SO MUCH TROUBLE IN THE WORLD

Urban Camouflage

2012-01-12T15:30:00.007-05:00

OMG ... It's so in this year.

Our Scarlet-X Arrives

2012-01-11T14:41:00.005-05:00

I was especially happy to see the FedEx guy today.

The Wolves Den welcomes a new arrival.

Lucky to be in the first 500.

Dedication to Medication

2011-12-21T22:11:00.004-05:00

Love skater street art ... and the message behind this.

Peter wants some Demerol in his stocking this Christmas. :)

Endless Love

2011-11-29T12:13:00.005-05:00

Chalk another one up for J-Date. ;)

Adoption PSA

2011-11-18T04:08:00.011-05:00

Last Sunday, we completed a PSA shoot in a NYC playground, on 96th and Lexington Ave. The project was written and directed by Jason Letkiewicz. We shot with a cast and crew of 45-50 people (most volunteering their time) and a single Red One MX camera.

Here is a still from the shoot.
(Click photo to enlarge)

Waiting For A Buddy

2011-11-16T12:36:00.003-05:00

Just in case you were wondering, this beautiful dog is available for adoption on the northeast corner or 14th Street and Union Square West

Battle Cart NYC

2011-11-15T13:34:00.001-05:00

Everlasting Love

2011-11-15T13:24:00.007-05:00

The race begins.

Will the rose crumble before your relationship?

Creative Director Seeks Job

2011-10-16T02:35:00.006-04:00

How can a group of rational people sit together in an agency meeting and conclude that this is a good long-term ad strategy for their client?

I took a sheet while blogging this.

Bombed

2011-06-10T12:31:00.007-04:00

Federal Express brought a long-awaited package today.

Return to Bedford Ave

2011-05-29T00:28:00.003-04:00

Needless to say, I had a Pussy Safari and the meat and cheese plate.

Bedford Ave, Brooklyn

2011-05-22T15:46:00.003-04:00

Um ... Since 1970 actually. :-)

Pictures Of You

2011-05-06T22:44:00.002-04:00

The Daily Show - Face/Off
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

P.O.T.U.S

2011-05-06T22:32:00.004-04:00

President Bush Reacts to Osama Bin Laden's Death with Will Ferrell from Will Ferrell

FOX NEWS and Wishful Thinking

2011-05-02T19:58:00.003-04:00

Freud would be proud.

News ... just the way you like it ... scrambled.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED ... Now.

2011-05-01T23:07:00.013-04:00

Eight years later, to the day, this phrase actually means something.

It has just been confirmed that President Barack Obama will shortly announce the death of Osama Bin Laden.*

However happy we may be, we should never forget the cost.

*As a side bonus, Obama's news has preempted Donald Trump and ruined the climactic boardroom scene from tonight's episode of The Apprentice".

Republican Graffiti

2011-05-01T22:58:00.002-04:00

(Click on photo for larger version)

Robin in Battle

2011-04-10T16:38:00.007-04:00

He didn't notice that the lights had changed

2011-01-15T16:36:00.018-05:00

A three minute video has just emerged of an evening tour on the picturesque campus of Pima Community College.

The tour guide: Jared Loughner.

Something tells me that this school just got a whole lot easier to get into.

Is it just me, or is that kid with a guitar in the background desperately trying to play "A Day in the Life". If so, the connection between madmen and Beatles music is starting to get a little weird.

In a quick response to the Tucson shootings, Rep. Peter King (R., N.Y.) says he plans on pursuing legislation that would make it illegal to bring a firearm within 1,000 feet of a member of Congress.

Um ... Peter ... What about the rest of us?

Perhaps you could at least include nine year olds in your bill.

The NRA wants you to remember that ...

2011-01-08T17:14:00.030-05:00

And now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Earlier today, Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona was shot in the head while attending a meeting of her constituents outside of a grocery store in Tucson.

Twelve other people are said to be seriously wounded or killed. Among the dead are a 9-year old child, an aide to Rep. Giffords and a federal judge.

Fortunately, earlier reports that Giffords had died were inaccurate and her outlook is now being reported as "optimistic". She is apparently now responding to commands from her doctors.

The suspected shooter shooter is said to be in custody, and was identified as Jared Lee Loughner of Tucson, Arizona.

Jared has his own Youtube channel. On it, he spouts paranoia, talks of inventing a new currency and complains about the illiteracy rate among people living in Giffords' congressional district in Arizona.

There was only one picture online that I could find of Jared Lee Loughner.

Apparently, along with pistol-toting rampages, Jared enjoys a good crossword puzzle.

Here, Jared displays his own literacy skills at the Tuscon Festival of Books.

He also has a charming Myspace page.

The good news is that he has (1) LOVE note.
The bad news is that it's from Wayne LaPierre.

He was such a nice right-wing boy.

Sign of the Times III

2011-01-03T15:35:00.002-05:00

This was right next to a colorful poster exclaiming the amazing 1.01% interest rate you will get on a personal savings account.

Solar Vino

2010-10-26T20:38:00.005-04:00

For the past three weeks, I have traveled with a small crew of talented individuals filming this three-part series promoting the use of solar energy thoughout the United States.

The project was directed by Alan Blake of Blake & Co.
Director of Photography: Peter Fernberger
Sound/Data/Timelapses/General Trouble Maker: Ted "NWA" King
Camera Operator: Derek Decelles
Producer, Camera Operator: Moi

This lovely actress featured in these webisodes is Christine Daley.

Here is webisode III.

If your computer can handle the hard stuff, you can watch it in full HD (as it was intended) here:

Solar Bears

2010-10-18T18:57:00.006-04:00

For the past three weeks, I have traveled with a small crew of talented individuals filming this three-part series promoting the use of solar energy thoughout the United States.

The project was directed by Alan Blake of Blake & Co.
Director of Photography: Peter Fernberger
Sound/Data/Timelapses/General Trouble Maker: Ted "NWA" King
Camera Operator: Derek Decelles
Producer, Camera Operator: Moi

This lovely actress featured in these webisodes is Christine Daley.

Here is webisode II.

If your computer is manly, you can watch it in HD. (As it was intended)

Solar Crayons

2010-10-18T18:43:00.009-04:00

For the past three weeks, I have traveled with a small crew of talented individuals filming this three-part series promoting the use of solar energy thoughout the United States.

The project was directed by Alan Blake of Blake & Co.
Director of Photography: Peter Fernberger
Sound/Data/Timelapses/General Trouble Maker: Ted "NWA" King
Camera Operator: Derek Decelles
Producer, Camera Operator: Moi

This lovely actress featured in these webisodes is Christine Daley.

Here is webisode I.

If your computer is kick ass, you can watch it in HD here:

New Sensor - New Name

2010-09-27T13:10:00.002-04:00

Trooper Needs a Home

2010-08-15T03:09:00.011-04:00

This afternoon, I stopped into a Petco located on the north side of Union Square. In the back of this store, they regularly have fifteen to twenty cats looking for a new home.

There is always a nice selection of cats to play with, but today they had one cage with a beautiful little kitten named Trooper. As you can see from these pictures, he is very sad to be stuck in a cage.

If you are looking to adopt a cat, you would be hard-pressed to find one as wonderful as Trooper.

I'm quite sure that it would make him very happy to find a permanent home and a new friend.

Petco is located at 860 Broadway. What are you waiting for??

The Dumont Dunes

2010-08-08T01:55:00.007-04:00

We just finished up a PSA for The Wounded Warrior Project.

On the last day of the shoot, we found ourselves filming the logo shot at the base of the Dumont Dunes ... a few miles east of Death Valley, CA.

Here are a couple pictures of my camera position.

The Canon EOS-1D Mark IV under my charge was sporting a truly amazing Canon 600mm F/4 IS prime lens (Thanks to Canon USA).

Due to the 112 degree desert heat, the camera body needed to periodically be covered with ice packs to keep it cool.

As we focused our lenses on the two soldiers, nearly a half mile away, both the Director and I were left with an eerie feeling of what it must feel like to be on the battlefield.

I look forward to seeing the final cut.

