Things were never sweet in Tarpon Springs

 

A few weeks ago, I was mindlessly swiping through tiktok when I saw a video by a young creator detailing how difficult life is in Tarpon Springs, FL. But the video was seeped in irony as he was by the beautiful sponge docks in the small historic fishing town. The video was absolutely hilarious and had hundreds and thousands of views.

Being that I have an upcoming book festival appearance in Tarpon Springs (Saturday 4/25, 10am to 4pm), I wanted to know what was up. What was this video referencing? It took me a few additional minutes to find that famous video gamer Jynxzi had recently gone on a rant about growing up in Tarpon Springs. When Jynxzi tried to bring up pictures of his tough side of town, all he found was images of the tourist areas. Whether or not he set himself up is unknown, but he rolled with it well. It is definitely a huge self-own.

After a few tiktokers posted the clip, others ran with the audio and the theme to hilarious results. The videos got so big that Tarpon Springs now has its own mention on KnowYourMeme. That’s how you know you’ve made it.

Being the entrepreneuring and resourceful creator that I am, and never one to pass an easy opportunity, I used Jynxzi’s new trend to promote my upcoming appearance at the Tarpon Springs Book Festival. I drove up to Tarpon Springs and made my own tough video where I sat on a curb and talked about slanging products on the streets - the products of course being my books.

This tiktok and another I made about the trend are my most popular tiktoks, far eclipsing any of my previous videos. I’m by far the oldest person making videos about Tarpon being tough, but no one seems to care. I was a little worried about jumping on a trend done mostly by ironic kids, but the likes and positive comments say otherwise. One commentor actually said “that is how you advertise!”. I won’t do anymore, but showing that I get it, running with it, and adding something new to the discourse allowed me to fit in.

You gotta be a real sponge, because ain’t nothing sweet in Tarpon Springs.

 

 

 

Hanging out with Vale Anoa'i at the Lake County Comic Con

 

On November 17th, I was a guest at my first comic con, the Lake County Comic Convention. The LKCC is a nice size comic con, not as big as the Tampa Comic Con, but featured approximately 100 vendors and guests, to include Tommy Timmons from The Sandlot and other artists, writers, and creators.

Among those artists and creators was my friend Vale Anoa'i. Vale has authored nine books and has created an impressive array of art, some of which I own. She is a fantastic creator and a great person. So of course we had to cut a promo video.

You can find Vale's creations at The Art of Vale.

Flash vs The Aliens full video is finally online

 

Almost 25 years ago, I made a movie with a few Army friends. That movie, Flash vs the Aliens sat on VHS for years until I finally digitized it in 2012. At the time, Youtube would only let me post 15 minutes at a time. For a 38 minute movie, that meant it had to be in three parts. Very inconvenient.

Last year, I created a Vimeo account. Vimeo allows longer videos but less often. So now Flash vs The Aliens is available in full on Vimeo. All 38 minutes of amateur alien invasion insanity. I am excited. Maybe I will clean it up for the 25th Anniversary Special Edition.

Flash vs The Aliens - The Earlier Adventures of Flash Hercules from JordiScrubbings on Vimeo.

A Video Tribute to My Dad

 

As part of my Dad's celebration of life, I volunteered to make a video slideshow. Making the video was a feat. I had to scan old pictures, label pictures, find dates, and sort through hundreds of pictures spanning from 1952 to 2023. I had to make some tough decisions on what to include and what ended up on the cutting room floor. But in the end, I think the final product turned out pretty good.

I try not to think about it like this, but this is the final thing I did for my Dad. I like to think that I had the honor and the pleasure of telling his life story. As a creative person, that's the best gift I can give.

George's Journey - A Tribute to George Lortz from JordiScrubbings on Vimeo.

Google called me a genius

 

I am not going to argue with Google. If Google says I am a genius, then I must be. The internet doesn't lie.

New Curveball at the Crossroads Book Trailer

 

Super excited to reveal the updated book trailer for Curveball at the Crossroads. Like George Lucas in 1997, we made some visual changes to our original video. You might notice the 2nd edition cover. That cover definitely pops more than the first cover and gets more readers' attention.

Big thanks to Bill McArdle at TampaBayNightLife.tv for the video work and my friends Steve Carney and Patro Mabili for their voices.

Unlike George Lucas, in my new trailer, Greedo doesn't shoot.

Interview with Curveball at the Crossroads Narrator Torian Brackett - Part 2

 

Here is part 2 of my interview with Curveball at the Crossroads narrator Torian Brackett. In this part, we talk about the development of the audiobook. Torian Brackett discusses his recording process, his initial thoughts on the book, and the voice of the story's play-by-play announcer.

Interview with Curveball at the Crossroads Narrator Torian Brackett - Part 1

 

This is part 1 of a 2-hour long interview I did with Curveball at the Crossroads narrator Torian Brackett. I am not sure how many parts there will be, but each part will feature snippets from the audiobook. In this episode we talk about the development of the audiobook. Includes Torian's initial audition.

