David Wenham - The Two Towers - Third Post

LORD OF THE RINGS

The Two Towers

David Wenham as FARAMIR

The mysterious leader of the Rangers is Faramir, the younger son of Denethor - the Steward of Gondor, and brother of Boromir. As a captain of the Rangers Faramir has the task of patrolling the land of Ithilien to prevent the Orcs and other servants of Sauron from crossing the border into Gondor.

Faramir finds and captures the Hobbits in Emyn Muil.

When Faramir learns that Frodo carries the One Ring at first he is tempted to use it to his advantage and deliver the hobbits, and their scrawny companion who was found fishing in their sacred, Forbidden Pool, to his father.

"A chance for Faramir, Captain of Gondor, to show his quality."
Faramir

However he realizes that Frodo carries a great burden and has a worthy quest and so not only sets Frodo, Sam and Gollum free, but tries to help them along the way.

• David Wenham - First Post

• David Wenham - How can this be the Second Post when I was so wrong

Lori Cunningham - Unseen Video

LORI CUNNINGHAM

Here is the first new promo for “Unseen” using the track “Reflections” by npa productions and Lori Cunningham. She'll be doing several of these videos, so check out her official blog. [reflections]

Eye of the Dragon

HE'S WATCHING YOU

Never Give Family a House Key

DURING SQUASH SEASON

--Cory Bickmore

David Wenham - How can this be the Second Post when I was so wrong?

BEFORE GOING ON...

I need to make a MAJOR revision to my first post about David Wenham.

What I wrote was... Since being part of Lord of the Rings, several actor's careers have sky-rocketed. Another one who has gone on to bigger and better things is David Wenham.

I WAS SO UNINFORMED. WOEFULLY!

While I was sitting in the dark, thinking, "Oooooo. Who is he?" others were already aware of this popular actor. He's been around a while now--long before The Lord of the Rings.

Well, I'm not one of the clueless any longer.

David Wenham is a versatile, red-haired actor whose chameleon-like ability to disappear into his characters has found him successful in everything from large-scale epics to intimate domestic dramas.


"Up until 2001, actor David Wenham remained largely unknown outside of his native Australia. But with a small role in "Moulin Rouge!", a key supporting performance in "Russian Doll" and leads in the art-house fare "Better Than Sex" and "Dust,” the handsome, red-haired actor offered displays of versatility that impressed critics and moviegoers. While there may have been detractors who might lump him in with the many performers from Down Under who were making forays into US markets, Wenham possessed a charismatic screen presence and solid acting chops that could not be dismissed. By the time he was seen as Faramir in "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" in December 2002, audiences were primed and international stardom seemed assured." -- Copyright © Baseline 2009.


Between 1987 and 2001 David Wenham has 27 TV and movie credits. Far too many to list here. IMDb

(Credits that didn't make it to my First Post)
Russian Doll (2001)
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
The Bank (2001)
Dust (2001)
The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course (2002)
Pure (2002)

(First Post Credits)
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
After the Deluge (2003) TV mini-series
Gettin' Square (2003)
Basilisk Stare (2003)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Van Helsing (2004)
Stiff (2004) (TV)
The Brush-Off (2004)
Three Dollars (2004)
The Proposition (2005)
Answered by Fire (2006)
300 (2006)
Married Life (2007)
The Children of Huang Shi (2008)
Australia (2008)
Deadliest Warrior" .... Narrator (9 episodes, 2009)
Public Enemies (2009)

David Wenham - First Post

Dragons Can Be Dangerous

The Heldan Review - Graham Chops: Book Chop

BOOK CHOP: THE HELDAN

I'm so very happy to add this review by Graham Bradley to my blog and to my website.

Graham Chops: Book Chop

Title: The Heldan
Author: Deborah Talmadge-Bickmore
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4 stars

There's a story behind why I enjoyed this book so much. Let me explain.

When I was in the tenth grade, and had virtually no taste in movies, books or music, I picked up and read Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard. I wanted to read it because the movie was coming out that summer, and it looked cool, because I was 15 and--as I said--had no taste.

The book didn't suck as bad as the movie did. It's indicative of what you could get away with in the sci/fi and fantasy genres thirty years ago (B.E. was written in the early early 1980s). Despite the book sucking, there were still plenty of elements I liked about it, namely that the world was well-defined and I felt like I could see all those things happen. I could see a wide open, silent landscape ripe for exploring and understanding, especially a thousand years after the earth had begun taking over cities. It was just really cool to think about.

