Archive for the ‘The one to watch’ Category
Fall at the feet of Maga Amante
Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to introduce the ravishing miss Maga Amante. This New England sex bomb has just landed on our shores and is currently gracing the pages of Front magazine. She has been driving the men of New England wild for years and caused the internet to virtually meltdown with her sizzling tumblr website. But her yearning for travel brought her all the way over here to spend some time away from the US and A. What did she make of little ole England? I thought I should find out.
Has it always been a dream of yours to visit Britain?
Yes! Ever since I can remember I have always fantasized about visiting the UK.
You have an obsession with burgers and pizza. Any other girl would like like the zit-riddled bride of Jabba the Hut by now? How do you stay so trim?
Haha! Trust me, I’m far from trim. I’m squishy and jiggly! But I (try) to work out everyday. Cardio daily, with weights every other day.
What has most surprised you about London so far?
How completely unreserved Englishmen are. They literally will just go up to you on the street or on the tube. Unexpected. I had always believed Englishmen to be quiet, conservative, and restrained. Oh! and that the cost of living actually isn’t so bad! Aside from gasoline and cigarettes that is. Cheap food, cheap booze…I dig it.
How do British guys treat you compared to American guys?
As I had mentioned, guys here are a lot more ballsy about their approach on woman. American men tend to mind their business and keep to themselves. I think they rather the female make the first move. Here, I see it is the opposite. Although it can be a little obnoxious and harrowing to be accosted when I just want to get from point A to point B, it’s also refreshing to see men not be complete and utter pussies.
You completely love Pandas, when your career really takes off will you be visiting China to see them in the wild?
That would be amazing!
Do you support any Panda charities?
Christ, way to put me on the spot here! No, I haven’t given money to any panda charities. However, IN HOPES OF SALVAGING MY IMAGE AFTER CALLING ME OUT LIKE THAT, I used to be part of the Save The Manatee Club, where I would give a donation every month. I know, they’re far from pandas; although pandas are my favorite animal, marine mammals have always held a special place in my heart!
Where do you hope your career will go from here?
I suppose technically I dabble in several “careers”. I model, cam, paint, and have a degree/experience in the animal field. For an actual solid future, I would definitely like to work in animal rehabilitation or work at a sanctuary for wildlife. I love being around animals and I’ve already done considerable work with all types of species, from dogs to cows to even seals. I love them all! That said, I’m not in any hurry to get there. I love adventuring, travelling, and just not being tied down to anything at the moment. I just graduated this past May, and right now I just want to travel.
So catch her while you can. Mag
Loose Women – L A Style!
Coming soon to your digital radio or via the internet is Devyn’s Playground, a new show dedicated to her lifelong love on Indie music.
In Britain a girls only chat show consists of Jane McDonald and Coleen Nolan waffling on about HRT and stretch marks. In L.A. the conversation can get a little more….. lively. Whether it is talking about the effects of male semen on a ladies facial complexion, oral sex during that time of the month or bizarre sex fantasies involving Spongebob Squarepants.
So who are these rather eye-catching ladies?
Devyn Ashley herself is a riot of blonde hair , bosoms and balls-out attitude. Her quick wit and sharp tongue have caused more casualties than a Bush security action memo. Men have fallen headlong into her cleavage and have never been seen again. Physically she is quite amazon-like, but still hugely feminine with a disarming manner. Recently she appeared in a popular music video starring Asher Roth and Keri Hilson.
Her recurring guest star is Somaya Reece is an up and coming R&B music producer, this girl worked her way up out of deepest L.A. Her story is an article in itself. Respect her.
Mieko A.K.A Cherry is a reality TV star, she featured in Flavour of Love on VH1. She likes to serenade passing strangers in her neighbourhood.
Ms Toy and Lady Hustler make up the last of the five, together they make quite an impression whether it is in the club or in the street.
So I had some questions to put to this lady ringleader:
You girls go way back, and I mean waaaayyy back, What is your first memory of each other?
I met Ms. Toy when we worked together at a call center. She was the top sales diva and I had to get to know her sales secrets. So we started the friendship at work but soon after that we started going out on the town. I would invite Lady Hustla, Ms. Toy would bring her sister Cherry and we would have a fantastic time!
