Oscar Preview.

The weather is getting colder. This means one thing, Oscar Season has arrived. Much has been made about two big changes to the 2010 Academy Awards. The first change is that it has moved back in the calendar, to March 7th, 2010. The second (and more peculiar) change is that there will be 10 nominees for Best Picture, rather than the usual 5. Several already released films have gotten plenty of buzz, as have several films that haven't been released yet. For your convenience I have broken down my predictions into 3 groups, Locks, Probables, and Dark Horse Candidates. Obviously, these are just guesses and I would not be surprised if I am way off. As William Goldman once said of Hollywood, "Nobody Knows Anything." So, with that in mind, lets do this. First, the locks:

Locks
- Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
- Up
-Avatar

These three very different films are my three locks for nomination for very different reasons. There are some experts who are saying Precious is the best acted film of the year. Oscar worthy performances are turned in by Mo'Nique (not kidding), Mariah Carey (still not kidding), and newcomer Gabourey Sidibe. The movie did surprisingly well at the box office and was pushed (no pun intended) by both Oprah and Tyler Perry (those two together are the equivalent of eleventeen Barack Obamas).

Up is an interesting case. If it is in the category for Best Picture, does that mean it automatically wins Best Animated? That point aside, Up is most definitely going to be nominated but will have a tough time winning. No animated feature has ever won, and only one other, Beauty and the Beast in 1991, has ever been nominated for best picture. One could definitely argue that animated films will benefit the most from the expansion of the number of nominated films.

Avatar, James Cameron's $300 million dollar movie, is the third and final film that I consider to be a lock for Best Picture. Since it has not been released yet, and the previews are not revealing much it is leaving the general public in a state of confusion. However, it did cost $300 million dollars to make and it is James Cameron, that is enough for me to believe it will be there.


Probables

-Up In The Air
-A Serious Man
-The Lovely Bones
-Invictus
-Inglorious Basterds
-An Education
-The Hurt Locker

This category has a ton of big names, which could lead to big buzz.
Up In The Air has George Clooney and everyone's new favorite director Jason Reitman.
A Serious Man has the Coen Brothers.
The Lovely Bones is a Peter Jackson film.
Invictus is Eastwood+Damon+Freeman.
And of course Inglorious Basterds has Tarantino and Pitt (although Christoph Waltz is the best part of the movie).
The more intriguing films are the two that lack star power. First we will look at An Education.
An Education is a movie that nobody will talk about much in the mainstream media, but will certainly garner a lot of attention when it comes time for the Oscars. The movie left people amazed at both The Sundance and Toronto Film Festivals.
The Hurt Locker is the movie that should have had the most impact of any release this summer due to the fact that it is a movie about a few soldiers in Iraq. However, the best part of the movie is that it did not inspire any political rhetoric what so ever. Director Kathryn Bigelow (Point Break) did not make the movie about the war, no she made the movie about war and about the people in war. The movie was nearly perfect, save for one random, gratuitous scene.

Dark Horse Candidates
-500 Days of Summer
-The Road
-Public Enemies
-Nine

I picked these four movies either because I really liked them or because I have not heard much about them other than that they are supposed to be very well made, well acted films. In the case of both Public Enemies and 500 Days of Summer, I picked them because these are two of the better movies I saw thus far this year. 500 Days was a breath of fresh air for Romantic Comedy fans. Public Enemies was just a well made movies. It captured the feeling of the time, and made you fall in love with a murderous villain. The Road and Nine, on the other hand are supposed to be very, very good movies. Much is being made about Viggo Mortensen's performance in The Road. It is another Cormac McCarthy novel being adapted, as was No Country for Old Men, the winner in 2007. Nine is a Rob Marshall film. Why is that important? It isn't really except for the fact that he is rumored to be directing the fourth installment of Pirates of the Caribbean. Also, Daniel Day-Lewis stars in Nine. Which means that no matter what, it will get a lot of buzz.

NOTE- This post, along with some other great stuff can be also be found at my other blog, The Common Room. You can access it on my links page or go to alwayschilling.blogspot.com. Thanks.

The Day Is Upon Us.

Hello everyone!

This is a great day. For it is the day that I am announcing the Grand Opening of the Common Room - a new blog. Like I said, this blog will still be updated, but I urge you to come check out the common room. There are some incredible writers taking part in the act and they are very good at what they do.

Here is the link:

www.alwayschilling.blogspot.com

Thanks.

Live Blog. Feat. Em Woodz

Emily here speaking for Mike Leboff. The silly suite is throwing a Friday night evening party (supposed to be a day party, but we ran a lil late). I love these boys. I would consider them my best friends and I've known them for about a month not even. I wanna write about each person separately, but only in this room because there are so many of them. They are awesome. First Kassy is here and I consider her to be one of my best friends in the entire world. She does not say one bad thing about a single person and she is constantly happy. We are so much alike it's fucking ridiculous. When kass is drunk she has this one face that she makes when she's drunk that she sort of scrunches and rolls her eyes at whoever's talking, no matter what they have said. It's the funniest thing in the world (I guess you have to see it). Second- Emmett Manning. This kid is classic. His fucking brother in law plays on the Rangers. We constantly steal this plastic cup he is secretly obsessed with. It's not even an important cup, it's from some stupid golf course. A couple weeks ago we stole his Vineyard Vines shirt and pretended kassy had the same one, well it was the same one... it was his. FUNNY! He's such a dad. (I'm wasted, so if this isn't funny it's only funny because I think it's funny). Tommy O'hanlon. I LOVE HIM. I love red heads, the end. (Probably why I love him so much) But he has blonde eyelashes and eyebrows and it's the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life. Me and him both get red faces when we drink, no matter what. No matter what I drink, my face gets red, so does Tommy's. He's from new york, but doesn't look like it. He's not an asshole, like most new yorkers. I think I may marry Tommy.. or Mike. And that brings me to MIKE LEBOFF- kid's fuckin hilarious. we played video games the other night for about 2 hours and I laughed the whole time. We both love our dogs, our grandma's and PBR. (chemistry) we have chemistry. I love everyone here, as you can see. SOLTISH- he sings with emotion and hand movements, he has the messiest room in the world, and chode feet. He's staring at me right now with his "cape codder". You can catch him farming. YES farming- farmville. and finally- ROB he has 5354736843 millions on his itunes, he sponsors everyones itunes with his mojo and he is proud of it. He is transferring which is unfortunate because I love his impressions of everything. He has sucha dad voice. His dad is a smokeshow. I commented on one of his pictures with his dad and his dad replied- "I LOVE college girls!" Well I can't write about everyone and Kassy's beer smell is making me sick. But I love every one of these kids and yeah, thank god for the silly suite. <3

Keep Your Ear to the Grindstone.

