley O's, The M Club, Rick's in Santa Monica, and of course The Money Tree. Julia Holland and I did a fabulous gig with him, George Gaffney, and Ernie McDaniels for a branch of the Elks Club one year. Earl got a huge kick out of our dancing and singing.

I met Earl at the New Orleans airport in 1998, when Julia, Leni and I were there for the annual Jazzfest. Leni spotted the dapper suited gentleman on the plane as soon as we left LA. She immediately approached him, saying she was a huge fan. When he landed, she introduced us to him, and that was the beginning of a wonderful friendship among all of us. We hung out with him in New Orleans, we partied together, and we partied again at the airport in New Orleans before we headed back to LA. He loved the attention, and he also loved the fact that Julia and I were singers. He wanted to help us out when we got back to LA.

Earl was very opinionated. The week I met him, his autobiography had just come out (written with Tony Sherman), and he was very unhappy with it. I can't remember exactly why, but he was very vocal about it. (Nevertheless, he gave me a signed copy.)

He also couldn't stand my boyfriend at the time, and he never lost an opportunity to tell me that, every time he saw me. "You are WAY too good for him," he said. He was relieved when we broke up, though I sensed he didn't truly believe me when I told him.

When I went to Donna's jam session in New Orleans a few years later, Earl instructed me to mention his name. I did, and sure enough they asked me to sing.

Earl was the best drummer. The absolute best. Tasty fills, solid beat, and he knew exactly how to accompany a singer. When he played with his trio and I had the chance to sit in with them, it always felt so "right" musically. I remember his stressing the importance of "getting in" and "getting out" of the song. Everything else in the middle would take care of itself. That valuable tip has saved me on countless gigs.

Did I mention he was an impeccable dresser? I never once saw him without a dark suit.

I know Earl was a legend of rock'n'roll. But I always saw Earl as the epitome of elegance and the essence of jazz.

The funniest skit I've ever seen

St. Petersburg in August

Last week I returned from an incredible 12-day trip to St. Petersburg. I sang at the Grand Hotel Europe, toured the city, and even spent an evening at a beautiful dacha near the Finnish border (a stunning retreat that our friends Tanya and Niki Yermolayev have renovated). I took hundreds of photographs, so I've compiled several slideshows, broken down into categories. Just click on the link below to view each of them.
One fascinating aspect of this latest trip was my introduction to international politics - the day after we arrived, Georgian forces attacked South Ossetian separatists. So I was there, watching footage on "Russia Today" in my hotel room, and talking to locals and friends who were directly affected by these events. David and I even stumbled on a news conference/rally taking place in a park called "The Field of Mars". Three weeks ago, I had not even heard of South Ossetia, but I was in for quite an education.

Catherine's Palace (Tsarskoe Selo)
The Palace at Pavlovsk
Peterhof
The Peter and Paul Fortress
The Dacha in the Country
Daily Life in Russia
In and Around the City
Performing at the Grand Hotel Europe
Jazz Boat on the Neva River
What You Didn't See on U.S. Television

More photos from "Russian White Nights" performance

Laura and Mom (Julia Pursell)

Dad (Bill Pursell)

The Stage
The Show
Our Table
Irina Russell, Jim Ferguson, Laura, and David
Crowded house!

From last week's show at Cheekwood

Here's a photo of me with a friend from childhood, Elizabeth Stein. This was taken right after she and I SWITCHED SHOES before I took to the stage...My red heels were fabulous, but they were too high, and they were killing my feet! I don't think I would have made it through the night! So...what are friends for, right? Elizabeth gamely gave me her much more sensible low heels and then strutted around all night in my sassy red high heels...!
More photos to come from this really special night...

New Reviews on "Somewhere in this Room"

This really brought a smile to my face this week. Three new reviews have been posted on the internet for my 4th CD, "Somewhere in this Room". People seem to be really moved by the material, and it's so gratifying. For me, listening to the instrumentals Dad orchestrated (and played on) make this record very special to me. I've included links to each review below...
Twangtown
Midnight Jazz
Whisperin and Hollerin

