Theater Arts Guild (TAG) auditions for the musical A Christmas Carol will be held September 9 and 10, 2008 at Lincoln Elementary School auditorium in Mount Vernon, WA. Singers, dancers and actors with talent of all ages, ethnicities, and “body typesâ€! Parts for up to 60 actors! Show opens Nov.14 at McIntyre Hall in Mount Vernon. For appointments check the TAG website for detailed audition tips and information about the show at www.theaterartsguild.org.
Tagged.com Phishing Website
 I’ve had a couple real-world friends send me invitations to this website so I checked it out a bit. Here is info on Tagged.com:
Tagged.com is a phishing website that masquerades as social networking website. It was co-founded by Greg Tseng and Johann Schleier-Smith and launched in October 2004 by Tagged Inc. and is privately owned. The site allows its users to send messages, leave comments, post bulletins, customize status, browse photos, watch videos, play games, give tags, chat and make friends. Early innovations include the use of slides and Youtube as a part of the site’s graphical interface. As of July 2008, the site claims to have 70,000,000 registered users.
Dubai Firm Buys 20 Percent of Cirque Du Soleil
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/06/ap/business/main4324809.shtml
Excerpt:
The government-controlled developer of palm-shaped islands off Dubai’s coast and a related investment arm said Wednesday they have bought a 20 percent stake in international circus touring company Cirque du Soleil.
Property developer Nakheel and investment company Istithmar World Capital did not say how much they paid for their share of the group, which began performing in Quebec nearly a quarter century ago and is today a mainstay of theaters in Las Vegas and the Far East.
The agreement keeps control of the Montreal-based entertainment company in the hands of founder Guy Laliberte, putting to rest for now speculation that the troupe would be sold outright.
Second Earthquake in Sichuan China
 
A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck China’s Sichuan province on Tuesday, killing at least one person and seriously injuring five others. Sichuan province is still recovering from the devastating 7.9 earthquake on May 12, 2008.
The quake’s epicenter was located about 50 kilometers (30 miles) north-northwest of Guangyuan, near Sichuan’s border with neighboring Gansu province.
Hours before the quakes struck, the Olympic torch relay made its way through parts of Sichuan, on its way to the Summer Games, which get under way Friday in Beijing, some 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) away.
 Full Article:
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/08/05/china.earthquake/index.htmlÂ
My First Trip to Hong Kong
I finally ventured out of my new home in Macau, China and into the big city of Hong Kong. It was just a day trip so we hit the shopping stalls in Mong Kok (Called the “Ladies Market”) and then onto the clubs in Wan Chai at night (the Ghylo party district).
The Zaia Taxi
Check out the Zaia Taxi – one of the great marketing ideas for the Cirque show ZAIA in Macau (Venetian Casino). For a month up to the soft opening and up to the grand opening of the show – I would say that one out of every four taxis in Macau have the ZAIA advertisement. It’s EVERYWHERE. And yes, it’s very fun to be in the show and then ride a Zaia taxi around town!
Hong Kong Annie
Meet Hong Kong Annie – our favorite Mamasan at the Waikiki Club in Hong Kong. You can find the Waikiki club in the Wan Chai party district – with plenty of other clubs on the same street. We finally got smart and only went into the clubs with about $20 in our wallet – otherwise they will clean you out (and they’re very good at it!).
Fairy Tale
A friend sent me this true to life fairy tale and I thought it was excellent!
Leaky toilet exposes corrupt China official
You’ve received over a million dollars in bribes which you keep in your apartment in boxes. Everything’s cool – then your toilet leaks and you lose it all. True story! Read about it here:
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/08/03/china.toilet/index.htmlÂ
Basketball 2008 at Venetian Macau
 
Kobe Bryant of the U.S. looks on during their friendly basketball game against Lithuania as part of their training for the Beijing Olympics, at the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel in Macau August 1, 2008.
We’ve got some crazy crowds here at the Venetian in Macau for the USA Basketball International Challenge. I’ve never seen so many Chinese wearing in Lakers jerseys!