Guitar!

So my christmas was great, how about you?

Awesome! Glad to hear it.
Anyway, my main gift was a sweet guitar. It's a black, solid-top Ibanez. It's cheap, like $150 but I am a beginner, so whatev. I am addicted to it. I'm close to nailing "Always Look On The Bright Side of Life." It is a whole barrel of fun.
Other highlights include:
-A new messenger bag that I really like. (My old one I have had since my senior year of high school..................oh my god.)
-A subscription to the Austin Film Society magazine.
-A gray sweater that I am addicted to that my brother got me. I love it.
-A sweet tea pot. Not a tea kettle, a tea pot. I love it as well.

Good times Jesus, good times.

ALSO!

I just wanted to post the information for my show on here in case anyone in Austin sees it.
I know someone living in Cedar Creek reads this pretty religiously, and they should def. come see the show.

Gag Reflex New Years Eve Bash
Show at 7pm
-$20 per person
-Free Beer, Wine and Soda
-Must be over 21
-Can pay with cash or check at the door

Show at 9:15pm
-$40 per person or $75 per couple
-Free Beer, Wine and Soda
-Free Mangia Thin Crust Pizza
-Door Prizes
-Free Champagne Toast
-Must be over 21
-Can pay cash or check at the door

Call 731-3945 for reservations, but do it quickly we are filling up!

GUH!

I am so tired. I cannot wait for tomorrow at 7, when I will be free for Christmas and another day as well. I traded in Mass Effect because it was boring the shit out of me. Seriously, I like depth in my gaming but if the BIBLE was a game I would not fucking PLAY IT. That's pretty much the depth of Mass Effect. They kind of just assume that you know everything to do with the universe before you even start playing, which is something you can kind of do in a game like "Knights of the Old Republic" because well....it's fucking STAR WARS. But this is a whole new universe that no one has any background with and it is just too fucking much. That, and there must be a grand total of like four different environments and its not like they are the same environments....they are the same FUCKING maps over and fucking over again. The only stuff that changes is what the planet you land on will look like, but then you can pretty much assume its going to be rocky as shit and a bitch to get around. The only awesome moment I had in that game was when I had to go to the moon and I could see Earth. That was the kind of moment I play video games for. But then again, it's a game that spans multiple galaxies and the coolest thing happens like a mile away from my house (give or take). I also traded in The Orange Box because well....I beat it. That's about it. Awesome game(s). But when they are done....they are done. And TF2, while amusing does not have nearly enough depth to hold its own in a video game library. So I am left with Halo 3 and Guitar Hero 2, neither of which I am planning on trading in because they are still fun.


I got my grades from ACC.

Intro. to Radio/TV/Film : A
Composition I : A
Oceanography : B
U.S. History I : C

Fuck that teacher. I hate him so much, but whatever. Those are the best damn grades I have EVER gotten so I am happy.

Todd!

So I saw Sweeney Todd today. I made a special trip downtown just to see the movie.
Went to the Alamo South Lamar.

I honestly don't care if you went to see the first screening of the movie and sat next to Johnny Depp and Tim Burton themselves. I watched Sweeney Todd whilst eating my very own meat pie. I fucking love Austin.
The movie, and there may be spoilers ahead:

Johnny Depp:
Fucking Brilliant. I am going to have to see it again, because I was so focused on him through the movie that I forgot anyone else was on screen. He is Sweeney. Plain and simple. His singing is just talky enough to feel natural, and SO drenched in passion that it is ridiculous.

Helena Bonham Carter:
Very nice. I liked her portrayal. Mrs. Lovett has always been such exaggerated women, almost rooster-like performances. It was a nice change. Not a strong voice, but she compensated well by always being in character.

Alan Rickman:
Awesome. Perfect casting. He is the exact character that you WANT to see die so it's good.

Sacha Baron Cohen:
So damn funny. As soon as I had heard of this casting, I was convinced it was brilliant and I am glad to have been proven right so well.

Other people:
Very good. You could kind of tell that Toby wasn't a fantastic actor, but he made it up by being really damn creepy at the very end.


It was so much more gory than I had expected. A horror movie set to music is the best description I have heard for it and that is the truest.

GOD!

WATCH THIS NOW.

BATMAN EXTENDED TRAILER.

Pops!

The other night me and the Moms went to the Alamo Draftouse for the "Christmas Pops Singalong." It was probably the most fun I have had in a few months. Mom loved it too. There were all kinds of ridiculous songs from "Merry Christmas" by N*Sync to "Christmas Time is Here" by Charlie Brown. It was great. After the show about half of the audience (Mom and I included) went down onto 6th St and continued caroling there.
Austin is so fun.

Zowee!

So......I saw "The Golden Compass" today. Wow. I liked it a lot. I think it is getting terrible reviews because everyone reads the book then goes and sees the movie expecting it to be on par, but no book-to-movie will ever be as good as the book so get over it. It was awesome. Also, I am glad they are marketing it differently then "The Chronicles of Narnia" because this is not a kids movie. It's more like a medium between "Chronicles" and "The Lord of the Rings". Very intense fighting.
SPOILER ALERT!!

There are two ice bears that fight in the movie in a very ferocious scene. It ends with the good ice bear batting the bad ice bear's lower jaw off of his face. Then he clamps his mouth around the bad ice bears head and snaps his neck.
...
Let me repeat that.
Bear #1 rips Bear #2's lower jaw off his face.
Bear #1 then puts Bear #2's head in his mouth and snaps his neck.

There was not one person in the theatre who did not react to that with some version of "Jesus Christ!"





I am currently reading:
Marvel "Universe X"
-Just started. Alex Ross illustrations = win.

DC "Watchmen"
-I have read this before but decided I should brush up to get excited about the movie.

Speed!

