Today Was A Great Day!!!!

First of all the main thing.
THE NFL STARTS TONIGHT!!!!
Anyone who knows me knows that one of the few pleasures I get out of life is the NFL and fantasy football:)

Pittsburgh and Miami square off tonight to kick off the '06 season! Yeah Big Ben is recovering from surgery but he will be back in full form in a couple of weeks. Culpepper though will be showcased and the whole world will see if he really has recovered from the devastating knee injury he suffered last season. Should be a great game with Miami overcoming Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh. I could be wrong but I think Miami is just better this year.

The second great thing is this! As anyone who reads my blog knows I was very hurt after Winners closed its doors. Winners was a sports bar where my co-workers and myself came after work to unwind and have a few drinks.

Well today we discovered the Trey of Hearts!!!! It is on my way home so it is convenient, the owners, Andrew and Gerry are extremely nice and welcomed me and a couple of my friends with handshakes and greetings. If there wasn't a bar between us they probably would have hugged us! I do believe that now when I am on my way home I will frequent the Trey of Hearts as my new relax after work place!!!! It had a very nice atmosphere and a full liquor bar:) Although someone like Beersnob probably wouldn't like the limited selection of beer I don't drink beer and found myself quite at home with their wide array of liquor:) Yeah I do only drink tequila sunrises but you never know, Drinkbusters is tempting me to expand my horizons and experiment like I did when I was 21 again:)

The third great thing that happened today was that PARIS HILTON WAS ARRESTED FOR A DUI!!!! Oh man!!! I was so happy to hear about this small bit of misfortune!!!! Normally I do not revel in the misfortunes of others at all. I don't believe that it is a good thing to be gleefully cheering what happens to another human being like that but Paris Hilton has been a thorn in America's side for too long. It is time for her to experience a bit of reality in her life and maybe get a grip. She is someone who would greatly benefit from being kicked around by life a little bit. She has the resources to be such an amazing force for good and help so many people, maybe now she will be on the right path.

The last but not the least good thing that happened today was that my candle order from Courtney's Candles arrived!!!! Courtney's Candles makes the absolute best candles in the world!!!! They are very reasonable in price and every single candle smells great and is very potent! Just one of them will fill the lower part of my house with the most amazing of scents!!!!
Now I am burning the Dreamsicle candle which smells like oranges and cream:) It is so wonderful!!!!

Well I hope that your day was twice as good as mine was and as you can tell mine was pretty darn good!!!!

Veronica Mars Wrap Up

Season 2 of Veronica Mars was amazing! Without giving any kind of spoilers for the twisting plot I can say that it was almost like Season 1 part 2.

That stands to reason right? Well what I can say is that when you thought that season 1 wrapped up everything it really didn't but you don't realize it until the season is winding down. Then all of a sudden you get this light bulb feeling that you missed what was actually going on followed by a head smack.

I love shows like that! Babylon 5 was very much like that, well thought out and planned!

The X-Files seemed to have started like that and then became so convoluted that it was clear there was little planning behind the story. They had to wrap up the series as best as they could in the final episode with a episode that was pretty much nothing but exposition. It was a sad ending to a show that was great...at times.

Veronica Mars probably won't have the lifespan of the X-Files and that is a real shame. I'd be happy if it had the lifespan of Babylon 5 or Angel. Five seasons is plenty to tell a well thought out story.

Not to mention that this past season had Charisma Carpenter in it and WOW she is surface of the Sun hot....and yeah I do have that issue of Playboy.

Brick

What a great indie treat this movie is!

An inspired film noir set in modern times. The lead channels Bogie from The Big Sleep while the writer/director obviously did the same. The dialogue is straight from the 40's, the rest is indie magic.

It might take a few minutes for the style of words to sink in but once they do you are set to enjoy this great movie about a man who solves his ex-girlfriend's murder....in high school. Joseph Gordon Levitt (fresh from Mysterious Skin) plays Brendan, actually he seems less like he is playing Brendan and more like him, what a tremendous job of acting.

The movie is throughly enjoyable in every sense. It is smart, not much humor, intense, and engrossing. You will feel sucked into this small time world of drugs and thugs as Brendan struggles to put all the pieces to the puzzle together with the help of his friend Brain, his only real peer.

This high school Holmes is a serious Veronica Mars sans one liners. He is tough but takes a few beatings along the way ala Sam Spade or Phillip Marlowe in his quest for the truth. If I could only write this well. I have the camera and editing skills to make this movie.

Rest In Peace Steve Irwin

This is a sad day and fittingly it is raining now.

Stever Irwin was killed in an accident with a stingray after his chest was pierced yesterday. He seemed larger than life, like he was the exact same person behind the camera as he was in front of the camera.

Happy, energetic, and curious. He really loved his work and it showed.

I really enjoyed watching him and I would have loved to have met him.

Goodbye Steve.

Who Wants To Be A Superhero

Well the show wrapped up and soon Feedback will have a comic title and a Scifi original movie made with him....both shortlived I'm sure.

I would be amazed if there was actually a movie made but that was part of the prize package so we'll see.

It was a fun show and pretty enjoyable. It is worth watching but I really doubt that there will be a season two. The finale of the show had about one hundred people at Universal Studios watching Stan Lee eliminate Fat Momma and immortalize Feedback.

If you get a chance to see the show and since it is on the Scifi Channel which basically will ride a show to death and beyond, you will get plenty of chances. Watch it. It isn't bad at all:)

Drinkbusters 1x2 Is More Successful!!!!

In less than one day 1x2 has had more views than the first one has had in five!!!!

The third one will hopefully be twice as successful when it is finished! There is no shooting date as of yet but schedules are being synchronized! Everyone is excited about 1x3 and that encourages me!

Alright, yesterday went very well and smoothly. The biggest preproduction day so far and it was fun! We shot some footage, got the actors used to the cameras, and kept them long enough to gel together a little bit. Once the gellage is full on jello we are going to have a great production!

Going to be a great Fall and Winter!!!!

About An Hour From Now

We will begin the biggest day on The Passing Drummers preproduction.

This is a day in which hopefully the cast will bond and come together. When us behind the cameras will be in the actor's faces to get them used to us. It should be pretty busy.

It is nice out, it is slightly raining with some full on rain in the forecast right now. Good thing I mowed last week.

Well Drinkbusters 1x2 has been a bigger success than 1x1. It hasn't even been up 24 hours yet and has had way more views than the first one at the same time.

Small success though it may be it is still a success!

Hopefully next weekend 1x3 will be on tap and The Drinkbusters will be well on their way!!!!
They have done such a great job! Some people don't realize how hard improv really is but all three of them have met the challenge and I can't be prouder of them!!!!

Drinkbusters 1x2 is LIVE!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr8tAFkdnb8

Here you go friends!
This is the second in what I hope is a long line of episodes!!!!

I hope you enjoy this one as much as we enjoyed making it!!!!

Drinkbusters 1x2 Is 25%

Finished.
I'm pretty happy about this since this one.

There are some funny lines in this! Especially dealing with the Evil Eye beer....hehehe!!!!

I'm going to try to have this posted by Friday, that is my goal. Saturday is going to be very busy with The Passing Drummers on tap and that starts at 10 a.m.

I'm very excited about the next episode and hopefully when we get together for that one we can make at least two episodes out of it! That would be great and give the Drinkbusters a break in between shows!

I want this to be something they look forward to every week not something they dread to do so I want to schedule to be easy for them to make:)

Drinkbusters Is A Success!!!!

So far everyone who has seen Drinkbusters and contacted me about the show has enjoyed it!!!!

It is a fun show and I have gotten some great ideas on improving the show which is always good to receive!

I'm working on the second episode now and getting it ready to take it live very soon. Weezy has gotten her September schedule so we are now working on a filming date for the third episode. I believe that if we hang out ahead of time and relax amongst ourselves the show will be better and more relaxed which should equal funny!!!!

I'm looking forward to getting the second episode online and getting the feedback for it!

Saturday will be busy. We will be having a practice shoot for The Passing Drummers to bond the cast and crew. Basically to get the cast members who are not used to the film process used to me and the other two cameras.

It will be interesting to see how the bonding goes since it is the largest cast we have worked with. It is a good thing that most everyone is familiar with each other and get along well. That is always a good thing and a great place to start!!!!

Karr Case Follow Up

See there?

All of that hype over nothing. They guy was just some sicko who wanted to be famous for a couple of minutes and craved attention.

Did the media care? Nope, they jumped all over this case like a sparrow on a seed, hoping it was finally wrapped up. They practically had the guy on death row before he even arrived in Colorado.

No DNA no case, but one thing that is good, if you can call it good, is that a massive cloud of suspicion has been lifted from the parents.

Hopefully this will be the last I ever write about a current event like this but I know that someday somebody will claim to have some kind of inside information on another case and then the media will just go bonkers again, showing little or no restraint in the pursuit of justice in the media.

Who needs a court system anyway?

A Recent Re-Discovery

Yep, recently I decided to explore the Gentle Giant of Country Music's body of work.

The other night Chris and I were going to Wal-Mart when Don Williams started to sing on my Sirius radio. His rich baritone voice soothed my dash speakers when Chris asked, "Who's that?"

"Don Williams", I replied without even looking at the name. His voice is one of the most recognized in country music. Sadly he has been all but forgotten today and has gone the way of John Conlee, Mel McDaniel, Earl Thomas Conley, T.G. Sheppard, Ronnie Milsap, and Eddy Raven. Mainly singers from that time period where country was at its lowest in terms of popularity. You can add the Mandrell sisters in there and a few others. This was just before the Garth Brooks revolution that rescued an entire industry.

Before singers like Alan Jackson, Clint Black, and Travis Tritt. Well before Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, and singers of that ilk. Not that they are bad, just not the same.

That is the beauty of Satellite Radio, you hear things you haven't heard in years. Songs you remember from long ago and it prompts you to get their CDs out and give them a listen again!

