About me
First of all, I'm not that skinny anymore. That's an old photo, but I like it because I look pretty good in it. I've put on a bit of weight, but that's what happens when you're both busy and happy. Also, even though my wife is a professional photographer, I haven't had her take a business headshot of me in a long time. We are always both very busy, and most of our time together is spent relaxing and enjoying each other's company. We've been married for over 22 years, and we have 4 amazing children ranging from 11 to 21. And yes, our kids truly are better than all the other kids in the world.
I didn't start out this awesome, though. As a child, I wanted to be a radio personality just like my dad. When my classmates discovered who my dad was, they would ask, "What's it like having a dad who is famous?" To me, he was just my dad, so it wasn't anything special. But he knew a lot about
music, which I loved. And, because he worked in radio, he would bring home songs that we could listen to before they were even released to the public. My dad is one major reason why I love music so much.
I also had a natural love for music. When I was 6 years old, my grandmother gave us an old organ that she wanted to get rid of. I plugged it in and started messing with it, and learned how to play the Chariots of Fire theme on it. It wasn't great, of course (I was 6 and it was my first time), but this sparked my own desire to learn, and pushed my parents to send me to piano lessons at 10. I took piano lessons for a few years, and never learned to read the music the entire time.
Back when I was very young, my brother used to play guitar in his bedroom. He wasn't very good, but he'd play some songs from Deep Purple, Frank Zappa, Pink Floyd, etc. After he moved out (I was 4), his guitar skills improved quite a bit. He mostly played rhythm guitar, and would work in chords rather than notes. When I was a teenager, my brother and I used to get together and jam, and he taught me how to understand chords and rhythm better. We would spend hours playing together, and we always had a great time. He also taught me several guitar chords and how to actually play the guitar.
My brother passed away a few years ago, and I really miss him.
But guitar and keys aren't the only instruments I play, as I also play drums and sing. I encourage my children to play as many musical instruments as they can, as this will make them happier and give them other skills that they can use later in life.
What does all that have to do with video production?
In all the videos I've produced, you'll notice there's rhythm. Everything moves to the music, or to the rhythm of the presenter. Audio is an often overlooked part of video, and yet, it often has greater impact than the visuals themselves. If the lip sync is off by a frame or two, the viewer will notice something isn't right. When things change a bit off beat, the viewer notices. Other problems like scratchy audio, music that is too loud or too quiet, distorted vocals, music that doesn't match the subject, etc., are all things that will turn the viewer away. So, unlike others who try to get their audio to match their video, I reverse the order and work my video to match my audio. Often, this means starting with the music, and having the song in mind before we even start. Most music videos are perfect examples of this workflow, but it can be used in any project, including commercials (see the Brent Brown Keys commercial).
Music guides my work and my life. It makes life fun and exciting, and it is what makes me work the way I work.
Music Videos
DVYNUZ - Obsesión
DJ Goldbug - One Last Time
Shrink - Feel Me (Contains Explicit Lyrics)
Ray Rabbit - What's Your Why?
Vipindas - Sundaree
DVYNUZ - Money, Cash, Dinero
Commercials
Stephen Wade Auto Center - Red Tag July 2023
Brent Brown Toyota - Ask Trevor
Stephen Wade Auto Center - There For You
Red Rock Running Company - New Balance
Stephen Wade Auto Center - Listening to Our Customers Drives Us
Bison Gun Lock - L3
Livestreams and Events
DJ Goldbug - Livestream from Home
Nevada Senior Services - Maria Cruz Garza
Personal Projects
Fun Drone Shots
Flying at Racetrack in Pahrump
VHR 2020 Review
VHR 2022 Review
VHR 2021 Review
VHR 2019 Review
Riding With or Against Traffic?
Imagine riding your road bike along the road, tucked into a sprint, moving at a good clip. You feel the wind and see the cars whizzing past as you ride on the road against traffic. Suddenly, one of the cars turns right in front of you. Without time to hit the brakes or swerve, you tense up and brace for impact, which is quite forceful. Your bike slams into the bumper, throwing your body across the hood and directly into the windshield. Glass is everywhere, and your helmet does little to protect your face and body from being cut and smashed. You’re hurt. Bad. The ambulance whisks you to the hospital, and all you can think is, “I thought I’d be able to get out of the way.” What happened?
