One of my lofty goals with this blog was to post 6 days a week. I figured taking Sunday off would be a good idea..day of rest, reflection, blah-blah-blah.
Surely I could have something witty, pithy, poignant, silly, thought provoking or at the very least...
Oh,who am I kidding - I got nothing today. But, the house is clean, laundry is caught up, I got in a great run, we had home made tortellini soup for dinner, and I love my family.
Not a bad way to end the day.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
An Eye for an Eyelash
I am infamous with friends and family for misusing words. Sometimes it is a malapropism and sometimes it is a complete misunderstanding of the definition of the word I'm using. Either way, it is a great source of humor (at my expense).
Just something to keep in mind during our time together. It is highly probable that I will make you laugh without trying.
Your welcome.
Just something to keep in mind during our time together. It is highly probable that I will make you laugh without trying.
Your welcome.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
A hard right turn...
One of my favorite things about DVDs and Blu-Rays movies are the bonus features - making of featurettes, bloopers deleted scenes and director/actor commentaries. A favorite is the deleted scenes from This is Spinal Tap. The scenes were put together in chronological order, and the running time is around an hour. The great thing about that particular collection of deleted scenes, is that it is actually a nearly perfect alternate version of the movie. Where as the original move is a satirical, somewhat light-hearted look at the heavy metal scene of the 80's , the deleted scenes paint a dark bitter picture of the times. Still funny, mind you, but VERY dark.
I often start projects with one very distinct idea of where it will go, only to have it change during the course of working on it. Sometimes this is a good thing..sometime...not so much. Regardless, I do my best to see the projects to a point of completion. That is the key. Too often, when something is working out the way you expect it to, you bail out.
Although it may not always be achievable, my goal in life is to not leave things 'half done'.
The best example of this is
:).
I often start projects with one very distinct idea of where it will go, only to have it change during the course of working on it. Sometimes this is a good thing..sometime...not so much. Regardless, I do my best to see the projects to a point of completion. That is the key. Too often, when something is working out the way you expect it to, you bail out.
Although it may not always be achievable, my goal in life is to not leave things 'half done'.
The best example of this is
:).
Friday, February 24, 2012
The Magic Briefcase
Even as a kid, Friday was the best day of the week. The promise of Saturday morning cartoons, riding my bike around the neighborhood till dusk, and just being a kid made the anticipation a palpable, nearly spiritual sensation. But that wasn't the best part.The best part of Friday was the sight of my Dad's black Samsonite Briefcase.
Dad worked at Mattel Toys, and Friday was the day he 'might' bring home something from work. It wasn't a sure thing, but that just heightened the anticipation.
I'd see him walk in and sling the hard case up onto the very 70's wet bar by the front door of the family room, and I could tell from the slight smile on his road weary face that this was going to be a Magic Briefcase day.
I didn't matter what it was - sometimes it was a new Hot Wheel, sometimes nothing more than a 1-sheet for a prototype toy - it was the look on my Dad's face when he opened the case to reveal the treasure.
It was Christmas and my birthday wrapped in one. Not that I got a thing, but that my Dad and I shared the joy of wonder and spent time just being two guys geeking out.
The littlest things in our lives can have the longest effect on who we are. To this day, when I get a new...whatever, I enjoy the experience more when I can share it with someone.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
57 channels and...nothing to say
Back in 1995, I produced a video game based on the Hulk Hogan TV show THUNDER IN PARADISE - think Baywatch meets the A-Team. As it was for the Phillips CD-i platform, it contained a huge amount of video footage. the show was filmed in Florida on the Disney/MGM studio lot (part of Disney World).
I spent the better part of a month prepping and shooting down in Florida. Since I was producing the 'interactive version' of the TV show, I was put on the TV production crew as an associate producer. This was to keep me informed/involved in production meetings,shooting schedule changes, location scouting, editing, et al.
One afternoon, I walk into the production offices (after spending 7 hours driving around and looking at abandoned power stations and warehouses in the glorious mid summer Florida humidity), and the production coordinator starts going ape sh#t on me, screaming that he has been trying to get in contact with me all day long, that my stupid little game is totally screwing up the show, and that I am a complete failure as a producer.
I let him vent, then calmly lifted up my tee-shirt, exposing the following items hanging on my belt:
17 years later, I look at the sheer number of ways in which I interact/communicate with the world, and it is staggering:
There is literally no way for someone NOT to be able to interact me, and for that matter, for me to interact with the rest of my 'world' . Yet, I often feel as though I'm screaming into a vacuum.
We have come up with so many ways to 'stay connected' that I think it has become just white noise. I have all of the communication channels listed above because...well, I guess I just don't want to miss out. In doing so, I think my message, my information , my data, my...me is in danger of getting lost.
Don't panic!! I'm not going all Ted Kaczynski, and relegating my communication to rambling typed manifestos (this blog not withstanding).
