Tip of the Hat, Wag of the Finger: Entertainment Edition

Tip of the Hat
To The Nine. This show has just gotten better and better every week. John Billingsly is the best part, although I have ti say that Tim Daly and Kim Raver keep me hooked, too. I really hope this show goes on for a nice, long while. And Joshua Malina rocks, too.
Wag of the Finger
The Red Hot Chili Peppers. I'm not a sports fan, but you don't play the Michigan fight song to a booing crowd in Columbus. They should never even try to seel another album in this town.
Tip of the Hat
To Barry Manilow for giving Stephen Colbert joint custody of the emmy, and signing a notorized contract on The Colbert Report. Also, letting Stephen take the lead in the duet was classy.
Wag of the Finger
To the Barenaked Ladies for not playing "Fun & Games" as their fantastic concert last night. They played in the venue Jon Stewart had been in the night before. This is Ohio, the most important state in the election. And they didn't play their anti-Bush song. What better time for it?
Tip of the Hat
Tyler of BNL for that fantastic rendering of Feliz Halloween. Prospero ano y felici-bean.
Wag of the Finger
To Jon Stewart for having Lebron James, James Mueller, and NOT James Dailey. If you come to town and do a James theme, why not me? :)

Qop! (South Park Season 10 - more to come when IMDB posts newest episodes)
Stan: He was right, you did cause 9-11.
George W. Bush: Yes. Quite simple to pull off, really. All I had to do was have explosives planted at the base of the towers, then on 9-11 we pretended like four planes were being hijacked when really we just rerouted them to Pennsylvania then flew two military jets into the World Trade Center filled with more explosives and shot down all the witnesses in Flight 93 with an F-15 after blowing up the pentagon with a cruise missile. It was only the world's most intricate and flawlessly executed planm ever, ever.
Kyle: [disbelieving] Really?
Stan: Why?
George W. Bush: The oldest reason in the world: money. The towers fell and the American sheeple all waved their flags. Finally we could invade Iraq and get the oil which made us all even richer than before.
Donald Rumsfeld: Beautiful money. Ha ha ha!
Kyle: [even more disbelieving] Really?
Stan: Is the whole government in on this?
George W. Bush: We are all knowing and all powerful. Good-bye boys.
Dick Cheney: [shoots an arrow and misses the boys] Dang it, I missed again.
George W. Bush: For Christ's sake, Cheney.
Stan: Kyle, run!

Some Fantastic Weekend

This was probably the best weekend I have ever had. I tried to think of better weekends, but was a bit at a loss. Granted, I did have to get up at 6am on Saturday to attend my grad school classes from 7:30-1:30, and then i was stuck in traffic for an hour right after class, but from there it only got better and better. I went to a family party celebrating my cousin Chris's 11th birthday. His birthday isn't until November, but it was fun. My Uncle Mike had the best costume, although some of the other family members dressed up as well, and all the costumes were fun. Then, though I don't care about sports, the Buckeyes totally kicked ass, which made the family happy. After a quick piece of pumpkin cake, I rushed downtown to meet my brother David and head to the Schottenstein Center. We arrived early and got great seats. There we saw, LIVE, Jon Stewart, Samantha Bee, Jason Jones, and The Daily Show's executive producer and head writer. There were some truly great moments, including Jon's long tirade on Dick Cheney, followed by his "Eh, he's all right" about Donald Rumsfeld. Then when Stewart led the O-H-I-O, and when Jason talked about being pregnant, and basically eveything out of Samantha's mouth. The crowd of over 12,000 people was great, booing Canada and OSU President Holbrook, and Jon characterisitcally scolded them for it. After that, I went to two Halloween parties. Things were even better because it was daylight savings, and though I stayed up until after 2, it was really only after 1. Awesome!
Sunday was just as great, if not better. I slept in, watched some episodes of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, then Nick picked me up. His parents bought us a bit of Don Pablo's for dinner, and then as my Christmas present, Nick had broughten me a great seat to the Barenaked Ladies concert, coincidentally, at the Schottenstein Center. He also bought me a B*L*A*M t-shirt in the style of M*A*S*H that advertised the Barenaked Ladies Are Me album tour. They sand for two hours and fifteen minutes. Although I got to bed way too late for my 5:30 wakeup time, it totally rocked. They played more than half of their new album, and one song off their next album, which will be released in February, only four months after the last one. Nick, like anyone who preordered or downloaded, has the new album already. They will likely be back in the spring for the second album, and I'm sure that we will attend. I got tons of great pictures. My only complaint was that they didn't play "Fun & Games", since they were in Columbus, Ohio, hot bed of the election, on a college campus, following up Jon Stewart, ten days before the election. Why not play your one blatant anti-Bush song? But technically, it is on the upcoming album, so I guess it made sense. All the songs were flawless, and Tyler's Feliz Halloween was definitely a highlight. It featured the whole band on different instruments than they usually play.
Ok, now back to school and work. Have a great week all!