Who’s idea was it to get your friends around a microphone and talk smut?
We took a road trip to Vegas and got caught in the worst traffic jam ever, so a ride that was supposed to only last 4 hours, took almost 14 hours, but we laughed the entire trip. By the time we finally hit the Vegas strip we had already had the time of our lives. We had a video camera on during that trip and the footage was so crazy funny, I thought, this is how women really are, might as well share it!
Have any of your shows been censored?
The shows don’t get censored, but there are times that we do get strong warnings about content. I don’t mind pushing people’s buttons, but I also don’t want to loose my job, so we try and abide by the rules!
Tell me the juice on the Asher Roth video?
That was one of my favorite days on set. They treated me like a princess! Everyone was so sweet, so really no dirt!
You are all a very curvy, healthy size in a city of size zero women. Does the world need more plus sized role models for young women?
I’m sure the young girls out there need someone who can act as a role model, but that someone isn’t me. I’m trying to get through this life the best way I know how and struggle just like everyone else. I couldn’t imagine even considering myself a role model.
And what is this lady doing next? She is running the LA Marathon of course! More on this story as it develops.
Jessica Delfino – UK was a blast all the way
Photo by Doug Jaegar
Comedian Jessica Delfino is back on home soil after a month shocking the hell out of the UK from as far north as Edinburgh to as far south as Reading. Just to bring her back down to earth she was promptly told to repack her unwashed laundry and pushed on to a train down to the deep south for a week to entertain the good people of North Carolina.
Having survived all that she finally put her feet up to check her e-mail and there is this guy from England trying to contact her for another interview. The true professional that she is, she got back to me pretty much straight away.
The Vagina song: My Pussy is Magic! Do you think (Whhhooohhoooooooowww!!) Bodyform or Fannyfresh Sanitary towels will be using it for their advertising campaign?
Actually, Always (brand of maxi pads) has already just recently begun using a “Magic” slogan / angle in a new ad campaign. I’m expecting a royalty check in the mail, but it probably “got lost”. Anyway, I’ve explained before — my pussy isn’t really magic, its just really tight, like one of those chinese finger traps. But I couldn’t have written a song called “My Pussy Is Like A Chinese Finger Trap” because that would have been racist.
When Sir Walter Raleigh returned from the UK he brought back Tobacco and Potatoes for Queen Elizabeth to try. “Thats right, Liz, you burn the leaves in your face, sure it’s safe, babe.” If you had an audience with President Obama, what would you bring him back from the UK and why?
Chocolate porn
I’d bring him one of those sweet ass Twirl chocolate bars with all that chocolate bunched up like a crumbly scroll of confection perfection, because them shits just melt in your mouth. We’d eat them together, savoring each chocolate wrinkle, discussing the importance of taking a moment to feast upon a tasty treat with a friend. I would make no metaphoric references or racial comparisons to the goodys we enjoyed. It’s not about race. It’s about the snack, man.
Do you feel any wiser for the UK experience?
You betcha. I learned that driving on the wrong side of the road is easy, climbing mountains is best done during daylight hours except that sometimes if you climb during the day, you get stung by wasps, buddhists are nice and cook yummy, gassy food, there are good sights to be seen in the UK, Faith No More still rocks, my friends are awesome, my UK fans and new friends are way cooler than other people who suck, the 24 hour stomach bug comes on quickly and is a huge asshole, and pounds are so much better than dollars. But the last one I already knew, it was just reiterated. Also, the Brits do not call their phone a “jingly-doo”.
Did you get as many Wolf-whistles in the UK as you did in the US?
Naw, UK dudes are polite. Even the flirtatious Russell Brand was a gentleman. Instead of “wolf-whistling” me, as you call it (we call it “cat-calling”) they strolled up, removed their top hats, announced the style of weather we were surrounded by, invited me to enjoy a hot beverage or trip to the countryside and if I declined, bid me a good day.
