Pheaturing Phile Alum Dean Povinsky From Wildlife

It happened one summer. It happened one time. It happened forever, for a short time. A place for a moment, an end to dream, forever I loved you, forever it seemed. Man, those are some sad lyrics. I'm trying to get Martha Davis, the lead singer from the 80s band The Motels on the Phile.  How are you, kids?  New York City now offers free pedestrian maps. They are clear, helpful, and easy to read. Every map will even show you how to get to the Ecuadorian Embassy.  Americans, according to a new study, hate their jobs. They are unproductive and disengaged. I was hoping to have a joke on this topic but I was unproductive and disengaged.  Kanye West said that he considers himself an intellectual. I think he's right. How can you not be when you spend all day surrounded by the Kardashians? Of course you're going to look like an intellectual.  Have you kids been watching that new show "Under the Dome" from Stephen King? It is what networks call "an event series." If it's a hit, CBS will put domes in all their shows. It will be "Two and a Half Domes," "Two Broke Domes," "Let's Make a Dome," and "The Domey Awards," hosted by Neil Patrick Dome. The premise of "Under the Dome" is a town in Maine finds itself under a dome and no one knows why. People have criticized Stephen King because he uses the plot of The Simpson's Movie. King says he's never seen that movie. You don't have time to watch movies when you're churning out 50 best-sellers each month. On "Under the Dome," the dome slammed down and a cow gets cut in half. Witnesses described it as terrifying and delicious. To me, this dome slamming down is an allegory for our dependence on social media and how it isolates us from each other. Actually, I made that up. It is about cows getting smooshed by a dome.  Despicable Me 2 came out on Friday and supposedly it's filled with those yellow Minions. People love those Minions. In fact, Disney wants to buy the rights to them and already has big plans to use them.

I think that movie is gonna be fantastic!  Speaking of movies, Disney revealed a brand new character that is gonna be in the new Star Wars movie, and I have the exclusive. Here it is.

His name is Thai Fighter. LOL. That's so stupid, I love it!  Did you see the latest Ad Council poster? This is 100% real... I think. Check it out.

I like it when magazines and certain websites show celebrities before and after make-up photos, don't you? Well, on the Phile I am doing the same thing. Here's the latest.

Scary.  Well, summer is here and one thing I like to do in the summer is to go swimming. There are so many interesting pools out there I thought I would show you some of the most phascinating ones. Take this one for instance...

The new Hugh Hefner Sky Villa at the Palms Las Vegas includes this Playboy pool at the top of the tower. The swimming pool is inside and the whirlpool is outside, both with amazing views of the Strip. The swimming pool covers two acres, with a DJ, outdoor concerts, three bars and twenty-seven private cabanas with a 32" flat-screen TV, refrigerator and fan. Can you imagine the amount of semen in this pool? That said, I want to go swimming in it. And now from the home office in Port Jefferson, New York, here is today's...

Top Phive Groups Of People Who Went To See The Lone Ranger
5. Terribly lonely park rangers who misread the title.
4. Real Native Americans, hoping to see Johnny Depp's hugely offensive character get blown to pieces.
3. 87 year olds who vaguely kinda remember the original Lone Ranger.
2. People who saw The Social Network and said, "Those Winklevoss twins would make a great Lone Ranger!"
And the number one group of people who went to see The Lone Ranger are..
1. Guys named Tonto.

"Let's do this!" says the Lone Ranger (Armie Hammer) to Tonto (Johnny Depp) as they embark on something big and this-ish. It's 1869, by the way, a time before the wide usage of gung-ho bro-isms like "Let's do this." But no matter, Tonto has his own unusual relationship to language. Depending on his fleeting feelings about stereotypical, condescending portrayals of Native Americans in media, he will utter stuff like, "When you were on the other side [of active, living consciousness during a spirit walk], you spoke of [your female love interest] in your vision," or "Nature is indeed out of balance," or, just as arbitrarily, "Horse dead!" as though the infinitive "to be" were suddenly a tool of white devils. Clearly, just about anything, linguistically speaking, is fair game with Tonto and the fact that he doesn't begin dropping 2 Chainz rhymes is the real mystery of his vocabulary.  But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's forget about Tonto and LR's adversarial friendship and futuristic chattiness for a moment. Let's talk about the enormous entertainment machine they're trapped inside. They're iconic characters from a bygone era, buried alive and suffocating under the pressures of re-branding and franchise building. They're the vintage square pegs that "the team that brought you Pirates of the Caribbean" are going to sledgehammer into a round hole lined with cash. And since nobody under 50 knows much about them at all, anything can be done to them. And anything is.  An ineffectual pawn in his own origin story despite Hammer's earnest striving to fill the big white hat, this Lone Ranger is also infinitely mockable, his bland blondness and stoic do-rightness fair game, as every single new acquaintance quips, "What's with the mask?" On a mission to stop a brewing battle between white settlers, greedy railroad developers and the Comanches, he's thwarted at every turn by his own inexperience, but more so by the film's refusal to take him even half as seriously as, say, Ryan Reynolds in The Green Lantern. This is a problem.  Other problems: everything except the production design. It's a money-on-the-screen spectacle of admittedly entertaining and absurdly convoluted Rube Goldberg-inspired action sequences, 19th century railroad cars, saloons and whorehouses that would make Baz Luhrmann tip his 3D hat, and studiously lax personal hygiene make-up effects that turn nearly every person on screen into an alien visitor from Planet Grime. Nearly everything else... that pesky stuff you're supposed to actually care about... is a waste of whatever energy you'll spend watching and listening.  There's no life outside the mechanical stunts, no momentum based on character or story, no happiness or joy or excitement, no thrill in discovering that this single do-gooder can save the day with the help of his almost-friend (the miscast Depp as a man who virtually everyone in the film calls a "crazy Injun" even as it pays other-side-of-the-mouth lip service to justice for Native Americans). There's nothing to root for, nothing to push you to the edge of your seat, nothing to think about, nothing to love. It is the most colossal, misguided, dust-choked mess to hit movie screens so far this summer. Let's not do this at all. From 1 to 10, I give it a 7.

