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.
Monday, February 28, 2011
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.
Price, Passion, And Precipitation
The weekend is upon us. It's about freaking time.
The Price Is Right came back from its one week hiatus (and my 12 day hiatus), and I was so glad to come back. It's nice to earn some money, but it's also nice to do something you love. This week was a bit different because since we had monday off, our taping days were Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. For me, this was a bit weird only because I like having all of my days off at the same time, i.e. four day weekend (Thursday thru Sunday) instead of three day (Friday thru Sunday). More on Price in a bit.
Did you know that eHarmony, that online dating site, has absolutely ridiculous prices for being a premium member? They charge a crap load for one month of service. If I were that serious about finding love online, and if I had that kind of disposable income to use on such a service, I'd totally do it. A few of my friends have fund people on that site; one of those couples is even happily married. I've always wanted to try it, so I made an account recently. However, after seeing how much a subscription cost, I decided to hold off on it till I sat down and thought about wether it is something I would really want to invest time and money into.
You can't really tell by looking at me, but I feel pretty alone here in L.A. I know that I'm flanked by a whole bunch of good people and great friends, but I have this small, yet nagging, feeling inside for some company. It really becomes apparent when I come home to my room and I see the other roommates with their boyfriends or girlfriends hanging out. Sure, I'm used to it. That doesn't mean that I'm comfortable with it. I know that they are not rubbing it in my face, but sometimes it's a bit overwhelming, and I just need to get away. Usually, the only place I can go to is in my room. Lately, I've been trying to find other places to go. Without a car, it become a bit more challenging.
Going back to Price, after our last taping of the week, a few of us went to a bar to unwind and grab some drinks. This was the first time I had joined them, but it certainly won't be the last. Like I had mentioned in previous posts, hanging out with coworkers outside of work is a lot of fun for me.
I've been told by numerous people that I've been doing a great job on the set and that I'm a very talented and genuine person to be around. That means a lot to me because I work hard on the set with the hopes that people like me. I worry about people liking me more than I let on. And I appreciate that my hard work is getting noticed and getting me somewhere.
I am one of a few black people who are on the Price crew. It's just a thought I had and I wanted to write it down.
It's been raining quite a bit here in Los Angeles. I enjoy it. Most people do not. I wonder how much more rain we will be getting.
I don't have more to say at this point, and it's pretty late. So that's it for now. You can see yourself out.
Peace Out.
The Price Is Right came back from its one week hiatus (and my 12 day hiatus), and I was so glad to come back. It's nice to earn some money, but it's also nice to do something you love. This week was a bit different because since we had monday off, our taping days were Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. For me, this was a bit weird only because I like having all of my days off at the same time, i.e. four day weekend (Thursday thru Sunday) instead of three day (Friday thru Sunday). More on Price in a bit.
Did you know that eHarmony, that online dating site, has absolutely ridiculous prices for being a premium member? They charge a crap load for one month of service. If I were that serious about finding love online, and if I had that kind of disposable income to use on such a service, I'd totally do it. A few of my friends have fund people on that site; one of those couples is even happily married. I've always wanted to try it, so I made an account recently. However, after seeing how much a subscription cost, I decided to hold off on it till I sat down and thought about wether it is something I would really want to invest time and money into.
You can't really tell by looking at me, but I feel pretty alone here in L.A. I know that I'm flanked by a whole bunch of good people and great friends, but I have this small, yet nagging, feeling inside for some company. It really becomes apparent when I come home to my room and I see the other roommates with their boyfriends or girlfriends hanging out. Sure, I'm used to it. That doesn't mean that I'm comfortable with it. I know that they are not rubbing it in my face, but sometimes it's a bit overwhelming, and I just need to get away. Usually, the only place I can go to is in my room. Lately, I've been trying to find other places to go. Without a car, it become a bit more challenging.
Going back to Price, after our last taping of the week, a few of us went to a bar to unwind and grab some drinks. This was the first time I had joined them, but it certainly won't be the last. Like I had mentioned in previous posts, hanging out with coworkers outside of work is a lot of fun for me.
I've been told by numerous people that I've been doing a great job on the set and that I'm a very talented and genuine person to be around. That means a lot to me because I work hard on the set with the hopes that people like me. I worry about people liking me more than I let on. And I appreciate that my hard work is getting noticed and getting me somewhere.
I am one of a few black people who are on the Price crew. It's just a thought I had and I wanted to write it down.
It's been raining quite a bit here in Los Angeles. I enjoy it. Most people do not. I wonder how much more rain we will be getting.
I don't have more to say at this point, and it's pretty late. So that's it for now. You can see yourself out.
Peace Out.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
A Turning Point: Recalculating...
I have just arrived home from, what could be, the most important car ride so far in my career.
Lemme explain.
