Friday, October 7, 2011

Why I Love Kym Pappas

Pym Pappas There are so many reasons to love Kym Pappas.  I started well before I met her -- almost a year before, actually.  Probably the fact that it wasn't creepy for anyone should be credited to her also but she's just so full of love!  So here is my top ten...
1. She is beautiful
I know this is not supposed to be the number one reason that people love one another but let's face it is.  Besides, the beauty of which I speak is more than skin-deep.  Her beauty starts in her soul and radiates out to the Universe.  Who wouldn't love that?
2. She is just so ful of love
You know with some people.  They are just loving.  Kym's a hugger but, more than that, she means it.  Some people give you the a-frame-ladder hug but Kym hugs you with all the beauty mentioned above.
3. She makes people better
This is not just idleness.  I have seen and been the beneficiary of this.  While working with her on two separate productions I saw her selflessness, caring and love-ability make situations better.  She also made me a better actor, professional and person and, to those who know me, this was a miracle.
4. She loves children
She teaches kds on a high school drill team.  This would be enough because high school is horrible to most people and you just know these children are being made better through Kym's liberal application of love and beauty.  I know this is true because I've met a nuber of her former students and they are genuine, generous, lovely poeople.  I also was able to witness a workshop with some kids she taught acting to and they were, to a one, uniquely talented and capable of all the things I've mentioned about Kym above.  See?  She gives it away!
5. She is an actress of unmistakable talent
I have worked with Kym on projects and seen her on stage.  You know when actors rely on those little tricks?  You know, Renee Zelwiger's forehead? Tom Cruise's smile..?  Well Kym has the love and beauty and the whole making people better to rely on.  And it works!  In her current play, Pride and Predudice, she loves Darcy, so I love Darcy.  She found in him more to love than I did.  As an actor, I kept thinking how I'd have done it so that her love was more believable and more understandable.  But none of it mattered.  When the time came for her to love him -- there it was.  True and real.
6. She tells the truth
As an actor, lying only works if you do it well.  Truthfully.  Does that make sense?  Doesn't matter.  What maters here is that we all have a truth meter and a bilshit meter and we know (sometimes not until years later) when they are ringing.  I will just say that Kym rings the truth bell and the bulshit bell is rusted clean through.  You will just have to trust me on that or, better yet, trust Kym -- she's worthy.
7. She rarely wears shoes
This is the coolest thing in the world to me for many reasons.  But the reason I wish to put forward here is that Kym puts her peersonal comfort before most things.  This is important especially when you understand that she's so loving and such a good character-builder.  You see, the main thing is to put on your oxygen mask before assisting the child in the seast next to you.  Or as Jesus said -- remove the log from your eye before you help get the splinter out of your friend's.  Yes, people!  Take care of yourself first and then it's easy to take care of others.  And it's genuine.  And she usually always has polish on...
8. She looks like a younger, prettier Meryl Streep
I never liked Meryl Streep until I saw her do comedy.  Then she grew on me.  Kym just happens to have the same bone structure as one of the best actresses of our generstion.  She should use this to her advantage and become the next greatest acter of our generation.
9. She works many jobs
If you're going to act, and direct and produce theatre, you need a bunch of jobs.  Kym works enough for three people BEFORE she puts those other hats on and then works enough for four more.  You would do well to learn from her example of not complaining about this.
10. She accepts me
I don't know how or why.  I have this mechanism where I keep people just close enough to see what I'll do next but far enough away so as not to get any of it on them.  Kym has it all over her.  She's seen the worst; I'd like to believe she's seen the best but I keep strivng to be better than I was last time I saw her.  But, really, all of it doesn't matter because in this vortex of acceptance she runs about in, she allows me to be me and to be the person she can love and trust.  This is the person I like best and hope to remember to be more often -- if only I had a pocket Kym Pappas to remind me to keep up with my gentleman practice...

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Trapeze in Minnesota

I was honored to be the guest of Embrace Adrenaline Trapeze Club in Scandia, MN.  While there, I got to try out my new wearable GoPro camera.  Various people wore the head-band-cam and we came up with some great shots.  In the two shots captured in the video below, I learned a lot about head placement because, while flying with two experienced and graceful flyers frrom Embrace Adrenaline, the head-band-cam was first worn by the flyer on my left and then by me.  That explains the two views but I have a theory that explains it.  WAtch this video and read on for my take on what you saw...

OK.  So the tall and graceful Katrina wore the camera for the first swing and, as you can see, she got a pretty good shot of our legs and feet.  Swinging with another flyer is a good way to learn more about timing and placement by matching the swing.  Usually people come away from this exercise with a better understanding of where to put their hips, legs and feet, and when to do it.  Katrina certainly did!
Poor Sherri Mann was the second flyer and, while I can attest to her skill and strength, you never get to see her legs and feet.  The reason?  First let's look at the similarities:
Both swings were double swings with me on the right and and experienced flyer on the left (Katrina on the first one and Sherri on the second).  The other fact is that Katrina wore the camera on the first swing and I wore it on the second.
The reason you can't see Sherri's feet on the second swing has nothing to do with where she put them but, rather, where I put my head (and the camera attached to it) durring the swing.  By looking up while bringing my legs forward, I was able to bring my hips up higher and achieve a better force out.  You just can't see it from that angle because my head is leading my hips, legs and feet.
So, a bad video exercise but a great way to understand how head placement determines where our feet end up in a swing...

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Left off the ballot

So I got the ballot for the Village Woods Owner's Association board elections and guess whose name was curiously left off?  That's right, Kevin Six. This after I personally e-mailed my candidate statement to the Association Manager, Jim Fraker (oh, how I would like to misspell his name!).

Another person I know was surprised to learn that his name was on the ballot.  I thought it was because a formal request to be considered for the board was sent and ignored by me.  But!  This other person who is on the ballot did not fill out the form either; he just sent in his candidate statement via e-mail, like I did, to Jim Fucker.

So. This either means that Fraker is a faker (or a fucker) or he is honestly just an idiot.

Which it is, Jim (the fucker) Fraker?  Did you not really not get my e-mail; the one I printed and copied and did all sorts of legal stuff to?  Really?  Or did you, at the insistence of the board, decline my candidacy?

Either way, there will be trouble.  Trouble, I tell you
That starts with T and rhymes with P that stands for Pool!

Yes.  I am going to have a pool party.

See if you can stop me!

Sunday, August 14, 2011

The Horror of Homeowners’ Associations

Homeowners' associations were supposedly created by Real Estate God to fundraise for and oversee neighborhood maintenance, and to help developers to efficiently manage and market their properties. But it often seems that their true purpose in life is to drive homeowners insane.

Read more here.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

The Information Is Not Forthcoming

I have asked the Village Woods Owner's Association, in writing, for the addresses of owners who do not live in the complex. This was two months ago. The information is not forthcoming.

The reason I need these addresses is to run for the Owner's Association Board. The reason the information is not forthcoming is...

Friday, May 6, 2011

Kevin Six wins Second place for blogging

Blogs | La Vista

Other People's Children

RSS | E-mail the Author
Bookmark and Share
OK people, say what you want about other people's children. Sometimes they're noisy, often they're misbehaved and sometimes it's even the parent's fault. But, unless the child is being abused, you have no right to speak harshly to them or their parents.
This happened to me on Friday. Twice. One was an adult who yelled at children in Borders and another was a woman yelling at a mother at Stu Segal's Studio Diner. Both adults were in the wrong, one of them got a serious dressing-down by me and the other deserved one but my girlfriend sat nearly on me in the restaurant to keep me in my seat.
First the a-hole in Borders:

More