Art Eddy III
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“The Walking (And Talking) Dead” — A Bad Lip Reading of The Walking Dead
Another great video from the folks at Bad Lip Reading just got released. This time these guys poke fun at the AMC hit show “The Walking Dead.” It even got the approval from Norman Reedus who plays Daryl Dixon on the show.
So if you are needing some new Walking Dead in your life since the last season ended here you go!
May 3rd
50 Concerts, 50 States, 1 Day with Bud Light Music First
For live music fans, summer is about to kick into high gear with the launch of Bud Light Music First. Bud Light is teaming up with the best music and interactive partners, including Live Nation, Myspace and Universal Music Group to host the ultimate live music experience.
It all culminates with the “50/50/1” event on August 1, with concerts in all 50 states on a single day and featuring artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Sublime with Rome, Alex Clare, The Airborne Toxic Event, The Flaming Lips and Guster. Additional artists will be announced in the coming m
onths.
Tickets to the 50/50/1 events as well as more than 500,000 music-centric prizes including Monster DNA Headphones, Live Nation Concert Cash and UMG music downloads are up for grabs through the Bud Light Music First app, available through the Apple and Android app stores.
Fans can also track updated show announcements, discover never-before-seen artist content and live-stream select 50/50/1 concerts through the Bud Light Music First Hub at https://new.myspace.com/budlightmusicfirst.
“Music is such a unique platform because it brings people together, yet everyone interacts with it on a personal level,” said Rob McCarthy, vice president, Bud Light. “With Bud Light Music First, we have an amazing collection of artists and partners that will make sure every adult fan can experience music in a fun, interesting way this summer.”
“We’re excited to partner with Bud Light as the Music First initiative gives fans the opportunity to connect to music on a massive scale, tapping into Myspace’s platform as a destination for 50/50/1,” said Christian Parkes, global vice president of marketing, Myspace. “Like Myspace, Bud Light shares the desire to create unique experiences in music and provide fans greater access to their favorite artists.”
The other music acts confirmed to perform in 50/50/1 include: Emeli Sandé, Drive-By Truckers, The Gaslight Anthem, The Airborne Toxic Event, The Dirty Heads, Capital Cities, Citizen Cope, Coheed & Cambria, Gogol Bordello, Mastodon and Machine Head, Halestorm, Under the Sun Tour, Guster, The Mowgli’s, Minus the Bear, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Best Coast, Frank Turner, Wavves, The Hold Steady, Corey Smith and Portugal. The Man. Additional acts will be announced in the coming weeks. The 50/50/1 lineup is being curated by Live Nation.
May 2nd
5 Beers Perfect for Summertime
We are now in the month of May and even though it is technically still spring there are days where it feels like summertime. In the summer we trek to the beach, have barbeques, and go out on the decks at our local bars to sip some cold brews. So with that notion here are five beers you should look out for this summer.
1. Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA
Even though you can get the 60 Minute IPA year round it is still a great choice for the summer. This brew is continuously hopped with more than 60 hop additions over a 60-minute boil. The hops in the beer come from the Northwest. The beer has citrus, cedar, pine and candied-orange flavors, floral hop flavors to it.
Recommended Food Pairings: Spicy foods, pesto, grilled salmon, soy-based dishes, pizza, vintage cheddar
2. Samuel Adams Coastal Wheat
This edition of Sam Adams has a golden color to it. This is Sam Adams take on the hefeweizen style beer. They use lemon peel of Eureka and Lisbon lemons from three regions in California to help balance out the wheat malt character. The result is a beer that is a crisp and refreshing wheat ale with a subtle lemon flavor.
Recommended Food Pairings: Roasted pork tenderloin, roasted duck, onion rings, and bratwurst.
3. Blue Point Summer Ale
Blue Point’s version of a summer ale has a great taste to it. It comes from a substantial portion of wheat malt added to a traditional barley malt mix. This fantastic mix helps to give their ale a unique tartness. This ale is perfect for the hazy and hot days of summer.
