Rex Hoss

I'm Back - after way too long

2010-12-04T21:35:00.000-08:00

OK, I can't actually believe it's been soooooooo long since I've posted anything on here. My apologies to my fans and friends. So much has happened in my life in this time. Good, bad, interesting, sad. But I'm back now and hoping to start blogging more consistently again.

So what's been happening you might (or might not) ask? Well, since this blog is primarily about my Acting Career, I'll start there.

Firstly "Notes From The New World has finished filming and I believe will be released soon. Though, in my excitement I confess, I need to find out more details about it. But it IS done.

Next I had the pleasure to be in one of the episodes of 1000 Ways to Die. The episode was called "Shafted" and I don't have direct link to the show but if you Google it, you'll find it pretty easy. I played an office worker who has an overbearing boss who meets an untimely death 'by elevator'.

I was also in a Showtime show which I think is called "Lucky" which I was doing some background work at a horse racing track.

That was all from last year.

This year, I had the pleasure of working with my talented friend Trent on a film he wrote and produced, called "George's 40th Birthday". It will be having its debut screening at USC on December 13th. Can't wait to see that. I play one of the office workers who works with the lead character. We had an incredible cast and crew and I want to thank everyone involved in that production.

I also very recently just got case to play a Senator with a secret in a film called "Lewd Conduct". It should prove to be an interesting and challenging role, and I'm delighted to be part of it.

Well, that's going to be it for this posting. Wanted to briefly bring people (somewhat) up to speed. I'm sure I'll have more to say since it's been such a long time since my last postings.

Protect Marriage, Ban Divorce - Eat your words!

2008-11-12T07:19:00.000-08:00

Well I'm apologizing up front for not posting in A WHILE. What can I say - Nothing significant going on in my life. Oh yeah, there was that thing about the first Black President, and oh yeah that other story about Prop 8 getting passed. I guess I COULD have blogged about those.

Well not to diminish the astounding significance of Obama winning the election (I'm still shedding tears of joy over that - I'm so loving it - it's so right!!!

But then I came across this video about 'protecting marriage'. If you know me, and even if you don't - I strongly opposed Prop 8. It's insane that it was even on the ballot since the Supreme Court had already once declared it unconstitutional - but I digress. So now that it's regrettably passed, we must move on to the next phase and to begin I think every Prop 8 supporter (and us opposers too) should watch this video. It pretty much sums it up.

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Run-away Photographer, er, I Mean Runway Photographer

2008-09-24T17:57:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I got the opportunity to shoot photographs of many wonderful models at a fashion event put on by Kami Shade. It was called Shop Til You Drop and it was held at Basics in San Diego. I had a fantastic time taking photographs of all the the great models, making some new acquaintances and practicing my photography technique.

Every photoshoot is an experience and this was no different. I'm a little more used to shooting in studio settings and/or where I can control the subjects and hopefully the lighting a bit more, so this proved to be a challenge. The event started before I knew it and so several of my first shots were spent adjusting my camera for the light, and the environment. After a while I got things together and feel I got some nice shots. There's always more to learn about photography and that's why I enjoy doing it - so I can learn and adapt to each new situation. Overall, I like the shots I got - There are of course things I'd have changed in hindsight, but hey - that's life. For those of you models and other photographers checking out my site and these photos, feel free to comment or contact me about the photos.

I look forward to hopefully working with many of these wonderful models again in the future and wish everyone involved in the event MUCH SUCCESS with your career goals!

Can you picture this?

2008-09-17T19:19:00.000-07:00

Today I'm happy to report that I recently got the opportunity to do a photo shoot for the movie I'm involved with Notes from the New World. The photo shoot was needed to replace one of the lead characters in the posters and advertising for the movie. Natasha Blasick has been cast in the role of "Sonia" replacing another actress. We needed a photo of Natasha which resembled the shot of the other actress and the picture is to be used in the movie poster! The Director Vitaly Sumin asked me to take the picture and I excitedly agreed! The photo shoot actually took place several weeks ago and I recently got a preliminary copy of the new poster with my picture of Natasha incorporated into the poster. Natasha is the actress on the left in Red - looking on at the other two Actors Brent and Amanda. Let me know what you think. I don't have a picture of the original poster shot I was trying to reproduce, but if I find one, I'll post it so you can make a comparison. I'm pleased by the photo and the opportunity to work on the movie, and it's really exciting to know that one of my photos will be used to promote the film. I'm grateful of the opportunity to be involved in this project, and as always, I'm grateful for all the opportunities which happen for me in this crazy/wonderful industry.

--Rex Hoss

The Killing of the Mocking Bird at CCPT

2008-08-30T11:24:00.000-07:00

To my special Thespian Leon, and the rest of my readers and friends at CCPT and beyond, I'm finally posting a bunch of photos I took at the wonderful final performance of To Kill a Mockingbird". I really and truly enjoyed the show and I'm VERY impressed with the three young actors playing roles in it. Of course all the actors were really great and it was like visiting with my family because I knew several of the actors from my involvement last year. Special Kudos to Leon, Eric, Milton, Hilary and Dean! On an emotional level it's a hard play to watch because of some of the themes address in the story, but it was performed well by all and I am deeply moved. Enjoy my slideshow (yes Leon, even though I'm not Jewish, a little guilt can be effective). Great job by all and of course I wish everyone MUCH SUCCESS in their life journey's whereever that may take you!

--Rex Hoss

100 pushups in 6 weeks - Week 4

2008-08-25T22:53:00.000-07:00

If you've been following my posts, several weeks ago I mentioned that I'd started a new exercise routine called 100 pushups in 6 weeks. After two weeks you do a strength test and depending upon your results you proceed with the training. Well after the third week, I wasn't completing the necessary amount of reps so my instructions were to repeat that week's workout. Well it took me two additional repitions of week three's workout to build the strength to complete it. That being done I moved on to week "four" which was really my sixth week, but it's all good. After successfully completing the week four workout last week I was scheduled to perform another strength test which I just did, and completed 42 consecutive pushups! So that means I'll be starting my week five workout tomorrow.

Up to this point the workouts have consisted of five sets of pushup with varying amounts of reps in each set for example first set with say 25 pushups, 2nd set with 20, 20 18 and then 25 reps for the last set. Those numbers are just examples but it gives you an idea of what I've been doing. Each day of the week gets progressively more reps in each set - thus making it harder. Week five pushes it up another notch by adding three more sets so I'll be doing a total of 8 sets (whew!). If' I can't make it through this week with the required number of sets and reps, it'll be repeat time again. We'll see how it goes. But I do feel stronger and seem to even be bulking up my chest and triceps a little too. Wish me luck! I'll keep you informed on my progress toward the goal of performing 100 consecutive pushups!

--Rex Hoss

My Trip to Boston

2008-08-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

OK, so the title's a bit of a tease, but, I'm excited because I got to work background on one of my favorite shows today! Boston Legal. For those who don't know, James Spader, William Shatner and Candice Bergen are the main stars, and the show is wonderful. Since this was a background roll, the majority of my time was spent waiting in the "holding area" talking with the other background artists. That in itself can be fun, but the real fun was when we were called to the set. The scene was inside a restaurant/bar where Shirley Schmidt (Candice Bergen's character) was having a business lunch with another of the shows characters (from another law firm) who's name unfortunately escapes me. Both actors were amazing and professional. It's really fun for me to get to watch the "pros" work and also see some of the behind-the-scenes things that go on.

I don't do a lot of background work these days, but Boston Legal is one of my favorite shows and I've always wanted to be on it, so, today marked a milestone of sorts for me in that I got the chance to be on the show. Next time it would be nice to have a speaking role, but I'm so grateful and excited about just being around the wonderful people today, making some new friends and being involved in the amazing world of acting.

--Rex Hoss

R.I.P. Bernie Mac

2008-08-09T14:11:00.000-07:00

Wow, I as actually stunned and saddened to hear of Bernie Mac's passing today. I have this reaction because a few years ago when I was starting out in my acting career, I had the pleasure of being booked as a featured extra in the move "Guess Who" staring Bernie Mac and Aston Kucher. I was mostly seen in the marriage-re commitment ceremony scene near the end of the movie. I was struck by Bernie's professionalism and his concern for all the the people on the set. There was on night where all the actors were waiting for some technical things to be worked out. As the cast set ready to shoot in the cold night air of a backyard set, Bernie came out at about 1am to talk to the cast. It actually turned into an impromptu stand up routine for him and he had us all laughing and feeling better. I was so impressed that a star of his level would take the time to come out and entertain everyone for nearly an hour while we waited. This was above and beyond and cemented my opinion of him being a truly great person. On another day of the taping, I got positioned near Bernie for a scene and in between takes he struck up a conversation with me. It was simple talk, but it made me realize that this man was aware of, and grateful for, all the people who help him and work with him.

I later got to do some extra work on his TV show for an episode called "The Bah Mitzvah" where I played a Jewish parent in several scenes for the show. I feel a connection to him and am truly saddened that a great person, and wonderful entertainer has left us.

R.I.P. Bernie

--Rex Hoss

Acting - Naturally

2008-08-01T17:47:00.000-07:00

Hi all. Well it's been a while since I've had any really exciting news on the acting front. I'm happy to report that's changed! I have had an incredibly exciting week for me. First, I was cast in a new Feature Film called "Good Guys Finish Last" which is currently in production. It's really cool because I'll be playing a Paparazzi in the film. What that means (in case you haven't been paying close attention to my blog, or my life), is that I get to combine two of my favorite activities - acting, and photography! How sweet is that? My scene shoots tomorrow so I'm looking forward to the weekend and this fun opportunity. I'll give you more details on the film as things progress. - Stay Tuned.

A second acting highlight is that I was also cast this week to be an ensemble player in the forthcoming production of "Grapes of Wrath" which will be held at the La Mirada Theatre for The Performing Arts. This will be a special showcase and the only two performances (so far) will be held October 23, 2008 - so keep your calendar clear so you can attend the show!

As you can see it's been a productive week for my acting activities. I've also been on a couple of other auditions this week and I hope to spread more good news your way in the next day or so. I'll have more information on both projects as things progress.

Thanks for tuning in, checking out my blog, and most of all being a partner with me in this adventure we call life! I am so very grateful to know that my friends, family and associates are a very import part of my life and I appreciate you all, though I may not get to tell you that personally, as often as I'd like.

(Special Thanks to Larry Matsui who took the above photo of me.)

--Rex Hoss

100 pushups in 6 weeks - Week 2

2008-07-28T23:29:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I stumbled upon an interesting website call 100 push ups which is a site devoted to teaching us mere mortals how to go from nearly zero to 100 consecutive push ups in only six weeks!!! It sounded interesting and since my gym membership was canceled several years ago, (but I've been trying to 'home-gym' myself into better health) decided to give it a try. Because after all, it promises to help you achieve the goal no matter what your starting level is. So you start by doing an initial test of how may push ups you can do non-stop, to exhaustion. Well I managed to do 30 which I was a little surprised at since the average for ~~out-of-shape~~, regular guys appears to be about 12. Well I'm happy to report that at my two week test which I just completed, I managed 40 before I fell to the floor in a sweaty heap! So, I can happily report that I do seem to be making a gain. It remains to be seen where I'll be at the end of the sixth week (let alone the next two weeks). The workout, is actually pretty easy, so far. But it's been only having me do between 10-17 push ups at a time. This week which I'll start tomorrow, the number bumps up nearer my point of exhaustion - so we'll see how it goes.

Wish me luck - I'll be reporting my progress as the weeks pass. If you want to try it yourself, follow the links above, and of course, let me know you're starting and we can cheer each other on.

--Rex Hoss

Stop N Go

2008-07-15T22:03:00.000-07:00

Well, here's a fun shot I took this week - so it qualifies for my Photo of the week - Yay! I particularly like this one because of the juxtaposition between the Stop sign and the moving and blurred car. It was of course taken with my Nikon D80, 18-200mm lens, hand-held with a slower shutter speed (I'd have to check the exact settings) to get the blurred car. See - I'm trying to keep my photo a week, promise. I hope the rest of you photographers in my life, and in the world are having fun and creating/capturing fun images of our world.--Rex Hoss

Photo of the Week

2008-07-12T07:46:00.000-07:00

Hi Ya'll, In my sadly misguided attempt to take a "Photo of the Day", I've gotten pitifully off-track. However, I'm going to try to do a Photo Of The Week so. Here goes, This was taken with my 400mm lens on my Nikon D80 from the upstairs balcony of my apartment. I was testing out my lens and was delighted at the reach. It's a little bit of a "slow" lens, which for the photographically challenged of you out there, that means that it needs more light, and slower shutter speeds and a steady hand to take good pictures. So I'm pretty happy with the result since the helicopter was obviously moving pretty fast, but my picture came out nicely. Let me know what you think. I'm always open to comments and suggestions about my work, and possibly other things to photograph. If you have a camera, any camera, go out and SHOOT! It's a beautiful weekend here in Los Angeles, and there are many events including the Lotus Festival in Echo Park this weekend. Enjoy!

