Grandpa Reads The Comics...

 I LOVE a good success story. It helps restore my faith in humanity, and we all know how much we all could use more of that right about now. A success story is what I call the YouTube channel, Grandpa Reads the Comics...

A success story that's growing.

A few days ago my friend posted something on social media about her father and the incredible success his channel is having on YouTube. I'm a little ashamed to say that my first thought when reading her post was, "That's cute." Then, I checked out the site.

It's more than cute. It's a sensation.

When I checked the YouTube site a few days ago, the comic-reading grandpa had 97k subscribers. I just checked today and it's up to 237k. I can definitely see the draw. The videos are shot, sweet, and to the point. Grandpa reads a comic, then gives an inspirational thought. And I know why it's successful and growing. We need to hear these things. We need to know there's someone out there concerned about us. 

The fact that so many don't have people in their lives telling them these things is sad, but I'm glad Grandpa is filling that void, even if it's on social media. There's definitely a need for more of that.

If you want to check out Grandpa Reads the Comics, click: HERE to access the YouTube link. Good for you, Grandpa! You're doing something amazing.

If You Could Would You Want To Go Back In Time To See A Classic Film...?

 Would you ever want to go back in time and experience something you love for the first time?

Case in point...apparently people film themselves watching classic movies to capture their reactions on YouTube.

I had no idea.

My wife came across a YouTube channel a few months back. It's called the Rob Squad. You can access their YouTube channel by clicking: HERE. The couple sits and either watches a film they've never before seen or listen to a famous song neither has heard before. The lure of these YouTube channels is to experience what makes these songs or music so great with someone listening or seeing the art for the first time.

It's almost hypnotic.

I've watched several of these videos as the couple watches movies most of us watched when they came out years and decades ago...films like Footloose, The Shining, The Harry Potter Series, The Lord of the Rings series, Back to the Future, Steel Magnolias, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Shawshank Redemption, Field of Dreams, and many many more. For whatever reason, the Rob Squad have never seen these films. To me, it's hard to believe, but it's true. As I watch the couple watch and react to films I love, I'm a bit jealous of them. They get to experience the wonder, the joy, the heartache, the pure pleasure these films draw from those who see them. It conjures feelings and memories of when we watched them and how we felt as the stories unfold.

But, if I think about it. I would not have wanted to wait years and decades to experience these feelings, to see these shows. No, if given the choice, I'd rather have seen the films when I did than wait. Even though I'd be older and (hopefully...) more mature, I'd prefer to see things when I saw them.

Still, it's fun to watch others go through the same things you did.

Congratulations, Chuck! All That Hard Work...Is Paying Off

 I've had the honor of sharing the stage with Chuck Gilmore on more than one occasion. If you have had the same opportunity, you know what I'm talking about when I say as talented an actor and singer that he is, he's a better man. So, when he posted a milestone in his social media endeavors, I couldn't be happier for him.

Chuck is the man behind Power To Sing. It's his brand and Chuck's specialty is improving your ability to sing, to sing better, to sing with more confidence, to build upon your talent. As far as online campaigns go, improving the talents of others is more than worth while...it's nourishment for the soul. If only all of us did what Chuck does to help others, the world would be a better place to live.

Chuck posted in Instagram that he had surpassed 100k subscribers on his YouTube channel. One-hundred thousand, a tenth of a million. As I'm sure Chuck can tell you, this level of success does not happen overnight. It takes years...years of regularly posting new content, years of not quitting. About a decade ago, I started a podcast (before it was cool...) and the toughest thing for me was keeping it going. I made the mistake of not setting regular times to post new episodes. Without that self-discipline, the podcasts didn't get recorded, edited, and were never created.

If you ever get the chance to meet Chuck, or see him on stage, you should. If you're interested in what Chuck does, you can become a new subscriber by accessing his YouTube channel by clicking: HERE. You can also visit his website by clicking: HERE. I'm glad people like Chuck are out there improving the world, and in Chuck's case, it's improving the world one voice at a time. 