Qop! ("Feliz Halloween" by Tyler of BNL)
Feliz Halloween, Feliz Halloween, Feliz Halloween, Prosper ano y felici-bean.
Jack-O-Lant!

Three Down; Six To Go

I just finished writing the first draft of An Actor's Nightmare Book Three. For those of you keeping up with the series, Book Two will be out at the end of next month, November 2006. I am well ahead because I already finished Book Three. Granted, I still have a month or two of editing to do myself on it, then I have to send it to my various editors, then I will do another pass myself, so it is far from over. It will still not be about until next fall, probably around November. But the first draft is done! About four or five months earlier in the year than I finished Book Two. I am torn between wanting to jump right into Book Four, or work on some other project for a few months. I probably should take a break, but I love writing it, and since Book Three closed a triology, Book Four will be so much to get back into. I'm thinking of writing some scripts of Nick's comic strip, Dribble for Kids. I'm thinking about working on the other book I started, The Many Loves of Jimmy Bailey, and I'm thinking about getting out my young adult novel, The Berry Go Round, and retooling it to get it ready for release. I finished writing that book years ago. We'll see. I love to write, and I'm sure I will be writing some more soon.

Qop! (BNL: Bull In A China Shop)
I'm a kid in a candy store /I'm a bull in a china shop / I'm a tired old metaphor / For everything you can't afford / And everything you can't afford to be
I'm a public embarrassment / I'm a bottle of diet poison / I'm a walking advertisement / For everything I never meant / And everything I never meant to be
I can't hear a thing / Cause I've stopped listening
I'm the reason I don't go out /I'm afraid I might tell me something / I'm the shadow of every doubt / I'm the product this song's about / I'm the product this song's about to be
I can't hear a thing /Cause I've stopped listening /I can't hear a thing /Cause I've stopped listening
Every morning / Since I was born / It's been hard to look in the mirror / And see my face for the horns
All the fun that the law allows / All the fun but with half the meaning / Come on over, I'll show you how / If you lived here you'd be home by now / If you still lived here you'd be home now with me
I can't hear a thing / Cause I've stopped listening / I can't hear a thing / Cause I've stopped listening

I'm Going to See Jon Stewart

It is going to happen. I am going to see Jon Stewart. Next Saturday at OSU. I got shut out of the tv show, not unexpectedly, as there are so few tickets available, but I get to go to the big event. Thanks to my brother David for getting me the ticket. We're goin to have a ball.
Also, next Sunday I get to see the Barenaked Ladies. Thanks to Nick for that ticket. I can't wait until next weekend. Expect a great blog a week from Monday or Tuesday.
Right now I am tired. I stayed up until 1am working on cover design for Book 2 and story ideas for Book 4 with Nick. And I had a 7:30am class. Hence the randomness.
Ok. I have to go because I am still in class and we are going to watch Oprah.

Qop! (The Daily Show with Jon Stewart)
Stephen Colbert: After all, it was Thomas Jefferson who said "Everyone imposes his own system as far as his army can reach."
Jon Stewart: No, that was Stalin. Thomas Jefferson said that he'd "Rather have free press and no government, than a government and no free press".
Stephen Colbert: Well, what else would you expect from a slave-banging, Hitler-loving queer?

Harrison Ford: I don't really do action movies.
Jon Stewart: You were Indiana Jones.
Harrison Ford: Yeah, but...
Jon Stewart: And Jack Ryan.
Harrison Ford: I always saw Indiana Jones as a comedy.
Jon Stewart: Well, I can assure you it's not.
Harrison Ford: I'll have to let Spielberg know that. "Steve- not funny."
Jon Stewart: You know Spielberg?

