The New Years Toss Up

I really haven't decided what do to about New Years Eve celebrations. The original plan was to go to Times Square tonight. I've lived in NYC for two years and haven't yet seen the ball drop live. The thing is I'd also like to get an early start tomorrow and start the trip off and the two plans don't really compliment eachother. But I'm here and I have a friend to celebrate the end of the year with, so it seems like I might as well end it with a big tado. Plus besides going out to eat and some pool playing, we haven't done much with the outside world yet. But then again its really all about the trip at this point and maybe a Times Square late night bash is too much to ask for, especially when considering the masses and the unfortunate hassle of crowded subways and getting back to the apartment.

Speaking of the trip, we started talking about the possibility of actual encountering spirits and what our strategy would be. The two options seem to be meet back to back, or of course RUN. The thing is we have purposefully found the creepiest places to go with the most belligerent spirits/activity we could find, ie. spirits chasing after you, attacking your car. And honestly I don't think knives are going to defend us and though not bringing holy water could prove a mistake, I think holy water is rather silly and don't place much trust in it protecting me. Wednesday, the night of the full moon, we are going to a forest where all sorts of weird shit goes down. Then there's the haunted undergroud tunnel, where you can hear childrens' voices whispering, "come on, come on." We consquently spooked each other the fuck out last night. But then again, it's kind of what the trip is about. I just realized more or less last night, that this is a crazy ass plan. We have no idea how to combat angry spirits.

SUSHI GUSHI

Really much wasnt done today except planning for Adventure 2007. The fat ass and I went to a near-by Sushi place at Ditmars. I ate there once before and besides it being a REALLY nice experience, it was the sushi I've ever had, so I wanted to have him taste their cuts. I opted for a sashimi dish, in which the cook selected the type of fish/seafood whatnot, because I was feeling adventurous. Though I did request the yellowtail, because last time I couldnt believe how good it was. Lunch/dinner was VERY VERY good. I just wish that the cook had included the eel, because I wanted to try it out. Now I am equally in love with the yellow tail and the salmon. MMMMMMmmmmm!!!! Its SOOO good! Thank you, you know who, for bringing me into the sushi world. What a world it is! Next time I'm trying the eel and at least one other undiscovered sashimi type. Sushi Gushi.... was a theory that accused the Japanese goodness for stomach aches, but it was in fact alcohol consumed too quickly...and probably mixing 7 up, OJ and apple cider.

Oh and I also was the billards champion today. That would be four games. Crushing victories? Well, no, but victories nonetheless.

The Countdown Begins

I am outside smoking and IM'ing when behind me sneaks a most suspicious character. It was David T. Fatass. He is here and the events are set in motion. After going to the Igloo, we returned to the shack to watch POC 2, well Dave mostly watched as I sharpened our blades, yes our blades with the wet stone he brought. We are readying for a battle with ghosts, we need sharp blades. And holy water, which we will procure from various NYC churches tomorrow. Booze then followed and continued and continues, and banana bread. Watched some Extras clips, some SNL clips, some horny manatee (conan) clips. Perhaps this all seems a little nonsensical... well good then.

January 3rd is the full moon and we must reach a worthy place to exact our mortal wrath. There has been some contemplation of preparation, like flares and well, as Dave puts it, "yeah we're dead." ADVENTURE RIGHT AHEAD!!!

EXTRAS!

Holy shit!!! Now I know I am a little in the dark with some shows, not having cable and all. But this show REALLY knocked me over. I found it on youtube. It a British sitcom called Extras. Apparently there is an America version on HBO, but honestly I can't imagine it being more funny than the Enlgish.
Of course being a full-time extra myself, there is an implied relation I have to the program. It is a completely honest behind-the-scenes look at the industry as I have seen it so far. And though the celebrity guest roles are really exagerrated, I really don't think they are TOO TOO far off reality with SOME celebrities out there. Besides it is off the wall funny! So if you want to see a completely vain Orlando Bloom showing off his own magazine features, Daniel Radcliffe carrying around used condoms, Warick Davis being knocked unconscious, or Kate Winslet instructing on phone sex, I have provided the following links. The two leads of the show also do a bang up job!!

I NEED to buy the first season DVD!!!!!

Daniel Radcliffe

Orlando Bloom

Kate Winslet and Cerebral Palsy

My Bible

Whenever I am in doubt, whenever I found myself lost, whenever I have unanswered questions, my bible puts me on the right path, the way to righteouosness. It's The Screenwriter's Bible by David Trottier, a guide to writing, formatting and selling your script. I mostly use it for formatting purposes, but I have definately appreciated the keen insight to the script structure, elements, devices and whatnot. It seems any time I am not sure how to properly format a less used device within a script, all I have to do is look in this little gem of literary reference and there is the answer. Its true that there are all kinds of ways to format different stuff within a script, but certainly some ways make much more sense than others. I have been writing screenplays for about.... 10 years I guess, and since I bought this book, I haven't neglected it once while working on a script.

99% less contradictions than the original Bible.

Adventure 2007

Oh yeah BABY! It's nearly upon us. January 1st Dave and I are on the road. The idea is real simple. Start the new year with adventure, excitment, mystery and ghost hunting. If you ask me it's the perfect way to start things off. The plan is to drive south, where the climate is a little MORE inviting and where sleeping in the car is a possibility since 1: it makes the trip much more affordable and 2: who knows where the hell we will be on any particular day. The route is to go down to D.C., and likely go as far south as South Carolina. Right now we have Virgina somwhat planned with a haunted forest and a haunted underground railway and graveyeard of course. Honestly I am not sure how we will get into these places. It's possible we'll have to be real sneaky about it. And in hunting ghosts one must consider the possibility that one WILL actually encounter the paranormal and they might not be happy about it. The forest mentioned above actually stated many people have entered them and not returned. Is this hokey-ness or a genuine warning?.... we will find out.
There is more out there than ghosts, like a cannon that shoots nuclear weapons, an unnaturally blue lake that contains no life and sports white sand at the bottom, a hole that goes nowhere, an odd little place where all the steams go uphill. These are our destinations. Because we have so little of the trip actually planned out, it will be interesting to see where the road takes us. Hopefully to new bounds. Likely to new bounds. I look forward to Adventure 2007.

Inside Out

For some odd reason the majority of my clothes today have ended up on me inside out.

That's pretty much the most interesting thing I have going today. I've had trouble mustering either the energy or will to do much. Which has in turn put me in kind of a cranky mood. So to remedy that, I am went outside did some neccesary grocery shopping, I'm working out and I'm going to spend the rest of the night being productive in whatever manner I fancy, just as long as I am productive in some sense.

I returned home yesterday to find my newly purchased book waiting for me on the stairway. YAY for me! Its not quite as much help as I was hoping for research purposes and my script, but it does present my subjects viewpoint somewhat, which is in a way helpful.

Yeah like I said, wearing my clothes inside out is the best thing I got today.

A Terribly Gruesome Scene

Just a few random things:

I watched a bio today on Mary Pickford. Honestly, I didn't know who she even was, her name was familiar to me and that was about all. I'm always amazed when am introduced to facts and things that well... you'd think I know, like the yule log for instance. A burning log on TV? What? Anway, back to Mary Pickford. In the 20's she was an actress whose fame equaled Charlie Chaplin. She was essentially America's first Hollywood sweetheart. But she was quite a woman, constantly challenging her acting, the stories, the film medium, even the audiences with her endless creative ambitions. Known for her beauty she took roles that uglied her up, she played multiple roles in the same film, knowing that being so radical with her creative control (yes, she fought for creative control) could ruin her career. She started United Artists, and help run the distribution company, making it into a permier corporation. Her story is impressive, saddening, inspiring, romantic.... IMDB offers a small bio.....

Pickford on IMDB

Moving on:
I think TV/FILM productions really need to acknowledge that when people dig up graves, they don't do it in a perfect rectangle. I saw it both on programs last night and today. And it's just ridiculous.

Also, have you ever seen news casters try to act all human-like? It is the most bizarre scene! Mostly they try to take on human humor and then cover up their failed joke with lots of laughter and more adlibbing. Last night I was watching the news and they were celebrating someone's 20 year anniversary. And somehow by the time the tribute ended, all the news personalities were talking and walking, hands held, in a cirle. Like that Charley Brown special. Or wait, was that The Grinch That Stole Christmas? It was freaky creepy at any rate.
So I was making lunch today and preparing some beets. Yes, beets! I like beets! But the last few times that I have eaten beets the part where I get the beets out of the can have somehow gone horribly wrong, resulting in beet juice virtually everywhere. It happened again today. It always happens so quickly that I stand there in the aftermath, mouth stuck open, empty beet can in my left hand, fork in my right, both arms frozen, looking upon this great red mess. Is it worth it?

(shrugging shoulders)

Yeah.

Mmmm. Beets.

Hi.

It's been an incredible week of seeing real bodies, dead, preserved, exposed. Following sketchy Chinese salesmen into a lock and key hidden store to look at blackmarket namebrand purses. Doing the swindle instead of getting the swindle. Watching someone nearly blown away on the subway (luckily they were holding onto a railing.) Preparing for cash4cadavers 2007, preparing for Adventure 2007 (which I will explain in due time). Running to the front of subway trains to get the funpark view (and barely getting in before the doors close.) Relaxing, writing, lots of laughing.

The big question right now.... Am I getting sick or not? This is the second day that I've had a sore throat. And I've been sleeping alot this past week, well not ALOT, 8-10 hours a day, it's just I've slept like that in a while. IN FACT a couple of weeks again I was having alot of trouble sleeping. Plus my energy level is kind of down. I'd rather not be sick to tell you the truth, for everyone's sake.

I made the most magnificent breakfast this morning. Home fries, pancakes and eggs. With a cup of OJ. It was SOOOOO good. And just the right amount. I portioned the pancakes and homefries so that I can relive this breakfast early tomorrow morning before I get on the train. I'm looking forward to it.... Well, it's time to get to writing.

