Deportation Thoughts

There is a lot of fear I am reading in Social Media recently, so I thought I would share my thoughts on it.

First, if you are a sexual predator, a member of a drug cartel, a Fentanyl dealer, involved in the sex trade, or a terrorist. I think you have good reason to be afraid. I think you will be the first people that ICE and the authorities will come after.

Also, if you have been convicted of a felony and are currently doing time, it will be like the 2:00 AM call at a bar, "You don't have to go home but you can't stay here."

Next, I believe they will focus on the 30,000 - 300,000 children that have come across the border and have been lost by the Biden and Harris administration. They WILL not be deporting them but looking to reunite them with their families and guardians for their own safety.

The good news is that Trump and the Republicans are all about state and local leadership. So I would hope the 20 to 30 million people that are left will find their way to a Blue state. 

I can tell you that since I am one of the estimated 3000 families a week that have fled Califonia for the past few years. 20,000,000 people added to Los Angeles and California would not even be noticed. 

I know he said that he would get rid of the sanctuary cities but, I do not believe the Trump administration would go into a Blue State where the people have voted for the leadership that protects people who have crossed the border illegally and then violate the will of the people.

He did not do that last time in office and I don't see him doing it this time either. 

He will stop any more coming in but he will deal first with the worst and then what the people in the states who support him request. 

I do think he will cut off any increased Federal funds and might even cut off those funds in place now. The states in question already have huge tax bases and the people who chose to live there vote for tax increases. I see that continuing.

The next few years and going to be interesting but I the people who have come over during the past 4 years learn and contribute to the American Culture and our economy I see no reason why they should fear any incarceration. 

Me and Jerry Springer

Whenever I tell people about my acting career they always ask why I never became famous. Well, I did once. I ask them to Google "Art" "Jerry" "Springer." My episode comes up and they watch it. Many times people have said they have seen it before and then they look at me. Wait, you're that guy? 

Yep.

The best thing about it was that it has given me a Halloween costume for about 15 years.

So here is the story. It was 2009 and I decided that I needed glasses. So I went to the optometrist and picked out a pair. I was touring with a country band and as soon as I got on the bus that weekend the band started with Jerry, Jerry.

I asked what they were doing. One of the musicians in a deep Georga drawl, said "You are the spitting image of Jerry Springer." 

"No way I replied." Anyone can tell I am Robert Redford, Robert Wargner, or maybe Brad Pitt. Jerry Springer? No way.

I remember once about 2:00AM we pulled into a truck stop to refuel. I walked into the restaurant area where the band was getting food and they started the chant. "Jerry, Jerry" The woman behind the counter looked over her shoulder and then proceeded to throw the cup of soda she was filling all over the restaurant and literally flipped her sh$%. 

OH MY GOD, ITS JERRY SPRINGER!!!   

She came running around the counter and had to take a selfie and have me talk to her baby daddy since I was the most famous person she had ever met.

I tried to tell her, but she wasn't buying it. 

This went on for a few weeks I guess. Since I live in Nashville on nights I was not on the road I would go out to support the friends I had in the music industry. One night a friend of mine asked me if I could come to her show. It was on Halloween and everyone was dressing up. 

Now, I have to tell you I am not a big Halloween fan. Candy is okay but the whole evil scary thing I can live without. 

What to go as??? Hmmm. 

You might have guessed it. I put on a suit, the glasses, grabbed a wireless mic, and went to her show as Jerry Springer. 

It was insanity. Everyone wanted a selfie. So much fun. After the show, someone suggested we continue to Lower Broad in Nashville.

We walked into a bar called The Stage and the singer of the band stopped the band during a song and announced that "Jerry Springer has just walked in." 

Like he would be in Nashville, on Halloween night, in a suit, with a wireless mic. Doing what?

It was the first time I heard the Hollywood hush. I entire bar went silent. 

I looked around and said "there is a Penguin, a prostitute, and a Pirate you really think I'm Jerry Springer?" 

 Well, yes, in fact, they did.

Selfies, drinks, one guy wanted to fight me because his sister came out on my show. Dozens of girls flashed me and asked if I had any Jerry beads. I didn't. Plenty of free drinks.

Another weekend and another city.  

I was on a Wednesday that I thought I wonder if Jerry was even still on. He was. Watching the show I thought 'this is horrible.' Then they asked if anyone had an idea to be on Jerry Springer to call 800.86 Jerry. So I did and left a message.

