I don’t know about you, but I can’t get enough of Sex and the City.  I can sit back and re-watch previously aired episodes (and either of the two movies) and still laugh and smile at the funny, witty, yet blatantly true remarks that fly between the fiery female foursome.  What makes the show ring so true to so many is that each of us can find a little bit of ourselves in at least one of the characters – the sexuality of Samantha, the couture eye of Carrie, the musings of Miranda, or the conventional simplicity of Charlotte.  Oh, and the shoes…the shoes… let’s not forget the fabulous shoes!  The fashion that walked right off the runway that we all covet on the screen makes us long for lusting after the Sex and the City-ish lifestyle more!

Candace Bushnell’s writing has always captivated me.  Have you caught the episodes of her latest and greatest – The Carrie Diaries?  It’s a prequel to Sex and the City, based upon her bestselling book.  Bushnell also has a new novel due out in 2015, a continuation of The Carrie Diaries, called Killing Monica.

So when Candace Bushnell connected me with the brilliance of Michelle Ortega, owner of Hip Chicks Flicks, I had to pay attention.  Ortega is about to bring us the reality show documentary version of Sex and the City – New York City under the dating microscope – The Single Ladies of NY.

Check out her promo video to get a quick feel for the quips and quotes that strike a chord so self-evident, you have to nod your head as you relate to the commonality shared across city boundaries into every girl’s single life.

“One of the sexiest things is to smile and be happy.  People don't know what you're drinking, but they want a sip!” is a sample of one of the one-liners that sparks truth and at the same time lures you in for wanting more. What is the secret to attraction? What makes dating a success? The documentary is a seduction in of itself – sucking you in to the world of women who navigate the dating waters in the most famous city in the world.

The Single Ladies of NY is due out in October 2014 if Ortega, the producer and director, gets her backing of $25,000.   Yes, it costs money to make movies.  She’s going to canvas the city conducting more interviews to get a broader spectrum of people from all walks of life, ages, and experiences. 

Besides interviewing your average singletons in the city, Ortega is consulting with dating experts, too, to give this film some meat and potatoes to back up the opinions and experiences of those portrayed.  Filming these interviews constitutes an expense for the crew.  Then there’s editing, licensing, insurance, and marketing costs to consider as well.  This isn’t a mom and pop shop production.  Ortega’s got the muscle of Directors of Photography Svetlana Cvetco and Norm Magnuson, Gaffer Chris Turiello, and Audio Operators David Tews and Heather Duthie all behind her.  She’s aiming for film festivals and the future success of this film.  If you’d like to help bring this project to fruition, and earn some film credits in the process, be sure to click on her campaign.  Every level of donation has its perks!

This isn’t your ordinary “original” idea asking for contributions. Ortega is a video producer with over 20 years of experience.  The final cut will be professional, heartwarming, and hilarious, that so many can relate to.  It’s about time we saw a reality show version of sex and New York City come to life!

The success of shows stationed in The Big Apple in the past, brings out the belief that we can’t get enough of New York.  It’s the big city allure – the background for countless movies – and the place for cultural revolution.  New York City is the heartbeat of cosmopolitan chic for the rest of the world.  Ortega’s premise asks, are the multitudes in an urban area what causes men to select many, instead of monogamy?  Sort of like how you want to try different flavors of ice cream rather than sample just one?  It’s a question worth exploring.  Is dating really different in The City?

Ortega’s inspiration for The Single Ladies of NY stems from her own experiences.

“I had been through a fairly recent divorce from a long-term marriage of 13 years and decided to move to New York to get a new start.  Being newly single in a place where I barely knew anybody, was far more daunting and humbling than I ever imagined.  I'm such an independent person and for some stupid reason I just didn't think it was going to be that hard!  Facing loneliness, learning how to flirt, navigating online dating, being over 40 in a young city… and learning what it meant to date again, was a bit overwhelming.” 

“As I made new girlfriends and heard their stories of being single, I gained from their wisdom, was able to laugh at the stories and my own situation, and also get inspired and find comfort in this new chapter of my life.  As with any of my projects, I decided to create this film to learn about myself and to help others who might be seeking the same answers.  I'm not setting out to prove any points, but rather to seek a wide range of perspectives and get to some universal truths.  I'm curious about the differences and similarities of women dating in various age groups,” Ortega explains.

