Today was the first day of principal photography for my student film, BAC. The film follows 3 girls as they skip school and go off to drink. It's for an anti-alcohol project in Life Skills, and I'm pretty excited to show it to my class. We're working on a script I wrote in 30 minutes, and a budget of no more than about $7. I'm ready!
The hardest part of the whole thing isn't writing, or even filming it. It's working with the actors! I love all the people involved, but Jesus H. Christ, they can't focus for one second! Except for Tyra, who actually does what she has to do. And for that, I thank her. It honestly took us like 30 minutes to film 1/2 of a page. But I know that tomorrow's shoot will be much. Smoother! Right? I sincerely hope so.
Also, on another non-related note, my birthday party is Sunday (Whoo!). It's gonna be crazy. Like, it's going to be a fiasco. Me and Simon's band are playing there as well. We've gone through one last and final name change, to Street Clothed. That is the LAST time we change our name. I promise. It's going to be the best show ever though, we promise. If you need the information for the party and you haven't already gotten it, let me know. Gracias.
I don't really have much else to write about, except the fact that popsicles are delicious. Kidding, I actually have the rest of the month already planned out, but right now, I'm kind of in that "in between" part of the week where absolutely nothing is happening. So let me give you a little sneak peak into the month of December.
1. An interview with actress Dania Ramirez
2. A mini "photo gallery" and writing on photographer Diana Diaz
3. Winter Break stories
4. Birthday party story
5. Interview with Joe Durand: Harvard Freshman
6. And anything else I can think of :)
I'll think of some fun stuff, don't worry.
So here's a little more advertising for you to absorb.
Blog fan page on facebook, press the little "Like" button, and you're free to go:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Joeys-Blog-Page/113630322038018
Twitter page (follow me on Twitter):
http://twitter.com/joey123mo
Peace
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Christmas Spirits Past, Present, and Future Need To Die
Christmas time is a time of the year when all the families get together, exchange gift, gain a couple pounds, and have a "jolly good time." But, it's also a time for big name stores to give half-assed deals and make us believe that we're saving bundles of money when in actuality, we're really not. Between all the terribly good and the terribly bad, there's also the terribly ugly. Putting up the tree.
There are many things I love and hate about Christmas, but the one I hate the most would have to be putting up the tree. I just feel like it's such a tedious job, with little reward. But that's just me. Putting up the tree is one of the rare and few times, when I wished I was a Jew. That and going to Simon's temple, living the dream. Anyway, putting up the tree at my house consisted of a yelling 5-year old, terrible music (Christmas music is a close 2nd behind hates of the holidays), and me on about 5 hours of sleep. Add those together, and you've got a good story.
I admit that the tree does look pretty and all, but between the constant screaming and Dean Martin singing Baby It's Cold Outside, it was very evident that the Christmas spirit was in the air. 'Tis the season you bastards!
I've got a dog that I love, a black Chiuahuaha named Nacho. Yesterday, Nacho was running down the stairs while I was walking down them. He tripped over my foot, stumbled all the way down the stairs, and slammed into a vase. I felt so bad for him, and yet, I couldn't stop laughing either. He hid under the couch for about an hour, and finally I went down there and started to try to comfort him, because he was obviously shook up. Nacho is like my best friend, which sounds really corny, but there's a sense of total trust you have with a dog that you can't have with a person.
After the tree building/lighting ceremony took place at our house, I decided to take a shower and go longboarding around the neighborhood. I spent a lot of time talking on the phone to Nikki, and on my way back, after doing a bunch of sharp turns with no problem, I fall on my ankle while riding up on a curb. Yes I know, dumb move. So, I had to walk home with a bruised ankle (it hurt too much to have to ride on the board and push). Fun stuff. I'm just lucky I didn't get mugged by the homeless man walking slowly in front of me.
Overall, this weekend has to be one of the most boring, unfulfilling, and most unproductive weekends I've had the pleasure of partaking in.
There are many things I love and hate about Christmas, but the one I hate the most would have to be putting up the tree. I just feel like it's such a tedious job, with little reward. But that's just me. Putting up the tree is one of the rare and few times, when I wished I was a Jew. That and going to Simon's temple, living the dream. Anyway, putting up the tree at my house consisted of a yelling 5-year old, terrible music (Christmas music is a close 2nd behind hates of the holidays), and me on about 5 hours of sleep. Add those together, and you've got a good story.
I admit that the tree does look pretty and all, but between the constant screaming and Dean Martin singing Baby It's Cold Outside, it was very evident that the Christmas spirit was in the air. 'Tis the season you bastards!
I've got a dog that I love, a black Chiuahuaha named Nacho. Yesterday, Nacho was running down the stairs while I was walking down them. He tripped over my foot, stumbled all the way down the stairs, and slammed into a vase. I felt so bad for him, and yet, I couldn't stop laughing either. He hid under the couch for about an hour, and finally I went down there and started to try to comfort him, because he was obviously shook up. Nacho is like my best friend, which sounds really corny, but there's a sense of total trust you have with a dog that you can't have with a person.
After the tree building/lighting ceremony took place at our house, I decided to take a shower and go longboarding around the neighborhood. I spent a lot of time talking on the phone to Nikki, and on my way back, after doing a bunch of sharp turns with no problem, I fall on my ankle while riding up on a curb. Yes I know, dumb move. So, I had to walk home with a bruised ankle (it hurt too much to have to ride on the board and push). Fun stuff. I'm just lucky I didn't get mugged by the homeless man walking slowly in front of me.