I was watching Dirty Dancing on a loop as is the custom in my household, and my entire family called on a conference call to break the news. I am still not quite the woman I used to be. All my childhood heros are dying. It’s a real drag fest, and not the fun kind where the men all wear huge high heels.
We saw the Tyra Banks episode you were in, your Borat-like take on the show had her pretty well stitched up. I am so glad that American TV caters so well for the mentally retarded. Could you tell us how this all started? (You going on the show, that is. Not the ice age, dinosaurs, and all that shit)
A casting person called me and asked me to be on the show. I knew I had to do something a little silly. I wish I’d gone even more overboard, but your hands are kind of tied. The shows are edited and aired later, so even if I did something super fun, it would’ve gotten taken out. Tyra has prehistoric shark eyes. I looked for a glimmer of soul in them, but all I saw were colored contacts.
On Nov 12 I have a show at Ars Nova, a really cool and subversive comedy theater in NYC which I’m really excited about, and I’m going to be performing in the NY Comedy Festival as part of the Andy Kaufman Award Show. I was asked to make a video for the show, here is mine:
So there you have it. If you feel an uncontrollable desire to see her perform live keep checking her myspace page (remember those?) or on her twitter account or her blog.
If I blend in, the cops might walk right by
Bar Refaeli is looking hot
And the best news is, she is single again! This lady be one of Leonardo DiCaprio’s has beens, but that wouldn’t stop any of us fancying our chances.
Born in 1985 in Hod HaSharon, Israel, she started modelling at the tender age of 8 months for baby commercials. But it wasn’t until after she turned 15 and had her braces out that she gave us the full force of her looks.
She soon went from strength to strength, dazzling such companies as Castro, Pilpel, Subaru, and Accesorize. She made the covers of Elle, GQ and Maxim magazine. All issues proved a sell-out.
She is now contracted to Storm Model Management in London and 1/One Management in New York. Her most recent achievements include making the cover of Sports Illustrated’s Swimwear Issue.
Bauer Griffin Online
Away from the Nikon’s she has worked in TV, presenting Tommy Hilfinger’s Ironic Iconic America, and, briefly, MTV’s House of Style.
Bauer Griffin Online
She has also done charity work for the Sunshine Project, that works with children with terminal illnesses and Ahava, which rehomes pets left behind in the war in Northern Israel.
Later this year she will star in an English-language film, Session, directed by Israeli Haim Bouzaglo. The film is a psychological thriller that tells the story of a manipulative psychiatrist, Josh Tellman, who becomes obsessed with a new young patient named “Jibbs.”
Check out her website at:
Google Wave
The Google Wave logo
Right pay attention class. I am going to do an impression of my long lost IT teacher here. I need to tell you all about something new that will be revolutionising the way we use the internet. Luckily Bill Gates has nothing to do with it this time, he is slowly getting edged out of the picture.
Google wave is the new web application that will weld together a lot of the seperate applications we currently use. It will be available from 30 September 2009.
So I will hand you over to the Geeks now who will explain everything:
Did you get all that? It made me feel like a seventh grader the first time I saw it. After the third time it all started to sink in.
Ever since MSN became the networking tool of choice, I wondered where the internet will take us next. As far as Networking goes, Myspace became the next big thing that everybody had. It was good but it’s design left a lot of dead ends. It gave you a single web page that you could paint and decorate to your hearts content and play whatever music you liked. It was essentially your internet bedroom.
Facebook came next and stole Myspace’s thunder in a big way. While it had few of the design features it was truer to it’s networking tool purpose. It introduced people to folks they had not spoken too in decades. It was a true social revolution.
Twitter came next, it was a constant stream of rolling short messages. It was a glimpse of people’s lives, second by second. It earned a unique place in history by being credited as directly assisting a revolution. Beat that eh?
Now we have the wave technology, and I am very interested in where it will take us. Instead of sending a message and its entire thread of previous messages or requiring all responses to be stored in each user’s inbox for context, objects known as “waves” contain a complete thread of multimedia messages (blips) and are located on a central server. Waves are shared and collaborators can be added or removed at any point during a wave’s existence.
With me so far?