So that is what happened to me and Don Williams. I enjoyed it so much that I went out and bought a Don Williams CD for Chris since he enjoys country music as well.

Don Williams was one of the premier singers of the 70's and early 80's in American Country Music. He is known for ballads mostly. He sings gentle songs which coupled with his deep and rich voice just make it easy to listen to and enjoy. In fact you can't help but enjoy any song from Don Williams.

They are slow and gentle and you would probably be amazed at how many you have heard before but didn't know who sang them. Songs such as If Hollywood Don't Need You (Honey I Still Do), I Believe In You, Tulsa Time, Good Ole Boys Like Me, and Lord I Hope This Day Is Good are wonderful songs. You would do yourself a favor just to hear one or two:)

DRINKBUSTERS IS LIVE!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVCXc0Ps1Lg

My friends you can see the show here!!!!

This is the final product. I have had advice that a plain background might be better but I like the moving background idea a bit better.

So for now a plain background will do. I also have had a hard time coming up with something that really adds to the show that moves.

We'll see. I can change it later on if a moving background works better or leave it plain if that works better.

If you have any drink recipes to offer, please send them to Drinkbusters@yahoo.com

The stronger the drink the funnier it will be;)

My Draft

Well folks here is my draft. I have to say this was one of the hardest drafts that I have ever been in. There didn't seem to be any blown picks early. The first three drafted were of course Shaun Alexander, LT, and LJ respectively.

I drew the fourth pick overall so Tiki Barber fell to me. I am hoping that the Giants will be the offensive juggernaut that they have the potential to be. If Tiki has a season similar to last year then my team will be a force in the league, if not then I'll be a donater to the pot this season.

Here is my full draft in order:
R1-4: Tiki Barber
R2-9: Torry Holt
R3-1: Randy Moss
R4-12: Laurence Maroney
R5-12: T.J. Duckett
R6-1: Reggie Brown
R7-11: Marc Bulger
R8-2: Muhsin Muhammad
R9-11: Brad Johnson
R10-2: Cinncinati D
R11-11: Denver D
R12-2: Sebastian Janikowski
R13-8: Josh Scobee

So as you can see we repick every other round in the draft. It makes things a little bit more interesting and can also make things a bit tougher since you can wind up with picks like my run of 11s and 2s.

So as you can see my RBs are lottery picks. Tiki is of course the stud. Duckett should carry the ball a lot in Washington if Portis's injury lingers any at all. Since it is a shoulder injury and might be easily re-injured then Duckett can be the man but regardless of Portis, he will see plenty of goal line situations. Laurence Maroney has the potential to be the best rookie this year. Corey Dillon is at the Eddie George part of his career, his yards per carry has dropped and the wear and tear is starting to catch up to him. Maroney can wind up being the starter very early on in the season and if he does then nothing but an injury will prevent him from a great season.

My WRs are lethal. Even if Randy Moss doesn't return to form he will still grab 10 TDs and 1200 yards. If he does return to form then 15-16 TDs and 1400 yards isn't out of the question. Reggie Brown is the #1 in Philly, I mean someone has to have the ball thrown to him and Reggie is the man in a very weak receiving corp. Brian Westbrook is nicked up some so for a short while Brown will be the main target for McNabb.

I don't even have to mention my top WR, Torry Holt is clearly the blue chipper here. He just produces and with an improved offensive attack on board in St. Louis he will put up some monster numbers as well as my QB Bulger. Muhsin Muhammad is the man in Chicago, he will be the bye week player unless they find some kind of offense.

My Ds are above average but not stellar. My Ks are average but again not stellar. Brad Johnson is my back up QB and will get 20 TDs anyway.

So as you can see it was a tough draft. There just was't any more sure thing picks after no one really blew any picks. Sometimes you can count on at least one person falling to you because someone else overlooked him, not this time.

We'll see how the season goes. This team has potential to be at the top of the league or the bottom. I just don't see an average team here. Good or bad not much else.

Tom Cruise Crackup

How fast can one actor alienate an entire country?

In less than one year. Tom Cruise has just gone way overboard the past year. He was given a bit too much leash and hung himself with it.

He is so isolated and self absorbed that he really thought that America cared what he thought and would follow him in lockstep....*snicker* yeah, he lost it, all of it!!!!

Paramount has cut ties with his production company after the couch jumping incident and the "I know more than you do" Matt Lauer interview which lead to Mission Impossible 3 doing a huge belly flop in the theaters.

So Paramount makes a fraction of what Cruise pulled in on that flop and with the economics of the situation they cut this lunatic from the payroll.

You know I've blogged about the crazed Cruise before and I have no love for this guy at all. He reminds me of Mr. Hyde from work. Cruise is a moron and I can't be happier now that his junk will have a harder time finding a theatrical audience.

It seems proof that there is Divine Justice afterall in this world!!!!

Bye Bye Tom Cruise can't say that it has been fun.

Today is also DRAFT DAY!!!! One of my favorite days of the year!!!!

I'll post the results later tonight or tomorrow!!!!

Bad Week Is Over!!!!

This week at work we had an inspection team come around. It happens about once a year so it isn't unexpected.

The military wants to make sure the contractors are doing thier jobs and holding up their end of the contract so they send out teams of military inspectors to do so. The problem is that everyone goes bonkers and slips into insanity about this same time of year.

Yes it is good to have things in order and ready for inspection, no it isn't good to lose your head and go overboard with it.

First of all no one can get fired over an inspection. Not only that but a bad inspection for a unionized contractor has pretty much no effect at all. You don't lose pay, you don't lose benefits, you lose pretty much nothing and the reverse is true as well.

For an outstanding inspection you get nothing. If you shop did better than everyone else's shop you get zip out of the deal. Which leads me to my apathetic mood during this time of year.

Thank goodness for DVD Tuesdays and Veronica Mars!!!! That show has rocked this week!!!!

I'm going to be busy this weekend so I doubt if I'm going to be able to watch it like I'd like to but next week I'm going to watch it when I can.

Today the inspectors are loading up and we are going to cook a bunch of bratwursts for lunch for everyone. It'll be a slower more relaxing day.

Tonight I plan on editing the commercial for the Coke contest if I get the music. I think I can do it in a matter of an hour or less but we'll see.

Tomorrow is DRAFT DAY!!!! I can't wait!!!!
I've got my lists, my sleeper list, and my cash!!!!

Everything I need to make tomorrow successful is at hand and soon I'll be in bliss via the NFL!!!!

I'm Just About Fed Up

If you have read my blog for any length of time you can see that I rarely talk current events unless of an entertainment nature or something similar so forgive me for this brief departure.

I'm sick of hearing about the Ramsey case in every single news outlet there is. John Mark Karr was arrested with so much hype that his flight from Thailand to America was a minute by minute story!!!! Enough is enough people!

Yes it was tragic. Very Tragic.

Yes it is still tragic however the fact remains that if this had happened to a poor minority it probably would have been filed away a long time ago and after ten years forgotten. There would be no hype around an eventual arrest.

I got so fed up with the Natalee Holloway case for the same reason. Tragic, of course it was and they have my sympathy. I hope the killer is caught and brought to justice however at the same time a girl of the same age went missing in Chicago I believe and she didn't get anywhere close to the same press coverage.

No one sat outside of their grieving parents home with cameras, broadcasting their tragic story around the world. I saw one brief interview on Fox which is the only reason I know about it. The parents were heartbroken, well just plain broken. They looked like they hadn't slept in days and days, soft spoken and thankful that someone paid attention to their grief and pain.

I do not know the result of that case nor do I remember the name of the missing girl.
I regret that.

I don't understand why one upper middle class girl is worth more than a poor Chicago girl.
I don't know why one was newsworthy and one wasn't.
I don't get it my friends.

Is it just the common injustice of the world? Maybe because one was more photogenic?

I honestly don't have an answer and I really wished I had one.

Veronica Goodness!!!!

The second season of Veronica Mars JUST came out yesterday!!!!

Wooohoooo!!!!

Want to talk about an amazing show! This one is it. Unfortunately it is also a show plagued with bad ratings and a show that most people haven't heard of. The good side is that it has the best writing this side of Buffy and I can only hope it has the longevity to go with it.

I've written about this show before and there was a serious online effort to bring the show back for a second season.

I'm not going to bore you with descriptions, just know that this is an incredible show and you should try to watch it! Kristen Bell is jabenro hot and has some of the best writers working today at her disposal to make her character among the best on TV.

In other news, the Coke commercial contest is lacking music but I have been assured that it is on its way within the next two days or so.

I still have 36 years until retirement. Inc. is still on nights and it seems to be working for him but it has only been two days now. We'll see how Captain Insaneo and Inc. work out.

I still haven't heard of any good deed stories to post here but I am listening all the time!

Inc. Has Moved To Nights

If you'll recall one of my previous posts about my cast of coworkers he was the one who ran his home business out of the shop.

He can be a good guy but he can also be kinda annoying. He would let the phone ring and ring and usually be pretty close to it, forcing someone else to answer it and the kicker was is that it was usually for him anyway.

It is small things like that about him that drove me nuts.

Anyway he has gone to the nightshift now on a volunteer basis for two years so his wife can attend vo-tec and he can watch the kids during the day.

His going to the nightshift will lower my annoyance level at work quite a bit but then again I still feel trapped in an overall sense. I feel out of place sometimes.

Chris and I had a great conversation last night after the weekly film meeting. Just hanging out, talking and laughing, nothing major but it was fun anyway.

Man I act so old sometimes.....sigh.....

One Of The Best Lines Of Any Song Ever!!!!

Anyone who knows me knows that I enjoy old country music. It is something I grew up with since my dad was a truck driver when I was a kid and that is what we listened to.

I have a love for 80's metal as well since that was what I came of age with....sigh....now that music is on classic rock radio but that is another blog for another time.

Anyway, John Conlee is one of my favorites. He tells stories of love, heartbreak, common maness, being broke, well basically everything a country song should be about. His voice is unique and warm, absent of any twang like Dwight Yoakam's abundance of twang.

