Life of an Expat on the Beach When I first visited the lovely and ever exotic Philippines in June of 2005, I was met with immediate culture shock. My tears welled up in my eyes when I observed the abject poverty of many people, and because they smiled through their struggles, something few cultures are able to do or even comprehend. I fell in love with the people and the country. I've never looked back. I returned to the Philippines in 2009 with the consideration of staying…
Funny, Hollyweird is Remaking "The Wizard of Oz" Seriously, folks. The 1939 flick won an Academy Award for Judy Garland's Best Original Song (Over the Rainbow), but lost out to "Gone With the Wind" for Best Picture. New Line Cinema, owned by Warner Bros and AT&T, with a 51% ownership by **Chinese investors** CMC, are fronting the yuan for the new film, but have released few details, so I thought I’d take a humorous crack at the revamped characters. The tornado that sweeps…
A Review of Ben Shapiro's Film: "Run, Hide, Fight." As a screenwriter, actor, and film producer, I have had the privilege and occasion to work on many films, write and produce my own, and work on several movie and TV sets in various capacities. Here's me as an outlaw on a western movie set. And yes, the side iron is real. Geez, I always play the bad guy. At any rate, I firmly believe my 15 years of experience entitles me to be a critic of all things film, and I don't prefer…
Goodbye my Sweet Cat In 2005 while living in Texas, I saw a post on Craigslist where a person was giving away some 8-week old kittens. I had just bought a new condominium at the time and thought it would be nice to have a cat in the house. I've always loved animals because they are so innocent and keep no record of wrongs. They are very forgiving, loving and fun. At any rate, I went to a house a few miles away and a woman had five kittens to choose from. I opted for a gray…
Will You Be My Valentine? Maybe. Maybe not. Unlikely, I'm taken. But Happy V-Day to you wherever you are. Seriously. You don't have to look very far on your timeline on Facebook or other social media platforms to observe many lonely hearts out there around the world, hoping for Cupid to pull back his bow and let loose his arrow of romantic love. But love isn't in the air for everybody. Some will be spending time at home alone and watching Rom Com's on Netflix, dreaming for a…
Oh, That Drunken Blackout! Erik stuck his thumb out to hop a ride in moderate, 45 m.p.h. traffic. Destination? Florida. Ohio had dealt him a nasty heart blow when he was laid off from his union job and his wife divorced him. Alcohol only killed the pain temporarily. A new Honda Prelude pulled over, a Spanish man with slicked back, black hair at the wheel. "Where you headed, homes?" he questioned. His eyes were bloodshot. "Anywhere in Florida, bro," he replied, hopping in.…
Tripped on a Stone I'm not so much an anti-love man, as I am able to recognize life for what it is. Veni, vidi, vici. To heck with holidays! Caveat emptor. Did you? Honestly? Did you buy? Excellent marketing. Really, it's Marketing 101. New York City, baby! Scamdemic. Gates. Buy, you fools! Research, not TikTok. Mask up, you sheeples! You've no clue. 99.7%. The Great Reset. Agenda 21. Fall in line. Nyet! You didn't know. Why? TikTok and games. I cry for you. Ignorance is not…
Living on the Beach for $220 a Month I moved. But not totally yet. Moving is stressful but a heck of a lot easier and fun when one is motivated to live closer to the beach. I'm now 75 meters from bliss. Growing up on the beach in Agana, Guam (Dad was a US Navy officer) and Imperial Beach, California, was the likely impetus for my affinity for the beach life. Surfing, swimming, fishing, exploring caves, and bikinis fed my heart. White sand between my toes was a bonus. The…
The Amateur Sleuth Christian was on foot. He had lost all he owned in a bitter divorce to a perennial cheater of woman. Men were always being pointed out as the most prolific cheaters, and that was true, but women cheated on their spouses, too, it just never got a lot of traction in the divorce court wars. Having saved up $525, he walked to a car lot he'd spotted while riding the Metro bus a week earlier. He had eyeballed a 1973 Pontiac Lemans in passing and headed back to…
Corregidor Island - A Cool Vacation into a WWII Past Before the pandemic hit, the little lady and I had the pleasure of spending a few days on Corregidor Island at the entrance of Manila Bay in the Philippines. It is situated about 40 nautical miles from Manila. We loved it and I want to make my next film there, starring Meryll Soriano, that is, whenever and if ever the lockdowns end. The island is famous for the still standing WW II artillery embattlements, barracks and…
She cheated, he went to Jail Life is certainly unfair as we all know. When it comes to love and war, this is especially true. Curtis Collins stood on his front porch in Ohio on a frigid, -1 Celsius afternoon, wearing only a short-sleeved shirt. As a day laborer in a union factory in the northeast, he had acclimated to the fierce Ohio winters. He sparked a Marlboro red and blew blue smoke towards an approaching Dodge Dart. The sedan screeched to a halt. A particularly…
Black Canyon Death Dive High school senior Robbie Blake hadn't missed a day of school since the 2nd grade. His grades were a solid A. As a sturdy, good looking, athletic type, he defied the typical jock image. "Mom, can I split from school today? It's the end of the school year, anyway, and it's senior class ditch day." "Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt. What's your plan for the day?" "Well, it's a weekend thing, Mom," he began. "Bob Lasher and I are going to drive out to…