Recommended Food Pairings: Salad, quiches, fish, and Mexican food.
4. Sierra Nevada Summerfest
Summerfest is a very tasty and refreshing beer that is brewed as a traditional style lager. You can definitely smell the hoppy aroma once you pour it into a glass. There is a tangy summery bite to the beer. Summerfest is light and won’t fill you up which is perfect for when you are outside in sun drinking a few at the beach.
Recommended Food Pairings: Grilled Chicken, sushi, salads, and lightly spiced sausages.
5. Peak Organic Summer Session Ale
Peak creates their traditional summer wheat beer that tastes like a West Coast pale ale. They use locally grown wheat and the Amarillo dry hopping gives a citrusy aroma. If you are vacationing and happen to see this beer on the menu make sure you give it a try.
Recommended Food Pairings: Seafood, spicy food, and pasta dishes.
May 1st
Chris Canty tells us how we can hang with him at the NFL Draft….Virtually!
Super Bowl Champion Chris Canty was a standout defensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants before signing this offseason with the defending Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens, so he’s used to being in the media spotlight. But now the 9-year NFL veteran is flipping the script, serving as a special correspondent and NFL draft insider for Sqor, the groundbreaking new digital sports platform.
Sqor, from digital sports innovator Virtual Fan Network (www.virtualfannetwork.com), connects fans to the athletes and sports they love. Sqor combines the latest from social platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, sports news sites such as Sporting News and ESPN, and video, photo and original athlete-produced content, all in a highly visual, deeply engaging, personalized experience.
Throughout draft week, Canty previews the first round of the draft on Twitter (@ChrisCanty99), offers one-on-one interviews with top draft picks and takes fans behind the velvet ropes, giving them behind-the-scenes access to exclusive NFL draft parties.
You’re invited to sign up now at www.sqor.com to be a part of the conversation as the NFL veteran evaluates the next generation of NFL stars. Visit sqor.com or follow @sqor on Twitter for Canty’s candid analysis of every pick as it happens.
Even with his busy schedule Chris took the time to speak with me about the NFL draft this week, his career, and his foundation. Make sure you check out how Chris helps out the community by going to his foundation’s website.
Art Eddy: The NFL draft starts tomorrow and goes through the weekend. You are working with Sqor as a draft insider. Can you tell me a bit about what you are doing?
Chris Canty: Well I am excited to be working with Sqor, which is a new digital media platform. Fans have the opportunity to interact with me. They get to follow what is going on with my Twitter, my Instagram, my Facebook, as well as articles and any other cool things that normal fans don’t have access to. It gets fans closer to me and the field.
I am really excited about this. It is going to be cool to hang out in New York City for this draft weekend. We are going to be working with some of the draft prospects and going to be interviewing them. We get to see how they are feeling. We are really excited about this.
AE: So people can follow you on Twitter to at ChrisCanty99 to stay informed about the draft?
CC: Yep. People can follow me at ChrisCanty99 and follow all of the interesting draft things that are going on this weekend. Plus moving forward people will get to follow what I have going on moving forward with the Baltimore Ravens and in the community.
AE: You signed with the Ravens this offseason. How has the transition been so far?
CC: The transition has been pretty good. I am getting a chance to be in there with my teammates. I get to work in the offseason programs these past couple of weeks. It has been great getting a chance to know those guys and have the guys know me. It has been really good.
AE: How much have you spoken with the team and John Harbaugh?
CC: He is a pretty cool customer I have to say. He is a good coach and a lot of the guys respect him. What you see is what you get and that is always a plus when you are talking about a coach in the National Football League.
AE: You won a Super Bowl with the New York Giants when you beat the New England Patriots. The Ravens are coming off this past season winning a Super Bowl. How can you help your new team avoid a Super Bowl hangover?
CC: We have a very young football team. One of the things that I try to reiterate with those guys is that don’t allow the complacency to set in. Make sure you continue to focus on the details and little things. Those things add up to big things and those things adds up to wins and losses.
