I'm an interesting paradox of a person. I like to be spontaneous and am certainly not an introvert. However, I can be pretty uptight at times. I like things a certain way and have a certain rhythm in which I live my life. When this rhythm is thrown off due to lack of planning...you get it.
So, my manager at Blockbuster is out on maternity leave and has been for two weeks. That's TWO weeks to figure out how to get our checks to us on time. On time is 10AM Wednesday (every other Wednesday). So, no checks at 10AM today. I promised Thomas and my nephew, Kyle, that we could go out and do something, including buying Thomas a new winter jacket which he so desperately needs. I call the store at 10, and like I said, no checks. I stop by at 11:45...no checks. This really aggravates the ever loving crap out of me. I have bills to pay, a check to the drawer that went to the bank this morning and I don't have a freaking check to put in the bank yet! Guess what...banks are closed tomorrow!
Then to make my life's rhythm even more off-beat...the new movies at work (which we normally get between Wednesday and Friday the week before they are released) came in on Tuesday. Hooray, I'll have a whole week to watch them, right? NOPE! In an attempt to make more money over the holiday weekend the owner put them all out. A WEEK EARLY! Prince Caspian and Wanted are the ones that I wanted to watch particularly. I'm pissed about this for two primary reasons. One, I don't make a lot of money so my free rentals and the ability to watch the new movies before they are released are perks that make it worth while. Two, companies have a release date on their films for a reason. It is technically a violation and subject to huge fines to rent or sell them earlier than the release date. The owner does this on a regular basis with smaller title releases which is also annoying since there are some that I actually want to see. But with a Disney release? As an independent franchise owner, would you like to get fined by a company that large? It would totally sink you! No one else is able to generate extra income on next week's releases over the Thanksgiving weekend. Why should Versailles Blockbuster?
I honestly have half a mind to turn his release-date-violating-butt in.
I feel better now that I've vented.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
What's in a name?
Several years ago when I started writing I thought it would be neat to use a variation of my name that stood out. E. Russell Henninger. I still like the way it sounds. However, I've tried to carry that over into my acting, directing, and producing of short films. It has been confusing on a few occasions, even for me. In my auditions class the other day the gentleman conducting out "mock" auditions looks at my resume (which reads E. Russell Henninger) and says "What Russell did here..." And I'm standing on the stage looking around for this guy named Russell. Oh right, that's me! Everyone knows me by Eric. So even when I audition with E. Russell Henninger on my resume, these people get to know me and then bill me as Eric Henninger...posters, IMDB, credits, etc. The only time I've been billed in a short film as E. Russell is when I've produced and edited the film. Aside from my own projects, all the films and theatre productions that I've done have me billed as Eric. So, I thought, what about using E. Russell as my writing name and Eric for my acting and everything else name? Then I figured that could get confusing on a project where I wear more than one hat. For example the last film that Bald Brother's Studio Productions (that's my production company) completed I co-wrote, produced, executive produced, and acted in. This would be very confusing in the credits when they read "Written by: E. Russell Henninger...starring Eric Henninger." See what I mean? I consulted a couple of my most trusted friends on the subject. I honestly felt like a diva for even having to think about what name to use. They confirmed what I was leaning towards anyway...Eric. Worst case scenario...when I am able to become a member of SAG, if there is already an "Eric Henninger" then I can fall back onto E. Russell or maybe just Russell.
Anyway, now that you all know more than you needed to or wanted to know...I bid you adieu.
Anyway, now that you all know more than you needed to or wanted to know...I bid you adieu.
Monday, November 3, 2008
I hate politics!
I just have to say that I sincerely hate politics in America. Granted, our system seems to be better than any other system out there and I certainly wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
But it seems to me that each party is more interested in being in control than they are in the actual well-being of the American people. Also it seems kind of childish to me the arguments that people are throwing out in opposition to each candidate..."Obama has no experience." Honestly? Is that the best we can come up with? How does one gain experience as a president if not by actually being president? Shy of someone running for their second term, has anyone had the proper experience?
"McCain is too old." What the heck? Really? Is that the best we can do? Most people, I think, would agree that Reagan was one of the finest presidents we've had in the last half a century or so and he was rather old when he took office. And he was a fan of the Rambo movies! No more evidence needed for me that he was a good president!
I'm convinced that if we had a Democrat in office as president and he were to have a ridiculously high approval rating, the Republicans would find something to complain about. And, if we had a Republican president in office with a high approval rating the Democrats would still find something to complain about. Get over yourselves!
Another thing that royally irritates the crap out of me is the "non-biased" press intentionally slanting things to one side. Point and case (regardless of which side of the fence you ride): New York Times front page a few days ago had two pictures. One of a "McCain/Palin" sign in the yard of home that looked decidedly upper middle class. Another photo showed an "Obama/Biden" sign in the yard of of someone clearly less fortunate. No bias there. As it turns out, there's no one in my neighborhood that is wealthy and there are a healthy smattering of signs for both sides. There are as many better-off people voting for Obama tomorrow as there are for McCain. There are also those who are struggling to make ends meet that will vote for McCain, just as there are those who will vote for Obama.