Another night at Barone's

Last Saturday, David and I headed out to Barone's with Tony Russell and his wife Rosemarie, to hear Thelma Jones sing, with Karen Hernandez on piano and Chico Fernandez on drums. What a great night, and wow, was Thelma on fire!! Standouts included "God Bless the Child" (performed as a rumba), "For All We Know", and a rousing closing number whose title I can't remember. It was late. Guitar great Barry Zweig dropped in for dinner, and of course he was summoned to go outside and get his guitar - which he did - and he played all night! I ordered a steak (which I never do) and right after finishing my meal, Thelma called me onstage to sing a song...my steak hadn't yet reached my stomach. Oh dear. I was completely caught off guard, started in with "Like Someone in Love", only to forget the lyrics to the 2nd verse!! I have no idea what I sang to get through that section, but I felt like Jason Castro from American Idol, ripping apart "Tambourine Man". Oh well...like I said, it was late. Right after that, Tony, Thelma and I all joined in on a raucous version of "Sunny Side of the Street", and the audience sang along. (When Tony gets involved, it's always raucous!) But the audience hadn't seen anything yet! Thelma took a break from singing, while Tony took the stage to entertain the audience with "some jokes"..let me tell you, this was probably the best night Tony's ever had. He had Barry Zweig laughing so hard, he had to stop a few times. Tony's a true master, and it's too bad this wasn't caught on film!

Check out some live footage of Dad's piano solo on "Take Me Back to Tulsa"...! This is from the "Marty Robbins' Show" in the 60's...priceless footage! Thank God for YouTube!

Dad with Marty Robbins

Well, look what I found on YouTube!! Some stills of Dad, set over a recording of his instrumental performance of "Love Can't Wait", on the Marty Robbins Show (I'm assuming). Lovely tune, and truly another era. He really looks like he's having a great time in these photos. Dad was on countless Marty Robbins sessions. If I can figure out a way to post the hilarious "out-takes" from these sessions, I will! They're all on cassette tapes..!

Mom in an ad for Barack!!!

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"White Haired Women for Barack"
Well, Mom has made her "YouTube debut"...check out this ad for Barack Obama...I heard it actually got played on CNN! Way to go, Mom! (She's the one in the front with the pink jacket, and her line is, "He's RESOURCEFUL..." )

More photos from my trip home to Nashville

Happy 43rd Anniversary, Mom and Dad!


My lovely neice, Allison! What a beauty she's turning out to be!


These bulbs were planted two years ago, and they've just arrived...this is in the side yard of my parents' house...

Mom and Bill completely renovated this 1880's structure, which was the original office for the Hermitage Stud Racing Track. It's now a "party house" in the back yard...

I crossed the finish line!!

Well, there's a first and a last time for everything...and I just accomplished both. On Saturday, I ran the Country Music 1/2-Marathon in Nashville and finished in 2 hours, 50 minutes. I actually ran the first 8 miles without having to walk! In the photo above, you see me with my brother Bill, who managed to finish in 2 hours, 56 minutes with a foot injury (he sprained his foot in mile 10), and my sister-in-law Helen, who cross the line in 3-1/2 hours. I was proud of all of us. But from now on, I think a 10K is plenty. I fact, I fel good knowing that I can comfortably run 6.2 miles. And thank God for the I-Pod!! I never would have made it to the finish line without it!!!

A good friend of mine, fellow musician and songwriter Jim Orr, has just launched his website. Check out his two new songs: "One Sky" and "Do You Like Me Now"...click here. Talk about multi-talented! In additon to being a gifted songwriter, pianist, singer and producer, he's also a licensed acupuncturist and massage therapist. A true creative spirit. I met Jim during Jai Josefs' songwriting workshops, and I was always impressed by Jim's individual voice and powerful point of view. Check him out!

Book Club!

We had our monthly book club meeting last night. I started our "Tuesday Night Book Club" over two years ago and we are still going strong! I highly recommend finding the time in your life to sit down and read a good book. Having a book club forces you to (a) socialize (not easy in the world we occupy, especially in LA, where it feels like if you're not working, you're in your car driving to get to work), (b) actually finish a book, and (c) delve into issues, philosophies and characters that may actually influence your life....which brings me to our latest book, "The Razor's Edge" by W. Somerset Maugham.
I really enjoyed this thought-provoking book that follows the lives of a group of American expatriates as they mature over the course of 20-something years in Post WWI Europe. That all sounds very academic, so let me just say that it deals on the themes of materialism, spirirtuality, the quest for God, the meaning of love, and disillusionment - universal themes of the human condition that resonate today. If you're a fan of clever dialogue and the underbelly of eccentric, beautiful, and pathetic characters, this book is for you. I had a hard time putting it down.