One of John Conlee's most endearing songs is called Miss Emily's Picture in which he tells the story of a lost love. We are unsure what happened to Miss Emily of the story however we do know that she isn't around anymore and the protagonist still loves her. In this masterpiece of hurt and love John Conlee owns this material.

He pines for his lost love as he sleeps in the same bed they both shared even leaving her pillow intact as it was when she was present. A picture adorns the nightstand which is dutifully straightened every morning. At work he is a zombie, going through the motions without much feeling or purpose. He probably only goes to work to have someone to talk with. He sees nothing but pain in the world around him but gets a simple short lived dose of relief by again straightening a picture of Miss Emily that hangs on his office wall.

He pours bourbon into his morning coffee to dull the ache of loss and spends his evenings with his coworkers at a local bar while he shares Miss Emily's picture which he carries with him.

Of this wonderful song of heartbreak one lines stands among all others:

"I wake up in the morning in a state of fright
On the wrong side of the bed all night
Clinging to the broken heart inside my head."

Haven't we all experienced a broken heart that was in our head?
In one line John Conlee captures something we can all relate to on a universal level.
whether it is a tragic loss of a loved one, unrequited love, or even love that you are responsible for turning away.

A broken heart is something that if you haven't experienced then I guess I feel good and bad for you. Who hasn't been busted up inside and gone to bed early and dreaded getting up because you knew you were going to hurt all day? I'm sure that those who haven't felt a broken heart though are rare and probably so cold that they are barely human.

Listen to it if you ever get the chance or ask me sometime to play it for you, I'd be more than happy to!

A Light Poker Night

Dealer's game, quarter ante with a two dollar limit.

I came into the game with a few dollars less than 35 bucks and left with about 34:)

I was up and down most of the night but there were only five of us and it was just friends and fun to spend an evening like that!

In other news I have made the drink table for Drinkbusters taller so that I can get a closer shot of the cast. You'll have to see it to understand what I mean so when it is posted you'll get it. I talked with Chianti yesterday about what she would like to see done differently and I have to agree with her.

This won't mean much to you right now since you can't see it but her suggestions were simply to explain more at the start about what we were doing.

Speaking of Chianti, at the photo shoot yesterday her costume jewelry was starting to bug her so she asked if I would help her unsnap it so she could remove it. We went into the hallway at the studio and I found out how it worked quickly and upon unsnapping the catch it skinned my knuckle! OUCH!

It felt like a big hangnail being torn off!!!!

Anyway for tonight's Drinkbusters shoot we have two drinks we are going to bust. One is a Dog's Nose from Beersnob. The other is a Cherry Cheesecake from Weezy.

The Dog's Nose sounds just vile.
You take a bottle of Guiness beer, pour it into a mug and microwave it for one minute, add two ounces of gin, some brown sugar, nutmeg and serve....ugh...

The Cherry Cheesecake sounds much better! A shot of vanilla schnapps, layer cranberry juice on top and shoot!

Should be a fun shoot tonight!!!!

Commercial Completed

I just finished editing the commercial project for the Coke contest.

All that is missing now is the music which I'm supposed to have soon.

In a couple of hours I'll be off for an evening of poker playing with friends while the local theater awards are going on, the Charlies.

What is good for me and Drinkbusters is that every one of my cast members all have been nominated for many many Charlie awards and that really raises the quality of the Drinkbusters production!!!!

I'm nearly complete on the first episode and I'm still searching for a good background to use. If it takes much longer then I'll have to use a simple background and work on it after every episode and gradually improve it.

The bad thing is that with the amazing chemistry on set I feel pretty inadequate in my technical skills. I do know that my skills will get better and better as I do more projects but it is a shame that I can't match the amazing amount of fun that Beersnob, Chianti, and Weezy are having on set!!!!

This afternoon I spent at a local photography studio watching the cast pictures for Chris's production being taken, now that was some fun! Everyone had a great time and even at this early stage I believe that the cast is starting to gel a little bit.

Afterwards most of use went for Italian for lunch and that was simply good eatin'!!!!

This should be a great production!!!!

One Week Until Draft Day!!!!

Not only that but it appears that the TO situation in Dallas is laying the groundwork for a in season meltdown.

Coach Parcells is getting fed up with the constant TO questions and it is ONLY TRAINING CAMP!!!! There are just so many red flags going up right now in Big D that it has many NFL fans just waiting for the inevitable.

Let me be clear that TO will help the 'Boys for a while. He is a massive target and someone who will draw double coverage which frees up the running game and second and third wide receivers. He is a difference maker but what he is also is a massive distraction from playing and preparing for the actual games.

If you are a FFL guy draft him at your own peril. Draft someone who will play in all 16 games barring injury instead. It is becoming obvious that there is a massive breakdown on the horizon and it will be spectacular and fun to watch! Well unless you are a Dallas fan (sorry to the one's I know) then it will be painful and all of a sudden Julius Jones/Marion Barber won't be very effective at all. Terry Glenn without anyone to draw coverage away from him will be a less than average receiver.

Draft day to me is one of my life's pleasures. Like my coffee card in the Fall and Winter and vanilla candles! FF is that to me.

It is a time to enjoy the company of your leaguemates who are more than happy to kick your team around while smiling about it. It is also time to let your team kick theirs around on the field since you did your homework and know what player to take in the right situation! There are few better feelings in life than to have the team that you built run roughshod over the entire league! When everyone else sees you on their schedule and chalks up a loss before the game even starts!

One week from Draft Day and it is a great time of year as long as you avoid TO!!!!

It appears that the Raiders are going to flounder leaving question marks around drafting Moss or not. Tough call since the Raiders appear to really suck. Lamont Jordan will be a midlevel RB at best behind a below average O Line.

The FFL question of the year is LT, LJ, or Shaun Alexander?

LJ had 20 TDs in 9 starts, will he repeat that in 16? I doubt it. Look for about 15-20 spread out over 16 instead of the run at the record everyone is anticipating.

LT? I imagine that he will be just as strong on an improved team. Once Rivers gets his groove on in the season LT will just get that much stronger.

Shaun? He is the pick of this draft if you should be unfortunate to have the number 1 pick overall. Seattle is still in a weak division and the class of the NFC. Take him and chalk up 20 TDs.

Draft Day is one week away and I wish it was here already!!!!

Super Osment!!!!

Well it appears that another child actor has bitten the dust of reality after being the cute toast of Hollywood.

Haley Joel seems to have purchased the deluxe Hollywood fame package which included a complimentary DUI, illegal drugs, and to top it off a short hospital stay before arraingment.

It is a real shame since he has such a bright future....maybe not as an actor but he could easily pick up a pen and paper and write his own script.

Hey Haley, become a filmmaker. Get behind a camera and right your dream role. You have far more resources than everyone I know combined, there is no reason why you can't do this son.

Now then Who Wants to be a Superhero is really starting to ROCK!!!! The Dark Enforcer has really made this show far more interesting!!!! He prods them and makes fun of them and is a perfect supervillain for this style of show!!!!

He was a great twist to a show that really isn't taking itself too seriously. It is fun and has been enjoyable to watch! For some entertainment where you can turn your brain off after a soul sucking day at work, you can't go wrong.

Short Project Started Last Night

A guy who is part of Chris's cast has asked for some help in shooting a commercial for a Coke contest. So my good friend Beersnob and I helped with that last night which made for an interesting evening.

He has a good idea and I think that it might be a contender when finished but the time frame that we have to finish it in is very short and after it is shot will cut into my Drinkbusters time. For a thirty second edit it might take an hour to capture the footage, edit it, render it, and then put it into the format that it needs to be in for the contest. Then all that is left is uploading it.

An hour isn't much and it is helping someone who wants to be creative and branch out.

The next shooting episode for Drinkbusters will be Sunday evening. Hopefully around 6:45. Chianti will have her children with her and the next day is a schoolday so we will be on a tight shooting schedule.

I am sure that we can easily do it though and get Chianti home at, if not before the time she would like to be home!!!!

The Raw Edit Is Finished!!!!

Alright now I'll tell you all about this project. It is called Drinkbusters!

It is similar to Mythbusters but this time the three cast members will be testing drinks that are sent into the show!

Drinkbusters@yahoo.com If anyone is interested in sending in a drink for us to try out on camera!

I am shooting it against a green screen so that I can hopefully put a sweet moving background behind them. Nothing too busy and nothing too dull.

So far after the first shoot I have to say that it was a complete blast to film and edit!!!!
The chemistry of the cast was amazing and I don't think I could ask for a better group!!!!

Chianti, Weezy, and Beersnob are wonderful right now but I can't imagine how good they are going to be after a couple of technical things are worked out and when they really gel together!!!!

It is going to be scary how good those three will be!!!!

Regrets

After hearing a friend talk a couple of weeks ago about regrets I kept thinking, "Do I have any?"

It might be trendy to say, NOPE, I'd do it all the same way!!!!

But for me that isn't true at all. I have a thousand and one regrets. After assuring another friend that I didn't kill anyone or commit some kind of felony after my "Mass of Men" post, I came to the conclusion that there are a lot of legal things that you can do that aren't illegal at all but that are just as bad.

For example you can hurt someone by something you say and only after a lot of time regret saying it. You can use someone for your own benefit by sucking up to someone and when you have accomplished your goal, discard them. You can betray someone's trust in you. You can boldly lie to someone. You can also hurt someone by not doing anything like driving by someone in need by the side of the road or not helping someone when you could.

I suppose these are the things I regret and if I had to do it all over again, I might make the same decisions but I'd like to think I wouldn't.

I've done a lot of stupid things I regret.

The consequences of those regrets are that now I'm trying to do things I'll never regret. So perhaps I've been shaped and molded into someone who is better for having done a ton of stupid things and if I could look into the future with any certainty and see if I'm doing something stupid now and don't realize it, I'd probably change it but I can't do that so I'm sure that I'll have another thousand and one regrets someday.

