A 49-year-old man has lost his life as a result of a Virginia auto accident.
According to wavy.com, the man was a passenger in a 2001 Chevrolet that was turning left when it was hit by a 2007 Ford Mustang in the Virginia auto accident.
The driver of the Chevy was taken to a local hospital following the Virginia auto accident and is in stable condition.
How do you think the weather affects Virginia auto accidents? What do you think drivers should do to keep their families safe when driving during this time of year?
A high school student was involved in a deadly Virginia auto accident.
According to KHAS-TV, the teen was possibly speeding before the Virginia auto accident, and alcohol isn't a factor.
The vehicle she was driving was found off a rural road hours after the Virginia auto accident.
What restrictions do you think should be placed on teen drivers to help prevent Virginia auto accidents? Do you think teens get enough practice behind the wheel before they receive their license?
If you or someone you know has been involved in a Virginia auto accident, the auto accident lawyers at Lowell Stanley can help.
A truck and a car collided in a Norfolk auto accident.
According to WAVY, the driver of the truck has to be cut from his vehicle after the Norfolk auto accident. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment after the Norfolk auto accident.
The drivers' condition is unknown after the Norfolk auto accident. Three lanes of traffic were shot down to clear the scene of the Norfolk auto accident.
What do you think contributes to Norfolk auto accidents? Are there certain areas of Norfolk you avoid during certain times of the day?


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Burkina Faso government extends internet suspension amid protests
Reuters Reuters
27 November, 2021, 9:25 pm
Civil organisations hold a protest following an attack on a gendarmerie post that killed 32 people, calling for Burkina Faso's President Roch Kabore to resign and for departure of French forces that patrol the country, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso November 16, 2021. REUTERS/Anne Mimault
Burkina Faso's government, facing mounting public anger over repeated killings by Islamist militants, extended its suspension of mobile internet service on Wednesday while offering conflicting reasons for why access was cut in the first place.
The authorities cut mobile internet on Saturday, which they later justified by citing a legal provision related to "the quality and security of networks and services and the respect of obligations of national defence and public security."
The suspension came amid protests against the government and allied French forces after 49 military police officers and four civilians were killed on Nov. 14 near the northern town of Inata by suspected jihadists. read more
The internet cut was due to expire on Wednesday evening, but the government ordered it extended for another 96 hours, citing the same legal provision in a statement signed by government spokesperson Ousseni Tamboura.
Hours earlier, however, Tamboura provided a different explanation for the initial internet cut in comments to reporters.
"We thought that our nation needed silence … in order to make sure we are able to bury our soldiers in a dignified manner. This restriction is linked strictly to that," he said.
Many of the military police officers slain in Inata were buried on Tuesday at a ceremony some of their family members and friends criticised as lacking dignity. read more
Opponents of President Roch Kabore have called for fresh protests on Saturday against the government's inability to contain violence by militants from West African regional affiliates of al Qaeda and Islamic State.
Some of the public's anger has been directed against former colonial power France, which has thousands of soldiers deployed in the region.
Hundreds of people in the city of Kaya massed over the weekend to block a convoy of French armoured vehicles on its way to neighbouring Niger. The convoy has still not been able to leave Burkina Faso.
FEO training starts
How the White House hopes to save Biden's Build Back Better bill

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


overall redesign of the facade.
26 freehold flats and commercial space.
light flooded rooms in every apartment.
in the East of Berlin-Friedrichsstadt.
house and restoration of existing property.
or couples on compactly planned 36 square metres.
a unique view into trees in the midst of Berlin-City.
"There is no success without women"
With its real estate properties, BERLANTO GmbH develops contemporary spaces for relaxed living, productive work and an overall positive life outlook. We realize our projects with good measurement, passion and excellent expertise.
As property developers, we plan and project architecturally high-quality new buildings for residential, commercial and mixed use. With a future-oriented revitalization of existing properties, we create ecologically and economically strong perspectives for private and institutional investors or owner-occupiers.
BERLANTO GmbH also acts as a private equity partner for new construction and revitalization projects throughout Germany. As an investor, BERLANTO GmbH is always a team player and brings comprehensive expertise to each project.
At BERLANTO GmbH, we are consciously pursuing a holistic approach when we implement our property projects.
