I was on Facebook, and I was scrolling through a page of things that I can "Like." Among the many options, I saw Amusement Parks. Now usually, I'm a Like whore, and I just Like things that would go under the category of "Slightly Enjoy", so I had no reason to not press Amusement Parks, right? Wrong. The more and more that I contemplated pressing that little Like button, the less and less I actually wanted to, because the less and less the idea of amusement parks actually appealed to me. Now, most of you are thinking, "wait, Joey, amusement parks are so much fun." But are they really? Think of it in a retrospective point of view. Unless you're there at 6 AM sharp, you usually end up spending almost an hour in line for some mediocre thrill that lasts no more than five minutes. Also, be sure to wear running shoes, because that's what you'll be doing 75% of the time, trying to squeeze in a few rides before the park closes. It's also what you'll be doing when you make the forgivable mistake of eating first, and then going on rides.
Another "perk" of amusement parks, no matter where you go, there are at least fifty children under the age of seven have a complete tantrum in the middle of the street. It's a safety hazard parents, get your brats out of the way. The last thing we need is a dead five year old from Milwaukee on our hands; that involves way too much paper work, folks. My final complaint of the institution known as a theme park, are the prices of food. What goes through the mind of executives during board meetings? "Yes, let's exploit the need of food and water, charge $7 for a bottle of water, $3.50 for a churro, $7.50 for a piece of pizza, and $3.00 for a cookie, take their money, and call it a day. Oh, and no free refills folks." I'm pretty sure that that's exactly what goes through their minds. Same goes for gifts. I refuse to pay $25.00 for a "Collectible Souvenir Cup" that will probably spend most of its life shoved in the back of a cup cabinet, collecting dust and looking pretty. So in the end, is it really worth pressing the Like button? After all that goes through your head? I think not.
Phoenix, especially near where I live, has an array of interesting people of all walks of life. Yesterday and today especially, I observed these people in their "natural habitat". I started off my day Saturday at Arizona Mills, a mall in Tempe that is definitely normal. I got a couple shirts and pants, messed around, and that was all fine. We ate at this "Japanese" restaurant, which served Chinese noodles, Chinese sauces, and had a Mexican and a Korean working behind the counter. I can't complain, at least I didn't have to pay for it. From there, we went to Christown mall on 19th avenue, AKA, the hood. Christown has always been one of my favorite people-watching spots in Phoenix, because what you see there, you see nowhere else. I feel like the rule for shopping there is, "The more morbidly obese you are, the tighter your clothes need to be." That may sound funny reading it, but please, believe me when I say, watching it wasn't. Another thing I couldn't help but look at was the Ghetto-Fab that was walking around there. The 3 inch fake nails, with the fake looking extensions in the hair. To top it off, sweatpants that accompanied the 4 inch also fake stiletto heels.
I can describe a lot more, but there was one incident in particular that was extremely funny to me. I was in Wal-Mart (of course), and there was this man with a cart full of completely unrelated items, with bulgy eyes, like he was looking for someone. In some of the new and improved Wal-Marts, there are screens that advertise some of the more relevant and prominent products. This Wal-Mart, instead of having usable bathrooms (trust me I found out the hard way), they installed these screens into almost every aisle. This guy, with his watchdog eyes, stopped at every single screen and stared at each one for almost a minute straight, surveying the product, asking himself "Do I really need this, or can it wait?" I looked on at this man with fascination, actually hoping that he would pick one of the things that he so intently studied. It was like watching this amazing action movies with great effects and plot twists, except it was a guy staring at an Old Spice commercial play four times before finally deciding that maybe he didn't need it.
Today, a similar incident occured, except that it was inside a Filiberto's on 30th street and Indian School. My dad was really hungry, and we were on our way to the movies. We both love the food at Filiberto's, so we decided to stop in quickly for some tacos. He got two chicken tacos, and I got a cheese quesadilla. We get our food, and sit down. We were two of three people in the place, the other being a fat, probably homeless, probably crack-addicted, black woman wearing no shoes. Her hair was "styled" so that there were these 3 inch torpedoes sticking out of her scalp everywhere, uneven. She had a buffet of food in front of her, just shoving it down her throat loudly, with no consideration for the other people in the restaurant. Those people being my dad and I. He ate his food while i cut up my grease quesadilla, sorry cheese, and dug in. I ate quickly, hoping to get us out of there as quickly as humanely possible.
From there, we went and saw The Dilemma, it being my second viewing. Not that I actually paid attention to it the first time, but actually "watching" it for real, I liked it. It's definitely not a comedy by normal definition, but it's pretty good, and has a great performance by Vince Vaughn. I loved it's honest take on relationships, and how truthful most of it was. I would recommend couples going to see this movie.
I'm going to end this post with a little shout out to my friend Chloe Grace Rutledge, AKA Pippa January, who wrote about me in her fashion blog this week. I really enjoyed the article, even if some of the information on me wasn't totally correct. I honestly don't care about that, I just felt honored to be selected for a fashion anything, seeing as I spend a lot of time on what I wear. You can check out the full article at, http://thelifeofpippa.blogspot.com/.
Thanks for reading guys, hope I gave you a good laugh.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Vince Vaughn needs to get funny again...
Seriously. I saw The Dilemma, and it was pretty funny, but after Couples Retreat, there isn't much you can do that can shadow that dung of a movie. Not joking, Couples Retreat was the equivalent of Lily Tomlin fighting with David O. Russell (I Heart Huckabees' special features anyone?) Anyway, Vince Vaughn, you're on the right track, we need another Swingers. This is for the best.
I was hanging out with my friend Milan in front of ASA, blasting disgustingly vulgar Tenacious D songs, waiting for a child to repeat the lyrics to "Tribute." That'll be the day. The day that I know the world is heading in a positive direction.
The Oscar nominations were finally released! I'm so excited that The King's Speech was awarded 12 nominations, the most out of any other film on the ballot. True Grit is the runner up with 10. To see the full list of nominations, which I recommend you do, go to www.oscars.go.com!
I'm watching Eddie Murphy: Raw right now, one of the funniest stand-up specials known to man, but I just got done watching one of my favorite movies, The Virgin Suicides. It's a film about 5 teenage girls, all part of the Lisbon family. The film chronicles their short lived lives until their inevitable demise as indicated by the film's title. The film, directed by my favorite filmmaker Sofia Coppola, is a masterpiece. It stars James Woods, one of the best actors of his time. It also stars Kirsten Dunst and Josh Hartnett. I'm not going to spend too much time on what the movie is about, more about why I love it so much.
The Virgin Suicides is a very interestingly written film. Its first act is surprisingly dark, but slightly humorous in some ways. The second act is the best, and really lets you get to know the characters for who they re
ally are, but its the third act that really hits home. After an hour and 10 minutes of very interesting, comically dark, but still intriguing story, suddenly, there's a mass suicide of four girls. The scene in which the girls are discovered will forever remain in my mind, not because its graphic, but because the way its presented makes you imagine the horrible images that go with suicide, not because you want to, or even have to, but you need to.
All I can say is, watch The Virgin Suicides. You will not regret it. Unless you have 5 teenage girls to handle, then maybe it's not such a good idea.
On a lighter note, you should really check out Not For Public Use Productions and their new website. The company is run mostly by Nikki Wedemeyer and Lizz Marshall, but I'm also a co-founder of sorts. As you can tell from the name, it's mostly a horror production company, and you should check it out! http://notforpublicuse.tumblr.com/
Coincidentally, the site is part of tumblr. I've been very interested in creating a tumblr recently, since it seems like a lot of people I know are using it. I mostly advertise on facebook and twitter, but a tumblr wouldn't hurt. We'll see.
Once again, don't forget to send your emails to rudeandraucous@hotmail.com!
Thanks for reading!
I was hanging out with my friend Milan in front of ASA, blasting disgustingly vulgar Tenacious D songs, waiting for a child to repeat the lyrics to "Tribute." That'll be the day. The day that I know the world is heading in a positive direction.
The Oscar nominations were finally released! I'm so excited that The King's Speech was awarded 12 nominations, the most out of any other film on the ballot. True Grit is the runner up with 10. To see the full list of nominations, which I recommend you do, go to www.oscars.go.com!
I'm watching Eddie Murphy: Raw right now, one of the funniest stand-up specials known to man, but I just got done watching one of my favorite movies, The Virgin Suicides. It's a film about 5 teenage girls, all part of the Lisbon family. The film chronicles their short lived lives until their inevitable demise as indicated by the film's title. The film, directed by my favorite filmmaker Sofia Coppola, is a masterpiece. It stars James Woods, one of the best actors of his time. It also stars Kirsten Dunst and Josh Hartnett. I'm not going to spend too much time on what the movie is about, more about why I love it so much.
The Virgin Suicides is a very interestingly written film. Its first act is surprisingly dark, but slightly humorous in some ways. The second act is the best, and really lets you get to know the characters for who they re
ally are, but its the third act that really hits home. After an hour and 10 minutes of very interesting, comically dark, but still intriguing story, suddenly, there's a mass suicide of four girls. The scene in which the girls are discovered will forever remain in my mind, not because its graphic, but because the way its presented makes you imagine the horrible images that go with suicide, not because you want to, or even have to, but you need to.
All I can say is, watch The Virgin Suicides. You will not regret it. Unless you have 5 teenage girls to handle, then maybe it's not such a good idea.
On a lighter note, you should really check out Not For Public Use Productions and their new website. The company is run mostly by Nikki Wedemeyer and Lizz Marshall, but I'm also a co-founder of sorts. As you can tell from the name, it's mostly a horror production company, and you should check it out! http://notforpublicuse.tumblr.com/
Coincidentally, the site is part of tumblr. I've been very interested in creating a tumblr recently, since it seems like a lot of people I know are using it. I mostly advertise on facebook and twitter, but a tumblr wouldn't hurt. We'll see.
Once again, don't forget to send your emails to rudeandraucous@hotmail.com!
Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
I've been thinking...
I've been thinking a lot lately, about the way that my life is panning out for me. Less than a year ago, my parents were on good enough terms that everything went smoothly and without issues. This past month, all of that has gone to Hell, to be completely frank. I've been suppressing a lot of things that I wanted to say on here, but I didn't want to feel like I was complaining. Then, I remembered, hey, this is my blog, not yours. I can write whatever I want, and hope that you enjoy it, or take something away from it, so I'm just going to go at it.
