This is the closest I've been to the beach all summer. |
Friday, September 10, 2010
Summer 2010: A Review
Monday, September 6, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Social Media
I feel we now live in a society where everyone wants and needs to be famous. The old saying, "everyone gets 15 minutes of fame," doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. It’s an age when people achieve fame for no reason what so ever, the more followers you get, the more fame you can potentially achieve. When you have thousands of followers, yet you have in no way contributed anything useful to society in any form or fashion, and all you can put on your Twitter is, "I just ate tacos, Mmm Yummy," maybe it's time to rethink your life. I guess it just blows my mind that people who have nothing important to add or say, can suddenly have such a loud voice in the world. (See any Kardashian) It's scary really.
Now don't get me wrong, this is a bit of the pot calling the kettle black. I actively use many different forms of Social Media, including the big two, Facebook and Twitter. (Used to be the big three, but no one uses MySpace any more, do they?)Hell, this very page is covered with links to my other sites. Just like everyone else, I use these tools to say really ridiculous things, all in an effort to get people to notice what I am doing. The difference here is I'm trying to be useful. I have a purpose; I have a mission other than I want a million followers. (I do not want a million followers). I am a writer who would like to get paid to write. I'm not a blogger or a journalist, (by the way, bloggers aren't journalists and all blogs should be considered opinion, not fact... this one included) I am a fiction writer. I want to entertain, and not by telling you about the dump I just took. (That is something I really posted this week for the hell of it) So I use these tools to get my name and brand out there, hopefully entertaining as I do it. In a world filled with so much competition, I have to do things of this nature to try and stick out above everyone else.
Notice how I referred to these as tools, and not the only thing that makes me socially relevant in life. Facebook is a great way to keep in touch with people. I'm not arguing that. Twitter, well Twitter to me is a little more complex because on one hand, there are reasons why it's useful to have a public text message service, on the other hand... why do I need to know everything a person does every second of the day. It's sad, and I'm sad for doing it. Unfortunately, I must. Then you've got things like four square, another thing I’m guilty of doing. If you ever wanted a stalker, this is the app to use, because they will always know where to find you.
Sorry, this blog is more of me thinking about loud. I guess I just don't see how as a society, we've come to this. I think the internet is a great tool, it finally has allowed everyone to have a voice that can be heard. The only problem is no one really ever has anything to say. Not everyone can be famous, no matter what the programming on MTV, Bravo, and Lifetime make you think. If you want to be a household name, do something... tell a joke, tell a story, save a life, play a sport, change the world, and then, do that better than anyone else and you'll get your moment. Just remember, not everyone can… If they could, then no one would be special, and then what's the point. I guess all I'm saying here is, “when is too much, just too much?”
Now if you'll excuse me I need to proof this blog before I post it on my Facebook and Twitter page. Later...
JLP
Friday, August 6, 2010
Summer Update
Some real exciting writing opportunities are coming up in the coming weeks, I'll post more information is it becomes available. Other than that, there’s not much to report on. I saw Dick Van Dyke at the Malibu Arts Festival. I guess Heather had a conversation with him, which was pretty cool. Also, she said she saw David Duchovny and Téa Leoni at the festival. I didn't see them, and honestly, if I had, I probably would have never noticed them.
Unfortunately that's all I got right now, I will leave you with a few images from the last few months. Go Braves!!
JLP
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
My Thoughts On The World Cup
THE US GOT ROBBED: It is true, the US got robbed in what would have been an amazing come from behind victory over the Slovs. However, it is important to point out; the US should have never been that position. As anyone who has ever played sports knows, anyone can win a close game.
THERE ARE A LOT OF DIVA"S IN SOCCER: And you thought American athletes are bad. I have never seen so much internal team fighting in my life. No wonder smaller countries with players you've never heard of are winning upsetting the pot, they play as a team. Soccer Diva's, SHUT UP and play!
