Wednesday, January 20, 2021

2019 Updates

 News from 2019

(deleted from my ongoing blog and made into a separate post


recent performances 

  • 12/21/19 performing with Cherub Improv at the Kessler Rehabilitation Center in West Orange, NJ
  • Concert with Bronx County Chorus 12/8/19 4pm, 1st Lutheran Church of Throggs Neck my blog about this concert
  • 11/27/19 recording VO for undisclosed commercial https://wavestudios.co.uk/
  • 11/23/19 filming "Fate" d S Rego, Brooklyn -- playing Lachesis
  • 11/21/19 rehearsing for Fates scene d S Rego
  • 11/16/19 sang in outreach concert with Bronx County Chorus at Amber Court Assisted Living Facility, Bronx, NY 
  • 11/13/19 participated in Magnet Megawatt Mixer, Magnet Theater 
  • 11/10/19 Cherub performance at NYU Langone was canceled
  • 10/17/19  My episode of The Creeping Hour, "Big Shoes," sponsored by #WGBH, drops at https://thecreepinghour.org/  More here https://annebarschall.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-creeping-hour.html
  • 10/14/19 assisted in Cherub Improv workshop at Kendal-on-Hudson, Sleepy Hollow, NY, d Jonathan Goldberg
  • 9/4/19 performed with Cherub Improv at Gilda's Glub, 195 W Houston, NYC d Evie Aronson
  •  “Turkeys go on Strike”  part of the Dreamup Festival at The Theatre for the New City 8/25 2pm; 8/26 9pm; 8/27 6:30pm; 8/28 9pm; 8/29 9pm; 8/31 8pm; 9/1 5pm  -- more information at this link
  • 8/15/19 9pm; 8/17/19 1:30 pm; 8/18/19 6:30 pm; "Boy in the Window" by Jones Price Daniels, Hudson Guild Theater (part of Summerfest) more information at this link
  • 7/28/19 performed with Cherub Improv at NYC Langone
  • 7/9/19 performed in the Megawatt Musical Mixer at the Magnet Theater in NYC
  • 7/9/19 recording undisclosed VO gig in NYC
  • 6/29/19 6pm Musical Improv Level 2 class show Striker Theater, PIT Theater FB Event Link
  • 6/11/19 performed in Magnet Theater musical mixer
  • 5/18/19 3pm & 5pm; 5/20/19 1pm played the Guard in "Twelve Angry Women", Alpha NYC, Producer's Club d Elizabeth Aquino
  • 5/17/19 attended premier of "Karate Christmas Miracle" at the Hoboken Film festival -- I have a small supporting role in this movie -- just want to congratulate Julie McCullough for an outstanding performance
  • 5/14/19 Cherub BBBS workshop d Michelle Francesca Thomas -- at Nickelodeon
  • 5/5 4pm Bronx County Chorus, First Lutheran Church of Throggs Neck More info Poor Unfortunate Souls SoloNarrator solo
  • 4/27/19 Outreach concert for Bronx County Chorus Amber court, 1800 Waring Avenue, Pelham manor, N.Y.  
  • 4/18/19 assisted in Cherub BBBS workshop at American Eagle d Michelle Francesca Thomas
  • 4/13/19 filming "Wax Castles of Love" d Amir Royale -- playing elderly astronaut
  • 4/8/19 Outreach concert for Bronx County Chorus, Kings Harbor Multicare Center, d. C Aquino Ave 7pm
  • 4/7/19 Wizard of Oz -- team B -- Producer's Club 4:25 pm and 5:15 pm
  • 3/23/19 filming "Rose (Older)" from "Clock and Life" d. Chengjin Zhuang
  • 3/16/19 performed with Cherub Improv at Kessler Rehab, West Orange, NJ d Jonathan Goldberg
  • 3/10/19 performed with Cherub Improv at NYU Langone d Evie Aronson
  • 2/18/19 participated in an outreach workshop with Cherub Improv at Kendal on Hudson, Sleepy Hollow NY d Jonathan Goldberg
  • 2/16/19 Performed with Cherub Improv at Kessler, West Orange, NJ d Jonathan Goldberg
  • 2/10/19 Performed with Cherub Improv at NYU Langone d Michael Condon
  • 2/6/19 participated in Magnet Megawatt mixer
  • 2/5/19 participated in Magnet Musical Mixer
  • 1/30/19 and 1/31/19 filming undisclosed commercial in White Plains -- I now have the video for these commercials, which I can share privately, but not on social media.  If you want to see them, let me know.
  • 1/27/19 Diversity Improv Jam at UCBeast blog here Penultimate Diversity Jam
  • 1/19/19 Playing Ms Pyne in filming of "Fallout" d Andrew Greil p Mackensie Orr
  • 1/17/19 reception for my art show "Spirals and Loops" at the Borough Park Library, Brooklyn NY  This reception goes until Valentine's day. Flyer here Flyer on Instagram
  • 1/11/19 performed in "Sleeping Ugly" at Westchester School for Special Needs
  • 1/10/19 performed in "Sleeping Ugly" at Cooke Academy
  • 1/8/19 performed in Magnet Musical Mixer 

