I've got so many ideas running through my mind all day. Lately, I've been writing down a lot of them, and tomorrow I have a meeting to get some of these projects started. I have such a huge urge to film a whole bunch of stuff. Some scenes, monologues, and mostly a series I would like to create. I am spending a lot of times these days at the library and Barnes and Noble, researching things to write about, studying things that seem irrelevant to my life but that I figure would be good to know... I need to write about what I know, what I'm close to, and since what I want to write about is not really my life, I am researching and in a sort of a Method maneuver am becoming the person I would like to write about. If anyone is reading this and wants to direct their film friends to me, I'd love to make some new friends. It'd be great to find more people for this passion project. ... As an aside to this, I am actively going out (mostly because work has been slow and I work only a few times a week) and I'm enjoying it. Of course, I need to find a way to finance this life a bit more, but I will manage it better upon my return from my trip at the end of summer. I will be out of LA, and in fact the country for the month of September. I can hardly wait! I'll be in NYC in just a little over a month from today. I have been thinking of all the people that I want to see and hope that they want to see me just as much. I want to see some shows and go to my favorite New York restaurants and locations! So stoked!! Following a week in NYC, I will be visiting family in Israel. This, too, is going to be so incredibly joyous! In fact, JOY is where it's at. My dear friend, Jennifer (shout out!), made me a bracelet with the word engraved onto a circle, and well, I've been thinking about it a lot. What Joy means to me, what joy I already have, what joy I would like, etc. And it reminds me of a journal entry I was assigned to write in a college musical theater class. The topic was Joy vs. Fear- to define them in my life and find similarities between them. I'll have to read the entry when I visit my parents' house next week and see exactly what I wrote. But in thinking of it now, I am realizing that many things that give me joy came out of conquering a fear or giving up on fear. And, going back to this bracelet, Joy is attainable, and exists all the time. You just have to be aware of it and welcome it into your life. Forget about the things you fear and the things that make you unhappy. Remind yourself of something small that brings you joy and it will brighten up your day. Joy. "If my world were to cave in tomorrow, I would look back on all the pleasures, excitements and worthwhilenesses I have been lucky enough to have had. Not the sadness... but the joy of everything else. It will have been enough." -Audrey Hepburn

Happy June! I can't believe it's already summer and that I've been in LA for 3 months now... I feel like there's still soo much to see and do and people to meet, friends to make, etc... I work quite a lot- at least in the evenings which is making it difficult to be very social, but I'm trying to stay in touch with the few good friends I have out here. I desperately miss my friends out on the East Coast, but I am fighting to make it work for me out here in LA. I started a new acting class, which I'm glad to be in, and I think it will get the ball rolling. In fact, I am amidst scene-searching right now. Just thought I'd put "pen to paper" or, in this case, fingers to keyboard for a brief moment... To anyone reading, have a pleasant week

$690 million lotto

Y'know, if everyone put as much money as they did on a lotto ticket toward a charity we could've all done something really amazing today.
Seriously... think about. It sort of breaks my heart that we've become a pretty selfish culture.
...
It's been an interesting week or two in lottery land in California. The mega millions are at a super high, and tonight's lotto was for $690 million... seriously? what?! That's wild! How did all that money get to one place?! It's just absurd. I mean, if that money got there, why doesn't even half of that, hell a quarter of that go towards other things? um... the homeless, the hungry, education, health problems, abuse, animals, etc...

First off, these charities need to find a way to be more effective in getting people to line up and give them money instead of people lining up at every gas station in hysteria to buy a lottery ticket.

In absolute seriousness, I was one of those people who figured "Hell, this only comes once in a lifetime. I'll try for the jackpot." And, thus, last week I got 5 tickets and again this week.
And, I'll say it again, could've done better things with my money. My roommate was telling me that a person's got a better chance injuring themselves with a right-handed utensil if they're left-handed than winning the lottery... now that's silly, and probably true, but I still went ahead and figured that You Never Know. That's true, as well... Maybe I could've won it. And then I'd probably vomit and not know what to do with myself.
I prefer that a few hundred people win the jackpot and it's split among many people. I think that would be best :) I mean, what could a person possibly do with so much money? Unless they have a very clear financial plan to help the world, which is what I would like to do if I was loaded.
All I'd want to win in a lottery is a nice million or two... I plan to make my millions, but if I was lucky enough to win the lotto, I don't see why I'd need more.