Peace out.

Peace out.

The 12 Woes of Christmas and MGU's

12. Crowded train

11. Forced travel

10. Christmas music everywhere (admittedly not a big deal since I don't hold a 9 to 5 now)

9. People flock stores and sidewalks showing christmas shoving spirit

8. No work for a good three weeks

7. Getting gifts for people when I've no idea what they want

6. Receiving gifts from people, I'm always uncomfortable (this goes for my bday as well)

5. Darting from family to family and working around everyone's schedules

4. the lost meaning of christmas

3. the original meaning doesn't apply to my personal beliefs anyway

2. I am going to list no work again because its a REALLY big one

1. The bullshit of it all

Lately I have noticed roaming around the city streets what I like to call MGU's or mobile god units. The first one I saw was a Christian MGU. A minivan driving down a major avenue, someone inside with a bullhorn, preaching about how Jesus will save us and whatnot. The funny part was that I working that day and the assistant director had himself a bullhorn. And he spouted back. You got to love bullhorn exhanges.

The second one I saw a few days ago on Lexington Ave. This was a Jewish MGU decked out with banners. This MGU wasn't so much preaching as it appeared to be celebrating. Just driving slowly down the avenue, playing some crazy ethnic music. A sort of party MGU. Yeah, that's about it.

A Most Complex Machine

Today I went to see Bodies: The Exhibition. For those of you that don't know what this is.... it's an exhibit that displays human bodies preserved in a process called plastination. The process not only preserves the bodies, but hardens them, giving them a plastic-like appearance. Basically you can look at the human body in several different views. One of the most striking were these two forms, each joined by the hands, pulling against eachother, one made of muscle and tendons, the other a clean skeleton. Then you learn these two halves actually are one man, his skeletal form and his muscular form. Am I explaining coherently? This is REALLY something you have to SEE to completely understand and appreciate. You can see the nervous system, spinal cord, laid out on a table, the entire arterial system encased in glass, lungs, the heart, the asshole, tying all the sytems together. It was fascinating and educating. I cannot believe what complex machines our bodies are. You MUST see this exhibit when in NYC. It's at the South Sea Port. GO!

p.s. go with the audio tour!!

Lettuce In Your Face

Well, I've done it again. I've invented a wonderfully simple and entertaining game. It's called, "Lettuce in Your Face." This is how it works. Use iceberg lettuce, because it's cheap and has virtually no nutritional value. Get it wilted, like the outside layer. Not brown and gross. Just soft and silky, so there are no hard edges. Get a couple of large pieces. Walk up to someone and ask them if they want to play a game. When they ask what the game is, you say, "well... (now the following words and actions are performed simultaneously) it's LETTUCE IN YOUR FACE!! (as you throw the leafs of lettuce in their face, not hard mind you, just fast enough to surprise them.) HOLY FUCK! Is this a fun game!!! And everyone likes it! Then you just keep calling out LETTUCE IN YOUR FACE as you exchance lettuce throws.

In other news. Tomorrow afternoon I return home. Alot of going back and forth this month, because of birthdays and silly holidays. My car is up and running, though with a few twitches that will probably result in another 600-800 bucks to fix. At this point I will either sell it as is, or keep the damn car for myself. I do love the car. I love its look, I love the way it drives, and I love the extended freedom I would get with it. So we'll see. I don't have the money to finish the repairs yet.

The passing of time never hits me quite as much as when I swipe my metrocard and it reads "insufficient funds." This means that a month has passed since I bought the card. I am ALWAYS surprised and often suspicious when this happens. Because time has passed SO quickly, I can't help but think the MTA is screwing me over. That's right, I'm squinting my eye at you MTA.

I am thinking this week is going to be dedicated to writing and the like, since I don't have much of a life. Fortunately I have much to write and much to get ready to mail out. Plus I will be getting research materials around Tuesday for my script, which I am anxious to dig into. I guess that's it. Bye.

Plan's Changed

I guess I am something of a procrastinator when it comes to planning the details of going to visit upstate. In my defense, it's because the way my job is, acting and the like, I never really know when I am working, since it's all about the next phone call. So making any sort of plan is almost at the very least complicated. This weekend I am going upstate to attend my younger niece's 7th birthday. I WAS somewhat planning on leaving tomorrow, but then by chance the phone did ring and it was work. So now I am working tomorrow, which should make me just enough money for the train tickets. So I guess I'll head out Saturday now.
There is nothing good or exciting to report of my day, I've basically tried to drown out any and all thoughts with sleep and music.

Jungle Boogie

So far this week's been all work. Which is fine really. The next few weeks I am predicting are going to be very slow. Particulary because many productions go into hiatus until the second week of January. So I might as well make th knobse money when the money there to be made.

On Monday I started the day standing-in for an old white-haired actor, who had a familiar face and voice, but I didn't care enough to try to place him. The scene took place in a Salarium. I went to work, taking great pains to insulate myself head-toe. When I realized the scene was interior, I shedded layer upon layer until I reached normal size. Unfortunately the room was more or less an outdoor porch on a roof. There were a couple of out of the ordinaries on set, such as 100% all natural organic blood, apparently nourishment for the plants and the faucet in the bathroom was shaped, and I kid you not, nor do I take artistic interpretation, it was shaped exactly like an erect penis. The hot and cold knobs were a big pair of silver balls, as I'm sure you guessed. Perhaps I should point out that this WAS in Chelsea. The only other memorable thing about the day was this girl rather blatantly asking another extra (male) if he was wearing make-up. When he said yes, we just looked at eachother and chuckled. I was also able to get some writing done, which is VERY VERY good, when I can manage that.

Stuff happened today as well, I'm just not feeling up to any more bloggish nonsense, so I'll continue another time. Night all.

P.s. The title has revelance to nothing, it was just the first thing that popped into my head. What's that pschological evaluation called?

Getting Encouragement from Rejection

I have so far received four out of ten possible replies from my first wave of query letter send-outs. They have all turned me down. For varied reasons. Not taking on new clients, not interested, etc. etc. I can either take it personally and get all mopey or I can look at it as at least I am getting replies, at least they are reading the letter. I think I am going with the latter. I have sent out MANY MANY letters in the last year and I've never received so many replies from a single mailing before. So if they are reading them then I feel like its not a waste of time and money. Right? Right?

Dreams of Daylight

If ever you find yourself being bombarded by street people trying to sell you watches out of their jacket, or headphones that look like they've been pulled out of a garbage, I will provide the following advice. Pull anything from your pockets and try to sell THEM something. Some chapstick, your house keys, a piece of lint. Turning the tables of them makes for a grand time.

I have decided that my next goal, in my personal life, is to find a new apartment within the next 6 months. I am thinking when work picks up again. I am thinking something...above-ground. It's really hard to relate what living in a apartment with virtually no sunlight does to your mood. I dream of one day soon, being able to write a script next to an open window on a nice sunny day. Yeah, that would be nice.

Here is a song I recorded yesterday. I'm happy with it. It's something of a spin on my typical music. I tried to come up with some new sounds and whatnot. I posted it on my myspace and I will supply the link for the utmost convenience of anyone interested.

http://www.myspace.com/moonshinerick

Christmas Tree Massacre

The tradition of the Christmas tree seems so stupid to me, that I HAD to look up the its origins. There are several different accounts of how this senseless tradition start, the most likely: that hardcore Christian Martin Luther started the tradition when he brought into his home a small fir tree to replicate to his children a marvelous sight he witnessed in the woods. He decorated the tree with candles to honor Christ's birth. Mind you: this from a man that bragged about fighting off Satan his "happy songs" and an inkwell. Other theories include many Pagan traditions that somehow became intertwined with Christian tadition. This I also find likely, just look at Easter. I don't know which origin I favor to be true. Both are pretty funny to me.

Anyway, I don't mind if people feel the need to put up a tree in your home and decorate it. It's good, quality family time. But why can't you use a fake tree?? I have family that uses them, and they look pretty damn realistic. And it's much more sensable. You're not cutting down a tree to wrap some lights around it and watch it die and litter your carpet with needles for 3 three weeks, before you promptly toss it outside the day after Christmas. And you're not spending the money every year to buy a new one.

GO FAUX!

People Stew

I don't feel like I have dedicated enough time to introduce the woman who is my land lady. She is an older gal, I'm guessing late 60's. She lives upstairs alone. She screams a lot. I mean a lot. I am quite sure she is part-insane. She had never screamed at/around me, but when I am out of view, she lets it out. It is my belief and others who have encountered her, that she baits people into her house, kills them, seasons them, chops them up and makes a hearty people stew out of them. We also believe she has done this with countless tenants, and my days are numbered. So if one day, you get a call saying I have joined the missing persons list, you need look no further than upstairs. Perhaps I will be boiling with some red potatoes and green beans on the stove, in the refrigerator chilling in disposable Tupperware, or hanging out in the freezer, waiting for a nice rainy dain and some fresh artisan bread.

You Smell Something Burning?

Well, I do say chaps, good day. To breeze by the cold exterior shoot the other day... It was cold. It wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting though. They had a warming van nearby on set, I geared up with some thermal underclothes and when we weren't shooting we were allowed to keep our coats on. Of course after hours and hours, you tend to get cold no matter what. At one point I noticed my arm had a purplish tint to it, another time I noticed my hand, which had been red and only partially functional since the early morning, now had kind of wrinkled up as if it was waterlogged. Yes coldness does weird stuff to the body. There were things that I did to try to keep warm naturally, like pacing, jumping up and down, and lastly doing calf raises. At any rate it was another light dependant day and so we were out by about 330, a simple 8.5 hour day. I'm still not very pleased AFTRA. It's like the cheap Aunt that gets you a card and a Lotto ticket for your birthday. But I got my $1,300 perforated paper membership card and I may as well make use of it.

p.s. the production was a ESPN mini-series called The Bronx is Burning.