Her own dating challenges, hopes, and shared stories of friends adds an authenticity to experiences that many of us have had, are having, or will have in the future.  There’s something comforting in knowing that you’re not the only one who has been there, done that.

As with her work, Ortega is confident in her approach with people, which will no doubt translate into her success on both professional and personal levels.  To start the ball rolling and gain some momentum for her movie, she boldly presented the trailer to Candace Bushnell on Twitter, who, passed it along to me, which I then picked up and ran with.  Ortega was “thrilled” when her project was noticed by the person who pioneered “sex” and the “city”.

“I'm a big fan of shows that feature professional and empowered women, and Sex and the City is a classic.  I think Candace Bushnell is quite an inspiration.  Yes, sometimes when I send communications out to people like that I think for a second, ‘What am I doing?  They don't even know me!’  but then I hit send anyway. [She remarks with a smile.]  I made a vow to myself this year to go outside my comfort zone.  Fundraising is certainly that,” says Ortega, who identifies herself most with Carrie Bradshaw from the HBO series.

If you are interested in making an appearance in The Single Ladies of NY, Ortega says that casting calls will be held.  She is specifically looking for: women in their 50's and 60's, wider ethnic diversity,  members of the LGBT community, and  single men.  She anticipates possibly using Craig’s List to find her targets, but she may also reach out to community groups, too – designer shoes not required. 

“Dating experience is not a requirement.  I would love to interview people who have chosen not to date or who are confused about dating and trying to navigate that realm as well.  I'm not looking for photogenic quality so much as I am as a personal charisma that makes someone want to listen or get engaged.  What I'm really looking for is to represent a wide diversity of ethnicities and perspectives,” shares Ortega.

If you think you have what it takes for the big screen, contact Michelle Ortega at [email protected] and provide a picture and a bit about your background and story.  You never know…

“I really like to capture the interviews in the environments where the single ladies live, work, and play.  My favorite backgrounds include seeing some aspect of New York, so I try to get them outside wherever possible.  I think New Yorkers are survivors.  I think they're chic and savvy, but I also think they wear their hearts on their sleeves, are honest, direct and not afraid to be vulnerable.  However, they're not afraid to kick some serious ass to protect themselves when necessary,” Ortega elaborates on the feeling she’s trying to capture in her film.  [I think she’s got New York women pretty pegged!]

Ortega hopes to include everyone she films in the final cut, but she says that the flow of the feature, the editing, messages, and story arc will dictate who ends up in the film, and who hits the cutting room floor.  The feature length should be around 90 minutes.

“The first screening will likely be a premiere in New York that is invitation only and for backers/participants in the film.”

As for Ortega, her dream is to live on Perry Street and make a living as a writer or filmmaker – maybe this is the start!  As The Single Ladies of NY gains more momentum, Ortega hopes it will evolve into a TV or internet series that spans a global perspective on dating. 

“I would like to interview The Single Ladies of California next so we can see the differences of the two coasts.  I want as many people to see the film as possible.  I have yet to meet a documentary filmmaker that actually makes decent money, but it would be great if I could work on this project full-time.  I personally don't want to be famous, as I'm a pretty private person, but rather I would love for the series to be famous!  Ultimately, I want people to find comfort, inspiration, solid dating tips, laughs, and love connections through the info they gain in this film.”

PRESS RELEASE:  RED BANK, NJ – February is the month to dine fine! Dine local and eat global right here in town! Red Bank RiverCenter with support from Red Bank Flavour, is happy to announce a brand new dining promotion “Red Bank Restaurant Week” February 16-27 (excluding Friday & Saturday).  Twenty-seven restaurants will be offering special prix fixe dinner menus including an appetizer, entrée and dessert for $30, a few are even 2 for $30 (tax, beverage and gratuity not included)! Quite a few of the restaurants are newparticipants in a Red Bank dining promotion including The Chowda House, Puglia of New York, Whipped and Char Steakhouse. “The menu’s are exciting” says Program Manager, Amanda Lynn, “we are looking forward to bringing new diners to check out our outstanding restaurants!”

