Skirt Full of Fire | Tucson-based Tribal Fusion Belly Dance Instruction & Performance

1) Women as Violent Characters in Movies
Interesting read as we delve into what it means to make a series about women who make their money off of violent acts. I am not passive in nature, but I’m anti-violence, so making Hitwomen was definitely an interesting leap for me. Further complications included not wanting to alienate any fans, but also not wanting to directly cater to the desires of “chicks with guns” fetishists. While it’s niave to believe that action heroes (or anti-heroes, as you might call our characters in “Hitwomen”) shouldn’t have an element of sex appeal (helloooo Bruce Willis in “Die Hard”), it’s definitely off-putting to think that women in action are selling it not with how bad-ass they are, but with the mere fact that they happen to have a pair of breasts. Even more disheartening, the idea of a “father figure” still calling the shots for these more than competent women in action.

2) The Effects of Repeated Idea Elaboration on Unconscious Plagiarism
This is a really interesting read if you are involved in the arts.  It discusses the way we receive information and unconsciously recall that information when we are trying to come up with ideas.  It also lightly touches on how to avoid unconsciously plagiarizing another’s work through strict scrutiny of your creative output.

3) In Rediscovered Letter from 1865, Former Slave Tells Old Master to Shove It
I absolutely love this.  It’s everything you could possibly imagine and more.  The experience of wanting to tell off the fucker who straight ruined your day (in this case, made your life and the lives of your family members hell for a pretty chunk of time) is pretty universal, but how often have any of us had the opportunity to do so on such a grandiose level?  The answer is rarely.  Reading this is like a hug from baby Jeebs (that’s Jesus, for you philistines out there).  I can’t overstate the brilliance in this, so just read it.  Also, an invaluable glimpse into the tragic history of that time from one who lived it.

4) Luxury Comedy by Noel Fielding (of The Mighty Boosh fame)

Surrealist comedy complete with animation and songs.  Far too brilliant for his own good, that Noel Fielding.  Watch and you’ll want to light your eyeballs on fire afterward…in the good way…I think.

5) High Resolution scans of Ernst Haeckel’s “Kunstformen der Natur”

Just too pretty for words.  Look through them.  If you aren’t familiar with Ernst Haeckel, he is a German biologist who described and named thousands of new species.  He was an absolutely brilliant artist, and it’s worth it just to look through the high-resolution images even if you don’t care much about biology.  All the pretties.

I’m excited to announce that we’re finally able to start releasing the episodes of “Hitwomen”.  This has been one of the most life-changing, inspiring, exhausting, and exhilarating experiences I’ve had thus far.  I learned…basically…how to shoot guns and kick ass.  I worked with amazing people who are amazing at their craft.  I formed what I can only assume will be lifelong friendships with some of the most amusing freaks in the world.  I wouldn’t change a goddamn thing.  I only wish I had better documentation of the bruises and scabs I accumulated during filming.  Them shits was gnarly.

Here it is, the first episode of our three-part (so far) series.  Enjoy and pass around if you will!  Post it on FacePlace, Tweet it, Plus One it (or whatever the hell Google would have you do), burn it to DVD and throw copies at passers-by, just help us get it out there!

I’d love it if you’d subscribe to the Hitwomen website and keep checking up for more videos, photos, and information about future endeavors. A thousand-and-one thanks to the people who donated to the Kickstarter fund, without them this wouldn’t have been possible.

Dear John,

I’m pretty certain we should go on a date.  A couple of things brought me to this realization: scotch on the rocks, brownies, and Youtubing old videos of Cabaret performed live in theaters, and Facebooking old boyfriends.  I don’t consider those things particularly damaging in and of themselves, but when you link them together in a sentence like that, it looks pretty suspect…so let me assure you, I am a (relatively) sane individual.  I’ve thought about this for the past hour (again, somewhat sane individual) which is a pretty big thing for me, as I tend to be easily distracted by kitten videos and sparkly things like tinsel and spoons.