--Rex Hoss

Photo - Not of the Day

2008-06-26T21:35:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't been doing to well at my self-imposed "Picture-A-Day" posting strategy. So I decided to just post another picture I'd taken while doing the model shoot for IMTAgency earlier this month. Sarah (the pictured model) was one of the pretty people I had the pleasure of photographing. But it was fun shooting her due to more than just her obvious good looks - she was VERY professional as well. She knew how to pose for the camera, and "Work It" as they say. She know the right kind of clothes, moves, and attitude to make both good pictures and an enjoyable time doing it. I predict that she'll go far in the industry if she keeps with it. So, as I try each day to take and make an intersting photograph, I may not always reach that "daily" goal, but I am trying and moving in that direction. Life, I've found out is more about the setting of goals and the PROCESS of working toward them, rather than just getting the goal and basking in your accomplishments.

--Rex Hoss

Acting - Naturally

2008-06-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday I had a really fun day - as an actor. As many of you know, I'm involved in an upcoming independent film "Notes From The New World" as both an actor and a photographer. While it appears that the movies' primary filming has been delayed (probably until fall when it's cooler), there is still some stuff happening in relation to the film. Notably, there is kind of a behinds-the-scenes, sub-plot which is still unfoldeing. My role in that is kind of becoming larger than my role in the primary film. Go figure.

That might seem a little confusing, so let me see if I can explain. I'm doing behind the scenes still photography for the production and that has led the Director Vitaly Sumin, to ask me to also be involved in some investigation and filming of a sub-plot involving one of the writers, a strange, cult, and some other interesting characters. To make a long confusing story shorter, Tuesday, we were following someone around in a car and ended up at a boxing ring in Torrance. The guy we were following ended up being one of the actors in the film, but we didn't know it at the time. In the process, I ended up getting punched or K.O.'d (knocked out) by the guy while I was trying to get some information out of him in the ring. A couple of the other people involved get hit too. It was quite an experience for me.

This was fun for me on several levels: First, I've never been to a boxing ring in person and that was interesting (those rings are thankfully padded well and absorb your fall pretty well). The ring had a lot of young-ish guys (mid teens to early 20's) practicing their craft. That was also pretty interesting to see up close. It was also fun because I got to be involved with the film! One of the things I love about acting is that it gets you outside yourself and into roles and situations which you might otherwise never get a chance to be involved it. The boxing ring was certainly one for me. So I had a good day.

If you check out the "Notes" website, you can currently see many of the photos I've taken of the cast and crew. (Warning: I didn't take ALL of them, and there's no credits currently as to who took which pictures - so I'll let you guess). There will also, at some point, be the footage of Tuesday's events since - we were actually filming what happened so we would have it documented. There should also be other behinds-the-scenes footage as we investigate and document things further. Stay tuned to my blog and/or the movie's website for further information about the filming.

--Rex Hoss

On Taking Pretty Pictures

2008-06-10T23:29:00.000-07:00

Well, it took a few days to sort through all my photographs from this past weekend. If you weren't paying attention in my earlier post, I had the opportunity to shoot a bunch of models and actors for IMT Agency this past weekend. We gathered around 9am near Will Rogers Beach Park, and then the beach for a knock-down, drag-out photo shoot. There were 7 photographers including yours truly, and about 15 models throughout the day. It was a lot of fun, and more than a little stressful for me since I do most of my "better" photography indoors in controlled light. This was done outdoors, with bright sun. I tried to minimize the sun bu shooting in shade and directing the light with reflectors, but this was new territory for me, and a good challenge. It was also interesting since we shot a variety of people, in no particular order, with varying skin-tone so there are constant adjustments to the camera to get a well exposed picture. Things got even more challenging as the day went on and the sun got higher in the sky. Most photographers agree that the mid-day sun is the worst light for shooting in, but that's exactly what we had.

Overall though, I'm very pleased with most of the photos I took. The slideshow above is by no means all the pictures I took - just a selection to highlight the day.

Feel free to let me know what you think in the comments section.

--Rex Hoss

These are a few of my favorite things

2008-06-06T22:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm quite excited tonight because tomorrow I get to do a photo shoot of probably about 20 modeles who are part of a modeling agency. So I've been preparing myself for the shoot tonight. None the least of which means I've had to gather a few of my favorite things for the photo shoot. Now the picture is a little unsettling for me because in the two plus years since I've had a DSLR, I've apparently gathered quite a bit of photography equipment. That's the unsettling thing! How can something so simple as photography, "require" so much gear? AND, when did I get all this stuff? Actually that's only part of my equipment - serveral lenses and smaller items are already packed away in the carrying cases. Also, I'm borrowing a friends camera as a backup, in case something happens to mine. Can't miss that shot ya know!

At any rate, I'm really honored to be a part of this photo shoot. It's going to be at the beach, with beautiful people to photograph - what's not to like! I'll post some photos once I've finished the shoot. Also, this photo qualifies for my photo-a-day posting, which, if you're following closely - I've missed a day or two already - but then I warned you I might. More tomorrow!

-- Rex Hoss

McCain vs. Himself

2008-06-05T06:48:00.000-07:00

I'm still reveling in the fact that the "race" between her, and Obama is FINALLY over, and I'm glad so say the right man was won! So today I came across a video from the YouTube exposing the REAL dark side of the race for the Oval Office. Check it out and ask yourself - Is this the guy I want running the country (into the ground)???

A Picture A Day Keeps the...

2008-06-03T21:22:00.000-07:00

I was discussing Nikon cameras with a good friend of mine who recently joined the family by getting a Nkon D40. We were discussing ways to keep photography interesting and one of the ways we'd heard was something about taking a photograph a day. Some people have done this by taking a self-portrait for a year or more and chronicaling themselves. I thought that's interesting, but I like the idea of just taking a picture of whatever interests me each day. SO - I've decided to dive into it! Now before you get all excited thinking I'm going to blog and post each and every day - I may turn it into a picture-a-week, but I'm going to at least try to post every day. Or, at least when I have interesting pictures to post. So todays picture is in honor of Voting Day (hope you all got out and voted!!!). This picture is a friend of mine who works the polls each and every election. Damn I admire his dedication! He'd wanted me to take a picture of his staff because they'd been visited by a school class who was very appreciative of the polling staff and even wrote the polling staff individual letters thanking them for showing them how to vote and letting them see a real polling place in action.

-- By Rex Hoss

Just some thoughts

2008-05-24T13:23:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems my efforts to blog more consistently have fallen all apart. But I suppose that's ok. I was playing with my camera last night - experimenting with a new background and some lighting techinques I mostly learned on Strobist.com. I'm only posting this one picture, and while perhaps not what some pro's might call a PRO picture, I'm quite happy with it. Doing self portraits is always a challenge because it's hard to set the lighting and exposure and then be the model too. My dilemma is that I like both sides of the lens. But I found a cool trick on my Nikon D80 which allows me to display the photograph just taken on a TV monitor, instead of the little screen on the back of the camera. This allows me to see the results of the shot immediately, without having to get up and run to the camera to see how things look. It made it much easier to adjust things as I was playing last night.

In other news, Notes from the New World is progressing and I think will start filming in June. I'm excited about that. This is the longest film I've been involved with which hasn't actually done any filming yet. So it will be nice to get rolling with that. I've just been doing a lot of behinds the scenes photography for the director, and unfortunately, because of legal restriction, I'm not sure if I should be posting those pictures on MY blog, though I'd enjoy doing it and need to find out if I can. There are now several photographs I've taken for the movie. Mostly headshots for the website. However, I did get a fun challenge because part oft he storyline of the movie requires a photograph of one of the actresses who's playing a call girl. The picture they were using was just her headshot and they needed a much different kind of picture for the movie - so, I got to do a photo shoot with Amanda (the actress) and we got some very fun pictures. So the photograph I took, will be featured as a prop in the movie. That's pretty cool.

That's it for now!

--Rex Hoss

Drop Bush - Not Bombs

2008-05-15T06:05:00.000-07:00

A searing commentary on his legacy. Worth the watch, and I couldn't have said it better.

Acting Fantastically Wicked

2008-05-07T08:56:00.000-07:00

I was going to start by saying that I'm probably one of the last people in LA to see the Smash Musical Wicked, but judging by their packed house last night and apparently no end in sight for selling tickets (after recently celebrating their 1 year anniversary in LA), There are tons of people who still haven't seen the magic, or are going multiple times. Yes, I FINALLY got to see Wicked last night and what an amazing, delightful, stunning, (can I think of anymore positive prose to pontificate with?), show!!! As an actor myself, I'm amazed at the amount of work, both on, and off-stage which goes into a production like this. The actors were all superb, Laura Woyasz played Glinda, and Caissie Levy played Elphaba, and both were magical and mesmerizing in their performances! The rest of the cast was incredible as well with a special nod to Jo Anne Worley as Madame Morrible!

On first entering the Pantages Theater you are struck by the intricate stage which only gets more incredible as the show progresses. For those who don't already know, is the story of how the witches of OZ came to be. It's a well though out story which intersects nicely with The Wizard of Oz, which this story spins-off from.

I can't recommend it enough, and now I know why several people I know have gone over, and over, to see this show. It's rekindled my acting bug and got me thinking about doing another stage show. My work on "Notes from the New World" is coming along. The movie is still in preproduction and we're nearing shooting which I believe will start sometime in June. More details to follow in another post - so stay tuned.

In the mean time - go see Wicked - you'll indeed be enthralled!

End of an Era

2008-04-16T20:00:00.000-07:00

Well I know it's been a while since I've posted anything. Apologies to anyone who cares. I think I've been so busy Living Life that it's kept me away from blogging about it. But, I have some news regarding a special piece of memory and equipment in my life. Way back int 1981 I bought a Vespa 50 Special motor scooter. At the time it was the perfect vehicle for me to get around town in. Me and the Vespa have some really great (and a few not so great) memories. Well several years went by and I stopped riding it so much. Life changes and also jobs end up being farther away making Scooting more impractical than before. Eventually my beloved scooter fell victim to old age, neglect and even some vandalism. I ended up keeping it with me and was trying to sell it a few years ago before I moved. That didn't happen and I ended up dragging it with me when I moved a couple of years ago. I SWORE at the time I'd sell, it, junk it or do SOMETHING with it. Well my friends, at long last the time has come.

This weekend I'll be FINALLY selling it thanks in large part to craigslist and my intermittent posting it online. I'd taken some photos last year in an effort to sell it but I never got any really committed buyers. Well one night a few weeks ago I made another posting and to my surprise and delight got about 12 responses. The most interesting respondent was living in Florida if you can believe it. I think he backed out due to the potential shipping costs involved in getting it there. But they say persistence pays off and in this case it has. I found a really great buyer who wants to restore it to it's former glory and that couldn't make me happier. See, while I was considering junking it, it's like an old friend and ya know - it's hard to junk your old friends (unless of course they're junkies anyway - but I digress).

So this weekend the passing of an era will commence. I'll get some free space in my garage and the satisfaction of knowing I finally got '50 to an new, owner.

Here are some pictures of a similar Vespa. It turns out I don't have (or can't locate) any old, original pictures of MY Vespa, so I found some stock one's of similar models. The ones where it looks beat up are(sad to say) mine.

So I guess it's "Out with the Old"...not really sure what the "new" is going to be. I haven't given much thought to riding a scooter in years - although with recent gas prices skyrocketing at 400% increases in the last 10 years (mostly the last 5) I was actually getting a little 'itch' to buy another newer scooter to replace the Vespa. This of course is mostly madness on my part, but still, there's a part of me that wants not only to relive some of my glory days of scooter riding, but stick it to the Oil Companies as well.

Blues Photography

2008-03-21T17:55:00.000-07:00

Well the title's not exactly right - it's more like I've got the blues about photography. See I LOVE my Nikon D80, but as with all technology sometimes things go wrong. I'd been noticing a couple of specs or dots from dust on my beloved the last few times I've been taking photos. Nothing like a blue sky to show off dust spots on the sensor! Anyway, after a decent attempt to clean the camera myself - I broke down and decided to take my camera in for a cleaning and servicing on some of the dead pixels (I only noticed THOSE after I was scrutinizing my pictures at high magnification - looking for dust spots. So now I'm in "No Camera Hell". I have to wait the quoted 7-10 business days for them to service my camera. That may not seem like much, but for someone who likes to take their camera along to work - "just in case" that 2 1/2 weeks seems like a LONG time to be without my camera.

