Dustin Huard was (is) an amazing young man. From the time he was born, until the day before he moved on to another cosmic dimension, Dustin presented me daily with the gift of his presence and his love. When he was 4 I spent the summer living with his mom, my sister Liz, while I worked my first summer job, after my freshman year of college. This is where our  journey really began.

It was during this time that I introduced him to the outdoors. He paid me back by getting me to the top of Mount Whitney (the highest point  in the continenntal US). Dustin Loved to hike and explore the outdoors. After moving to Sedona, his love of the trek grew. He knew the trails and special places amoungst the red rocks, probably, better than anyone. Dusty (d-lite, d-dog, Dusty-d) had a deep connnection to nature. He also had a deep connection to his inner world. He meditated everyday, created guided meditations and loved to explore these realms too.

That’s what he truly was: an explorer, a seeker…

Dusty was… well Dusty. He was deep. He was also a lot of fun. He was goofy and quirky. He didn’t just wallk to the beat of his own drummer, he re-created this drummer moment by moment. At his cousin (my nephew) Dylan’s wedding reception, he got the party started. The classic moment… the band (DJ, whatever) starts playing the music and everyone just sits on their hands… We’ve all been there. Dusty would have none of it, so he got up solo and free danced around the whole room, followed by my niece Arianna, then by the whole lot of us. This is what he did. He inspired by action.

Here is a little about Dusty from his MySpace page:

I’m interested in nature, and dreams. I’m interested in discovering the elements of self within the alchemy of life. I’m interested in space portals, and time warps. I’m interested in dimensional overtones, and metaphysics. I’m interested in motion, and balance. I’m interested in pure harmony. I’m interested in channels of love (not television channels). I’m interested in mass production of creativity. I’m interested in my interests when what I find interesting is something that’s interesting. Hmmm.. That’s interesting… It’s funny when people do things.

When you met Dusty, you were touched. He looked in your eyes and gave you love. Simply put, you were never the same. It is impossible to feel that depth of connection and not be forever changed. That was my boy. I have never met a more authentic being. What you saw was what you got. Dustin was free with his love. Dusty lived his truth, he was generous, he was wise beyond his years and above all, like I said he was authentic. In retrospect I am truly amazed by the sheer depth of his love!

I have an amazing family… truly amazing! But it was Dustin who always had my back. If I needed help with anything, he never hesitated. If I had to move, or do heavy lifting Dusty never hesited to volunteer his help. When my server crashed leaving 80 websites offline, it was Dusty who sat with me until they were all rebuilt and back online. If you asked, he showed up. He always showed up.

Dusty loved music, working sometimes as a DJ spinning records, but mostly spinning records for himself… for the joy. Dusty created his own mixes and recorded a few CD’s. I have only one sample, so here it is:

8 years ago, I got Dustin his first job in the film industry. And he took it from there, working on features like Training Day, commercials (he has been been working with Errol Morris for the last 5 years) and music videos. Dusty directed his own shorts and just a few weeks ago, shot and was editing a pro celebrity volleyball tournament for charity.

An amazing young man!

When Dusty first came to LA he lived with me. What is cool is that I am blessed with an extraordinary family. We have our issues but we love each other. With Dusty in LA we got to hang out a lot (in hindsight, however, it really wasn’t enough and I guess it never is). Before he left us, Dusty had a chance to reconnect with his cousin Dr. Dylan (a chiropractor and my other nephew). That is so cool.

This year had been a difficult one for my nephew, Dusty. He was robbed with a gun in his face in Las Vegas (they caught the guys and Dustin testified against them. They are all (4 guys) in prison.) Face down on the ground, Dusty asked the gunman for his walllet and credit cards back, explaining what a pain in the ass it is to cancel and get new ones… They guy actually gave them back, taking only Dusty’s cash and jewelry… f-ing ballsy, if you ask me… Remember, his own drummer.

This weighed very heavy on his heart and gave him much fear.

Then about a month ago, Dustin was in an auto accident, while on a run at work (driving his bosses car). Waiting to turn right, a car ran a red light, struck another car then finally Dustin’s car. He was taken to  the hospital, not seriously injured it seemed. He had pain in his knee, back and neck. The initial exam didn’t reveal much…

Then the case got handed over to the state (workman’s comp)…. This is where it starts to suck.