What you want to do as a football champ is to let those guys know that you just can’t pick up where you left off and that they have to start anew every season. Every team that comes together is a brand new team. Last year’s team was the Super Bowl Champs, but that team is done. We are in the process of putting together the 2013 Baltimore Ravens.
AE: With Ray Lewis and Ed Reed no longer on the team, two big leaders on the team, how do you think the defense will respond this upcoming season?
CC: I think coach Harbaugh and GM Ozzie Newsome have a great plan to bridge some of the gaps of some of the losses they have. Understanding that they can’t replace those guys. They are legends, but understanding that they are trying to put together a new football team. I think that they started with some great additions. They brought in Marcus Spears. They brought in Michael Huff. They brought in Elvis Dumervil. They got some great pieces that they added to the football team, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
AE: You have played for the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants. The two teams have a huge rivalry. How was it to play on both teams and compete in those games?
CC: I tell you what being in those games was like a war. Anytime that you talk about those division matchups it is definitely a tough and hard fought game. I got to tell you that you come out a little more bruised and sore after those games than just another regular season game. Everybody is trying to fight and scrap to give themselves the best chance to get a leg up in their division.
AE: Now as a Raven you will be facing rivals like the Pittsburgh Steelers. Do players get hyped for these games that fans consider to be a rivalry game or is it the media just putting too much into these games?
CC: I am a football junkie so to speak, so I am always watching other teams. I am always watching those AFC North match-ups. I am very familiar with those teams in that division. I will be putting more a microscope on those teams now than I have in the past. I know what those teams like to do and the types of personalities on those teams. It sure will make for some fun and exciting games this fall.
AE: Tell me about the Chris Canty foundation.
CC: It is a foundation that focuses in on the empowerment of the youth. We concentrate on three main areas of working with a child. We concentrate on fitness. We concentrate on education and we concentrate on service. It is not just enough to instill live lessons and core values in a child, but we also want to make sure that each child that we work with understands their responsibility to pay it forward and give back to the community.
We have a lot of cool programs from different service initiatives and service organizations throughout the Tri-State area as well as North and South Carolina. We have a mentorship program. We have a leadership academy program. We are really excited about the things that we are doing with young people.
To listen to the entire interview click here!
Apr 24th
How to Celebrate Star Wars Day
Every year on May 4th fans of the “Star Wars” saga go out and revel in everything about a galaxy that is far, far away. Whether you hear someone say to you, “May the fourth be with you,” or see some posts on Facebook or Twitter you can spot fans of the film.
The day started out as a grassroots campaign that came from the famous Jedi line “May the Force be with you.” Every year there became a bigger following and more and more people were celebrating “Star Wars” on that day.
You can show your support by going on Twitter and Facebook and use the hashtag #MayThe4thBeWithYou to show that you are enjoying “Star Wars” Day. There was even a video made from Lucasfilm of Bonnie Burton asking people on the streets of San Francisco about “Star Wars” Day and how fans can celebrate.
In case you would like to participate in the celebration on May 4th, here are ten fun ways that you can enjoy and partake in the festivities. This list is courtesy of StarWars.com.
1. Have a “Star Wars” movie marathon with friends and family! But do you start with the prequels or the original trilogy? Do you mix in some episodes of “The Clone Wars”? Better decide before your guests arrive, or you may spend the day in a heated debate.
2. Dressing up for special occasions is important, and May the 4th is no different. Wearing anything from your favorite “Star Wars” shirt to full-on Stormtrooper gear is completely acceptable. (It’s okay to dress up your pet, too. Bounty hunter bulldogs are especially encouraged.)
3. Food is an essential part of any holiday. Death Star Popcorn Balls or Wookiee Cookies, anyone? Find a variety of recipes on StarWars.com!
