Are you getting antsy? I know I am... just when I think we're ready... we're not. Not that we're not trying just maybe there's not enough hours in the day for everyone to do the millions of things that need to be done. I imagine I am the singular human suffering from these delays. From a Buddhist perspective, I guess that's just silly. I got a book for christmas called "The Buddha Book" and according to it all suffering/disease originates from one (possibly all) of three poisonous delusions: ignorance, hatred, and attachment. Perhaps I am too attached? I need to just relax and move forward doing what can be done. And Be Patient!
Which reminds me - USA Today predicts that one of the newest trends for 2008 is 'delayed satisfaction'. I have a hard time buying it, especially when juxtaposed with traffic in the city. Nobody wants to wait for anything anymore, including myself. I chose to avoid shopping at the mall this year and dealing with the masses of self-entitled spoiled rotten little brats... and their children. Instead I shopped mainly online. Saved money, saved time, saved my sanity.
I don't know about everyone else, but for me 2008 is about movement and accomplishment. It's a time for breakthroughs and in some cases, breakouts. Agosto pointed out that the 8 on its side represents infinity. And let's face it, eight is a pretty damn good number. In fact, a winning number for me during my August trip to Vegas for my b-day. So I may have spent twice what I made till 8 hit on the roulette wheel but hit it finally did. I digress.
2008 also rhymes with great, which I find fortuitous. It's also the year Blog4Reel launches.. sometime this year... I promise, so I consider that auspicious or at least that's the intent.
I hope all of you out there, right now.. getting ready to ring in the New Year with champagne and kisses then possibly hangovers and breakups have the best year of your lives! Ever! Or at least till 2009.
Peace and Prosperity to All!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Joshy a.k.a. “JewDo Chop”
Before I get angry e-mails from blog4reel members. Stop and let me explain. My friend Josh, who is Jewish, came up with the brilliant Wii Moniker you see in the title –
Anyway, I was reading Joshy’s blog when I realized I hadn’t explained my inspiration for blog4reel… that it was Josh’s blog… this blog that I started reading religiously – checking in like a soap opera – that ultimately led to blog4reel, which I feel really grateful to him for. And thank god now, with blog4reel, I’m too damnably busy to compulsively check in to see if he’s updated yet. But it’d been a while since I’ve read it so I checked it out this evening and laughed my butt off reading about his travails at Starbucks, because nobody, nobody but Josh can have travails like that at Starbucks. I love it. He’s brilliant and funny and sometimes, although I can turn on the waterworks pretty easily, he makes me tear up, because he reminds me of the beauty of being a human and that is such a precious gift to offer. I think his writings rival, if not surpass (not that I’m challenging anyone, of course), David Sedaris and Augusten Burroughs (two of my favorites, I swear)!
Anyway, just thought I’d mention that… cause I thought you should know in case you wanted to check out his blog, which you most definitely should if you haven’t – I’m so happy he’s one of our BLOGSTARS. It’s called…”Almost Worth the Price of Admission.” Please just don’t give him a big head. He really does wear lots of hats. Thank you. :)
Monday, December 3, 2007
Eruptions and Interruptions!
I apologize for the chasm of time since my last post. No excuse really besides a minor meltdown, a few new ticks, etc. I guess since I had no good news to report I decided not to report at all. This is what happened: Blog4Reel's web designer, a good friend of mine for the last 10 years, quit on us. The website is 95% done but because of personal circumstances (goddess bless him!) he had to pull the plug. So I've been spending the past month or so trying to find a new web designer who can code in ASP. When I first put out the feelers to friends and associates, trying to find a replacement, most people thought I was saying ASAP, not ASP and told me they'd "get right on it!" That didn't work out since very few people I know knew someone with such a talent so I had to resort to googling for a new webdesigner while simultaneously biting off all my fingernails down to the nubs (I may need prosthetics, but that's another blog). So anyway, good news is: We have a new webdesigner and we love him! His name is Tony and he owns his own web design company, J Web Solutions in Helotes, TX. It's always a little nerve-wracking bringing someone new into the mix but I think he'll fit right in. He's a nice balance to the sometimes chaotic creativity that goes on around here. I don't think anyone's reading this yet, but just in case you are, thanks so much for your patience. The new launch date is set for January 1st. But I've stopped holding my breath. I'm learning to live life without expectations. It's either that or burst myriad blood vessels, which really is not a very attractive look.