Overall, this weekend has to be one of the most boring, unfulfilling, and most unproductive weekends I've had the pleasure of partaking in.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Kemper and Elizabeth, Mickey and Mallory, The Two Are Synonymous
Nikki Wedemeyer, a good friend of mine, and a very talented horror director from Phoenix has been asking me for an interview lately, and I finally got to do that interview with her. Nikki is one of my best friends, and I know that she's definitely going places. Now, rarely do I post two blog posts so close to one another, but I feel like this is an important interview to post as soon as possible.
A little backstory on the film. It's called If Found: Do Not Return, and follows two killers, Kemper and Elizabeth, and their two friends/cameramen, Lindsay and Lucas. The film chronicles the rise and fall of these...well, fame whores. Helping Nikki create this film has been such a privilege for me, contrary to what she might tell you (wink, wink Nikki). If Found: Do Not Return will be the most gruesome, disturbing, hilarious, and heartfelt horror film of the year. I hope that everyone except my parents gets a chance to see it. If they saw the part that I was playing, they'd most likely disown me. With that being said, I present to you my interview with director Nikki Wedemeyer. Enjoy!
1. What inspired you to make this film?
Oh wow, I've definitely had a lot of inspiration for this film. When I first stumbled upon the idea, I was researching the Dnepropetrovsk maniacs. They were these three guys, living in the Ukraine who, to satisfy their sick cravings, took a video camera into the woods, picked up a hitchhiker and proceeded to kill him with a hammer. The footage was leaked onto the internet and is commonly known as Three Guys, One Hammer. After I began reading, and actually watched the video, I decided I wanted to make an Americanized version of it, and from there, If Found: Do Not Return, was created.
2. If Found: Do Not Return can be considered to be a "faux-snuff film." How do you think people will react?
With shock? I mean, how else does the audience react to a portrayal of real murders? I definitely have this vision of the audience being completely dumbfounded and not knowing whether they're supposed to laugh, cry, or be mortified by what they're seeing. I know there are a lot of really hilarious scenes in the film, but they're so closely intertwined with the disturbing ones that it makes the movie very darkly humourous. It's one of those things that the audience will laugh at, but then take a moment and think...wait...that was awful.
3. Compared to your other films, how do you think this will be received by viewers?
A lot of my other films have been pretty tame, as far as special effects go, so this will be a definite shock to some of my past viewers. However, anyone who has read my scripts, specifically, my only other feature length, Fatal, should not be in for any surprises. I think the biggest shock in this film is the body count. Most films have five, six, maybe ten max. Right now, I believe, I'm up to twenty. Like I said earlier, I think they audience will be shocked, for sure, but it'll be shocked in a good way.
4. The film went through a LOT of edits, adding in characters, sub-plots, etc. Do you look back now and think that these changes were for the better?
Oh yeah... When I first began writing the film, and I started planning my plot, it was just Elizabeth and Kemper going around murdering. No story. Just blood, guts and a bit of sex talk. After a few days of that, I added Lindsay, and a couple weeks later Lucas came into the picture. I definitely feel like since the film is based in such a dark, heavy subject, it needs a lot of those extra details. What I think is really interesting about the way the film is written, is the fact that it ultimately follows four journeys. We see each character change from what they want to be, into what they truly are, and I feel like that makes for a really powerful story, regardless of the blood and guts.
5. Are you ever weary of what you can and can't show in a film?
Well, the beauty of independent film is you can pretty much show whatever the hell you want and not have to worry about what will be said. The only thing I have to keep an eye out for is nudity. Like I've expressed many times, I'm not going to jail for my art.
6. What inspired you to create characters as, involved as Kemper and Elizabeth?
I felt like it was something I had inside, honestly, and it was something I really had to do for the film. If Kemper and Elizabeth weren't these intense, three dimensional characters that you can almost relate with, I think the movie would fall on its face and drown in its own shit.
7. Without giving away too much, how many endings did you ponder before actually deciding on one?
I have thought about so many ways to end my film before I was set on the final one. I really had to take into consideration whether or not I wanted a sequel, what kind of feeling I wanted to leave the audience with, etc. The very first ending I considered was going to be a huge cliff hanger. I wanted to have Elizabeth and Kemper get into a huge fight, which would eventually end in violence. Right as the fight reached its peak, the film was going to cut. I thought it would leave room for a sequel, and be a realistic ending for the type of film I was going for. After a bit of thought, I decided that I wanted something more than a fight scene, which lead me to the ending I have now. I suppose you'll just have to see the movie for yourself to know what that is. ;]
8. Do you hope to ever experiment with a film not in the horror genre?
I know that my expertise is definitely in horror. I mean, it's something I love writing and always will. As for writing something outside the horror genre, I'm actually considering writing an angst film in the near future. I definitely know that I love writing heart wrenching scenes, and would like to explore that genre a bit. However, that won't be for a few years, after I finish this series.
9. What do you have in mind for the film, and for future products after post-production?
Well after the film is complete, it's getting sent off to several film festivals all over the country for competition. As for later films in the series, I would love to do a prequel for the 2012 film festivals. I feel like one of the biggest questions the audience will be asking during the film is: How did all of this start? Yeah, we know how Kemper and Elizabeth met, but how did they start killing people? What about Lucas? When did he come into the picture? And lastly, where the hell did they get the camera?! I think a prequel would have a lot of say about each character's origins, what lead to them running away and especially how they got their start as murderers.
A lot of my other films have been pretty tame, as far as special effects go, so this will be a definite shock to some of my past viewers. However, anyone who has read my scripts, specifically, my only other feature length, Fatal, should not be in for any surprises. I think the biggest shock in this film is the body count. Most films have five, six, maybe ten max. Right now, I believe, I'm up to twenty. Like I said earlier, I think they audience will be shocked, for sure, but it'll be shocked in a good way.
4. The film went through a LOT of edits, adding in characters, sub-plots, etc. Do you look back now and think that these changes were for the better?