Basically, my situation is this. As most people know, I live in two houses, spending half the week with my mom, and half the week with my dad. Recently my dad has been talking about moving to California, and very recently, it was just about set in stone. He told me that I had the choice to choose who I wanted to live with. After a lot of thought, a lot of decision making, a lot of advice, and a lot of planning, I decided to stay with my mom. This, as my dad should know, isn't a personal attack on him, and I'm not in any way trying to undermine, hurt, betray, or leave him. My dad is still my dad and I love him to death, no matter what he thinks. So dad, I know I'm not too great at this apologizing stuff, but I just want you to know that I'm sorry if I made you feel bad, hurt you in any way, or made you feel neglected. I know I haven't exactly been the best son recently, but I just want you to know, that I'm trying to keep everything straight here.
So, I decided to stay with my mom in Phoenix. I decided to stay because, I've moved in 10 years more than some people move in their entire life. My entire life, I've only dreamed of living in one house, and now that opportunity has displayed itself, and it's one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. The last thing on my mind is hurting one, if not both of my parents with the decisions I make in life, because honestly, they're really the only people I have to make proud besides myself. I mean that with the most sincerity that I can muster out of that statement.
Overall, I really just had to get that off my chest. It's been something that's been bothering me for such a long time. My parents might not totally appreciate the fact that I'm publishing our personal life, but they need to understand, this is my only way to vent and tell them how I feel for real. I just hope when they read this they understand my position, and where I'm trying to come from. My intentions are anything but malicious, and I wish to hurt neither of them in any way.
If there's anyone to thank here, it's two people. Rachel Rigali and Melissa Rodriguez. Rachel really cheered me up when I was feeling down, making me laugh all the pain away. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Mel, you really put everything in perspective for me, and helped me see the whole situation the way I should be seeing it, through my eyes. Because in the end, it's a decision that I'm going to have to live with. I know that both Mel and Rachel read this blog, so when you do, know this. Without you two, I would've never had the confidence to A. make a decision on my own and B. write this post. I love you both, and thank you!
I have to admit, I do feel a lot better after writing this post. It's great getting a weight off of your shoulders. For those of you who don't already know this, or have gathered this by now, writing is very therapeutic for me, and really lightens my mood a lot.
I've started a new campaign called "Get Me To Coachella!" I think the name speaks for itself. If you go on http://www.blogforteens.com/, and if you read my posts, I get paid. Also, click the ads, even if you don't want to, or don't need them. I need to go to Coachella!!
Thanks for reading guys, and don't forget to follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/joey123mo! Also, any comments, questions, concerns, and suggestions should all go to rudeandraucous@hotmail.com OR joey@blogforteens.com!
Thanks for reading!
Basically, my situation is this. As most people know, I live in two houses, spending half the week with my mom, and half the week with my dad. Recently my dad has been talking about moving to California, and very recently, it was just about set in stone. He told me that I had the choice to choose who I wanted to live with. After a lot of thought, a lot of decision making, a lot of advice, and a lot of planning, I decided to stay with my mom. This, as my dad should know, isn't a personal attack on him, and I'm not in any way trying to undermine, hurt, betray, or leave him. My dad is still my dad and I love him to death, no matter what he thinks. So dad, I know I'm not too great at this apologizing stuff, but I just want you to know that I'm sorry if I made you feel bad, hurt you in any way, or made you feel neglected. I know I haven't exactly been the best son recently, but I just want you to know, that I'm trying to keep everything straight here.
So, I decided to stay with my mom in Phoenix. I decided to stay because, I've moved in 10 years more than some people move in their entire life. My entire life, I've only dreamed of living in one house, and now that opportunity has displayed itself, and it's one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. The last thing on my mind is hurting one, if not both of my parents with the decisions I make in life, because honestly, they're really the only people I have to make proud besides myself. I mean that with the most sincerity that I can muster out of that statement.
Overall, I really just had to get that off my chest. It's been something that's been bothering me for such a long time. My parents might not totally appreciate the fact that I'm publishing our personal life, but they need to understand, this is my only way to vent and tell them how I feel for real. I just hope when they read this they understand my position, and where I'm trying to come from. My intentions are anything but malicious, and I wish to hurt neither of them in any way.
If there's anyone to thank here, it's two people. Rachel Rigali and Melissa Rodriguez. Rachel really cheered me up when I was feeling down, making me laugh all the pain away. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Mel, you really put everything in perspective for me, and helped me see the whole situation the way I should be seeing it, through my eyes. Because in the end, it's a decision that I'm going to have to live with. I know that both Mel and Rachel read this blog, so when you do, know this. Without you two, I would've never had the confidence to A. make a decision on my own and B. write this post. I love you both, and thank you!
I have to admit, I do feel a lot better after writing this post. It's great getting a weight off of your shoulders. For those of you who don't already know this, or have gathered this by now, writing is very therapeutic for me, and really lightens my mood a lot.
I've started a new campaign called "Get Me To Coachella!" I think the name speaks for itself. If you go on http://www.blogforteens.com/, and if you read my posts, I get paid. Also, click the ads, even if you don't want to, or don't need them. I need to go to Coachella!!
Thanks for reading guys, and don't forget to follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/joey123mo! Also, any comments, questions, concerns, and suggestions should all go to rudeandraucous@hotmail.com OR joey@blogforteens.com!
Thanks for reading!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Coachella!
Thanks to everyone who responded to my January 22nd post, it seemed like a lot of people liked it. I appreciate every comment you guys make, I hope you know that.
I want to start off with a review for a film I watched last night. It's called Catfish. It follows a man named Nev Schulman, and his relationship with a family that lives in Michigan. This documentary is gripping, and it honestly does give me chills. You can read my full review at http://www.blogforteens.com/ but just know, that this movie is amazing. There's a little amazon linky thing if you're interested in buying it.
Speaking of which, the ads. Yes I know, they're mostly irrelevant to what you like, but just click them. I really want to go to this concert, or festival called Coachella that has none other than Kanye West there, and the only way I can do that is I have $600. One for me, and one to pay for my mom for her birthday. This show has more bands than any show rightfully should, and I'm really excited. So just click them. You don't even have to buy anything. As far as the amazon thing goes, consider buying some of the stuff I post on here, because if you do, I get up to 15% of the order's payment, which is pretty cool. I'm seriously not going to spend a cent between now and the concert. Some people are like, oh yeah, that sounds fun and all. No, I need to go! It has to happen. I'm probably going to have some kind of garage sale soon too. Some kind of sale, of some sort. I don't even know yet.
Also, check out my friend Jared's blog if you get a chance. http://www.thelifeofjared-bell.blogspot.com/! His stuff is a little shorter and more to the point than mine, but it's still pretty funny.
Another thing I wanted to talk about today was an underground hip-hop/techno/trance group called Mansions On the Moon. They're produced by N*E*R*D, one of my favorite groups ever. You can download their free mixtape which is actually pretty good. Just google Mansions On the Moon and click the first link.
I've been sending out a lot of requests for interviews lately, so hopefully they'll accept and get back to me soon. People like Nev Schulman, Shepard Fairey, Alex Turner from Arctic Monkeys, and Daniel Tosh, among many others. I'm crossing my fingers hoping to get the opportunity to do so.
That's about it for now. I'll be writing again soon. Thanks for reading!
I want to start off with a review for a film I watched last night. It's called Catfish. It follows a man named Nev Schulman, and his relationship with a family that lives in Michigan. This documentary is gripping, and it honestly does give me chills. You can read my full review at http://www.blogforteens.com/ but just know, that this movie is amazing. There's a little amazon linky thing if you're interested in buying it.
Speaking of which, the ads. Yes I know, they're mostly irrelevant to what you like, but just click them. I really want to go to this concert, or festival called Coachella that has none other than Kanye West there, and the only way I can do that is I have $600. One for me, and one to pay for my mom for her birthday. This show has more bands than any show rightfully should, and I'm really excited. So just click them. You don't even have to buy anything. As far as the amazon thing goes, consider buying some of the stuff I post on here, because if you do, I get up to 15% of the order's payment, which is pretty cool. I'm seriously not going to spend a cent between now and the concert. Some people are like, oh yeah, that sounds fun and all. No, I need to go! It has to happen. I'm probably going to have some kind of garage sale soon too. Some kind of sale, of some sort. I don't even know yet.
Also, check out my friend Jared's blog if you get a chance. http://www.thelifeofjared-bell.blogspot.com/! His stuff is a little shorter and more to the point than mine, but it's still pretty funny.
Another thing I wanted to talk about today was an underground hip-hop/techno/trance group called Mansions On the Moon. They're produced by N*E*R*D, one of my favorite groups ever. You can download their free mixtape which is actually pretty good. Just google Mansions On the Moon and click the first link.
I've been sending out a lot of requests for interviews lately, so hopefully they'll accept and get back to me soon. People like Nev Schulman, Shepard Fairey, Alex Turner from Arctic Monkeys, and Daniel Tosh, among many others. I'm crossing my fingers hoping to get the opportunity to do so.
That's about it for now. I'll be writing again soon. Thanks for reading!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
It's 1:23 AM and all I can think about is writing..
It's true, I have an unhealthy addiction at this point. It's all I can think about, all I can do. All I can breathe, or release from my fingertips. The click-click-click of the keyboard. Behind the screen, telling a story, or forming an opinion, that's one of the few places that I feel safe. I feel like I would still write even if people didn't read, but who knows at this point. I want to be able to look back on my life and know what I did with it. I want to know that I made an impact. Sometimes, or actually, more than sometimes, I feel like I'm beating a dead horse with what I say. This post marks post #50, and I feel like sometimes I'm saying the same thing over and over again. Although I know that what I'm writing is relatively new, I feel as if I've said it all before.
If someone were to come across this blog completely by chance, then they would think that a schizophrenic is writing this thing. Not four hours ago, I wrote a post in a completely different mood, manner, style, and length. I said that next time it would be a little longer, and I kept my word. The letters are flying out now, and there's nothing I can do to stop it. It sucks, trying to find the words to say, and then, the sun hasn't even risen yet, and I'm writing long diatribes again. Scary in a way, how my mind works. I don't even completely understand what's going on up there.