Flaming Arrow Patrol goes AWOL, gets busted Cecil was slow, mentally speaking, but the guys always looked after him, unlike the bullies who always taunted him for their perverse pleasure. When caught, one of the good teens would provide some immediate street justice with a swift kick to the offender's buttocks and an admonishment to leave the 13-year-old alone. They were the Flaming Arrow Patrol. Proud. They didn't always live up to their vow of honor, however. But that was…
How to Break into the Film and TV Industry I began my acting career in junior high school in Southern California (SoCal). My uncle (my mother’s brother) was a Hollywood producer with a large house and he didn’t like kids. He was successful. When we visited him, we kids remained outside or simply didn’t go over. This forged a modicum of distrust in all things entertainment throughout my life. It is certainly true that the entertainment business is sneaky deceptive, and yet…
Mud Buggy Fun! I like to go fast, whether in a car, bicycle, race car, ATV, go-kart, snowmobile, jet ski or whatever. And yes, I have broken a few bones and suffered a couple of concussions along the way, but that's part of the thrill of it all. We booked a hotel in advance at the luxurious Marco Vincent Hotel in Puerto Galera, Mindoro, a 3-minute walk to White Beach in the Philippines. The cost was 5,300 pesos for two for the night. Spic and span clean with a great pool and…
The Future of Digital and Fiat Currencies I missed buying Bitcoin when it was $300 a coin, and instead bought a luxury item. Bad decision. When I was thinking about it today, I wondered about the future of digital and fiat currencies and this is what I believe will occur in the next 5-10 years, tops. Several central banks are already in the process of studying the issue of issuing a digital currency. These include the United States, China, Sweden, India and the United…
He Painted the Walls with His Blood Kevin sent me a text that read: "Wanna make $1,500 over two days painting Foster's three-story house?" I placed my coffee cup on the kitchen table and tapped out a reply: "I know you, man; make it $2,000 and I'm in. When?" "Pick u up in 20 minutes." When 9 a.m. rolled around, Kev picked me up in his rusty truck. When I opened the passenger side door, three empty, pint-sized vodka bottles fell out and clanked to the pavement. Kev was…
Will the Comet Apophis Strike Earth? You Decide I like studying astronomy and watching the heavens at night sometimes. Also, I have been studying the Comet Apophis for over a month now and it is moving towards Earth and could strike us as early as 2029. I'm not convinced of that yet, but I did find some interesting coincidences (or are they?) during my own research. First of all, I follow a few websites that track Near Earth Objects (NEOs). Apophis is one of them, probably…
How to Make GIFs for your Posts From time to time you may want to make a GIF to include in your posts. It's a simple way to liven up your articles or comments and you can still post images as well. Sometimes I choose between all gifs, all images or just post a single image that belongs to me. Be careful not to use anybody's private images because you could violate copyright laws. Keep in mind that there is a law called **Fair Use**. This allows you to use parts of videos…
The Next Big Thing in Surveillance is Happening Now If you drive around or walk around in any half way decent city or town and take the time to look, you’re going to spot a plethora of cameras watching your every move. Big Brother has been watching us but he has greatly intensified his efforts to gather information on you and I that is illegal, according to various Western constitutions. Intensified surveillance began shortly after the tragic events of September 11, when…
Glen Wishes to Remain Anonymously Rich: Here's Why “You only want $25 per double-spaced page to write a graduate thesis?” the client asked via e-mail. She was surprised that anyone would offer to write her thesis at such a low rate and hence requested some sample papers. Opening up his hard drive where Glen stored several thousand essays, he collected a trio of papers in three formats (APA, MLA and Chicago) and forwarded them to her, then waited for her feedback. As it…
What are the Idols in Your Life? When God spoke His words to Moses from Mt Sinai there were to come to be known as the Ten Commandments. These were not suggestions, but rather note they are commands. Let’s have a look at the first two of the 10. “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3, NIV). “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship…
Grammar Problems Solved for Free I recently saw an article where a person was thinking about leaving read.cash because someone criticized his grammar. That struck me as odd, especially since there is an easy fix. Additionally, the rules here state that good grammar is rewarded, and yet **you still get paid** if your grammar is sub-par. Can't beat that! First of all, good, well-written articles (grammatically correct) are the essence of effective communication. Your message…