So the trailer for the "Speed Racer" movie is out.
It looks pretty damn intense.
Gag reflex is going so well. We added a new sketch to the beginning of the show that made me cry it was so funny.
Christy called tonight. It was very nice. I miss her.

House!

So, quick update.
I has a bajillion hours to kill before rehearsal the other night.
I went to the Alamo Drafthouse.
I ordered one ticket to "Enchanted."
I ordered a serving of fries with queso. I ordered a Amber Draft Cider (deliciously intoxicating).
I watched the movie.
I chuckled.
I laughed.
I laughed some more.
It was a great movie with a really great heart. It was nice to see Disney back in their familiar territory with twists to keep it original.
Five stars. Good show.

Comics Abound!

Finished DC "Batman: Hush Returns"
- I realized I don't enjoy it when the Joker is not drawn stylized in one way or another. Drawing the Joker as a regular guy with face paint on just is not exciting. Comic was alright. Nothing fantastic. Nothing terrible.

Read:
DC "Kingdom Come"
-I have made it my life quest to own any TPB that Alex Ross did illustrations for. Not only are his comics the ones with the most compelling stories, but good god that man can fucking draw. It's amazing. Old Superman and Old Wonderwoman baby is lolocaust. Must buy.

DC "Identity Crisis"
- Not to be confused with "Infinite Crisis." I have read this before, but I had forgotten most of it. Splendid, sad story telling of loss, rape and the Green Arrow putting an arrow shaft through Slade's eye. Honestly, one of the most engrossing sagas I have read ever. Very, very good. Must buy.

News!

Why was I not informed!

This is the best thing I have ever seen on YouTube. Ever.

Scrubs Charlie Brown Christmas

Awz!

I said I would get back to you on my reading and here it is:

Marvel "Death of Captain America"
- I was kind of disappointed because I have yet to see the actual DEATH of Captain America. This TPB focused on what the after-effects were. And I have to say that I have no idea how Marvel keeps doing this, but just like when I read "Spider-Man: Reign" I found myself literally on the verge of tears. Captain America was such a symbol, and seeing what happens when that symbol is destroyed was almost heartbreaking. Wow. I am such a fucking nerd, but I love it.

I am currently reading
DC "Batman: Hush Returns"

Work was good today as always. Riggins from FNL came into the store, which was an unexpected surprise and awesome. He looks the same in real life as he does in the show. Very ragged, yet good looking. I wonder if he drinks the same irl.

Work!

It's weird that I am enjoying my job so much. Most of the time I am either ringing people up or joking around with my fellow employees. And with their employee book-lending thing I have rented thusfar:

Clive Barker's "Mister B. Gone"
-Book that reads like the journal of a demon. Pretty interesting and gory so far. Funny how an abusive, ass-hole father is basically every demons father. Also funny how priests bait demons from hell with beer.

DC "Infinite Crisis"
-Lame. I mixed this up with Bill's recommendation "Identity Crisis." I didn't get this at all. The only thing I liked was when the Joker killed Lex-2 for "not letting him play" in the destruction of the universe.

DC "The Long Halloween"
-Awesome Batman murder mystery story. I think the coolest thing about Batman art is the hundreds of ways they depict villains. Scarecrow and Joker look impressively terrifying in this. Must-read. Loved the depiction of Harvey Dent's transformation to Two-Face.

DC "Haunted Knight"
-Companion to "The Long Halloween." Shows different Halloween nights in Gotham. There are three, but the only one that really stuck out was the Mad Hatter's story. He kidnaps Gordon's daughter and dresses her up as Alice. He also has a bunch of other kids drugged up to play all of the other parts in wonderland. Funny Moment: Drugged kid reacting to Alice refusing tea, "Just drink the tea. He doesn't like it when you don't drink the tea." I dunno. It was funny when I read it.

Marvel "Death of Captain America"
-Haven't read it yet. Will get back to you.

Also, there is this shelf where we get new CD and book promos for free, and what happened to be there today? The Original Broadway Cast Recording of LoveMusik. Fuck Yea! Free Bitch! Uh! Eat That BILL!

AHH!!

THE SWEENEY TODD WEBSITE IS UP!!
I really like the direction they have taken, visually and audio as well.
Everyone is singing much more airy than before, but I think it will translate well to film.
I'm excited.
Yay!
Borders is going well.
I got into the Gag Reflex comedy troupe. So, that is where I will be while ringing in the New Year.
No other way I would rather do it. It should be hilarious. I cannot wait for the first rehearsal.

Turkey!

So, Thanksgiving was very nice. I got to see the whole family, including Chen's parents. I missed everyone so much. It is hard to believe that the last time that I saw them was in January. Ridiculous.
I bought "Mass Effect" for 360. It is pretty damn intense. And I did something that I usually don't ever do: I didn't cheat when I got stuck. Whenever I hit a particularly troubling part in a game, especially one that makes me restart six or seven times, I usually hit up gamefaqs.com or some other site to get me through it. "Mass Effect" is even more tempting because you can dial the difficulty up or down at will. But I was a big boy and did it all by myself.
The picture is from my modeling gig and it makes me laugh even though I kind of like it.

Turk!

Happy Turkey Day Everybody.

Wah!

So I had my first day at Borders yesterday. I was only there for three hours and it was pretty much just filling out paperwork and taking "the grand tour" of the store that I shop in once a week. They have some amazing employee benefits, such as ...... FREE MUG!! YES! Also, 35% off discount for me, (20% for full time w/ 30$ a month store credit....I want to be full time) accessibility to promotional copies of novels and cd's before they come out (books are pre-editor copies so they have mistakes in them) and a book loan program where you can take any two hard cover book out of the store for two weeks at a time (graphic novels, here I come). I am liking it a lot. The atmosphere is pretty much what I expected, laid back but trying to maintain a professional tone. I am liking it A LOT. I think this was a very good thing for me and I can't wait to get out of god-damned U.S. History today. I'm going to go to the Alamo Ritz to see how that is and watch "No Country For Old Men" and then go to work!
Hooray for work!
Also, I am really looking forward to Thanksgiving. I didn't realize how much I miss my family. With my Dad always being in Colorado, and clearly always being away from Baltimore. It actually just hit me very recently how much I miss them. I think I try not to, because when I do I feel alone which I know is not true but it's a problem I have here. It's getting better though. I have the wrap party for Roy's film tonight, so that should be fun.