We'll see how well I manage without my camera. In the mean time, since my acting seems to be going in slo-mo right now, I'm thinking more about photography. I got some inspiration from another blog which got me thinking about taking photographs of all the people I love (hmm, don't I do that anyway???). But specifically these photographs should embody or represent What that person means to me - kind of a capture their spirit photo. So I'm going to be going through some of my old photos and seeing if I have any to post and of course once I have my camera back, I'll be on a mission.

A Note or two about Notes!

2008-03-08T16:44:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a very sporadic couple of months for me regarding my blog posting for various reasons we won't go into here, but those of you who check back regularly are GREATLY appreciated. I do however have some Notable Notes Worth Noting (very blatant nod to my role as Balthasar last year in Much Ado About Nothing). I've been cast as a drunkard in a new feature film called "Notes from the New World" from VM Productions which is written, Directed and Produced by Vitaly Sumin! It's based on a book called "Notes from the Underground" by a Russian author named Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Additionally, I've also been hired to be a 'behind the scenes' still photographer for the film as well! This is so exciting for me because I am getting to work on two of my great passions in the same project - Acting and photography! I have to give a shout out to Devorah Dishigton who I first met while working on The Smelly Janitor with Trent. Devorah, who's also in the film, suggested that I come and audition for "Notes". They had a few minor speaking roles available. Well, I did the audition and got one of the roles. Big Thank you to Devorah!!!

I'll have more to say about the film as it progresses. For now I'm mostly acting as a photographer during our weekly rehearsals. I've taken a few of the actors photographs found on the film's website, and I'm sure I'll be contributing more as things progress. Filming will start sometime in April. I'm very excited and honored to be a part of the film.

--By Rex Hoss

Smelly and Hungry - a Pictorial

2008-02-23T11:05:00.000-08:00

Here are pictures I took during the Premiere of The Smelly Janitor and Hungry last night at Trent's Gala Premiere.

Special note of thanks to Trent's Korean 'brother' _________ (I've drawn a blank on his name) for taking the pictures where you see ME. All the other photos are by me.

-- by Rex Hoss

Hungry and Smelly Together at Last

2008-02-22T22:08:00.000-08:00

Tonight I had a very special treat. As my readers know I was in a movie called "The Smelly Janitor" and did behind-the-scenes photos for that movie as well as "Hungry" both are films by my friend and now Film Director/Producer/actor Trent. Tonight Trent gave all the cast and our friends, family and even passers by a special screening of both films at the historic Silent Movie Theater on Fairfax! It was really cool. There was even a red carpet, a special wine and cheese social before the viewing. It was really nice to see so many of the actors again and see what's new in all their lives. I really have to tip my hat (on the rare occasion that I wear one) to Trent for not just making the films, but putting together such a nice event. Trent, you're awesome! Thanks for being a friend and talented guy.

The films are online at YouTube and viewable below and we also got a really nice DVD of the films. What a great way to start the weekend.

It's NOT Just Another Day

2008-02-18T17:47:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to Me, Happy Birthday to Me... Oops, sorry I got caught up in the spirit of the day! Today is indeed my birthday. As those of you who know me know, I'm not usually much into celebrating my birthday, let alone getting into conversations about age. But I must confess I secretly enjoy celebrating and one of my fantacys is to have a surprise party which is truly a surprise! I've only had One in my life, which I realize is more than some people, but I'd enjoy another surprise party.

I digress. I was recently reminded by a good friend that I hadn't blogged in quite some time. I think some explanation is necessary. L.I.F.E. Rather, I mean that I've just been so busy with various things that blogging about things just took a back seat. I hope to rectify that. As some or most of you know I was in a sketch comedy show which had several schedule changes and ended up getting me a little off track. While the show was a fun experience, the crazy rehearsals and schedule changes were unusual for me. But loved the show and everyone involved with. For those of you who caught it, thank you, and I hope you enjoyed.

To bring everyone up to speed, since my last post, I've been spending a good deal of time working on my photography skills and having a great time with that. I got the opportunity to photograph a model/actor named Sean Ching recently and that was a lot of fun. http://www.flickr.com/photos/rexhossphotography/

I've also become a Great Uncle for the second time. Happy Birthday to my newest great-nephew Sebastian who was born on Valentine's day! I'm very honored and proud.

Well, I've got to run off to do one of my hobbies - BOWLING - See there's things you always learn about me. I'll try to post more consistely as news is present.

My birthday message is simple - live like there's no tomorrow, enjoying every wonderful precious moment, because the now - the present is THE PRESENT! It is the gift. If you're not enjoying your life and living the life you want then take steps, even small ones, to take ownership of your life. You are the writer, director, producer and star of your show. PS., you're also the audience - and if you don't like the show, transform it into one you do like.

Live, love, laugh for all the years, days, and moments of your life!

Making it in Mexico

2008-01-26T19:44:00.000-08:00

My blog posting has been pretty sparse lately. Sorry about that, but then again the premise of this blog has always primarily been to inform about my life as an actor, which has been somewhat slow, except for The Etch A Sketch show which was really fun and we packed the house on our second show a week ago. There will probably be some more shows in February so if you didn't catch it yet, there's still hope.

That being said, I've been in Silao, Mexico this week. I'm sitting in my hotel room typing this at this moment. I'm here on a work-related capacity and I've been working some crazy hours and having lots of 'fun' dealing with the cultural differences and challenges here, but it has also been an amazing experience for me. My first time to spend this much time in rural Mexico. The people I've met (mostly work associates) have been amazing and friendly! Tomorrow I'm going to try to see some of the local area since my official work is done, so now it's Touristo Time. I also regrettably haven't been taking too many pictures here because again, I've mostly been 'working' and it's hard for me to use my gigantic Nikon D80 when working.

I did get a cool picture on my camera phone and if I can figure out how to send it from the phone to my blog I'll post it. It's actually in the spirit of my friend Leon Cohen's 'urinal pictures', with a slight change. I was in the Aeropuerto de Ciudad de Mexico (Mexico City Airport) on my way here and they had very cool sinks in the Men's Room. Words can't really describe so I'll post the picture when I can.

Anyway, I will end this post now. I'm looking forward to taking some tourist time tomorrow and then coming back home on Monday. I'll be glad to be home.

--Rex Hoss

Sketchy Details

2008-01-09T11:39:00.000-08:00

Well here's our Show Poster for The Etch a Sketch show - opening This Saturday. I think further modifications are going to be done to this based on feedback from several cast members. I'll post a new one if/when I get it.

--Rex Hoss

Fleshing Out the Sketch

2008-01-07T22:35:00.001-08:00

Well after several restarts and delays, my sketch show is finally going to open - and Soon - like THIS Saturday! It's called The Etch-A-Sketch Show (or something like that). This is my first sketch comedy show since high school, so it's a lot different than my other theater experiences. The scripts are a lot looser and more improvisationally performed. Which, is different that the strict 'memorize your lines' approach to Shakespeare and traditional plays/musicals. This is more in the spirit of Mad TV or Saturday Night Live than a play. Anyway, We're performing at Tres Stage in Hollywood. Located at 1523 N. La Brea.

View Larger Map
It's opening This Saturday at 8 pm and will only be running for two weeks! There may be additional dates added later depending on how the show goes. So, get your schedules cleared and come see the show if you can.

Again, Opening this Saturday at 8pm for two weeks. Ticket price is $15.00 and the show runs for a little less than 1.5 hours.

For further information about the show you can check out The Berubians website which is run by Chris Berube, the Director of our show. There is information about all his theaters and shows and our show info should be listed there soon. I had hoped to have our official graphics to post on this blog entry but it's not ready yet. This show has had an interesting time getting to our opening and the graphics and things are only part of that. I'll post that info when I get it.

I hope to see you there. For those of you who've seen my other shows, you'll see me in yet another completely different format.

Positivity and the New Year

2008-01-03T21:12:00.000-08:00

First welcome to the 2008 Edition of my Blog! Hope you all had a fantastic, fun, and safe holiday season and New Year's celebration! I KNOW I did! I thought I'd start this year off with something inspiring - thus the video. I find it inspiring and amazing that the guy in this video has turned something most would consider a handicap, into something both amazing and inspiring. His love of dance and amazing attitude are very motivational to me.

I chose that video to represent, for me, the overcoming of challenges which we all face in some form, in our lives. Last year started on a sour note for me but by my own determination to make my life better, I turned 2007 into a very fun and fulfilling year for myself. As I glance back at my posts from last year, I have evidence of the life-changing, good times I had. I am so thankful and grateful for everyone, and every opportunity which blessed me during the year! Everyone who's life touched mine has enriched me and made me better, and I hope, in some small way that I've done that for the people I've met and interacted with last year.

My designs for 2008 are going to be equally inspiring to me. I intend to make this year better, than last, and one hell-of-a good time for me. While I'm not much on making 'resolutions', I have gained much insight this past year and I know that by setting goals, and living them - literally expecting them, they will happen. It happened so many times last year for me, it blows my mind, and I'm getting better, and better at creating the life I want for myself.

As an inspiration for yourself, my suggestion to you is to make some goals for yourself. Write Them Down. Then, every day, visualize your life as if those goals have already been achieved - literally living as if they've already happened. You will undoubtedly surprise yourself at the end of this year, by going back to your list and seeing how many of your goals you actually HAVE achieved.

Give it a try. There's really only one thing in life which is holding us back - and that is our own beliefs about what is possible to attain and achieve in our lives. If you get out of your own way, you will assuredly surprise and delight yourself with what you ARE capable of doing. I urge you to do this and make 2008, truly GREAT!

-- Happy New Year, Rex Hoss

Living on the Edge of Cell Phone Technology

2007-12-27T19:50:00.000-08:00

First, anyone who regularly reads my blog (I think there are two of you) will note that this is my second post of the day, after a long period of inactivity on my blog. Well I have a really good reason. I finally splurged (kind of late Christmas present to self) and upgraded my cell phone. I'd been living pretty happily with my Sony/Ericsson T616 for many years. Once it was hailed as the current great phone. Even featured in several movies. But alas, techo-time marches on and it was king of time to upgrade. A Friend got the cool and funky Sony/Ericsson w580i recently and has been taunting me with it. I guess I finally caved in (OK so my old phone was starting to act up and some of the buttons are finicky), so I decided to get a Christmas present and upgraded.

Well the new phone came today and hence my blog. Actually, this post serves two purposes. First to happily convey my new upgrade, and second, because in order to activate the new phone, I was told to leave it OFF for twenty minutes, after which time it will work. Sooooooooo. I'm typing this blog while I wait those 20 long minutes before turning on my new toy, er, I mean, gadget, er, I mean tool, yeah, that's it my new TOOL. At any rate, this phone as some nifty features, like also being a walk-man (iPod-like music player) a 2, (yeah you heard right 2 mega pixel camera (OK so my Nikon D80 has 10 Megapixels, but then it's a REAL camera), and I think it has some other features thrown in for good measure. Not sure what they are, or if I'll use them, but hey, they're there! Maybe exploring the new features will give me something to do next time I'm sitting around on a set waiting for the director to call ACTION!

At any rate, I'll keep you posted on how I like the new TOOL, once I've had a chance to work with it.

--Rex

Smile - You're on Camera

2007-12-27T10:39:00.000-08:00

Hi All, I haven't posted in a while due to various reasons. I felt compelled to share this video which shows some pretty cool technology - Apparently it's a camera which takes your picture (don't they all?) but wait - this one does it automatically - when you smile! WOW! Now I have to say - that IS cool! Check it out. I'll have some more posts in the near future about what's been going on with my acting and some other things. I'm getting back in the swing of blogging.

Also want to give a huge shot out to my friend and fellow actor Leon Cohen, for becoming a member of SAG (Screen Actors Guild). I'm very proud of you Leon on a professional level, and very honored to know you and have had the occasion to act with you on a few occasions. I think your star is bright!

Link Between Thanksgiving and the Law of Attraction

2007-12-13T22:42:00.000-08:00

Inspiring video about the law of attraction and Thanksgiving.