Oh yeah... When I first began writing the film, and I started planning my plot, it was just Elizabeth and Kemper going around murdering. No story. Just blood, guts and a bit of sex talk. After a few days of that, I added Lindsay, and a couple weeks later Lucas came into the picture. I definitely feel like since the film is based in such a dark, heavy subject, it needs a lot of those extra details. What I think is really interesting about the way the film is written, is the fact that it ultimately follows four journeys. We see each character change from what they want to be, into what they truly are, and I feel like that makes for a really powerful story, regardless of the blood and guts.
5. Are you ever weary of what you can and can't show in a film?
Well, the beauty of independent film is you can pretty much show whatever the hell you want and not have to worry about what will be said. The only thing I have to keep an eye out for is nudity. Like I've expressed many times, I'm not going to jail for my art.
6. What inspired you to create characters as, involved as Kemper and Elizabeth?
I felt like it was something I had inside, honestly, and it was something I really had to do for the film. If Kemper and Elizabeth weren't these intense, three dimensional characters that you can almost relate with, I think the movie would fall on its face and drown in its own shit.
7. Without giving away too much, how many endings did you ponder before actually deciding on one?
I have thought about so many ways to end my film before I was set on the final one. I really had to take into consideration whether or not I wanted a sequel, what kind of feeling I wanted to leave the audience with, etc. The very first ending I considered was going to be a huge cliff hanger. I wanted to have Elizabeth and Kemper get into a huge fight, which would eventually end in violence. Right as the fight reached its peak, the film was going to cut. I thought it would leave room for a sequel, and be a realistic ending for the type of film I was going for. After a bit of thought, I decided that I wanted something more than a fight scene, which lead me to the ending I have now. I suppose you'll just have to see the movie for yourself to know what that is. ;]
8. Do you hope to ever experiment with a film not in the horror genre?
I know that my expertise is definitely in horror. I mean, it's something I love writing and always will. As for writing something outside the horror genre, I'm actually considering writing an angst film in the near future. I definitely know that I love writing heart wrenching scenes, and would like to explore that genre a bit. However, that won't be for a few years, after I finish this series.
9. What do you have in mind for the film, and for future products after post-production?
Well after the film is complete, it's getting sent off to several film festivals all over the country for competition. As for later films in the series, I would love to do a prequel for the 2012 film festivals. I feel like one of the biggest questions the audience will be asking during the film is: How did all of this start? Yeah, we know how Kemper and Elizabeth met, but how did they start killing people? What about Lucas? When did he come into the picture? And lastly, where the hell did they get the camera?! I think a prequel would have a lot of say about each character's origins, what lead to them running away and especially how they got their start as murderers.
Books and Teddy Grahams
There are few things more memorable than rocking out to Styx's Come Sail Away with your mom going down the I-17 at full volume, most likely scaring the other drivers on the road. My mom has hated that song for as long as she could remember, and now, after finally allowing Styx to invade her ear canal, she likes it. No one can resist Styx. No one!
Today's been an unusual day, because I've encountered my first true case of writer's block for this blog. I usually have a lot to talk about, but today, it just seems like there's been nothing going on, and the whole thing's been feeling a little empty, so I decided to do the only thing left that I possibly could do. Look into the past. Not a lot of people have ever heard my full story, and I think it's somewhat of an interesting one. It also occurred to me, looking back on it, how many things in retrospect were actually hilarious, some, well not so much. It sometime amazes me how much I've evolved as a person, being raised in the the unconventional way that I did (but now not so much). My parents were separated from what seemed like birth, and I never really could remember them being together.
I moved a lot as a child, being born in Palisades Hospital, in New Jersey. I lived with my father and mother 1/2 the week each after a somewhat nasty court battle over the custody of me. My father lived in a large loft which I called "The Big Place", and my mother lived in an apartment in Blvd. East, in West New York. Blvd East is a very popular place in New Jersey, it overlooks the Hudson River and New York City, and everyone from the poorest of the poor to the richest of the rich had houses and apartments there. At around three years old, my mom met my step-father Tom, a man that would go on to raise me for the next 11 years of my life, and still lives with us today. I didn't always know what I thought of Tom, but the man taught me a lot about reality.
My dad was starting to cozy up to a woman named Maira. They would soon get married, and get divorced a little more than a year later. By this time, we all lived in a New Jersey suburb called Tenafly, and I went to Tenafly Public School, which was one of the best elementary schools in the state. With my mother, I had moved three times. Once to Manhattan, once to a small suburb called Bergenfield, and once more to another small suburb called Cresskill. I never had many friends in either of these places, nor at school. Picture the Jerry O'Connell character from Stand By Me, yeah, that was me. For those of you who haven't seen that classic, he was fat, awkward, and not what you'd call, a star. I got made fun of a lot for my weight and complete inability to run fast. Also, it was around this time that I began to develop the stutter that would forever hinder me from the rest of the world (probably around first grade).
In the second grade, I had a fantastic teacher named Mrs. McDonough. At this point, we were already dissecting squids, worms, octopus, and other things of that nature. I don't think I ever had a teacher since that really cared about my future as much as she did, not to say that my entire life I've been blessed with some of the best teachers in the world. Also some of the worst, but that's another day, another time.
It was also around this time that my father met Melissa, who would become the love of his life, the mother of two of his children, and one of the only women to ever stick by his side through thick and thin. I've got more respect for Melissa than I do most women I know. She's got love in her heart, rules with an iron fist, and still tries to keep the "boat" so to speak, floating. When he met her, my father was filthy rich, millionaire rich. Good went to bad, and bad went to worse, which is how we ended up in Arizona, or how I think we did.
