I just came across this old article about our 2005 film, "Code 33". This piece focuses on how the film isn't "about" media but has a strong subtext that deals with it. Our goal is often to follow a story that plays out in the media, from behind the scenes. Through this process one is able to discern on some...
I think a lot about point of view, and about how deeply our point of view affects us. For the most part our present thoughts sit upon a network of assumed truths, and those pre-conscious ideas serve as the foundation for all that we are consciously aware of. We thrive on stability and certainty and therefore often quickly (an unconsciously)...
There are really two ways to tell issue based stories, the general and the personal/specific, and often these two forms are combined. The general, broad overview, deals with larger numbers, which means that the statistics about these situations hold profound realities. The personal example though give us a way to connect on an emotional level with people affected by the...
Howard's Appearance On Larry King Live. 8/13/99. Howard was a guest on CNN's Larry King Live TV show last night at 9pm. He was doing a favor for his favorite doctor, Dr. John Sarno. Howard has praised Sarno in the past for helping cure his chronic back pain. Sarno was the main guest on Larry King Live along with Howard, Defense...
At Storyofpain.com we are going to start posting a lot of stories and information about pain in relation to our work in progress documentary about chronic pain and the work of Dr. John E. Sarno. To kick off the site I'd like to start with a short meditation on the idea of giving thanks. As the Christmas season swings into high...
This morning I woke to a voice message from a friend in Prague. He was terrified that something terrible had happened at Occupy Wall Street because all of the live streams he had followed the day before, during the massive protests, were shut down. He thought that either everyone had been arrested, or that all of the cell service had...
Last week on buzzflash I wrote about the connection between our film "Battle for Brooklyn" and OWS. Last year, as we completed Battle, we started to make a film about education in NY. We saw intense similarities between the way in which parents were shut out of the education process and the way in which communities were shut out of...
If one were to judge the Occupy Wall Street movement based on my friends' facebook feeds, it would be clear that the revolution was over and that we had won. Creative people would forever be free to be creative and the tyranny and corruption of "efficency" would be banished from the land. As such I might have an irrationally exuberant...
I stayed up late last night looking at footage from the occupy wall street protest. For the most part it’s pretty mild stuff. There are very few truncheons swinging. Yet the tone of dismissal and power is overwhelming. There’s a palpable anger among the officers even as the protesters remain non-violent. What’s even more disturbing is that the white shirts...
I haven’t been down to Wall Street yet. I almost went today with my 5 year old after we biked to Chinatown, but it felt wrong. I am in full support of raising questions and I am appalled by both the press and the police brutality. Part of the reason I haven’t gone is that I have a very hard time...
Pain. We all have our relationships with, and definitions of, pain. There are certain kinds of pain that I don't mind, that I even like a little. The soreness in my muscles from a long run the day before is a reminder of something accomplished. A little bit of emotional pain can lead to cathartic art. However, right now I'm dealing...
In the age of the internet, to a disturbing degree, snark is much more important than fact. “Reputable” news gathering organizations seem to be devoid of fact checkers and editors are loathe to issue corrections even when the stated facts are clearly wrong. Snark is employed to tell the story the “reporter” sets out to tell, rather than having to...