--Rex Hoss

Spycrosoft, Er, I mean... Microsoft

2007-12-11T13:34:00.000-08:00

This information has been surfacing around the Internet today so I thought I'd share it too. How would you like a free copy of Windows Vista Ultimate, Office Ultimate 2007, Money Plus Premium, Streets and Trips 2008 or Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium 2008? Well one of these fine (hmmm) products can be yours for the low low cost of nothing, yep, that's right FREE!

But wait, you're saying, didn't my momma tell me there's no such thing as a free lunch? Well, your mom (and mine) was/is apparently one smart cookie. Because while Microsoft is offering up these applications free of charge, the company would like something in return: the ability to look over your shoulder for a few months.

In a nutshell, Microsoft is seeking volunteers for its Windows Feedback Program. In order to qualify for the free goodies, you'll have to fill out an occasional survey and install an application that will monitor your PC usage in the background for about 3 months.

Microsoft say they your data to understand how users configure their systems, what hardware they use, and how Microsoft products work with various configurations. In other words, you'll theoretically be helping Microsoft to make better products while getting free software. But if you're the sort who values your privacy, this might not be the offer for you, since Microsoft will potentially be monitoring every game you play, pirated piece of software you download, or web site you visit!!!

I'm not personally going to go for this offer, but I'm just passing it along in case someone wants to. If you do take the Microsoft offer - let me know how it goes!

The offer expires December 31.

--Rex Hoss

Christmas Gift Ideas

2007-12-05T15:42:00.000-08:00

The Holidays are here! It's that annual cry heard around the world. Christmas, Hanuka, Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa, Whatever world you call it they're here. I'm going through my usual self-debate about what to get people, if anything. I'm, in some respects diametrically opposed to buying gifts for people. I NEVER know what to get people, and when asked what I want, my taste is invariably more expensive than most people want to spend! So, my question to you my dear readers, is What and how do you go about deciding what to get people for the Holidays? Do you use any software or websites to track your purchases and recipients? Last year I made an Excel spreadsheet, but I'm exploring some websites. Also I've found a nifty Amazon.com website which I use to list my wishlist of items (remember my previous statement about price all you potential gift givers.)

Anyway, let me know! I really want to know how you feel and deal with gift giving for the Holidays! Cheers to you, I look forward to your comments!

--Rex Hoss

Hungry Anyone?

2007-11-28T15:54:00.000-08:00

The guy in this new movie is. I was able to be on set with Trent, of Trentertainment Films, and got to photograph the making of his newest Student Film "Hungry". It was a lot of fun and a much smaller cast than his last movie "The Smelly Janitor" which I also had a part in. Shooting with my Nikon D80, and watching the action unfold is a great experience for me. Big Thanks to Trent for the opportunity. I also met some cool actors and a wonderful D.P. (That's Director of Photography for those who don't know) Todd Valcourt. Also of note, was Pip Lilly who played a homeless man and got to munch on potato chip crumbs during his scene. Pip, you were great, and I also enjoyed getting to know you, as well as photograph you in action.

The film is going to be done in Black and White (or gray scale as we currently call it) to emulate old silent films - think Charlie Chaplin. It should be fun and I believe Trent will have it finished later this week.

Thanks again for the wonderful opportunity to watch you work and document things with you.

Thanks to all my readers

--Rex Hoss

Thanks and Giving

2007-11-21T11:07:00.000-08:00

Since the traditional Holiday Season is now upon us with Tomorrow being Thanksgiving. I thought I'd take a moment to contemplate how thankful I am for all that life has given me this year. I've had an amazing time this year. I've been in two plays, a movie, been on many interesting auditions. I've met some amazing people who I can't begin to list but I'm thankful for meeting everyone I have had the pleasure of working with and/or getting to know in my various endeavors. I've reconnected with some old friends and mad new ones. I've taken some amazing photographs and been fortunate enough to have and add to my photographic equipment. I've had an amazing job which provides me a good lifestyle and opportunity. I've shed over 20 pounds and I'm looking and feeling better than last year. That's only a partial list, but it drives the point home. I have a LOT to be thankful for this year and my readers and supports are definitely part of what I'm thankful for.

Now try this yourself - Make a list of the things you're thankful for in your life. It can be as detailed as you like - it's up to you. But remember as you sit down to that feast tomorrow that you do indeed have much to be thankful for. Also remember to be thankful for the small things - I can afford to pay my bills, I have ability to recognize beauty in this world. It's addictive and fun, but more importantly, it's also life-changing. See as you focus on what you are thankful for, you will actually draw more of that to you. Some call this the "law of attraction", but I know it's true and working in my life.

So go ahead, give thanks, be grateful, enjoy the Holidays, friendship, family, the crazy shopping spree (you know you love shopping). Enjoy it all and rejoice in this wonderful journey we're all on called life!

I love you all,

-- Thankfully, Rex Hoss

Is Your Future Looking Sketchy? Mine Is.

2007-11-21T10:27:00.000-08:00

And if you hang out with me on a few select nights in December and January, your future will be sketchy too. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. Hot on the heals of my amazing performance in "The Smelly Janitor", I've been asked to be part of a new Sketch Comedy Show. It's being put on by Chris Berubian, of The Berubians theatre Company. The schedule and location is also a little sketchy (pun definitely intended) but I believe we'll start the 2nd week in December for about 6 weeks. The first show will probably be in Anaheim at the 2nd Stage Theatre. The remaining shows will be in LA at The Next Stage Theatre. Shows will be on Friday Nights ONLY. Yep, one show a week. Again, the exact dates aren't clear to me - look for a future blog post for that info.

I hope all of you can make it to see my sketchy debut, and thus make your future a little sketchy as well.

-- Rex Hoss

College Review

2007-11-17T07:29:00.000-08:00

I saw "The Little College on a Hill" last night because my friend and fellow actor Leon Cohen was in it. The Play was written by two of Dominguez Hills Alumni and was basically a brief history lesson of the University mixed with insightful and apparently true stories of some of the students and faculty of the school. It was acted well by all. Leon did a great job as President Leo Cain - the schools first President. It was an interesting mix of live acting and many pictures and video from the schools past. There was a little diffcutly understanding some of the video, mostly because of the sound quality, but generally it was minor. The actors were all great - perhaps I'll get to work with some of them one day. There are only two more shows - tonight and Sunday afternoon. If you want to learn about the College, support the arts and be entertained - Go see the show.

Debut of "The Smelly Janitor"

2007-11-10T22:47:00.000-08:00

Click on the video below to watch "The Smelly Janitor". A film by my friend and fellow actor Trent. I met Trent several years ago at a school we were both teaching at. Since Trent was an actor and at the time, I was just beginning my journey into acting, and because we're both a little nuts (and computer geeks too), we became fast friends. I always knew Trent had a lot of talent, and working with him on his Second Film School project, I got to witness his talent first hand. I think the film is both funny and well done (for a sophomore film-school effort, heck for any effort) and clearly shows his talent for writing, directing acting, and basically story telling.

I am thrilled to have been a part of it. I was both an actor in it, and also served to document the film by being the 'still photographer' and behind-the-scenes photographer. The cast was all great! A special kudos goes out to my friend Josie Nicholas who was cast (at my suggestion) as the 'lady with the walker'.

You can also check out more about the film, and Trent's other, and upcoming projects at his website.

-- By Rex Hoss

How to Tame Wild Warts

2007-11-08T15:25:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago I had finally reached critical mass with my computer room/office/photography studio/spare bedroom! Rather I should say I'd finally had enough with the gigantic tangle and MESS of wires, cords, connectors, electric plugs, which has spawned like demon rabbits under my computer desk. Admittedly I'm a tech junkie, so I have just a very few tech gadgets in my office. That is if two computer, two printers, one scanner, three USB drives, mice, tablets, Pocket PCs, speakers, monitors, TV, and...I'm sure I missed a few items, but you get the idea. Anyway, I've been annoyed about the tangle by my feet since I moved a year and a half ago. I have been reading various things online about getting organized and, during my critical mass breakdown mentioned above, I decided to start doing something about it. It started slowly, I got the cords and connects and power strips off the floor (to be covered in another post) and then I had the Epiphany! I have since had my brilliant idea confirmed as brilliant by a couple of other bloggers. There it is: Now to Tame Wild Warts! Of course I'm referring to wall warts, or the bulbous, bulky transformers which accompany nearly EVERY electronic gadget sold in the last 10 years!

The problem is this! You decide to get organized and plug all your devices neatly (with some king of logic hopefully) into a power strip. Then you have a seemingly innocent event...You need to unplug your, oh, say, cable modem because you lost your Internet connection and can't finish reading my blog post. You duck under your desk and look frantically for the ONE PLUG which will need to be temporarily unplugged and then reinserted into the outlet. YIKES! You have at least 14 or more devices all plugged mercilessly into power strips - which one goes to the cable modem??!?!?

The Solution! Label all your warts! It takes only a minute, and using one of those ever so convenient P-Touch labelers which everyone should have right next to their stapler, it's so easy - even fun! Why take the time you think - I have have linksys modem, the plug probably says the manufacture name on it right? Wrong! Most plugs are not labeled and you may have several similar plugs anyway. By labeling the plugs you know instantly what device it's used for.

This may seem trivial, but it has already made a world of difference for me. It's also very handy if, like me, you carry several devices around with you (external hard drive, battery chargers for my phone, IPaq, etc.) I grab into the bag for the phone charger and because it's labeled, I can easily find it!

So go ahead, get your warts under control - label them and see how much nicer they are to you.

-- Rex Hoss

How to Post Pictures Online Instantly

2007-11-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

Eye-Fi Inc., has just recently unveiled their lastest WOW product! The Eye-Fi Card – the world's first wireless SD memory card for digital cameras. The Eye-Fi Card uses home Wi-Fi networks to create an effortless and convenient way for users to send photographs from digital cameras to PCs, Macs and online photo and social networking sites.

What you say? How can it be? The great wireless devide has now been crossed. While there are plenty of 2Gig SD cards on the market this product is so much more! It's WOW factor is in the ability to transmit your pictures AS you take them to your wirelessly connected PC or MAC. It can also upload your precious pixels directly to your favorite photo sharing site, Flickr, Picasa, etc.

It works just like a regular SD card and can hold potentially hundreds of pictures on it's own (depending on your camera and settings), but also wirelessly transmits those images to your computer or favorite photo site.

It reatials for $99.00 and is expected by the company to be a big hit for the Holiday season - heck, a friend of mine has already asked me if that's what I want for Christmas! Hmm, can I wait that long to get my hands on one of these beauties?

You can check out more details here: at DPReview

Happy clicking!

--Rex Hoss

The Smell of Success

2007-10-31T23:02:00.000-07:00

Well last Sunday I finally got un-confused. We filmed The Smelly Janitor - a film by my friend Trent. It was a really fun and exciting shoot for me even though my role was very brief. To make up for it and since Trent had asked me to (I would have done it anyway) I spent most of the day photographing the behinds the scenes - making of the film. Trent had asked me to act as behind the scenes vidiographer, but it proved to be too much trying to do still shots AND video. Zach, who played the "handsome man" stepped up to the plate (OK, he didn't really have to step UP, being already 6'5" tall) but he took over the video camera so I could concentrate on my still shots with my much mentioned Nikon D80. Above are just a couple of the many shots I took. Actually, the photograph of me was taken by Dong Chul Oh, the camera assistant and a good photographer in his own right. He was nice enough to take several shots of me and other cast members with my camera.

The shoot went well, except for a couple of glitches - like one of the lead actresses going AWOL and not showing up. Paige Kimball was selected to play the role of the beautiful woman instead and filming proceeded. Everyone involved - cast and crew was so great! No funky attitudes and everyone was excited, high energy and into making it a great shoot. I think Trent ended up being overwhelmed by the process of Directing, Producing and Acting in the film. Since I only heard from him tonight two days later, he confirmed my suspicions.

For those of you who acted in the film, I'll have more pictures online in the next day or so - I'm trying out a new photo hosting site by Zenfolio which should make a nice online viewing experience. Check back here in a day or so for further postings about the shoot and links to my online photos - I had a TON (if pixels actually have a measurable weight) of pictures so it's taking a while to go through and select the best and get them ready for viewing.

-- Rex Hoss

How to Scare Yourself on Halloween

2007-10-31T08:42:00.000-07:00

I've been reading "Hideaway" By Dean Koontz. This is an intreaguing story of suspense and a little supernatural. It starts off a little slowly but gets very interesting quickly. As seems to be a theme with Dean Koontz, very early in the story a character dies, but the twist is that in this story - death is not the end, in fact, it's the beginning. I have to say that my favorite character in the story is a little girl named Regina. Koontz' ability to bring life to her and endear her to the reader is phenominal! She's a hoot, and brings humor and levity to an otherwise, sommber yet quite suspensful story. It's not always clear where the story is going (and doesn't that always make it more fun?), but the ride is very enjoyable. I've read a couple of Dean Koontz' other stories and I'm really liking his story telling. Usually a mix of real and surreal, but always keeps you turning the pages (or in my case - listening to the next audio CD). So if you're looking for a good book to read in honor of Halloween, and need a good scare, or fun story, this book is highly recommended.