I learned a lot talking with Torian. I am not overly familiar with the audiobook market and industry, so this was a big learning experience. I hope viewers get as much from it as I did. Maybe these might even inspire people to check out the audiobook, as I think Torian did an amazing job.

Curveball at the Crossroads featured on Amazon Live

I have been friends with my buddy Adam for a long time. Over a decade. In the last few years, he has become quite the maven in online sales. He has several youtube channels pitching products, instagram pages promoting wares, and Amazon videos discussing the intricacies and finer points of many great and wonderful goods. He has become a master at selling. An online Billy Mays, if you will.

So it is always a pleasure when Adam invites me on his new Amazon Live show. He broadcasts live to Amazon every Tuesday night at the ELITE DEMONSTRATIONS channel. This past Tuesday he asked me to be his co-host and in turn, he would include Curveball at the Crossroads in his product carousel. Super great deal for me as I enjoy being in front of a camera and I can't beat the free advertising for my novel.

Along with Curveball at the Crossroads, Adam frequently features other great products such as the Facebook Oculus, amazingly comfortable blankets, a massage gun, a GPS tracker, Trivial Pursuit, and funky room lights. It is a mix of the practical and fun. And my book.

Last week, we had dozens of people watching the show at any given moment. That might not sound like much, but it was triple what we started with weeks ago. The goal is to get a lot of viewers as Amazon promotes their Live platform as a competitor with QVC or Home Shopping Network. The fun thing abou Amazon Live is that anyone can be a creator and the ability to make money is not limited to a TV network. And of course, if you buy my book through Adam's show, he makes a little money, Amazon takes their slice, the publisher takes their slice, and I am left with the rest.

It's not much, but every bit helps. And every review helps, which is important to the almighty Amazon algorithm. It's how I become a best seller.

And it all starts with people watching ELITE DEMONSTRATIONS on Amazon Live on Tuesday nights.

Check it out.

Curveball at the Crossroads Trailer

 

All good media needs a good trailer. A video that gets the audience pumped, gets them so excited they will line around the block to buy tickets.

This is definitely true for books. A good book trailer makes watchers into readers. It makes people want to find the book and voraciously read page after page. A good trailer is a hook that brings the reader into the boat, sits them down, makes them comfortable, brews them some nice tea, and puts the book in their hands.

Of course my new novel Curveball at the Crossroads needed a good trailer. So I recruited my friends Patro Mabili of WMNF 88.5 Tampa and sports radio personality Steve Carney to put some of the book to sound. I then worked with my friend Bill McCardle of Xtra Medium Productions out of Largo, Florida to put the the video together. Each of these guys were pros and did amazing work.

I must say this trailer is one of the best book trailers I have ever seen. It might be better than the trailer for Field of Dreams. I think so. After all, it is my story.

Watching the Unwatched

This video is the kind of videos I like to find - in the nine years it has been on youtube, it had only 2 total view. So just by watching once, I increased its views by 33%. If you watch, you could give it view number 4, and that would increase its total by 25%. And if 200 people watch, total views will go up 10,000%!

Makes you feel important, doesn't it?

When COBRA tried to blow up Florida Championship Wrestling

This was a fun video made by SnowMan of the Afro-Squad from our days attending Florida Championship Wrestling (now NXT) in Tampa. Good times, and by the way, SnowMan is a cinematic genius.

I think this video was supposed to be a prequel to another video we did in which I have a bigger role.

The Serious Tip AfroSquad Commercial

With the relaunch of this website, I thought it only fitting to dust off a old commercial for this site filmed by the AfroSquad.



There is still no stock market information here.

Understanding Women - The Amazing Video

A little over a year ago, I had an interesting conversation with a female friend. Over the course of an hour, she discussed two guys: one, a male friend who was acting clingy and the other, her boyfriend who was acting like an asshole.

After our conversation, it dawned on me that these two male behaviors are on far ends of the same spectrum and she, a normal woman, was turned off by both. So I drew a line. Then I filled in the rest of the chart. Before I knew it, I had a model that could be used to predict behavior - to an extent, of course.

I like to say this chart is in the same school as the Hot/Crazy Matrix that took the internet by storm a few years ago, but it is a different class.

After I memorized it, I showed this chart to several female friends, bartenders, and servers. They were all impressed. Which made me think I was on to something.

Unfortunately, I drew it out for the woman who inspired it after we spent a day drinking. Telling her why I drew it didn't sit very well with her. Sorry to say it might be one of the reasons we aren't friends anymore. But enough of that story ...

Ladies and Gentlemen, I bring to you, after months of tinkering and designing it just right, "Understanding Women" (aka "The Guy's Guide to a Woman's Interest").



Please let me know what you think!