In case you have been living in a fucking HOLE in the ground for the past week, there has been a new Ghostbusters game announced.
>there has been a new Ghostbusters game announced.
>a new Ghostbusters game
It looks amazing, and if it doesn't come out for 360 I just might kill myself.

Job! Seriously!

So Borders called me today. Apparently someone quit so I now have a job! They don't even mind that I can't be there for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

So........woo!
Also, I auditioned for "Gag Reflex" comedy troupe.
It was easily the best audition I have ever given. We went through a bunch of different scenes, so I got to try out a whole bunch of characters. I even found out that I do a terrible French accent!

I'm trying to download "Pirates of the Burning Sea" for it's stress test. It keeps resetting the download, I might have to unhook my 360, and hardwire in my computer because I think it's the wireless that keeps shitting out.

Barricade!

One more dawn. One more day. One. Day. More.
After tomorrow, both films will be done and I can concentrate again on schoolwork.......and PA'ing for the low budget horror movie....and interning for the record label.........kill me.
Anyway, I don't know if I have written for a few days so if I already talked about this I am sorry.

Roy (the first student I ever did any film for in Austin) is filming for his graduate program and we are shooting it on location in an office building. When I asked where we were filming I thought Roy said "MCSoft" which I thought sounded quite familiar. I drive up to the building and, lo and behold, it is the North American office for NCSoft. Developer of such hit games as, "City of Heroes," "City of Villains," "Tabula Rasa," "Lineage," and "Guild Wars." AWESOME! In the front lobby they have life sized models of an orc and a gnoll warrior. It's ridiculous, and has been making half of the crew geek out since we got there. I applied there for their "QA Tester" position, which is basically like playing games for a paycheck but a lot more goes into it. I want........nay, I need this job. Urg.
"30 Rock" and "The Office" were outstandingly ridiculous last night. "Scrubs" has been leaving me kind of meh lately. I hope it picks up before they run out of episodes due to the strike.

Watched "Saw 4" the other day. I don't know. I really enjoyed it and I think it's twist was the best twist since the end of the first movie. Especially the twist AFTER the twist. I wish I could talk about it.

Nipped!

Nip/Tuck was phenomenal tonight. It helps that it is such a sexually driven show, so it is hard for it to get boring. But wow. I love it.
The picture is mainly for Bill from Lindsay's LJ. I thought he would get a kick out of it, even though he has probably seen it already because he is a SuttonWhore.
Being around sets and such, I am aching to get into the technical aspect of film. The intro class that I am in now, while informational on the history and as much as I am enjoying it, makes me want to shoot myself when I think that I could be playing around with cameras and FinalCut Pro. On that note, I need a MacBook Pro so bad. Arg.
I need a freaking job.
It's upsetting to already be looking forward to the holiday's being over so I can get back to school and get a job and get back to real life.

Er!

School today was all right.
I had my third Oceanography exam. I think it went ok. Not stellar, but well.
I started/finished my fourth and final paper in class for Comp I. I also filled out the form so that I can take honor classes. Mainly because I love my Comp Professor and she said it was wicked easy.
Radio/TV/Film was mediocre. We have had a sub for the past week and a half and we have just been watching videos. Today was "OutFoxed" which, I already knew, is fantastic. But the stupid sub just kept fast forwarding through the tape. It is a really amazing documentary, but it loses something when the teacher is just flipping through chapters summarizing what they were talking about. Erg.
Got a shirt at Target today from the David Bowie Collection. It's a T-shirt w/ a lightning bolt at the collar. I'll need to get a photo op in it so I can post it. It's already one of my favorite shirts.
Favorite Shirts Include:
-Alamo Drafthouse "Badass Cinema"
-Assassins "Zangara"
-"Leo"
-Legend of Zelda "Windwaker"
-P.A.L. Soccer
-LIGHTNING BOLT!

"Heroes" was tonight. It promised to answer all of our "burning questions." Like "what happened after Peter exploded" and "what happened to Sylar." The Peter storyline was compelling and guest starred an extremely sexy Kristen Bell as the sadistic lightning chick. They spent a good fifteen minutes talking about the damn Mexican twins. I really couldn't care less about them, and I was looking for what happened between seasons 1 and 2 not what made the lame Mexican chick bleed out of her eyes. Illegal Immigrants are Stealing our Air Time for Actually Compelling Stories!! IISATACS!!! Anyway. They didn't talk about what happened to Sylar whatsoever. The Nikki storyline was alright, DL still dies from a gunshot wound I really don't care who pulled the trigger because either way it wasn't Nikki pulling it. So does it really matter? If they had only shown Peter's view, I still would have been pissed that they didn't explain the whole "Sylar escaping through a man hole in NYC to Mexico" thing but at least I wouldn't have felt like half of the hour had been wasted on characters that I really didn't care about.

Honey!

I saw "Bee Movie" last night with the madre. I haven't spent much time with my mom in a long time, so it was really nice. We went to the Bastrop theater. Ugh. I know it was a movie aimed towards families, but that is no reason for the movies to be treated like a PlayPlace. It was terrible. Multiple babies crying, which parents either were soothing by walking up and down the aisles or by yelling at them. Multiple little kids yelling for half the movie. Ugh X 2.
The movie itself was really funny. It is nice to see Jerry Seinfeld back. Also, Matthew Broderick. The humor had some lame moments, but those were mainly for the kids. The humor that was aimed at adults was genius, including a nice bit that compared bee labor to slave labor. It was good. Go see it.
If you haven't listened to "Flight of the Conchords" do it.
If you haven't seen "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" do it.
If you haven't seen "Arrested Development" do it as well.

