Helen Hunt (image by Jack Guy/Corbis Outline)

They don’t get much bigger than Helen Hunt in Hollywood. The Academy Award-winning Actress, Director and Writer has seen huge success and acceptance with both critics and the public. From her earliest work as a child actor and high profile television jobs in the 1970’s, to Broadway and then the heights of prime time television and Hollywood, Hunt has been the consummate artist. On the final night of the 2010 Smart Talk Connected Conversation in Des Moines, Helen Hunt–artist and mom–shared some secrets behind the public face.

For many, Hunt’s fame began in the early ‘90’s with her starring role in Mad About You, opposite actor Paul Reiser. The show was a great success, playing for seven years while earning Hunt four Emmy wins and four Golden Globes. But greater fame was yet to come, as Hunt appeared some of the biggest movies of the ‘90’s, and in to 2000, including Twister, Cast Away, What Women Want, and As Good as It Gets, earning Hunt the Academy Award for Best Actress. (Fascinating to learn that she put together that powerful performance while also filming the regular season of Mad About You, working day and night).

And the roles are still coming; Hunt just finished filming the movie Soul Surfer in Oahu, Hawaii, set for release in 2011. Add to this stellar career: motherhood at age 40, and successful screenwriting and directing by 46.

Unlike many Hollywood superstars, you don’t see her name splashed across the
tabloids. She is a private person who keeps her life personal. “I haven’t done anything controversial. I just live my life as if it’s private,” Hunt said in a recent interview with the Des Moines Register. During her well prepared Connected Conversation, Hunt shared that she’s not much for the Hollywood gatherings and wrap parties either, impersonal events where she gets “…bored after 45 minutes.” If she is going to spend time with people, she wants to “…be with those who know secret things.” Otherwise, she would just rather spend time alone.

So, determined to make the evening interesting, Hunt shared some “secret things”
by connecting them to her acting roles over the years. In reflecting on the vibrant and complex characters she has portrayed, she revealed touching aspects of her personality and values. Career, life, family and work are all parts of the authentic characters that she has portrayed, giving us insight into the deeply emotional, yet exacting, Helen Hunt. The unassuming star spoke poignantly of what she brought to those characters, and what they in fact brought to her. That just may be the vital definition of art.

Speaking of her directorial debut in the film “Then She Found Me,” Hunt clearly
takes to the director’s role naturally. Her courageous direction, writing and acting in that 2007 film may be a sign of things to come–Helen Hunt may ultimately find the most acclaim and success as a director. It’s the demanding levels of control over the process (and sharing secret things) that a consummate professional like Hunt craves. Wrapping up the 2010 Smart Talk Series in Des Moines on a professional and affecting high note, Helen Hunt displayed talent and integrity. There’s no doubt that we’ll be hearing from her again soon.

celebrity-pics.movieeye.com

The 2010 Smart Talk Connected Conversation Series in Des Moines saw and heard something different on April 7th: a new work in progress from an entertainer with a remarkable track record and seemingly endless amount of energy. As a performer, Rita Moreno has no peer with her success–and energy–at the age of 78.  She’s unable to pass up new challenge on her life’s journey. And what a journey Rita Moreno has had–so far–an untouched record of achievement in film, stage, television and music.

No, she’s not finished. There is no retirement in Ms. Moreno’s plans. As she said, “I’m afraid that I’ll disappear” if she stopped taking creative challenges. Not much chance of Rita Moreno disappearing either: her terms on life are uninhibited. Her endless desire to keep performing is all the more impressive when you consider that she has nothing left to prove. And that voice….she still has it. The Smart Talk crowd at the Des Moines Civic Center was treated with a selection of classic songs (despite a recent cold, and with a little scrape in her voice) along with her stories of life.

Ms. Moreno’s achievements in her stellar career of nearly 65 years include (so far) an Oscar, a Tony, two Emmys and a Grammy. The obligatory note regarding these four highest competitive entertainment awards:  there have been less than a dozen people to achieve that milestone—and Rita Moreno is the only woman to do so. It’s the most exclusive of clubs….more men have walked on the moon.