I'm going to work on having something to say...not because I have the channels to 'broadcast on' but because I want people to actually hear what I have to say.
I spent the better part of a month prepping and shooting down in Florida. Since I was producing the 'interactive version' of the TV show, I was put on the TV production crew as an associate producer. This was to keep me informed/involved in production meetings,shooting schedule changes, location scouting, editing, et al.
One afternoon, I walk into the production offices (after spending 7 hours driving around and looking at abandoned power stations and warehouses in the glorious mid summer Florida humidity), and the production coordinator starts going ape sh#t on me, screaming that he has been trying to get in contact with me all day long, that my stupid little game is totally screwing up the show, and that I am a complete failure as a producer.
I let him vent, then calmly lifted up my tee-shirt, exposing the following items hanging on my belt:
- Walkie Talkie (provide by the show)
- Motorola Flip Phone (also provided by the show)
- Pager (again - show provided)
- My own pager (# posted on giant production board he was standing by)
17 years later, I look at the sheer number of ways in which I interact/communicate with the world, and it is staggering:
- Face to face
- Home land line telephone
- Snail Mail
- Cell Phone - Voice /Text
- 3 different IM services
- 3 separate Email accounts (soon to add a 4th)
- FourSquare
- Google Chat
- Google+
- Face Book
- Face Book Chat
- Linked In
- About.Me
- Runkeeper
- 3 different Blogs (this one being the latest)
- SKYPE - PC and Mobile
There is literally no way for someone NOT to be able to interact me, and for that matter, for me to interact with the rest of my 'world' . Yet, I often feel as though I'm screaming into a vacuum.
We have come up with so many ways to 'stay connected' that I think it has become just white noise. I have all of the communication channels listed above because...well, I guess I just don't want to miss out. In doing so, I think my message, my information , my data, my...me is in danger of getting lost.
Don't panic!! I'm not going all Ted Kaczynski, and relegating my communication to rambling typed manifestos (this blog not withstanding).
I'm going to work on having something to say...not because I have the channels to 'broadcast on' but because I want people to actually hear what I have to say.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Running when no one is chasing you
Over the past year or so, I've taken up 'running'. I put it in quotes because, well, I've become one of those people. You've met us...we talk about how many miles we've gotten in this week, when our next race is, new running areas and other such stuffs. We have a borderline maniacal glean in our eyes...not scary in a cut you up and hide the body sort of way, more of a 'hey this Kool Aid is great. You REALLY should have some ' fashion.
The weird thing is, I'm ok with the reaction. I don't want to convert anyone, to make them join me on a 3, 6 or 13 mile trec. I understand the eye rolling - heck, when I did my first Muddy Buddy, a 1/2 mountain bike 1/2 trail run 2 man race a few years back, our team name was EyeRollerz!
I started running kinda like Forest Gump. I'd been spending too much time at the computer, and the gym was just depressing. so I went outside and I...ran. Since I started keeping track back in August of last year, I've run 650 miles - for a combined time of 124 hours.
The weird thing is, I'm ok with the reaction. I don't want to convert anyone, to make them join me on a 3, 6 or 13 mile trec. I understand the eye rolling - heck, when I did my first Muddy Buddy, a 1/2 mountain bike 1/2 trail run 2 man race a few years back, our team name was EyeRollerz!
I started running kinda like Forest Gump. I'd been spending too much time at the computer, and the gym was just depressing. so I went outside and I...ran. Since I started keeping track back in August of last year, I've run 650 miles - for a combined time of 124 hours.
I spend a lot of time doing 'stuff' - I think we all do. Could be cleaning the house, sending work emails, attending yet another meeting, or simple vegging out in front of the TV or computer. Sometimes I end my day with a sense of accomplishment, far too many others with a feeling of time just ebbing away.
As cliche' and simplistic as it sounds, they days when I run are always better than the days when I don't.
I'm not solving the problems of the world..heck, I'm struggling to deal with and understand my own little corner of paradise on a minute by minute basis. But for that hour or so when I've got my headphones on, listening to Oingo Boingo, Depeche Mode or some other 80's New Wave sonic nonsense, as my feet methodically and rhythmically strike the ground, I feel as though I can make it another day..or month ...or year.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
What's all this?
I am a product of pop culture. Try as I might to have a pure, unique idea that is not tinged with references to Star Wars, 80's music, Heinlein, Mattel toys or some other flotsam and jetsam that fills my head, I struggle.
This blog is a place where I will try to filter through my own head, my own thought - my digital smudges.
Couple of things right up front:
Come along for the ride. I won't promise you deep philosophical diatribes on the meaning of life - just a bit of fun.
This blog is a place where I will try to filter through my own head, my own thought - my digital smudges.
Couple of things right up front:
- I will do my best to give credit to those who have influenced me as I write on this blog.
- If I stick my foot in it, call me on it.
Come along for the ride. I won't promise you deep philosophical diatribes on the meaning of life - just a bit of fun.
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