Two weeks later I was with a friend on the day that the County Music Hall of Fame had their free day. We had been in line for about 45 minutes when my phone went off. It was a Producer for the Springer show. She asked when my idea was and I asked if there was any interest in having a Spriner look-a-like on the show. 

She didn't sound very interested but wanted to see a picture. I gave her my MySpace (remember this was 2009) and told her there were a few pictures from Halloween on it. She said she would take a look and call if there was any interest.

We then got on the elevator to go to the Museum. Maybe 45 seconds later we stopped on the second floor and when we got out of the elevator my phone rang. 

It was the Producer again. She was much more excited and asked if I could fly up to Chicago the following day.

I was going to do a run in California the next day but told her I was flying back on Tuesday and I could fly back to Chicago instead of Nashville. She asked if I knew of anyone who could be my girlfriend and since I know a few actresses I said sure, and I would contact them back with the details.

I called a really good friend that I used to manage in LA and asked her but she immediately said she didn't think it would be good for her career so I called another girl in Nashville that I was also managing and she was an enthusiastic "JERR SPRINGER, HELL YA."

So Steph flew up on Tuesday from Nashville I flew in from LA and we both had drivers pick us up in a limo and take us to the Downtown Something-or-Other. We were on like the 34 floor overlooking Battery Park and the River. It was kind of awesome. It snowed that night so the next morning the views were pretty magical. 

I have to tell you, again, I don't see the resemblance between us but what really made me a believer is walking around in his offices. When I came around the corner people would stop talking and hanging round and get to work. His staff thought I was him and they see him everyday. 

His producer met me, laughed, and said this is going to be a good show.

They introduced us and we went into a improve routine we had worked on the night before.

Going out the crowd went nuts. Three times they were on their feet shouting Jerry, Jerry, Jerry, each time for over 40 minutes. Twice the security guys tried to stop them but they had no effect. It was truly insane. 

Now I had it on youtube for a while, but the production company was sold to a German Production Company and they filed an infringement claim. I should mention I had over 15 Million views but did not try to monetize it. The producers gave me a letter that I sent to Youtube the first time they took it down giving me rights to show it in lou of any stipend. Like I said I didn't ever monetize it and they probably made a few dozen thousand on it. After the third time of them filing the bogus claim I took it down and put it on my IMDB channel. 

I believe it will stay there or at least on my site forever.

 Now back to the reason for the story.

Every year for the past 15 years I have had a Halloween coustume.

Last year at Halloween I was a strike captain on the Sony lot in LA. So for Halloween, on came the suit and glasses. Jerry had passed earlier that year and the looks I was getting walking to the lot were pretty funny. As a walked up to the tent the SAG personal were kind of freaked out. They they recognized me "Art OH MY GOD! We saw you walking up and thought is that Jerry Springer?" "Isn't he dead?"

About that time a car with two twenty something black women screeched to a stop on the road beside us. Then smack, bang crunch, as a LA Patrol car slammed into their back end. Then another patrol car hit the first car. The girls got out yelling can we get our pictures with you Mr. Springer. 

I said sure I'll take a picture with LA newest Milloniares. They looked each other and said we ain't rich.

I said you just got rearended my two LA police cars. 

They looked at each other and said "Oh yeah."

So that was the last year for Jerry. I can't think of a better way to end the story.  

RIP to both Jerry's

I Just Read This and I Love It.

 For me, faith will always be a sounder guide than reason because reason can only go so far - faith has no limits. I will expect miracles in my life because faith produces them every day. I will believe in the future that I do not see. That is faith. And the reward of this faith is to see the future that I believed.

Wait for it.

 I thought I would tell a couple stories of about when I worked with Charlie Daniels.

I was booked by a large men's group in Franklin TN to do audio for Charlie. He showed up for a sound check and his manager had not brought his fiddle. H explained that since he was only going to do a couple of songs the manager didn't think he was going to need it.

"I'm Charlie Danials. I will always do a fiddle song."

The manager took off to retrieve the fiddle and I proceeded to do a sound check.

Afterward, Charlie came up concerned and asked how I was going to mix the fiddle?

I explained, "If you give me three notes I'll have it perfect."

An hour later the manager showed up with the fiddle and I told him the same thing.

The event started and soon Charlie was up on stage playing away. Picking up his fiddle, Pluck (1), pluck (2). Leaning into the mic he said, "Can I have a little more in the monitor?" 

Remember I had told him 3 and was busy setting it up.

His manager leaned over the desk and told me he needed more in the monitor. I just looked up at him.

Pluck (3).

Charlie looked at the Front of House and said, "That's perfect!"