And if all that hasn’t fried your noodles we also have Google Wave Federation Protocol, which will be open for all to use. This is based on XMPP and it is computer language for us to learn. But although we groan, we do pick it up pretty quick.
So if all this is making sense we have a brave new world to look forward to, and if we are prepared then we should be ready to catch this perfect wave.
Who’s coming surfing?
Sons of Anarchy (the programme we may all be watching)
Sons of Anarchy coming soon..
The latest acclaimed series to leave American shores is Kurt Sutter’s Sons of Anarchy. The story of a mid-thirties guy who tries to balance life as a new father with life as a member of a Biker gang.
Kurt Sutter is the man behind the Shield and a forthcoming re-make of Enter the Dragon.
Playing the lead character we have English actor Charlie Hunnam. His previous work includes Biker Grove, Hooligans, know in the UK as Green Street. He was also in several episodes of Queer as Folk, which is a bit of a departure. Also in the series we have Sutter’s real-life-wife Katey Sagal and Ron Pearlman.
The biker gangs came about after the Second World War. Returning veterans found it hard to adjust to civilian life and several hundred found release by forming gangs of motorcycle enthusiasts. One of the pioneers were the Hell’s Angels (L.A. chapter), established in 1957. Named after a wartime Air Force squadron and led by the charismatic Ralph ‘Sonny’ Barger, they became infamous for their violence and organized crime.
Other groups soon followed, such as the Outlaws, the Pagans, the Mongols and Bandidos. Their organisation is far from anarchic, each chapter has a President, Vice-President, Secretary and a Sergeant-at-Arms.
Over the years they have been known to be involved in Riots, Extortion, Prostitution, Drugs and Arms dealings. Paradoxially they have also done a lot of work for orphans charities and veterans.
So I will leave you today with a clip of what may be the best series on British TV since the Sopranos.
Introducing Sara Benincasa (Strap in, gentlemen)
One of New York’s rising stars on the comedy circuit is Jersey Girl, Sara Benincasa. Recently awarded MTV Choose or Lose citizen report for New York, Sara continues to make waves in the state and national media of the states.
She hosts her own show called the ‘family hour’ at comedy venue Comix. The topic is naturally families, but we don’t recommend bringing the kids or your own mom and dad. Good heavens, no.
During the run up to the 2008 elections she perfected her parody of Sarah Palin down to a freaky likeness. Some people could not tell the difference, which tells you more about credibility of Palin than Benincasa.
Not only that she has also written story ideas for the Onion.com, sex blogs for Nerve.com, and best of all, she interviews people in her bathtub. Maybe she was pushed for time or something?
Evidently behind the flame red hair and big puppy eyes she is ferociously intelligent. But life has not been all plain sailing for Sara, she spent years suffering agrophobia and panic attacks. But, hey, it gave her more material to write about. I sat through her bowls of pee routine cringing behind my fingers.
This link contains one potty-mouthed lady talking about peeing into bowls. Don’t say I didn’t warn you,you candy assed Mary Whitehouse suck-up.
So we Myspace’d her and we put a few questions to her.
Did you see the big riot outside the studio for America’s Top Model? Were you there foraging for the strappy sandal to match the one you just found containing a dismembered foot?
I actually started the big riot at the ANTM tryouts. I’m into starting riots. And humanitarian movements. Sometimes these motivations come into conflict with one another. I’m a complicated person. And I actually have several dismembered feet.
Did you pull out the toe nails and keep them as a false pair?
I prefer to eat them, for the protein. And the laughs!
Yummy. You interview people in the bath. Do you ever see any farty bubbles going on down there?
I have never encountered fart bubbles whilst interviewing anyone in the bath. People have thus far been great about holding that in.
We all want to know, when are you going to do a few UK dates? Because if you think America is a fucked-up country…
I would love to come to the UK and do some comedy. But this might be an expensive endeavor, unless someone were providing me with a bed and possibly food. You see, your country is currently more financially successful than mine, and the exchange rate is in your favor. Therefore, I am but a poor cousin from the colonies, who will resort to telling jokes for scraps of bread.
Is the current recession providing a wealth of new material?