Red Bank Restaurant Week will satisfy all tastes as the restaurants will be offering delicious American, French, Italian, Mediterranean, and seafood fare. Menus will be posted online to help make your dining selections!

In addition to fabulous dining opportunities, many of theeateries and food retailers are participating with Buy One Get One options. For example buy a sandwich get a side free, coffee with a pastry, buy one cupcake get one free and so much more! Some of the retailers involved, Carter &Cavero, Spice & Tea Exchange of Red Bank, Carlo’s Bakery and The Cheese Cave. “Red Bank has so many wonderful eateries and we are thrilled to be able to promote them as part of Restaurant Week” says Executive Director, James Scavone, “not only can patrons experience the fine dinner options they can explore lunch and retail shopping as well.”

Red Bank RestaurantWeek offers a great opportunity for people to try a new restaurant and take a stroll through town for some shopping and entertainment. Parking is available and FREE after 6:00 pm!  Follow your taste buds to a cool little town.

Please visit acoollittletown.com for more information.

Participating Red Bank Restaurants include:

Biagio Wood-Fired Pizza*

Blue Water Seafood

Char Steakhouse

Danny's Steakhouse & Sushi

Dish, A Restaurant

Earth Pizza*

Front St Trattoria

Gaetano's

Good Karma Café

Jamian's Food & Drink

La Pastaria

Molly Pitcher Inn

Monticello of Red Bank

New Corner Restaurant

Puglia of New York

Siam Garden

Sicilia Café

Taste

Teak

Temple Gourmet Chinese

The Bistro at Red Bank

The Chowda House

The Dublin House

The Melting Pot

The Oyster Point Hotel

Via 45

Whipped*

*2 for $30

-

For more information, please visit www.ACoolLittleTown.com

Red Bank RiverCenter, the Red Bank business alliance, is a not-for-profit alliance of businesses, property owners, and residents working toward the economic vitality of the Red Bank business district.

PRESS RELEASE:  Atlantic Highlands, N.J. (February 6, 2014) – The world-renowned TEDtalks mission arrives to Red Bank, N.J. on Saturday, May 10, 2014 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Two River Theater, 21 Bridge Avenue. The all-day conference will offer attendees two-dozen live talks and performances that explore the surprising ways play benefits our lives. The event will be recorded live for a global audience and ticket sales are limited.

“As a facilitator of greater openness, tolerance, creativity and curiosity, the act of play is a positive and resourceful force at any age,” said Brian Smiga, Executive Director, TEDxNavesink. “Our speakers will share their engaging stories with an audience of 350 guests of all ages. The 24 talks will be accompanied by musical performances and artwork in various mediums. Prioritize your day, bring a friend and come play at TEDxNavesink 2014. For many, it’s a life-changing experience.”

Last year’s event featured several engaging speakers including Ben Kalina, who recently won the Sundance Sustainability Award for his film Shored Up: When human nature and the force of Nature Collide. Kalina described his experience at last year’s event as “powerful.”"Though I've watched dozens of Ted talks online and spent many hours prepping for my own talk at Navesink I didn't realize how powerful of an experience it would be until I'd stepped out on that stage and looked out at the audience,” Kalina said. “It's something everyone should do, at least once."

TEDxNavesink admission is $90 and includes reserved seating, swag bag, catered networking lunch and admission to an evening reception. Student discounts are available. Tickets are available for purchase at www.tedxnavesink.com or at the Two River Theater box office. TEDxNavesink is organized in partnership with the Monmouth County Arts Council and supported by nonprofit partners, media sponsors and financial contributors. Interested in becoming an event partner or sponsor, visit the TEDxNavesink website.

TEDxNavesink held its first event at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, N.J. on September 20, 2013. TEDxNavesink: The Next Wave was a sold out success featuring 24 live talks on the future of the Jersey Shore. TEDxNavesink was the first TEDx held in Monmouth County and was part of the worldwide TED City 2.0. On a scale of 10, the audience rated TEDxNavesink 9.6 as most likely to recommend to friend. To view talks from 2013 visit www.tedxnavesink.com.

Apply to Speak at TEDxNavesink

For those interested in applying to speak at TEDxNavesink, event organizers want to know, what are you playing at? Economics? Glass blowing? Neuroscience? Is play a driver for your work, your art? Did you use play to reinvent your career or create a new technology? Candidates interested in talking 5-18 minutes on their topic, inspired by play, are requested to submit proposals at www.tedxnavesink.com.

