This weekend was the 3rd annual Danceathon... or was it the 4th? Eh... I'm too lazy to look it up. For those of you who DON'T know what a danceathon is, specfically in this case it is a 24 hour Swing Dancing Marathon for Cancer. People came from all over to Irvine, CA at a very massive Executive 24 hour fitness. And let me tell you, it was nice... very nice. Huge everything in that place. Shesha Marvin and his wife Nikki did an AMAZING job pulling this thing together. It was my first year and wasn't quite sure what to expect. As most of my friends know, I've been swing dancing a crapton and (crapton isn't underlined as a misspelled word, how odd)... I went to this thing thinking I could make it the whole time. Allow me to quote Zapp Brannigan from Futurama and say "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." I don't drink caffeen and I don't really drink alcohol much either, very very quite rare if I do. Mainly it's just water. Luckily for me there was a ton of water, and food everywhere. I came with 3 sets of clothing cause i knew I would be a sweaty mess after a few hours of dancing. I danced as much as I could and didn't sleep one wink. I last 17.5 hours. I took 67 videos which totalled to 44 min and 48 seconds. I have no idea how many pictures were taken, cause I don't have a camera in which to take pictures with, but I have about 13 pictures of myself swing dancing. I just realized that this whole blog is kinda all over the place with information. Whatever. I had a great time swing dancing, and heard some amazing bands as well. The only reason I couldn't keep going is because of my legs. I was still wide awake, and could have kept going, but my legs just didn't want to move anymore. If anything, it gave me the energy to be an even better swing dancer and to push harder to accomplish that.
On a side note, it appears I might be flying out to see my sister in NY. Which would be awesome, and if things go according to plan, I'll be getting some headshots while I'm out there.
Videos are uploaded to here http://www.youtube.com/user/MTJokerProductions
Pictures are uploaded on both facebook and myspace.
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Monday, March 16, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
A small update on me and a movie a review as a bonus
So, I've been feeling like I should have written something awhile ago. I've been having an itch to write, just never got around to it. And now seems like a better time than ever. Ya, it's 3:37am, but that's usual for me.
I suppose I'll start with some updates. Most of you already know this about me, especially since I talk to everyone on facebook now, but I've been swing dancing... a LOT! It's great. I forgot how much I love it. Some songs are still a little tuff to dance to, and I sit a few out. But I'm still out there dancing as much as I can. I'd like to think I've gotten better since the beginning of the year, or at the very least since a couple of years ago. Tuesday at Atomic, Wednesday at Strutters, and Friday at Atomic again. Those are my nights. I've also gotten in the habit of dressing nicer, whenever I go out of the house. I really like button up shirts and sporting a nice coat or jacket if I can. I'm taking a bit more care in my appearance, and I think it kinda shows. I'm totally getting into swing dancing.
The learning of french is slow and methodical but it's still progressing. Trying not to be lazy isn't easy. Aside from that, nothing else has really changed. I'm quite satisfied being single at the moment. I'm still learning things about myself that I didn't realize until recently. Did anyone else know that I'm a flirt? And how did I JUST figure that out? Was it always so obvious? I'm just being me, a smart-ass with a lot of quick wit. Looking forward to the next few months. I got some very good energy feelings going on. Oh, that's another thing. For some reason I've been more in tune with the positive and negative energy (I suppose it's called Aura) of people. It's kinda cool to me and I don't know when it started, but I pick up on more subtle things from people and get really weird sensations when it comes to a room of people.
On a completely different note, I saw the movie Watchmen. I read the book first of course, thanks to a very kind nerd. After reading the book, I had a new appreciate for graphic novels. Real graphic novels, not the 5 pages of art work and 10 pages of adds that are in the front of the bookstore by the newspapers. I'm talking about the books that are over 100 pages with a very deep story line. Watchmen had a lot of politics involved in it, which I suppose should have turned be off to the subject matter, but instead only drew me in more. Between the compelling story and enriching character development, as well as the great artwork that only complimented the story that much more, I honestly became a fan of it. I wouldn't say that I would dress up as any one character of course, but I am a fan. I think I ended up reading through the whole book in two days. I didn't even take a break to play video games, I literally just kept reading. Oddly enough I found myself identifying with Dan Dreiberg, aka The Nite Owl. Of course I loved the personalities of both The Comedian and Rorschach, but I couldn't relate to them as I could Dreiberg. I'm still trying to figure out why of course. Both The Comedian and Rorschach have that "I don't care attitude" and badass behavior that makes people go crazy for them in the movies or books. But Dreiberg is a bit more complicated. When it came to the novel he had more confidence putting on a mask then when he was by himself. A very mild-mannered Clark Kent and outgoing Superman persona, and I do hate making that reference. But to some degree it's true. Dreiberg is that, haha, and I quote Swingers when I say "The Pg-13 Guy who you are really hopin' gets the girl, not the rated R guy who you're not quite sure of." I'm sure I'll figure out more of why I relate to him later, but as for this blog, I got nothing. So, the movie. Without giving ANYTHING away, the movie did the book justice. Of course they had to cut some scenes out and modify the story just a very tiny bit, but I felt that that "creative editing" was ok. They did just an absolutely AMAZING job with the cinematics and the special effects. Dr. Manhattan looks incredible. And getting certain key frames from the book onto film was just a fantastic job. All in all I felt that they did a wonderful job with transferring the book to film and it makes me want to read it all over again. Of course, a few key elements of the movie I could have done with out, but that might be just me. If you read the book and saw the movie PLEASE contact me. I no longer have anyone to talk intelligent nerd conversation with when it comes to specific "nerdom" (video games, graphic novels turned movies, and other various subject matter of the aforementioned nerd type).
