Personal
Convergence and Balance
I’ve often mentioned here that I seem to have my feet in two different worlds. There’s the world where I go forth and make money to buy the things I think I need, to pay my bills and to save for the child I don’t have yet’s college education.
There’s also the world where I fulfill my creative needs by writing or expressing myself in other ways. I also call this the “real work” world. If you’re a writer, you know what I’m talking about.
Most of the time those two worlds do not converge.
With 2011 winding down and with me being another year older (and presumably wiser), it’s occurred to me that I need to make those two worlds converge more frequently. In other words, how can I make more money doing that which creatively satisfies me?
I realize this is quite the dilemma for so early in the morning (I’m writing this at around 6AM Pacific time) but these are precisely the times when you tend to think about these types of weighty issues. I can’t help it, the thoughts just come to me and they need to be addressed – sleep or other considerations be dammed.
Returning to my point, I need to figure out a way (or ways) to make money doing what I love. I’m sure people out there must have faced a similar situation, so if you’re reading this and feeling inclined to help, chime on in.
Until help comes from unexpected but welcome corners of the Internets, I’ve gone ahead and formulated a plan on my own. Or, at least I’ve got an interim plan until something better comes to mind.
In truth, my plan is relatively simple as it involves doing pretty much what I already do and how I do it. The main difference is in how I will allocate my time during the day and what I will focus on.
For example, under this new plan I will now spend as much time writing something (a short story, script, blog post, etc.) as I do on the Internet. I include time spent on Facebook, Twitter, etc. in that as well. I also do this in hopes of reducing the time I spend reading Twitter, on Facebook or reading mindless blog posts.
Going along with that will be an attempt to “reduce the clutter” of my online information stream. In other words, I will visit fewer sites less frequently and try only to read those sites that feature what I consider to be “good” writing and not attention grabbing link bait disguised as writing.
I will also schedule my day better. I will allocate blocks of time to tasks and only do those tasks during that specific time. Of course, this will have to be somewhat flexible to allow for creative bursts of energy and inspiration so if I’m “on a roll” I don’t have to cut it off to fit a particular schedule.
Going along with that I will also have a definitive cutoff to the day when I won’t, for example, answer emails from clients or deal with other matters that don’t have anything to do with the creative world.
I think the term I’m looking for here is balance. Although, that may not be exactly applicable in this case. I’m not looking for balance, per se, I’m actually looking for a way to spend the vast majority of my time in that second, creative, world.
The best case is that those two worlds converge completely and I spend all of my work time doing those things which make me the happiest. If I could make a few bucks in the process, all the better.
Obviously, I’m still working on the full plan, but I feel pretty good about it so far. At least I’ve mostly identified the problem and are taking some steps to remedy it.
I know I can do better and I know this plan will evolve over time like any good one should. Stay tuned to see how the goes.
But until then, this is what I’ve got. And really, what did you expect at 6AM?
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Note - I’m not sure what the pic above has to do with this particular topic. I just like it, okay?
Christmas 2011
Yes, it’s Christmas. . . at least for those of us who celebrate it. If you don’t, have a great Sunday. For the rest of us: Merry Christmas! I hope you got everything you wanted and only a little bit of what you deserve.
Christmas Birthday 101
The holidays are upon us in earnest and Christmas is coming this Sunday. I’m also having a birthday this week too. In fact, it’s tomorrow (Thursday).
Before you feel too bad for me and express sympathies that my birthday must get forgotten due to its proximity to Christmas, I will make you feel better by telling you that in all the time I’ve been alive, I’ve never felt bad about having a birthday three days before Christmas.
There’s one reason for that (well, two). Harold and Dorothy. My parents.
My parents came into my life sorta late in theirs. They tried for several years to have a kid the old fashioned way, but in the end, for whatever reason, they were unsucessful. So, like countless others who wanted a child, but just couldn’t make it happen, they turned to adoption.
That’s where I came into the picture. My parents adopted me, sealed the deal in late November, I was born on December 22 and they brought me home to live with them on Christmas day.
Since that time, my parents, being the intelligent and thoughtful people they are, went to great effort to distinguish my birthday from Christmas. It was always considered a seperate day and talk of Christmas was put aside until it was over.
Sure, the house usually already had Christmas lights and decorations up (my father was like that), but that was not allowed to detract from my birthday. If my party was at the house, we celebrated in a room away from the tree and as much of the rest of the Christmas-centric decor as we could manage.
They were also really great at making sure I had separate birthday and Christmas gifts each year. My mom still does that to this day.
