One of my favorite things to do of all time is mess around with people. Some people find it funny, some people find it annoying. But I could care less, I mostly do it for my own amusement.
My favorite thing to do is "pssst" people that aren't looking...then hide.
Best times to do this:
When passing a conference room with one or two people in it
Moving past a hallway that has one person with their back turned
People making photocopies, or any other busy work
The best part of doing this is also the worst part. I make it a rule to never actually go back to see if the person looked back to see who was there, so I never know if they fell for it. I like to pretend that everyone completely freaks out when they turn around to find no one there. Knock on wood, I've never been caught.
Try it, it's fun.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Friday, December 3, 2010
The Joys of the Cubicle
Ignoring the exorbitant amount of time I provide my imaginary readers to soak in each one of my posts, I have returned.
In my professional life, I've only known work in a cubicle. Used to be a lifeguard, and did some occasional manual labor, but since graduating college, the only jobs I've had provide me with the sacred area known as the CUBE.
It provides you your own personal space to perform your work. You can make it your own space. You can decorate it and customize it, (but you're not allowed to put things above the height of the outside walls (according to my company)). Privacy is provided within the walls that surround about 75% of my area. I am able to concentrate on my work, and still manage to communicate with co-workers located nearby. The irony lies in the fact that you are still in a big room with a bunch of people. Everyone can hear every phone call and conversation. And you can hear theirs.
If the cubicles graduated from their traditional chest-high walls, and moved to walls that reach the ceiling, everyone could have their own little office. Then co-workers would only be able to see you at your workstation from one angle, in the doorway. The fact that everyone can see over my walls and essentially what I'm working on is very intrusive. To combat this, I purchased headphones. This way, people are encouraged to get into my eyeline before looking at what I'm doing. The best part is, most of the time I don't even listen to anything on them. In fact, they are in my ears right now with nothing playing. Aaah, silence.
The only solution I have is to work hard, come in early, stay late, and be a leader for the company. Then, in 20 years, they can give me my own office. With a door!
...But it's so much easier to simply complain about it...
In my professional life, I've only known work in a cubicle. Used to be a lifeguard, and did some occasional manual labor, but since graduating college, the only jobs I've had provide me with the sacred area known as the CUBE.
It provides you your own personal space to perform your work. You can make it your own space. You can decorate it and customize it, (but you're not allowed to put things above the height of the outside walls (according to my company)). Privacy is provided within the walls that surround about 75% of my area. I am able to concentrate on my work, and still manage to communicate with co-workers located nearby. The irony lies in the fact that you are still in a big room with a bunch of people. Everyone can hear every phone call and conversation. And you can hear theirs.
If the cubicles graduated from their traditional chest-high walls, and moved to walls that reach the ceiling, everyone could have their own little office. Then co-workers would only be able to see you at your workstation from one angle, in the doorway. The fact that everyone can see over my walls and essentially what I'm working on is very intrusive. To combat this, I purchased headphones. This way, people are encouraged to get into my eyeline before looking at what I'm doing. The best part is, most of the time I don't even listen to anything on them. In fact, they are in my ears right now with nothing playing. Aaah, silence.
The only solution I have is to work hard, come in early, stay late, and be a leader for the company. Then, in 20 years, they can give me my own office. With a door!
...But it's so much easier to simply complain about it...
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Moonin' Radioo
The Preston and Steve show is a local radio show here in Philadelphia
To start off, the show seemed bland and…the opposite of unique. There was a time when the show they presented was always funny. Ah, the Y100 days. (For those not familiar with Philly nostalgia, Y100.3FM was one of the more popular stations which played alternative music; which was sold off to play hip-hop.) The former home of the P&S show was a lot more…well, unique. The show in general just seemed more fun. Now with the transition to 93.3WMMR, it is just a regular old morning show.
They added more people. Horrible idea. This is the reason I stopped watching Lost. Too many opinions. It gets really, REALLY old when 5 people have a story related to the obscure topic of the day. How do so many people associate with the action of shitting your pants? UGH
They do the traffic/weather/stationID every 10 minutes. Too much. UGH.
And now they play a lot more music than they used to. Yeah, I like music, but not while I’m listening to a morning show. More music = less show. UGH
They STILL can not conduct an interview with a celebrity. This has been my biggest gripe with them. I feel like it’s the Chris Farley show from SNL. Recently, they interviewed Matisyahu, a unique hip-hop artist with a Hassidic Jewish background. At one point in the interview “Casey-boy” came in and said something along the lines of “whenever your most popular song ever comes on when I’m working out, I get pumped!” Really? Wow, the audience can really relate to that one. Are trying to make this guy interesting to the million people listening, or just give him a comment he can’t respond to? UGH
I could go on, but I have to go back to Sirius satellite radio. Totally worth the $0.40 per day to avoid all of the garbage on commercial radio.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Team 2!!
