Urban Arson

This is the first image from my new short film “Now or Never.”

The story centers around Henry, a chipper young man who has decided to that today he will tell his best friend he’s in love with her.

The film has been finished and shipped off to several film festivals. I can’t post it here for a while but feel free to ask questions.

This is a video talking about the “Coming Swine Flu Epidemic!” it’s from 1976… I’m not really sure why everyone is freaking out. I know it killed some people in Mexico and the POTUS was hangin’ with a guy who died the next day from “flu like symptoms” but The First Gentleman was out hitting the links yesterday. This thing isn’t going to turn the country into a zombie holocaust, so please folks just chill.

This is the best thing ever! Watch the whole video. You won’t be disappointed.

I didn’t know that people jump cut stuff like this back in the 70’s! When I was a kid my Dad bought collection of 20 VHS tapes featuring animal studies and documentaries. I must have watched each of them 10 times. They were all shot on 16 mm so watching this really took me back.

I just got a new camera called the Canon HF S100

Here a few things I’ve shot while out and about in Los Angeles.

These clips are HD resolution so they might take a bit longer to load.

The amazing thing about this camera is it’s only the size of a soda can and it records to SD cards instead of tape at 24p full HD resolution. It’s amazing!

Check it out here!

I have never read such a reasoned and concise argument for drug “legalization”. I don’t drink, smoke, or do drugs, I never have and I never will, but who the hell am I to tell another adult what he can and can’t do with his own body? It’s complete nonsense, we’re spending billions every year to keep this “War on Drugs” farce alive. We simply can’t afford it any more.

End the War on Drugs – Dr. Ron Paul

We have recently heard many shocking stories of brutal killings and ruthless violence related to drug cartels warring with Mexican and US officials.  It is approaching the fever pitch of a full blown crisis.  Unfortunately, the administration is not likely to waste this opportunity to further expand government.  Hopefully, we can take a deep breath and look at history for the optimal way to deal with this dangerous situation, which is not unprecedented.

Alcohol prohibition in the 1920’s brought similar violence, gangs, lawlessness, corruption and brutality.  The reason for the violence was not that making and selling alcohol was inherently dangerous.  The violence came about because of the creation of a brutal black market which also drove profits through the roof.  These profits enabled criminals like Al Capone to become incredibly wealthy, and militantly defensive of that wealth.  Al Capone saw the repeal of Prohibition as a great threat, and indeed smuggling operations and gangland violence fell apart after repeal.  Today, picking up a bottle of wine for dinner is a relatively benign transaction, and beer trucks travel openly and peacefully along their distribution routes.

Similarly today, the best way to fight violent drug cartels would be to pull the rug out from under their profits by bringing these transactions out into the sunlight.  People who, unwisely, buy drugs would hardly opt for the back alley criminal dealer as a source, if a coffeehouse-style dispensary was an option.  Moreover, a law-abiding dispensary is likely to check ID’s and refuse sale to minors, as bars and ABC stores tend to do very diligently.  Think of all the time and resources law enforcement could save if they could instead focus on violent crimes, instead of this impossible nanny-state mandate of saving people from themselves!

If these reasons don’t convince the drug warriors, I would urge them to go back to the Constitution and consider where there is any authority to prohibit private personal choices like this.  All of our freedoms – the freedom of religion and assembly, the freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, the right to be free from unnecessary government searches and seizures – stem from the precept that you own yourself and are responsible for your own choices.  Prohibition laws negate self-ownership and are an absolute affront to the principles of freedom.  I disagree vehemently with the recreational use of drugs, but at the same time, if people are only free to make good decisions, they are not truly free.  In any case, states should decide for themselves how to handle these issues and the federal government should respect their choices.

My great concern is that instead of dealing deliberatively with the actual problems, Congress will be pressed again to act quickly without much thought or debate.  I can’t think of a single problem we haven’t made worse that way.  The panic generated by the looming crisis in Mexico should not be redirected into curtailing more rights, especially our second amendment rights, as seems to be in the works.  Certainly, more gun laws in response to this violence will only serve to disarm lawful citizens.  This is something to watch out for and stand up against.  We have escalated the drug war enough to see it only escalates the violence and profits associated with drugs.  It is time to try freedom instead.