Holiday!

Went and saw Travis' play "Tis' the Season." I thought it was very funny, but the narration in between the holiday's was pointless and seemed to just distract from what the holiday's had in common. I think if the play was work shopped over a year, it could be REALLY funny. Travis was great, he has a real talent for comedy and after the show some gentlemen came up to him to discuss auditions for a TV pilot. So that is awesome.
I am going to be a Production Assistant! Yay! Being a P.A. is pretty much being the bitch on a film set, but it seems to be the fastest way to learn and it's a good way to get valuable experience which, in any entertainment field, means a whole lot more than where you got your degree. It's a low-budget film and that is pretty much all I know about it. I also signed up to be a rep for perfspot.com where I go to concerts and take pictures and write up a short review of the show. It's unpaid, but they pay my way into the show. So that should be cool. Especially for the next time Regina Spektor is in town. She was just here Bill.
I am tired. I have been burning the candle at both ends and it is slowly killing me. Oh well. AND my wisdom teeth are coming in. Hooray. Ugh.
Christy called today. I'm sure she doesn't realize it, but that call was the high point of my week. It really meant a lot to me.

Green!

I think I am sick of all this "Green" stuff on NBC now.
Who isn't?
I think if it was one show a night that had something to do with being Green, it might be effective. But I watched three comedy shows in a row that had to do with the Earth and it felt like they were beating the ideas across my face. Also, Scrubs has been kind of lacking so far this season. That's what I said about Heroes as well, so hopefully Scrubs will have a huge comeback in a few episodes.

The networks NEED to stop this writers strike. Give them the money they are asking for! They deserve it! I want The Daily Show! I want The Colbert Report! I want Heroes to finish this season! I want Lost to START this season! I want Scrubs to have a series finale! All of these things are in serious jeopardy if the strike doesn't end soon.

Extra!

I have been kinda meh on "Heroes" this season.
That is until I watched Monday's episode.
I can't wait to see what kind of shit "Adam" will be bringing down upon Hiro. It's been what, a few hundred years and the dude still holds a grudge?
Anyway, that twist blew my fucking mind and I was yelling "YES!" at the TV for about a minute.

YATA!!

Sleep!

Finished filming for "Anything for Now". An independent feature that I was an extra for. It was pretty fun, made a few acquaintances. Last night we were filming at Ruta Maya Coffee House from 11 p.m. until 6:15 a.m. I was the bartender/barrista in the first shot and they told me that once they got the coverage they needed they would be using me again for a close up shot. Never Fucking Happened. So I pretty much did nothing from 2-6 a.m. Ugh. You better be able to see me in some kind of shot.
I got a call from a UT student the other day and he had an actor flake out on him so I am going to be doing a scene study from "The Big Lebowski" where I will be playing The Dude. It's a funny scene, but I have been so burnt lately because I have been over-booking myself like nobody's business. Then Roy, the first UT student I had ever worked for, called me. And HE had an actor flak out on him, so I am going to be in his film that shoots next weekend. I think the worst part about this kind of stuff is that it makes me unavailable for the other fun stuff that I want to do. I was going to go see "The Upright Citizens Brigade" because they are coming to the Alamo Drafthouse, but I can't because of the "Lebowski" scene. Then I was going to go to an advanced screening of "Southland Tales" but that is when Roy's film shoots. Ugh.
I need an agent like whoah.
On the plus side, I found a Sweeney Todd poster at Border's yesterday. For free. Score.
On the down side, Border's can't hire me because of my seasonal availability. But they made it very clear to talk to them after Christmas because they apparently REALLY want me to work there.

I hope no one is disappointed in me. I finally broke down the other day.


I BOUGHT A DC COMIC!
It is "Justice" Vol. 1 by Alex Ross. AND IT IS AMAZING!!
Honestly, if all DC comics were like this I would tell Marvel to suck it. Every panel of the comic is pretty much a work of art. The premise is all of the major DC villains keep having this premonition-like dream where there is a nuclear holocaust and the DC heroes are unable to save anyone. The villains then all band together to get rid of the heroes so that, when the day comes, the villains can save the day. Seeing Superman crying out for help while getting pummeled by Bizzaro, Metallo, Parasite and Solmon Grundy is so sweet. Also, Aquaman on an operating table having his brain prodded by Brainiac. Slick. Love it. I can't wait to get Vol. 2.

Blonde!

I just turned on MTV and am catching the last half hour of "Legally Blonde" the musical.

So far.....................wow.
What utter utter shit.
I know that movie musicals are the new hula-hoop, but seriously. It's only reason to exist is for fan-service to fans of the movie which I have seen and is somewhat better, but still lackluster.
Ugh.

I went to San Marcos today to be an extra for the independent feature "Anything For Now." It was fun and there was a dolly shot that went right by me, so I should be able to see myself. I'm also doing work for them Sunday and Monday late night.

Ugh, it's back on. It's like watching Claire-Bear from "Heroes" singing. It's over.
Ugh.
Sutton Foster must have bitch slapped her husband after curtain EVERY NIGHT for forcing her to have any kind of connection with such terribly made schlock.

This is my video interview that I edited for an audition online. You might recognize "Best Friendz" and "Put on a Happy Face" playing in the background. You can hit it up on facebook here.

Michael Cerveris is on Law and Order right now!! WOO!

Disc!