I looked at the manager who had been watching me since I had taken my hands off the console and reminded him, "I did say 3!"

The show went fine. 

About 10 years later I was doing a show for a company called PSAV at Opry Land Hotel. It was to be my last show for PSAV. Once again starting Charlie Daniels.

They had advanced a couple digital audio consoles for the show and didn't have anyone who was familiar with them. They wanted me to set up the FoH for the band's traveling engineer.  

It was an easy setup. They booked me for 4 hours and I had it done in 30 minutes.

I went over it with their lead engineer and the technical director to make sure they understood. After the meeting, the TD said he wanted me to also set up the stage and wondered if I wanted to run monitors for the show.

Okay, force me to take a paycheck and they had me for 4 hours anyway!

I set the stage and the monitors sussed everything out and was getting ready to leave. The TD came up and said I couldn't go yet. The show was on a Tuesday and they had a convention on Monday and the day of. So, I needed to strike the stage.

So I marked everything. Pulled everything off to the side, labeled it all, and tidied everything up. Calling the TD over to check it. He said it was fine and that I should be back Tuesday at 1:00. I told him I knew bands local to Nashville sometimes came early to shop, eat, and hang out so I would be there at 11:00. He said they were not scheduled till 3:00 but I could do what I wanted.

We agreed and I bounced.

When I arrived on Tuesday I walked up the hill to see a tour bus and trailer with the band dumping gear.

I knew they would be early, what I didn't know was the storm I was walking into.

The band's Tour Manager met me at the backdoor and chewed me out. He was screaming because he didn't have the stage set. Not a problem I had 2 hours and everything was staged.

He replied "Really?"

I walked onto the stage and it was empty. No gear anywhere.

The TD ran up to me freaking out.

I asked him where the gear was?

I told him I had striked it off to the side on Sunday. Where is it?

He explained that he had called the local crew to put it back in the cases and it was behind the back curtain. So I had to start from scratch with the Tour Manager screaming at me.

The TD then did an ALL-CALL. This meant that I had 45 people that have never toured and specialized in the color red dry-erase marker asking me what I needed. 

I asked who here has ever been on a tour. There were 2 people, My friend Ed who toured with Diana Krull and John Prine, and the lighting guy Jason who at least knew the right way to run an XLR cable.

There was a moment when the TM was screaming something about 40 people standing around not doing anything and I got in his face. "LOOK you are not helping, your time in was 3:00 be back at 3:00, and then go off.

He left with his band to the green room.

The three of us set the stage and had a wonderful sound check and show. Afterwards the manager, yes from the men's fellowship, came up and said that Charlie had really enjoyed the night.  No need to tell him about his Tour manager. I am sure he knew.

That was the last time I worked with or saw Charlie Daniels, 

and BTW, 

PSAV.

How something horrible will have a benefit later in your life, or just a little prick.

When I was 23 the greatest thing happened to me. I became a father. I don't think I was a very good one because 30 odd years later neither of my kids contact me and my Grandson told me earlier this year the since his father blames me for all his problems he doesn't want a relationship with me.

Que Sera, Sera.

When my oldest was 18 months I was in a recording studio in Orange County at 2:00 AM. He was bringing me a bong and a beer.

I looked into a mirror at my 4 color long hair, my leather and leapard and I decided that I was not the father he was going to know.

I quit music.

That next year I think I had 14 jobs in 10 different fields.

The next year was just as bad. 

I did get a job as a electrician. I do understands signal flow.

One day we went to MaDonalds for lunch and afterwards went bask to hanging these large ass flourescent lighting fixtures in a industrial building. One started slipping off the ladder and when I grabbed it, the metal edge cut right through my leather gloves and took the index finger of my right hand with it.

Boy Scout first aid kicked in. I came off the ladder and called to my partner. I tied a tourniquet around my wrist. Poured the soda out of my cup and threw my finger into the ice left in the cup. 

He drove me to the Hospital and I watch a guy do some mirco-surgery and re-attach my finger.

I asked him if I would still be able to play piano?

He laughed and ask if I could guess how many times he had heard that?

I said "By a piano player that just cut his own finger off? One!"

He said that where I cut it there were a lot of nerves but he was trying to get about half of them. The finger would be fine but I may lose most of the feeling in it.

Now here I am 30 some years later and guess what? I am pre-diabetic. When ever I go for a check up that have to prick my finger. I smile everytime they are you are going to feel a little prick.

No I won't. And I don't.

You never know how something horrible will have a benefit later in your life.

Here is my latest life treatment.

A few years ago I met my girlfriend on the ABC TV show Nashville. I had known her from working with her daughter before that.