I suppose I should try for some sleep now. I have two rants I want to go off on, completely different subject material that can probably wait for a different day and blog. I end with one of my most favorite quotes from the movie:
"Thermodynamic miracles... events with odds against so astronomical they're effectively impossible, like oxygen spontaneously becoming gold. I long to observe such a thing. And yet, in each human coupling, a thousand million sperm vie for a single egg. Multiply those odds by countless generations, against the odds of your ancestors being alive; meeting; siring this precise son; that exact daughter... Until your mother loves a man she has every reason to hate, and of that union, of the thousand million children competing for fertilization, it was you, only you, that emerged. To distill so specific a form from that chaos of improbability, like turning air to gold... that is the crowning unlikelihood. The thermodynamic miracle."
- Dr. Manhattan (I think I like the movie version better though, I've developed a bit of a hopeless romantic side, *shrugs* whatever)
P.S. I see your P.S. and I raise you a P.S.
P.S.S. I miss Venture Brothers and Number 24
I suppose I'll start with some updates. Most of you already know this about me, especially since I talk to everyone on facebook now, but I've been swing dancing... a LOT! It's great. I forgot how much I love it. Some songs are still a little tuff to dance to, and I sit a few out. But I'm still out there dancing as much as I can. I'd like to think I've gotten better since the beginning of the year, or at the very least since a couple of years ago. Tuesday at Atomic, Wednesday at Strutters, and Friday at Atomic again. Those are my nights. I've also gotten in the habit of dressing nicer, whenever I go out of the house. I really like button up shirts and sporting a nice coat or jacket if I can. I'm taking a bit more care in my appearance, and I think it kinda shows. I'm totally getting into swing dancing.
The learning of french is slow and methodical but it's still progressing. Trying not to be lazy isn't easy. Aside from that, nothing else has really changed. I'm quite satisfied being single at the moment. I'm still learning things about myself that I didn't realize until recently. Did anyone else know that I'm a flirt? And how did I JUST figure that out? Was it always so obvious? I'm just being me, a smart-ass with a lot of quick wit. Looking forward to the next few months. I got some very good energy feelings going on. Oh, that's another thing. For some reason I've been more in tune with the positive and negative energy (I suppose it's called Aura) of people. It's kinda cool to me and I don't know when it started, but I pick up on more subtle things from people and get really weird sensations when it comes to a room of people.
On a completely different note, I saw the movie Watchmen. I read the book first of course, thanks to a very kind nerd. After reading the book, I had a new appreciate for graphic novels. Real graphic novels, not the 5 pages of art work and 10 pages of adds that are in the front of the bookstore by the newspapers. I'm talking about the books that are over 100 pages with a very deep story line. Watchmen had a lot of politics involved in it, which I suppose should have turned be off to the subject matter, but instead only drew me in more. Between the compelling story and enriching character development, as well as the great artwork that only complimented the story that much more, I honestly became a fan of it. I wouldn't say that I would dress up as any one character of course, but I am a fan. I think I ended up reading through the whole book in two days. I didn't even take a break to play video games, I literally just kept reading. Oddly enough I found myself identifying with Dan Dreiberg, aka The Nite Owl. Of course I loved the personalities of both The Comedian and Rorschach, but I couldn't relate to them as I could Dreiberg. I'm still trying to figure out why of course. Both The Comedian and Rorschach have that "I don't care attitude" and badass behavior that makes people go crazy for them in the movies or books. But Dreiberg is a bit more complicated. When it came to the novel he had more confidence putting on a mask then when he was by himself. A very mild-mannered Clark Kent and outgoing Superman persona, and I do hate making that reference. But to some degree it's true. Dreiberg is that, haha, and I quote Swingers when I say "The Pg-13 Guy who you are really hopin' gets the girl, not the rated R guy who you're not quite sure of." I'm sure I'll figure out more of why I relate to him later, but as for this blog, I got nothing. So, the movie. Without giving ANYTHING away, the movie did the book justice. Of course they had to cut some scenes out and modify the story just a very tiny bit, but I felt that that "creative editing" was ok. They did just an absolutely AMAZING job with the cinematics and the special effects. Dr. Manhattan looks incredible. And getting certain key frames from the book onto film was just a fantastic job. All in all I felt that they did a wonderful job with transferring the book to film and it makes me want to read it all over again. Of course, a few key elements of the movie I could have done with out, but that might be just me. If you read the book and saw the movie PLEASE contact me. I no longer have anyone to talk intelligent nerd conversation with when it comes to specific "nerdom" (video games, graphic novels turned movies, and other various subject matter of the aforementioned nerd type).
I suppose I should try for some sleep now. I have two rants I want to go off on, completely different subject material that can probably wait for a different day and blog. I end with one of my most favorite quotes from the movie:
"Thermodynamic miracles... events with odds against so astronomical they're effectively impossible, like oxygen spontaneously becoming gold. I long to observe such a thing. And yet, in each human coupling, a thousand million sperm vie for a single egg. Multiply those odds by countless generations, against the odds of your ancestors being alive; meeting; siring this precise son; that exact daughter... Until your mother loves a man she has every reason to hate, and of that union, of the thousand million children competing for fertilization, it was you, only you, that emerged. To distill so specific a form from that chaos of improbability, like turning air to gold... that is the crowning unlikelihood. The thermodynamic miracle."
- Dr. Manhattan (I think I like the movie version better though, I've developed a bit of a hopeless romantic side, *shrugs* whatever)
P.S. I see your P.S. and I raise you a P.S.
P.S.S. I miss Venture Brothers and Number 24