And yet another burr in my saddle is the whole race/sex thing. My daughter (who is 13 and not even able to vote)was asked by another student who she would vote for if she could. We don't typically talk politics in our house unless one of the kids asks our opinions, so I'm proud of my daughter for answering from her own personal conclusions. She told the student that she would probably vote for McCain. The student asking her for her opinion then flat-out called her a racist. What the frak, people? Seriously? Is this what it's going to be about? Vote for Obama/Biden or you're a racist. Vote for McCain/Palin or you're a sexist. The race/sex card should not even be an issue, nor should it be a rebuttle from either side as an excuse for not addressing real issues. I heard someone ask once if "Obama is elected, will the American people be able to be as openly critical and cynical of his administration without being called a racist?" Would they? I don't know. One shouldn't vote for Obama based solely on the basis that he is black. Nor should one vote for McCain based solely on the basis that his running-mate is a woman.
It really shouldn't matter whether someone is black or white/male or female if they are the best qualified to take the helm of our great nation.
I also hate campaign adds of all kinds: federal and local. Why don't we just take the last step down and put our mud-slinging in terms that everyone understands? "Don't vote for so-and-so because he's a moron." "Vote for me because I'm not as big of a poo-poo head as the other person." Can we all grow up and act like we have some degree of pride in ourselves as people and as a country?
So, you ask, which side of the fence to I fall on? Personally, I think that Spongebob and Patrick or even Palpatine and Vader would be better choices. My campaign slogan is "We're Screwed '08."
Seriously, I didn't do this blog to try to convince anyone of my personal political views. You need to vote for who you honestly feel is the best person to lead our country into the future. I motives in this blog have been simply this: to vent my aggravations with politics, regardless of which side I may or may not support. Elections, of any kind, have become a circus and it nauseates me.
No matter what the outcome ends up being, this will be a historic election.
VOTE!
But it seems to me that each party is more interested in being in control than they are in the actual well-being of the American people. Also it seems kind of childish to me the arguments that people are throwing out in opposition to each candidate..."Obama has no experience." Honestly? Is that the best we can come up with? How does one gain experience as a president if not by actually being president? Shy of someone running for their second term, has anyone had the proper experience?
"McCain is too old." What the heck? Really? Is that the best we can do? Most people, I think, would agree that Reagan was one of the finest presidents we've had in the last half a century or so and he was rather old when he took office. And he was a fan of the Rambo movies! No more evidence needed for me that he was a good president!
I'm convinced that if we had a Democrat in office as president and he were to have a ridiculously high approval rating, the Republicans would find something to complain about. And, if we had a Republican president in office with a high approval rating the Democrats would still find something to complain about. Get over yourselves!
Another thing that royally irritates the crap out of me is the "non-biased" press intentionally slanting things to one side. Point and case (regardless of which side of the fence you ride): New York Times front page a few days ago had two pictures. One of a "McCain/Palin" sign in the yard of home that looked decidedly upper middle class. Another photo showed an "Obama/Biden" sign in the yard of of someone clearly less fortunate. No bias there. As it turns out, there's no one in my neighborhood that is wealthy and there are a healthy smattering of signs for both sides. There are as many better-off people voting for Obama tomorrow as there are for McCain. There are also those who are struggling to make ends meet that will vote for McCain, just as there are those who will vote for Obama.
And yet another burr in my saddle is the whole race/sex thing. My daughter (who is 13 and not even able to vote)was asked by another student who she would vote for if she could. We don't typically talk politics in our house unless one of the kids asks our opinions, so I'm proud of my daughter for answering from her own personal conclusions. She told the student that she would probably vote for McCain. The student asking her for her opinion then flat-out called her a racist. What the frak, people? Seriously? Is this what it's going to be about? Vote for Obama/Biden or you're a racist. Vote for McCain/Palin or you're a sexist. The race/sex card should not even be an issue, nor should it be a rebuttle from either side as an excuse for not addressing real issues. I heard someone ask once if "Obama is elected, will the American people be able to be as openly critical and cynical of his administration without being called a racist?" Would they? I don't know. One shouldn't vote for Obama based solely on the basis that he is black. Nor should one vote for McCain based solely on the basis that his running-mate is a woman.
It really shouldn't matter whether someone is black or white/male or female if they are the best qualified to take the helm of our great nation.
I also hate campaign adds of all kinds: federal and local. Why don't we just take the last step down and put our mud-slinging in terms that everyone understands? "Don't vote for so-and-so because he's a moron." "Vote for me because I'm not as big of a poo-poo head as the other person." Can we all grow up and act like we have some degree of pride in ourselves as people and as a country?
So, you ask, which side of the fence to I fall on? Personally, I think that Spongebob and Patrick or even Palpatine and Vader would be better choices. My campaign slogan is "We're Screwed '08."
Seriously, I didn't do this blog to try to convince anyone of my personal political views. You need to vote for who you honestly feel is the best person to lead our country into the future. I motives in this blog have been simply this: to vent my aggravations with politics, regardless of which side I may or may not support. Elections, of any kind, have become a circus and it nauseates me.
No matter what the outcome ends up being, this will be a historic election.
VOTE!
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