Piece #37 - Dreaming of England!

I have to admit that this post was inspired by a reader who made a very nice comment from England. Understand that there is a lot more to the story than just a comment, my wife and I have always want to"go on holiday" to England! As I've mentioned in a previous post, I have always had a fascination with Doctor Who so that is where I first had my interest in Britain. For my wife, when she was growing up she loved the Bronte sisters and Jane Austen's books. I have been to Europe, although that was back in 1987; but I did get to visit Belgium, France and Italy. So jolly ole England has eluded me for decades now and I really want to go!

I'm not completely sure, but I believe I did have ancestry from England so there alone is some motivation. I remember when I was taking my undergrad and we had a guest professor from Bath, England. (Funny, I first thought the Education Department was joking with me when they told me he was from "Bath"!) For Doctor Who, it was more than just a show; I loved it because they would film on location all over the countryside so it was the best way for me to see different things...better than a documentary anyway! It inspired me to watch other British shows like Monty Python, Benny Hill, Fawlty Towers, etc. And then there's Bond...James Bond, I loved watching the movies and reading some of the books; I mean who wouldn't want to go to England for him?

In recent years, a new thing has emerged, though they are rather old fictional stories, The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia were the icing on the cake! I do remember watching the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings (animated) when I was really young, but nothing prepared me more like watching those current live-action films. Talk about REALLY wanting to go to England...WOW! To visit the places where the two authors use to work and live is just too much to be true. And speaking of writers, I would be remised if I didn't mention...Shakespeare. If you've read previous postings you would know that I was big into theater so this shouldn’tcome as a big surprise. To be able to visit Stratford-Upon-Avon and see all things Shakespeare would really be a dream come true.

Currently, I'm teaching History so this is a no brainer because I have studied the British monarchy and I have been watching them since I was young. I remember staying up really, really late to watch Charles and Diana get married and sadly the funeral for Diana as well. I always found the British monarchy to be one of the most interesting families to study. From Henry the VIII to Queen Elizabeth I, I remember watching several reenactments of their lives on TV and in the movies. Yes, I did watch William and Kate get married...I'm sure Di would have been proud of the both of them. It’s amazing how much Kate reminds me of Diana in how she cares about the people and how she presents herself.

I hope someday soon Jaimee and I will get the chance to visit England. It would really be a dream come true. Somehow I think this is a reachable goal, I just hope it will be sooner more than later because Jaimee and I really want to see the whole country; not just one city...sorry London.

Song of Inspiration [Check it out on iTunes!]:

Song: “Kings and Queens"

Artist: Audio Adrenaline

Album: Kings and Queens

This is a picture that I took when I was in Paris back in 1987 and I used a 110 camera (just google it). [and...Yes, I took the picture!] I would like to have a picture of Jaimee and I being in England!

Piece #75 - My Directing Method

Being a director like I have for several years, there are things that I've had to deal with in this business. This isn't the professional method of directing, but this is my perspective on how to be a director in any medium. I will probably address the proper method of how to treat actors, but that is not the sole focus on what I'm going to share. As a director you will have to deal with people who think they know it all and you can't say anything that will benefit me. The problem that most amateur actors forget is that acting is an art form, but it's also an occupation. I think people tend to forget that acting is work...hard work. One of the things that I try to let the kids know is that it's a very difficult business to get into. I feel like they need to hear the truth about the world of entertainment. I tell them that they have to 'want' it very badly and do almost anything to get in. An internship is a great way to get your foot in the door, bu

Piece #103 - I.Q.

I have, in some form or fashion, addressed this topic on intelligence, but I thought I'd hit this head on. One of the big things that people with Asperger's gets tied with is having a high intelligence. I have to admit that I've had a hard time finding solid evidence on all people with Asperger's having a high intelligence. I guess this a bit of a piggy back to my earlier posting #78 No Talent Required. The difference between these two is I'm going to address the intelligence in general versus the talents from Asperger's (or Savants). When it comes to the topic of intelligence, I get a similar feeling like in high school when the class decides on 'the most successful' label. I say this because I've always questioned what is successful? In turn I would also ask in the same breath what is intelligent? Testing the intelligence of someone used to seem like either a brainiac, just an average person or an idiot...depending on the score which is reall

Piece #28 - Puzzles

I realize autism is symbolized by a puzzles piece and I've noticed that some people have taken some offense to that, but this doesn't deal directly with that topic. This is a straight observation on puzzles and how they affect me and the twins. With the new age of electronic devices, it has changed to way we do pretty much everything! In this case I want to focus on puzzles because there are lots of computer game companies that are betting on us to buy their own special puzzle game, whether it is on the iPad, iTouch or smart phone. I will say that I do own an iTouch and yes, I do love it! Unfortunately, I can get sucked into several good puzzle games. So far the top ones I love to play are Chuzzle, Bejeweled, Tiki Totems and of course...Angry Birds. To be honest, I also will go 'old school' and play Solitaire, Mahjong, Sudoku and even Tetris because they still have a place in my heart. Sometimes the simpler games I would rather play because they are quick and easier

Pressing Puzzles

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