YES, you heard right. Now that the SAG/AFTRA strike is, well, almost officially over, meaning that I’m still awaiting the results of the ratification vote by my fellow actors and actresses, JET Progress has contracted with SAG to produce OTOSOTU (“Oh-Toe-So-Two” – ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE UNIVERSE), with filming scheduled to begin on 1 January 2024. In the meantime, preparations have already begun with the focus on addressing several technical issues associated with an “in space” ...

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IT’S my pleasure as director of the JET Production of WINNOWING -- https://winnowing.yolasite.com -- to announce the creation of a director’s cut. This novel “soft” neo-noir film features Setsuko Tsuchiya in her debut lead actress role with actor-companion Daniel S. Janik, together playing eight roles each from a screenplay by the incomparable author/screenwriter William Maltese. Incorporating storylines from six Maltese books, WINNOWING brings diversity to a new level and, I believe,...

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AUTHORS write for a specific readership, be it that of the publisher, or intent. It’s what makes the big difference between authors and writers, who record and write for themselves (and possibly generic posterity). One of my personal favorite genre’s is children’s books, within which I’ve had the distinct pleasure of pioneering Savant Books and Publications’ “COLOR ME PLEASE” series.

Children’s books seem to many the easiest to write. Ah, yes, write. But authoring children’...

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LET’S face it: The split in politics that strongly divides us is being reflected in government, foreign affairs, legislation, health care, transportation and, yes, education. But what’s with the extreme splitting at the expense of the quality of our lives? I’m going to take a big leap and say it’s not really politics (the “pop” explanation) or COVID (the shot across the bow) as so many claim, but simply lack of an effective future infrastructure from which to develop. This is, in ...

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IF there’s one thing that’s totally unscientific, it’s human behavior. Especially “leadership” behavior. I’ve seen and experienced it first hand “on the set” (see https://www.netflix.com/title/80990849 and you’ll wonder how ANY movie of value could have been made) and watched in awe and horror during the thirteen days of the Cuban Missile Crisis (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yfIoHXOO9E). So, what’s new with President Putin and the manufactured Ukraine Crises. Nothing. ...

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I have been an avid dancesport enthusiast since as far back as I can remember (though it wasn't called Dancesport back then). My formal dance training began when I first met my life (and social/performance/competition dance) partner, Setsuko Tsuchiya, in the 1990's at a YMCA dance in Berkeley, California. We began studying American Smooth and Rhythm dance, later switching to  International Ballroom and Latin/American style dance, understudying professional champion and coach, Mr. Albert Franz...
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Okay, so it's Labor Day, and I thought maybe a labor of love would be appropriate, this time emphasizing my theory and method of learning, Transformative Learning, of which I write in UNLOCK THE GENIUS WITHIN (Rowman and Littlefield Education, 2015) - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BY13D2Q. The key to my approach to transformative learning is empowering the learner through curiosity and discovery, so I was particularly pleased to read "To Raise Confident, Independent Kids, Some Parents Are Tryi...
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Last week I was talking with readers to see what they read for Halloween. I got good feedback from:

1. A lawyer and his daughter who both liked William Maltese's WILLIAM MALTESE'S FLICKER (Savant 2010);
2. A retiree who passed out Halloween treats inbetween chapter of Richardo Felix Rodriques' THE SURREAL ADVENTURES OF DR. MINGUS (Aignos 2014);
3. A teen who had everything good to say about A. G. Haye's CHANG THE MAGIC CAT (Aignos 2017);
4. A witch, who, was, well, witchy about everything, includ...
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