SXE Phil Theme Song | Typography | HD

This is an awesome intro/ theme song....

Dedicated to one of the most awesome YouTube-ers
Song: Spokesmayne
Animation: Jahanzeb Khalid

Show some DeFranco Nation love :P

if you want to download the song then go to Spokesmayne's video response and youll get the download link

i know i made a few spelling errors but ... 'Meh
made in After Effects CS3

Chris Brown Apologizes - Curtis Sliwa Responds

Guardian Angel founder Curtis Sliwa responds to Chris Brown apology.

Kim Jong Il Eharmony

Very funny eHarmony spoof... Kim Jong Il Eharmony commercial. Another Arowana Films presentation along with our two new collabs Peggy from Peachies.net and DPD from FRA. Edited by Peachies and fake blood by FRA.
http://www.kimjongiljr.com
http://www.arowanalife.com
http://www.arowanafilms.com
http://www.dannycho.com
http://www.peachies.net
http://www.futurerockstarsofamerica.com

David After the Divorce

Parody of "David After the Dentist" YouTube vid. - footage of a guy immediately following his divorce.
My buddy David was PRETTY out of it after his divorce proceedings. Conceived by Adam Pally, shot by Chris Kula.

If you liked this, check out more hilarious videos at WWW.UCBCOMEDY.COM

Chad After Dentist

Try a Chad DVD, you'll like it: http://www.blamesociety.net/dvd.php

Chad Vader returns from the Dentist feeling very similar to David.
Directed by
MATT SLOAN
AARON YONDA
http://www.blamesociety.net

Director of Photography
John Urban
http://urbanphotoco.com/

Randy
BRAD KNIGHT
http://monkeybusinessinstitute.com/

Lightsaber
CHARLEY BROWN
Check out his star wars video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjI6T0...

Engineer of Chad's Voice
JOHN LEE

Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg

A montage video of Hamburg, Germany's Miniatur Wunderland... Awesome...

THE SCOOP!!!

Hello All,

As those who know me, know that I have been burning the candle at both ends developing the CactusPix Motion Picture Company, the CactusNews blog and CactusNews TV, keeping up a fulltime job, and dealing with serious personal life issues. Well, all of the hard work is paying off. I would like to say thanks to all who have given their support and words of encouragements. Also, thanks for your patience as we diligently and continuously work on CactusPix.

Although a work in progress, the new CactusPix site is up and running. Check us out by visiting http://www.cactuspix.com/

I proud to announce that have a few projects in the works and will be posting casting notices and crew calls shortly. These new projects will include a new short film, new CUPIC episodes, and a few industrials. Stay tuned!!!!!

Cooking with Christopher Walken

Cooking with Christopher Walken from Australian TV "The Wedge"

Do You Feel Safer? ... "GOP Swine Flu"

After 100 days, do you feel safer? More at http://gopleader.gov

'Miracle' bra stops bullet

'Miracle' bra stops bullet

THE MESSENGER

A couple on a long awaited vacation at a resort and a looming disaster that could possibly change their plans. Based on a story by Mike Sliwa.

THE BEDFORD ENCOUNTER

Red Rider: Down was written during the summer 1981 and was set at the Army Air National Guard base just outside of McAllister. In 1986 the story was renamed Ghost Rider Down and was re-written to follow an Army Reserve pilot who is participating in a search and rescue mission. He is searching for an aircraft that went down between McAllister and Bedford. What he found during his search was beyond incredible

Rod Washington explains the actual story the started the CUPIC series.

The Simpsons - No Tv and No Beer

If Atheists Ruled the World

All text taken directly from online Christian fundamentalist forums.

U.S. mileage standards to rise for first time: Scientific American

U.S. mileage standards to rise for first time: Scientific American

Posted using ShareThis

VALLEY METRO 4

Iron Man vs Bruce Lee

Iron Man fights Bruce Lee in stop motion...

Sky Motoring - Weekly - 3/20/09

Video Provided by Sky Motoring, Presented by InsideLine.com:
http://motoring.sky.com/

Earth Hour 2009

Official Earth Hour 2009 video. Earth Hour is on March 28th, 2009 at 8:30pm. More at http://www.earthhour.org

Support Earth Hour by making your own video and adding it to our Earth Hour Global group here:
http://www.youtube.com/group/earthhou...

Earth Hour images can be downloaded and shared from our flickr photostream, including Shepard Fairey Vote Earth artwork: http://www.flickr.com/photos/earthhou...

HIKERS VIDEO A ALIEN PREDITORE; IT TURNS AND CHARGES THEM

VERY REAL , IN MY OPINION I GREW UP IN NORTH JERSEY THIS IS REAL, I,VE WITTNESSED CREATURES LIKE THIS

NEWS REPORTER KNOCKS DOWN OLD WOMAN

KTLA REPORTER VICIOUSLY KNOCKS DOWN WOMAN WITH THE POWER OF HIS VOICE, Warren Wilson reports.

