Figuring Things Out

I've been wavering on the cusp of getting back into blogging - at least somewhat more regularly than before - for a while. It all started back when I went to one of Jenny Lawson/The Bloggess's nearby tour stops in March for the paperback of Let's Pretend This Never Happened ...

(Also got Jenny's Geek-A-Week card at this encounter.)

Or maybe earlier when I went to Neil Gaiman and Adam Rex's signing for Chu's Day in February ...

(And yes, I got that issue signed (and learned that Neil was the model for the Corinthian on the cover).)

And then meeting Neil again at his Ocean at the End of the Lane tour stop at Symphony Space in June ...

Fox pin/brooch courtesy of Cat, an awesome cosplayer.

Or maybe it was a few months later in May when I saw Joe Hill talk about all things NOS4A2, Locke & Key, and more ...

Mutual geek appreciation: Doctor Who pins (left), TARDIS charm (right).

Either way, I have been wanting to get back to blogging, but I've had this overwhelming inner conflict (yes, roughly eight months-worth of conflict) as to what to do with the blog. Should I turn this into a book blog, considering how much I read? But if I did so, how would I structure things, and what about book overload and the overwhelming feeling of book guilt? Or what if I turn this into a PR-ish blog? But what would I talk about then, having only 3 months of actual agency/firm experience that amounts to copying, pasting, formatting, researching, and generating Tweets and Facebook posts?

In the meantime, I went up to Boston for PAX East, interned with a small PR firm for three and a half months, went back to the grind of day camp counseling, met up with plenty of web friends in and around NYC, saw Amanda Palmer live once again, landed a position through networking/talking about books during commutes, continued work on The Anglerfish, and joined up with a friend's film blog. The latter two are where most of my writing has been going these days ... well, there and Tumblr. Also lists, too. I've been publishing monthly lists of whatever media I've been consuming (books, movies, TV shows, and comics) as a way of keeping track. And showing off, in a way, but isn't that what the web is partially for?

So that brings us to the big question: What's to come of this blog? Well ... it's going to continue. I've been mulling over some things after seeing Sleep No More (FINALLY!) ... a month ago, and I think I'm onto a way to coalesce said thoughts into a neat and tidy post, so expect that within a week. Maybe sooner, even.

Allons-y!

Friday, Or What To Do Instead of Seeing Drake

Last night, Drake performed on campus. Drake? The name doesn't sound familiar? Aubrey Drake Graham, most well known for his part as Jimmy Brooks in the recent rebook of Degrassi? This guy.
Well, he played campus last night, and as I'm not the biggest fan of Degrassi (haven't even watched it) nor am I the biggest fan of rap/hip-hop, I avoided the concert. Instead, after rehearsal (I'm assistant directing a production of Harvey on campus), I ate dinner and mulled over whether or not to catch a shuttle back up to the apartment to drop of my bag, which I had been carrying around all day. I decided that I wouldn't because of time logistics. Instead, I headed down to the Lecture Hall to catch a screening of Oliver Stone's Wall Street, the first of a handful of films being presented by the Cinema Department this semester as part of a film club thing.
***

The film was an interesting character study, but I probably would've had a better grasp on the plot if I knew more about economics. Yeah ... 7th and 8th grade Home Ec classes went out the window a while ago ... and I probably would've been a bit more interested if I wasn't dozy during the first half hour-ish of the movie.

The screening was followed by a walk over to the Fine Arts building to see a long form improv troupe (a few friends are members) in one of the small performance studios. The group warmed up with Hot Stop and launched into a series of character sketches that relied on word suggestions from the audience with some interesting situations (orgies, thieves of baked goods, lesbians who can't cook quiches ...). They ended with Showdown, during which they asked for audience participation. It was rather amusing dying twice. And I've made it my goal to get involved at the workshops.

***

After the performance was over, I walked back up with Eliana (the pianist ... remember her? Yeah, she was at the improv performance) and some of her friends to her place and I headed over to the nearest shuttle stop and caught the bus up to the apartment, unpacked, and unwound with Danielle on Skype ... until the early hours of the morning. It happens

Until next time. Allons-y!