Story by Rex Hoss

Clearing the Confusion

2007-10-19T21:37:00.000-07:00

Well after being gently nudged by one of my loyal readers to give you the answer to the statement I made in an earlier post How Acting Confused Got Me Ahead... Here it is! A little background is that a friend and fellow actor Trent is currently in Film School at LACC. He's a very funny comedic actor, friend and fellow computer geek. Well a week or so ago he asked me to post some information about actors and actresses he needs for one of his projects. As it turns out, one of the male roles sounded interesting to me. So being the witty, and somewhat perverse guy that I am, I asked him who I had to sleep with to get a party in his film? A simple enough question and thankfully for both of us, he got the hint that I was interested in a part in his film (The Smelly Janitor), and he, again thankfully DIDN'T insist or require me to sleep with the Director, Producer or anybody involved with the film. Thus a win-win situation for both of us. He got an actor for his film, and I get a ROLE in said film.

If you clever people people have checked back to the post about what roles are available, you'll logically deduce from the Confused state of my postings on this subject that the role I've been selected for is that of "The Confused Man". Mind you I'm not generally confused as a rule, but I can certainly play confused!

So there you have it! I'm back to being involved in acting again after a much needed rest after two very successful plays which I'm so grateful and honored to have been a part in.

I look forward to working with Trent on his project and also to the next exciting adventures in acting which are in store for me.

As always, I'll keep you all informed about what's up.

-- Love Hugs, and prosperity! Rex Hoss

Truly Scary Halloween Comic

2007-10-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

Saw this floating around the Internet and couldn't resist posting it for my beloved readers! I could comment more about it, but if you THINK about it, you'll understand how deep it really is.

How Acting Confused Got Me Ahead!

2007-10-18T19:58:00.000-07:00

I woke up one morning feeling dazed and confused. Things didn't seem to make sense the way they used to. I was walking down the street and things seemed normal at first, but then it happened. I noticed something that just didn't seem right. A strange sight materialized before me and sent me spinning! I couldn't believe my eyes, and you won't either!

To find out what this incredible occurrence of ocular abnormality was... check back here soon for further details on my amazing acting career in my next post.

--
Photo Credit: Leon Cohen (with some image adjustments by Rex Hoss)

Attention: Budding actors!

2007-10-15T23:19:00.000-07:00

Hi eveyone, a friend and fellow actor Trent, is now in film school and asked me to pass the following information along. He's looking for a few good men, and a truck load of women for a film he's shooting for his class. So, without further ado, here's the information. If you're interested, contact him directly, I'm strictly the middle man here!

Digital short film shooting on Sunday, October 28, email casting@trentertainment.com or visit http://www.trentertainment.com/casting.htm for more info (treatment & character breakdowns).

Roles:

A. Two males (one lead, one supporting)
B. 11 to 15 women (3 leads, rest supporting)
C. The BIG thing I need is even more women. Yes...more! AS MANY MORE WOMEN AS POSSIBLE for a couple of comedic shots. These would be "extras" and the more the merrier. 50 would be ideal...YES! 50! 10 would be fine, but 50 would be finer! (is that a word?)

The basic setup is a group of women are chasing "The Janitor" who has used a magical concoction of cologne that causes them to loose all self control and chase after him. I would like to have a couple of shots that I'm calling "An Ocean of Women" that chase after him.

These "Ocean of Women" shots would be reminiscent of Buster Keaton in "Seven Chances" (1925) or a modern version with Chris O'Donnell in "The Bachelor" (1999).

So, this means that I need all types, all sizes, all shapes, etc. of women for about an hour. Two basic shots and that's it! So, if you're a woman, I need you! If you know a woman, I need her! If you've always wanted to be a woman and have a dress in your closet, I need you too!

To read the treatment and for more information go to my Trentertainment Productions Casting Page here - http://www.trentertainment.com/casting.htm

Please pass this information along to every woman you know and if you're a women who's interested, please email me as soon as possible. I'll be locking down the cast this week!

The shoot is Non-Union & no pay, but food, credit, & copy will be provided for the leads & supporting cast. The shoot should be tons of fun and for the extras, I'll personally hug-n-kiss every one of them if they'll have me!
Also - 2 crew positions available - one Camera Assistant and one Production Assistant - email crew@trentertainment.com if interested.

--by Rex Hoss

How to Clone yourself

2007-10-02T22:43:00.000-07:00

or at least give the impression that you're just beside yourself with excitement! As promised, here are more pictures from my first experiment with light painting! After my first shots where I attempted to write words with light, I figured I'd try painting an object with light. Since I didn't have a fabulous supermodel available, and I was ending up in the photos anyway, I decided to use myself. So I focused the light on me and painted various parts of me. Interesting, but then I decided to try a little fake double exposure. So, I stood on on side of the frame - painted away, then moved to the opposite side while the camera was still exposing, painted again! Viola! an interesting double take. It'd probably be better if I stood more still, but it's hard to stay still while painting ones self with light. Let me know what you think.

Photos and story by Rex Hoss

Foolin' Around In The Dark...

2007-10-02T22:20:00.000-07:00

With Light! I've been reading a lot online about an interesting photography technique called Light Painting. It's basic idea is: set your camera for a long exposure, then use some kind of light source to "paint" the areas you want exposed. Above is my first attempts at this technique. I used my Nikon D80 set to a 15 second exposure and a small LED light to paint the words! It's pretty cool. I think I need a darker room (or at least dark walls) to better render the concept, but I think it's an interesting first attempt at fooling around with light in the dark. I have some more pictures for the next post which I painted me with some interesting results. Please let me know what you think of my pictures! I'd love to hear from you

Of course - Photos and story - By Rex Hoss

Gettin' Down with the Mac Daddy

2007-10-01T22:20:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I had the distinct pleasure of attending the Wavefest put on by 94.7 The Wave radio station. Actually it was both Friday and Saturday nights at the Hollywood Bowl. I attended Friday night as the guest of some good friends. The evening started off with Poncho Sanchez and his band. It was very entertaining. I'm not much of a Poncho Sanchez fan, but I must admit he did entertain. Next up was Marc Antoine, who, not being a regular Wave listener, I'm not familiar with. He plays acoustic guitar, and very well. His music was alive and very moving. I may have to be forced to become a fan. Next up was the incomparable Patti Austin. Ms. Austin was really kickin' it! While I am familiar with some of her older music, I was hugely impressed by her vocal ability, song selection and a much admired ability to relate to the audience and involve us in the show - thus making the live experience more intense and wonderful. The Evening ended with the Mac Daddy, Michael McDonald! He was amazing too. His collection of great music was amply represented playing hits from his Doobie Brothers days on up to more recent songs. A special guest of his was Paul Riser, yes, the actor. Paul can lay some pretty amazing piano chops on you and he demonstrated it that night. I was impressed.

All in all, a very entertaining evening! A thank you and shout out to my friends for inviting me (you know who you are), and I have to throw my two cents worth in and say that of all the artists, I enjoyed Patti Austin the most!!! She was simply amazing and entertaining, and a friggin' good whistler too. She performed a song she wrote in which she had a vocal jazz solo which she intertwined with a whistling solo - Jazz whistling! Who'd have thought! Awesome! Kudos to you Ms. Austin!

If you get a chance to attend next year's Wavefest, do! The artists are always great!

--By Rex Hoss

How to lighten your life...

2007-09-26T13:16:00.000-07:00

...or, at least get better lighting in a portrait! As many of you know, I'm a self-proclaimed photographer and I've lately been honing my skills at taking the elusive portrait shot. I've been studying lighting on a variety of blogs and websites, notably Strobist, but there are many good sites. I have a Nikon D80 and SB-800 speed light. As mentioned in my last post on lighting, I decided to treat myself and get an umbrella for my strobe. It looks very similar to an umbrella you'd used to protect against the rain, but the material is white and made for reflecting light. So last night I set up my gear and started shooting. I had many questionable shots, but eventually got some that I like. It's always a challenge to do self-portraits, because it's a case of, set the camera controls to something you think will work, set up the light(s), walk in front of the camera, pose, take picture(s), go back to the camera to check things out, make any adjustments to camera controls, i.e., ISO, Aperture, Speed, etc., check if I was standing/sitting so that the camera caught me in the right position, check my facial expressions, adjust lights (intensity, position) go back to the front of the camera, pose, repeat, etc. It's VERY time consuming, but it is also fun.

I think I like taking pictures of other people more than myself - it's easier to make camera adjustments and things without worrying about getting in frame and posing, but there is something really rewarding about taking a self portrait which 'puts me in my best light' (sic) and makes me look good (sometimes better than real life).

Anyway, thanks for reading, I'll post more pictures as appropriate, and keep you informed of my new techniques and successes. I'm also looking for models to photograph (actors head shots anyone???) for a very reasonable fee, so don't hesitate to put the word out!

Photo notes: The above shot was done with one strobe, and a bounce card to fill in shadows on the darker side. If you're following my work, notice the difference in the shadows - they're still there, but they are more diffuse - soft and not a hard, sharp shadow! Viola!, that's the magic of the light umbrella! So, go ahead, lighten up your life! If you have a camera, don't be afraid to take it off of "auto" mode and experiment with the Aperture, shutter speed and any other settings you have - you might be amazed at the amazing shots you get. Anyone can point and shoot - the art in photography comes in experimenting - something I'm all about.

P.S. - If I keep this up, I'm going to have photographs of me in every shirt I own! (Now if I could just remember to apply some makeup and/or shave, I might have a really GREAT photograph.) :-)

-- Photo and Story by Rex Hoss

How to shoot yourself in the Head

2007-09-22T09:53:00.000-07:00

I was experimenting with my new lens Nikon 85mm f1.8 last night. I've been trying to develop better technique when shooting myself in the head, er, I mean taking portraits of myself. My Nikon D80 takes some amazing shots, and the new lens is amazing for portraits, but the story doesn't end there. Technique is HUGELY important! Ansel Adams, could have gotten amazing shots with the simplest of cameras (point and shoot anyone?), but it's his eye for detail and knowledge of using and captureing light which make his work amazing. So, even though I have some nice gear, it's the technique which needs the work! I have some friends who take amzaing pictures and have much different, and less expensive cameras than I do, but their eye for detail is stunning!

That being said, these pictures were taken with a single small strob light (Nikon SB800). I was playing around with using some white foam boards as reflectors to help difuse the light and make the lighting a little "softer" (less harsh directs shadows). I think my next purchases will be a light umbrella, which is used to help soften lighting even more. Smooth and creamy light is what I'm going for.

So, not to sound like too much of a photography enthusiast - go out and take some pictures!!! There are interesting things everywhere, if you look! And sometimes the fun is in capturing something 'ordinary' and finding the unordinary in it. Light and reflections can work wonders!

--By Rex Hoss

Balancing Libras

2007-09-22T05:30:00.000-07:00

As we enter the sign of Libra:

They see beauty in both roads. They have a hard time making a committed decision. Librans need to take one road at a time and trust in the Divine for guidance. Other Librans need to give up control and allow others to lead. Divine trust equals Balance! Now that's power. Then, and only then, can Libra delegate tasks effectively thereby enabling the simultaneous manifestation of projects. Libra needs to vocalize their truest feelings, compassionately, or we can start calling them the silent pugilist. Oh, how they unconsciously wait for the sucker punch. Style is key. Think pink when you shop for winter clothes? 'Not in a million!' thinks Libra, as they smile and say, "It's up to you. What do you think?"

Goodbye to Virgo

2007-09-21T08:54:00.000-07:00

Aug 22-Sep 21
"Virgo makes a fantastic personal assistant. They'll keep your desk organized and know your daily agenda, and handle the bill collectors with such finesse. As parents, they love to engage their children in educational and magical adventures.

How to Dirty Dance

2007-09-19T22:22:00.000-07:00

I've discovered a new dance partner! The iRobot, Roomba! Last week I was on a literal spend-a-thon and was buying several things to spruce up my living space. I previously mentioned my search for Celebrity Towels. Well, I was at a local Big Lots! store (a local discount/close-out store) and saw several Roombas on display. Now, you must understand if you don't already, that I'm a bit of a tech geek and I've seen these little guys advertised for years (haven't we all!). Well, since the price has usually been prohibitive, I've shied away from getting one. Well, wonder of wonders, they were selling 'refurbished' models for half (1/2) the regular price so I splurged and decided to get one and try it out.