What Bill O'Reilly doesn't want you to see

http://freepress.net/smackdown

Unfortunate Comment

During UT/ISU game on 10.13.07

Chris Matthews Says

MSNBC's Chris Matthews Says "Oh God" As Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal walks out to start Republican Response

Railfanning Arthurville

'Invisibility cloak' directs light away from eye

Call it what you will - the world's first 3D nanoantenna or an invisibility cloak - but a new metamaterial created by Rice University scientists could hide objects from human sight.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29550120/from/ET/

JOHN STEWART RIPS CNBC

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

CNBC Gives Financial Advice

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Joke of the Day

Jason vs e-HARMony

Our parody of Jason signing up for an internet dating service is stll alive and well on YouTube... Be sure to stop by and to take a look...

Valley Metro Blog Video 3 HD

This is the third installment of the series of videos about the all new Valley Metro Light Rail system that opened on December 27, 2008. The shots in this video were taken from Tempe Town Lake and the parking lot of Park Central. This is the third in a series of 4 videos. This is an updated version of the the previous HD version.

Headzup: Michael Steele Can't Name A Government Job

New RNC Chairman Michael Steele states that no government in history has ever created a job.

See his actual comments here--
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/02/02/s...

Download daily Catch and Release Comedy™ political cartoons to your mobile phone or iPod at http://www.headzup.tv

ANOTHER CAPTAIN OBVIOUS ADVENTURE!!!

ANOTHER TIMELY MOMENT!!! Thanks Captain Obvious!

BEHIND THE SCENES OF TRANSFORMERS 2

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

GOP GETTING HIP?

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

GOP Economics

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

PRESENTING THE STIMMIES!!!!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

2009 PROJECTS!!!

In 2008, we were light on our indie projects, but worked on quite a few of what I consider videos for our services side of business, Some weddings, a few musicians, training videos, and a few for charity. In reflection, I think that we worked on three projects that I would consider fictional shorts; Jason vs eHARMony, CUPICtv and a yet to be edited remake of out 2004 short, "THE EMMISARRY."

Although we made over 20 clips for CUPIC, they were mostly shot interview style and recycled clips from previous projects and the upcoming docu-fiction project that has been in post for two and a half years.

We are planning a busy production agenda for 2009. We have a few projects going into production soon.

CUPICtv: We will be posting casting notices for our upcoming episodes of this project. We will have production details and notices posted soon.

We will have a few short film projects that will go into production soon as well.

Check out the 2008 projects…

See Jeremy Kirks's Jason vs eHARMony short by this link… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcr6ZwknUP0

Visit CUPICtv… http://www.cactuspix.com/CUPIC/index.htm

The Daily Funny

Okay, this makes me laugh... Well, it's THE DAILY SHOW. What did you expect? Click the link and watch

http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/index.jhtml?episodeId=217023

ECON 101

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

UFO MID-AIR???

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

WHY PLAY GAMES????

We all know what's at stake here, but, the political positioning and game playing is still afoot. When I hear the statements like, "we won't be pushed around," or "we need to show them we want our agenda to be added to the Stimulus," I get incensed.

When an idiotic conservative talk show host blatantly says, " I HOPE OBAMA FAILS," I then realize that we have a long way to go in this country. "His plan panders to the far left liberal agenda. The only people who will benefit from it are slackers who don't work and want a handout." Check this out… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4YcwI4NlKA

Rush, I agree with you. The wrong plan could benefit slackers. We saw that with the $700 billion bank bailout that occurred last fall. It was the biggest welfare payout ever, and slackers did benefit from it. No lessons learned, no remorse, no accountability, just countless Americans losing homes, countless Americans jobless. And the news gets worse every day.

You might remind me, "Rod, he's just a shock jock, whose job it is to stir up trouble for ratings." I agree. He has a right to his own opinion, and I'll save it for another blog entry.

When I get angry or riled up, I begin pace the floor and mutter to myself. Love ones ask me, "Ummm Rod, are you ok?" I answer with a yes, and proceed to tell them what's on my mind.

The same day of the republican shenanigans, we hear that Citigroup was about to purchase a new corporate jet. You think that would be bad enough, not even close, the aerospace company wasn't Boeing or Gulfstream, it was Dassault a French company. And no, this isn't a dig at the French, but with the current economic situation, to support the French economy with the bailout money that was given blindly to you from us taxpayers is beyond words that I can think without adding these characters, "@#%$" Check this out… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/27/obama-officials-tells-cit_n_161202.html

Do you really think you deserve a bonus after begging the government for bailout money? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/29/obama-18b-in-wall-street_n_162305.html

Well, there may be hope of sanity for the GOP, the republican governors, I think that they get the point since they see the budgets for their states and see the ever mounting deficit before their eyes.

