It’s been a light blogging month which can be attributed to two major things things: time – the incessant excuse – and lack of writing topics.
Time I only have excuses for. I’ve been working on other projects, mostly for corporate clients so I can’t really share the results directly, and been getting ready for a speaking engagement in Chicago this September, more info on that later.
Topic wise it isn’t so much that there haven’t been topics to discuss as they are topics I don’t like to discuss here. When I started this blog it was just a writing exercise. It was just supposed to be a place where I could put my thoughts down and practice getting ideas out that maybe a few other folks would enjoy. As I started to like it and as the readership grew I tried to write with a point. We have the Actor 101 posts, the Project: Iron Man posts and the performance announcement posts. Those are all working out well and I really like doing them. Something I’ve always avoided on this blog are the “dangerous two” topics of polite conversation: politics and religion. They are polarizing subjects and it’s easy for points to be lost in translation. Rarely does it cause discussion because it seems like everyone is more interested in yelling louder than actually finding solutions. It’s been a tough season to avoid thinking about politics. With the Zimmerman trial being all the craze on the cable news networks, the uprisings in Egypt and Edward Snowden there are major things happening in our world and in our country right now that just can’t be ignored. Rene and I have spent a lot of time talking about it, debating things and actually researching things (my high school teachers would be so proud!).
I’ve sat down to write here several times only to delete what I’ve written because I don’t want to break my rule: no politics, no religion.
It’s getting hard to avoid because this rush of ideas is building up in my mind. So to help stave off a burst blood vessel and maintain my rule I’ve actually made a list of some of the documentaries that I’ve watched recently that I have enjoyed because they have made me think and I think they are good enough for you to watch. Clicking on the image should take you to the Amazon link where you can rent or buy the movie. I watched them all on Netflix.
– Revenge of the Electric Car
I don’t like cars. I’m not a car guy. If I could I would never own a car…
…but I live and work in Southern California and so not having a car is not an option. If I have to own a car I don’t want to pay for gas. In fact I’ve got a whole newsstand worth of issues with oil companies, but that’s not what this movie is about. This is a great look at the resurgence of the electric car and how it really is a viable option and not just some hippie pipe dream. I’ve always wanted my next car to not require gas and it looks like the major car manufacturers are going to help make that dream a reality.
– The Yes Men Fix the World
If you aren’t familiar with the Yes Men
check out the link. Rene and I were at the Sundance Film Festival the year this movie was accepted and I wanted tickets to it SO BAD, but we just couldn’t get them. Every available ticket was gone as soon as it was available – and it was one of the years when we had our corporate sponsorship with all the special ticket privileges and everything, it was just that popular. This thought provoking film forces the veiwer to face the idea of corporate ethics and the disparity between the importance of profits versus common sense and people. Their pranks are also very entertaining, even if their end results are not as world changing as they had hoped.
– Hot Coffee
I’m sure you’ve all heard of the case of the woman who sued McDonald’s because her coffee was too hot. It has been the butt of jokes for decades, hell I’ve even made some myself. This shows the real story behind the case, how severe the injuries really were (seriously, be ready for some very shocking and graphic images) and how changes in
tort reform are effecting the civil justice system. Very eye opening and, as a guy who regularly uses a mediation clause in his contracts, it made me examine my personal motivations as to how I build my contracts. If you have any interest in the civil justice system, and you probably should have at least a passing interest, this is good to see.
– Kumare
This is one of my favorite documentaries ever. A man presents himself as a yoga guru and builds a practice in the self-help world telling his followers the truth in a very skillfully built lie – but is it really lying? Challenging notions of what it means to be a religious leader versus a marketing leader, this film leads you down the rabbit hole as one man seeks out his own path to faith. Seriously, take the time, it’s so worth it.
I look forward to your thoughts on these. Please don’t hesitate to leave a comment.
See you next time!
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