The best speech I've heard in a year...

J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement from Harvard Magazine on Vimeo.

Audiobooks: Making Drives Less Wasteful

It's pilot season people...and thank goodness it IS crazy busy. Now that Leno is pushed back on NBC and Conan gone (boo!) and the economy up (wee!) stuff is actually getting produced. And not just reality. So that's why I've been slow on the blog-front and that's why I've been in the car a lot on my way to class, meetings and auditions, absorbed in a new set of CDs.

I'm pretty much done with radio. I was put on a one week radio deprivation by my Stella Adler teacher, who wanted me to get more in touch with my "thoughts" in the car. After the end of the deprivation, I turned the dial and realized how crappy L.A. radio was...so I zoomed straight to the closest Barnes & Noble and bought three wonderful time-consumers....audiobooks.

I've already finished the final disc of Carrie Fisher's "Wishful Drinking." A MUST for anyone wanting a good ol' laugh at this town. The only complaint I have about this hilarious pivotal-point biography is her whines at George Lucas. Yes, she became a "product," yes, she couldn't get the Star Wars monologues out of her head and yes, she met grown men in shops who talked about masturbating to her image back in their teens...biiig deal (!)...come on Carrie!! You are a lucky to have been in that anthology that is basically any actor's wet-dream pension for the rest of their life. I mean, who do you think paid for all those drinks, drugs, rock'n'roll...and eventual rehab? Exactly, Yoda & Co. R-E-S-P-E-C-T it, baby!

Now I'm listening to the only self-helpy one I bought...."YOU Being Beautiful" by Dr. Oz. Yes, too many Oprah influences have finally sunk in and since this guy sounded like he knew what he was talking about on her show, I wanted to know what other wisdom he could impart...(okay, okay, it was also discounted by 50% on my B&N card, go figure). So far, so good. But the guy Dr. Oz is partnered with on these CDs- Michael F. Roizen- has the biggest lisp since Elmer Fudd and it's hard not to giggle over all the tips. I'm only at the intro chapters, so maybe I'll get more accustomed to the mouth defect as it proceeds.

Last but not least, the amazingly titled "Are You There Vodka? It's Me Chelsea" by my hero herself, the Chelsea Handler. I purposely left the best for last, so hopefully it won't disappoint. Or maybe it will just encourage me to drink more vodka...not that I need that.

Okay, back to those pilot sides...