I did get a slight chill when they played "The William Tell Overture" though. Okay, now for something different. A Phile Alum wanted to come on here with his own pheature, so I said why not? So, please welcome Phile Alum Robert A. Medeiros with...

Things I Like: Abandoned building, houses & sites, Abba, access, action figures, Herb Albert & The Tijuana Brass, Alcatraz, Alcoa presents "Fantastic Finishes", "All In The Family" (1971-1975), Amoeba Records, analogies, animals, Aqua Marine, architecture, Arkwright, "Arrested Development", Atari 2600, autobiographies, A.W.O.L., A.F.O.L. & A.B.O.L., Barney, Bear Recordings, Beastie Boys, Bee Gees, Berkeley Free Clinic, Beverly Hills Cop, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Black Sabbath, Hal Blaine, body surfing, Boogie Nights, Bradlees, Buck, Cali, "Captain Kangaroo", Casino Arcade in Santa Cruz, CA, celebrity graves, Champion jersey's from the 80's & 90's, Cheap Trick, Chief St. Germaine's "master homey international", Child World, choices, Circus Magazine, Clerks, cloudy & rainy weather, "Coast To Coast AM With George Noory", Cobra Commander, Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes, Cove Discount, Cuten, C.W.C., Dallas Cowboys, Daredevil (comic book character), DC Comics, Defunct sport leagues (AAFC, ABA, AFL, ASL, CFL, NASL, USFL, WFL, WHA, WTT), Denver Nuggets uniform (1981-1993), depression era glass, Dirty Dancing, disco, documentaries, Earth, Wind & Fire, Ebay, Eden, 80s rap, Electric Football League (E.F.L.), Electric Light Orchestra, El Stumpo, Ins N Outs & The Other Spot, Elton, Alex English, Exodus (not the metal band), Extreme, family, "Family Affair", "Family Guy", Fantastic Comics, Fast Times At Ridgemont High, Fishbone, flea markets, Max & Dave Fleischer cartoons, Roosevelt Franklin, Fred, friends, garage sales, Gloria Gaynor, Georgia, "Ghost Adventures", giant squids, Michael G. Hagerty, Harold & Maude, Hartford Whalers, Head, historical site plaques, Hit Parader, Homer's "Odyssey", Houston Astros uniform (1975-1986), Houston Oilers, Ice-T, "Idiocracy", Image Comics, In-N-Out, Billy Joel, Jack Johnson (early 20th century boxer, KABL, "Kids Are People Too", Kenny King, Kiss, Lenny Kravitz (1989-1993), Kungphooey, Kungphooey Comics, labyrinths, La Cheim, Tom Landry, "Late Night With David Letterman" (80's era), Gary Lewis & The Playboys, limes, Little Miss Sunshine, Lobo (comic book character), Loch Ness Monster, Lucy, Barry Manilow, Marketcom sport posters of the 70s & early 80s, Mars Bargainland, Marvel Comics, Odis McKinney, Meco, Mego action figures, ME-TV, Mick, medieval art, midnight, "Mister Roger's Neighborhood", M I White & MCB, Motley Crue, movies that have secret scenes at the end of the credits, M.P.G., Thurman Munson, Eddie Murphy/my family, NBC's "Saturday morning fever is on the rise on NBC" late 70s Saturday morning cartoon programming theme song, New York Rangers, "New Zoo Revue", NFL Action Team Mates action figures made by Pro Sports Marketing in the 70s & early 80s, NFL Films music from the 60s, 70s and 80s with John Facenda's voice, Night Of The Living Dead, 19th century literature, Nirvana, Oakland Invaders, Oakland Raiders, Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio, Park Street Bobcats, PBS's morning and early afternoon "Agency For Instructional Television" programs ("Think About" & others), Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, photography & photo editing, Planet Of The Apes, Princess Ardala, Providence Steamroller, Pulp Fiction, Quarter Football League (Q.F.L.), Ralph, Ramones, Ratt, Robert Reed, Randy Rhoads, Seth Riggs, Rocky (1, 2 & Rocky Balboa), Rodman, Ruff-Ruff, Run-D.M.C, Saigon Kick, Salt, Saltmarsh's, Samantha Jane, Samuel S., San Francisco Giants, Saturday Night Fever, Seattle SuperSonics uniform (1975-1995, Sega Genesis, Semi trucks that honk their horns for me, Serious Seagull, "Sex And The City", Simon & Garfunkel, Slacker (1991), slate gravestones made before 1800, Samantha Smith, Sand Knit jersey's from the 70s & 80s/Sol, Something Wild, Sparks (70s era), Spice Girls, Spice World, Star Store, Starting Lineup action figures by Kenner, Star Wars, Roger Staubach, Stony Curtis, Donna Summer, "Super Friends" Superman (1 & 2), Super Shark, Allan Schwartzberg, Tampa Bay Bandits, Tampa Bay Buccaneers uniform (1976-1996), Tavares, "Taxi", television theme songs from the 60s & 70s, The African Queen, The Bay Area, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Bleu Canadians, The Blues Brothers (band & movie), "The Brady Bunch", The Clarences, The Dark Knight, "The Decline Of The Western Civilization" (parts 1 & 2), "The Dick Van Dyke Show", The Dollar Tree at International & 25th in Oakland, CA, The Endless Summer, The Godfather (1 & 2), "The Great Space Coaster", "The Human Comedy" by William Saroyan, "The Mighty Boosh", The Monkees, "The Odd Couple" (tv show), The Peverett Phile, The Phantoms, The Punisher (comic book character), "The Simpsons" (1989-1995), The Steinharts, The Suitcase Clinic, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Turkeyheads, The Turtlenecks, The Turtles, "The Walking Dead" (comic book & tv show), The Warriors, The Wrecking Crew, "The Young Ones", "This Week In Baseball" music in opening & ending credits, Thor, Three O'Clock High, "3-2-1 Contact", thrift stores, Topps sports bubblegum cards (50s-80s), Toxic Shock, travel TV shows, "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" by Jules Verne, Terry Tyler, United Kingdom, Village People, Walla Walla Walruses, Washington Park Pirates, Washington State Basketball League (W.S.B.L.), Wayne's World, WBOB, "Welcome Back Kotter" (Travolta era), White Gunn, "WKRP In Cincinnati", Will C. Wood School, Robbie Williams, Woolworth's, World Wrestling Federation (1970s-1990s), W.W.F. wrestling action figures by Hasbro, Xanadu, yard sales, Yeast Infection, Zayre's, Zig Zag (rap group), Zodiac Killer case, Zoltar, "Zombie".