Please forgive me for droning on like this, I really have no control over it at this point. I hope you understand that this blog isn't just for the readers, it's for me as well. Like I said before, I want to be able to look back in 10 years and see what I was thinking. It's interesting to me, looking at scenarios and situations in retrospect. It's almost as if you're looking at it with completely new eyes. For example, there are times when I say things that, at the time seem like hilarious and inconsequential things to be uttering, but not five seconds later, I realize the mistake I've made. I've come to realize only one thing from moments like these. That feeling you get, the regret and guilt that comes with the words you've spoken, that's called maturing. It's realizing for the first time that what you just said was most definitely not the best choice of words. I know for a fact that I constantly do this, and it seems like every time I do, even though I feel horrible about saying it, I know that somehow I've learned from that experience.
I guess I can blame, or thank, this post on none other than my inspiration, Mark Zuckerberg. The man behind the genius that is Facebook. I literally just watched The Social Network again, and on my second viewing, I realized how eerily similar I am to Mark Zuckerberg. Once again I'm almost positive I've said this before, but dammit, I'm going to say it again. Many people will disagree with this statement of course, labeling me as nothing more than loud and obnoxious, and in some instances they're right. But in other cases, the resemblance to the thought process of Zuckerberg and my own is almost identical. I've always felt like if Zuckerberg never invented Facebook, I would've never started this blog, and I wouldn't be here right now writing this. I now know that that statement is nothing less than fact.
I look back on my life and see all the people, events, and places that have made me the adolescent that I am today. I'm nowhere near perfect, in fact, I'm closer to bad than good. With that being said, I owe where I am today, and who I am today, to those people, places, and events. I've had nothing short of an interesting childhood, and I swear to you, I wouldn't have it any other way. I sometimes see other children who bear no resemblance to me, and I think to myself, "What if my parents were more like that kid? Who would I be right now?" and I realize how insanely content I am with the way things went in life. I'm so blessed to have two parents who care about me, and want the best for me. As well as a family that's always supported me. My friendships throughout my life have never been as strong as I would've hoped they could be. Growing up, I always wished that I could have friends like the kids in Stand By Me, almost a brotherhood. I never had friendships like that, and looking back, I was probably better off. I spent a lot of my time, not alone, but not exactly surrounded either. I had a lot of time to think. If I had a quarter for every notebook I bought, trying to write something genius, I'd be a billionaire by now.
Writing always seemed to be something that I loved not only because I was good at it, but because it was the only way I could express my feelings the way that I wanted to. Being impaired with a paralyzing stutter, writing was my voice, and still is to this day. I've formed my writing style not only on the way I would like to speak, but on the way I think I should speak. If someone printed this out, put a gun to my head, and said read this, I'd be dead. In other words, all the "misfortune" that I was brought up with, all the manifestation of the complete misery that is childhood, it all brought me here, putting words on a page for you guys to read, and hopefully enjoy. If my stories bore you, if my jokes don't seem funny, and even if you hate to read, then this blog isn't for you. I might've touched base on this earlier, but I don't use pictures for a reason. I want you to form a visual through my words, not through someone else's art or photography.
I've made a lot of mistakes, and I've hurt a lot of people in the process, but at the same time, I know I'm helping someone too. In the words of Aaron Sorkin's screenplay I guess you could say, "You're not an asshole. You're just trying way too hard to be one." Depending on who you are, and who reads this, it's going to mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. To those who have it set in their hearts to never give me a second chance, well, maybe I deserve it. To those who are in the mood to forgive, then you're in the right place, because you probably have something to forgive me for.
If someone were to come across this blog completely by chance, then they would think that a schizophrenic is writing this thing. Not four hours ago, I wrote a post in a completely different mood, manner, style, and length. I said that next time it would be a little longer, and I kept my word. The letters are flying out now, and there's nothing I can do to stop it. It sucks, trying to find the words to say, and then, the sun hasn't even risen yet, and I'm writing long diatribes again. Scary in a way, how my mind works. I don't even completely understand what's going on up there.
Please forgive me for droning on like this, I really have no control over it at this point. I hope you understand that this blog isn't just for the readers, it's for me as well. Like I said before, I want to be able to look back in 10 years and see what I was thinking. It's interesting to me, looking at scenarios and situations in retrospect. It's almost as if you're looking at it with completely new eyes. For example, there are times when I say things that, at the time seem like hilarious and inconsequential things to be uttering, but not five seconds later, I realize the mistake I've made. I've come to realize only one thing from moments like these. That feeling you get, the regret and guilt that comes with the words you've spoken, that's called maturing. It's realizing for the first time that what you just said was most definitely not the best choice of words. I know for a fact that I constantly do this, and it seems like every time I do, even though I feel horrible about saying it, I know that somehow I've learned from that experience.
I guess I can blame, or thank, this post on none other than my inspiration, Mark Zuckerberg. The man behind the genius that is Facebook. I literally just watched The Social Network again, and on my second viewing, I realized how eerily similar I am to Mark Zuckerberg. Once again I'm almost positive I've said this before, but dammit, I'm going to say it again. Many people will disagree with this statement of course, labeling me as nothing more than loud and obnoxious, and in some instances they're right. But in other cases, the resemblance to the thought process of Zuckerberg and my own is almost identical. I've always felt like if Zuckerberg never invented Facebook, I would've never started this blog, and I wouldn't be here right now writing this. I now know that that statement is nothing less than fact.
I look back on my life and see all the people, events, and places that have made me the adolescent that I am today. I'm nowhere near perfect, in fact, I'm closer to bad than good. With that being said, I owe where I am today, and who I am today, to those people, places, and events. I've had nothing short of an interesting childhood, and I swear to you, I wouldn't have it any other way. I sometimes see other children who bear no resemblance to me, and I think to myself, "What if my parents were more like that kid? Who would I be right now?" and I realize how insanely content I am with the way things went in life. I'm so blessed to have two parents who care about me, and want the best for me. As well as a family that's always supported me. My friendships throughout my life have never been as strong as I would've hoped they could be. Growing up, I always wished that I could have friends like the kids in Stand By Me, almost a brotherhood. I never had friendships like that, and looking back, I was probably better off. I spent a lot of my time, not alone, but not exactly surrounded either. I had a lot of time to think. If I had a quarter for every notebook I bought, trying to write something genius, I'd be a billionaire by now.
Writing always seemed to be something that I loved not only because I was good at it, but because it was the only way I could express my feelings the way that I wanted to. Being impaired with a paralyzing stutter, writing was my voice, and still is to this day. I've formed my writing style not only on the way I would like to speak, but on the way I think I should speak. If someone printed this out, put a gun to my head, and said read this, I'd be dead. In other words, all the "misfortune" that I was brought up with, all the manifestation of the complete misery that is childhood, it all brought me here, putting words on a page for you guys to read, and hopefully enjoy. If my stories bore you, if my jokes don't seem funny, and even if you hate to read, then this blog isn't for you. I might've touched base on this earlier, but I don't use pictures for a reason. I want you to form a visual through my words, not through someone else's art or photography.
I've made a lot of mistakes, and I've hurt a lot of people in the process, but at the same time, I know I'm helping someone too. In the words of Aaron Sorkin's screenplay I guess you could say, "You're not an asshole. You're just trying way too hard to be one." Depending on who you are, and who reads this, it's going to mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. To those who have it set in their hearts to never give me a second chance, well, maybe I deserve it. To those who are in the mood to forgive, then you're in the right place, because you probably have something to forgive me for.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Am I the only one who likes Ashton Kutcher?
Today I saw the movie No Strings Attached, starring Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman, and I actually really enjoyed it. You can read my full review at www.blogforteens.com, but overall, I thought it was a very pleasing movie.
The main reason that I'm here today, is to talk about a friend of mine. His name is Jared and I used to know him back when I lived in Cresskill, NJ, and he decided to make a facebook. He found me, and it's pretty exciting. Just know, that if he adds anyone, it's safe to confirm because I know him. He's read my blog and he knows a few of my friends' names. Here's the thing, he also started writing a blog recently, and he wants me to help "publicize" his writing. He's really good, I promise. You can also send him an email at jaredbell1234@hotmail.com. He's also under my facebook friends as Jared Bell, and you can find him there.
I want to send a little birthday shout out to my uncle Mo. He's 679 today, just kidding he's 41, and I wanted to wish him a good one. Happy Birthday man! Love you!
My other big news is that I will officially be starting two new projects in March. One will be a vlog that I will post on youtube, and the other will be the ongoing story blog. I got a lot of positive feedback for both of those ideas so I think that those will be my best bet at this point.
Also, a good friend of mine by the name of Chloe Rutledge and pseudonym of Pippa January, writes a fashion blog called The Life Of Pippa January. She picked one of my outfits and decided to show it on her blog, to which I am honored. I'll let you know more about when she posts it, but for now, you should just check out the blog. She's got a lot of good tips on there. www.thelifeofpippa.blogspot.com!
I want to make a public goodbye to my friend Michelle Redondo who is now leaving ASA, sadly. We're all going to miss you a lot kid, and I hope we can hang out even after you go! I hope you're happy wherever you decide to go.
Don't forget to follow my twitter at www.twitter.com/joey123mo.
That's all I have for today. I know I really didn't write a lot, I just had a bunch of news that I had to share, dedications to make, and reviews to write. Amazing how little space it actually takes up. I promise it'll get longer for those of you who like to read my mini-novels. Thanks for reading :)
The main reason that I'm here today, is to talk about a friend of mine. His name is Jared and I used to know him back when I lived in Cresskill, NJ, and he decided to make a facebook. He found me, and it's pretty exciting. Just know, that if he adds anyone, it's safe to confirm because I know him. He's read my blog and he knows a few of my friends' names. Here's the thing, he also started writing a blog recently, and he wants me to help "publicize" his writing. He's really good, I promise. You can also send him an email at jaredbell1234@hotmail.com. He's also under my facebook friends as Jared Bell, and you can find him there.
I want to send a little birthday shout out to my uncle Mo. He's 679 today, just kidding he's 41, and I wanted to wish him a good one. Happy Birthday man! Love you!
My other big news is that I will officially be starting two new projects in March. One will be a vlog that I will post on youtube, and the other will be the ongoing story blog. I got a lot of positive feedback for both of those ideas so I think that those will be my best bet at this point.
Also, a good friend of mine by the name of Chloe Rutledge and pseudonym of Pippa January, writes a fashion blog called The Life Of Pippa January. She picked one of my outfits and decided to show it on her blog, to which I am honored. I'll let you know more about when she posts it, but for now, you should just check out the blog. She's got a lot of good tips on there. www.thelifeofpippa.blogspot.com!