Being somewhat skeptical even for a techie like me, I wasn't sure if the darn thing was going to work or be very effective vacuuming the floors. So, I brought it home, quickly unpacked it and set it up for the requisite initial charge of the battery. Once it was charged and ready to go, I fired it up! WOW!!!

The little guy can move! It scooted here, it darted there, it bumped (lightly) into furniture, walls, lamps, stray tennis shoes, anything and everything on the floor it darted around, all the while lights flashing and making whirring sounds. It's actually fairly quiet, especially on carpet. It can go from carpet, to wood or tile floors, to rungs without much of a problem at all. In fact the only problems it encountered were a couple of 'shaggy' rugs I have. It didn't like things which were too shaggy and/or had an edge it could suck onto and get caught in.

To be fair, it actually has some pretty astonishing dance moves!!! When it encounters a rug that give it problems, it actually backs up, twists around raises its wheel-base and a number of other moves in order to free itself, which it does with astonishing results. For the most part, it actually does free itself from unwieldy rugs (and the occasional speaker wire) 98% of the time!

Since mine is a refurb model, and apparently an older model (I checked their website and of course they have several new fabulous models which do even more), mine comes with 'virtual walls' which you can use to restrain the Roomba to one room or area and keep it away from other areas. There is of course an add-on scheduler which can be used to program the little guy to vacuum anywhere from 1 to 7 times a week. I think I'll be saving my pennys for that, since I'm now in love with this device and am really enjoying clean floors! Speaking of clean floors, it actually, really does work - and quite well! I was surprised and aghast at how much dust, fibers, HAIR and stray crumbs and things the Roomba picked up! I'm now relieved and delighted to know I have MUCH cleaner floors, and I confess, it's almost addicting watching the Roomba scoot around the house cleaning as it goes. The second most astonishing thing about it (first is how well it works) is that it doesn't fall off stairs or other ledges! I have an overhang where my second story floor hangs over the stairs! The Roomba goes right up to the edge detects the drop off and stops and revises its path. It didn't fall off this ledge or the stairs! WOW, someone had their thinking cap on when they designed this!

The only other thing I want now is more of them! Since I live in a two story apartment, I want one for both up and downstairs (so I don't have to worry about carrying it between floors! Heck, I'm even considering the Scooba (for washing my tile floors in the kitchen, hall and bathrooms! Yes, I'm addicted, but they work!

--By Rex Hoss

How to Capture the Feeling

2007-09-19T10:50:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken by a friend of mine using my new awesome Nikon 85mm f1.8 lens. It's my latest addition to my photo arsenal and I'm having a blast using it. Anyway I hadn't posted in a while because I've been a little busy and hadn't really had much to share. I was up in the Bay Area for a social weekend and a little work and had a really nice time meeting new people and old friends. I also had my first experience with a chiropractor (Thanks Dr. Woolridge) and a professional (NO, not sexual) massage. I'm now trying to learn new ways to carry my body so I don't get so much muscle pain in my back. All in all, it was a very fun weekend. I also took some photos at Land's End in Golden Gate Park. It was a little hazy so the pictures aren't as clear as I'd like, but still pretty nice.

So, things to think about:

1. Spend time with old and new friends,
2. Take lots of pictures
3. Visit new and interesting places
4. Take care of your body
5. Always be grateful for all that you have and and will receive.

Photo and story by Rex Hoss

How to Find Celebrity Towels

2007-09-13T15:55:00.000-07:00

I was looking for some new towels for my bathroom the other day and thanks to a very helpful and friendly K-Mart Sales Associate I found out a fascinating and previously unknown (to me) fact about towels. It seems there's a Star Rating for bath towels! Who Knew! According to Lou (the helpful K-Mart employee) the more stars you towel has, the better the quality. 5 being Best! He showed me some nice Martha Stewart towels which and 4 and 5 start ratings. I did indeed notice a difference it the soft-fluffy factor of the towels.

In case you're wondering - I haven't found the right color for my bathroom yet, (I went to Target today, but I'm still searching for that perfect color to match my existing items. I'll let you know how it turns out and if I'm feeling risky, I may post a picture of my bathroom, when complete. Until then, if you're looking for the best quality towels, search for the biggest (or at least largest quantity) of stars. A side note, I didn't see any stars posted on the labels, or floor signs at Target the way they were at K-Mart. Hmmm, I wonder if Lou was pulling my leg, or if this is just another urban legend.

If you have any more info about star rating of towels, or can verify/deny the validity of this, I'd love to hear from you.

As Always,

-- By Rex Hoss

In Search of Head

2007-09-13T15:49:00.000-07:00

OK, so the title of this post is a little scandalous sounding. I'm actually searching for a new headshot. Here is a photo taken with a new lens. I've had my regular lens in the shop due to an unfortunate incident involving the lens meeting the pavement in a rather unexpect way. I won't go into it any more than that - I swear - it's too painful. Anyway, as a result, it gave me an excuse, er I mean REASON to justify buying a new "portrait" lens for my camera. I haven't had it long and am still getting used to it. It's definetly great for doing close portraits. Anyway, if you read this and feel like it, let me know what you think about this picture - I'm considering it for my new headshot (see title of this post) for sending out to auditions. Curious to know if you like it and think it's any better than my current one (featured on the right side of the blog.

I'll post some more as I get them.

--By Rex Hoss

Blogger's Remorse

2007-09-08T09:56:00.000-07:00

I was reflecting on my blog today because of a wonderful post I received from a friend. Susan, thank you for being a loyal viewer! It's nice to know that there are at least a few people that I have touched by my presence on this tiny marble we call Earth. It's even better when you receive thanks and recognition when you aren't even looking for it.

I'm so grateful for eveything that has happend in my life and the opportunities and experiences I have, and continue to receive. I honestly try to look forward to each day with renewed enthusiasm for what can and will happen in my life. In many ways I feel like I'm a young kid just starting out on the journey, even though I'll never admit EXACTLY how much further along on the road I am (age-wise). My decision to start actively acting a few years ago is one which most make MUCH younger, but I felt compelled to explore what I can bring to the table. Again, I'm so very thankful for every opportunity I've received. I know competition is fierce in the industry and many extremely talented people never get the opportunity to fully explore their talent. So, I give thanks to the universe (or whatever title you refer to the life force) for giving me even the smallest opportunity. Each role I play and each group I work with is a joy and a blessing fulfilled. Also, an opportunity for me to learn and grow as a person and an actor.

Thank you to EVERYONE I've ever worked with and to those I've yet to. I am so deeply honored.

I haven't had many postings on my blog (back to the original though of this post), mostly because since Much Ado ended I've been taking a self-imposed rest for a bit. I have been on a few auditions and I'm waiting to hear about a call back on one! As always, I'll keep you posted.

B.T.W. Photo is by Rex Hoss, and of course this blog post is too.

How to Read Your Way To Riches!

2007-08-30T15:51:00.000-07:00

Well I finished book 11 of the Wheel of Time series, called The knife of Dreams. It, like the last few books in the series was long winded and fairly uneventful. If I hadn't invested so much time in the story I'd have stopped reading it several books ago. So, as I wait for Robert Jordan to write what is supposed to be the last book in the series (due out potentially next year). I've decided to change the pace and read something far more useful. Trump, How to Get Rich by Donald Trump is so far an intriguing read. Actually, I listen to the audio version so I can 'read' while I'm driving, and this book is Interesting! I find it a mix of self-help, and life strategy with a frank and honest approach to a subject The Donald is quite familiar. He talks as though you're running a company which, of course we all are! Our life IS our company. Listening to his message is proving to be very informative.

-- By Rex Hoss

Healthy Cleaning Habits

2007-08-23T07:40:00.000-07:00

This information was passed on to me through and email, and I found it so interesting and useful I decided to share it with my little corner of the Internet - THE WORLD!

Peroxide vs. Bleach

This was written by Becky Ransey of Indiana (a doctor's wife), and I want to share it with you. She was over recently for coffee and smelled the bleach I was using to clean my toilet and counter tops. This is what she told me.:

"I would like to tell you of the benefits of that plain little ole bottle of 3% peroxide you can get for under $1.00 at any drug store. What does bleach cost? My husband has been in the medical field for over 36 years, and most doctors don't tell you about peroxide. Have you ever smelled bleach in a doctor's office? NO!!! Why? Because it smells, and it is not healthy! Ask the nurses who work in the doctor's offices, and ask them if they use bleach at home. They are wiser and know better!

Did you also know bleach was invented in the late 40's? It's chlorine, folks! And it was used to kill our troops. Peroxide was invented during WWI in the 20's. It was used to save and help cleanse the needs of our troops and hospitals. Please think about this:

1. Take one capful (the little white cap that comes with the bottle) and hold in your mouth for 10 minutes daily, then spit it out. (I do it when I bathe.) No more canker sores and your teeth will be whiter without expensive pastes. Use it instead of mouthwash.

2. Let your toothbrushes soak in a cup of peroxide to keep them free of germs.

3. Clean your counters and table tops with peroxide to kill germs and leave a fresh smell. Simply put a little on your dishrag when you wipe, or spray it on the counters.

4. After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour peroxide on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria.

5. I had fungus on my feet for years until I sprayed a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let dry.

6. Soak any infections or cuts in 3% peroxide for five to ten minutes several times a day. My husband has seen gangrene that would not heal with any medicine but was healed by soaking in peroxide.

7. Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water and keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without harming your septic system like bleach or most other disinfectants will.

8. Tilt your head back and spray into nostrils with your 50/50 mixture whenever you have a cold, plugged sinus. It will bubble and help to kill the bacteria. Hold for a few minutes, and then blow your nose into a tissue.

9. If you have a terrible toothache and cannot get to a dentist right away, put a capful of 3% peroxide into your mouth and hold it for ten minutes several times a day. The pain will lessen greatly.

10. And of course, if you like a natural look to your hair, spray the 50/50 solution on your wet hair after a shower and comb it through. You will not have the peroxide-burnt blonde hair like the hair dye packages but more natural highlights if you r hair is a light brown, faddish, or dirty blonde. It also lightens gradually, so it's not a drastic change.

11. Put half a bottle of peroxide in your bath to help rid boils, fungus, or other skin infections.

12. You can also add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing, pour it directly on the soiled spot. Let it set for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary.

13. I use peroxide to clean my mirrors. There is no smearing, which is why I love it so much for this.

I could go on and on. It is a little brown bottle no home should be without!

With prices of most necessities rising, I'm glad there's a way to save tons of money in such a simple, healthy manner!"

This information really woke me up. I hope you gain something from it, too.

If you wish, pass it on!

-- Rex Hoss

How to Stop Complaining

2007-08-21T18:20:00.000-07:00

I ran across an awesome website today called Stevepavlina.com. He has an article about how to STOP complaining! That might seem on the surface like a simple and easy thing to do, but as Steve points out it's not. Some people may spend their whole lives learning some of the principles he talks about.

As some of you may know I'm a BIG believer (recently converted) in the idea that we, that is to say each one of us individually, create our lives by our thoughts. To summarize, what we think, we become, or at least create in our lives.

Some of you may have heard of "The Secret". A book, and more recently a movie about creating the life and reality we want by directing our thoughts toward what we want and away from things we don't want. I not only believe these principles, but I've put them to work in my life and had some amazing results so far - more on the way!

At any rate, I encourage you to check out the article about Stopping your complaining, because there's some really good information in it. Also check out The Secret if you haven't already!

Let's Make our lives, the ones we WANT and not the ones we feel we're 'stuck with'!!!

As always, let me know your thoughts,

--By Rex Hoss

Wild Animalz II - not quite a sequel

2007-08-16T18:27:00.000-07:00

We'll I posted below a video I created with at Animoto.com. The pictures were taken at San Diego's Wild Animal Park. Now, since I'm cheap and don't want to pay for a full membership I can only create 30 second videos. Thats' way too short for a chronic photographer like me. So I give you my Picasa video. Many more pictures but no audio. Perhaps I'll buck up (after payday) and get a full membership to Animoto, but for now, I'm just experimenting. So enjoy more of my day at San Diego Wild Animal Park.

-- By Rex Hoss

Wild Day in the Park

2007-08-16T18:11:00.001-07:00

Some photos I took during my day at the San Diego Wild Animal Park.