It is with great pleasure that I announce that the Gospel According to Mike has a new side project coming out in Mid-November. Don't fret, the Gospel will still be updated but please be ready for a new project. It will feature everything. Satire, Reviews, Odd News, and Much More. The project is still untitled but will be posted in less than a week.

Check back for updates. But for now there's this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6A2-AuhiwI

Live Blogging Chemistry - A God vs. Science Class!

10:51 AM- I arrive into class. I sit down in the back row, then get up and pick another seat because the back of my former seat was broken. I will let you know what sucker picks my old, broken seat.

10:54 AM- I am sitting to the right of a middle aged asian woman. She is playing an online game to prepare herself for class. Nice technique.

10:56 AM- Some kid on the other side of the room is blasting some thrash metal on his iPod. We can all hear it. I feel bad for the kid because now we all know he has horrible taste in music.

10:58 AM- The busted chair was taken by a girl. When she sat down she said, "F**k, my chair is broken."

11:00 AM- Giddy Up.

11:02 AM- The professor for this class is a good man, however he has a thick Middle Eastern accent and it is tough to understand everything he says.

11:07 AM- Today we are going to discuss uncertainty. Although, I guess I can't be sure.

11:10 AM- I have no idea what this guy is saying.

11:12 AM- "God does not play dice" - Albert Einstein

"Who is Einstein to tell the Lord what not to do?" - Niels Bohr

Niels Bohr, them be fighting words.

11:14 AM- Were now watching a video from the website, www.freesciencelectures.com, I don't feel comfortable with this.

11:17 AM- There are three middle aged women in this class. Two of them sit in front of me, the other one is the aforementioned Asian lady. Anyways, the point is the two in front of me are gossiping right now.

11:20 AM- There are some characters in this class, but none quite like Blonde Protestant Kid in the Front Row. His voice sounds like what would happen if you mixed Ellen Degeneres' voice with a gerbil. Needless to say, I love when he talks.

11:26 AM- Still, I have no idea what this guy is saying.

11:29 AM- The professor must have just made a science joke, three people laughed, including Blonde Protestant Kid.

11:31 AM- Here are my favorite animals, in no particular order:

Wolf, Tiger, Otter, Koala, Raccoon.

11:33 AM- Pretty sure the Asian lady just farted.

11:36 AM- Some girl just left. She brought her sunglasses with her. One can only assume she is done for the day.

11:38 AM- Nice pun from the professor, "Does anyone find Neil Bohr, boring?" Keep 'em coming.

11:40 AM- In what was easily the most random part of class, we went from looking at a picture of the greatest scientists in the world sitting down, to a picture of Sean Penn, to a picture of Kate Winslet, to a picture of Humphrey Bogart, to a picture of Keanu Reeves. I have no idea what just happened.

11:42 AM- The class is still reeling from the actor slideshow. People are making fun of Keanu Reeves, all I know is they best stop before I go all Shane Falco on they ass.

11:43 AM- Out comes a black light.

11:45 AM- Morgan Freeman is playing Nelson Mandela in Clint Eastwood's newest movie Invictus coming out in December. Matt Damon is playing the other lead role. I am so pumped. Down with Apartheid!

The movie is about the 1995 Rugby World Cup and Nelson Mandela being a stud. There is a good book out there about Mandela and the 1995 Cup that I've read. Buy it here! http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Playing-the-Enemy/John-Carlin/e/9781594201745

11:48 AM- Still trying to figure out the actor collage from before.

11:50 AM- The professor is looking for his laser. Blonde Protestant Kid had this advice for him, "Check your pocket, I always forget when I put things in my pocket. It is so frustrating!"

11:52 AM- We just started to talk about Kate Winslet and her acting expertise.

11:55 AM- Now onto President Truman.

11:56 AM- Just asked the class whether we want to get out early or talk about something else.

11:57 AM- Now he is talking about class participation and how this class is not doing well in that department.

11:59 AM- Peace.

Ridiculous Age Restrictions.

One thing that perturbs me to no end are stupid age restrictions. The reason I am blogging about this now is that the other day, we stopped at a McDonald's in Fairfield. It was a well-kept McDonald's and seemed pretty welcoming. However, there were two things that got me pretty upset. The first was that their PlayPen was off limits to anyone over the age of 12. I am 19, meaning that I was prohibited from entering said Playpen. This was disheartening, but the next issue at hand really got me upset. Since I was not ordering any food, I was just checking out the menu and my eyes came to a screeching halt on a frightening sight. In fine print under the Happy Meal menu read this blasphemy, "Toys Only Included for Children 10 & Under." Thats some bull right there. I don't know what 11 year olds did to piss off McDonald's so much to not make the cut, but I imagine it to be something nasty. It just doesn't make sense to me. What difference does it make if I am an 8 year old with a free Rugrats toy or a 36 year old with a free Rugrats toy? The answer is zero. So this got me thinking about other stupid age limits in life. Here's a doozie. You are trying out a new restaurant, you look at the menu, you don't see anything that is really in your price range until you reach the very bottom of the back page. There you see something that sounds delicious and recession friendly. One problem, under said section reads this, "For Children 12 & Under Only." Fuck that. If I want Dino-Shaped-Chicken-Nuggets (try and pretend you don't love the gratuitous and grammatically incorrect hyphens) I should get them. No matter if I am 3 years old or 57 years old. Maybe I am a paleontologist who happens to love chicken nuggets? What better food could there be in that situation than Dino-Nuggets? There are some stupid things that have gone on in the world since its inception in 1312 A.D. From religious intolerance, to racial discrimination, to the fact that Keanu Reeves still can land lead roles in films, we need to get rid of dumb things. Stupid age restrictions should be the first to go. Followed by Keanu, we've waited this long for prejudice to subside, a few more years can't hurt. Plus, The Lake House REALLY, REALLY SUCKED.

Funny The Way It Is.

Last night, a few of my suite mates and myself took part in a social drinking game. It took an hour to complete the game so we were talking throughout. The talk got political but remained calm. Everyone talked about who they supported in the past few elections. An argument or two surfaced but, nobody really raised their voice. Until the conversation switched topics. At dinner the same night, four of us were discussing what foods were "party foods." I mentioned lasagna, while another mentioned baked ziti. The line was drawn. When the conversation switched from politics to party foods, things got heated. People were screaming at each other, calling the other's family parties fake and boring. We were calling friends from home, other kids at school, and even pizzerias. The argument was not really going anywhere but everyone dug themselves in and would not waver on their views. Finally when everyone went to bed things began to calm down and nobody got hurt.

The point is, we talked about politics for approximately 10 minutes, while we talked about what food we see at family parties more often for about 50 minutes. We also backed up the latter argument with facts and surveyed other people. While the political conversation barely could be called a conversation at all. We just talked about how cool it would be to hang out with George W. Bush.