My God, I didn't think that would end. Thank you, Robert. I'm glad he threw the Phile in there. Alright, the 32nd the 33rd artists to be pheatured in the Phile's Art Gallery are known as The Chalk Twins and this is one of their pieces...

The Chalk Twins will be on the Phile a week from today.

Today's pheatured guest is the lead singer for the Canadian band Wildlife whose new CD "On the Heart" is available now on iTunes. They will be appearing next on August 9th at Fredrock Music Festival in Fredericton, Canada. Please welcome back to the Phile... Dean Povinsky.

Me: Hello, Dean, welcome back to the Phile. How have you been?

Dean: I've been really really bad man. Do you have some change? I'm good actually. How are you?

Me: I'm okay. I have to tell you, I love the new album "On the Heart". Where did the name come from?

Dean: I was describing the concepts and direction I really wanted things to go and Tim said the title, saying its like an archaic essay title style from days of yore. ;)

Me: How do you think it compares to your last album "Strike Hard, Young Diamond"?

Dean: I think sonically it's a big improvement. In my opinion they go well together and this one has the feeling of an emotional sequel to the other one.

Me: I have to say congratulations for having your single "Dangerous Times" being iTunes' single of the week. That must be exciting for you guys. Was it?

Dean: Don't know if exciting is the word I'd use. It's was definitely really cool of them to put it up though.

Me: If my bands single was iTunes' anything I'd be excited. You know, it's all due you being on the Phile your success. LOL. Just kidding. Okay, last time you were here you had five members in the band, right? Now there's four. Did you lose somebody?

Dean: Ya, we're in a bit of a transition. Tim left the band before a tour we did in the fall. Our friend Darryl came along and replaced him for that and did a really great job. Thanks Darryl!

Me: I mentioned last time you were here that your band is hard to find when you Google it, as Wildlife means a few other things. Has anybody had trouble finding you on the web?

Dean: Not really. Maybe. People have said that in the past but I think folks have it pretty much figured out.

Me: I noticed you guys are friends with Adam Bentley from The Rest, who has been on the Phile times. Does everybody in Canada know Adam?

Dean: I don't know, but they should!

Me: Do you all tour together, Dean?

Dean: The Rest?

Me: Yeah, Wildlife and The Rest.

Dean: We've played shows together, that's for sure. I love those guys!

Me: Where in Canada are you from and where do you live now?

Dean: I'm from Oshawa, Ontario and I live in Toronto.

Me: You went all the way to Glasgow to form a band, am I right? That seems a long way to go, why go all the way there?

Dean: Um sort of. My friend and I had been playing with a Scottish drummer in Kingston and we went there for a while on his recommendation. I'd been in school for four years in a medium sized town and it seemed like the thing to do.

Me: Was Glasgow a fun place to live?

Dean: Sometimes. It could be fun but also was pretty gloomy.

Me: How long did you live there?

Dean: Ten months I think.

Me: What's the biggest difference to living in Canada to living in Scotland?

Dean: People don't react we'll to silliness there. And it rains all the time there.

Me: Dean, who are your influences musically and who did you listen to growing up?

Dean: As a kid I listened a lot to what my parents liked. Elton John, Billy Joel, The Beatles. The have very diverse music tastes. Then I got into Nirvana and punk music in a major way.

Me: Any cool bands you're into now?

Dean: I'm sure you know way more about cool bands than I do, man...

Me: Maybe. I have to talk about "On the Heart" again. Who did most of the songwriting?

Dean: I covered the main melodies and lyrics and the band shaped the record sonically in a very collaborative way.

Me: Where was the album recorded, Dean?

Dean: At Tarquin Studio in Connecticut by Peter Katis and at the Boiler Room in Brooklyn by Gus Van Go and Werner F.

Me: Are you already planning your next album?

Dean: Maybe in the tiniest way in the back of our heads.

Me: On the album you have a song called "Arrythmia". What does that mean? Is it somebody's name?

Dean: It is the medical term for an irregular heartbeat.

Me: Of course it is! I'm such an idiot. Okay, so, this year on the Phile I am asking random questions, so here is yours... What makes a house a home? What a stupid question.

Dean: Nothing more than a feeling. If it feels like home, it is.

Me: Dean, thanks so much for being back on the Phile. I hope it was fun. Go ahead and plug your website and everything and please come back soon.

Dean: My pleasure. You can visit at wildlifemusic.ca.

Me: "On the Heart" is available now on iTunes.

There you go, that about does it for this entry. Thanks to Robert A. Medeiros and of course Dean Povinsky. The Phile will be back next Sunday with Phile Alum Shanna Delaney from the band Bethesda and on Monday with the artists known as The Chalk Twins. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let alligators and snakes bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Strawberry Blondes Forever!

Pheaturing Phile Alum Jennifer McKee

All summer long we sang a song and then we strolled that golden sand. Two sweethearts and the summer wind. Hmph! That did not happen. Welcome to the Phile, kids, I am your host, The Lone Blogger.  Did you have a good Independence Day? You didn't get burnt by any fireworks, right? I have to show you this... a Phile reader sent me this photo of Port Jefferson that was taken on the Fourth of July.