    Performance courses completed
    • Eurhythmics for seniors, with Leslie Purcell Upchurch, Lucy Moses School of Music
    • 2/2/19 Misha Calvert Actor's Connection
    • 11/10/19 Cherub Improv Rehearsal
    • September 2019 -- Diversity Training at Central Casting (online course)
    • 10/6/19 Costar Festival at Paul Michael's The Network featuring Joanne Levenger and Kimberly Graham
    • Musical Improv II 5/9/19-6/29/19 PIT Theater, Katie Hammond instructor
    • 6/11/19 Dance class with James T. Lane
    • 3/22/19 Dance Class with James T. Lane
    • 3/21/19 Voiceover Class with Lisa Fischoff at https://www.thenetworknyc.com/
    • 3/20/19 Scene Class with Allison Kirschner at https://www.thenetworknyc.com/
    Art Shows


    Shows & Media consumed this year
    • Plays and musicals: "Kiss Me Kate" 5/14/19 Studio 54 Theater, "Aladdin" 3/30/19 New Amsterdam Theater; "My Fair Lady" 2/27/19 Lincoln Center Theater
    • albums or singles bought recently: "Dive Bar Saints" by Home Free; "Velvet: Side A" by Adam Lambert; "Glam Nation" by Adam Lambert; One single by Dimash, 5 Singles by Adam Lambert; "Too Darn Hot" featuring James T Lane, Jonathan Young "Villains,"  Jackie Evancho "The Debut," Hosier "Wasteland, Baby," Avi Kaplan "Change on the Rise," Adam Lambert "Original High" album, Adam Lambert "Feel Something," Rag 'n' Bone Man "Human" album, Conchita Wurst "From Vienna With Love," 
    • film festival: "Love in Kilnerry"  Soho Film Festival, this was a great movie.  More info; "It Takes a Lunatic" Tribeca Film Festival lunatic selfie 1 lunatic selfie 2; "Karate Christmas Miracle" Hoboken International Film Festival (I'm in this movie)
    • movies seen in theaters recently: Frozen II, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Maleficent 2, Moonstones by Nicola Rose, Dark Phoenix, Alita Battle Angel, Captain Marvel, Josh Groban MSG Concert Movie (better sound than the original), How to Train Your Dragon 3, Mary Poppins returns, Aquaman, Spiderman into the Spiderverse
    • Also have NY philharmonic subscription
    • Concerts & Live Shows attended:  Josh Groban MSG 6/15/19; Chris Isaak 7/28/19 The Paramount, Long Island; Queen & Adam Lambert MSG 8/7/19; Igor Krutoy 10/26/19 Barclays Center; Julie Reumert Weill Concert Hall 11/8/19, Greyson Chance 11/9/19 Sony Hall, Home Free 11/10/19 Town Hall Theatre; Dimash 12/10/19 Barclays Center; Adam Lamber 12/15/19 Foxwoods, NY Theater Ballet "Nutcracker" 12/22/19 Tarrytown Music Hall
    Legal courses completed
    • 11/13/19 Fall One Day Program, NYIPLA
    • 9/16/19 "How Leadership Can Create Diversity and Inclusion in the Legal Profession" United CLE online
    • 9/12/19 "Hot Topics in Copyright Law" United CLE online
    • 7/5/19 "Ethical Considerations of Clergy Confidentiality" -- United CLE online
    • 6/10/19 Borderline Personality Disorder: Pre-Plea and Pre-sentence Criminal Mitigation Strategies -- United CLE online
    • 5/20/19 "The Cutting Edge of Cryptocurrency" sponsored by the Dartmouth Lawyers Association, Dartmouth Club of NY, and Women of Dartmouth, at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
    • 5/13/19 "Owners Agreements for Start-ups and Relatively New Companies" United CLE online
    • JPPCLE 5/2/19 Crowne Plaza Times Square, NYC
    • 4/18/19 "Top 10 Things You Should Tell Your Startup Client" United CLE online
    • TSI Symposium: China, the U.S., and Global Trade Secrets Enforcement; Brooklyn Law School 3/27/18
    Legal other
    • filed amicus brief with SCOTUS in favor of petition for certiorari in InvestPIC v SAP

