To be honest, I haven't really been inspired to write anything here in bit. That's not to say uneventful things have be happening in my life. I guess I just haven't had the drive.
Let's get TPIR out of the way. I'm still there. It's going well. It's coming to a close in a few month. There have been a lot of changes in the last few months. When all of them have been finalized, I'll be free to talk about them.
My last post had a link to a project that I've been working on for about a month or so. I think it's about time to explain what's going on...
About a month and a half ago, I decided that I needed to start a project to keep myself busy during my off weeks at Price. I had been working on a couple of game ideas, one of which involved 2 people answering a set of questions in a specific time limit. And so, after a few recordings and a lot of editing, Brainiac Flash was born. Flash is part of the "Brainiac™" label, which is a company that will specialize in creating unique and engaging game shows (The actual company name is Brainiac Labs®). While Flash is currently the only game that is up, it is by no means the sole game that I am working on. In a few weeks, I hope to roll out another game show. I can't talk about it right now, but I will say that it is meant to showcase the storytelling talents of some of the best writers I know.
I've been hanging out with this girl for a little while now, and I'm really beginning to like her and enjoy her company. But, being the wuss that I am, I'm always afraid of making moves, lest I screw something up. I'm working on it.
My desire to go home to Boston for a bit grows stronger everyday.
I wish I knew where my life was going, or at least if I will be happy sometime soon.
Peace.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Shameless Plug
For the past couple of weeks, I've been producing and hosting a podcast game show called Brainiac Flash, a 2 minute quiz for two players. We've been getting great responses, so I wanted to share with you our most recent episode.
If you'd like to play, you can leave a comment here or on our FB Fan site, which you can find here.
By the way, Flash is only one of the games that we are working on. I'll let you know about updates on the projects that Brainiac will be doing.
If you'd like to play, you can leave a comment here or on our FB Fan site, which you can find here.
By the way, Flash is only one of the games that we are working on. I'll let you know about updates on the projects that Brainiac will be doing.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
The Next Step: Part Two-Step
Sometimes I've got to disappear for a bit to reset and re-center myself before I can come back to something with a clear head. It's just how I work. Deal with it.
I had a meeting with Mike about the post-Showdown/pre-Showcase audience game last friday. I'm happy to report that my game idea has been approved, and now we are on to the next step: coming up with questions to ask the audience. It's going to be Price branded, so all of the questions will be about Price in some way. I told Mike that it would be a great idea to get the announcer involved as well (seeing as I had spoke to him about my idea and he loved it), and Mike agreed. So the plan is to get this game up and running with the announcer hosting it first, then later on, I can take over. I'm going to hold him to that.
Speaking of, our guest announcer, George, celebrated his birthday last Friday as well. To bring it in, he threw a party at his place and invited the Price crew as well as many friends of his. It was so much to fun to hang out with people outside of work and to listen to his band play as well. It was nice to kick back and let loose.
I would like to quickly mention that, when I become well off and famous, I want to be able to give to people who deserve it. In the last few weeks, there have been a few people in my life who have been incredibly helpful and supportive to me. With the way that Los Angeles is depicted as, you would think that it was full of mean, conniving, greedy people who will do anything to get ahead. That isn't far from the truth for a good number of people here. Thankfully, they are offset by the awesome, genuine, and fun people who are here. They keep my faith up, even if it sometimes drops to incredible lows.
I had a discussion with Ken and his girlfriend about the blind date they took me on last month. I had inquired how May (the alias I decided on using to describe the girl I went on a date with) was doing. Apparently she is doing well, which is good. It was pretty clear to all the parties that May and I were not going to work out. I guess May had thought it was because of the numerous tattoos she had, or any of the other style choices she had. Honesty is the best policy, so let's be honest: her tattoos did not faze me. Actually, I was interested in them. She was a really pretty person overall. Admittedly, she's not who I usually go for in a girl, but to shut myself out of an opportunity to meet someone new in this town would have been a huge mistake, especially with all the whining I do about not being with someone.
That said, I just did not see us being a good match together. The main thing that got to me was that she was talking more to Ken and his girlfriend then trying to get to know me better. I tried to get to know her by asking her questions and such, and towards the end of the night she started to open up, but by that point I had pretty much made up my mind. Add the fact that she lives way north of me, doesn't have a car (which in and of itself is not a deal breaker, but considering the distance, was a factor), and was two years younger than I, I really wasn't feeling it too much. She is a nice girl, and we did have some cool things in common, but not enough for me to see it going anywhere.
