The Arab Parrot - Highly Recommended Blog/ Images of Intrigue

One of my close friends and Master of all things pop culture surreal (an invaluable media resource) recently tuned me in to this blog. I must say wow, haha, and intriguing - I can't quit checking it out. Think urban art, Andy Warhol, paparazzi, street photography, performance art, image journal, gritty, soft, voyeurism, communal, hipster pretense, urban soul, potential brilliance, potential pointlessness. Actually, maybe I should let this one speak for itself. Enjoy.

The Arab Parrot

Existential Woes - reflections and observations

Keep nailing the ground to the earth,

but it won't stay down.

Bressonian Quote #12 - Notes from a Master Filmmaker

"Two types of film: those that employ the resources of the theatre (actors. direction, etc.) and use the camera in order to reproduce; those that employ the resources of cinematography and use the camera to create." - Robert Bresson

Bokonon - Relevant Quote/Wisdom

"Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter can be said to remedy anything." ~Bokonon (aka: Kurt Vonnegut)

Link: VONNEGUT.com

Filmmaker Quotes: Gus Van Sant

The following is a recent email that I received from a close friend, collaborator, and fellow filmmaker. I couldn't agree more - with my friend and Van Sant.

After the financial success of Good Will Hunting, Gus Van Sant had this to say:

"I came to realize since I had no need to make a lot of money, I should make films I find interesting, regardless of their outcome and audience."

And then he gave us Elephant and Paranoid Park. This man is my hero.

Arizona High Schools To Now Teach Spanish Entirely In English - the ONION reports

Links: the ONION - America's Finest News Source

Absurdity of the Moment - #02

At The Height Of The Crisis, $1.6 Billion In 'Ill-Advised' Bonuses

by JACOB GOLDSTEIN

At the height of the financial crisis, there was a window of a few months after banks had received federal bailout money, and before they were subject to new rules restricting their pay practices.

During that window, 17 financial companies handed out $1.6 billion in compensation that was "ill-advised," Kenneth Feinberg, the federal official appointed to oversee pay at bailed-out firms, said this morning...

Here are the 17 firms that Feinberg says made ill-advised payments. Those that have not yet fully repaid taxpayer bailouts are listed in bold:

• American Express
• AIG
• Bank of America
• Boston Private Financial Holdings
• Capital One
• CIT
• Citigroup
• JPMorgan Chase
• M&T Bank
• Morgan Stanley
• Regions Financial
• SunTrust Banks
• Bank of New York Mellon
• Goldman Sachs
• PNC Financial Services Group
• U.S. Bancorp
• Wells Fargo

Link to the entire article: NPR Reports

I feel like the utter and complete disregard of basic social (if not business) ethics is abundantly apparent, so no need to expound upon the evident injustice or my rising fury as i read each dribbling continuation of this absurd financial saga. Obviously, this is merely one more example in a long line that epitomizes the failures of our financial sector, and the major players, to have any semblance of basic human decency or expansive vision. This also perpetuates the rising tide of validated questions about the root paradigm of American Capitalism and contemporary deregulation. We reap what we sow.

Just wanted to play my part in the relevant information continuum in hopes that some may read this list and reconsider any further business transactions with these companies. They took money from the poor and paid gratuitous bonuses to the wealthiest - unforgivable, criminal.

The Jaunt (a short film by tod gorman) - Original Score, Poster/One-Sheet and Trailer

The Jaunt Original Score (written by Steve Raney and Tod Gorman)


This is the original Film Score for The Jaunt, a short film - based on the Stephen King short story - that I directed and edited. Seemingly endless post-production will wrap this month, and we hope to be screening in festivals by fall.

There are two tracks:

- The Electronic Film Score (opening and body of film): composed by Steve Raney, a good friend and gifted electronic musician/DJ extraordinaire based out of Brooklyn, NY.

- Final Track (end credits): composed by Steve and myself. Recorded by Ben Privott/Acoustic guitar by Tod Gorman/ Vocal humming by Tod Gorman and Brendan Carter/ Electronic tracks and Keys by Steve Raney.

The Jaunt Original Trailer (by Nick Smith)


Poster Designs by Nick Smith.

The Jaunt is presented by Bad Trip Film and Boy in a Box Productions, in conjunction with UNCW Film Studies and Stephen King's Dollar Baby Program.

Duality is the Premise - reflections and observations

EVERYTHING is a duality.

Rant Casey (from Chuck Palahniuk's novel, Rant) - Wisdom and Relevant Quotes

"Some people are just born human. The rest of us, we take a lifetime to get there."

"The future you have tomorrow won't be the same as the future you had yesterday."

"You're a different human being to everybody that you meet."

~Rant Casey

Link: The Cult - The Official Chuck Palahniuk Site

Highly recommended novel - Rant by Chuck Palahniuk. A twisted mutation of Palahniuk's dark-nook, back-alley, gritty realism (surreal at the same time - yes, this does make sense) and fantastical, philosophical, sci fi thriller - with the underlying combative themes of social chaos and romantic purpose that seem to thread all of Palahniuk's books. Also written through first person accounts of Rant Casey, post-mortem - this adds an intriguing aspect of questionable credibility and perspective to the storytelling voice and moves the story forward with narrative holes that build anticipation in a fascinating manner. Follow the link for more information.