TED: Amazing First Day in Monterey

I find myself at the center of the thinking world today. I am at the TED conference in Monterey California. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design. It is three days of back-to-back 18 minute speakers from the people from around the world who are doing or thinking about the things that our going to change the way we live and maybe even determine if we get to live. The amazing and unique thing about this conference is that it gives equal weight to beauty and art as it does to physics and science. It reminds us to work on making the world a better place, because LIFE is so great.

Day one began with a series titled "Who we are" and the highlight was an emotional ride with Jill Taylor who took the audience through blow by blow story of her stroke and how it influenced the research she does as a brain specialist. She was so overcome by the experience that she seemed possessed on the stage and had a tear eyed audience on their feet at the end of her talk. (thats her in the picture with me above) Her talk was part of an agenda that included talks on the expansion of space and matter, the history of people on the planet and challenges and questions about our very existence. there was even his Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar teaching us to be aware of which nostril we were breathing through. Dur ring a break, I was introduced to Larry Page. He is one of the founders of Google. My Friend Lawrence Bender said that I was changing Hollywood when he introduced us. (shut up) I am sure he meant to say "Netflix is changing Hollywood," but either way a nice thing to say.

The surprise TED moment came during a technical breakdown during a taping of a debate on the power of the media for the BBC. while the audience was left waiting for the tech snags to get fixed, a very British voice begins to yell from the audience a lot of technical nonsense. The voice turns out to be Robin Williams who then comes to the stage and riffs through 20 minutes of crazed improv comedy. Reminding this heady crowd to lighten up.

After a great day of speakers, a bunch of the LA folks went to a small dinner hosted by William Morris. Meg Ryan, Alexander Payne and the original Blue Man Group (without the makeup) had a great time and we moved the party to an English pub and Cameron Diaz joined.

Day One is over...

Independent Spirt Awards

The Independent Spirit Awards were amazing. The show was SO funny and the after party was better than it has been in the past with a thinned out guest list. For all the glitz, the highlight for me was sitting across from one of my heroes and the funniest man alive Martin Short and being interviewed. He was so fast and so funny, that I mostly just laughed through it.

Semi- Pro Premiere

Tony and I went to the premiere of the new Will Ferrell's new movie Semi-Pro. I think Will may have made the same movie one time too many. The party was fun though and Tony got to meet McLovin'!

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

On Friday night I had the amazing fortune to get into some of the LA Grammy fun by attending the MusiCares Artist of the Year tribute to Aretha Franklin. My date and I were guest of Tony and Danny Bennett, so we had the best table in the house. Sitting in various seats behind us, were Quincy Jones, Natalie Cole, Barry Gordy, The Rev. Al Sharpton (who i swear was calling Aretha "Uretha"), Mike Love, Paul Williams and a real "who's who" in the music business.

The night began with an outragious silent auction. It was a giant ballroom full of art, memoriblia, jewlery and general stuff. I bid on a few pieces of art but was outbid but did end up with 2 packages of videogames.

The show was amazing. Highlights included a live apearance (but not performance) by Dan Akroyd and Jim Belushi as the Blues Brothers, John Legend, who's breezy version of Daydreamin' didnt really work, but he is such a cool breeze himself, his appearance worked and The Queen of Soul herself closed the show.

She is like Mount Rushmore to see in person. Larger than life literaly and figurativly. Seeing her perform live is something I will tell my Grandchildren about someday.

Sitting at a table with Tony Bennett a few feet in front of a stage full of Aretha made for a pretty magic night.

2 Days in Paris is releasing on DVD tomorrow

Hairspray in Palm Springs

OK - This is way out of sequence, but I just noticed the pictures. Last month, Netflix hosted a special outdoor screening of Hairspray in Palm Springs. The event was awesome some of the key cast came out as well as the director and compsoer of the film. Because we had the Ricki Lake produced documentary "The Business of Being Born" at the same festival, Ricki agreed to come and introduce the film. Cool, becasue she starred in the original John Waters version. After the screening and a dinner, Ricki and I went gambling at the casinos until the wee small hours. We had a great time and the event was a big hit.

"The Business of Being Born" is turning out to be a nice little hit too. So cool when you can like the people you work with. Rick Lake is more fun that you can imagine and passionate about her film and about life.

Spirit Awards are coming up...

Sundance 2008

Well another Sundance has come and gone. It is like Christmas. You look forward to it all year. The stress of the event nearly kills you and then it is over in a blink of the eye. I saw some amazing films (Just Another Love Story, The Wackness and The Complete History of My Sexual Failures were standouts), attended too many parties and had a great experience doing a panel presentation for the fest. It was as cold as I remember any Sundance and of course I came home with the post-Sundance bug that takes out half of LA every year.

Pictured above

#1 On the Panel with Dan Glickman of the MPAA

#2 with Graham Taylor at Geoff Gilmore's Hollywood Reporter Party

#3 with Annie Sundberg, Ricki Stern, Rachel Dratch and freinds at the Netflix Party at Chimayo

#4 with Sean Covel, Cindy Holland, Robert Kyncl and Erin Ruane

#5 Ted, Cindy and Robert