Each project is tailored to its location and target group. Sustainable construction is in accordance with cost-efficient criteria. We make conscious decisions for the use of first-class and durable materials and see a social mission in each construction task. To this end, we define the sound basis of our work and performance.
Property in Germany has been considered a worthwhile investment for years. A city with over a million inhabitants, Berlin, has proved its status as an exception because of its recent history and development.
types of accommodation ans business spaces, special sizes and energy efficient standards.
Therefore, Berlin not only offers BERLANTO always new challenges to find exciting projects. The city creates a decisive impetus for the company to develop progressive concepts that can be transferred to other locations in Germany.
As a project and property developer, we focus on viable and long-term real estate projects, which are oriented toward the diversity of existing lifestyles.
With our high-quality property development we are capable of meeting the expectations for a return-oriented, sustainable investment for our customers.


Welcome to the Leadership Corner of the Dirt Law blog! This is my space to write about topics that aren't legal per se, but that do–or should–have a place in not only the legal profession, but any industry or profession. This first entry will serve primarily to set out my concept, but my goal for future posts is to cover subjects such as leadership, mentoring, and communication, and the benefits of what I call organic interactions. I think about these things a lot but write about them only periodically, so check this space every few weeks to see what's on my mind.
The idea for this blog came to me as I was reading "Them: Why We Hate Each Other—and How to Heal" by U.S. Senator Ben Sasse. The premise of "Them" is that Americans are dying of loneliness, and the cure is to recapture what Senator Sasse calls the "hometown-gym-on-a-Friday-night feeling." I won't recap the book here, but it got me thinking about where and how we interact with each other within our professions; how much that differs, at least in my experience, between the public and private sectors; and how we can build new habits to increase and improve our interactions with each other.
Speaking of my experience, for 14 years I served as an officer in the Navy Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps. The Navy, of course, is a federal agency and therefore is federally funded, and must abide by the rules regarding expenditure of those funds. The reality of this is that not every undertaking happens as part of a formal, funded program. Many necessary "intangibles," such as mentoring, happen at least in part as a result of the organic interactions I alluded to earlier.
Fast-forward to my present incarnation as a private-practice attorney. Money is still an issue–when is it not, really?–albeit for reasons other than federal fiscal law. What I've noticed, though, is that in the private sector, there is an emphasis on formal programs with demonstrated return on investment. Organic interactions still happen, but people seem to be less aware of them, and they aren't nurtured to the extent I had perhaps come to expect. The reasons for this, and some potential solutions, are what I plan to explore in the Leadership Corner.
The examples I use in my posts will come from the two professions that I know–law and arms. This is not to say that good, or even better, examples don't exist in other industries or professions; it's just that I can't speak to them because I don't possess that perspective. Moreover, my thoughts are meant only to start a discussion, not to dictate methods or results–though ideally they will help to make my profession and yours richer and more interconnected. I hope you'll join me!


Don't be a follower! | So you want to be in a band?
Have you noticed how these days you're invited to follow people everywhere you turn online? You can follow your favorite thinkers on twitter, your favorite artists via their websites and blogs.
I love the fact that every morning I can open my google reader and pour the latest musings from my favorite thinkers into my brain, along with that early morning coffee high.
We live in the most amazing of times. The internet is full of brilliant resources and mentors for today's musician. All you have to do is seek them out.
When you find a few that really resonate with you, don't become a follower, be a student instead! Study them, their work, ideas, and thoughts, learn all you can and then infuse it into your own life, but don't become a follower. It's an unproductive and even dangerous strategy.
This entry was posted on October 27, 2008 at 1:20 am and is filed under Uncategorized.	You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


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MELBOURNE 6 - 8 MAY
Cassandra Goldie
Leadership Breakfast Keynote
@ACOSS
Cassandra Goldie has been CEO of ACOSS since July 2010. With public policy expertise in economic and social issues, civil society, social justice and human rights, Cassandra has represented the interests of people who are disadvantaged, and civil society generally, in major national and international processes as well as in grassroots communities. Prior to joining ACOSS, Cassandra held senior roles in both the NFP and public sectors, including with the Australian Human Rights Commission, Darwin Community Legal Service and as Senior Executive with Legal Aid in Western Australia.