“As a kid, I was taught to ride against traffic so that I can see what’s coming. But now that I’m older, I’ve learned riding against traffic will just let me watch the car that inevitably hits me.” -Brett Gentry, 2020
I commuted by bicycle daily for nearly twelve years, and in those years, I learned that, despite what my mom used to say, riding with traffic is far safer than riding against it. My personal experience, along with the witnessing of many incidents and the stories of friends, have helped me come to this conclusion. In this article, I will explain three major principles of why riding in the direction of traffic is safer than riding against it. First, I will discuss how it affects drivers. Then, I will show the math of impact forces for each direction. And finally, I will explain how traffic signals and patterns are affected by each direction. These will all be done from the perspective of the United States.
Cyclists riding in the direction of traffic are more visible to drivers, which is the number one safety feature of a cyclist. Drivers of cars generally look in the direction they are traveling and expect traffic to flow in certain patterns. Breaking these patterns causes drivers to have to evade and react in different ways, often resulting in poor decisions. For example, a driver pulling out from a side street and turning right onto a main road will not look for traffic approaching from the right because traffic is expectedly approaching from the left. In one particular incident that I witnessed, a cyclist was riding against traffic as a truck on his side of the road was about to pull out and turn right. This maneuver would have them facing each other if the cyclist had arrived later. The driver looked only to his left and did not see the cyclist approaching. When the driver pulled out, the cyclist was almost right in front of the truck. He ended up getting knocked over and scraped up, and his bicycle was crushed by the truck. Had the cyclist been riding on the correct side of the road, a driver pulling out would have been more likely to see him and would’ve been able to avoid such an incident. “Cyclists are typically required by law to travel in the same direction as traffic to reduce confusion for drivers, pedestrians, and other cyclists. The best way to stay safe is to ride predictably [Laura Shepard of Bike New York, https://www.triathlete.com/training/why-we-bike-with-not-against-traffic/].” Not only does this affect what the driver can see, but it also affects their reaction time.
As a driver approaches from behind a cyclist, they have a lot more time to react. Consider a cyclist riding at 15 miles per hour with a car approaching at 25 miles per hour. If the rider is going with traffic, it is as if the car approaches at 10 miles per hour. But when riding against traffic, it’s as if the car is approaching at 40 miles per hour. The same thing happens with an actual impact. If a cyclist going 15 miles per hour and riding in the direction of traffic is hit by a car going 25 miles per hour, it still hurts, but it’s as if he was hit at 10 miles per hour. In the other direction, the impact is the same as 40 miles per hour. According to Tyler Whitehouse from RoadBikeBasics.com, the difference in force is exponentially greater:
“You might think, 45 mph / 15 mph = 3. That means it’s three times worse, right? WRONG. The damage you’ll experience is more correlated to the change in kinetic energy, which is a function of speed squared. 452 / 152 = 2025 / 225 = 9. That’s right, getting hit head on can easily be 9 times worse that being hit from behind. [Should you ride your bike with or against traffic? (w/ laws map) By Tyler Whitehouse / 2019-02-17, https://roadbikebasics.com/ride-with-or-against-traffic/]”
Consider one of the fastest cyclists I’ve ever met; my friend whom we will call Rocket. One day, while delivering for a local food joint, Rocket was riding down the hill on Bonanza Rd., getting up to about 45 miles per hour. He was riding against traffic, as he was doing his best to see and avoid being hit by a car. Suddenly, a car that was approaching him made a turn into a side road (the same side road where the truck hit the other cyclist). Rocket grabbed the brakes but wasn’t able to avoid colliding with the car. The description from the beginning of this article is Rocket’s story. He was badly injured, and a large piece of glass went straight into his eye, which he ended up losing completely. Due to this incident, he was not able to work for a few months. This wasn’t his first time colliding with a car while riding against traffic, but after having a heartfelt chat with Rocket, it was his last. He still rides even today, but he no longer rides against traffic. And he hasn’t had a serious incident since.
