Tommy says I am not allowed to be an Olympic commentator.....

So allow me to begin this email by saying.... Holy cow on a multimedia dreamscape cast of thousands, Batman! Like really?? Like , are you kidding? Like, man alive, well I declare, now that just beats everything..... Holy freaking Olympics opening ceremony man..... I have never really watched one before, maybe that's lame, but I just never have, I am 33 years old, and during the last one I was at Pennsic War with a bagpipe group from Germany and I missed it, 4 years before that I was on tour with a circus side show and somehow I just never was by a tv during the show. Somehow I am thinking they really have never been quite like this before. I think China kind of went over and above board in an it makes me feel like saying , "Never mind, guys, I didn't really need to be a performer anyways, I don't know what I was thinking, I'll just go back to bed now....." kind of way. That said, in the middle of the thousands of tai chi masters moving energy and just generally terrifying the shit out of me , all I could think to say to my dear husband was , "So, do you think if they accidentally misstep and trip another dancer/warrior , that their families all get executed or jailed or something????" Tommy, with an air of complete disdain , said "And that's the reason you are not allowed to commentate during the Olympics, Mandee..." I mean, it was really the most lovely thing I have ever seen, heard, felt , experienced, the Chinese have generally raised the bar artistically , spiritually, in every conceivable way....... But sometimes you just wonder about these things. I mean, it's not like we are any better about these things here in America anyways.....

So I digress, Olympic opening ceremonies, Shmolympic schmopening scheremonies......
I WAS ON THE FREAKING TODAY SHOW Y'ALL! It's just for a second, but it's still pretty durned exciting
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26037035?pg=2%23TDY_UglyModels
To see the video the direct link is :
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/26090936#26090936

I am represented by a modeling agency called UGLY NY and they have been great. They have gotten me some super fun gigs and they thrill me generally speaking. I was in a shoot a month and a half again for a Swiss production company called Wiener Klappe and they used a bit of the footage. I am pretty thrilled to say the least. I have known for a long long time that I am not traditionally what is considered within the concept of an American beauty, and being an American girl that has always been important to me on some level, and trying to change the rigid concepts of beauty has always been a personal goal of mine which I have hoped to pursue by performing like I didn't give a damn. To have it validated on the Today show of all places, and with Al Roker yet, well, that was weird. I kind of liked it. I feel so dirty inside and it's ok. Maybe someday I will be singing on the show. Shoot, maybe someday I will play the world stage in Beijing for that matter, I mean, if I am dreaming, I may as well dream big, right?

So, I started a new blog, I may try and start moving my opinions and musings there and kind of save this email list for actual show announcements , if you want to let me know what you think of that, I would appreciate input.
My new blog (I will continue to maintain the ones on myspace and tribe, but I really like the uploading features and openness, i .e. not needing to be a member of something to be able to read it, it just seems more egalitarian to me) is:
http://phatmandee.blogspot.com/
Also, I can put pictures and video on it more easily, I can't seem to do that here in Google Groups.

So, I have been traveling a bit, I just played Florida for my first time ever. you know I have always wondered why so many people (specifically all the Jews who could afford it in my family) are always droaning on and on about "Flahr-ida, oh tattelah dahling, ya gotta go, just marry a nice docta and pray he moves you to Boca, baby." So I didn't marry a doctor, I married an Amoeba, and that's that, fortunately his sister lives there and though I did visit her once and it was amazing, I have never played there. I played a beautiful resort, a clothing optional , nudist resort, called Caliente. It was like a dream world. I'm still not sure if it's real. I made some wonderful new friends, I rediscovered a spiritual connection I forgot about some time ago and our show kicked ass. Foxy Moxy put it all together and as soon as I get some video of it I shall let you all see it.

My next local gig is August 16. I am playing Club Cafe with a festival called "Chicks Who Rock!" I have always thought I was more of a chick who swung, but apparently when you weigh 300 pounds swinging kind of looks and feels like rocking. I dunno, I am going to sing some songs. Some from the cd, some from my head last week and all with Chris Parker, local guitar god. He's hot, he plays like crazy, and I simply adore him. He played with me on my cd on drums and I think he's just swell. Also performing this night is : Tangerine, Una de Luna, Debutante, Lovebettie, Soma Mestizo! 21 and over, tix at door. Showtime is 7 pm, be there on time , the Club Cafe is an intimate space , and I think the performers will take up half the seating..... Hot chicks, alcohol, music and more. S 12th and E Carson St, South Side, Pittsburgh, PA, aka the land of the Giant Killers...... I have no idea what tix are price wise, what ever it is, we are all worth so much more.
Call 412-431-4950 for info.
Or visit:
http://www.clubcafelive.com
http://www.ticketmaster.com/venue/180268

So, America here, I come, Tommy and I bought my cousin Shelley's minivan , and, though it may have 125,000 miles on it, I know every one of them was lovingly maintained by my Uncle Johnny from Tulsa, Oklahoma , he's a brilliant mechanic and he was a wonderful donkey. I am sad we didn't get a photo of Tommy Amoeba riding the donkey, he really took to the animal. I mean I thought it was sweet, but I am more into beagles. We came home from Tulsa this week in our first ever cross country road trip. It was very exciting.
Next week, South Side, the week after Windber, next month, the world! (Or at least the Northern Coast of California..... I still need to get my passport.)

Love, kisses, lucypoops and raindrops, I remain ever your humble servant,
Phat Man Dee