Alternative Energy

2010-06-09T01:58:00.014-04:00

Several weeks ago, a few of us went out and shot an extremely low budget piece for a talented Director named Alan Blake of Blake and Co.
It was an Internet spot for a NY based solar company named Green Logic.

This was the very first time we had a chance to use my new Red One camera, so it definitely involved a bit of a learning curve. Please be kind with your comments.

In light of all that is going on in the Gulf of Mexico right now, I am very glad we were involved in this project.

Price of Oil

2010-06-04T02:42:00.010-04:00

AP Photographer Charlie Riedel just filed the following images of seabirds caught in the oil slick on a beach on Louisiana's East Grand Terre Island.

(CLICK ON ANY IMAGE BELOW TO VIEW FULL SIZE)

You Pay For What You Get

2010-05-21T04:00:00.015-04:00

Gov. Bobby Jindal toured part of Louisiana's vast coastal marsh this past Wednesday and found thick, oily sludge encroaching on the fragile ecosystem.

"We saw some heavy oil stranded in the wetlands. The oil is no longer just a projection or miles from our shore. The oil is here. It is on our shores and in our marsh," Jindal said at a news conference after the airboat tour in Plaquemines Parish.

Unfortunately for his home state of Louisiana, Jindal sponsored the Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act in 2006. It was a bill aimed at eliminating the moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling over the U.S. outer continental shelf. He and other Republicans, like Sarah Palin argued that increased drilling would greatly reduce American dependence on foreign oil.

I love this little quote (Below) from The Heritage Foundations's website
(Located halfway down the page under The DOER Act)

"Myth: Drilling poses great risks of oil spills. The last major offshore oil spill in America occurred off of Santa Barbara in 1969. Critics of offshore drilling still refer to this incident, but much has changed in the interim. Drilling technology has greatly advanced in recent decades, and any new drilling will have to comply with strict safeguards that did not exist then."

And who can forget the 2008 Republican National Convention?

DRILL BABY DRILL!

I mean really ... What could possibly go wrong?

It's truly beyond me why no reporter has the guts to ask Bobby Jindal if he regrets that pro drilling stance now.

New Addition

2010-03-07T15:33:00.003-05:00

About a week ago, I decided to foster a domestic short haired tiger cat that I saw looking very sad in a Petco cage.

She came with the name Rogue, and I normally do not believe in changing a cat's name. However, I am not sure if the name really suits her personality.

We will have to see if she wants to make this a long term thing.

OptiTek Reticle

2010-02-21T15:17:00.004-05:00

Dogs Rule

2009-11-17T14:21:00.003-05:00

I came across this very cool dog while I was looking at apartments for sale on Sutton Place in Manhattan.

He was just relaxing outside of a small cafe waiting for his owner.

While on the subject, here is definitive proof that dogs have feelings and miss their owners.

"Elephants"

2009-11-04T22:00:00.007-05:00

Early this summer, Peter Fernberger and I were asked to go shoot an ambitious music video for Casey Shea.

The video for "Elephants" involved A LOT of green screen work and it had to be completely shot over one weekend. Ultimately, we decided to shoot the entire project with my Sony EX3 camera, the Letus Ultimate DOF adapter, and my Nikon prime lenses.

The project was conceived and directed by Ryan Stober. He envisioned a video where Casey would play both himself and a sleazy coffin dealer.

The only other talent on set was a "trained" black cat.

Alongside Ryan was an extremely talented Visual FX Supervisor named Robert Morris. It would be his responsibility in post production to combine all the footage that we shot with Maya generated environments and props. For anyone familiar with Maya, this was no feat.

It took several months to finally put it all together, but you can view the finished product HERE. (For fluid playback, you should give it a minute for the buffer bar to fully load)

Music videos can sometimes be torture to work on. After dozens of music playbacks, you can never get the song out of your head. However, I came away really liking this song. More importantly, I though that Casey Shea was one of the nicest and most professional musians I have ever met.

I sincerely hope that this music video does wonders for the careers of Casey, Robert and Ryan.

Tastemaker Series

2009-10-23T13:19:00.006-04:00

I have always wanted to work with Robert Redford.

For the moment, these one minute spots that we shot for the Sundance Channel will have to suffice.

Tastemaker - Lisa Phillips

Tastemaker - Stephen Starr

Obama-Wan-Kenobi

2009-09-17T15:43:00.007-04:00

Yesterday, President Barack Obama tried his hand at fencing outside of the White House. The planned photo op was held to boost his hometown Chicago's prospects of hosting the 2016 Olympic Games.

As a impromptu gag, Obama picked up a nearby toy light saber and struck a confident battle pose.

Everyone had a good laugh.

Personally, I thought the guy in the background was much funnier.

Most people could wait their whole life and never be photographed with the President of the United States. This guy picked the exact wrong moment to pick his nose.

Jennings, LA

2009-09-04T11:54:00.009-04:00

We arrived in Jennings, Louisiana late Wednesday evening.

We are here to investigate the recent killings of eight innocent young women. The latest victim, Necole Guillory, was arrogantly dumped on the westbound shoulder of Interstate 10.

Regardless of what this story eventually becomes, there is something very wrong in this town.

The decent residents of Jennings will not be able to fully relax until the killer ... or killers ... is finally brought to justice.

All work and no play ...

2009-08-12T11:10:00.006-04:00

I have now worked every single day (Including weekends) for almost a month. My camera and I are booked solid through August 24th.

At this rate, my entire camera system will be paid off by my birthday.

God, I need some rest.

I thought I would include this postcard from the edge.

Even thought the title of this post comes from another Kubrick film, when I look at this on-set still, it reminds me of Clockwork Orange.

As you can see, when you work with my Sony EX3, you need to be flexible.

Sainte-Mère-Église

2009-06-27T16:13:00.017-04:00

My grandfather was Lt. Col Edwin J. Ostberg. During WWII, he served as the 1st Battalion commander of the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

I have always wanted to retrace his steps during the war, and this was going to be the year.

After spending several days in Paris, we rented a black Volkswagen Passat and drove the 200 kilometers out to Normandy, France.

Every year, in early June, people travel from across the globe to celebrate the success of the D-Day invasion. This year was somewhat special since it was the 65th anniversary.

Leading up to June 6th, many of the smaller towns have their own celebrations and commemorations. The Disney Land of these small towns in Sainte-Mère-Église. It was one of the first towns to be liberated in the allied invasion. Tourism now supports much of Sainte-Mère-Église’s economy, and it is filled with many small museums and World War II-related antique shops.

The village was a pivotal point in Operation Overlord, because it sits on one of the main routes to the Normandy landing beaches. It was imperative that the town be taken quickly, and held, to prevent the Germans from counter attacking once the invasion had begun.

The great responsibility of holding this town was left to the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions of the US army.

One of Sainte-Mère-Église’s main attractions is its centrally located church. It sits in the middle of a large town square. Paratrooper John Steele made the church famous when his parachute got tangled up on the church spire. German soldiers still occupied the town, so he hung there all night pretending to be dead until his men could cut him down. In memory of that story, a dummy paratrooper still hangs from the church spire.

The town center erupts with celebration each June and the air is filled with laughter and liquor fueled singing. At least one out of every two people walking the streets was dressed in period uniforms.

I don’t have too many pictures from this town, since my left hand was often occupied by a grilled sausage and my right hand with a French beer.

One of the great things I experienced here was the C-47 plane that circled the town. Every now and then the pilot would unexpectedly fly right over the town about 200 feet off the ground. You could never see it coming, and as a result I was only able to get this picture on a banked approach.

When a plane that size flies right over your head, it is really an amazing experience. During my entire trip to retrace my grandfather’s footsteps, and all of the commemorative services that I attended, I found that I rarely got emotional. However, every time that giant plane buzzed us my eyes would fill with tears.

Next stop … La Fière Bridge and Chef du Pont.

Happy Meal

2009-06-26T16:53:00.010-04:00

HELP WANTED:

Advertising agency seeking to fill the position of Creative Director.

