Muscles You Never Knew You Had

That's the positive version of it.. I haven't physically exerted myself this much in nearly 4 years... and I'm aware of every single painful sensation being produced.


I'm entirely pleased though.. my situation has definitely improved.. for a little while.


Update- 12/30/08- 3:37pm: I feel like shit. I won't be doing this again for some time. The end.

Recap City

Christmas was delightful, I almost won at Nertz...and holy balls, breakfast was fantastical. A dream, yo, a dream. Oh, and by the way, Inchworm, inchworm, measuring the marigolds.











(Whoa. Freezeframe is gonna take over the world..Just you wait.)

Damn you, Danny Kaye, and your delightful imagery..


Have a lovely.

Seasons Greetings from your favorite Uncle..

Happy Christmas Eve,
little ones..

I'm suddenly getting the urge to watch With Honors again...

Who the hell knows why.

Go ahead.
Have a fab day on me~

The Burger King Fiasco: Highlights

Sometimes I can be such a bastard....Just went into Burger King with the intention of f'ing around with them.. Ordered a Whopper Junior-- pretty normal, right?

It gets better..

"Now, sir, this is going to be tricky.. No tomatoes, no lettuce, no nothing. Let's start from scratch, shall we? Burger. Bun. Add Cheese. Add Pickles. Add onions. Add Ketchup. Nothing else, alrighty?"

Yup. I turned the whopper into a Mcdonalds Cheeseburger.


They really shouldn't come up with such catchy slogans if they don't mean to act on it.. cause..

I'm really just one of those dudes who likes having it 'my way'.












(Umm.. Yeah, you've just been schooled.)





Having a good day too? :)

It's About Time.

Crappy football game on the tube...not much interest there..but then comes the commercial of the week for me:


Yes. I'm referring to Geico.










Normally, I wouldn't whoop it up much for the damn car insurance gecko and his zany adventures trying to hock his wares to the unsuspecting yet pop culturally in the know victims.

But...

I heard it..


That's right.. Rockwell is back, yo!














Mind you, it wasn't him singing his classic hitchcockian 80s frightfester "Somebody's Watching Me"..but someone was!

That's good enough for me...for now...you know, until Rockwell comes out of retirement and launches a full scale hasbeens tour.. though, that might not work cause he can't sing his own choruses without help, dammit..

Whoa. Hold on a sec.. That might mean MJ has to come back and start singing good stuff again...hmmmmmm.

(Michael as we might remember him..)

Hope you're all doing pretty great today~

Continuing the Theme..

Just discovered The Secret Garden: The Musical.. I've been seriously missing out for so long now.. It's odd, I've known of this for years, just passed it over, because it looked schmaltzy and overdone.

I was very wrong.

My recent Patinkin appreciation notwithstanding, the music from this show is breathtaking.

I only wish I had known how great this was sooner...shame I'm about 18 years late in seeing it. Ah well. At least the soundtrack exists. :)


Ps. If you're in need of a Mandy fix(as clearly I do..aren't I the proper whore for talent?), listen to "I Heard Someone Crying", "Lily's Eyes" and "Race You To The Top of the Morning"...these clearly define what I've been going on about..

Extra Points: "A Bit of Earth"-- lovely too. "Where in the World"-- deep and beautiful.

..hint...Drawer II.

Ahem.

Good day to you all~

Current Ear-Candy.

Patinkin doing Sondheim..what could be better...

Light baritone/tenor range, inflections at just the right moment and usually dead on.. Mandy just knows how to do his tributes.

Yes, I'm definitely a fan now.

A Bit About Bubba..

That's right, kids... Your very own Uncle S. has just found out a few more details about Bubba Nosferatu-- supposed prequel to Bubba Ho-Tep starring our B Movie Cult Favorite, Bruce Campbell.. Sadly, Mr. C. won't be in this version..He's doing his own thing, starring in tv shows, directing, yada yada(whatever bs he came up with to get out of it..).. but.. there's still plenty of reasons to rejoice(lol, really?).



Here's a definite one. Paul Giamatti. Yessir. He's one of mein own fav actors, and the idea that he'll be in a movie like this sorta thrills me....as Colonel Tom Parker no less. Get outta town!

Also, there's some scuttlebutt about Ron Perlman(of Hellboy and to a lesser extent, Beauty and the Beast tv series following..) being Elvis in this one.. Should be interesting to see how he pulls it off.. He's a good actor, though you hardly ever know it's him under all that makeup.