Somewhere between 2nd and 3rd grade that I moved to the state of Arizona. It was either Florida, or Arizona for the family, and Arizona was the last minute choice. To this day, the details of why we moved are still fuzzy to me, but it's been almost 6 years. No use in trying to caring about it too much now. Anyway, we get to Arizona, and pull up to our house, revealing a big stretch of desert, and one house. Our house. What the hell did we do? Why has God punished me so much? I was only 8 for chrissake, did I really deserve this crap? As far as my mother's housing arrangement went, we lived in the hell-hole that most of you know as Anthem. But at 8 years old, my opinion mattered as much as the dog's did.
My 3rd grade year started at the learning institution known as Desert Mountain Public School. Much of the year wasn't really too exciting. I stayed out of trouble, did what I had to, and left as soon as I could. 4th and 5th grade landed me in what I look back on as the worst two years of my life. Rancho Solano Private School. My parents were paying $10,000+ a year, for me to miserable. For two years. Much of the student body was of Hindu or Sikh descent. I'm not trying to make a racist remark or anything, but 90% of the reason that I hated that school, was the next to constant bullying that I had to put up with. I had no one I could count on, or really trust. Not a person that I could call a true friend. Any friends that I did have, just abandoned me when the going got tough. One thing that truly bothered more than any, was that if I tried to sit with anyone at lunch, they'd move tables, not daring to be seen with me. It was because of this, that I developed a lot of trust issues and anxiety problems for the future.
After my parents were convinced that I had been through enough at Rancho, they transferred me to a charter school called ACAA or Arizona Conservatory for the Arts and Academics. It was here that I truly started to bring back the real musician in myself, having already played piano for almost 6 years, and guitar for 2. I encountered some of the most reliable friends, best teachers, and most stories in my two years there. I could never even begin to describe in detail all of the things that I did there, it would take me days. But all I know is that, ACAA and all the people in it, forever changed me.
It was from there, that my parents finally got me in to ASA. I cried, pleaded, begged, and asked very nicely to not transfer me there, but it was set in their mind to put me in ASA. And now, here I am. There's not much else that I can say about ASA that I haven't said before. ASA is a very important chapter in my life, and part of me is actually glad I transferred here.
Yes, if you're wondering, this is an extremely revised story of my life, there's just so much that I could say. So much I can describe. So many stories to tell, but that's for another time. I've written all I wanted to here. I know that one day, it'll all be on paper, but for now, you'll just have to find out for yourself.
Here, I've got the link for the fan page, which leads to my: facebook page, twitter, and more.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Joeys-Blog-Fan-Page/113630322038018
I hope you enjoyed reading my child's book version of an autobiography, there's a lot more I've got to say. All in good time.
Today's been an unusual day, because I've encountered my first true case of writer's block for this blog. I usually have a lot to talk about, but today, it just seems like there's been nothing going on, and the whole thing's been feeling a little empty, so I decided to do the only thing left that I possibly could do. Look into the past. Not a lot of people have ever heard my full story, and I think it's somewhat of an interesting one. It also occurred to me, looking back on it, how many things in retrospect were actually hilarious, some, well not so much. It sometime amazes me how much I've evolved as a person, being raised in the the unconventional way that I did (but now not so much). My parents were separated from what seemed like birth, and I never really could remember them being together.
I moved a lot as a child, being born in Palisades Hospital, in New Jersey. I lived with my father and mother 1/2 the week each after a somewhat nasty court battle over the custody of me. My father lived in a large loft which I called "The Big Place", and my mother lived in an apartment in Blvd. East, in West New York. Blvd East is a very popular place in New Jersey, it overlooks the Hudson River and New York City, and everyone from the poorest of the poor to the richest of the rich had houses and apartments there. At around three years old, my mom met my step-father Tom, a man that would go on to raise me for the next 11 years of my life, and still lives with us today. I didn't always know what I thought of Tom, but the man taught me a lot about reality.
My dad was starting to cozy up to a woman named Maira. They would soon get married, and get divorced a little more than a year later. By this time, we all lived in a New Jersey suburb called Tenafly, and I went to Tenafly Public School, which was one of the best elementary schools in the state. With my mother, I had moved three times. Once to Manhattan, once to a small suburb called Bergenfield, and once more to another small suburb called Cresskill. I never had many friends in either of these places, nor at school. Picture the Jerry O'Connell character from Stand By Me, yeah, that was me. For those of you who haven't seen that classic, he was fat, awkward, and not what you'd call, a star. I got made fun of a lot for my weight and complete inability to run fast. Also, it was around this time that I began to develop the stutter that would forever hinder me from the rest of the world (probably around first grade).
In the second grade, I had a fantastic teacher named Mrs. McDonough. At this point, we were already dissecting squids, worms, octopus, and other things of that nature. I don't think I ever had a teacher since that really cared about my future as much as she did, not to say that my entire life I've been blessed with some of the best teachers in the world. Also some of the worst, but that's another day, another time.
It was also around this time that my father met Melissa, who would become the love of his life, the mother of two of his children, and one of the only women to ever stick by his side through thick and thin. I've got more respect for Melissa than I do most women I know. She's got love in her heart, rules with an iron fist, and still tries to keep the "boat" so to speak, floating. When he met her, my father was filthy rich, millionaire rich. Good went to bad, and bad went to worse, which is how we ended up in Arizona, or how I think we did.
Somewhere between 2nd and 3rd grade that I moved to the state of Arizona. It was either Florida, or Arizona for the family, and Arizona was the last minute choice. To this day, the details of why we moved are still fuzzy to me, but it's been almost 6 years. No use in trying to caring about it too much now. Anyway, we get to Arizona, and pull up to our house, revealing a big stretch of desert, and one house. Our house. What the hell did we do? Why has God punished me so much? I was only 8 for chrissake, did I really deserve this crap? As far as my mother's housing arrangement went, we lived in the hell-hole that most of you know as Anthem. But at 8 years old, my opinion mattered as much as the dog's did.
