Travis Smith: my resume, bio and photos back to the main blog page

I think I know why I got into journalism.

No, it’s not because you can drink on the job.

It’s because I get to go just about anywhere. I love that!  Exploring behind closed doors, attending events I wouldn’t be invited to just for being me, visiting places I haven’t been, meeting people I wouldn’t normally have met—and getting to ask them whatever fool question enters my head.

Tonight, for example, I went to the annual Wired Auction in Westwood, L.A.  Wired magazine does this event every year; this year the proceeds go to support the Starbright Foundation, which supports terminal children in various important and digital ways.

At the event, I encountered actor Hector Elizondo, recently of “Princess Diaries,” and “Runaway Bride,” and most memorably the hotel manager in “Pretty Woman.”  Also present was Mark Feuerstein, of “Good Morning, Miami,” and originally of “Caroline in the City.”  Both of them seemed in good spirits, but I didn’t expend the energy needed to press through the throng to reach them (though I did hear Mark comment on how he almost had bought a Sony Viao computer system like the one I was drooling on.  The main speech, preceding the live auction, was given by producer Walter Parkes, who wrote 1983’s War Games and produced Minority Report and The Ring recently, and did a bunch of good stuff in between.  He really has been a pioneer in exploring the use of technology, both in the stories he produces and in the ways he produces them.

But as I was saying, I’ve always been one for wanting to go places others aren’t allowed.  Like exploring the back lot at Universal Studios.  Or making it a personal goal to visit the roof of every single building at USC while I was there (I didn’t succeed, mostly because some of the roofs weren’t flat, and one was a science building where they did dastardly things to animals (and thus had very high security)).

As a journalist, I get into interesting conferences and meetings, I interview interesting people, and then, as an added bonus, I get to tell people about it.

Like today.

Overheard

“The sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil.”

...who said it?

“Almost every American I know does trade large portions of his life for entertainment, hour by weeknight hour, binge by Saturday binge, Facebook check by Facebook check. I’m one of them. In the course of writing this I’ve watched all 13 episodes of House of Cards and who knows how many more West Wing episodes, and I’ve spent any number of blurred hours falling down internet rabbit holes. All instead of reading, or writing, or working, or spending real time with people I love.”

...who said it?

“Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.”

...who said it?

“I play with variables constantly.”

...who said it?

“Only the person who has learned Continual Love coming from a heart of Gratitude/Worship can effectively deal with the problem of loneliness.”

...who said it?

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