Three Types of Death We All Face We’re all going to die, that’s a given. I don’t want to sound gloomy here, but it is important that we come to an understanding of what death is, for without it, without knowledge, you could very well die three times. What does that even mean? Let’s have a look! Let’s take a look at all three, shall we? Physical Death Unless Jesus comes again the second time while we are still alive, a physical death is inevitable for all of us. Physical…
Why Bitcoin Cash will Overtake Bitcoin Based on the value and growing popularity of Bitcoin Cash, I will adamantly state that BCH will indeed be on par with Bitcoin in 5 years or less. **Likely much less**. The reasons are quite simple. People who missed the Bitcoin bandwagon are looking for ways to invest in a stable coin with exceptional growth. That is Bitcoin Cash, my friends and colleagues. I am one of those who missed the Bitcoin phenomenon, but I did not miss out on…
Is Baptism Necessary for Christian Believers? The short answer is no and yes. Confused? Many people are. Let's clear this up. Let's look to the **Bible, the ultimate authority**, as opposed to what pastors, priests and others speak. We must be like the Bereans (Acts 17:11) and check to see if what our church leader is preaching lines up with God's word, not any tradition. If you refrain from baptism, it **will not** result in you losing your eternal salvation. However, Jesus…
Public Relations Branding and Proper Engagement So you own a business or are considering opening one? Great! Obviously, during this ridiculously long pandemic, buying a lock and key (ready to open) business may we a wise move, but expensive. Maybe your business idea is geared toward blogging. Whatever your business venture is, you will need to know how to develop public relations to make your brand name known and ultimately successful. Branding Branding is essentially the…
Momentum, Energy and Financial Success during Times of Economic Difficulty If you're anything like me, you have found the last year of the pandemic to be particularly challenging. Travel, visiting family, eating - these are all difficulties, but earning a steady income has been the most daunting task for multitudes of people. Let's see how we can turn things around in our lives and make our writing, blogging and businesses reach their objectives instead of the virus beating…
An Excerpt of my Novel: "The Reluctant Thief" 1. *“Now is the winter of our discontent.”* *(Richard III Act 1, Scene 1)* Bounding over a chain-link fence meant to keep the honest on the proverbial up and up was a simple task for even a hungry man who hadn’t teased his craving taste buds, save for a cheeseburger gleaned from a dumpster behind a MacDonald’s, in nearly a fortnight. Sinewed forearms propelled Fritjov Nilsson up and over the fence and onto the lush grass of the…
Six Types of Love and their Meanings Love. It's a ubiquitous word tossed around by the vast majority of people without regard to what it means. This is because the English language is unsophisticated when it comes to the use of the word love. But the ancient Greeks had six words (some say 8) to describe various types of love. Let's have a look at each one. **Eros** Most of us think of romantic love or sexual passion when we use the word love. The Greeks used the word *eros*…
I'll take some time off to mourn the loss of my best fried, Muffy. She was a fantastic dog and always loving and gentle in nature. I bought her 5 years ago. Today when moving, a neighbor left the gate open and she got out and was hit by a speeding car on MacArthur highway. I cried and will drink myself to sleep. Have a fantastic day.
Smears, Fake News, Rumors and Cancel Culture Contemporary society has changed and not necessarily for the better. It's sad when we live in a world where our God-given and Constitutionally protected rights to free speech are being muffled by cancel culture. At the rate we are headed there is nothing to prevent civil wars and a new world war. History proves me right. Have you even been smeared for voicing the wrong opinion? How about suspended on Facebook for not following a…
When You don't feel like Writing, You Should Been there. Done that. Didn't buy the t-shirt. I've been writing since I was 8 years old, and I haven't stopped since, some 50 years later. As a writer, you're going to *always* see the days when you just don't want to write, but I advise that you do it anyway. ***Anything!*** I write here on read.cash and make what I would make on a mere paragraph on my writing business platform. I write anyways. Sure, you're not going to get…
Shootout at Borrego Springs There’s fun and there’s dangerous fun. Mick and his best buds typically played precariously and hence injuries were pretty much the norm. Clinic and hospital visits, too. When guns and alcohol were involved, death was ever imminent, but by sheer grace nobody had ever died. Mick hammered the accelerator on his 1965 Pontiac GTO. The lurching car caught Danny off guard and momentarily glued him to the black bucket seat. When Mick shifted into second…
Going Pro as a Treasure Hunter Ever since I found a coin as a kid I’ve been infected with the treasure hunting bug. And once it bites, it never relents. I bought my first metal detector when I was 22. Since then I have amassed a boatload of coins and jewelry, not to mention a mass of relics. You may never get rich as some individuals have, but you will make a lot of money finding coins, gold jewelry and ancient relics. Guaranteed. Ah, but there is a caveat! You really need…
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