Yeah ... (A Filler)

I realize that I've left you all hanging. If you follow me on Twitter or Dailybooth, you know that I've gotten some exercising in within the past two days or so ... and I can't lie. I have. I also had quite an interesting dream the other night that I've been meaning to get up. ... And a bunch of capsule movie reviews, too. They'll be coming tomorrow and Wednesday and such. Yeah ... I picked up a bunch of volumes of Bill Willingham's graphic novel series Fables from one of the local libraries yesterday and I've already blown through volumes 1, 3, 4, 6, and 7. I'm currently on volume 8. ... WHAT?! It's good stuff! Very Sandman-like, in the way that it incorporates fairy tale and other such characters. And I have been hearing buzzings about it being adapted for TV (either a series or mini-series). If you want to do your own digging, be my guest.
And it's also partially because of the computer problems I've been having. I thought that upgrading to Norton 360 would work. And it appeared to ... for a bit. But as they (I don't know who. It's a figurative "they" for all I care.) say "Shit's FUBAR." Chrome is stable when I boot up, but after an hour or two or so of browsing, the open tabs freeze and I have to close the entire browser. And that process remains open in the processes tab of the task manager. And when I reopen a Chrome browser, I get a little box that says something along the lines of "This profile could not be retrieved." I have no clue. And Skype stops working after a few hours, too. Same for Firefox. And same for Internet Explorer. ... But I don't get the "profile" box for IE. Oh, yeah, and iTunes has the same kinda problem, too. Anyone have any clue? I would greatly appreciate it. You have no IDEA how annoying it is when your browser crashes in the middle of ... blogging, photo uploading, video uploading, commenting ... whatever.
*sigh*
*listens to more of Dr. Dog's Shame, Shame to calm down*
Allons-y, Alonso.

Geeky Dinner

So, I sat down to join my friends NJ (theater friend), Abigail (semi-theater friend and Welsh foreign exchange student (1 year abroad in the US)), and Rachel (theater friend) for dinner in the dining hall wearing "It Came Out of Nowhere". I was close to finishing when Abby took a look at my shirt and asked "What do you think would win?"
"They crashed into each other."
"No, I mean, what do you think would win? I think the TARDIS would."
NJ nodded in agreement. Rachel asked "What's a TARDIS?"
"Look at the shirt," Abby said.
"Okay, but what's the TARDIS?"
"Have you seen Doctor Who?"
"No ..."
NJ slammed her tray down. "I'M STORMING OFF!" NJ, Abby, and I had a good chuckle and we took our trays, brought them to the tray disposal, and departed.
***
All of this is more or less accurate, minus a few quotes here and there. But apart from that, this did take place.
God, I love my theater and Doctor Who friends.
Happy Star Wars Day, too!
Until next time! Allons-y, Alonso!

BEDA 30: It's the End

Well, it's been a month since I started this ... and I'm not really sure how to end it. ... Oh, I know! A resolution!
If you remember the comment card thing I left at my library about a month ago? Well, I got a call the other day and the reference librarian (I think) said that they had corrected the categorizing of the Jonas Brothers, but they couldn't do anything about the alphabetical ordering of the CDs, as patrons come in on a daily basis, look through CDs, etc.
So ... there's that ... Oh, and I submitted a video audition for a movie a few days ago and I heard back last night (surprisingly quick, if you ask me) and the casting people want me to read for a character, similar to how I did the audition. I'm in shock, honestly. I wouldn't think that anything like this could happen to someone like me ... but this does and can happen.
... ... ... Yeah ... look, I won't be going anywhere ... I just won't be writing up regular blog posts every day or every week or whatever. I'll still be doing the House, Lost, and Fringe recaps, along with the photo of the day. And I'll hopefully have a blog post or two per month on some topic or another ... or just talking about how things are going for me. Maybe I'll embed my videos here, like Craig does. Eh, we'll see. Would you like that idea?
Well ... until ... next post! Allons-y, Alonso!

BEDA 29: Second-to-Last

Honestly, I don't know what to talk about today.
It's the second to last day of BEDA ... and of April ...
My emotions have been on a bit of a roller coaster ride today. The day started out great. The weather was excellent. I was awake in my classes. I got a fantastic package from a good friend on DB. I had a nice time relaxing. I thought that I had clinched the runoff elections ... but I didn't. I have no clue why ... but I'm not going to dwell on it. I'm going to keep working to get the position for the year after.
But the evening took a turn for the better when I found an e-mail in my inbox in regards to the audition I uploaded a few days ago for a big upcoming film project ... and that's all I'll say about that. We'll see where things go from here.
Until tomorrow! Allons-y, Alonso!

BEDA 28: Graphic (Novel and Movie) Violence

Basically, all I need and want to say about this is in today's video.

Enjoy!



Until tomorrow! Allons-y, Alonso!

BEDA 27: Sleep 2

I attended a presentation by Dr. James Maas on sleep and sleep deprivation and the effects on college students. And that's precisely why I'll be turning in closer to midnight tonight than I usually do. Good night.
Until tomorrow! Allons-y, Alonso!