Speakers Confirmed as of February 1, 2014 

To date, seven speakers have been confirmed for TEDxNavesink 2014 and 24 will be secured by the event. Speakers so far include:


Poornima Vijayashanker is the founder of Femgineer an education startup that provides tech professionals and engineers with skills to better themselves in product development, communication and leading teams. Femgineer offers a range of speaking engagements, workshops and courses to help tech professionals and entrepreneurs, especially women, level up their careers. She is a visiting professor at Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering and was as a founding engineer at Mint.com. She also founded BizeeBee a company that helps fitness businesses with customer management.

Mark Bekoff is professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, a former Guggenheim Fellow and the author of Why Dogs Hump and Bees Get Depressed. In 2005 Bekoff was awarded The Bank One Faculty Community Service Award for work with children, senior citizens, and prisoners as part of Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots program. He has published more than 800 scientific and popular essays and twenty-five books. His talk is entitled Fair Play: Learning Rules of Social Conduct.

Karl Kapp an expert in the convergence of learning, manufacturing and e-technology is the author of Gamification of Learning and Instruction andWinning E-Learning Proposals: The Art of Development and Delivery. He helps organizations transition into learning organizations through the effective application of technology. His focus is in instructional design the systematic design, development, delivery, and evaluation of instruction in a corporate environment. He is assistant director of Bloomsburg University’s Institute for Interactive Technologies, where he is involved with interactive instruction, e-learning and evaluating corporate enterprise-wide learning strategies.   His talk is Playing to Learn.

James M. Giunta, a hypnotist from Red Bank, NJ, conducts individual and group hypnotic sessions to help clients improve thoughts, emotions and behaviors. As Founder of World Hypnotism Day, Giunta teaches and lectures about his favorite subject nationally. His talk, Musical Hypnosis will engage the playful mind to become more receptive to creativity, concentration and mastery through music.

Peter Gray, research professor of psychology at Boston College, has conducted and published research in neuroendocrinology, developmental psychology, anthropology and education. He is author of an internationally acclaimed introductory psychology textbook (Psychology, Worth Publishers, now in its 6th edition), which views all of psychology from an evolutionary perspective. His recent research focuses on the role of play in human evolution and how children educate themselves, through play and exploration, when they are free to do so.

Mark W. Moffett, an expert on tropical treetop exploration and the social behavior of ants and other animals, is a research associate at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. He is one of the few individuals to receive a doctorate from conservationist Edward O. Wilson. As Wilson has written, "Mark has the soul of a 19th-century explorer, a wandering naturalist in the tradition of Darwin." By documenting new species and behavior from remote places and bringing his findings to the attention to the public, Mark's efforts as an explorer span both science and journalism.

Stanton Green is Professor of Anthropology and Dean of the McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Monmouth University. His interests from Irish Prehistory to Baseball to Educational reform use the concept of culture to understand how communities adapt, change, function and dysfunction. He is the author of over 30 major publications, co- editor of two books and many presentations in the US, Europe including the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Little League Hall of Fame. Green’s talk is Play Ball: The Anthropology of Baseball.

Robyn Stratton-Berkessel specializes in participatory change methodologies in the field of organization and human development globally. Her strengths are designing and facilitating positive change across functional, cultural, and geographic boundaries, with a focus on creating cultures of ownership, empowerment and inclusion. Robyn is published in her field in both print and digital media: Appreciative Inquiry for Collaborative Solutions (2010); Embracing Change, iPad app achieving #2 ranking on iTunes in the Business category; and Appreciative Inquiry – an Introduction, a smart phone app.

Lois Holzman is the director of non-profit East Side Institute and lead organizer of the biennial performing the world conferences. She travels the world to help create and support a new generation of play revolutionaries and is a pioneer of the “psychology of becoming,” which incorporates play, performance and practical philosophy to inspire life-long human development through group creativity.

Pat Rumbaugh is the founder of Takoma Plays and Lets Play America, two groups that aim to help keep children physically active by organizing free events for children of all ages and helping communitaies develop play events, respectively. She is also published a children’s book, Let’s Play at the Playground, in 2013, and is a former physical education teacher and coach at Washington International School.