If you are going to go this direction, you need to be:

A) David Droga and B) In another country ... like England

The Musee d'Orsay

2009-06-20T17:50:00.049-04:00

While I was still in Paris I was able to sneak in a very quick visit to the Musee d'Orsay. If you have spent some time in the museums of Paris, you know that a quick visit to any of them will only scratch the surface of what they have to offer you.

I zoomed from room to room, and tried to soak in as much as I could.

As I began my brief visit, I entered one small darkened room and found that it contained the provocative work of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

Of the ten to twelve paintings there, it was this one of a young girl fixing her hair that jumped out at me. I was careful not to use a flash, but a slight reflection seemed unavoidable due to the odd lighting of the room.

I found Toulouse-Lautrec's tendency to let large sections of the natural brown canvas show through to be extraordinary. Many painters feel a need to smother the canvas with paint. Lautrec often included only what was absolutely essential to what he saw in his mind.

Lautrec was also known for his bold use of colors, but many of his paintings here at the museum were dominated by a unique green. I can only imagine this must have been one of his go-to colors. Both his love of green and his habit of sparing sections of the canvas can be clearly seen in this painting entitled "Jane Avril dansant" (1892).

The next few rooms contained work from many of the most notable Impressionist painters. Impressionism has never really been my cup of tea, but my love of the sea made me gravitate towards this one.

"Man at the Sail" was painted by Théo van Rysselberghe in 1892.

As I wandered through the next few rooms, the harsh brush strokes seem to soften. In a large, well-lit room hung this portrait of a beautiful woman.

For the life of me, I cannot remember the artist, but I will make this challenge. I will send a Wolves Den T-shirt to the first person who can tell me the painting title and artist's name.

In a small connecting room was this painting by Paul Gauguin. It is entitled "The Seine at the Pont d'Iena" (1875)

What struck me about this painting was that this very same image was lodged in my own mind. Much of Paris has not changed much since Gauguin was alive.

Unlike many other global cities, Paris strictly maintains much of its classic architecture. To illustrate this, I went back and took this photo (above) from where Gauguin might have painted his picture over 100 years ago.

As the museum began to close, and my time ran out there, I found myself in a central room containing the work of Vincent Van Gogh.

Most people think of Vincent as, "that guy that cut his own ear off", but some historians now believe that his ear might have been severed in a knife fight with the aforementioned Paul Gauguin. The fight, it is believed, was over a prostitute.

In the middle of this room, completely devoted to him, hangs the smaller of two almost identical surviving paintings of Van Gogh's very modest bedroom.

It is simply entitled "La chambre de Van Gogh à Arles" (1889).

At the center of the large perpendicular walls, the museum choose to display two of Van Gogh's self portraits. They seem to stare across the room at one another.

These represent only two of the 43 self portraits that Vincent painted in his short lifetime. However, these two paintings are among the most famous and often reproduced.

The smaller of the two was painted in the autumn of 1887. At that time, Van Gogh was staying in Paris.

Almost dwarfed by its very thick frame, it has a striking appearance to it. Its quick, sharp, linear brush strokes stand in stark contrast to its larger brother hanging on the bang opposite wall.

This larger portrait (above) was painted in 1889 while Van Gogh was staying at a mental hospital in Saint Rémy. He had checked himself in due to a lifelong fight with mental illness.

Unlike the smaller portrait, this one is made up of the swirled brush strokes that characterize much of Van Gogh's work in his last few years. This very same swirled brush stroke style can be found in one of his most famous paintings, Starry Night Over the Rhone" (1889).

If you stand very close to this painting, and look deep into the eyes, you can see an incredible depth of loneliness in his face. One can only imagine how completely alone he must have felt as he painted this. Just two years later, he would sadly take his own life.

As you can see from this picture (below), one of the great things about the Musee d'orsay is that you can stand inches away from these paintings and drink them in.

Unlike many of the museums found in the United States, the French have a very trusting attitude towards their artwork. When possible, they make these priceless pieces of art approachable ... quite literally.

As the museum closed, I remained alone in this Van Gogh room. Although there were cameras located in various corners, I could have very easily defaced or destroyed a half dozen of the most famous paintings of all time. There was not a living soul within 1000 feet of me. I love it when that that level of trust and maturity can exist.

The five to ten minutes that I spent in that room, completely alone with those paintings, was one of the best moments that I had in Paris.

Although, there have been isolated incidents where very famous paintings have been attacked by museum visitors, it would truly be a shame if all artwork was kept out of reach and behind thick plates of glass like the Mona Lisa.

Le Chat de Paris

2009-06-02T18:04:00.007-04:00

I met up with this very large tom cat near a small group of house boats parked on the side of the Seine River. The sun was starting to set and he seemed to be in a lazy, but playful mood.

Paris de Nuit

2009-06-01T18:23:00.004-04:00

Au Louvre

2009-06-01T18:14:00.007-04:00

Les Chiens de Paris

2009-06-01T18:10:00.009-04:00

Les Enfants de Paris

2009-06-01T17:44:00.012-04:00

Dans Paris

2009-06-01T12:57:00.007-04:00

The weather is very nice here.

Blue sky as far as the eye can see.

Reincarnation

2009-05-10T18:19:00.031-04:00

Yesterday was one of the worst days of my life.

It strikes me as somewhat strange that one of these horrible moments comes around almost every ten years on the nose.

Essentially the decision to put Manhattan to sleep was made on Thursday night. When we brought her into see her doctor that evening, there were three separate pieces of bad news.

The first was that her kidney values had increased once again, suggesting further deterioration of the kidney's ability to filter out toxin. Even more disturbing was her continued weight loss. In just four short days she had lost another 6 ounces breaking the six pound mark. Had she not been eating, this might have made some sense, but her appetite was more than just okay.

The final straw came from her veterinarian, Dr. Smith. She told us that upon physical inspection of Manhattan's belly her intestines felt swollen like rigid garden hoses. This suggested, at best, a violent inflammation of the intestinal tract. More likely, it suggested intestinal cancer. This certainly would explain the violent and unexpected weight loss.

Saturday morning started early, as I drove the rented Ford Escape into midtown over the 59th Street Bridge. The first thing I noticed was a heavy fog that completely obscured the island of Manhattan. I knew that in just a few short hours my Manhattan would be gone as well.

Forty five minutes before our appointment, I picked up my beautiful friend. She was awake, laying on her favorite robe, but with a tired look in her eyes. The painkillers, given to her on Thursday, had now almost completely worn off and the returning discomfort had most likely kept her up most of the night. That made two of us.

Before I placed her in the carrier for the last time, I spent fifteen minutes saying my last goodbye. I tried desperately to look directly into her sunken eyes, and eventually rested my head gently against her furry belly. I remember how warm she felt against my cheek and how incredibly cold I felt inside.

On the way to the car I held her mesh carrier up to every pigeon I could find. I wanted to squeeze out every last drop of her life before it was taken away from her. What I really wanted to do was to stop time completely. At that moment, I would have happily given up every single one of my possessions just to buy her another few years.

If you are interested, the details of what goes on during a feline euthanasia are available on the Internet. Frankly, I do not want to go into them, but I can tell you that you will never experience ten minutes that go by more slowly. The only remarkable thing about this visit, was the woman that performed the procedure. Her name is Dr. Smith and she works at the Astoria Veterinary Group.

For starters, she opened the office early for us so that we would not be rushed. Every step was handled with sensitivity and dignity. At each stage she asked us if we were okay, and then proceeded only when she knew we were ready.

After Manhattan slipped away peacefully, Dr. Smith gently kissed her on the nose. Together, we wrapped her body in a soft piece of of navy blue fleece. In actuality, it was the cover of the L.L. Bean bed that I had bought for her right after I adopted her. It was boldly embroidered with her name. After that, we placed her in the makeshift casket that I was able to find the day before and around that we carefully wrapped white ribbon.

The drive out to Shelter Island was long, the traffic was bad, and I was already exhausted with sorrow. However, as you head further out on Long Island the cars thin off into nothing and the road becomes a single lane.