This weekend I'm car-sitting for one of my bosses. I won't go into all the details (if you want them, ask me personally), but what I will say is that I ended up driving them home. It was a one hour drive from where we were to their place, and during that time, we had a great talk about our careers and what we did to get to where we are, what we are doing to stay sharp, and why we love what we do.
Now, I've talked to a lot of people here in Los Angeles about career paths. I've talked to enough people about specifically hosting and producing game shows. But, up until tonight, I had never been challenged in those talks. Never was I so stimulated in what we were conversing about. For the first time, I truly felt like I knew why I was trying to be a host/producer and how I could get there.
I learned a lot about my boss: about their scholastic career, about their constant quest for excellence, about their never-ending struggle to stay sharp and on the ball. The things they told me resonated with me in a way that words had not done in a while. All this time, I thought I was doing everything possible to become a great host, when all the while, I was not even close to doing enough. It's one thing to say "I'm going to be the next great host"; it's quite another to take the steps to makes those words true.
What was supposed to be a simple 45 minute ride and drop off became a near two hour conversation that really made me rethink my approach to my career. All of the things I was told I will not soon forget (so let me write as many of them them down here before I forget):
Lemme explain.
This weekend I'm car-sitting for one of my bosses. I won't go into all the details (if you want them, ask me personally), but what I will say is that I ended up driving them home. It was a one hour drive from where we were to their place, and during that time, we had a great talk about our careers and what we did to get to where we are, what we are doing to stay sharp, and why we love what we do.
Now, I've talked to a lot of people here in Los Angeles about career paths. I've talked to enough people about specifically hosting and producing game shows. But, up until tonight, I had never been challenged in those talks. Never was I so stimulated in what we were conversing about. For the first time, I truly felt like I knew why I was trying to be a host/producer and how I could get there.
I learned a lot about my boss: about their scholastic career, about their constant quest for excellence, about their never-ending struggle to stay sharp and on the ball. The things they told me resonated with me in a way that words had not done in a while. All this time, I thought I was doing everything possible to become a great host, when all the while, I was not even close to doing enough. It's one thing to say "I'm going to be the next great host"; it's quite another to take the steps to makes those words true.
What was supposed to be a simple 45 minute ride and drop off became a near two hour conversation that really made me rethink my approach to my career. All of the things I was told I will not soon forget (so let me write as many of them them down here before I forget):
- Immerse yourself with someone/something you admire: The Price Is Right is a game show that I grew up with and love. But ultimately, Price probably will not be where I end up staying. If I truly want to grow as a host/producer, I need to work for those people that I admire. That's not to say I don't admire the people at Price. However, I do need to sit down and think about the other people who are producing shows that I like and get involved in working for them. Therefore, I am coming up with a short list of people that I would like to work for and the reasons for me wanting to work with them. Then I need to make an effort to find the ways to get to them. And don't work for the assholes if you are truly looking for a healthy experience and a place to learn. Work for someone you respect who will respect you and treat you with dignity.
- Continue to flex your muscles: No, I'm not talking about going to the gym (although I need to do that also, note to self). What I mean is doing the things that will exercise your skills and hone them in. In my case, I need to find avenues where I can host. Currently, the only hosting I ever do is for the game nights I run, and I only do those about once a month. Ideally, I should be hosting something at minimum three times a week. If that means doing a webcast, hosting stand-up at a club, doing warm-up for a show, or just keeping the crowd entertained, then that means doing those things and making a habit of doing those things. I like to pretend to hosts things when I am alone, but I need to start making the habit of doing it in front of others and just doing it any chance I get to. I also need to invest some time in taking improv, as that is a skill that will truly help. But most importantly, if I am serious about being the best host I can be, I cannot stop tightening my skills; I must always be working towards improving myself.
- "Steal" opportunities: I'm lucky enough to be in a work environment where I interact with major TV players on a daily basis. I'm also blessed to have a mentality where I like to help people whenever I can. To "exploit" this personality trait is too harsh of a word, but I need to extrapolate it. Whenever an opportunity arrises to go the extra step, I need to take it. My boss has told me that I have done that and I should continue to do that wherever I go. You never know who might be paying attention.
- If you are expecting for things to be handed to you, then you are an wasting your time: To be fair, that is my wording, not my boss's. But the underlying message is the same. In this day and age, you need to put in the effort to be notice and to get what you deserve. There are many things that I need to do before I can get what I want: create a reel, get an agent, get headshots done, etc. I'll admit that I have been slacking in that department. But no one is going to come to me and say "hey, Stad, here's everything you need." For me to expect that to happen would be an idiotic move, especially in this city and for certain in this industry. Hard work will pay off, but only if you put you all into it.