My 400th Post!!!!

Well I decided to stay home today and get Adobe up and running instead of going to work.

Glad I did!

I got the project edited and did the green screen compositing. However don't get too excited yet, I couldn't find a background that I really liked. So for the time being it is temporary and just a plain blue background all around the cast.

I am going to privately post it so that the cast can see the final result once it is finished rendering but I am not going to post it for mass consumption until the background is created and properly put into place.

I am happy with the way it turned out and it is funny as I had hoped!
I do think the cast will enjoy it and see how tight it feels now. I had to cut about ten minutes out but it still tops out at over seventeen minutes in length, so it is long for a net short.

Sunday I also saw a relic from the Cold War era on TCM.

Fail-Safe.

This early 60's movie really reflected the mood of the time. When paranoia of the red threat pretty much ruled politics and other countries held their collective breath to see which side would set the world on fire first.

Henry Fonda plays the President who after a electronic glitch can't recall a bomber group on their way to bomb Moscow.

His solution is real horror when the story gets there and will probably make you gasp.

The story is dated though and for the most part many people who are not familiar with the Cold War will not get it.

It is an intense movie though and one that I'm happy to say wouldn't work today.

Adobe Setback

Well after filming today and dropping off 2/3rds of my cast I decided to come back home and edit right?

WRONG!!!!

For some reason my Adobe software decided to throw a fit and refuses to acknowledge my serial number now.

I've uninstalled/reinstalled and called Adobe, now I have to call tech support tomorrow so maybe we can get this thing rolling again.

So much for a quick edit, I'm sorry.

Project Filmed!!!!

This has been a very exciting weekend my friends!!!!

First Chris's read through went very well and smoothly! Everyone seemed to grasp their parts and are seemingly getting used to their characters. Rehearsals will start very soon and then everything will start to come together!

The Fanfilm project is going just as smoothly! I was priviledged enough to spend some time with John and he is working on the story right now and fleshing out to full length! We discussed the cockpit construction for a few minutes as well as a couple of other topics.

Then Sunday I had three wonderful cast members to do my own small short series that I have been blogging about for a few weeks now!

I can't tell you how smoothly it went!!!!

The chemistry and professionalism of Beer Snob, Weezy, and Chianti was outstanding!!!!

As soon as I'm finished with the editing process believe me I'll tell you more about it but I just can't right now other than to say it was SO FUN AND INCREDIBLE TO WORK WITH THESE THREE PEOPLE!!!!

GASP!!!! Paris Hilton Bitten!!!!

By her pet Kinkajou Baby Luv....sigh....

Why am I blogging about this?

BECAUSE IT IS IN THE HEADLINES!!!! Why is this newsworthy?

I don't know but it is just plain wrong. This person is just about as big a idiot as you can find and because she gets bitten on her arm by a exotic pet and gets a tetanus shot someone decided it was news!

This makes me feel as bad as my MTV experiment about mankind. When something as frivilous as this makes headline news I just have to shake my head in disgust and more in disappointment.

I'll never understand the Paris Hilton effect. How everything that she does is somehow important enough to be written about (can you use "Irony" in a blog post?) it just boggles my mind.

I'm not so much down on Paris but I fail to see how she, who is famous for just being famous, who has practically done nothing other than to annoy America with a reality show, who has been in the public eye for so many reasons like her vow to swear off sex for a year, who has got the brain power of lettuce, is always making news.

You know there are so many good stories out there and from now on I vow that when I hear one I shall blog it here. Unfortunately I don't run across them everyday but when I do hear about someone doing good, when I hear about sacrifice, when I hear about hard work, when I hear about someone comforting someone in need, I'll post it.

Cast Read Through Day

Today is the first time the cast for Chris's project will be together and go through the script.

It is important to have cast to get the context of the script while with your fellow actors. That will allow them to explore what the author has in mind and to add their own personality to the character.

The read through is the start of the chemistry between the cast memebers. If there are changes that need to be made then there is still time to make them before full swing production begins.

It is an exciting day!

The other news is that tomorrow at 1 p.m. my project takes to film and the first episode is filmed!
I'm excited about it!!!! After filming I should have edited and posted within the week!!!!

Yeah it should go that fast!!!!

The End Of August

Actually the 27th marks the day that Stevie Ray Vaughan was tragically killed in a helicopter crash in 1990.

SRV was easily one of the greatest blues artists ever.

Clapton? Even though he was more prolific, SRV was easily better. Just listen to Coldshot or Pride and Joy and tell me that Clapton was better.

B.B. King? No comparison.

John Lee Hooker? Probably as close as you can get to blues perfection so SRV is close for sure to John Lee.

Listen to Voodoo Chile and tell me that Hendrix's version is better. I don't think you can.

SRV added so much emotional depth to his music. He poured his heart into his guitar and if you listen to Tin Pan Alley and don't cry you might need to go to the doctor to have your heart checked.

Yeah Clapton is more flashy than SRV, easily but SRV only put out six studio albums and one of them was posthumous. If SRV had lived he would have given Slow Hand a run for his money.

The Sky Is Crying.

Disappointment Refund

I believe that when you go to a theater to watch a movie today you should be able to get a refund from Hollywood if the movie sucks called the Disappointment Refund.

Yeah there probably would be some people who would take advantage of it but I for one would not.

In fact it would probably encourage me to go see more movies and brave the raging, chair kicking kids who keep asking, "What just happened daddy?"

It would also encourage Hollywood to put out a better quality product instead of junk like Stay Alive *cough*Chris*cough* and put out movies people like me would like to see. The past three movies I have seen in the theater have been winners to me, they were Superman, Clerks II, and Pirates 2.

I would really like to see more horror movies however for the most part they stopped making good ones but since I've posted about that before I won't retread that topic.

I do believe that it would stop any upcoming Tom Cruise movie which is always a good thing:)

T-Shirts Finished Tomorrow!!!!

Yes my friends!!!!

I finished gathering supplies for Sunday's project today and I'll be picking up the t-shirts I ordered tomorrow!!!!

This is a great time for me in many ways and I'm excited about it!!!! Thursday night there is going to be a meeting to discuss a commercial for a contest. I'm looking forward to this meeting!

Things are getting better, bit by bit.

A Bit Of Providence

Yesterday Chris sends me this quote in an email and only this quote, Charles Dubois: The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become.

I asked him if he had read my blog for the day and he told me he hadn't and asked "why?", then I told him to go read yesterday's post. He couldn't at the moment since he was on the land line and the PC was in the office room but he would. He just said when he saw the quote he felt like it was important to send it to me.

I believe that you will also find it quite amazing.

I told him it made me feel pretty good about things and since he wasn't feeling well I told him to get better and drink lots of water. So for anyone out there reading this, send Chris some good vibes so he gets better!!!!

It is amazing that sometimes when you least expect it that the hand of providence can just stop by your house and visit for a few seconds. I was unprepared for that but I think I'll look forward to the next visit.

The Mass Of Men

Lead lives of quiet desperation.

I would go further to say that for the most part we are never who we appear to be. Out of fear, out of spite, out of anger, we hide who we really are and present the world as we wish to be.

My friends if you really knew me, if you could look at my heart for two seconds you would probably find a most distasteful entity. You would find someone who tries his best to hide his inner self for fear that if someone knew who he really was that he would indeed be abandoned.

However that does not mean that even though we present ourselves in a way in which we wish to be, that we cannot be that person eventually.

That is the hope I have. That who I try to be is the person I will someday become and not the person I am inside.

Thoreau also said that, "If you would convince a man he does wrong, do right. Men will believe what they see."

I do try to be good and often fail. I try to do good but I find myself craving recognition for things that should not be recognized. I do wish to become the person I try to appear to be and not the person I am in my heart.

Finally!!!!

And it was very good!!!!

Yep I finally got to go see Pirates of the Caribbean 2!!!!

To sum it up, Keira Knightly in a pirate costume!!!! What more is there to say? She was smoking hot and very watchable, however she really wasn't the main attraction in this great adventure movie!

It was a lot of fun and there is no wonder why it is the highest grossing movie this year. There was a lot of adventure, the sets were amazing, the writing was witty, and all in all it was everything the first one was and more to me.

With the third movie due in May there is a great story to complete and a lot to look forward to!
Did I mention Keira Knightly? Amazingly hot?

Johnny Depp has defined Jack Sparrow and might very well be the signature role of his career. It will be very difficult in 20 years when the Pirates Trilogy is remade for another actor to capture the magic of Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow!!!!

A Good Friday Night

Actually it was a good Friday all the way around!

I took off of work at noon which is always good.
Got the shirts ordered for my project.
Got my tag updated for another year.
Got a haircut, probably one of the best haircuts I've had in years! She was amazing and had a great touch, it was kind of turning me on!
Sent the twin to my PC monitor sent off for warranty work so I can have my dual monitors again.
Had afterwork drinks with my co-workers on a payday Friday.
Went to a film meeting to discuss everyone's projects.
Went to a birthday party/game night at some friend's house with two other good friends until about 11ish and had a good time.

All in all a very busy and good day!
I wish I had more days like yesterday!

Who Wants To Be A Superhero....

Alright at first I thought this was a bad idea and after I saw the first episode I really thought this was a bad idea. Some of the contestants just kind of took their fantasy to heights that needed some medication and possibly treatment. It reminded me of what it would really be like to have imaginary super powers while being boringly human.

In your mind you envision being able to jump over a house but in real life you are pretty good if you can touch the rim. In your mind you envision being able to stop bullets but in real life you are able to stop the bullets just before they stop you cold. That whole real life thing just gets in the way sometimes.

It just started off badly and for two full episodes it got worse....until the third show.

Here is why I think it might wind up being a good show afterall. They axed the most unpopular person. He was in trouble every step of the way and really showed little heart or desire.

So after he got booted by Stan Lee, Stan The Man decided to pull a twist worthy of comic lore and changed the bad guy into a bad guy and made him his supervillian, The Dark Enforcer.