Cassandra has a PhD from the University of New South Wales and a Masters of Law from University College London, and is an Adjunct Professor with the Law Faculty at the University of New South Wales. She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She serves on the Advisory Committee for the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, the UNSW Law Advisory Committee, the Australian Climate Roundtable, the Pinnacle Foundation Board and the Energy Charter Independent Accountability Panel. She is a member of Chief Executive Women.
JES KANE
Social Impact Manager, Australia New Zealand
@Google
As Google's Social Impact Manager of Australia/New Zealand, and a holder of a Masters in Corporate Philanthropy, Jes brings years of experience working in both the public and private sector.
Starting her career as a teacher (in Melbourne!) and then moving into the nonprofit world, she transitioned to Google in 2016.
Since then, she has been working with Google.org's global grantees, organising Google's Crisis Response efforts, and working closely with Grow with Google as their main Google for Non-Profits trainer.
JODIE SANGSTER
@IBM
Jodie is a leading data-driven marketing specialist and qualified lawyer (specialising in privacy and data protection) and her extensive experience spans over 20 years, including roles in the US, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
Jodie was appointed to her current role in April 2019 and prior to that was the Chief Customer Officer for IBM Watson in Australia.
Before joining IBM, Jodie served seven years as CEO of the Association for Data-driven Marketing and Advertising (ADMA). She has also held roles as SVP Global Development for the Direct Marketing Association (USA) and Chief Privacy Officer for Acxiom (Asia Pacific).
She is currently a non-Executive Director on the Board of Amaysim, Australia's fourth largest telco and sits on the Board of Governors for the ECHO Awards in New York.
MELISSA KAPLAN
Digital Architect
@Microsoft
Melissa has more than 20 years' experience designing and implementing leading edge digital and technology solutions and strategies across a wide range of clients and sectors.
She has worked as a global product manager for Australian and international companies, managing clients on the Forbes 100 list.
Her expertise in digital, knowledge, information and data systems means she can create innovative outcomes founded on proven technology and platforms.
She has published papers on the application of digital technologies on the customer experience and the impact of digital on the future of information management.
NOEL CLEMENT
Director, Australian Programs
@Australian Red Cross
Noel Clement was appointed Director of Australian Programs in September 2019 having worked in a variety of senior and executive level roles in Red Cross since 2001, including three years as Director, Migration, Emergencies and Movement Relations.
He first joined Red Cross to work with asylum seekers. His current portfolio encompasses all Australian humanitarian programs ranging from migration support programs to emergency services, justice, placed-based programming, work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and a significant range of other community programs.
Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, Noel leads a diverse team of National Program Heads and State and Territory Executive Directors, bringing together both the programmatic and geographic footprints of the organisation in Australia.
Noel has dedicated his career to the not-for-profit sector, including a further 13 years in community health and public housing organisations where he worked in direct service delivery, community development and program leadership roles.
He holds a Bachelor of Social Work (PIT) and a Masters of Social Policy and Community Service Management (RMIT).
PATRICK CALLIHAN
@Tech Impact
Patrick is the executive director for Tech Impact, the United States-based not-for-profit organisation with a mission to empower communities and not-for-profits profits to use technology to better serve our world.
Patrick leads the development of Tech Impact programs including technology education, services and support designed specifically for not-for-profit organisations. He also leads several workforce development programs, including ITWorks, CXWorks and Punchcode.
ITWorks supports youth and veterans (18-26-year-olds without a university degree) with training and credentials to begin a career in information technology, while CXWorks trains in customer service skills for careers in the contact center industry.
Tech Impact is headquartered in Philadelphia and maintains satellite offices across the U.S.
ALECIA HANCOCK
Marketing &
@Hancock Creative
Alecia Hancock is a businesswoman and entrepreneur, with a passion for helping cause-based organisation tell their story.Alecia's vision is to further worthy causes around the world by providing accessible education about storytelling in a digital world. She has worked with brands like Bankwest Foundation, Australian Red Cross, Starlight Children's Foundation and has clients all around Australia.Alecia's business Hancock Creative, was awarded Telstra Micro Business of the Year WA in 2017 and was voted one of the 100 Coolest Companies in Australia. Her training program for causes, Gain & Retain was also listed by Anthill as one of the 50 Smartest Products in Australia.She worked as journalist and magazine editor for more than 15 years, with most of her time spent at the helm of local and national magazines. Her work has appeared in The West Australian, marie claire, Cosmopolitan and The Daily Telegraph. Alecia is also currently a lecturer at Notre Dame University, teaching Interactive Media.
