hmatt's blog

I recently went through my to dos and I began to reflect on the days when I used to vlog (video blog). The last one posted was in 2009 #64, but I remember editing a #65 for my annual (except last year) pumpkin carving party.

Well, even though I’ve fallen off the vlogging horse, I’d love to start this up again. Sure, sure.. I have a few unedited videos out there.. who knows if they will ever be released..

BUT

Why should I let this stop me. I remember liking the challenge of finding new things to share and even though I’ll post some facebook stuff, they don’t require as much creativity as videos.

So here’s to doing vlogging again!

… coming soon.

One thing I really love about crowdsourcing is the the ability to reward the ingenuity of a fun design or idea to make it a reality.

I signed up to receive the most popular Kickstarter pages and this was one:

An iPhone Polaroid Camera Adapter

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/impossible/impossible-instant-lab-turn-iphone-images-into-rea

So I’ve decided to try this Epic Win app for the iPhone. The first task I need to compete is to move over things I can actually accomplish. THINGS is great, but it is SUPER bloated right now with about 500 tasks to do. I spend WAY too much time organizing my list there. I want to just do stuff you know?

My wonderful girlfriend patiently listened and then patiently told me that I talk a lot about goals, but don’t seem to do them. She, of course, said this delicately, but is absolutely right.

This past week (or two) I accomplished very little when it comes to my goals. I’ve either been catching up on much needed sleep or ‘relaxing’ or just plain old procrastinating. Well no more. I’m taking my goals and breaking everything down so small that I can’t but help to get things done.

I am going to take the suggestions from Jacqui and catalog what I do with my time every day for a week. Things ARE going to happen.

I think that children need more time to be ‘bored’. The world is fast paced, but when and how are kids supposed to absorb it?
I often see toys that indicate how much ‘Stimulation’ the lights and sounds offer. However, then the kid doesn’t get a chance to use his or her own imagination. Often times too, these same toys aren’t open ended.

When I have kids I want to make sure they know how to think, and can always find a way out of being bored.

🙂

So I tried selling 15 items on ebay. 8 sold and all most of them only sold for the starting price of $1. After paypal took their cut, I had $51.51, then it cost $48.62 to ship and ebay fees $5.29. So not only did I waste an entire morning and several hours taking photos of items and posting them.. I’ve lost a few dollars.

I’ve learned that ebay is not the way.. at least not anymore. There are pro ebay sellers out there that have changed the game. And the ebay fee structure costs more now too. *sigh*

So, I’ve had to come to a realization. I will have to give away a LOT of my stuff because ebay selling isn’t going to happen. Well, maybe with the exception of my patches because they shouldn’t cost so much to sell and I’ll try to do so in batches.. but still.

I’ve been trying to purge my childhood toys and of course I’ve discovered that a lot of my ‘collections’ were not profitable in any way. I should have spent my money buying gold. So now I’m onto other things.

At least this was God showing me that I can’t sell items, so now I can spend my time on other more profitable pursuits.

Here are my goals for the first six months.

DAILY
-Drink WATER 1.5 liters a day (set aside little cups for on the go or markers and drinking them at a specific time)
-Think of 3 Things to be grateful for

——————–
January
——————–
-have my temporary reel done (add the taxi scene, 25 and summer clips)
-Continue Jacqui’s Exercise Regime (once a week)
-research an “Acting for Commercials” class
-1 Segment & 1 episode (tape ep3 Sun Jan 22)
-Audition for 5 projects

——————–
February
——————–
-New headshot (2/11/12)
-Find Small group (2/5/12)
-take an “Acting for Commercials” class
-Continue Jacqui’s Exercise Regime (twice a week)
-Audition for 5 projects
-tape 2 things (segments or sketches)
-tape episode 4 (Sun?)
-Clear out ALL of my childhood toys via gifting, giving away or geocache (2/28/12)

——————–
March
——————–
-Audition for 5 projects
-obtain MONEY for goals
-Continue Jacqui’s Exercise Regime (thrice a week)
-tape 2 things (segments or sketches)
-tape episode 5 (Sun?)
-move vhs tapes to a smaller storage unit
-buy a vhs to dvd recorder and start converting

——————–
April
——————–
-Have an agent (4/30/12)
-Audition for 5 commercial spots
-tape 2 things (segments or sketches)
-tape episode 6 (Sun?)
-see Jacqui in Australia again (or in May)
-finish writing ep 7

——————–
May
——————–
-Tape one spot (5/5/12)
-Audition for 5 commercial spots
-tape 2 things (segments or sketches)
-tape episode 7 (Sun?)
-finish writing ep 8

——————–
June
——————–
-Audition for 30 spots (5 a month – 6/15/12)
*Launch TRKS something
-tape 2 things (segments or sketches)
-tape episode 8 (Sun?)