This should not be a Stimulus for bailing out financial institutions that have failed; this should be all about infrastructure. You know, the bridges, the power grids, the railroads, the highways that are crumbling before our eyes. Why is it that a little ice can blackout a few states at the same time? Why did a bridge collapse in Minnesota?

INFRASTRUCTURE… It is considered wasteful spending by the GOP. I can't comprehend why the very thought of infrastructure is so demonized by the GOP. Thank you Rachel Maddow, you seem to get it… and thanks for not letting one off the hook so easily… Check this out http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/28902483#28902483

They are pushing tax cuts, blah, blah… "We have to stick to our conservative principles." Where were your principles during the past eight years? You let this happen…

"But two of those years the democrats took the house." No. The new democratic house and senate were elected in 2006, but they didn't officially take their positions until congress reconvened in the next fiscal year, i.e., 2007. This banking problem, which is the catalyst of this economic collapse, began in 2006, and well before that; it is funny how some conveniently forget that fact.

I do agree with CNBC's James Cramer, who feels that the stimulus should be a lot bigger than it is. Infrastructure touches many things; the steel industry, construction equipment, materials, and a slew of other industries that would also benefit… and the one most important factor in all of this, jobs… we need people to feel secure enough to spend and buy goods. You can throw all the money you want at Wall Street, the auto industry, if it doesn't touch the people of this country, than you just might as well have flushed the money down the toilet… And since you are throwing our money around, can you loan me a dollar…

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

OPERA DOG!!!

Opera Dog

Melting Her Heart

Jason vs e-HARMony

Still on YouTube and still getting laughs...

Valley Metro Blog Video 3 HD

This is the third installment of the series of videos about the all new Valley Metro Light Rail system that opened on December 27, 2008. The shots in this video were taken from Tempe Town Lake and the parking lot of Park Central. This is the third in a series of 4 videos.

Wil Wheaton praises Sony's 1,000,000/1 Contrast OLED TV's

Awesome technology.... Clip Detail

This is an amazing new technology that will enable extremely thin TV's with a contrast ratio that is about 100 times greater than the best consumer LCD's or Plasma's on the market today, thanks to the fact that they have no backlight. An advantageous side note of this means they are extremely power efficient. With tested response times of up to 0.01ms, which far exceed today's best. They are much brighter, with more vivid colors than existing TV's too.

A few issues remain to get this technology to the mainstream, the big issue being the organic material used has a relatively short lifespan. However this issue is being addressed, and as of recently the 11" version just hit the world market for real. Though at $2,499 it is "very expensive", even if it's technically cheaper to manufacture than any other TV technologies.

Expect full sized OLED TV's to hit the mainstream market in 2011 or later. Expect 30" models to start to appear in 2009.

FUNNY STUFF!!!

No real story here. But, you have to love this picture from Satan's Alley... It makes me laugh every time I see it.



Here's a link to the website... http://www.satansalley.com/

METRO GRAND OPENING

Video clips of the new Valley Metro light rail on Grand Opening Day, December 27, 2008.

WHO VOTED FOR THIS CRAP!!!!

I don't know who voted this stupid law in, but be aware... They say that the law was voted in around 2006, but they delayed it going into law for three years. Look at your license plate and make sure that you are not in violation. If you are, than expect to pay $135 or more plus court fees.... Read the article...

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2009/01/01/20090101licenseplate0101.html

I'm no law enforcement officer, and I do realize that this state has a ton of specialty license plates, but I can tell Arizona plates when I see them, and that is with the AZ covering frames on...

BELGIAN UFO WAVE!!!!

UFO Hunters: Belgian Wave

A report about a series of Triangular UFOs seen over Europe.

A Bird, A plane, a... What the heck is it?

UFO Hunters: Pine Bush Sighting

Something unusual over Pine Bush... Watch the video...

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/

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.

NON DIS-CLOSURE????

Wondering what has happened to the finacial institution ballout money? So is everyone else...

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

UTAH WILDERNESS ON THE AUCTION BLOCK???

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow report about how the Bush Administration in it's last moments of power are trying to pull a fast one, before January 20th. Hmmm... Check out the video...

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

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!!!

A father asks the question, why don't you like my three year old son and how come the only place that would put his name on a birthday cake is "Wal-Mart!!!!"

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.

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...

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…

Beaded Dreams

Beaded Dreams... Beaded Dreams is a small arts and craft business operated locally by owners Kristi and Dameon Kuhl. From leatherwork, to beads and jewelry, the Kuhl operate a booth at the Downtown Phoenix Market http://www.phoenixpublicmarket.com/ every Saturday from 8AM and 1PM... beadeddreams@hotmail.com

Burn The Man: Obama

Burn The Man: Obama

THE HILL: Update!!!!

True event... One day in the summer of 2001, Jeremy Kirk made his routine hike up the small mountain behind his mother's house. On that day, he encountered a mysterious helicopter and it's occupants at the top of the hill. Pictures of the hill and the antenna were added to this updated video.