No, no, no, from the back!

Well THAT was a bust. Ok so this was the hub-bub bubs. I got a call from casting Friday saying they submitted me for this part in a film called My Sassy Girl. This was how they explained it to me. I was to possibly play a past boyfriend (you like that alliteration?) to the lead female. It was to be shoot in a series of flash backs and it was speaking. But like I said, production was adding these scenes. So I was somewhat hopeful that if I did get the part then perhaps I would be upgraded.

Back to reality. They brought one other guy and me to set early. Set was outside. Central Park. When we arrived to set, the situation was further and more accurately explained to us. They were more interested in the back of out heads than anything else. They had already shot the stunt man for the character and now they needed someone to match him. And so slowly to rotated in clock-wise 360 for the director. Yup. So when it came down to it, they were only interested in haircolor and hairline. Which I did not match. I am not too upset (except for the loss of poss. work) as it was also explained to us that through all the shots, only the back of the actor's head would be scene. WOW!! That's great! What an opportunity. Sit around 10 hours, so the back of my head can be used.
The day otherwise...well, sucked. We were outside for about 9 hours straight. It was cold. No it was COLD. NO it was FUCKING BRRRRR!!!!! No breaks. Well, yeah one 10 minute break, we went into a warm van. No meal, we ended the day with plenty of penalties. I was very ready to go home. And then I got the guised call. The one where you agree to something (in the particular situation:work) and realize immediately you made a mistake. AFTRA sucks. I don't know why I am a member. I don't know why they can't match SAG's base rate. I don't know why I agreed to another day of sitting out in the cold (so soon) and with less clothing (as it it a summer scene.) Tomorrow is destined to suck, suck more than today.

In other news, I am making my life yet a little more creatively hectic with now starting a new spec script and probably writing a short for a pair that intend to make a film. I don't know much about the short, but I am pretty excited/anxious to start my new script. I just don't want to wake up tomorrow is all.

....Oh the other actor that I needed to look similar to was Jesse Bradford.

Shaving for the Greater Good

Well, I'm kind of excited. I got a call today from casting. My headshot was submitted for some featured background for a movie. Usually featured BG doesnt really get me too excited. But this might actually turn into something. They are writing in scenes for this characters that I may play. Casting said there were no lines, which is why I would rank still as BG and not principal. But my hope is that if they are going through the trouble of addending the script and budgeting the extra scenes they must see the content as important, and therefore an upgrade is slightly more likely.

The only thing is that I need to look similar to the other actor for it to make sense in the story. Which I think I do. We both have dark features, similar faces shapes, close in age, same build, and same height. Of course I had to shave my beard off. It was a surprisingly quick and painless procedure this the electric sheers I bought a couple of months ago. Though there was hair everywhere. The last time I shave my beard, I had to cut it down with scissors. It wasn't pretty, let's just say. Lot's of cuts.... So I think I should know by Monday. Yeah, sorry, I'll get more specific later.

Please cross fingers...now!

What Up Hollywood?

What the hell is going on with the Hollywoodies lately?? First Tom Cruise shows us he's crazy time and time again, thenMel Gibson tells the world he hates Jews, then Kramer tells everyone he hates Blacks, then Danny Devito goes onto The View drunk..... Get your shit together huh people!!!

And why every time I turn on the TV is Tyra Banks on??? I don't care if you're hot, I can't stand you Tyra. When you speak it makes my skin crawl. Maybe if the extent of your show was you bouncing around in the million dollar Victoria's Secret bra I would tune in now and then. But seeing you cry your eyes out because you dressed up like a fat person and didn't receive attention makes my eye twitch. Or hearing you promise your audience you're going to give away the single product that gives your beauty, to your audience. Hearing them get all thrilled and then they open their gift bags and its baby oil! What fucking brass you got. BTW, both of those examples I heard on the radio as someone was making fun of her show. Just so you don't get the wrong impression.

The Great Debate

Ah the query letter! Much in the same vein as the perfect diet and other such great contraversies. Everyone has a take on it. Some say it's a complete waste of time and money, others say there's always a chance. So what do I do? Approach it as the rock not to be left unturned? Abandon it and rethink my strategy? I did some reading at a Barnes and Noble. Guidance concerning how to get yourself a literary agent is wrought with frustration.

At any rate, I mailed out some more today. I spent the last nice day in Union Square. What better place to spend it. I had to go into the city anyway, so I decided to spend some time out and about.

Hmm... I had more things to talk about, but now I find myself too tired to think of those things. Oh well. Night all.

Stuff is up

So Brekken 360 from DCUP had a new song on the DCUP Myspace page, check it out.

DCUP LINK

There's also a new edition of the Ethos Reactor up. I contributed this time with an article about slime in New York City.

The Ethos Reactor

Done, Did, and Done

Well, I am pretty happy with myself today. I finished a song, prepared some query letters for the mailbox, cleaned my apartment, exercised and submitted to a few student films. Yup that was my day.

So I was going to take out my trash the other night and WHAM! I walk right into a railing, my side hit it with enough force to spin my around. It still hurts. I do this kind of often. Usually it's my shoulder. I don't know if I just don't have the width of my shoulders figured out yet of what, but you'd be amazed at how often I run into this.

Another day off tomorrow. Hmmm.....

DotCOM

Well, usually I don't even mentioned the productions I work on by name anymore, which I'm sure has made my blogs infinately less interesting. But today I CAN'T talk about it, because I had to sign a confidentiality agreement. The show was Sopranos. I was standing-in. As you probably know the show is winding down on its final season. And plot secrecy is paramount. I'll just say it was an "interesting" day. Ha. It's eating you up isn't it?

The one funny thing that happened that I CAN talk about, was this. I was in a little group conversatin' and all and this girl says, "Okay, Mr. Millionaire DotCommer model." She was referencing some featured thing I did on 6 Degrees about a month ago. It was a photo shoot with me and two other guys. The camera was right on us, so I assumed it would be pretty noticeable, but I never saw the episode. My response was, "Ha, you saw that?" Her reply, "well, yeah, I watch the show." This of course got me curious about the scene. So pathetically I went home and looked for myself on the ABC website. I gotta say the bit is pretty funny. You can still view the episode online. It's the first November show, about 24 minutes into it if anyone is interested in seeing it. You know for shits and giggles.

There ya go, I'm famous now.

THE ABC LINK

400m

I was on the Track team when I was in High School. I was quite fast I say quite modestly. I ran the 400m. My coach told me it was likely the hardest race, because it was somewhere between long distance and a sprint. As a freshman I was faster than all the seniors. Okay maybe I'm not sounding so modest anymore. My point is the approach I had toward running this particular race. It was pretty simple. Start the race with a sprint. About 200m in, slow down. When I hit the 325m mark, burn everthing I had left, raw will coursing through my numb legs. When it was over, I knew I ran as fast as I possibly could.

Today was kind of like that. The day started out shitty. And it didnt help when I got to the train and figured out that I reserved a ticket for the wrong day and that I had to wait an hour longer than I had expected. By the time I pulled into Manhattan I really just wanted to get to my apartment. But there was no getting around my need of a charger for my cell phone. I tried 34th street, but didn't see the store that was supposed to be there. After waiting a hair-pulling amount of time waiting for the 1 train, I went to 23rd street and finally found my cell phone charger #3. I'm pretty sure I was overcharged, since the guy took the charger out of a packaged set and didn't bother giving me a receipt. I really didn't care at that point. It was just about getting to my apartment.

And now here I am. My call time for work tomorrow is oh...about 9 hours later than I thought it would be, looks like a short, one scene day. At least I'll get time to finally send some query letters out, clean up my place and exercise. It's good to be back in NYC.

Rocky Nostalgia

The whirlwind is nearly over. I have been bouncing whither and tither since I've been here. It's been nearly a week since I've been home. I haven't shaved for about that long, I am thinking I might as well grow a beard at this point. I went to see Casino Royale with my parents tonight. Rocky Balboa showed up on the previews. There was a scene that showed the restuarant set that I played in way back. It was my first getaway work experience. It was a great time fooling people with a Southern accent and fake stories, playing cards, staying in a different city and of course making fun of people. I might just go to see this movie to look, in that one quick scence, at myself back then as if I was kind of someone else.

I thought maybe I would have received a phone call or email while I was here from a friend, being it Thanksgiving and all. But I didn't. The ball was left in his court so to speak. But he's made his choice apparently, so I guess that means that differences can't be set aside. It's just too bad.

I'm catching the 11am train tomorrow and 2 1/2 hours later I'll be back to my little underground studio, catching up on the life I left behind last week.

p.s. Funnest time being home: drunken air hockey. Okay, so I was the only drunk, I was still virtually unstoppable, somewhat like a juggernaut, and alcohol was my inertia. Okay this was like 5 minutes ago, and I am really still pretty drunk. Which allows me to say i think in another life, where i was orphaned and I didn't really care about anybody i think i could make a great double agent. I have intellegence and with training and a personal trainer i could certainly be lethal. I'm not crazy about martinis, so a more simplistic screwdriver would be my drink. But nonetheless i would be a keen operative agent and I would serve England well.

Joke's on You

So none of us is perfect. Michael Richards happens to be a racist. A fucking racist. What's more disgusting than that? I think of it every time I watch Seinfeld now. And I watch it often, because it remains one of my favorite shows. But now it's undoubtedly tainted. I think of his comments every time I watch the show now and for some reason the show just isn't as funny. I caught an episode today and which one do you think it was? You guessed it, the one with the heckler. Could this have been coincidence? Or was it some network's jab at the "comedian." People are coming to this man's defense assuring the public he is not a racist. But where did his outburst originate from, if not some racist root? You just don't make those type of hurtful comments out of generic ranting. You've ruined what you had left of a career mister, and you've ruined my favorite show in a lot of ways. Thanks from all of us.

