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Working on Something New

If you’ve followed this blog for any length of time you know I tend to do a lot of different things and have done a lot of different things over the years. Film, TV, writing, photography, consulting and working with a non-profit are just some of the ways I like to spend my time and make a living.

Lately, I’ve been thinking of starting a new venture. It occurred to me that as I’ve worked for various organizations and written about and interviewed various people in the worlds of entertainment, technology and comics, I’ve met a lot of great people who do amazing and interesting things.

I also have come to realize that working for other people isn’t always the best way to go about it. Certainly, I’ve worked with and for some great people over the years but if I’ve learned one thing working in “the business” its that ownership, in the end, is where its at.

If you create something and own it you stand a much better chance of realizing the full benefit from it both creatively and financially. If you’re just a hired hand you’ll never care about it as much as you will if it’s your “baby.”

I’m a professional and I work very hard to do the best job possible — but at the end of the day its just a job. I don’t have the personal stake in the work so consequently I’m not going to care as much as someone who conceived the idea in the first place.

So, that brings me to the latest project I’ve been working on. A project that I created and will have an ownership stake in. Its called The Flickcast and it covers the things I know and love: movies, TV, comic books, tech and all-things geek. It’s a weekly podcast featuring myself and my co-hosts Matt Raub and Christina Warren.

We will also feature guests and other people dropping by periodically to talk about various projects, movies, tv shows or other geek things that they feel passionate about. I’m really looking forward to doing this and it looks to be a lot of fun. Plus, you’ll get to hear my terrific voice on a weekly basis which I know many of you have been clamoring for.

Be sure to check out The Flickcast website and follow us on Twitter for the latest updates. We’ll also have a Facebook page soon as well so you can friend us there too. Also, feel free to throw out comments, suggestions, questions or words of encouragement as we fine tune the show over the weeks.

Greatness often takes time so we hope you’ll give us a listen and follow along as we strive to achieve it.

Video Friday (Saturday Edition) – The Carwash

Yes, I got a new camera (the Flip Mino HD) and yes I was looking for things to shoot with it. So, here’s a little ditty about Jack’s carwash.

Wow, that was a mesh of John Cougar Mellencamp and Chuck Palahniuk. Check me out. I am awesome. Oh, and enjoy the video.

The New Ride

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Just a quick photo of the new car I got on Saturday. Yes, its a BMW. A 535i with inline six cylinder, twin turbo, 300 hp goodness. It’s also got what BWM calls the Premium Package, Sport Package, Navigation and, most importantly, iPod support so you can control the iPod with the car’s built-in iDrive system and listen through the stereo.

That’s a very cool feature allowing you to see all your playlists, songs, etc. on the car’s screen and play what you want. All while leaving the iPod safely tucked away in the center console. Why did I get it? Well, I’ve been good lately so really, why not?

This photo is just a snap from the iPhone but I’ll post some better ones later, once I feel a bit better. Having a cold and nursing a shoulder injury can take a lot out of you. But looking at, and more to the point, driving a car like this, can go a long way to making you feel better. In a word, its just plain fun.

As always, we remember

I’m very lucky to live in a country where I’ve had the opportunity to pursue pretty much whatever dream I saw fit. To those who can no longer follow their dreams, we will not forget you.

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Surfing In Malibu

No, it wasn’t me surfing. It was professionals who know what they’re doing. Although, I did surf a bit when I was younger, but never really got very good at it. Also, I’ve tried it again a couple times recently and I’m still not very good at it. So again, I’ll leave it to the pros.

Fortunately, all I had to do at this event over the weekend was try to take some decent pictures. No surfing on my part required. Here’s a few taken during the MSA Classic event in Malibu this past weekend. It’s the 45th annual contest and one of the beneficiaries of the event was Heal the Bay. All in all, a great way to spend a Saturday.

More at my flickr page.

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Photo a Day – Day 30

Just under the wire, here we are. This is the final photo in my “Photo a Day” thirty days of photos experiment. Some were good, some were just okay and some, well, let’s just say some were not so good.

Still, it was fun to see if I could do it at all and I’m pretty impressed with me for being able to stick with it for the duration. I also think I learned one or two new things about photography, which is great as there’s always something to learn.

In fact, I think I enjoyed this experiment so much, I’m going to continue with it and keep taking more pictures. Who knows, maybe I’ll end up with 365 days of photos instead of just thirty. Okay, that brings us to the final photo of this series.

Instead of using a picture that I took recently, I’ve decided to put up one of my favorite photos I took of my father. In case you don’t know, he died last October. Consequently, the photos I took of him, especially ones like this taken at one of our favorite bars, are a reminder of the good times we had when livin’ was easy.

Cheers Dad.

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Also at my flickr page.

Photo a Day – Day 29

Getting even closer now to the end. This is the second to last photo of the “Photo a Day” event. Exciting, yes? I know I’m feeling it.

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Photo a Day – Day 27

Getting close to the end here. Very exciting times indeed. Only three more days to go. Although, I am enjoying it quite a bit, so maybe I’ll extend it a few extra days for fun. Who knows? Until then, here you go.

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Also at the flickr page.

Photo a Day – Day 26

I’m a man of few words today except to say “Happy Labor Day.”

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Photo a Day – Day 25

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday. A good day and a good day to post a new photo. This time around it’s a macro shot I thought I would try and see what happens. Twenty-five down, five to go.

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