Stapler in the High Castle?

Posted on December 26, 2016 by Joe's Dump

Stephen Root: Character Actor

While watching season 2 of “The Man in the High Castle” on Amazon, we finally got to see the man himself. Abendson is his name, but I immediately recognized him as the same actor who played Milton in “Office Space”… Whoa! Mind blown!

So, I looked him up on IMDB. This guy has an admirable career. He’s voiced Bill and Buck on “King of the Hill”, was Chode in “Tripping the Rift”, and Killer Croc and Penguin on “Batman: The Brave and the Bold”. And that’s just his VO work.

He was also in “O Brother, Where Art Thou” as the Radio Station Man. Plus many many more roles…

Amazing work, and worth a look. If you don’t know Stephen Root, take a look at his IMDB page here:
IMDB: Stephen Root

All content written and voiced by Joe J Thomas online at: JoeActor.com

Pebble and Palm

Posted on December 19, 2016 by Joe's Dump

Pebble and Palm

What happens when companies disappear?

On Dec 7, Pebble (trailblazer in smartwatches) made the announcement that they were closing shop and had been bought out by Fitbit (maker of fitness bands).

It seems they were leaving their loyal KickStarter supporters and customers out in the cold. No more Pebble watches would be sold, and all support and warranties were null and void.

Quite a slap in the face.

Don’t get me wrong – I own a Pebble Time and a Fitbit Charge. Wearing one on each wrist has always been kind of a pain. I was secretly hoping that the technologies would merge, but really didn’t expect it to happen like this. At this point it’s completely up in the air as to what Fitbit will do with the intellectual property they’ve purchased.

Although I hope for the best, it’s also good to learn from experience.

Palm was another company that I had been a loyal customer to since nearly their start. I owned their innovative PDA products, and even bought the phones when they seemed to be evolving. The last phone they made was truly an elegant thing of beauty. Small, stylish, functional.

Then Palm was bought out by HP. HP proceeded to fumble the ball for a few months before scrapping everything that was Palm. Hardware, Software – Everything. Another disappointing end to a very promising start-up.

I’m not really sure what the lesson is here, if any. But it is interesting to note that innovation by itself is not always rewarded with success. For that matter, hard work isn’t any guarantee either.

Perhaps the key is in The Round Table Club‘s motto: “Adapt, Adopt, Improve”

All content written and voiced by Joe J Thomas online at: JoeActor.com

New Greek Gods

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Joe's Dump

New Greek Gods

The ancient Greeks were pretty with it for their time. They had a god for everything! And their gods were relatable, with human flaws.

But, over time, they’ve fallen out of the lime light.

SO! It’s time to update the old pantheon of Greek gods. Make them more relevant to today’s mortal world. Here are my suggestions for some New Greek Gods!

Guyseidon: God of pickup lines

“If I said thee hadst a good body, wouldst thou hold it against me?”

Argumenon: God of bickering

“What’s THAT supposed to mean? (… and so it begins)”

Borborygmus: God of flatulence

“Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!! Somebody crack a window… Oops, I already did!”

Sporticus: God of exercise

“C’mon! Those glutes ain’t gonna squat themselves! Twenty more!”

Noteus: God of to-do lists

“Hmmm… Where’s that post-it with the list of other lists of things I have to do?!?!?”

Googlio: God of internet searches

“Done! Finally finished that wiki for Etruscan Shrews.”

Whackus: God of porn (son of Googlio)

“Uh, dad? Can you give me the keys to the internet?”

Sneuss: God of naps and children’s stories

“Are you sleepy in your head? Are you napping in a bed? If you’re snoozing on the floor, be sure to close that kitchen door!”

Haties: God of social media outrage (brother of Argumenon)

“WHAT!?!?!? YOU CAN’T HAVE AN OPINION ON MY POST!?!?! HOW DARE YOU!!! [block] [unfriend] [unfollow]”

Fibrosia: God of colon health

“I’m all set. Just gotta eat a bushel of oats, three times a day.”

AppYolo: God of Phone Entertainment and Whatever

“So, while you’re playing Apptastic’s Bird Smasher 2, just use two fingers and make an upside-down V gesture, and your tablet will order your favorite pizza.”

Parentheus: God of helicopter parents and unnecessary worrying

“Ok, little Tinder. We’re at your school. Make sure the Door Guard has your hand before you unbuckle your safety belt. I’ll be right outside in the car in case you feel insecure about anything. Have fun at college, dear!”

Medius: God of cable news and conspiracy theories

“Polls show that most people think polls are unreliable.”

All content written and voiced by Joe J Thomas online at: JoeActor.com

Leaf Blower Man

Posted on December 5, 2016 by Joe's Dump

“Leaf Blower Man”

Written and Sung by Joe J Thomas

(a parody of The Beatles “Nowhere Man”)

Leaf Blowers: The bane of every home audio studio and napping youngster (or oldster!).