WAKE UP AMERICA!!! NO John McCAIN NO Sarah PALIN!!

WAKE UP AND TAKE A STAND... THIS CAN'T HAPPEN!!!!!

Deiboldocrackedictatorship, The U.S.A.

McCain Caught in MORE Lies! Already...

McCain's distortion of the truth....

Mountain Dew commercial - Chuck Norris for PepsiCO

We like to thank Mister Norris for doing his part in the battle to control the ITGs!!!!

The 9-11 Tribute at the RNC - And Olbermann's Reaction

THE HILL

Jeremy told me about these incidents a few days after they occurred and we were wanting to make a short about it, like I always do with true life stories of friends and family... sorry Doug and Mike... But,I felt that I would make an interview vid instead.

The Hubble Deep Field: The Most Important Image Ever Taken

This is an amazing video....

CUPICtv UFOs A Brief History

A short montage showing UFO drawings, photos and artist renditions of aliens.

MYSTERIOUS AIRCRAFT

Check out our latest webisode as CUPICtv presents a brief history of X-planes and historical UFO sightings in this six minute video.

MYSTERY SOLVED - VIRAL MARKETING

Well, from what has been gathered about the mysterious red sealed letters, it is morethanlikely part of a clever viral marketing campaign. From what was provided in postings on both JC Hutchins site and Screen Rant it is related to a new vampire series to debut on HBO, TRUE BLOOD.

The hunt for clues led people to a website, http://revenantones.com/ that shows a chair in front of a blue screen and a countdown. After the clock winds down to zero, a lady appears, sitting in a chair, wearing headphones and occasiionaly rambling about entry into the site.

From what I can see, the site has recycled the clock and at the time of this posting is now at 008:32:01... More information to follow...

Here are some useful links for you...

http://screenrant.com/archives/is-this-a-new-movie-viral-camp-1666.html

http://revenantones.com/

http://jchutchins.net/site/2008/05/21/videopdf-down-the-rabbit-hole/

RED SEAL LETTER

True story- Yesterday Jeremy Kirk, writer, received a letter in the mail with no return address and a weird stamp. inside was a black envelope containing a vellum card with strange markings and an odd red seal. Is this some sort of viral marketing ploy. It is a mystery. Several other are coming forward claiming to have received the same letter, but symbols vary.
This is report was also posted on our blog page... http://cactuspix.blogspot.com/

There's a growing list of responders who have had the same experence on JC Hutchins' site... http://jchutchins.net/site/2008/05/21...

There are images of the different card that people have received on this site... http://chishio.jp/ It's roughly a Japanese word for blood.

SOMETHING WEIRD!!!

Okay, so far no one has an explanation for something that my good buddy, Jeremy Kirk, got in the mail yesterday that has everyone stumped. When he went to pick up his mail, he found an envelope that was made of what can be best described as vellum paper. On the front of the envelope was his name and mailing address and a weird Stamps.com net-stamp with a weird logo on it; the initials "tb." Inside this envelope was another, smaller black envelope with no markings or print except that it was sealed with a wax stamp. Inside was a card that seemed to be made with the same vellum paper as the original envelope. The card has a series of symbols or hieroglyphs in a weird order and a red seal or stamp that was put their by hand.

This had Jeremy so baffled that he spent most of the day searching for an explanation. The one possible conclusion that mostly everyone is coming to is that it is some sort of viral marketing campaign. Possibly. Then a few people have said to me, "Hey Rod, come clean, this is some stunt you are pulling for CUPICtv." Well, I will not hesitate to drop the name of my new pet project, and I am a bit jealous that I didn't come up with the idea, because it is clever and it is freaking out Jeremy, but NO. This is not a campaign that is in any connection with CUPICtv. See, I just dropped the name in this blog a second time...

Other explanations vary; The aliens are saving resources and are not making crop circles but are using the US Postal Service instead. Alien abduction victims are getting these appointment cards that are telling them they are about to get probed. The list goes on.

If you know what the heck this is then contact us... info@cactuspix.com

Maybe it is a stupid viral ad campaign, (jealousy talking), and that he will get the answer in the near future.

MYSTERIES UNKNOWN #3 - SQUAWKER

The latest episode is available. Visit CUPICtv on YouTube.

RACE KNIGHT!!!

Race Knight will explore the history of race in the United States and how it continues to shape our country today. We will explore the obstacles we face and the possibilities that our future may offer. If you attended Gender Knight or heard about the program you do not want to miss this powerful event. Race Knight will challenge you to think about your role in society and what part you may play in its future.

I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain. James A. Baldwin

“I am working for the time when unqualified blacks, browns and women join the unqualified men in running our government” Cissy Farenthold

Race Knight "A Knight At The Races" May 14th &; 15th 2008 @ 6:00-9p.m 10850 W. Garden Lakes Parkway Avondale, AZ West View High School Auditorium

.. The Hosts of Race Knight...The students of TUHSD!

