My 4th Of July
Saturday, 5 July 2008 02:54
This was my 4th of July:
I went to Santa Maria, California for the Fourth of July holiday. An interesting point here, after many years in LA county, where fireworks are forbidden, this is not a “dry” county – they actually let you buy those “safe and sane” fireworks. In fact, they sanction parking lot celebrations in major shopping centers, and everyone pulls into a space, breaks out the portable grills and blows stuff up. Continue reading My 4th Of July
Magic Sword
Sunday, 29 June 2008 05:54
Magic Sword is not new, but it is pivotal. Four years ago or so, I whipped this up for a puppetry CD. There was actually an entire book, as well. The book was titled “Puppets in Ministry” and the track title off of the disk was “Vincent’s Voice Workshop.” In the audio I took the listener through various types of voices they could do when recording a puppetry program for children. Continue reading Magic Sword
Random Thoughts at Midnight – 06/21/08
Saturday, 21 June 2008 12:12
I’m looking forward to starting work on the Loser’s Gain website: self image isn’t very high, today. That’s no big deal, because I’m comfortable with myself no matter what setbacks – but everything just came together to make me feel generally blechy about myself. Continue reading Random Thoughts at Midnight – 06/21/08
Random Thoughts at Midnight – 06/20/08
Friday, 20 June 2008 12:46
Momentarily, it will be midnight. Time to throw together a few random thoughts.
The “old” Incredible Hulk movie (although old is a relative term), is on Sci Fi at the moment – and it really is bad. If Media Noir didn’t like it, I would have to agree. Although I suppose it fits right in to Sci Fi’s normal programming – The Computer-Generated Monster of the Week. Someone gave them a computer for Christmas, and they always seem to keep trying to use it for their original movies…
Speaking of computers – today Media Noir has posted his review of the new computer-animated film, Kung Fu Panda – I don’t think he liked it too much. But then again, when does he like something? This review marks the first of the new avatars I’ve designed for myself and my characters, and includes some actual animation. Not great animation, but I’m certain that it will improve, once I get the hang of the new program that I’m using to flesh it out. Check out the “Staff & Contact” page to see the avatars in action – and possibly be freaked out.
I spent some time with a friend in the emergency room today, and was reminded of a couple of sketches that I wrote around the medical profession. I’ll have to unearth them and do some recording. I’ve seen a lot of the emergency room lately, and found that it’s usually filled to the gills at midnight, and totally empty around noon. This leads me to a question or two: Do emergencies only happen late at night, or do people just find lunch more important than their emergency?
I recorded a phone system yesterday – I am the proud voice of the new Center Stage Theater Fontana. I won’t post the phone number here, but I’m sure if you are really curious, and want to hear me doing something totally different, you’ll be more than capable of looking them up.
I helped my boss, general Manager of CoachVille and friend, the incomperable coach Terri Z, create a new blog over the past week, You Lie Like a Blog. It’s a clearing house for your consience, a place to post your deepest, darkes fibs and get them off your chest. There are quite a few categories listed – pick your sin, click the category, and post a response.
Coming up, I’ll be working with Terri and a few others on another new blog, Loser’s Gain. It will be a chronicle of people trying to lose weight and get healthy again. I plan on being one of the bloggers there, myself, and will attempt to video my progress once a week. After reaching the tender age of forty-three, I seem to have gained almost that many unwanted pounds getting here – I’d like to stop this before I reach my seventies – I want to still be able to get through doorways…
Well, good morning and have a great day -
- VRH
Kung Pao Panda
Thursday, 19 June 2008 10:58
Even though good Chinese food leaves you wanting in two or so hours, at least you enjoy the meal. This film not only leaves you wanting, but has absolutely no nourishment in sight. You might call it Candy-coated Kung Fu. I hate Kung Fu movies, and I hate candy – so you can guess my disappointment in Kung Fu Panda – the vacuous, sugar-coated study of wanton animal violence, served up cold and by-the-numbers. A hero from column one, a mentor from column two, a villain from column three. Stir fry and animate…
Speed Racer’s Bad Trip
Thursday, 29 May 2008 11:46
My apologies for being late with my review of Speed Racer, unfortunately I had get therapy before I could deal with what I saw. I assume the directors were actually on speed during the production, and I had to check into Betty Ford to help me down from this two hour and ten minute acid trip on steroids.
