The Death of One Career?

I'm still hoping for 10%. I'm trying to be optimistic about it, but the chances are looking slim.

I'm mostly upset about how I'm finding out the answers, and not so much the answers themselves. Why can't people be honest, especially those people you trust.

I suppose I should tell you what I'm talking about.

It's looking like I won't be going to Europe next week to do a three show run with Eminem.

How did I find out I wasn't going to Europe? When I got a call from the new designer asking me to come out and push buttons for him. It was an awkward moment for sure.

Back in January, I was told by the production manager that I was going to Europe.

It wasn't until today that the production manager finally told me the truth. That I'm not going. That the new designer is taking over the gig. He said it's out of his hands, that management has made the decision. He believes it to be a mistake that they try to program 20 songs in three days. They're proceeding forward.

I can't help but wonder how long the production manager actually knew that I was replaced. A month? two weeks? If he had known, I wish he'd have told me then so I could have at least tried to book work for that time. Now I have a two week hole of unemployment, starting next week.

It's also possible, that the production manager is fighting to get me out there even today, hence the 10% chance. But I doubt it.

Eminem was the last of my design clients that I've had from my former days of touring.

I guess you could now say my former days of designing as well. All the gigs I get now are just button pushing. I'm not really complaining, it was a choice I made. I've chosen my family over the wonders of touring, and quite possibly designing.

It was not a difficult choice, everyone knows family is more important. But it's still sad. I can't tell if something has died or if I've just put it on hold for now.

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What's With All The Blogging?

Almost a month between post here, then all of a sudden, a flurry of posts. What changed in my life that allowed me to get all the blogging time?

Simple answer, job.

Some of you know, I've been working on Jimmy Kimmel Live for some time now, doing mostly the lighting for the outside music stage. This link here features lighting I did for Ozzy Osborne on the outside stage.

This week and next, I'm actually working on the main stage. Since the show has been running for 7 years now and everything in terms of lighting for the talk show is already programmed, I get some downtime which I've been using to blog again.

There is also an inside music stage that I have to program when there are musical acts on it. Here's a link to the band Minus The Bear, who played on the inside stage a couple of days ago and I had to light. That day has been the only day that was too busy to blog.

Here's a screen capture from that same show that Minus the Bear was on.They filmed me in a bumper going into an interview segment. Did you notice the picture?Probably not. It's this picture.Nicole and Sean Patrick gave it to me in a nice frame for Fathers Day, and I thought what better place to have it than at work. I actually positioned it on the shelf above my desk and pointed at light at it so it would be lit for camera. I'm sneaky that way.

The point being, expect more blogs next week, while I'm still sitting in "The Big Chair". And if all holds true to form, expect another long drought.

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Jumping The Shark.

Some of you may have heard the term, "Jumping the shark". It refers to the moment when something goes from being viable to being, well, nonviable. The term refers to the television show "Happy Days". It was a great show, with great ratings, until, on one episode, Fonzie jumped over a shark on water skis. That was the point at which the show began it's downward spiral in the ratings and eventual cancellation.

The term can be applied to anything. "Living in Hollywood 'Jumped the shark' the day I found a homeless guy sleeping on at my back door." "Attending church 'Jumped the shark' the day the preacher started every sermon with, 'You know you're a Christian when...'"

So today, I'm starting a new term, "Go Fred Savage".

We all remember Fred Savage from television show, "The Wonder Years". Here's a picture of him then. And here's a picture of him now.


To "Go Fred Savage" means to loose the cute factor.

As another example. The actor who plays Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies has "Gone Fred Savage". Here he is in the first movie.Ho da cute. And here he is today.

Uh, not so cute.

I would think "Go Fred Savage" could apply to most things. "The dog 'Fred Savaged' when he started rolling in the stinky dirt." "With the release of the new models, the older ones will certainly 'Go Fred Savage'." "My husband is 'Going Fred Savage' more and more everyday. I gotta get him to shave."

My gift to the world, go out and use it at will. And let me know the results.

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