- Personality will take you far: My personality has gotten me through a lot in my life, and because of that, I have experienced things millions of people will never witness in their lives. Therefore, I should not squander this "gift;" rather, I should nurture it and let it grow to its full potential. That said, however, I need to be cautious that I do not let myself be taken advantage of by people. In this day and age, there are many people who will do just that if given the chance,
After nearly two hours of conversation, the last thing my boss did was issue me a challenge. If you have ever been to a Price taping, you would know that there is a small period between the second "Showcase Showdown" and the actual "Showcases." During that time, the crew is setting up the showcases and music is being played for the audience. This is usually the time when the audience energy level drops considerably: they've realized that they are not going to be called down, and so the mentality is "why should I bother being excited if I'm not going to win anything?" My challenge is to come up with a small quick game to play with the audience during that time period. I'm to pitch it to my boss, and if my boss likes it, not only will it be played during those breaks, but I will be allowed to host the game.
This is the biggest opportunity I have been given so far in my career. If I work hard, and come up with a great idea, I will finally have a venue to work on my hosting skills. We tape two shows a day, three days a week, to an audience of about 320 people. That means I would be hosting my own game to an audience six times a week. Just the thought of that make me burst with happiness.
I agreed, and we shook on it. For the rest of the car ride home, I thought about all we had talked about, and had already begun to come up with ideas.
I would be a total fool to not take this opportunity. This is a great chance for me to show what I've got.
In the end, I learned a lot more about my boss, and much more about myself. He and I are very alike in a lot ways, and I mean it when I say that I truly do admire him and how he has worked constantly to get to where he his, while at the same time, acknowledging that he is still growing to become better. Through that, and self-reflection, I'm beginning to see my path towards my ultimate goal, and it is reachable. So thank you, Mike Richards, for challenging me. No one in L.A. has made me really ponder my intentions on being here until I talked to you. I feel like I have a much clearer sense of what I want and need to do to achieve my hosting/producing potential. Your words really made an impact on me tonight.
Peace Out.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
FOOD RUN!
It's a surprise mid-day post!
It's 60 degrees right now in Los Angeles. It's sunny and they sky is pretty blue. I just got paid.
Let's buy some food!
Peace Out.
It's 60 degrees right now in Los Angeles. It's sunny and they sky is pretty blue. I just got paid.
Let's buy some food!
Peace Out.
Stop! Elaborate And Listen
If I didn't know any better, I would say that getting engaged was an epidemic.
Now then...
My friend Alicia came to my place yesterday and we played games. It was nice to have someone to hang out with during my week off. In fact, she's been the only person outside of the people that I live with that I have seen all week. I need to get out more.
Alicia and I have become very good friends during the past few months. I don't have too many black friends here in L.A., and I would say that she is the closest one that I have. It's really nice because there are things that I can talk to her about that I can't really relate to anyone else. She also has been there for me when things have not been so great. I'll get random text messages from her or a small phone call (which is nice). She's level-headed, smart, and talented. Quite funny in her own regard, she really is one of a kind. So thank you, Alicia.
Something that I didn't mention about the Magic Castle endeavor was that it was also a blind date. My friend Ken had a girl that he wanted me to meet cause he thought we would hit it off. I'm always game for that kind of stuff, so I invited him and his girlfriend along with the girl to the Magic Castle.
May (whose name has been changed for this post) was a 22 year old who worked with Ken's girlfriend at a preschool. She was a very pretty person, well dressed for the occasion. From looking at the FB (which Ken had suggested, cause she looked at mine), her taste in music mirrored mine, hates horror movies, and just likes to have fun (so far, nothing is wrong with her). I was really excited to meet her, since I knew that Ken wouldn't "set you up with a bitch."
Blind dates can be scary: you've never met this person, sometimes you don't even know what they look like, and you have no idea how they are going to act. Naturally, it's understandable ok to be nervous. I was a bit nervous, but I felt ok cause would be with people I knew. I have even suggested that we all go together so that we all would feel comfortable. She didn't talk too much during the beginning, and I totally get that.
As the night went on, we slowly began to ask each other questions about each other, trying to get a feel for each other. I was trying to get her to open up and be a bit more comfortable, but I was beginning to feel like she wasn't too into me; she mainly was talking to Ken and his girlfriend and periodically talking to me.
By the end of the night, we had our fill of magic and so we drove May home. Along the way, she seemed to finally open up and I got to know her a bit more. We hugged and myself, Ken, and his girlfriend drove off to the Whisper Lounge.
The three of us talked about how I felt the date went, and I tried to be as honest as I could. I liked May, but I was worried that she seemed kind of preoccupied for much of the evening. Both Ken and his girlfriend informed me that she was very nervous about the date (even to the point of visibly shaking in the car ride to my place). And, to be fair, if she wasn't interested in meeting me, she would have not gone on the date. I had thought it went well and it was great to have met her.