Anyway, Ken and his girlfriend are not giving up, as they have been pondering who would be a better match for me. No one have ever actively gone out to try to find someone for me, and I'm up for almost anything, so I'm game. And I'm thankful as well.
I'm turning 25 next month. That's all I really want to say about it for the moment.
I went to a taping of Nickelodeon's BrainSurge, which this season has been renamed Family BrainSurge. The name change is due to the fact that each child is partnered up with one of their parents, plus with two other family members for support. There are a few changes that they've made for the show. Cosmetically, the set is much nicer and vibrant, with an all new Brain Drain. In terms of gameplay, each level now has a name attached to it:
I had a meeting with Mike about the post-Showdown/pre-Showcase audience game last friday. I'm happy to report that my game idea has been approved, and now we are on to the next step: coming up with questions to ask the audience. It's going to be Price branded, so all of the questions will be about Price in some way. I told Mike that it would be a great idea to get the announcer involved as well (seeing as I had spoke to him about my idea and he loved it), and Mike agreed. So the plan is to get this game up and running with the announcer hosting it first, then later on, I can take over. I'm going to hold him to that.
Speaking of, our guest announcer, George, celebrated his birthday last Friday as well. To bring it in, he threw a party at his place and invited the Price crew as well as many friends of his. It was so much to fun to hang out with people outside of work and to listen to his band play as well. It was nice to kick back and let loose.
I would like to quickly mention that, when I become well off and famous, I want to be able to give to people who deserve it. In the last few weeks, there have been a few people in my life who have been incredibly helpful and supportive to me. With the way that Los Angeles is depicted as, you would think that it was full of mean, conniving, greedy people who will do anything to get ahead. That isn't far from the truth for a good number of people here. Thankfully, they are offset by the awesome, genuine, and fun people who are here. They keep my faith up, even if it sometimes drops to incredible lows.
I had a discussion with Ken and his girlfriend about the blind date they took me on last month. I had inquired how May (the alias I decided on using to describe the girl I went on a date with) was doing. Apparently she is doing well, which is good. It was pretty clear to all the parties that May and I were not going to work out. I guess May had thought it was because of the numerous tattoos she had, or any of the other style choices she had. Honesty is the best policy, so let's be honest: her tattoos did not faze me. Actually, I was interested in them. She was a really pretty person overall. Admittedly, she's not who I usually go for in a girl, but to shut myself out of an opportunity to meet someone new in this town would have been a huge mistake, especially with all the whining I do about not being with someone.
That said, I just did not see us being a good match together. The main thing that got to me was that she was talking more to Ken and his girlfriend then trying to get to know me better. I tried to get to know her by asking her questions and such, and towards the end of the night she started to open up, but by that point I had pretty much made up my mind. Add the fact that she lives way north of me, doesn't have a car (which in and of itself is not a deal breaker, but considering the distance, was a factor), and was two years younger than I, I really wasn't feeling it too much. She is a nice girl, and we did have some cool things in common, but not enough for me to see it going anywhere.
Anyway, Ken and his girlfriend are not giving up, as they have been pondering who would be a better match for me. No one have ever actively gone out to try to find someone for me, and I'm up for almost anything, so I'm game. And I'm thankful as well.
I'm turning 25 next month. That's all I really want to say about it for the moment.
I went to a taping of Nickelodeon's BrainSurge, which this season has been renamed Family BrainSurge. The name change is due to the fact that each child is partnered up with one of their parents, plus with two other family members for support. There are a few changes that they've made for the show. Cosmetically, the set is much nicer and vibrant, with an all new Brain Drain. In terms of gameplay, each level now has a name attached to it:
- "Brain Tease" has child and parent working together to solve BrainSurge's classic visual puzzles (of which there are 5 of instead of 6) against the other teams (of which there are 5 instead of 6)
- "Brain Fart" still has Jeff reading a story from his book, but this time around, if a team cannot think of an answer, they can shout out "Brain Fart", which will allow their two other family members (called the "Brain Trust") to answer in their place for one question.