In this 2010 Smart Talk series we have learned a lot from accomplished and inspiring women. Ms. Moreno added to the depth of her sage counsel and experiences with her work in progress, her one woman show, planned for Broadway in the next two years. (This, she noted with some bewilderment, is when she turns 80.) This sneak preview provided an engaging look at the entertainer, the daughter, the wife, the groundbreaking performer and legendary Actress. How did she manage it all over her incredible career?  “Perseverance” was the simple answer. “….dream – and find a way to hold on to that dream.” It’s all “…about perseverance.”

A far cry from the child born as Rosa Dolores Alverio in Puerto Rico, who moved to New York at age five with her mother, searching for a better life.  Her “rags to riches” story, ala Horatio Alger, as she mentioned, saw her in her Broadway debut at age 13. And in the true tradition of a Hollywood legend, was discovered by a talent scout, who arranged a meeting with Louis B. Mayer. Yes, THAT Louis B. Mayer. She signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer at age 17.

Image by Richard Frasier

There were fascinating stories of the young contract player at MGM in the 1950’s; of dates with Elvis Presley, Howard Hughes, and Marlon Brando; of enduring the early typecast “exotic spitfire female” roles; and of course the story of Ms. Moreno’s major breakthrough in 1961 – her coveted role as Anita in West Side Story. She worked hard to get the role (after passing the opportunity to star in the Original Broadway production) and it earned her the Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress of the year.

But of all her experiences, Ms. Moreno spoke with the greatest love and appreciation for her husband and her family. And she spoke with great admiration of her recent trip to the White House as a 2009 National Medal of Arts recipient. As she received her medal from President Barack Obama at the White House in February of 2010, she recalls with great relish, the opportunity to give the President an enthusiastic hug.

Ms. Moreno was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004.  Her perseverance and dreams have taken her to the heights, but she won’t take it easy now. Her final advice for the Smart Talk Crowd:  “…have your vision and dream, and don’t let anyone tell you what’s right for you.” Her philosophy has certainly worked for her….so far. Stay tuned.

The Smart Talk Series crowd at the Des Moines Civic Center was treated to something a little different on Wednesday night, March 3rd. Alison Levine may not have the same household name recognition as many of the Smart Talk Series speakers, but she more than held her own with her powerful message of doing whatever it takes to conquer complacency. She began her captivating presentation explaining her notion of a circle of experiences and enlightenment: from her early difficulties she gained the motivation and fortitude that drove her, eventually, to scale mountains; and those ascents to the top of the world in turn provide e her with the insight and wisdom needed to help her navigate her life.
We should all have such drive. Ms. Levine’s accomplishments show that she has the right stuff: the right stuff in mountain climbing, the right stuff in business, and the right stuff as a motivational medium for us.

Ms. Levine shared her story as a health survivor – not with an illness as an adult, but one that she was born with – a heart condition called Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome. This life-threatening heart condition was so serious and unstable, that she was not even allowed to walk up a flight of stairs. Surgery as a teen then changed her life – conquering her physical ailment and energizing dreams that were as big as mountains. She encourages all of us to act on our own dreams. Ms. Levine’s advice, as reported in a recent Des Moines Register interview, is “If you have ever wondered about something — a sport, an activity, a hobby, a talent — don’t just read about it or talk about it or watch movies about it. Go out and do it.”

With her mantra of doing whatever it takes, Ms. Levine recounted experiences as the team captain of the first American Women’s Everest Expedition, a history-making climb that put her health and spirit to the test. In 2008 she also made history as the first American to complete a 600 mile ski-crossing in western Antarctica, all the way to the South Pole. In these adventures, Ms. Levine’s personal adversities included overcoming fears, as well as continued heath issues; she was at higher risk of frostbite, due to Raynaud’s Disease, which causes the arteries that feed her fingers and toes to collapse when experiencing cold weather and severe stress. Cold weather and stress! Naturally she took up mountain climbing…perhaps because it seemed an impossible task.

