war, money, and richard nixon.

Cash.

I do love Johnny Cash. Being that my father’s a huge fan, it’s the first music I can recall hearing. Cash is also something I like to do with my checks. Having it around tends to be more enjoyable than not. And, believe me, I’ve been on both sides of the coin.

I mention cash because I’d like to share a position of mine, and I’d love to hear some feedback on it. (Unless you disagree. I mean, you think I really want to hear that?)

Anyhow, here's a thing: why the hell isn’t there just one currency in the world?

In my mind, if we tossed all of the national currencies of the world and embraced one global currency, the earth's population might — MIGHT — engage in fewer wars. That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?

To put it into perspective, I gotta go back.

One theory on the war in Iraq — which I happen to agree with — is that it has much to do with Richard Nixon. Nixon was a well-documented asshole. Check the history books. It’s right there, in the pages between Sirhan Sirhan and Squeaky Fromme.

But while President Nixon was an asshole (mind you, given the current administration, he’s starting to look like Chester A. Arthur), he was also one smart bastard. ‘Cause in 1972, he made a deal with OPEC. In that deal, he somehow managed to get the oil guys to agree to use the U.S. dollar for all financial transactions, thereby keeping our greenbacks valuable.

A few years ago? Yeah, Iraq said they were going to use the Euro instead.

But I’m sure it’s all just a coincidence. No, really. I’m sure we’re there to give them the gift of freedom. Like Putin distributing polonium-210.

So — sorry, Bush supporters — the war is about cash. Don't look at me like that. The word "freedom" means about as much as the word "quality." So go back to Narnia and deal.

Okay. Back to my point. Does it not make sense that, if there were one shared currency, the new currency would become education, skill, and man-power? Would it not, in theory, decrease the desire to set up shop in other nations?

I’m just throwing it out there. I may be smoking crack and such an act may plunge us all into a global depression. So, by all means, tell me if you think I am.

serial quarterback.

Is it just me or does the name "John David Booty" sound like a serial killer whose victims are made up entirely of women whom Sir Mix-A-Lot admires?

(This would make him the second USC Trojan guilty of murder.)

post-production post.

I start off this posting with a random thought (as if the rest of it won’t be): you’d think that if you owned a restaurant called “Colony,” your first priority, signage-wise, would be to make absolutely certain that the big, neon “Y” would never burn out. Turns out not everybody thinks of these things. No one should have to look up and be faced with that.

Except maybe Kyle. (Everyone who knows Kyle finds this funny. And even if you don’t, you still might.)

It’s been a waaaaay long time since I’ve posted, obviously, and a lot has happened in post-production. We’re in what could be the homestretch. That is, until the executives have their say. And it’s my assumption that they will. It’s not a complaint, it’s the nature of the mechanism. But this could mean another few weeks of production. We shall see.

At just under 90 minutes, we’ve made a feature-length movie. One that is, in the creator’s opinion, a little uneven. Nevertheless, to shoot an entire feature in 13 days is staggering. It’s fast-forward and then some. As nobody I know would say, "it's wicked fast."

People have told me that our method of shooting was extremely ambitious. Hadn’t thought of it that way. But what they’re talking about is the fact that each scene is one continuous shot. There are no cut-aways. We shot no coverage whatsoever. What this means is that we had no safety net. If someone blew a line, we had to start over from the beginning. Even if we were on the last line of dialogue, we had to start from the beginning. And while this was, at times, frustrating, it also served the fly-on-the-wall idea this project has always been.

If you know me (and if you don’t, why one earth would you be here — though, most of the people who DO know me are asking themselves the same question), you know that I’ve never been entirely happy with anything I’ve done. Including many, many, many first dates. And a prom night. And my dinner selection last night. And many, many, many other things. The same applies to this project. Some nights I wake up a bundle of nerves, absolutely certain that I did my job poorly. Other times I feel what could best be described as satisfaction.

I’m sure — or at least hope — most of my concerns are within the details that only I, Stevo, and Jeff will see. But they’re there. In any case, the court of public opinion will judge.

But, I gotta say, give me the standard schedule for a film shoot, and good things will happen. So if you know anyone who can make that happen…