Mindschmootz's Podcast Mindschmootz

I am very lucky; I get to engage in conversation with some pretty amazing people. The topics of conversation can range from the political world, to the entertainment world, to the wonderful world of science. Sometimes I am fortuitous enough to wrap all those conversations into one. My interview with Michelle Paradise is one such exchange.

A few weeks ago, simply by happenstance, I mentioned to my partner in life (and in crime) that I saw a tweet announcing Michelle Paradise is writing for a new CW series, The Originals. Having been a vocal fan of Paradise's earlier projects, The 10 Rules, and the offspring of that award winning short, Exes & Ohs, I was intrigued by the change of creative pace from quirky, female, comedy ensemble to dark, brooding, vampire/witch drama. But as I write this, and knowing females as I do, that kind of sounds somewhat similar given the situation and the proportional need for chocolate...or wine. My better three-quarters, being the proactive, pushy type (it's ok, she knows it), says to me, "Wanna talk to her?" And the rest as they say is history and a testament to the gracious nature of this talented actor, writer, and producer.

In this episode, we certainly talk about the new series, The Originals, which Vampire Diaries fans will recognize as a spinoff of that very popular CW series, and the untimely end to Exes and Ohs, but we also forage along the periphery of politics (which in the end was edited out because it's so damn depressing), nip at the intellectual titillation of science porn, and pretty much anything else that happens to come to mind. And yes, my better three-quarters makes her podcast debut...though by the end, you will see she is losing her better-than-half-fraction status. Say goodnight, Gracie

So, download this conversation at your leisure. I'm sure you will enjoy it as much as I did. After all, how often do I get to mention Lucy, the humanoid Australopithecus, in the context of lesbian dating rules, and my guest not only understands, but expounds on the fact? OK, don't answer that...just listen.

There is nothing I like more than sitting down to a conversation with a smart, funny woman. Ok, add wine and maybe I would like it more. That being said, the time I spent chatting with Vivian Bang, one of the stars of the TBS comedy, Sullivan & Son, ranks right up there with some of my favorite interviews. Vivian is delightfully witty, a quick come-back, and she kept me laughing throughout the exchange. We talk about what it takes to play Susan, an Asian-Irish (yes, Irish) character on Sullivan & Son (Daughter), the dysfunctional family dynamic including mothers and daughters, and what social networks have done to/for our dating lives and relationships...and, yes, a mime(?).

So, sit back and enjoy. I know I did. Oh, and grab a glass of wine; it only get better.

Yes, long before Jillian Michaels began losing it, I have been captivated with that sultry, raspy-voiced, blues siren, Beth Hart. Just look at the picture a couple of lines above this text, and the reason is obvious, right? In the most superficial of ways, yes, but what draws me to Beth is the nostalgia her music conjures. When I was fourteen, I began frequenting the underground, back-room blues clubs of my native Deep South. On any given Saturday late-night, the smoke was thick, the bourbon was flowing, and blues legends, both male and female, appeared without notice and poured out their souls to the audience. Those were gut wrenching songs of betrayal and lies, heartache and loss, and yet in momentary personal defeat, their eventual triumph.

Just as in the music performed in the clubs of my youth, Beth’s inspiring journey is personified in her songs. In this episode we talk about her many recent successes, both professionally and personally, and what she had to overcome to get there. What I took personally from our conversation is that when exorcising private demons, you have to look the devil in the eye, but never lose the “spirit of God”.

Yes, in singing the pain out of the blues there lies hope, and in that hope, Hart.

I met Alec Mapa about ten years ago at a charity fundraiser. He performed a stand-up set that left me in pain; I laughed so hard my side hurt. Rare is the occasion that giving to charity not only exercises your heart, but also works your abdominals. As I sat down with Alec last week, I am happy to report nothing has changed. Baby Daddy is Alec's Kickstarter campaign to produce a documentary based on his latest stand-up tour of the same name. Listen as Alec reveals the journey of a loving couple's decision to adopt a child out of America's foster system. As Alec puts it, as a celebrity and a bit of a material girl, you really don't have to go out of this country to adopt a black child!

Want a half an hour just to laugh? Then listen to Alec bribe your donation buck with homemade cookies (yes, he bakes them himself), a follow on social media, updates that will leave you smiling all day, and much, much more. Any one man can be a father, it's simple science, really. It takes someone special to be a daddy. Hey, we've all heard the saying before, right, but Alec is the phrase personified. Listen, and then buck it:

Katherine Bailess will premier Monday, May 27th on VH1 as Kyle Hart in the new scripted drama, Hit the Floor, about the Los Angeles Devil Girls, the dance team surrounding the city's professional basketball team. "Kyle" is the tough talking Southern girl that uses what she's got to get what she wants, and she's not afraid to kick a little dance-girl ass in the process. But don't let that tough, six-packed, exterior fool you, Kyle is not without heart and humor. The series stars Charlotte Ross and Dean Cain, and also the beautiful squad of Taylor Paige. Logan Browning, and Valery Ortiz. And if that's not enough, Kimberly Elise. Basketball team, what basketball team?

Get ready for a little Southern hospitality

I have reached the point where I have to ask myself, why am I so drawn to entertainment that is dark and depraved yet decidedly humorous? At any given moment I’m yelling at my television, “Oh my God!”, and then in the next moment guffawing, “Oh, my side.” How do I justify these acts of murder and mayhem in a moral sense when applied to the dead, the undead, and the deadly? My answer, it’s simply Being Human.

Being Human is the Syfy Channel series that although originated in the UK, has taken on an afterlife of its own here in the States. Three very unlikely heroes, a vampire, a ghost, and a werewolf, form a supernatural support group hell bent on protecting each other from a society dead set on exorcising them from its ranks. Forced into this other world by no choice of their own, they are now forced to “live” out their new existence all the while trying to fit in and be human...or as humanly possible as they can.

The series just completed its third, and in my opinion, best season with a finale that leaves each character in limbo. No wait, limbo was the season two finale. In any case, take my word for it that the season three end is an absolute killer. As a result, I sought out one of the writing team to try and get a little insight into what makes Being Human so incredibly thought provoking and yet so darkly entertaining. The embedded podcast is a record of our conversation.

Sit back, grab a snack, and get ready to laugh, yes laugh. Never has blood, black magic, and being uniquely human been quite this humorous.