I had to go downtown this morning to make up a lab in Oceanography. That took about an hour. Then I went and met Ashley and Dave from Comp. I at Zilker Park and we played some sweet disc golf. Ashley was god-awful. I wasn't all that bad. Dave has a disc golf BASKET (the metal basket that you need to get your disc into) in the back of his car so............ he's pretty good. Anyway, that was a whole lotta fun. Then I went over to Melissa's and watched Grey's Anatomy and played Halo 3. Grey's Anatomy..........I can see why so many people like it. It has heart. But after being really involved in action/plot oriented show such as Heroes and Lost it's kind of hard to move to a slower show like that.

Boo!

So, Halloween was fun. I had class until 5, then went over to Melissa and Samia's place. Us, along with Wright, Travis and.......the other guy who was there.....(damn it) went to the Hyatt on the river to see the bats come out on all-hallows-eve. But, they refused to come out or they have migrated already. Jesus. Every time I go to see the damn bats, they don't come out. Damn bats. I dressed up as the Joker and it was fantastic. Wright was Rambo-Jesus. Melissa was a pirate wench. 6th St was ridiculous. Halloween is Mardi Gras for the capitol of Texas. There were SO many people. "The Slutty BumbleBee" was the outfit of choice among nearly 1/4 of the women there. I saw a few other Jokers, but I think I was about the best one. There were many Batmans, which I always made a point to glare at or start some kind of scene with them. I had a picture taken when I ran into a couple dressed at the Riddler and Poison Ivy and then we collectively ran into a Batman and Robin. It was great. I am really feeling at home finally. The community here is so inclusive, and EVERYONE is proud to be here. And I find that I am as well. I haven't been here a year, and I am proud to be a Texan. Honestly, Texas is my favorite place on Earth now. I love NYC for Broadway, but there are too many people. I love Oregon for the indie-ness, but there is little variation. Texas, especially Austin, is just so varied. Anyway, that is my love letter to Austin.
I have been so busy lately. I did FNL tonight, which was at a movie theatre. They had this awesome helium balloon that had lights in it to light the theatre. It was fun. I hopefully have a job at Borders on S. Lamar. I might be accepting an internship for a record label where I would go to concerts and write about them. AND I am close to getting accepted into an agency.

Joke!

So I tried out my Joker outfit/makeup when I got home from class. It consists of white makeup, red lipstick, green hairspray, my tux tails, black pants, this colorful mod shirt I own and a purplish tie. I think that wednesday I will buy a flower to pin on the tails and I also need to buy much more white makeup, but other than that I think I am done. I love paint.net because I get to make myself look much more scary than I think I ever look.

The Cake Is A Lie!

I finished Portal last night. It was amazing. The physics themselves allow for it to be a fantastic puzzler but the humor that is injected to it by way of the voice of the A.I. that guides you through the game is sheer genius. For example, near the end of the game you are on a moving platform descending into a pit of fire as the A.I. let's you know (politley, of course) what a huge success you have been and not to worry, because your scientific equipment (the portal gun) will survive the incinerator. Once you escape, the A.I. stumbles a bit but then reassures you that it was only joking and it would never dream of harming you. Think of H.A.L., but so upfront and polite that it is funny. And while the end credits roll the A.I. sings a song about how it will let as many people die as is neccessary for the 'those who are still alive.' It really is funny, and I believe you can find it on YouTube. Actually, you can see it here. It contains spoilers, just to let you know.

Also, I have realized that if Half-Life 2 had insane multiplayer it would be ten times the game that Halo 3. When I finished Half-Life 2, despite the cliffhanger ending, I was really engrossed in the story and the characters and realized that I wanted to play the game not just to shoot shit, but also to find out what happens next. This is something that Halo was never able to achieve with me. Also, Half-Life has the gravity gun. Who DOES NOT want to pick up a radiator and chuck it at someone's head? Honestly. Team Fortress 2 is the fun multiplayer game in 'The Orange Box', but it has sparse maps and is more focused on objective than most FPS'. Enjoyable, yes. Better than Halo 3's multiplayer? Doubtful.

I apologize for today's picture, but I am posting from my almost deserted English classroom waiting for my RTF class to start. You might ask, "Why post a picture at all if it is going to suck?" And that I can tell you in a word.....Tradition! So enjoy your water lillies.

I'm going over to Melissa's apartment (one of the girls that I met doing 'Friday Night Lights') and I believe we are going to carve pumpkins. I'm planning on making mine the infamous 'Red Ring of Death' from X360 owners. I'm going to carve the symbol in the pumpkin then make compartments where I can put a few red glowsticks and another compartment for green glowsticks. If all goes as planned, this pumpkin is going to own your children.

Ugh!

So....bad news. Bad news that I am really in no mood to talk about. Suffice it to say that it is about Christy and that the damage is apparently irreparable. I think I am going to be thinking about it enough that I don't want it to be on here for now.

In other news, this weekend was god-awful busy. I had my U.S. History mid-term on Thursday and, surprisingly, it wasn't terrible. I'm pretty sure that I got at least a B on it, but knowing the professor I am sure he will find some loop hole to screw me over. I did extra work for 'Friday Night Lights' Thursday and Friday. It was a whole lot of fun and I am going to try to keep my Fridays open so that I can do it every week, if only because of the people I meet and have a fantastic time with there. I can't do the games again, or if I do I can only do one a week because you get there at 5 to check in, then you wait till sun down, and then you're there until 1-2 in the morning.

I rented 'Transformers', and I have to say that it doesn't translate to the small screen as well as the movie theatre. You lose a part of the grandeur of seeing a fucking car turning into a fucking robot when it's not larger than life. The scenes with the parents still stole the show for me, and when Barricade (the cop car) did his mid-air transform/jump/chase/ohmygod. But I found it really hard to pay attention to and actually was in my room on the computer for the last half hour of the movie.

I went and saw "We Own the Night" a few days ago. I appreciated it. It doesn't do anything you haven't seen before, but the acting is just fantastic. Question: Does anyone know if Joeqiuoqiqnidn Phoenix had a cleft pallet when he was younger? I'll probably just look it up, but he has a scar down his lip that I think was there is "Walk the Line".