I want to make a public goodbye to my friend Michelle Redondo who is now leaving ASA, sadly. We're all going to miss you a lot kid, and I hope we can hang out even after you go! I hope you're happy wherever you decide to go.
Don't forget to follow my twitter at www.twitter.com/joey123mo.
That's all I have for today. I know I really didn't write a lot, I just had a bunch of news that I had to share, dedications to make, and reviews to write. Amazing how little space it actually takes up. I promise it'll get longer for those of you who like to read my mini-novels. Thanks for reading :)
Thursday, January 20, 2011
I can actually talk!
I'm just going to say up front, that this day has been one of the best I've had in a long time. I felt like I just got so much done, even though I didn't even go to school today. Maybe that's why I got so much done. The fight continues.
I just want to tell a couple funny and interesting stories today, nothing too major I don't think. Piera and I went to this costume shop called Easley's on 5th ave. and McDowell. It's a year-round costume shop, and it's really cool. We tried on a bunch of hats and glasses and took some pictures, so that was pretty cool. Then we went over to Metro Arts and I met up with my good friend Rachel, and we just hung out for an hour, talking. She's been dying for me to mention her at least once. I know she has. Don't deny it, Rachel. I said DON'T DENY IT! But I think the funniest part of the whole story is what happened beforehand, which was, Piera and I met up with Nikki, Lizz, and Max at Jack In The Box. We were sitting right by the bathroom, and whenever someone went in, Max knocked on the door really loudly and yelled "Hurry up!" Of course, people started to get angry at us relatively quickly, so we left. I think that that particular Jack In The Box wins the award for most ghetto in Phoenix.
The next day, which is today coincidentally, I stayed home from school. I had to get my cast off, thank Christ, and go to my first official speech therapy session, which I'll explain in excruciating detail in a bit. We get to the doctor's office, and I'm basically bouncing in my chair, waiting to get my new exo-skeleton off. They call my name, I jump up, and in I go. Half an hour, 2 x-rays, and a couple Michael Jackson jokes later, I find out that the cast was almost useless because in addition to the fracture, I hurt my tendon so I need to get physical therapy for my hand. I was not thrilled at all. The pain is still in my hand, not as severe, but still most definitely there. I leave, disappointed and aching, but still excited to have my cast off. I swear, my arm right now looks like Michael Jackson's corpse if it could text and type. It's like a prop from a Tim Burton movie. I'm also shedding like a snake, which is never fun when you're in Starbucks and suddenly a piece of your hand comes off.
Fast forward to about 2:30. It's time for my first official speech therapy. I had an assessment last Thursday that went relatively well so I had no idea what to expect this week. I'm not going to bore you with the mundane details of my speech impediment, but I can proudly say that I was reading and speaking mostly fluently for the time I was in there. I tried to apply some of the things I did in there on the "outside" and it did help. I definitely still need a lot of work, but I'm confident now that I can do it. I'm pretty excited to go back next week.
From there, Tom picked me up and dropped me off at the movies where I had the opportunity to see Blue Valentine. I just wrote a damn review for this thing on www.blogforteens.com, so I'm kind of burnt out on the whole review writing, but basically, it follows Dean and Cindy, and their crumbling marriage. The film really is excellent, but if you want to know more you should read my full review at Blog For Teens.
I also bought The Social Network on DVD today which is exciting for a nerd like me. And any DVD fanatics will totally wet themselves when they hear this. The case. Is. Phenomenal. Seriously, I know I'm reaching the nerd level of Tron Guy here, but seriously guys, this case is like, worth the 20 bucks, not even the movie itself.
Before I go, I'd like to provide you guys with an interesting example of irony I ran into today while talking to my friend Aubreya.
Joey: Hey dude, do you wanna go with me to a Buddhist meeting on Sunday?
Aubreya: I wish I could but I can't.
Joey: Why?
Aubreya: I got church dude.
Thanks for reading guys :)
I just want to tell a couple funny and interesting stories today, nothing too major I don't think. Piera and I went to this costume shop called Easley's on 5th ave. and McDowell. It's a year-round costume shop, and it's really cool. We tried on a bunch of hats and glasses and took some pictures, so that was pretty cool. Then we went over to Metro Arts and I met up with my good friend Rachel, and we just hung out for an hour, talking. She's been dying for me to mention her at least once. I know she has. Don't deny it, Rachel. I said DON'T DENY IT! But I think the funniest part of the whole story is what happened beforehand, which was, Piera and I met up with Nikki, Lizz, and Max at Jack In The Box. We were sitting right by the bathroom, and whenever someone went in, Max knocked on the door really loudly and yelled "Hurry up!" Of course, people started to get angry at us relatively quickly, so we left. I think that that particular Jack In The Box wins the award for most ghetto in Phoenix.
The next day, which is today coincidentally, I stayed home from school. I had to get my cast off, thank Christ, and go to my first official speech therapy session, which I'll explain in excruciating detail in a bit. We get to the doctor's office, and I'm basically bouncing in my chair, waiting to get my new exo-skeleton off. They call my name, I jump up, and in I go. Half an hour, 2 x-rays, and a couple Michael Jackson jokes later, I find out that the cast was almost useless because in addition to the fracture, I hurt my tendon so I need to get physical therapy for my hand. I was not thrilled at all. The pain is still in my hand, not as severe, but still most definitely there. I leave, disappointed and aching, but still excited to have my cast off. I swear, my arm right now looks like Michael Jackson's corpse if it could text and type. It's like a prop from a Tim Burton movie. I'm also shedding like a snake, which is never fun when you're in Starbucks and suddenly a piece of your hand comes off.
Fast forward to about 2:30. It's time for my first official speech therapy. I had an assessment last Thursday that went relatively well so I had no idea what to expect this week. I'm not going to bore you with the mundane details of my speech impediment, but I can proudly say that I was reading and speaking mostly fluently for the time I was in there. I tried to apply some of the things I did in there on the "outside" and it did help. I definitely still need a lot of work, but I'm confident now that I can do it. I'm pretty excited to go back next week.
From there, Tom picked me up and dropped me off at the movies where I had the opportunity to see Blue Valentine. I just wrote a damn review for this thing on www.blogforteens.com, so I'm kind of burnt out on the whole review writing, but basically, it follows Dean and Cindy, and their crumbling marriage. The film really is excellent, but if you want to know more you should read my full review at Blog For Teens.
I also bought The Social Network on DVD today which is exciting for a nerd like me. And any DVD fanatics will totally wet themselves when they hear this. The case. Is. Phenomenal. Seriously, I know I'm reaching the nerd level of Tron Guy here, but seriously guys, this case is like, worth the 20 bucks, not even the movie itself.
Before I go, I'd like to provide you guys with an interesting example of irony I ran into today while talking to my friend Aubreya.
Joey: Hey dude, do you wanna go with me to a Buddhist meeting on Sunday?
Aubreya: I wish I could but I can't.
Joey: Why?
Aubreya: I got church dude.
Thanks for reading guys :)
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Hand covers bruise..
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, and I think this blog post is going to revolve around a lot of new ideas that I want to present to you guys, and see what you think, because, to be honest, your opinion is the most important one. I've been thinking a lot about where I want to take not only this blog, but other projects I might want to start. I've learned that the more you write, the more writing you actually want to do, and I feel like I can't express everything. My ideas at this point are so varied, that I could start 7 blogs right now. My dilemma is, can I keep them entertaining and keep people reading. Anyone can start a blog, but very few people can finish them on a high note, with a large fan-base, and people wanting more. Look at Seinfeld for instance. Jerry ended it with an 80 million viewer turnout. It was nothing short of genius. But that's not the point is. The point is, I need help on what the hell I'm going to do. Here are some of my possible ideas.
A Vlog-A vlog is basically a video blog, and it could serve as a more visual way for me to reach out to people. In other words, those of us who aren't exactly, well, readers. The reason I like the idea of a vlog is that I could do more visual jokes and have somewhat of a Tosh.O style. I've always thought that this would be really cool, but it would also be terribly time consuming, and I would only be able to do it once a week at the most.
An Ongoing Story Blog-Basically what this means is, start a story, and publish it in parts. 3 or 4 at the most. This would be interesting because it would most definitely want to make people come back if the stories are good. On the other hand, if they suck horrendously, people won't read them. Another downside is that I'd have to construct new stories to publish.
Up and Coming Band Blog-I've always really enjoyed finding out about new and unknown bands. It makes me really happy when I find a local band that no one has heard of, that's actually good. As one could gather from those two sentences, there are in fact a lot of upsides to this ones. There are also a lot of downsides as well. Coming across a good unknown band is one in a million, and I'd have to scan through pages and pages of people, and demo after demo of music, I'd probably end up hating music. This is my strongest possibility though, as new bands are always trying to find a way to break out. As well as discovering new bands, I can also introduce more obscure and lesser known bands to people as well.
An Ongoing Documentary-This one is somewhat similar to the video blog, and it definitely could work, but I'd have to purchase a video camera, and get something worth filming. Living in Phoenix, that shouldn't be too hard. Then again, I'd have to take time out to follow this person around, and make sure that I'll have the time and opportunity to do so. This is my riskiest possibility, and I would definitely need some help.
These are just a couple of almost hundreds of dangerous, hilarious, risky, offensive, and difficult ideas I've been thinking about. If you guys also have any ideas, I really would love to hear them. Send all your ideas if you have any to joey123mo@hotmail.com!
That's another thing, I'm going to make an email designed specifically for the blog. That should be up and running in no more than an hour. Thanks for reading!
A Vlog-A vlog is basically a video blog, and it could serve as a more visual way for me to reach out to people. In other words, those of us who aren't exactly, well, readers. The reason I like the idea of a vlog is that I could do more visual jokes and have somewhat of a Tosh.O style. I've always thought that this would be really cool, but it would also be terribly time consuming, and I would only be able to do it once a week at the most.
An Ongoing Story Blog-Basically what this means is, start a story, and publish it in parts. 3 or 4 at the most. This would be interesting because it would most definitely want to make people come back if the stories are good. On the other hand, if they suck horrendously, people won't read them. Another downside is that I'd have to construct new stories to publish.