Off of route 25, we pulled into a small nursery and picked out a very nice dwarf blue spruce tree. It barely fit into the small rented SUV.

Once out on the island, I dropped into a small florist to buy my mom a Mother's Day orchid.

I added to the order one single peach colored rose.

The purpose of driving Manhattan out all this way was to bury her alongside my family home. By the time we arrived, the day was quickly fading, but with the help of my step-father we dug a deep grave and carefully placed her tiny casket in a fortified cavity at the bottom. We filled in the displaced soil and then directly above that planted the blue spruce. In front of that, we carefully placed Manhattan's rose.

This little tree now sits prominently in the sun next to our front porch.

My hope is that this baby blue spruce, with some help, will one day reach itself up to the top deck where my bedroom now sits.

If so, I can once again sleep with my best buddy Manhattan by my side.

Goodbye Old Girl

2009-05-09T23:23:00.005-04:00

Manhattan Matthes

Born: March 27th, 1993

Died: May 9th, 2009 at 10:16AM

Today the sickness died, but you will live forever.

Torn To Pieces

2009-05-04T18:30:00.023-04:00

I have not posted for the last month because I have been working like a mad man. It seemed like one shoot followed the other like a chain of elephants. This left me with so little time for anything other than producing and shooting with my new camera. First there was an effects heavy, green screen music video. Then several interview projects. Then the new national WebMD campaign.

I was so transfixed with working, that I started to forget what was really important to me.

For quite a while, I have been aware that my cat's health has been declining. She has a overactive thyroid condition and her kidney values have been slowly deteriorating. These two conditions are not unusual in a 16 year-old cat. In fact one of my last blog posts was a celebration of that impressive milestone.

However, as I concentrated on my own work issues, I did not clearly see what was happening to her. Out of sight, and somewhat in the background, the darkness seemed to creep in.

Last year, Manhattan was a solid 10 pound cat. In the past year, her thyroid condition caused her to drop a couple pounds. You can see from this picture, taken several weeks ago, that her normally wide face has narrowed slightly.

When I finally took a good look at her this past weekend she seemed alarmingly thin to me. I quickly packed her up in her carrier and headed off to he vet. When the doctor placed her on the scale, we were both shocked to see that she had lost another full pound in just the past month.

The veterinarian immediately gave Manhattan some electrolyte fluids and her thyroid pill. She then told me that she felt taking blood tests was unnecessary. The vet explained that the tests would undoubtedly show further kidney decline and thereby call for more pills. When a cat has failing kidneys, more pills is only going to worsen the problem.

It quickly became obvious that the vet was explaining to me that further treatment was not a very good idea.

Manhattan is not a lap cat, and you might even accuse her of not being very affectionate. Like a lot of cats, she loves you when she is hungry and quite content to do her own thing when she is not. I adopted her as a nine year old, but I often think about how nice it would have been to have known her as a tiny kitten. I wonder if she was as fiercely independent even then.

However, at this point in the grim conversation Manhattan walked across the examination table and buried her head between my arm and body as if to say "protect me". The vet saw this and slowly smiled at me. Instantly tears started to stream down my face.

Manhattan is part of my family, and I love her with all of my heart. When you love someone, it is your unspoken duty to protect them from harm. There is no amount of money that I would not give to save her. If I could, I would happily give years of my own life to extend hers. Obviously, this is not an option available to me.

What I am faced with, is a decision that is emotionally tearing me apart.

In order to protect Manhattan from future suffering, I am going to be asked to order the end of her life.

All I can think about is the last seven years.

*The day I first saw her in the shelter window. She looked up at me with her big soulful eyes and said "get me out of here".

*The day her picture was displayed in Times Square after winning a Yahoo photo contest.

*When I was very sick in 2005, she sensed it, and against her own rules slept by my side night after night.

*Last month, when I brought home her birthday present, she slept in it for several days straight.

How can I be the agent of her death?

On the other hand, if I do not make a clear decision, how can I let her waste away and stoically suffer?

There is no way I could ever be a veterinarian. I know that they must be faced with this difficult decision many times a year. When it the right time? How can you tell when the humane line has been crossed?

This week, I will spend as much time as I can with her. I will watch her and try to ascertain her overall condition. I can only hope that God will give me an unmistakable sign to tell me when the time has come. Even if I see that sign clearly, I know that it will tear me apart to have to hold my excellent friend while she quietly passes away.

“We never understand how little we need in this world until we know the loss of it”

~ James Matthew Barrie

The Only Difference Between Men and Boys Is the Price of Their Toys

2009-04-06T13:00:00.018-04:00

Since I only seem to talk about politics on this blog, it is not very obvious that in college I majored in film-making.

However, after four years of film school, frustratingly I didn't get many chances to shoot film. Instead, I found myself spending more time as an Assistant Director and Producer/Production Manager. Since I am approaching 40, I thought it was time to remedy this by buying myself a serious camera system. Call it my mid-life crisis.

The camera I decided to go with is the Sony EX3. It is the first small HD camera endorsed by the Discovery Channel to be 100% broadcast-worthy. Much to the dismay of my check book, I added to it the Letus Ultimate depth of field adapter. The adapter, which looks a little like an elephant trunk, allows me to use the fast Nikon prime lenses that I already own, instead of the stock video lens that the EX3 comes with. To add insult to injury, I added the Arriflex MMB-1 Matte Box / Follow Focus system and Zacuto plates and rods. When all is said and done, I basically could have bought myself a new BMW and a vacation to French Polynesia.

Here are a couple pictures of the fully built package.*

*(For those people in the know ... I have mounted the should pad under the lens assembly simply as a place to keep it out of the way and the hand grips would normally be removed while on the legs.)

On our first weekend together, we spent our honeymoon in one of my favorite places, Shelter Island, NY. I grew up on the island and it holds a special place in my heart. I picked it because our house there is spacious, clean and quiet. This is essential when learning a new camera system. The island also has a number or good locations for camera tests.

The beach and the nesting ospreys.

Time lapse sunsets from Serpentine Road.

With any camera system ... and this one especially ... you are forced to become your own technician. Some of this equipment is very specialized, and I knew that it was only a matter of time before I was taking stuff apart and putting it back together again.

With each day this is getting easier, and I hope that by the end of this month I no longer need to carry a bottle of aspirin around with me.

Hopefully I will post some test footage in the near future.

*Special thanks to my novice assistant camera person, and unpaid personal photographer.

Happy Birthday Buddy

2009-03-30T19:27:00.012-04:00

This past weekend I celebrated the birthday of my cat Manhattan.

I adopted her from a small west side animal shelter when she was nine, and she is now 16 years old. That is 80-84 in human years (depending on the calculator that you use).

I am constantly telling her stories of English cats that have lived to be well over 30 years old. I think she is starting to believe me.

For this big milestone, I bought her a big tub of fresh Cosmic catnip, a Maryland crab cake and a brand new navy blue Daba Doo cat bed. She did me the honor of not leaving the bed (except to eat and stretch her legs) for almost three days straight.

Money well spent.

There is nothing I would not do for her. She is my charge, and I will take good care of her as long as she needs me.

If you are thinking of getting a pet, I highly recommend adopting an animal from your local shelter. There are so many incredible cats and dogs that simply need a good home and someone to care about them.

Cash and Carry

2009-03-18T17:45:00.005-04:00

I don't normally cheer on Republicans, but Donny Manzullo really went to town in this clip.

Who says C-Span is boring?

Suicide is Pointless

2009-03-17T00:37:00.014-04:00

This past weekend I attended the memorial service of a young man who died well before his time. I say this, because he took his own life in the last few days of February in his NYC apartment. He was 41 years old.

His name was Christopher, and I did not know him well. In fact, I never would have attended his service had I not been the guest of someone he had gone to school with. I don't really want to say more on this subject, for fear of revealing his full identity.

Despite the fact that Chris came from a strong Roman Catholic Italian family, he was unable to have a proper service in the Catholic Church because he took his own life. Apparently some residents of Vatican City are in fact without sin, and fond of throwing stones.