I have no doubt that when I see her this weekend she will make me open my birthday presents first and then make me wait for the Christmas presents until a respectable amount of time has passed. Somewhat of a traditionalist is Dorothy. If my dad were still alive, I’m sure he’d insist on the same thing.
The purpose of this missive is to say that I’ve been very fortunate to have these two people in my life. Whatever happened, they always put me first and made sure I never needed or wanted for anything.
I could not have asked for better people to show me the whys and wherefores of life. I just hope, if I ever have children of my own, I can do half as good a job as they did.
It’s a tough act to follow.
Keyboard Considerations
I’ve been trying to use just the iPad 2 for a few days to do my writing work and I came to the conclusion that I need a keyboard. That’s not to say that typing directly on the iPad 2 wouldn’t work for most people, or for me under different circumstances, it’s just that right now my fingers are a bit sore and it’s time to explore other options.
Fortunately, I already have a solution. I’ve dropped some hard earned cash on a keyboard case and stand combo from Incase. It’s called the Origami Workstation and it features a place to hold your Apple Wireless Keyboard (I already had one of from a previous experiment) and to hold you iPad or iPad 2 either vertically or horizontally. I usually pick horozontal, just in case you were wondering.
With the iPad 2 and keyboard in place things have gotten much easier on my hands and fingers. Yes, I realize having to bring a keyboard with you begs the question as to why I don’t just use the MacBook Air. That’s a valid question and one I could answer by just saying I just don’t want to. The truth is I’m not just doing this just for me. I’m doing it for you. For those of you who want to know if you can get along and get work done with just an iPad 2 and that’s it. The answer is, so far, yes you can – unless you have a problem like I do. In that case you need to make some adjustments. Problem or not, the iPad 2 is especially useful if you’re a writer, or some other type of creative person, who’s job it is to put words in a certain order and upload, print or otherwise share them with people. It really is a great tool. It’s likely if my hands were a bit younger and I haden’t spent the last ten or more years pounding keys I would have gotten away without using an external keyboard. Sadly, I can’t. You might be able to, however. And you should try. It makes the idea you can bring a small device like the iPad 2 with you, and that’s all you really need, that much cooler. My needing to use a keyboard doesn’t change the fact that the iPad is a great writing tool and so far has proven to be very useful in my everyday work. Now to get back to it. I’ll let you know how it’s going, don’t worry.
Thanks Giving
As it happens to be Thanksgiving I’m inclined and motivated by the day to list the things I’m thankful for. So, here goes (in no particular order):
My LB
My friends
My life
My health
My Mom still being with me
My talent
My self-awareness
My luck to do what I love every day
My people who put up with my plethora of issues
My love of fun
My optimism in the face of cynicism
I’m sure there’s more but those are the ones that jump out first.
All the best for a happy and healthy Thanksgiving to all of you.
A Sister's Eulogy for Steve Jobs
This was written by Steve Jobs sister Mona Simpson and given at a ceremony for the late Apple co-founder and all-around genius. I thought it was worth reposting and preserving here for me, and for you.
I grew up as an only child, with a single mother. Because we were poor and because I knew my father had emigrated from Syria, I imagined he looked like Omar Sharif. I hoped he would be rich and kind and would come into our lives (and our not yet furnished apartment) and help us. Later, after I’d met my father, I tried to believe he’d changed his number and left no forwarding address because he was an idealistic revolutionary, plotting a new world for the Arab people.
Even as a feminist, my whole life I’d been waiting for a man to love, who could love me. For decades, I’d thought that man would be my father. When I was 25, I met that man and he was my brother.
By then, I lived in New York, where I was trying to write my first novel. I had a job at a small magazine in an office the size of a closet, with three other aspiring writers. When one day a lawyer called me — me, the middle-class girl from California who hassled the boss to buy us health insurance — and said his client was rich and famous and was my long-lost brother, the young editors went wild.
This was 1985 and we worked at a cutting-edge literary magazine, but I’d fallen into the plot of a Dickens novel and really, we all loved those best. The lawyer refused to tell me my brother’s name and my colleagues started a betting pool. The leading candidate: John Travolta. I secretly hoped for a literary descendant of Henry James — someone more talented than I, someone brilliant without even trying.
When I met Steve, he was a guy my age in jeans, Arab- or Jewish-looking and handsomer than Omar Sharif.
We took a long walk — something, it happened, that we both liked to do. I don’t remember much of what we said that first day, only that he felt like someone I’d pick to be a friend. He explained that he worked in computers.
Behind the Scenes of 'Blade Runner' with Sean Young
I don’t think it’s much of a secret that I’m a film nerd. I love movies of all genres but have a special place in my heart for sci-fi. Among my favorites is Ridley Scott’s 1982 film Blade Runner.