As for me, yes, I'm thrilled. You? Probably lukewarm on it..but who knows.. some of us have had experience with this sort of thing, and are vaguely interested at least. One can only hope. :)


But..seriously.. the idea of Giamatti going all underground to do some high paced, minimal plot, low budget entertainment like this?

It's a no brainer, folks.

SLC Thoughts

Feels surprisingly natural to be back... I'm enjoying the reacquaintenscing, seeing my friends, and comfortably settling back into the lifestyle..

Haven't much else to report..just pleased.

And then, just like that, everything changes.

I'm going home...finally.

I don't know that I've fully accepted it yet.. still in shock over it.

Parents really came through on this one, and I'm so grateful..more than that really.


It seems that no matter the circumstance, I really always do come out on top-- sooner or later.

I could use the default reasoning for it; luck of the irish and all that.. but to be honest..

Sometimes, I feel someone's truly watching over me...waiting for me to make good.

I hope this never goes away..whoever/whatever this is.

Thank you..thank you for being...just being.

Me Circa 1974.

There's only one explanation...

Jeff Lynne gets me.

I'm listening to Eldorado again... it's how I feel.

The whole album is about the life of dreams, and it's making sense to me..

Disjointed yet deep.

Beautiful.

I'm lost in it..


..and found.

Blurbs at 1:30pm.

..lost interest in collecting Smallville for the time being...albums seem more fun for now.


in other news-

..made 3 cents off of my crap from Assoc. Content..yippee.

Lookee here, buckaroo, I'm a fricken millionaire.

A little more like me..

Amazing what a few new shirts can do...Pop was eager to clear out his "fat" closet now that he's so slim... I now have a few new dress shirts, a very cool dark blue casual shirt, and a expensive suit jacket.. Very sexy stuff.

Currently enjoying said clothes.. I'd post a pic, but I suck like that...no cam, you know.

Discovery @ 6am

Just discovered an extremely underrated John Denver tune this morning...


Sure, the man wrote some really hokey songs and some sickeningly hick ditties...


but when he wasn't..

You had a quiet, tender individual who wrote some really beautiful ballads...and sang them with such emotion.

This was one of them, and I like it very much.

The song is called 'For You', and it's staying on my playlist.

Not Sure What to Feel..

Okay, part of me is going "Holy crap, I've been published!"... the other is very "Slow down, buddy, it's only Associated Content, and really, those articles you wrote were mild throw-aways."

I suppose mostly I'm pleased because I really didn't feel they'd go for it and actually publish it....I wrote them half-heartedly, just to see if I could come up with something to write, not fully expecting them to take me seriously...


All the same, it's nice to be seen. The typos are a bitch though.

The two articles are on this page under "Achievements of a sort."

Some of it isn't all that bad.

Twilight: A Few Thoughts

okay.. nothing official.. but.. Bella's friends were amazingly douchy, and the music cues weren't always spot on..but the movie was true to the book, and some of the scenes really pleased me. Sure, the movie had serious CW teeny bopper bullshit moments, but getting past that, it was fun to watch. Go see it. Don't listen to naysayers..or umm..relatives..cough. Last scene of the film made it entirely worth watching.

Thanks for your attention~

Also..side note.. Edward looks a helluva lot like Brendan Fraser a la With Honors. Immediately noticed the parallel appearance.

..cause it's a new day..and imma gonna be okayyy..

Hope for the Sad Emo Kid

I stared down for houred minutes
Into a descending valley of self woe
You'd think it was the right cue to finally cry out..
And yet I only bit my lip

A big deal out of nothing it seems
Though from nothing comes big deals
How easily this can be forgotten
But I only faux-grin and shake my head

Then all at once the epiphany arises
The short-term vanishes and shows me the Grand Scheme
What was once the last fatal blow
...is really just a papercut.

The verbal knife cuts deep.

I think I made the wrong decision. Should not have paid rent, should have left when I had the chance.

I'm a fool.


The end.

PS. I'm too broke to get out of my head. Lucky me.

A good day after all.

I needed some cheering up today. No question there. Library never has any copies of Twilight, and yet they had just received a copy of the last book in the series(Didn't bother to memorize it yet, too preoccupied with its predecessor..).. Good fortune there.

