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Came across an interesting story, The Art of the Snowflake, by Jaimie Etkin at The Daily Beast. It describes the work of Wilson Bentley who was the first to photograph a single snowflake. No small feat for a 19 year old self-trained photograper in 1885. He made it his life’s work.

“Every snowflake has an infinite beauty which is enhanced by knowledge that the investigator will, in all probability, never find another exactly like it,” Bentley wrote in Popular Mechanics of his infatuation.

Just now in the middle of doing a voice over job for a well-known major firm. Like most VO gigs, this started with an audition. Producer asked voice talent to submit a portion of the 3-4 minute script. For some reason the copy spoke to me. Decided to record and submit the complete script. Nailed the audition in one take. Got the job.

As usual, when it came time to record, there were minor script changes. Then, the client wanted a different tone in the reads. Several recordings later, every recording is unique. Even when the script is set, a new reading has its own special sound. Each recording has its own character and charm. It is one of a kind. Unique.

Just like one of Wilson Bentley’s snowflakes.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart…

…No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

The Simpsons franchise generates hundreds of millions in profits annually. But not enough, apparently. Seems the producers want to squeeze more profit out of Homer and his gang, and the cast wants a piece of the action.

First run syndication. Reruns. Merchandise. DVD sales. Video games. Feature Films. The Simpsons is a cash cow with many teats.

Voice actors narrating main characters Homer (Dan Castellaneta), Marge (Julie Kavner), Bart (Nancy Cartwright) and Lisa (Yeardley Smith) currently earn about $8 million each per season. The cast tried to negotiate a 30 percent pay cut in return for a portion of the show’s profits.

No deal. No surprise.

Nothing is ever simple with Homer and this situation is no exception. News Corp, Fox Television, 20th Century Fox Television. License fees. Rerun arrangements. Declining viewership. It’s complicated. But in the end it’s all about money. The producers want more. Fox Television wants more. The cast wants more.

Perfect metaphor for our times. Whatever it is, it is never enough. Wall Street profits. Campaign funds. Government handouts. Facebook friends. You get the idea. We are a needy bunch.

In what will be either the season finale or the series finale airing next year, look for art to imitate life with some reference to a labor dispute. The writers won’t be able to resist the storyline. And who better to voice the demands of the Aggrieved and Greedy Everyman?

Homer Simpson is a caricature of the Inner Pea Brain that operates on occasion within each of us.

Big house on the water. Big porch on the house. Big dining table on the porch. Big group of family and friends at the dining table. Big bowls of spaghetti and meatballs. Hamburgers and hot dogs. Sweet corn on the cob. Big appetites.

Circle of chairs at the edge of the lake. Campfire inside the circle. Marshmallows on sticks above the campfire. Lots of stories and laughs under a blanket of stars.

Dock on the water. Pontoon boat at the dock. Fishermen and women on the boat. Trolling. Jigging. Drifting. Lures. Worms. Minnows. Crayfish. Hooking. Catching. Releasing. Yellow Perch. Sunfish. Rock Bass. Smallmouth Bass. Lots of fun on light tackle.

Walking. Swimming. Canoeing. Boating. Napping in the hammock. Winery tours. Quaint restaurant fare. Local dairy visit for homemade ice cream and sugar cones making for mile-wide sticky smiles.

Before bed, a cigar in a lakeside Adirondack chair, sated.

Watching the sunset and listening to the gentle lap against the shore, filled with gratitude for all my blessings, a summer season ends, perfectly.

Who can forget the moves.

Or the funky little acoustic guitar he played before he got all famous.

Gone 34 years tomorrow. Still alive in the hearts and minds of a generation.

The one… The only… The King.

So, on this Independence Day weekend, it is refreshing to be reminded of the unique greatness of our country, its values, its promise, its diverse citizenry, and their many contributions to the world.

Enter John Stossel, the Fox Television reporter known for his investigative journalism and his libertarian approach to news and cultural commentary.

Here is a part of his special aired last evening, “What’s Great About America”  (You can view the 44 minute special presentation by clicking subsequent Parts at the end of each video).

Celebrate this Fourth of July by taking a moment to forward John Stossel’s opinion about America to a friend or two who might need to be reminded of how blessed are we to call this place home.

Great place, America.

We gave Bill Clinton a pass. And Barney Frank. And Charles Rangel. And so many others. It stands to reason Anthony Weiner believes he deserves a pass as well. Unlike others who resign voluntarily, add his name to the long list of politicians who insist on remaining in office after public notice of personal misconduct. Narcissism is a common denominator.

Truth is, we allow these men to stay in office. In not so distant bygone times they would have been shamed away like the others instead of remaining in positions of public trust.

Self-preservation is a powerful motive. But let Mr. Weiner be forgiven and tell him be gone to get the help he needs to heal.

Is it any wonder the headlines scream of a culture gone astray? We are losing our collective virtue. But our national press is too busy investigating Sarah Palin’s emails or ridiculing family values on cable television talk shows to find the time to pursue real social stories. Stories that have consequences for all of us, young and old, rich and poor, of every race and every creed.

Stories like exactly when did self-love begin trumping personal virtue? And who are the citizens among us that behave the values we desire to promote?

Where are our leaders? Our leaders in politics, business, media, religion, and education? Too worried about political correctness to speak out? Too concerned about the ACLU to stand up and confront difficult issues? Too focused on their own good rather than the greater good?

We need to start a dialogue in classrooms, in boardrooms, and in living rooms, to rediscover and reclaim our national virtue in schools, businesses, and government. We need to lead by example and promote leaders of our groups who lead us by their example. And when we make a mistake, let us be forgiven and let us fix it.

The Climb of Life is a dangerous trek. It requires a solid foundation and sure footing to move ahead and avoid the fall. There is an abyss at the bottom of the slope.

You don’t even have to squint to see it.

With antiseptic images presented to us from the war-torn Middle East over the past decade, we can only imagine the horror of war in the safety of our living room. But nearly 150 years ago, America experienced firsthand the death and destruction of war within many of its own cities, towns, and fields.

Yesterday, on the day we honored the memories of our war dead, the History Channel premiered its ground-breaking documentary, Gettysburg.

http://video.pbs.org/video/1832543409

As a young boy, can remember digging for Civil War bullets with my Dad around our home in Sandston, Virginia before it was illegal. It was called the War of Northern Aggression by many in Virginia back then, even nearly a century after the fact. Time heals all wounds, we know.

If you missed the premiere of Gettysburg last night on the History Channel, you can view it on June 2 at 9PM.

What a wondrous world we live on; what a wondrous galaxy we live in.

What would you give to live 1000 years in the future and journey among these stars?

Read about the project in Terge Sorgjerd’s own words and watch it again.

Foghorn J. Leghorn, voiced originally by the legendary Mel Blanc, and in this ad by voice actor Jeff Bennett. As a bonus, we get a cameo appearance by Henry Hawk as an unhappy Director.

“Son, I say, I say, ain’t no bird mo’ common than da Unhappy Directa. Dat’s a joke, son, I say, dat’s a joke.” :- )