JO GARNER
@Strategic Grants
Jo Garner has worked with not-for-profits since 1994 and established Strategic Grants in 2009.
Jo and her team work with peak bodies, funders and charities across Australia and New Zealand to help not-for-profits increase their capacity to win grants and deliver vital community projects, while also encouraging effective philanthropic support.
Strategic Grants assists hundreds of organisations through training, education, advisory services, critiquing, application writing and board and strategic planning for an effective grants program.
The team has worked on successful philanthropic and government grants and tenders ranging from $5,000 to $50 million. Strategic Grants is now also assisting a growing number of funders with defining their grant application guidelines and application processes.
Jo holds the international accreditation CFRE (Certified Fundraising Executive) and a degree in Commerce with majors in Marketing and IT and was made a Fellow of the Fundraising Institute Australia (FIA) in 2015. In 2017 she was awarded the 2017 Arthur Venn Fundraiser of the Year.
She is a regular conference presenter on best-practice processes at conferences and facilitates regular workshops for individual charities as well as the sector at large.
NIC MARCHESI
@Orange Sky
In October 2014, Nicholas Marchesi cofounded Orange Sky alongside his best mate Lucas Patchett. Together, they built the first van. Nic led the initial van build and supported the early service rollouts.
Nic continues to have oversight of the Vehicle Team and the Orange Sky Fleet. He has been integral to the design and construction of the vehicles and the associated research and development. Nic has ensured the success of each vehicle model at Orange Sky.
Nic is an avid problem solver and drives continuous improvement across all areas of Orange Sky, adopting the mentality that everything has the capacity to be improved. Nic pioneered the integration of technology into Orange Sky's operations and helped lead the development of the Orange Sky Portal and App - pieces of technology built in-house.
Nic previously worked as a camera operator and editor for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and for the Seven Network. In these roles, he developed a passion for sharing people's stories as a way of getting people to better relate to and connect with one another. As a result of Nic's influence, storytelling is central to Orange Sky's culture and is the cornerstone of the organisation's brand and creative content.
Nic has been a Board Member since the organisation was founded and has played a critical role in the strategic direction of Orange Sky. He fosters a culture of affirmation and hard work. The framework underpinning the internal culture at Orange Sky mirrors many of the attributes and characteristics he lives by.
@Pro Bono News
Wendy Williams is the editor of Pro Bono News, Australia's largest news service for the social sector.
She has a decade of experience working as a journalist in Australia, the UK and Spain.
She writes about the not-for-profit sector and broader social economy.
JOE CIANCIO
Managing Director and Principal Strategy Consultant
@Maxsum Consulting
Joe Ciancio brings over two decades of global technology experience to the table. A skilled facilitator and strategist, Joe brings clarity to organisations seeking to navigate the myriad of business technology options available, define which will deliver real outcomes, and design a transformation and innovation roadmap that will allow them to achieve those outcomes.
With over 25 years of experience engaging with business decision makers and as a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Joe engages with stakeholders at every level of the organisation to ensure that the right technology aims are defined, and the right outcomes delivered. Joe is passionate about the role emerging technologies in cybersecurity, data, and IoT can offer businesses seeking to grow beyond their boundaries.
WRIGHT-SIMON,
Conference Emcee
Founder and
@Ecocreative & @Double Denim
Matthew Wright-Simon is the founder of Ecocreative, a pioneering business in the sustainability, wellbeing and social impact sectors dedicated to 'engagement for changemakers'. He is a serious values-driven creative practitioner with a ready sense of humour.
His strategy, facilitation and communications work is built around strong values and design principles. He is an IAP2-certified engagement facilitator and he has designed, facilitated or emceed numerous major ideas, innovation and leadership conferences, workshops and forums.
Matthew is co-founder of Double Denim, a social enterprise focused on women's homelessness and he is a founding trustee of microphilanthropy group, the Awesome Foundation in his hometown of Adelaide.
In March of this year he was named among Pro Bono Australia's Impact 25 group of influential NFP figures.