Antz

Ok, so Thankgiving is over. I've decided to stay upstate for a few days. I am working on Monday so I will be returning on an early train Sunday to NYC. The early train is quite neccessary since I need to find a T-Mobile store and get my cell phone charger before the week starts. Forunately I will be leaving out of Albany where there are rarely delays and other such BS. I'm already getting a bit antzy, just because I am thinking of all the work I could be doing right now. I literally have work sitting on my printer, waiting to be done. I've been away from NYC for several days now, and I guess I'm just starting to feel it. The feeling I get, like something's passing me by, like I am out of the loop. I'm just gonna try not to think about it I guess. Today will be more running around for a bit, then hopefully nothing.

I woke today to restless neices and crazy ass cats. I love being an uncle, I love those girls to death, but I don't know how parents do it full-time.

So this is pic, of my sistas dog, Zeus, modeling my new winter hat, after this, we added a coat.

Speak of the Dick

Well yesterday sucked, there's no point in looking for a candy word for it. It's alright really, the two days that preceeded it were really great, so I have no problem with enduring one bad day for two extremely nice days.

I ended up in Albany around 10:30pm last night and waited there a while for my father to pick me up. Welcome home. This is Thanksgiving. There's nothing very exciting to report. I know I rarely blog anymore, so you'd think that when I eventually get around to writing, it would be something monumental, emotional sweeping, poetically elegant.... well I'm real fucking sorry. I went to my parent's house from the train station, ate some food, went online to buy my train ticket home on Sunday and passed right fucking out. Max, the coolest Labradoodle in the world, hung out with me for a bit on the bed, hogging it is more like it, when I closed my eyes it seemed like there was a horse lying next to me in the bed rather than this furry freak of a mixed breed.

I woke up not in a good mood. With yesterday, getting little sleep and losing my 2nd phone charger left me grumpy as all hell. I went to my father's for breakfast early, so no one would be too full for dinner as I was celebrating the festivities at my sister's. It was a nice visit. I made pancakes and we talked about a great many things, including topics that I am wrapped all up in with the latest books I am reading. I suddenly thought to myself as I was sitting in the kitchen. Why to I always tend to sit on the floor when I am in my parents houses? Nobody else sits on the floor, not even the kids and I am there looking up at everyone. I really gave it some thought and suddenly realized that it's because of the doggies. Its because I'm petting or playing with them constantly when I am there, so I always end up on the floor. Somewhere along the line I must have just subconsciously skipped the step and began sitting on the floor. Anyway, people started pouring in, guests. My step-sister and brother-in-law showed up and I held my nephew for the first time. Then I left and came into the frenzy of my sistas house. Thanksgiving overall was nice. Got to know some of my brother-in-law's family better, and even though I was dead tired I made it a point to socialize and just have fun. There was some drama unfortunately that bogged down the joyment, but what can we do. I helped make some of the food as well. Yeah, it was a pretty good Thanksgiving. Even thugh the idea of Thanksgiving disturbs me, like Xmas I just make it about being with my family.

(the title has to do with probably the funniest thing my father's said in a while, pertaining to his own father, Richard senior, aka Dick.) I doubt you'd find it as funny if I describe it, so I'll keep it mysterious.

And my phone will remain dead until I return home Sunday. And buy yet another charger for this fucking phone I have come to despise.

Cold Feet

So I'm currently reading the book Stiff, by Mary Roach, who unfortunately has a name that could easily be mistook for illegal drug lingo. The book details the history and current practical uses of cadavers. Don't worry, this blog contains no spoilers for those of you that intend to read it.

Of course the book explores societal ideas and psychologies that surround the dead body and the biological realities of the human corpse, which keep it interesting (if not mildly disturbing), because as much as I'd like to say I can read an entire book on uses for cadavers, it can get a bit....stiff. There's a line in it, "We are biology." As absorbed as we are in our appearance and specifically our bodies, it is rather hard to comes to terms with what eventual will become of our little skin bags. I adopted a rather natural way of looking at this a while ago, and still it disturbs my manner somewhat. Anyway, I recommend the book, it's a good read.

In other news, I've been approached to write a short for a stand-in I met on set. She's making the movie with one of her friends and said she thought of me immediately to flesh out their ideas into a screenplay. I am kind of interested but definately wary of getting involved. I haven't repsonded yet, nor am I sure how to. The thing is I've had alot of experience in this field and I have a pretty realistic outlook, but I don't want to come across as an ass, when I explain this or start listing stipulations I would want if I was to participate. Anyone that knows me can understand why I would have cold feet entering into such a situation.

Mr. Nobody

Nobody likes being a nobody, but some days you just are. And yesterday was a nobody day for yours truly. Not a very rewarding day at work. No good company. No challenges. No laptop. In the last scene of the day, I stood-in for a day player. Usually as a stand-in crew and the director will try to remember your name. Nope, not this time. I was mostly referred to as "this guy."

Plus I was really tired, so tired in fact that in between takes, (picture me sitting at a desk, as was my position, resting my head in my hands, arms bent 90 degrees) I nearly nodded off. I started to hear an echo-y "rolling" and snapped awake thankfully.

Of course being a nobody is better than being an out of work nobody which is what I am today and tomorrow as well. I know. I'll just think of the good I can do with this free time.

Been To the Talkies Lately?

I've had the opportunity to watch two movies recently. The Departed, a movie I have been meaning to see for the last two weeks, and Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Both of these movies were excellent! Must-Sees you might say.
The Departed was ulta-violent, brutily actually, but also realistically... I imagine anyway. The acting was brilliantly done by all, of course with a cast such as the cast the movie boasts, this is expected, yet still greatly appreciated. I could say the movie was tense, but in order for you to completely understand let me tell you that it was SO tense that I left the theater with a headache from all the tension.

Borat was hiralious, there were a few moments were I could barely take the grossness of the movie, but I laughed my ass off. Seriously, I have not seen a funnier movie in a long long time. Though I was upset to see parents with their kids there. This is NOT a movie for kids. And I was even more disappointed in the parents when they continued to stay after the many examples of why this is not a movie meant for kids. Selfish fucks.

Just What the Doctor Ordered

My self-imposed bout of R and R was nothing less than exquisite.

The Ethos Reactor

It's here folks! I am not sure what to compare this website to...The Onion perhaps, but not. At any rate a large group of friends and I are the proud parents. So far my only contribution has been the illustrations and banners, which not all are up currently. The site is still under construction, but is certainly worth checking out immediately... I mean NOW!

The Ethos Reactor

We Have a Heartbeat!

So it's been a while huh? Well, much of the last week's been pretty shitty. There are aspects of my life that are really good right now and others which simply bite. Life is funny like that. I don't really feel like getting into any of it however. This is a slow week for work, so I've decided to take some time off for personal things. Starting tomorrow. Though yesterday and today have been days off as well. Yesterdy wasn't really a productive day, I watched "The Aviator" once again, and just relaxed for the majority of the day. Today I am however feeling slightly more ambitious. I made banana bread. (I'm not really into the whole baking thing, but I hate to waste the bananas, and I am a fan of banana bread) The last couple I times I've made this yummy dessert I have forgotten to include always one key ingredient. This time it was the sugar. I have no idea what this is gonna taste like, I suspect it will be awful. I also mopped my floor as it needed it desperately. Yes, I am a stay-at-home mom today. The remainder of the day is mostly going to be reserved for writing postcards to casting places and doing creative stuff. Exciting no?

Probably Should Be Doing Something

Worked on a film yesterday with a friend. All exterior scenes. Just general background. Central Park. Got lost on the way to set because we opted to walk there. Though we found set but it ended up being Six Degrees, though they were nice enough to steer us to our set. Upper Manhattan was littered with all sorts of productions yesterday. It fantastic to see SO much going on. Makes me feel like I'm in the right place and right time.
Someone we avoided work for nearly six hours. The PA just kept passing over us. So we jusr joked and BS'ed, and smoked way too many cigarattes on a park bench. Took a trip to crafty for a cup of Cheerios and my speciality coffee mix. Did some crosses, made fun of other extras, moved to a new location, did some more crosses. Broke for a walk-a-way lunch. Walked FOREVER, probably 30 blocks with my friend in search of a Thai place, because we both were craving it in an undeniable fashion. We finally found it and the food was fucking FANTASTIC!!!! Chicken Pad Thai, topped with shredded peanuts... oh fuck mental block, what are they called? bean sprouts? You know what I'm talking about right? Also two spring rolls, my mouth is STILL watering over that fucking meal. Mmm MMM!!!!

Weekend Getaway #1

So the Salem Halloween Bash 'o6.... Well, it wasn't incredibly Halloweeny, aside from candy, a game of Zombies and watching Friday the 13th. It was however a good time. A respectable number of friends getting together and catching up...and much drinking. Admittedly I really know a few of the people of the people involved. Well I mean I know everyone, but after leaving college the group that I belonged to, divided and regrouped each year with new friends. So I'm acquainted with the group, but not like one is when you're living in the absurdity of college life.
A very kind Sara picked up Porter and myself at Poughkeepsie on Firday night, saving us some money. Tthen we went to the grovery store for candy and eats. There was a frozen pizza, four bags of treats, an akward moment for Sara with the cashier and we were out. Upon hitting Sara's spacious (yeah, I'm a bit jealous of people who have "real" apartments) I played some DCUP songs and recieved grand applause. That's how it went down right? It was an early night, I slept rather comfy-like on the futon, though it pales in comparison to mine.

Long drive, rain, watching Sara white-knuckle the steering wheel, laptop dies after 1:30 hours.