The pain grew worse. Dustin saw a different doctor who concluded that Dustin may need surgery on his knee, and requested an MRI. Workman’s Comp, denied him, instead they gave him crutches and pain meds…

For the last week or 2 Dusty had been trying to get this resolved, getting the run around from the insurance companies. During this time, always the one to watch my back, Dusty watched my house and took care of my cats and garden 3 different times while I was out of town… hobbling around my house on crutches and in pain.

Our feeling is that on Tuesday night Dustin took  the wrong mix of medications, went to sleep and never woke up. I take solice in the fact that he went gently into that good night…

Dusty, D-Dog, D-lite, Dusty-D… I miss you and I love you! Every day that have known you (since you were merely months old) has been a gift to me and I am richer for it.
Wonderful travels to you -

Love you - Uncle Lennie

OK, I’m a little confused. Let me see if I have this  straight…..

If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you’re ‘exotic, different.’ If you grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, you are a quintessential American story. If your name is Barack you’re a radical, unpatriotic Muslim. Name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, and you’re a maverick.

You graduate from Harvard Law School and you are unstable. But you attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, and you’re well grounded.

If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the State Senate’s Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran’s Affairs committees, YET you don’t have any real leadership experience.

BUT if your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you’re qualified to become the country’s second highest ranking executive.

If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years and are raising 2 daughters, all within Protestant churches, you’re not a real Christian.

But if you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you’re a Christian.

If you teach responsible, age-appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.

But if, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state’s school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you’re very responsible.

If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family’s values don’t represent America’s.

But if your husband is nicknamed ‘First Dude’, with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn’t register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

OK, I get it, it’s much clearer now.

During the Vietnam War, Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain survived air-combat missions, a bayonet wound, countless injuries, torture but, perhaps most harrowing of all, an extended stay as a prisoner of war at the Hanoi Hilton.

The Hanoi Hilton’s one thing, but can he survive Paris Hilton?

When McCain offered up his commercial calling Barack Obama, “The biggest celebrity in the world” and juxtaposing his image with Brittney Spears and Paris Hilton maybe he didn’t see it as a slight, but Paris did! I don’t know if good OLD Johnny Mac realized the can of Whup-ass he was getting ready to open.

First he fired up Paris’ mom, Kathy Hilton, who wrote this in the Huffington Post:

I’ve been asked again and again for my response to the now infamous McCain celebrity ad. I actually have three responses. It is a complete waste of the money John McCain’s contributors have donated to his campaign. It is a complete waste of the country’s time and attention at the very moment when millions of people are losing their homes and their jobs. And it is a completely frivolous way to choose the next President of the United States.

And there’s Paris herself with her very own answer back (or is it a campaign ad?) - Saying of McCain, “He’s the Oldest Man in the World…”

See the McCain campaign original add.

So what am I talking about? Witnessing something that has been witnessed by millions of people (8,534,749 before me to be exact). Matt Harding is a Filmmaker and world traveler who fusing both skills (hobbies, whatever) created an amazingly brillliant short film.

So what’s it about? Matt dancing a wacky jig in all corners of the globe. So what’s so cool about this. Easy… How the simple act of dancing a silly dance with strangers at different places in the world. A simple act that unites these strangers. A simple act that shows how damn easy it is to find common ground, be a uniter.

Whether it’s Matt Dancing or Laker Guard Jordan Farmar teaching basketball to Jewish and Palestinian kids in Israel and the West Bank (together not separate - Jordan Farmar to go on peace mission to Middle East) bringing the world closer should be the simple mission!

Matt’s movies are so compelling that the folks at Yahoo! invited him over for a filming session (View here - And Now We Dance)

So where was I? Oh yeay… over 8 milllion folks have seen this video - hopefully 8 million more will be watching soon. It will touch your heart and hopefully move you to some “simple” action. Enjoy!

14 months in the making, 42 countries, and a cast of thousands. (Please notice the High Quality embed…)

So John McCain does it again… Trying to discredit Barak Obama’s “cool factor”. Why is it that Mr. McCain can’t talk about what he’s gonna do. I used to like him, before he started to take advise from Bush’s cronies… Off shore drilling et al….

A week or so ago, I wrote an article called “Marketing Like a Rockstar!“. What I was talking about was how a good marketer (or sales person) not only makes promises to the audience, but includes them. Barack in this respect is masterful! He has been creating following with “groupie-like” zeal.

John McCain’s answer is to, like I said, try to discredit Barack - not try to improve the marketing of his message.

The following video is the McCain Camps newest. For me, it highlights why I like Barack. Curious to hear what you guys think.