I guess I should start at the beginning, and the beginning involves a heavy dose of Jesse Katsopolis.  I grew up watching you…nay, drooling over you.  I mean, yeah, I kinda wanted to be D.J. Tanner, but I also wanted to be Darlene from Roseanne, so I think those two cancel each other out and give me a modicum of credibility.  Mostly, when I watched “Full House”, I fantasized about living next door to the charming rag tag family so that I could visit Uncle Jesse and maybe have him sing me a song or two.  This will get less creepy in a minute, I think…

“Full House” was canceled, and I, admittedly, kind of hate watching television (my brains turn to jam and I end up sitting on the couch with my eyes wide open and dried up and my lips all crusty from dehydration…not pretty), so I lost track of you for quite a while.  I was surfing the interwebs one day and found this little gem:

My initial thoughts were, in no particular order: what a great choice for the Emcee, OMG I DIDN’T KNOW I LIKED PAINTED NIPPLES WHAT DOES THIS MEAN ABOUT ME I SHOULD GO TO A THERAPIST, that’s Uncle Jesse, I bet that harness hurts his junk in a big bad way, and fjieaphfeuaphp (that’s a good thing, I promise).  My passion was rekindled and I started keeping an eye out for you in shows and movie-flicks.  I still don’t like watching television, but if I know you are going to be on a show that I don’t have to commit to watching several seasons of in order to understand, I go out of my way to watch.  You are absolutely delightful, dashing, dreamy, and any other synonym that begins with the letter ‘d’.

I can count off a laundry list of reasons you would never, ever, ever…EVER…give me a second glance.  Here are just a few:

• You look like an old school movie star.  You could have been shouting “STELLA!” at the top of your lungs if you were born in a different era.  I look like Suicide Girls meets Garbage Pail Kids, with less in the way of clever rhymes.
• You, based on my very limited knowledge of your personal life, seem to enjoy dating women closer to your age.  I, unfortunately, find that attractive as all hell.
• You are…well…famous…I eat Ramen on a regular basis, and not because I find it to be delicious (but it absolutely is).
• I am in on a Saturday night, wearing my hobo-est pants with food stains on them, drinking scotch, and writing this open letter to you.

We don’t have many things in common, but you seem to enjoy good theater, music, and Greek yogurt, as do I. First dates have been made with less than that to go on, so I feel pretty good about this.  I once went out on a date with a guy because I didn’t want to go to a movie by myself, and also…I wanted him to share his soda with me so I wouldn’t have to buy one only to take a couple of sips of it.   I’m being honest with you because you have a kind face and I like to believe, in my delusional state, that you would let me be open with you like this without judgment of my past behavior.

I’m going to go ahead and say that this letter is in no way, shape, or form, ironic.  I don’t own a kafiya and I genuinely like the show “Cougar Town”.  Not to say I’m incapable of pretense, but I’m dead serious about this.  Let’s go get pizza.  You choose the place.  Bring a chaperone or a police officer if it makes you more comfortable.

Yours,
Jolie

–Update–

I wrote this in a message to a friend, and I think it’s worth adding to the initial post:

“My Stamos letter is clearly a cry for help. If I did get him, I don’t think I’d take the date. I’m too much of a pussy and I hate awkward conversation. Do you think he even likes pizza? I mean, I threw that out there thinking everyone likes pizza, but maybe I just made an ass out of myself because he hates tomato sauce and is gluten intolerant. I could make him a gluten free, dairy free, organic pizza, but then that escalates the date into a home-date and everyone knows you expect sex if you are doing a home-date. Better to keep it on neutral territory lest he think I’m trying to get rapey with him. I’d totally get rapey on him if he wanted me to, but that’s an awkward question to have to ask. ‘Hey, how’s the pizza? You want me to get rapey on you?’”

Enjoy my neuroses.