TOO MUCH BUZZING: If you've watched a game on TV, you've probably noticed that there seems to be a serious bee problem in South Africa. Every game, no matter which stadium, you can hear them swarming outside. I'm very much concerned for the safety of the people there in South Africa.
I HATE THE FRENCH: Not only did they lose to the Mexicans, but then they scored against the South Africans, preventing them from moving on to the next round, thus, allowing the Mexicans to move on to the next round. Yeah I know, there was a lot of in-house fighting going on with the team, but if you are going to quit, quit.... don't let the Mexicans move on. Do you know how much "Viva la Mexico" crap I've got to hear now? Of course it's no shocker that the French dropped the ball here. That county has a history of under achieving. I've listed my top five list of greatest French defeats.
5) Waterloo - Napoleon's forces lose the decisive battle to the coalition army commanded by the Duke of Wellington, thus putting an end to Napoleon's 100 days return from exile. Maybe had Napoleon stayed out of that phone booth with Bill and Ted, things might have ended differently.
4) World War I
3) The French Men's 2010 football club's performance in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
2) World War II
1) Lance Armstrong - Much like the Germans, the guy owns the French, and no matter what they do, they can't beat him.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Loss of Glory
JLP
Sunday, May 9, 2010
End of an era... My 30th birthday
With that said, (and even though I already have) I would like to thank Heather for going to so much trouble for me today. She didn't have to, but she did, and for that I cannot thank her enough. She orchestrated a trip to the IMAX for Iron Man 2, she made dinner, and dessert (side note: If you've never had Heather's Apple Crisp, you're really missing out. Imagine your favorite thing to eat, and then multiply that by 20. Really, it's that good.). Also, she snuck around town and managed to get me several wonderful gifts. None of things she had to do, except Iron Man. Anyway, thank you Heather, if I'd had any stress over the end of my twenties, (which I didn't) you erased them.
Also, thank you to Alex and Emily for a fun night and free passes to mini-golf. I have no chance of ever winning, but it’ll still be a blast. Of course, thank you Kevin and Brad, I hope you enjoyed IMAX Iron Man all up in your face as much as I did. Finally, to all the birthday greetings, and well wishes everyone sent today, I know I already did once, but thank you all again. Oh yeah, Happy Mother's Day Momma. You called me, I win. Good night everyone, and here's to you!
JLP
Monday, April 19, 2010
Kick- Ass and the movies of 2010
This brings me to my next topic today. A good friend of mine told me today that he no longer intends to see movies in theaters because he is tired of spending that much money on a ticket when movies turn out to suck. While I will agree with him on the fact that there seems to be a lot of crap dumped on us by studios, to swear off movies all together, well, that's a little hard to swallow from a man who is a filmmaker. That would be like a musician who didn't like concerts. I guess my thing here is, and this goes not only for him but also for anyone else who enjoys cinema.
Not every movie is meant to be seen in the theater. In fact, I would say that most aren't really worth what you have to pay these days. There are, however, that I feel, must be seen in the theater with a crowd. I'm not old enough to have seen the original Star Wars trilogy when it came out, but I did see the re-release of the special editions, and it was the first true movie event I ever got to experience. Then, of course, came Episodes I, II, and III, and though they, in no way lived up to the hype, I can't imagine not seeing them in the theater with that crowd. Sometimes, even a bad movie must be seen with a crowd. Like Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. (Sorry George Lucas) That Movie was shit, pure shit, but seeing it with that crowd, those folks who like me, wanted to see Dr. Jones in another adventure. We all took that ride together, and you know what, I'm glad I did. Granted I don't acknowledge that movie's existence and will never watch it again.
Now, net ever movie is worth your bucks, and even some that you think maybe, will only let you down. So what qualifies a movie worth it? That's up to you and your tastes, but I have compiled a list of this summer's movies that you have to see, because either they are going to rock your socks off, or they will be colossal failures, either way, it should be fun and seen on the big screen. Anything else is just a gamble.