Now despite my misgivings it seems that this show might pick it up a bit and become pretty interesting!!!! We'll see how it turns out but for now I'm willing to give it a chance.

V For Vendetta

Is a pretty good movie. Yeah it takes the age old debate that one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter and places it into a modern context but it does it well.

Natalie Portman is at her hottest and she is surface of the Sun hot. She has proven that she can act, which she did in Closer (which I hated) but you could hardly tell that she could act just by watching Star Wars: The Wooden Trilogy.

V is another comic turned movie in a trend that I really enjoy. I believe that comics can make incredible movies....well as long as you don't let Tim Burton near one that is. They are naturally visual, usually have very solid stories to tell, and if the Director just uses the source material given to him then they should explode on screen with a visual fury that most Hollywood productions lack today.

V centers around London after it has been taken over by a facist regime and freedom is essentially outlawed. V takes it upon himself to wake up the population to what freedom is and inspires the masses to fight for it once again. He inspires the population to care once again.

There are a lot of comics that I would love to see on the screen, like The Watchmen, long rumored to be a big production but who knows when it'll ever happen. The Dark Knight Returns would be an amazing movie if given to the right Director. Who wouldn't want to see the Dark Phoenix Saga done correctly??? I'd like to see Daredevil's Apocalypse, Frank Miller's best work on that title done. You know, even The Hulk would have been a great movie if they would have used a story from the actual title instead of just taking a character and giving him over to some writers who probably knew nothing about him.

The problem usually comes up though when for some reason the Director stays from the source material and the result is usually less than stellar when it could have been spectacular.

Take Sin City for example. That was probably the perfect version of a comic brought to life. Robert Rodriguez took the source material and essentially made it his script. He brought that title to life and did it so well that it should be the high water mark for the comic to movie trend. Then on the other end of that scale is hack director Tim Burton who tends to destroy everything he comes into contact with. I'm amazed they still greenlight his ideas. His Batman was a total debacle and any comic fan should stand by me in that statement.

When will the comic to movie trend end?

Hopefully never and if it does than years and years after the remake trend ends.

House cleaning!!!!

I suck at housecleaning. I know I do. I tend to have a little pack rat in me so I don't throw enough things away.

What I needed was help!!!!
That help came in the form or Rosa!!!!
Ok Rosa woks for the same place I work and she is a human dynamo. She never stops but she is always happy. She loves to clean. She says it makes her day go by fast, I'd say that is true since I have never seen her look at a clock.

She is amazing my friends. Very nice and sweet, works harder than almost any two people out there, and never complains about one thing.

So I asked her if she would like to help me with my house, with a enthusiastic YES she started last night! She is going to help me with an overall house cleaning and let me tell you, when she got here she was NON STOP. She made me tired just by watching her go and I was keeping a nice pace myself.

She thinks that just a couple more visits and I'll be ship shape

Rosa Rocks!!!!

The Haunting

Not the remake, this is the original.

This is a very lush haunted house movie that has some genuine tension in it. There are very few special effects in fact. Most of what happens are all sound effects off camera and yet it is very effective.

The story of a house that was born bad and had a history of people not living in it for very long....well you have heard it before with movies like the Amityville Horror and Poltergeist.
However The Haunting is much different in that it used the actors and a good story to create tension and not gore or cats jumping out of closet scenes to get you into the movie.

For its time it really seemed to tackle Clair Bloom's lesbian characte well, in fact I'd say that it was ahead of its time by a couple of decades since it was made in 63.

The actual main character, Eleanor Lance, who's mental state is in question the whole movie is a mousy woman who seems timid at times and then can flip a switch and be protective and strong. Her performance is really what drives The Haunting and probably wouldn't have been nearly as effective without such a great actor.

Turn down the lights and turn on The Haunting. You might be happy to have some harmless fright in your world!

The Messengers

What a horrible show.

Alright here is the concept: Ten people who want to be motivational speakers actually go out into the real world to experience the downtrodden, the blind, the paralyzed, the homeless, migrant workers....well you get the point.

And then they put together a two minute speech and try to be all positive and happy after experiencing the hardships of one day, yeah one day.

The rest is just basic reality TV stuff where the audience votes off the least motivational person.

Yeah horrible.

It reminds me of Take One that I wrote about in a earlier post. Where a couple of guys go out to do good deeds but the show focused more on the people following them in the RV who caused the drama and actually made the deeds happen.

A good idea with very poor execution, just like The Messengers.

Come on, motivational speakers? Who can experience being homeless for a day and then come up with a speech to motivate someone to what....not be homeless anymore?

They come across more as martyrs than people who have any experience at living.

"Look at the good I'm doing for you! Now listen to my speech!" is the feeling I get from it.

Don't get me wrong, I am all for bettering the human race and doing what you can when you can for someone less fortunate. This show just seems fake and plastic though and unwatchable.

The commercials don't tell you that it is really just a game show and that the contestants are just there for a book contract. They show you how these people are out in the streets or fields and have brief clips of the speeches at the end. Do they tell you that the speeches are actually a contest? Of course not, that would turn on that light in your head that says, "Stupid show, don't watch me!"

Hiding In The Mountains

I'm going to let you all in on a secret fantasy of mine.

There are two forms of media that have explained my fantasy and that I hold dear to my beating heart. One is a book and the second is a song.

First the song. David Allen Coe's Please Come To Boston( yeah I know Dave Loggins wrote it but Coe made it great). The verse where he asks his woman to please come to Denver for the Winter so they can move up into the mountains and get lost together. Coe's strained voice romanticizes the winter in a cabin and everything good about being with a loved one and being wrapped up in them.

The second is a book by Terry Goodkind called Faith Of The Fallen. In that book Richard Rahl moves him and his wife Kahlan Amnell (and bodyguard Cara) into a cabin he has constructed in some far off mountains so she can rest after being nearly killed after an attack that leaves her near death. What results is the happiest part of their lives together as she gains her strength back. He teaches Kahlan and Cara about how to survive and how beautiful the world is around them despite a massive invading army that is on the cusp of destroying his world.

I've always wanted to be able to be dependent upon myself, to have the skills to actually live in the wild, build a nice cabin, you know live off of the land. However I know that is a delusion. I need things like air conditioning, electricity, and indoor plumbing. That just leaves a nice furnished cabin and a mountain range to complete my fantasy.

Oh yeah I've frequently thought about what my cabin would look like and where it would be. Sorry, those are private:)

The idea has always appealed to me about isolation and hiding from the world with someone you loved. Like nothing can touch us. Nothing can effect that moment of happiness. Nothing can invade that moment of perfect happiness where all is right, the Sun comes up, the moon lights the night, and the air is crisp and clean.

It Is Almost Time!!!!

For a few things!!!!

First my project now has a starting date!
August 13th shall be the filming date!!!!
Everyone's schedules line up on that magic day so we will begin then!!!!

Yeah I'm excited!

Secondly it is getting to be that time of year when everyone is studying the NFL training camps and tyring to suck up all of the knowledge you can get your hands on to make a solid team!

Yes it is very exciting!!!!

The NFL channel on Sirius has been invaluable as they are in the process of going to every single camp and getting the inside scoop!!!!

I do believe I'll have that same edge I had last year on my league with one exception. One of my friends and the commissioner of the league has Sirius and I know he is doing the same thing so I anticipate him coming in second this year.

Reggie Bush ended his holdout yesterday and has gotten into camp. He should be a very effective player with all of the weapons that the Saints have. He will do what he is supposed to and create mismatches. He'll keep the D honest and force them to play him.

Vince Young however will likely be a bust of Leaf like proportions. Yeah he might be very athletic but in the NFL you have to have the total package and he is as dumb as a box of rocks but I bet that there will be some idiots out there who will draft him anyway. He isn't Culpepper folks and won't have monster numbers. In fact I would imagine he will become a defenseive squads favorite QB if he even gets to play at all.

Yes there are a lot of amazing things that are about ready to happen my friends and I'm happy they are!!!!

Happy Friday!!!!

This is the bright spot of my week!

The one day of the week where almost nothing bothers me at all!

Not only that but when I get off work I know that the plumber will be here so that I can have my sewer line snaked out and get the roots out of there. I am starting not to like it when the water pools up around my feet when I shower.

Anyway, there isn't a lot of cleverness rolling around in my head this morning so this probably won't be a long post but I have a long time friend coming over tomorrow to spend some time with. I haven't seen her in a long time and I'm looking forward to seeing a movie with her!

Yesterday at lunch I purchased the needed props for my upcoming project! Well they aren't so much props as they are essential to putting everything together!

I still want to tell you what it is SO BAD but I just can't at the moment! The musical is almost over with, I believe this is the last weekend for it and then I plan on meeting with everyone involved and puttting it in concrete!!!!

This is going to be such a fun project! I can't wait to get it going!!!!

Clerks 2

Clerks 2 was on the agenda last night. A friend and I went for some coffee and then hit the theater for this expedition into geek culture.

From the pop culture debates to the plethora sexual references Clerks 2 was what Clerks was and what you would expect in a sequel.

I could really relate to Dante and Randall's plight as for the most part their frustration mirrors my own. The ending monologue conversation was almost like my own internal dialogue that tries to add a rudder to my life.

If you aren't easily offended go see it, you will probably find something to laugh at.
If you are easily offended go see something else because you will likely be very offended.

How Do You Know If You Are Happy Or Not?

How exactly do you know if you are happy or not or meant to be happy and aren't or even just not cut out to be happy ever?

This was on my mind this morning as I clocked into my soulless job today.

I kept thinking, can I make it until retirement?
Is there more or am I meant to work paycheck to paycheck, day to day, week to week like I am now with the occasional vacation or three day weekend thrown in for good measure?

What would make me happy if I'm not or what would bring me down if I were?

I concluded that I am not happy with a couple of aspects of my life and my job is one of them. This is not news at all. In fact I don't know if I've been happy with my job. The only part of it I do enjoy is payday Fridays and those just don't happen enough.