Learn more about the event by visiting http://www.myspace.com/genderknight
and visit their facebook profile

CUPICtv HAS LAUNCHED ON YOUTUBE

We are proud to launch our newest channel, CUPICtv, where you will be able to see archival footage, clips, short subjects and scenes from the new documentary project. This will be the place that we will launch the new webisodes of the series that are in the works.

The CUPIC Online site and the CUPIC MySpace site are being revamped as well.

Stay tuned and we will keep you updated.

http://www.youtube.com/CUPICtv

http://www.cactuspix.com/CUPIC/index.htm

http://www.myspace.com/cupicdiary

Sending my first blog entry via text.;)

Creating Allies for Social Change

Creating Allies for Social Change
Common Ground Training/Travel to Learn LLC
www.commongroundtraining.com

Common Ground Training will be discussing privilege and how understanding this reality plays a role in building relationships with potential allies. Our workshop will begin with a few norms/definitions and move quickly into our objective: Individuals will be able to identify/recognize their privileges in order to create common ground with other community members in order to create social change. Individuals will participate in an activity (Privilege Walk) that unveils their privileges. Attendees will listen to statements and react to them based on their life experience.

Processing will take place during a presentation that explores the levels of privilege awareness. There will be several small activities throughout this presentation. These activities include listening practice, self reflection, and oral responses.
The workshop will conclude with an action planning session to create a blueprint for ally building.

7th Annual Local to Global Justice Teach-in

Workshop Session 6

When: Sunday, March 2nd 1:30-2:30 pm

Where: at Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona

JASON vs eHARMony

Our latest short written, directed and starring Jeremy Kirk can be seen on the our You Tube site. Jason Voorhees tackles internet dating, but first has to slash through all of the red tape...

To view, click on the link... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcr6ZwknUP0

THE NEW CUPIC SERIES!!!!

A new CUPIC series is now in the works. The program will be a series of webisodes that will consist of investigations of unexplained phenomenon by various CUPIC members. This series will be a sort of departure from the original series with a new creative twist and a different perspective on the organization. Our CUPIC website will reflect this new viewpoint. Stay tuned for dates and web showtimes. Click Here for more news and info...

ATTACK OF THE COTTONMOUTH VIPER

A routine laundry evening turns into a nightmare for one middle class family. What will happen when articles of clothing feel abandoned and neglected? This short was written by Jeremy Kirk. Directed By Rod Washington. See it on on YouTube!!!!

THE MESSENGER

Our short, THE MESSENGER, can be viewed on YouTube. The story involves Mike and Paige, a married couple on a well-deserved vacation at a Southern California resort. A few obstacles stand in the way of their quest for total bliss; one is Donna, a broken hearted friend, and the other is a sudden threat from nature. THE MESSENGER stars Mike Sliwa, Katrina Reyes, Kacey Richards, Alan Potts and April Espinoza. This story is based on a true event that actually happened to Mike. Visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XImhlVNVJ4 to see this short.

CLOUD 9

CLOUD 9
You can now view CLOUD 9 on our new website at LIVE VIDEO.com. We will be posting our videos there as well as our YouTube and Myspace sites. Visit the site at http://www.livevideo.com/Cactuspix

PERFECTION REFLECTION

As we enter a sort of new renaissance here at Cactus Pix and new projects are in production, I can’t help but reflect on how the choices that we make, no matter how small or how you think will effect only you, can change a whole entire timeline.

Back in 2004, we had a serious momentum going for us that created various opportunities; Cloud 9 entry into the Phoenix Film Festival, the acquisition of long awaited equipment and software upgrades, improvement in our production quality, and other shorts that reflect all that we have learned, including Attack of the Cottonmouth Viper and others. They say that you cannot go home again; this is a true statement. Nevertheless, that will not stop me from wondering how things might have been if I had not let life distract me and stayed the course.

I believe that we would have continued to produce the three to five minute shorts, further perfecting production savvy. Major shorts such as Fourth Kind and No Man’s Land would have been produced back in ’05. The CUPIC Documentary would have been produced a year earlier as well. Our productions were moving closer and closer to the technical perfection that we desired. We were actually building a solid infrastructure, possibly with our own distribution company. Our goal was always to diversify our company, hence the reason why we created Cactus Pix to begin with.

Right now, I am very happy that we are continuing to make films… and we are looking forward to learning as we take this journey. We have a ton of new ideas and new project that are under way. Sometimes it does not hurt to face the big what if, but continue to live and thrive today…

GENDER KNIGHT “THE ULTIMATE BATTLE OF THE SEXES”

“The fact is, women are in chains, and their servitude is all the more debasing because they do not realize it.” -Susan B. Anthony

Gender Knight will explore gender oppression. Our program will consist of teachers, students, alumni, community members, social justice facilitators, and activists presenting, discussing, and performing on topics that involve domestic violence, homophobia, gender privilege, high school relationships, eating disorders, gender roles, and abuse. Please join us for this historic event.