My 3rd grade year started at the learning institution known as Desert Mountain Public School. Much of the year wasn't really too exciting. I stayed out of trouble, did what I had to, and left as soon as I could. 4th and 5th grade landed me in what I look back on as the worst two years of my life. Rancho Solano Private School. My parents were paying $10,000+ a year, for me to miserable. For two years. Much of the student body was of Hindu or Sikh descent. I'm not trying to make a racist remark or anything, but 90% of the reason that I hated that school, was the next to constant bullying that I had to put up with. I had no one I could count on, or really trust. Not a person that I could call a true friend. Any friends that I did have, just abandoned me when the going got tough. One thing that truly bothered more than any, was that if I tried to sit with anyone at lunch, they'd move tables, not daring to be seen with me. It was because of this, that I developed a lot of trust issues and anxiety problems for the future.
After my parents were convinced that I had been through enough at Rancho, they transferred me to a charter school called ACAA or Arizona Conservatory for the Arts and Academics. It was here that I truly started to bring back the real musician in myself, having already played piano for almost 6 years, and guitar for 2. I encountered some of the most reliable friends, best teachers, and most stories in my two years there. I could never even begin to describe in detail all of the things that I did there, it would take me days. But all I know is that, ACAA and all the people in it, forever changed me.
It was from there, that my parents finally got me in to ASA. I cried, pleaded, begged, and asked very nicely to not transfer me there, but it was set in their mind to put me in ASA. And now, here I am. There's not much else that I can say about ASA that I haven't said before. ASA is a very important chapter in my life, and part of me is actually glad I transferred here.
Yes, if you're wondering, this is an extremely revised story of my life, there's just so much that I could say. So much I can describe. So many stories to tell, but that's for another time. I've written all I wanted to here. I know that one day, it'll all be on paper, but for now, you'll just have to find out for yourself.
Here, I've got the link for the fan page, which leads to my: facebook page, twitter, and more.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Joeys-Blog-Fan-Page/113630322038018
I hope you enjoyed reading my child's book version of an autobiography, there's a lot more I've got to say. All in good time.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Please, get me away from Daniela and Aya
"Let's tie your wenis together." This is what four 14-year-old's can come up with when we're bored. The weenis is the superfluous skin that's located on the elbow, not on the genitals you perverse barbarians. Thank you Aya for the temporary fulfillment. Today is one of those days when I have no topic in particular, but just want to entertain you.
Simon's been wearing sweaters for the past few days that have been less than masculine. One day, he walked in to Men's Choir with a bright yellow and orange striped sweater. Immediately after walking in, I yell at him, "Hey look, it's Freddy Kreuger's gay cousin." Then, our friend Max Beckman says, "Tell Waldo I said hi." We're good friends, I know. About 7 and a 1/2 minutes later, i asked him socks for my TOMS. TOMS are like the cooler equivalent of Crocs. I didn't wear socks with them though the first day that I had them, and my feet were becoming good friends with blisters on the side of my foot. I was begging Simon for his socks, but he refused.
I live in a small town that many people know as Anthem. I know it as a living Hell. Anthem has a lot of holiday spirit, but there's something that's been bothering me lately with the Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa season. All of the houses on the block have red lights in them. I feel like I'm in Amsterdam everytime I walk down the street after 5:00 PM. A little, odd if you ask me, but hey, I'm not one to judge. Actually, I kind of am, that's why you're reading this in the first place.
Another funny little story, today in Science class, while we were learning about some kind of slope and other things that I wasn't necessarily paying attention to. Suddenly, I hear the chorus of the B.o.B song Airplanes in the background. Could we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars, I can really use a wish right now, wish right now, wish right now! Uh-oh. Immediately, I knew what was happening, my text-tone was going off in the middle of the classroom, and of course this was the one day that the principal decides to observe the class. The teacher, Ms. Davey asked who's phone it was. I slowly, and regretfully raised my hand, pulled out my phone, and turned it off. But I did see who sent the text. My dad. Thanks dad, best timing in the world my friend.
Thankfully, the day went by quickly after that. I got my phone, met up with Simon, Melissa, Aya, Daniela, and Lizz and we made our way to Simon's dad's office. We waited for a while, and we went to have band practice at our drummer Madison's house. We only got about 1/2 of what we wanted to done, but soon after, we went to first friday, the one thing that I've been waiting for all month!
We get there, start to walk around, and I see a few familiar faces (Aubreya, Willow, James, Hannah, etc.) and suddenly, I have an epiphany. I need to make a sign to advertise my blog. I made a big nice sign, and started walking down the street, advertising my blog to the first friday people. I actually met a lot of cool people from this school called Metro Arts, and they were all filmmakers and painters and dancers. We talked for a while, and I got some of their emails so we could hang out another time. We went and ate at Carly's too, Simon being too cheap to order us anything but water and some food for him. Just kidding, Simon is the reason that I eat lunch 2-3 times a week.
Overall, I'm so glad that this week is over, and can't wait for my birthday party on December 12th. I'm almost positive it's going to be awesome. Also, for any new readers that I met at first friday, if you've got a facebook, you can "Like" a fan page that I have on the blog, which leads to other stuff like my twitter, and facebook profile. For some reason that is angering me substantially at the moment, the link won't process. I'll post a link in the next post if you decide to continue reading, which I hope you do.
Thanks for reading.