But ultimately, the question is "would you like to see her again?" And that is the question I have been dealing with since that date. Part of me says "yeah, it would be great to meet up again and see if this goes anywhere", while part of me says "if you weren't feeling anything when you met, what makes you think you can force yourself to feel something if you hang out a second time?" So I sat down and thought about what I liked about May and what turned me off about May.
I'm still working on that list.
At the very least, I need to contact her and thank her for a great time (even though I'm a few days late on that). But I still need to think about if another date is possible.
I know that I sometimes complain about having no one in my life (and by "sometimes", I mean "almost every day"). However, I don't want to pursue something I know won't lead anywhere. That's what I need to figure out.
I updated my OkCupid profile a few days ago: adding some new pictures, rewriting some of the descriptions, answering some new questions. I narrowed the age gap for the women I'm interested in, with the minimum age being my current age of 24 (even though I turn 25 in two months). I need to work up the courage to message a few of my matches, just so that I can get more comfortable with putting myself out there online. I have to get into my head that more likely than not I'll have to be one to initiate conversation. It'll stick. Someday.
I also came to the personal realization that I'm not looking for anyone who I already have a good friendship with. More times than now, I've seen people who date friends not stay friends for long. There are certainly exceptions to the rule (some of who have been together for a while), but for the most part, I don't see the idea of dating a friend work out too well. For me, I'd rather meet someone I didn't know too well to begin with; it just seems easier.
I have watched more hours of cartoons and WWII documentaries this week then I think I have even in my entire life. Boy, I have learned a lot.
Trivia susatains me. The new You Don't Know Jack game is such a blast to play with friends. If you have some spare money and a few extra controllers, pick it up. You won't regret it.
That's all I've got for now. Let's talk again soon, shall we?
Peace Out.
Now then...
My friend Alicia came to my place yesterday and we played games. It was nice to have someone to hang out with during my week off. In fact, she's been the only person outside of the people that I live with that I have seen all week. I need to get out more.
Alicia and I have become very good friends during the past few months. I don't have too many black friends here in L.A., and I would say that she is the closest one that I have. It's really nice because there are things that I can talk to her about that I can't really relate to anyone else. She also has been there for me when things have not been so great. I'll get random text messages from her or a small phone call (which is nice). She's level-headed, smart, and talented. Quite funny in her own regard, she really is one of a kind. So thank you, Alicia.
Something that I didn't mention about the Magic Castle endeavor was that it was also a blind date. My friend Ken had a girl that he wanted me to meet cause he thought we would hit it off. I'm always game for that kind of stuff, so I invited him and his girlfriend along with the girl to the Magic Castle.
May (whose name has been changed for this post) was a 22 year old who worked with Ken's girlfriend at a preschool. She was a very pretty person, well dressed for the occasion. From looking at the FB (which Ken had suggested, cause she looked at mine), her taste in music mirrored mine, hates horror movies, and just likes to have fun (so far, nothing is wrong with her). I was really excited to meet her, since I knew that Ken wouldn't "set you up with a bitch."
Blind dates can be scary: you've never met this person, sometimes you don't even know what they look like, and you have no idea how they are going to act. Naturally, it's understandable ok to be nervous. I was a bit nervous, but I felt ok cause would be with people I knew. I have even suggested that we all go together so that we all would feel comfortable. She didn't talk too much during the beginning, and I totally get that.
As the night went on, we slowly began to ask each other questions about each other, trying to get a feel for each other. I was trying to get her to open up and be a bit more comfortable, but I was beginning to feel like she wasn't too into me; she mainly was talking to Ken and his girlfriend and periodically talking to me.
By the end of the night, we had our fill of magic and so we drove May home. Along the way, she seemed to finally open up and I got to know her a bit more. We hugged and myself, Ken, and his girlfriend drove off to the Whisper Lounge.
The three of us talked about how I felt the date went, and I tried to be as honest as I could. I liked May, but I was worried that she seemed kind of preoccupied for much of the evening. Both Ken and his girlfriend informed me that she was very nervous about the date (even to the point of visibly shaking in the car ride to my place). And, to be fair, if she wasn't interested in meeting me, she would have not gone on the date. I had thought it went well and it was great to have met her.
But ultimately, the question is "would you like to see her again?" And that is the question I have been dealing with since that date. Part of me says "yeah, it would be great to meet up again and see if this goes anywhere", while part of me says "if you weren't feeling anything when you met, what makes you think you can force yourself to feel something if you hang out a second time?" So I sat down and thought about what I liked about May and what turned me off about May.
I'm still working on that list.
At the very least, I need to contact her and thank her for a great time (even though I'm a few days late on that). But I still need to think about if another date is possible.
I know that I sometimes complain about having no one in my life (and by "sometimes", I mean "almost every day"). However, I don't want to pursue something I know won't lead anywhere. That's what I need to figure out.