The Hosts of Gender Knight...The Bubble Gum Boys

The Bubble Gum Boys started simply as an act in a high school faculty follies show. Four years later, they are social justice advocates promoting peace and tolerance. Ending all oppression is the mission of BGB. Will you join us? You can start by attending GENDER KNIGHT this December.

The Event:
Gender Knight "The Ultimate Battle of the Sexes"
December 14, 2007 @ 6:00-9p.m
10850 W. Garden Lakes Parkway Avondale, AZ
West View High School Auditorium

"Nobody ever said it was simple to be a man. If it were, more guys would try it." Henry Miller

Visit: http://www.myspace.com/genderknight

SHOWCASING OUR PROJECTS

Okay, we have a new website on You Tube to showcase our short films. For a while we were looking for such a venue, there were also talks of bringing back Fiction Theater. The FT project was sidelined after our local Public Access TV station was discontinued and taken off the air. We worked on other projects, mothballing this venture.

I have to admit that in the early days of You Tube, I was skeptical of the direction that it would take. The videos that I saw where similar to those amateur videos that were spoofed on recent Geico commercials with the guy making faces in the camera, the other with a pair of puppet eyes on his chin, chewing celery, and the college dorm hallway mattress duel. Such videos are still there, but there are also real programs. It is the return of public access, but ten times better.

We have a few of shorts online right now; CLOUD 9, ATTACK OF THE COTTONMOUTH VIPER, and BRIGHT IDEAS. THE MESSENGER will be coming soon.

Visit our site @ http://www.youtube.com/RCWMediaWorks

We are also working on a new Cactus Pix MySpace page as companion to our RCW MediaWorks and Cactus Pix main pages… Visit http://myspace.com/cactuspix

Visit the new sites and we will keep you updated.

ANTI-VICTIM

I am about to make quite a few people angry… There two categories of people whom I have no respect for; victims, and the people who create them.

In this blog entry, I will concentrate on the victims…

Let me clarify what I mean when I say “victim.” People who wallow in negativity, or want you to feel sorry for them for the hand that society has dealt them. Do not confuse them with the people who were involved in an incident or accident that caused them to suffer physical or psychological damage. Mostly, this group does not want to be a victim, but rather have their life return to a sense of normalcy.

Let me further clarify my thoughts, we all have issues that we are dealing with, in some fashion and at some level, might not be a serious problem for some and may be for others. We all want to find others who have the same issue, to find a commonality with that group. It is better to suffer with some, than alone. Healing can begin.

As an African-American into his forties, I have observed a ton of life. I like to meet different groups of people, to learn and grow. In my childhood, I lived in both a mainly black and Hispanic neighborhood, then moved to a predominately white neighborhood, two extremes. It seemed like barely a year went by before that neighborhood became racially mixed and even at that young age, I knew that I was getting a new perspective on things. I had a new group of multi-racial friends.. My parents kept me well grounded, and taught me about their experiences growing up in the turbulent times of segregation. I am proud that I have a strong heritage, and proud of the cultural and social contribution to American society.

I admire those who strive to uplift and better themselves, to rise above the trials and tribulations that are put upon them, and then in turn, they give back to the community to help others strive.

However, my eyes are wide open. Self-victimization is damaging. I do believe that there is a portion of society cultivates this aspect by perpetuating stereotypes and false assumptions regarding race. There was a time, and in many aspects it still exists, where every time you would turn on the news and hear about a crime, they were looking for some black person. I can remember frequently hearing about the many diseases and ailments that are prevalent in the black race. But I did believe that the stats on high blood pressure and the black race were true…. “Continuously hearing how a group is supposedly more susceptible to certain diseases would stress anyone out.”

With all of the stereotyping and profiling, we should not allow ourselves to be put into a mindset that would allow self-victimization. We should not let any person to steal another’s joy and dreams. Example; When a young person says that he wants to be a doctor, do not tell him that he has to play for the NBA. I like the NBA, and if you have talent for it do it. You should not have to do it because society feels that you should. I cringe when I hear certain people say that they would not do a certain thing, "because I am being held back by society." Be a solution, do not add to the problem.... You are not a victim.

That’s one man's opinion…

CASTING ALERT!!!!

CASTING ALERT!!!!!!
CASTING CALL FOR CUPIC DOCUMENTARYProduction is moving along rather nicely on our long awaited CUPIC project. We are constantly looking for on-screen talent. We need the important role of Cynthia Young filled. Visit our CASTING CALL PAGE for details...The production of our latest feature, CUPIC: DIARY OF AN INVESTIGATOR is in mid-stride. We are taking a totally different approach to this project. We are looking for talent to use in a photo montage for a character profile. There may be possible dialog, but we mainly need talent for the photo montage over narration detailing biographic description.Cynthia Young: Ph.D. An African American woman, mid to late 30s, aeronautical engineer, professor at Pacific Tech. Los Angeles, California. Joined CUPIC in 1987, recommended by Doctor Harold Niven. Child prodigy.Talent will receive a copy of the project, credit and the opportunity to receive speaking role in future CUPIC projects...