Simon's been wearing sweaters for the past few days that have been less than masculine. One day, he walked in to Men's Choir with a bright yellow and orange striped sweater. Immediately after walking in, I yell at him, "Hey look, it's Freddy Kreuger's gay cousin." Then, our friend Max Beckman says, "Tell Waldo I said hi." We're good friends, I know. About 7 and a 1/2 minutes later, i asked him socks for my TOMS. TOMS are like the cooler equivalent of Crocs. I didn't wear socks with them though the first day that I had them, and my feet were becoming good friends with blisters on the side of my foot. I was begging Simon for his socks, but he refused.
I live in a small town that many people know as Anthem. I know it as a living Hell. Anthem has a lot of holiday spirit, but there's something that's been bothering me lately with the Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa season. All of the houses on the block have red lights in them. I feel like I'm in Amsterdam everytime I walk down the street after 5:00 PM. A little, odd if you ask me, but hey, I'm not one to judge. Actually, I kind of am, that's why you're reading this in the first place.
Another funny little story, today in Science class, while we were learning about some kind of slope and other things that I wasn't necessarily paying attention to. Suddenly, I hear the chorus of the B.o.B song Airplanes in the background. Could we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars, I can really use a wish right now, wish right now, wish right now! Uh-oh. Immediately, I knew what was happening, my text-tone was going off in the middle of the classroom, and of course this was the one day that the principal decides to observe the class. The teacher, Ms. Davey asked who's phone it was. I slowly, and regretfully raised my hand, pulled out my phone, and turned it off. But I did see who sent the text. My dad. Thanks dad, best timing in the world my friend.
Thankfully, the day went by quickly after that. I got my phone, met up with Simon, Melissa, Aya, Daniela, and Lizz and we made our way to Simon's dad's office. We waited for a while, and we went to have band practice at our drummer Madison's house. We only got about 1/2 of what we wanted to done, but soon after, we went to first friday, the one thing that I've been waiting for all month!
We get there, start to walk around, and I see a few familiar faces (Aubreya, Willow, James, Hannah, etc.) and suddenly, I have an epiphany. I need to make a sign to advertise my blog. I made a big nice sign, and started walking down the street, advertising my blog to the first friday people. I actually met a lot of cool people from this school called Metro Arts, and they were all filmmakers and painters and dancers. We talked for a while, and I got some of their emails so we could hang out another time. We went and ate at Carly's too, Simon being too cheap to order us anything but water and some food for him. Just kidding, Simon is the reason that I eat lunch 2-3 times a week.
Overall, I'm so glad that this week is over, and can't wait for my birthday party on December 12th. I'm almost positive it's going to be awesome. Also, for any new readers that I met at first friday, if you've got a facebook, you can "Like" a fan page that I have on the blog, which leads to other stuff like my twitter, and facebook profile. For some reason that is angering me substantially at the moment, the link won't process. I'll post a link in the next post if you decide to continue reading, which I hope you do.
Thanks for reading.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Righteous Indignation
Sitting here, next to the funniest black girl I know, Aubreya Barnwell, I can barely concentrate on writing this post with her constantly cracking me up. Will you please tell her to shut up? Thanks.
If people are wondering what righteous indignation is, allow me to explain. Mr. Roberts, my amazing band teacher from ASA, was getting a little annoyed with one of the percussionists, Kate. He felt that she was giving him an attitude, so as she walked away from him, he yelled back at her, "Stop the righteous indignation Kate!" Me, being the trombonist in the back started cracking up, while Kate tried to figure out what that meant exactly. For those of you don't know, righteous indignation is a fancy way of saying having an attitude. Mr. Roberts, for this, I thank you.
My good friend Piera, got me the best birthday gift ever, and everyone hated it yesterday. She got me a Kanye West shirt, and I put it on immediately, and immediately, people started to bash on my shirt, and how much of a douchebag he is. Someone, Melissa Lain to be exact, called him the Lord Of Douchebaggery. Original, Melissa, original. I love the shirt, and thank you Piera.
With that all being said, I have some good news (for me at least). Thanks to you guys, the blog has hit over 1,000 page views!! Whoo!! Thank you guys so much for reading this much, I never thought that this blog would get 1,000 views in 2 months, let alone 4 or 5. Once again, thank you so much, and please keep reading into 2011! We're going to have a lot more cool stuff than we do right now, and I promise you won't be disappointed!
The reason that this blog post is so short, is that I have no computer at home, and I love to write, so I have to do it in a 45 minute time slot at the library. My computer got AIDS, and we had to bring it in to the Computer Hospital. So I apologize for not having more to say, once again thank you, and have a good December everyone!
If people are wondering what righteous indignation is, allow me to explain. Mr. Roberts, my amazing band teacher from ASA, was getting a little annoyed with one of the percussionists, Kate. He felt that she was giving him an attitude, so as she walked away from him, he yelled back at her, "Stop the righteous indignation Kate!" Me, being the trombonist in the back started cracking up, while Kate tried to figure out what that meant exactly. For those of you don't know, righteous indignation is a fancy way of saying having an attitude. Mr. Roberts, for this, I thank you.
My good friend Piera, got me the best birthday gift ever, and everyone hated it yesterday. She got me a Kanye West shirt, and I put it on immediately, and immediately, people started to bash on my shirt, and how much of a douchebag he is. Someone, Melissa Lain to be exact, called him the Lord Of Douchebaggery. Original, Melissa, original. I love the shirt, and thank you Piera.
With that all being said, I have some good news (for me at least). Thanks to you guys, the blog has hit over 1,000 page views!! Whoo!! Thank you guys so much for reading this much, I never thought that this blog would get 1,000 views in 2 months, let alone 4 or 5. Once again, thank you so much, and please keep reading into 2011! We're going to have a lot more cool stuff than we do right now, and I promise you won't be disappointed!