Here is the script of the video:

“We are the ones we’ve been waiting for,” Obama says, in his Super Duper Tuesday speech in California.The narrator continues: “And he has anointed himself, ready to carry the burden of The One. To quote Barack, ‘I have become a symbol of America returning to our best traditions.’”

”He can do no wrong,” the narrator says.

Cut to an excerpt of CBS’s Lara Logan asking Obama, “Do you have any doubts?”

“Never,” Obama says, smiling.

“Can you see the light?” asks the narrator.

When they show Barack talking about returning to our best traditions, this was actually Obama telling House Democrats that the big crowds and enthusiastic receptions he received in Europe had less to do with him than they had to do with a desire for a new U.S. foreign policy. In a way, it was more a statement of humility than arrogance.

Go figure…

A great indy film that I had the pleasure to work on in 2006 with my great friend, Director, Paul Boyd (I was the UPM/1st AD) had it’s world premier at the NY Latino Film Festival and took home best picture honors!

Set on the streets off modern day Venice Beach California, Vicious Circle is a tragic “Punk Rock” Latino love story; a raw edgy, teenage Romeo and Juliet with a murder mystery twist. The Film Follows 18 year old RJ (Skater, Paul Rodriguez Jr.) as he runs through the streets of Los Angeles with a blood stained shirt and a gun in his backpack. Leaving the audience to wonder, “What happened?”

RJ is an artist and skater with a heart of gold. He dreams of moving to New York City to pursue his aspirations to create comic books. His handmade sketchbook demonstrated his unique talent and acts as a portal between fantasy and reality. A strong inffluence of the game of chess from RJ’s incarcerated father flows through his art and life… RJ lives by the rules of the game.

Soon, RJ meets his first love Angel (Sundance award winner - Emily Rios), a rebellious singer in a local teenage punk band. Their unexpected story of true love causes the tides to turn in both lives, and RJ reveals a secret that will cost the life of new love.

Directed by Paul Boyd, and starring Paul Rodriguez Jr., Emily Rios, Robert Zepeda, Richard Edson, Perrey Reeves, Paul Rodriguez.

Visit the Vicious Circle official site.

Not quite but I’ll tell you what. If you pay attention to any great rock front man or woman, you will notice a couple of very clever tactics.

Dateline Sunday July 20th… So there I was indulging in a guilty pleasure… Let me back up. The first concert that I ever attended was a KISS concert in 1977 when they were at their pinnacle (I have seen them 5 times since, twice on halloween!)

Like I said, guilty pleasure… So sunday I popped in a DVD “Kiss w/ the Melbourne Symphony. Kiss, the garishly made up rock band (with tons of pop hooks) with a symphony… Should be interesting, I thought.

It’s amazing what a different perspective will do. The DVD was tons of fun (guilty pleasure, remember…) but I noticed all the sales, marketing and trainer tricks that lead singer Paul Stanley was using and realized that all the great Rock Bands do this to create the rabid, evangelist seeking following.

Acknowledge!

The first thing any good Rocker will do is acknowledge the fans and thank them: Paul Stanley on the DVD, “We had offers from a lot of Cities to play with a symphony, but we had such a great time here last time, we just had to come back!”

Giving your audience ownership: “You made this song popular, we may have written it but this song is yours!” - Yep, Paul Stanley said this too.

Wow that’s powerful!

Setting the Context

If you’re going to sell, let the audience know and get their permission first.

Never, ever lay into your sales pitch without taking the time to acknowledge your audience and getting to know them first!

This was a Tweet I received (sort of, since I can’t find the tweet or who twittered..)

At a bar-b-que: Me: beautiful day isn’t it? Other guy: Heard of Amway? Never, ever, ever!

“We’re gonna slow this next song down a bit. Is that alright with you?

Permission marketing creates loyalty!

What’s in it for me?

Again any decent trainer or marketer will lay out up front what valuable stuff is coming for the audience. “Over the next hour (or whatever) I’m going to give you/tell you about these things that will rock your world!

Paul Stanley: “We’re gonna rock your asses off!”

Now, if you make this promise, you better deliver!

Involving your Audience - leads to inclusion!

Rockers do this: Sing alongs, clap alongs.