Typical Katie.

"Typical Katie" is a metaphor for that one girl who goes out to a party or a bar and doesn't fare too well in a battle with alcohol. She is the one who by the end of the night is either sleeping with the porcelain princess, still drinking, face down on a fairway, or getting her stomach pumped. Every time a group of girls go out to a party, it seems like Typical Katie is just waiting to come out.

You can easily point Typical Katie out. During a pre-game session, Ty-Kat (an acronym for Typical Katie) is the one pounding shots at a feverish pace. At this point it would be wise to slow Typical Katie down a little bit. Typical Katie, already drunk, refuses to slow down and you know this is going to be a long night. When the group finally makes it out, lets say this time its the bar, Ty-Kat stumbles into the bar, emphatically greets everyone she knows at the bar and then orders a Cranberry & Vodka. This is when her girlfriends try to slow her down as much as they can. They try to keep her away from the bar but, Typical Katie is usually a pretty elusive person and winds up with a fresh drink pretty regularly. As the night drags on, Ty-Kat seems to be having an exceptionally good time, she is dancing, singing, yelling, getting into pictures, the whole nine. But then it happens. Typical Katie orders that last drink of her night. You see her fun night turn into a nightmare in an instant. As you watch her head bob up and down at the bar with a miserable look on her face, you know its only a matter of seconds before T.K. (yet another acronym) is down for the count. You swoop in and tell Typical Katie it is time to go, and she is belligerent. She fights you off and tells you she is fine and just needs some air. You retort, "No Typical Katie, you need to go to bed." So you get your friends and tell them its time to go. They reluctantly comply and the fun part of the night is now over. Back at Ty-Kat's place, she is belligerent still. She may swing at you, yell at you, curse at you, or even throw up on you. But you weather the storm and wrestle Typical Katie to bed. You breathe a sigh of relief and call it a night.

Just a typical night, for Typical Katie.

You're So College.

 Going away to college has taken on a certain mystique in the past few years. The reason it is so attractive is because of the independence, free time, new people, and it is a new start. All of these are good things, but the whole "being college" epidemic that has grasped most of kids my age is awful. Is college a lot of fun? Yes. Is it utter crazy-debauchery 24/7? Not if you want to last more than one semester. There is plenty of fun to be had at college without being the next Van Wilder.   To those who go to school now, you can point out the kids who think they are living the dream. To those who haven't gone away to school yet, here is how to pick out the typical college tool.

Step 1: Look for a "rare and vintage" fitted cap- Over the past two years you have seen these hats pop up more and more at your local mall and bars. For example, if you are a Long Islander like me and see a Minnesota Timberwolves fitted, you are probably staring at one of these species of kids.
Step 1B: If they are wearing a fitted, look down. You will see the matching Nike Air Maxes. 

Step 2: Look for a polo shirt or a button down that is tucked in at one random part of the belt line and then not again. Hot spots for tucking in the shirt would be the front or adjacent to the front. 

Step 3: Are they wearing semi-high socks?? Of course they are! Nothing screams I am a huge tool more than socks that go right up to the shin.

Step 4: Peep the hairstyle. Do they have really long, unkempt hair? Is the hair in the back, long with some nice "flow" to blow out from under their lacrosse helmet? If their hairstyle matches these descriptions, then by golly we have found one!

Step 5: If you are in an outdoor drinking atmosphere: Are they wearing a throwback NBA jersey? Are they wearing a lacrosse pinny? Yes they are. Because they are too cool to wear sleeves! 

Step 6: Check their iTunes. I bet they will have an incomplete, maybe even scant collection of songs from "cool bands and musicians to listen to when your a college kid" like: Wyclef, Lupe Fiasco, Mos Def, State Radio, Asher Roth, MGMT, Bon Iver, Dr. Dre, Kid Cudi, Immortal Technique, Dialated Peoples, Bob Marley, Dave Matthews Band, John Legend, Jay-Z, or any self-aware-Obama-loving hip-hop artist?

Step 7: Do they claim that college is the best thing ever and they don't ever wanna graduate? While college is tons of fun, it is not the best thing ever. It doesn't come close to dogs, hockey, grilled cheeses, or the theme song for "Cheers". These kids will keep you up late telling stories of their conquests, their beer pong expertise, all the girls, all the beer, all the blacking out, and of course all the never going to class. Also, when these kids come home from breaks, all they do is talk about how much they want to go back to school. 

Step 8: Look at their Facebook profile picture. If it is of them during one of their great college moments, then they are infected.

Step 9: Do they have a sudden interest in soccer? The key to being "college" is being a little different from your eerily similar friends at home. For instance: they all dress the same, but they go above and beyond to have the nicest aforementioned fitted hat. Soccer is like a metaphor for the hat. These kids think that if they claim to like soccer then, they are worldly and different from the rest of their friends. 

 If you or anyone you know suffer from this disease, please hand them their life back. They can never be as lame as they are when they are suffering from this disease. It is taking Long Island faster than the Guido infestation of 2006.

Bonnadrew.