I updated my OkCupid profile a few days ago: adding some new pictures, rewriting some of the descriptions, answering some new questions. I narrowed the age gap for the women I'm interested in, with the minimum age being my current age of 24 (even though I turn 25 in two months). I need to work up the courage to message a few of my matches, just so that I can get more comfortable with putting myself out there online. I have to get into my head that more likely than not I'll have to be one to initiate conversation. It'll stick. Someday.
I also came to the personal realization that I'm not looking for anyone who I already have a good friendship with. More times than now, I've seen people who date friends not stay friends for long. There are certainly exceptions to the rule (some of who have been together for a while), but for the most part, I don't see the idea of dating a friend work out too well. For me, I'd rather meet someone I didn't know too well to begin with; it just seems easier.
I have watched more hours of cartoons and WWII documentaries this week then I think I have even in my entire life. Boy, I have learned a lot.
Trivia susatains me. The new You Don't Know Jack game is such a blast to play with friends. If you have some spare money and a few extra controllers, pick it up. You won't regret it.
That's all I've got for now. Let's talk again soon, shall we?
Peace Out.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Magically Bored
Right. So.
Today is day 4 of my 12 day break. TPIR is on hiatus, so currently I have nothing to do. As mentioned in a previous post, when this time comes around, I get super bored.
This time around, I'm going to actively try to make myself do different things this week. Everyday I need to get out at least once and be a minimum of 5 blocks away from my house. This way I can enjoy the outdoors and not be cooped up in my home. I don't have any adventures planned; most likely I'll walk to places that I know of. Maybe once this week, I'll venture to a place I have nothing about.
My friend Eric came to LA this past week. He is a magician and just recently got his membership at The Magic Castle. It's kind of hard to describe what The Magic Castle is, but imagine a huge clubhouse for magicians full of history and whimsy. As a member, when he goes to the castle he is allowed to bring up to 9 guests. So I, along with a few friends, went to the Castle during the weekend. It was such an amazing time, and it was great to see Eric again. He'll be back in a few months, and the next time he's here, I'll take him around to see the shows and sites.
Peace Out!
Today is day 4 of my 12 day break. TPIR is on hiatus, so currently I have nothing to do. As mentioned in a previous post, when this time comes around, I get super bored.
This time around, I'm going to actively try to make myself do different things this week. Everyday I need to get out at least once and be a minimum of 5 blocks away from my house. This way I can enjoy the outdoors and not be cooped up in my home. I don't have any adventures planned; most likely I'll walk to places that I know of. Maybe once this week, I'll venture to a place I have nothing about.
My friend Eric came to LA this past week. He is a magician and just recently got his membership at The Magic Castle. It's kind of hard to describe what The Magic Castle is, but imagine a huge clubhouse for magicians full of history and whimsy. As a member, when he goes to the castle he is allowed to bring up to 9 guests. So I, along with a few friends, went to the Castle during the weekend. It was such an amazing time, and it was great to see Eric again. He'll be back in a few months, and the next time he's here, I'll take him around to see the shows and sites.
Peace Out!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
VaVOOM, Baby, VaVOOM!
Last night, I had the privilege of going to a show called Lucha VaVOOM!, a Mexican Wrestling/Burlesque show in Downtown Los Angeles. I got the tickets courtesy of Drew Carey. Well, specifically, he offered tickets to anyone in the TPIR bungalow who wanted to go. Having never been to something like this, and wanting to explore more of what this town had to offer, I accepted. Apparently, a friend of his was guest announcing and that's why he was going.
Myself, MaryBeth, and Vanessa were the only ones from the bungalow who ended up going. When we got there (at the Mayan Theater in Downtown L.A.), we were met by Drew's assistant, who gave us the tickets, and we headed inside.
The look of the Mayan is pretty much exactly what you'd think a theater called "Mayan" would look like: a Mayan temple motif. It was very packed in there; I had no idea how popular LVV was (having never heard of it until I was offered the tickets). The types of people who were there was very varied. I guess all types can get down with Mexican wrestling. Or pretty ladies dancing.
Our group included a few of the TPIR models, the make-up person, and the current guest announcer and his friend. Drew himself was there as well, but he had VIP seats right by the ring with his fiancee. Prior to getting to the theater, I head learned via twitter that a former guest announcer for TPIR and Whose Line alum, Jeff Davis, was the guest announcer for LVV. This made me very excited cause I had the pleasure of working with his while I was a Page at CBS when he was auditioning.
The show itself was very entertaining. The was a burlesque dance, followed by a fight, then another dance, then another fight (you can sense the pattern). All were good as the night progressed, and by the end of the night, surprisingly, I got very into it. It's not something I would do every week, so thankfully they do shows every so often. All in all, I'm glad I experienced it.
