Bronchitis Top Ten! (staying positive)

Share

Bronchitis Top Ten! (staying positive)

Hey! I’m on vacation! Perfect time for a bout of bronchitis!

In the spirit of staying positive, here’s my top ten good things about it:

  1. Makes vacation seem *way* longer.
  2. Finally catching up on 23 hrs of sleep per day.
  3. Learning new medical terms in Spanish.
  4. Finding out “”Bronchitis” wasn’t one of the Jurassic Park characters.
  5. Absolutely sure I’m not yellow/green color-blind. (ewwww…)
  6. Meeting new professionals – Doctors!
  7. Testing out the foreign health care system (it’s pretty good!)
  8. Got the whole “Coughing from my shoes” sound down for VO.
  9. Remembering that others have it worse (Truth!)
  10. Bonding with my wife… ‘cuz she got it too. (sorry, dear)

Bonus! Coughing is really good for the abs and core 😉

 

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

 

Share

Would You Kill Baby Hitler?

Share

Would You Kill Baby Hitler?

a poem by Joe J Thomas

Hitler Animals - Joe's Dump

Would you kill baby Hitler?
If you could go back in time.
Knowing what he might become.
Or would you give him love.
Care for him.
Educate him.
Raise him with a broadened perspective.
It may sound silly.
But these are the choices we face every day.
And what would happen if Hitler were a different person?
The people who wanted him.
Those who used him for their causes.
The ones who rode the wave of power.
And wanted to be superior to others.
Wouldn’t they all still be there?
And would the outcome really change?
There’s only one way to know.

 

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

 

Share

Secret Plot Secrets!

Share

Secret Plot Secrets!

Secret

Every movie.
Every TV show.
Every book, play, musical and miniseries.

They’re all exactly the same.

In every story, there’s a secret.

Someone
or something
or some group
knows it,
but for some reason
isn’t letting anyone else know.

Maybe it’s money, or love, or a super power, or weapon, or a miracle cure, or a dark past, or a buried body, or even knowledge of whatever.

Then there’s a bunch of story in the middle.

Eventually, the secret is revealed.

The end.

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

Share

Persistence

Share

Persistence by Joe's Dump

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

 

Share

The Path of the (Yodeling) Pickle

Share

The Path of the (Yodeling) Pickle

*** Updated June 4, 2018: The Pickle on The McPhee Podcast! ***

*** UPDATED 4/30/2018 STEPHEN FRY TWEET! (at the bottom) ***

Yodelling Pickle by Archie McPhee

      Joe's Yodel (Joe J Thomas)

How did learning to yodel lead to Weird Al, George Takei, The Today Show and Gorillaz?

It all began in 2006, with a contest by the Seattle novelty company Archie McPhee.

They were searching for a yodel.

I was a singer, but had never yodeled. So I consulted the internet and found YodelCourse.org

After some free lessons, I submitted my contest entry and forgot about it.

… until 100 rubber chickens showed up on my doorstep!
Archie McPhee - Deluxe Rubber Chicken

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):
Remote Control, Hopping, Yodeling Lederhosen

Then in April of 2007 came the now famous “Yodeling Pickle”:
Yodelling Pickle by Archie McPhee

In December of 2008, the Today Show with Cathy Lee and Hoda reviewed the pickle:
Yodeling Pickle - Kathy Lee Gifford
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”:
Gorillaz - The Fall - Front Cover

You can download the whole album for free at: Gorillaz – The Fall (at Archive.Org)

      Gorillaz - Seattle Yodel

 
On August 5, 2011, Archie McPhee released their own video of the track:

On March 26, 2013: Archie McPhee announced “International Yodeling Pickle Day“!!!

On May 22, 2013: George Takei posted his comedic review of the Yodeling Pickle on Amazon:

Yodeling Pickle - George Takei + Weird Al Reviews

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.”
Yodeling Pickle - Weird Al Yankovic

On June 2, 2017: Gizmodo posted an article on Gorillaz and the Seattle Yodel Track:

On July 16, 2017, George Takei included the Yodeling Pickle in a video review from Knowable:

And on April 30, 2018: Stephen Fry tweeted:
 
“I don’t know what a Yodelling Pickle is, all I know is that I want one. And in an instant absolute and foot-stamping Veruca Salt kind of way”
Yodeling Pickle - Stephen Fry Tweet 20180430

New! June 4, 2018: The Pickle on The McPhee Podcast!
Archie McPhee – PODCAST EP 6: THE YODELLING PICKLE AND THE GORILLA(Z)

Other Yodeling products from Archie McPhee:

Gerkin for a living,
Joe “Yodelling Pickle” Thomas

 

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

 

Share

Things I’ve Never Seen

Share

Things I’ve Never Seen

With all the hubbub about Game of Thrones, I thought I’d come clean: There’s a lot of things I’ve never seen.

Sure, I meant to see a lot of them, just never got around to it.

Here’s my list:

  • Game of Thrones
  • Any full episode of Seinfeld
  • The last episode of Mash
  • Any full movie from The Godfather series
  • Breaking Bad
  • The last season of True Blood
  • All of Doctor Zhivago
  • Most of the Harry Potter movies
  • The Hobbit movies (except for the bad animation one)
  • Raging Bull
  • Fight Club
  • All of Metropolis

Now it’s your turn! What haven’t you seen?

 

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

 

Share

Do Your F-ing Job!

Share

Do Your F-ing Job!

*** 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!

Writers… Write! Plumbers… Plumb! Painters… Paint! Creatives… Create!

I’m convinced the world would be a much better place and we’d all be happier if only You and I would…

Do Your F-ing Job!

(steps off soapbox. decompresses from rant.)

 

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

 

Share

Stapler in the High Castle?

Share

Stephen Root: Character Actor

Stephen Root - Milton + Abendsen

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

 

Share