But really, the point of my writing at 2 am is that I can imagine what good we could have done in the world today if we all just put that money and effort into a charity or important cause. If I had spent $5 buying a homeless person a lunch today, or donating it to the ASPCA one less person (or puppy) would be in pain for a moment... and isn't that what we should all be striving for? To help others. To make a difference.

I think it's important to think what you would do if you had this massive jackpot, because it'll tell you a lot about yourself. Or ask your friends... do it!... are they still your friends? ;)
I know that I'd likely throw up, as I mentioned above, and then buy a house in LA, one in NYC, one in Italy, travel some, and donate an absurd load of it to causes that I am inspired by. I would definitely help to fund the National Women's Museum that Meryl Streep is helping to start up :)

So next week when you're off to buy your lottery ticket for what will now be over one BILLION dollars, I ask that you just think about it, and maybe get $5 worth of lotto tickets and then donate $5 to a cause you care about.

Good night, and in the words of Ellen DeGeneres, BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER :)

~Tal

WeHo

So, I've moved into LA. West Hollywood~ Beverly Grove to be precise.
I moved in almost a month ago! And I'm living with a friend from high school, Sarah. Things are going great. I got a job within my first few days here, and then got offered a better one and took that... so I'm waitressing at a cool place downtown where there are awesome shows in our back speakeasy cabaret room. And some celebs come hang out for dinner or do shows there... I also perform on Thursday nights at the Open Mic.

Other than that, I'm organizing my reel. I need another 2 actors to make it complete, and then I'm filming it in the coming weeks.
I'm looking for a second part-time job to make a bit extra money, as well.

I don't have anything funny to really write about right now, so I'm just gonna let this post be. :)

2012- The Apocalypse Is Coming...

It's a new year and it's been a while...

I'm currently working temp jobs at a private school in Orange County, making some money to move on into LA. I am officially moving into West Hollywood on March 1st and I cannot wait! I'm overly excited and can't wait to be a committed vegan and avid Los Angelino. It's super hard to be a vegan whilst living in my parents house... have you seen the pictures I keep posting on facebook? My mother is an UNREAL cook and the pastries and cakes that she makes just blow my mind. I always faulter on them. Never meat, obviously. It's been 8 years since I've had any non-vegetarian food. I love it! Thank you, Upton Sinclair (author of The Jungle)!

Life has been tres dull in SoCal, thus far, but I feel like I'm just in an hourglass waiting it out. I'm kind of suffocating by being at home, but I've found ways to keep busy. Singing a lot, making some new friends...

I still am heartbroken that I'm not in NYC right now, but I know that I can always go back. I think it's just necessary that I be here in California for the time being. I also miss Israel! I was there last summer and I am planning a trip this Passover for 2/3 weeks, as well as a stop in NYC. Broadway, beware, I'm coming and I intend to see a whole lot of ya!

What else? You would imagine a lot has happened or changed, but not really. I'm still actively trying to change where I'm at in life. I still hate driving in traffic, particularly. I still have AWFUL back pain, that is only getting worse by sitting in an office chair all day (oh- I'm getting an epidural in a week and a half). I'm uber nervous about the epidural but am reminded of how safe and easy of a procedure it is. I'll be "going under" anesthesia in order to get it done... I am already planning for someone to videotape me on the drive home with a series of funny questions in hopes that a video sensation can be born. I don't know how that works, but we'll see.

I'm starting a pop/rock repertoire class tonight in LA after work. I just hope I won't be overly exhausted all week because of how long my day goes. I'm already yawning. And I am still hungry, although I ate a very plentiful and initially filling lunch. I think I'm gonna have to find some sort of dinner en route to class tonight...

So long for today!

Oh, one thing I'm obsessed with lately:


http://youtu.be/t5jw3T3Jy70
http://youtu.be/t5jw3T3Jy70