Here’s a great example of involving the audience. In the 80’s I saw Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin fame on tour solo. When it came time to play the Led Zepp classic “Stairway to Heaven” the singer on the tour took a break. On stage a single spotlight stayed on an empty mike. So what happened? A chorus of 15,000 + sang instead. Amazing! At that point, if we hadn’t already, we were all drinking the Koolade. Don’t leave anyone behind.

Leading Questions

“Do you wanna Rock?” - what a clever way to involve/include your audience. How about if you are marketing razors… “Has anyone ever cut themselves shaving?”

Demand a response!

Audience participation part deux: Ever heard this one? “Does anyone wanna ROCK!” then after the first response: “What?! I can’t her you!”. This, as any trainer will tell you is called “Demanding a response!”

Do you want to leave your audience out? Next time you are attending a sales meeting, seminar, teleclass, whatever, pay attention to the speaker for, in my opinion, a fatal mistake. The presenter/speaker asks a question and the audience doesn’t really respond but they move on anyway. Guess what, they just left all those non responders behind.

Go to one of T. Harv Eker’s, Tony Robbins or Alex Mandossian’s events and watch masters at keeping the audience involved at work.

Or just go to a great rock show! And when you do, pay attention, you’ll be surprised at all you can learn from a ROCKSTAR!

And remember, it doesn’t matter how many tricks you employ, if you don’t, in the end, deliver the promised “goods”!

There are too many articles to mention, but this piece on whether to pony up the extra cash for the “IMAX experience” is certainly worth a read.

With opening-weekend Imax showings of The Dark Knight already selling out in many cities, is it worth waiting a couple of days — or waking up at four in the morning — to pay extra money and see Batman on the biggest of big screens? Or should you just see it in a regular theater, since after all, only twenty minutes of the movie are shot in Imax anyway?

Why see The Dark Knight in an Imax theater? As P-Funk front man George Clinton once succinctly explained to us, “Cuz that shit is motherfuckin’ huuuuuge.”

A Warner Bros. executive says the Batman sequel “The Dark Knight” has set a single-day box office record by taking in $66.4 million on opening day.

The movie’s Friday haul surpasses the previous record of $59.8 million set last year by “Spider-Man 3.” “The Dark Knight” also might break the opening weekend record of $151.1 million that also was posted by “Spider-Man 3.”

Warner Bros. head of distribution Dan Fellman says the death of co-star Heath Ledger and the buzz about his frenzied performance as the Batman villain Joker was a big part of the movie’s allure.

Check out Yahoo’s Dark Knight page for tons of good stuff! Or the Dark Knight’s Official Site - With a memorial for Heath Ledger.

————————————

Update: 7/20/08

Batman has sent Spidey packing as king of Hollywood’s box-office superheroes.

“The Dark Knight” took in a record $155.34 million in its first weekend, topping the previous best of $151.1 million for “Spider-Man 3″ in May 2007 and pacing Hollywood to its biggest weekend ever, according to studio estimates Sunday.

“We knew it would be big, but we never expected to dominate the marketplace like we did,” said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros., which released “The Dark Knight.” The movie should shoot past the $200 million mark by the end of the week, he said.

Sadly, I found 1 single Starbucks that used to be my regular spot: The corner of Lincoln and Montana Ave in Santa Monica… Years ago, I would meet my friend John Philbin there regularly for coffee. Alas, it will be no more…

Starbucks Corp. has named all 600 company-owned stores it plans to close in a bid to boost its business and weed out unprofitable locations.

The company announced 50 stores late last week, saying those stores would be closed by the end of July. Those include four stores in Alabama, seven in Minnesota and eight in California.

Now the gourmet coffee retailer is detailing all stores slated for closure. Including the eight other stores, California will now lose 88 stores with two each in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and 10 in San Diego.

If you want to read the full list check out the article here on the Huffington Post.

This is part of the article I read…

Barack Obama’s campaign is condemning as “tasteless and offensive” a New Yorker magazine cover that depicts Obama in a turban, fist-bumping his gun-slinging wife.
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An American flag burns in their fireplace.

The New Yorker says it’s satire. It certainly will be candy for cable news.

The Obama campaign quickly condemned the rendering. Spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement: “The New Yorker may think, as one of their staff explained to us, that their cover is a satirical lampoon of the caricature Sen. Obama’s right-wing critics have tried to create. But most readers will see it as tasteless and offensive. And we agree.”

McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds quickly e-mailed: “We completely agree with the Obama campaign, it’s tasteless and offensive.”

For me, satire or not it reeks of continuing horrible stereotypes. ‘Nuff said.