4. Toast the saga with the ultimate “Star Wars”-themed beverage: blue milk, just like Aunt Beru used to make!
5. Feel the Force with “Star Wars” crafts: turn old socks and rocks into awesome “Star Wars” keepsakes! Learn how to make a Chewbacca Sock Puppet, “Star Wars” Snow Globe, and more at StarWars.com!
6. Have you Vadered anyone yet? Now’s the time to give it a try and be sure to Tweet your photo to @starwars!
7. You know that Rebel Alliance symbol tattoo you’ve been thinking about getting? Today’s the day.
8. Sometimes people use holidays to travel to new places. Why not go to Disneyland or Disney World and ride Star Tours? There are over 50 separate mission possibilities.
9. As Yoda said, “Pass on what you have learned.” Introduce a younger sibling, family member, or friend to “Star Wars”!
10. Do you have any “Star Wars” toys that you don’t need any more? Donate them and make May the 4th really memorable for children in need.
Plus this year marks the 30th anniversary of “Return of the Jedi” which makes this year’s celebration even more special. Also fans of the movie franchise are stoked with the new trilogy of movies beginning with “Star Wars: Episode VII” that will be coming to theaters soon. So this May 4th remember to party like you just defeated the Empire and as always, “May the fourth and the Force be with you!”
If you are looking to try out some of the family friendly drink recipes check out a few here to get you started as you watch the “Star Wars” saga.
Blue Milk
Ingredients:
1 cup milk
½ teaspoon unsweetened blue fruit punch mix
Sugar
Directions:
Pour the milk into a tall glass and gently stir in the blue fruit punch mix. The drink should be lightly tinted blue. Adjust the amount of mix to get the color that you like. Add sugar to taste.
Greedo Fauxito
For those who might not remember Greedo was the bounty hunter in “Episode IV: A New Hope” that tried to bring Han Solo back to Jabba the Hutt. Here is drink recipe that pays him homage.
Ingredients:
One lime
8-10 fresh mint leaves
Lemon-lime soda
Directions:
Squeeze juice of one lime into a tall glass. Add fresh mint leaves and muddle with a cocktail muddler or spoon. Fill glass with ice. Add lemon-lime soda to fill the glass.
Tatooine Sunset
Ingredients:
1 cup orange juice
¼ cup grenadine syrup (approximately)
Directions:
Fill a tall glass with ice, and orange juice. Slowly pour in grenadine syrup and allow to settle on the bottom.
Apr 23rd
Former NFL Cornerback Reggie Howard Talks Football, His Foundation, & More
Reggie Howard played for six years in the NFL. He played for the Miami Dolphins and the Carolina Panthers. He is retired from the game and is now helping out other athletes by empowering then to impact communities through education and social development. Along with Ray Lewis, Julius Erving and others they are looking to make a difference in their communities with the United Athletes Foundation.
They are having a raffle where you have a chance to win a trip to New York City to meet Ray Lewis during NFL Draft weekend at various VIP events! The deadline to enter is April 23! Click here for more details.
The United Athletes Foundation is a 501c3 public non-profit organization created in 2008 by a group of professional athletes who understood their unique role in improving the lives of both the athlete fraternity and society in its entirety. To date, there are more than 90 professional athletes associated with the UAF including members of the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA and professional boxing.
I was able to chat with Reggie about the NFL Draft weekend promotion, the UAF, and football.
Art Eddy: Tell me about the promotion you have for your foundation, the United Athletes Foundation and how it revolves around the NFL Draft weekend.
Reggie Howard: We have a nice promotion for the fans. For the past four years we have been working events at the NFL Draft weekend with players become of aware of financial security. We also have an award ceremony where we give an award to the MVP of the community.
So this year we thought it would be great to have this promotion where we put out a raffle where one lucky fan can have the opportunity to attend the event with an all-expense paid trip to New York City and bring one guest to hang out with the UAF. We have been getting the word out about and people are getting excited. This year we have one of the key members of the United Athletes Foundation, Ray Lewis and he is the key spokesperson for this. The winner gets to spend time with us and see what our foundation does and how we help out the community.
