So, I just finished watching The Comedy Central Roast of Dennis Leary. As far as the Comedy Central roasts I've seen recently, (Leary, Shatner, and Saget), this was definitely the least funny. Leary did the best out of all the comedians on the stage. And these were guys I like. Adam Ferrara, Mario Cantone, Colin Quinn, All guys either who's subject matter or delivery style has influenced me. But they, and the others, barely got chuckles out of me and the audience.
And that terrifies me.
Those of you that actually know me know I like to perform. I did choir, I did theater, I did what I could to be on stage. I've wanted to stand up for several years now, and I've got a solid 20-25 minutes of material. Not good for a headline, but perfect for an open mic night. It's all personal experiences, no tangents, nothing political, just spins and observations on my life. I think it's funny, and I've had some opinions, but they're fairly biased.
The guys on the roast have been practicing comedy longer than I've been ALIVE. What makes me think I can get people laughing when they can get a chuckle?
Meh, I'll be here all week, tip your waitress and try the veal.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Trying Something New 2
So, much like last time, this involves me trying new booze, new food, and something new with my appearance.
New Thing #1: Old Fashioned
Now, as I said before, I'm a beer drinker, and when I drink fancy, I drink whiskey. Typically I mix with whatever soda is available and enjoy. However, last night at Eastern Standard for a friend's birthday celebration, I tried an Old Fashioned. Definitely recommend trying one if you're a fan of the whiskey and are looking for something to try that's a little sweeter than usual.
New Thing #2: Marrow
No, I didn't require a transplant nor did I give a donation (I have issues with donating blood ffs). One of the appetizer options last night was Roasted Bone Marrow and I figured, Eh, what the heck? Basically, they bring you three sections of bone that have been roasted and seasoned, a little spoon, and some bread to shmear it on. Didn't really have much of a flavor too it, but it might have been overwhelmed by the bread. * shrug *
New Thing #3: Knockouts
So, those of you that have seen the pictures from Halloween (or have seen me in the last month) know that I had let my hair grow since August in order for it to be long enough for the Captain Hammer costume. Well, with Thanksgiving upon us, and my mother's wrath if I didn't, I went and got a haircut. Normally I go to Louie's on Comm Ave. Nice place, if you get in early enough, you've got a minimal wait (unless you want Louie specifically). But, I figured, eh, let's try some place new.
Knockouts in Framingham is some guy thinking "You know, I want to go to Hooters, but I really need to get a haircut. I wish I could combine them..." Their basic package, the Heavyweight, runs about $32 plus tip. With this you get, a consultation (basically the "So, what are we doing today?) a shampoo, cut, neck shave if you need it, and then a 5 minute scalp massage with a hot towel resting on your face.
After I walked out, I called my Darling Girlfriend and told her I was leaving her for Alyssa, my new stylist. Naturally I was kidding, but guys, I HIGHLY recommend trying this place at least once. Ladies, a gift certificate to this place would make a great stocking stuffer, or a great present for the 3 hour treatment for $92.
New Thing #1: Old Fashioned
Now, as I said before, I'm a beer drinker, and when I drink fancy, I drink whiskey. Typically I mix with whatever soda is available and enjoy. However, last night at Eastern Standard for a friend's birthday celebration, I tried an Old Fashioned. Definitely recommend trying one if you're a fan of the whiskey and are looking for something to try that's a little sweeter than usual.
New Thing #2: Marrow
No, I didn't require a transplant nor did I give a donation (I have issues with donating blood ffs). One of the appetizer options last night was Roasted Bone Marrow and I figured, Eh, what the heck? Basically, they bring you three sections of bone that have been roasted and seasoned, a little spoon, and some bread to shmear it on. Didn't really have much of a flavor too it, but it might have been overwhelmed by the bread. * shrug *
New Thing #3: Knockouts
So, those of you that have seen the pictures from Halloween (or have seen me in the last month) know that I had let my hair grow since August in order for it to be long enough for the Captain Hammer costume. Well, with Thanksgiving upon us, and my mother's wrath if I didn't, I went and got a haircut. Normally I go to Louie's on Comm Ave. Nice place, if you get in early enough, you've got a minimal wait (unless you want Louie specifically). But, I figured, eh, let's try some place new.