-Have a costar role in a tv series (due 8/1/12)
-star in a short or feature film (8/15/12)

As many of you may know, I’ve been visiting my girlfriend in Melbourne since December 10. Since then Jacqui and I have been on many adventures. Now that the holidays are over however, she’s back doing her locum social work. Meanwhile, I am working on my kids show, writing scripts and organizing my life so I will be prepared when I return to Los Angeles on January 17.

I’ve made several observations on the Australian lifestyle and here are a few of my thoughts:

Koalas and Kangaroos aren’t everywhere like I pictured. I do see yellow warning signs with kangaroos on them like I would deer signs in the northwest. I’m still optimistic. The only wild animals I’ve seen have been at the wildlife preserve.

Every power outlet (powerpoint in Oz speak) has its own power switch which indicates a painted orange dot when it is on. My guess is that this is to prevent an electric shock from the higher than US voltage coming from the walls. Another benefit is that this would solve the ‘phantom power’ issue of charging cables. Quite handy I think.

There are LOTS of spiders. There are several poisonous spiders in Australia. So far I’ve encountered a Huntsman that Jac has smashed with her shoe. A White-tail (who’s bite apparently often results in amputating an arm or leg as it turns purple) and a Red-back. It’s more the constant presense of webs everywhere that bothers me, however. I see them everywhere. I run into them often. Not so fun.

Jac made a joke in the US about many of the laws and restrictions we have. I replied by saying something about how Australia is just more lawless. I experienced something similar in Spain in 2010, and here it manifests differently. There are cars parked all over the place. A dangerous traffic maneuver called a hook-turn exists for those willing to try (my girlfriend being one of those). Among other things. Not that I’m complaining though. The US is too cautious due to excessive litigation and fear of liability.

Food and clothing here is quite expensive. This is justified I suppose by the higher minimum wage ($18 according to Jacqui). A typical dinner is $30-40 and that is WITH a buy-one-get-one-free coupon or ‘voucher’.

The language varies unexpectedly. Jacqui and I often keep ourselves amused at each other’s accents. As she predicted I am often needing to be corrected in my Aussie-lingo. It isn’t a restroom, but a toilet. It isn’t called candy but ‘lollies’. She doesn’t carry a purse, but a ‘handbag’. I am constantly forgetting these words and I probably won’t get it until I’m about to leave back to the US. .. And then all my friends will comment on my interesting vocab. Then there is the constant ‘reckon’ usage. This and other such words are often used. I’ve heard them before, but usually in a historic or rural setting. Then there is the difference in pronouncing words and companies. They pronounce Nissan as niss-anne where us says niece-on.

Again I’m not complaining about these differences, merely commenting on observations. I find it all such a delight and I’m glad I still have about two weeks left to enjoy everything some more.

I’m very optimistic about my relationship with Jacqui. So I know I will visit again and again.

Oh, and the area of Melbourne (or Sydney) isn’t like the cartoon versions I have constructed in my head. I pictured everything tan and dusty and everyone talking like Crocodile Dundee. Jac has assured me such places exist in a different state than hers (she lives in Victoria). People who speak that way are called ‘auckers’ (sp?). Perhaps I’ll venture to those areas the next time I visit. 🙂

I have a bin full of acting books, none of which are available on the Kindle. The few that are I don’t want to ‘buy again’. The benefit of course is having the book read to me while I sit in the car.

I’m going to start a habit though, where I make time to get to someplace early so I can read these books. I have a BUNCH of plays, acting theory books and reflection I could do, but as I’m learning in BCII, you can only go so far ‘learning’ acting. The rest is doing. That is what I am preparing to do.

I don’t want to sit too long now and type up a post.. I have LOTS to memorize. Part of my new process is to type or scan the script and have the ‘robot voice’ read it to me. When I try recording the script myself, I end up accidentally doing intonations and then run the risk of always repeating them that way.

I have a scene from Angels in America (need to re-read this play), When Harry Met Sally, and then I have to memorize a dramatic monologue for my Tuesday Hollywood Playground class and a comedic monologue for Monday.

It is times like this that I really wish I had instant memorization.. someday… = )

So yeah, digital books are great, unless you have ‘non’ digitalized books that you have to carry around too.