I miss Port Jeff.  Anyway, it was estimated that 150 million hot dogs were consumed on the Fourth of July, and another 50 million were eaten by a depressed Paula Deen. While 150 million sounds like a lot, that number actually dropped 3 percent from last year. According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, the slump in sales is due to the increase in raw material costs. Maybe hot dog sales are declining because the people who eat them regularly die. I'm excited to know there is a National Hot Dog and Sausage Council. That is a council I'd like to be a part of.  Researchers at the Center for Tobacco Control at Scotland University are working on an invention: Talking packs of cigarettes that warn smokers about the side effects of tobacco. I don't know; that actually might make me START smoking.  Microsoft is testing a smartphone that can sense your mood, using a scope that tests your mood and shares them on media sites. I don't need that. I have a wife who can test my mood.  President Obama recently gave a big speech on climate change. He believes global warming is getting worse because apparently he's sweating a lot more during his second term.  In an interview, Pat Buchanan predicted that the inflow of Hispanics from the immigration bill will break the U.S. into two countries with different cultures and different languages. Of course, as a resident of Orlando, I can't imagine what that would be like. Tourism officials in Paris have launched a campaign to make Paris friendlier to tourists. First step? Kick out the French.  Obesity has now been declared a disease. How hard is that for a doctor to diagnose?  SO, you guys know I'm a big "Doctor Who" fan, right? Well, on the 50th anniversary episode in November he is getting two new companions. I have a picture of who they are here.

Well, you know about the whole Paula Deen using the N-word, right? That's old news. CNN though had a big debate the other night which I thought was interesting. Check it out.

What about firecracker? Is that a bad word? You know what I love? When magazines and websites show pictures of celebrities with and without their makeup. So, I thought I would do the same thing on the Phile.

LOL. That looks like the face I make when I'm annoyed.  Okay, so, one of the things I like to do in my spare time is to go on Twitter and look up certain words to see what people are talking about. One of those words I look up is Foghat. This is what I found recently.

Apparently during the Stanley Cup playoffs they played "Slow Ride" a lot. Ca-ching! Haha.  It's summer as you know and one of the things I love to do in summer is swim, even though I haven't done that once this summer so far. There's as lot of phascinating swimming pools out there so for a few weeks I am showing them off to you. Take this one, for instance.

The island of Koh Samui's infamous Chaweng Beach is littered with hotels, but none of them comes close to the Library in terms of that all-out beach bliss-out factor. This elegant and modern boutique hotel is most remarkable for its amazing blood-red pool and the tall trees that seem to grow in, around and through the building. The aforementioned red pool serves as the focal point, with daybeds, Thai antiques, and an open air mini-library. Ummm... no thanks. And now, from the home office in Port Jefferson, New York here is this week's...

Top Phive O.J. Simpson Tweets About The Aaron Hernandez Case
5. Aaron - stay strong. If I beat the rap, so can you #juicewasloose
4. A.H. - see if you can get Ito #takeachanceonlance
3. After playing for Belichick, life in prison will be a relief #earlyretirment
2. Showering with guys in NFL different than showering with guys in prison. You'll see #dontdropthesoap
And the number O.J. Tweet about the Hernandez case is...
1. FYI: "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit" is a registered trademark of OJ Enterprises #suehappy

What is wrong with me?! My guest today is a fine Christian woman and it's Sunday! I should know better. LOL. If you spot the Mind Phuck email me at thepeverettphile@gmail.com.

The 32nd and 33rd artists to be pheatured in the Peverett Phile Art Gallery are known as The Chalk Twins. Here's one of their pieces...

The Chalk Twins will be the guests on the Phile next Monday.

Today's guest is a Phile Alum who was the second interview I interviewed on the Phile and was last on the 300th entry a few years ago. She has a self-titled EP on iTunes and could be seen on YouTube in the short "You Don't Know Me". Please welcome back to the Phile, the lovely... Jennifer McKee!

Me: Hello, Jennifer, how are you? Welcome back to the Phile.

Jennifer: Hi, Jason! Thank you so much for having me back! It's been too long since we chatted!

Me: So, in the Phile's history, five years ago you were my second guest but the first musician I had on the Phile, and now 95% of my guests are musicians. You had one three song EP out, which we'll talk about in a bit, but in the past few years you have put your music on the back burner. What happened?

Jennifer: I have still been writing and performing here and there, but I kind of got sucked into the acting world. I've been acting, producing, and writing and screenplays and scripts for TV. I really feel like you go where momentum takes you and the doors kept opening up in that area, so I have just been going with it and having the time of my life. Music is still very core to who I am, and this is just a season.

Me: I know you have done some acting. You were in a video for a band called Viper Creek Club, right? Where did you meet this band, Jen?

Jennifer: I had heard about them, they have quite an underground indie following, but never met them until the casting director for the music video saw my acting headshot and resume and asked me to be a part of the project. It was a blast!!!!

Me: Do you like acting more than singing?

Jennifer: I like them both so much it's hard to compare. I can't imagine not being able to do them both. They are both a creative outlet. It's like comparing apples and oranges though. I love telling stories... whether it's through the lyrics I've written in a song, or telling the story to an audience through performing it, or writing it in a screenplay, or acting out the story. I'm a storyteller, plain and simple.

Me: You also did this video for something which I can't figure out what it's for. The premise is you and a Luke Bryan look-a-like go on a picnic and you're dressed like you were in a 1950's movie, and you eat a film strip or something. I have a picture of you and this guy here...

Me: What is that about?

Jennifer: Ha! I have never even made the connection to him looking like Luke Bryan until you mentioned it! He was such a nice guy and easy to work with. It was very a Seattle based media company. They made the commercial to advertise what they could do for someone's business (marketing, commercials, etc.)

Me: You also were in two independent movies as well. What were they, Jen?

Jennifer: They were small indie short films that were a lot of fun. Indie films have a raw quality to them that is so enticing to me as a storyteller. The people working on them are usually just so thrilled to be there and getting to express their creativity through the avenue of film. One of the films was invited to several film festvals and was very well received.

Me: I just watched your short film you were in called "You Don't Know Me". You were drinking, smoking and you even said the F word. The only thing it was missing was a cat fight. You did get smacked across the face though. Was that short fun to make?