When we reached Dave's house, Curran, Pat and He were already happy-drunk. I snatched a slice of pizza and made myself the first of several screwdrivers. There was much laughter and conversation, stories of old and new adventures. More drinking, picking people up, talking people down, waiting for the rain to cut us some slack to go out, Black Olive from DCUP made an appearance. Really! How surprised was I!! Then there was more drinking, forcing bread and water on people, card games where the stakes were candy and um...drinking. An outing to acquire roast beef sandwhiches and whatnot, as it seems to have been a group craving. Then we watched Friday the 13th, a most ridiculous, outdated movie that was mercilessly blasted by the lot of us.

When it cleared up we went into town. I have to say I was pretty disappointed. I was the ONLY one that dressed up. I decided to be Brekken Brek, the producer/member of DCUP. I think my crowning achievement for the night was yelling out "Can someone give me a booya?" to practically EVERYONE on the street. The going out part of the night was pretty dissapointing for me to be completely honest. We returned to Dave's pad and continued playing unheard of versions of poker and sharing stories until the early morning. Now don't get the wrong impression, I wasn't plastered for 13 hours, I was keeping a nice steady pace, cuz sometimes my friends it's about endurance.

On Sunday we went out and walked the town as Dave's showed us around Salem. I really thought that the only proper way to end the night was to break into an old Puritan village that was set up and fenced off in a park. Three of us went in and explored the village and looked for photo-ops.

Then it was another long ass drive, train ride and hugely inconvenient subway mess once I reached Manhattan. That's it.

For another perspective on the weekend and some photos visit Sara's blog.

Hooked on Multi-Tasking

I've recently come under a lot of fire for how I clip my finger nails. You want to know? Well it's nothing big, I clip my nails when I'm on the sidewalk, walking somewhere. I don't do it when people are around me, I don't clip when I reach the station, (I only ever clip on the way to the Queens station), its usually early in the morning. Still some people are appalled. Well this is the simple fact of the matter. I can't justify to myself making clipping my finger nails a single act. Toe nails you have no choice, but fingernails you do. And it goes deeper still, I am a neurotic multi-tasker. If I can manage doing two things at once, great... three things even better! Examples: cooking, exercising, cleaning, eating, watching TV, writing, recording.Is there something wrong with this? Honestly.

Dead, Dead, Deadski

I've a Deadland chapter up for anyone interested!!!

Witches + Fire = Salem, MA

Yesterday started all pleasant, then it just become a mess as I tried to get as many things done as I possibly could before departure time. - this weekend I'm traveling with friends to Dave's place for a Halloween monster bash -
After a free breakfast I went in Manhattan to a Halloween shop, to track down the final details of my Halloween costume. I spent probably an hour looking around. I love costumes, diguises, so any time I go into one of these stores I'm like a kid in a candy store. I didn't end up getting much, I almost picked up an afro wig for Dave for reasons I cannot disclose, but we decided it wasn't the right look. Returned home.
For a while I was actually working on a writing project and a music project simultaneously, switching to whichever computer was most agreeable. I haven't really played my guitar or bass lately. But for this song I decided to mix my own instrument playing with my -um- new style of music. Though departure was pushed back I still found myself scrambling to get my shit together and out the door. I've a growing fear that I forgot to bring a change of socks. After I was out the door of my apartment I realized my keys weren't on me. Since I was pushing time anyway I really didn't need this. Long story short, about 15 minutes (and several explicits) later I found the keys in my back pack. A couple of months ago I realized how fucking quickly the 7 train gets me to Grand Central, and last night it saved me.
The train ride was what train rides usually end up being, several acts to occupy the time and keep from dozing off - unless dozies are ok, then by all means doze away - so I listened to some DCUP, wrote, and talked to my sis when the reception allowed.
The train ride to Poughkeepsie was directly followed by a car ride to Tivoli, where reception simply does not exist. In fact this whole fucking place has no reception, it's quite frustrating, so by the time I actually post this blog I guessing it will be a few hours old.
And that's about it, slept comfortably enough, mouth is cut up from a morning dose of cap'n crunch, and fixing to be on the road for the next 3 hours at least, considering weather and traffic. The rain is going to slow down festivities, but hopefully not ruin our good time. I'm making it my mission to force everyone into some kind of costume. Hopefully its a good time because this is the closest I'm gonna come to celebrating Halloween.

Which Ever Way You Say It

Excuse me? Pardon? Huh? Repeat that? Whatcha say?
I tend to say "what's that?" Just kinda noticed that today. It's kind of a weird hybrid version and I'm not sure it makes sense, but I can't turn my back of the phrase now.

Held Up

Day #2 on the same film yesterday. I sat in holding for 6 straight hours. Fortunately I had plenty of writing to do. I played black sheep, sitting in the corner of the room, my headphones on, hood over my head, face buried in my computer. Usually I don't listen to music in holding because I'm afraid I'll miss announcements, but today I did and the escape was great. I don't know if you've heard the newish Thom Yorke album, but most of it's great ambient rhythms and beats, perfect for writing. "Black Swan" is my favorite song of the album, not ambient at all, but downright catchy and it puts me in this groove everytime I listen to it. I was able to accomplish a fair amount of writing before Nate (who I prefer to call Snake) the PA brought us to that crowded set again. It's a stuffy karaoke bar filled to the rim with crew, principals and background. To stay it's hard to move around in there, is like saying the pyramids were probably hard to build. Anyway for the rest of the very long day it was going back and forth several times from holding to set and an occasional conversation with extras I'd met on previous sets. Nothing terribly exciting.
I am STILL working on my Deadland, I'm doing what I can given these circumstances. If I had a signal in holding, I'd be able to post it today, but so far I've had no luck in the area.

Clammy Hands

I can't help it. I have clammy hands. I always have. Its not like they're clammy ALL the time...more like 25 percent. Most of the time it's because of social nervousness. Meeting people, crowdedness, interviews, auditions and the like. Pretty much the worst possible time because usually the single given in these situations is the traditional handshake. There are many ways I try to unclam the hand in such circumstances: 'the wipe' of course (pants, shirt, doesn't matter,) "The Phil Collins" pounding out a beat = airing out the hands (sitting or standing, doesn't matter,) "the bird" flapping the arms like you're trying to fly, "the unnerve" mentally make yourself comfortable, trick yourself normal. I'm not a freak. I am terribly shy around people I don't know, I am not comfortable around crowds, I can lash out with all sorts of ridiculous behavior in a crowd, but that's not quite the same thing. Doing background and living in the city is improving me in this area slowly, but it still takes me a while before I talk to people around me. Anyway I digress. Back to my clammy hands.
Its not all social, its temperature related also and maybe even has something to do with my circulation...which sucks by the way.
So if you meet me and I don't shake your hand or have met me and the same, this is probably why.
Please don't think less of me, cuz I still can kick your ass.

The Stare

Please tell me I'm not the only one that does this. You ever kind of drift off in your mind, then finally realize that while you were daydreaming you were inadvertadly staring at someone? It happens to me a lot on the subway. The weird thing is, after my eyes are fixed in a direction long enough, it's somehow uncomfortable to move them and stare off into another direction. So sorry if I'm staring at your crotch, really I'm thinking about something totally unrelated to your genitals, but this is where my eyes are at and this is where they're staying.

One for the Little Man

Yesterday was...interesting. In the morning I went to a fitting for a film I've worked on a few times before. I was going a play military, however I was told the haircut would be a modest cleaning of my sides and back. When I got there though, I sat in a chair watching the hair dresser buzz one after the next, like he was sending them off to boot camp. By the time he arrived to me, I wasted no time in a forewarning. "I didn't agree to a buzz cut." We then walked over to casting together, and the agent more or so less let me go of the obligation. It didn't feel at all bad about walking off the gig, because I had flat out told them beforehand that I wasn't cool with a buzz cut. I was little dissapointed because the scene sounded pretty cool, and I'm guessing I would have gotten some KICK ASS props. But oh well...that's the way the fortune cookie crumbles. I've booked some multiple day gig, so it's all cool.

I need to make a point of saying how fucking much I love Seinfeld. I was watching it the other night, the episode where Elaine is stuck on the subway. Her inner dialogue noticing a smelly guy next to her and people touching her, a slight annoyance when the train first stops that grows into a rageful "mother f***er!" I ride the subway everyday, been stuck on it a few times, I know this feeling! And that's exactly stage for stage how that shit goes down. An "oh come on!" to the deep desire to decapitate everyone standing next to you. Why did this show ever end???? It doesn't matter though, there is enough syndication to get me my fix. My fix! My fixxxxx! Gotta get my fix!!!

And Now the Rabbit Will Magically Reapear!

Unfortunately I'm probably going to get tired of writing before I can fully provide a detailed account of my week. It's been busy of course. WORK! It's been good, the last two weeks, I've been working nearly every day. Thursday and Friday I worked 2 overnighters doing stand-in on a film I've worked on a few times before. They were they last two nights of filming for the movie and quite long. Needless to say working until 6am screwed up my schedule a bit, but it's about making that sweet mula! And I was kinda of glad to be there for the last day of filming, since I had been there for the first day.

On the 19th I recognized my 2 year anniversary of residence in New York City. TWO YEARS!! That was fast. I still remember Dave and Clancy driving upstate in a van that could easily be mistaken for a molester mobile. We packed up my shit in record time, ate some grilled cheese/ tomato sandwiches and headed straight for the ghetto lands of Bushwick, set in the gritty heart of Brooklyn. AH!! Bushwich, with your skanky chicken, your bird-ridden grocery stores screaming salsa music, your rooftop. You really were a great introduction to living in the city! I spent 2 weeks looking for a job, then getting antsy I worked at a McDonald's near Times Square. No one spoke English, making my day undeniably confusing and lonely. Upon receiving my first check (and seeing my pay rate) I quite McHell. It was alright though. Soon I was working two jobs, Barnes and Noble and Gap. And I continued to work both jobs for the next year. I toiled over several rewrites on a suspense script, worked on songs, sparred Clancy on the rooftop, sparred Clancy in the living room too now that I think about it. I was introduced to Firefly, joined Dave in many a sing-along, one that went horrible wrong. God, there's SO much history already here. I go on on forever on the adventures, good times, bad times. That's how I want my life... FULL!! I library of experiences. Two years.... I've moved 4 times!!! That's an average of once every six months. Now you need not wonder why there's so very little in my current apartment. Every time I moved, I had to throw out a few more belongings. When I moved to Manhattan, I trashed my dresser, bed, and...well about 30% percent of my belongings. I'm a minimalist so no big deal. Of course I went upstate for a week to film ShE. I don't think I need to say what a pivotal experience THAT was. Then I broke into the background world of film and TV. I haven't worked a 9-5'er since February. I can honestly say that I haven't looked back since.

