The Roads And Parking Lot Are Empty For The Holidays

The Roads And Parking Lot Are Empty For The Holidays

Where are the cars?

Walking out of my house on Thanksgiving Day, there were no cars on the road and the parking lots were empty.  It made me smile.  I hope everyone was at home with their families and friends enjoying time together.

With all of the technology that we have, you would think that we would have more time, well we have less time.  A lot less time to spent time with those that you love.  Over this holiday, did you mainly stare at your technology box in your hands?  Was there a whole table full of food and everyone was tapping on their devices?  Were there people there that you only see a few times a year and you spent the majority of your time glued to the internet?

You weren't the only one.  That most likely happened to everyone with Thanksgiving.  Maybe the old folks that couldn't set up their VCRs from the 1990s just looked around the table and thought "What has happened to us all."

I wish we still used VCRs.

What happened was progress.  Technology gets cheaper and faster, with each incarnation looking cooler than the last device.  It is so addictive, and it is designed that way.   Once you have it, you can't live without it.  If you would've asked the young people at the Thanksgiving table what would you rather have, a turkey leg or go hungry and use your smartphone, they would choose the smartphone.

Why not?  Technology is so much better than IRL, which means 'in real life' for those that are not hip.  You have videos, games, chat with your 'friends', 24/7 news, music and more and more.  The smartphone gives so much and asks so little.

Does technology really ask so little?   In many ways, it asks for so much of our time, attention, and our souls.  You give that box more love than your grandparents!  Or your parents.  Or your IRL friends.  Than anyone else.

So when I looked at all of the empty roads and parking lots driving to see my family and friends for Thanksgiving, I smiled.  There is hope that one family had a conversation without looking at their smartphones.   Since I have hope, maybe one-day humanity will remember what is really important.  Enjoy our time together on this third rock from the Sun.

Computed.

Rockin' Out doesn't need technology!

Thanksgiving is the time for memes!

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Getting A Great Haircut

Getting A Great Haircut

For most of my young life, I did not care about getting a haircut.  Mainly I got one to get the hair out of my eyes.  Haircuts cost a lot to me as a kid, so I would get four or five of them a year.  Many times right before a photo or holiday. 

Then one year I stopped getting haircuts.  I just let my hair grow and grow.  This went on for six years, then I finally realize it was time to get a haircut.  Every person said I looked better without my long hair.  

In life, we get attached to many things.  Cars, clothes, shoes, technology, stuff, and more stuff.  We get stuff, and we give stuff.  It goes on and on.  If we lived to be a thousand years old, would we have a place to put all of our stuff? 

Cutting my hair made it easier to find employment.  With a cut of some scissors, life got easier for me. The respect you get with a haircut that you can set your watch to was amazing to me.  Immediately I felt great with that haircut.  Others could see that and treated me the way I felt.

Do not be afraid to let things go that are holding you back.  My hair might be down to my feet if I had never cut it.  It is hard to walk through life if you are tripping over your hair!  Be bold if you need to change your life.  History only remembers those that took risks.  Take many risks in your life.  And play your guitar every day.

Computed.

Rock and roll!

Extra Time!

Extra Time!

I love making films. Being on the film set is amazing, so much is going on, you never know what is going to happen next. Magic happens on the set.

Over the years, I have been in a lot of student films, shorts, and feature films, so I am used to a set.  Each one there is a life of its own.  There is a vibe that you can sense being on set.  Films are different, the crew is different, the director and lead actors are all different on each set.  It is fun to be a small part of this magic.

Since I know people in the film business, I have learned how to get on larger sets.  One way to get on them is by being a background actor, or as most people know it, an extra!  When a film production needs a restaurant scene, they have to have people in there that look like they are eating and serving.  If the stars of the film are eating an empty restaurant, it looks weird and fake.  So you have to have background actors.  You do not notice them, however, you do know when they are not there.

Being that I am middle-aged, have a business type haircut, look great in a suit, and have a real look about myself, I can usually get work as a background actor.  You can not just have background actors that are under 24 and over 65 years old, the middle is important!   So right now, I can get work as a background actor.

I have been a background actor on two feature films and seven television shows.  As an independent filmmaker, I can watch the professionals work their magic and learn from them.  Even if I do not get into the final cut of the film, I still learned a lot and met some cool people.  Learning how to become a better filmmaker is a never ending process. 

If you would have told the young me that one day you would be on television and feature motion pictures, it would have been hard to believe that.  At times, I still do not believe it.  Life is cool.  Dreams can come true. 

Computed.

How I Got On The Goldbergs As A Background Actor

Make Every Year, A Productive Year

Each year you have a choice.  That goes for each day, each week, each hour and each minute.  The choice is to doing something with your life or not. When you get right down to it, it is all on you.

Whenever I hear a person say that someone or something is keeping them from doing what they want to do, I shake my head.  I know that they really don't want it that bad.  If they did, they would go out there and make it happen.  Living your dreams is up to you, you can not blame anything else.

But I had bad luck.  Tough.  But I was ill.  So.  No one likes me.  Grow up.  I don't have money. Join the club and go work five jobs.  I don't have the right 'insert device' to do what I want to do.  Then figure out a way to make that happen.  It's not tough to figure out what you need to do.  Most don't want to hear it, because the truth can be frightening.  People keep themselves from being successful, not things.

Whenever in the past if any of these excuses came up for me, I grit my teeth and figure it out.  I never let anything or one keep me from my successes.  And I am not afraid to fail.  Failing is great!  I've failed a lot and plan to fail a lot more in the future.  I never let the failures keep me down, I brush myself off and stand up and go at it again.  That is life.  That is life for everyone.  Live your life the way you want.  If you don't, it is on you.

This has been another great and productive year.  I workout daily.  Rock out every single day!  Make and create the art, music, and writings that I want.  Get to make films and acting all of the time.  See my family all the time.  And my friends are the best!  When I look back at last year I can only smile, and I'm looking towards the future!

Computed!

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Make Every Year A Productive Year