The reason that this blog post is so short, is that I have no computer at home, and I love to write, so I have to do it in a 45 minute time slot at the library. My computer got AIDS, and we had to bring it in to the Computer Hospital. So I apologize for not having more to say, once again thank you, and have a good December everyone!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Don't Call Me Shirley
This blog post is long overdue, and I've got a lot to write, so let me just get right into it.
On Friday night, I decided to watch my new film that I had bought, Natural Born Killers, not really knowing what to expect. I know that it's considered a cult classic and one of the best films of all time, but I really have never heard a lot about it in particular, just that it was a good movie. The first scene is really weird and crazy, and the film is definitely more than an acquired taste. I won't say too much about the film itself, because you've got to see it to believe it, but all I know is, Natural Born Killers deserves a spot as one of the best films of all time, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's a film as good as Fight Club, and this is my new favorite movie. I never thought I'd ever see a film that affected me, and agreed with me as much as Fight Club did, but now I've seen it, and its name is Natural Born Killers.
That night, after the movie was over, I got absolutely no sleep between Jia kicking me (we had to share a bed), and my brother Max started crying at about 5 AM, and decided to "talk" for three hours after that, allowing me absolutely no sleep. It's OK though, sleep is a crutch for the weak. My dad, not a believer in that philosophy, holed himself up in his room until almost noon. We left the house, going to the beach so I could practice my longboard in the parking lot for a while, and take some pictures of the shore. He got out the board, and said, "OK, giddy up and ride." Those are some words of wisdom if I ever heard them. I got on the board, and I rode.
For the first few runs around the lot, I was constantly on the verge of falling, but as I got my balance and found a comfortable stance, I was rolling around the lot Tony Hawk style. Well, not that good, but still, I was riding it, don't judge. My dad tried to do the same, but he wasn't so lucky. He got I'd say about 3 inches before he just about busted his ass. Jia, his biggest fan, screamed, "Good job daddy!" What a charmer. When I was done practicing, I took a couple pictures of the shore and the birds, and my dad took a few pictures of me skating, and on the sand. My weekend had officially been fulfilled, but little did I know that my day was just starting.
We all got into the car and drove to the first apartment that my dad lived in when he moved to California. He pointed to the exact unit, and said, "First night that me and John (his friend and ex-roommate) were moving in here, they shot a guy right there across the street and left him there." I was officially ready to leave. He took us to this Mexican restaurant next door where him and John used to eat every meal, and we ordered two burritos and chips for Jia. After taking a few bites, he confessed that the food was the same as 25 years ago, and just as good. I wasn't there 25 years ago, but that was a damn good burrito. He talked to the guy behind the counter about how he used to live here and eat there all the time. The guy said that he had been working there for 20 years!
Again, we piled into the car, and drove to my dad's friend Chris, and his job. Chris works at a TV station, per se, and records shows onto tapes, broadcasts them, edits them for errors, etc. Immediately when we got there, I was fascinated by all of the equipment, and one of Chris' work friends gave me a tour of the building and all of the things that they do. Being the nerd that I am, I took pictures of the equipment with my camera. I was definitely sad to leave that place. Chris said that if my dad dropped me with him for the day he could put me to work there doing some fun stuff; I'd never been so excited to work in my life.
From there, we went to the famous mall, the Beverly Center. My dad worked in at least 5 stores in that mall, and he was shocked at how upscale and classy it was, which was the original view for the mall back when it was first built. When we went up the escalator, I swear I saw Kourtney Kardashian coming down the escalator. Not even lying. We didn't stay at the mall for more than 20 minutes, my dad just wanted to see all the old stores that he worked in, and show me too. We left, and went to blockbuster for a few minutes. I bought: Get Him To The Greek, Remember Me, and Whip It. Not really important, but hey, I have to include everything.
We rode down Sunset Blvd, and went to my wife Kat Von D's tattoo shop, High Voltage Tattoo. I walked in, and was mesmerized by all the artwork on the walls, and the boards designed by Bam Margera and Kat Von D. We went next door to her art gallery, and looked at all of her artwork. It was very dark, Gothic, graphic, and beautiful. I bought her book The Tattoo Chronicles and had to basically be pulled out of the gallery by my father.
We drove to Mulholland Dr., where they filmed one of my favorite movies, coincidentally named, Mulholland Dr. Go figure. Anyway, we drive through there, and stumble upon one of my dad's old homes, where he lived with Chris in North Hollywood. It's really interesting to see where my dad used to live, it kind of gives me a peek into the past.
It was getting a little late, so we decided to head home, and that's where part of today's round of, I Can't Believe My Dad Said...
My father and I were talking about how we should go to Pink's Hot Dogs. "No way, hot dogs are disgusting, and I don't even eat meat." He replies, "Oh please Joey, when we went to Pink's hot dogs, you shoved that sh!t down your throat faster than a squirrely fag in a bath house." Where he comes up with these things, I don't know. The rest of that night was pretty quiet. I watched Get Him To The Greek, and attempted sleep unsuccessfully at about midnight.
The next day, Sunday, was the ride home. Taking a whopping 9 hours due to traffic, we didn't get home until about 9:30. I finally made it up to bed at 10:15, but didn't fall asleep until after 12:30 AM for some reason. I think I'm developing insomnia, which would suck. Monday was a relatively uneventful day at school, and when I got home I got my haircut. My dad called me soon after to talk about my upcoming birthday party, and being the funny guy that he is, said, "Hey, I'll just show up like I did at your conception, no problem." Goodbye Dad.
I got to work on my Language Arts poster with Jia, and it turned out pretty well. That's all I've got to say today, and I can't believe this post took me almost 40 minutes. I'm a devoted writer. That's all for now, thanks for reading guys, I hope you made it all the way through this droll.
On a darker note, Leslie Nielsen, one of the founding fathers of my childhood, and one of the funniest men to ever live, tragically died on Sunday, due to complications of pneumonia. He will be forever missed by many. R.I.P. Leslie, you were a master of your craft, and a legend.