Up and Coming Band Blog-I've always really enjoyed finding out about new and unknown bands. It makes me really happy when I find a local band that no one has heard of, that's actually good. As one could gather from those two sentences, there are in fact a lot of upsides to this ones. There are also a lot of downsides as well. Coming across a good unknown band is one in a million, and I'd have to scan through pages and pages of people, and demo after demo of music, I'd probably end up hating music. This is my strongest possibility though, as new bands are always trying to find a way to break out. As well as discovering new bands, I can also introduce more obscure and lesser known bands to people as well.
An Ongoing Documentary-This one is somewhat similar to the video blog, and it definitely could work, but I'd have to purchase a video camera, and get something worth filming. Living in Phoenix, that shouldn't be too hard. Then again, I'd have to take time out to follow this person around, and make sure that I'll have the time and opportunity to do so. This is my riskiest possibility, and I would definitely need some help.
These are just a couple of almost hundreds of dangerous, hilarious, risky, offensive, and difficult ideas I've been thinking about. If you guys also have any ideas, I really would love to hear them. Send all your ideas if you have any to joey123mo@hotmail.com!
That's another thing, I'm going to make an email designed specifically for the blog. That should be up and running in no more than an hour. Thanks for reading!
Monday, January 17, 2011
My twisted perception..
It's what makes the world go round. Don't deny it. The reason I say this, is because I saw a big box of Macaroni & Cheese in the pantry today. On the side of said big box were four awful reasons why you absolutely need to buy this second-rate brand of macaroni. They were, as follows:
1. Makes for a great, quick lunch.
2. Great afternoon snack.
3. Good for meals away from home.
4. Perfect meal for one.
Now, knowing me, I didn't read those reasons. I saw them differently. Here's how I saw them:
1. I'm too hungover to make you a real lunch, just take this.
2. Come here you brat, lemme make you some lunch before I hit the corner for the night.
3. I'm kicking you out of the house, but here, have a snack for when you're being raped by large Samoan man whores.
4. My wife just died, might as well have a little comfort food.
Yes I know, there's a special spot in Dante's circle for me. But today isn't about my inevitable rotting in Hell, it's about a movie. Yes, I'm going to honor another movie with the fluidity of my beautifully constructed words. ZING! Today's movie, is none other than the modern classic, Napoleon Dynamite. It's definitely a "cult hit" by almost all standards. The thing I love about this movie more than anything, is it's brutally honest view on middle America. For those of you who have happened to be or have lived in a town like Napoleon's, you know how true everything is in that movie. Everyone's got that foreign exchange student, so to speak. They all have the popular girl who's biggest accomplishment and rise to fame is the fact that she's drank a beer before. The most cultured thing there is the kid who's crossed the county line. The scumbag uncle who sells hand me down crap to make an extra buck. The horribly stale dollar store that sells some of the most random items of all time.
The list goes on and on forever, but the fact of the matter is, this movie seems to flawlessly incorporate all of those things, with a fairly thin plot, and non-stop hilarity. Many people say that the movie is stupid and childish, when in fact, it's the complete opposite. Napoleon Dynamite, the movie not the character, is genius in the sense that, the satire will appeal to those who know what that is like, but will also appeal to children looking at the surface jokes of it. The pair of writer/director brothers, Jared and Jerusha Hess, went on to make two more underrated films, Nacho Libre, and Gentlemen Broncos, but both failed to capture what made Dynamite so great. Make no mistake, all three are good films, but Dynamite has more of what made all 3 good. Wit.
For those of you who don't already, you really should watch season 3 of Tosh.O. It's my favorite show on the planet, and if you read this and don't watch that, please, do us all a favor, and start. I don't think I've mentioned Daniel Tosh too much, if at all on here, but the man is a genius.
That's about it for now. Don't forget to check out www.blogforteens.com! Especially my posts! Thanks for reading!
1. Makes for a great, quick lunch.
2. Great afternoon snack.
3. Good for meals away from home.
4. Perfect meal for one.
Now, knowing me, I didn't read those reasons. I saw them differently. Here's how I saw them:
1. I'm too hungover to make you a real lunch, just take this.
2. Come here you brat, lemme make you some lunch before I hit the corner for the night.
3. I'm kicking you out of the house, but here, have a snack for when you're being raped by large Samoan man whores.
4. My wife just died, might as well have a little comfort food.
Yes I know, there's a special spot in Dante's circle for me. But today isn't about my inevitable rotting in Hell, it's about a movie. Yes, I'm going to honor another movie with the fluidity of my beautifully constructed words. ZING! Today's movie, is none other than the modern classic, Napoleon Dynamite. It's definitely a "cult hit" by almost all standards. The thing I love about this movie more than anything, is it's brutally honest view on middle America. For those of you who have happened to be or have lived in a town like Napoleon's, you know how true everything is in that movie. Everyone's got that foreign exchange student, so to speak. They all have the popular girl who's biggest accomplishment and rise to fame is the fact that she's drank a beer before. The most cultured thing there is the kid who's crossed the county line. The scumbag uncle who sells hand me down crap to make an extra buck. The horribly stale dollar store that sells some of the most random items of all time.
The list goes on and on forever, but the fact of the matter is, this movie seems to flawlessly incorporate all of those things, with a fairly thin plot, and non-stop hilarity. Many people say that the movie is stupid and childish, when in fact, it's the complete opposite. Napoleon Dynamite, the movie not the character, is genius in the sense that, the satire will appeal to those who know what that is like, but will also appeal to children looking at the surface jokes of it. The pair of writer/director brothers, Jared and Jerusha Hess, went on to make two more underrated films, Nacho Libre, and Gentlemen Broncos, but both failed to capture what made Dynamite so great. Make no mistake, all three are good films, but Dynamite has more of what made all 3 good. Wit.
For those of you who don't already, you really should watch season 3 of Tosh.O. It's my favorite show on the planet, and if you read this and don't watch that, please, do us all a favor, and start. I don't think I've mentioned Daniel Tosh too much, if at all on here, but the man is a genius.
That's about it for now. Don't forget to check out www.blogforteens.com! Especially my posts! Thanks for reading!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
It's the happiest place on Earth...
But also one of the most tiring. Oh yes, I'm talking about Disneyland. Or, Jizzneyland as some of us call it (we're teenagers, we think of these things). I'm definitely not about to write every little thing that happened, because there was so much. I will say this though, I went home on 1 hour of sleep in two days, My feet and legs hurt so bad I couldn't even walk. I looked at myself in the mirror and my eyes were almost completely red save for my pupils. I fell asleep on the bus sitting straight up. It was quite the weekend.
We got back at around 6:45 AM. I went to my Grandmother's apartment and fell on the bed. No, literally, fell on the bed, and passed out. After the bus ride I had just had, it was the only thing I knew how to do. My seat partner, mate, buddy, whatever you want to call it, he took up almost a seat and a half, and he's about five foot, three inches. Whenever I even touched him, he said, "Get off me dude!" So basically, I had to sleep in a ball trying to not further the contusions in my already damaged spine. If you read this, you know who you are, and I forgive you.
I got back, and I was a little bored, so I started messing around on Twitter. I was there to witness the hacking of Lil Wayne's account, and the guy who did it was posting a bunch of stupid little things, but among all that was a link to download an album. It was one of those underground hip-hop albums with the free downloads. Weary of all the terrible rapping on the Internet, I pressed it. I listened to a couple tracks of it, and realized how good it actually was. The album is called Welcome To The Robot Army by, not sure how to pronounce this, [^_-]. The name of the artist made me even more scared to listen to it, but it ended up being a very good rap album. If you want to hear it for yourself, google it. Type in "Welcome To The Robot Army" and click the first link. Voila!
For all you rap fans out there, in my opinion, the best place for underground hip-hop is www.datpiff.com. Seriously, it has all the mixtapes that I wanted. Many people don't know this, but artists, in addition to putting out albums, put out mixtapes as well. Mixtapes are basically self-produced albums from the artist, almost always free (except Wiz Khalifa, he put his on iTunes). They usually just get the word out about an artist, and many of the songs are only about 2 or 3 minutes long. Some of the best rappers of the 21st century have out more mixtapes than albums. Some don't even have an album out yet, but have almost 200 songs on mixtapes (Cory Gunz, Drake, etc.). Mixtapes are a really cool way to discover new hip-hop. Don't forget that a lot of rock bands put out mixtapes too, so be on the lookout for those as well.
This morning, at around 11 AM, I was woken up by the sound of people (my stepdad and his friend specifically) moving out my Grandmother. She's moving from the building she's in now, to a place called the Westward Ho. Rude awakening of the year award goes to me. My mom arrived later with bread and a potato pie breakfast thing that I thought was cheescake. The fatigue was truly setting in. I ate up, and about 20 or so minutes later, got the hell out of there.
I arrived at my Dad's house a little later, and went straight upstairs, but sleeping was a total fail. I then proceeded to pick weeds in my backyard for three hours. It's times like these that I feel like a real Mexican.
My new obsession is the Angry Birds app on the iTouch. It's only 99 cents, but I'll be damned if it isn't the most addicting game I've ever owned! You should definitely get it, it's worth the dollar.
Don't forget to read www.blogforteens.com as well as this site. We need all the support we can get from you guys right now! Thanks for reading!
We got back at around 6:45 AM. I went to my Grandmother's apartment and fell on the bed. No, literally, fell on the bed, and passed out. After the bus ride I had just had, it was the only thing I knew how to do. My seat partner, mate, buddy, whatever you want to call it, he took up almost a seat and a half, and he's about five foot, three inches. Whenever I even touched him, he said, "Get off me dude!" So basically, I had to sleep in a ball trying to not further the contusions in my already damaged spine. If you read this, you know who you are, and I forgive you.
I got back, and I was a little bored, so I started messing around on Twitter. I was there to witness the hacking of Lil Wayne's account, and the guy who did it was posting a bunch of stupid little things, but among all that was a link to download an album. It was one of those underground hip-hop albums with the free downloads. Weary of all the terrible rapping on the Internet, I pressed it. I listened to a couple tracks of it, and realized how good it actually was. The album is called Welcome To The Robot Army by, not sure how to pronounce this, [^_-]. The name of the artist made me even more scared to listen to it, but it ended up being a very good rap album. If you want to hear it for yourself, google it. Type in "Welcome To The Robot Army" and click the first link. Voila!