She recounted those extraordinary experiences and fears to the Smart Talk audience with well ordered clarity, and riveting images. How do you climb the highest peak in the world? How does your body become accustomed to the altitude and lack of oxygen? Ms. Levine recounted the arduous and exacting tasks, including a return to base camp every night, even as you get further and further up the face of Everest every day. Calling this “Climb high, and sleep low”, the process helps your body acclimate to the oxygen levels, and she used it to point out that there are times that you need to move back one step, in order to make it one step closer to your goal.  As her team advanced on Everest, they eventually had to pause between each stoic step–needing to breathe in and out several times, before being able to even take another step.

“Fortitude” and “determination” just scratches the surface of what makes a woman like Alison Levine tick. As a successful businesswoman on Wall Street, she found that her hard work and dedication was applicable to the business world. And as a woman dedicated to helping others achieve, Ms. Levine founded the Climb High Foundation in 2005, a charitable organization dedicated to improving the lives of jobless women in third-world countries. Her drive and relentless pursuits keep her busy all over the world.  Smart Talk is all about taking the lessons of others and applying them to your own life. Well, even if you are not setting out to climb mountains and conquer the poles, Levine’s advice is intrepid and poignant: “Fear and Risk will never kill you, but complacency will.”

Image Via Smart Talk

How will you make 2010 your BREAKTHROUGH year? Toss out stale new year’s resolutions and discover how to create an energizing, astounding year for yourself!

Join Dr. Christi Hegstad of MAP Professional Development Inc. for Create A Year of No Regrets, an afternoon designed just for you. In this inspiring workshop you will uncover your vision, engage in thought-provoking exercises, and leave with a personalized action plan to live your year of no regrets, beginning immediately. Past participants have started companies, planted gardens, run marathons, gotten their finances in order, traveled overseas, and so much more! Pre-registration required; details and testimonials can be found at www.TheLifeOfNoRegrets.com.

Francine Joy “Fran” Drescher is a story teller. She clearly loves a good story and loves sharing them, especially when they illustrate important lessons learned. Twists and turns, success and failure, Ms. Drescher brought it all to the Smart Talk crowd at the Des Moines Civic Center on Monday night. As the kick off speaker for the 2010 Smart talk series, Ms. Drescher showed her star power and charisma, keeping the audience engaged with affecting stories of love, careers and health. She shared her survivor’s philosophy that when plans for the future don’t pan out like you want, you need to let go and write a new future.

Fran Drescher has had a lot of plans rewritten. With her successful career in T.V. and movies (she’s appeared in over 20 films) she is of course best known for the television series The Nanny, which she co-created and produced. She was also nominated for an Emmy and Golden Globe Award for The Nanny. But Ms. Drescher can’t be neatly squared away in the archetypal TV celebrity files; she is also a screenwriter, political and social activist, author and producer…and is currently serving as a US diplomatic envoy, taking her message of women’s health to the world stage.

Ms. Drescher related back throughout her presentation to another important life lesson that she relies on: there is always opportunity—and when opportunity presents itself, you need to seize it.  Carpe diem is her mantra, and of course, there was a good story to go along, a chance meeting on a flight to Europe in the early ‘90s. She had purchased her ticket, but then decided to use her frequent flyer miles to upgrade to first class. Low and behold, she found herself sitting next to Jeff Sagansky, an executive at CBS. As they crossed the Atlantic, they talked about a series she was developing, featuring her quirky style as the focus of a show. By the time they landed, she had convinced him to take a meeting with her to discuss the production. Of course the show was The Nanny, which was an instant success on CBS, making Fran Drescher a star.

By the end of The Nanny’s six year run though, Ms. Drescher had much more to think about. She was having serious health issues, and her marriage was on its last leg. By the time The Nanny closed down in 1999, she was divorced. And the next year, after two years of misdiagnosis by eight doctors, Drescher was diagnosed with uterine cancer, and underwent an immediate radical hysterectomy. Fortunately the cancer was in stage one. This led to another mantra: “Stage one is the cure” and she began efforts advocating that women insist on early cancer screening and curing it in the early stages. In an interview with USA TODAY, Ms. Drescher said “Nobody knows your body better than you…remember back in the days…when you went to your doctor, listed your symptoms and let them take over from there? Well, those days are over.”