 About a week ago the annual music festival, Bonnaroo, was held in Manchester, Tennessee. It is considered by some to be the Mecca for the modern hippie and indie music lover.  It is a huge gathering of musicians, other artists, and their fans over 4 days. People flock from all over the world and converge on this huge field and camp out for the duration of the festival. It has grown and grown over the past years into one of the biggest musical festivals in the world. It even caught the eye of Ms. Drew Barrymore and her current beau Justin Long. My issue is not that they went to the festival, but I do question their intentions, especially Ms. Barrymore. The picture to the left was taken of the couple listening to indie band Bon Iver. While Bon Iver were not the headliners (Bruce Springsteen & Phish were), they are a very popular band within Indie ciricles.  I would love to dissect this picture with you guys. We will start with Mr. Long. Notice the simple attire. A plaid button down shirt with a white v-neck t-shirt. It is a pretty basic, simple outfit. He would fit in well with the hippies who attended Bonnaroo with those clothes. He does however show that he is a tool with his double-dosage of sunglasses. First the pair that he is not wearing. They look like Ray-Ban Wayfarer's to me. A lot of people who go to something like Bonnaroo would have a pair of Wayfarer's. But they would be on their face. The other pair of sunglasses, look like aviators, I can only assume they also cost a pretty penny. This is a place where materialism and status don't mean anything and Mr. Long's sunglasses have more status than 80% of the people who went to the festival. I do think Justin Long is a little more sincere than Drew Barrymore in his attendance. Simply because he did not try as hard to be "indie" as Drew did. So now let us move on to Ms. Barrymore. What a train wreck this is. We'll start with the cliche peace sign she is throwing up. Bonnaroo is a peaceful place. People are supposed to put everything aside and just enjoy the wealth of great music and fine art that has converged on this field. I am pretty sure Ms. Barrymore tossed up the peace sign just to show, I am here at Bonnaroo because I want it to be known I believe peace is good, as you can tell by this peace sign I am throwing up for this "random" photo op. Lets move on. The feather. Oh my. Are you kidding me Drew? You were in Charlie's Angels. You are not a fucking hippie. You are not "indie". You are a celebrity with more money than I could ever imagine. You wouldn't be caught dead dressed like that in LA. Yet, when you are at Bonnaroo, the real Drew comes out. The face paint is the kicker. Just incase you couldn't tell how "indie" Drew Barrymore is, she painted her face to really show how "out there" she is. Right now the cool thing for celebrities to be is self-aware. You can see by all the celebrities showing they care for the environment, adopting kids, or campaigning for politicians. Now, I am not a hippie, I am not "indie", I am me. Which is why I have an issue with this picture. I don't need to go to Bonnaroo to show how cool I am. I have never been there. I listen to 90s boy bands. I have never read a David Eggers novel. It is not that I am upset that Drew Barrymore was at Bonnaroo and I wasn't. No, its that Drew Barrymore didn't go. This pseudo-Drew Barrymore went. Would I have liked to have gone? Yes. It had some brilliant music and is supposed to be quite the experience. Would I have bought new clothes to fit in there? No. I would have gone as me, along with the thousands of other people who went as themselves. Drew Barrymore put on her best Joan Baez impression to show people that she is a scenester at heart. Miss Barrymore, Bonnaroo is a simple concept. You go to Tennessee as yourself to leave the real world for 4 days, listen to music, have a good time, and experience something like nothing else. And somehow Drew, you managed to miss the point of the festival.

Guest Blogger: Cody Alt

 Cody Alt is a friend of mine whom I met freshman year in high school. He and I share eerily similar interests. From movies to soccer we like it all. He has lent this blog his pen to write a review on the movie "The Hangover."

The movie entitled “The Hangover” was pitched to moviegoers as a comedy.  The movie was funny up until our four main characters take that first shot of Jagermeister spiked with Rohypnol which served as a proverbial slingshot into one of the most infamous blackouts in movie history. This is when the movie, in my eyes, turned into a Tragedy/Horror/Suspense/Docu-Drama.  Yes, sure, all these fourty-somethings and fifty-somethings thought it was hysterical of this idea of blacking out so bad that you make possibly life running mistakes. The reason they thought it was funny because this idea is so far-fetched to them. Just as I thought Forgetting Sarah Marshall was funny, it would never happen to me. I inherently do not trust women and would not be surprised if some whore I was going out with started fucking another dude, which is why I usually beat them to the punch.  However, The Hangover just hit too close to home as an all-to-possible future.

Furthermore, if I were to be one of those fifty-somethings I would have this problem with the movie. This was an ensemble comedy, except the only funny person was Zach Galifianakis. He carried this ensemble by himself. And the problem was the director, writer and producer knew it, and focused the movie on one of the side characters. Yeah, Bradley Cooper had his moments, like the casino scene flipping off the cameras, and the. But Ed Helms from The Office was a no-show, and was just an annoying character. The cast was the minor league to Judd Apatow’s cast of major leagues. Maybe Gilifianakis gets the call, he deserves it.

Old People and Unemployment

 First, as I've said before, I love old people. I think they are portals to the past. Each person who has been around this world for 60 plus years has stories and then some to add to one's everyday life. That is why I wonder why more old people don't get kidnapped. I would love to chase down some old lady in a motorized scooter and take her home to tell me stories. One thing that always gets me about the elderly though is when they talk amongst themselves. I was exposed to the elderly a few weeks ago after my great aunt passed away. At the table with the elderly I kept hearing one question that got me every time, "Oh! I haven't seen him/her in so long, is he/she still around?" Getting old is tough, and I think that question epitomizes why it is so tough. It isn't 'How is Hank Clark doing?' Instead it is, 'Has Hank kicked the bucket yet?' 

 I have been recessioned. I am still unemployed despite applying at over fifty businesses. The thing is I love being unemployed just as much as I hate not having any money. I love sleeping in and knowing that I have absolutely nothing to do with my day. It means there is a lot of time to pal around with my dog, watch the food network, and have play dates. It is tough to be motivated to get a job when I haven't had to do any real work since august. But, I can't live like this forever. Or can I? This is where I ask you to participate. I am currently accepting donations of any amount to the Help Michael Not Have to Work this Summer Yet, Still Have Enough Money TO Thoroughly Enjoy His Sophomore Year of College And Maybe Even Have Some Money Left Over to Put Towards His Dream of Going to World Cup 2010 In South Africa Fund. If you are interested in donating e-mail me at leboffm@sacredheart.edu

thanks.

Guest Blogger: Zach Biondi

  Zach Biondi is my roommate at school. We became roommates through an interesting turn of events. We have grown to become the best of friends. He has come to me asking to guest blog about our intramural floor hockey team the Synnabunz. It was a team built with the right amount of talent, hard work, and chemistry. So without further ado here is Zach.

First of all, I would like to thank Mike for letting my blog here.  He is a great roommate and I love him.  Sacred Heart has many intramurals to offer throughout the year.  My friends and I took part in football, volleyball, and floor hockey.  Nothing compared to the floor hockey season.  We had high expectations entering the season.  We put in a lot of hard work and late night practices on the basketball court.  Our season started with a win via forfeit.  They must have watched our practices; they were intimidated. We finished the regular season 4-1, with stellar play from all around.  Entering the playoffs, we had high expectations.  In our first game, we found ourselves down 4-0 late in the third.  We made it 4-3, but couldn’t manage to complete the comeback.  We gave it our best shot.  We will be back next year.  I’d like to give a special thanks to Mike Leboff, Tommy O Hanlon, Emmett, Fritz, Cee, Julia, Mama, Brian, and Solty for a great season.

 

Go Synabunnz!      

State of the Blog Address

 Every year in January the president makes a State of the Union address. He usually says the nation is doing well, then rifles off 30-40 areas that need fixing. I just like to watch the State of the Union because it is immature, and I like immature. When the president says something about killing Native Americans (always a good strategy) the GOP members stand up. When he says something about killing babies and helping the environment the democrats stand up and clap. And of course when he says something about soft hands and the triple deek, Coach Gordon Bombay stands up and claps.  I figured since I am the president of this blog, I will do the same tonight. 

