As the 31 Day July Challenge Continues..... #NaBloPoMo #HeckYeah

The heat is still making it very uncomfortable in the city, especially since humidity is high as well. This is not a fun experience and makes for a very hot and miserable summer where one does not want to do anything more than sip on some ice cold water and lay in the shade.

Earlier today, I started to watch David Lynch’s “Island Empire” but I just could not get into this strange movie, so I turned it off in favor of watching “The Local” on DVD instead. The nearly 3-hour running time of “Island Empire” didn’t help either but “The Local” was a refreshing change of scenery.

As July is coming to a close, I’m going to be completing more questions from Heck Yeah’s 31 Day July Challenge. Here is where it continues.
13. Do you have any summer traditions? If so, what are they?
No, I do not have any summer traditions unless wearing more jeans than shorts and skirts counts.

14. Do you have any summer goals? If so, how are they coming along?
Yes, the summer goals I have are to upgrade my blog and to at least raise production funds for a feature film that I’ll have to wait to make next year while also being able to learn more about Leonardo DiCaprio’s Save Tigers Now campaign. Oh, and one of my new summer goals is to find a livable space that has air conditioning, since I’ve been without air conditioning for more than several months now and it’s weighing on my ability to work, sleep and complete everyday tasks around the home.

Most of my summer goals this year seem to be coming along okay except for the air conditioning and lodging issue. I am currently lacking peace and comfort and hope to find it before the end of the summer.

15. If you could do one thing everyday of summer, what would it be?
Show my movies to a new audience in different places around the country, in a theatrical or microcinema type of setting.

16. How often do you pull all nighters? What do you do during these sleepless nights?
Very often because I have too much to work on and nit enough time to do it all and also because I have trouble sleeping. During these sleepless nights, I wish that I could be sleeping....duh!

17. Do you have a summer reading list? How far along are you on it?
No, I do not have a summer reading list. I planned to focus on moviemaking this year and art and I rarely have a reading list because I just read as I go along. The last book I read was probably Crush It or He’s Just Not That into You and these books were read during the Spring, so I guess they don’t count. I don’t remember.

18. Summer time is a popular time for movies to come out. Have you seen any of them at midnight?
No, I haven’t seen any movies at midnight this summer, although I wish that I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 at midnight when it was released last week.

19. Have you gone to any concerts or shows this summer?
No, I have not gone to any concerts or shows this summer.

20. Who do you spend all of your time with?
I spend all of my time with computers, my iPod and my cell phone. Oh, they aren’t a “who” but that is all I have at the moment.

21. How much time do you spend with your family?
This summer, I spend too much damn time with my family. I wish I could spend more time with my friends.

22. Have you met anybody famous?
No, I have not met anybody famous this summer aside from maybe the director, cast and crews involved with “The Casserole Club,” although I am not sure if they would call themselves famous. Some may and some may not....I guess it all depends on who you ask. If this question is referring to somebody like Justin Bieber or Lady Gaga or whoever, then no, I have not met anybody famous. So, my answer is yes and no depending on each and every person’s interpretation of the term “famous” on their own :)

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The Limitless Bradley Cooper Syndrome #NaBloPoMo

You know that movie “Limitless” starring Bradley Cooper and Robert DeNiro where this guy named Eddie Morra (played by Cooper) is able to write books, clean apartments, eat, dress and do pretty much anything faster than ever all because of a little pill? Well, this ain’t no Bradley Cooper movie and there is a reason why it takes special medication to perform a multitude of tasks in a flash that such a character would not be able to do otherwise.

The reason is because we are not supposed to be doing one dozen tasks at once in the first place. Olympians don’t win medals that way, Athletes don’t win championship rings that way and people don’t Crush It that way. So, how in the world does someone like me who used to take my time drawing pictures that would not be complete for days as a kid and developing screenplays for months as an adult suddenly have the shortest attention span ever?

On any given day, at any given time, I’m usually working on a computer with somewhere between two and five tabs at the minimum open in an Internet browser. At the same time that I bounce back and forth between blogging, reading news stories and checking on jobs, I’m listening to music on my iPod, checking for text messages on my cell phone and probably trying to finish watching the latest DVD movie rental on my television screen.

Still, the mere possibility of realizing I’ve become one of the millions of multi-tasking people with short attention spans that are getting even shorter as a result of new technology and the Internet didn’t dawn on me until I read one of the latest blog posts over at Terrible Analogies that referenced a Vitalic video featuring man's best friend.

It was a hot and humid Tuesday night in the city on July 19th when I clicked on a link that took me on over to YouTube so I could watch this doggie video. As the first few scenes started to play, this 3:05 video barely made it past the one-minute mark before I found myself opening a new browser to complete another task as the video continues. There is something wrong with this picture. In a day and age where we have many resources and tools that offer great convenience, giving us time to do more, why is it that I still can’t seem to even make it to the end of a short online video with a running time of three minutes and five seconds?

Tiffany Shlain was right......we are all connected! However, there can often be too much of a connection with technology that becomes so normal that we tend to miss out on a lot without missing out on a lot, if that makes any sense to those reading this post. It is important to unplug once and a while because real , personal interactions and moments of peace and quiet are just as crucial to healthy living as being connected to a virtual world.

If we don’t slow down, we’ll have hell to pay sooner than later. I’m going to try and use these conveniences for good and in moderation like Eddie Morra because it would suck to end up like his friend, um....what’s his name? The guy who plays Detective Jake on CSI: Miami....you all know who I’m talking about. If you don’t know, please watch the movie or at least check out some old episodes of “CSI: Miami,” around the time when Horatio was dating Eric’s sister......then you’ll know who I’m talking about.

Until next time.....

Consider the importance of focusing on what you are doing at the moment and giving that activity 100% (or at least 80% if you’re eating or having a telephone conversation) of your attention before moving on to a new task.

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Wordless Wednesdays #2: The Casserole Club Premiere at VISIONFEST 11 (VF11) #NaBloPoMo #FilmFestivals

(l-r) Jennifer Grace and Susan Traylor


The "Casserole Club" Q and A is in Session

Steve Balderson and "Camp Casserole" director, Anthony Pedone

Jennifer Grace and Garrett Swann

Steve Balderson and I

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