    Vacation blog

    Challenge: learn Adobe Illustrator, install new pen & tablet device, use a particular set of colors

     So I want to learn more of the Creative Cloud Software.  I am working on Adobe Illustrator recently.  

    Also I got a new pen & tablet device for Christmas, because my old one no longer was supported under Big Sur.  I find it supremely annoying that Apple does this: rendering software and hardware obsolete with operating system changes.  I hope that the Biden administration is going to do something about this.

    Also, I was given a challenge to create some artworks using a set of colors from existing art.

    This was the set of colors that I got using Color Slurp. There were some that were fairly close to each other and almost duplicates, but I kept them, anyway. This was a good exercise for me, because my professor in my 2D animation course wanted me to learn about working with color palettes, but I was resistant.  I really liked this group of colors though.


    F9D687 (yellow)                                            

    7C6633 (khaki)

    290000 (dark brown)

    2A110A (reddish brown)

    E9D5BA (cream)

    130601 (black)

    8F2A00 (dark red)

    561700 (darker red)

    88736B (light grey)

    4E3B32 (grey 2)

    3C2823 (grey 3)

    1F1914 (grey 4)

    1E130B (grey 5)

    DA915F (coral)

    916217 (ochre )

    1F1209 (almost black)

    882E00 ( reddish)

    56220B (another brown )


    Actually, the colors that I thought were grey were sort brownish or mushroom.


    These were the things I created so far.  Think that my friend who gave me the challenge to work with these colors may put something like the top 2 up on his wall, which I find exciting


















    More work with this color palette https://photos.app.goo.gl/QYF6ux3hPdhvBwky8

    Monday, December 28, 2020

    responding to @dscc survey

     I got some more junk mail this morning.  I decided to write a long handwritten letter to them with all my complaints about them and their meaningless surveys and the issues that I really want to see addressed.  I'm recreating that letter here, with a few things edited or added.


    I have already contributed. I am not contributing again I'm tired of getting dozens of requests for money every day. I'm tired of these idiotic surveys that don't accomplish anything meaningful, because they're just broad Hallmark type stuff that any Democrat would agree with. I'm tired of being treated in this impersonal, mechanical, dumbed down way.

     

    I'm very angry about the disinformation that the Democratic Party seems to be responsible for distributing about Tulsi Gabbard. I'm angry that, by excluding her from the debates, you kept the debates focused almost entirely on domestic policy and not on our horrendous foreign policy that has kept us engaged in counterproductive, disastrous, bankrupting regime change wars. 