It's been a strange time for me altogether. I feel very much in a transition period and we all know transitions aren't fun and they aren't pretty. It's like making taffy. You have to stretch the hell out of it before it turns into something yummy. So that's where I'm at.. in the middle of being "stretched" - mentally, physically, spiritually. I keep thinking about the minutia of humanity. I watch these shows on tv about Super Volcanoes and such that could blow any day (we have one in Yellowstone Park, btw -http://www.solcomhouse.com/yellowstone.htm). It's so enormous it could cause an ice age. We could get hit by a meteorite. There's no reason we couldn't - it happens to planets/moons all the time. But it just feels so random, so orderless. And I start wondering what's the point of any of this if it ALL could be gone tomorrow - our homes, our art, our family/friends, our SUVs (well, this would be ok), our lives. I mean the reality is that this planet has a timeline. The sun has an expiration date. It won't happen in our life time, sure, but it will happen. (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/14/science/14comm.html) It just gives all of it a little more perspective. Reminds me that if I'm not really enJOYing my life then I'm doing myself a disservice. If nothing lasts then joy in the moment is all that really matters - being at peace, centered, just generally feeling ok about things, no matter what's going on. Haven't quite achieved this yet but it's a goal.
For those of you you haven't seen FIGHT CLUB in a while. I highly recommend a reviewing. Awesome flick. Man when he says, "You are not your fu**ing Khaki's!" I want to stand up and cheer. Not that I've really been wearing khaki's lately but it's the sentiment that counts. We are not our THINGS. I don't even know if many of us can even relate to what that means. To know yourself completely apart from what you wear, how you style your hair, the car you drive, the restaurants you eat at, the friends you have, the dog you own, the nail-polish you have on, the vacation spots, the brands, the phone, the computer - all of it. They're just things. They're not you, they're not me. I am ME. You are YOU. Do you know who that really is? Just a question I've been pondering...
It's been a strange time for me altogether. I feel very much in a transition period and we all know transitions aren't fun and they aren't pretty. It's like making taffy. You have to stretch the hell out of it before it turns into something yummy. So that's where I'm at.. in the middle of being "stretched" - mentally, physically, spiritually. I keep thinking about the minutia of humanity. I watch these shows on tv about Super Volcanoes and such that could blow any day (we have one in Yellowstone Park, btw -http://www.solcomhouse.com/yellowstone.htm). It's so enormous it could cause an ice age. We could get hit by a meteorite. There's no reason we couldn't - it happens to planets/moons all the time. But it just feels so random, so orderless. And I start wondering what's the point of any of this if it ALL could be gone tomorrow - our homes, our art, our family/friends, our SUVs (well, this would be ok), our lives. I mean the reality is that this planet has a timeline. The sun has an expiration date. It won't happen in our life time, sure, but it will happen. (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/14/science/14comm.html) It just gives all of it a little more perspective. Reminds me that if I'm not really enJOYing my life then I'm doing myself a disservice. If nothing lasts then joy in the moment is all that really matters - being at peace, centered, just generally feeling ok about things, no matter what's going on. Haven't quite achieved this yet but it's a goal.
For those of you you haven't seen FIGHT CLUB in a while. I highly recommend a reviewing. Awesome flick. Man when he says, "You are not your fu**ing Khaki's!" I want to stand up and cheer. Not that I've really been wearing khaki's lately but it's the sentiment that counts. We are not our THINGS. I don't even know if many of us can even relate to what that means. To know yourself completely apart from what you wear, how you style your hair, the car you drive, the restaurants you eat at, the friends you have, the dog you own, the nail-polish you have on, the vacation spots, the brands, the phone, the computer - all of it. They're just things. They're not you, they're not me. I am ME. You are YOU. Do you know who that really is? Just a question I've been pondering...
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Josh and Frank at the TOE Screening
They look like they're having the time of they're life, right? I thought so too. But thanks guys for all your support! :) I luv ya!
TOE on Screen
If you look very very close, you can see the title for my short film, The Theory of Everything. This was the screen at the theatre. A friend of mine captured the image for posterity, so I thought I would share.
Intervention and, um, blog4reel!
I went to South Padre Island a couple weekends ago for some much needed R&R. It was nice, even the rain. We ended up watching this show on t.v. – Intervention. Have you seen it? Pretty intense show. I think I teared up during both episodes we watched. Embarrassing to admit, but true. And my friend and I got to talking about addiction, which is what the show was about, and the fact that we were watching all of this on one of America’s most popular addictions.. television. Now wait. I’m not saying tv is bad - I’m just saying like anything, even water, too much‘ll kill ya. I mean you can’t really ignore the statistics...
"According to the A.C. Nielsen Co., the average American watches more than 4 hours of TV each day (or 28 hours/week, or 2 months of nonstop TV-watching per year). In a 65-year life, that person will have spent 9 years glued to the tube." or… well… actually we can and we have. I find this fascinating. Don’t you? I mean maybe I’m the only one.. me and a few of my friends. The statistic I got a huge kick out of was, "49 percent of Americans say they watch too much TV." On the bright side, I guess the first step is admitting you have a problem. So perhaps no intervention is needed.
