A movie...

Well...I think I'm going to make a movie:):):)...

I've developed a set of deadlines based on a 2006 Sundance Film Festival submission...

I've got two screenplay ideas I've been working with...but one needs more time, I think...and the other has been on my mind for a couple of years now:)...

The one I'm looking at making right now is a parable about families loving one another and taking each other for granted and how one family learns through an extraordinary adventure how not to take one another...it's a parable, not a action-adventure:)...think Joe versus the Volcano...not Spy Kids:):):) (though I loved both of these movies:):):)...

We're watching The Station Agent, right now, which, if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it:):):)...they struggled to get the funding to make this little gem, but I'm so glad they did because it's a really beautiful little movie:):):)...check it out, if you get the chance:):):)...

Oh...and the best thing is that every screenplay I write is one more opportunity for EMU to perform some original on-stage work:):):):):):):)...

Oh...and I got a job:):):)...I'll make pretty good money (for me:)...and with some decent references, I'll apply for teaching jobs ASAP:):):)...and, in the meantime, hopefully raise money to get this film produced:):):)...

And then maybe do some academic writing, too:):):)...

Talk Radio went great:):):)...the last two nights, especially, when we started to trust ourselves, more:):):)...

And thanks to whomever yelled out my name the last performance:):):):):):):):)...it was exciting getting props as essentially a silent extra:):):):):):):)...

Oh...and Brian...if you happen to read this...I want SO BADLY to make it down for NFL, but we just can't afford it just yet...I will try to make it down for the January/February tournaments if I can:):):)...sorry life has been so crazy for me to judge and for us to hang:):):)...

And, Jas...I hope New Mexico is treating you well, bud:):):)...we've definitely missed you this week:):)...I'll see you this weekend...and would you be interested in maybe working on some music for this movie?:)...I'll probably talk with you before you read this:):):)...

I hope everyone is doing well:):):)...I'll talk with everyone soon:):):)...

Love,
Ben

Finally:):):)...a new post:):):)...

Hey everyone:):):)...

I've been taking a break from blogging for awhile:)...I've been working on a theater project and I've needed a break from my academic writing, which I've played around with in this blog, a lot:)...

This has been a good time for me, lately...doing theater with friends...and friends with talent:):):)...it's a good show, I think:):):)...and I'm excited to be a part of it and doing new things with it:):):)...doing sound on it and finally getting to point where I felt pretty good about it also confirmed for me that picking up new skills generally involves just practicing them:)...

I've also been learning about the wisdom that was shared with me about a million times from a good friend of mine about a million times about learning about not trying to change people:)...learning to accept them:)...

Education and policy, both, can be really self-righteous fields, just up front:)...they are often crusading fields where people are trying to change the world and can often get pretty full of themselves in the process:):):)...I know I was when I was in grad school, more...which is why my outlook on life is so much more liberal and broad and open and accepting...however you want to say it...because I've got a chance to see just how differently people interpret life...and how the worst of those interpretations are not the ones that seem strange or irregular or even, often, cause for fear to the political crusader...the most dangerous interpretations are self-righteous and often just catty interpretations by folks too careless with power...I think the power of liberalism and a liberal society is creating more space to avoid as much of this kind of power-mongering and cattiness and ugliness as possible:)...the limits to that ability, I'm learning, lie in the limits of our imaginations to be more decent to one another...

I had a talk, recently, with someone who described smoking in public as "criminal behavior"...she wasn't talking in jest...but I do think this person has gotten in the habit of having opinions and just wanting to get her way rather than deal with inconveniences that she doesn't like...I listened to one man, recently, talk about all the ways that they could punish a person, legally, who he felt had done him wrong...he wasn't making a joke...he was just full of himself, in the moment, looking to hurt someone....

I'm not quite sure why so many people see hurting others or killing people or limiting peoples' freedom -- when it can be avoided -- as laudable or courageous or whatever other kinds of bullshit reasons people give for being such pricks...

I just know that an awful lot of people -- myself included in the past -- have really awful tendency to hurt people or limit their freedoms to live their lives as they please...and a liberal society offers us the opportunity to limit, mitigate, or let go of that tendency altogether, depending on what we ultimately choose to do...

There is no ultimate definition of "being good"...but we can all do good while still giving people room to be themselves and be human if we try, I think...

OK...that's enough of that, for now:)...

My writing and teaching and living and whatever I end up doing are centered around being more decent and less self-righteous:)...and appreciating life better as it comes:):):)...

I'm hungry:)...I've got to go:):):)...

For anyone in Lawrence...

EMU Theater is performing Talk Radio for the next two weeks:)...I'm playing Spike, the soung guy and doing sound work:)...Andy, our fearless hero, is doing a marvelous job of playing Barry Champlaign, I think:):):)...I think's it's worth coming out:):):)...

The info is:

Talk Radio
ECM (Ecumenical Christian Ministries)
12th and Oread
December 3, 4, and 5 and Dec 10, 11, and 12
8PM

Hope everyone is doing well:):):)...

Talk with everyone soon:):):)...

Love,
Ben