While the show was fun, it was hanging out with coworkers outside of work that was the most fun for me. Usually, I'm running around the set, handing off changes to the script and making sure I've done everything on my checklist before the "on air" sign starts flashing. I see all of these people, and I do interact with them, but rarely is it ever more than business when I see them. So to be able to have drinks with them was truly a fun time. Sure, we talked about work, but the main topics had nothing to do with work, and that made it so much fun to hang out with them. Just getting to learn more about each other and laugh outside the workplace, I feel, brought us a bit closer, especially considering how some of us are new to the job. And I'd like to think that I made some new friends that night. Great night overall.
After the show, I went to thank Drew for getting me a ticket, and I also got to say hi to Jeff. He remembered who I was, and had mentioned that he had heard news about me, but hadn't seen me in a bit, which was nice to hear. Hopefully I'll be seeing him again in the future.
There is so much more I would love to say about this night. But I'm feeling kind of tired, so I'll make this quick:
Yes, I hung out with the models.
Yes, they are as pretty off the set as they or on set.
Yes, they are very nice and funny, too.
No, you cannot have their numbers.
Peace Out.
Myself, MaryBeth, and Vanessa were the only ones from the bungalow who ended up going. When we got there (at the Mayan Theater in Downtown L.A.), we were met by Drew's assistant, who gave us the tickets, and we headed inside.
The look of the Mayan is pretty much exactly what you'd think a theater called "Mayan" would look like: a Mayan temple motif. It was very packed in there; I had no idea how popular LVV was (having never heard of it until I was offered the tickets). The types of people who were there was very varied. I guess all types can get down with Mexican wrestling. Or pretty ladies dancing.
Our group included a few of the TPIR models, the make-up person, and the current guest announcer and his friend. Drew himself was there as well, but he had VIP seats right by the ring with his fiancee. Prior to getting to the theater, I head learned via twitter that a former guest announcer for TPIR and Whose Line alum, Jeff Davis, was the guest announcer for LVV. This made me very excited cause I had the pleasure of working with his while I was a Page at CBS when he was auditioning.
The show itself was very entertaining. The was a burlesque dance, followed by a fight, then another dance, then another fight (you can sense the pattern). All were good as the night progressed, and by the end of the night, surprisingly, I got very into it. It's not something I would do every week, so thankfully they do shows every so often. All in all, I'm glad I experienced it.
While the show was fun, it was hanging out with coworkers outside of work that was the most fun for me. Usually, I'm running around the set, handing off changes to the script and making sure I've done everything on my checklist before the "on air" sign starts flashing. I see all of these people, and I do interact with them, but rarely is it ever more than business when I see them. So to be able to have drinks with them was truly a fun time. Sure, we talked about work, but the main topics had nothing to do with work, and that made it so much fun to hang out with them. Just getting to learn more about each other and laugh outside the workplace, I feel, brought us a bit closer, especially considering how some of us are new to the job. And I'd like to think that I made some new friends that night. Great night overall.
After the show, I went to thank Drew for getting me a ticket, and I also got to say hi to Jeff. He remembered who I was, and had mentioned that he had heard news about me, but hadn't seen me in a bit, which was nice to hear. Hopefully I'll be seeing him again in the future.
There is so much more I would love to say about this night. But I'm feeling kind of tired, so I'll make this quick:
Yes, I hung out with the models.
Yes, they are as pretty off the set as they or on set.
Yes, they are very nice and funny, too.
No, you cannot have their numbers.
Peace Out.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
You Don't Know What I Did Friday, Jack
I have just returned from a launch party at the H-Wood in Hollywood. That in and of itself is pretty cool. What made this extra cool for me was that this was a launch party for my absolute favorite game in the entire universe: You Don't Know Jack.
Now, if you don't know what YDKJ is, then you must not have known me for very long. YDKJ is a trivia game show party game that started way way back in 1995 (do you remember 1995?). It was a CDROM game for up to 3 people that tested your smarts in a very unique way. Instead of asking questions with a straight shot, it would infuse pop culture and humor into the questions, adding a new dimension to the game. It was, I believe, well ahead of its time. Thank goodness they went on to produce more than 10 additional versions. Imagine if "Jeopardy!" had been written by the people from "The Onion".
Now that that's out of the way...
The journey to the launch party was long and hard. Well, actually, it was fairly simple, but it took some work to find it. Up until late last night, I had no idea that a launch party in LA even existed. On a whim this morning, I decided to google "You Don't Know Jack Launch Party Hollywood". I wasn't expecting much. Then I came across this:
I had woken up at 1:15. Post Meridian. Don't judge; I work hard all week, I can sleep in late. I had plans to hang out with my friend Jolie, so I posted this on her FB wall and RSVP'd. Thankfully, she loved this idea about going so she RSVP'd as well. We were on the list. WE'RE SOMEBODIES!