About TEDx

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, live speakers combine with TEDTalks video to spark deep discussion and connection. These local events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event.

About TED

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a conference in California 26 years ago, TED has grown to support world-changing ideas with many initiatives. At a TED conference, the world's leading thinkers and doers are asked to give the talk of their lives.

The title of this blog is harsh; but it rings true.  There are two predictions we can make about most celebrities – one is that they will most likely get divorced if they marry another celebrity; and the other is that they have a high likelihood that they will die as the result of an addiction or overdose. So when someone like Cory Monteith, Amy Winehouse, River Phoenix or Philip Seymour Hoffman (the list goes on…) succumbs to such a tragic ending, does it really come as a surprise?

Addiction is cyclical.  Someone can be sober for months or years, but that craving for drugs and/or alcohol usually creeps back up on them sooner or later.  Meanwhile, many addicts rationalize sobriety for a period of time as invincibility, and think that if they just have one drink or dabble in a drug just one time they'll be fine.  The power of addiction is so overwhelming that it leads them back on the path they were on before, sadly.   Robin Williams comes to mind most recently when he says, “One day I walked into a store and saw a little bottle of Jack Daniel's. And then that voice – I call it the 'lower power' – goes, "Hey. Just a taste. Just one,'' he says candidly. 'I drank it, and there was that brief moment of "Oh, I'm okay!" But it escalated so quickly.'

Many times addicts will “recover” temporarily; but all it takes is the one DUI to crash their car, popping one too many pills, shooting up one too many times, that ends it all, for good.  You can just pray that they have more than nine lives, and if they don’t, they don’t take out anyone else with them when their time comes.

I think the word “recovery” is a fallacy when it comes to addiction.  Addicts don’t recover.  Addiction is not curable.  An addict’s propensity to crave their be-all-end-all drug of choice may go into remission, but they can never truly become immune to the forces of their substance desire. Addicts say that they have “recovered” before…but the inverse of that statement is that the addict has relapsed before, and chances are they will relapse again.

Addicts are selfish.  The addict that denies this is in denial that they are an addict.  Addicts know that they are not in control, and the drugs or alcohol that they can’t put down is what is in their driver’s seat.  Even if unconsciously so, they choose their vice above all else – above their friends, families, jobs, and even God when they’re hooked.  An addict in withdrawal will do ANYTHING to get more of the juice that pulses through their veins to get them high or achieve that calm.  It doesn’t matter what the cost is to his personal life, professional life, anyone else’s life, or his life, period. 

When an addict is doing drugs or drinking, they’re not thinking of the others they love. They aren’t thinking of the tragic aftermath and how it will affect those around them, if and when they die of an overdose or an accident that results from being under the influence.  They aren’t thinking of the torment that they cause the people who care about them, who have to sit by and watch them suffer every day, drinking or consuming drugs destroying their lives.   Addicts don’t care about the fact they are pawning off the responsibility of raising children, running a household, or in some cases earning an income, on someone else. They are hooked on being high – and nothing and no one else matters.  They justify their behavior during their unsober or denial periods by saying that they need their drug, that it’s like a non-addict being deprived of the air they breathe if they can’t get their drug. (Sorry, but they won’t die if they can’t get their fix.  Getting their fix is what will ultimately cause their death.) They have extreme tunnel vision that revolves around their constant craving.  This is selfish.

This selfishness should not be missed or tragedized.  Celebrities that meet their demise through addictions should not be honored and idolized.  Sure, we will miss their talented contributions to our world, and those who knew them personally may miss the sober version of them; but the reverence surrounding their drug-overtoned deaths encourages others to follow in their footsteps.  Those who are easily influenced feel that they can get their 15 minutes of fame by dabbling on the drugged dark side, too.

Where was the applause for Hoffman’s sobriety?  He didn’t light up my twitter feed until his death by overdose.  He had his moments in movies, but will he be remembered more now for the way he went out than for what he did?  I don’t support honoring the addict, which historically propels them to a post-mortem popularity greater than they achieved while living. 