A few months ago I was lucky enough to take part in an Improv performance entitled "Blind Troika." The idea of Troika is an improv competition introduced in Philadelphia by Matt Nelson. They take 27 improvisers, put all their names in a hat, and divide them into 9 groups of 3 people. Bracket-style they compete to crown a single group to be the Troika champion. Normally, Troika groups have several weeks to prepare for the show. Blind Troika is simply drawing names from a hat of the people in the audience. I was one of the people drawn from the hat.
This would be my first ever performance in Improv.
When I heard my name, I turned to my friend Luke next to me and said, "Oh shit!" It was then I realized that I probably shouldn't have put my name in at all. Luckily, I was picked with two people I am actually fans of in the improv world (BJ Ellis and Jess Snow).
Normally, I can't remember anything that happens in an improv show, but I can probably describe at least half of the show that night. The tiny apartment, gargoyles, the story I told to my daughter, and the yellow dress. So much fun.
And luckily, we're able to do it again. We're opening for our friends Rookie Card at the Raven Lounge in Philadelphia on Monday, September 27th at 9. I am so excited for this show, I took my horrible graphic arts skills and made a team picture...in 5 minutes. Don't worry, it doesnt say anything bad. "Team 2!! You laugh now"
This would be my first ever performance in Improv.
When I heard my name, I turned to my friend Luke next to me and said, "Oh shit!" It was then I realized that I probably shouldn't have put my name in at all. Luckily, I was picked with two people I am actually fans of in the improv world (BJ Ellis and Jess Snow).
Normally, I can't remember anything that happens in an improv show, but I can probably describe at least half of the show that night. The tiny apartment, gargoyles, the story I told to my daughter, and the yellow dress. So much fun.
And luckily, we're able to do it again. We're opening for our friends Rookie Card at the Raven Lounge in Philadelphia on Monday, September 27th at 9. I am so excited for this show, I took my horrible graphic arts skills and made a team picture...in 5 minutes. Don't worry, it doesnt say anything bad. "Team 2!! You laugh now"
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Have Fun Good Luck Good Game
hf gl
I recently got my hands on Starcraft 2, the sequel to the game that almost completely destroyed my college career, and even a long distance relationship. Now that I don’t have homework to do and I date inside my area code, I am free to play whenever I want.
Quick description of Starcraft 2: It is a real-time strategy game based around an economy of collecting money, and spending it on an army to destroy your opponent, who is trying to reciprocate. It’s like a game of chess. Chess with nuclear missles.
This game has a lot of great facets, the best of it being an online multiplayer ability. It easily searches out random people who are also looking for a game and pits you together in battle.
Maybe it was the fact that I was an only child, and my mother insisted that I win every game, but I have grown to have quite the competitive side. (I have reason to believe that she would pay off my cousins to let me win board games. Those cousins who still give me shit about all of the times that they had to take a dive, just so I could win. )
So even to this day, when I am presented with honest competition, I have to approach it with full force. And let me tell you, it exhausts me.
I love this game, Starcraft. Possibly my favorite game of all time. But I can only play a few times each night. Some nights I can’t play at all. There is a point immediately after every game where I literally have to catch my breath. (I would like to remind you that this is a game where I sit and stare at my computer monitor.) Even I find it hard to believe that something like this can be so mentally exhausting. But it is.
But hey, maybe that’s what I love about it. gg
I recently got my hands on Starcraft 2, the sequel to the game that almost completely destroyed my college career, and even a long distance relationship. Now that I don’t have homework to do and I date inside my area code, I am free to play whenever I want.
Quick description of Starcraft 2: It is a real-time strategy game based around an economy of collecting money, and spending it on an army to destroy your opponent, who is trying to reciprocate. It’s like a game of chess. Chess with nuclear missles.
This game has a lot of great facets, the best of it being an online multiplayer ability. It easily searches out random people who are also looking for a game and pits you together in battle.
Maybe it was the fact that I was an only child, and my mother insisted that I win every game, but I have grown to have quite the competitive side. (I have reason to believe that she would pay off my cousins to let me win board games. Those cousins who still give me shit about all of the times that they had to take a dive, just so I could win. )
So even to this day, when I am presented with honest competition, I have to approach it with full force. And let me tell you, it exhausts me.
I love this game, Starcraft. Possibly my favorite game of all time. But I can only play a few times each night. Some nights I can’t play at all. There is a point immediately after every game where I literally have to catch my breath. (I would like to remind you that this is a game where I sit and stare at my computer monitor.) Even I find it hard to believe that something like this can be so mentally exhausting. But it is.
But hey, maybe that’s what I love about it. gg
Monday, August 23, 2010
Boat Hole!!
No mom, I am not at a bar getting drunk with a pregnant woman. And don't worry, it's not my baby. It's actually a pillow.
In this particular play, I am a neurotic depressed fool who gets approached by an eccentric pregnant woman played by the wonderful Jennifer Summerfield.
The show is a part of the Philly Fringe festival. You should come. It's fun! See here for more details and tickets::
http://livearts-fringe.org/details.cfm?id=13543
Friday, August 20, 2010
How ya livin? What? How ya livin?
Pretty much everyone I talk to has made a Seinfeld reference (or two (or 500)) at one point in a conversation. Like I said, I’m good with pop culture, and I understand that they are references to a legendary TV show, buuuuut, I never watched it. Don’t be hatin’ tho. I’ve seen occasional reruns and the last episode of course, but when it was new, I wasn’t into it.
You can memorize all of these references and add it to a conversation; but I definitely had more of a connection with another show that somehow managed to influence many parts of my life.
I would sit in my bedroom with my 19” TV I got for Christmas many many years ago (being an only child has its perks.) When Seinfeld was on downstairs in the living room while my parents watched, I would watch In Living Color. At the time if you would have asked me which one of those two shows would have been eventually named the ‘greatest television show ever’ I would have been wrong. I would have said In Living Color, hands down.
Sure, at 10 years old, I didn’t get all of the jokes and references, but the characters in the sketches were so great I didn’t have to. And sure, it dealt with a lot of subject matter that I am completely ignorant about, but it didn’t stop me from laughing. Their style of comedy is still my favorite.
Homey D. Clown, Fire Marshall Bill, Funky Finger Productions, Men on Film, and Wanda are characters that I still remember vividly. Holy shit…they were ALL funny.
Not only did this show make me laugh, it actually influenced me musically. The rare times that my parents would actually choose this show over a new episode of Seinfeld, as soon as the musical guest would come on, the channel would be changed. I would run up to my room to get my first real taste of the hip-hop music community. Heavy D, MC Lyte, Tupac. Amazing stuff and it was a [recorded] live performance!!
Speaking of influences on my life, I’d like to thank Jennifer Lopez and the rest of the fly girls for another. What can I say? I am a guy who’s into asses and hips and curves. Was it because of them and their dancing? Who knows…but I can say that I was definitely mesmerized by those girls.
So I don’t have the ability to spout out random Seinfeld references; I have no regrets. “Let me show ya somethin!” and “Three snaps…in a Z formation” will always ring in my head as great television comedy. And who would have thought a sketch comedy show could steer me into the directions that it has.
And for those of you who are asking why I didn’t start watching Seinfeld after In Living Color ended. I was 15. I found a new hobby. Women…with big booties of course.
You can memorize all of these references and add it to a conversation; but I definitely had more of a connection with another show that somehow managed to influence many parts of my life.
I would sit in my bedroom with my 19” TV I got for Christmas many many years ago (being an only child has its perks.) When Seinfeld was on downstairs in the living room while my parents watched, I would watch In Living Color. At the time if you would have asked me which one of those two shows would have been eventually named the ‘greatest television show ever’ I would have been wrong. I would have said In Living Color, hands down.
Sure, at 10 years old, I didn’t get all of the jokes and references, but the characters in the sketches were so great I didn’t have to. And sure, it dealt with a lot of subject matter that I am completely ignorant about, but it didn’t stop me from laughing. Their style of comedy is still my favorite.
Homey D. Clown, Fire Marshall Bill, Funky Finger Productions, Men on Film, and Wanda are characters that I still remember vividly. Holy shit…they were ALL funny.
Not only did this show make me laugh, it actually influenced me musically. The rare times that my parents would actually choose this show over a new episode of Seinfeld, as soon as the musical guest would come on, the channel would be changed. I would run up to my room to get my first real taste of the hip-hop music community. Heavy D, MC Lyte, Tupac. Amazing stuff and it was a [recorded] live performance!!
Speaking of influences on my life, I’d like to thank Jennifer Lopez and the rest of the fly girls for another. What can I say? I am a guy who’s into asses and hips and curves. Was it because of them and their dancing? Who knows…but I can say that I was definitely mesmerized by those girls.
So I don’t have the ability to spout out random Seinfeld references; I have no regrets. “Let me show ya somethin!” and “Three snaps…in a Z formation” will always ring in my head as great television comedy. And who would have thought a sketch comedy show could steer me into the directions that it has.
And for those of you who are asking why I didn’t start watching Seinfeld after In Living Color ended. I was 15. I found a new hobby. Women…with big booties of course.
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