On Friday night, I decided to watch my new film that I had bought, Natural Born Killers, not really knowing what to expect. I know that it's considered a cult classic and one of the best films of all time, but I really have never heard a lot about it in particular, just that it was a good movie. The first scene is really weird and crazy, and the film is definitely more than an acquired taste. I won't say too much about the film itself, because you've got to see it to believe it, but all I know is, Natural Born Killers deserves a spot as one of the best films of all time, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's a film as good as Fight Club, and this is my new favorite movie. I never thought I'd ever see a film that affected me, and agreed with me as much as Fight Club did, but now I've seen it, and its name is Natural Born Killers.
That night, after the movie was over, I got absolutely no sleep between Jia kicking me (we had to share a bed), and my brother Max started crying at about 5 AM, and decided to "talk" for three hours after that, allowing me absolutely no sleep. It's OK though, sleep is a crutch for the weak. My dad, not a believer in that philosophy, holed himself up in his room until almost noon. We left the house, going to the beach so I could practice my longboard in the parking lot for a while, and take some pictures of the shore. He got out the board, and said, "OK, giddy up and ride." Those are some words of wisdom if I ever heard them. I got on the board, and I rode.
For the first few runs around the lot, I was constantly on the verge of falling, but as I got my balance and found a comfortable stance, I was rolling around the lot Tony Hawk style. Well, not that good, but still, I was riding it, don't judge. My dad tried to do the same, but he wasn't so lucky. He got I'd say about 3 inches before he just about busted his ass. Jia, his biggest fan, screamed, "Good job daddy!" What a charmer. When I was done practicing, I took a couple pictures of the shore and the birds, and my dad took a few pictures of me skating, and on the sand. My weekend had officially been fulfilled, but little did I know that my day was just starting.
We all got into the car and drove to the first apartment that my dad lived in when he moved to California. He pointed to the exact unit, and said, "First night that me and John (his friend and ex-roommate) were moving in here, they shot a guy right there across the street and left him there." I was officially ready to leave. He took us to this Mexican restaurant next door where him and John used to eat every meal, and we ordered two burritos and chips for Jia. After taking a few bites, he confessed that the food was the same as 25 years ago, and just as good. I wasn't there 25 years ago, but that was a damn good burrito. He talked to the guy behind the counter about how he used to live here and eat there all the time. The guy said that he had been working there for 20 years!
Again, we piled into the car, and drove to my dad's friend Chris, and his job. Chris works at a TV station, per se, and records shows onto tapes, broadcasts them, edits them for errors, etc. Immediately when we got there, I was fascinated by all of the equipment, and one of Chris' work friends gave me a tour of the building and all of the things that they do. Being the nerd that I am, I took pictures of the equipment with my camera. I was definitely sad to leave that place. Chris said that if my dad dropped me with him for the day he could put me to work there doing some fun stuff; I'd never been so excited to work in my life.
From there, we went to the famous mall, the Beverly Center. My dad worked in at least 5 stores in that mall, and he was shocked at how upscale and classy it was, which was the original view for the mall back when it was first built. When we went up the escalator, I swear I saw Kourtney Kardashian coming down the escalator. Not even lying. We didn't stay at the mall for more than 20 minutes, my dad just wanted to see all the old stores that he worked in, and show me too. We left, and went to blockbuster for a few minutes. I bought: Get Him To The Greek, Remember Me, and Whip It. Not really important, but hey, I have to include everything.
We rode down Sunset Blvd, and went to my wife Kat Von D's tattoo shop, High Voltage Tattoo. I walked in, and was mesmerized by all the artwork on the walls, and the boards designed by Bam Margera and Kat Von D. We went next door to her art gallery, and looked at all of her artwork. It was very dark, Gothic, graphic, and beautiful. I bought her book The Tattoo Chronicles and had to basically be pulled out of the gallery by my father.
We drove to Mulholland Dr., where they filmed one of my favorite movies, coincidentally named, Mulholland Dr. Go figure. Anyway, we drive through there, and stumble upon one of my dad's old homes, where he lived with Chris in North Hollywood. It's really interesting to see where my dad used to live, it kind of gives me a peek into the past.
It was getting a little late, so we decided to head home, and that's where part of today's round of, I Can't Believe My Dad Said...
My father and I were talking about how we should go to Pink's Hot Dogs. "No way, hot dogs are disgusting, and I don't even eat meat." He replies, "Oh please Joey, when we went to Pink's hot dogs, you shoved that sh!t down your throat faster than a squirrely fag in a bath house." Where he comes up with these things, I don't know. The rest of that night was pretty quiet. I watched Get Him To The Greek, and attempted sleep unsuccessfully at about midnight.
The next day, Sunday, was the ride home. Taking a whopping 9 hours due to traffic, we didn't get home until about 9:30. I finally made it up to bed at 10:15, but didn't fall asleep until after 12:30 AM for some reason. I think I'm developing insomnia, which would suck. Monday was a relatively uneventful day at school, and when I got home I got my haircut. My dad called me soon after to talk about my upcoming birthday party, and being the funny guy that he is, said, "Hey, I'll just show up like I did at your conception, no problem." Goodbye Dad.
I got to work on my Language Arts poster with Jia, and it turned out pretty well. That's all I've got to say today, and I can't believe this post took me almost 40 minutes. I'm a devoted writer. That's all for now, thanks for reading guys, I hope you made it all the way through this droll.
On a darker note, Leslie Nielsen, one of the founding fathers of my childhood, and one of the funniest men to ever live, tragically died on Sunday, due to complications of pneumonia. He will be forever missed by many. R.I.P. Leslie, you were a master of your craft, and a legend.
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