AE: You are working with Ray Lewis for this promotion with the UAF for the NFL Draft weekend. How is it to work with Ray for this promotion?
RH: Ray has been great. He is actually one of the co-founders of the United Athletes Foundation and is also the chairman. He is a guy that really cares about the community and has a big heart. One of the main things that we focus here in our organization is to let guys know how important it is to be community leaders.
The second thing is that the NFL is great, but there are things outside of the game that we really need to have a focus on and that is family, community, and a great understanding as it pertains to financial literacy. That is one of the big things in our organization. We need to put things in place where guys have resources where they can learn more about finances. They can also learn to be protected from fraudulent financial activity from advisors.
It is a great weekend because we have great events planned. We had Jim Brown pass the torch so to speak to Ray and one of the people we are thinking of presenting the MVP award to is Adrian Peterson. He is a great guy that is not only a stellar player on the field, but also has a big, big heart for his community. UAF is all about team concept in the world of philanthropy and showing the importance of what our responsibility is to the community.
AE: In your NFL career you played mostly for the Panthers. Looking back at your career what stands out the most with your time in the NFL?
RH: I really enjoyed my time playing in the NFL. It was a great experience. I would say the biggest thing is the camaraderie of playing with players and competing on the top stage. Playing in the NFL is going up against the best of the best. Every day that you go out you are competing at your highest level.
One thing coach (John) Fox told us is that if you are not getting better you are getting worse. Nobody ever stands still. It is a true statement. Anytime that you are not putting forth your best effort you give an opportunity for your competition to get better. For me it was definitely the camaraderie of it. The highlight was playing in the Super Bowl. There is no feeling like that. To be on stage where all eyes are on you and you are trying to win a championship. Not everybody gets that opportunity and when you get there it is a special, special moment.
AE: Speaking of Super Bowl XXXVIII, you and the Panthers fell short of beating the New England Patriots. You did intercept Tom Brady though not that many people can say they did that. Do you remember that play?
RH: You remember everything you did in that game. It was funny because when we were preparing for the Patriots it was very hard. They had so many packages out there offensively that you never knew what they were going to do. They had so many things that they could do as an offense that it was hard to prepare for them. It is hard for a defense to pick up tendencies on teams like the Patriots. That is why they are so successful offensively.
On that play that I got the interception on is funny because that is one of their key plays and key formations that they run. This was one formation that we prepared for that week. They like to have trips on one side and two receivers on the other side. They like to run double smashes from the outside receivers and have the inside receiver run the seven route to the corner.
I basically recognized the formation. I played it where I led Tom believe that I was going to man to man and then I actually backed up and I got the interception. I got tripped up by one guy and if not for him I could have taken it all the way. Muhsin Muhammad took it to the house after we got the turnover and helped us with gaining some momentum. It was a great game and it came down to the wire. We are not the only team to lose to the leg of Adam Vinatieri. (Laughs) After that the NFC Championship ring went back in the closet and I didn’t want to see anything with a Patriot sign on it. It is no fun being second place at the Super Bowl.
AE: Playing cornerback is tough since you are going up against some great athletes. Who was the hardest wide receiver to cover?
RH: I would have to say Randy Moss. At that time he was playing in Minnesota and that guy was tough to cover. He was well feared by players back at that time.
AE: Who talked the most trash?
RH: Keyshawn Johnson by far. Keyshawn talked a lot. I would say looking back it had to be Keyshawn. That guy was always talking.
Apr 20th
Heisman, Nissan and Habitat for Humanity Partner to Build Home for Family in Need
On most days, Aldon Lightfoot works with fellow longshoremen to load and unload ships at the Port of New Orleans. Earlier this week Lightfoot worked alongside seven members of an elite class of athletes, Heisman Memorial Trophy winners to build a Habitat home for his growing family.