Payday Fridays allow me to pursue my passion which is film. Again not news of any kind however when put into relative terms I'm better off than 95% of the entire world's population. So how could I be unhappy with ANY aspect of my life at all? Just doesn't add up does it?

My friends sometimes I lose site of that and as of this very moment that I'm typing it out I am seeing out of the corner of my eye images from Lebanon and Israel.

Families that have been torn apart and I wonder, were they happy before Hezbollah decided to attack Israel?

Were they unhappy with some aspects of their lives but happy with others?

Did they have jobs that earned them a living or were they frustrated that all they could earn was a living and little more? Did they have plenty to eat with family and friends to share it with or were they lonely and have few people to share anything with?

Did they have something to live for or were they just existing as I find myself doing from time to time instead of living?

I have been a fan of the theory that for the most part people are people where ever you go. They do the same things I do. I'm sure that they have the same dreams I have and hunger like I do.

Do they know if they are happy or not?

Crazy Lady On Cleveland

Anyone around this area has seen this lady.

Usually she rides a bike on two very busy two lane highways.

Not carefully either, very recklessly. She is insane....well that is what we think or at least she is trying to get hurt to have a lawsuit.

Here is some proof. There are at least two people who have told me identical stories about her.
There is a stop light where these two streets cross and she will sit at on her bike. With cars at the intersection she will sit there until the light turns green and then cut across the path of the nearest vehicle that starts to move!!!!

She is dangerous!!!!

She has recently started to drive a car and parks it at a nearby softball complex so she can watch the traffic go by. She backs in, gets out, and then gets into the passenger seat to sit for hours....

Yeah, the crazy lady on Cleveland.

Meeting With Chris

It went pretty well.

Then after the business meeting was over with he got a text from one of the people from the musical. Even though she was in Locker and I do like her a lot she has developed quite an ego lately.

Nearly every sentence begins with "I" or "Me" and she can talk about herself for a very long time without a pause.

I know that when I write this blog that a lot of my sentences begin with the same however anyone who knows me knows that I rarely talk about myself. This is about my only indulgence into the realm of self.

I do work on the problem though and if I feel that I am putting too many first person references into a paragraph I try to rewrite it so it sounds better.

My friend however, and yes she is my friend, has gotten to the point where everything is revolving around her. Her mom is one of the sweetest people in the world, Chris wishes he had parents like them, and yet my friend will go on about them.

No, I know she doesn't read my blog. If it isn't about her she honestly doesn't care which is sad. She has talent for this town but if she is going to make a step to LA, which she is planning on, she has a lot to learn.

She is someone who will benefit from being kicked around by life a little bit, it will make her a much better actor and person. I don't think it is a major problem, she is just a bit immature right now and is learning the ways of the world. I was that way as are most other people, well I don't think I was at the point where I talked about my hair like she does for entire conversations but yeah I ruled the universe at one point.

Back In The Barrel

Yep, Monday has come again.

Once again everyone heads back to work to climb that grueling mountain that is Monday thru Friday so that we can sit on the peak and enjoy the view that is the weekend.

I've got all my bills paid even have a nice bit of coin left over for the next two weeks. Life is pretty good with the projects that are going on and upcoming.

It is still hot but not as hot as it was last week. This week is supposed to be cooler, in the 90's.
Not cool but better than the triple digits of last week.

Everything is getting out of that holding pattern I felt like I was in for a while. Things are moving, maybe at a glacial pace but they are moving in a good way.

I've got a slow drain, not in the house, I'm sure that tree roots have gotten into the sewer pipe. It has happened before and that was about four years ago so I'm going to have to call a plumber to snake out the line and I'll be good for another four years. The problem is that I have a big tree that is within ten feet of my main so it happens.

No big deal. Just one more little jagged cliff to overcome on the way back up the mountain.

The Funyun: The Perfect Food????

Yes the Funyun, it sits there on the snack shelf and it just looks very anonymous. But inside that pale yellow bag lurks an ocean of delicious dried onion flavor!!!!

You can make a meal out of a bag of Funyuns, some beef jerky, and your favorite soft drink for a great steak and onions combo meal!!!!

You can make any grilled burger better with a couple of Funyuns on top instead of a boring old onion.

Outside of the fudgsicle it is a snack that you can have year round and is always tasty in its reliable brand of crunchy goodness. The Funyun could be natures perfect food, picked right from the Funyun plant at the early stages of ripeness and then rushed into air tight bags straight to you in quick shops everywhere!!!!

That process alone is a modern miracle of mass distribution that never lets you down! You can always find a bag of Funyuns near you! Yes you might think that the Funyun has some kind of drawback, clogs arteries, causes high blood pressure, blah blah blah. You soon forget about all of that after just one nibble of a perfectly shaped Funyun halo of flavor!!!!

Doritos? Pleeeze....
Cheetos? Eh, sometimes!
Guy's Snack Mix? YES, GIMMEE!!!!
Andy Capp's Hot Fries? OH BABY!!!!

So alright funyuns have some competition in my snacking diet but they are darn good!!!!
Can you make a whole meal out of Funyuns? I've done it!!!!
Can Funyuns sustain you on the deserted island? If you have plenty of water YES!!!!
Funyuns are good survival food and quite maybe good for you!!!!

The Cast Is Set

It was a pretty good day overall.

We had three people read who were being considered for some important parts and everything fell into place finally.

It was a good time and then we went out to lunch to discuss the final cast list.

Chris will take on one of the main roles himself. He was concerned about adding himself to the cast as he thought it might take more of his time up and he didn't know if he could handle being an actor and director at the same time.

The whole thing is coming together and today was a major step in that direction.

Now for some bad news. I have a dual monitor set up for editing purposes and one of my monitors quit this morning. It refuses to power up. It just sits there looking all blank and dead. Yeah I changed outlets, unplugged it for a while, did all that basic troubleshooting to no avail.

So I have sent in an email to the company I bought it from to see what they can do about it.
I love these monitors! Twin 19'' LCDs make for an imposing desktop!!!! I miss it already!!!!

Yawn.....

So after getting home I chat a bit online and head off to bed around 10ish, still pretty buzzed and tired.

5:30 my cats decide they are hungry so I am up since they won't give up.

I don't feel bad though, not at all. A little tired but overall I am ready for the final readings for Chris's auditions which are today at 10 a.m.

They are mostly rereads, people who he wanted to hear more from.

I broke my caffeine free streak yesterday at lunch when I had ice tea with my burger and fries, then a Red Bull a few hours later when I was sobering up before coming home.

Well onward and upward!!!!

Alright For The Second Time

I got mad at work today, well specifically Picky Eater got me mad at work today since I was super busy and he didn't want to do anything so I took off at 11:30 and decided to have one of my co-workers meet me for lunch and a drink.

Well that has turned into more than just a drink and I'm about ready to embark to a local pub for more drinks and more complaining about work!!!!

Muhahahaha!!!!

It rocks when you can have vacation leave at a whim!!!!

Casting Nearly Complete!!!!

Last night Iwwas at Chris's house and by Saturday afternoon I am positive that the remaining couple of roles will be filled!!!!

These are exciting times for a small town filmmaker my friends!!!!

I am not sure how to express it in any other way but by being excited with the potential of what we are about to accomplish. Everyone who was at the auditions were very good, some more than others and I am fortunate enough to have two of them also in my small fun project!

I'm very excited about that one as well since the fanfilm will be done in the Fall as well as Chris's project so my project will fill up the gap for me and allow me to have a real life project to work my video editing mojo on.

There is also the very good possibility that there will be a steady stream of these projects in the form of episodes to build a fan base.

Alright I have to back up, I hope they are good enough to build a fan base with. I can tell you right now that if they don't it won't be because of the talent in front of the camera because that part is loaded!!!!

It'll be the concept which is mine, for better or worse, hopefully better.

Yeah I want to tell you all about it right now but I have to keep it under wraps for just a couple more weeks until I get the first episode committed to film and edited.

Then I hope you find it funny enough to laugh at it....well in a good way.

World Series Of Pop Culture

Amazingly I saw this show and did very well....sheesh.

What does that tell me?

I've probably spent too many hours around a tv. So yeah I've wasted a lot of my life.....

I don't feel good about it.

I mean exactly what is that kind of knowledge going to do for you? Nothing? Probably correct!

I almost feel ashamed I knew that much about pop culture.

I could've been a contender. I could've been somebody....instead of a nobody....which is what I am, to paraphrase one of my favorite movies.

See what I mean?!?!?!
So what if I know the names of the ghosts in Pac-Man.
So what if I know nearly every 80's metal video.
So what if I know every episode of every incarnation of Star Trek.
So what....I'm actually fine with who I am and what I know, that can't be that wasted can it?

I Am Starting My Fourth Day Without Caffeine

I know I'm a caffeine fiend. I need it and as far as mood altering drugs go it is probably the most widely available.

I've got a twelve pack of Coke in the fridge that hasn't been touched. I bought a Orange Vanilla Sprite at Sonic for lunch yesterday but mostly I've been on water.

I just wanted to know if I could actually kick caffeine if I wanted to and despite the three day headache I think I can.

Tomorrow night Chris wants some more casting help so we are going to a local coffee shop in which case my self imposed caffeine drought will end and some serious work will begin.

It is too hot for coffee but an ice coffee would be incredible since the temperatures have been North of 100 every day.

I visited a good friend at work yesterday and he wanted me to try a kahlua vanilla mix I believe and I have to admit it smelled like the best coffee ever while it was setting there brewing!

That was about the hardest thing to turn down since that caffeine creature inside was starving but I did. After last night I think that I could actually go a very long time without caffeine cravings now so YES I can kick it.

I'm pretty happy about that!

Praise For The Longest Running Scifi TV Show!!!!

Star Trek?
Buffy?
Charmed?
X-Files?

No,No, No, No.

Stargate: SG1 has reached its 10th season making it the longest running domestic scifi franchise.
All of the Treks except TOS and TAS made it to seven, The X-Files to nine.