Instead his modest service was held in a Queens funeral home, presided over by a kind-faced Irish priest whose soft words and sharp accent lent a small sense of peace to a deeply troubled group of mourners.

I was most likely the most detached member of the audience, as I only had the pleasure of meeting Chris once by chance on a NYC street corner. However, there was something about him that I liked immediately.

He was politically right wing, which is normally not my cup of tea. However, he was an aspiring film-maker and full of enthusiasm. If you have spent some time in the film business, you understand how difficult it is to keep up that level of energy and optimism. On top of that, he had done many things in his life. He had served in the military, and he had a master's degree in journalism.

As I sat there, in the back row of the small funeral home, I was struck by the utter senselessness of it all. Chris' father had died a few years ago from cancer, but his mother, sister and two brothers sat up front listening closely to the priest. They were all clearly devastated, but it was his older brother that was taking it the hardest. With almost every mention of his baby brother, his body shuttered violently and tears streamed down his face.

I am an only child, but I can imagine what he must have been feeling. This was his little brother. He was supposed to protect him and look out for him. Why had he not seen the signs? What more could he have done?

Before the service I got a chance to briefly speak with his sister. She told me, "Chris had his moments of depression and sadness, but who doesn't?" "We would have done anything for him."

There are cases where depression can be purely chemical and not situational. This is by far the most dangerous form it can take. I have only experienced that type of depression once, several years ago, as a withdrawal symptom from a prescribed drug I was coming off. Fortunately for me, the chemical darkness completely lifted as quickly as it came eight days earlier.

I will never minimize that type of depression as long as I live. It is extremely dark and scary, but most of all there is little one can do about it without help of some kind.

I am not sure exactly what I am trying to say in this post, except that suicide is tragic and in my opinion completely senseless. No one really knows if it is an effective escape from hardship. What is certain, is the pain that is left behind.

You never know when things will turn around. You never know when the clouds will part and the sun will shine again. Until that time, you must simply persevere and see things out.

Don't spare yourself because the Catholic Church condemns suicide. Spare yourself because there is beauty in the world. There are good things in absolutely everyone. There is always some hope around the corner, and most importantly there are people who love you.

The Battle Continues

2009-03-12T15:14:00.007-04:00

Part II The Empire Strikes Back

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

In Cramer We Trust

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Economic Crisis

Part III Return of the Jedi

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Basic Cable Personality Clash Skirmish '09

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Economic Crisis

To be fair ... hindsight in the stock market is often 20/20.

However ... there is sometimes a clarity that is undeniably ... unless you deny it.

Today I am kicking myself for not buying the 2000 shares of ticker FAS that I wanted to a few days ago.

I knew that the Pandit's Citicorp memo was a clear foreshadowing of future bank profit news.

AND

I also knew that today's mark to market / uptick rule hearing would provide upward pressure and STILL I held off on that trade.

Here is the five day chart.

Would of ... Could of ... Should have.

C'est la vie.

Financial Bailout

2009-03-05T13:18:00.016-05:00

This is an excellent clip from the Daily Show about the idiocy of CNBC.
VERY FUNNY STUFF.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

CNBC Gives Financial Advice

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Joke of the Day

Personally, I think that the two biggest douche bags on that financial channel escaped comment in this clip.

The first is Dennis Kneale

Dennis strongly feels it is unfair to deny Wall Street year-end bonuses, even though these companies are using tax payer provided bailout money to pay them.

In this clip, Dennis gets schooled by Senator Bernie Sanders (D) VT.

Then there is Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, who called the Senator a socialist in the last clip.

As you can see from this clip, Michelle loves to openly show her hatred for anything socialist. After all, she and her fellow Hispanics find very little need for government-sponsored programs.*

*For those of you who feel this is a racist comment, it is not meant to be. I simply find it nauseating that Michelle takes every opportunity to shake her ethnic tail feathers when it is convenient for her career, yet she is completely insensitive to the fact that many Hispanic people in this country need government-sponsored programs to survive.

Octopus

2009-02-27T07:50:00.019-05:00

Now I must admit that I have long thought that some people these days are going overboard when it come to having children. However, this woman takes the cake.

This two part interview (conducted by her own mother) does a great job of showing how nuts Nadya Suleman really is.

In stark contrast, Nadya's mother comes off as very likable and level headed. One can only hope that she will be able to provide some sanity in the lives of these 14 children.

It is my opinion (and perhaps and unpopular one) that these eight babies should be given up for adoption. I think it would send a message that this kind of reckless behavior will not be tolerated.

Even if you make the argument that Nadya could not have known she would have more than the planned "one or two" kids from this fertility procedure, it begs a very simple question.

Why the fuck is she having ANY children when she already has six young children in an already cramped home? In fact one of those six has already been diagnosed with autism.

The answer can only be that she is rampantly delusional.

Some people have theorized that Nadya has undergone plastic surgery to make herself look more like her idol Angelina Jolie.

Um ... theory?

Are you kidding me?

Suleman has obviously had implants or filler injections to plump up her lips. She has also reportedly had a nose job to resemble Jolie. In fact, I am quite sure there is no coincidence that she hand picked Ann Curry for her exclusive televised interview.

Ann Curry is well known to be Angelina Jolie's interviewer of choice, and has conducted numerous interviews with her all over the world.

Sometime you need to call a duck a duck.

As her own mother points out so well, this woman really needs help in more ways than one.

Darwin would have gone with the wolf

2009-02-07T02:25:00.011-05:00

I have always thought that hunters are the biggest bunch of pussies.

The match up I would love to see would be Gray Wolf vs. Sarah Palin (without her gun or her helicopter).

You can donate HERE.

Olympic Doping

2009-02-02T20:31:00.011-05:00

A few days ago, this photo surfaced of Michael Phelps smoking marijuana out of a bong at a party in November.

Almost immediately, "experts" said that his career was in a tailspin, and that if he didn't stick to the straight and narrow path, he could irreparably hurt his future earning potential.

To add to this, swim coaches across the country said they would use the incident as a teachable moment, driving home the point that drugs undermine athletic performance and that Phelps will suffer the consequences of his actions, losing esteem, and perhaps endorsements.

Frankly, I think it only sheds some light on his reported diet.

If you want my opinion ... and you probably don't ... I say give the kid a fucking break for Christ sakes. After all, he is twenty three years old.

I may be biased, since I dared to risk reefer madness in my college days, but I think this issue is severely overblown for several reasons

* Almost everybody has smoked pot at one point in their life. Show me someone that has not, and I will show you someone who irons their socks.

* The type of consumer who will buy products endorsed by phelps are most likely in their 20s and 30s. They can relate to a guy who like to screw hot girls and take the occasional pull on a Graffix.

I knew this uproar had reached a tipping point of absurdity when I turned on MSNBC last night. A woman in a dark red pant suit was telling the audience that this incident sent the wrong message to young kids about the use of performance enhancing drugs in today's athletes.

(*Disclaimer - I have used a picture of Democratic Minnesota Senator Amy Jean Lobuchar for illustrative purposes only. She was the only picture I could find of a red pant suit. Sorry Amy!)

Performance enhancing drug????

What is this Church Lady smoking?

The only way that pot will ever be classified as a performance enhancing drug is when they place a giant Snickers bar at the finish line.

Written in Stone

2009-01-26T17:14:00.014-05:00

Excuse the cliché. If you are going to see one movie this year, let that movie be “Slumdog Millionaire.”

Danny Boyle’s twentieth effort in the director’s chair has produced a beautifully shot film, deep in meaning and accompanied by an exceptional soundtrack.

If you have seen the televised trailers, you might think it is merely the story of an impoverished Indian teen getting a chance to win a lot of money and pull his loved ones out of poverty.

This promise of a simple story line may be an effort to get game show weaned middle Americans into the theatres. However, this film is anything but simple.

“Slumdog Millionaire” is based on the book “Q & A” by Vikas Swarup, and a skillfully written screen adaptation by Simon Beaufoy . In fact, one of the most amazing things about the film is its structure.

The film opens as the protagonist (Jamal Malik) finds himself one question away from 20,000,000 Rupees on the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”.