Jennifer: It was fun and challenging. I got a call the day before filming asking me to step in and fill the role. I had to memorize lines fast! It was a continual shot with no edits which means if you mess up you have to start all over from the beginning. I didn't want to be the one to make everyone reset the scene so there was a little pressure to get it right. Some friends of mine produced it and when they called I was more than happy to jump in.

Me: You don't actually smoke or swear in real life, right?

Jennifer: That character is so different from me it's not even funny! It was out of my normal comfort zone for sure. I've had to learn that in acting, I can't always play characters that are like me... or that would do and say things that I would do. In the beginning of my acting career, I was really nervous and worried about how the people that knew me, would react to me playing different roles. I've had to work through that and learn to get over it. Because you are always going to be judged by someone for something. The characters I play are not me. The things that my character says to her friend, I would never say to anyone. I've actually never smoked a cigarette. They were herbal (no nicotine) cigarettes and I didn't even "smoke" them. I pretended.

Me: Were you hesitant smoking? How many herbal cigarettes did you go through?

Jennifer: The night before filming, when I read the script, I called the director/producer and told him that not only did I not smoke, I didn't even know how! So he picked up the herbal cigarettes for me. We actually shot the whole thing in just a few takes so I didn't use many cigarettes at all.

Me: It looks convincing, Jen, so good job.

Me: Remind the readers, and myself where you are from, Jen. Do you get to travel a lot?

Jennifer: My roots are in southern Alabama, but I spent my teen years in Northwest Washington. That's where I currently live and I love it! I go through certain phases where I travel more than others. I haven't traveled for a bit due to some projects I'm working on right now, but I'm getting the itch to pack my bags!

Me: How is your family? You have three boys, am I right?

Jennifer: My family is great! They are so supportive and we are really a team in all we do. I do have three boys. They keep me busy, that's for sure. But they are three of my favorite people on the planet. They keep me laughing.

Me: What do they think of your acting?

Jennifer: They aren't quite sure what to think. One of my son's saw me in a commercial where I was holding another guy's hand and he looked really intently at my husband, to see what his reaction was going to be. He was making sure it was all okay! LOL. Of course it was, so he relaxed. To them, I'm just mom, and as they get older, they seem to think that I'm not really that cool... LOL. They love all the perks of my career though (free tickets to certain shows and events, and meeting other industry people).

Me: They are musicians in their own right... are they still playing?

Jennifer: They are all still playing. I have one son who just eats, breathes, and sleeps music. In his bedroom, alone, he has a drum set, vibes, keyboard, microphones and recording equipment, guitars, congas, etc. He is only 9 years old and has more musical talent than I could dream of. He's a musician through and through.

Me: Your oldest son had his first song published by ASCAP at age 6, if I remember rightly. What is that song called?

Jennifer: The song is "God You Made the World". He recorded it and now, as a 12 year old, when he listens to it, he gets so embarrassed... but I'm still so proud. :)

Me: Have you guys released it?

Jennifer: We never released it to radio or anything. It's on file so if someone wanted to buy the rights to use it, they could. We did mail a CD of it out to every family member we knew though!

Me: I have a 'band' called Strawberry Blondes Forever and we have two singles out... "Bicycle of Oppression" and "Kelly Clarkson". I wrote the lyrics, which are kinda corny. Thank God I am working with a talented musician and collaborator. I bet your son is a lot talented then I am.

Jennifer: Ha! You have so much talent in your gene pool. I'm sure you can hold your own! :) Corny lyrics can be the best!

Me: And is your husband still playing keyboards for you?

Jennifer: He does play on all my recordings and in my live gigs. But, I am planning to start doing some more acoustic shows that will just be guitars. He will definitely enjoy the break. He's more of a behind the scenes kind of guy.

Me: You studied improv at Ryan Stiles' Unfront Theater. I almost went to improve school in the 90s, but was too lazy. Was it fun, and did you learn a lot?

Jennifer: It was a BLAST! I loved it. It really helped my acting. I think everyone should take at least one improv class. It really helps you in all areas of life. I learned so much and I am so glad I took all of those classes. The group of actors at the Upfront are amazingly talented... some of the best in the business. They are some of the nicest, most talented, funniest people I know.

Me: Did you get to meet Ryan?

Jennifer: I did get to meet Ryan. He's a very nice guy.

Me: I have to mention your self-titled EP, Jen. I love the songs on it and listen to "Happily Ever After" a few times in the the last few years. Did you write all the songs on that EP?

Jennifer: Thank you so much! I'm a romantic idealist at heart, so I wrote "Happily Ever After". My husband and I co-wrote "Do You Love Me Still" and my dad and I co-wrote "I See Your Daddy".

Me: The song "I See Your Daddy" gives me tears every time I hear it. Even though my dad passed away in 2000, I am very lucky I am always seeing photo's of him and fans still send me pictures of him I've never seen. Your mom passed away from a car accident, right? Is your dad still alive though?

Jennifer: I do remember us talking about your father and what a legacy he has left! You are so blessed! My mom was killed in a car accident when I was a teenager. My dad is still alive and has been such a support in my life. My mom left an incredible legacy and I strive every day to live up to it. I was blessed to have her as long as I did.

Me: So, who is "I See Your Daddy" about? Last time you were here you said it's based on a song your dad wrote for your mom, am I right?

Jennifer: My dad originally wrote the song "I See Your Mama" about me and my sister; about how when he looked at us, he saw her in our eyes, and if he was missing her, he could see her in us. I took the song, added another verse and bridge and changed a few lyrics so that it could be sung from a woman's perspective. I have had a lot of people have an intense emotional response to that song. If it can touch someone's heart, then that makes all the hard work, and exposing that vulnerability, worth it. 

Me: I know your music is on hold, but you're still writing song lyrics I hope. You ARE writing for TV and movies though. Did you take script writing classes?

Jennifer: I have never taken script writing classes but I have studied script writing a lot on my own, and I have a wonderful co-writer who is so gifted and some great friends and advisors who are wonderful script writers. I do write a lot! Somedays it's a blog post, or a song, or script. I have to always be telling a story.

Me: What kinda stories are you writing? Love stories, biopics?