What makes SG1 capable of making a run this long?

Good storytelling for one thing. The idea that you can drive to work go through the stargate to another world altogether, look around a while and come back in the same day is a very cool premise.

Not to mention that Amanda Tapping is cute hot.

SG1 blends serious scifi with humor, adventure, and at time self parody. There are some serious story arcs and some funny ones.

As the series has grown older and matured the arcs have become more epic. There were a couple of the latter seasons where the budget was cut and it showed on screen. The team didn't go offworld as much.

What has made this franchise especially unique is that its spinoff, Stargate: Atlantis is as nearly as popular if not more so than its originator.

SGA might have better legs than SG1.

Richard Dean Anderson is no longer on the show as a regular but he does pop in from time to time to great fan appreciation for his beloved character.

If you have never seen SG1 or SGA the Scifi Channel owns the franchise now and you can find an episode or two nearly every weekday.

It doesn't take much to get into the series at all.

It is a ride you won't regret.

It's Hot!!!!

Very hot outside and it is supposed to be like this for the near future.

It is 105 now.

My friends that is HOT!

I am about to head to Chis's house to finish up casting after the outstanding auditions on Saturday.
Some key roles still need to be filled but there are people who can fill them.

Plenty of people showed up. That is always a better problem to have then having to cast everyone who shows up as this has been done in the past!!!!

I've got to find something to eat before I go but I don't feel like eating. I didn't have much of a lunch and honestly with the heat like it is, eating just isn't on my mind.

I think I'm going to take a cold shower, that'll probably help to cool down some.

Successful Auditions!!!!

The auditions were very successful yesterday!!!!

There was actually an abundance of actors who showed up to try out. Many of the parts were cast with a couple of key roles up in the air for the moment but I'm sure that today they will be filled.

There was a pretty good get together for the actor who is going away to LA this week. The host family was out of their way gracious and as it so happens a part of my project that will start production after the local musical is over with. Hopefully it will be as funny as I believe it will be.

One of the guests didn't really like my anti-Che shirt but that is alright:) I joyfully accept differences of opinion and debate. I mean that is what makes this such a great country since you can actually express such an opinion without fear of being into a Cuban gulag.

My Powerball group had a ticket that hit four out of six numbers but without the Powerball, just two more and we would have been splitting a hundred million dollars.

The production values would have dramatically increased on my project.

Auditions!!!!

Yep!
Today is a huge day!!!!

First up at noon are auditions for Chris's project "The Passing Drummers", then a going away party for a local actor. Most if not all of my cast will be there so I'll be able to run some ideas by them and see how it goes.

I am positive I want to shoot it against a green screen like I mentioned before. My photograher friend was animate about that and thought it would add a ton of production value. The more I thought about it the more I liked the idea.

It'll provide some much needed real life experience for future projects.

Now after the first five episodes of Deadwood all I can say is WOW! What an incredible show!!!!

So far it is everything I wanted it to be but there is a small drawback and that is that Bullock is becoming a background character instead of the main character. That is just my opinion because he has a lot of lines but they seem to be less important.

There was an incredible and brutal fight in the fifth episode and that is all the spoiler you are going to get from me. If you see it you will see a fight you have never seen before, raw, mean, viscious.

Deadwood continues to be the best show on TV.

The Age In My Eyes

I just noticed it last night before I went to bed.

My eyes are fading. Not the color and not my eyesight but they are fading just the same.

I have noticed lines around my eyes that were never there before.

Here I am, a decade and a half away from being near the half time of my life should I make it to one hundred and I feel....aging.

My eyes look tired and show almost none of the signs of my high school exuberance and vitality.

Yeah they are still blue, they still work right, and I still have my death stare of death but the intensity isn't the same.

I used to define how I would know if I were old by listening to songs on the radio and what station they played on. So when I started hearing the songs of my high school years on a classic rock station, I knew I was on my way to an AARP card.

Dying doesn't bother me in the least but getting older just might bother me a little bit. Not a lot but it is something that I notice from time to time and it seems to be a shock when I do notice.

When you see me next, tell me I'm lying to you and that my eyes look the same as you remember.

Paris Hilton And You

I was listening to ESPN radio this morning, ESPN!!!!

The one place I go to hear about sports and when Balco Barry will be indicted and go to prison when all of a sudden a name came out of one of the announcer's mouth that should never be uttered on ESPN radio.

Paris Hilton.

It appears that Paris Hilton has decided to give up sex for one year.

So why are they talking about the very public sex life of Paris Hilton, who usually can't go two steps without having sex with some stranger, going to abstain for a year?

ON ESPN?!?!?!

Well Mike Golic was gone today so they had a substitute and Mike Greenberg was trying to spice things up I guess.

Anyway this lead me to wonder why in the world does anyone care what Paris Hilton thinks, feels, cares about, talks about, or why she is even famous for that matter.

She is a royal pain. A spoiled, royal, pain in American Pop Culture.

She is famous for partying all the time. Which got her a dreaded reality show which comes across more like The Magnificent Ambersons as she is subjected to many experiences that demean her and she gets come kind of comeuppance.

To put this in context, Israel is at war, Iran is quickly developing nuclear warheads, North Korea is testing a missle that could eventually reach the West coast, the cost of living is rising, tensions are rising in India and Pakistan, and by golly Paris Hilton is not going to have sex for one year....

See what I mean?

Paris Hilton is very wealthy, probably always will be, and will probably be just as clueless on her death bed as she has always been. Feel sorry for her, I doubt if she could exist otherwise.

A Possible Online Gambling Law

Which would destroy poker playing online.

It has been passed by the House and has to be passed by the Senate and signed by the President before becoming law but it is a strong possibility that it will happen.

The law would make it illegal to use a credit card or third party funding sources to put money in deposit with a gambling site such as Party Poker or Full Tilt.

Essentially it would destroy one of my favorite online past times.

I would have to venture to a Indian casino about an hour away to fulfill my poker cravings.

It is possible that before the year is out this could very well be law, that would make me sad.
I see no problems with online gambling.

The government won't stop me from going to McDonalds to work on my first heart attack but if I don't wear a seat belt on my way there they will fine me! Yeah I know, it is from an old post of mine but still just as true!

I have no problems with people who feel that gambling is wrong. None whatsoever. I sympathize in fact.

But I am human and have some vices, only a couple but I have them.

One of them happens to be poker. I'm decent at it and I know that when I play poker that it isn't gambling as much as it is a skill.

I figure odds, size up my opponents, and take their money or give up my money and limit my losses.

It is based on decisions of me and the other players and has nothing to do with the casino since you are not playing against the casino.

Yeah if you play blackjack, slots, or any of the other games that you find in a casino you are playing them. You can bet that they are going to win.

Not so with poker and which is why I play it. It is a challenge for me and something I really enjoy.

I see nothing wrong with it since I am old enough to make up my own mind about what I can and can't do.

My Project

Is coming along nicely!

I believe I have added an additional talent to the mix in addition to the main three people I have already for the main part.

I want to spill it right here but I just can't until I actually get it made and uploaded. This is going to be such a fun project!

It will be easy for the actors involved.
They will have no lines to memorize.
More episodes can be filmed per week if the actors are up to it and their schedules allow.
There will be very short shooting times, more than likely less than one hour per episode to start and less as everyone gets better at it.
The most important thing is that it is going to be a LOT OF FUN for everyone!!!!

I am looking forward to this project! It will be a blast and I need that right now!!!!

As an aside, Mr. Hyde is making a complete mess at his new position. That idiot couldn't manage his way out of a paper sack.

Glad he isn't our problem now!

Rocky Again?

Good grief....an aging boxer who happens to be played by an aging actor who are both in need of a comeback.

Isn't there a saying about art and life and mirrors?

Yeah.

Sometimes you should just know when to hang it up. The Rocky franchise should have known after they did the horrible RockyV. But NO! There must be another story to tell with Rocky so lets just make one up and send Geritol Rocky out there for one more beating.

Lets see if he is presented with a problem, exercises, and then defeats the problem.

See a pattern?

What would top it off is if they had Survivor come up with another snazzy theme. Yeah Survivor who is very similar to Sly and the Rocky franchise at this stage of the game.

Now Rocky and Rocky II are classic movies in every sense. They struck a chord with evey underdog out there who dreams of making it big. They put the American Dream on 35mm film and did it so that everyone felt good!

What is Rocky Balboa, the title for Rocky VI? I have a feeling that it is just an attempted jumpstart to a few careers.

I Don't Get It

I know I have ranted about soccer before here but when you supposedly have the biggest game in the world and it ends in a tie, how do you chose a winner?

Penalty kicks?

Italy won the World Cup after the game ended in a 1-1 tie and then they had a round of penalty kicks to determine the winner.....

Ugh....

What kind of idiot thought that up?

Let the people play until there is a clear winner!

Ratchet up the pressure in sudden death over time, do something creative that makes people want to watch your sport!

Don't just put one guy versus the goalie and change the entire game. If you are going to do that, just start the game that way and cut out the ninety minutes of boring parts.

In the end you will have accomplished the same thing!

World's sport?

You can keep it, its yours.

Ebola Free And A Little Smarter

I believe that the dumbness effect I was experiencing yesterday after my experiment was temporary.

I am starting to remember things again and I don't feel as superficial.

My ebola is completely gone now. You know MTV should carry some kind of warning label that says it can kill X amount of brain cells every second you watch and causes stupidity.

No, I'm not for censorship in any form. What I'm for is the education of the youth so that they can fulfill their entire potential and be everything they want to be.

If you are going to watch MTV, please be careful.

I Survived But Barely

To wrap up this insane experiment I just have to say that I think I'll pull through.
I didn't need to call 911 or go to the emergency room.

I think my Ebola is fading now, the bleeding has stopped.

I went into this experiment as an idealistic, optimistic person with hope for humanity.

I'm different now, my faith in humanity has been shaken to its core.