I'm still experimenting with Animoto animation site. These photos I took last Sunday at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. Don't ask me what some of the animals/birds are called, I can't remember what their names are (except the obvious ones). I'll probably post a Picasa video also, as I can put more pictures in Picasa (but no music).

--By Rex Hoss

Happy 25th Birthday, compact disc! - Engadget

2007-08-16T14:51:00.000-07:00

Happy 25th Birthday, compact disc! - Engadget
Can it really be 25 years since the first CD (Compact Disc) was pressed? Apparently, yes! Here's a cool article about it on Engaddget.com

--By Rex Hoss

Much Ado Revisited

2007-08-16T09:50:00.001-07:00

Just for fun!

I found this video creation site and wanted to try it out. The "free" account only allows 30 second videos but they are pretty cool. It even helps you post online! Not bad.

-- By Rex Hoss

Day at the Beach

2007-08-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I spent the day at Venice Beach photographing whatever caught my eye. There's plenty to see there from the street vendors, musicians, myriad of tourists, muscle beach studs, roller bladers, and of course all the local Los Angeles people there to see and be seen. This photo was taken by my friend and fellow Nikon photography friend Larry. I'll post some more of my more interesting shots later. I just hadn't posted anything much this week - too busy with work and too exhausted afterward to post much. Anyway, if you haven't been to Venice Beach, it's worth the trip - although parking is something else entirely. I hadn't been there in a long time and it's quite a lot of fun for a day adventure.

--By Rex Hoss

Now Reading

2007-08-08T08:37:00.000-07:00

Well I finished book 10 Crossroads of Twilight, of Robert Jordan's gargantuan series "The Wheel of Time". There are, so far, 11 books in the series. Book 10 seemed a little slow without much plot development. As a whole the series is somewhat long-winded. The author goes into great detail describing what seem to be superfluous and unnecessary details to give 'depth' to the story. It ends up being a long read of too many books to tell what could be done in a much more compact form. At this point I'm only reading book 11 Knife of Dreams because I want to finish the story. It's a little crazy since Robert Jordan has in fact not finished the story! There are apparently going to be 12 books and he's working on that last one - due out sometime next year (in theory).

At least the 10th book ended with a 'cliff-hanger' but otherwise as a long and somewhat tedious read. There are in my opinion too many characters, too many lengthy descriptions of things that ultimately don't move the story along. Note to R.J.: Speed it up, loose the tedious descriptions, and for crissake, stop introducing endless new characters! I can't keep track of all of their names and story lines-I don't know how anyone could!

OK, I'm done with my rant! It's on to the reading. Actually, I listen to the stories on audio book format! My new means of entertainment.

--Rex Hoss

Aiken for some Clay

2007-08-06T09:08:00.000-07:00

OK, bad puns aside, I had to let everyone know about my Clay Aiken concert experience. Saturday night I got the opportunity to see the crooner in action at the Greek Theatre in Hollywood. While I'm not particularly a 'fan' of the singer, I have to admit he put on an enjoyable show! He's a self-proclaimed slow song singer - that's what he does - sing slow songs. The most enjoyable parts of the show were when he did his tribute to TV theme songs and his attempt at 'being cool', where he tried to sing fast songs from 'somewhat' current artists. Another highlight were the two awesome background singers. Both black women who tore up the stage with their wonderful voices. Clay was smart enough to let each of them have their own moment in the spotlight and sing a song for us - without Clay! It's great to see a 'star' that's not afraid to let other wonderful talent shine as well. Footnote to Clay - Michael Jackson isn't exactly considered 'cool' these days, so singing TWO of his songs just goes to show how actually uncool you are - but then you did warn us you weren't cool. Otherwise an enjoyable evening!
--By Rex Hoss

Much Thanks

2007-07-31T22:50:00.000-07:00

Well, I suppose now that Much Ado About Nothing has finished its 3 week run, I have a little too much time on my hands. Because I'm back to looking at pictures and finding things to post here on my blog. This picture is from the wonderful and outrageous cast party Given by Ken and Robert Sunday after our last show. Susan Odem graciously took this picture Ken and myself using my Nikon D80. (Thanks Susan - I have some great photos of you too!) Even though I was having a great time at the party, I'm now kind of 'down' since I don't have anything 'in the works' in an acting capacity. It's just back to life as usual. Work, laundry, chores, and all the other things that remind us all that we're mortal and not some character who only exists on stage!

Well, I just wanted to give a final thank you to Ken MacFarlane our fantastic director. You helped me and guided me in ways I can't fully express. THANK YOU! I know we shall remain friends, and if I ever get to work with you in a professional capacity again, I will welcome the opportunity.
--By Rex Hoss

Picture Posting

2007-07-31T21:00:00.000-07:00

This is a picture I took a few weeks ago at a party with my beloved Nikon D80. I was playing with "Depth of Field", a technical term used in photography where part of the picture is in sharp focus and areas in front and behind the point of focus are blurred. You see it all the time in sports photography where the athlete is in focus but everything else is blurred. It's a great technique because it draws the eye of the view to the exact thing you want them to view. Anyway, enough tech talk, just enjoy the picture. Every once in a while I feel like sharing photos I took which I find interesting for one reason or another.

--By Rex Hoss

Bidding "Ado" to the Bard

2007-07-30T23:42:00.000-07:00

Or... Not Much Ado About...It's with a warm and fuzzy sadness that I post this post. My tango with the Bard is over. the CCPT production of Much Ado About Nothing is over and finished. Those of you who missed the show, it's really too bad. The cast and crew had a wonderful time and from all the comments we got, everyone who saw it really enjoyed it!

We had our cast party yester-night and it was also a great success! Much thanks again to Ken MacFarlane for directing the show and keeping the show on course through all the drama (both on, and off the stage). The audience turn out was pretty large for most of the shows (6 in all) and apparently we brought in a rather large amount of donations from the wonderful and generous people who came to see the show. I want to personally thank everone who came out to see me and support my acting. It means a lot to me to know that people I care about are enjoying themselves because of my efforts!

Well that's it for now. I will probably have more pictures posted from the show and some from the cast party, but for now, no more pictures. I'm off to bed to put my after show-ending melancholy to rest for the night. I have nothing lined up for acting right now so I'm feeling a little lost and without purpose, but I am going to enjoy the rest and keep my mind focused on the fact that the next acting job is right around the corner! I'm not sure which corner it is, but when I find it, I'll let you all know!

--By Rex Hoss

Will Act for Food...

2007-07-26T11:35:00.000-07:00

(And money's not a bad incentive either!) As I approach the weekend, I'm getting a little 'misty eyed' about my acting career. See, this weekend marks the final weekend of shows for Much Ado at CCPT in the park. It's been a GREAT experience for me and I'm so thankful to Ken Macfarlane (the wonderful Director) and all of the truly talented and awesome cast! I've noticed through various emails from cast members that I'm not the only one starting to feel a void. We spent a couple of months preparing for and now performing the show, and now it's drawing rapidly to an end.

I think what's adding to my minor melancholy is that I don't have anything else lined up at this moment. When my last play ended I transitioned right into rehearsals for Much Ado without any time to reflect or rest. So, while I'm actually looking forward to some rehearsal free evenings, I'm also going to miss the friendships I've developed, and the sense of belonging to 'something' which I've had while being part of various shows.

So, I hope this weekend's shows are terrific and fun. I have some friends planning to see the show that's very exciting to me! Thanks to all you who encourage and support my efforts! You are truly appreciated more than you know!

I hope to have some more exciting acting news SOON! I will however, be posting some more pictures from the show for everyones viewing pleasure!

--By Rex Hoss

Not Much More to do about Much Ado

2007-07-23T11:23:00.000-07:00

Have you heard? Everyone's talking about how GREAT the Much Ado About Nothing performances were this past weekend! It was weekend number two for the cast and crew of "Ado" and speaking for myself, I thought we had a couple of great shows! Oh, yeah, there are always things which are unplanned, like an actor drops a line or two - I won't mention any names, because I've been guilty of it myself, and it's part of what makes each show special and fun - and keeps us actors on our toes! I LOVE this show, this cast and I'm having a blast! I've said it before - you guys all rock!

Well we're 2/3's done with the show. Only one more weekend so if you haven't seen it yet make plans to this weekend! 2pm at Paul Carlson Park in Culver City - admission - FREE, bring a chair, blanket (food?) and lots of your friends!

Much Different To Do About...

2007-07-20T21:53:00.000-07:00

Feeling in a reflective mood tonight before our 2nd weekend of shows, I thought I'd put a new spin on some of the pictures I have from the show - so without Much Further Ado... here's my fractured story.

This is also known as putting a completely different storyline to a set of pictures. (The following story is purely made up and not a reflection on the real actors, story or performance.)

I was thinkng it's about time for another performance of "Much Ado About Nothing". That's such great news I should tell somebody!

Hey, did you hear - It's the weekend. Time for another performance of Much Ado About Nothing at the CCPT Summer Theater!

WOW! That's AWSOME!!!

You've made me so happy I could kiss you!!!

I thought you loved ME! How dare you get all friendly with that guy!... What, it's because it's time for another performance of MUCH ADO!

Kiss Me you fool! That's most excellent news!

(Photos by Larry Matsui - Used by Permission)

Harry'ed Potter

2007-07-20T09:07:00.000-07:00

Just to jump on the Harry Potter bandwagon. I figured I'd do a post on the latest, and last(?) Harry Potter book, the Deathly Hallows. It's in stores at midnight and available online now (though it won't ship until tomorrow). At any rate, just for the record, I haven't seen the latest H.P. Movie yet (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix). I'm probably one of about 20 people in the world who hasn't seen it yet. I actually have never READ any of the books, preferring to see the movies instead. Stop screaming at me all you Harry loyalists, who claim the books are better!!! They probably are, but I just never read any and figure why buck tradition now! Perhaps after they've made all 7 books into movies, I'll go back and actually read the books, but don't hold me to it.

Tech Tips

2007-07-19T15:23:00.000-07:00

My tech tip today is a little self-serving. We're going to talk about Browser add-ons. Now if you use Firefox, like I do, there are a TON (literally) of cool add-ons, especially if you use GMAIL for your email. Anyway, I also wanted to let you know about Adobe Flash Player. It's a browser add-on that allows you to view Flash Animations (pretty much the standard for cool web animations these days). If you don't have it installed, it's easy to do go to Adobe's site and install it. If the little "F" Icon does a dance, you're set, if not, download and install it. Note: This may not be possible if you don't have administrator rights on your PC. Many corporate environments prevent users from installing software on their PCs (mine included).

Why do I bring this up you might be asking? Well for one, my Cool Picasa (By Google)slide shows which I've been posting various pictures in, won't work unless you have the Flash plugin (add-on) installed on your computer! So, now you know. B.T.W. it's free (love the sound of that word) so go for it!

Tribute to the King - Part 2 (or is it 1)?

2007-07-19T07:55:00.000-07:00

In a somewhat circular fashion, I'm posting more pictures of King Midas, for those fans and friends (and cast members) of the show. I say circular fashion, because these pictures from from the biginning of the show through where I started in my other post. Sunday I was able to watch the show from the beginning. Well, if you're not completely confused by my explanation by now - enjoy the pictures!

Much Updated Photos

2007-07-17T17:45:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. Thanks Much to my friend and fellow Nikon aficionado, Larry Matsui who attended the Sunday show of Much Ado About Nothing, and took some amazing photos of the show. So now I have some really nice pictures to show of the show! I tried to get at least one good, or interesting picture of every cast member (I think I got everyone at least once). I didn't want to inundate the posting with hundreds of pictures, and for those not involved in the show, I want to leave something to the imagination as an incentive to COME SEE THE SHOW!

Did I mention, there are only two more weeks left? For the full schedule see my previous post or visit the CCPT website. For now enjoy the pictures, I can't wait to do it again this weekend! Cudos to all the great cast and crew of the show! You've all made this an amazing experience for me!

P.S. Feel free to post a comment and let me know what you think!

Much News

2007-07-16T09:50:00.000-07:00

In a follow up to my post about King Midas, I just wanted to report that we all made it through the first weekend of shows for Much Ado About Nothing! Sunday's show was in many respects a Much better show. We got over our opening day jitters, and everyone gave a good show! The audience turn out was really good - don't know the actual numbers (maybe Suze can pass that info along to me). I'll have more pictures from King Midas posted later. I got to watch the whole show on Sunday and was really impressed. It's a cute story and all the actors did great. My favorite part - when the King's daughter turns to gold before our eyes!