The house of Aldon Lightfoot and Kimberly Jones and their three children will be built with help from a construction crew that includes celebrated Heisman Trophy winners John Lattner (1953, University of Notre Dame), Johnny Rodgers (1972, University of Nebraska), George Rogers (1980, University of South Carolina), Mike Rozier (1983, University of Nebraska), Danny Wuerffel (1996, University of Florida), Eric Crouch (2001, University of Nebraska) and Mark Ingram (2009, University of Alabama).
This unique collaboration grew out of existing relationships among Nissan and its partners Habitat for Humanity and the Heisman Trophy Trust. Together, the three organizations will team up with New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity to build a home in partnership with the Lightfoot family.
“Nissan is committed to improving the communities where our employees and customers live. Joining with Habitat for Humanity and the Heisman Trust, who share this mission of community service, is an ideal extension of our partnership with both organizations,” said Nissan Marketing Vice President Jon Brancheau. “We are grateful to these athletes for joining in this one-of-a-kind partnership to build this house alongside a New Orleans family.”
The “Heisman House” concept launched by Nissan in 2011 highlights its sponsorship of The Heisman Memorial Trophy, which is awarded annually to an outstanding college football player. The campaign gathers many of the most celebrated college football players of the last 30 years into the fraternal order of the Heisman House.
“We are proud to partner with our premier sponsor, Nissan, these former Heisman winners and Habitat for Humanity on this worthwhile project,” said William J. Dockery, President of the Heisman Trust. “When most people hear the word Heisman, they immediately think of the trophy and college football. Many do not realize the mission of The Heisman Trust is to support the underprivileged and underserved. This is just another example of the work the Heisman Trust is doing all year long.”
Partnering with New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity, the Lightfoot family will move into their new three-bedroom Habitat home in Central City from a one-bedroom apartment. The family includes a daughter, 8, two sons, ages 5 and 2 months, and a new baby on the way.
“We are grateful for Nissan’s long-time support in helping to make affordable housing possible and for extending an opportunity for the Heisman Trophy Trust and athletes to get involved in our work,” said Kymberly Wolff, senior vice president of Development at Habitat for Humanity International. “We look forward to continuing to partner together to help families fulfill their dreams of home ownership.”
Nissan’s national partnership with Habitat dates to 2005, following hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Since 2006, Nissan has contributed more than $9 million to Habitat for Humanity. Nissan employees have helped to build more than 62 homes across the United States, and the company has donated 111 vehicles to support Habitat’s mission.
Apr 17th
Interview with Writer and Actor Juddy Talt
“Language of a Broken Heart” is a new romantic comedy that is now out in theaters. It follows a guy named Nick looking to repair his heart after a devastating breakup. Nick is a best-selling author on love, and he finds his fiancé with another man. His heartbreak drives him crazy and he starts reflecting on his many romantic failures.
I was able to talk with the writer and actor Juddy Talt, who plays Nick in the film. The movie also stars Oscar Nunez, Kate French, and Julie White. Juddy and I talk about how he came up with the concept of the film and the process of getting the film from paper to the big screen.
Art Eddy: You wrote and star in the film “Language of a Broken Heart”. Tell me about the film and how you came up with the story?
Juddy Talt: This has been a long process. When I graduated at the University of Southern California I knew I wanted to make my own film. For this film it stems from a breakup. Well I should say a combination of a lot of breakups, but mostly on one that took some time for me to get over. It helps that I am a fan of movies like “Say Anything” and a lot of Woody Allen films. There are a lot of neurotic characters in Woody Allen films so that was something I thought about as I was doing my film.
I had a tough breakup so I decided that I needed to do a film about that. What did Henry Miller once say? It was something like the best way to get over a woman is to turn her into literature. A therapist once told me the best way to get over a woman is to get under another one. To me that sounded as odd and inappropriate advice.
So I went with the film route. I wrote it from my experience and it came out pretty quickly. It is a highly fictionalized version of this breakup. I find that breakup stories are such a universally accepted topic and people can relate to this story. My character has a broken heart, but you see him go through things that are sad and humorous at the same time. When I was dealing with a break up in my real life I looked back and thought there was some funny things I did. My dad even told me that I needed to get laid. It is funny now as I reflect on that and I think people will see the humor in what my character goes through in the film.