Losing an eye makes it difficult to see, but riding against traffic makes it impossible to see traffic signs, making it difficult to ride safely. As a cyclist rides in the direction of traffic, the fronts of all signs and traffic lights are clearly visible. On the wrong side of the road, the signs and lights face the other direction and cannot be seen by the cyclist. Because of this, cyclists who ride against traffic will not be able to know how to ride appropriately and will not stop when they should.
“All the road signs and signals are oriented towards traffic traveling in the correct direction. If you ride against traffic, you can’t see the signs and signals because they're on the other side. So you may not be in a position to obey the traffic signs and be protected by them. [Murali Krishnan, 2014, https://www.quora.com/Why-is-it-safer-for-cyclists-to-ride-with-traffic-when-riding-against-traffic-would-allow-them-to-easily-see-cars-that-might-hit-them]”
Many years ago, while I was riding to work, I came to a stop at a red light. When the light turned green, I set off. In the corner of my eye, I could see another cyclist quickly approaching from my left side, but on the left (wrong) side of the road. I continued, and the cyclist continued, as well. We came close to colliding, and I had to swerve to miss him. He yelled at me for crossing his path, and I yelled, “My light is green, yours is red.” He replied, “No light!” and continued riding. Had he been riding on the correct side of the road, the red light would’ve been on his side, and he would’ve seen my light was green. However, this cyclist may have run it anyway, which may explain why he was riding against traffic.
In this, I’ve shown three separate incidents that were essentially caused by cyclists riding against traffic, and how they could’ve been prevented by riding in the proper direction. These incidents and the data discussed demonstrate how and why riding against traffic is more dangerous than riding with traffic. Cycling is much safer when we ride as expected. Our impact and approach speed becomes lower, and we are more aware of the traffic flow and what is going on. As mentioned above, while riding against traffic, my friend Rocket was able to see the car approach just fine. And he was able to get an excellent view of that car as it hit him. Unfortunately, due to the loss of his eye, he will no longer have such an excellent view.
-Brett Gentry
10 Car Types That Everyone Needs
by Brett Gentry, October 5, 2024
Most people in the United States own at least one car, many people own two. Some, like Jay Leno, own hundreds. But what’s the point when a person can only drive one at a time? The reason for this is purpose. For example, I own a small runabout, a minivan, a truck, and a non-running convertible. My runabout can’t carry my whole family, and it can’t go offroad. It gets great gas mileage and is super cheap and easy to maintain. The minivan can do a lot, but there’s no way it can haul a pallet of bricks, pull a large trailer, or go offroad. But the truck is too expensive to fuel and maintain as a daily driver, and it can’t carry my whole family without some sitting in the bed. My convertible doesn’t run, but it has value in other areas. All four of these come together for a solid lineup, enabling me to do just about any motoring task I would need to do.
The Daily Driver, the Family Transport, and the Pickup Truck are three types of vehicles on my list of ten types of vehicles that everyone needs. Keep in mind that many car models can cross the threshold of several categories at once, making it difficult to pigeonhole models into one single category. Therefore, it’s quite possible to own all ten types without actually owning ten different vehicles. However, I’ve yet to find a vehicle that is capable of covering all ten at once.
#10 - The Daily Driver
This is often considered a boring appliance car. Daily Driver models are typically small, cheap, soulless, reliable, fuel-efficient vehicles designed simply to get the driver to and from work every day. They’re necessary for many people, especially in more spread-out cities like Los Angeles or Denver. “…regardless of whether or not you have a “for-fun” or “for-work” vehicle, you’re going to need a daily driver to get you where you need to go on a routine basis. [Toyota of Orlando, https://www.toyotaoforlando.com/blog/what-is-a-daily-driver-and-how-should-you-choose-one/]" Typical Daily Driver models will include vehicles such as the Toyota Corolla, Toyota Prius, Honda Accord, Nissan Versa, etc.