For all you rap fans out there, in my opinion, the best place for underground hip-hop is www.datpiff.com. Seriously, it has all the mixtapes that I wanted. Many people don't know this, but artists, in addition to putting out albums, put out mixtapes as well. Mixtapes are basically self-produced albums from the artist, almost always free (except Wiz Khalifa, he put his on iTunes). They usually just get the word out about an artist, and many of the songs are only about 2 or 3 minutes long. Some of the best rappers of the 21st century have out more mixtapes than albums. Some don't even have an album out yet, but have almost 200 songs on mixtapes (Cory Gunz, Drake, etc.). Mixtapes are a really cool way to discover new hip-hop. Don't forget that a lot of rock bands put out mixtapes too, so be on the lookout for those as well.
This morning, at around 11 AM, I was woken up by the sound of people (my stepdad and his friend specifically) moving out my Grandmother. She's moving from the building she's in now, to a place called the Westward Ho. Rude awakening of the year award goes to me. My mom arrived later with bread and a potato pie breakfast thing that I thought was cheescake. The fatigue was truly setting in. I ate up, and about 20 or so minutes later, got the hell out of there.
I arrived at my Dad's house a little later, and went straight upstairs, but sleeping was a total fail. I then proceeded to pick weeds in my backyard for three hours. It's times like these that I feel like a real Mexican.
My new obsession is the Angry Birds app on the iTouch. It's only 99 cents, but I'll be damned if it isn't the most addicting game I've ever owned! You should definitely get it, it's worth the dollar.
Don't forget to read www.blogforteens.com as well as this site. We need all the support we can get from you guys right now! Thanks for reading!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Somewhere..
Crazy story actually, Willow, the reason I'm in a cast, had this sweatshirt that I basically stole from her. She wanted, no, needed it back. She kept telling me that she was going to go to my house and pick it up. Living in Anthem, I seriously didn't think she was going to. Of course, being Willow, she shows up at my house for the jacket. I was shocked to say the least.
Now, I had the chance, privilege, opportunity, and pleasure of seeing the new Sofia Coppola movie, Somewhere. The film follows actor Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff) as he reconnects with his 11-year-old daughter Cleo (Elle Fanning). I had been anticipating this film's release since about April or May of last year, and I wasn't about to be disappointed by my favorite filmmaker, so I was almost afraid to see this film. I walk in, ready for anything. The first act is very good, very funny, and almost sad in a way. The second act rolls around and Cleo enters Marco's life again. The 2nd act is the film's best, and truly shows the connection between the two of them, how similar they are, and how much he really loves her. The 3rd act, almost as good as the 2nd, is bittersweet in a way. One because the film is coming to an end, and two, because well, you just can't bear to see the two get separated again. We've seen a growth in their relationship, and seen inside their souls, and it just kills the audience to let them go. Somewhere did something very few films have the ability to do, and that is to absolutely fall in love with these characters. Dorff does an excellent job portraying Marco, and Fanning does equally as well with her character of Cleo.
I felt like Johnny and I were very similar people. I think I know why, but I don't want to say so until I'm sure. This is a film that's going to be on my mind for a long time, of that I'm sure. Coppola already owns 2 spots on my top 20 list with Lost In Translation and The Virgin Suicides. Congratulations Sophia, you've just earned a third. Somewhere obviously gets an A+ from me.
This weekend is the Disneyland trip with ASA, so I won't be able to get back onto the computer and writing again until Sunday, so don't expect anything until then please. I'm pretty excited about the trip, and I hope all goes well (it seems like it will). I really don't have much else to say, I just wanted to get this damn review out of my system. I needed it.
Again, please check out my writing on www.blogforteens.com. There's another, somewhat shorter review of Somewhere, as well as a comment on Obama and the Tucson shootings. I'm really not sure if you can look on my Blogger profile and see which posts I wrote on the site, but you can look around if you'd like. I'll look into that a little more soon.
I've been getting questions as to why I never post pictures up with my posts. It's funny that someone brought that up, because at the Blog For Teens gig, I have to put up pictures for everything that I do. In all honesty, I don't know why I don't, I'd just rather not. And now, I'm not even sure why you would care about this. Go, read a book or something!
Now, I had the chance, privilege, opportunity, and pleasure of seeing the new Sofia Coppola movie, Somewhere. The film follows actor Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff) as he reconnects with his 11-year-old daughter Cleo (Elle Fanning). I had been anticipating this film's release since about April or May of last year, and I wasn't about to be disappointed by my favorite filmmaker, so I was almost afraid to see this film. I walk in, ready for anything. The first act is very good, very funny, and almost sad in a way. The second act rolls around and Cleo enters Marco's life again. The 2nd act is the film's best, and truly shows the connection between the two of them, how similar they are, and how much he really loves her. The 3rd act, almost as good as the 2nd, is bittersweet in a way. One because the film is coming to an end, and two, because well, you just can't bear to see the two get separated again. We've seen a growth in their relationship, and seen inside their souls, and it just kills the audience to let them go. Somewhere did something very few films have the ability to do, and that is to absolutely fall in love with these characters. Dorff does an excellent job portraying Marco, and Fanning does equally as well with her character of Cleo.
I felt like Johnny and I were very similar people. I think I know why, but I don't want to say so until I'm sure. This is a film that's going to be on my mind for a long time, of that I'm sure. Coppola already owns 2 spots on my top 20 list with Lost In Translation and The Virgin Suicides. Congratulations Sophia, you've just earned a third. Somewhere obviously gets an A+ from me.
This weekend is the Disneyland trip with ASA, so I won't be able to get back onto the computer and writing again until Sunday, so don't expect anything until then please. I'm pretty excited about the trip, and I hope all goes well (it seems like it will). I really don't have much else to say, I just wanted to get this damn review out of my system. I needed it.
Again, please check out my writing on www.blogforteens.com. There's another, somewhat shorter review of Somewhere, as well as a comment on Obama and the Tucson shootings. I'm really not sure if you can look on my Blogger profile and see which posts I wrote on the site, but you can look around if you'd like. I'll look into that a little more soon.
I've been getting questions as to why I never post pictures up with my posts. It's funny that someone brought that up, because at the Blog For Teens gig, I have to put up pictures for everything that I do. In all honesty, I don't know why I don't, I'd just rather not. And now, I'm not even sure why you would care about this. Go, read a book or something!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Ads
You might have noticed that there are a couple of ads on the page now. Yes I'm aware of this fact. I did it for a very justifiable and specific reason. I was so against putting up ads until recently for many reasons. I don't want people to read this thing and feel like it's a "newspaper" or be bothered by annoying advertisements. But as of late, it came to my attention that maybe ads will be a good thing. I've been wanting to try a lot of new things not only with my personal life, but with the blog, and I need funding for all of these things. A couple of ads won't kill anyone, but it will open the doors to a lot of new opportunities. So please, don't be mad at the ads. In the end, it's actually going to be very productive.
I also want to take a moment to pay respects to the 6 killed and 18 injured on January 8th by shooter Jared Lee Loughner. Things like this should never have to happen, especially to victims as young as 9 years old. Being an Arizona resident, it really is a shame that things like this are occuring. Even moreso, it disgusts me to no end, organizations like the Westboro Baptist Church are picketing the funerals of the victims, claiming that God punished them. The fact that it's even legal to publish a website called www.godhatesfags.com is beyond me. I guess the First Amendment protects sadists too? I guess I didn't get the memo that said it's OK to be a hate-mongering asshole. All the members of that church must have missed that day of school where they explained the whole "Nothing nice to say, don't say it at all" shmeal. I know that although some of my comments are humorous, the situation is anything but. People like that aren't doing the world any favors. If I seem a little angrier than usually, I apologize, it just irritates me to no end to see people like that, modern day Hitlers and McCarthys if you will, roaming around, looking for ways to hate. People like that don't deserve the basically luxuries of life, let alone the necessities. I'm going to stop now before I get angrier. Once again, sorry for exploding.
I'll just get on to what I had planned for today. I interviewed actress Samantha Boscarino. She's an up and coming actress who has starred in movies like The Clique, and has been featured on many shows such as Wizards of Waverly Place, Parenthood, and Good Luck Charlie. It's not very long so you can take out the three minutes you need to read it. Don't be selfish now!
1. What was your first major audition like?
My first audition process was extensive. I overall went in for the casting director, producers, director, and their assistants eight times!
2. Out of all the projects you've worked on, what was your favorite?
Hmm, I don't really know. Everything was new and fresh, so I LOVED EVERY second of filming and the processes before and after.
3. Did you find that the actors on set were all very down to earth people?
Yes. Of course. They're all awesome.
4. Where do you hope to one day go with your career?
I never think of the future. It comes soon enough.
5. What is the hardest part of acting?
Memorizing lines.
6. In your free time, what do you usually like to do?
I love to spend time with my family, play with my dogs, be creative with fashion, volunteer for charity, and play softball with my friends.
7. Who do you have to thank for all the things you've had the ability to do?
My parents.
8. When you watch yourself on screen, how do you feel?
Awkward. Amazing and oh, awkward :D
9. Do you have any interesting projects coming up in the future?
Right now, I'm auditioning for new roles and working extensively in my acting class. I'll keep you updated on my twitter and facebook page.
I also want to take a moment to pay respects to the 6 killed and 18 injured on January 8th by shooter Jared Lee Loughner. Things like this should never have to happen, especially to victims as young as 9 years old. Being an Arizona resident, it really is a shame that things like this are occuring. Even moreso, it disgusts me to no end, organizations like the Westboro Baptist Church are picketing the funerals of the victims, claiming that God punished them. The fact that it's even legal to publish a website called www.godhatesfags.com is beyond me. I guess the First Amendment protects sadists too? I guess I didn't get the memo that said it's OK to be a hate-mongering asshole. All the members of that church must have missed that day of school where they explained the whole "Nothing nice to say, don't say it at all" shmeal. I know that although some of my comments are humorous, the situation is anything but. People like that aren't doing the world any favors. If I seem a little angrier than usually, I apologize, it just irritates me to no end to see people like that, modern day Hitlers and McCarthys if you will, roaming around, looking for ways to hate. People like that don't deserve the basically luxuries of life, let alone the necessities. I'm going to stop now before I get angrier. Once again, sorry for exploding.
I'll just get on to what I had planned for today. I interviewed actress Samantha Boscarino. She's an up and coming actress who has starred in movies like The Clique, and has been featured on many shows such as Wizards of Waverly Place, Parenthood, and Good Luck Charlie. It's not very long so you can take out the three minutes you need to read it. Don't be selfish now!