Camille Nelson's "Little Drummer Boy"...Beautiful

 Looking back on my almost five and a half decades, there are moments that, at the time, may have seemed ordinary or of little consequence, but in reality, were anything but. The first day of my second year at THE University of Utah, I sat in Professor Vrooman's Macro-Economics class when Bob, one of my best friends, found me. I was glad to be sharing a class with someone I knew (a rarity at the U for me...). Bob said he wasn't enrolled in that class but needed to add it because he had gotten into the U of U A'cappella Choir which was at the same time as the economics class he originally signed up for. He said I ought to try and get in the choir, myself.

Long story short, I auditioned for the choir a few hours later, inexplicably got in, and that one decision changed my life. I met my wife because of that choir, and I became associated some of the most amazing people I've ever known. I've watched with great interest how those people have grown, had families of their own, and shared those talents with the world.

One of those families...The Gregorys. 

While perusing social media earlier today, I ran across a post from Christine, one of those choir friends. Christine's sister Camille downloaded a video on YouTube featuring her and a singer, Yahosh Bonner. I knew not the sister or the singer, but I'm glad I clicked on the link. You can watch the video, Little Drummer Boy, by clicking: HERE.

 The Yuletide season is quickly approaching. I think, after the year we've had, some Christmas music is the right medicine for a hurting people. 

Thanks Christine for posting (and being part of such an amazingly talented family...). Thanks Camille, Yahosh, and all those involved in making the video. Thanks, Bob for the friendship and inviting me to join you in the choir. Thanks Dr. Ed for accepting me into your musical family. Thanks to all my choir friends for allowing me to hang with you and sing beautiful music for four years.

If you get a second, click on the video and let a little Christmas music (from a little drummer boy...) make your day a little bit better.

Everyone Needs Some Good News...

By now, most have seen the YouTube videos from John Krasinski and his friends under the headline Some Good News. If you haven't, you really need to stop what you're doing and watch them, watch all four of them in a row. It will take about an hour, but it won't feel like it.

It's obvious, we--as inhabitants on a planet in crisis--need good news. We need it when it comes to the virus, we need it when it comes to jobs, to families, to our health, to everything. If you can see through the negativity, you'll find millions of people doing things for others...

And it's wonderful.

Because we all access to people, our reach can be global, or affecting only a few. Mr. Krasinski, due to his fame and talents, has tremendous reach. Sure, anyone can make and post a video on YouTube, but getting people to watch is another story. Thankfully, if you've followed popular culture for the past fifteen years, you know who John Krasinski is and because of that, if you know/like him, you'll watch Some Good News.

Impactful media makes you want to take action--good or bad. After watching the latest episode of Some Good News, a couple of things came to mind--I wanted to find more good news stories, I wanted to be someone who did good things for others, and I wished I had the kind of reach Mr. Krasinski has earned. But, the more I thought about that last point, the less it mattered. I can do what I can do--I can affect a few people (even one...) more than the masses. The important thing is doing something, anything for others.

Another point struck me, after watching these videos--that is Mr. Krasinski's motives. There's a quote from a little Hugh Grant film, The Rewrite, where a college student tells the inexperienced newly-hired college professor (Grant) that celebrities are like Greek Gods in our modern society. The student explains that celebrities are larger than life--they're literally Gods. I apologize if I'm getting the lines wrong; it's been a while since I saw the movie. Using this definition, what celebrities say or do has weight...massive weight. Because of this insane time we're in, we are inundated with the actions and words of celebrities, whether we want to see and hear them or not.

But what did Mr. Krasinski choose to do and say? He chose to be positive, to do good. I've never met Mr. Krasinski (though, it would be fun to do so...), his actions speak volumes as to the type of person he is. I'm sure he has opinions about the world situation, our leaders and what they're doing, and if he chose to voice his opinions, many would listen. But, he chose good. Good is universal, good is truth, and right now, good is desperately needed.

Thank you, Mr. Krasinski for what you're doing--for your choices--and I look forward to more.