But..for a further act of providence, I recalled the instant joy of ebooks.(Dabbled in this during the Potter days..) So, in being the proper pirate that I am(yes, yes, I am.), I downloaded the first three novels in the series.(Arrest me. Go ahead. Boofrickity hoo, I'm as evil as anyone else desiring a good mental meal.. and if this is the worst of my crimes, I think I'm better for it.)

I'm very pleased about what I've been reading so far.. Quite honestly, I've been looking for a good work.. It's about time.

As for the movie, I'm still uncertain. I want to see it, but at the same time, I'm hoping it won't be another boring foray into teeny bopper faux-romance/drama bullshit...like most modern movies of this caliber.

The books are mystifying, beautifully imagined works. I just fear that Hollywood will deconstruct and crapify them.

...I'd love to be wrong about this.

Life: A Steaming Pile of Cowdung

So, didn't get the job. Fine, whatever.

And to add insult to injury, my harddrive is dead. Was trying to view videos on xbox, it worked for a while, then didn't.. tried everything to make it work, no avail. In a fit of rage, I threw it on the rug..and broke it.

I now have nothing. None of my music, none of my youtube videos.. All gone.

I'm past anger and moved to shock.

*Edit*- 11/18/08-3:35am: After thinking it over, I've come to two conclusions on this-- 1. I really have to control my anger/need to be right... It's childish and I shouldn't let it so easily overtake me. 2. It's not over.. just another kickstart in an endless stream of new beginnings. Shouldn't shun it but embrace it for what it can be.

Interview Afterthoughts

Interesting day today... interview went fairly well, I think. Odd though.. Was told by h.r recruiter that the company is hiring, and would be in touch within roughly 2-3 weeks with an answer..I was then set up with a typical skills testing..After the test, same recruiter asks me to come in tomorrow at 10am to meet with manager... Does this mean that I'm all sorts of cool and they want to hire me on the spot..or do they do this with all potential employees?

Thought it would be lame to ask her about it, so I'll just assume positively.

Strange though. She said the 2-3 week schpeel so nonchalantly..but made it a point to ask me about tomorrow.. hmmm..

Think I'll pleased then for the time being.

Pseudo-Review: Queen + Paul Rodgers- The Cosmos Rocks

Okay, not a real review here..but I'm digging parts of this album. I'm not much on solo Paul Rodgers(though he has a great voice for a 59 year old dude), and Queen is my home musically. So, I'll say this: The songs wherein both groups are equally represented rock my socks.


The tune "Small" is a great example... decent playing, moving lyrics, and the mildly reminiscent harmony vocal line in the background...all gel really well..and subsequently, does it for me.



Does the album always work this way? Hell no. But, when you don't have the elemental Freddie bits(can't really compare him to Paul, it's futile. Paul is good but completely has his own sound..and Freddie was very...Freddie. How the hell else could you define that voice? Like trying to understand the concept "infinite possiblity"..you probably get it, but not fully), you're left trying to find what gems remain(Brian/Roger Queenesque harmonies, standard May guitar solos, etc. )


And they do exist.

Hey, I 'm pretty happy..so I guess umm..

..yeah it's alot like that.

A new tale...finally.

Yes, it's true. After 8 months of creative silence, a random blurb has been written. On the right side of this page, there is a section called "Recent Shorts".

Haphazardly is the new story.

Thanks for your interest.

-Click-


..PS. The rss feed feature on this site is quite lackluster. Yup. I said it.

A 3am Impromptu

Slosh

Cloudy taps seem to go clockwise at once
The leaky sky fauceting upon a human 'race'
Knowing fully what's to come
I casually storm on into the eye

A half-joking lament is imparted for the sad synthetic soles
Whose main decks threaten an imminent breach
"What luck indeed!" sounds the clarion call
As my 'violin grin' plays on for slowly sinking me

The world soon becomes a public shower
For myself and those bravely remaining few
Such is the price for an autumn well spent
Guess we'll just have to cheer up and slosh a bit.

Gripe: Episode II(6-10): Bad For Business

This series is mildly longer than the last, so I don't think I'll be going into great lengths to explain what happened in each episode...That being said, if something amazing does come up, I'm sure I'll be all over it.

Music for this ep was nice and mild..Can always count on Bowie for something different.

*Unrelated election rant*: Obama is the new president. I'm pleased about it. It's about time we have someone who isn't a scumbag in a seat of power. Let's hope that idea is maintained through this presidency. Oh, and you don't have to agree with me. I don't often throw my hat into politics(1. I see enough corruption in the world without it. 2. It bores the hell out of me.), but I'm always hoping(Yeah, I know, cynic in me should have cut off hope at the knees by now, but hey, I still hope..it happens) to see a decent person running the ship. Good to know it happened..and in my lifetime. The end.

