Vacation Driveway Getaway

It took me two hours longer than I estimated digging out from the last snowphoon. When walls of snow almost better measured in Buffalo feet than inches blankets everything in its wake, how long it will take to shovel is not an exact science. By the time I dug out and drove to work safely, it was 10:30am. I was physically exhausted. Understandably, the office was a ghost town except for the occasional voice or swish of snow pants rubbing together when someone walked by my desk.

I started to think that the region's unprecedented excess white weather had something to do with only twenty percent of the workforce reporting for duty. My administration ruled that shoveling out too slow is not an excusable lateness. Employees who braved the elements yet arrived late were rewarded for their conscientious efforts with rejected time sheets. While I was never at risk for docked pay, I did have to use my own personal time to cover the two hour snow penalty.

Now I can fondly look back on this picture of me laboring an ice pick on the driveway scoop to break apart dwarf icebergs. I didn't even need a travel agent for this vacation.

Ignoring Groundhog Day in a Snowphoon

While progress often can be seen in inches, my efforts to push Spring weather via morning coffee on the deck have been largely ignored by Mother Nature.

Star Trek : Out of this World

About a year after I became a fringe actor, I realized that watching movies would be forever altered. Understandably, my perspective now includes basic knowledge about the intricacies of how a movie is made and how scenes are staged and filmed. I will be the first one to admit that some of the magic has personally disappeared from movie watching. However, my knowledge base of breaking down film far exceeds any FX glitz lost due to my time spent on a set as an actor.

With that being said, this movie critic just got around to watching the 2009 movie Star Trek. I am not your phaser wielding traditional die hard Trekkie per say. My only allegiance goes to the original Star Trek characters because I enjoyed watching the TV show as a kid growing up. From there, my interest in the adulterated spin-off series fell off the earth so to speak.

I recently watched the Star Trek movie with jaw agape over its sublime excellence. The movie was flawless in terms of casting, acting, script writing, sound, musical score and post production editing. There was not one scene or dialogue line written off to exposition. Its sound was dynamic and moving. The transition editing was seamless. Every element of this movie fell into place for me like kismet symmetry.

I shudder thinking about how scripted this movie could have been casting younger versions of the USS Enterprise icons but it was delivered with such creative panache and fine acting that I am at warp drive now trying to conjure just superlatives. It was a visually stunning Roddenberry franchise on stellar parade. Spock it out if you get a chance.

Bazookas: The Movie To Be on Pay-Per-View

Joseph Tornatore playing a bartender in Bazookas.

Your attention please, BAZOOKAS Nation. Producer/Director Michael G. Leonard has signed an agreement with Gravitas Ventures that will bring "BAZOOKAS: The Movie" to Pay-Per-View TV later this year! The movie will be available for rental in millions of homes. Congratulations to the cast and crew!

A Non-Taxing Acting Role

I participated as a background extra in a commercial currently being pitched to Turbo Tax. In the last segment of the thirty second spot, I am pictured on the far right hanging onto the edge frame of the commercial. Although it is neither center stage nor foreground, I became familiar with the script as the assigned understudy for a principle actor.

They say certain acting roles can be taxing. This was not one of them for me. You know, I just wanted more accountability in my first Turbo Tax commercial.