Erased...From Existence

Back in August, 2017 (August 14th, 2017, to be exact...) I wrote a blog post about how excited I was that a mini-series was finally posted to YouTube twenty-two years after it originally aired. The show, Syndey Sheldon's Nothing Lasts Forever. I was excited because I was in it and you can actually see my skinny and young mug a couple of times.

It was my claim to fame.

A few weeks ago, our team at work got a new supervisor. Because he's new, he wanted to get to know his team so he asked for a bit of trivia about ourselves that others might not know. I thought it would be fun to send him the link to the YouTube video of the show and tell him the exact moment to watch so he could see me.

Easy, I thought. After all, I had blogged about the show in 2017 and even included the link to the YouTube video on that blog post. When I tried finding the video to send to him, I found out the video had been taken down. If you do an internet search for the show, you'll find a poor substitute that only includes about half the screen (I guess it's the only way the makers of the film will allow it on YouTube...). And, unfortunately, any scene I was in has been cropped out.

Bummer.

I can definitely understand why it was taken down. After all, I'm sure whoever posted it did not have the rights to the show allowing them to do it. It wasn't the best show of all time--I would think whoever made the film would like people to have access to it. Most people can't even remember it--having it available would let anyone check it out.

So, I have some screenshots and memories. If you click: HERE you can access the blog post from 2017 and see small grainy videos of me in the show. Hope they don't take those down, too. I guess I'll just have to find some more extra work next time a mini-series comes to town to film... ;)

"Shell Game"...A Short Film I'm In...Is Available To Watch!

Late last year a friend sent out a post on social media. He had access to an incredible piece of video equipment and he was itching to try it out. He asked if anyone would want to help him out by being in a short film.

Of course, I responded.

The end result was posted on YouTube yesterday. It's called, Shell Game, and it's pretty cool.

There was a time when I thought about getting into film and TV as a career. I did some extra work back in the 1990s, and last year I was in my first commercial. I haven't actively sought out rolls--it's a fickle business at best and, well...I know who I am, what I look like, how I sound. I realized a long time ago that to be successful in the industry (other than having a great work attitude and talent...), you need to offer a product people want to see. I may dedicate more time to it in the future, but for now, I'm good.

Needless to say, the whole experience was a blast! I got to be a bad guy, a double-crosser who is caught by the big boss, a bigger and badder character than me. Once I'm found out, I'm given my options and the means by which to carry out those options. I should stop talking about it and just give you the link so you can watch it yourself--you can access the film by clicking: HERE. Seriously, it'll take you less time to watch it than it will to read this post.

Thanks to Nathan Riddle, Hawk Westerfield, and Chelsea Jurkiewicz for their excellent acting (and writing), and Geoffrey Leatham for great camera work.

It's still mind-boggling to me the access we have to create art. Only a few decades earlier, creating something like this would require a lot more money and time. I'm not implying it's not hard work now--it is, but for the "Average Joe" to be able to make a film like this, it still blows me away.

If you've got five minutes, click on the link. Also, if you could give a "like" on the YouTube page, that helps immensely. And, it would be fun to hear your thoughts about the film--plus, I'd LOVE to hear how you think the story ended. Shell Game, a fun little project!

JazzyUte's YouTube Channel--Something Wonderful...Or Not?

A few years ago I was on a panel at Salt Lake Comic Con where we discussed the future of cable television. After a while I forget about some of the things we talk about on those panels, but I remember on that specific panel Rob Defendi said something I've thought about many times. He said that kids these days don't watch TV. They don't watch network TV or even cable. The only thing they do watch, he said, was YouTube.

It sounded strange to me, even at the time. I'm sure they watch at least some cable shows, don't they? Then I thought about what my own kids watch. Yes, they watch some shows, but if we turned off cable today and just had internet, I think they'd be fine with just watching YouTube. I know at least two of my kids would be, anyway.

And maybe, after what I found today, I might be okay with it, too.

You see, today I found, and subscribed to, a YouTube channel, a channel that plays full-length University of Utah football games. It's JazzyUte's YouTube channel. It's a blessing...or is it a curse?