 The state of the Gospel According to Mike is strong. Originally a tool to help keep in touch with those at home, it has blossomed into a lot more. In a brief moment of narcissism, I added a hit counter for a day to see how many hits the blog would receive on an average day. The answer was very encouraging, I put up the hit counter at 3 AM and took it down at 4 PM. The blog had a whopping 256 hits in that span. The Gospel has found its way into a local newspaper, a comedy club owners hands, and of course on the official Rob & Spyder Show website. The blog is not even a year old and it has surpassed my expectations. I would to thank all of you for that. 

 There is one thing I would like to ask. I would like to enlist more guest bloggers. In the past Chris Mango, Dylan Prior, Rob Coloney, and Killian my dog have guest blogged. I need more people to guest blog. The Gospel is working on having a round table blogging session with 4 huge names in history. Jesus of Nazareth, Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler, and Will Smith. That should happen within the month. However, I need you guys to guest blog please.

 Thank you to all of you for reading. 

All-Boys High School.

  The tone has shifted a little bit on this blog. It went from sentimental, everyday humor to a promotional tool (sorry) to the work of someone in the midst of an existential crisis. This post will consist of the sentimental, everyday humor.

 I went to an All-Boys High School. Oh yeah, it was Catholic too. When one attends a school like mine, there are several possibilities. Some people come in a boy and leave a young man. Others find out what they want to do in life. Some become priests. Me? I walked in a boy, and left with the maturity level of a 5 year old. I also learned I do not, do not care what people think about me. Aside from that there are some other startling facts one learns at an all-boys school. The things that cross a student's mind at that school would disgust any normal person. For instance, there were less than 10 female teachers at Chaminade High School (my school). They were all less than 5's on the scale. There was one who was clearly the best looking though. She was about 55 years old. Any outsider would think "she is not ugly, but she is also not good looking." But she drove the 1600 boys in the school nuts. Absolutely bonkers. She did smell really good, which is weird. If a student was walking down the hallway, he would most likely hear this, 'Mrs. Kump called on me today. She wants me. Bad.' No she didn't. The thing was we all knew she wasn't that good looking. Yet, from September to June she had us all under her thumb. Everyone would sign up for her clubs, stay after and talk to her, and make excuses to hang out with her. 

peace ya'll.

Winding Down.

 College. I like to think of college as an oasis. While the rest of the world is going about its business, us college students are in our own little world. It is a place where one experiences new things, meets new kinds of people, and grows up. When I first got here, I was very skeptical. I didn't know how I could last without the comforts of home. I thought I was gonna be here for a little while and come home. It didn't happen like that (sorry mom). The thing is, college has made me appreciate these comforts of home so much more. Now that I am leaving here in less than a week, I have to reflect on my experiences. Some things college has done for me since September:

• Sleep Cycle: My sleep cycle is about as normal as I am at this point. Early to bed for me is before 3 AM. When I say morning here, I mean sometime between noon and 2 PM. I have gone to bed when the sun is up a handful of times. Once in the winter, I slept from 3 AM til 4:45 PM and didn't see light.
• Culture: I have been introduced to some new things, and have become aware of some things I didn't know I had in me. Country music was never something I really enjoyed. That all changed with coming to school. I started to get into country pretty hardcore. I have also started to like Bruce Springsteen a lot. 
• Independence: Although everyone who goes away to college says they look forward to "the independence" that college brings with it, I was not that ecstatic for it. I still think it is way overhyped. I mean its nice having a different structure in one's life, but I am not in any way independent. I probably spend less than an hour here alone when I am not doing work or am in class. One of my favorite things about being here is the fact that at any moment I could hang out with people I love.
• People: Easily my favorite thing about college is the exposure to new people. I lived in a bubble town, and went to a catholic school. My horizons were expanded within the first week here. I met a new cast of characters that were so diverse. I am now friends with kids from Maine to Rochester to Boston to Virginia. I am friends with someone who works at Fenway Park and friends with someone whose father patented the portable first-aid kit. I have become best friends with some incredible people. I sleep 5 feet away from my best friend on campus every night. I became closer to one of my best friends from home. My first new friend on campus was a guy who had the same interests as I did. We are so incredibly compatible it scares me. Now we are friends for life, as well as co-hosts. I spent countless hours talking to a girl from Maine whose self-deprecating humor made me laugh as hard as I ever had. I met two girls who became best friends here at school and are just incredible friends. No other way to put it but that they are stand out friends. I met four guys from Beacon, NY who are all polar opposites, yet the same person. I met the nicest person on the face of the earth, hands down. I became close friends with a kid who forgets everything, for one reason or another. 

 Everyone is connected. People are beautiful. Whether it be saying hello to a stranger, holding the door for someone, or striking up a conversation on a line, connect with people.  I love meeting new people and at school I haven't only met new people, I have met incredible people. I thank all of them for shaping me into the person I am today.

  College has kept the kid inside of me going strong. Too often, we lose that kid in us, and once that kid is lost, it is so hard to get back. Everyone of us is guilty of getting caught up. Life is meant to be enjoyed. Now go out and have some fun. 

live.

Poetry.

Just a few poems I wrote to change the tune:

Window.

I was a king once,

I looked out the window and saw the horizon,

I owned all that lay before me,

I told the waves when to crest,

I told the sun when to set,

I owned spoils known to no other man,

I was a king once,

and I still wanted more.

I was a peasant once,

I looked out the window and saw the horizon,

I owned nothing that lay before me,

I was tossed by the waves,

I was burnt by the sun,

I owned nothing,

I was a peasant once,

and there was still hope for more.

Safari.

People hop into the bus,

The lion awakes,

they wonder what lies ahead.

he knows what lies ahead.

An hour unlike any other awaits them,

An hour just like any other awaits him,

they gawk at the king of the jungle in all of his glamour.

he sleeps.

Upcoming Shows

Here is the current list of my upcoming shows:

Date: May 13th 

Time: 8 PM

Place: Stand Up Ny 

Address: 236 West 78th St, New York, NY

For Reservations: 212-595-0850

Date: May 18th

Time: 9:30 PM

Place: Caroline's On Broadway

Address: 1626 Broadway, New York, NY

For Reservations: 212-757-4100

Date: May 23rd

Time: 9 PM

Place: Eastville Comedy Club

Address: 85 East 4th Street, New York, NY

For Reservations: 212-260-2445

Date: June 14th

Time: 7 PM

Place: Broadway Comedy Club

Address: 318 West 53rd Street, New York, NY

For Reservations: 212-757-2323

Fire Alarms.

 I feel like fire drills are detrimental to the safety of people. The point of fire drills is to make a situation where something has combusted into flames mundane and routine. Under no circumstances should a fire in a building be routine That is not what should happen when there is a fire. In fact, the opposite should happen. People should go out of their way to stay safe, rather than stay orderly and neat. . While it probably helps that it is not a chaotic situation, it is no time to make a single file line and walk out slowly. If there was ever a fire in my high school, I would most likely make a bee line to the exit rather than sit and wait for instructions. I never understood the whole, no talking and walk in a line thing. And I never will. So, students if you are reading this, if there is ever a fire in your school, run to the exit.