BEDA 26: The Final Countdown

Well, it's getting to the end. It's the last Monday of April. It's the second to last Monday of classes. It's the second to last Monday of classes of my sophomore year. Oh, and it's the last week of BEDA.
I've quite enjoyed this little project. It's kept me thinking, figuring out topics either the day of or a few days ahead of schedule. I already have one picked out for Wednesday that I'll probably crank out by mid-day. But it's given me a daily deadline that I've always met. It shows that I can get things done on time, if not earlier. But it depends on my interest in the subject ... yeah ...
I'll keep this short. I have some good tunes (Good Old War, the Star Trek soundtrack, She & Him) spinning, and I have some English (a reading and a short reply, 3 scenes of The Tempest) to take care of before turning in.
Until tomorrow! Allons-y, Alonso!

BEDA 23: Good

Today, I just feel good.
Maybe it's because I had a nice Skype call during which I made some possibly solid summer concert plans and maybe more.
Maybe it's because I was awake for all of my Poli Sci class, in which we discussed (or started discussing) Radical Islamism (as the chapter was titled in the textbook). I had a decent amount of background on it, thanks to my Poli Sci course from last spring.
Maybe it's because the weather as so fantastic today. Not a cloud in the sky. Temperatures in the high 50s/low 60s. ... And I just checked Weather.com. Frost expected in the area tonight. Damn!
Maybe it's because I relaxed around campus, on top of the Object, on a bench near the Union, and in the radio station, reading more of Will Grayson, Will Grayson.
Maybe it's because I decided "What the hell" and put my name down to audition for the main stage production of Streetcar Named Desire on Sunday afternoon.
Maybe it's because I ripped the latest She & Him, Dr. Dog, and Laura Marling.
Or maybe it's because I turned in my Big Paper yesterday.

Until tomorrow! Allons-y, Alonso!

BEDA 22: Earth Day (re-posted/published)

Nothing against you readers, but this is the simplest thing to write about today. I'm running on roughly 5 and a half hours of sleep from last night and I'm turning in after Stewart and Colbert, so ... Earth Day!
Today, without needlessly repeating myself (which I kind of am), was Earth Day. There was a fair/festival at the amphitheater near my dorm's dining hall with free food, alpacas, tabling, bands, and a handful of other Earth Day related things.
As for Earth Day related activities, I recycled a bottle, threw out a paper plate, and recycled a recyclable potato chip bag. I feel good.
Until tomorrow! Allons-y, Alonso!

BEDA 21: Brainjuice

's going to be another quick/short post today.
1) I didn't know what to name this post, but it's mostly disjointed thoughts, so ... brainjuice was the most logical.
2) I had dinner outside today, which was nice and relaxing. I ought to do it more often.
3) Tomorrow is Earth Day, so do your part to help! Pick up and throw out some trash. Recycle that soda bottle or can. Bike or walk to work if you can, or just use mass transit or carpool. Don't use as much electricity. So ... do your part!
4) I have a paper to finish, so I'm going to do that ... bleh ...
Until tomorrow! Allons-y, Alonso!

BEDA 20: DADT

I don't support the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. I feel that if open soldiers wish to serve, they should be able to, and they shouldn't have to hide their orientation. And why am I writing about this? A relatively new friend (who I met about a few weeks before Spring Break) went to the local recruiting station early last week to possibly enlist and she was talking with a recruitment officer who mentioned the policy of honesty and she said that she was a lesbian, so the officer more or less showed her the door. This past Friday, there was a protest in front of the station in support of her. And in today's campus paper, an article was published about the protest that ended with a quote from Representative Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) about the policy. The following is from the article.

However, there are those who maintain that DADT is an effective policy that should be upheld. At a Senate Armed Services Committee meeting in February, Sen. Saxby Chambliss of Georgia stated that servicemen from the gay community have served, and will continue to serve, valiantly in the U.S. armed forces, but that military life is fundamentally different than civilian life and functions under a different set of rules.
"Examples include alcohol use, adultery, fraternization and body art," Chambliss said at the meeting. "If we change this rule of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, what are we going to do with these other issues?"

Okay, Representative. Yes, military members drink, might have affairs, pal around, and get tattoos. So do civilians. Yes, military members are under the threat of attacks from antagonizing forces. So are civilians ... but in a slightly different way. What I'm getting at is what problem does Representative Chambliss have? It's not like allowing soldiers to serve openly will gay-ify the armed forces!
Until tomorrow! Allons-y, Alonso!