Jennifer: I just completed a feature length romantic comedy. I'm now working on a period piece dramatic feature length film, an indie style drama, two sitcoms, and a hour long drama/comedy.

Me: What about writing a novel, Jen?

Jennifer: My initial response wants to be "no way, never!" but I've said that before about screenwriting, songwriting, and blogging and look how that worked out for me! LOL. I will never say never again. Who knows... if the right story pops into my head...

Me: You and your sister were selling organic oils. Is that oils that you can put on your skin? You never did send me a sample. LOL. Are you two still working together?

Jennifer: We do still work together. It was an organic, all natural cosmetics company that specialized in lotions and tanning lotions/sprays. The business began taking off faster than we anticipated and we had to put some things on hold because it began to really distract me from my other priorities. We have scaled back and restructuring and planning. I hope to move forward in the future though! I would be more than happy to send a sample! Just give me your address :)

Me: What is the website where a Phile reader can purchase these oils?

Jennifer: Right now, that's all under construction. I will keep you posted!

Me: Any other business ventures you have planned or doing?

Jennifer: You have no idea what can of worms you opened by asking that! LOL. Just in the last 10 months, my husband and I have started businesses! Some retail stores (consignment for woman, furniture consignment, consignment warehouse, auction house, entertainment production company, etc.) We have an amazing team around us that helps run these businesses. They are doing well and are growing so fast! We feel so blessed. We plan to expand more in the near future.

Me: Holy crap. You are so busy. Jen, thanks for being back on the Phile. I really wanted you back as it was five years this year you first were here. And you haven't been here since 2010 when you were on the Phile's 300th entry. I really hope you release more music soon, Jen. Don't put your music on the backburner forever. You are going back to your music sometime, right?

Jennifer: Thank you so much! This has been my pleasure. I hope to release some more music very soon! I have been playing around with different styles and sounds and can't wait to let you hear it!

Me: Alright, so, this year I am asking random questions thanks to a game called Tabletopics. What's one thing you've done that you'd like to erase? And don't say being on the Phile. LOL.

Jennifer: Wow! That's a tough one. And no, the answer wouldn't be being on the Phile... LOL. I'm a forward thinking person and rarely look back... I'm always envisioning the future. I feel like every thing I've ever done has made me who I am today, and I've learned from my mistakes. The biggest regrets are when I've hurt someone and never meant to. I truly love people and want to do everything I can to make those around me feel loved, valued, and important. So, any thing I have ever done or said that would give a wrong impression of how I value people, would be something to erase.

Me: That's really nice, Jen. Mention your websites and I wish you continued success, and come down to Orlando with your family for crying out loud. Take care, Jen. Release more music!!!

Jennifer: I would LOVE to come to Orlando. Maybe I could book a few gigs and make it a "work" trip. Let's chat and see what we can come up with! Jennifermckee.com, Jenmckee.blogspot.com,  Facebook.com/jennifermckeemusic.

Me: Thanks, Jen, take care.

There, about about does it for another entry of the Phile. The Phile will be back tomorrow with Phile Alum Dean Povinsky from the Canadian band Wildlife then next Sunday with Phile Alum Shanna Delaney, lead singer for the band Bethesda and on Monday The Chalk Twins. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Strawberry Blondes Forever!

Pheaturing Anna Easteden From "Wipeout Finland"

Rabbit. That's when I had most of my fun back. High, high, high, high there. Them summer days, those summer days. Good ole Sly and the Family Stone. How does that one line go? Boop-boop-ba-boop-boop when I want to? What on earth does that mean?  Welcome, kids, to the Phile for a Monday. The Supreme Court opening the door for same-sex marriage to resume in California. Apparently, the judges were really swayed by that Liberace movie. Now that the Supreme Court has overturned the Defense of Marriage Act, this ruling means California gay guys can finally marry someone other than Liza Minnelli. I have to say congratulations to same-sex couples. You can now be as miserable as everybody else. If you really don't want gay people to get married, you shouldn't ban gay marriage. You should ban gay divorce. Last week they ruled that it's okay for gay people to get married. This week, they'll rule it's okay for straight people to rollerblade.  President Obama is currently on a week-long trip to Africa, where he will promote freedom, democracy, and economic opportunity. I guess he figured it hasn't worked here... so try it somewhere else. President Obama gave a big address about climate change. I'm doing my part. Day after day I barely expend any energy whatsoever.  The Girl Scouts announced that their pension plan has a $347 million deficit. The Girl Scouts are $347 million in debt so in addition to teaching girls about camping it also is preparing them for careers in government.  Independence Day is coming up and someone released this poster that I'm not too happy about...

I don't think suckit should be one word.  A Phile reader took a picture of this sign and sent it to me.

So, you can't buy booze on July 4th? Okay.  Have you heard that Edward Snowden is gonna have his own TV show in the fall? I have a poster for it right here.

I might watch that. Meanwhile, the NSA will release its last children's book this week. I'm sad, I really like those books they released and I want more. Wanna see what it's gonna be? I think it's the best yet.

LOL. That's funny.  Hey! I like inspirational posters and they released a brand new one this year for July 4th? Wanna see it?

This week on July 4th a lot of people are gonna be swimming in their swimming pools. Not me, I'll be working. But there's some really amazing pools out there on this planet, so that's why for a few weeks I'm showing you the most phascinating ones. Check this out...

Don't believe the photo above? This incredibly crowded wave pool is located in Tokyo Summerland. During summer, it can get really hard to actually find some water inside this pool. That's fucking ridiculous. I bet it smells as well.

Don't think too hard about this one, it's a stretch. If you see it, email me at thepeverettphile@gmail.com.

Yesterday I had Debbie Wasserman Schultz on the Phile talking about DOMA, today she wanted to come on and talk about what Rick Perry said about women's health issues. I'm sure she's fired up. So, please welcome back to the Phile, Chair for the Democratic National Committee... Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

Debbie: "The louder they scream, the more we know we're getting something done."

Me: What is that, Debbie? Welcome back to the Phile by the way.

Debbie: That's not a line from one of the bad guys on "Game of Thrones". That's something that Texas Governor Rick Perry actually said last week about his own constituents.