Knockouts in Framingham is some guy thinking "You know, I want to go to Hooters, but I really need to get a haircut. I wish I could combine them..." Their basic package, the Heavyweight, runs about $32 plus tip. With this you get, a consultation (basically the "So, what are we doing today?) a shampoo, cut, neck shave if you need it, and then a 5 minute scalp massage with a hot towel resting on your face.
After I walked out, I called my Darling Girlfriend and told her I was leaving her for Alyssa, my new stylist. Naturally I was kidding, but guys, I HIGHLY recommend trying this place at least once. Ladies, a gift certificate to this place would make a great stocking stuffer, or a great present for the 3 hour treatment for $92.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
First National Bank of WTF?
When I sat down to write this entry, it was going to be about how the banks use technology to screw us over. But as I was thinking, it's really society that's screwed itself over.
People have become so focused on instant gratification that they will use whatever technological advances they can without thinking about the complications. For example, Debit cards. I remember back before they were popular and were in their infancy among the common man. You would have to go to the bank, either use the ATM or *GASP* interact with a teller to get your money. Sometimes it wasn't convenient to carry a couple hundred around for a big purchase, so we used checks. But that became cumbersome and took time that people just didn't want to waste.
Enter the Debit Card. Using the same technology of the ATM, it linked your bank account directly to almost every merchant on earth. Now instead of lugging around a check book in your pocket and holding onto a pen or hoping your friendly shop keep had one, one swipe and several button pushes later, your transaction is complete.
This was great, till the banks started to capitalize on that. The biggest one is deciding the order in which the transactions resolved. With checks it was FiFo. First in, First out. With the debit and online purchases it's become WDCWWFiMETFo; "We Don't Care What Was First in, Most Expensive Transaction First out." This allows for maximum dinging of overdraft fees. Which brings me to the other issue, overdraft fees.
Back in the day, checks would bounce, and credit cards would get declined. Now the checks bouncing is fine, it's not a real time system. I'm fairly certain that in beginning, debit cards would also get declined, but that would end in embarrassment. I'm sure enough people called and bitched saying how mortified to have their debit cards declined that they made the banks do something else. Then someone had the brilliant idea of "Hmmmm, well we'll charge them the money we know they don't have!" /headdesk.
With the way they resolve transactions, 6 transactions could have gone through, and then the really big one resolves and you don't have enough so they ding you. Now they resolve the big one first, and ding you 6 times.
If we just slowed things down a little bit, you wouldn't have to worry about an overdraft fee on a shopping spree. I've started using cash a LOT more than I used to and I haven't had any issues, I recommend doing the same internet peoples.
People have become so focused on instant gratification that they will use whatever technological advances they can without thinking about the complications. For example, Debit cards. I remember back before they were popular and were in their infancy among the common man. You would have to go to the bank, either use the ATM or *GASP* interact with a teller to get your money. Sometimes it wasn't convenient to carry a couple hundred around for a big purchase, so we used checks. But that became cumbersome and took time that people just didn't want to waste.
Enter the Debit Card. Using the same technology of the ATM, it linked your bank account directly to almost every merchant on earth. Now instead of lugging around a check book in your pocket and holding onto a pen or hoping your friendly shop keep had one, one swipe and several button pushes later, your transaction is complete.
This was great, till the banks started to capitalize on that. The biggest one is deciding the order in which the transactions resolved. With checks it was FiFo. First in, First out. With the debit and online purchases it's become WDCWWFiMETFo; "We Don't Care What Was First in, Most Expensive Transaction First out." This allows for maximum dinging of overdraft fees. Which brings me to the other issue, overdraft fees.
Back in the day, checks would bounce, and credit cards would get declined. Now the checks bouncing is fine, it's not a real time system. I'm fairly certain that in beginning, debit cards would also get declined, but that would end in embarrassment. I'm sure enough people called and bitched saying how mortified to have their debit cards declined that they made the banks do something else. Then someone had the brilliant idea of "Hmmmm, well we'll charge them the money we know they don't have!" /headdesk.
