Ranting, raving, reviewing, and reporting from people who love to make films.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
CACTUS NEWS BRIEFS
Happy Holidays…
Here is brief recap and links of events that we have reported on during 2008.. Click on the respective links on each story…
Jeremy Kirk receives a mysterious letter in the mail that turns out to be viral marketing scheme. The Viral campaign turns out to be better that the series itself… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBrCk7c3d-I
The story on Cactus Blog Spot… http://cactuspix.blogspot.com/2008/05/something-weird.html
CUPICtv hits YouTube… http://cactuspix.blogspot.com/2008/03/cupictv-has-launched-on-youtube.html
JASON vs. eHARMony… Jeremy Kirk and Rod Washington produced and directed an increasingly popular fan film for YouTube… http://cactuspix.blogspot.com/2008/02/jason-vs-eharmony.html . It has also spun a few imitators, one of them being rather cocky, even borrowing our name and cutting and pasting our description from our own video page. Hint, before you boast how much better your film is than ours, learn the basics of filmmaking. See our video… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcr6ZwknUP0
2008 was a big blogging year for us… Check us out… http://cactuspix.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-07%3A00&updated-max=2009-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=29.. And Mike has caught blogging fever and he's blaming me… http://sleeves-rcwmediaworks.blogspot.com/
Monday, December 29, 2008
METRO GRAND OPENING
Metro Video Blog Entry # 2.. Opening day of Phoenix Metro Light Rail service and I took some random footage... First is from The Phoenix Marketplace on the corner of McKinley and Central, the location was Monroe and 1st Avenue.
Friday, December 26, 2008
NON DIS-CLOSURE????
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
UTAH WILDERNESS ON THE AUCTION BLOCK???
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Thursday, December 18, 2008
ME RANTING… NO!!! This is about the Cactus!!!
Yes, as I told my partner in crime, Mike, we are still making indie films and will start up again, next year. I know that Jeremy has a ton of ideas for simple short films, and he is chomping at the bit to have them produced. So, all of you that are involved with us and our projects, you'll be hearing from us.
You can see one of Jeremy Kirks ideas here… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcr6ZwknUP0/watch?v=mcr6ZwknUP0
In other news, we have recently launched CactusNews on YouTube, the companion to this blog site. We have a few VideoBlog entries that are worth viewing and if you are subscriber to my facebook and our MySpace page, you'll get regular updates.
Check out CactusNews right here… http://www.youtube.com/CactusNews
Visit us on facebook… http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=594829490&ref=profile
And our MySpace Page… http://www.myspace.com/cactuspixmovies
CAKE DENIAL!!!
Well, read the story and judge for yourself...
Cake request for Adolf Hitler, 3, denied
EASTON, Pa. (AP) — The father of 3-year-old Adolf Hitler Campbell, denied a birthday cake with the child's full name on it by one New Jersey supermarket, is asking for a little tolerance.
Heath Campbell and his wife, Deborah, are upset not only with the decision made by the nearby ShopRite, but also with an outpouring of angry Internet postings in response to a local newspaper article about the cake.
FAITH & REASON: Are we expected to live up to our names?
Heath Campbell, who is 35, said in an interview Tuesday that people should look forward, not back, and accept change.
"They need to accept a name. A name's a name. The kid isn't going to grow up and do what (Hitler) did," he said.
After ShopRite refused the request for the cake as inappropriate, the Campbells got a cake decorated at a Wal-Mart in Pennsylvania, Deborah Campbell said.
About 12 people attended the birthday party on Sunday, according to Heath Campbell.
The Campbells' other two children also have unusual names: JoyceLynn Aryan Nation Campbell turns 2 in a few months and Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie Campbell will be 1 in April.
Heath Campbell said he named his son after Adolf Hitler because he liked the name and because "no one else in the world would have that name."
Campbell said his ancestors are German and that he has lived all his life in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, which is across the Delaware River from Easton.
End of story...
Wow... What an idiot, seems a little lighthearted a phrase that I can use at this point.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
VIDEO BLOG: THE VALLEY METRO 1.
Video clips of the new Valley Metro light rail that is undergoing testing. The Valley Metro is due to open December 27, 2008.
Video Blog: 2009 AZ AUTO SHOW
Highlight video of our recent visit to the annual AZ Auto Show over Thanksgiving weekend.
http://cactuspix.blogspot.com/2008/12...
Link to our latest blog about the car show...
Friday, December 05, 2008
WINDS OF CHANGE!!!!
2009 ARIZONA AUTO SHOW, SHORT AND SIMPLE!
Over the holiday weekend we visited the annual car show that was held at the all new Phoenix Convention Center in down town. This visit spun much excitement for me, as I see a shift towards the right direction for automakers, fuel efficiency and thinking green. Maybe you might argue that the BIG THREE had to shift out of economic necessity. This may be true, and anyone who doesn't have their head in the sand and has been watching the news lately knows that we are at a crossroads, economically and environmentally. It's time to recognize that hey crude oil is a finite resource, and our nation's dependence on it for the only fuel source is beyond idiotic. Would the BIG THREE continue with foolhardy attempt of business as usual? I hope not.
Well, the auto show was interesting, my last visit was to the 2006 show and my mindset back then was slightly different than it is now. Yes, back then I was still looking at Hybrids and more fuel efficient cars, but I was also looking at the cool cars and trucks. This year, my thoughts were fuel efficiency and the environment. Okay, some cool cars were on the agenda as well. You'll see it in the upcoming video.
In the past I never paid much attention to visitors' idle chatter or conversations around the cars that I was sampling. In the years that I attended the show, the first one that I attended in AZ was 1995, I've had only one incident with a patron that was what I would consider a negative interaction. At the 2000 auto show, myself and two friends sat in the all new Toyota Echo, and the conversation was admittedly negative. As far as looks and feel, we felt that it was the worst car in the Toyota line and that we wished that they would bring back the Tercel. We weren't downing it for its fuel efficiency, it had one of the best, but I could strap some RC motors on a skateboard and call it fuel efficient, wouldn't be pleasing to drive. We expressed that opinion amongst ourselves inside the car. Unbeknown to us that a proud owner of an Echo was within earshot, she stuck her ugly face in the passenger window and blurted out, "MY HUSBAND AND I BOUGHT ONE OF THESE AND WE LOVE IT." She then walked away. I think that she was within earshot when my friend from the rear seat retorted at an elevated level, "I'M SORRY… FOR YOU!!!!"
Recently, I do believe that my mindset has changed when I visit these venues. I want to know what is on the minds of the average American. I want to know if I am alone in wanting to see less dependence on foreign oil. I am not, but I want to hear it from people who not just environmentalist or economists. So as I admired and took pictures of the cars, I heard some of the conversations, and I wasn't trying to listen either. For what I gathered from that alone, and mind you this is no way scientific, people are looking at cars more economically and conservatively. Many liked the idea of alternative fuels and hybrids. Many were commenting on the EPA ratings on the vehicles and the lack of ratings on others. But having your ears open can lead to hearing the other side as well.
I was in the Volkswagen section and a group of guys walked by and made comments about how these aren't cars for a real man. They proceeded to Chevy to look for a full sized Silverado. I'll save my comments on that for the next blog entry. And it gets worse. "Ha, I'll buy a Volvo, as soon as you buy an Audi," and sadly they were serious. Then the finale… We were walking from Chrysler to Toyota and one lady made a comment after her husband made positive comments about how he liked the direction that car companies are going with the green and fuel efficiency. He liked what was available now. "These cars are too small; I'd rather have a full-sized SUV."
Well, until the next car show…