Who hasn't known a lovably vacuous man like Elliott Templeton? The scene near the end where he cries in depair over not being invited to a party hits very close to home in MY family. What girl hasn't put financial security ahead of love (at some point in her life), only to end up regretting it? Isabel's genetic materialism is something she can never grow beyond, but she manages to carve out some self-defined version of happiness for herself, nevertheless. A true American trait. And the character at the center of it all - Larry (who serves as a pre-cursor to the 70's hippy generation in his quest for spiritual enlightenment) travels the world searching, and searching and searching....does he find his answers? We didn't really come to a uniform conclusion about that last night.

I appreciate books that hang with you, and this is one I may have to read again.

Latest jobs

I finally finished these two shirts for two of my co-workers. These were actual jobs!! I even got paid! This black shirt was basically made-to-order. Cindy wanted a black, mesh net top that she could wear with a camisole underneath. I made my own pattern for this, with bell sleeves, and lined the neck and the bottoms of the sleeves with velvet trim. It's really beautiful, and I can't wait to see her wear it.
This blue shirt is basically the same pattern, but I made a neck band out of navy velvet, and I did basically the same thing with the bottoms of the sleeves; I made bias strips out of leftover fabric, folded them in half, and sewed them on as bands. The result was really unique, especially on the sleeves. Anyone want one of these? Give me a call, and we'll talk!!

Photos from Barone's

Well, a good time was had by all who came to Barone's last Thursday! Stephen was in great form, and a few singers sat in, including Sheri Pedigo, who did a rousing rendition of "Let's Stay Together" and then performing "Crazy" (after filling the audience in on the fact that my Dad recorded with Patsy Cline). Only in LA could you get such a tepid response to that fact, but moving on....
Tony Russell came by, sat down at the piano, and performed solo for us for 1/2 an hour, singing some great ballads, such as "Old Folks", which had people in tears. It was a real "Cheers" moment, and a night I'll remember.
My dear friend Penny took these photos. Enjoy!

Heading back to Russia

I'm thrilled to announce that I'll be heading back to St. Petersburg in August to perform again at the Grand Hotel Europe. The dates aren't solidified yet, but what a great time of year to visit the most beautiful city in the world!! I do however, want to be able to communicate with people this time around, so I've signed up for a beginning Russian language class at the Beverly Hills Lingual Institute. They actually put me in an "advanced beginner" class because apparenty I already know more than I thought I did!
I can't wait to go. I can't wait to see the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Summer Palace (it was closed in December), the endless arches of all the fountains, another trip to the Hermitage, and of course I have to visit the Russian Museum again. Ilya Ripin is my new favorite painter, and I'd like to learn more about him.
And the Grand Hotel Europe is simply beyond words.
I'll keep posting updates as I learn more!

I'm singing on Thursday!

I'll be performing with Stephen Boyd on piano at
Barone's Famous Italian Restaurant!

Thursday, February 28

7:30 pm
Valet parking
Reservations recommended
13726 Oxnard Street (near the corner of Woodman)
Valley Glen, CA 91401

(818) 782-6004
Come by, have some of Barone's incredibly delicious (and famous!) pizza and enjoy some jazz
with vocalist Laura Pursell and pianist Stephen Boyd!

Music City Half-Marathon

Well, I have decided to participate in the Music City Half Marathon in April, along with my dear friend Penny, my brother Bill, and my sister-in-law Helen! I thought this would be a great family thing to do, and all this sewing has kept me from exercising. I have just enough time to whip myself into some kind of shape for this. And since I have nothing to prove, I have nothing to lose! I went out and bought some new shoes today, some ASICS Gel Kavanos, and they're super lightweight with great arch support. I took my camera along on my first run in preparation for this, and I call these my "Rainy Day Shots". Boris didn't mind the rain at all, actually, and we had a great time. It was a beautiful day!

Celebrity Worship

I think I've turned a corner when it comes to this cult of celebrity worship.

I went to an art gallery showing in Beverly Hills last night, but the gallery was actually a collection of celebrity photographs - dead celebrities, live celebrities, musicians, actresses, you name it. The price tags ranged from $1,000 to $15,000. It was all laid out as if this was a collection from Modern Museum of Art.

They had an open bar serving some new kind of vodka, "V2 Vodka", and the bartendress, looking all of 19, said, "This is really cool! This vodka has caffeine in it, so it's kinda like drinking a red bull with your liquor!"