With the way they resolve transactions, 6 transactions could have gone through, and then the really big one resolves and you don't have enough so they ding you. Now they resolve the big one first, and ding you 6 times.
If we just slowed things down a little bit, you wouldn't have to worry about an overdraft fee on a shopping spree. I've started using cash a LOT more than I used to and I haven't had any issues, I recommend doing the same internet peoples.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Shamless Plug
As I wait for my pizza, I feel I should at least post and shamelessly plug one of my best friends. The Lazy Man's Dilemma is a writing blog by my good friend Joe. We both kind of kicked off our respective blags (which Firefox recognizes as a word now) in earnest around the same time (actual creation dates may vary). TLMD is more of his thoughts and on how he is using it to improve his writing, where as this is about my observations that just can't be properly conveyed in 140 Characters. Oddly enough, "140 Characters" is the name of my Electronic Synth-pop band (Thank you P&S). Anyways read the Joe. Love the Joe. Honey, don't kill me for plugging him before you.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Monopoly: Now With Less Math!
So, I was in Toys R Us today (Don't judge, I'm a geek and was checking out DJ Hero) and I went to the Lego section which is conveniently next to the board game section. As I was heading towards the Licensed Legos (Your Star Wars and Indy and so forth) I saw a new Monopoly game. Now, first off there's the one with extra properties, Blues and purples have 3 spots instead of 2 and everyone else gets 4, but now you have ones with a debit card system.
Now, I can understand why they did this. Cash gets moved around, gets lost under boards, banker sneaks a few hundreds from the bank to get that property or pay for his 8th house. Easier to keep track of, great. But it cuts out all that LEARNING ABOUT MONEY that the old game instilled.
I remember sitting at home and playing with my folks when I was younger, and having to figure out if I could afford things by counting up and making equivalent payments when I didn't have a $50 bill so I had to make it up with 2 $20s and a $10. Now kids need to know if the number in their account is bigger or smaller than the cost of the property. But hey. Why do our kids need to learn math? That's what computers and calculators are for. Right?
Now, I can understand why they did this. Cash gets moved around, gets lost under boards, banker sneaks a few hundreds from the bank to get that property or pay for his 8th house. Easier to keep track of, great. But it cuts out all that LEARNING ABOUT MONEY that the old game instilled.
I remember sitting at home and playing with my folks when I was younger, and having to figure out if I could afford things by counting up and making equivalent payments when I didn't have a $50 bill so I had to make it up with 2 $20s and a $10. Now kids need to know if the number in their account is bigger or smaller than the cost of the property. But hey. Why do our kids need to learn math? That's what computers and calculators are for. Right?
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Trying Something New
Well, if I'm going to try and write observations about the city, I might as well try some new things to expand my horizons .
New thing 1: Glasses
Well, any of you that actually know me know that wearing glasses (and for a brief period Contacts) is nothing new, been using vision correction since 8th grade. Literally, my mom took me to get new glasses the first weekend of summer vacation. So that was a fun filled summer of worrying about losing them while at a friend's and in their pool and what not. But earlier this year I received a coupon booklet from Lenscrafters basically saying "Hey, you haven't bought anything in 7 years...you O.K.?" And after my whole "Glasses lens popping out on 495" adventure back in September, I figured, why not? I have insurance.
So I go to the Lenscrafters in Boston. First off, they don't do that blue light and poke you in the eye test for glaucoma. Now they just shoot a puff of air at it. Any optomotrists reading this and verify but I'm guessing it measures how much air is reflected back, firmer eye = more reflected energy. Quick eye exam, except I did the dilation of my pupils. Back in Jersey they would leave you in the exam room with the lights off. here, thy only had one exam room so they make you go out into the lobby. And by lobby, I mean glasses show room, which is lit from every direction to show off the glasses. Ended up with a nice pair of Ray Bans. the ear pieces are a bit thicker than my old pair, but after 7 years I figure it's just a matter of time till I get used to them.