My character goes home and repairs his relationship with his mother and viewers start to see that this broken heart keeps on going around to different characters in the film. We have been getting great reviews so far and I am pleased with the viewer’s reaction to the film.
AE: Since you wrote the story for the film, did you feel that acting in that role was easier than other projects that you were in before?
JT: I would say yes and no. I think it is very easy in a sense since you have been with the material for so long. Yet that can be a big downfall because you can hire an actor who brings something to the script that you never thought of before. It is fun when an actor comes and surprises you with a new take on the role. I have similarities to this character obviously. Yet this character is very obsessive and very neurotic and I hope that I am not like that in real life. (Laughs) The jury is still out. 
AE: The film also stars also stars Oscar Nunez, Kate French, and Julie White. Were you part of the casting process to get these actors?
JT: Absolutely. When I was in Los Angeles I got Ronnie Yeskel to be the casting director for the film. She is a well-known casting director and she responded well to the script. I was very much involved with her in casting for the film. We read with Kate (French) and Lara Pulver. Then we read with Ethan Cohn, who plays Cubbie in the film.
For Julie White and Oscar Nunez they were just straight out offers. We really wanted them. We were about to start shooting the film and we didn’t even have them yet. We shot the film in New York and in Dallas. We heard that Julie was in Dallas so we thought that this was our chance to get her for the film.
Two weeks before we started filming in Dallas we started stalking Julie since she was in Dallas. We knew she was at her mother’s house. We wondered if we should just show up at the house and just drop off the script. The funny thing about the whole stalking Julie thing was that it goes right along with a scene in the film. The main character’s ex-girlfriend says to my character to stop stalking her and stop leaving notes and things on her car and house. My character then says something like what is the difference between stalking and being romantic. Luckily Julie liked the script and we got her for the film.
AE: How long did it take to bring the film from concept to screen?
JT: It was pretty long. I also produced it too. I was out there raising a lot of the money for the film. Even once I had the script I would say that it took about a year to a year and a half to start filming. I was also trying to get another project off the ground at that time. I switched my focus to this film because the other one was starting to get really expensive.
Yet overall all after the script for “Language of a Broken Heart” was done we were able to start shooting in a year or so. Now the film is in select theaters and that was not an easy task, so I am happy that it is in theaters.
AE: Do you preference of acting or writing?
JT: Every day I can wake up and write. It is a great way to get out what I need to get out. I really enjoy writing. I grew up on the stage acting. I did a bunch of community theatre growing up in Pasadena. I continued with that passion as I grew older. I love the both so it is nice to be able to do both.
AE: Are there any type of stories you would you like to tell that you feel the film industry has not touched on yet?
JT: Definitely. I think that this is a good starting point for me. This film doesn’t reinvent the wheel. It is a very poignant little film. Viewers really responded well to it so far. If you go on sites like Fandango you see that audiences are really behind this film and are encouraging people to go check this film out. I don’t have a big marketing budget so word of mouth is great.
For me, I love to mix comedy and drama. It is a tough thing to do, but I want to keep on making films like that. I want to show people how life is and that there will be good and bad times in everyone’s life. I love films like “Almost Famous” and “Say Anything” since the blend drama and comedy is done so well. Even in stories that are tragic I want to show some sense of humor in part of that story. People will walk away from those films saying that is true to life. That is what I want to do in the future.
Apr 17th
Make Your TV Smarter!
If you were looking to upgrade your old flat screen TV with a new smart TV you might want to check out the SmartStick first. If your TV is still in great shape why not just spend $50 instead of $1500. A company called FAVI Entertainment can upgrade your TV for 50 bucks as long as your TV has an HDMI input.
SmartStick has a HDMI connector that is built right on the stick that looks like a flash drive and it plugs directly into your HDTV with no cables or confusing adapters. The DC power is supplied over a mini-USB port, and the included mini-USB to USB connection is just the right length, to reach the USB port on your HDTV.