Send us (via email) résumés, photos or link(s) to a website or web page to casting@cactuspix.com.

US postal service: mail all headshots and resumes to:

RCW MEDIAWORKS
Attn: Rod Washington
P.O. Box 55463
Phoenix, AZ 85078-5463

Thanks for your interest in Cactus Pix/ RCW MediaWorks projects

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY!!!

Well, it is about time for me to rant once again… My observations as I work in the field of video production and at my part time job, both allow me to work with the public at large. Listening and watching people allows for great character development, and as a writer of literary short stories and screenplays, this is important.

I met quite a few people out there from different corners of the globe, and I have learned from my experience.

THE GOOD…

I like people who want to learn from you, which in turn, you want to learn from them. People, who have their own opinion about things and are not afraid to share them, yet do not alienate you for disagreeing with some or all aspects of these ideas and opinions.

I met a bunch of good, honest, open people, who have strong convictions and opinions and I believe that such diversity is a powerful thing.

THE BAD…

I was shooting a wedding a few months ago with Mike, my business partner, a beautiful affair at a local resort. A lovely brunch was served; we were seated with the photographer and two couples. It was hot that day and the ceremony was outdoors, it was extremely good to be finally indoors and sitting for a change. It was great until one of them started talking, sparking a table wide conversation.

First was the response from the photographer when I said that I have been here in Phoenix for nearly fifteen years, and I jokingly said that I was practically a native, and I got a stern… NO, YOU ARE NOT! Then I heard from one of the other geniuses at the table, “ I’M NOT A NATIVE BECAUSE I REFUSE TO WEAR THE FEATHERS! Wow! How prolific.

Then they went on rambling about how the freeway system in Phoenix are poorly designed and wondering why it took them thirty years to build it.

Then we moved into the next topic, light rail. Being a person that is really into trains and looking at everyone other than Mike at the table, I was not very confident with the outcome. Then I heard from the photographer, “Phil Gordon was a really genius pushing that waste of tax payer dollars.” In addition, wow! I heard more idiotic responses. “ Nobody wants it, only the homeless are going to ride it… The dufus who made the earlier feather comment talks about the short run test that they performed on the system back in the spring and that it only got up to 3 miles an hour, when I know for a fact that it went much faster… Then some of the proposals that from the group that seemed like it was directly from the Acme Book of Bad Ideas… like a monorail from Phoenix to Tucson… Why not build a Trekkie transporter to get you from point A to B; it would be just as pricey… talk about a waste of taxpayer dollars.

THE UGLY…

I watched the coarse of the conversation and new where it was going to lead, GLOBAL WARMING. The photographer did not believe in it. He remembers when it was thought that we would be an ice age. After the reception, I saw this person get into the biggest Hummer that they make. The only people who should drive a vehicle that big should have the first and middle initials of G and I, with the last name of Joe.

What a great day for making up fictional characters with extreme ideas…. Sadly, this was reality….

CUPIC DOC IS BACK IN PRODUCTION

Yes, you heard it right, the project is back on after a six month delay. The scope of the project has changed and will not be the elaborate feature project first envisioned, well not at first. The new production will be a short film that will be between twenty and thirty minutes.

The story will have the same concept as the original idea, introducing background material on the main characters. There will be fewer re-enactment scenes. It will be a challenge working the CUPIC background into this shorter project and keeping the style and flow that we want to convey to the audience, but we are up to it.

THE CUPIC DELAY

Yes, our production of the CUPIC documentary has been delayed. The show will go on. We are determined to produce this project. The whole idea about this project was for it to be a chronology of the organizations past and the present, visiting the new characters and cases with the original characters and revisiting the old cases that started it all. We will continue production soon…

Sadly…

Bob Williams and his wife Ella were really looking forward to participating in our production by lending us their acting skills. They were set to fill the roles of the Arnold and Marcella characters, a married couple who had a ghostly encounter in their home. Sadly, Robert Williams passed on August 30, 2006. Bob was a decorated soldier in the US Army, served in Europe, Asia, and was involved in Operation Desert Storm. He was a man to be remembered, being of great character and personality. Bob enjoyed of life, leaving a lasting impression on me and everyone else. Bob is survived by his wife Ella, his three children, and four grandchildren.

THE MESSENGER

We have just completed our latest short titled, THE MESSENGER. The story involves Mike and Paige, a married couple on a well-deserved vacation at a Southern California resort. A few obstacles stand in the way of their quest for total bliss; one is Donna, a broken hearted friend, and the other is a sudden threat from nature. THE MESSENGER stars Mike Sliwa, Katrina Reyes, Kacey Richards, Alan Potts and April Espinoza. This story is based on a true event that actually happened to Mike. Visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XImhlVNVJ4 to see this short.

