TED Community » Joseph Greene

More About Me

I'm passionate about

Film

An idea worth spreading

A large budget isn't required for a movie. Just strong acting and even stronger writing.

Talk to me about

Films, anything film. The creative process of making a film even.

People don't know that I'm good at

Cooking

My TED Story

I spent my first 19 years living with my father and stepmother. After a huge falling out with my parents regarding my writing I lived in my car and in a forest preserve for 8 months before enlisting in the military. After being medically discharged and homeless again for six months, I was able to make my first film. And that's where I stand today. Positive thinking brought me out of the pits, and I hope to share my experiences with others.

Comments

• TEDCred score: +20.70 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• +1

  A comment on Conversation: Has a TED Talk ever influenced you? How?

  Feb 24 2011: It would be VERY difficult to choose just one or two talks that struck a nail.. TED is all about different ideas and experiences and sharing them with people. Every human being is going to get something out of every talk. I do more or less.
  
  It's really the highlight of my morning before I start writing. Wondering what new things I'm going to learn.
  
  Anyway, one that really got me was... "Becky Blanton: The year I was homeless". Mostly because I was a homeless writer, eating out of dumpsters and under some crippling depression myself. Seeing how she pulled her own self out of it made me realize I could change my reality too.
  
  About a year and a half later, I'm beginning to film my first feature film (http://wolfenfilms.com/films/ddrmovie/). How crazy is that? I was ready to just give up on life itself. I really have to thank good friends and TED for saving my life, in a way.
  
  Maybe one day I can tell my story at TED and help some people too. Never give up, it's not your choice to check out early.
  
  Thanks TED, keep doing what you're doing. And I'll keep watching

• A comment on Conversation: Pay off the National Debt.

  Feb 22 2011: The national debt is a strange thing. Really debt is what makes the world go round. Everybody owes everyone something. What really matters is your GDP. If you're making more then you're actually paying every year, then you're basically in a golden age.

• A comment on Conversation: Can the USA change as fast as the Middle East?

  Feb 22 2011: In short. Yes. But you have to have the people united on something... and with a country with so many ideas flying about, that poses a challenge.

• A comment on Conversation: Did The Knicks make the right choice in acquiring Carmelo Anthony?

  Feb 22 2011: It's quite a gamble, but Melo is a great player.
  
  But as Miami and the Lakers of the past have shown, filling your team up with superstars doesn't get you a championship.
• +2

  A comment on Talk: Madeleine Albright: On being a woman and a diplomat

  Feb 18 2011: "There is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women and those who get in the way of women being helped."
  Well said.
  This could be said even better if extended to ALL people. :)
• +4

  A comment on Talk: Madeleine Albright: On being a woman and a diplomat

  Feb 18 2011: Like her or not (I don't very much) you have to admit trolling Saddam Hussein is pretty damn hilarious.

• A reply on Talk: David Bismark: E-voting without fraud

  Nov 2 2010: That sucks. They make us show ID here in Illinois... at least they're supposed to.

• A comment on Talk: David Bismark: E-voting without fraud

  Nov 2 2010: This is a great idea. A little late, but still a great idea.
  The electoral process is based 100% on trust. But as we've learned throughout history... you can't really trust people with the electoral process. They are, after all human mistakes can be made or plots could be hatched. Problem is, we really have had no choice in the matter right now. Sure you mark the boxes (make lines in my case) or press the buttons, but you don't know if your stuff is going to get processed correctly for when the voting card is taken out of your hands. I know that makes a lot of people very uncomfortable. Myself included.
  
  This is a step towards making all our elections around the world fair and efficient. Let's just hope people pick up on this.
• +5

  A comment on Talk: David Byrne sings "(Nothing But) Flowers"

  Oct 22 2010: Oh man, awesome music combined with intelligent speeches. I'd definitely want to get my nerd on at TED.
• +4

  A comment on Talk: Patrick Chappatte: The power of cartoons

  Oct 21 2010: Cartoons are amazing. You can fit pages and pages of story into just a single picture. In an age where people just don't like reading. Short pictures that make people think have been used for a long time, as Patrick said. It is really the way to go in the future as well. Who knows, another cartoon might show up one day that will change the universe,