The New Barenaked Ladies Song (Who Do You Think It's About?)

we sent in the army
they sounded alarms we
saw it coming from a mile away
we kept it off radar
because we had to say our
intentions were to save the day

why did you fail
to see

it was a gag
it was all for a laugh
and they were shocked and they were awed
and they were blown in half

fun and games
we're just pulling legs
we knew this barrel of fun
would be a powderkeg

we kept it all long-range
and made a regime change
you'd have thought it would have been a gas
but when it got ugly
we sat around smugly
because you bought our little joke en masse
don't look at me that way

it was a gag
it was all for a laugh
we knew your sons and daughters
would be blown in half

fun and games
we're just pulling legs
we knew this barrel of fun
would be a powderkeg

put a smile on
we're the ones that you selected
leave that dial son
because we just got re-elected
in a while our
bill of rights will be rejected

and all the blame will be deflected [this bit is vaudville style]
the forests will be unprotected
the nation's poor will be neglected
creation myth is resurrected
a new salute is genuflected
a gallup poll will be respected
gallows pole will be erected
all this will go undetected

while you all slumbered
we sat and crunched numbers
of all the causalities we could afford
there's no need to draft them
you could hear us laugh then
the poor and black all need the room and board
did I say that
out loud

it was a gag
it was all for a laugh
and now our very nation has been blown in half

fun and games
we're just pulling legs
we knew this barrel of fun
would be a powderkeg

we knew this barrel of fun
would be a powderkeg

it's a powderkeg

My Parents, The Assholes Parts Deux

So I tried to get the title trasnferred this morning on the Buick to my name, but my aunt had checked some box about the odometer that she wasn't supposed to check, so I wasted an hour of my time, gas, etc. So I call my parents to tell them I'm mailing them some green form that she has to sign for me to get the title, and they're like "Can't you just run it out here?" Keep in mind, we're talking almost an hour and a half and lots of gas round trip. I said No, I don't have time, I'm next out there Tuesday. I'll mail it this morning, they'd get it Monday. They said No, we'll go get a form ourselves in Madison County. I said fine, I'll pick it up Tuesday when I'm out there for work. That wasn't acceptable. They wanted me to drive out Monday, never mind by the time I had time to drive out and get back the title office would be closed anyway, and my working 7am-midnight on Tuesday would not allow me to file it until at least Wednesday evening anyway. So my dad chews me out for not having time. They have no idea what my schedule is like. I've tried to show them before and they wouldn't listen. Those fucking bastards. This is why I get so frustrated at them. They don't listen, they think I'm lazy and have tons of free time even though that's far from the truth, and they're just closed minded idiots.

Qop! (my sanity today)
"I wish I could fly, From this building, From this wall. And if I should try, Would you catch me if I fall?... I look in the boardroom; a modern pharaoh's tomb, I'd gladly swap places, if they care to dive. They're lined up at the window, peer down into limbo, They're frightened of jumping, in case they survive." ~ Barenaked Ladies, When I Fall (from their album "Born on a Pirate Ship")

Should Auld Aquaintance Be Forgot...

I know it's been a very long time since I've updated but I've been swamped. In honor of New Year's, I'm going to list recent disappoinments and pleasant surprises. Not a recap of the whole year, but a brief summary of the last few weeks.

Pleasant Surprises:
Entertainment - DeLovely on DVD - I love that movie, not really a surprise, but glad it's out
Blade Trinity - Ryan Reynolds is hilarious! Still haven't seen the first two.
Modest Mouse - they rock
Ben Folds - finally enough bad memories gone to truly enjoy him
BNL Christmas - wasn't really a suprise!
24 - Amazing! Almost done with Season 3. Season 4 premieres in a week and a half.
Ocean's Twelve - all I can say is awesome!
Miracle on 34th Street: The Musical (see above comment)
*Seeing The Producers tomorrow! Will update on that!
Other stuff - Black Cherry Smirnoff - mmmm!
I can get along with two of my three brothers awesomely!
Fun New Year's especially at Kristen & Amanda's
Actually dating again
Harry Potter 6 - July 16
Lemony Snicket
getting inot better shape