June, July--they're not good months for me. There's no football. I've resorted to watching Canadian football, which isn't that bad a product. Then again, perhaps the lack of competition makes it look better than it actually is. I mean, that wide field, the huge end zones, and only three downs?

Thanks to JazzyUte (and the miracle of modern technology...) I can now watch the last eighteen seconds of last year's U of U/BYU rivalry game (remember that...?). The problem I have now is, when exactly am I going to be able to watch all these games? I'm already too busy as it is. If you want to check out his channel and perhaps subscribe yourself, click: HERE.

So, my question for JazzyUte. Is your channel a blessing...

...or a curse?

Without YouTube...That Car Headlight Would Never Get Changed (At Least, By Me)

I drove up to the pizza place and noticed a headlight was out on my car. I've changed other bulbs on my '04 Vibe, but never a headlight. But, I've changed headlights in other cars--other newer cars, not the headlights like those on cars from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. With those you had to put in the huge blocks of glass and then position the correctly.

Thank goodness times have changed. Now, for the most part, you pop in a small bulb, hook up the wires and BOOM! You're done!

Or so I thought...

When I replaced the headlights on our minivan it was SO simple, and having a lot of space under the hood helped. Turns out there's not a lot of space under the hood of a '04 Pontiac Vibe. It's pretty cramped under there, especially near the the battery, which was the side where the light had burned out.

I spent 45 minutes trying to change that light. I even took apart the other headlight housing to see if I could understand just how to replace it. Nope. Finally I went old school. I dug out the owner's manual form the glove box and looked it up. Even that didn't help.

Of course, I should have just pulled up YouTube in the first place. You can see the YouTube video that helped me: HERE. It would have saved my time and the skin on my hands. After watching the video, I had the old bulb out in 15 seconds! And after another couple of minutes I had the new bulb in, the wires hooked up and the hood closed.

I know I'm not part of the millennial generation--maybe they would have accessed YouTube first. I know if I had, I would have saved time and skin.

Two Minutes Of Utter Bliss...

I had kind of a surreal experience today. While at work I was checking out Facebook while on a break and I saw a friend post a YouTube link.

The new Star Wars movie trailer had been released. He commented on the link saying something about how geeked out he was, and when it comes to Star Wars, almost everyone geeks out to one degree or another. I decided to watch it.

My reaction was pretty much all the million or so reactions to the two minute movie trailer. I inwardly screamed--inwardly because I was at work.

What was surreal for me was the fact that I was sitting at work and looking across the street to where the old Centre Theater once stood, on the corner of State Street and Third South in Salt Lake City. It was at that theater where I stood in line and later watched Star Wars IV, A New Hope for the first time. It was Memorial Day, 1977, and I was twelve years old.

And now, thirty-eight years later, I'm in a building that didn't exist decades earlier and I'm watching the video on a computer (also, something that didn't exist like we know it decades earlier...) and a wave of nostalgia of utter bliss washes over me as I recall the magic and wonder I experienced across the street those many years ago.

The show will be here in a matter of months, but for a brief two minutes this morning, I existed both in the past and in the future. What an amazingly powerful thing that short little video was for me.

All photos used without permission from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngElkyQ6Rhs

Still Geek-ed Out By Technology...The Peter Pan YouTube Video

 When I consider the the technology of today, I can't help but think about how my dad would have LOVED to be living right now. From the stories I've heard, he was a "techie" before there was a term. I mean, the man built our TV, for crying out loud.

And when I think about just how much of impact one person with a phone and a computer can have on the entire planet, it's overwhelming.

So, what does this have to do with pictures of Captain Hook, Smee, and pirates? Our local theater is putting on Peter Pan and a few of the actors got together and in a few hours using an smartphone and a computer, created three little stories/advertisements.

You should watch the YouTube video! The link is: HERE. I thought they had used a nice camera (not that cameras on phones these days aren't nice...), but I was surprised when I found out they filmed it all on a phone.

If my dad were around today, I think he'd absolutely love what can be done!