Ms. Drescher encouraged the Smart Talk crowd Monday to listen to the early whispers of possible cancer…get the endometrial test if you think something is wrong. Don’t wait. She said that after surgery she felt like she had been dealt an unfair hand. But then she realized that we have no control over what we’re dealt, so at least handle it with dignity. Another lesson learned, so she wrote about her experiences in her second book, Cancer Schmancer, counseling men and women “to become more aware of the early warning signs of cancer, and to empower themselves.” An important challenge for us all, and a stirring beginning to the 2010 Smart Talk series!

Seizing the day, Fran Drescher started the Cancer Schmancer Movement, a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all women’s cancers be diagnosed while in Stage ONE, the most curable stage. More information can be found on her website at cancerschmancer.org.

For the first time I saw Dennis Albaugh’s collection of 130 Chevrolets. What a collection! My favorite was the one-of-a-kind 1928 Chevrolet Camp Car owned by John and Dora McMullen and shown below. It came complete with a non-anchored wicker chair driver’s seat with a second for the front seat passenger. Imagine what a State Trooper would say about that! It also had a quilt rack to the left of the driver’s seat, drop leaf dining room table just behind the front seats, and roll down window shades. Move over Winnebago!

The Albaugh’s Collection represents a Chevrolet and a Corvette from every year, and some years with two. It’s a privilege to walk through. Watch for Dennis to open his garage again. You’ll get your chance and you don’t want to miss it.

Speaking of you don’t want to miss it, watch for the 2009 Salisbury Automobile Classic on September 13.

photos by James G. Lindberg

It’s your chance to see Dennis Albaugh’s collection of 130 Chevrolets; some say it is the best Chevy collection anywhere!

At the same event you will see the cars that hundreds of other folks are bringing

• classics (pre-War and post-War)
• street rods and modified
• Corvettes
• cars and trucks

You will be able to vote for your favorite 12 classics and see what the judges think of cars and trucks in 20 other categories.

Where? Albaugh, Inc. at 1525 NE 36th Street in Ankeny. (Do not believe the maps you get from either Google or Mapquest!) Instead take I-35 to exit 92, turn west on E. 1st Street (0.2 mi) then north on NE Delaware (2 mi), turn east on NE 36th (0.4 mi) and you will see it on the right as you approach the underpass at I-35.

When? Saturday, August 8th from 6:30 am until 4:00 pm. Get there early. It’s going to be hot!

How much? $10 or free to those 12 and under.  Thanks to Karl Chevrolet all the proceeds go to Ankeny High School.

photos by James G. Lindberg and dok1

Lookin’ for a place to swim? You have lots of choices: indoors; outdoors; chlorinated and not. If you have never heard The Swimming Song, check out this YouTube video with Loudon Wainwright III (who wrote the music and lyrics). My favorite version is the somewhat quicker version by Kate McGarrigle.

Here’s a pretty good list of municipal pools, or in the words of The Swimming Song,

salt my wounds, chlorined my eyes
I’m a self-destructive fool, a self-destructive fool

• Altoona
• Ankeny
• Carlisle
• Clive
• Des Moines (Ashworth Pool, Birdland Pool, Nahas Aquatic Center, Northwest Aquatic Center, Teachout Aquatic Center)
• Indianola
• Urbandale
• Waukee YMCA
• West Des Moines Holiday Park Aquatic Center
• West Des Moines Valley View Aquatic Center and
• White Water University in Pleasant Hill

Maybe you would rather be in some of the natural waters. There are several. You can check the water quality (bacteria) in some through Iowa DNR but not Saylorville. Water quality seems to be better this summer than last.

• Big Creek State Park
• Lake Ahquabi just outside Indianola
• Saylorville Lake

photos by flickr by Northfield.org and peasap

While some of the differences can be easily compared, it is harder to quantify other differences, such as

• food, gardening
• travel, commuting
• baseball, activities
• stress

Grocery shopping? California may have a big edge here.