People can spot addicts...but many are enablers...not trying to get help to them, or get them to someone who can help.  Many friends and family are usually in denial that there is a problem when they look at a loved one with an addiction.   They don’t want to upset the addict more and cause them to dive deeper into drugs.  They are afraid of what others will think if they find out that their mother/brother/husband/friend is a “druggie”.  They want to shelter their children from the knowledge that mommy or daddy has a problem and it’s really bad.  (My belief is that there is a genetic component to addiction, and education of children rather than camouflaging the truth about a relative with a drug or alcohol problem, is the start to making a younger generation self-aware and observant of the signs that they need help, from the first sip - or prevent that first dip into drugs entirely.)  Forcing an addict to get help is futile in most cases anyway - because if the addict doesn't want help, there's not much hope for recovery. 

The approach of “tough love” doesn’t always work.  If it does work, it doesn’t come with a permanent promise that they will never fall back on the path of self-destruction again.  Sometimes the toughest love you can give an addict is to walk away.  If they won’t make a choice, you have to – for self preservation, and in some cases, the protection of yourself and your family.  While a choice like that seems selfish on the part of a non-addict, if an addict is not capable of seeing beyond the drinks or pills, you as the friend, the brother, the mother, the lover, the son, the wife, or the mentor can only control your own actions, and after doing what you can, hold onto the fact that you have done everything within your power to do the right thing.   It’s ok to choose self-preservation over an addict’s selfishness.  After you’ve thrown out the half empty bottles, and flushed the pills, begged them to go to AA meetings, and feel hopeless, the only thing that you can do is take control of your own actions and stop trying to curb theirs.  It’s not fair to you to wait for the resulting abuse, the suffering at the hand of an addict, the emotional torment, the financial drain, and more.  And if there are children involved – that’s when the protective mommy claws or the daddy fangs should come out to protect them from the disintegration that lies ahead, when the person you love isn’t that person anymore because they are a drugged up vicious version of themselves.

Addiction isn’t a celebrity disease. It affects the person down the street from you.  It’s the face of your next door neighbor or your co-worker.  It can take the form of your father or your brother.  There are so many more closet addicts who cover-up their addictions more than any of us realize, until they can’t hide it anymore because it reaches the point where the person loses control and the drugs take over.  We just hear about the famous people crying, dying, and getting caught in the cross-fire of booze and pills because, well, they’re famous; but infamously, addiction makes its mark in the lives of many outside of the spotlight, too.

So while my heart goes out to the families and friends affected by Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death, I have a hard time conjuring up sympathy for the choices he made, and for the times that those close to him chose to brush off the fact he had a problem.  Granted, many people who know that someone is an addict try to help, and I have respect for them and share sadness with them, too.  But there are enablers.  Enablers can be forgiven for past choices to ignore that their loved one has a problem, only if they take the toughest stance that they ever had to, and don’t sugar coat the fact that drinking in excess daily, or drugging up isn’t the norm.  There’s no shame in calling it like it is.  If people don’t break the cycle of enabling, and instead bide their time watching their beloved addict self-destruct, the end result will break the cycle for them - when their loved one is gone, and their hearts will be broken, too.

Even if you don’t enable an addict, the choice for someone to do or not do drugs is their own.  To be the friend or relative of a do-er is not easy.  Addicts will place blame on the people they surround themselves with stating that they are the cause of their stress, their unhappiness, depression, or whatever they surmise is the cause for them to turn to drugs or alcohol.  They will justify that their vice is the only thing that makes them feel better.  It’s not your fault.  You should never accept blame for someone else’s addiction.

When you know an addict, you have to always live with one eye open and with a doubt in your back pocket, waiting for the other shoe to drop.  With a lot of luck it won’t – but there are no guarantees.  As an addict takes their life one day at a time, we need to take theirs in the same manner, not holding onto a promise of sobriety that may never last.  Sadly, that’s probably the most sobering reality there is when it comes to addiction.

This blog was also published via Patch Media in Northern NJ, New York, and the Southern NJ / Philadelphia area.  Subsequently, Patch Media published it nationally via over 900 media outlets and the story trended on Twitter and across Patch sites.  The link to the trended blog can be found here.  Several other independent media outlets promoted the story from Florida, to Texas, to Hollywood, California, New Hampshire and more.