CLOUD 9 CONTINUES

Hey, it’s good to be back making shorts. Although we are finishing up our latest project, The Messenger, our 2003 short, Cloud 9, is still alive and kicking. Cloud 9 is now playing on IFC’s Media Lab, where, with enough positive votes, can air on IFC tv uncut. To view and vote, visit http://medialab.ifc.com/film_detail.jsp?film_id=2612 Thank you for your support.

RE THE MESSENGER

THE MESSENGER

Hello Everyone,

Yes, we have been very busy working on RCW MediaWorks and the many projects that we are currently working on.

Well, I am glad to say that we are on the verge of wrapping up our latest short project, “THE MESSENGER.” It has been nearly two years since our last festival ready production and it feels good to work on our indie productions once again.

Now, we are heading into post-production where the real fun begins. As the post process begins and runs it’s course, we will continue work on other indie productions. Production on the CUPIC documentary has begun and we are working hard to keep it on track. We have a few shorts that will start production soon, including our long delayed projects such as “NO MAN’S LAND,” and “FOURTH KIND.”

We will keep you posted on the updates and shooting schedules.

RANTING? WHO, ME?

Okay, we'll I'm fed up... I saw five near accidents on my drive today, all due to cell phone use. The first was a woman who was in her huge Excursion was looking at her phone (probably sending a text message) and came inches from rear-ending me. The second and third were two cars, one on my left and the other on my right lane changing without checking. And quess what? They were both more interested in their cell conversation than driving. The fourth incident happened two miles later when I was attempting to make a left turn at a major intersection. A distracted driver decided to enter the left turn lane in the opposite direction, distracted by his call.... yeah... can we say head on... The last was almost a multicar collision at an intersection a few blocks later when the driver of a huge Dodge Ram decided to concentrate on his phone call instead of paying attention to traffic and ran the red light. Luckily, the drivers saw him in time and slammed on their brakes. No accidents... This was like an over the top action/ disaster film, but the truly sad part is that it was reality. Look, I know we all do it. But some of us forget that we are on the road and driving is, believe it or not, a challenging enoungh task by itself. Unless it's a call from the white house and only you can overt WWIII, your wife is in labor and you have to talk her through it, or your phone call will stop an alien invasion, let your voicemail kick in and take your call in the Fry's parking lot after you set the parking brake.

http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/08/16/cell.phone.driving/

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=570222

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6895319/

A FILM REVIEW FROM ROD?

Yes, that's right. But I am no critic. I will be vocal about the movies that I see and am inspired by. United 93 is one of those films. I recently had the opportunity to view this picture and am glad that I did. I realized by the end that I barely took my eyes off the screen. It was shot documentary style, as if someone was merely holding a camcorder capturing the events as they unfolded. I like that, in this case, because it really got me more into the story than fancy camera angles and dolly shots, etc. The movie is also in realtime, closely following the events of that pivotal morning in American history as they unfold.

Strong in my memory, the events that unfolded that day. I remember doing my morning pre-work ritual that included making breakfast and getting caught up with the news. I remember turning on the TV in my room and saw CNN reporting that a small plane had hit the World Trade Center. Oddly enough, days before this incident, I watched a show on the history channel about a bomber that accidentally hit the Empire State Building in the 40s and the newscaster made that comparison as well. I was thinking about how odd it was that something like that could happen in this day and age. I ran out to the livingroom and turned on the set, my roommate at the time walked and asked me, "Are you watching this? How could a pilot not see those buildings?" After a few quick back and fourth comments between us we were off to work. Neither one of us realized what was unfolding in front of us until we got to work. I could pinpoint the spot in the movie where I came in with that viewing of CNN, so I was felt attached to the characters for that reason.

As a passenger, you are already in a situation that is not in your control and your trust is in the guy in pilots seat. For some of us, there is a little comfort knowing that there is someone who is trained to be there is there with confidence. Imagine that bit of comfort was taken away in such a violent manner. I watched as I remembered the events of that day.

As the movie ended, I found myself sitting there in silence. It was an emotional rollercoaster, I felt anger, dismay, and was just downright uncomfortable. The movie did it's job... It was a film that was not meant to entertain you, not full of special effects, but to visually tell the story of the people who took a stand and didn't let the madness of the day continue. They were headed for the capitol and they couldn't let that happen. It was a job well done... I would recommend this film to everyone.

CUPIC FEATURE PROJECT

The CUPIC feature project is moving right along. We haven’t produced an indie project in almost two years and we are excited to get back into it. We actually postponed a few projects to work on projects related to our business services. They will be back on track soon. The two projects that will see production soon are “NO MAN’S LAND,” and “FOURTH KIND.” The ACADEMY OF THE MIND trilogy will go into production in the near future.