1. What was your first major audition like?
My first audition process was extensive. I overall went in for the casting director, producers, director, and their assistants eight times!
2. Out of all the projects you've worked on, what was your favorite?
Hmm, I don't really know. Everything was new and fresh, so I LOVED EVERY second of filming and the processes before and after.
3. Did you find that the actors on set were all very down to earth people?
Yes. Of course. They're all awesome.
4. Where do you hope to one day go with your career?
I never think of the future. It comes soon enough.
5. What is the hardest part of acting?
Memorizing lines.
6. In your free time, what do you usually like to do?
I love to spend time with my family, play with my dogs, be creative with fashion, volunteer for charity, and play softball with my friends.
7. Who do you have to thank for all the things you've had the ability to do?
My parents.
8. When you watch yourself on screen, how do you feel?
Awkward. Amazing and oh, awkward :D
9. Do you have any interesting projects coming up in the future?
Right now, I'm auditioning for new roles and working extensively in my acting class. I'll keep you updated on my twitter and facebook page.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
The only band to go to 11..
Let me just start out by saying, Andrew and I were chased down on two separate occasions in the same day. These things, they only happen twice, maybe three times in one's life. Those times, those parties, those weekends that you never forget. I'm not necessarily saying that this is definitely one of those times, but hey, it might enter the list one day.
Andrew and I slept for about 5 hours (5:15-10:15), woke up, ate spaghetti and meatballs for breakfast, got dressed, and left the house. Our goal was to not go home for the whole day. I'm proud to say in advance that we succeeded. We walked all the way to the Anthem Skate Park with no boards to ride, and sat in the grass for about 45 minutes. We then had the genius idea to hop on the Anthem Train that rides around the park. When it came around again, we hopped on the caboose, and crouched down so as not to be seen. Not even 35 seconds later, one of the maintenance men ratted us out, and the conductor came back to see what was happening. He saw us, and started running after us, yelling for us to stop. We sprinted as fast as we could, as far as we could, until we were both ready to die.
When we knew that we had lost the man, we jogged into a nearby Chicago Hot Dog place and got two large drinks. After we got our drinks, I started putting blog fliers into random windshields and store windows, not caring where they went. At around 5 PM, we started heading home. Andrew reminded me that that night was Ska Wars, a show he'd been looking forward to go to with me for a while. We convinced my parental units to let us go, but not five minutes later, we got the notification that we were going to Patagonia. Remember Patagonia? I wrote an extensive post about it a while ago. If you don't remember it, too bad, go read it.
3 hours later, one granny and a viewing of Bruno later, we were in Patagonia. Hey, it was only 10:00 PM, not bad! The mandatory feast was present, of course. We all ate, blah, blah, blah, you guys have heard this story before. But this is where it gets interesting. Andrew and I, at 11:30 PM, went for a walk around the block, which turned into a tour of half the town. We were terrified though, it being a border town and all. Whenever a car drove by, we just hid behind the nearest solid object. Fast forward to around Midnight. We're talking in the park. Suddenly, a dark figure appears from behind the nearest building, standing and staring at us. Andrew tells me, "Hey dude, look at that guy staring at us, we gotta get outta here man, let's go." We start to walk briskly back towards the house. The man comes from around the building and starts to run at us as fast as he can. Our original plan was to, if this happened, hold hands so we wouldn't get lost in the darkness of the town. Yeah, that didn't happen. It was every man for himself at this point, and once again, we sprinted for our lives back to the house, not daring to look back.
Upon entering the house, we tried, in between deep breaths and what we thought was shock, to tell the story of what happened. Suddenly, the man who chased us began to walk in the house. Andrew and I started yelling, "That's him!" We soon realized, that the man who had been chasing us this whole time, was Tom, my step dad. The whole family decided to play a prank on us. Thanks guys, my already morbid fear of the dark, and Patagonia for that matter, has just tripled in size.
We soon after went to sleep, four people to a room. Yeah, you know how that went. We all woke up around the same time, to something I never thought possible. It turns out that at around 3or 4 AM, Andrew had a horrible stomach ache, and basically killed the toilet. Tom was trying to take a shower, and when he turned it on, what came out, but the fecal matter that Andrew had so crudely released from his anus not 5 hours before. The day was off to a fantastic start. At this point, I didn't even care what happened. I completely averted the situation, and went to the kitchen for breakfast which consisted of both Lemon and Pecan bars. Maybe the day wouldn't suck. As I was eating, I checked my email, and found something strange. An email from another blog. I curiously clicked it open, and it revealed that I had been invited to write for another blog called www.blogforteens.com. They saw my work on here, liked it, and basically offered me a job. The way that it works, is that the more views I get, the more I get paid. I'm pretty excited to start contributing to this site, and when I start doing more posts, I'll be sure to post a link here for you to read, because hey, I want to get paid too, you know!
So, we ate, talked, fixed the shower, and we, being Tom, Jim, Andrew, and I, decided to go shooting in the desert. I hadn't been shooting in over a year, and I was pretty excited. But then again, I'm also sort of scared because of my left arm that is still in a cast. Whatever, it most likely won't go wrong. I'm not going to get into the details of the story, it's not super exciting, we didn't kill anyone. Or shoot something with a heart beat, but I did shoot what is known to be the most powerful handgun in the world. 44 Magnum! Clint Eastwood style. My hand only hurt for about 1/2 an hour afterwards, but I'm OK!
The rest of our stay in Patagonia consisted of a dreaded hour long walk through a trail. No fun. We walked home and drove back. One less granny, and a viewing of Spinal Tap later, I am now home, still breathing. Everything is starting to look up right now, and I'm happy. On another note, I'm starting a new script called A Certain Romance. Don't ask me to reveal anything about the plot, or anything about it. I'm still on the fence about if I'm going to release it when I'm done writing it, but look out for it. All I can say is, the title comes from a song by Arctic Monkeys, and there's a story behind that which I'm definitely not revealing! So, look out for it soon, I might release it, I probably won't, but hey, stranger things have happened.
If you made it to the end of this post of War and Peace proportions, I applaud you. Thanks for reading!
Andrew and I slept for about 5 hours (5:15-10:15), woke up, ate spaghetti and meatballs for breakfast, got dressed, and left the house. Our goal was to not go home for the whole day. I'm proud to say in advance that we succeeded. We walked all the way to the Anthem Skate Park with no boards to ride, and sat in the grass for about 45 minutes. We then had the genius idea to hop on the Anthem Train that rides around the park. When it came around again, we hopped on the caboose, and crouched down so as not to be seen. Not even 35 seconds later, one of the maintenance men ratted us out, and the conductor came back to see what was happening. He saw us, and started running after us, yelling for us to stop. We sprinted as fast as we could, as far as we could, until we were both ready to die.
When we knew that we had lost the man, we jogged into a nearby Chicago Hot Dog place and got two large drinks. After we got our drinks, I started putting blog fliers into random windshields and store windows, not caring where they went. At around 5 PM, we started heading home. Andrew reminded me that that night was Ska Wars, a show he'd been looking forward to go to with me for a while. We convinced my parental units to let us go, but not five minutes later, we got the notification that we were going to Patagonia. Remember Patagonia? I wrote an extensive post about it a while ago. If you don't remember it, too bad, go read it.
3 hours later, one granny and a viewing of Bruno later, we were in Patagonia. Hey, it was only 10:00 PM, not bad! The mandatory feast was present, of course. We all ate, blah, blah, blah, you guys have heard this story before. But this is where it gets interesting. Andrew and I, at 11:30 PM, went for a walk around the block, which turned into a tour of half the town. We were terrified though, it being a border town and all. Whenever a car drove by, we just hid behind the nearest solid object. Fast forward to around Midnight. We're talking in the park. Suddenly, a dark figure appears from behind the nearest building, standing and staring at us. Andrew tells me, "Hey dude, look at that guy staring at us, we gotta get outta here man, let's go." We start to walk briskly back towards the house. The man comes from around the building and starts to run at us as fast as he can. Our original plan was to, if this happened, hold hands so we wouldn't get lost in the darkness of the town. Yeah, that didn't happen. It was every man for himself at this point, and once again, we sprinted for our lives back to the house, not daring to look back.
Upon entering the house, we tried, in between deep breaths and what we thought was shock, to tell the story of what happened. Suddenly, the man who chased us began to walk in the house. Andrew and I started yelling, "That's him!" We soon realized, that the man who had been chasing us this whole time, was Tom, my step dad. The whole family decided to play a prank on us. Thanks guys, my already morbid fear of the dark, and Patagonia for that matter, has just tripled in size.
We soon after went to sleep, four people to a room. Yeah, you know how that went. We all woke up around the same time, to something I never thought possible. It turns out that at around 3or 4 AM, Andrew had a horrible stomach ache, and basically killed the toilet. Tom was trying to take a shower, and when he turned it on, what came out, but the fecal matter that Andrew had so crudely released from his anus not 5 hours before. The day was off to a fantastic start. At this point, I didn't even care what happened. I completely averted the situation, and went to the kitchen for breakfast which consisted of both Lemon and Pecan bars. Maybe the day wouldn't suck. As I was eating, I checked my email, and found something strange. An email from another blog. I curiously clicked it open, and it revealed that I had been invited to write for another blog called www.blogforteens.com. They saw my work on here, liked it, and basically offered me a job. The way that it works, is that the more views I get, the more I get paid. I'm pretty excited to start contributing to this site, and when I start doing more posts, I'll be sure to post a link here for you to read, because hey, I want to get paid too, you know!
So, we ate, talked, fixed the shower, and we, being Tom, Jim, Andrew, and I, decided to go shooting in the desert. I hadn't been shooting in over a year, and I was pretty excited. But then again, I'm also sort of scared because of my left arm that is still in a cast. Whatever, it most likely won't go wrong. I'm not going to get into the details of the story, it's not super exciting, we didn't kill anyone. Or shoot something with a heart beat, but I did shoot what is known to be the most powerful handgun in the world. 44 Magnum! Clint Eastwood style. My hand only hurt for about 1/2 an hour afterwards, but I'm OK!