Yes. See bit above about being a poor cousin from the colonies. Granted, it’s not great comedy. It’s not even particularly funny. It’s just true. Sigh.
You say you crave the approval of Lesbians. As a guy I can totally associate with that. What is the best way to get the girlfriend to approve a threesome?
Hmm. Not having been in any threesomes myself, I am going to base this on what I’ve heard while doing my radio show (it’s a sex chat show on satellite radio in America and Canada; if you people had only held onto your most fabulous colonies like you were supposed to, you might have the satellite radio as well.)
I suppose the best way to get her to approve a threesome would be to ask her if she genuinely has any interest in doing it. If not, you really shouldn’t press the matter, as it’ll turn into a fucking shitstorm and she’ll end up leaving you for a more enlightened fellow, and also she’ll tell her dad that you are a perv and then he will hate you. Let her know that you’re okay with just watching, not participating (making it a bit less of a threesome, I suppose, but at least you get to watch!) And let her pick the girl, at a bar or pub or whatever you people call it.
And be open to the fact that she might want another guy in the mix. And she might want to ask you and the guy to make out. Things could get really gay up in there, is all I’m saying.
Spoken like a true agony aunt.
To see more of Sara Benincasa follow this link:
http://www.sarabenincasa.wordpress.com
Photos by Anya Garrett. http://www.anyagarrett.com
WightZombies!
The Isle of Wight. England’s pretty little front garden with it’s Cowes Festival and Osborne House, home of Queen Victoria. And Zombies.
Hang on… ZOMBIES??!
Thats right, a whole tribe of them live alongside the seaside donkeys and daytrippers. Led by Darren Winter, artist, film-maker and zombie-in-chief, they have expanded to club nights, movies and even advertising beer.
So how does this fit into the teashop and candy-floss image of the Isle of Wight? Well, it doesn’t to be honest. In fact the whole burgeoning horror scene is the island’s counter-culture.
For the last two years they have held the Zombie march through Ryde and other towns, stumbling, swaying, peering in windows and generally scaring the living shit out of people. I so want to join in one year.
Most recently Darren and his team have been working on their feature film, Bad Place. The Isle of Wight’s own Blair Witch? We wait with bated breath as it is now in post-production.
When he is not scaring the bejeysus out of the tourists Darren works on his art project, inked in the blood of his victims, presumably.
Actually no, some of them are cut from Vinyl. He also does comissioned portraits.
So I had a few questions for the King of the Undead:
I bet Halloween is fun in your house?
We do dress up with our daughter and have Halloween dinner but this year we hope to go trick or treating now she’s older.
We usually do the Wightzombie march in the evening around
Halloween time which is always good fun but my dream would be to have a big house and lots of money to turn it into a haunted house for a week or longer, have people come in and scaring the hell out of them, maybe a competition where someone get money if they spend a whole night there……..
How big is the horror scene in the Isle of Wight?
We have a large alternative scene on the Island (Dark Wight) so horror films go down well here. Most islanders are still quite naive and sceptical to new things, that’s why the alternative island is so strong.
You either conform to the island way or you don’t, its very black and white (pardon the pun) and as a horror film maker who has a deferent point of view I’m up against some resistance when it comes to ideas and the business side.
What fiendish plans have you made for 2009?
2009 is going to be a busy year with another baby on the way in May and a planned house move in with parents who are moving down from London.
I also want to get started on a new, scary as hell, horror film this year plus some music vids, 2 film festivals, finding a distributor for my first horror film Bad Place, hopefully a EWF Wrestling horror film with another film producer Joe Jenkins and various other scripts and film project in pre-production, Ahhhhhhh.
Tell us something about your art?
I mainly do it as a sideline; I do two types of art, abstract art (the graffiti artist in me) and a new style of art using Vinyl and Enamel.
The abstract art is all about flow and colour and the vinyl at is a technique I started in 1990 when i started work in a sign shop, basically i take a photo and I separate the photo in to a maximum of 4 colours, I then blow it up and hand cut each separation out of the coloured vinyl. Then i get a glass coated metal panel made by A.J.Wells that gets put in a furnace at around 500 degrees creating a tough as hell Enamel panel. Finally I lay the hand cut vinyls on the panel colour by colour and hey presto. its kind-a like posturizing a photo on the computer but without the pixelisation you get from those cheap looking, pop art style canvases you can get.