BEDA 19: Shakespeare

I was going to write up a post on some recent Apple news, but I'll save that for later in the week, perhaps tomorrow, or perhaps Thursday, when my work for the week is mostly done.
So, this semester, I'm taking a Shakespeare course with the top Shakespeare professor on campus and overall, I'm enjoying the course, despite my tendency to get a little drowsy ... but I do enjoy the course. And for those who dislike Shakespeare, give him another chance! Sure, reading one of his plays can be a bit tedious, depending on the play and how much Shakespeare you have read. This semester, I've found that the more Shakespeare you read, the easier it is to understand and the quicker you can get through the plays.
ANYWAY!
I saw the following image on GraphJam last week and got quite a kick out of it and wanted to share it with all of you, whether or not you're Shakespeare enthusiasts.

Until tomorrow! Allons-y, Alonso!

BEDA 18: Incubation

I have come to realize recently that I may be an incubator, not a procrastinator.
Yes, lately (or over the last year or so) I have tended to put homework off until the deadline was oh so close, but I have managed to finish said assignments and hand them in on time, with favorable results most, if not all, of the time.
Short, sweet, and to the point today. I have homework to get back to ... important stuff ... 3 more weeks of classes before finals ...
Until tomorrow! Allons-y, Alonso!

BEDA 17: Unnecessary Movies

Once again, a short post today on ... unnecessary movies.
I have two ... yes, two examples for you.
1) A remake of a movie just about three years old, Death at a Funeral follows the disintegration of a family at the funeral of their patriarch. The original, directed by Frank Oz, is set in Britain and follows a middle/upper class British family. The remake, directed by Neil LaBute, is set in the United States and follows a middle class African American family. ... British dialogue in American mouths ... doesn't sound as good. Especially when Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence and Tracy Morgan are delivering it. Nothing against them ... but this didn't need to be made.
2) A modern day comedy "dream team" (if you call it that) assembles to catch up on the good old days, when they were children. The cast? Adam Sandler, Kevin Smith, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and David Spade. ... I'm not a big fan of Sandler or Rock or Schneider, really. Smith is alright and so is Spade. But ... *sigh*
These are being made all for the one thing that drives Hollywood: MONEY! C'mon, movie industry! Give the little guys, the independents that deserve the spotlight the spotlight!

Until tomorrow! Allons-y, Alonso!

BEDA 16: Kick-Ass Review

Going into the screening with Ryan, I had a vague idea that the movie was about a high schooler who decides to become a masked crime fighter, thanks to numerous trailers and a handful of TV spots.  Despite not having read the graphic novel, I was blown away.
First off, the cast. The only actor who I hadn't heard of before seeing promotional material for the film and the film itself was Aaron Johnson, who had the lead role of Dave Lizewski/Kick-Ass. Needless to say, he did a pretty good job, although something about him in the role didn't quite click. Maybe it was his voice. Apart from that, the rest of the cast did a great job, especially Chloe Grace-Moretz as Mindy Macready/Hit Girl. She blew it out of the park. ... Or perhaps knifed the hell out of it. A 13 year old girl playing an 11 year old with a dirty mouth and a love for weaponry ... so out-of-the-ordinary, it's hilarious. She stole the movie.
Secondly, the plot. While I haven't read the graphic novel, I took the opportunity to check out the plot run-down on Wikipedia after seeing the flick. While details were changed during the transition, the changes did help to keep the movie grounded in reality at first, before taking off like --- I'm going to stop there.
Thirdly, the soundtrack. It definitely kept the energy up and kept the film going. And there were a few wise song choices, like the theme from For A Few Dollars More towards the end, as well as Joan Jett and the Blackheart's "Bad Reputation".
And finally, I dug all the comic book/pop culture nods, like Hellboy posters in the comic book store that Dave and his friends frequent in the film, along with an issue of Runaways, The Avengers, a passing reference to Scott Pilgrim, Spiderman, X-Men, and the show that keeps everyone guessing ... Lost.
So, because of time constraints, I'll keep this review short, sweet, and to the point.
Overall, the movie was a solid, faithful graphic novel adaptation that was packed full of bloody violence and just enough salty humor. 4 out of 5 stars.

BEDA 15: On Turning Two (In Youtube Years)

So, the other day, my Youtube account turned two. So, I posted this video yesterday in honor of that. I'll leave you with the video. Enjoy!

Until tomorrow! Allons-y, Alonso!

P.S. I'm halfway done! Woo hoo!

BEDA 14: Oh, the Irony!