The film, an adaptation of Phillip K. Dick's novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep," made quite an impression on me as a young man. I saw the film at a rough cut screening in San Diego after having won tickets on a local radio station and was treated to a version somewhat different from the finished product. It was a great experience.
I've watched the film so many times since that day and each time I still see something new in it. It was definitely before its time and not something soon to be repeated -- any potential reboot/remake notwithstanding.
One of the stars of the film is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Young">Sean Young</a>. She played Rachel, the replicant who thought she was human. During my travels in Hollywood I almost worked with Sean on a film but she ended up doing it and I ended up dropping out. At least I had the pleasure of meeting her once during pre-production.
She could not have been nicer during the meeting and towards the end even put up with a few<em> Blade Runner </em> questions from me that had absolutely nothing to do with the project we were talking about at the time. I enjoyed that meeting very much.
Recently, Sean <a href="http://s94802126.onlinehome.us/msy/My_Albums_13-16/Pages/15._Polaroids.html">put up a bunch of polaroid photos</a> of her, and others, taken during the <em>Blade Runner</em> shoot. They are pretty cool and show a lot of my favorite actors as their younger selves. They also give us a glimpse into the friendship and bond that takes place during the making of a film.
I've often heard people in the business describe the filmmaking process as like going to war. You have a mission and you have a group of people all working together to reach a common objective. I've never been to war nor do I ascribe the same significance to filmmaking as I do to the sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform.
However, I get what they mean. Long hours, sometimes difficult working conditions and a sense that you're isolated except for the rest of the people working with you can lead to that esprit de corps often talked about in military circles.
I've experienced the bond and friendship that comes from hours, days, weeks and months "in the trenches" and often it <em>is</em> an amazing experience that you keep with you for the rest of your life. It's one of the things I miss most about working in the business, on set, helping to create something.
Still, I do like what I'm doing now. Writing is, in some ways, much harder. But is also very rewarding when you know you've done a good job on something. As you often work alone, you don't develop the camaraderie and bond as you would on set but the sense of accomplishing and creating something is certainly there, and often more pronounced.
No, I don't think I would change how things are now. I've got my memories of the good times and I'm still great friends with many of my comrades in arms. For me, those are enough.
Looking For Inspiration
No matter what I’ve achieved in my life, occasionally I find myself in need of some inspiration or motivation (or both). Usually, whatever I need comes from inside me and I end up making it work somehow.
Other times, I need to look elsewhere for what I need. Today is one of those days. So, to help me move forward and do what I need to do, here's a little inspiration from my man Steve Jobs.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc?rel=0&w=480&h=390]
Whatever you may think of him or Apple, he certainly knows his way around public speaking. We could all hope to be this good at something someday.
Money quote:
"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, heart and intuition."
Yep. I needed that.
What's Up?
This site feels lonely. In fact, it is. I haven’t been updating it at all during the last few months because I’ve been spending the majority of my time over at The Flickcast and trying to make that the best it can be.
However, all is not lost. Part of my plan for the new year is to start taking more photographs. I'm going to be exploring my photography skills and trying to improve them. I will be posting the results here and, of course, over at <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisu/" target="_blank">my Flickr page</a>.
So, stay tuned for more from this site. I haven't forgotten it and will get back to it soon enough. Until then, all the best for 2011.
I Am Still Alive and Other Developments
Sad I have to write that headline, but sometimes when you’ve kept a blog for a few years and updated pretty regularly and then stop, people often wonder if something bad has happened to you. Fortunately, that’s not the case. No bad things.
Actually, some good thing have happened, especially where my latest project is concerned. Yes, that's right, <em><a href="http://www.theflickcast.com" target="_blank">The Flickcast</a></em> has really taken off and as such, demands a great deal of my time. Not only to I run the site, for the most part, I also have to write for it each and every day. That takes its toll.
Because <em>The Flickcast</em> is such a demanding site and the vast majority of my energy is devoted to it at the moment, that leaves very little left for this site. Once I've pretty much said my peace on various issues via the site or the podcast, I've pretty much got nothing left to write about here.
When I started this site several years ago my intention was to have a reason and a motivation to write every day (or almost every day, let's be honest). Now that I've got <em>The Flickcast</em> going, I have no choice but to write every day so the impetus to keep a personal blog is not nearly as strong.
I'm not exactly sure what to do about this site. I like having it and I may, on occasion, put something here. But for now, it won't be a regular thing at all, my other project needs to be the priority -- especially if I want it to continue the growth its seen so far.