OK, I'm there, the point of being tired of writing. it's time for bed already. Suffice it to say, life is good. And things are looking brighter each and every day (most days.) I have SO much going on creatively and many prospects concerning my career goals. I'm very excited, and hopeful. This is not an elegant blog, sorry folks. By the time I get to the blog, I'm just completely pussyjunked.

I'm glad I have those dust-covered blogs, they are far writings than this blog.

Birthday Girl: DCUP's Second Single Out NOW!!!

Is it possible? Did I actually die happy? Am I in heaven now? DCUP just released another song!!! Brekken 360 and Ariel Starbody getting all rounchy and slap happy on Birthday Girl!!!! Someone prick me, cux if I ain't dead, I must be dreaming!!! A must listen!!!

DCUP's MYSPACE

DCUP Releases first Official Single!!!

It's finally here!!! These Fortune Cookies is Bitch, featuring Brekken Brek, Ariel Starbody and Black Olive!!! And just in the nick of time!!!


Go to DCUP's myspace!!! Listen, love it, and die fucking happy!

DCUP's MYSPACE

Still Here

So.....I'm a little behind in my blogging. I promise to catch up real soon.

Out With the Old, In With the New

We've been together eight good years. You were there with me on my first day of college, on the long drive to CA, and you helped me move so many times it would be impossible to count. You were very good to me. And now it's my turn to be good to you. It's time for you to die already. Your zippers fall off and the zips open up. The hole on the bottom of you spills out items, your compartments are all joining as one. You need a rest, an eternal rest. And now I am giving it to you. Thank you for being there for me.

1998-2006

Knitpickers

Anything worth mentioning of today you ask?? Well, it was long, tedious, tiring, pain inducing. I had to listen to extras knitpick about every fucking penalty in the book and most of them had no fucking idea what they were talking about. I was on set most of the day doing absolutely JACK. We couldn't sit down, the people of the building didn't like how it looked. So I was standing for a very long time, in very uncomfortable shoes. Blahblahblah, just bitchings and moans. That's all I got from today. Tomorrow I'll be back on track.

Long John Season

Get your thermal underwear out, hat, scarve, gloves (or mittens,) pile on the layers, open up the boiler room, let in the heat, get yourself all snuggly warm before you step outside, get ready for the artic wind, it will be here VERY soon and it will try to knock you over, get ready to scratch your dry as hell legs until they're red and hairless, get ready to lose all your winter accessories at least once, runny noses are coming, snow in your shoes, slippery sidewalks, crosses in the cold, hand warmers are an extras best friend, time for lots of homemade soup and spaghetti, get ready for the holidays, going home on crowded trains, last minute shopping, insisting family buy you nothing because it only makes the train-ride back more stressful, juggling visits between two families, work gets slower and slower, and then BOOM everything lights up again, get ready for the passing of another year...it's all about to be here.

No Ifs, Ands or Buts

I don't know, it's been so long the event seems almost mythical, but in less than three weeks I will be going home to premier ShE to hopefully a sizeable audience. Granted the premier isn't really my focus for ShE at all, but it does certainly solidify that the movie is done and finally accessible to exploit the fuck out of it. Plus there's always something nice about seeing it up there on the movie screen with audio pounding all around in the theater. Anyway, here's the official movie poster. The website should be completely renovated by the end of the month. See what deadlines can do!

Where's Ryan?

Where the fuck are you, man? You clearly moved, your phone's been disconnected for like a month. How does a motha get a hold of you?

1 for Fun

I ended up working a few more hours than I anticipated last night, but I really didn't mind because I was in such high spirits. I also have been experimenting with crafty coffee lately. I've come up with a sort of cafe mocha: coffee, cocoa mix, and irish creme mil stuff. The concoction is out of this world! The mixture of sugar and caffeine also had me flying high. I was talking a mile a mile and bursting with energy. I didn't really know any of the other background, but most of them were pretty cool and easy to have conversation with. There was one guy who apparently was a stand-up comedian, but he was tragically not funny at all. The sort that try really really hard to be funny and flat out fail. And THEN when they see themselves sinking, they try even more desperately and fail ever worse. The kind that when in a group and they try to spurt out something funny, everyone ignores them rather than bother with a fake laugh. So I took it upon myself to bail people out of their awkward encounters with him. I did it rather blatantly and think he noticed, but I couldn't see people go through that. Of course then I just started to make fun of him. So not only were people not laughing with him they were laughing at him.
It was a pretty cold night, I was happy to finally grab my coat for the final two scenes and just do some regular BG (leaning up against a building wall, the assumed leader of a 6 member gang.)

This is my one day off. There's so much to catch up on, but I don't feel like doing it. I want to be creative today.

He's Good People

I'm not really comfortable naming names, but I'll say I would gladly sit on a trash can for 5 hours, to get the opportunity to be around the director of the movie I'm on today. He's funny, a sarcastic funny, my kind of funny and he's really down to earth for being one of the top directors out there.

He was joking around with me and another stand in, making fun of the crew and asking if anyone had ever tried sucking a stain out of a t-shirt cuz I think he was about to try it. And now it's back to the garbage can seat.

Hangman's Midnight

Rain cut through night, beating against the ground, running waterfalls down spouts and forming lakes on the concrete ground. The building was a monolith, a gutted carcass with rusty hints of what it used to be: large holes in the ceiling, a track set on the floor, round metal ducts, large square pits set deep in the ground, chains hanging from the ceiling, outside stacks of lumber lined against the walls, 4-foot tires collected in neat piles. Where there should have been a wall, was a view of the river, which was having a rough night, and a set of stairs missing a floor of steps. The windows were busted out, and the lights that shown through presented a variety of shapes left to intrepretation for an imaginative eye. It was getting close to midnight. I was somewhere in the shit of Brooklyn. I sat in a dark corner eating rice and steamed vegetables, while to the left of me a man pleaded for a second chance before a gang of mobsters hung him. And I suddenly thought to myself: what an odd job I have.
It was a good day, very busy, which I far prefer to sitting in holding for hours doing nothing. I had stuffed crab for a snack and rib o'lamb for dinner. The only downside was that it was a long late day and I was only alotted 4 hours for sleep, since today was an early day.
There was a foreign chap there that I've worked with several times and we talked about our filmmaking for a while. Not as two people trying to one-up the other but as two people who had a passionate disposition of filmmaking. (The former is what usually its about, and why I rarely tell anyone that I'm a filmmaker.) Of course another guy joined in on our conversation (the type that only wait for when they talk about themselves.) Needless to say he didn't last long in our conversation.

Currently I'm on set on the sidewalk in Harlem on a lidded garbage can. I'm standing in on a movie, but in only two scenes that are quite spread out. So today will be a lot of thumb twiddling me thinks.

Oh! I finished Frankenstein finally!!! I've decided I hate this book. All Frankenstein and his monster do is fucking whine and moan and argue who's life is worse. Its drab and fucking boring. All the action is omitted, instead you sit there for 5 pages reading about landscape. Landscape I say! Aw fuck!!!!! I don't know whom I detest more, Frankenstein or his bitch montser. You know what, Shelley will do just fucking fine. You suck Shelley. I'm so glad to be done with that shit.

just a little bit, just a little bit more time...

That would be "the musical box" old school genesis.

Waking up for work in 4 hours, I'll be back this way later today. What an interesting night its been.

Brek's Bootleg

While internet surfing today, I came across this bootleg of Brekken Brek's collaboration with rock group, Solus. I've heard of the song before, but as far as I know it hasn't been released. As you'll see it definately has an experimental sound. Excitement!!!

audio:To the Center of my Brain
by rec327

A Call to Arms

Today went by so quickly that I can barely register it. With some help I concentrated today on ShE. We've finally come to the last stretch and I'm excited that I can once again take this project into my ambitious care. To two main concerns at the moment are festivals and somehow showing ShE in Manhattan to industry types who could see something in maybe the performances, the story, writing, the filming, anything. Someone is going to come out of this thing a winner (this is my determination.) I'm alive with ideas, and I'm feeling rather unyielding. Even more so I'm glad to have others ideas and opinions, they renew mine and even augment them. Anyway, that was today. Lots of phone calling, emails, research, thumbing through web pages and the like.

I tried to take a quick nap before work (30 mins.) But it didn't happen, I nearly nodded off when I got a call for the work I've booked for Tuesday. So afterwards I just lied there, knowing sleep wasn't going to happen, but comfy as hell under my blankets.

I'm at work now, or rather on break.
Makeup department wasn't too thrilled that I didn't shave. But then I told them that I was an undercover cop, which I thought would be fitting. They said oh! You are? That's perfect. (Exactly.)

There's no reception in holding which completely sucks. Nevertheless, its forced me to the final pages of Frankenstein. I have no idea how long this night will be, but I'm really looking forward to my little bed, and tiered pillows. We'll be together sometime my lovely futon!

The Backside of Liberty

Second day being in or traveling through NJ, where the Statue of Liberty is perpetually shaking her ass for that state. Did work on a movie that a month I was interviewed to do permanent stand-in work on. The women that I had met that day was still there doing stand-in and she wasted no time confiding to me how terrible the experience had been, with all nighters, rain, attitudes, crew getting fired and the like. I was suddenly glad not to have picked up the gig.

