Riggs 2.0

One MORE Reason to Hate John Mayer

Man I hate John Mayer.

I hate his music, because most of his bloody lyrics are so articulate, insightful and catchy you end up having them stuck in your head for hours. 

I hate his talent, because the guy's one of the greatest guitar players in a generation, and anytime he does a cover, it's better than the original.

And I really hate him for this.   

(No I mean, I REALLY hate him for that.)

As if knocking up the love of my life wasn't enough, now the guy goes and writes one of the most insightful, thought provoking articles I've ever read about the upcoming election, and what it's been like for my generation the past 8 years. 

Listen to what he says:

I was 23 years old when the nation was attacked on September 11, 2001. I can remember hearing pundits say "this changes everything" and "things will never be the same." Obviously it was a tragic and traumatic event, but that sentiment has carried on through the better part of my twenties. If you were 43 years old on that day, I would imagine it was a difficult concept to get your head around as well, but if you were a young adult just entering his or her individual life, there was an added twist; how can you process the idea of everything changing and things never being the same when you have no point of reference for what "everything" and "the same" is? I was just beginning to put my hands on the world around me, to interact and engage with it, and to actualize the dream of being an adult in a free society. To wait in line for 23 years only to have the "sorry, future canceled" sign flipped in my face was depressing, to say the least.

That could not have nailed it any more. 

I'm part of a generation that sent its first email 5,000 days ago.  Everything that's happened since has happened so fast it's easy to forget how far we've come, how much we've had to overcome, and what an absolute privilege it is to be alive during this phase of human history.

Go read the rest of the article. 

It's brilliant, insightful, incredibly timely, and again....

I am totally hating him for it.

How to Gain 20 Pounds in 4 Hours

There are so many ways to become famous these days. 

Apparently all you have to do is eat a 20 pound hamburger. 

My favorite quote from the article: 

"About three hours into it, things got tough."

...

(Because the first 15 pounds were a breeze?)

Textuality

If the three of you reading this blog are wondering what I've been up to lately, here's an update:

Several months ago a friend of mine wrote a terrific script called "Textuality". 

It's a story about two people trying to pursue a relationship, while trying to exit the multiple relationships they were both managing through their PDA's before they met.  (Think "Californication" meets "You've Got Mail" - for the text messaging age.)  

For a slightly more artsy explanation, the story is really about modern day relationships; the ambiguity that defines them, the frustration that arises from them - and most recently - the technology that enables them.  It's about an entire generation that is finding it easier and easier to feel connected TO everyone, yet harder and harder to feel truly connected WITH anyone.  (And it's laugh out loud funny, as well.)

Early on my friend asked if I wanted to get involved and help him raise some money for the project, and I agreed - thinking this would make a fun side project that would let me scratch my creative itch while not completely diving in with both feet.  After a year that's seen us shop the project at Sundance, LA, Venice, and the Toronto film festival, I can safely say that I've caught the bug, and am going to be focusing on producing this full time until it's "in the can" as they say.

The film stars Jason Lewis from Sex and the City (and no, ladies - we don't need any more volunteers on set, thanks); and Carly Pope (from Young People F'ing, Califnornication and 24).  It's directed by Warren Sonoda, and we're expecting to shoot very soon, despite that whole "global financial crisis" thing you may have been hearing about...:)

Shortly, you'll be able to follow along here, but for now, check back here and at Strident Films (yes, that's my company) for updates.

The NASCAR Debate

Best quote of the night from a pundit on Fox News:  "This VP debate was like a NASCAR race...you held your breath every time they went into a turn."

Replacing the Mean With Meaning

Really great back to basics post from Umair Haque on bringing meaning back into business.  Definitely worth a read. 

My favorite quote:

"When your market cap, for example, can be utterly vaporized in a matter of days, it's a stark reminder that shareholder value is a video game - and it is human outcomes that make work meaningful."

Off to go find some meaning in that...:)