Announcers and their amazing announcements

Isn't it surprising what these sports announcers choose to comment on sometimes? I'm watching Game 6 of the World Series right now, and the last time Alex Rodriguez was up to bat, one of the announcers said, "He's homered in seven different line-up positions. Just shows his flexibility." Really? So because one day he hit a home run and he was third in the batting order, and another day he hit a home run and he was fifth in the batting order, and so on, he's flexible? Wow. Didn't know it was so easy to be flexible. It's one thing if you've got a guy who can play several different positions in the field well; that would show some flexibility. Are they just running out of things to say sometimes? Have they sung A-rod's praises so much that that's the best they can now come up with? The other day I was watching the game and I can't quite remember exactly what the announcer said, but something to the effect of, "He's got the most throws-to-home plate that have resulted in outs than any third basemen in the American League." I felt like adding, "who's between five-feet nine and five-eleven and is of at least half-European descent." I mean, really? Maybe it's just me.

"The Clearing"!!!

Hey all, many of you already know this, I'm sure, but my movie, THE CLEARING, is premiering in six (6) Connecticut theaters on Fri, November 13! Come see it! More details to come on exactly where and when, but there will be one theater in Southington, one in Wallingford, two in the Hartford area, one in Stamford and one in New Canaan. Yeah, baby!
For those who don't know, THE CLEARING is an independent psychological horror film produced by Evil Kitty Media Productions, a CT-based film company. Check out the website at www.theclearing.yolasite.com
It's a film about power, abuse and the nature of evil itself. It's loosely based on the legend of Dudleytown, a real ghost town in CT.

So it's been a while...

Hey all (and by that I don't just mean my one loyal follower, T.J. Tobin...but a shout-out to him, while I'm at it! You rock, dude!) I mean all of you out there who have read my blog...yes, all five of you...I'm still alive. I thought six months was enough of a hiatus and here I am, back in action. There really isn't much of a point to this post, other than to tell you that I've returned, I've risen again, like a phoenix from the flames, and there'll be lots more coming from me. So I say, welcome back to the madness, all of you. Thanks for not losing interest...unless you did. In which case I can't blame you. But I hope you'll come back...Come back or else!!! Sorry, that was a bit much. Please come back...please?

Living Forever and Dying Today

Here's an idea to explore: “Dream as if you'll live forever, live as though you'll die today.” I think James Dean said it, though he may not have been the first. But that's an interesting concept. Because on the one hand you're doing all this dreaming and planning for the future, but if you're going to live as though you'll die today, you've got to live totally in the moment. How did John Keats, the great English poet who died at age twenty-six, live? Was he constantly looking ahead to the goals he wanted to accomplish, or did he truly live in the moment? How does knowing you're going to die young affect the way you live? What trivial elements do you cut out of everyday life in order to make sure you do all that is important to you? You don't take anything for granted, you waste no time, you don't put anything off because there may not be any time to put it off until. Who is happier, the guy who gets to live forever but has to watch all his friends and family die, or the guy who lives for only twenty-five years but never has to see anyone die and never takes one single breath for granted? What if there was an immortal guy who was friends with a guy who knew he was going to die young, probably before age thirty?That'd be an interesting relationship, huh? Also, you wouldn't really be concerned about eating healthy or exercising if you knew you'd be dead before thirty, would you? I don't think so. You probably wouldn't think so much or worry so much about things. I think John Keats wanted to write so much so he could leave a legacy behind him, so he could leave something to show for his brief time spent on earth. I think he was concerned that he would die and have nothing to show for his short life. But maybe I'm wrong. I'd have to read his letters again, it's been a few years and I definitely have not read them all. Maybe he just wrote because it was his way of venting, his way of coping with his illness and all the tragedy in his life. What would have been my reason, had I been John Keats? I think both. I certainly want to leave my mark on the world, but it's not all about one's legacy, either. It's about these moments, it's about enjoying the time you've got. The legacy that's most important is how you're remembered by those you love, and the positive changes you've brought to all the people you've touched—not how many poems you've published or how many films you've acted in.