Today:

My Paternal Grandfather James R. Burns turns 70. Happy Birthday Poppy!!

One of my idols Writer/Director Quentin Tarantino turns 46.

I finished the third and final draft of my soon to be infamous script.

The photo you see above is not a balding asian woman but a balding, chubby Chilean known as Nicolas Lopez, director of such fine Chilean blockbusters as Promedio Rojo and Santos. And to answer your question yes, that is a mirrored compact in his hand which he’s using to both check the extent of his rapidly receding hairline and apply lip gloss and other makeup supplies. According to Lopez, as he is known by his friends:

“All Chilean men are taught from a young age to carry makeup products on their person at all times in order to keep their appearance in check. It was a law first enacted in 1975 by our metro-sexual dictator Augusto Pinochet, a man known for his heavy use of eye liner, lipstick, powder foundation, and anti-aging creams. Comandante Pinochet had a talk show which aired nightly and instructed young men and women in the proper use and application of makeup. As Chilean citizens abroad we must look our best in order to uphold our title as the best looking people on Earth.”

Lopez has told me I should start wearing makeup as well, but as a heterosexual my appearance isn’t important enough to require eye shadow and lip liner to raise my self esteem. When I disagree he just shrugs and continues to apply his makeup in peace. He’s never tried to force his customs or culture on mine, which is probably why we’re friends. One of us flamboyant and effeminate while the other is the epitome of masculinity, basically a black version of Chuck Norris.

We recently returned to Los Angeles from a trip to San Diego. About 15 minutes outside of the city Lopez unexpectedly grabbed my steering wheel and bounded us off of the highway on an unplanned excursion to Disneyland at 4:30 pm. I paid their ridiculous parking fee and walked the 5 miles to the entrance of the “Happiest Place On Earth.”

5 sets of gates and 2 cavity searches later Lopez lied about his birthday and received free admittance, while my moral ass had to plunk down $65. Once inside Lopez went nuts hugging every character he could find. Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy weren’t ready for the bear hugs he was dishin’ out. At random intervals he’d stop in the middle of the street to apply more makeup then continue to romp around the park dragging me to every geeky ride he could find. We saw ASIMO, the Japanese robot, which should be called AWESOM-O, because it was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen and then we got some food. After eating a $17 hotdog and a $9 ice cream bar, Lopez wasn’t feeling so hot. So he applied some more makeup which he claims calms his stomach and we sat down to watch an amazing fireworks show. After one more cavity search to make sure we hadn’t stolen any Mickey and friends keychains we left the park. $100 poorer I drove the 20 miles to Silverlake where we promptly went to sleep.

This was just one day of our adventures together and there will be many more in the coming weeks. I’ll be posting regular updates as this story progresses.

I got a new job doing freelance visual effects for a post production company and it’s taking up a large portion of my time. The gig lasts until March 13th at which time I’ll resume my regular posting schedule.

According to my logs quite a few of you have been checking in frequently for updates. Sorry to disappoint. I’ve got some good articles in my head pertaining to the current economic climate and reviews of some great books, movies and music that have inspired me in the last few weeks.

I’ll be back in action soon enough. Worry not.

Aaron

Hugo Chavez looks for a clue.

Hugo Chavez won a referendum last night which allows him unlimited term limits as “President” of Venezuela. Why a non-dictator would feel the need to extend his term indefinitely is beyond me. Well it isn’t beyond me so much as I understand it completely and I’m making a loosely veiled attempt at sarcasm. That is to say I whole heartedly believe Hugo Chavez, “President” of Venezuela, to be the tyrannical dictator of a country which is badly in need of a Revolution.