Well, Deborah Talmadge-Bickmore created a world that was just as tangible and put it in a book that didn't suck. The Heldan is the story of a young woman named Senea who gets pulled into her tribe's military/law enforcement band through a process equivalent to the draft, though with a few more details. Life is hard for her as she strives to train to become a heldan warrior under the harsh, heavy hand of her master Vayhawk.

This is an outdoorsy book. Vayhawk and Senea pretty much do all their training while roughing it outdoors. Lots of excursions take place in the heat of the day, and a good portion of those excursions get interrupted by invading raiders from an enemy tribe--an element that Deborah uses to sort of hijack the story and screw up the helden's plan for the day. There is also an excellent story arc with a challenge of heldan Games, where Senea has to duke it out with another warrior. This keeps the story on track but breaks up the monotony of "Let's go camping, let's train, oh crap here come the Ja'Sid warriors again."

It was also a very visual book. I could see these places clearly in my head and it really made me want to travel down to Moab, Utah and ride the White Rim Trail on a mountain bike. Deborah
expressed the desire for me to "go easy on" this book the last time I saw her in June, given that it was her first, but there was really no need. I liked it; it was a relaxing dip into the waters of bread-and-butter fantasy without being overly epic or underdeveloped. This is one of those fundamental fantasy stories that doesn't rely on elves, dwarves or dragons, or a quest for a sword or a ring or treasure or anything like that. It's more of an adjustment from a complacent lifestyle to a demanding life of action, and the character responds to it with admirable composure.

This book is out of print, but you can find used copies of it online at Amazon. Just click on the link at the top. Also, go drop by Deborah's blog, I'm sure she'd love to hear from you!

• Graham Chops: Book Chop

• deborahtalmadge.net

How Does Drinking Kale Make You A Better Writer?

KALE SMOOTHIES AND STARTING OVER

Eating better + getting back into shape = No. 1 best seller.

I'm making Kale a big part of that. After giving it try for a week, I did feel better.

SO... KALE IS MY NEW BFF.

Kale helps with high cholesterol, is a good source of fiber, has the best most assimilable protein and a whole bunch of other nutrients. Kale is one of the bodies first line of defense against--all kinds of bad stuff.

The up shot... you feel crummy if you're low on what you find in Kale.

So eat more kale. Or drink it.

Yep, drink it--Juicing kale helps all that good stuff get into your blood stream faster, is important for fat digestion and absorption, is a component of insulin and to building collagen so you'll look younger.

Hold on.... You'll look younger? That's a natural face lift! Whoa, I'm up for that.

Not to mention proving my tough chickedness in downing the first one.

Believe it or not, you really can't taste the kale. These drinks taste just like what ever frozen fruit you put in them. One of these for breakfast and you're good to go.

The end of the fuzzy head. And the not being able to think.

Banana

Pineapple

Apple

Banana Blueberry

Watermelon

So, chugging all of this down is supposed to make me a fantastic writer.
It better.

Manic Bloom: Ourstage Article

MANIC BLOOM

I found this article on Ourstage and wanted to pass it along.

MANIC BLOOM: INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS

Published
by
jayschneider
on June 26, 2009
in Artist Feature and Rock
Ourstage

“A band is a business.” This was the conclusion reached during a discussion with Jeff Brinkley, drummer of OurStage alt rock band, Manic Bloom late last week. The band’s catchy yet unique melodies, refined song-writing abilities and impeccable sense of musical movement definitely make for good dialogue. And their OurStage track record is a hot topic—as the only band in OurStage history to win the Grand Prize in two separate months, they hold countless #1 Top 10 badges. Still, our conversation turned to the band’s approach to the industry beyond their musical goals.

After speaking with Brinkley, however, something became very clear to me: These guys are just oozing with industry intelligence and professionalism. Two of the members hold audio engineering degrees while another member is trained in web development. So it was no surprise to learn the band recorded only the final layers of their most recent self-titled EP in a professional studio after laying down the rest at home. (For more information on “shortcuts” to a professional album, check out our previous stories about recording at home and making the most out of your studio time.) And after one visit to their MySpace page or Website, it’s obvious the band takes pride in both their career and appearance. Brinkley expanded on mentality by saying a band can’t rely on the possibility that “the right person” will listen to their music if there’s no reason to take the band seriously. While Brinkley credits musical talent and drive as being a driving factor, he feels the professionalism in Manic Bloom’s Website and overall demeanor plays a role when it comes to securing major opportunities. These opportunities are evident in the band’s representation from a management company, high profile gigs such as the Red Gorilla Music Festival and sterling reviews from local music authorities like Tony Stone of 102.9 the Buzz. Manic Bloom also play a lot of gigs and important benefit shows around the TN area. Organizations the band supports include (RED), Invisible Children, The One Campaign, and Rock for Darfur (get some more info on the “benefit” of benefit shows).

