Day 218: The Quote Board

In the "Green Room" where I work, there is a quote board on the eastern wall. Over time, my boss and other co-workers have written down random clever and/or memorable sayings that have been uttered at various places and times.

The other day, I finally made the quote board when my boss stopped by to talk to me about a project that I'm currently working on, and, quoting the Journey song - as well as a current TV commercial - I replied, "Any way you want it - that's the way you need it."

Tyson then immediately went over to the quote board and added it:

Not to toot my own horn or anything, but honk! honk!

"New Spice: Study like a Scholar"

This TV commercial parody - set at the Harold B. Lee Library on the BYU campus - gave me a good chuckle, and I now share it here:

"Dew You?"

A handful of my ComedySportz colleagues produced and acted in this very funny TV spot for Mountain Dew, made for a Utah Valley University filmmaking contest. I just thought that I would share the link here with y'all:

Flaking Out

Earlier today, I auditioned to be in a new TV commercial. I have been in TV commercials before as an extra (the links to some of which I have posted here on the Epistle in the past) but never as a featured actor, and I have never had to audition for a part until now. This was an all-new experience for me.

Incidentally, from what I could gather, the role up for grabs was a spot as a snowflake in an all-new TV commercial made by the same people who produced this 2008 ad for Utah tourism:



For the audition, I had to go into a room full of directors, producers, and other filmmakers and read a few lines from a script. They had us read the lines in a few different ways to see our range as both Improvisers and actors, after which they would frown and write things down on their clipboards.

No, really, they actually laughed quite a bit and were enjoyable people to work with. Those of us who showed up had to read our lines in partnerships of two, and I was fortunate enough to be placed into a duo with my talented and funny ComedySportz colleague and friend Mark Holt.

Not long after trying out, I was reminded of the old adage that those who do not try will fail 100 percent of the time. Well, whatever comes of this experience, I had fun trying out, and I hope to have the opportunity to do so again in the future.

Somebody's Watching Me

I don't know if I've been imagining things, or what.

Over the course of the past week, on multiple occasions, I have glanced at my car's rear-view mirror, while stopped at traffic lights, to see multiple people pulling out their camera phones or digital cameras and taking pictures of my car. Really.

A paranoid person might think he were being followed by the CIA, the FBI, or maybe even the Bookmobile's late fees collection department. (True story: My family checked out The Monster at the End of This Book from the Bookmobile nearly 30 years ago, and we never returned it.)

The whole situation reminds me of what used to be a well-loved '80s tune, "Somebody's Watching Me" by Rockwell, which I often rollerskated to at Classic Skating as I grew up. That song has now, of course, been ruined forever by its recent use in multiple GEICO TV commercials featuring a a stack of money with a pair of creepy-looking eyes attached to it.

Of course, there is a possible rational explanation for all of the people who have been taking pictures of my car: my LDSJEDI license plate.

To make a long story short: A few years back, a female friend told me about having seen a car parked at the Oakland, California, temple, and it had LDSJEDI personalized plates on it - through the state of California. We then got to talking and wondering whether anyone in Utah had taken out a similar license plate. Partly to try to impress her, and also because it seemed like a good idea at the time, I applied for and was approved for an LDSJEDI license plate issued by the state of Utah. (My second choice, by the way, was ECTO-1, the personalized plates on the Ghostbusters' vehicle.)


My lady friend was, in the end, not impressed with the initiative on my part. But, as it turns out, a handful of other motorists driving on Utah's roads might be. (True story: I once ended up driving on I-15 behind a guy with SKYWLKR personalized plates. It was one of those rare moments when the cosmos aligned just so.)

Mattress Wars

My 16-year-old cousin Eden, who has already won both national and Utah filmmaking contests for high school students, is entering the following commercial in a local competition hosted by Intelli-Gel. If he wins, the commercial will air on Utah TV. Please take a look at it and vote for him, if you are so inclined:



On his YouTube profile, you can find links to Eden's other amazing animated Lego films.

Backwards Diabetes Commercial

This is another local TV spot in which I appeared. (I was in two other commercials but don't know where they are online.) My ComedySportz colleagues Sina Amedson (who was also in the ARS commercial) and Jeff Blake appear, as well. We filmed it in August 2006 at Lakeview Hospital in Bountiful.

Advanced Restoration Systems TV Commercial

This is a local TV commercial for Advanced Restoration Systems, a disaster-cleanup service based in Cache County, Utah, in which I appeared. It was filmed in May 2006. I am the guy wearing the white coat on the right; my ComedySportz colleagues Sina Amedson (of Church Ball fame) and Trent Krummenacher (aka "Bob, the Drowsy Driver") also appear in it.