     

    American people clearly demonstrated for support of both Trump and Sanders that the majority of people do not want foreign policy as usual the military budget needs to be cut DRAMATICALLY

     

    By keeping Gabbard out of the debates, you allowed the most hawkish candidate to rise to the top.

     

    As to legislation, you don't even mention some basic items that I think are very important:

     

    1.    The current limit on HSA contributions is less than the out-of-pocket maximum for my insurance. That doesn't even take into account glasses and dental. The limit on HSA contribution should be *at least* the out-of-pocket maximum on my insurance.

    2.    I lost my health insurance under ACA, because ACA did not allow the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) to be considered as a group. This forces me to buy insurance as an individual. Major cancer centers like Sloan Kettering (MSKCC) won't take any insurance that an individual can purchase. This forced me to get cancer care from incompetent providers miss my recurrence for nine months due to malpractice.   

     

    a.    The NYSBA should be allowed to be a group

    b.    Hospitals like MSKCC that will not take any insurance that individuals can purchase should lose their not-for-profit status with the IRS

    c.     There needs to be a public option

     

    3.    Our Social Security numbers have been compromised by hacks. We need new Social Security numbers. We should be able to get new Social Security numbers like we can get new credit card numbers and no one should be able to offer credit cards without the users photo.

     

    4.     I am constantly plagued with scam phone calls.   I cannot block the numbers, because the numbers are spoofed. Spoofed calls must be made illegal immediately. People making unsolicited Robo calls should be considered felons and given STIFF penalties.

     

    5.     Addiction is a disease, not a crime. Drug abuse should be treated with a medical model, not a criminal model. The field war in drugs must be stopped.

     

    6.     (thought of this later) Trump fired a whole bunch of inspectors general. These federal employees should be protected from random firing by the president. They’re too important.

      

     


    Tuesday, December 15, 2020

    Digital animation

     I took a Digital Animation course this semester.  Here's a link to my final paper, which describes what I did

    https://barschall.wordpress.com/case-study/

    Sunday, December 13, 2020

    A Virtual Christmas Carol

     On December 12 & 13, I participated in a Virtual Production of a Zoom version of Dicken's Christmas Carol produced by AlphaNYC, directed by Elizabeth Aquino, assistant director Andrew James Bleidner

    The screenplay was written by Flip Kobler and Cindy Marcus.  It took about 1/2 an hour, and was fairly light and child friendly.


    Here are some screen shots of  my performance taken by Tenaya Griffin, who played "Fan," Scrooge's sister. 










    For this production, I designed two virtual backgrounds

    This was the set for the ghost of Christmas Future



    This was the set for me (the ghost of Christmas Past)


    We had 4 scheduled rehearsals of the whole cast.  I also organized several Zoom rehearsals of the past scene.  This business of being able to schedule rehearsals over Zoom is just sublime -- so easy


    Here is a whole cast photo



    This was the cast list



    Thursday, November 5, 2020

    Pix from my art show @warnerlibraryny


    This is the way the rocks look with the display organizers








    This was the way the rocks looked without the display organizers





     

    Wednesday, November 4, 2020

    Letter to @mondairejones

      In response to his email thanking us for supporting him, I wrote the following: 


    l  am excited that we get a young person of proven intelligence who can represent us, hopefully for years to come, presenting a more progressive approach to legislation.


    I am particularly interested in de-escalating our military

    I hope you'll remember my little legislative points, which sometimes get lost in the big issues
    1) the cap on my HSA should not be less than the out of pocket maximum on my insurance
    2) we need new social security numbers, because our numbers have been compromised. We should be able to get new numbers more easily, just like credit cards
    3) the FCC needs to take more aggressive action against phone number spoofing, which has allowed widespread scam phone calls and bombing of telephone conference calls

    Also spelling reform.

    *****

    And on November 5 I thought of a couple more points

    - hospitals that refuse to take any insurance off the exchange should lose their not-for-profit status;
    - we need to reinstate low-cost sea mail, so that we can return packages to China at a reasonable price.