Gargoyle and the AfroSquad Wrestling Promo

While perusing the vast illustrious digital video depot known as YouTube, I found an old wrestling promo video I was a part of. This video was filmed in early 2011 when I was frequently attending All-Star Wrestling in Tampa. On this particular Friday evening, the regular crowd was joined by pro wrestling superfan "The Gargoyle", who had traveled from the Florida Panhandle to check out the Tampa wrestling scene.

Being a bit of a character myself, with my 3-foot afro, The Gargoyle and I clicked immediately. We clicked so well, we knew we had to shoot a wrestling style promo outside of the venue. Joining us was wrestler Colby Godwin, aka BTY.

I don't go to as many wrestling shows as I used to, but these were fun times.

The Hybreed eM-16: "I Get It"

I've mentioned before that I have several friends in the Tampa hip-hop scene. On occasion, I'll check out their shows. Always good to show support, right?

One artist named eM-16 is always an interesting act for me to check out. Before going to Afghanistan, eM-16 and I were neighbors in the same apartment building. During one neighborly conversation, eM-16 mentioned he wrote and rhymed. After that, we chatted about hip-hop on occasion. A few months later, I introduced eM-16 to promoter and friend Nick Major. Nick took eM-16 under his wing, helped him hone his craft, and introduced him to some beat makers and other people in the hip-hop scene. eM-16 took advantage of the opportunity, jumped in with both feet, and started accompanying Nick and everyone to concerts and radio appearance. Meanwhile, his music matured and acquired more of a hip-hop sound, albeit with his own personal Tampa flair.

In late July, I saw eM-16 perform at the Pegasus Lounge in Tampa. Pegasus Lounge isn't a huge venue, but the crowd was receptive. And eM-16 did a good job on the mic. I brought my video camera, recorded his performance, and put it on YouTube.

Here is eM-16's song "I Get It":



Let me know what you think!

Ancient AfroSquad video from back in the day

While digging in the underbelly of the Internet, way below the Prime Meridian, far below where Optimus Prime dare go, I found an ancient video. I dusted it off, gave it two blows to the nose, and checked the scrolls. It was a sign by the AfroSquad forefathers, who couldn't decide among the four of them who the daddy was. So they dropped this piece of funktasticalness on the world. It's so funky it makes your grandmother swap out her gym socks.

Check, check, check it out.



Seven years ago, the founders of the AfroSquad posted this. Hard to believe youtube has been around that long. Yet The Man still prevails.

AfroSquad for life.

Bill Alfonso Talks Suggestive Selling and Pro Wrestling

A few years ago I had the unique privilege of working with former pro wrestling manager and referee Bill Alfonso. For over a month, I hung out with Fonzie, driving around Florida with him and filming his interactions with other wrestlers, from legends such as Dory Funk and Afa the Wild Samoan to the relative newcomers of the Florida indy wrestling scene. Fonzie was entertaining to say the least. I learned a lot about the wrestling business, about wrestling history, and about the man himself. But the most important thing I learned was always keep the camera rolling.

I've uploaded little snippets of our journey on youtube. Little nuggets of knowledge or memories or pieces of advice from a man who has been part of professional wrestling for over 25 years.

Here is the latest video, followed by links to other videos I have posted so far.

Bill Alfonso on "Suggestive Selling" and Professional Wrestling



 Here are other videos of Fonzie that I've posted:

• Bill Alfonso on working with Giant Gonzales
• How to be a pro wrestler by Bill Alfonso 
• Bill Alfonso gets ready for a match 
• Bill Alfonso in fight in a Tampa parking lot

Jordi Scrubbings Elvis commercial for All-Stars Wrestling of Florida

All-Stars Wrestling of Florida was a wrestling promotion run by friends of mine. It was like we had our own little corner of the pro wrestling universe. Sure, that's not a great way to run a business and ASWFL did in fact close after two years, but it was fun to go to a wrestling show where I knew most of the wrestlers and the fans. After time, I even knew most of the staff at the bar where the shows were held.

Anyway, while ASWFL was doing its thing in 2009 I attended a Florida Championship Wrestling event and cut a short commercial for an ASWFL event. About a month ago, it surfaced on YouTube. It's not my best commercial, but it's here for history.

A Christmas Song by Ice-Tay and the Jingle Jamboree

I was feeling so much in the holiday spirit the other day that I wrote a song. Not just any song, but a song that captures the true feeling of Christmas.

Ok, well maybe one that captures the true feeling of spending money for Christmas.

Sung to the tune of the Big Tymers' classic rap joint "Still Fly", this song perfectly posits the juxtaposition of the American working man to his struggle to buy material goods for his family while still maintaining economic self-legitimacy in the cutthroat capitalistic nvironment of 21st Century America.

In order to capture the spirit of the song, I recruited famous rapper and actor Ice-Tay and the musical genius of the world renown Jingle Jamboree band. Unfortunately, I only had the money to pay the Jingle Jamboree band to stand behind Ice-Tay; I didn't have enough to pay them to play music. So you don't hear them.

But you do hear Ice-Tay. And to me, that's worth the price of admission.

Let me know what you think!