It was a most uneventful night. Lots of sitting on a lawn, an occasional step, an even more occassional chair. Running out of cigarettes, going to set now and then to do some work, snacking, taking a van into town for catering, searching for cigarettes in the little plastic town, determining it's a non-smoking communnity, gave up, went to eat the cold, left-over food, and a mighty good pecan pie, suspiciously followed the actor back to set on foot, because I myself didn't feel like waiting for the van. When the night got later, there was no more sitting, since dew had taken the grass, just standing and shivering. I welcomed a warm meatball subway.

After about 14 hours of work it was time to go home. And what an aggravating journey it is! I went to the 6 line, noting the downtown train I crossed the street and went in what I thought was the uptown train. It wasn't. But the card was already swiped. I tried to wait it out, about ten minutes later a train showed up and I still couldn't enter (having the unlimited monthly plan, there's a time limit after you swipe.) The train passed, the staion worker cared not about my plight, so I said fuck it and walked to the nearest N/W line to acquire a more direct route. Much waiting. I took the R train hesitantly...blah blah blah, it took FOREVER to get back home. But you know what?? I ended the night right, with a good epdisode of Seinfeld. So it's all good!

Cookies and Kat

Kat is currently featured in a commercial/music video for the upcoming TV show Knights of Prosperity. YAY! Congrats to her!!! Watch it, believe me, you won't have to look for her!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgEl1TRsstw

The Pearl of the Civilized World and the Race Against Time Borrowed

Somehow in the 530am rush to collect my belongings and head upstate I neglected to include my cell phone charger. Actually I know exactly how it happened. I put my laptop and charger into my backpack collectively and then in yet another rash decision decided not to bring my laptop. Unfortunately I didn't distinguish between computer wires and cell phone wires. The problem this whole thing presented was that I was specifically rushing back to what the train conductor likes to call, "the pearl of the civilized world," for the purpose of potential work on Tuesday and if my phone was to die, well then I couldn't confirm to any hypothetical calls that I can indeed work. So the trip home was a bundle of stress, with me inspecting my battery life a little too regulary and eventually turning it on and off in a fruitless attempt to stretch the last bar out until I reached home.

LUCKILY! I did get a call for work and I was able to confirm it. And blahblahblah here I am, back home in my little underground abode.

During the train ride I returned to Frankenstein. It's amazing how different the book is from the common perception of the monster. I don't know if I should or rather care to explain. But it's certainly not where I was expecting this book to go. I enjoying a little more, but honestly it's not going to go on my top 5.

Apparently I am hearing from people that I was on Without a Trace Friday I think. I remember this job, I was a valet at the strip joint Lace in midtown, bit of a featured part. This of course has prompted more of the "tell us when you're on TV again!" Like I have a magical TV Guide that schedules all my amazing background appearances. I could think of a 100 other magical things that I would want instead.

The Big Event

The showing of the Lycian preview at the Mocca Lounge in Tribeca was an interesting experience. Not terrible, not amazing, but an experience I am glad I partook in anyway.

My colleagues were running late, so I went ahead without them. Thinking I might have to go it alone, I prepared a little speech in my head while on the subway. It went a little like this:

"The trailer you're about to watch is to a movie called Lycian. It was the first major feature film that I produced and it was a somewhat of an exhaustive experience that took nearly 2 1/2 years to complete. As you will see, the production required the building of a full scale Medieval village, period customes for the five principal actors as well as nearly 70 extras, the employment of a 2 time Emmy award winning composer to create an epic soundtrack, stunt choreography, and scouting for authentic castles within New York State... all for just under $30,000. All of the funding came from the wallets of three broke-as-hell filmmakers from upstate New York, who all shared a passion and need simply to tell a story."

It kind of sounds a bit arrogant, but fortunately it's all true, without any exaggeration.

When I got to the Lounge my colleagues were still enroute. So I decided to settle into things with a mixed drink, my regular: a screwdriver. I then got a complimentary shot of tequila from the bartender who matched me. It was certainly a good way to start things off I must say. The place was smaller and less organized than I was expecting and at a point, I was just hoping that they had received the DVD we sent them (as there was some question to this.) Though we were asked to be there at 7:15, nothing started until 8:00. They guys arrived and with time to spare. The host asked if we were part of the movie event and then sat us down in a reserved section. The DJ who was running the event (I had met him moments before) came over and introduced himself to everyone else. A little later, and after some poor communication, we found out that we weren't meant to be in the reserved area where we were seated. This kind of kicked us out to the front patio, and made for plenty a joke later in the night (such as going into a chinese eatery and asking to show our preview there.) The DJ found us and apologized for everything. I told him it was fine. There were people there actually premiering their stuff and our thing is years old, so it really didn't mean the same thing to us. I decided our director should make the speech after all that planning. I genuinely thought it would be good for him to do it. There was a funny moment when the mic wasn't working, and he pretty much said "thank you" several times, but it was still good. After the preview ended there was applause, the DJ then prompted a second round of applause and announced my name, telling me to raise my hand. When I did, he followed saying not to be shy. So I raised both hands and did a silly exaggerated triumphiant pumping of the arms. Collecting the DVD afterward, I received many nice compliments and then we left. And that was that. I did find out that they do this monthly and talked to the DJ about showing ShE there either at the end of the month or the middle of next month. It's a good practise anyway I think.

In kind of a rash decision I bummed a ride upstate with the guys and now here I am. Unfortunately I missed out on work (got the call pm today) for tomorrow, and I am getting all antsy. So tomorrow I am catching the noon train back to the city. It's going to be a busy next few months. I've already started looking into film festivals, but more work is needed on that end, and I am completely up to it. I was thinking of concerning myself with the affairs of the premier upstate, but I don't think I will make it my main focus any more. There's no progress in it, in my opinion. I want to enter the competitive stuff, I want it to be seen by people in the industry. I have alot of plans that need to start shaping into action real soon with the multitude of things I am trying to achieve. It's time to sink my teeth in again.

But right now, here I am. Good ole north country. Typing on a dial up connection, sipping pepsi and parot bay, or parot bay and pepsi if we're to go by ratio and winding the night quietly down...

p.s. I wish it was easier to see my family and not be completely unavailable to my work.

My Night in the Slammer

Sometimes BG is just boring. I don't mean to really complain, its still getting paid to nothing. But when you're sitting around in a prison gymnasium for nine hours straight, listening to person after person talk themselves up, pretending to make friends really only to hear themselves talk, well... You tend to get a little annoyed. It's not like I haven't had a life or haven't had achievements, I just don't feel it necessary to spread my story over the night's background pool.

I did absolutely nothing in the way of work. I brought my laptop, but didn't feel like pulling it out. I gave a reluctant second try to Frankenstein. I still don't like her writing that much, it's over-dramatic, overly-sentimental and at times tiring. But the ideas of the story are kind of interesting, so I'm sticking with it.

P.s. Sorry for all the typos recently. I've been writing with my Sidekick, and haven't had time to make corrections.

Only in NYC

A pair sat on the bottum steps leading to the subway platform. As stap hangers raced down to wait for their train, they were careful in sneaking a peep at the two. The girl on the right could have been dead. Her body was limp; a deep red trail started at her feet and flowed down off the edge of the platform. Her head was buried into the lap of her companion, a transvestite, uncommonly tall and undeniably manly. He had the face of an ugly Iggy Pop and wore tight jeans, a blouse, and high heels that planted his feet awkwardly against the ground. Waiting for the girl to wake up, he fought off people's glances and meticulously brushed his long blonde wig from his eyes.

Finally someone asked the transvestite the question everyone wanted to know.

"She's fine. She just drank to much red wine," he responded.

I've never seen anyone puke up straight untainted red wine before.

The next rush came and people never failed in looking back in curiousity. A man in a monkey suit tramped right through the wine-womit and a stamped the platform with a red footprint as he looked for a place among the crowd to camp out for the next train.

Sitting a few steps above the couple this whole time was a homeless woman. Suddenly she asked if the girl wanted a rubber band to clear the hair from her face. The transvestite's mug smoothed over with a kindness as he accepted the woman's help. As the woman herself put the drunken girl's hair in a pony tail, there was a distant thankful smile on the girl's face. The first and only sign of life she was to display that night.

Finally the roar of the N train came and I quickly stepped inside, more eager than imaginable to reach home. A door down the transvestite was backing into the car, carrying the arms of the drunken girl. On the other end of the girl was the woman, who struggled to left the dead weight into the car before the door closed. Once they were in and the doors closed, all three collapsed to the floor and sat there triumphantly.

The crowd inside the car cracked smiles and made whispers for the first few moments. Then the threesome was no longer an attraction, but had assimilated into the environment as a norm.

The transfer from Manhattan to Queens is always the same bout of rattles and metal screams. It's a fine moment a chaos, complimented perfectly by a recorder, tambourine and modern/intrepreative dance forms and a final bow of two subway performers.

The transvestite and the woman jumped to their feet and hoisted the useless lump up as the car door opened for the first time in Queens. As they brought the body out, the N train closed her doors, left them behind and didn't look back. She had seen this before, we all had, this is NYC after all.

Blowing the Dust Off

Saturday I (with my filmmaking partners) will be showing the trailer to our feature film Lycian at the Mocca Lounge in NYC. There will be other filmmakers there also showing their own trailers.

If you're in or around Tribeca September 30th (this Saturday,) stop by. It's free to get in. And I have no idea what to expect. Which is kind of exciting.


It starts at 7:30pm.
The Mocca Lounge
78 Reade St (Cross Street: Church Street)
New York, NY 10007

(It looks really swank huh?)