- "Brain Trip" still has the 4x4, 5x5, and 6x6 dance floor memorization game, but the child does the 4x4, parent does 5x5, and child finished up with 6x6.
The game is still good as ever, and I'll be checking it out when it premiers. My reason for the visit was because my good friend Brad is a PA there. It was nice to see him and I had a blast hanging out on the set.
Chateau Saturn will be losing a resident at the end of this month, as Allison will be moving to be closer to her boyfriend. This means that we are currently looking for another roommate to take her room. We had one visitor come yesterday. She was real nice, had just moved here a month ago, and spent quite a few hours with Karin talking. I can only assume that Karin likes her, otherwise why spend so much time with someone you just met? We have a few other people stopping by in the next few weeks. Personally, I'm hoping for another female in the house, but only because it's what I've been used to in the apartment.
A few more friends of mine have gotten engaged within the past week. I'm beginning to wonder if I'm missing some sort of "love memo" that is going around...
I think that Futurama is so much better than many of the other animated series that are on the air right now. Also, Adventure Time is a great example of two best friends, Finn & Jake.
I'm a sucker for romance. But I'm very particular about what form it comes in. Maybe if I feel like it, I will elaborate on it. But don't hold your breath.
A female friend of mine asked me recently if we were friends. It took me slightly aback, as I had always considered her a friend.
Now I'm writing random thoughts as they come to me.
There's this great Japanese hip hop group called Gagle. If you are a true hip hop fan, you really need to check them out. Even though I don't understand a lot of what they are saying, it's some of the best music I've heard in a while. They've got a great jazz vibe to them, and that gets me going every time. It's real chill. It makes me want to create beats. One day I will.
Alright, I think I'll end it here for now. If you're still reading this blog, you've got quite a unique taste.
Peace Out.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Bus Musings
Today I went to a intro prewiew hosting class in Santa Monica. It was a two hour class, which introduced us to how the school worked, as well as give pointers on the first steps to becoming a great host. The teacher, Marki Costello, is a brutally honest, but fair and helpful instructor. Her tips were very helpful, and for a two hour intro class, I came out with a a better understanding of what I need to do to become the best host I can be. The boot camp is $600, which is something I clearly don't have now. But I would like to take the course, so I'll need to save up. I'm glad I went; I almost blew it off.
I went out to the Edison, a bar in downtown LA. I'm not a huge fan of downtown, but I do like the Edison. I've been there once before for a birthday party. It's got a nice electric steampunk feel to it. They also have silent movies playing on screens while music is playing. I met up with my friend Chuck and a few of his friends. No ladies for me this time, but to be honest, it wasn't my goal for the night.
I've been pondering about what my "type" is. It is no secret that I'm very partial to white women. It's what I grew up around, and it's what I'm usually surrounded by. I'm not ashamed of it, as much as some of my friends would like to harass me about. I'm pretty much open to anything, but if she is a white, tall, and wears glasses, you've got my heart without saying a word.
I've talked about race and relationships on this blog before, specifically how much race has to do with attractiveness. I've struggled with self-confidence issues my whole life as well as being black. I used to think I was a freak for not liking girls of my own race. But now I know better. I shouldn't be ashamed of my feelings. Now I just ned to build up that confidence that I am a great catch and that, someday soon, some woman will realize it.
March 4th marked the 23rd birthday of my best friend, Ariel. I've known this girl for over 10 years, and I don't know what I'd o without her in my life. We met back at Exploration Summer Camp in 2000. She is the only friend that I still talk to on a regular basis from camp. In the years that we have known each other, we have hung out in person on two occasion: once at camp, then again 8 years later when I went to visit her in Denver. She's a very special person in my life and I'm glad to have her as a friend. So have a happy birthday, Ariel.
I thought I had a ton to talk about, but I guess I don't tonight. Oh well.
Peace Out.
I went out to the Edison, a bar in downtown LA. I'm not a huge fan of downtown, but I do like the Edison. I've been there once before for a birthday party. It's got a nice electric steampunk feel to it. They also have silent movies playing on screens while music is playing. I met up with my friend Chuck and a few of his friends. No ladies for me this time, but to be honest, it wasn't my goal for the night.