"Red bull?" I asked her.

"Well, almost! Drink up!"

After two sips of this concoction, I determined to let David drive home.

I saw a photograph of Ann-Margret leaning backwards from the top floor balcony of a Las Vegas hotel in the 1960's (supposedly threatening to jump off), lots of signed album covers from The Beatles, Andy Warhol, a photo of John Lennon in Spain, Angelina Jolie, Catherine Zeta Jones, stills from an Andy Warhol short showing some guy shooting up and then passing out....

Invitees oogled and ahh'd, sipping their V2 Vodkas with grapefruit juice, eyeing everyone who walked in more than they actually looked at the photos. Everyone and everything seemed overly self-aware, poofy and self-conscious.

The gallery employees were talking up the photographs to anyone who would listen, doling out more drinks, trying to assess who in the room really had the big bucks. I'm guessing that might have been the grey-haired crinkly man in the leopard, floor-length fur. He looked liked a very rich dinosaur.

"It's all so fun," said the manager. I must be getting old.

I said to David, "You know what? I'm ready to leave. The 'ick' factor has kicked in. And I need some food in my stomach."

"I've always found this stuff icky," David agreed, and we left.

This whole business, this entire city, was built around the culture of celebrity worship. Something about standing in that gallery, surrounded on all sides by pandering people and the frozen-in-time faces of celebrities long gone made me claustrophobic. These faces were just people, after all, people who have been photographed millions of time, but people all the same.

And I don't find drugs, or mixing Red Bull with alcohol so interesting. I'm not getting on a pulpit here. There are just a thousand other ways I'd rather spend my time.

Why Creativity is Healthy

I found a wonderful website called Artella Land, "an oasis just for writers, artists and creative spirits" (you should really check it out...a woman named Marney Makridakis spearheaded this site, and it's grown into a great forum for all forms of artistic expression). I'm posting an article I was just emailed from her newsletter (the "Artellagram"), and it really speaks to me..it explains why I have an overwhelming urge to create, whether it's singing, writing, performing, or yes...sewing!

The Top 5 Ways Creativity Is Good For Your Heart
Creativity is relaxing. When we engage both our mind and body in something that we enjoy, our bodies release powerful hormones that relax us, undoing all kinds of damage caused by stress in day -to-day life.


Creativity is a healthy distraction. There is no better way to forget our troubles, challenges, and pain than to get involved in meaningful creative projects. A creative project is a great way to focus on what IS working in your life, rather than what isn't.


Creativity gets our heart pumping. From the adrenaline that gets going when we're happily engaged, to the often quite physical nature of art, creativity gets our insides moving and shaking. Painting, sculpting, writing (especially via longhand), and running around town looking for "art junk" at flea markets is GREAT exercise. :-)



Creativity gives our self-esteem a boost. Endless studies have been done on the effects of positive self esteem on general health. When we create something that we're proud of, we get a huge psychological boost that has endless rewards. Think of the small child who shows off a drawing and says "Look what I did!" We all need a healthy dose of that kind of pride!


Creativity offers great opportunities for connection with others. You share your art or writing with someone else and it sparks a meaningful conversation . . . you post your work in an online contest and others comment on it . . . you collaborate on a creative project to create something from two heads instead of one . . . you donate your work for a charitable cause that makes a difference to others. These are just a few examples of many the kinds of connections that creativity can provide. They all remind us that we are not alone on this planet, or in our pursuits of creativity. Connection with others makes us healthier and happier, and truly part of the fabric of the world.

My newest creation

Here is a burgundy colored jacket made from Butterick Pattern #4865..I know it looks big, but I think that's that way it's cut..it's really comfortable, and this is my first attempt at a "notched collar"...what do you think?

Featured Artist for February on Indie-Music.com!

This is really exciting...I was selected as a Featured Artist for the month of February on Indie-Music.com!
Click on the link below to read the review:

Review of "Somewhere in this Room"

Another creative outlet

Well, since I've had a break in between gigs, I decided to put my sewing skills to work. Yes, sewing!! I've been taking classes on the fly since last summer, so I thought I'd post a few of my creations. These were all done on a 1961 "Slanto-matic" Singer, and I've been thoroughly enjoying myself. Take a look:


This is a dress I made to sing in when I went to Russia; but by the time I finished it, I realized it was too cold in Russia to really get away with it. (I was wrong, of course; they overheat all the buildings, so this would have been fine). It's actually two separate pieces which I altered from the riginal patterns. This was my first project out of the gate, and it encouraged me!