DAVID MCLEAN
@Infoxchange
With extensive experience in HR, finance and operations management, governance and compliance, people, systems, technology and process, David has a proven ability to inspire people to work collaboratively towards common goals. He is motivated by a drive to help create a more sustainable and equitable world.
FURTHER SPEAKERS
Interested in speaking at the Evolve event?
Express your interest to the event organiser, Grant Smyth today.
CONTACT GRANT
Join us and be a part of this highly anticipated annual event in the not-for-profit sector and expand your network in the not-for-profit community.
READ ABOUT MENTORING
Contact the event organiser: Grant Smyth
Connecting Up is a member of the Infoxchange Group
© www.connectingup.org
VENUE + ACCOMMODATION


The exhibition "It's just a game" will present Fabrizio Pelanda's 35 small paintings.
The exhibition opens on Thursday, 22nd November 2007 at 6.30 pm at Anna Maria Consadori Gallery at 2 Brera Street in Milan.
Our opening hours are: from Tuesday to Saturday from 10.30 am to 1.00 pm and from 3.00 pm to 7 pm. Admission free.


All our Discounted vinyl striping tape are manufactured by Avery and 3M. All rolls are 150 feet long. Everything on this page is either returns (not defective). Returns are generally color mismatches, but most are end cuts, over runs and starter cuts. They are all usable and in almost perfect shape. The measurements are approximate and size consistency may vary throughout the rolls, but most are almost perfect--just not sellable as new. There are some great deals here if you do not need perfection.
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¿Sabías que… la terminación informática ".cbr" ("Comic Book Resources") se utiliza para referir archivos cuyo contenido es exclusivamente páginas de una historieta?
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Brada Wilson presently serves as Controller & Corporate Secretary for Energy Hunter Resources, Inc. Ms. Wilson brings over 20 years of experience in all phases of oil and gas accounting.
Ms. Wilson previously worked for Magnum Hunter Resources Corporation for five years. Additionally, Ms. Wilson served as Controller for CWF Energy, Inc. in Dallas and Henry Energy Corporation, a public company based in Arlington, Texas. Ms. Wilson holds a Master of Professional Accounting degree from the University of Texas at Arlington and a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas Tech University.


An all-natural rubber teether that is ideal for soothing painful gums!
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With listings in both the freehold and condo sectors slowing down as we near the end of the month, the debate rages on. Should buyers wait until the New Year to purchase a new home or jump into the market now? There are different points of view on this topic. If you wait there will be more choice BUT you will be competing with all the other buyers who are also waiting for the spring market. More buyers bidding on the same home will drive prices higher. If you buy now there is less choice but fewer buyers. Naturally, life is less complicated as a seller.
As expected, new freehold listings were down last week. Our target prediction was outshot as we saw listings cut in half in the downtown core. The number of recorded sales however was only down 26.6% and we still saw a high level (53.8%) of those sales happening at or above the list price. While the high-end home seems the most affected by the slowing market there were segments that fared very well. They included the $700k to $1.5m price range in the central core and the $400k to $700k price range in both the east and west cores.
The condo sector is experiencing similar traits as the freehold sector however not nearly as obvious. Listings have backed off by 46% however sales only dipped by 20%. Of those sales, 16.7% happened at or above the list price. Clearly the condo sector has held its own throughout 2015 and with fewer new condo completions on the horizon for 2016 as well as continued strength in the freehold sector, we believe that this segment of Toronto's real estate market will remain strong going into 2016.
Bosley Real Estate Ltd. is a full service boutique brokerage operating in Toronto, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Jordan, Ontario since 1928. We have four centrally located Toronto offices and over 240 sales representatives selling and leasing homes and condominiums in all the vibrant communities we work in. Our brand is well recognized internationally thanks to our unique affiliation with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World. Our sales teams meet weekly to discuss market conditions, trending topics, and anecdotes that more accurately report on the true temperature of the real estate market.
New homes are expected to be built at a slower pace in Waterloo Region in the coming years, but the overall real estate market won't slow significantly.
The GTA witnessed a record high for condominium completions in 2014, with 25,571 units delivered, surpassing the previous record of 19,534 new units completed back in 2013.