 The other thing fire drills do is make people think that a fire alarm is arbitrary. As soon as people hear the alarm go off, the first thing they think is, 'Probably a false alarm,' nobody ever moves right away. There could be a 500 degree blast in the room upstairs and you are assuming that some device whose sole purpose is to alert people when there is a fire is malfunctioning. I don't get it.

Stand Up Video

My Stand-Up Experience.

 The day began at around 8:30 AM for me. I woke up, showered, got dressed, and went to my communications class. After class was over, I went back to my room to grab my iPod and went to catch the 11 AM SHUttle to the train station. Since I had some time to kill before my train, I walked around Bridgeport (always a good idea) for a little while. After sauntering about in Bridgeport for a while, I made it onto my train. I was awake for about 3-5 minutes before I knocked out. I woke up on the train and about six people were looking at me, leading me to believe I was snoring. I fell back asleep. I woke up and the train was empty. So after a great start to my day, I was in the city. I walked to Times Square chilled for a little while, then headed down Broadway to Caroline's. After checking out the club, I walked a few blocks to get something to eat at St. Andrew's Pub. I sat across the aisle from four men who were talking very loud. Naturally, I eavesdropped. Turns out they were comic book writers getting ready for some Comic convention in San Diego. From there I went to Grand Central Station to meet up with my girlfriend and then met my family for dinner. I left dinner a little early to walk back up to Caroline's. When I got to the club, the hostess took me to the area where the comedians wait for their turn. I walked into the green room and got a glass of coke, when I heard the next comedian being introduced. Ladies and Gentlemen keep it going for Darrell Hammond! So I was going to be on the same stage, on the same night, as the record holder for the most appearances on Saturday Night Live. The first show concluded and the rest of the comedians for the 9:30 show started to arrive. A few of them looked familiar from comedy specials on TV and such. I was a little overwhelmed, especially after the reaction the man in front of me got. I was nervous all day, but when the host for the night announced my name my whole body started to feel like I was in a freezer for the past 24 hours. Then when I took the stage, everything sort of stopped. I did my set, and then walked off the stage and felt great. My favorite part of the whole night may have been the backstage experience. After the set, I talked with the other comics about my jokes. They all were impressed, especially since it was my first time. Talking with them and getting advice was such a great feeling. The whole experience from the time I took the stage until the train ride home was a high. It was something I would love to do more often and will do. I am planning to return to Caroline's in May and then try to do open mic's in the city throughout the summer, as well as an open mic tour in a few cities on the east coast. I'd like to thank everyone once again for their support. 

Calm Before The Storm.

 In about 17 hours or so I will take the stage at Caroline's On Broadway. I am very nervous. I have had a lot of support from all over the place. So this blog entry is dedicated to everybody who has supported me on my way to this day. I have a great family and great friends and I really appreciate all they do for me. 

If you are wondering what I am thinking before I go on tonight, this blog post will help settle that curiosity. 

• I was wondering why at every doctor's office they have those really encouraging posters hanging in every room. Well, I do know why but I don't get them. Okay, doctors we get it you want to be positive around your patients. But why are the posters so God damn random. It will be a framed poster of a cat dressed in a suit and under the cat it will say "THINK POSITIVE!!" What the hell does a cat dressed as a stockbroker have anything to do with thinking positive. In fact it makes me think negative, why in this economy are there positive thinking cats working on wall street?! 
• I still go to my pediatrician.
• I am afraid of revolving doors. I tend to think they are a death apparatus.
• Kidnapping would be such a fun sport.

Countdown 13 Days.

Many of you may have heard already but, for those who haven't here is the official blog post.

I will be performing Stand Up Comedy on Monday April 6th, at 9:30 PM, at Caroline's On Broadway in Times Square, New York City. To go to the show all you have to do is call (212) 757-4100. You give them the date and time and say you are going to see me. The cost is five dollars. 

For those of you who do not go:

e-mail me a 3,000 word disposition on why you didn't go and buy me a watch.

Here is the address:

Caroline's On Broadway

1626 Broadway, New York 10019

McDonald's Bag Check/Waking Up.

 Did you ever notice that when you go to McDonald's and elect to use the drive-thru the experience does not end with receiving your meal. Everybody does the bag check after they get their food. You know how it goes, you get your food and automatically assume the employees (documented or undocumented) got your order wrong. You rummage through the bag like a wild banshee. And God help the poor person in the window if they messed up. "I ordered medium fries!!!! There are no fries in here!" Poor souls.

 

 Since going to college something has happened to me on more than one occasion. I have fallen asleep in my bed after a night of socialization and drinking. And woken up with a random object in it. And when I say fall asleep, I mean it. I am not saying I passed out. The first time it happened, I woke up and there was a notebook in my bed. Nothing to write home about. The second time was a little odd. I woke up with my friends sweater in my bed. He and I both wonder how it got there. The third time was the freakiest instance. I went to bed and woke up with a single quarter in my bed with me. My first reaction was to check to make sure I didn't lose a tooth. When I felt all my chompers, I started to dwell on it. Who thought I was sleeping so well that I deserved a 25 cent tip? Who knows? All I know is if the tooth fairy is up to her shenanigans again, I am about to cap that trifling bitch.

Hoping For A Snow Day.

 Here I am, 18 years old, in college and doing the same thing I did from 3rd grade 'til senior year of high school. Waiting to hear if school is cancelled due to snow. However, tonight is a lot less hetero than any of those nights in my past. It is me and six other guys in my room watching the Lion King. Everyone is also snacking. And here is where it gets a lot less hetero, the snack of choice was crackers with port wine cheese. Disclaimer: I am straight. Instead of liveblogging this one, I'll just post random thoughts 

 Rafiki may be the best character of any animated movie of all time. His main scene in the film is when he helps Simba realize who he really is and to not live in the past. His silly, yet thought provoking statements are life lessons. What an incredible character. 

 One of the kids in the room, Andrew, is belly laughing at Pumbaa's lines. Did I mention we go to college?

 If I had to pick the scariest Disney Villains the rankings would be:

1. Ursula-Little Mermaid
2. Jafar- Aladdin
3. Scar- Lion King
4. Miley Cyrus

 I wish animals really were anthropomorphic. (For all of you not on my vocabulary level, look it up.) 

 I just belly laughed when Pumbaa had his little Mr. Pig soliloquy. Did I mention I go to college?

 It is snowing very hard outside, yet no word on the snow day status. Maybe that is because most normal human beings sleep.