I’m hoping Sharon and Ozzy will buy me portrait of them so if anyone reading this knows them please let me know, he he.
If you want to see my stuff please go to www. darrenwinter. com
Shaking up the drinks industry
In spite of pubs closing nationwide at a rate of fifty a week (quoting the publican.com), one arm of the drinks industry in on the rise.
Shaker Bartending may be the S.S. Carpathia of the bar trade, and I am going to tell you a bit about them.
Founded in 2001 by Adam Freeth, they started out with a small office in Birmingham and a small portable bar. But their biggest asset was their knowledge of drinks, bars, and how to run them.
Over the years they have raised the standards of bar service throughout the country, established their first rate bar academy, and ran launch parties for some household names.
Their academy runs several courses, starting with the very basics, all the way up to ‘flair’ bartending, made famous in the Tom Cruise movie ‘Cocktail’.
Adam and his company run a consultancy for bars and brands too, a much needed tool in the modern climate. They pass on their knowledge and skills in a classroom environment and behind a model bar.
But their most noted work is in the events industry. They have run private parties, weddings and launches for BMW, Deloitte, Diageo, Firebrand events, Luminar and PriceWaterhouse Coopers.
So to get you started we are going to leave you with some of their finest cocktails.
Just don’t lick the screen.
The Power of the Platinum Minds
There is a real buzz in the air at the London-based Platinum Mind productions. They are entering 2009 with a sense of giddy excitement and anticipation more akin to a small child on Christmas eve, than the rest of us in the current economic gloom.
The brainchild of Derek Owusu, Platinum has built up a portfolio of artistic talent including music, film, design and dance. The main players of the team are Sarah Butler (Graphics and art) and Earl Williamson (Film and web design).
To meet Derek, or Del, is to come face to face with an enigma. On one hand a polite mannered, well spoken Londoner, on the other hand a force of nature whose energetic and passionate enthusiasm is as contagious as bird flu in a branch of Nando’s. Platinum Minds are not his only project, he also works with East End Gospel choir, Charisma Fire.
He had reasonable success with the band London Calling in the Orange Unsigned try-outs. This in turn led to a recording with RAK studios.
What did you aim to achieve when you created Platinum Minds?
Well, the idea was to be able to put together a self sufficient team. Music production, film, video, photography the full Monty. And to be able to have at least one major project a year, whether it be for internal and external purposes. Since its creation in 2002, I think we’ve managed that, everything from producing a hit underground music video in “Bibles, Bibles” (Earl Williamson was director of photography for this), corporate projects for Orange PCS (I have personally taken part in two major events performing for Orange), and Sarah has undertaken some impressive photography gigs). Our aim was to make services, and facilities that were previously unobtainable in the right hands and it looks like we have.
What are your plans for 2009?
Writing more material! And finding more talent to work with. It’s only the 2nd week in January and I’m still buzzing from meeting up with some talent at auditions last week, it’s a very exciting time, and I just want to get back to basics of writing a song, you know?
What were your musical influences when growing up?
Well, the Beatles first and foremost. Especially the “Abbey Road” and “Let It Be” albums as well as their very early stuff. That was from my Dad, my mum gave me Elvis and Lionel Ritchie, and my Uncle and Aunt gave me Bob Marley. In between all of that, mix in African rhythms and you have what you hear today… My musical taste has varied over the years, it’s hard to pin point what I really like more what doesn’t influence me!
Are you/did you have a party for Obama’s inaugeration?
No, I didn’t but I called my Uncle in America to sing “Here Comes The Sun”…. Very moving experience. When you’ve grown up hearing people say what’s not possible – the end of Apartheid, the Berlin Wall coming down, a black president in the US, it’s quite humbling to know that some things are possible. I’m very proud of what’s happened just because it’s happened in my generation. I’ll have a celebratory coke for him!
This man knows how to party.
To see more of Platinum Minds follow this link:
