A Long, Slow Weekend

So yeah. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say computer viruses are bad. They suck.

My computer caught a doozy on Thursday, and Saturday I dropped it off in capable hands, in Manhattan. I cannot remember the last time I went three full days without checking email. Our kids of the next generation are going to be so spoiled... They don't have any idea what it was like before the internet came along, and I certainly enjoy being able to contact people hundreds of miles away with the click of a mouse.

I don't know how long this feature has been available, but last night I watched a man walk towards his car. The engine started, the doors unlocked, and the lights turned on before he was anywhere near it. I was downright amazed by this. The times, they are a-changin'.

In other news, I had a promising job interview on Monday, please keep your fingers crossed. Frankly, I need a job or two. I can't emphasize that enough.

Be well, folks. Hope to be dropping on by with better news in the near future.

Brand Spankin' New Heroes Goodness

The wait is over!! Last night saw the premiere of season 2. Let the massive over-analysis begin! **Spoilers below**

#1. Raising the Stakes. There is now mention of a super-plague that hones in on heroes and saps their powers, then kills them. The krypto-virus will bear scrutiny.

#2. Trimming the Fat. Secondary and Tertiary characters are brushed off without a second mention. We can essentially not expect to hear from certain people again. Namely Matt Parkman's pregnant wife (guess the baby wasn't his), also Nathan Petrelli's entire family. Likewise, we probably won't see Claire's friend Zach again any time soon. Pity.

#3. New Mysteries. Quite a boggling set of questions to be answered. Who is after the senior members of the Company, or the Old Firm, or whatever they're called? HOW on earth did Nathan Petrelli survive a Nuclear Exploding Man? His brother knows how to recover. What's Nathan's excuse?

#4. New Characters. Maya and Alejandro, a pair of siblings from the Dominican Republic, bound for America and NYC. Bob, a veritable GoldFinger, with an offer from the Company to Mohinder. (Bob's played by Stephen Toblowsky, who has made a career of playing harmless-looking people that are a bit more dangerous than they seem. Woot.) West, a Flyboy who takes an interest in Claire at her new school. Takezo Kensei, a gaijin scoundrel in Feudal Japan that's far less impressive than the legends make him out to be. WOOT.

#5. Theories. ~~~Peter, alive and well, is found chained in a box in Ireland. He has no idea who he is, and displays new mimicked powers. My take: Peter's memory loss was possibly done as a preventative measure. When it isn't a reflex, he uses powers by remembering the people that originally had them. If he can't remember Mr. Nuclear, he would no longer be a threat. Did the Haitian have a hand in this?

~~~Maya and Alejandro are on the run, and desperate to stay together. They're separated, and Alejandro later finds her in a truck full of dead emigrants. Everyone's died by way of massive hemorrhaging. Does Alejandro have a power? Is it to keep his sister's powers in check?

The new season promises to be an interesting one. Can't wait to see the next one.

Not A Bad Thing

So. Good news and bad should go on this thing, why not. My sleep hasn't been great lately. No sir. Found myself staying up til two or later (just haven't gotten tired) and as a result getting up the following day much later than I'd like.

The good news is; after two cups of "Sleepytime" Tea and some Melatonin from the good folks at GNC, I'm actually yawning before midnight. It's about time.

Anyway. The transcription work has dried up for a few weeks. I'm looking for work in the meantime and am pursuing leads. Hopefully I'll be up early enough tomorrow morning to hit Trader Joe's before the noon rush. I'd like that.

My friend Kelleigh took some great headshots for me, including the rather silly one in the upper right corner. If you're interested, others can be found here and here. Getting them printed up will be a necessary expense. Nothing compared to getting more VO training (and making the CDs to follow), also a must in days to come.

Keep your fingers crossed for me, folks. Money's tight at the moment. I still have a few more transcription checks coming to me, but after that... let's just say I don't want to end up high and dry.

Anyway. Hitting the sack before the stroke of twelve. That's a good start. Sweet dreams.

A Pleasant Dilemma

For a while now, I've tried to cultivate a taste in older movies. Thanks to Blockbuster, I receive them regularly in the mail.

A director I've tried to catch up with is Alfred Hitchcock. The man was a genius, that's no secret. My problem is that I saw one of his greatest films first, and everything since has seemed to come up a little short.

Vertigo was flawless. It's absolutely heartbreaking, intensely thrilling, chilling, and the score is nothing short of phenomenal. It's a masterpiece.

I saw Psycho prior to that, and since then I've enjoyed Notorious, Rope, The Birds and as we speak I'm watching Marnie. (It's worth noting that a friend of mine from the Star Trek Improv team is a dead (brunette) ringer for Tippi Hedren. Seriously, it's as uncanny as my own doppelganger in sunny CA.)

They're all quite good, but none have matched up to Vertigo. Yet. I've got hopes for a few of his others, but I don't know.

Thoughts?

Suffering Cats, There's Two Of Me

I recently joined a new improv team, Start Trekkin'. Needless to say the group is packed with some immensely funny people, and I'm pleased as punch that I could join them. That being said, these lucky punks have met me before. A narcissist's fantasy; a near-perfect clone without all the messy test tubes or waiting around.

Something a few of them have pointed out is that they know someone from California that looks, acts and sounds a great deal like yours truly. His name's Jordan, and we'll leave it that. Regardless, I've seen his myspace page and the resemblance is striking. Striking, I say.

If I say something, members of the team have been quoted to say "Yup, classic Jordan" or something to that effect.

I'd like very much to meet this handsome devil if only to prove to the rest of them that we're not the same person. He's never been to NY, nor I to LA, so up until now I've enjoyed the game of "What, Lois? You say I just missed Superman? Gosh, that's a shame." My teammates are hesitant to allow us to meet, as our being on the same coast (let alone in the same room) might cause a dimensional rift of some kind.

At least I'm comforted by the knowledge that I'm slightly older than this doppelganger, this replica, this... guy... That also does sketch comedy, improv, and other eerily similar veins of showbiz. I was here first. So there.

Updates Galore

Vacation was splendid. I extended my stay in MD for a few reasons; to see some other friends previously unavailable, and snag a little voice-over work.

VO work consisted of a number of juicy death scenes; including a savage beating, getting shot repeatedly and falling into a volcano. (That's a new one on me.)

I caught up w/ Pedro, Nano & Ben at Hard Times for some great chili and conversation.

Had my first Start Trekkin' show at the Sage, which was terrific fun. Equally fun was poker last night w/ friends from the team. Good times.

Not the most thrilling of updates; but worth noting none the less. Ciao for now.

My Newborn Nephew

Before the arrival of Oscar, I never understood the urge to share baby pictures. Now I'm an Uncle and I totally get it. Without further ado-- Oscar Dylan Jones.