Halls and Walls

  I've been going through life blindly.  What makes a man blind?  It is when he can't see the difference between a hall or a wall.  Not being able to see does not mean that one cannot tell the difference between the two.  In the movie, 'Red Dragon', there is a scene in which a blind woman is brought into an unfamiliar house.  She counts the steps from the front door to a clock in the hallway and then from the clock to the living room.  She now is familiar with a destination in the house, as well as steps of a path to reach it.
  I have no well-defined goals in my life.  Everything looks the same to me so I never know if I'm going to be walking into a wall.  I would have to get to know myself well enough to come up with a destiny that would please me.  Then I would have to know my surroundings well enough to come up with the steps of a path to walk to get there.  It is up to me to distinguish halls from walls.  We leave the spirit realm and come into physical bodies in order to experience the duality of life.  Everything exists along a spectrum between, for instance, hot and cold, tall or short, dry or wet, etc.  In finding out where everything lies within these spectra, we can choose our personal preferences.
  I might choose that I enjoy foods that are only this spicy and no more because then I can't appreciate the flavor any longer.  I might choose that I enjoy it when it's hot out and hate it when it's cold.  I've been going through my life not defining my own tastes so I don't give myself things that make me happy.  I don't even know very well what would make me happy so I can't work toward happiness.  I might wish for happiness, but that is an exercise in futility since I don't know what that would look like.  If happiness to me was purple stuffed orangutan toys, then I could actively seek the very things that would give me joy.  That does not happen to be the case, but is just an illustration.
  In order to be the author of my life, I need to know where I stand.  In order to be a steward to foster joy in other people's lives, I would need to know where they stand.  I would need to create a vision of what it means to me to be spiritually healthy so that I can know when I've veered off that path.  I would need to know what it means to be happy so that I can know when I've wandered into joyless territory.  All of that is up to me.
  An author knows the setting, the characters and the ending.  He knows them, not because he has been told what they are, but because he has created what they are.  So far in my life, I only know what I've been told.  I've not created paths or destinations for myself.  I might have a passing familiarity with other people's halls and walls, but that will only lead me where they are going.  That will not bring me to the places of joy in my heart.  If I choose to bring joy to others, I would need to clearly see the map of their heart.  Only then can I avoid the places of pain and only bring the joy.  The most important first step is to do this for myself.

Single Cell

  For all of you who liked Chief Loh, you're going to love Single Cell!  This is the music that has risen, like a Phoenix, from the ashes of Chief Loh.  All life started out as a single-celled organism. Through every path of evolution, we have become as varied as the stars.  Every plant, every animal and every person has followed their own winding road which has led them exactly where they are supposed to be.  Every step along that path is important and none is to be cursed, but rather to be blessed.  And no matter how diverse we have become, we can never outgrow each other.  We are all still inter-connected.  We cannot live without each other.  We are, at heart, still a single cell! Please check out our music at: https://www.reverbnation.com/singlecell4

Quite A Week!

  This is how my week as been going: Wednesday night, I took part in a karaoke semi-finals competition.  I had gotten a place in the semi-finals by singing the previous week.  Anyway, the judges didn't seem to be overly-enamored with my performance.  A good friend of mine, however, did win so I was really proud of her.  Then on Thursday night, I performed a stand-up comedy routine for open mic night at Laff's Comedy Caffe.  I decided to just do a compilation of one-liners.  I got some good laughs so it was quite fun.
  Friday night, I attended the world premier of the horror flick, 'Truth or Dare'.  Let me tell you, that is one sick movie!  They handed out complimentary vomit bags in case anyone had to use them during the course of this study in cruelty and torture.  I walked into the theatre and the producer/screenwriter calls out, "Paul, how's it going?"  I was a little embarrassed because I didn't remember his name off hand.  I'm better with faces than names, as those of you who know me may recall.  Anyway, I also got to meet the director/star of the film and a couple of the other actors.  The director told me that if they ever need any Chinese actors, they'll keep me in mind.  After the movie, there was a question and answer session.  Telling you what question I asked, would be a spoiler for the ending of the movie so I will refrain.  https://www.facebook.com/events/518835301540263/
  I saw a posting on Facebook that the show, 'Worst Cooks In America' is looking for contestants.  Unfortunately, shooting takes place from October through December, which completely cuts into my schooling.  Oh well, maybe next season.  http://bit.ly/14SMNcF
  Saturday, I will be auditioning for a role in another western that will be filming at Old Tucson Studios.  They are looking for Chinese actors in particular.  Other than any non-half-Korean Chinese actors out there, I'm as Chinese as they get!  The advertisement for the audition said to dress in period garb.  I've got my gray Kung Fu robe all nice and clean in preparation to woo the producers.  Filming will start in November.  I'll have to ask them about their shooting schedule because, just as with 'Worst Cooks In America', I won't be able to shoot if I have school.  http://bit.ly/19LTQHf
  Sunday, I will be attending the Arizona Insect festival which is hosted by the University of Arizona's Department of Entomology.  I went to one of those years ago and it was quite fascinating! They had an entire spread of foods which incorporated edible insects.  There was bread with meal worms baked right into it.  I had some sushi rolls with beetle larvae in them, some with honey bees in them.  It was so long ago that I don't remember what else there was, but I can tell you I'm quite excited about this.  I've been looking forward to it for months!  You know me and food.  Anyway, as you can see, this has been and continues to be the busiest week I've had in a really long time.  Hopefully, things will slow down in the weeks to come and I'll mostly have only school to worry about.  What a fun week, though, huh?

Ambush At Dark Canyon

  Here's a synopsis for the movie that I am an extra in:
"Opening against the backdrop of the roaring 1920’s, a young, ambitious newspaper reporter, “Jesse Helms”, sets out to uncover the truth behind a famous bank robbery gone wrong in 1893, and the myth behind its alleged ringleader, “Duke Donovan”. Visiting the estate of a reclusive millionaire, “Seymour Redfield”, Helms begins to piece together Donovan’s story, discovering more than he bargained for in the process. Helms learns that Donovan, a famous lawman prior to the robbery, turned himself in and was put on trial for his crime. Sent to the Yuma Territorial Prison on a life sentence, Donovan enters the tortuous prison regime, forced to live among the outlaws that he put there. While enduring the hell of imprisonment under the sadistic control of “Warden Logan”, Donovan soon discovers that his bank robbery partner, ”Levi Hardin” , is still alive, and planning to kill Donovan’s wife for revenge. Donovan devises a daring escape with the help of fellow prisoner, “Cyrus Parker”, an old Buffalo Soldier . Knowing that they will be hunted and killed, Donovan and Cyrus begin a life and death journey to save Donovan’s wife, and the legacy of the fabled U.S. Marshal.
With the spirit of SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION in the old west, this revisionist, action-packed Western explores the challenges that one man will endure to defend family, justice and honor."

  Here's the website that it came from: http://www.teamtwoentertainment.com/our-films/to-kill-a-memory/

  I'm just trying to generate some intrigue for the upcoming release of the film.  The website claims that there will be a theatrical release as well as DVD at Walmart in Spring of 2014.  I know I can't wait!