I don't understand how watching spoiled kids act snobbish has turned into entertainment, I don't understand how a network has a audience and they show thousands of commercials, I don't understand how a network called Music Television can be called that without playing MUSIC videos!

Most of all I don't understand why I did this.
It hurt, I feel dumber now.

I feel I have lost something, something important but I am sure that the Ebola is gone now.

I need sleep.

For The Sake Of

Everything good I can't understand why this channel is still on the air.

My filmmaker partner Chris believes that it is a way to have mindless entertainment without no thinking involved and a way to justify expensive purchases in a vicarious way.

I don't use bad behavior to justify other bad behavior but I'm sure there are some people who do watch MTV for that purpose.

Did I mention I feel sick?

The last show was Why Can't I Be You?

Where a socially inept person is mentored by someone they admire from afar.

I don't know exactly what to say about this show other than there have been a thousand movies with the same premise and it was old then.

Other than the awkward feeling that someone admires you from afar and want your life, the show was only bad from there on. I suppose that if both of the subjects were actually for real and not actors of any kind then I believe that there was probably some good done for these guys.

They seemed more confident and self assured....

As for Room Raiders.....AAARRRGGHHHH!!!!!

A very tough show to watch.

Just a hour to go before I can watch something else....if I don't make it just know that I did my best!

Ebola

I think I caught Ebola from my experiment.

Can you die from watching MTV?

Man I hurt.

I'm Almost Ready Eject

My Super Sweet 16 is about ready to do me in my friends.

Seeing these spoiled, rich, superficial, sixteen year old kids having these huge b-day parties is turning my stomach.

I'm serious, I've got double vision, nausea, and I think I'm running a fever after just a few minutes.

I feel like Ted Ferguson: Bud Light Daredevil except it is just after 8 a.m. and way too early for any alcohol.

I remember a time when MTV had music videos, that was all they did....well that and lots of commercials.

Now I'm getting this spoiled kid who needs a beat down from her parents who is demanding a $50,000.00 per night mansion, band, and dying her two dogs pink or else her life will just be ruined forever.

It turns my stomache as she makes out her guest list, as if a mansion isn't big enough to have the student body of three entire high schools.

Then the climax of the whole show, she gets a SUV which she was against. Her parents wanted a safe car for her and demanded on the SUV route.

When the SUV was revealed she was nearly in tears of disappointment, then Daddy made an annoucement and gave her a Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder or something expensive.

Her Daddy owns three dealerships so she feels entitled to the world.

I think I need some Pepto....Please forgive me if I have to abandon this experiment early.

My Eight Hour Experiment

Let me preface this by saying that I am a healthy male.
I am emotionally solid, stable, and level headed.

I have a IQ of 138 and a decent understanding of geo-political events.
I can name all nine Supreme Court Justices, at least twenty Senators, and a number of representatives from the House.

I'm an excellent student but I have to work for knowledge, it doesn't come easy.

I make some stupid mistakes but at the time they seemed like a good idea. I've documented many of them in this very blog!

So now for the next eight hours I am going to subject myself to MTV.
Starting with My Super Sweet 16....NOW!

I'm Really Struggling

I am struggling.

How is it possible that an entire channel is devoted to the youth culture and yet the collective brain power that it depicts makes my cats seem like Einsteins by comparison.

I think I could mow my yard and find more grey matter than what 98% of these people have.

My body hurts.

The last time I had the flu was in sixth grade and I was miserable for a day and a half.

I feel like that now.

If there was something else that could hurt, it would.

Next

Is probably the most nauseating show I've seen today.

That is saying quite a bit since there is a wasteland of swill to wade through.

I should have consulted a doctor before beginning this experiment.

I'm out of Excedrin.

Friday Night!!!!

Pirates has opened up today and it is the must see movie this weekend!

I'll post my spoiler free generic review as soon as I've seen it. In other news I am shopping around for some custom made T-shirts for the project that I built the set for the other day.

I want the actors to have matching shirts for the series and they are down for that too! Everyone I have ran my show idea by has thought it was going to be hilarious!

The best part is that it is very easy to produce, the cost per episode will be minimal and even that multiple episodes can be filmed per week if the actor's stamina holds out!!!!

That part will be completely up to them and their schedules. The more they are up for then the more we will film. I have a feeling that once we get started we will enjoy it so much that we probably will film more than one episode per week.

Production will start after July 20th so stay tuned my friends!!!!

The Magic Of Rope

I took the time to watch one of my favorite Hitchcock movies tonight, Rope.

Rope is famous for being shot in sequence and in real time on one set with a single camera.

After two friends kill another friend for no other reason than to pull off the perfect murder they host a party with the body hidden in the room, in fact dinner is served from his grave. What unfolds is a cat and mouse drama with James Stewart who comes to find the real meanings behind the words he teaches in college.

Loosely based on the Leopold and Loeb murder of Robert Franks in the 1920's, Rope serves as a reminder of how great a master filmmaker that Hitch really was.

Yeah I did try to pattern Locker after Rope in a very humble and failing fashion. The general idea anyway, the execution was mixed at best.

For a filmmaking school in a DVD box, pick up and enjoy Rope.

So There I Was....

After work and I was sitting in the drive thru for Taco Mayo when I shut off my engine to order.
I drive a diesel so I usually do that so they can hear me and I can hear them.

I go to start the engine back up and what happens?

Yep you guessed it, NOTHING!

With two cars behind me I am stuck. The manager comes out and asks if I need a jump and I reply in the affirmative.

He pulls his truck around so that my jumper cables reach, I pop the hood and see lots of corrosion on the cables. Well I decide that is probably the problem but I don't have my tool kit I usually travel with for some reason.

So we hook the cables up to one of the batteries and let it charge for a while and still nothing. So now I am sure that since I have had no prior problems with starting that the corrosion is the problem but I am powerless to do anything about it since I and the manager are both without hand tools.

So I call my trusty brother and he brings his tool kit to me and once I remove the cables and clean them it fires right up a good half an hour later.

While I was sitting there counting all of the people who drove by I kept thinking that I was glad that I usually stop to see if someone needs help on the side of the road. Which has lead to a frequent thought that someday I will be murdered in an act of samaritanship.

All in all a brief but overcomeable problem and the topper to a mediocre day at my soulcrushing job.

Set Assembled!!!!

I built the entire set yesterday for the You Tube series.

I am thinking about using three people for it instead of the original two.
What still has to be done is to get matching tee shirts and set the date for the first episode which will be difficult until the theater's musical production is over with. Two of the actors are in the production and the other isn't an actor at all.

After the production is over with I believe that we'll just be working around the work schedules of all three which won't be very difficult.

The hardest part about this project is finished though! Everything should be fairly fun from here on out with the bulk of the work being the editing process and schedules!

Starting Production

In a flash of inspiration I had an idea for a You Tube series, sort of based on The Monkey Chow Diaries. Just search for it, it is funny!

I have to go shopping today for a few things for the set.

I have my cast lined up and they are excited about the project.

I am going to need to make a backdrop today after I acquire the paint and probably an off-white sheet.

So it is off to Wal-Mart I go as soon as I wake up a little bit!

Super Superman!!!!

Superman was a GREAT MOVIE!!!!

I had a blast with this movie, well except for the little kid who kept kicking me for the entire length of the movie. Well not the entire length, I think she fell asleep for about 20 minutes at one point but then had her second wind when she woke up and put her kicking into high gear.

She also decided to talk every 2 minutes to ask about what was going on. I probably should have stood up and walked around to the row behind them and started kicking. Please people, keep a leash on your kids in public huh? Notice what in the world they are doing and if they are annoying someone, stop them!!!!

Now back to the movie, Superman was great!

I could easily see that it will be one of the top three grossing movies of 06. I think that Pirates will probably be the top earning movie of the year if it is half as good as the first one.

I am still stumped when it comes to the marketing strategy of Superman. With a movie that was this good to have such a stunning lack of promotion is unheard of.

I don't understand it.

The visual effects were sensational. Yeah there was a ton of CGI but you really don't mind in this movie. Honestly the only slight problem I had with it was Lex Luthor's plot. If there was a weak link and it isn't that weak since the movie was more about Supes than anything else.

A great holiday weekend movie!

Horror Is Dead

I was listening to Fangoria Radio tonight on Sirius when Dee Snider interviewed Eli Roth.

Horror is dead my friends.

Hostel 2 is being made.

Eli Roth was in Prague doing location scouting recently which pretty much seals the deal that someone has given him enough money to ruin more film.

I don't get it. You probably remember my rant on Hostel being not much more than torture porn but to do it again? What in the world is wrong with these people?!?!?!

He is going to make Stephen King's Cell. Now Stephen King books have a horrible track record when adapted to film.

Horrible. They just don't translate well when it comes to making a movie. So what happens? The writers try to rewrite it and then the Director makes his vision out of King's vision. The result?
Exactly what you have seen. Lackluster movies with the exception of The Shawshank Redemption which was stellar.

I can hear some people now yelling at their monitors in unison, "The Shining!" Kubrick was as overrated a Director as it comes. I think Tim Burton took lessons from Kubrick on how to be overrated. Stanley Kubrick had his moments, even a broken clock is right twice a day but The Shining, Barry Lyndon, and that dreck Eyes Wide Shut, well they suck.

Dr. Strangelove, Full Metal Jacket, Clockwork Orange, and Spartacus were excellent but not enough to call Kubrick a master filmmaker.

2001? PLEASE! What happened with that movie is that a ton of critics saw it, they couldn't figure it out but they didn't want to look like idiots in front of their other critic buddies so they found deep profound meaning in it just to save face and show others how smart they really were.

Well back on topic. Horror is a dead genre if it is left to the likes of Eli Roth. I can repeat it until my last day on Earth.

Gore does not make a horror movie.
Gore does not make a horror movie.
Gore does not make a horror movie.

Until that breakthrough idea from a breakthrough filmmaker happens then I declare that horror movies are dead.