Today I cut an overly dramatic piece for someone’s bar mitzvah about his life leading up to his “coming of age”.  It had dramatic, cinematic music with a very well written script (and a good voice actor I might add).  I love when parents (or family in general) get creative for one another.  Surprise birthdays are great, but when people go the extra mile, it makes it that much more memorable.  In this case, it was a bar mitzvah.  I just think it’s cool.

Last night I was up way too late working on an audition I really wanted to land.  I think I did four or five revisions because I just wasn’t happy with how it was coming out.  Enter Victor Ireland.  Victor pushes more than anyone else I know when it comes to getting good reads out of me.  It’s nice to have a person in your life that tells you when you’re terrible, but gives you tools and suggestions on how to make it legitimately better, even if said suggestions aren’t necessarily welcome at 11:30 at night.

Long story short, last year I go to E3 with Victor and I love looking at all the new games scheduled to be released in the coming year before any of my hardcore gamer friends get a peek.  As you walk through the halls at E3 in the LA Convention Center, it’s a serious case of stimulus overload.  As you’re walking past booths, sometimes there’s a video game trailer playing with some awesome VO work (like Ben Kingsley’s read for some game I’ve since forgetten; but I remember the read was outstanding) that gives me goosebumps it’s so good.  So you can understand my excitement as I audition for video game trailers this month in the hopes of snagging more than one so I can hear myself blasted throughout Kentia Hall at E3 2010 in June.  I imagine it’s a little bit like the first time a rock star hears his song on the radio.  It’s magical and I can’t wait until June.

I’m sure that somewhere — perhaps online — a person could bet on who John McCain’s presidential running mate is going to be. Just out of pure hedonism, I think I’d bet, but I’m not 100% sure who I’d bet on. I’m a logical thinker that likes to play the logic game when it comes to predicting who is going to be picked to be McCain’s running mate. It’s widely regarded that in no election in at least thelast 100 years has been swayed by a VP pick. While this may or may not be true, I’ve yet to hear any reporter on any network address the changes that have occurred over the past 10-15 years.

I’m 28; on the young sidein the spectrum of registered voters. Many people my age refuse to dive head first into the soap opera that is American politics and I can’t say that I blame them. I mean, it’s politics. Who has time to figure out who’s lying and who’s not? The Lakers are playing the Celtics. Brittney Spears shaved her head. Lindsey Lohan is dating another chick. Micheal Phelps is going for 8 gold medals. Football season is starting. Somehow, these things matter more than universal health care. They matter more than the privatization of social security. They matter more than the war in Iraq. And so long as my generation is behind a computer screen and not behind the wheel of a car, they matter more than the price of gas. Out of sight, out of mind — and that “out-of-sight-out-of-mind” thing all depends on whatshow we’re watching. DNC coverage or Gossip Girl? Life’s choices are so hard. Read More…

The Redding Cage Wars were again a blast. I enjoyed every minute of it. But I honestly have to hand it to Bobby Merril. If you ever get a chance to see him up close, take a look at the tattoo on his elbow; it says “working class”. He truly epitomizes a man and is the definition of tough.

To fight in the weight class above you and lose can be demoralizing. He went 15 minutes and held his own, escaped multiple times, and landed some heavy blows to an opponent that out weighed him and was a good six inches taller than him. I’ve respected Bobby since I first saw him fight (a fight he won) but I respect him even more now after watching him gracefully lose. He’s “working class” but he is still a champion, a gentleman, a superb athlete, and a good sport. He has what it takes to fight with the big boys. To rise to the top of the ranks of the UFC, one needs all these qualities and a little luck to be in the right place at the right time. With any luck, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Bobby on TV someday soon.