Guns on campus

I saw on the news today there are students trying to get a law passed allowing them to carry concealed weapons on campus. Are they f^(%in crazy? On the 10th anniversary of columbine, a day when you would think people would be thinking about a world without guns, here we are, and people are tyring to bring more guns in. How will that solve the problem? The students say that they want to be able to defend themselves against an attack like Columbine or Virginia Tech. Well that’s all well and good and believe me I’m a strong supporter of the 2nd amendment but I think this will lead to some serious trouble. Just imagine this: some kid gets drunk at a party, starts to get out of hand. Sound familiar? I think pretty much everyone who's been in college can attest to the fact that this is pretty common. Except, now imagine that he's carrying a gun. And an argument starts, and it escalates and becomes physical, and then the kid busts out the gun and maybe he doesn't mean to use it but whether he does or not, a struggle ensues and the gun goes off and kills someone. More guns, especially at school, are not the answer. If you’re in the street or in your house or someplace like that, you should be able to carry a concealed weapon if you have a permit for it--but not on a school campus. There has to be someplace that’s weapons-free. Even if school shootings happen, fighting fire with fire is not the answer in this case. That’s just my opinion. I see it easily doing way more harm than good. I just don’t think college students are responsible enough, in general, to be handling weapons. They can’t even handle themselves on spring break! Can you imagine if you throw guns into the mix? Just picture the insanity of spring break...and now put a gun in just one of those kids' hands. A professor at the school where this debate is currently going on made that point, and I thought it was a great one. Yes, college students need to be able to defend themselves, but you can do that without guns. Guns are trouble, and more of them is more trouble. That's not to say we should take away peoples' rights to bear arms. I completely agree with that right. But I don't think that means that immature college kids who are often intoxicated and making questionable decisions should be given the means to shoot each other.

How You Know You've Passed the Point of No Return

Guys, wondering if you've passed the point of no return in a relationship? You know, the point where you know there's no turning back, you're in it for the long run, you're hopelessly, incurably in love, a prisoner to its whim? If your girlfriend has asked you if you will go see 'Ghosts of Girlfriends Past' starring Matthew McConnaughey and Jennifer Garner and you said "Yeah, I've actually been wanting to see that," you have passed the point of no return. Actually, I read the script for that movie when I was interning in Hollywood and loved it. I guess I was past the point of no return a while ago.

Guts

Today I want to talk about guts. You know, I really admire people who’ve got guts. I’ve got guts. But there are people out there who’ve REALLY got guts, y’know? People like Adam Lambert, the frontrunner (there, I’ve said it) on this season of American Idol. He’s definitely the most talented of the group when you consider the total package. He’s not only the most talented, he’s the best performer, because he’s the gutsiest, he takes the biggest risks, and he has the most fun. He’s truly an amazing performer to watch. If you haven’t seen him yet, start watching American Idol on Tues nights at 8 on Fox. Most of you reading this probably know about him already, but there are undoubtedly those who will not. So start watching, those of you. It’s a very rare sight to see a contestant on Idol who is already so far advanced in his development as an artist. He’s so much more mature than most of the artists we see. He’s got more experience than a lot of them, and it shows. And he’s an actor too, a true performer, and he knows how to work the crowd. Oh, does he! Yeah, he knows not only how to sing incredibly well, but how to entertain! And the risks he takes are so admirable. I hope one day to have the guts to take the kinds of risks he does. I’m working on it, I’m getting there. But I think having the guts to get up there and do what you feel in its utmost expression is the epitome of what it means to be an artist. Not to care what others think, to get up there and be you, and pour every last drop of your creative spirit out into the room, to fill the room and the crowd with the magic you’ve created. That’s really something. To be able to affect people with the magic of your creative spirit. It’s what we actors live for. That and love. A lot of what we express as artists has to do with love, so art is really one of the main things we live for. Self-expression. Thank god we have the right to self-expression. I don’t know where we’d be without it, but I don’t want to think about that. But yeah, Adam Lambert is my pick to win Idol, I’m in his corner, he’s my fav. And I can’t believe articles are even coming out about ‘can he win if he’s gay?’ who gives a shit if he’s gay, straight, bisexual, or whatever-the-hell other kind of sexual orientation there is? He’s a damned fine artist, a true rock star in his own right, and that should be all that matters. I’m confident, though, that he’s got enough people in his corner that he can overcome whatever sort of ridiculous ‘stigma’ might come with suspicions about his sexual orientation. Give me a break, the guy is fantastic, he should be judged based on his talent, character and personality, and in all three of those facets, from what he’s shown on Idol, he is a winner and a true role model for children and anyone who desires to become an artist. That is my personal tribute to Adam Lambert.