Gripe: Episode I (1-5): Strangers & Trains

Now, this was a fun show to do. Sit around and tell what pissed us off for that given day or week. 5 things. No more or less. Definitely could have kept going with this theme if I hadn't mentioned wanting to do about 20-25 gripes for the series. Silly. Very silly. But, have no fear. We have a complete record of all of those. First ep didn't suffer the first ep curse in this series. Lucky for us~

Side note: The opening theme was a great choice. Although, I did enjoy having to pick out a new one every week, I still very much enjoy this first one. Also, playing different characters should have been an ongoing feature, but too much was going on at the time, and it only happened twice. Shame.

Adventure Anywhere: Episode III

This is the Utah entry.. Another commentary type episode.. I suppose you could say that had the show continued, I would have definitely stayed within that format. It allowed me to document my thoughts/feelings at the time, and it's very amusing to go back and reflect on those thoughts. There was a serious hiatus between Episode II and this one...but I love that the show was easily brought back and continued.

Short series. Good concept though~

Adventure Anywhere: Episode II

This episode is a shade more chatty than the last.. feels more cohesive, I suppose. Shoprite is wonderous yet scary place. You'll see that for yourself soon enough.

Doing commentary was much fun. Felt more like a proper journey instead of a meandering this time out~

Adventure Anywhere: Episode I

This show was pretty much the same format as Excursions, except that it was much less planned, and usually only featured me. Wanderings, observations, locales-- that was the focal point.

What I would have wanted for this never happened. A full circle would have been great. Start in NJ, go to UT, end in NJ. Didn't happen. But then, the show never really wasn't about planning either~

Excursions: Episode II

This episode completely ruins the previous example of episode 1's kicking 2's butt in terms of quality. In other words, I very pleased about how this show came about...and I gratefully thank my guest stars for that.

This is the only time that animals(besides humans) graced our network. Good times.

Also, the opening credits were a bit more 80's than I realized..but that's okay too~
Side note: Please excuse the little jerkoff in the red shirt... He knew we were filming, and stood there anyway..If I had any desire to do so, I'd edit this and make him catapult off the screen. Yes, yes, I would. Thank you.

Excursions: Episode I

As you probably haven't been able to tell, the shorter shows are being posted first. This does not demean their value to us, but it does show them in a "appetizer" type fashion in regards to what's coming.

Okay. I loved Excursions. The format was very basic, just follow your friends around with a camera, document a few things, put some simple titles/credits, and whammo! You have a show. Nothing slick about it, except maybe what happens during. Good memories there. Excursions, for me, will always be associated with UT and friends. I would never consider reviving it in my current studio. I try not to tamper too much with the past, especially parts of it that can still make me grin.

Rejected Pilots: Episode II

This is episode II of this series. Same thing happened here as with last series. 1st Ep superiority complex tramples on second ep. No worries though. The commercials were fun in themselves to create, and it's always a joy to try something new with a show(The show's format alone warranted the effort). Considered continuing this series as it left many doors open to venture.. The "have a new idea every week" thing intrigued me. Enjoy.

Rejected Pilots: Episode I

Hello once again.. It's obviously not "a few days" as stated, but we're eager to get things underway...I suppose you could say the idea that this stuff is back on the air(in a roundabout way) is fairly exciting. Still, it will take time. Okay, this one was amusing to make...didn't take much effort, very small setup... Another twofer. This is ep. 1... It's preferred to rebroadcast the work from later to earlier.. You'll probably see why.

W.A.Y. Shorts #2: At the Bar

Here is the second video in this series, and in my opinion, the inferior of the two. I can't say much about the quality of our last videos; it simply wasn't up to snuff. Regardless, that's the beauty of syndication. It doesn't have to be the freshest material, so long as it does exist.

W.A.Y. Shorts #1: Being Tricky

Hello, all that visit. As it happens, video production took up a decent chunk of my time off and on for the last 2 years or so.. I no longer dabble in that, but I do believe in preserving what was. In that vein, I'm giving back what had to be removed...Here you will find every video created by Wild About You Productions Inc-- all 62 to be syndicated. Updates will be performed every few days.

Here is our first foray, W.A.Y. Shorts #1: Being Tricky. Enjoy~