I've been pondering about what my "type" is. It is no secret that I'm very partial to white women. It's what I grew up around, and it's what I'm usually surrounded by. I'm not ashamed of it, as much as some of my friends would like to harass me about. I'm pretty much open to anything, but if she is a white, tall, and wears glasses, you've got my heart without saying a word.
I've talked about race and relationships on this blog before, specifically how much race has to do with attractiveness. I've struggled with self-confidence issues my whole life as well as being black. I used to think I was a freak for not liking girls of my own race. But now I know better. I shouldn't be ashamed of my feelings. Now I just ned to build up that confidence that I am a great catch and that, someday soon, some woman will realize it.
March 4th marked the 23rd birthday of my best friend, Ariel. I've known this girl for over 10 years, and I don't know what I'd o without her in my life. We met back at Exploration Summer Camp in 2000. She is the only friend that I still talk to on a regular basis from camp. In the years that we have known each other, we have hung out in person on two occasion: once at camp, then again 8 years later when I went to visit her in Denver. She's a very special person in my life and I'm glad to have her as a friend. So have a happy birthday, Ariel.
I thought I had a ton to talk about, but I guess I don't tonight. Oh well.
Peace Out.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
1K Wordz: 3 Au Girls, An Au Boy, & A Pt Host
I don't normally post pictures, but I thought this is a nice one, and at least I could tell a quick story about it. Plus, I can make this a new segment. I'll dub it "1K Wordz" First the picture:
For Price, we rehearse each show so that the crew can mark the locations of the games and prices, the announcer (guest announcer George Gray) can read through and practice reading out loud the script, and the producers can see the show and make any changes to it they don't like. During this time, I'm usually running around the set delivering script changes the show and doing other odd jobs. It's a crazy atmosphere, but I thrive on it.
We happen to have some new cameramen on the crew, so for the past couple of days, we've been rehearsing the opening of the show where the contestants are called down to Contestant's Row (or Bidder's Row, you pick) so that they can get a feel for it. One of the great attributes of George is his ability to improvise. So when he was doing the "Come On Downs," he called a different name for each, and each of the 4 people came down.
"Estelle Getty" is Scott, our Production coordinator. He does a lot for the show, but one of his biggest roles that affects me is that he is in charge of the graphics that go on the games. He's a great guy and has been with the show for 4 years.
"Rue McClanahan" is Alex, the Inside Head Page. He is in charge of making sure the other pages are doing their job. He is the go to guy when it comes to loading in the audience.
"Bea Arthur" is Dan, the Inside Backup Page. Basically, he's second-in-command, and assists Alex in his duties.
"Mike Tyson" is Lois, a VIP to the show. I don't know anything else about her.
"Drew Carey" is Doug, one of the Stage Managers. He is in charge of making sure that the crew moves smoothy and gets to their marks (models included). He is a wealth of information, as he has been in the industry for years. I've had the pleasure of talking with him on many an occasion, and he is a joy to be around.
That's the skinny on this photo, and my post for the day. You should feel special: I'm not posting this picture to Facebook or Twitter till tomorrow.
You're welcome.
Peace Out!
"Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur, & Mike Tyson On Contestant's Row With Drew Carey"
We happen to have some new cameramen on the crew, so for the past couple of days, we've been rehearsing the opening of the show where the contestants are called down to Contestant's Row (or Bidder's Row, you pick) so that they can get a feel for it. One of the great attributes of George is his ability to improvise. So when he was doing the "Come On Downs," he called a different name for each, and each of the 4 people came down.
"Estelle Getty" is Scott, our Production coordinator. He does a lot for the show, but one of his biggest roles that affects me is that he is in charge of the graphics that go on the games. He's a great guy and has been with the show for 4 years.
"Rue McClanahan" is Alex, the Inside Head Page. He is in charge of making sure the other pages are doing their job. He is the go to guy when it comes to loading in the audience.
"Bea Arthur" is Dan, the Inside Backup Page. Basically, he's second-in-command, and assists Alex in his duties.
"Mike Tyson" is Lois, a VIP to the show. I don't know anything else about her.
"Drew Carey" is Doug, one of the Stage Managers. He is in charge of making sure that the crew moves smoothy and gets to their marks (models included). He is a wealth of information, as he has been in the industry for years. I've had the pleasure of talking with him on many an occasion, and he is a joy to be around.
