Christmas Ideas: Support local services

I received this email and thought it was a wonderful idea for all of us.... Enjoy....


Christmas 2011 -- Birth of a New Tradition

As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into
high gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced
goods -- Merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American
labor. This year will be different. This year Americans will give the
gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an
excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced
by American hands. Yes there is!

It's time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to
fit in a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper?
Everyone -- yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift
certificates from your local American hair salon or barber?

Gym membership? It's appropriate for all ages who are thinking about
some health improvement.

Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American
owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift
certificate or a book of gift certificates.

Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plonking
down the Benjamines on a Chinese made flat-screen? Perhaps that
grateful gift receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed
for the summer, or driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local
golf course.

There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants -- all offering gift
certificates. And, if your intended isn't the fancy eatery sort, what
about  a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint. Remember, folks
this isn't about big National chains -- this is about supporting your
home town Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep
their doors open.

How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or
motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?

Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of
a local cleaning lady for a day.

My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy
who is struggling to get his repair business up and running.

OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people
spin their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and
pottery and beautiful wooden boxes.

Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and
leave your server a nice tip. And, how about going out to see a play or
ballet at your hometown theatre.

Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.

Honestly, people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand
Chinese lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of
light, about fifty cents stays in the community. If you have those
kinds of bucks to burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a
nice BIG tip.

You see, Christmas is no longer about draining American pockets so that
China can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring
about US, encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging away
to follow their dreams. And, when we care about other Americans, we
care about our communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we
couldn't imagine. THIS is the new American Christmas tradition.
Forward this to everyone on your mailing list -- post it to discussion
groups -- throw up a post on Craigslist in the Rants and Raves section
in your city -- send it to the editor of your local paper and radio
stations, and TV news departments. This is a revolution of caring about
each other, and isn't that what Christmas is about?


Pass this on.....


Your Life - Your Movie
Namaste Speedo

What another month....?

I really don't have much to report in the way of inspiration... Wait..I am inspired!

Summer has left and winter is in the near future... Wenatchee and the Columbia River Valley is a wonderful, colorful place to live and work. I am one lucky man...

I been working daily on the novel adaptation. What a wonderful journey it is to put another author's story into script. I am learning a lot about storyline, character arch, B story... well everything. I know this will improve my storytelling for future screenplays. Oh... the screenplay is maturing daily. I'm beating out the scene process. No dialogue.

Until then.... Smiles to all you scribes....

Your Life - Your Movie

Namate Speedo

What a Month!!

I can't believe September is behind me... Lots of productivity, creativity, fun...

I am will immersed into the treatment of my adaptation project... It's starting to jell. The work is becoming fun. Full of enjoyment and surprises.

I can always tell when the project turns to fun - I have found the voice of the piece. It's taken me a long time to arrive at this point in my creative career. It was a joy all along my journey.

I feel I'm the luckiest man in the world right now. I know it is only going get better and better.

My bliss have become my career... I am and always have been blessed...

I don't have anything else going on at this time to expound upon... so .......

Your Life - Your Movie

Namaste Speedo

Chase Your Dream - Never Give Up

I have been writing screenplays for 25 years. Most of the time I kept them to myself. I didn't feel they were ready for primetime.

My first intro into the working of Hollywood came in 88 when after playing around with writing industrial videos. I had put an ad in the Desert Sun looking for scripts.

I received a few, none good enough, but I met a screenwriter to be who became my writing partner for a few of years. Together we were introduced to a producer who had a 'deal' with Paramount. He had an office on the lot. We wrote a couple of scripts that were that good - not that good, but I got a taste of what the industry was all about. It's not for the weak of heart.

The partnership broke up.

Still I would pump one out every few years.

About 15 years later I met another writer/producer of short films and over three years we wrote a couple and scripts and even got one optioned.

All the time I continued to read scripts and books about screenwriting. I would drop it for a few months, but always developed story ideas.

The thing is I kept immersed in the learning. I met a wonderful mentor, Blake Snyder, and was fortunate enough to take a couple of his seminars on the craft of storytelling/screenwriting.

I kept writing, developing and in contact with my last writing partner. I would read his scripts and give coverage notes.

A couple of months ago I contacted him and asked if his project was moving forward. He said that he was in another rewrite. He sent me his script to read and I mentioned it was a vast improvement. Writing scripts is all about rewriting and rewriting and rewriting.....

He told me that he had a project that had been offered to him, but he was too busy to work on it and asked if I wanted to take a look.

Well today I received word that the adaptation that I have been beating out, outlining, sample scripting is going forward. The author has a letter of intent from a production company to make the film when he presents a quality script.

Next week I will be signing an Intellectual Property Agreement with the author to adapt his book to a screenplay. This is fun.

What I wanted to point out is I never gave up. I continued to learn the craft of storytelling and screenwriting so that when this project landed at my feet I was ready.

I never gave up.

Here's the optimistic quote from a screenwriter/author that we all should read every morning...

“Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark.

In the hopeless swamps of the not quite, the not yet, and the not at all , do not let the gero in your soul perish and leave only frustration for the life you deserved, but never have been able to reach. The world ou desire can be won, it exists, it is real, it is possible…. It is yours!” Ayn Rand….b. St. Petersburg Russia

Your Life - Your Movie

Namaste Speedo

Whew

What a fast July! Did anyone get the license number?

I am that I am. A loving creative being. A creator of my universe.

I have been caught up in a rewrite of a script for a writer/producer. And it's FUN! It has taken all my energy and time.

It's challenging to rewrite someone's laborious creative ideas while keeping the same story intact. What to cut? What character to eliminate? When to start the scene? The Act? When to leave the scene? What scene to cut? All of this without any coverage. It's a blank canvas.

What I decided was to go with my instincts on my first draft. It makes the story mine. Then, I can add and/or subtract from there. It a process and I love it.

I hope all your summer escapes have been wonderfully exciting memorable experiences. These are the souvenirs that you'll cherish forever.

Your Life Your Movie

Namaste Speedo

Experience... No Struggling?

I was talking to a friend yesterday when he ask me whether I thought life was a struggle?

My first thoughts were "well yeah. It's always has been a struggle for everyone". Then I stopped my thoughts, took a breath and replied, "No I don't".

Then came the barrage of questions:

On your journey through life don't you struggle everyday?

Don't you struggle to change?

Do you really accept everything?

Do you accept the war? Starvation? The Poor?

Frustrated, after about 5 minutes of struggling to convince me, he finally said "You just want to argue with me."

I said, "I don't live my life as though it is a struggle. And no, I'm not arguing with you. Just because I don't agree with you doesn't mean I'm arguing with you. I'm not trying to convince you of anything. You and I have a different view on life. It's not that I'm right and you're wrong." With that he got up and left.

I understand where my friend was coming from. I acknowledge his view on life. I honor his view on his life. It is his path at this time in his life. It's his to struggle if he desires. It's just not the way I choose to live life.

Today I live my life as though it is a series of experiences. Nothing more. There is no good or bad. No right or wrong. No better or worst. Life is a gift. By living in the NOW (No Other Way) I receive the present.

I try to go out of my mind. My mind is always processing life. It wants figure it out and throw it in little boxes so "I" could make sense out of events. This limited me. As my mind was attempting to protect me by struggling to process everything - I was missing out on life. True life.

Years ago I found the life's secret for me. I became vulnerable to everything. Vulnerability became a position of power, not weakness. I stopped trying to figure out what was going on only to satisfy my mind while I was missing life. I was fulfilling my minds needs but at the cost of my heart-spirits needs.

My spirit needs experiences. When I allow my spirit to experience life's events it thrives. This is the reason my spirit came to earth. For human experiences. To feel what it is like to be human. It doesn't judge. It experiences. It doesn't limit. It experiences. It doesn't process. It experiences. Too simple? Maybe. This too is an experience.

This is why I can say that life is not a struggle. It's just an experience.

Your Life - Your Movie

Namaste Speedo

Be Outrageous... have Fun!

What am I talking about? The care and feeding of your Spirit.

Okay here's the scoop... we are all actors on this stage of life. We get to choose the parts we play on a daily basis. Now the questions is "what role do we want to play today?"

Most of us play roles we are familiar with. The Mother. Father. Sibling. Son. Daughter. Employee. Addict. Lover. Enabler. Dominator. Dependent. Inventor. Thief. Drunk. Blamer. Victim. Wife. Husband... Not to mention all the labels we call ourselves on a daily basis that inhibit spiritual experiences.

Here's the challenge to each of us: Be Outrageous... for life's experiences!

I was so fearful of what the public thought of me a decade ago that I went bright blond. It was remarkable. Not we all now that men do not color their hair. It's a taboo. Really? The women in my life were shocked but complimented me. The men in life were shocked and suggested I'd lost my mind. The end result was this - I was having fun and most people didn't care that I was being outrageous. I recently shaved my head with the same result - people don't care.

If people don't care what you do why not have all the fun you can. Be outrageous. Redefine the roles you play or at least lighten up and have fun.

This is a challenge for most of us. I think it's a hold over from tribe or group mentality. I grew up in a family where the message I heard was "do not embarrass the family". Now I can't say that was the actual message I was given but that was what I heard. It hand cuffed me. It defined me. It limited me to not adventure out and experience outrageous behavior.

The bottom line is I was allowing myself to be defined and controlled by my mind. Old mental pictures, limitations, boundaries, patterns, habits were imprisoning me. My spirit lives on experiences not knowledge. Yet my mind was processioning each experience as it unfolded. No fun! It thought it was protecting me, my spirit.

The result was my mind imprisoned my spirit. Suffocating my spirit. Stifling my spirit. And I was becoming more miserable. When I discovered that my mind was out to get me I somehow found the courage to "go out of my mind". I learned to breathe when I felt myself nervous to connect with my spirit.

Being outrageous allows me to have fun. Today I am vulnerable to life and all of its experiences. I almost missed life. I almost missed My Movie.

Whoohoo!

Your Life - Your Movie!

Namaste Speedo