New thing 2: @Union
Now, most of my fellow Bostonians and Allstonians remember the Grecian Yearning Diner, the wonderful establishment on Harvard Ave in Allston. Amazing food but wierd hours. Tragically the diner and dry cleaning establishment were ravaged by a fire and closed. Earlier this year, construction work began and there was the glimmer of hope in every hipster's eye that it the Grecian Diner was coming back. Opening day finally came and alas, where the diner once stood, now stands @Union.
On my way home from the eye appointment, I decided to pop in for lunch. Was greeted by the staff upon entry and they brought a menu to my table as I was sitting down. I opted for a Turkey Club on toasted white bread. Being a rotisserie restaurant (or at least advertised as such with two chickens rotating behind the counter) I was hoping for maybe even recently cut turkey, but it was just the sliced stuff you'll find anywhere else. The bacon was crisp and the sandwich was over all tasty. They over salt their fries, so watch for that if you've got a condition. Sandwich was a little over priced, but I don't think the quick lunch crowd is their target market. More a coffee place that serves decent food and gives free wifi. Still, it's worth checking out.
New Thing 3: Absolut Boston
Again, the people that know me know that I'm a beer drinker. I'm not a beer snob, but I tend to prefer a beer over liquor except for special occasions, and then I'm a whiskey guy. But I figured, eh, what the heck? Blanchards' advertisement is "If you live in this city, you're obligated to buy it." And they're right.
It's a vodka infused with Black Tea (for the tea pahty) and Elderflowers. The second ingredient lead to many a Monty Python quote, but I think that's a common occurrence when you get nerds together. On recomendation of the cashier, I picked up some ginger ale to mix with it, and it definitely was a good call. It really doesn't taste (unless you go a little overboard with it) or smell like vodka. It still has that bite at the end but mixed with the ginger ale, it really tastes more like you're drinking a sweet tea than an alcoholic beverage. I recomend giving it a try. I almost wrote "giving it a shot" but would have had to throw myself from the St. Mary's bridge onto the Pike for that pun.
Well that's all for next weekend. Anyone with recommendations of things to try around the city for another one of these posts, please leave a comment.
New thing 1: Glasses
Well, any of you that actually know me know that wearing glasses (and for a brief period Contacts) is nothing new, been using vision correction since 8th grade. Literally, my mom took me to get new glasses the first weekend of summer vacation. So that was a fun filled summer of worrying about losing them while at a friend's and in their pool and what not. But earlier this year I received a coupon booklet from Lenscrafters basically saying "Hey, you haven't bought anything in 7 years...you O.K.?" And after my whole "Glasses lens popping out on 495" adventure back in September, I figured, why not? I have insurance.
So I go to the Lenscrafters in Boston. First off, they don't do that blue light and poke you in the eye test for glaucoma. Now they just shoot a puff of air at it. Any optomotrists reading this and verify but I'm guessing it measures how much air is reflected back, firmer eye = more reflected energy. Quick eye exam, except I did the dilation of my pupils. Back in Jersey they would leave you in the exam room with the lights off. here, thy only had one exam room so they make you go out into the lobby. And by lobby, I mean glasses show room, which is lit from every direction to show off the glasses. Ended up with a nice pair of Ray Bans. the ear pieces are a bit thicker than my old pair, but after 7 years I figure it's just a matter of time till I get used to them.
New thing 2: @Union
Now, most of my fellow Bostonians and Allstonians remember the Grecian Yearning Diner, the wonderful establishment on Harvard Ave in Allston. Amazing food but wierd hours. Tragically the diner and dry cleaning establishment were ravaged by a fire and closed. Earlier this year, construction work began and there was the glimmer of hope in every hipster's eye that it the Grecian Diner was coming back. Opening day finally came and alas, where the diner once stood, now stands @Union.
On my way home from the eye appointment, I decided to pop in for lunch. Was greeted by the staff upon entry and they brought a menu to my table as I was sitting down. I opted for a Turkey Club on toasted white bread. Being a rotisserie restaurant (or at least advertised as such with two chickens rotating behind the counter) I was hoping for maybe even recently cut turkey, but it was just the sliced stuff you'll find anywhere else. The bacon was crisp and the sandwich was over all tasty. They over salt their fries, so watch for that if you've got a condition. Sandwich was a little over priced, but I don't think the quick lunch crowd is their target market. More a coffee place that serves decent food and gives free wifi. Still, it's worth checking out.