#9 - The Family Hauler
So you have your daily driver, but your family hates riding in it. Your wife says it’s not comfortable and too bouncy, and your kids complain that the back seat is too small and the entertainment options are nonexistent. Enter the Family Hauler. This vehicle is usually larger, even when your family is not necessarily larger. It has room for family, friends, dogs, hockey gear, donuts, etc. It’s comfortable, easy to drive, and has great options for keeping the kids smiling. It’s usually not as fuel-efficient as the Daily Driver, but it’s typically somewhat efficient for what it does. “It isn't the glamorous choice… but it gets the job done without fanfare or drama. [Anthony Sophinos, Minivan vs SUV: What’s Better?, https://www.iseecars.com/articles/minivan-vs-suv-whats-better]" Typical Family Hauler models will include vehicles such as the Chrysler Pacifica, Toyota Sienna, Kia EV9, and Mazda CX-90.
#8 - The Pickup Truck
Should everyone own a Pickup Truck? Not necessarily. But everyone should know someone who owns a Pickup Truck and be comfortable enough to ask to borrow it when needed. Pickups are expensive to keep. Their insurance, fuel costs, and maintenance costs are generally far higher than most other vehicles, and they’re typically useless unless they’re hauling something. But, aside from very large commercial options, there is nothing better for hauling heavy or dirty stuff than a Pickup Truck. Need that fridge moved? Pickup Truck. Carrying away that old, busted concrete porch? Pickup Truck. Pulling that boat? Pickup Truck. Towing your Daily Driver or Family Transport to the mechanic? Pickup Truck. “Whether you are looking for a farm workhorse or an instrument to ferry items at a construction site and anything in between, you can rely on your truck to complete it all with minimum fuss. [Michael Stroup, Here's Why Everyone Should Own A Pickup Truck, 03/2022, https://www.hotcars.com/why-everyone-should-own-a-pickup-truck/]" Pickup Truck models include the Chevrolet Silverado, the Nissan Titan, and the infamous Ford F150.
#7 - The Road Tripper
The Road Tripper is a niche vehicle and is often covered by a Family Hauler or other types on this list. However, a Road Tripper will have more storage space for all those suitcases, will ride better at high speeds, and will be easy for everyone to sleep in. They may be slightly less efficient than a Family Hauler, but they often have a larger fuel tank, resulting in fewer stops for fuel. The Road Tripper is the top choice vehicle when a vacation is proposed. “Choosing the right new car for an epic road trip can make your vacation more comfortable, more fuel efficient, and even safer, thanks to the new technologies found in many new vehicles. [Kristen Hall-Geisler, Best Road Trip Cars in 2024 and 2025, May 2024, https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/advice/best-cars-for-road-trips]" The typical Road Trip vehicles are the Chevrolet Suburban, Mercedes Sprinter, LA West Promaster, and Fleetwood Insight.
#6 - The Beater
The Beater is a terrible car. It’s unreliable, uncomfortable, smells like old shoes, shakes like crazy on the freeway, drips oil, and stalls at every light. So why would anyone want The Beater? This is a list of cars everyone NEEDS, not WANTS, and everyone NEEDS The Beater so they can learn how to get by with less and appreciate the luxuries they have. The Beater is patched together with Bondo and duct tape. Not even the owner cares if it gets smashed by another car door. The Beater is the humble car, the life lesson car, the one that teaches the most during its life. “It is difficult to put on airs when stepping out of a 1999 Camry with a zip strip for a door handle. [Luther Ray Abel, The Joy of Driving a Beater, June 27, 2020, https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/06/joy-of-driving-beater-car/]" The Beater can be any car that doesn’t run well but never seems to quit. The Beaters I’ve owned were my Datsun 280Z, my 2004 Nissan Quest, and an old Mercury Cougar.
#5 - The Project
Unlike The Beater, The Project doesn’t run. This car is one that is being rebuilt or restored. It usually sits in a garage, occupying the time of the owner and some friends every now and then. Instead of transporting the owner to work, The Project transports the owner to a different time when life was simpler and more relaxing. This car teaches patience, builds friendships, and brings the most satisfaction to the owner. “At the end of the day, project cars truly become about people. It’s the people you meet at shows, on the forums, in your garage. They will help you grow personally and professionally and have fun. [Anthony Pitt, Why You Need A Project Car?, August 5, 2021, https://thelatebrake.com/2021/08/05/why-do-you-need-a-project-car/]" The Project is anything that is being worked on and restored. My Projects have included that same Datsun 280Z, a Saab 9-3, and an old MG-B.
