Wild Things

My brother owned this book and I'm pretty sure my Mom read it to him. Over and over again. But if the book were written like today's screenplay, my brother would have been wailing. This seemingly inconspicuous little childhood story hits you hard on the big screen. Loneliness, confusion, pain; these are are all themes that director Spike Jonze doesn't shy away from. I thought it was beautifully done but could have used more moments of relief. Too sad to take the little ones. If you got 'em.

Plath

Two-three weeks is a long time to go without a computer in ad school. Long time. Oh man, school. I'm still in school. I'm trying to stay positive and tell myself it's just 6 more months. Not a long time. But when it rains like today, I feel like Sylvia Plath. Minus the oven. Anyway, I'm without a computer until Best Buy's Geekity Geek squad fixes it. What happened to it, you ask? I, um, dropped it. I've never considered myself to be a clumsy person, but the laptop slipped from my (gasp!) lap. Good ol' human error. Lucky for me, I saved all my work on an external hard-drive and flash drive. Things could be a lot worse, folks.

I've been checking my email and working in the school's computer lab. Probably catching swine flu while I'm at it. Ha, man. Plath, I tell you, Plath. Things'll get better. They just have to.

Put some clothes on.

I'm working on an outdoor Playboy ad campaign that doesn't focus on the magazine's nudity. Rather, it's headline driven and shifts the reader's focus to the articles. I wish the magazine (I'm not a subscriber by any means) still had these traditional vintage covers. In my opinion, they are much sexier when they add a touch of the mystique. I love vintage.

From F to M

It's been an interesting week. A good friend of mine, Roman, from Sarah Lawrence, paid me a visit in Atlanta along with his friend, Micah. Together they are touring the southeast and doing community outreach for people at Christian based colleges and universities currently lacking LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi, transsexual) programs. Roman and Micah are hoping to recruit and attract interest in building support networks in not just the south, but ultimately all over the country. I can't say how much I admire the courage and compassion in this endeavor. Just from the friends Micah has made in the past, the two of them have successfully couchsurfed, received rides, or hitchhiked (safely) to cities on their map. I'm also biased because I have known Roman for a while now. We met in a comedy class in college and his name was Delia. We also roomed together for a week during a theater tour of London. Today, I've never seen him more comfortable in his own skin. I am happy to advocate both his personal change and the changes he's hoping to inspire in others. I find Roman to be an incredibly shy soul with a brave spirit. He lives in Brooklyn, NY and has been doing long-form improv for almost 4 years in addition to stand-up comedy. I imagine his recent one-man show was rich with humor about his experiences along with his witty everyday musings. He's an incredibly sensitive, funny and smart individual. Everyone should know him.

Ramble on

Weird dreams last night. People from my past. I dreamt I was in a house owned by a guy who I performed with in a sketch comedy troupe in NYC. In the dream, he and another dude from the troupe were lounging on hills of grass and rambling about life. In the dream, I told them I'd join them, but I got lost in a pink bathroom. I stood there, puzzled. Why was the bathroom so pink?

Before The Circus, I wrote theatre/film reviews for an online 'zine, called www.newyorkcool.com, and blogs for an entertainment website, based on my accounts of being an actor in NY. I was paid for the blogs. :) I wrote while I temped at various desk jobs and while standing at the host stand during slow nights at the steak house. The door was always open and I got bronchitis in the winter months.

It felt like I was always struggling, always hustling, but I met a lot of interesting people in NY.

Mad Men

I finally watched Season One over break. And I have to say, it's very engaging. Sexist, but engaging. And to think it was only 50 years ago that men could publicly slap a woman's behind in the workforce, or run to their mistresses and still be home in time for dinner. It blows my mind. Anyway, like any good drama, it's the characters that draw you in, more than the actual story. Aside from Sterling Cooper being an advertising agency on Madision Avenue, there's little to learn about advertising. Their smoke-filled meetings typically last 5-10 minutes and end with gulps of whiskey. Hard to believe that anyone's actually working! And their ads look stodgy and outdated. More corporate, than creative. But stylistically, the show is on par. The outfits, the hair and the lipstick are high notes. I was a theater major and can't help but notice these things. But when you get down to it, it's the Don Drapers and Joan Holloways and Peggy Olsens that pull me in. Peggy Olsen went from being Mr. Draper's secretary to copywriter in one episode. It reminds me of the time I applied for a receptionist position at Modernista! (before I decided to come to The Circus) with the secret hopes of slowly moving my way up to copywriter. Well that didn't happen and it was all for the better. I would have been stalling my life answering phones instead of coming to school and learning a craft. Oh, and the HR person's name was Sunshine. Yes, I guess you could say everything turned out just fine for me in the end.

Cooking

I'm getting better. The foods I make no longer make me sick. I'm getting more adventurous. I'm buying things like dill and putting it on things like salmon. Impressive. For a student, I mean. Tonight I made a rosemary chicken. But does anyone care? I feel like I should be writing about health care or something. Something a little more pressing. I'll get to that. But for now, I'm experimenting more in the kitchen. It's turning out to be fun. And surprisingly easy.

Books

In search for a good book (I know I won't even have time, but my bedstand looks naked without one). The last few good ones I've read are Still Life with Woodpecker, Tom Robbins and White Girl, Kate Manning. Trying to read another of Tom Robbins but it's work to get through. I'm just craving a good story.

Cameos

This one is just funny. Hi Abe.

I love cameos. I love how old fashioned and elegant they are. I just read that they're made from Queen conch shells from the Bahamas and West Indies, and arrived in Europe in the mid 18th century. I know, I'm a nerd. But I love them, I just think they’re classy. I’m already thinking about how they’ll play into the branding of my portfolio. I feel a connection with them. Is that weird? They’re special. My mom gave me an antique ring for my college graduation. And I wear it almost everyday. (Not the one shown.)

Regina

Regina Spektor might be my favorite musician. At least up there with John Lennon. They're both poets. Her music is innovative, original, touching and inspiring. Beautiful melodies coupled with quirky, often funny lyrics. She sang all of my favorites along with melancholy tracks from her new album. Another bonus? I got to see her perform live at The Tabernacle in Atlanta. Very cool venue. Old church turned into funky, arty concert hall. Original organ can still be seen.

Hi.

I'm an old soul in a digital age. Twitter and blogging and status updates all still seem a little self-indulgent to me. Not entirely sure what to post here, but I'll give it a shot. I'm currently in my last 6 months of ad school and am honing my work for my portfolio. URL will follow. As of now, I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, school-wise. Just had 2 blissful weeks off. Now I'm learning how to write banner ads and overall, figure out assignments for next week.