 Parents in Disney movies do not stand a chance. I think Walt had something against his parents or something. So many Disney fathers and mothers bite the dust in movies, or are bad parents. 

 Simba is about to take his rightful spot atop Pride Rock.

 I had to try really hard to hide my goosebumps when Simba made it to the top of Pride Rock.

 Its 3 AM and we are all up just talking about if there will be a snow day or not. We are adorable. 

 There are people smoking outside in the courtyard. If you need a cigarette that bad that you need to go smoke at 3:10 AM in a snowstorm, you need to re-evaluate your life quickly.

 

 

 

 

Oscar Preview!

These are my Oscar Predictions. 

Best Original Screenplay:

Frozen River

Happy-Go-Lucky

In Bruges

Milk

WALL-E

Winner: Milk

Best Adapted Screenplay:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Doubt

Frost/Nixon

The Reader

Slumdog Millionaire

Winner: The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

Visual Effects:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Dark Knight

Iron Man

Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Sound Mixing:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Dark Knight

Slumdog Millionaire

WALL-E

Wanted

Winner: Slumdog Millionaire

Sound Editing:

The Dark Knight 

Iron Man

Slumdog Millionaire

WALL-E

Wanted

Winner: WALL-E

Best Short Film, Live Action:

Auf der Strecke (On The Line)

Manon on the Asphalt

New Boy

The Pig

Spielzeugland (Toyland)

Winner: Auf der Strecke

Best Short Film, Animated:

La Maison en Petits Cubes

Lavatory-Lovestory

Oktapodi

Presto

This Way Up

Winner: This Way Up

Best Makeup:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Dark Knight

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Winner: The Dark Knight

Best Original Score:

The Curious Case of Benjamin

Defiance

Milk

Slumdog Millionaire

WALL-E

Winner: WALL-E

Best Film Editing:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Dark Knight

Frost/Nixon

Milk

Slumdog Millionaire

Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Documentary Short:

The Conscience of Nhem En

The Final Inch

Smile Pink!

The Witness-From the Balcony of Room 306

Winner: The Conscience of Nhem En

Best Costume Design

Australia

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Duches

Milk 

Revolutionary Road

Winner: Milk

Best Documentary Feature:

The Betrayal

Encounters at the End of the World

The Garden

Man on Wire

Trouble the Water

Winner: Man on Wire

Best Foreign Language:

The Baader Meinhof Complex

The Class

Departures

Revanche

Waltz With Bashir

Winner: The Baader Meinhof Complex

Best Original Song:

"Down to Earth" from WALL-E

"Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire

"O Saya" from Slumdog Millionaire

Winner: Jai Ho-Slumdog Millionaire

Best Art Direction:

Changeling

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Dark Knight

The Duchess

Revolutionary Road

Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Cinematography:

Changeling

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Dark Knight

The Reader

Slumdog Millionaire

Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Animated Feature:

Bolt 

Kung Fu-Panda

WALL-E

Winner: WALL-E

Best Actress In A Supporting Role:

Amy Adams-"Doubt"

Penelope Cruz-"Vicky Cristina Barcelona"

Viola Davis-"Doubt"

Taraji P. Henson-"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

Marisa Tomei-"The Wrestler"

Winner: Marisa Tomei

Best Actor In A Supporting Role:

Josh Brolin-"Milk"

Robert Downey Jr.-"Tropic Thunder"

Philip Seymour Hoffman-"Doubt"

Heath Ledger-"The Dark Knight"

Michael Shannon-"Revolutionary Road"

Winner: Heath Ledger

Best Actress In A Lead Role:

Anne Hathaway-"Rachel Getting Married"

Angelina Jolie-"The Changeling"

Melissa Leo-"Frozen River"

Meryl Streep-"Doubt"

Kate Winslet-"The Reader"

Winner: Kate Winslet

Best Actor In A Lead Role:

Richard Jenkins-"The Visitor"

Frank Langella-"Frost/Nixon"

Sean Penn-"Milk"

Brad Pitt-"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

Mickey Rourke-"The Wrestler"

Winner: Mickey Rourke

Best Directing:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Frost/Nixon

Milk

The Reader

Slumdog Millionaire

Winner: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Picture:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Frost/Nixon

Milk

The Reader

Slumdog Millionaire

Winner: Slumdog Millionaire

The Leaders of Tomorrow...

 I was watching television today and it turned out to be a horrifying experience. During the first commercial break, I saw what could be the most pathetic 30 seconds of television of all-time. It is bad enough we have things like the candle snuffer around. I want to know what the pitch was for the first candle snuffer was. "Don't you just hate to breathe hard on fire? We should invent something so that people don't exhaust themselves blowing fire out." As bad as the candle snuffer makes human beings look, it gets blown out of the water by Listerine's latest innovation, Agent Code Blue Mouthwash! It is mouthwash that turns your teeth blue (makes sense). You see what happens is it makes your teeth turn blue so you know where to brush and how long to brush for (until the blue is gone). I can't believe this. Your teeth are not hard to find. They are the white things that are inside your mouth between your lips and tongue. Here is the pitch off of Listerine's website:

LISTERINE® AGENT COOL BLUE® is a pre-brush tinting rinse. Used before brushing, it tints teeth blue so kids pay attention when cleaning their teeth; giving kids a sense of accomplishment that they are doing a good job and reinforcing the positive behavior.

• Tints teeth blue so children pay more attention to cleaning
• Makes brushing fun
• Helps your kids develop proper oral care habits
• Alcohol-free

Let's dissect this shall we. Tints the teeth blue so kids pay more attention to cleaning?? When the kid is brushing his or her respective teeth, I do not think they are gonna be running after squirrels or playing with Tonka Trucks. I have never bought the "Makes Brushing Fun!!!" argument. Even in my time. With the electronic tooth brush revolution. Brushing your teeth is not fun. It is something you do for 2 minutes a day. Suck it up. Helps your kids develop proper oral care habits? You see kids, by painting your teeth the same color as the ocean you will have white teeth for your whole life. Alcohol-Free? Well, I am pretty sure whoever came up with this brilliant idea was on more than just alcohol.

What this product tells me is that people think every child is inept. If they can't brush their teeth without painting their teeth blue, plaque is the least of your worries.

Blue font for Blue teeth paint!!!!

MJL

Dinner Tonight.

 Here at school we have on main dining hall and adjacent to that is a Mini-Mart sort of deal. I was not hungry today til about 7:45 and the main hall closes at 8 PM then turns into "The Late Night Bistro" where they sell chicken tenders and fries and such. I wasn't really feeling that so I hurried to Flik (the main hall) to get food. I walked in and saw it was pretty bare and decided to check the frozen foods at the mini market. I got some Mac 'n' Cheese. I went back into Flik because Mac 'n' Cheese would not be enough for me. So I got a california roll. As I went to the register to pay the clerk said "Go get another one." I complied. He said "Have a nice day, Flik Love." So now for dinner I am eating 16 California rolls and mac 'n' cheese. What a nice combination. Sophistication meets tv dinners.