The launch party itself was a great time. The H-Wood is a nice location with both an outdoor and indoor space to mingle. There was free food, although there were too many people in line for my taste (no pun intended). The DJ was mixing some great tunes from throughout the years. Decked out all over the place was YDKJ stuff (just in case you forgot why you were there in the first place). There was even a photo booth. A photo booth! With props and costumes!
There were 3 PS3s with the new YDKJ game on them, each one with 2 controllers. The demo included 3 episodes that could be played. Jolie and I played one episode, and then Jeff (Jolie's boyfriend) played another one.
The review of the game is as follows:
Whereas previous editions had given players the option of the length of the game, each episode in YDKJ '11 has 11 questions, including the Jack Attack. In most of the previous games, one player would choose a category from 3 selections, after which the first player to buzz in would get first crack to answer the question, locking all the other players out. Repeat. Jack '11 presents a set order of questions to the players. Also, all players can answer the question at the same time, rather than one player locking out all others. Scores are determined by how fast players answer: win money for correct answers, lose money (and get ridiculed) for incorrect answers.
The classic "DisOrDat" is still here, and while I will not ruin the surprise for you, I will say that it is now multiplayer and I think it is a great improvement on a question type that I thought was already perfect. There are also some other new question types to look out for, which keeps the game nice and fresh.
Look-wise, the game is beautiful. The crisp colors and animations really stand out. Everything is easy to read and is pleasing to the eye. Sound-wise, this game sounds beautiful as well. The game boast 15+ hours of game play, but I'll bet that there is at least twice as much audio work that has gone into it. If you're like me, you'll go back and play previous episodes just to hear different responses for wrong answers. The voice acting has always been a highlight of YDKJ, and the writing has always complemented that. The soundtrack is fantastic, as the music of the series has always been one of my favorite parts (maybe release a soundtrack, Jellyvision? I'd buy it).
One thing I will note is that once you've played an episode, you'll be hesitant to play it again only because you know all the answers. It's not much fun to play against people when one of them has the answers memorized. For Xbox 360 & PS3, there will be DLC content: 4 packs of 10 episodes each. This is a great way to elongate the life of this game. Sadly, I only own a Wii, and due to how audio heavy the game is, having a DLC for the Wii is not gonna happen. For this reason, I am already planning on getting a Xbox 360. Seriously, I'm buying one because of YDKJ.
While I'm not highlighting every single part of the game (cause much of the fun is discovering it for yourself), as a whole, this is a great resurrection (can I call it that?) for the YDKJ franchise (reboot -- *that's* the word I'm looking for). This edition screams "multiplayer fun" and I strongly urge anyone who picks up this game to play with friends. If you have no friends, but you do have Xbox Live or a PSN account, then you should play online against people. I guess you *could* play by yourself, but this game truly shines when multiple people are involved.
Am I biased? Maybe a little. I mean, I do own every version that has come out. I love trivia. I love game shows. And I love clever wit and humor. This game is the first game I have ever pre-ordered in my life. I'm proud to do so, as the folks at Jellyvision and THQ have done such a good job bringing in this game to the next-gen while preserving the principles that YDKJ is based on. I am proud to say that I Don't Know Jack.
As for the rest of the launch party:
They had a live stream going on via thestream.tv, which was cool. They were also giving away vouchers for a free copy of the game as well as an Xbox 360. I didn't win anything. It's alright though. I got some bracelets, I got to design my own shirt, and I got to wear a pimp hat while having a snake around me.
But the best part about the night for me was meeting some of the developers from Jellyvision, Mike Bilder, Steve Heinrich, & Allard Laban. I had the pleasure of talking to them for a small bit about their work at Jellyvision as well as the new game. They were very nice and funny as well, and it was such a joy to meet some of the people who helped inspire me to go into the game show industry and become a game show host. I even got a picture with them (due to a challenge issued to me by the YDKJ twitter account). The cherry on top was getting their info and being able to email them so that I may talk to them more and keep in touch. I don't want to lose this contact; I feel like I could learn a great deal from them and get some great advice.
Oh, and by the way, I won both of my games. But I'm sure you could have guessed that.
So, thank you, You Don't Know Jack, for making my Friday night. I can't wait to take you home with me on Tuesday.
Wait, that didn't come out right...
I have to go now.
Peace Out.
As a huge fan of this game, it was a night I'll never forget
Now, if you don't know what YDKJ is, then you must not have known me for very long. YDKJ is a trivia game show party game that started way way back in 1995 (do you remember 1995?). It was a CDROM game for up to 3 people that tested your smarts in a very unique way. Instead of asking questions with a straight shot, it would infuse pop culture and humor into the questions, adding a new dimension to the game. It was, I believe, well ahead of its time. Thank goodness they went on to produce more than 10 additional versions. Imagine if "Jeopardy!" had been written by the people from "The Onion".
Now that that's out of the way...
