MCP TV Weirdo

Below are some meals I worked up for a lunch at a Sushi Restaurant in Richmond Va.

Here a new video from MCPTV and Common Man Media..

Been playing SW:FUL (Star Wars: Force Unleashed). Good game.... and while playing this came up as a reward;

So I Haven't been able to blog about Dragon Con since it started. So here is a run down of what has happened.

Day 1-
Spent most of the day hanging in the Podcasting track of the Con. Tee Morris writer, podcaster (and friend from back in High School), and blogger was prominent in the panels. Most of the panels where about authoring, So it was somewhat of a wash for me and what I was looking for. What I did leanr was that podcasting your novel seems to be a great way to get published. Most of the panelist and authors have had great success.
Went to the Hall of Fame (or shame as some people might call it), it is where all the talent signs autographs and talk with the fans. I walked around and took in the sights. I saw George Takei, Nathan Fillion, Michael Rosenbaum and others. I did get to talk to Kevin Sorbo for a few minutes. He wasn't talking to anyone and so I approached him about the Middleman episode that he was in (and you haven't seen Middleman, shame on you.) He was actually very nice. I talked with him for a few minutes and he told me stories about the episode and even some of the things that he is getting ready to do. I did end up doing some editing (video). The Parsek awards needed someone that knew Premier Pro, so I helped them with some transitions, not really doing much but I was told I helped a lot. The evening ended up meeting back with Meg and Nate to wait in line for the "Buffy Horror Picture Show". It was a take on the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" and the episode of Buffy that was a musical. A group of people acted out the episode and the audience shouted out and sang along. There was about 500 plus and there were three other shows going on through the night. We had a scare riding home on the MARTA, the rail doesn't go all the way out after 9pm. So with a little learning curve we made it back to the car.

Day 2-
We got in to the Con about 1pm. I went to the film track and watched a few indy films. One staring Dean Stockwell. A western called Al's Beef. Executed well and good filmography. Then there was "Hard Stapled", a parody of any John Woo movie. Decent lo-budget film making at it's best. Lastly, "Dead Bones". A western/horror film in the style of the Spaghetti Western style. All of the movies were good and made me believe we could submit a film for next year.
I took a break from the business tracks and went to one of the fan tracks. Life in Smallville was hosted by Michael Rosenbaum. Rosenbaum, who has left the show stilled answered question about his role, Lex Luthor and other questions. He talked about why he left, wanting to get back to comedy both acting and writing. Coming out into the crowd and physically interacting with the crowd made him a fan favorite.
Back to the film track with special effects. "Outsource" was a beautiful sci-fi short that was really well done. Almost all done with a new style of filming called "black screening". It is similar to green screen but using a black screen.
Again back to the Fan Track by visiting the Middleman Panel. The members of the panel consisted of the lead fan blogger for the show. Again if you haven't seen this show you really need to. Middleman is possibly the most intelligently writing and idea for a program in a long time. The cast is great and has that spark that has made other shows popular. So see the damed show and make sure it doesn't go away. Tell a friend! My day ended with a very mean vendor who tried to not sell me a book. He wouldn't take a credit card for a $10 purchase. He had a $30 minimum which is against his contract with VISA and Master Card (see my next blog). We got home early and are waiting for what our day will be like tomorrow.

This girl was 13! She was amazing. No vocal training either.

Great BBQ in Roswell GA.

So next weekend is DragonCon. Itis one of the most under rated conventions dyring the year. Some of the biggest sci-fi writers, bloggers, actors and directors will be ib attendance. Yet none of the geek culture media providers will be talking about it. It is one of the better Cons on the East coast.
I plan to document this weekend for web release. The presmises is not to showcase the Con, but to show what the Con is like through the eyes of a fist time attendee.
I will be travelling with my friend, Nate, and his lovely new wife. While Nate has been to a couple local Cons, neither have been to a large Con. His wife, Meg, has neve been.
I think it would be great to see a major Con through the eyes of two people that have never been.
Stayed tund and spread the word, either way D am looking to get access to talent and the Con as a general reporting of what goes on.

I was told I needed to protect myself from the crazy people.

SO I have been getting into watching MMA. I like the martial aspect of the fights. The skills needed to fight in MMA are so much more than a boxing or a wrestling match. Not only do you have to worry about punches but kicks and elbows. The ground game adds an aspect that makes the fighter have to cross train and become a jack of all trades.

I started watching UFC when it first started. I loved the fact that strikers would come in thinking they would dominate. Then this small guy would take them to the mat and totally dominate the (Royce Gracie). Then the strikers started learning how to take it to the mat. The sport became one of strikes/counter strikes, submission and reversals. It is the purest form of using the body in way it was designed. The body is a machine that when used as its designed is a powerful and beautiful thing.

Here is the issue I now have with the current MMA fights. While a majority of them are still in that martial vein, some fighters have started to use tactics that I think are not part of the poetry of movement. I wont argue about elbows that I think is a part of fighting. Mine problems is more on the head buts, head pinning and use of the ring ropes and walls. I really don't think growing a beard and rubbing your opponent into the ground causing hot spots that can open a guy up. In Boxing the fighter uses the corners and the ropes to get an advantage. The thing is the referee will pull the fight to the center if the fighter uses them to pin the opponent to the ropes. In MMA fighters use the leverage of the ring walls and ropes to counter holds and get out of submissions. I have a hard time with this. Using a object to reverse or counter your opponent is not what the craft is about. Using your techniques and abilities is. Some of the newer MMA promoters are starting to have a ringless arena. I think this brings the skill set and advantage back to the art.

As fopr the beards and the rubbing of the skin. "Indian burns" should be left to elementary school. I understand the technique that the fighters are attempting to use. By rubbing the skin your create a hot spot. That spot when stuck can welt, then lead to a cut. Cuts in fights can stop a fight and allow someone to win. I still think this is not a way to win a fight. There's no control, no technique or even skill about it. Its not even something that martial arts teaches you to do. It's more something fighters have started to do to gain advantage.

Well that's my two cents....

July 4th I went to a roof top party for the fire works last night. I was really excited because it is always great to be on a roof and see 2-3 different fireworks going off during he night.

As the night progressed I started to see some of the partiers becoming more and more drunk. People started to take more risk by running around the roof and falling down. Each time one of them would go near and edge people would worry. Epically me.

When I worked in West Virgina as the Director of a raft companies Ropes Course. I saw (and held) a man as he died. He was a friend of one of the guides. A young man from Australia that traveled with this female guide. He was hanging out with some of the Kayak'ers that came to train for the next season of rodeos (kayaking that is).

The road we where based on was a small country road that saw traffic but only when we started in the morning and ended at night. It was late in the day and all our trip were over. We all were gathering in the lounge when we saw this young man get out of a Winnebago of the kayak'ers.

As he crossed the road a car hit him at 65 MPH. His body was bucked over the front and planted in the windshield. He was then launched and flipped seven time in the air. I still have nightmares of this.

I was one of four people to enter the scene. I took the head position and cradled this dying mans head in hands. He was gasping and his face was caved in. Bubbles were coming out of every opening. I don't know how long I was on the head. I do remember that someone (an EMT) replaced me. Then I walked around dumb founded and in shock.

I tell this story because last night the drunk ones where almost falling off the roof. I was so scared I would have to go through that again. I left before the big fireworks at the Diamond happened. I sat on my deck and watched it with a beer and all by myself.