Great Great Aunt Agatha Kensington
My family has a secretive past
Of memories haunting the best of ‘em
From the first of us to the very last
About Great Great Aunt Agatha Kensington
In celebration of my 53rd birthday this past Saturday, I have collected 53 words that have some meaning in my life.
Here they are in graphic form:
So… what words would you choose?
And why?
Happy Birthday to ME!
In many ways, being a celebrity can be like having a superpower. It makes them larger than life. It can be used for good or for evil. People will follow them for a whole host of reasons. And, on a personal level, it can be healthy for them, or cause them harm. Or both.
It also has many parallels to the Greek Gods. They were larger versions of humans, with all the emotions, flaws and drama. Just writ bigger on the heavens.
In the end, what strikes me most about celebrity is the difficulty it must bring in leading a normal life.
Though we associate celebrity with the performing arts, many professions have celebrities. Politics, law, medicine, science, restaurants, etc.
Perhaps it’s best for us and the celebrities if we can think of them more as just human beings. They have the same needs, wants and desires. Since I’m in Los Angeles, it’s pretty common to run into a celebrity when you’re out and about. I try to respect their privacy. They deserve to have a private life… just like a secret identity.
In the wake of all the recent celebrities who have passed on, I’d like to hear your thoughts. Feel free to comment below.
Yours,
Joe
We hear it all the time… It seems like a simple enough question, but in truth it may as well say “How do I build a house?”
The answer depends on many things, including:
Here’s three possible scenarios:
Scenario 1: Albert
Background: Professional name screen actor in movies and tv. Would like to get into animated features.
Advice: Ask your agent or manager to start focusing on VO. Take some classes in mic technique if needed.
Scenario 2: Betty
Background: Was in radio for years, now retired. Wants to get into narration.
Advice: Take some acting or improv classes, along with coaching for a more natural VO delivery. Get a VO demo made when ready, and find an agent to represent you.
Scenario 3: Charles
Background: No prior acting experience, but can do some voices. Loves anime and would like to be an ADR VO.
Advice: Start with the basics. Take acting, improv and singing. Learn to build fully-fleshed characters, not just voices. Then move on to VO classes and find a trusted coach. They can lead you from there.
Too often, we rush into answering the question “How Do I Get Into VO?” without considering who’s asking or what they mean. In order for the advice to be truly useful, it must be targeted to the person asking the question.
In many ways, this is related to a prior post that you may also wish to read:
Joe’s Dump – Advice on Advice
So, next time you hear this question, maybe take a step back and consider before answering. It could be much more valuable to the person who’s asking.
Cheers,
Joe
After years of paying way too much for cable tv, and watching only a fraction of the channels, we decided to cut the cord and go for streaming.
Here’s our main setup:
Hardware: Roku 3 box (connects to tv, streams content)
Paid Streaming:
* Sling TV (20 channels live, including CNN, AMC, History, Food Network, etc.)
* Netflix (movies and original series)
* Hulu (TV series, some movies)
* Amazon Prime (movies, rentals, plus free shipping, etc.)
* HBO Now (most HBO content on demand)
* CBS (most CBS content on demand)
* Google movies (rentals, purchases)
Free Streaming:
* Pluto TV
* Crackle
* PBS
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After a recent sushi dinner, my wife and I decided we wanted to grab a little dessert… something other than green tea or mochi ice cream.
We chose a new branch of an iconic LA eatery known for good pancakes, pies, etc.
It did not turn out as we had hoped.
But from the ashes of this nasty experience rose some truths about customer service and quality products.
The Dessert Debacle
poetry by Joe J Thomas
I wanna be a moose
And wander through the woods
I’d munch on marshy grasses
And do what mooses should
With my moose wife at my side
A couple kids in tow
We’d amble in the forest
Until the evening glow
The lure of lights would call us
To visit your backyard
To nibble at your gardens
Without the slightest regard
After a dip into the pool
Your kitchen is our aim
There’s leftovers in the fridge
And a dog that we can blame
In the morning you awake
To find us in your den
The families are asleep
All the mooses and the men
I see you standing on the stairs
And give a moosey “Hello!”
But you don’t speak our language
So out the door we go
Back to the woods with kids behind
Reluctantly we leave
But don’t despair; we will return
Some other summer’s eve
I recently decided to upgrade my home studio by adding acoustic panels to the walls.
(links to all sites and products are in the below text – feel free to click away!)
The idea of putting in a booth seemed to be a bit much for my space, and from the recommendation of another VO Pro, I took a look at the AudiMute line of products. They have a wide variety of panels, baffles and other sound-dampening materials. Different color options and even custom print pictures are also available for an additional fee.
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This gallery contains 14 photos.
Nasa Future Visions Nasa Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has released some fabulous retro travel images. Smaller versions are below, but you can download FREE ready-to-print poster sized ones here: Nasa JPL: Visions of the Future Science is cool! Enjoy, Joe
40+ miles. Every week.
That’s how much I walk and hike.
With that much mileage, you’re bound to build up some callouses. And I had some doosies. The bottoms of my feet were like leather.
Callouses have their purpose. They build up to protect your skin and the tissue beneath. But, in excess, they can cause other issues.
For a calloused attitude, the process is also simple: catch yourself when you’re angry or resistant to hearing others, then remove a little of those biases every day.
As for attitude, with fewer emotional callouses I’m more open to hearing others, and able to respond with less anger. I don’t have to agree, but I can disagree cordially.
How do you deal with your callouses?