The question posed to the film’s audience is “How did he do it?”

A) He Cheated
B) He’s Lucky
C) He’s a genius
D) It is written (Changed for the US trailer)

As the film continues, we are presented with a surprisingly disturbing tale of one young man’s life. It is a life that, unlike our own, is not filled with choices as much as obstacles and traumas that he must endure.

I think the idealistic message being conveyed here is that no matter how much pain one endures in one’s life, it all ends up having a divine purpose in the end. The hardship molds us. It shapes us. Perhaps into a new form that is needed later in life.

Some call it the grand plan. Some call it destiny.

This is by no means the first film to confront this issue. Strangely enough, “Cast Away” is on TNT as I write this. It contains a similar message, but in a different package.

The moral of Slumdog is essentially a nice one. It suggests that although the path may be littered with painful shards of glass, our fate is predestined and our endurance will be rewarded.

As I get older, I feel like the idealism of my youth gets covered over by callous layers of realism. My visions of what should be are often crushed by what is.

Are we drifting down a river controlled by its current making futile efforts to steer ourselves, or do we unknowingly travel on a rigid set of rails?

As times goes on, I am repeatedly amazed by my inability to predict the future, but I can say with absolute certainty that this year the Oscar for best picture will go to “Slumdog Millionaire”.

After all … it is written.

“A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.”

~ Jean de La Fontaine

Getting Older

2009-01-21T14:33:00.004-05:00

Despite my best efforts, I am getting older, so I think a change in profile pictures is in order.

Big Surprise

2009-01-13T16:56:00.007-05:00

The Pentagon said today that 61 former detainees from its military prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, appear to have returned to terrorism since their release from custody.

This comes as a shock to US military officials who expected that released prisoners would immediately assimilate themselves into American society and open their own McDonald's franchise.

Separated at birth

2009-01-06T13:46:00.006-05:00

Rainy day movie review

2008-12-11T22:33:00.010-05:00

Last month, I got a chance to attend a screening of Frost/Nixon at the DGA theatre on West 57th Street in Manhattan.

The Universal Studios film is based upon the British stage play of the same name, written by screenwriter Peter Morgan.

The subject matter is a series of televised interviews conducted by British broadcaster David Frost of the former president of the United States, Richard Nixon in 1977. Both Michael Sheen (Frost) and Frank Langella (Nixon) reprised their stage roles for the film.

I thought that the film did an excellent job of humanizing a political character most often portrayed as inhuman. It did clearly show the villainous side of the former president, but it also demonstrated his occasional warmth and sense of humor.

After the screening we got a chance to talk openly with the director Ron Howard and one of the film's stars, Kevin Bacon.

I knew that both men, like myself, were strongly left of center politically. In fact both had campaigned for Barack Obama this past year. Based on his portrayal, I was curious to know if Ron Howard’s opinion of Richard Nixon had changed as he researched for this film.

Howard told me that his goal was to give Nixon dimension, but not to leave out his obvious character flaws. Howard pointed out that there is one thing that people tend to forget. Nixon, by today’s standards was more of a centrist. He did fear the extreme left, but he was equally paranoid of the extreme right.

The neoconservatives that lay claim to the Republican Party today are nothing like Richard Nixon or even Ronald Reagan. The extreme religious right currently runs today’s conservative party and it bares little to no resemblance to the Republican Party in the 1970s and 80s.

I highly recommend this film to anyone interested in a fascinating character study dramatized by two extraordinary actors. It is a riveting verbal battle between two strong willed men, both with everything on the line. It is a well-acted and beautifully directed political piece portraying one of the most important interviews of our lifetime.

The gift that keeps on giving

2008-12-02T10:27:00.004-05:00

Finding the prefect Christmas gift for that distant cousin or your favorite Auntie can be really hard.

An album is always a good choice.

Black Friday

2008-11-28T16:01:00.010-05:00

NEW YORK -Nov. 28) - A Wal-Mart worker was killed Friday after an "out of control" throng of shoppers eager for post-Thanksgiving bargains broke down the doors at a suburban store and knocked him to the ground, police said.

Within hours of the trampling death, customers had lined up behind crime scene tape waiting for the retailer to reopen.

Let me say that again ... waiting for the retailer to reopen.

Never let it be said that Americans have fucked up priorities.

History

2008-11-04T23:44:00.006-05:00

Always remember where you were at 11pm on November 4th, 2008.

I couldn't believe it, but I had tears in my eyes.

Pathetic

2008-11-04T17:01:00.007-05:00

In the days leading up to the election today, several phony fliers and text messages have been circulated in an effort to stop Democratic voters in key battleground states from coming out to the voting stations.

One targeted black voters, warning them of possible arrest.

Another bogus flier appeared in Franklin County, Ohio.

In Virginia, a phony State Board of Elections flier advising Republicans to vote on Nov. 4 and Democrats on Nov. 5 was being circulated in several Hampton Roads localities, according to state elections officials.

State elections officials have apparently identified the people responsible, but have refused to release their names and no charges will be filed.

When asked about this, a representative from the McCain camp suggested that "anyone naive enough to be fooled by these tricks should perhaps not be allowed to vote in this election".

That is a very good point.

Perhaps naive people should be disqualified from many different things.

VOTE ... If only for the free stuff.

2008-11-04T12:18:00.006-05:00

Even if you think your vote won't decide the election, go out and vote for the free stuff.

On The Spot

2008-10-31T00:19:00.008-04:00

I am still laughing at this moron's CNN debut.

I normally don't like to kick someone when they are down.

I could not resist this time.

(CLICK PICTURE TO ENLARGE)

Simple and to the point

2008-10-30T02:55:00.008-04:00

I really thought that Barack Obama's 30-minute television ad tonight on major U.S. networks was exceptional.

I have to believe that it would be difficult for anyone to watch the whole thing and not come away feeling moved and inspired.

However, there is a beautiful simplicity to this 30 second ad, and I like it.

Senior Moment

2008-10-24T03:32:00.007-04:00

John McCain's efforts to gain some ground in Pennsylvania appear to be faltering despite a major commitment of his time and money.

An aggregate of public polls now shows Barack Obama with a double-digit lead in Pennsylvania.

This is certainly not going to help much.

The Bradley Effect?

2008-10-18T16:40:00.010-04:00

The "Bradley effect" is named for Tom Bradley, an African-American candidate who was running for Governor of California in 1982.

Many of the voter polls leading up to the election had Tom Bradley well ahead of the Republican candidate George Deukmejian. In fact, based on the exit polls, a number of media outlets had already projected him as the winner. Bradley ultimately lost the race.

The "Bradley effect" refers to an alleged tendency on the part of some voters to tell pollsters that they are undecided or likely to vote for a black candidate, and yet, on election day, vote for his or her white opponent.

An example of this theory was quite possibly seen earlier this year during the New Hampshire Democratic primary.

Take a very close look at this AOL poll (Taken today).

Right now, if you are asking yourself: "what the fuck does someone's skin color have to do with their ability to be President of the United States" ... Congratulations ... you are not a racist.

Sometimes you need to read between the lines to find an answer to a very simple question.

Typical McCain voters

2008-10-18T01:44:00.005-04:00

This guy is too stupid to know what a political statement is.

The guy 30 seconds into this news clip is precious.

Can anyone say Bradley effect?

Financial Crisis

2008-10-16T16:53:00.004-04:00

Python on Palin

2008-10-15T10:27:00.003-04:00

I ran for Vice President ... and all I got was this lousy T-shirt

2008-10-14T21:31:00.013-04:00

Here is a picture of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin in her dorm room at the University of Idaho.

According to her classmates, the only top that she wore more often was a t-shirt that read “FCK: The only thing missing is ‘U.’ ”

Since Sarah and I share a common love for goofy t-shirts, I thought I would suggest a few.

P.S. Sarah ... the comma comes after broke.

Step Right Up Folks!

2008-10-08T14:50:00.013-04:00

Hopefully everyone took the time to watch last night's presidential debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.

There was no memorable line like "Senator ... you're no Jack Kennedy".

However, there was one odd moment that will make the highlight reel.

Regardless of how it was intended, John McCain's reference to Obama as "that one" is racially suspect at best.

However, there something else that bothered me about this selected clip and the debate as a whole. This was John McCain's repeated use of the phrase "my friends".

In this 1:32 clip alone he uses the phrase twice.

Would it surprise you if I told you that in roughly 45 minutes of allotted talking time McCain used the phrase "my friends" 18 times and "my friend" 4 additional times?

He is obviously trying to borrow a phrase once used sparingly by Reagan in the 1980s. President Reagan used it in his second Inaugural Address.

However, McCain's diarrhetic use of "my friends" makes him come off like some kind of snake oil salesman.

Jingoist, Sarah Palin also likes to shamelessly borrow from Ronald Reagan.

Her repeated use of John Winthrop's “shining city upon a hill” ideal comes from Reagan's Farewell Address to the Nation on January 11th, 1989.

Here is the the problem.

Today's neoconservative Republican in no way resembles a Reagan Republican. True Reagan Republicans from the 80's believed in small government, less spending, and general isolationism.

George Bush has dramatically increased the size of government in everyday life, spent more than any president in office and started a worldwide campaign of nation building.

It is no wonder the bailout bill failed to pass the House Republicans the first time around.

In the end, this is what will finally sink John McCain.

*Forget about retirees who have watched their retirement account vanish.
*Forget about concerned parents who have watched college funds vanish.
*John can even forget about his beloved Reagan Republicans.

Perhaps McCain should have spent less time worrying about famous Ronald Reagan quotes, and spent more time listening to my buddy Bill.

"It's the economy, Stupid"

Sign of the times II

2008-10-06T16:34:00.010-04:00

This rooftop sign in Florida is a good representation of George Bush's current economic policy.

The delusional people who will be voting for the GOP this year, are the very same people waiting for free crab.

Sense Memory

2008-10-03T16:03:00.018-04:00

"Sense memory" is used to refer to the recall of physical sensations surrounding emotional events (instead of the emotions themselves).

Method actors, such as Marlon Brando have become famous for using this tool (sometimes referred to as emotional memory) to trigger believable responses to scripted events.

The German born American actress, and legendary acting teacher, Uta Hagen once wrote:

"Our feelings and emotions are the result of an accumulation of life experiences. We soon begin to make associations that link our feelings in the present to similar ones in the past. We will find no new emotions although we will continue to encounter new events under new circumstances and will cope with them in the main by trying to understand our emotional responses to them."

Essentially, we associate sights, sounds and smells with important events in our life. Many years later, those sounds or smells can actually trigger a powerful reoccurrence of those feelings.

You might remember a song that was playing on the radio when you first laid eyes on a true love. Twenty years later, you could hear that song ... close your eyes ... and transport yourself back to that time and place.

You can actually recall the feeling in the air ... what they were wearing ... what you were feeling inside. It can be a very powerful tool.

Last week I traveled to the Gulf coast of South Florida for a small film job that I was producing.

As the job was wrapping up, I found myself with some free time to explore the expansive beach and the warm water of the Gulf.

The air was completely filled with sea birds.

Seagulls swarmed the sky like small fighter planes. Interspersed among them them were larger pelicans who dropped from the sky like feathered spears into the green sea in search of fish.

The sound of the waves and the smell of the salty air reminded me of Brighton, England and the time I spent there as a child. As I sat on this Floridian beach, I closed my eyes and tried to remember all the good memories.

My Grandparents had a very large apartment in Brighton that overlooked the English Channel and the famous nude beach.

Although I certainly appreciated the benefits of that view as a young boy, it was the draw of the entertainment pier that always caught my attention.

Leading up to my visit, my granddad, Pop-Pop, would save up all his 10 pence pieces in his desk drawer. By the time I arrived, he had amassed an enormous sack of coins.

Almost every day, after tea time, we would venture down to the pier together to play the games of chance. I always looked forward to spending time with him. I could not have asked for a more wonderful grandfather.

When I was in my first year of college, I received a phone call and was told that Pop-Pop had died from ALS.

I have missed him terribly ever since that day.

However, I love that fact that when I am by the ocean I can close my eyes and think of him. I remember his smile and his kind heart. I remember how much he loved the ocean and the seagulls that lived there.

When I stop and take the time to think of them, all of those memories and feelings come rushing back to me.

Sadly, I have learned that the people you love the most in your life will not always be there. For one reason or another, you will eventually lose them. Although this is a sad fact of life, it is important to cherish the time you have with them while they are here.

Value every single minute and catalog them in your mind.

If you are very lucky, when they are gone, you can close your eyes and be with them again.

The rape of the American taxpayer

2008-09-28T13:59:00.007-04:00

For the last week, multiple newspapers have been reporting that the town of Wasilla charged rape victims for their forensic exams while Sarah Palin was the mayor.

CNN's Jessica Yellin followed up by interviewing the sponsor of a law that sought to end this insensitive practice. Eric Croft felt that was unrealistic to think that for six months the mayor would not be aware of this policy.

Frankly I think that the liberal media elite are being wildly unfair to our future Vice President.

After all, as a devoted Reagan Republican, she was simply following her duty to look out for Joe Taxpayer.

In fact, in order to save additional funds, Wasilla will now charge victims of child molestation for the anatomical dolls used to identify the places they were touched by their abusers.

This practice alone will save thousands of dollars for the Alaskan taxpayers. Those dolls are expensive!

Plus, all of the children will be allowed to keep their dolls as a keepsake and a snuggle buddy.

Life in the numbers

2008-09-27T15:57:00.006-04:00

Today, a great actor, a great philanthropist and a great man died.

His name was Paul Newman, and he was 83 years old.

After his only son died in 1978 from an accidental overdose of Valium, he established the Scott Newman Foundation to finance the production of anti-drug films for children.

In 1988, Newman founded a camp in northeastern Connecticut for children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. The camp serves 13,000 children every year, free of charge.

Paul was passionately opposed to the Vietnam War, and in favor of civil rights. He was famously liberal, and due to his active support of Eugene McCarthy in 1968, he ended up on President Nixon's enemies list. It was one of the actor's proudest achievements, he liked to say.

-19 The position he held on Richard Nixon's enemies list.
-50 Major films
-10 Oscar nominations
-3 Oscar wins (Two honorary awards)
-5 BAFTA nominations
-1 BAFTA win
-30 Years of philanthropy
-200 Million raised for charity
-50 Years of marriage to a wonderful woman/actor Joanne Woodward

One of Paul Newman's last on-screen roles was for the 2005 HBO drama Empire Falls.

I was very sick at home when it first aired.

The story, the characters and his performance truly resonated for me.

WTF is this stupid fucking woman saying?

2008-09-25T22:15:00.009-04:00

Oh my God.

Is anybody awake out there?

This is a clueless woman, completely out of her depth, being fed talking points and blindly regurgitating them like a drunk spring break fraternity brother after an open bar and wet t-shirt contest.

This is "crisis moment"?

This woman has spent too much time on the back of a dog sled.

She is talking about the importance of tax breaks when asked about the current Wall Street bailout plan.

Would someone slap this daft women in the head and inform her that the proposed 700 Billion dollar bailout plan will, by itself, cost the average American tax payer $2000-$3000 to implement.

Jesus Christ ... Could everyone turn off Gossip Girl for a moment?

Does anyone read a fucking newspaper anymore?

Bienvenue Canada

2008-09-19T23:50:00.013-04:00

A flawless two day shoot in Calgary ...

$50,000

Working out, swimming laps in the pool and hot tubbing at the roof top spa of the Hyatt Regency Calgary ...

$400 a night

Dungeness crab with sliced grapefruit starter, Kobe filet mignon and a really nice bottle of cabernet sauvignon at Vintage.

$300 a person

Being the Producer ...

Fucking Priceless.

This week I feel unbreakable.

Vetting is not just driving your sports car

2008-09-12T11:11:00.011-04:00

If you did not see the ABC Nightline interview of Sarah Palin by Charlie Gibson, you MUST take the time to watch the whole thing.

There really is no excuse.

I am in the middle of an enormous production job right now, involving Carnets, international crew members and other major distractions.

However, I would have moved Heaven and Earth to see this interview.

If The McCain/Palin ticket is sucessful, this woman statistically has a 30% chance of becoming president. For this very reason, EVERYONE in this country has a duty to check her out before they vote.

There are so many portions of the interview that you should see, but this one is perhaps the most telling.

Beyond this clip ...

*She compares some of her past statements on the role of God to those made by Abraham Lincoln.

*She vacillates on her past and present opinions regarding the human contribution to global warming and climate change.

*She often seems confused by the questions Charlie Gibson poses to her regarding international affairs.

The list goes on.

I am constantly amazed by the stupidity of middle Americans to buy into this crap, hook line and sinker.

For those of you located in one of the red states (pictured above), not interested in watching boring and difficult to understand politcal programing, I have provided an alternative viewing option.

Jon and I are on the same page

2008-09-04T17:02:00.004-04:00

Note: My comments on Bristol Palin and Jamie Lynn Spears came a day before this piece aired on Comedy Central.

Just in case you thought I was stealing ideas.

To his credit ... Jon is a lot funnier than I am.

Double Standard

2008-09-02T13:02:00.015-04:00

Have you ever wanted to see through the eyes of a rampant right wing, Old Testament Republican?

If so, I have provided the "Holier Than Thou" glasses kit below.

After cutting along the dotted lines ... put the glasses on.

OK ... Ready?

Here we go.

SAINT

SINNER

Do you see the difference?

*Both are high profile 17 year-old girls who accidently got pregnant, and then got thrust into the spotlight.

*Both plan on getting married to the father of their baby.

However ...

One is a good Christian girl, and the other is a filthy little whore.

OK ... let's be serious now.

This simple demonstration points out two very important things.

The Religious Right is often hypocritical.

When news came out that Jamie Lynn Spears was pregnant, right wing leaders screamed bloody murder ...

"What kind of mother does she have?"
"Just look at that little tramp!"

Now that Bristol Palin is reportedly pregnant, the VERY SAME people are heard saying ...

"How dare you pick on a poor 17 year old girl!"

The fact is, we are not picking on this girl whatsoever.

I am quite sure Bristol will make a wonderful mother. If she and her boyfriend Levi love each other, they could very well make a wonderful loving family.

Just because I am firmly left wing, does not instantly make me some kind of abortion loving liberal.

FAR FROM IT.

Abortion is a terrible thing, and it should be avoided AT ALL COSTS.

Most people who have one, regret it for the rest of their lives, and they often wish they could have that important decision back.

As a liberal, I just think we should treat EVERYONE with the same respect and courtesy during a very difficult time.

What this clearly demonstrates, is that abstinence only education DOES NOT WORK.

It's time for everyone to take their head out of the sand and open their eyes to the reality of teenage hormones.

Pandering with Palin

2008-08-29T22:00:00.011-04:00

It is translucently clear why Sarah Palin has been picked to run on the ticket with John McCain.

Republicans are obviously targeting women.

Primarily, the disenchanted Hillary Clinton supporters who are still reeling from her loss to Barack Obama.

Do they really think women are stupid enough to buy into this?

This faux woman has about as many things in common with Hillary Clinton as Bob Guccione has with Mother Theresa.

In fact, Palin has openly accused Clinton of being a "whiner"

*Sarah is fanactically pro-life and pro NRA.

*Palin is also the subject of a legislative probe into claims that she abused her office by trying to get her former brother-in-law fired from his job as an Alaska state trooper.

*In this clip from Kudlow and Co., she addresses this investigation and actually asks the question "What is it exactly that the Vice President does?

*She firmly believes that global warming is not a man-made phenomenom.

*She strongly supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

*She has supported the aerial shooting of wolves and bears in Alaska.

*She politically supports Pebble Mine, an open-pit gold mine which will destroy some of the best trout and salmon fishing grounds in the world.

Are you kidding me?

I can only take a wild guess at the right-wing moron that must have headed up this selection committee?

This choice is so surprisingly bad, that it makes me laugh and simultaneously breathe a sigh of relief.

Sarah Palin stands about as much chance of being Vice President as I stand of being the President.

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Sunday Giggle Part IX

2008-08-24T12:15:00.006-04:00

Strict limit of one per customer.

This is right up there with the commemerative gold piece.

Forgiveness

2008-08-19T17:38:00.015-04:00

When John Edwards finally admitted on August 8th to having had an extramarital affair, while his wife was battling cancer, there was not one person more disappointed than I was.

I had strongly supported John Edwards as a possible Vice-Presidential candidate choice in 2008. Before that, I had even hoped that he would be the Democratic Party’s nominee for President.

I truly felt that his message of “Two Americas” was exactly what the American people needed to hear.

This message of economic inequality was made even more forceful coming directly from him, a wildly successful and wealthy individual. After all, he was personally benefiting from the Bush’s tax cuts, and at the same time condemning them as unneeded and unfair to working class Americans.

Shortly after his public admission of infidelity, he released this statement:

“If you want to beat me up feel free. You cannot beat me up more than I have already beaten up myself. I have been stripped bare and will now work with everything I have to help my family and others who need my help.”

Now, I don’t condone what he did to his wife and his family. However, I really feel this statement is sincere, and that he and his family should be left alone to heal ... if that is possible.

These days, so many people spend way too much of their life judging others. The average person spends so much of their time delighting in the misfortune of others, that they hardly have time for a life of their own.

Who is getting divorced?
Who is cheating on whom?
Who is sick?
Who is dying?

Can everyone get a fucking life already?

Just look at what magazine broke the Edwards story.

The public has such a voracious appetite for other people’s misery, because they have no real excitement in their own lives. The only thing that soothes their own feelings of inadequacy is to hear that someone more powerful, or wealthy, has been taken down.

I strongly believe in many of the central messages contained in the Bible. What really kills me, is that so many people who proudly declare themselves as "true" Christians, have not bothered to read the book they are thumping.

MATTHEW 7:1-5

"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

JOHN 8:7

"He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."

Unfortunately, It was this rampant pattern of judgment that put me off the thought of attending church when I was a child. I would sit through service after service hearing messages of love and forgiveness, only to then attend a coffee hour full of gossip and rumors.

“Did you hear that ... ?"

“Can you believe that ...?"

John 8:7 is a powerful passage from the Bible. It has grown in meaning for me, as I have grown.

We all sin against each other in some way or another. We are all imperfect, and we all need to spend more time concerned with our own shortcomings and less about those of others.

Just like John correctly stated … Nothing you can do or say will punish someone more than they will punish themselves. Even if that person lacks a sense of guilt or responsibility, karma will exact revenge in a way that you could never imagine.

Holding on to anger only damages the possessor. In the wise words of The Eagles, “It will eat you up inside, baby”.

The Bible teaches forgiveness. A central message that can easily be found in The Lords Prayer.

Once you let go of the anger, a peace creeps in, and ... with time ... the pain fades away.

COLD WAR II

2008-08-08T14:22:00.014-04:00

Early today, it was announced that Russia had sent troops and tanks rolling into Georgia.

In response to this aggression, the local Macon militia was quickly mobilized to combat the problem.

“We have more than enough beer and bullets to keep them pinko reds at bay for several weeks”, declared their fearless leader Billy Bob Durette (pictured above with beer)

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin declared, “War has started”

This declaration only served to inflame the already angry Georgians.

“I say bring them commie bastards on”, exclaimed Cletus McBride.
(pictured below with Ford F150)

“I have been waiting to use this gun for ages”.

The presidential race heats up

2008-08-06T03:43:00.006-04:00

Paris Hilton Responds to McCain Adfunny videosFunnyOrDie.com

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

I have heard the first thing she wants to do is work on lowering the price of oil. However, it will most likely be sun tan oil.

Perhaps the most disturbing thought is that the average man on the street is more familiar with "A Night in Paris" than Senator Evan Bayh.

Perhaps even more disturbing is that she would most likely get more votes than Senator Bayh.