The Interface application is great. The application lets you access apps, the web, and multimedia content. The SmartStick actually gets you! I am serious. This device adapts itself to present your preferred content first. The homepage will remain constantly updated to display your 6 favorite applications, and any two widgets of your choice.
There is a browser tab to search the web. A video tab that will search through your attached storage devices and present all of your video files. Plus there is a music tab that will look out for audio files no matter which folder they’re located in and present them for easy access.
It also works with Google Play, Android apps, Netflix, Hulu and more. I was able to stream shows from my Netflix and HBO accounts. All of these shows are in HD quality since it hooks up to a HDMI port.
With the included PLEX app, you can now wirelessly deliver saved content directly to your SmartStick enabled TV. Just host your computer’s media collection with Plex Media Server, open the PLEX app on your SmartStick and you are connected.
To even add more ease when using the SmartStick pick up the pocket sized keyboard with touch pad mouse. This keyboard lets you quickly respond to email and enjoy a complete web browsing experience. The keyboard setup is very similar to the Android hot keys that are located beneath the touch pad of the controller. If you like playing games on your Android devices then the touch pad will make gaming a lot easier and your gaming experience will be that much better on your flat screen TV. Whether you go with either the 4 GB or 8 GB of internal storage, the stick also has a microSD card slot that holds up to 32 GB. This is another way to watch movies on your TV.
Apr 15th
Julius Randle and Jabari Parker Share MVP Honors at 2013 Jordan Brand Classic
Last night the Barclays Center showcased three games. The first game was the International Game that had the best and brightest from players all around the world compete. The second game was a Regional Game in which every player was from the New York area. In this game it had the best high school players from the city to go up against players from the New York suburbs.
The final game was the National Game which filled up the Barclays Center with fans to see the future stars of the NBA. This game displayed the talents of the top rated high school players from all over the country. The future of Kentucky basketball was well represented last night. There was a total of six players in the game. Three on Team East and three on Team West.
Julius Randle, who is one of the players that will be playing ball for Kentucky, shared in the MVP Honors. He had 19 points and seven rebounds. The other MVP was Jabari Parker, who will be playing for Duke next year. He scored 16 points and seven boards as he and the West Team beat the East 102-98.
Other Kentucky bound players put in work as well last night. James Young had 10 points. Dakari Johnson contributed with eight points. Brothers Andrew and Aaron Harrison chipped in each with six points.
Indiana University looks to have a promising future as both future Hoosiers Troy Williams and Noah Vonleh played well for the West.
Along with the game the Jordan Brand Classic had some notable people in the stands. Since the game has his namesake, Michael Jordan came to watch the game in a suite. He got an enormous round of applause when he was mentioned during the festivities.
Even though the Barclays Center is home to the Brooklyn Nets there were some New York Knicks in attendance. Amar’e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith sat courtside. Spike Lee, Drake, who performed at the game was on hand. Plus CC Sabathia, Eric LeGrand, Fabolous, Chromeo, Andre Ward, Busta Rhymes and Michael K. Williams checked out the Jordan Brand Classic.
Photo Courtesy of @JordanClassic Twitter
Carmelo even took the time to take a picture with Co-MVP’s Julius Randle and Jabari Parker. Earlier this past week I caught up with Randle during the East’s practice. I asked him about the game and if he was looking to build chemistry with his future Wildcats teammates. He said, “Oh yea definitely. Last week I played with Dekari Johnson and it was great. This week I am playing with the Harrison twins (Andrew and Aaron). It is crazy. I always used to play against them and now I am playing with them. It will be fun this weekend.”
I would say winning the MVP Award made the weekend even sweeter for him. Kentucky looks to have a bright future with Randle and the rest of the Kentucky bound players. I am guessing John Calipari, head coach for Kentucky, was watching the game last night with a big smile on his face.
Apr 14th