"According to the A.C. Nielsen Co., the average American watches more than 4 hours of TV each day (or 28 hours/week, or 2 months of nonstop TV-watching per year). In a 65-year life, that person will have spent 9 years glued to the tube." or… well… actually we can and we have. I find this fascinating. Don’t you? I mean maybe I’m the only one.. me and a few of my friends. The statistic I got a huge kick out of was, "49 percent of Americans say they watch too much TV." On the bright side, I guess the first step is admitting you have a problem. So perhaps no intervention is needed.
And now for a roundabout segway - Speaking of good t.v., I’ve discovered a new awesome show – “Tell me You Love Me,” on HBO. Really good show. Real characters, real dialogue. Wonderful directing and I when they do use music to accentuate a scene which is only when the need it, it's spot on. My only complaint was the old man bj. I really didn’t need to see that. Let me, as the viewer, use my imagination for such things, if I want to. And in this case, I didn't.
As for b4r, the fun part of any business is trying to figure out “revenue streams”, at least that's what they were called back when I started my first business. I'm sure they have a new name now. Let's just say, I don't like numbers unless they're on a roullete wheel, but maybe it's time numbers and I come to a peaceful resolution. Acceptance. Possibly embrace. If you see any wacko schemes on the site you can blame my burgeoning desire to make friends with those "wascally" numerics.
Little Boxes Video
Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lExGV01fnjk
I'm very proud of this lil' guy... it's a little stop-animation that my friends Eric Fonseca, Susan Seydler and I put together for a Showtime competition. The song is from their intro to the show, Weeds. For those of you who don't watch the show, it's about the secrets of what seems to be a perfect little American suburb. We were trying to capture the essence of those little things we all hide. If you think it's a little creepy, then good! That's what we were going for.
The animating was a very interesting but slow, deliberate process. I thought I would get bored, but I didn't. It was so exciting to see it evolve - literally second by second. For about 15 seconds of animation it took us three hours of moving those damn little boxes around. Enjoy!
I'm very proud of this lil' guy... it's a little stop-animation that my friends Eric Fonseca, Susan Seydler and I put together for a Showtime competition. The song is from their intro to the show, Weeds. For those of you who don't watch the show, it's about the secrets of what seems to be a perfect little American suburb. We were trying to capture the essence of those little things we all hide. If you think it's a little creepy, then good! That's what we were going for.
The animating was a very interesting but slow, deliberate process. I thought I would get bored, but I didn't. It was so exciting to see it evolve - literally second by second. For about 15 seconds of animation it took us three hours of moving those damn little boxes around. Enjoy!
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Blog4Reel Begins
September 26, 2007
I think I conquered my fear of public speaking at the screening for my first short film (The Theory of Everything) last night. I think it’s been something like 14 years since I’ve spoken in front of an audience. I’m excited to say I even kind of liked it once I realized my heart really couldn’t fly out of my throat. Remember that Seinfeld riff where he’s joking about how more people would rather die than speak in public? Anyway, what’s to be afraid of? A tomato? I digress.
At the screening we officially announced the existence of blog4reel.com. (whoohoo!) A concept/idea/artform that we’re super excited about. But in any new adventure there are always twists and turns. In case you run across any… I promise they’re all being worked out. Check back in on the official launch date - November 1, 2007! Please be patient with us while we find our sealegs. But since this is the Internet, I guess I should call them our ether-legs.. or weblegs? I don’t know.. any ideas?
May 21, 2207
Making Progress – which is always good, especially since I’m not a patient individual, and my patience has been doing it’s exercise lately – with trying to finish up the blog site and also the short film we shot like a decade ago (ok, maybe only 3 years) and is still in post production. Our web designer and I are meeting tomorrow to finalize some things on the site. I can’t figure out the forum at all.. not sure if I’m being dense or if WD needs to tweak something. Good times. I’ve never really gotten much into forums although I was a chatroom pioneer in my day when AOL was just breaking ground. It was fun meeting people from all over the world. People were more leery back then of meeting people on the Internet, but it seems to me that Internet deception has grown into an art form and is far riskier than before. Still, people are people and given enough time, most people can’t hide their true intentions. What’s my point? I don’t really have one, so I’m definitely not discouraging anyone. Just musings. Fairly boring, late night drifting.
