This year on my birthday, I’d like to wish “Happy Birthday!” to anyone whose birthday I missed last year… or anyone whose birthday I’ll miss next year. That should about cover it.
I do try to wish all my online friends a happy birthday on their actual birthday. Sometimes I also have time to catch up on their lives.
Admittedly, there are a lot of acquaintances. But there are quite a few who I’ve never met in person that I can truly call friends. Pretty cool for a guy who grew up without the interwebs 😉
So, Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to you! And Happy Birthday to Everyone who’s not reading this (you know who you aren’t)
All content written and voiced by Joe J Thomas online at: JoeActor.com
Persistence:
We Aspire to it in Ourselves,
Admire it in Our Friends,
and Abhor it in Our Foes.
But when is it appropriate?
As the saying goes, nothing feels better than when you stop banging your head against the wall.
Sometimes, knowing when to quit can be just as important as knowing when to push on in spite of the odds.
Only you can make the decision on if you should persevere or throw in the towel. Take the advice of trusted loved ones, friends and mentors into account. If they’re all saying the same thing, maybe it’s time to listen.
If you’re stubborn like me, that can be the hardest part.
Besides, that wall will always be there. Maybe just a bit of a break to clear your head…
Adapt, Adopt and Improve,
Joe
All content written and voiced by Joe J Thomas online at: JoeActor.com
I’d won the contest, and the prize was 100 rubber chickens, plus my yodel in a toy.
Now, the first toy (Feb, 2007) was not the Yodeling Pickle, but instead was the “Remote Control Hopping Yodeling Lederhosen” (with a knockwurst remote, of course):
Then in April of 2007 came the now famous “Yodeling Pickle”:
In December of 2008, the Today Show with Cathy Lee and Hoda reviewed the pickle:
Kathy Lee Gifford sang with it and said “Nothin’ beats the Singin’ Pickle!”
Sales of the Yodeling Pickle were great, and soon they came out with other yodeling products (more on those below).
On December 26, 2010, the Grammy winning band “Gorillaz” album “The Fall” featured the yodel on track 15: “Seattle Yodel”:
And on June 17, 2015: Weird Al Yankovic tweeted this (along with a review on Amazon)
“You can have my electronic yodeling pickle WHEN YOU PRY IT FROM MY COLD, DEAD FINGERS.”
*** Warning: This is an official rant. If you were looking for something non-ranty, please click elsewhere… You have been warned! ***
Maybe it’s too much time on hold with customer service.
Maybe it’s too much time in traffic with incompetent drivers.
Maybe it’s unqualified people in public office.
Whatever it is, I really just want people to Do Your F-ing Job!
Seriously, how hard is it?
If you’re sitting in the front of a line of cars at a red light, your job is to go when the light turns green. If you’re anywhere else in the line, your job is to go when the car in front of you moves. Do Your F-ing Job!
If you’re working in government, your job is to represent the needs and wants of your constituents, and to keep the country as your top priority. Do Your F-ing Job!
If you’re a customer service person, your job is have a deep understanding of the subject your’re supposed to be helping with, and to answer promptly and courteously. Do Your F-ing Job!
If you’re an actor, your job is to know your character, script and to show up on time and be professional. Do Your F-ing Job!
Hair Play You may recall three years ago, I decided to shave my head. (if you’ve forgotten, here’s a picture) Last year, I decided to grow my hair out into a tail. So, let’s have some Hair Play and see … Continue reading →
Sillyam Fakespeare Yea, verily! Tis time for some newly minted sayings by the immortal bard’s third cousin, thrice removed… Odds bodkins! Milady most assuredly has a plethora of junk in thine trunk! Seldom is a man so forlorn than when … Continue reading →
I’ll be honest: before doing a bit of research, the only thing I knew about George Washington Carver was that he found lots of uses for peanuts.
Turns out he was an amazing man. Not only a brilliant, inquisitive, scientific mind, but a strong will and sense of purpose to match.
One of the unexpected treasures I discovered were from a thank you letter he’d written to his students. Usually presented as an excerpt of “8 Cardinal Virtues” as follows:
Be clean both inside and out.
Neither look up to the rich nor down on the poor.
Lose, if need be, without squealing.
Win without bragging.
Always be considerate of women, children, and older people.
Be too brave to lie.
Be too generous to cheat.
Take your share of the world and let others take theirs.
Good rules to live by, and it will serve me well to remember them.
If you’d like to discover more, the National Parks Service has an excellent PDF about George Washington Carver, including the full original text of the letter (on page 24) – available here: Discovering George Washington Carver — A Man of Character
April 2nd, 1975. I was 11 years old, and my Mom got us tickets to see Leonard Nimoy speak at a nearby community college. I was a fan of Star Trek, and of Mr. Nimoy’s work, so… Whoa! How cool is that!
After his talk, he took questions, and I stood in line.
When my turn came, I had a simple one: “Can I have your autograph?”
After a short chuckle he motioned for me to come over to the podium.
He signed, and I walked back to my seat.
With a pen. Oh, it was my Mom’s pen, but a bit of confusion happened and things moved on.
… but it did get written up in the article below: (click for full size)
Fast forward to 2013. Although I never did get to see Mr. Nimoy in person again, I did get the chance to work with him. It turns out we’re both in the “Star Trek Online” game. He is Mr. Spock, of course, and I am a Klingon named Ch’Gren.
Pretty cool…
Almost as good as when I took his pen 😉
LLAP,
Joe
All content written and voiced by Joe J Thomas online at: JoeActor.com