#4 - The Toy
The Toy is the plaything that puts the biggest smile on the face of the owner. Drivers will take The Toy to the track or just goof off with them wherever they go, but no matter the occasion, the driver will always get out and say, “I love that car.” “You get one life. I have justified many things that way. [MrBen.911, May 2022, https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=255&t=2076060]" While The Toy is often a sports car, it isn’t necessarily defined this way. The Toy models include the Ford Mustang, the Fiat 500 Abarth, a modified Jeep Wrangler, and the Chevrolet Corvette C9.
#3 - The Conversation Starter
The Conversation Starter is the car that causes people to approach the owner and start talking or asking questions. It stands out in a crowd and turns heads even when people do not like it. Conversation Starters are rare and unusual. “Filled up the C5 with gas on my way to work today, and a guy walked over to tell me how much he liked my car. I thanked him, and we chatted for about 2 or 3 minutes while the gas pump did its thing. [SmugAardvark, February 27, 2021, Vehicles That Attract Attention, https://opposite-lock.com/topic/8930/vehicles-that-attract-attention]" Models that start conversations range all over the place. They would include such models as the 1969 Lincoln Continental, a very nice-looking 1959 Volkswagen Beetle, and the Tesla Cybertuck.
#2 - The Offroader
Many things define a typical Offroader, including a lifted suspension and a better traction system. Not all Offroaders are huge and ride high, as many small vehicles do fairly well in the dirt. But they typically have stronger tires, more wheel travel, underbody plates, and other things that will help them maintain grip and protect the important parts from being damaged. The purpose of The Offroader is utility, especially in an emergency. We have a lot of roads, but they don’t go everywhere. And what happens when the only road to your community is washed out or destroyed? “Off-road vehicles are meant to be driven almost anywhere- whether it’s your everyday road, through dusty sand mountains, challenging mountains, and with the right gears, through snow. [December 18, 2023, Lux Exposé, https://luxexpose.com/5-benefits-of-buying-an-off-road-vehicle/]" The Jeep Wrangler typifies The Offroader, but other models include the Mini Countryman ALL4, the Toyota 4Runner, and the Polaris RZR.
#1 - The Dream Car
Okay, this is one that most people never actually own. Owning the vision is what’s important here. Everyone needs The Dream Car to exist in their lives, especially as kids. It’s what we aspire to achieve. It’s the poster on the wall that drives us to work harder. It’s that far-reaching goal that encourages us to keep pressing forward and keep learning. Some of us do eventually obtain that dream car, and many dream cars change as life continues. Either way, The Dream Car is the motivational tool to keep us going. “Encouraging kids to dream big helps them discover their own individual interests, talents, and abilities. [Marcus Life Learning Team, Ways to Inspire Kids to Dream Big, https://marcuslemonis.com/life-skills/inspiring-kids-dream-big#:~:text=Encouraging%20kids%20to%20dream%20big,a%20sense%20of%20self%2Dpride.]” Dream Cars differ for everyone. Mine have included the Dodge Viper, the Shelby Series 1, the Bugatti Veyron, the Nissan GT-R34, the Jaguar XJ220, the Vector W8, the Isdera Comendatore, the Tesla Model Y, and the Aptera One.
As noted in the beginning, many of these categories can be covered by a single car. For example, my Fiat 500L is both my Daily Driver, my Toy, and my Conversation Starter. My Chrysler Pacifica covers my Road Tripper and my Family Hauler. My Dodge 3500 is my Pickup Truck and my Offroader. And my Saab 9-3 is my Beater and Project. That leaves only the Dream Car, currently the Aptera One, which is set as my desktop wallpaper because I do not own one. But I currently have a plan to buy myself the Aptera One in a year or two, meaning that Dream Car is inspiring me to succeed.