MJL

Liveblogging My Laundry/Shower

Today I was done with classes at 12:15 PM. This gave me ample time to do all sorts of things, I could read Oedipus Rex, I could clean my room, I could get out of my pajamas, I could nap, or I could do my laundry. I opted for laundry. I will give you some background information on the relationship between me and my clothing. Since I was a kid, I did not really care what I wore as long as it was comfortable and did not have any New York Rangers or Boston Red Sox insignia on it. There was also another person in this relationship, my mom. You see my mom did my laundry up until early september of 2008. Pathetic? Yes. Am I complaining? No. 

3:03 PM- I have to wash sheets, t-shirts, socks, a pair of jeans, and boxers. I believe that mixing your whites and colors is not as bad as people say it is. Listen, we mix all kinds of whites and colors here in the world, and while the first couple hundred years didn't go so smoothly, we did work it out. Why can't laundry be any different?

3:05 PM- The two loads are separated and ready to go. 

3:07 PM- I walk down the hallway with my laundry in hand. I am excited. Some kid almost bumped into me and I dropped a sock. He turned the same corner as I did, but we were going in opposite directions. When we saw each other we both studder stepped in the same direction, twice. I don't know how that always happens. No matter where you are or who you are walking into, nobody ever goes in two opposite directions. It never goes smoothly, never.

3:11 PM- The clothes are in their respective washers. I made some last minute switches, (I had two red shirts in with the mostly whites). I hit spin. We are off. I am going to shower while these clothes get cleaned. Its like me and my clothes are getting clean together!

Sometime during the shower: I am one of the few people who walk to the shower in nothing but a towel toting my shower caddy along with me. Most people walk there in shorts and a t shirt. I don't know why. Anyways, I was in my usual walk to the shower garb when I saw two of my friends. I started to talk to them in the hallway. We chatted like high school girls for about 4 minutes or so. I had forgotten that I was still in only a towel but I was reminded quickly when two girls walked by me and said you should put some clothes on. I had no idea who this girl was and she didn't know me I don't think. But she made her point. 

3:28 PM- The noises that laundry machines make lead me to believe they are from hell.

3:31 PM- I am the only one in here still. Which is good, because I don't want somebody to walk in on me alone in the laundry room (which is about 4 by 12 feet) on my laptop. 

3:34 PM- Time to put the wash in the dryer. 

3:38 PM- There are two washers and two dryers on the first floor. Someone forgot about their clothes in the dryer. And they are not warm and the dryer has been off since I got in here, so I do not suspect he will be back soon. There are so many possibilities here. I don't condone theft but I am tempted. I think I will screw with him a little bit and put them in the washing machine again. 

3:42 PM- The transition went pretty smoothly.

3:48 PM- I have been wrestling with something in my mind for quite a while now. Do I want a ShamWow? I feel like I do for three reasons

1. You have to admit, it does look cool.
2. I hate the ShamWow guy so much that I feel like if I buy one he will stop advertising them to me and I won't have to see him again.
3. Its made by the Germans. And you KNOW they make good stuff.

3:54 PM- Some kid came in here asking if the dryers were being used. I said yes. That was that.

4:01 PM- I decided that I wanted to start a summer camp for kids with A.D.D and Tourettes today. They need the help right. I thought that these kids need to focus. They need to learn how to focus and sit still. So I thought, Michael's Concentration Camp will be a hit.

4:12 PM- I apologize for that.

4:19 PM- There are 11 single socks on the floor in here. 

4:24 PM- My music of choice during this session has been Billy Joel. 

4:29 PM- Another kid just walked in. He did not say anything. He peeked in and bounced. Gotta love communication.

4:34 PM- Ten minutes to go. What an adventure this has been.

4:40 PM- I am bringing this to an end.

Liveblogging Room 136

Since mid-November room 136 has become a nice late night weeknight hangout. We usually have one to three patrons a night. We usually snack on microwavable treats, chips, goldfish, and the occasional pop tart. So tonight I'll give you all a nice look at my life here on campus after dark...

12:05 AM- In the room right now are my roommates Zach and Brian and our pal Andrew from the second floor. We all are on our laptops listening to music except for Brian. He is reading. The Girl Next Door is on the television in the background. Nobody is really paying attention to the movie for the most part. Some scenes have caught our eyes however.

12:07 AM- Andrew whips out some Pizza Flavored Goldfish.

12:09 AM- I took out my headphones for a second to hear what was going on. Nothing really.

12:11 AM- I just belted the chorus to 'Heard the World' by OAR. All three of the other people in the room just stared at me. Something I've been accustomed to here. I get weird glares, stares, and glances often.

12:13 AM- Bathroom break for Zach.

12:14 AM- He's back. A very quick bathroom break from the roomie from Jersey.

12:16 AM- Zach just got invited up to the 5th floor by some friends. He extended Andrew and myself the invite, to which Andrew replied "We'll make the rounds later." Then we giggled. 

12:18 AM: To give you an update of what everyone is doing, Andrew is watching Marley and Me on his laptop while eating his goldfish and a Rice Krispy Treat, Brian is reading The Odyssey on his bed, Zach is upstairs, and I am liveblogging and munching on a Rice Krispy Treat.

12:20 AM- I am a primetime player when it comes to snacking. And I gotta say Andrew is up there with me. Last night he came down with some Dinty Moore microwavable stew and Goldfish and crackers. I had Chef Boyardee and Sun Chips. We both had our Franks Red Hot Sauce (mine is Xtra Hot). You wouldn't believe last night. We usually do these late night feasts twice a week at most. So they are special when they happen. Last night was incredible. As we microwaved our food and prepared to dig in, Varsity Blues came on. We were giddy.

12:24 AM- Some people love Facebook. Andrew lives Facebook. He is thrilled because some girl recorded a video bitching out some other girl. He is so into it. 

12:28 AM- There is no wrong time for a Starburst.

12:30 AM- Vicks VapoRub is kind of addicting.

12:32 AM- Usually around this time each night Sporcle trivia uploads new trivias and they are late today. Much to our chagrin here in 136.

12:34 AM- Andrew is whipping himself with his headphone wires and he said "Ouch this hurts. Why would you ever do this?" He's odd, yet stylish and oh so debonaire. 

12:36 AM- The original Land Before Time is the best animated film of all time. There I said it.

12:38 AM- Thats all from 136 for now. We are venturing upstairs. I plan on doing this more often.

MJL