The Losers - April 23
Iron Man 2 - May 7
Shrek Forever - May 21
The A-Team - June 11
Toy Story 3 - June 18
Inception - July 16
The Other Guys - August 6
The Expendables - August 13
Machete - September 3
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I - November 19
True Grit - December 25
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
TGIF
In other news, Heather drug me to a wonderful show at the iO West Theater last week. I say, "drug," but I was more than happy to go. The show was Beer, Shark, Mice, an improv troupe starring Mike Coleman, Pat Finn, Neil Flynn, Pete Hulne, David Koechner, and Paul Vaillancourt. Yeah, those guys! Anyway, it was a great show, and their last I was told, so if you missed out, sucks to be you. There's not a day that goes by now were Heather doesn't call me, Text me, or in some way communicate the words: "Hey, there's a dead body over here," to me in some fashion.
So any way, Happy Easter everyone (if you choose to celebrate Easter) and have a nice weekend. Oh, keep an eye out... all I can say is Stickers!
JLP
Friday, March 26, 2010
LA Paranormal - That’s right, I’m in demand!
LA Paranormal is written and Directed by John Gonzales and stars Mike Hatton, Mathew Temple, Tres Dean, and J.C. Mac. The movie centers around the supernatural investigation team of “LA Paranormal” and their documentary style television show, ala SyFy’s “Ghost Hunters.”
I’ll back on set shooting this weekend and hope to bring you some footage very soon via the interwebs. Until then, stay tuned for more updates.
Also, keep a look out for some new videos with the guys from In Rare Form. I should get a chance to shoot with them again in the coming weeks. Anyway, until next time…
JLP
Thursday, March 18, 2010
BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH... At Least the Irish Stew
Out of curiosity, I have looked up the LA County Health Department score for Pineapple Hill. It's a 96. Not too bad, right. Actually that's really good. That's why I'm shocked that my post St. Patty's Day has been taken over by Montezuma's Revenge. That's right, you heard me, and that's all I'll say as far as details go. I wasn't the only victim though; there are two other confirmed victims of our Mexican foe. I won't give their names, my way of protecting the innocent. I won't however, protect the guilty. Pineapple Hill, your Irish Stew was poison. You should never serve it again. At this time, I move that anyone who reads this avoid eating at Pineapple Hill @ 4454 Van Nuys Blvd in Sherman Oaks less you want to end up like the rest of us. OK, maybe that's a little harsh... just be wary. As for the LA County Health Department, you need to outlaw Irish Stew, unless made by the Irish, or Gordon Ramsey. Even then, you might want to double check it to be sure.
On a separate note, look for some awesome news in the coming weeks about my Involvement in a Indie Film being shot here in LA called "LA Paranormal." Till next time...
JLP
Monday, March 15, 2010
Late Night TV, Where Have You Gone?
So I'm left looking for another option. It's like Democrat and Republican. Really there's no good third solution. Tonight, I'm gonna watch Kimmel. Maybe he's got the show that can finally break through. Then tomorrow I'm gonna watch... what's his name, you know the unfunny Mexican guy... George Lopez. Who knows, at this point I might even hit the public access channel to find something. Keep checking back, and by week’s end, I'll tell you who is the "best" in late night.
UPDATED!!
So I watched Kimmel last night. When I looked at him, all I could think was, "this was once the guy on "the Man Show." Then I began to get sad thinking about what Disney (that's who owns ABC guys) does to awesome things. Anyway, I guess it was OK, but I didn't feel satisfied. So tonight, I'll check out George Lopez. We'll see how that goes. Till then, stay tuned.
JLP
Friday, March 12, 2010
Adventures with Homeless
JLP
Thursday, March 11, 2010
iConnect
Yes, I will shamelessly promote something on the internet. For those of you who haven’t seen it, check out iConnect. Then, stay for “Good Sports,” “GPS,” "Modern Reading,” and if you dare… “Mustache”
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Why are people so uptight?