Unfortunately, this means that you have probably already seen this over-glossed, neon-glowing crashfest. But perhaps we can commiserate together and move on after this review:
I Mean It… DIY Planner
Thursday, 29 May 2008 12:01
The following is a copy of my blog post from coachblog.com. CoachVille is my day job, and I actually do serious things over there from time to time…
Today’s Coach Tech Minute, as heard on CoachVille Caffeine, is all about those of us who love the art of putting pen to paper. I may be a technogeek™, but I love my old-fashioned three-ring planner. Give it a play:
As a visual person, I find the act of writing something down really stabilizes it in my mind. As a creative person, I never found planner products that totally suited my needs. I always wanted to tweek with something. I wanted a form to be THIS way, not the way Franklin Covey THOUGHT I wanted it (no offense to Mr. Covey, a fine fellow, indeed).
Also, as a person with ADD, I have problems with all the cool, organizational products for my computer. The PRODUCTS are great, and I’ll throw a few your way in a later post, but with my ‘special’ ability, I would never actually USE the software. Twenty minutes after sitting down to schedule something, I’ll find myself looking up something on Google, following some random thought, with no entry ever made in the software. Paper and pen help me to focus – so I’ll stick with them, thank you very much…
That’s where D*I*Y Planner comes in. Here is where I can be my tech geeky self, and use my computer to make my planner a creative home away from home. D*I*Y Planner is a community of creatives, time managers, and the project-driven personalities: All those who use a piece of paper to help them organize a thought, plan a day, or build a business.
There are articles to stir your creative self, challenge you to get organized, or tell you about the newest, slickest writing instrument. That would be great all by itself, but on top of this, is the D*I*Y planner kit: a downloadable package of planner pages, built for the size of your favorite planner. Douglas Johnson, creator of the site and the system, based the kit around the book Getting Things Done by David Allen. Then, as quite the creative guy himself, he added quite a few flourished of his own. Grab a calendar, a list, a form, and print out what you need. Hole punch it and stick it right in your planner – a job well done, and a feeling of satisfaction that you made it yourself. You’re your own person, and don’t answer to the local Staples for your planning needs.
Can’t find exactly what you need? There’s a template that allows you to create your own page. Then, if your form is masterful enough, and you’re feeling the urge, you can share it with the world, as registered users (it’s free) can upload their creations to share with the rest of the community.
D*I*Y Planner will inspire you to get more creative, and challenge you to be more organized. You can join in with the community, and be the Master Of Your Own Planner. Besides, with all the money you’re going to save on planner refills, you can finally get that $150 dollar leather planner you’ve been eying at the Franklin Covey store…
Indiana Jones and the Crystal Pacemaker
Saturday, 24 May 2008 12:06
Creaking into the local cineplex near you is Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. This makes the score Spielberg and Lucas four, the audience zero.
After almost twenty years since Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, they thought it would be a GREAT idea to stick a sixty-six year old man in a fedora and have him bash bad guys again. Someone should have sat them down with a DVD of A View To A Kill, and made them write a 200 word essay entitled “why you shouldn’t stick an old man in an action film.”
Please watch the video, then listen to reason…stay away…
The Hunting Program
Tuesday, 20 May 2008 11:35
Hunting deer in New Jersey – what could be more glorious?
We were traveling on a CoachVille event, and were stuck in Newark Liberty Airport waiting for the flight. We sat in one of the eateries, killing time, watching ESPN (that’s all that seems to be on airport televisions – ESPN or CNN. I wonder what would happen if I got someone to flip the channel to Cartoon Network?). On the screen was a hunting program.
While I don’t particularly take sides on the hunting issue, I DID take issue with the subject of the program – turkey hunting. Fathers and sons bonding over bow and arrow. Sons getting decked out from head to toe in camouflage, including painting their face, so they could hide, nay, literally blend in and become one with the forest, and thus be invisible to the hapless turkey.
Two things ran through my mind:
- Is a turkey really that smart?
- Hasn’t anyone told these guys they can get them at the grocery store?
It just seemed ludicrous. And I don’t mean the rap star. I doubt he’d be caught dead stalking turkey. For us ‘folk who grew up a couple of decades earlier, I doubt Ted Nugent, rocker and hunter, would be caught dead sneaking up behind a turkey, either.
As I mentioned, I’m not taking sides on the whole hunting thing. But after taking a few notes in the airport, I found that you can write a pretty funny sketch if you choose the anti-hunting stance…
Just a Few Thoughts
Sunday, 18 May 2008 12:43
I sat in front of the camera and ranted a bit. With a few ideas in hand, I made a commentary or two about life and media.
I may not know everything, but certain things are a no-brainer:
- The Honda Odyssey looks NOTHING like an old van.
- Denny’s breakfast is NOT good for you.
- DVD packages are IMPOSSIBLE to get into.
Now, I don’t know if it was all funny, but I ranted, nonetheless:
JUST A THOUGHT: Honda Odyssey
JUST A THOUGHT: Denny’s Breakfast
JUST A THOUGHT: DVD Packaging
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