So, the topic of today's post has changed since yesterday. That will be tomorrow's post. Anyway ...
I woke up a little earlier than usual today to register for classes. I woke a little earlier just in case the registration system decided to pull "I'm not going to load and let you register for the classes you want to get into". So, I was able to get in to three of the classes that I was hoping to get in to, but I was locked out of the two other courses. Why? Well, one was closed (it's a pretty popular course) and for the other, I required permission from the English Department. ... And I'm an English major. So, I headed over to the English Office after showering and eating, only to find out that the course had more or less JUST filled up, as another interested student had come in a little earlier to inquire about the same course. So, I e-mailed the prof for that course, but I haven't heard back from her yet. However, I checked on the course earlier and I discovered that 2/3 of the course opened up, which was quite baffling. So, I tried to register again, but I was blocked again for the same reason.
So, where will I be off to in the morning before class? You guessed it!
*sigh* The trials and tribulations of being an English major ... I can't even register for a course in my department! That's ... asinine!
Until tomorrow! Allons-y, Alonso!

BEDA 13: An Interesting Conversation

During my show today, I received an IM from an online listener partway through Max's (my apprentice) block of music. I'll let the conversation speak for itself. Screen names have been replaced for privacy, of course.

(2:01:59 PM) Listener: are you guys singing in the radio station?

(2:03:54 PM) Me: No, this is a CD.

(2:04:19 PM) L: can you change the song i dont like this one

(2:04:35 PM) L: the skip button doesnt work in winamp

(2:04:54 PM) M: It's live radio. The skip button shouldn't work for live radio.

(2:05:03 PM) L: so can you change the song?

(2:05:13 PM) M: The song is over in about 30 seconds.

(2:05:17 PM) L: i thought live radio takes requests

(2:05:31 PM) M: Yes, we do, but not usually to end the song while it's still playing.

(2:08:51 PM) L: was that RBF?

(2:08:56 PM) M: Yup!

(2:09:11 PM) L: now whats this mexican shit?

(2:09:18 PM) M: ... This is Bruce Springsteen.

(2:09:26 PM) L: was he mexican

(2:09:33 PM) M: ... No. He's from New Jersey.

(2:09:46 PM) L: they're mexicans in jersey you racist

(2:10:18 PM) M: I'm not being racist. All I'm saying is that he's from New Jersey and from my knowledge of him, I know that he isn't Mexican. He got his start in the early '70s.

(2:10:38 PM) L: i see, there werent any mexicans here in the 70s

(2:12:08 PM) L: do you think bruce springstein's initials BS is ironic?

(2:12:46 PM) M: No.

(2:13:30 PM) L: what country are you from?

(2:13:55 PM) L: NO MORE BRUCE

(2:14:26 PM) L: are you from the UK?

(2:14:33 PM) M: Was my accent that good?

(2:14:44 PM) L: not really

(2:14:54 PM) L: sounded like a uk'sh accent

(2:14:58 PM) L: couldnt really tell

(2:15:02 PM) L: thats why i had to ask

(2:15:21 PM) L: so you were trying to put on a british accent?

(2:15:28 PM) M: Ah ... well ... thanks, but I'm from NY, but I quite like faking accents.

(2:16:07 PM) L: thats retarded...

(2:16:30 PM) M: It's retarded to have an appreciation for another country's culture and to try and emulate it?

(2:16:58 PM) L: its retarded to emulate another countries culture and try and make others think you're a foreigner

(2:18:12 PM) M: That's the fun of being on the radio. Nobody knows who the DJ really is.

(2:19:10 PM) L: you're a student from binghamton

(2:19:37 PM) M: That's a logical conclusion. But that's all you could deduce.

(2:22:41 PM) L: are you playing BS out of spite?

(2:23:26 PM) mistaali is offering to send file 02 - Red Rocking Chair.mp3

(2:23:32 PM) L: can you play this song instead?

(2:24:29 PM) M: No, I'm not playing Bruce in spite. And my show is just about over. Sorry.

(2:24:47 PM) L: can you give me a shoutout

(2:25:00 PM) L: to your only listener

(2:25:07 PM) M: I have other listeners.

(2:25:15 PM) L: yeah which ones?

(2:25:31 PM) L: you've been playing BS the whole day

(2:25:49 PM) M: All I know is that I have other people listening online. And no, I've only been playing Bruce for 10 or so minutes.

(2:26:06 PM) L: seems like an eternity when it sucks

(2:26:28 PM) L: did you just give me a shoutout?!

(2:26:36 PM) L: OMG I WAS ON THE RADIO!!!!!!

(2:26:43 PM) L: THANKS!

(2:26:47 PM) M: You're welcome.

(2:26:48 PM) L: i love BS

(2:26:55 PM) L: im a fan

(2:27:03 PM) L: love his shitty voice

(2:27:11 PM) L: have a nice day

(2:27:13 PM) L: see you next week

... ... ... Okay then ...

Until tomorrow! Allons-y, Alonso!