Gorilla Filming

Aside from the key thing, yesterday was a good day. I got called for a possible 2 month stand-in gig for yet another actor that I really respect and amire. Though he's a couple of inches taller than me, casting still submitted me. So during my lunch break I walked over (luckily set happened to be pretty close to the casting office) and had my picture taken for the submission. I'm not expecting the gig, I am sure people with closer heights will be submitted, and even though this casting place seems to really like me, it's the director who is making the choice.

It was a pretty short day yesterday, about 6 or 7 hours. But it felt shorter than that. I guess it makes sense, since between thursday and friday I worked about 30 hours. It was all 2nd unit stuff. The first time we went to set, I wasn't picked for the scene, so I just hovered crafty and had myself a bowl of Apple Jacks and a a protein fruit smoothie for the Naked company, which by the way was very filling and tasted awesome. Talked to my sis on the phone and then headed back to holding, where much of the day was spent. The second time I went to set they brought us a few blocks from holding to this little restaurant place. If I didn't know any better I would say they were using gorilla techniques. The camera was on a tripod. It was surprising how weird this looked to me. Because every production around here uses camera dollies for stationary shots, never tripods. The AD picked a girl and me to sit at a table, the camera on the opposite side of the street. They never said rolling but said we were done. So I don't know if they were just being sneaky and didn't shoot anything. Then I saw the owner of the establishment bitching production out and suddenly set was on the move. And that was the extent of the "work" I did for the day.

Anyone Else Smell That?

This morning:

Thow jacket on, bag, phone - check, wallet - check, get the lights, and I'm out the door. Wait, hmm... Search my right little pant pocket (you know that tiny one meant for change or a lighter,) search the big pocket, search the left pant pocket, search my jacket pockets, search my pants pockets again. No fucking way. Fuck yeah. I forgot my keys, I am now locked out of my apartment. Just fucking great.

To make matters worse, my landlady is out of town. Her daughter is assuming command. But I have no idea when she's around. If I had time I would have tried her, but I needed to jet.

Holding is in a church basement. My least favorite sort of holding. There is a bathroom next door and it doesn't smell too pretty. Let's see here, sit in a basement, cluttered next to other extras, sniffing toilet fumes and bombarded with "jesus is our savior" pamphlets OR sit on the steps outside of a most pleasant sun-filled breezy day??? Hmm...

NFT saved the day again. I just happened to bring the book with me. We're filming in the west village, a little lower than I am used to, so I was feeling a bit Christopher Columbus getting off the subway. Looking at a map of this area is like looking through a kalidescope. There are three different Waverly streets and I picked the wrong one at first. But NFT got me to set in a cinch. Thank you NFT.
I hope it's a short day only for the reason of solving my little situation as I really don't feel like sleeping on the patio tonight.

I Like Bill Clinton

Remember when we had an intellegent president? Every time I see news on Clinton, I reminesce. Remember when? I miss those days. Remember when you weren't embarrased to be an American?

The Thing About Beets

I know there are beet haters out there. But those of us who support beets and there goodness...isn't funny how there's always that one beet that clings to the bottum of the can. You tap and tap the can and it stubbornly falls out eventually. Oh, beets! I can't care what others say, I love you!

Don't Be a Dummy

I had stuff to write about, but I think I may have avoided writing long enough where the interest of writing about them has gone. At any rate, I will try if for nothing else than to get it on record.

I worked on one of my favorite sets the other day. As I was handed my waiver, the PA informed me that I would be standing-in. Not unusual at all. I had very little sleep and the person for which I was standing-in was lying on a hospital gurney. So that meant I was lying down for about an hours, the other stand-in standing next to me, yawning, me yawning in return, her yawning and looking to me, me fighting the yawn, squinting and shaking my head (why does she think this is funny?) damn it! I yawn again.

Later on, I was brought into a scene as background, an orderly. However what was usual about this is what they had me do. The scene was in a hospital room with attached observation room. The camera was in the observation room looking into the hospital room. I was in the hospital room standing next a digital camera that I was supposed to operate (follow the two leads as they enter and frame up the camera on the bed.) The weird thing is that the actual film camera was angled on a monitor showing my shot. So what I was filming was actually being used and will be seen in the show. Very neat. Plus the camera was right on my and I was the only one in the room, so I should be pretty visible. Umm... ok, it was 3lbs, a new TV show. It was a 14.3 hour day, not counting lunch break. I slept about 4 hours then...

I woke up for the next day of work. It was HUGE scene for the movie American Gangster, hundreds and hundreds or extras. It was shot in Long Island, so it took quite some time ot there. The scene was shot in an arena and to help fill the thousands of seats, productions filled seats with dummies. When I first entered the arena and sat down, it was dark, foggy and all I could see were extras standing in front of their seats, not moving, not talking, just being downright creepy. Then when I realized that these extras were in fact dummies. Hundreds of dummies, inflatable, threatening, unnerving. I wasn't really in any of the shots of the day, just bordering the scene, (as an usher), I made nice with the dummies.....

(There are supposed to be pics here, but having tech. difficulties.)

I was lucky enough to have good company for cigarette breaks and the like. I nearly went 16 hours, you know GOLDEN TIME, but was 12 minutes shy. 12 fucking minutes. That's just not right.

Tired as Fuck

What a week! I'd love to share, but I need to get some long awaited sleep. Till tomorrow my little minions.

A Sign of the End

Pop Sharks (http://ask-ramblebot.blogspot.com/): Fact or fiction?

Readers of Dead Land know what a pop shark is by now. (A a post-apocalyptical land-dwelling shark that scurries along the ground on its fins and attacks people at random.) Kalju was the mastermind behind this one.

Well guess what scientists just found? Go ahead, click and find out.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14834763/?GT1=8506

Brace yourselves people. The End is beginning.

ShE's Coming

That isn't the official movie poster, just a low res crap quality one. I hear the new one is more spiffy. But this is the official premier info for ShE.

Date: Nov. 4th

Start time: 3:00 p.m.

Location:

The Hyde Museum
161 Warren St.
Glens Falls, NY 12801
518-792-1761
http://www.hydecollection.org/

My associates decided to give people ample time and notice to ensure attendance. I realize this is way up(state) there, and hopefully there will be showings closer to the city or actually in the city. But the premier is what all the cool people go to. So carpool, hitch hike, parasail, whatever. It's gonna be a blast.... New stills and the official poster will follow shortly, the website is going to be completely revamped. The guys are working on a bunch of stuff at the moment. So when I know, I'll let everyone else know.

P.S. It's also a museum so there are some nice pieces to check out, you know before you watch a nice disturbing flik.

Tailgating Etiquette

Put simply....What's mine is yours.

That was quite possibly the easiest money I've ever made. If I told you I spent the weekend on a beach working for a volleyball tournament, you'd assume it was fun. Right? And we figured out that's not the case. But if I told you I spent the day, walking around a parking lot trying to get football fan tailgators to buy Jets ringtones, you assume it wasn't fun. But again! Not so! This is pretty much what went down.

Jets Stadium parking lot, pre-game,3 guys, 3 girls, teams of 2, boy-girl. It's a smart plan, one because, there are a lot of guys in the parking lot, so it good to have a guy around for protection and then there are a lot of guys in the parking lot, so it's good to have a girl around, so they're a little more receptive.

So this girl and I ask a few groups and then we get to this group of three middle aged guys. They weren't very interested in our offer, but they invited us to sit down, grab a beer and try some ribs. Of course we did. And then we tried the sirloin steaks, and then we tried the lobster tail, all cooked on their grill. I can honestly fucking say, the food was AMAZING!!!! About 5 bottles and a few hours later, we reported back to the rendezvous. We had to get video taped doing our little thing (selling product, not eating free food and drinking free booze.) After about an hour of being video taped, the day was done. It was a beautiful sunny day, I got a little too much sun again. Finish off my tan before the winter I guess.

Yes, my head still feels like it's in a vice.

Game play last night consisted of Burn Out: Revenge and two other games I can't remember the titles to. Sorry L. I tried.

Anger: I got a call for work tomorrow. Let the voicemail take it while I scrambled for a pen and pad. I called right back and he had already found someone else. It was stand-in for a cool movie too. Grrr..

Tetris Champion

Level 33! Not sure if that qualifies me as a respectable Tetris competitor or not, but it should. Was terrorized by a mind splitting headache all night.

Interview with Cult Hit Rapper Brekken Brek

I was able to meet up the DCUP Rapper/producer Brekken Brek at his recording studio in Astoria, NY today. Brek took some time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions fans have been dying to know.

RC: Thanks for letting me into the studio, it's really quite impressive.

BB: Nothing but the best for Brek yo! Nothing but top quality, grade A, high end, cutting edge tech for the Brek, dog!

RC: First for the purpose of quelling rumor, is it true that DCUP has dissolved?

BB: Yo, that rumor's all whack. We just keeps it loose.

RC: What are the other members up to?

BB: Last I heard Black Olive got teleported to the future. Ariel Starbody, hell who knows with that bitch, hugging a toilet, messing up a bike cop, partying in a fucking cave in Pakistan, she's a fucking loose canon.

RC: So when I was last here you were working on a new song. Any progress with that?

BB: I got my vocals down, it's just about getting everyone together you know. Finding the right people, getting the right time.

RC: The music you've released under DCUP has had various sounds. Is it your intention to produce a diverse range of material or does it just come naturally?

BB: I just keep it fresh yo, keep it real. I like to keep my music fresh, I like to keep my vocals hot. Hot like ice, yo.

RC: Who's Brekken 360?

BB: Brekken 360's my transformation, bitch. Dig it.

RC: I'm a musician myself. I know you like to collaborate with different musicians for different sounds. Would you ever consider working with me on a song some time?

BB: Sorry dog, I don't do charity. No room for amateurs in the big ring.


Brek was nice enough to show us a work in progress. Note: 30 or so seconds pass before vocals come up. The photo was taken at Final Dayz studios courtesy of Brekken Brek.

audio:It's All a Game, Ain't It
by rec327