So, if you're looking for me and my contributions, head on over to <em><a href="http://www.theflickcast.com" target="_blank">The Flickcast</a></em> and you can find me there. Also, if you're looking for any of my other work, there's some good links at <a href="http://chrisullrich.net" target="_blank">my other website</a>. And, feel free to follow me on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/chrisu" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and friend me at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/chris.ullrich" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. I promise I won't bite.
The New 'The Flickcast' Site is Alive!
I’m pretty darn excited about my latest venture The Flickcast. I’ve been working on it for a couple months now doing a weekly podcast about movies, tv, comics and other geek stuff and its been great fun and pretty successful so far.
In addition to the podcast, I've also started a news site as a companion to the weekly show that's also been doing pretty well. One thing that had always bothered me about the site, though, was that it looked too much like a blog and not enough like a professional news site should look.
Fortunately, that's no longer the case because my new favorite web designer, <a href="http://www.rp-network.com">Robert Palmer</a>, has done a kick-ass job and totally redesigned the site to make it look awesome <em>and</em> professional.
This site and podcast are just the start of what I hope will someday be a giant media empire. Meanwhile, if you get a minute, head on over to <a href="http://www.theflickcast.com"><em>The Flickcast</em></a> and check out the new look, read a review or two and listen to some great podcasts.
I feel very privileged to be able to start this new venture and it wouldn't be possible without some other great people like my podcast co-hosts Matt Raub and Christina Warren, my "web guy" Robert Palmer, site contributors like David Press, John Carle, all the Mahoneys (Sean, Tom, Adele and Heath), some great tools like Wordpress and last, but not least, the inspiration, encouragement and help I've received from various friends, colleagues and mentors.
Thank you all. I sincerely appreciate it.
Also, if you've got any feedback, feel free to drop it in the comments here or at <em><a href="http://www.theflickcast.com">The Flickcast</a></em> site.
Moving on Up
I’ve moved this blog from hosted Wordpress to my own server also using Wordpress. Yes, I’m that cool and know how to do stuff.
However, due to the migration, things still look a bit wonky and will for a few days until I get time to fix them. So, please bare with me while I finish up the migration.
In the meantime, to thank you for your patience, take a look at this picture featuring a few of my favorite things. Enjoy.
<img src="http://chrisword.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/thingsilike12.jpg" border="0" alt="thingsilike12.jpg" width="400" height="562">
The Flickcast is Live!
I'm very happy that as of today, the new Podcast I've been working on with my pals <a href="http://www.christinawarren.com/">Christina Warren</a> and <a href="http://www.mattraub.com/">Matt Raub</a> is live. So, for all your film, television, comic book and geek information needs, head on over and check out <strong><a href="http://theflickcast.com/">The Flickcast</a></strong>. The <a href="http://theflickcast.com/2009/04/01/the-flickcast-episode-1-the-journey-begins/">first episode</a> is live at our site and also available on <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=310882680">iTunes</a>.
Also, be sure to follow the show on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/theflickcast">Twitter</a> and be a fan on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Flickcast/75460739512?ref=ts#/pages/The-Flickcast/75460739512">Facebook</a>. Finally, if you have any comments, suggestion, criticism or offers of sponsorship, feel free to let us know. Thanks for listening.
Working on Something New
If you’ve followed this blog for any length of time you know I tend to do a lot of different things and have done a lot of different things over the years. Film, TV, writing, photography, consulting and working with a non-profit are just some of the ways I like to spend my time and make a living.
Lately, I've been thinking of starting a new venture. It occurred to me that as I've worked for various organizations and written about and interviewed various people in the worlds of entertainment, technology and comics, I've met a lot of great people who do amazing and interesting things.
I also have come to realize that working for other people isn't always the best way to go about it. Certainly, I've worked with and for some great people over the years but if I've learned one thing working in "the business" its that ownership, in the end, is where its at.
If you create something and own it you stand a much better chance of realizing the full benefit from it both creatively and financially. If you're just a hired hand you'll never care about it as much as you will if it's your "baby."
I'm a professional and I work very hard to do the best job possible -- but at the end of the day its just a job. I don't have the personal stake in the work so consequently I'm not going to care as much as someone who conceived the idea in the first place.
So, that brings me to the latest project I've been working on. A project that I created and will have an ownership stake in. Its called <em>The Flickcast</em> and it covers the things I know and love: movies, TV, comic books, tech and all-things geek. It's a weekly podcast featuring myself and my co-hosts <a href="http://www.mattraub.com">Matt Raub</a> and <a href="http://www.christinawarren.com">Christina Warren</a>.
We will also feature guests and other people dropping by periodically to talk about various projects, movies, tv shows or other geek things that they feel passionate about. I'm really looking forward to doing this and it looks to be a lot of fun. Plus, you'll get to hear my terrific voice on a weekly basis which I know many of you have been clamoring for.