For over 20 years, I have been a songwriter, musician, production manager, dancer, animator, and engineer.

One day I was going to the PO Box to pick up royalty checks and she asked what they were for?

When I told her she uttered the famous line "Why don't you, instead of writing 3-minute stories that rhyme, write some longer stories and cast me in them?"

I thought, 'That's easier than getting an agent, just date a writer.'

So I started to write screenplays.

Pre Covid we had two features in acquisition and two in production. Then March 2020 happened and shut my worlds down.

Both music and writing. 

I felt like Mr. Spock when Vulcan blew up.

So I went to work for Dr Evil, at the time the richest man in the world, and would on rare days off, Produce my YouTube show and write.

Write I did. About a show a month. Dozens and dozens.

When I left, I rented a writer's room in Murfreesboro TN, and polished, registered the good ones, and wrote some more. I even converted a screenplay into a manuscript and have had it published on Amazon. (FYI might be the hardest thing I have ever attempted.)

In September of 2022, I came back to Los Angeles to re-establish connections. Go to Holiday Parties, meet-ups, and FYC's.

In March I drove back to Tennessee and we shot a pilot for an unscripted Game Show. The Cash Evator.

https://youtu.be/B6CBBOP1-Hg?si=OJAR78IP5rCqLcka

Arriving back in Los Angeles I started pitching again and had 2 live, in-the-room pitches in April when the WGA went on strike.

Having exhausted most of my savings and maxing out all my credit cards, I had no choice but to join the WGA in solidarity. I used to joke that I walked from 9:00 till they fed me. I opposite of a cat. Feed me and I leave. 

(BTW if I go too long in a pitch meeting that may work.)

Then SAG went on strike. Since I am a member of SAG as an actor and dancer, I switched my local from Nashville to Los Angeles and became a strike captain.

I started at Disney for the first five weeks, The lot captain announced that they really needed help on the West side. Since by then I was living in my van I moved.

I spent the next three weeks at Amazon,. I find it very doubtful I will ever work for Dr. Evil again. After a couple confusing incidents with the strike organizers, I moved to Sony.

 I spent the last five weeks of the strike at Sony and had a blast.

A few weeks before the WGA reached an agreement with the AMPTP my friend and fellow actor Audrey Moore helped to organize a farmers market for the IATSE, WGA, SAG-AFTRA, and anyone else in the entertainment industry that was having food insecurities. I was very blessed that she allowed me to help with that. A few weeks before it ended I was told they had enough volunteers so I moved on.

While I was in Nashville I was able to help with a group called Musicaly-Fed. They take catering from the major shows and donate it to local shelters. I have been able to take food from Metallica, The Luminars, Eric Clapton Crossroads, and many other shows at the Hollywood Bowl, Sofi Stadium, and Cypto Arena. I still continue to help them. (It's free shows, can you blame me?)

The day the WGA  ended their strike I started pitching again. This is where I am now. Pitching as often as I can. I am still writing 6-10 pages most days or about a script a month. Starting the first of next year. I will be looking for a production house where I can help develop scripts according to whom they have output deals with.

If you hear of anyone looking for a writer let me know. I am famous for my generosity. 

My Idea of Thanksgiving.

 I have mentioned before that I am a vegetarian. 

I have also let it slip that my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. It has also been the hardest because it is a time to celebrate with your family. 

My family kicked me out a couple of decades ago and I have celebrated many a "Orphan" Thanksgiving.

My first one was way before I created a family. My Father had just died. My First wife had left me. She took the dog. I never blamed her. I was on the road a lot.

I was at a Arby's and was going to have a Turkey sandwich and potato cake. As I sat there I saw that there was a man and his daughter across the room eating Turkey sandwiches. There was a mother and her son. There were two older people eating alone. I believe there may have been a few more people all eating alone. 

They were all eating Turkey sandwiches. 

I went to the Manager and told him I wanted to order 20 more sandwiches probably 20 potato cakes and a bunch of sodas and apple pies. Told him that he and his staff should join us Then I made the announcement.

We are by ourselves, for whatever reason but we are not alone. All this food is for you. Happy Thanksgiving.

It turned out to be one of the most memorable Thanksgiving of my life.

Now also 60 years later. I am still by myself for Thanksgiving But I am not alone.  

About 20 years ago I was taught how to be a Vegetarian. I eat pretty much only sides. 

I think of it like the Garden of Eden.

I can eat everything I want except for the one thing in the center.

Since I know how that story turned out. The turkey is always safe.