The journey to the launch party was long and hard. Well, actually, it was fairly simple, but it took some work to find it. Up until late last night, I had no idea that a launch party in LA even existed. On a whim this morning, I decided to google "You Don't Know Jack Launch Party Hollywood". I wasn't expecting much. Then I came across this:
I had woken up at 1:15. Post Meridian. Don't judge; I work hard all week, I can sleep in late. I had plans to hang out with my friend Jolie, so I posted this on her FB wall and RSVP'd. Thankfully, she loved this idea about going so she RSVP'd as well. We were on the list. WE'RE SOMEBODIES!
The launch party itself was a great time. The H-Wood is a nice location with both an outdoor and indoor space to mingle. There was free food, although there were too many people in line for my taste (no pun intended). The DJ was mixing some great tunes from throughout the years. Decked out all over the place was YDKJ stuff (just in case you forgot why you were there in the first place). There was even a photo booth. A photo booth! With props and costumes!
There were 3 PS3s with the new YDKJ game on them, each one with 2 controllers. The demo included 3 episodes that could be played. Jolie and I played one episode, and then Jeff (Jolie's boyfriend) played another one.
The review of the game is as follows:
Whereas previous editions had given players the option of the length of the game, each episode in YDKJ '11 has 11 questions, including the Jack Attack. In most of the previous games, one player would choose a category from 3 selections, after which the first player to buzz in would get first crack to answer the question, locking all the other players out. Repeat. Jack '11 presents a set order of questions to the players. Also, all players can answer the question at the same time, rather than one player locking out all others. Scores are determined by how fast players answer: win money for correct answers, lose money (and get ridiculed) for incorrect answers.
The classic "DisOrDat" is still here, and while I will not ruin the surprise for you, I will say that it is now multiplayer and I think it is a great improvement on a question type that I thought was already perfect. There are also some other new question types to look out for, which keeps the game nice and fresh.
Look-wise, the game is beautiful. The crisp colors and animations really stand out. Everything is easy to read and is pleasing to the eye. Sound-wise, this game sounds beautiful as well. The game boast 15+ hours of game play, but I'll bet that there is at least twice as much audio work that has gone into it. If you're like me, you'll go back and play previous episodes just to hear different responses for wrong answers. The voice acting has always been a highlight of YDKJ, and the writing has always complemented that. The soundtrack is fantastic, as the music of the series has always been one of my favorite parts (maybe release a soundtrack, Jellyvision? I'd buy it).
One thing I will note is that once you've played an episode, you'll be hesitant to play it again only because you know all the answers. It's not much fun to play against people when one of them has the answers memorized. For Xbox 360 & PS3, there will be DLC content: 4 packs of 10 episodes each. This is a great way to elongate the life of this game. Sadly, I only own a Wii, and due to how audio heavy the game is, having a DLC for the Wii is not gonna happen. For this reason, I am already planning on getting a Xbox 360. Seriously, I'm buying one because of YDKJ.
While I'm not highlighting every single part of the game (cause much of the fun is discovering it for yourself), as a whole, this is a great resurrection (can I call it that?) for the YDKJ franchise (reboot -- *that's* the word I'm looking for). This edition screams "multiplayer fun" and I strongly urge anyone who picks up this game to play with friends. If you have no friends, but you do have Xbox Live or a PSN account, then you should play online against people. I guess you *could* play by yourself, but this game truly shines when multiple people are involved.
Am I biased? Maybe a little. I mean, I do own every version that has come out. I love trivia. I love game shows. And I love clever wit and humor. This game is the first game I have ever pre-ordered in my life. I'm proud to do so, as the folks at Jellyvision and THQ have done such a good job bringing in this game to the next-gen while preserving the principles that YDKJ is based on. I am proud to say that I Don't Know Jack.
As for the rest of the launch party:
They had a live stream going on via thestream.tv, which was cool. They were also giving away vouchers for a free copy of the game as well as an Xbox 360. I didn't win anything. It's alright though. I got some bracelets, I got to design my own shirt, and I got to wear a pimp hat while having a snake around me.
But the best part about the night for me was meeting some of the developers from Jellyvision, Mike Bilder, Steve Heinrich, & Allard Laban. I had the pleasure of talking to them for a small bit about their work at Jellyvision as well as the new game. They were very nice and funny as well, and it was such a joy to meet some of the people who helped inspire me to go into the game show industry and become a game show host. I even got a picture with them (due to a challenge issued to me by the YDKJ twitter account). The cherry on top was getting their info and being able to email them so that I may talk to them more and keep in touch. I don't want to lose this contact; I feel like I could learn a great deal from them and get some great advice.
Oh, and by the way, I won both of my games. But I'm sure you could have guessed that.
So, thank you, You Don't Know Jack, for making my Friday night. I can't wait to take you home with me on Tuesday.
Wait, that didn't come out right...
I have to go now.
Peace Out.
As a huge fan of this game, it was a night I'll never forget
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