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Holler! It was awesome.

Saturday, May 22nd, 2010

Last night was the last HOLLER! show we will have before Adam leaves to become a Marine. The audience gave us the best fucking HOLLER! back we could have ever asked for. I’ve got chills just thinking about it. We’ve been preforming together for years. Though this September will mark our three years together as HOLLER! Over the course of this time we have had our ups and downs. At one point or another I’ve wanted to strangle everyone on the team, and I am sure they can say the same of me. They’ve become the best friends I could ever have and I will always remember the time we’ve spent together. Over the past few years I’ve learned so much from these guys. I could not be the person I am today without them.

Now I know that this is not the end for HOLLER! and that we will have another show with Adam in it when he gets back from boot (if he’s down) but it’s the end of the late night rehearsals, bonding over dinner at wing stop, nights spent hanging out driving around and calling it rehearsal and most importantly the times we all lost it over something insanely funny that could only happen when it was just the four of us. If life were a tv show this is the part where someone plays some stupid song as I flash back through six years of memories of hanging out with these guys to come back to me closing my laptop as if this were the end. Fuck that. It’s a transition.

I’m happy that Adam has found something he can be so passionate about, and am beyond proud of my friend, the amount of work and effort he has put into this journey is massive. The man deserves respect and credit. I could say the same for every member of HOLLER! Brandon is almost done with his four year degree that he earned while working a full time job, being in HOLLER! and dropping a serious amount of weight (lots of time at the gym) and tolerating living with my crazy ass. Aaron has continued on his path as an artist and I have more respect for him for that than I could write about. I know what it is like to work towards doing what you love (I’m trying to do the same) and Aaron has done just that, it’s not easy and I’ve never seen someone take on the work Aaron does with such intensity. Ask him about it sometime, there is a massive fire there.

Individually we are all greatly talented people, I am proud of each of the guys and the work they are doing in their lives. I feel confident that HOLLER! will continue to do well, and that good things are coming for us all. I will cherish the memories I have and am looking forward to doing one of the best damn improv shows this world has ever seen when Adam gets back from boot camp. We may have an extra person or two on our team by then, but the four of us are the heart and soul of HOLLER! And I’m proud of our work together. I love these guys.

HOLLER! PIF Submission Video from HOLLER! on Vimeo.

Tags: Friends, HOLLER!, Improv
Posted in Friends, Funny | View Comments

The Santa Clarita Valley Drug Problem

Friday, May 14th, 2010

I’ve lived in Santa Clarita for almost seven years now. For the last year I’ve worked on the board of a non profit organization focused on Santa Clarita drug addiction and support formerly known as A Safe Harbor. In my work there I have sat in on many of the Thursday night family meetings to hear the struggle that these families are going through. The following video has sparked a lot of controversy in our community. The debate on if drugs are really a problem in Santa Clarita in my opinion is laughable. Yes. It’s a problem.

View more news videos at: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/video.

What is sad to see how blind some people are to the issue. Following the comment thread here I’m extremely frustrated.

Stop any kid at any of the high schools in this valley and ask them “How readily available are drugs in Santa Clarita” and I’m willing to bet that they’d be able to point you to someone who knows either a dealer or someone who uses who would know a dealer.

Santa Clarita, you have a drug problem. You’re not alone, there are plenty of similar cities facing the same fight against drugs as we are here. The difference in winning and losing that fight is accepting that it is here and at our doorstep. You can either choose to acknowledge it and deal with it or try to keep hiding it under a carpet. But sooner or later you’ll find it’s not as easy to brush away the dead kids you’ll find piled up.

Posted in Karma | View Comments

Adopt A Soldier through APO Malls

Sunday, May 9th, 2010

Seeing as my best friend is going to be a Marine in about five months, I’ve spent a lot of time working with the site APO Malls and their Thank / Adopt a Soldier program in an effort to help soldiers in need.

Any deployed soldier can register and select from about seven special care packages that they would like to receive. The soldier can submit a picture and a note to any potential adopter and will then be listed on the site under the Adopt A Soldier page.

Currently the program has over 200 service men and women waiting for adoption. Please head on over to APO Malls and do your part to Thank A Soldier for the sacrifices they’ve made.

Adopt A Soldier – Karena


Name	Karena W
Rank	E-5
Branch of Service:	Navy
Hometown	Greenville, SC
Where are you stationed?	Iraq
Pre-Made Care Package:	The “Ultimate R&R” Care Package©
a personal note	Thank you so much for the support you show us out here. I am on a camp in Iraq that is about the size of half a football field. We have coalition forces (US Navy, Army, Coast Guard, & Marines, also British Royal Navy & Marines). The only entertainment we have here is very slow internet and an outside gym that everyone calls the “prison gym”. We really appreciate any and everything you are willing to send us it will be a HUGE morale booster. A sincere thanks to all of you!