Disappoinments:
Watermelon Smirnoff
Christmas With the Kranks
not doing the New Year's Eve I planned
certain alienations from friends
not getting in shape as fast as I wanted to

And the biggest thing on my mind these past few weeks... Marriage
I am currently 17 months younger than my mom was when she got married, which was the age I always planned to get married. I figured date a couple of years, be engaged a year...obviously that timeline is shot. I thought I had accepted it. Then I found out my cousin, three months my younger, is getting married on June 24, 2006. I am happy for her. Her guy is great. Still disappointing. I should be first. My parents only were together 11 months before marriage, but I don't see myself rushing into anything that fast. Although I guess you never know. Still, with my cousin getting married, it's weighing heavily on me. I'm finally dating again, but I wouldn't say anything is even close to looking at long term, which is a disappointment to me because I really want to be married now. Of course, I could only marry someone I was in love with, so that hurts things. Plus I need to know they are the one, and I honestly don't know if I've met that person yet. I have two ex's, both of whom I was in love with and considered marriage. The first is getting married soon to someone even younger than I am. I'm happy for them, but it still hurts. The second I was really really really serious about, and I still detest her, and yet I can't help but being emotionally happy that she is happy with someone else. That has been my biggest surprise, since I have so many negative feelings towards her. Yet I think those are from the positive feelings I felt and the way it was ended. I'm still in love, even if I don't like. That sucks. Now I need to find the one...don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining so much about my dating situation, since I am dating a wonderful girl. I just want to know right no who is the one for me for the rest of my life and be with them.

Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Normalcy

For anyone that knows me, you know that every so often (like once a week) I have some depressed time where I ponder everything in my life and dwell on the past. For those of you not used to this part of me, know that I am 95% happy, healthy, and like my life. I finally like myself and what I've accomplished and can appreciate it. It was something I struggled with for years. My low self-esteem has even approved. I am no longer willing to change for someone. However, after watching Season 3 of Dawson in about 5 days and injesting half a bottle of rum (it was a small bottle and I mixed it with coca-cola!), plus I am listening to BNL's Brian Wilson (the live recording from their Columbus concert in July - it rocked!) I am in one of those moods.
Mainly, this stuff sets in after watching sappy stuff. I hate being alone and am a hopeless romantic. This combination is not good. I have a few friends whom I would date but aren't interested, but I truly believe I have not met the right person yet. I also believe (or try to believe) I will meet that person, hopefully sooner rather than later. I had a life plan since Kindergarten. By 20, maybe earlier, I would begin to date a wonderful woman. At 22 we would get engaged, at 23 I would be married (my mom married at 23) and by 26 or so I would have a child. I want a daughter. :) Well, I have dated two girls in my life. The first lasted a little under six months, was wonderful, but I realize we weren't right for each other and I wish her the best. The second, whom I always refer to as WB, was a terrible and traumatic experience that was strung out well over a year and resulted in several breakups and me being strung along, and then another year to get over her. I half believe she is the antichrist since she fools many people and I actually lost some friends over her. Oh, well. Maybe they weren't my real friends anyway. I found out this afternoon that she will be living locally, which also upset me a lot. I counted the days until she left town hoping I would never see her again, but I guess I'm going to have to put up with seeing her occasionally. I'm just glad I'm over her, although I hate the negative feelings the sight of her invokes.
Anyway, this isn't about her. This is about me. I am afraid from time to time I will be in my mid-20's and not married, which I feel is too late. I wanted to be married by 23. I know the national average is now more like 28, which I feel is far too late for me. And yet I am happy. I have a good life. I am very unsure about my career and can't wait to get my degree from Otterbein, but I'm actually liking my job in the pizza shop again (I started hating it when I dated WB. Hmm.) and I just finished writing an actual book which I hopeto gte published. Anyone want to proofread for me? Well, I am going to sit here and drink a little more, just slack off. Afterall, after today I probably won't get a day off for months. Come stop by and see me some time. Despite my little bad mood ramble, I feel so much better after writing and am slowly getting into a good mood again. I'd like to have some friends around about now. Join me, will you?

Also, we ARE having a big New Year's Eve party this year, and unlike last year it WILL be formal, even if Tim and I are the only ones in tuxes. Mark your calendars!