Brinkley ended our conversation with some advice and concluding statements about the band. Just as a business maintains a professional image, a band should treat their endeavors the same way. Brinkley recommends that bands create separate bank accounts for income earned by the band and money used for the band. In other words, pretend your band is an organization because, really, that’s what it is. A band needs its own income and budget, its own image and composure. Manic Bloom’s success is evidence of this.

The band is currently working to record some new songs and combine them with their existing library to compile a full-length album, expected to release later this year. Check out their upcoming shows if you’re in the area, and head on over to their fan club because this band is here to stay.

• See original article Ourstage

• The Magic of Manic Bloom

• Manic Bloom - "Best New Artist"

David Wenham - First Post

DAVID WENHAM

Since being part of Lord of the Rings, several actor's careers have sky-rocketed. Another one who has gone on to bigger and better things is David Wenham.

Faramir

Although he only appears in two of the Lord of the Rings films, he appeared in a Best Picture nominee for three years in a row. In 2001, it was Moulin Rouge. In 2002 and 2003, they were The Two Towers and The Return of the King.

So what has David Wenham done since Lord of the Rings?

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
After the Deluge (2003) TV mini-series
Gettin' Square (2003)
Basilisk Stare (2003)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Van Helsing (2004)
Stiff (2004) (TV)
The Brush-Off (2004)
Three Dollars (2004)
The Proposition (2005)
Answered by Fire (2006)
300 (2006)
Married Life (2007)
The Children of Huang Shi (2008)
Australia (2008)
Deadliest Warrior" .... Narrator (9 episodes, 2009)
Public Enemies (2009)

Has been voted Australia's sexiest man alive.

Dragon Bones

DRAGON BONES

Skeleton Dragon

Health Retreat - Starting Over - Contest winner

FOCUSING ON HEALTHY EATING

I've spent that past few days at a health retreat...

Sort of....

Where I was plied with yummy stuff like green drinks.

This first thing I was handed was this drink.

Ummm. I agreed to this so I braced myself for... Orange. Wow.
It was really good.

Next, lunch was a salad with the yummiest salad dressing I've ever tasted.

I never wanted to just drink a salad dressing before.

The rules... I could eat whatever I wanted. There were no food nazis here. If I wanted something that wasn't being offered I could have it. The only request was I try all the healthy stuff too.

So I ate the food because... well... because it was really good. There was no cardboard or wood chips anywhere.

I could have all the organic fruit I wanted.

All the Mangoes I wanted... ho boy, I had died and gone to heaven.

Mango Lassie Smoothie

We made my very favorite sorbet...Mango Orange.

There were all the avocados I wanted. YUM.

There was so much food around I felt like I was eating all the time. Who wouldn't think this was HEAVEN?

When I was tempted with other things, like pancakes, I honestly didn't feel like eating more than one or two. I snitched one chicken nugget at lunch. Loved it, but it was enough. Shocking.

There was a lot of coconut... used in the drinks, salads, and main dishes. Because the coconut was green I couldn't really taste it.

Coconut milk was the base for almost everything.

Again, I couldn't taste it. My favorite...Ice Cream made out of coconut milk... homemade and store bought.

I chose chocolate.

David Farland contest - SURPRISE!! There were only five people who qualified for the contest, so... All of you get a book. I'll be contacting you via email (since I happen to have all your emails) to find out which book you want.

Karl Urban - Happy Belated Birthday

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY KARL

Drat ... A month late.

June 7 was Karl Urban’s birthday and he is now 37 years old. We want to wish him a belated happy birthday and you are out of your Vulcan mind if you didn’t think that he nailed the role as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy in the new Star Trek.

Urban at the LA Premiere of "Star Trek"

As noted in the TrekMovie.com review and many others, Karl Urban’s McCoy was the closest thing to the original. As a fan of the show, Urban went out of his way to bring as much of the original Star Trek into his performance, while still making it his own.

Stone Dragons

STONE DRAGONS

Fire Dragon

DRAGON MADE OF FIRE

July Fourth - Picture of the Day

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

How long can we keep it?