The rest of our stay in Patagonia consisted of a dreaded hour long walk through a trail. No fun. We walked home and drove back. One less granny, and a viewing of Spinal Tap later, I am now home, still breathing. Everything is starting to look up right now, and I'm happy. On another note, I'm starting a new script called A Certain Romance. Don't ask me to reveal anything about the plot, or anything about it. I'm still on the fence about if I'm going to release it when I'm done writing it, but look out for it. All I can say is, the title comes from a song by Arctic Monkeys, and there's a story behind that which I'm definitely not revealing! So, look out for it soon, I might release it, I probably won't, but hey, stranger things have happened.
If you made it to the end of this post of War and Peace proportions, I applaud you. Thanks for reading!
Friday, January 7, 2011
Fliers!
I've got some fliers that I'll be copying and passing out around Phoenix, Anthem, Scottsdale, Avondale, etc. I hope that some people will log on and read this damned thing. I don't know why, but in the first week of January, I've only gotten about 135 or so views. Which usually isn't the case, but it'll probably pick up a lot like usual. Anyway, today was my favorite day of the month, First Friday, and I got to see so many people that I haven't seen in a long time which was really cool (like Knekel, Nicholas, Willow, Andrew, etc.)
I've always loved First Friday, just because of what it means to all of me and my friends. Like, it's just a way for all of us to be together in one place. Nostalgia is taking over, enough of that. I'm just thankful for all of the people who have the will to put up with me. Love you guys ;)
I've always loved First Friday, just because of what it means to all of me and my friends. Like, it's just a way for all of us to be together in one place. Nostalgia is taking over, enough of that. I'm just thankful for all of the people who have the will to put up with me. Love you guys ;)
Andrew slept over tonight and we went on this really popular site you guys might know as Chat Roulette. Chat Roulette is a place for douches to be douches, and pedos to get it on with another pedo. We went on it, and it was awesome. We had so much fun just talking crap with people. But some dude did hang himself on camera, which was crazy.
But whatever, the internet is awesome. We all know that already. If you don't, you obviously haven't ever clicked the internet button.
I'm so excited to get my cast off on the 20th, because I'll be honest, my cast is starting to smell like a dirty anus. I'm not even lying at this point. It's becoming unbearable. Every night, I die a little bit inside because I have to sleep next to what is the equivalent of roadkill.Please save me!
So, Andrew has this garage punk band called LSD (Living Semen Demons), and they put out this horrible demo that you have to hear! It's actually pretty good, so let me put a link for you to listen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0qzIqxrTBY
So yes, listen to that. Soon. For a Phoenix band, they rock. More music will be up soon from them.
I want to share another douchebag thing that I said today.
"Cheerleaders are supposed to be hot, not fat. No one should recruit the fat filipino girls who's talents include, 'being the bottom of the pyramid.'"
Thanks for reading.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
First day of the beginning..
Yesterday was my first day back at school after my superfluous break. Two weeks is too long to be off from anything. Contradictory to what most people believe, I actually like school. Some people assume for some strange reason that I hate school, but this isn't true. School is a place where I get to see my friends and have fun, but it's also a place where new ideas come to light. I have ways of thinking that only sprout during school. Not sure if that's good or bad.
Last week, I took Jia to see Tron: Legacy. I wasn't sure how much she was going to like it, but we had the opportunity to sit in these special seats. They were called "D-Box", and they were basically moving seats that shifted with the film. Along with the 3D, I thought that this would be the best movie experience ever! Little did I know, that those seats were more than uncomfortable, and the shifting somewhat distracted me from the film. The 3D on the other hand, was about as top notch as it gets, as were the effects in the movie. Jeff Bridges, as usual, was flawless, and Garrett Hedlund was actually very believable as Sam Flynn. Michael Sheen makes a very David Bowie-esque cameo as Zion. Overall, the film is very good, with less action than I anticipated, but the script sometimes goes a little bit too Disney. Like, there's some cheesy lines and horrible humor to impress the five year olds. The story is a little thin, but the characters, action, acting, and climax all make up for it. My verdict, unlike many critics, go see Tron: Legacy, have a good time.
But my review isn't the important part of my Tron story. It's the fact that Jia, who is only 5 years old, mind you, picked up everything in that movie. Even the talk of stock trading and business ethics and all the confusing stuff that I never even expected her to begin to grasp. Jia, as tough to handle as she can be, reminds me of myself more than almost anyone. The way that our personalities are evolving were next to identical. Kind of scary if you ask me.
Ok, so, this Friday is First Friday, my favorite Phoenix event in the whole world. I get to see friends, see art, and advertise my blog. That's where you faithful readers come into play. I know that I could just get 200 pieces of paper with the link for this page on it, but how many people will actually go there? 15? Maybe 50? I need some advertising ideas that will make people want to click this page? Can you guys possibly give me some ideas? If you have any ideas, email them all to joey123mo@hotmail.com. Thanks :)
I was talking to Nikki, and I said something really racist, and it wasn't until after I said it that I realized how terrible it was. Nikki met this Middle Eastern guy at the mall and he asked for her number and she told me this whole story. All I could say after that was, "Oh great, you guys can hook up and then blow up a national monument together." I'm almost ashamed at how terrible that statement was. It got me back to thinking just what a terrible human being I am. But do I feel remorse? Of course not, why should I?
Last week, I took Jia to see Tron: Legacy. I wasn't sure how much she was going to like it, but we had the opportunity to sit in these special seats. They were called "D-Box", and they were basically moving seats that shifted with the film. Along with the 3D, I thought that this would be the best movie experience ever! Little did I know, that those seats were more than uncomfortable, and the shifting somewhat distracted me from the film. The 3D on the other hand, was about as top notch as it gets, as were the effects in the movie. Jeff Bridges, as usual, was flawless, and Garrett Hedlund was actually very believable as Sam Flynn. Michael Sheen makes a very David Bowie-esque cameo as Zion. Overall, the film is very good, with less action than I anticipated, but the script sometimes goes a little bit too Disney. Like, there's some cheesy lines and horrible humor to impress the five year olds. The story is a little thin, but the characters, action, acting, and climax all make up for it. My verdict, unlike many critics, go see Tron: Legacy, have a good time.
But my review isn't the important part of my Tron story. It's the fact that Jia, who is only 5 years old, mind you, picked up everything in that movie. Even the talk of stock trading and business ethics and all the confusing stuff that I never even expected her to begin to grasp. Jia, as tough to handle as she can be, reminds me of myself more than almost anyone. The way that our personalities are evolving were next to identical. Kind of scary if you ask me.
Ok, so, this Friday is First Friday, my favorite Phoenix event in the whole world. I get to see friends, see art, and advertise my blog. That's where you faithful readers come into play. I know that I could just get 200 pieces of paper with the link for this page on it, but how many people will actually go there? 15? Maybe 50? I need some advertising ideas that will make people want to click this page? Can you guys possibly give me some ideas? If you have any ideas, email them all to joey123mo@hotmail.com. Thanks :)
I was talking to Nikki, and I said something really racist, and it wasn't until after I said it that I realized how terrible it was. Nikki met this Middle Eastern guy at the mall and he asked for her number and she told me this whole story. All I could say after that was, "Oh great, you guys can hook up and then blow up a national monument together." I'm almost ashamed at how terrible that statement was. It got me back to thinking just what a terrible human being I am. But do I feel remorse? Of course not, why should I?
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Casting Call..
Ok, so as you know, my good friends Nikki Wedemeyer, Lizz Marshall and I are making a horror film called If Found: Do Not Return. The script is now finished, and we're ready to go into production. Here's the thing, the script has almost 20 people needed to be victims, maybe more at this point. What I'm asking of you good people is that you respond to this casting call with haste, as the release date is set to be in June 2011. The best way to get a hold of the part is to contact either Nikki or myself. Please know in advance that playing a victim will involve you being covered in fake blood almost the entire time, and will have to know how to scream and cry very well on camera. Filming for each victim should only take about one day, so you won't need to be on-set too much.
Another position that needs to be filled is Technical Coordinator. For this position you will have to be at most if not all filmings. It entails setting up sets, making sure everyone is ready, filling in for Assistant Director if needed, making sure filming goes smoothly, etc. This is a harder job, but you won't have to be covered in fake blood the entire time.
Again, if you're interested, please contact either Nikki or myself ASAP! Thank you :)
My email: joey123mo@gmail.com
Ok, now...IT'S 2011!!! Who's excited?! I know I am! 2010 was a fantastic year for me, so it'll be hard to beat, but who knows. I've had the opportunity to do and learn so much this year. I kind of just want to know your plans for 2011! If anyone wants, send me an email, 3 sentences or less, of what you want to do in 2011, and if I get enough interesting ones, I'll post them here. They can be anonymous if you want, I totally understand.
Another thing I wanted to bring up, was my aunt Diana and her amazing photography. Her name's Diana Diaz, she lives in West New York, NJ, and she's a photographer. She just started a blog on this very website! I'll post a link to it, but, I also "Follow" it, and you should too! She really is amazing, and I'm not just saying that because she's my aunt. I don't think that there's much on there right now, but she's posting pictures constantly, so check back every once in a while, you won't be disappointed.
http://dianadiazphoto.blogspot.com/
That's all I have today. Thanks for reading :) 2011 here we come!
Another position that needs to be filled is Technical Coordinator. For this position you will have to be at most if not all filmings. It entails setting up sets, making sure everyone is ready, filling in for Assistant Director if needed, making sure filming goes smoothly, etc. This is a harder job, but you won't have to be covered in fake blood the entire time.
Again, if you're interested, please contact either Nikki or myself ASAP! Thank you :)
My email: joey123mo@gmail.com
Ok, now...IT'S 2011!!! Who's excited?! I know I am! 2010 was a fantastic year for me, so it'll be hard to beat, but who knows. I've had the opportunity to do and learn so much this year. I kind of just want to know your plans for 2011! If anyone wants, send me an email, 3 sentences or less, of what you want to do in 2011, and if I get enough interesting ones, I'll post them here. They can be anonymous if you want, I totally understand.
Another thing I wanted to bring up, was my aunt Diana and her amazing photography. Her name's Diana Diaz, she lives in West New York, NJ, and she's a photographer. She just started a blog on this very website! I'll post a link to it, but, I also "Follow" it, and you should too! She really is amazing, and I'm not just saying that because she's my aunt. I don't think that there's much on there right now, but she's posting pictures constantly, so check back every once in a while, you won't be disappointed.
http://dianadiazphoto.blogspot.com/
That's all I have today. Thanks for reading :) 2011 here we come!
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