This is project #2...This is a crushed velvet/nylon fabric, with a silk gold lining on the inside. This was a beast to create! The pattern said "easy", but let me tell you...I ended up sewing it together backward on the top...what a nightmare. But it worked out!! I did wear it on New Year's Eve in Nashville...


This is a cashmere sweater I made for David...He hates modeling, but you can kind of see what it looks like. I got this fabric in LA's downtown garment district - it's a fabulous cashmere!



With the yard of cashmere I had left over, I made this little sweater for myself...it's got bell-sleeves and a soft, wide boat-neck. You know how I got this? I took a pattern for a yoga top and altered it!


This is the pattern I used to make the above top - I altered the length and added a band around the neck. Several women at my office want me to make one for them!



Here's a yellow shirt I made for David, made out of Lyocel (a wonderfully soft knit). I made this in preparation for the cashmere sweater (same pattern). It's really comfortable and I think I'm going to make some more of these, in different fabrics.

Obama '08!!!

So I got up this morning, voted before work, and called every member of my family to make sure they are (a) voting and (b) voting for Barack!
We really have a chance to really make a difference right now. I don't know about you, but I don't remember the last time I felt proud of our country. I know, just from my recent travels, that a TOTAL CHANGE of this administration is imperative, if we are ever to re-gain the respect we once had around the world. Barack Obama is a visionary and in MY lifetime, I've never witnessed anything like it in an election and just imagine the possibilities, imagine the road we could be on - finally - if Barack Obama becomes the next President of this country. This is going to be a tight race, and every single vote counts. This can actually happen! He has the momentum!

If you are a Democrat or an in Independent, you can vote tomorrow for Barack Obama....so please PLEASE get out there and do it!!!

A very sad week

It's taken me quite a few days to articulate how I feel right now. Several friends have called and I haven't had it in me to return them. If you're reading this, maybe this will explain why.

Never have I questioned this industry we call "entertainment" more than I have this week. Everyone in Hollywood is grieving for Heath Ledger (I'll write more about that later - let's let the dust settle a bit). The elections are next week, and the rains haven't stopped. I'm trying to make campaign calls for Barack Obama, but I don't know how effective I've been because I've been so sad. I never knew Heath personally, but I feel like I did.

In 2005, on my birthday, David and I attended the New York premiere of Brokeback Mountain and sat in the row behind him. He seemed almost embarrassed by all the attention, and he really kind of kept to himself, especially at the after party. He looked like a combination of a man and a boy in his dark suit, a little awkward and impatient to get the night over with. I wanted to approach him, tell him how wonderful I thought he was, but I instinctively kept my distance. I didn't realize until that night was a true artist he was, how transformative and intelligent in a way that surpassed his years (he was 26 at the time). Anyway, here I am, already waxing on as if I'm writing a tribute. I need to save that for later.

When I got the news last week that he was gone, it didn't seem real. It still doesn't seem real.

In the midst of this tragedy, we now have some nutjob imposter claiming to be Heath's father, calling everyone in town, trying to get phone numbers of celebrities. Incredibly, he has managed to reach several A-listers and have lengthy conversations with them. He has caused an unbelievable amount of damage. See today's New York Post for more details on that. The story is all true.

What kind of world do we live in that spawns people like this? Is he a tabloid reporter? A loner whackjob who just wants to talk to celebrities? This loathsome individual has made a lot of people very paranoid, distrustful of whom they are talking to, and more stressed out than they were when they first got the news. I hope this person is found, prosecuted, humiliated, and hung.

I keep telling myself this has nothing to do with reality. We do live in a bubble out here. I kind of miss the days of Nashville, when I naively believed everything I read, anything I was told. When I was actually "in awe" of movie stars and Hollywood. I couldn't wait to pack up my Toyota and make that drive across the country. How silly it all seems now.

But Heath was the real deal. He wasn't driven by money or fame; he truly loved acting. I understand that. So in spite of the distaste and the disillusionment I've experienced this last week, I still somehow have hope that there is some meaning to all this.

The picture above was taken here in LA during a break in the rain. As I was driving to work last week, I drove under a rainbow that looked exactly like this. They were everywhere. I had never seen anything like it.

Come to think of it, that was Tuesday. That was the day Heath died.