• CA has New Leaf, Whole Foods, and Andronico’s, natural food stores where you can get everything you need; while the prices are a little higher on some items (especially the meat), the produce is ripe and fresh – likely because it doesn’t travel far.
• The only places like that in IA are the farmers’ markets: Des Moines Farmer’s Market, and other local markets; Iowa City’s New Pioneer Food Coop; Ames’ Wheatsfield Grocery. In contrast to CA, Des Moines-based New City Market and Campbell’s Nutrition are quite small by comparison.
• When it comes to the commercial chains (except for the produce) IA’s Hy-Vee and Dahl’s compare favorably with Safeway in CA.

Home gardening? This will get your attention! There is a wait of 4 to 7 years to get a 100 sq ft garden plot in the Fort Mason Community Garden. That is a plot about the size of a very small bedroom. We’ve had picnics at Fort Mason more than once, and it is a beautiful spot as you can see on the right; but it’s easier to find a spot to garden in Iowa.

Food, in general? My impression is that

• Iowa wins on beef and pork
• California wins on fruits and vegetables

Driving? I find it easier to drive in the Bay Area, but enough said about that.

Cars? This is a strange experience. I drove my sister’s hot rod Lincoln for 4 weeks, and you wouldn’t believe what I have seen and have not seen.

• I saw only ten 2009 Chevrolet Impalas in 20 days
• instead? Toyota, Mercedes, Lexus, Hyundai, BMW, Acura, Honda, Volvo and a few Ford cars and Chevy trucks

Public Transit? The Purple Wren and I stayed in a coastal California community about the size of Grinnell, Iowa and took lots of public transit too.

• twice to San Francisco and back (SamTrans bus and CalTrain)
• once to Oakland and part way back (walked a block to SamTrans buses then BART right to the Coliseum)
• around San Francisco (Muni)

Baseball? Definitely a lot of winners here! Whether you live in the Bay Area or Des Moines, you can see good professional baseball: San Francisco Giants; Oakland A’s; Iowa Cubs. I saw the A’s and the Tigers and my favorite Tiger Curtis Granderson (shown left), but the best part was spending the afternoon with my nephew John who rode BART from Berkeley. We had great seats, but you know, it’s hard to beat an afternoon in Principal Park right here in Des Moines!

Activities? There is more to do in both places than I can ever get to.

Stress? I am not sure that stress is the right word – intensity might be better. The pace is faster, and the crowd is larger in CA. It is a line-up kind of place, and longer lines – at the movies, banks, grocery stores, restaurants, traffic, bus/CalTrain/BART stops. It’s all exciting and intense, but it creates a little more stress. When the Purple Wren and I moved back after a year in CA 10 years ago, I said, “I could live in CA, but I wouldn’t live as long.” I’ll stand by that.

Well, you win some, you lose some, and sometimes you tie. I’m happy to be here; I was happy to be there.

I’ve been visiting family in the Bay Area of California for three weeks – plenty of time to see some differences between Polk County in Central Iowa and San Mateo County just south of San Francisco. (Compare stats.)

Weather? In the summer this coastal part of CA often feels cool; Central Iowa often feels a little muggy.

• at 2 pm on Friday, June 26 it was 65 with 64% humidity and an 8 mph breeze in Half Moon Bay
• at 2 pm in Des Moines it was 86 with similar humidity and breezes
• and sometimes San Francisco can be downright cold in the summer! In the photo to the right taken at 3 pm on June 24, it was foggy and 50 degrees with a 25 mph wind on the Golden Gate Bridge.

Unemployment? Iowa looks comparatively good.

• 9.5% nationally
• 11.2 % in Silicon Valley; 11.5% in California overall
• 5.2% in Iowa

Real estate? Iowa wins big time! While the houses don’t look that different, the land costs are very different. In the first quarter of 2009 the median cost of a home was

• over $600,000 in San Mateo County where the median household  income was $83,000
• under $140,000 in Polk County where the median household income was $54,000

Cost of living? You may have figured this one out already. The cost of living where the national average is set as 100 is

• 171 in San Mateo County
• 82 in Polk County

State budget? California is in a budget impasse, and the world is watching. Iowa appears to be OK.

• In California the governor and the legislature are enough at odds that the state can’t pay its bills
• In Iowa although it has not been an easy process, the budget is manageable

Well, you win some, you lose some, and sometimes you tie.