Me: Really? He said that? About who?

Debbie: The ones fighting for women's health.

Me: I didn't hear this quote. What is he referring to? It is a great line by the way.

Debbie: He was referring to the sweeping anti-choice legislation that he's trying to ram through in the Texas state legislature...

Me: Legislation? What legislation was this?

Debbie: Legislation that was blocked earlier this week by a courageous group of legislators led by State Senator Wendy Davis... which would have the effect of shutting down access to basic health care for many women across the state.

Me: What do you think personally what Rick Perry said, or thinks?

Debbie: I don't understand how Rick Perry could look at what happened in the Texas state house  where thousands of Texans gathered to support Wendy and her colleagues against this extreme anti-woman legislation...

Me: And take it as a sign that he's doing a good job?

Debbie: Yeah, but that's what we're up against.

Me: You'd think the Republicans would learn, right?

Debbie: Jason, a lot of people thought the Republicans would take a lesson from the loss we handed them last November.

Me: What did you think?

Debbie: I certainly hoped they would moderate their policies and rhetoric, especially towards women and other underrepresented groups.

Me: But?

Debbie: But eight months later, they still look like the same party that talked about "binders full of women," the same party who said their "job is not to worry" about 47 percent of the American people, and the same party that talked about "legitimate rape."

Me: The Republicans aren't becoming more reasonable, are they?

Debbie: If anything, they've become more extreme.

Me: What do you think is gonna happen?

Debbie: If we don't get serious now, they'll be in a good position to have major gains in federal and state offices across the country later this year and in the years to come. I'm not willing to let that happen.

Me: I hope you aren't either. Thank you, Debbie, get to work. Help Democrats like Wendy Davis who are going to take it to Republicans like Rick Perry. Is there anything else you wanna say?

Debbie: Everything we fought for in last year's election is at stake right now. We can't wait for the next campaign to get going.

Me: Well said. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, thank you again.

Debbie: Thank you, Jason.

The 32nd and 33rd artists to be pheatured in the Phile's Art Gallery are The Chalk Twins. Here is one of their pieces...

The Chalk Twins will be on the Phile in a few weeks.

Today's pheatured guest is hot... she's also an Award Nominated Finnish American actress whose film appearances include The House of Branching Love and Sideways. She is known for her performance as Bee Sting in "Who Wants to Be a Superhero?" on Sci Fi Channel. She co-starred in soap operas: "Passions" and "Days Of Our Lives", the television series "Bones" on Fox and "Two and a Half Men" and currently she's the host of "Wipeout Finland". Please welcome to the Phile... Anna Easteden!

Me: Hello, Anna, welcome to the Phile. I have to say first thing... my God, you're beautiful! Okay, we got that outta the way, and I'm good at stating the obvious, how are you?

Anna: Thank you. You're so sweet. I appreciate it. I'm doing good!

Me: You're from Finland, right? Is Finnish your first language? I guess it is.

Anna: Yep, Finnish is my first language. I still speak it with my parents to this day.

Me: Your English is pretty good, Anna, when did you learn to speak English? I take it you were pretty young, right?

Anna: Thank you. Yes, I sound pretty American now. I started learning English when I was 8 years old and by my early teen years spoke it fluently.

Me: I have to ask you about your last name... Easteden. It's like East of Eden. Is that a common name in Finland, Anna?

Anna: I really need to read the book "East Of Eden". I have seen the movie by that name. No, it's not a common name at all. In fact I might be one of the few people in the world who has it.

Me: Do you still live over there in Finland? I don't know much about Finland except they created "Angry Birds". I think I interviewed someone else from Finland years ago. It's by Norway, right?

Anna: I live in Los Angeles, and have lived in California for over 10 years now. So far this year I have gone to Finland twice, so I do visit often. But you got it right: Finland and Norway do have a common border. And there is Sweden in between Finland and Norway most of the way, but all three countries meet up in the north.

Me: You are currently the host of "Wipeout Finland". When I first heard of this title I thought why would anybody want to wipeout Finland, then I realized what the show was. Did you have to audition for that part?

Anna: Ha ha! Very funny. I hope no one wants to wipe out Finland. That would be terrible. There is a show called "Wipeout" in the US too, and the show I am hosting is the same show except the Finnish version. I did audition for the job. I was in Los Angeles, so I send in a Youtube video to the producers in Finland. In it, I basically said that I think I'd be an awesome host for the show and luckily the production agreed with me! If you want to see the audition video and at the same time hear me speak Finnish, it's here: youtube.com/watch?v=IC40k8Md7vM.

Me: I have a picture here of you on the set, Anna.

Me: Is it a fun show to do, Anna?

Anna: Oh my! Yes! Super fun. We shoot in Buenos Aires, Argentina. So that alone is fun!

Me: Have you tried any of the obstacles yourself?

Anna: No, I haven't. At first I did want to try them, but I was forbidden because of insurance purposes. But in the end I might have been too scared to try them anyway, so the insurance thing works as an excuse for me anyway. Ha!

Me: I have to tell you, the first interview I ever did on the Phile five years ago was with Jill Wagner, who was the host of the American version of "Wipeout". Like you she has acted and modeled. Do you know Jill?

Anna: Oh, yes, I love Jill. I think she is fantastic as a host, super funny, very beautiful and perfect for the job. I don't know her personally but I certainly have watched her in the American "Wipeout". And she has been a role model for me as the host for "Wipeout".

Me: So, what came first for you, Anna, acting or modeling?

Anna: Modeling. I got my first modeling job at age 12. Acting came along with modeling. As a model I did some commercial and music videos, so those were my first acting jobs.

Me: Did you go to school to study acting?

Anna: Yes, I have gone to many acting schools, some in Chicago and some in Los Angeles. I like to study different approaches to acting, so I can take the things that work for me from each technique.

Me: You have been in some pretty popular shows... "Medium", "Bones", "Two and a Half Men". Wow, you are doing pretty good. On those shows do you play someone from Finland or do you play an American?