My mother is from Venezuela and immigrated to the United States with her family when she was 13. She graduated high school at 16 and went to Rice University where she met and married my father. My mother and I have been to Venezuela several times together and while she continues to return every few months or so, I haven’t been in years. I’m afraid that I will never again see the cool blue waters which wave in and out of its shores. By the time they realize their mistakes that cool blue will be a murky oily brown with beaches too polluted to sustain life.

I refuse to return to Venezuela until this man is out of power. I cannot in good conscience return to a country full of people who in the face of such tyranny, continue to party and carry on like nothing is happening to their beautiful homeland. Their rights slowly diminishing, Chavez continues to make small yet meticulous strides, every day removing liberties and striking more freedoms from their Constitution. 

Venezuela is going bankrupt and will soon be in the socialist/communist toilet of its cousins, USSR, China and Cuba with bread (arepa) lines forming at the crack of dawn and extending until all the bread i sold 20 minutes after going on sale. A population of 25 million, (75% of which live in shacks as big as a bathroom made from scrap metal, particle board, and cardboard) will drop to 15 million, the entire population living in said shacks.

The country was very poor when I used to visit and it’s worse now. Chavez is mishandling their economy and making enemies, not friends with the world. Venezuela will continue to go down the tubes until some brave souls rise up to fight their oppressors. Please remove the chains of bondage which this man has cast upon you over these 10 years and return your country to its proper owners; a united Venezuela for and by its people.

After the power outage in Silverlake last night, I discovered how ill prepared I was for such occurrences. It was about midnight, and I was watching Episode 13 Season 2 of 24. Jack Bauer was about to go break some terrorist’s face and boom the power went out, the fans on my many computers whirled to a stop. The room’s only illumination was the light of my laptop.

I just sat there in silence, patiently knowing that it would soon come back on and everything would be right in the world. After 5 minutes of fiddling with my iPhone and watching the battery meter on my laptop fall from 99% to 93% I started to get worried. Was this city wide? What do I do next? Are zombies involved? What do I do if they are? I think, machetes are better than handguns because, “you ain’t gotta reload a machete.”

Bam, just like that, the power came back on, my computers and TV roared to life, automatically restarting themselves; I would be back to watching Bauer torture evil doers with a butter knife to the knee cap before — and there goes the power again. What the hell? Who’s teasing me?

My laptop had charged back up to 95% but quickly resumed its downward spiral to drainsville. My iPhone was at 20%, and I started to panic. I looked out the window and saw that the rest of LA was shining brilliantly, so obviously this was a localized problem. The neighbors’ houses were as dark as mine and in my head I shook a fist at Silverlake; it’s easy going bohemian lifestyle perfectly “Austinesque” for an easy transition, were undoubtably the exact social climate needed for zombies to spawn.

The zombies were coming for sure so I pulled out a charge cord and plugged my iPhone into my sole source of power, the laptop, then I quickly closed the laptop to conserve energy. 

Side note: If you have an Apple laptop (Macbook Pro or Macbook) you can use it to charge USB devices even when it’s in sleep mode. Just plug it in before you close the computer.

Unless the outbreak happened next door I would have a few hours before it became wide spread, so I decided to go to sleep because I would need my strength. I woke up at 7am and everything was right as rain. My laptop and iPhone were fully charged, and my computers were up and running, doing their daily tasks. Zombie holocaust averted, I went for a run; during which I came to some conclusions.

1. I have no flashlights or portable power sources.
2. I have 1 pocket knife and other than my bags of Minneola Tangelos and Clementine Mandarins (the world’s perfect fruits), no portable food.
3. When I’m presented with a simple problem like lack of power, my mind immediately points to zombie attack as the only explanation.
4. My dependence on the power grid is so entwined with my personal happiness that I’d kiss it if I didn’t think it would kill me.

I need modern convenience, it has made me who I am. So I’d like to thank Nikola Tesla for his limitless strokes of genius in the field of energy and George Westinghouse whose tireless pocketbook aided Tesla in creating such wonderful things.

And a big screw you to Thomas Edison for his rise to the top on the backs of so many great minds, without due compensation and his attempts to discredit AC power in favor of DC. You bastard.