That's the skinny on this photo, and my post for the day. You should feel special: I'm not posting this picture to Facebook or Twitter till tomorrow.
You're welcome.
Peace Out!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Quick Before Slumber
After a little finagling, I'm all set for finances. Thank goodness. Shall we talk about something else? I think so.
The Oscars are on tonight, but I'm not watching them. I'm just not interested in it this year, probably because I didn't go see any movies this year. I like movies a lot, but it is no secret that I don't see many, and I tend to be picky with the movies that I'm willing to pay to see in a theater. But from what I have been reading online via Facebook and Twitter, there were some good wins this year. I'll read all the highlights in the morning.
My proposals for work are almost done. I'm pretty proud of myself this time around, as I think I've got some pretty good ideas. I'll let you all know how they are received after I pitch them.
One of my favorite games is "The Question Game." You go back and forth answering questions, getting a better sense of who you are and who the other players are. We should play together one day.
I've got Price tomorrow. Time for bed.
Peace Out.
The Oscars are on tonight, but I'm not watching them. I'm just not interested in it this year, probably because I didn't go see any movies this year. I like movies a lot, but it is no secret that I don't see many, and I tend to be picky with the movies that I'm willing to pay to see in a theater. But from what I have been reading online via Facebook and Twitter, there were some good wins this year. I'll read all the highlights in the morning.
My proposals for work are almost done. I'm pretty proud of myself this time around, as I think I've got some pretty good ideas. I'll let you all know how they are received after I pitch them.
One of my favorite games is "The Question Game." You go back and forth answering questions, getting a better sense of who you are and who the other players are. We should play together one day.
I've got Price tomorrow. Time for bed.
Peace Out.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Short Changed
I like to think that I'm ok with finances. I like to make sure that the important things in my life get taken care of. So when I set up a plan for myself, and then find out that I messed up somewhere along the way, I instantly become the last person you want to hang out with.
Such is the case as of 10 minutes ago. For the past few weeks, I had the impression that as long as I made it to Thursday, all my obligations would be taken care of because I will have gotten paid. Normally as I get closer to the end of the month, I spend less and less, sometimes not eating just to make sure that my ends meet.
Stupid me forgot to notice that unlike the other 11, the month of February only has 28 days (29 on a leap year), and the 28th falls on a Monday. This means that there is a 3 day gap between when I need to have all of my money and when I will have all of my money.
I don't like to be late on things, and recently I've had to pick and choose what things I would be able to pay on time. I've been behind on a few payments, and I thought that this week I would finally catch up and I would be in the clear. Instead, I'm going to be even further behind and be in a stressed out mode for a while.
I went to buy groceries yesterday and now I completely regret it. I would have rather starved myself for a week than to be even further behind. Now I have one day to get everything ready and I don't know what I'm going to do.
Borrowing money is something that I don't like to do because it makes me feel like a charity case. I also have trust issues, even with my friends, so I don't always believe they'll be there for me. These are some of the toughest times for me and my well-being deteriorates rapidly.
We'll just have to see what happens. I hate money.
Peace Out.
Such is the case as of 10 minutes ago. For the past few weeks, I had the impression that as long as I made it to Thursday, all my obligations would be taken care of because I will have gotten paid. Normally as I get closer to the end of the month, I spend less and less, sometimes not eating just to make sure that my ends meet.
Stupid me forgot to notice that unlike the other 11, the month of February only has 28 days (29 on a leap year), and the 28th falls on a Monday. This means that there is a 3 day gap between when I need to have all of my money and when I will have all of my money.
I don't like to be late on things, and recently I've had to pick and choose what things I would be able to pay on time. I've been behind on a few payments, and I thought that this week I would finally catch up and I would be in the clear. Instead, I'm going to be even further behind and be in a stressed out mode for a while.
I went to buy groceries yesterday and now I completely regret it. I would have rather starved myself for a week than to be even further behind. Now I have one day to get everything ready and I don't know what I'm going to do.
Borrowing money is something that I don't like to do because it makes me feel like a charity case. I also have trust issues, even with my friends, so I don't always believe they'll be there for me. These are some of the toughest times for me and my well-being deteriorates rapidly.
We'll just have to see what happens. I hate money.
Peace Out.
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