Anna: I barely ever get to play a Finnish person. I do play Americans, and I get cast as Russians quite often, which I think is funny, because I don't speak Russian and have never been to Russia. But I'll take it! I do a really good Russian accent though.

Me: I have to ask you how was it working with Charlie Sheen? Any wild stories? Did he hit on you? Did you party with him?

Anna: No wild stories. Sorry. He was such a charming, professional, awesome guy. Really. He took my opinions about our scenes into consideration, which I found very surprising and heart warming. He was the star of the show and I felt like he could do whatever he wanted, and didn't need to ask for my opinion, which he did. Made me like him even more. And no partying for us. I did run into him at a lunch restaurant accidentally a few months later.

Me: Being on TV in Finland and America, how would you compare how they are? I mean, is it pretty much the same thing on set and backstage no matter what country you're in?

Anna: Yes, it's pretty much the same thing. I remember doing the first Finnish project a few years ago when I hadn't worked there for a long time and I was very surprised how similar everything with the shoot was compared to Los Angeles. I felt that even the cinematographer wore the same clothes his American counter part would!

Me: I asked if you play an American on TV, which is somewhat of a stupid question... but, I don't know if I read this right, you once played Nicole Brown Simpson?! Is that the Nicole?

Anna: Yes, I did. I played Nicole Brown Simpson on a Japanese TV-movie. Yes, that Nicole.

Me: Where was this, and how was it playing that part? Was the movie about the murder?

Anna: We shot it in Los Angeles and even used one of the homes she ones lived in as a shooting location. I remember feeling scared when I played her because of what happened to her. We shot a murder scene in which you cannot tell who the actual murdered her. Shooting that scene was pretty intense because it was super cold and I had to lay on cold cement steps covered in fake blood trying not to shiver for a few hours. Later on the movie was dubbed with Japanese voice-over and the voice of the Japanese actress who dubbed Nicole sounds nothing like me. It's pretty funny to watch if you know what I actually sound like.

Me: Nicole wasn't a red head, Anna, did you have to dye your hair?

Anna: My hair was blondish for that job. Yes, it was colored.

Me: Who played OJ?

Anna: I am superbly embarrassed right now… because for the life of me, I cannot remember his name! How terrible of me! He is a fantastic actor and he actually isn't American originally either. Very sweet guy.

Me: I personally first heard about you from Stan Lee's "Who Wants To Be A Super Hero?" You played a villain in that show, right? Bee Sting?

Anna: Yes, Bee Sting. A villain who wears a sort of a bee dress with beehive hair and has an attitude. 

Me: I only saw one or two episodes of that show, and for a minute I thought you were named Bee Sting, pronounced like beasting, but it was bee sting. Was that fun to make, that show?

Anna: That role was so much fun! I loved playing a villain because I get to be evil and not feel bad about it. In real life I try to be super nice to everyone, so it's fun to get to be mean every once in a while.

Me: I bet you became really popular with the geeks, Anna. Did you do a lot of conventions for that show?

Anna: I have been to a few conventions, yes. It's funny that some people still recognize me as Bee Sting, even though I have done many other characters after that. But I think she is memorable for many people.

Me: Did you get to meet Stan Lee?

Anna: Yes, I got to meet Stan Lee. He is such a great man. He worked with all of us, even if it was late. I think one night we were still on set at midnight and he was there with us. He is such an icon to many people and I feel lucky to have worked with him.

Me: Are you into comic books?

Anna: I don't read comic books on regular basis. I do like to watch all the movies based on comics, and certainly would love to act in them.

Me: I vaguely remember that show as being a reality show, but it was scripted, am I right?

Anna: Yes, all of my parts were scripted. But the show really was a reality show for all the contestants, who were "good people". The villains parts and Stan Lee's part was scripted.

Me: You also modeled as comic book characters I think. I am a big comic book buff, and don't understand this. Did you model for anything in particular?

Anna: Yes, I basically posed for the artist who draws the characters and you can clearly see my features and body even though the images are depicting a famous comic book character. So I am sort of blended into the characters. I have been on the cover of Wizard magazine and other comic book publications.

Me: Who did you model as?

Anna: I have modeled as Mary-Jane from Spider-Man, as X-Men's Rogue and Colleen Wing from "Daughters of the Dragon" among others.

Me: Do you still do a lot of modeling, Anna?

Anna: Yes, here and there. I do feel that I am an actress now more than a model. But I do still love modeling as well.

Me: So, are you gonna be in any other TV shows or anything my readers can see over here in the States?

Anna: I just booked an awesome acting job that unfortunately I cannot talk about it publicly yet, but keeping my fingers crossed all will go well with that one, so I can let you know about it soon!

Me: How many episodes of "Wipeout" are you gonna be doing? Did you sign for another season?

Anna: We have ten episodes for the first season and I would love to do another season. I think it's a really fun job.

Me: I really thank you for being on the Phile and I hope you can come back again. On the Phile I ask random questions thanks to Tabletopics, so here is yours... Would you prefer money for a housekeeper, cook, gardener or personal secretary? I don't understand that question, Anna, do you?

Anna: Hmmm… Okay, so does it mean that I would get extra money just so I could hire one of those people? I actually constantly think that I need a housekeeper who also cooks! So, let's hope now that I magically get enough money to hire one full time. I would love someone to keep my house clean because I dislike cleaning and I would love someone to cook my meals at home because I think food tastes so much better homemade.

Me: That's a good enough answer. Go ahead and plug your websites and please come back again, Anna.

Anna: Thanks for having me! I loved it. My website: AnnaEasteden.com. Twitter: twitter.com/AnnaEasteden. Facebook: facebook.com/AnnaEastedenFanSite. IMDB: imdb.com/name/nm0794609/.

Me: Thanks again, Anna.

Man, she's hot, right? That about does it for another entry of the Phile. Thanks to Debbie Wasserman Schultz and of course Anna. The Phile will be back next Sunday with Phile Alum Jennifer McKee and then on Monday with Phile Alum Dean Povinsky, lead singer for the band Wildlife. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Have a safe Independence Day, everyone.