Here’s How I turn frustration into creation… Time for a Parody Song!

~~~ Lyrics Below: ~~~ Continue reading →

Singing Impressions

Posted on November 28, 2016 by Joe's Dump

Singing Impressions

A new demo from Joe J Thomas

13 Voices in 60 Seconds: Singing Impressions by Joe J Thomas

… and the LP Audio Version for those that want to hear more:

Joe_J_Thomas-Singing_Impressions(long)

More information at: JoeActor.com
Singer: Joe J Thomas
Audio Producer: Mike Finkel
Voice Coach: Charles Ion

How This Demo Came To Be…

As a bit of background, I’ve been singing for several decades. Musical theatre, choir, stage performances with bands… Even traveled with an Elvis impersonator. All of it laid a great foundation. However, it had been a while since my last public performance. Most of my singing now is in the car or for the occasional animation audition.

So, I’d decided to brush up on my singing early in the year, and sought out a new vocal coach. Turns out there is a great guy who teaches at a local college and also gives private lessons.

After getting some of the cobwebs off and learning some new techniques, it was time to put my training to work.

In early August, 2016, I started working with my voice coach and an audio producer on the tracks for the finished demo. The idea had been rattling around in my head for quite some time, and I was already adept at several singing impressions. My voice coach was crucial in getting me to find the right placement for each singer and song.

I recorded a full or partial take of each song (vocal only), and sent the voice track and backing track to the audio producer. We’d also worked together in the past, so he was familiar with my voice and able to give precise feedback on what needed to be tweaked.

Once the base tracks were in a rough edit phase, I enlisted the ears of my wife, and several of my good friends. Each of their feedback went into my decision on which tracks made the final cut.

The last step was for my audio producer to assemble the tracks into a balanced, finished demo.

As a side benefit, I also picked up a lot of new knowledge and techniques.

Now… On to the next challenge!

See you in the booth,
Joe

All content written and voiced by Joe J Thomas online at: JoeActor.com

TakesCaring

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Joe's Dump

TakesCaring

Hey there… This is The Universe calling.

But you can just call me “U”.

Just wanted to talk a bit about Thanksgiving. I understand some of you folks celebrate it this time of year.

That’s cool. Being thankful is a good thing. Makes you stop and appreciate what you’ve got.

I’d like to suggest a new holiday, though…

I call it “TakesCaring“.

Instead of just giving thanks, it’s a bit more proactive. Focuses on action rather than introspection.

First off, “Take care of yourself” (great phrase, btw).
Gotta make sure you’re in tip-top shape, mental, physical, and emotional – so that you’ve got the energy to do more. Be more. See more.

Next, “Take care of your neighbor“.
And I don’t just mean the guy next door! You know, your neighbor in the wider sense. Each other. Family and friends, sure, but strangers too. It’s like a party and everyone’s invited!

Last, “Take care of your world“.
I’ll look out for all the other planets for now, but could I get you to pitch in a bit more on Planet Earth? It’s your home, after all. You wouldn’t trash your house, would you? Take a little time to give back to Mother Earth. I promise, she’ll take care of you and your friends much better if she knows you’re on her side.

Anywho, that’s what TakesCaring is all about.

Hope it becomes a thing.

Gotta run – lots more planets and people to hit up with this idea (billions and billions, as the saying goes)

Take care, now, y’hear!

Sincerely,
“U”

All content written and voiced by Joe J Thomas online at: JoeActor.com

Joe Beatnik

Posted on November 14, 2016 by Joe's Dump

“The Purple Flower”

A Spoken-Word Poem

by Joe Beatnik

The Purple Flower by Joe Beatnik

~~~ The Purple Flower (spoken word poem by Joe Beatnik) ~~~
Continue reading →

Halloween Poetry: Unspoken Horror

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Joe's Dump

Unspoken Horror

(a Halloween poem by Joe J Thomas)

Unspoken Horror: poem by Joe J Thomas

All content written and voiced by Joe J Thomas online at: JoeActor.com

Mimicry To Money

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Joe's Dump

Mimicry To Money

Here’s follow-up to my post “Comedy to Cash“, where I did a mock NPR show and was later cast in “This American Life” on NPR…

This time the job came from my learning to do a Vincent Price Impression for Halloween.

The impression came in handy when I got an audition for Luna Park in Sydney. Here’s the finished spot:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxuBh5J4UpE

… and here’s my impression of Vincent Price from “Thriller”

JoeActor_VincentPrice_Impression_Thriller

Happy Halloween!
Joe

Political Pause

Posted on August 15, 2016 by Joe's Dump

Political Pause

I need a break. It’s only until after the US Presidential election is over, but I really want to take time to focus on what’s important in my life.

So… You’re never supposed to discuss politics or religion in polite company.

But it seems like polite company is getting more difficult to find.

I’ll let you in on some of my views in the rest of this post, then I’m signing out of Joe’s Dump.
The lights will come back on in November (although I may post something if the mood strikes me).
Continue reading →

Stephen Root: Character Actor

All content written and voiced by Joe J Thomas online at: JoeActor.com

Like this:

Pebble and Palm

All content written and voiced by Joe J Thomas online at: JoeActor.com

Like this:

New Greek Gods

All content written and voiced by Joe J Thomas online at: JoeActor.com

Like this:

“Leaf Blower Man”

Written and Sung by Joe J Thomas

Like this:

Singing Impressions

All content written and voiced by Joe J Thomas online at: JoeActor.com

Like this:

TakesCaring

All content written and voiced by Joe J Thomas online at: JoeActor.com

Like this:

“The Purple Flower”

A Spoken-Word Poem

Like this:

Unspoken Horror

All content written and voiced by Joe J Thomas online at: JoeActor.com

Like this:

Mimicry To Money

Like this:

Political Pause

Like this: