You oughta be in pictures...

...actually, I am in a number of them, but only as an "extra".
(A.K.A. "Moving scenery")

I really haven't even bothered to attend a casting call since '97...a year in which I worked on several movies.

Consequently, when the time comes for this Screen Actors Guild member to vote on the Screen Actors Guild Awards, I abstain...not feeling as though I'm actually qualified to do so.
(Not that it stops some voters)

But the production companies don't know that, and as I have said, at this time of the year I'm given the opportunity to see films that are under consideration for the awards, paid for by those very same production companies.

Now I've received a free DVD in the mail, for a film that is no longer in the theaters, called "Crash". According to the information I could find in a quick internet search, here is the synopsis:

A Brentwood housewife and her D.A. husband. A Persian store owner. Two police detectives who are also lovers. An African-American television director and his wife. A Mexican locksmith. Two car-jackers. A rookie cop. A middle-aged Korean couple. They all live in Los Angeles. And during the next 36 hours, they will all collide.

The DVD came with the following message, on an enclosed card:

"Since CRASH is no longer playing in theaters, we have enclosed a viewing copy on DVD so you may watch the film at your leisure. Thank you for your consideration."

Hey, at least I get something for my union dues.

HERE is a link to a story about it...
(Tip o' the 'do rag to JR)

Late breaking news!
AP: LOS ANGELES - Screen Actors Guild (awards)...the ensemble drama "Crash" pulled off an upset win over "Brokeback Mountain" for the overall cast award.

Cool. Looks like it didn't need my vote...

A hair-razing tale!

I've been getting tired of letting my hair grow as long as it has, but it's for a great cause:
Locks of Love

According to their website:
(http://www.locksoflove.org/)

Locks of Love is a not-for-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under the age of 18 with medical hair loss. These custom-fitted hair prosthetics are provided free of charge or on a sliding scale to children whose families meet the Locks of Love Board of Directors guidelines.

Donors provide the hair, volunteers staff the office, and the manufacturer hand-assembles each piece, which requires approximately four months.

The organization, which began in 1997, has helped over 1000 children since its first year of operation. Thousands of bundles of donated hair arrive from around the country as a result of national publicity Locks of Love received in newspapers, magazines and television programs.

Donation guidelines are as follows:
(http://www.locksoflove.org/donate_hair.php)

1. We accept 10" minimum hair length (tip to tip), not wigs, falls, or synthetic hair
2. Please bundle hair in ponytail or braid.
3. Hair needs to be clean, dry, placed in a plastic bag, then padded envelope.
4. We need hair from men and women, young and old, all colors and races.
5. Hair may be colored or permed, but not bleached or chemically damaged (if unsure, ask your stylist).
6. Hair swept off the floor is not usable.
7. Hair cut years ago is usable if it has been stored in a ponytail or braid.
8. Hair that is short, gray, or unsuitable for children will be separated from the ponytails and sold at fair market value to offset the cost of manufacturing.
9. You may pull curly hair straight to measure the minimum 10".
10. The majority of all hair donated comes from children who wish to help other children.
11. Layered hair may be divided into multiple ponytails for donation.
12. Please note: Anyone can cut your hair as long as the above guidelines are followed.

Contact information:
(http://www.locksoflove.org/contact.php)

Mailing address (all donations):
2925 10th Avenue North
Suite 102
Lake Worth, FL 33461
Phone: (561) 963-1677
Fax: (561) 963-9914
Toll Free: (888) 896-1588

It's such a painless way to make a difference to a child:



Won't you join me?

Breakdown...

...in the moral fabric of society.

As I've mentioned previously, I am a card-carrying member of the Screen Actors Guild. Thus, I have the "privilege" of voting for the "S.A.G. Awards".

So...at this time of the year, I'm afforded the opportunity to see films that are under consideration for those, paid for by the production companies that made them.

I have just received a free pass in the mail, to see "Brokeback Mountain", a movie advertised as: "An epic love story, set against the sweeping landscapes of Wyoming and Texas, that tells the story of two young men--a ranch-hand and a rodeo cowboy--who meet in the summer of 1963 while driving cattle on a mountain range. They unexpectedly forge a lifelong connection, one whose complications, joys and tragedies provide a testament to the endurance and power of love."

Yeesh. They don't specifically say it, but the love to which they're referring is not platonic. You couldn't pay me to go and see that; free surely doesn't cut it.

I don't hate homosexuals, any more than I hate any other mentally ill individuals. Once upon a time, the psychiatric community identified homosexuality as just that: mental illness. But, that's an area where homosexual activists have gotten their way, just as they are currently trying to do with marriage in this country. I have known people of that "orientation" in both genders. What they had in common is that they were victims of abuse, so consequently they came to distrust those of the opposite gender.

There is a small but highly vocal minority of "gay" people who wish to cause the world at large to recognize their "choice" as just another "alternative", no different from a preference for strawberry ice cream over butter pecan.

The reality is, leaving ethics, morals, religious teachings, etc. out of the equation...biology alone dictates such behavior as abnormal. A purely homosexual species would quickly die off.

Some "enlightened" individuals have called me a homophobe for my views. I point out to them that a phobia is a fear; I'm not afraid of homosexuals, I simply disapprove of their "lifestyle". Never hate.

However, actually watching that kind of thing is the last thing I'd want to do.

Update! I found THIS quite amusing...
(You'll need the appropriate software to view it)

"I'll be back"...

...to get his motorcycle license:
(AP) SACRAMENTO, Calif. - "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vowed to update his driver's license after police determined he had been riding his Harley Davidson illegally when he got into a minor accident over the weekend..."

Don't get me wrong; I like "Ah-nuld". Always have. He has had ambition and drive for as long as he's been around, and made his first million in real estate before anyone ever heard of him. There is much to be admired about him...however, if one aspires to public office, they should get themselves legal in every way.

Heaven knows, I've ridden motorcycles for years (in my younger days) without a motorcycle rating, but then I'm not a State Governor either.

Besides, I have my motorcycle license now, and have had for years at this point.

Apparently, Mr. Schwarzenegger has paid a price for his little lapse in judgment, even though by all accounts the accident wasn't his fault.

Of course, motorcyclists usually aren't the ones at fault in these things...

Show me the money...

For more companies, 401(k) becomes automatic

"More than one-third of large employers say they're likely to start automatically enrolling employees and increasing the employees' 401(k) contributions in 2006..."
-Kathy Chu, USA TODAY

This in lieu of traditional pensions. I have mixed feelings about this; I currently have the best of both worlds...a decent pension plan, and some matching by my company of my 401K contributions.

What with recent (and not-so-recent) failed pension plans, corporate bankruptcies and the like, the 401K may seem like a good alternative. In some ways it is, but if bad investment decisions are made, they can be as bad as a failed pension plan (or even worse).

At least those are often bailed out by the government.

The situation definitely bears close scrutiny...

Blue Hawaii?

Well, Hawaii has been a "blue" State for awhile; perhaps they're changing their demographic. It may have something to do with the "big tent" of the Democrats including some pretty "off the wall" special interest groups.

I've encountered a number of conservative types during my recent time here, and it seems to be more prevalent than I've noticed on previous visits.

I found this newspaper called the "Hawai'i Free Press", and their motto is "The untold story, the unspoken opinion, the other side".

They have a list of "Hawai'i Conservative Websites" listed, as follows:
http://www.hawaiireporter.com
http://www.smallbusinesshawaii.com
http://www.grassrootinstitute.org
http://gophawaii.com
http://www.honolulutraffic.com
http://www.educationbeathawaii.org
http://www.hawaiirifleassn.org
http://www.tfhawaii.org (Tax Foundation)
http://www.akakatalka.blogspot.com
http://www.lava.net/cslater (Cliff Slater)
http://www.kalapanapundit.blogspot.com (Grant Jones)
http://aaronstene.blogspot.com
http://stu-topia.blogspot.com (Stuart Hayashi)

Very interesting reading; we shall have to wait and see what happens...