Sunflower

It's the small things
the things you miss
that get you through.

the lick of the sun
on your cheek

the soda-fizz
that tickles your nose

the warm nuzzle
from a passing dog

a single flower
that sees you
and smiles
and says

I'm here too.

Graffiti 35

This stencil was on the sidewalk next to a playground by my house.

"The most interesting information comes from children, for they tell all they know and then stop." -Mark Twain

"Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal." -John F. Kennedy

"Children begin by loving their parents; after a time they judge them; rarely, if ever, do they forgive them." -Oscar Wilde

Arduous Journey

Another scene from the Ping Pong show. Craig's arduous journey to get his one-of-a-kind glove paddle.

Steve's Guide To Getting Cut

Recently some close friends teams were cut from iO. This doesn't pertain to anything other than iO so I apologize in advance for the inclusive nature of this post. Suffice it to say at iO every two months a new schedule comes out. At this time some teams are cut, the people on those teams are put on a new team created at that time, put on existing teams, or cut entirely. FireCup was cut last year around this time and I posted about the experience then. Some thoughts and advise for my friends, and people in general, who get cut.

1. Don't be bitter. It's a waste of energy. You may have been on a team you loved. You may think you're great and weren't placed. Channel that energy into being a better improviser. Take getting cut as inspiration to try things you've never done, stretch yourself, play with abandon. Don't place blame. It shouldn't effect how you see yourself or how you perform. If you want to be an actor you're going to have thousands of people tell you you're not good enough or not right for a specific project. If this is something you want to do get use to rejection.

2. New Team. If you get placed on a new team come at it with an open mind. Don't place judgement on it before you start it. You may feel raw from getting cut which is understandable. Don't bring that angst or that emotion into the new team. Come at it fresh and open, like you would to a scene, it'll pay much more dividends that way. Who knows it could be the next great team. At the very least it'll be a learning experience, as is most everything.

3. No Team. If you don't get put on a team that doesn't define you or your improv. If you love it no one can ever stop you from doing what you love other than yourself. Being on a team here or a team there doesn't define you. What defines you is what you love. If you nurture a love for this art form you should always do it, no one can stop you. Getting cut shouldn't make you 'give up.' Giving up might prove you were never meant to do it in the first place. I don't mean that to be harsh but some things are hobbies and some things are how you define yourself. I'd rather improvise with someone who loves it not someone whose hobby it is, like a fantasy football league.

4. Confidence. One of the most important traits of any actor or improviser is confidence. Live it, play with it, and let nothing shake it. I've known since I was in third grade I was a performer. Something small like getting cut doesn't change that. You're just as good and as talented as you were last month, as you will be next month. It's just a matter of what you're doing and where.

5. Don't Take It Personal. A lot of stuff goes on behind the scenes, some of it is politics, that's to be expected. Someone's attitude, judgement, or perception of you does not define you. You are great, you are interesting and important. Take a moment and do something you've wanted to do for a long time but didn't have the time to do. Go out, refuel your cruise, and come back.

With A Vengeance.

Tom And Dick

Another installment in the Ping Pong show. Craig and I pair off with the most irritating doubles partners the US has to offer.

Graffiti 34

Found this in the Pick Me Up bathroom. I went there to escape the totally off-putting heavy metal song that was playing. For whatever reason it calmed me down, made everything better.

"A compliment is something like a kiss through a veil." -Victor Hugo

"Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves." -Albert Einstein

"I would kiss you, had I the courage." -Edouard Manet

Oscar Season

I recently read this article on Moviefone and it really put me off.

2012 Oscar Nominations: Our Early Predictions.

Good movies come out all year long. The best movies of the year aren't calculatedly released in October and November. Studio's release the movies they think are the most likely to win awards during this time. They are not necessarily the best movies of the year. Defining a movie by when it comes out during the course of a year is stupid. A movie doesn't have to be serious, take on an issue, or be a biopic of someone famous in order to be great. It's a formula and the studio's exploit formula because they know it works. Studios and sadly the Oscar's aren't interested in what movie is the best, what movie is the most artistic or enjoyable. They're interested in advertising a different type of movie in a different way in order to get you to buy tickets.

I urge you to boycott at least one of these movies this fall. A movie with a big star playing a historical figure or addressing a 'big' issue. Don't give them your money, instead go see the Hugh Jackman movie where he boxes with robots.

My take on this year in movies so far.

Top 5 Movies Of The Year
Another Earth
Cedar Rapids
Conan O'Brien Can't Stop
The Guard
Page One- Inside The New York Times

Top 5 Disappointments
30 Minutes Or Less
Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels Of A Tribe Called Quest
Midnight In Paris
Priest
The Tree Of Life

Top 5 Honorable Mentions
Drive Angry 3D
Hesher
Hobo With A Shotgun
Source Code
Terri

Worst Movie Of The Year
Suckerpunch