WGA Strike - a view from Beverly Hills

My day gig is working at an entertainment law firm in Beverly Hills, and for the past three months, the atmosphere has been tense, uncertain, and a little scary. None of us got raises at the end of the year (in anticipation of the strike lasting for months and months)...clients have lost their overall deals at studios...writers are sitting around waiting to get busy...and the foot traffic on Rodeo Drive has dwindled to tourists from Asia and Europe. I have friends who aren't working at all -- my friend who works as a 1st Assistant Camera woman, is selling stocks to survive.

In theory, I'm in full support of the writers and what they are asking for (a legitimate piece of the pie). I'm all for the little guy. But it's time for this to end.

The DGA (Directors Guild of America) struck a deal yesterday, after only a few days of negotiations, and from what I'm hearing, the terms are pretty decent.
At this point, I have to seriously question the leadership of the WGA, and the way they went about this. This is not the garment industry. This is an industry of compromise, of give-and-take, of negotiating. I know what I'm talking about - I listen to it all day long. I'm privy to conversations most people only read about, after the fact.

The fact that the DGA was able to accomplish this deal so quickly really sheds light on it all. Maybe the studios just don't take the writers seriously. Maybe there's a lack of respect there. And if that's the case, why is that the case?

I really hope the writers will go back to the table (they've been invited) and use the DGA's agreement as the basis for their own negotiations. At this point, they'll look pretty bad if they don't.

Then again, there's always the chance that the WGA leadership could convince their members to hold out, wait for the actors to join them in June...at which point the town will shut down, and I might as well pack it up and move back to Nashville.

This will be an interesting week....

"Spare Change: Change vs. Experience - Clinton vs. Obama" - excerpt

I just came across a brilliant post by my dear friend Andy Bonime. He articulates this better than I can, so I am pasting an excerpt. To view his entire article, go to cloudshine.wordpress.com

"Senator Obama, in my estimation, represents the most visible and visceral, if not symbolic break with the past. This country has undergone severe damage under George W. Bush. Aside from the measurable issues and events we all know about, the one truly damaging effect of the Bush presidency is the destruction of the American spirit and sense of who we are and what we stand for. You cannot claim that our enemies hate us for our freedom, and then use their existence as an excuse to destroy that very freedom. The willingness to fear-monger away the principles this country was founded on is an arguably treasonous and reckless disegard for the very bedrock philosophical basis for this country. Those freedoms so easily compromised are embodied in the very symbols of this country that those who destroy it so often put forth as if they ARE the country: The flag, our troops, our Constitution, The Declaration of Independence. Those are all symbols that politicians invoke when they want to stand as the apotheosis of the American ideal. Yet those symbols stand for something. And that something has been lost under the current President. We no longer have a right to be “Proud to Be an American” if that America condones torture, starts preemptive wars, and uses the tragedy of 9/11 as an excuse to move our democracy toward tyranny."

Tonight I joined our local neighborhood phonebank for the Barack Obama campaign, and for the first time in my life, I am actually volunteering for a political candidate.
I've never been political.
I'm not one of these people shoving her opinions down anyone's throat.
I don't even like to share the few strong opinions I have.
But this is different.
I grew up in the era of Nixon and Watergate, the Tennessee Governor Ray Blanton scandals, and a racially divided atmosphere. Politics were dirty, it was just accepted, and eventually you learned to close your eyes and ears to it all.
But for the first time ever, I truly feel something in the air, a feeling that change could actually happen.
Imagine a government whose leader wasn't put there by lobbyists.
Imagine a President you actually listen to, and believe.
Imagine a country you might actually be proud of, an imperfect country trying to get it right.
It really sounds too good to be true, but for the first time, there's a light burning somewhere in a lot of people...a light that could lead the way to a different kind of leadership.
And I'm all for that.
Barack Obama is a unifier, not a divider, and that's the #1 reason why I made that decision today to help out the local phone bank.
Who knew? I guess I can change too....

ENTIRE DISCOGRAPHY NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

For the first time ever, all 4 of my CD's are now available for purchase!

It Had to Be Swing - 1999

Unkissed - 2000

That's What Christmas Used to Be - 2001

Somewhere in this Room - 2007

I've had dozens of email requests from people all over the US asking where they can buy these albums, and now you can find everything on CDBaby.com!

Click on the links below to be redirected to each CD's site.

Somewhere in this Room 

It Had to Be Swing

Unkissed

That's What Christmas Used to Be