May 7, 2007
For me, this is the day that blog4reel became a reality because I committed to it in the way you commit to something when you know you’re in it for the long hall. Maybe you feel that way about your partner, maybe you don’t. Maybe something else – your child, your dog, your job, your friend. For me, I’ve felt that way about many different things throughout my life. Sometimes you just know something good is coming your way. Something that makes you step it up or stop and just breathe. Those are nice moments and they’re even nicer the longer they last. At this point, as I’m writing this, we haven’t launched the website. I’m just crossing my fingers that we get it all up and running soon. I have high hopes for this site. I have a bunch of offshoot ideas I would love to explore, especially where film’s related. This is such a creative time. Sometimes things just take a while. I keep thinking I’m 35 yrs. Shouldn’t I be doing something important with my life by now. Then again, I guess that depends upon who’s criteria I’m using. Hopefully, my own. Everyone has a dream – has this beautiful idea of what they want for their life. And yet I see so few people just enjoying their day, not to mention their life. I’ve been feeling it lately – the pull.. the almost magnetic power of the drain, of the depressing bull-ogna we live with, it doesn’t matter where you live. Every country has its issues and its shortcomings, just like people. It doesn’t matter who you are when people who live half way around the globe are finding our plastic in their blood cells. (just saying what I’ve read.) So a dream doesn’t have very far to go when the ceiling is getting so low. Bill Maher told us about the bees on our planet disappearing for some unknown reason(s) – could be all our cell phone’s radio waves disorienting the bees, could be global warming, or possibly the energy bar equivalent food they’ve been feeding the bees that are being driven around in trucks from crop to crop in order to pollinate them. Who knows. They’re still trying to figure it out. In the meantime while we’re waiting to see if our world could be heading towards a famine, I’m trying to keep pushing towards creating the life I want and doing what I love as much as possible, which includes a pretty awesome world to live in.
I think I conquered my fear of public speaking at the screening for my first short film (The Theory of Everything) last night. I think it’s been something like 14 years since I’ve spoken in front of an audience. I’m excited to say I even kind of liked it once I realized my heart really couldn’t fly out of my throat. Remember that Seinfeld riff where he’s joking about how more people would rather die than speak in public? Anyway, what’s to be afraid of? A tomato? I digress.
At the screening we officially announced the existence of blog4reel.com. (whoohoo!) A concept/idea/artform that we’re super excited about. But in any new adventure there are always twists and turns. In case you run across any… I promise they’re all being worked out. Check back in on the official launch date - November 1, 2007! Please be patient with us while we find our sealegs. But since this is the Internet, I guess I should call them our ether-legs.. or weblegs? I don’t know.. any ideas?
May 21, 2207
Making Progress – which is always good, especially since I’m not a patient individual, and my patience has been doing it’s exercise lately – with trying to finish up the blog site and also the short film we shot like a decade ago (ok, maybe only 3 years) and is still in post production. Our web designer and I are meeting tomorrow to finalize some things on the site. I can’t figure out the forum at all.. not sure if I’m being dense or if WD needs to tweak something. Good times. I’ve never really gotten much into forums although I was a chatroom pioneer in my day when AOL was just breaking ground. It was fun meeting people from all over the world. People were more leery back then of meeting people on the Internet, but it seems to me that Internet deception has grown into an art form and is far riskier than before. Still, people are people and given enough time, most people can’t hide their true intentions. What’s my point? I don’t really have one, so I’m definitely not discouraging anyone. Just musings. Fairly boring, late night drifting.
May 7, 2007
For me, this is the day that blog4reel became a reality because I committed to it in the way you commit to something when you know you’re in it for the long hall. Maybe you feel that way about your partner, maybe you don’t. Maybe something else – your child, your dog, your job, your friend. For me, I’ve felt that way about many different things throughout my life. Sometimes you just know something good is coming your way. Something that makes you step it up or stop and just breathe. Those are nice moments and they’re even nicer the longer they last. At this point, as I’m writing this, we haven’t launched the website. I’m just crossing my fingers that we get it all up and running soon. I have high hopes for this site. I have a bunch of offshoot ideas I would love to explore, especially where film’s related. This is such a creative time. Sometimes things just take a while. I keep thinking I’m 35 yrs. Shouldn’t I be doing something important with my life by now. Then again, I guess that depends upon who’s criteria I’m using. Hopefully, my own. Everyone has a dream – has this beautiful idea of what they want for their life. And yet I see so few people just enjoying their day, not to mention their life. I’ve been feeling it lately – the pull.. the almost magnetic power of the drain, of the depressing bull-ogna we live with, it doesn’t matter where you live. Every country has its issues and its shortcomings, just like people. It doesn’t matter who you are when people who live half way around the globe are finding our plastic in their blood cells. (just saying what I’ve read.) So a dream doesn’t have very far to go when the ceiling is getting so low. Bill Maher told us about the bees on our planet disappearing for some unknown reason(s) – could be all our cell phone’s radio waves disorienting the bees, could be global warming, or possibly the energy bar equivalent food they’ve been feeding the bees that are being driven around in trucks from crop to crop in order to pollinate them. Who knows. They’re still trying to figure it out. In the meantime while we’re waiting to see if our world could be heading towards a famine, I’m trying to keep pushing towards creating the life I want and doing what I love as much as possible, which includes a pretty awesome world to live in.
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