New Thing 3: Absolut Boston
Again, the people that know me know that I'm a beer drinker. I'm not a beer snob, but I tend to prefer a beer over liquor except for special occasions, and then I'm a whiskey guy. But I figured, eh, what the heck? Blanchards' advertisement is "If you live in this city, you're obligated to buy it." And they're right.
It's a vodka infused with Black Tea (for the tea pahty) and Elderflowers. The second ingredient lead to many a Monty Python quote, but I think that's a common occurrence when you get nerds together. On recomendation of the cashier, I picked up some ginger ale to mix with it, and it definitely was a good call. It really doesn't taste (unless you go a little overboard with it) or smell like vodka. It still has that bite at the end but mixed with the ginger ale, it really tastes more like you're drinking a sweet tea than an alcoholic beverage. I recomend giving it a try. I almost wrote "giving it a shot" but would have had to throw myself from the St. Mary's bridge onto the Pike for that pun.
Well that's all for next weekend. Anyone with recommendations of things to try around the city for another one of these posts, please leave a comment.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Hulu? I barely know her!
So Gizmodo had this article yesterday. I for one feel this is a disturbing turn of events. Apparently the commercials they force you suffer through while the movie/episode you're watching DOESN'T load ahead of where you are isn't enough revenue for them.
I remember when I first heard of the Hulu and I thought it was a great idea. The TV and film companies were finally understanding that people will find a way to watch their programs online, so they might as well put them out there with a few random commercials and deal with it. At least this way, they could also track what people were watching, and the people without the means to afford a DVR could stay up to date on their favorite TV shows. And don't say they could tape them. Analog recording is not even a viable option anymore. I had to go to 4 Best Buys to get an analog cassette for a Valentine's Day gift, and they'd only sell them as a 5 pack.
Now, before this gets all ranty, they haven't said what the "subscription service" is actually going to be. The article says that not ALL content is going to be behind the "pay wall" as they put it. So, if paying a little bit gets you out of those ads, or lets it keep loading when paused (my two biggest gripes behind Hulu), ok, maybe worth it. But if it only lets me watch episodes from seasons 1-5 from House for free and season 6 is a pay service, well that's just not in the cards.
I remember when I first heard of the Hulu and I thought it was a great idea. The TV and film companies were finally understanding that people will find a way to watch their programs online, so they might as well put them out there with a few random commercials and deal with it. At least this way, they could also track what people were watching, and the people without the means to afford a DVR could stay up to date on their favorite TV shows. And don't say they could tape them. Analog recording is not even a viable option anymore. I had to go to 4 Best Buys to get an analog cassette for a Valentine's Day gift, and they'd only sell them as a 5 pack.
Now, before this gets all ranty, they haven't said what the "subscription service" is actually going to be. The article says that not ALL content is going to be behind the "pay wall" as they put it. So, if paying a little bit gets you out of those ads, or lets it keep loading when paused (my two biggest gripes behind Hulu), ok, maybe worth it. But if it only lets me watch episodes from seasons 1-5 from House for free and season 6 is a pay service, well that's just not in the cards.
Raid Recap
Good raid last night. Brought a couple of the new guys in to help them get geared up after the DPS exodus last week. (Lost 2 Warlocks and a Shadow Priest). Finished a half hour early since it was a BDC One Shot Thursday and managed to finally get rid of my Naxx10 cloak...on the 4th time it dropped. Meh. Such is the consequences of being the newer guy.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Let's try this out
Hey,
Gonna try the whole blogging thing again with a little more frequency and more entertaining bend. Not totally abandoning LiveJournal, but it's got a bit too much history that doesn't really matter anymore, so...eff it. If you're here from my twitter, thanks for clicking and hopefully this will give some more in depth entries than 140 characters can convey.
Gonna try the whole blogging thing again with a little more frequency and more entertaining bend. Not totally abandoning LiveJournal, but it's got a bit too much history that doesn't really matter anymore, so...eff it. If you're here from my twitter, thanks for clicking and hopefully this will give some more in depth entries than 140 characters can convey.
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