Announcement!

I just wanted to thank everyone who visits this site regularly, semi-regularly or once-and-never-again. Thanks to you my blog has recieved 200 HITS!

Woo!

Now, you may ask, "How do you know how many hits you have?"
Well, I am so glad you asked. Google provides a free program called 'Google Analytics' which tracks any website that you have editing control over. It is amazing and I find myself checking it more than FaceBook. It is so interesting to me to see not only how MANY people have seen my thoughts, but WHERE they are from!

I have 197-ish from N. America. Most in the NE, where I used to live, but also random ones all over the country like Seattle and Colombus. IN ADDITION TO THOSE, I also have one hit from London, one hit from Apucarana (Brazil), and one from Doha (QATAR!! THE FUCKING MIDDLE EAST!!) I THINK THAT IS SO DAMN COOL!!! ARGHH!!!

I am going to go geek out at Transformers over dinner. THANKS AGAIN!!

Nip it in the Bud!

I just wanted to spend some time talking about the wonderment of the FX show "Nip/Tuck."
In a word: absolutely phenomenal-tastic.

I have been burning through the seasons, and I have to say that this show exemplifies not only great, addicting story-telling but also well-drawn characters that are acted with amazing precision. Every time I watch this show, I am emotionally drawn into everything in it. It's fuckin' great.
Yea, that's pretty much it.
If you have the chance, rent the first disc of the first season.
If you're not hooked, you might want to consult a physician.



You might not be human at all.

Shuffle!

I went and auditioned for a UT student film today. It's a zombie movie and it seems pretty funny. It also has the most varied shots I have ever seen (on a screenplay) for a UT student. So that's good.
I can't describe how much I love "shuffle all songs" on the iPod.
Today, I was really missing everybody and during the course of the drive to and from UT I heard the TBTA version of "Songs for a New World," which reminded me of Bart and Christy. Mine, Brandon and Travis' recording of "Best Friendz." And Scrap from "The Full Monty," which is like me and Bill's fucking BEAT. So, it was nice. I liked it.

Good Times!

I've been working on my paper for English and have been making some real headway. It's gonna be good. I can feel it.
I was an extra for "Friday Night Lights" last night. It was SO much fun. The scene took place at the High School's Homecoming dance. I wore a tux that they gave me and hung around with a few guys, one of which is a regular extra on the football team.We had to wait for around two and a half hours, but the dance was a lot of fun. This girl, Heather, came up to me when we were waiting around and introduced herself. She was an actress in one of the "BloodShots" films. So that was really cool. Her film actually won 2nd place. I asked her if she would be my prom date and she agreed, and we had a really fun time. We were both professional, but also wanted to have a lot of fun AND to try to get as much screen time as possible. I think, out of 6 or 7 different shots, we were in the foreground of at least 4. So we have a very large probability of getting some sweet screen time.
After the shoot, Heather said she and her boyfriend were going downtown and asked if I wanted to come along.................................so I did. I don't know if you recognize what a leap that is for me. I usually need a few days of knowing someone STRAIGHT before I am comfortable to do ANYTHING with them. This is a big deal for me, and a large leap for mankind as well. So I met them DOWNTOWN on 7th st. (another first) We talked, hung out. I felt like a third wheel for a few minutes and a wall flower for another few, but for the majority I was really comfortable. It was very fun, and I think we are probably going to do something next weekend as well.

Job!

I had History today and before class the professor was about ten minutes late as usual and a few of my classmates started talking. We all discussed what bullshit the class was and how none of us were learning anything and how we were all afraid for the mid-term. It felt so nice to hear that from other people, because up to that point I was afraid that I was alone in my way of thinking. So, that was nice.

I had work today.
For an hour.
You might be saying, "Work for an hour?" And you would be right. I just said that. Get with the program. But yes, work for an hour. I went in, discussed the job, sat around for an hour learning how to talk on the phone, and quit. Not only was it just not a right fit for me as a job, I also felt truly uncomfortable there. Everyone was sufficiently creepy. I hated it a lot. It felt like the only reason I was there was to call people who had no interest in coming to the opera, which meant that I would be getting 0 commission. I can get a better job. One where I feel like I might do well and not want to kill myself within the first fifteen minutes.

I watched the documentary "OutFoxed" tonight. It was a very startling look into FOX News and I'm using it for my research paper in Comp 1. I knew Bill O'Reilley was a douche bag and a half, but they featured one person he had on his program that I found awful. He invited a young, 20-something man onto his show because, although the man's father was killed in the attack on 9/11, he was opposed to the war in Iraq. During the conversation the man tried to get out his point that he wasn't angry at Afghanistan or Iraq, he was mad at the small group of radicals who attacked our country who were originally trained and funded by our government. O'Reilly then continued to tell the man to "shut up" and to tell him how he hoped his mother wasn't watching AND how the man's father wouldn't support his sons opinion on the war. What the fuck? How can a legitimate news network allow someone to say that to a guest on their program? The answer is.....a LEGITIMATE news network does not. I am definitely going to attend the next media march bringing attention the corporate ownership in media. And if one isn't happening here soon....fuck it, I might just organize my own.

I bought Stephen Colbert's book "I Am America (And So Can You!)"
It is full of win and chocolate. I am addicted to it, and it will most likely flood this blog with fuckwin quotes from it soon. Honestly, I would have bought it just to own the right to have him stare me down.

Job?!

So yea, I went in to the Austin Lyric Opera for an "interview" which was basically "When can you start?" So they need people, so I will take the job and I start work tomorrow. As long as I don't fucking hate it, I think this will take a lot of stress out of my life right now. I keep freaking out about money, but this will help. I am kind of worried, because it is a Telemarketing job and I don't know how I will feel about that. Oh well.
We'll see how I feel tomorrow!
I got my Radio, TV and Film project back. I had to design a cable channel and I chose "Broadway TV." It turned out really good and I received a 98% on it. WOO!