A good friend of mine was at the Much Ado show on Sunday and took a bunch of great pictures which I'll post as soon as I can get my hands on them. I saw some and there are some really nice ones. He has a Nikon D50 and like my Nikon D80 takes amazing shots! (sorry about the blatant plug for Nikon cameras, but I do like my Nik.)

Look for pictures to be posted later tonight. I get to bowl with my league tonight (after 3 weeks away due to Much Ado rehearsals) so I'll be rusty, but fun!

Books I'm Reading

2007-07-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I finished book 9 "Winter's Heart" of the Robert Jordan Magnum Opus "The Wheel of Time" series. I'm on to book 10 called Crossroads of Twilight. Book 9 was mostly about the main characters on-going character development and Rand's desire to clean the taint from the male side of the One Power known in the books as Saidin. The taint is a foulness which pollutes the power and can eventually make the male using the power go mad and eventually kill him. So obviously, Rand has an interest in cleansing the taint from the One Power.

On a personal note, while the series of books is overall very good, I feel the author is long-winded in his story telling. I find myself wanting to get to the good stuff and he seems to get bogged down in telling minutia of details. While details do make the overall experience of the story more rich and full, as a reader, I find myself a little disinterested in knowing every little detail about each character's dress choice on a given day, exactly what they ate, and how they liked it and so forth.

Again, if you choose to read this series, start at the beginning, there's just too much back story in each book, and it's definitely written as a series, without any really satisfying conclusion to each book.

So now it's on to Book 10 Crossroads of Twilight. We'll see where this book takes the story!

Tribute to the King

2007-07-14T22:25:00.000-07:00

Well we made it through opening day of both King Midas and Much Ado About Nothing. I won't say it wasn't without it's glitches - at least for me, but that's live theatre and I'm working hard to make every performance better!!! Anyway, I did't get any pictures of Much Ado, but I did manage to get a bunch of King Midas (well the last few minutes anyway). You guys were GREAT! I hope to see the whole play tomorrow and get more pictures for you. Leon, you make a great King. Feel free to pass this along to the Midas people, since I don't have their email addresses.

Much Ado at CCPT Final Rehearsals - Finally

2007-07-13T17:43:00.000-07:00

The Ancient One, Blessed Be He: Rehearsals are Over. . . Now the Real Thing (CCPT)My friend, and fellow actor Leon Cohen (Dogberry in Much Ado) and the title role in King Midas (both opening tomorrow at CCPT's Summer Season, has on his blog, posted some great pictures of our final, Dress (imagine that) rehearsal for Much Ado. We open tomorrow and I know everyone in the cast is excited. As a side note, worth the noting, I think it's great that Much of the cast is 'getting their Harry Potter on' tonight! It's great to see friendships strengthen, and spend time just having fun away from the Much and Many rehearsals we've been having!

Friday Fun

2007-07-13T14:20:00.000-07:00

In a completely un acting related post, I found this website which has complied a list of almost 2000 uses for the infamous WD-40 lubricant! It's pretty fun reading and there are bound to be many uses for the product which I'm sure you'll find useful. Some of my favorites are "clean waterspots from mirrors", "remove ink stains from blue jeans", and "cleans peanut butter from shoestrings". Not sure how useful that last one is, but it certainly gets points for creativity! Enjoy, happy Friday - I have a show to prepare for tomorrow! Unofficial WD-40 Uses

Much Tech Ado

2007-07-09T08:11:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, we had a VERY productive weekend of rehearsals. We had our second (and last) tech rehearsals in the Park (before opening this coming weekend). We finally got a sense of what the costumes will look like and are still putting finishing touches on them this week. We have a full week of rehearsals to tighten up the show even more and make it wonderful for everyone. Here are some photos I took over the weekend. Notice the variety and sometimes lack of costumes we had. It was fun for everyone to get to perform in the space and at least partially in costume. As an actor, things really start to gel for me once I'm in costume and can really start to become the character. Everone is SO GREAT in this play, I'm proud to be a part of it!!! You guys all ROCK! Just a note - If I don't have a picture of you in this bunch, it's not because I don't want to, but it is difficult to be papparazzi AND perform so I only got to snap pictures when I wasn't in, or preparing for a scene. (In the credit where credit is due category - thanks Leon for the great pictures of me!) If anyone has pictures they'd like to send me to add to the collection, let me know!!!

CCPT Schedule - Much Ado

2007-07-04T23:29:00.000-07:00

Presents its 2007 Summer Season

Much Ado About Nothing

by William Shakespeare

Directed by Ken MacFarlane

Performances: Saturdays and Sundays

July 14, 15,21, 22, 28, 29

At 2:00 PM

The Good Doctor

by Neil Simon

Directed by Dean Edward

Performances: Saturdays and Sundays

August 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19

At 2:00 PM

and

The Children’s Popcorn Theatre Production of

King Midas

Written & Directed by Heidi Dotson

Performances: Saturdays & Sundays@ 12 noon

July 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29

August 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19

All performances are at Carlson Park

(corner of Motor and Braddock in Culver City)

Admission is FREE!!!

Bring your own lawn chair or blanket. Seating is on the grass.

Much Ado Tech

2007-07-04T22:29:00.000-07:00

A BIG thank you goes out to Milton Chen (Playing the Friar and Oatcake in Much Ado, for sending me these pictures he took of me at our Tech Rehearssal for Much Ado last weekend. He was diligently snapping photos while I was stressing out about my lines and the songs I sing in the Play. Thanks a TON Milton, they're great, and I have to give you much props for you amazing work on your parts. I'm quite impressed with your mastery of the roles.

Happy 4th

2007-07-04T22:02:00.000-07:00

fireworks_85x.jpg (JPEG Image, 1199x778 pixels) - Scaled (98%) Though I didn't take this picture, I like it a lot because it's on water! Hope you all had a great, enjoyable and safe 4th celebration. This year I didn't do too much except hang out with some friends and take a lot of pictures at the party - but none of actual fireworks - I had to leave the party before the pyrotechnics started due to some obligations and even though I have a great view of LA from my house, I don't see any good fireworks from my place - so no fireworks shots this year! Maybe next.

Well it's back to real life again, more working and rehearsing for the play. Hope to see you all in the park! Two weeks and counting!

Shakespeare Word of the Day

2007-06-30T08:28:00.000-07:00

While rehearsing the play Much Ado About Nothing, which I'm playing Balthasar in for the CCPT organization, there came a word I was not familiar with. The word is BUCKLER. So, thanks to the Internet, Google, and some very useful websites which give word definitions, I found out what it is. A bucker is a small hand held shield used in battle with a sword. Found the definition here. Also I heard the word used in the book I'm reading "Winter's Heart" by Robert Jordan (see a previous post) for more details on that book. Well, it's back to rehearsing lines and songs for the show!

Books I've Been Reading

2007-06-27T22:41:00.000-07:00

Robert Jordan and The Wheel of Time Series Since I spend a LOT of time in my car (who doesn't, living in L.A. you may ask?), I've had to find a way to better use the time. Well I discovered Audio Books, and what a GREAT discovery! You can find TONS of audio books available on a wide range of subjects. I've been trying to split my time between something "useful" like personal development titles - be a better person type books, and other books for sheer reading pleasure. I particularly like fantasy and suspense books. It all started with the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown but I'm currently reading (or more accurately - listening to) a series of books by Robert Jordan called "The Wheel of Time". I have to tell you this is a really good fantasy series, but the author is a powerhouse writer. There are so far 11 books in the series, he's reportedly working on the last book currently. I only just started book 9, called Winter's Heart. If you're up for a good, LONG story check out the series - but I suggest starting with the first book. This story isn't done justice starting in one of the later books - you miss too much back story. If you have other good books to suggest, I'm all ears - drop me a comment and let me know what you think.

Weird Wide Web

2007-06-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

Just felt like sharing this bit of info on which countries I've been getting visits from here at my Blog. Mostly my viewers have been from The United States, with an interesting smattering of various other countries. I find it cool and a little creepy that my humble little blog is being viewed (if briefly) by people around the globe. I'm not sure how interested my foreign visitors are, and judging from the stats, most of you aren't staying on my site too long, but it is cool to see that people around the globe are taking a peek. I can mostly thank Blogger's "Next Blog" button for most of my foreign views, but viewers are viewers. If you click on the "Next Blog" you apparently get sent to a randome blogger's site. There doesn't appear to be any connection between the site you're on and the one Blogger sends you to, so you find some blogs from all over - some interesting and some, not so. Try it and see, but remember to come back and visit me often. I love seeing that I've had some visitors!

The Ancient One, Blessed Be He: Moon Over. . . .Culver City

2007-06-27T13:24:00.000-07:00

The Ancient One, Blessed Be He: Moon Over. . . .Culver City Leon posted a really nice photo of the moon he snapped at one of our rehearsals. Check it out!

CCPT - 2007 SEASON

2007-06-26T23:21:00.000-07:00

CCPT - 2007 SEASON Hi everyone. Here's a link to the Culver City Public Theatre website and more importantly the dates and information about Much Ado About Nothing, the show I'm performing the role of Balthasar in. It's only 3 weeks away now (but who's counting). Rehearsals are going really well and I'm very impressed with the level of acting and directing we have!!! Everyone in the cast ROCKS! I'm VERY proud to be a part of this production. See you at one of the performances!

The Ancient One, Blessed Be He: Tune Up Time. . . (CCPT)

2007-06-26T05:08:00.000-07:00

The Ancient One, Blessed Be He: Tune Up Time. . . (CCPT)My pal and fellow actor has been posting some pictures of the rehearsals of Much Ado About Nothing as well as King Midas (of which he has the title role) over at his blog. Thanks for the great pictures Leon, AND of course the continued support of my acting adventures and my blog! You Rock!

Weekend Get Away

2007-06-24T20:29:00.000-07:00

For a much needed weekend get away I visited Red Rock Canyon State Park in the Mojave Desert over the weekend. I found out about it from some Google searches and decided it would make a fun outing. So camera in tow, me and a friend I often travel with took off. It was fun, if HOT. Got some interesting pictures and even took my freshly washed car on some dirt roads - that is until the dirt started to turn to sand and I was afraid of getting stuck. It made for a fun weekend.

Now it's back to 'real life' and of course learning my lines for the play. The Director Ken MacFarlane wants us off book (meaning we KNOW our lines) for Tuesdays rehearsal. Some of the actors have their work cut out for them. I have a new respect for learning Shakespeare monologues! Thankfully, I don't have any page long monologues to learn, but I'm still not completely off book myself, so I have a lot of memorizing to do in the next few days.

Much Ado Rehearsal Pix

2007-06-21T07:37:00.000-07:00

Hi all. Well I was told in no uncertain terms that I HAD to post some pictures I took last night at rehearsal. My Buddy and fellow actor in the play Leon Cohen threatened me within an inch of my life (OK, not really, but I'm an actor - you'd expect something dramatic right?) to post some pictures. Actually I went a little crazy taking photos but since I wasn't actually in most of what was rehearsed last night, I had a lot of free time to play at being the paparazzi.

I have to give credit where credit is due so any of the photos that I'm actually in, and some at the end of the group were taken by Leon - I asked him to take some with my camera. Actually you should have seen him lusting after my Big, Fat, Well Equip ed Camera... We were taking about pictures you know - get your minds out of the gutter. OK, so my camera is pretty impressive, but remember, you have to know how to USE it to get a good picture and I'm still very much a beginner when it comes to photography! Anyway... On to the pictures. I've created a sideshow for easier viewing, but the pictures are also available online if anyone wants to download some. - I can send a link.

Beautiful Side of Somewhere

2007-06-19T14:32:00.000-07:00

This is the video for the Walllflowers "Beautiful Side of Somewhere" from their Rebel Sweetheart album - released in 2005. I was fortunate enough to be cast in several parts of the video. It was obviously released a couple years ago but due to recent advances in my blog postings, I'm able to put video online (and not just through YouTube) so here it is. See if you can spot me in the various parts of the video. [Video courtesy of MTV.com and of course The Wallflowers - Hi Jacob, and thanks!]

King Kalimari - a Tribute

2007-06-18T22:55:00.000-07:00

Well here goes - my own little tribute to the great actors and all our hard work making King Kalimari the Musical come to life. These are the few pictures I had from the show. Most are from our load in day where we first got to the theater. The first few are a couple pictures taken the very last night of the show. I'm sorry I didn't take more. If any of my fellow cast mates have pictures they'd like to share, let me know. If you don't know how to share them on the Internet, I'll be happy to help. I'll have some pictures from our Wrap Party which took place over the weekend in a future post. Until then, enjoy the show!