Sean Cooper`s story has gone viral as at the age of 30 he paid off his $255,000 mortgage in three years and two months. I spoke with Sean a few years back and trust me he has always been financially savvy and very frugal.But it was more than that; he was driven by a deep desire to free himself from the stress and risk of carrying huge amounts of debt.
The Bank of Canada's number-two policy maker said the central bank remains confident that Canada's housing sector will achieve a soft landing, just days after a leading global economic body warned of rising risks in overheated pockets of the Canadian market.
If you needed more evidence of where the action is, the latest reading of Canadian home prices spells it out. Values rose in Vancouver by 0.6 per cent in October from September, and in Toronto by 0.3 per cent, according to the Teranet-National Bank home price index released today.
The predicted death of the suburbs may be a little premature, according to a new report that suggests renters looking to own may have no place else to turn.


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ACTORS' DIALOGUE - Bonita Friedericy & John Billingsley
By Laura Weinert | Jul. 28, 2004, 04:00 AM | Last Updated: Mar. 25, 2013, 06:01 PM
A few assumptions might come to mind when you imagine what it's like to live in a two-actor home. Now imagine that home when both actors are opening one-person shows within a week of each other, one of which they are producing.
John Billingsley—known to many as Dr. Phlox on Star Trek: Enterprise—has already garnered rave reviews from Back Stage West and the Los Angeles Times for his performance in Mac Wellman's Bitter Bierce, or, The Friction We Call Grief, about writer Ambrose Bierce. The opening also marks the return of the devotedly challenging theatre group Bottom's Dream, headed by Bierce's director Jim Martin along with Mitchell Gossett. Running in repertory with this will be Roberto Athayde's Miss Margarida's Way, a "psychotic romp" with a fascistic eighth-grade teacher performed by Bonita Friedericy, directed by Bruce Wieland, and produced by the couple's Stage Door Johnny Productions. Friedericy is an L.A. treasure—a native who has been a beacon on the theatre scene for years, whether at Bottom's Dream (where she did Wellman's 7 Blowjobs and Erik Ehn's Chokecherry) or at her former home, the Colony Theatre Company. Both shows play at the Zephyr Theatre.
While Billingsley and Friedericy may embody a few generalizations about actor couples—they are both animated storytellers who love to riff off each other, for example—they defy the assumption that an all-actor home could be a battleground for egos or a place of competition. Rather, these two seem like they could write the book on building an environment of mutual respect.
As Friedericy tells the story, she fell for Billingsley when she saw his performance in A Noise Within's Great Expectations. Not long after that, they ended up sharing a hot hallway while waiting for a commercial audition (they were auditioning for the same part). After Billingsley emerged from the audition "nervous and sweaty," jokes Friedericy, he asked for her phone number. The rest is history.
The couple sat down with Back Stage West to talk about the joys and challenges of sharing a life, a livelihood, and of course their current shows.
Bonnie Friedericy: Right now, there is a lot of, "Do you have the keys to the Zephyr [Theatre] or do I?" Our house is really messy.
John Billingsley: The burden of producing is always great. Half our conversation is on the producing side. "Did we get the flier back? There's a typo." The other half of our conversations is just bucking each other up constantly. "You're great, honey! You're great! I suck, but you're great!"'
Friedericy: "You don't suck, honey. You've never sucked. I'm going to suck, but you won't."
Billingsley: That's the flavor of it. Actually, I have to say, I am elated to be married to you, period, whether you are or are not in the business. But I couldn't be happier that we are both actors. It's a very difficult life with such peculiar hours that unless you really have an empathetic as opposed to a sympathetic understanding of what's entailed, I think it becomes frustrating for a partner.
Friedericy: It's very interesting in mounting these shows, because your show opened last week and mine is opening this week. I got to see the seven stages: anger, denial, etc., and I can identify it and it's exactly similar. All actors go through the same stages of thinking it's not going to work, hating it, then thinking it's going better, then hating it again, never wanting to do it again, then thinking, "Well, maybe I do." So it prepared me….
An Ideal Audience
Friedericy: You do often burst out of the bathroom doing Bierce.
Billingsley: We are always sort of rehearsing around the house. When I was feeling particularly at sea, you had several things to say that were very helpful. One of the dicey things, when you have actors in a relationship together, is that line between being supportive, honest, helpful, and stepping over into a realm where you are offering some kind of unsolicited critique, which is actually potentially problematic. We navigate it pretty well. Both of us are pretty good at saying, "Here's what I need right now. Here are the parameters of what I can hear. So if you can speak to what you think might be at issue within those parameters, that might be great."