Tension!

So we filmed last night from about 9:30 until 5:30 A.M. Yuck.
It was a good shoot and the director really seemed to care about everybody there, even though a few of his crew were more busy being bitchy about time constraints because they needed the equipment later.
But it's done and I feel like it will turn out good. I'm not sure if I will be proud of it, but I'm pretty sure it will be funny.
I had a mini breakdown today at my Mom, who has been hounding me about getting a job. I'm not saying that she doesn't have the right to, but with school being as ridiculous as it's becoming there is only so much energy I can put into the job hunt, and I AM hunting. I look in the Chronicle every week and e-mail jobs that look good, I e-mail or call every job post that she sends me from craig's list (which I just discovered), and I am going to visit StarBuck's tomorrow to see if anyone has gotten around to looking at my application.
It's weird. Just a few days ago Christy and I were not doing well at all but now, with the inclusion of our title "exclusive break", we seem to be pretty much back to normal. She offered me to come up to her house for Thanksgiving this year because of money posing such a problem. It makes sense, and my Mom is going to look up if I can switch my ticket which may not be a possibility being so close to Thanksgiving. I haven't really seen my Brother and Sister since the wedding and holidays are really the only time I get to spend with them any more, but I am spending Christmas in Colorado with the whole family so....... I'm thinking about it.

Fill!

I had my dental appointment today and it went surprisingly well. I didn't feel much pain, and now don't have any cavities. Hoo-ray! I still have to go next week for my cleaning, but apparently flossing regularly actually does help you not get cavities. They should publish that somewhere or something.
We shoot "Melhiem Learns to Talk to Girls" tonight. The director has shown interest in the whole Sox Masterson (puppet) and Melhiem (me) becoming a viral video series, and wants to do another one in the near future. So that's cool.
Christy and I changed the terminology of our break up to "exclusive time off" which helps with my worries definitely and already seems to be helping our communication too. I feel much less stress and tension, and my stomach feels much better already. Yay!

I e-mailed "Friday Night Lights" and got into another episode as an extra. Next Friday I will be playing a High School student at a dance, I guess. So that should be fun and provide me with the money to pick up The Orange Box next week. The Orange Box = Half-Life 2 and Episodes 1 and 2, Portal and Team Fortress and it looks amazing.

Anyone have any comments or such? I know that people read this thing, (a detail that I will go into more depth hopefully later this week) so drop me a freaking line people!

ALSO! You can view the official theatrical trailer for the Sweeney Todd film here.
(Thanks to OnMyShore on LiveJournal for the link.) It looks pretty damn intense. I think that it will stand out from the crowd of terrible musical to movies (Rent, Hairspray) because it's not just taking what was on stage and putting it on the screen. It looks like the first one to have it's own damn art direction, which is amazing and I can't wait!

Tending!

I had rehearsal last night and it was pretty fun. The guy that plays Sox Masterson, the sock puppet, is pretty funny and the girl, who is in the scene for all of ten seconds, is pretty cool too. I think it's funny how all the director's that I have worked with are REALLY intent on pleasing their actors. Like last night, my director took like fifteen minutes to ask what kind of snacks we would want or drinks at the shoot and none of us had any demands. I don't know, maybe all other actors in the world are really prude and into themselves. But, i'll eat cookies and coke. You really don't have to ask if cookies and coke is ok.
Bill Cosby wasn't in class today and amazingly I learned even LESS from that class. Mainly because an assistant came in and put on a video then left, so I just read The Onion during it.
Went to the Texas School for Bartending today and sat in on a class. It seems really neat. Really fast. But, really neat. The people I saw were only in their fourth day and they were already making like three drinks in two minutes. The goal is to have 12 drinks under five minutes by the end of the course. It seems like a total possibility, and I think I am definitely going to do this.
Coolio.
Rehearsal tonight. 30 Rock season premiere! The Office!

Hung won Top Chef last night. Ugh. He seemed really fake to me. I wish Dale won. Grr.

Feelings!

I don't know if it is because of the stress in my life right now or the current girl situation or what, but I am constantly feeling sick to my stomach. I thought this break was easing my tension, but it might be making it worse (ex. always wondering if she is seeing someone, always worried that she is upset at me in this moment). It's terrible. It makes me want to call the whole separation thing off, and I probably would if it was only up to me. My Mother noticed a trend when I talked to her that I was able to flesh out in private. It seems like every time me and Christy are making actual commitment, we hit these bumps. I can't even remember what the first one was. I don't know if that was before our one year anniversary or right after. Suffice it to say that mere weeks after our one year anniversary, we broke up. Then we got back together and broke up again because of the distance (I think). Then, just recently, we got back together and broke up again when Christy moving down here and us getting an apartment together seemed like a reality. As long as I am remembering right, which, admittedly is a rare occurrence, I was seemingly unaware of any huge problems until right before we broke up over them. This says lots of things to me, and none of them are good. And I know that there were other factors that played into the breakups (especially this most recent one), but it seems to come from a lack of commitment, or simply a commitment issue, somewhere. I don't know. Maybe this is all mumbo jumbo and has no correlation at all. It just seemed odd to me.

So I would stop this if it was my choice, but that doesn't mean that I think this was a bad choice. We made it together, and it is hopefully for the best. But if I had my way right now? I would buy Christy a plane ticket to Texas. We would worry about getting her stuff later. And we would be together, living a full and happy life. Maybe that isn't supposed to happen. I think it is. I wish I would follow my own advice and not write about this here because I don't want to hurt Christy's feelings inadvertently, but once I start I feel like I have so much to say and it just comes out better here.