Here's the thing, IT"S A BULL PENIS! It's not like I'm talking about a man penis. Gees, it's just a dog eating it anyway. That's better than most things dogs eat. Actually, if you think about it, there could be bull penis in a lot of things we eat on a daily basis. For example, hot dogs, I'm sure are filled with bull penis. Bologna is also probably filled with bull penis. I can't imagine how spam is not filled with bull penis. In China, bull penis is considered a delicacy. Seriously, look it up.
So I guess the point here is, I seem to have maybe offended a few folks with all this talk of the bull penis, and if you read it, I'm sorry... my bad. However, I just want to go on the record that as a writer and entertainer of sorts, I believe that there is nothing wrong with using the term bull penis. In fact, I'll go as far to say I've seen way more offensive things on the Internet besides bull penis. I mean, if I really wanted to offend people I would have come up with something way better than bull penis. I was just making a statement about K-9 dental treats that just happened to be made from 100% bull penis. I guess in the future I'll think twice about using the term bull penis and anything like it. So from now on, I will not say bull penis, I will say bull dick.
JLP
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Changes... Sketches... Chachi Arcola...
In the mean time, let’s talk shop. I had the privilege of working with In Rare Form again last week. We shot a new sketch video based on their improv comedy, so look for that to hit the inter webs later this week. Once again, I continue to be amazed at how awesome those guys can be. Hopefully, you should see more collaboration with those guys real soon.
You want more celebrity sightings, you got'em. I was having breakfast at Bob's Big Boy in Burbank, when Heather looks up and says, "There's Scott Baio." I turned and sure enough, there he was... and no, he didn't ask me for any Raspberry syrup. He was with his family and true to my code of conduct; I don't bother actors that are out and about unless they are named Patrick Duffy. This is actually the second know actor I've seen at Bob's. A few months back, I ran into Mathew Lillard there as well. Of course Bob's is just across from Warner Brothers and right down from NBC, so I imagine if I went there more often, I would see a lot of different folks.
Anyway, that's all I got for now. Keep an eye out for iConnect from In Rare Form; it should be coming to the Youtubes very soon.
JLP
Friday, February 12, 2010
A Year In LA
So I want to take a moment to thank a few people who have made my L.A. experience awesome. First I want to thank Staples Office Supply Superstore, without you I might have found a real job sooner and not spent so much of my savings trying to make ends meet while being completely miserable for 3 months. I would like to thank in and Out Burger for always giving me the runs. Then there's Ralph's (Kroger for those back east) for being so damn close. I would also like to thank EA Active for the Wii for helping me get back into the swing of losing weight. Other's I'd like to thank include: My parents for still talking to me. My car for not dying yet; my former roommates for reminding me why I hate having roommates; McDonalds for the dollar menu; Trader Joe's for making me want to eat healthier; My former roommates for dicking me over as often as they could. Jessie and Mindy Spencer, you guys are great. UCB and Nick Wiger for showing me that sketch writing can be fun despite not being my favorite. All the members of In Rare Form for letting me be part of their family. Cris Aris for giving me swine flu; B&H for giving me a place to spend my money; Heather Horton you're just awesome, and finally LA traffic for making me afraid of little Asian people.
Without all of you, none of this would have been possible!
JLP
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Good Sports
So thank you to Jamie for your time and energy (and getting clobbered over and over), I look forward to working with you again. Also, thank you Heather for having the faith in me to be the one to help you with this project. I can’t wait till the next one.
So here it is folks, enjoy it. And keep an eye out, because this is just the beginning .
JLP
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Patrick Duffy, IHOP, and Raspberry Syrup
What can I say, that was so satisfying. Every so often he would look over at me, and he just seemed so sad, and of course I didn’t even use the raspberry syrup. Who does? That stuff is nasty.
So as I went to pay, I noticed he was staring at me again. So as I signed my Credit card slip, I signed my name on a random piece of paper, walked over to his table and slapped it down in front of him and said, “I noticed you kept staring at me Patrick Duffy. Even though the sign on the door says “No Pictures, No Autographs” I decided to give it to you anyway.” Then I smiled at him, turned back to my friends and walked out. Just think... I just made Patrick Duffy’s night.
JLP