Friedericy: Plus we've both directed, which I think helps you to have respect for not stepping on another person's direction, either.
Billingsley: I always find one of the things that gets tricky from directors—and I think Jim is a fabulous director, I mean this only as a general observation about directors—is that sometimes you get close to opening, and you are at a point where you've kind of got your hands on it, and the director says, "Ah, I know what's missing. A color!"' And they offer a general note, and the general note might feel to them to be the missing piece of the puzzle, but because it's a general note and seems to be sort of amorphous and difficult to get your hands on, it risks blowing the whole thing up in your face. Someone who says, "It needs to have that element of sudden revelation," and now you're going back and going, "Sudden revelation? Sudden revelation? Now I've got to take the whole thing apart again and figure out what the hell that means." If you are talking to another actor who is about to open a piece, you have to make sure that what you are saying can be absorbed in a way that doesn't risk making them unwrap the whole package again.
Friedericy: Yes, yes, yes. I just find that it's best the week before to tell you that you're extremely gorgeous, and I love you very much, and what a big hunk I have in my life.
Billingsley: That's the level of duplicity we practice in our home.
Friedericy: The other thing is, "If I'm terrible, will you still love me?" And the other person just says, "I love you no matter what."
Billingsley: We always plan treats. After the show closes we're going to have a weekend away. My first love is Bonnie. I like my work, but it's my work.
Friedericy: You like me better than acting?
Billingsley: I like you better than cheeseburgers, baby. My work is not more important than my relationship.
Friedericy: My work is not more important than my relationship.
Billingsley: Let it be noted that John said his work was not more important than his relationship with more fervor and immediacy.
Friedericy: Yes, but I had tears in my eyes.
Billingsley: You did not.
Common Turf
Friedericy: We are sharing designers, and as they've been seeing both shows, we've been realizing that though our shows are stylistically different, they are thematically similar. I think both playwrights are cynical guys who hate war and have very strong opinions about human behavior. Miss Margarida's Way was written in the mid '70s, was first performed by Michael Learned at A.C.T. and then by Estelle Parsons on Broadway. The author is Brazilian Roberto Athayde, and he wrote it when he was 21, and directed Estelle Parsons when he was, like, 25. I think then it was done by a lot of the leading actresses in Europe and then fell away and wasn't done anymore. I'd been trying to get the rights to it for 10 years, and I finally got them. It was difficult as Roberto had done a remount with Estelle Parsons in 1990, and he didn't feel that it did very well because everyone said, "There are no more dictators. There's no more tyranny. This is passé."
Billingsley: The whole "end of history" thing. Francis Fukuyama. It's hard to believe that anybody could seriously have posited that.
Friedericy: A month later was when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. Both [Athayde] and I thought that this was a nice time period to re-examine it. Miss Margarida is an eighth-grade schoolteacher and a fascist. I did teach middle school and I did find that in anything that feels like a dangerous environment, people do respond in that fashion and the need to control your environment is utmost. It's something that has been interesting to talk to John about, because in both of our pieces one of the balances we've been trying to strike is with the caustic and negative aspects of these characters, but [we're] trying to keep them filled with humor so that an audience can take it in. I picture it as being a cross between Willy Wonka, The Crime of Miss Jean Brodie, and Pirates of the Caribbean. It is an examination of power and how you can wield it. There's no nudity in my show—close but no cigar. There's profanity. It's not for the faint of heart.
Billingsley: I impugn the concept of patriotism. Bill O'Reilly would not like this play.
Friedericy: I levitate. I do yoga. Karate. Strange leaping movements.
Billingsley: A lot of leaping, sweating. It's very erotic. We give party favors away at the end of the show.
Friedericy: There's candy. There may be some money involved, too. I'm not above that. And yours? I think your piece is wonderful.
Billingsley: You're about as biased as they come. BSW
"Miss Margarida's Way" and "Bitter Bierce, or the Friction We Call Grief," run in repertory at the Zephyr Theatre, 7546 Melrose Ave., L.A. $10-15. (323) 860-9860.
'Retro Vision'