Christy also made the point that I would have to really do some thinking before I considered moving to CT to be with her. I just think CT can suck some people in and never let go. Clearly, I know many happy, successful people who live in, or around Danbury but you couldn't pay me to move back. This is where my life has taken me, and moving back to CT would feel like a step back to me. I understand how close Christy is with her family, who are pretty much all in CT,and that is fantastic. I wish I a large family that I was close with. But I think moving would be so good for her. I think it's what she should do, not for me (well, a little. im not a total idiot) but for HER. I don't think CT has enough of the right kind of opportunities for her, and I want to see her successful and happy.

Texas is far away. There is no escaping that point. And, in case of a NE emergency, it's going to take you at least the day to get there. But unless you live in CT, it's going to be a day trip either way. I don't want her to think that I don't get the alienation that she would feel moving out here. I was pretty much alone here for five months and she would be coming in with people she knew already, if not living with one. I don't know. I think I'm starting to ramble so I'll shut it down for tonight. I have rehearsal for the UT short tonight. Should be fun.

"Nothing about us was perfect or clear, but when paradise calls me I'd rather be here."

View....ed!

I had my interview today for Grace Marketing and, like I expected, it was for a full-time position that is for 8-6 M-Th. So that was a bust, but it made me feel good and I felt like if I had gone in there with the availability I would have had a good chance at the job. I talked to a girl waiting with me and she looked exactly like Karen from the Office.
Then, I applied at Scooter's coffee and smoothie shop in Bastrop. I feel like I have that job in the bag, but I want to make sure Starbuck's dosen't want me before I agree to Scooter's. I think the Buck's would pay much more than the Er's.

I got into the UT comedic short I auditioned for, and I think I have rehearsal tomorrow. It should be pretty damn fun. Although, it's forcing me to record the Top Chef finale. I'm hoping that Dale wins. He's ridiculous.

Sadden!

So, as much as I have been trying to remain mute on the topic in last few days I can't really keep posting about my life if I leave out the big things that happen to me. Christy and I have broken up. We are taking some time, after which we will hopefully find our ways back to each other. I still love her with all of my heart and she is still my bestest best friend in the whole wide world. I really hope that this dosent mean the end of us as a couple, and even more so, as friends. I know that sounds so cliche, but it's true. So that's that. There is little point in dwelling on it here because, lord knows, i will be dwelling on it in life enough.

Tomorrow I have an interview after J-E-L-L-O 101. It's for a company called Grace Marketing and I have to dress professionally. I don't think I have any chance at the job because it is full-time and I am guessing that it's a 9-5 job, but I want to go anyway to see what it's all about.
Then, Thursday I am going to visit the Texas School for Bartending to see what that's all about. I think it is something I would either love or hate with passion.

Zim-zalla-bim!

Here is the link for the only film at BloodShots that I thought was legitimately better than ours:

LARP

Bad times are afoot and I don't like them at all. As long as it ends well, it is worth it. But I am really, really worried. Probably more so than I have ever been in my life.

Bloody Squared!

Quick update:

Team Budcrud's submission for Bloodshots 2007 is now on YouTube.
Here's the link:

BLOODSHOTS!

Timely!

Went to see 'Across the Universe' today. Yes, I finally found a theater showing it. God.

It was really good though. It really had emotional punch when it needed to (such as "Let it Be" playing during the Harlem Riots and "Strawberry Fields Forever" playing for Vietnam). I think that when the songs worked, it worked better than the best moments in, say, "Moulin Rouge". But when the songs didn't work, it really threw me out of the moment. Bono had a cameo and he was actually entertaining as this new world pot head philosopher. Eddie Izzard also made a cameo as Mr. Kite and, I have to say, that if I ever take LSD I want this movie in a lead box 100 ft underground because I know that if I saw this movie while under some kind of influence I would probably jump off a building. It was really fucking weird sometimes.

Finished the first season of "30 Rock" and it was amazing. I find different things to laugh at every time. Especially in Alec Baldwin, I think he is just the bees knees. He puts so much emphasis on his character that sometimes you don't notice the things that he is saying until a few seconds later and it is perfect because that is absolutely what talking to that character would feel like.

I have an audition for a comedic short tomorrow at UT. Get this, I was REFERRED to the director. How cool is that?! A referral! I feel so professional even though this is student, non-paid work. But, hey at least I get to kiss a sock puppet.

Interview!

I got a call today from Grace Marketing, one of the companies that I randomly applied to on Monster.com and I set up an interview for Tuesday! This is really exciting. It's downtown on North Lamar so it would kind of be a commute, and I think they are looking only for full time so I may have to make room in my schedule for work. But this is a legit business, not a temp agency, and they hire people as low level sales I guess, and then do training on everything in Marketing so employees can move up the ladder. It's a business, I have to dress professionally for the interview. Exciting!

"30 Rock" is so addicting. I definitely recommend it. I love how they poke fun at NBC, while being on NBC.

-"No, there is no way were going to put in ads to our show. I hate when shows do that."
-"This is Diet Snapple?"
-"Yea, isn't it delicious? And it tastes just like regular!"

I don't think I talked about this yet. In my U.S. History class, my professor gave out a study guide for the mid-term and I noticed that "continental drift" was on it. Being in an Oceanography class, I have learned that continental drift has been disproved and the new theory is called "plate tectonics." I decided to inform the professor.

"Well, the book says continental drift so that's what were going to go with."

But, that's wrong. The teacher who was JUST preaching about how we are all robots and never stand up for ourselves is telling me, a student who is standing up for himself and the good of the class, to 'not worry about it.' What the fuck? Seriously? Oh well, this is probably better because it just further proves everything I think about him anyway.

Clerical!

I'm watching the Office season premiere:

Michael: "I'm not superstitious but I am a little stitious."

Pam and Jim are back together!! And the country can breathe easily once more.