Be sure to check out <em><a href="http://www.theflickcast.com">The Flickcast</a></em> website and follow us on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/theflickcast">Twitter</a> for the latest updates. We'll also have a Facebook page soon as well so you can friend us there too. Also, feel free to throw out comments, suggestions, questions or words of encouragement as we fine tune the show over the weeks.
Greatness often takes time so we hope you'll give us a listen and follow along as we strive to achieve it.
Video Friday (Saturday Edition) - The Carwash
Yes, I got a new camera (the Flip Mino HD) and yes I was looking for things to shoot with it. So, here’s a little ditty about Jack’s carwash.
Wow, that was a mesh of John Cougar Mellencamp <em>and</em> Chuck Palahniuk. Check me out. I am awesome. Oh, and enjoy the video.
The New Ride
Just a quick photo of the new car I got on Saturday. Yes, its a BMW. A 535i with inline six cylinder, twin turbo, 300 hp goodness. It's also got what BWM calls the Premium Package, Sport Package, Navigation and, most importantly, iPod support so you can control the iPod with the car's built-in iDrive system and listen through the stereo.
That's a very cool feature allowing you to see all your playlists, songs, etc. on the car's screen and play what you want. All while leaving the iPod safely tucked away in the center console. Why did I get it? Well, I've been good lately so really, why not?
This photo is just a snap from the iPhone but I'll post some better ones later, once I feel a bit better. Having a cold and nursing a shoulder injury can take a lot out of you. But looking at, and more to the point, driving a car like this, can go a long way to making you feel better. In a word, its just plain fun.
As always, we remember
I’m very lucky to live in a country where I’ve had the opportunity to pursue pretty much whatever dream I saw fit. To those who can no longer follow their dreams, we will not forget you.
<img src="http://cullrich.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/national-park-service-9-11-statue-of-liberty-and-wtc-fire.jpg" alt="National_Park_Service_9-11_Statue_of_Liberty_and_WTC_fire.jpg" border="0" width="350" height="265">
Surfing In Malibu
No, it wasn’t me surfing. It was professionals who know what they’re doing. Although, I did surf a bit when I was younger, but never really got very good at it. Also, I’ve tried it again a couple times recently and I’m still not very good at it. So again, I’ll leave it to the pros.
Fortunately, all I had to do at this event over the weekend was try to take some decent pictures. No surfing on my part required. Here's a few taken during the <a href="http://www.msaclassic.com/">MSA Classic</a> event in Malibu this past weekend. It's the 45th annual contest and one of the beneficiaries of the event was <a href="http://www.healthebay.org">Heal the Bay</a>. All in all, a great way to spend a Saturday.
More at <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisu/">my flickr page</a>.
<img src="http://cullrich.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/malibupier.jpg" alt="malibupier.jpg" border="0" width="485" height="346">
<img src="http://cullrich.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/surfer31.jpg" alt="surfer3.jpg" border="0" width="485" height="346">
<img src="http://cullrich.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/surfing1.jpg" alt="surfing1.jpg" border="0" width="485" height="346">
<img src="http://cullrich.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/surfing2.jpg" alt="surfing2.jpg" border="0" width="485" height="364">
<img src="http://cullrich.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/beachday.jpg" alt="beachday.jpg" border="0" width="485" height="678">
Photo a Day - Day 30
Just under the wire, here we are. This is the final photo in my “Photo a Day” thirty days of photos experiment. Some were good, some were just okay and some, well, let’s just say some were not so good.
Still, it was fun to see if I could do it at all and I'm pretty impressed with me for being able to stick with it for the duration. I also think I learned one or two new things about photography, which is great as there's always something to learn.
In fact, I think I enjoyed this experiment so much, I'm going to continue with it and keep taking more pictures. Who knows, maybe I'll end up with 365 days of photos instead of just thirty. Okay, that brings us to the final photo of this series.
Instead of using a picture that I took recently, I've decided to put up one of my favorite photos I took of my father. In case you don't know, he died last October. Consequently, the photos I took of him, especially ones like this taken at one of our favorite bars, are a reminder of the good times we had when livin' was easy.
Cheers Dad.
<img src="http://cullrich.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/dad.jpg" alt="Dad.jpg" border="0" width="485" height="322">
Also at <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisu/">my flickr page</a>.
Photo a Day - Day 29
Getting even closer now to the end. This is the second to last photo of the “Photo a Day” event. Exciting, yes? I know I’m feeling it.
<img src="http://cullrich.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/fight.jpg" alt="Fight.jpg" border="0" width="485" height="325">