Just Let Me Down Easy

I recently received a notice from the musical improv group Baby Wants Candy that they've decided to pass on me for a second round callbacks. I'm just glad I got through to the first round! They've only auditioned for new people twice since their inception in 10 years. Hopefully I've made enough of an impression that they will keep me in mind for future endeavors.

in the meantime , watch out Baby ... Recapitulation is coming for you!

Currently listening : Do Wha Diddy By Tony Roman Release date: 04 January, 2007

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Sliding Down the Back of a Straight Edge

Take a look at me.
I am the quintessential misfit of rock n' roll.
I don't drink.
I don't smoke tobacco.
I don't indulge in the drugs of the people.
I sing and play my art with clarity and the product you hear is what you get.
I'm straight edge by accident.
An accident by choice.

Currently listening : First Demo Tape By Minor Threat Release date: 17 June, 2003

My Fear of Fire

I went shopping a couple of days ago looking for some charcoal for my grill. I found a bag of Kingsford charwood, not briquette charcoal, sitting in aisle. So, I picked some up thinking that it would give a smokier, more barbecued taste to the meat. After using this stuff, I definitely got more of a taste but not of charcoal .

I noticed the bag was a lot lighter than a regular bag of charcoal. I was like, "Dude, this is going to rock!" When I got home and opened the bag, it looked like actual chunks for wood from a campfire! I got even more excited. So, I put the stuff in my grill, made a nice pyramid of it, then added lighter fluid. I lit the fluid and the fire got started...then after about a minute, it stopped. WTF? OK, so I dumped more lighter fluid on it and got it going again. After 3-4 minutes it stopped. I checked to see if the chunks were lit but I couldn't really tell since there was very low-heat coming from it and very little ash was being made. I told myself to be patient, but a fear crept over me.

I believe men have an innate fear of not being able to start and maintain a fire. I feel like such a wuss when I can't get the grill going. I go to great lengths to buy lighter fluid drench charcoal just to make sure that thing lights and stays lit. When the fire goes out, I feel like the Y chromosome has failed me some how, and I am a fawktard for even trying to master the gawdly power of fire.

So, I drench the wood again with lighter fluid and relight the beatch. The great plume of flames that rose 5 feet into the air was satisfaction enough for me to walk away and get the meat prepared. About 15 minutes later, I put the cooking grill on top, waited for it to get hot and then lay my meat on it. I cook the meat very well-done (burnt) and go inside to enjoy my meal.

I take bite of my meat. It tastes a little weird. No problem. I'm sure mashed potatoes will drown the taste out. But my tongue feels weird. Have another bite, Nelson. I eat another bite. Tastes worse than before. Oh gawd. Oh gawd, no! My meat tastes like lighter fluid!!!

I have a weird thing about throwing away food. I had to overcome the fact I screwed up my meal by being scared of maintaining the fire. I reluctantly threw away the meal and microwaved up some soy burgers and finished my meal.

Guess what I'm trying today again...

Currently listening : One Man Revolution By The Nightwatchman Release date: 24 April, 2007

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An American Crucible

I am grateful for Don Imus enduring the ire of a nation hellbent on finding people to blame for their own shortcomings and fears. In the throes of career-saving agony, Don referred to accepted American values as a basis for righteousness in his comical banter that led to him being released from his long-helmed post.

It got me thinking.

32 people died in a shooting instigated by a troubled person looking for his own sense of twisted justice against those that he felt wronged him. It was a horrible incident. Yet, media coverage has taken the built-in sensationalism to a new peak by extrapolating many different sides to the story and making them their own issues. Gun control and mental health judgment has been added to the smelter. I would even venture to say nationalism has been thrown in very quietly simply by harping on the birth of origin of the shooter to be South Korean, although he was fashioned, molded, and half-way integrated in American culture much like I was. It's as if I am no longer American because I was born in Puerto Rico and moved here when I was 4 the second I break the law. Am I being told by the media that things like violence isn't "American bred"?

The hip-hop side of the music industry, which has long been a place to bring everyday thoughts, attitudes, and experiences to light, has been put back into the crucible of American criticism. Russel Simmons, who personally has benefited and helped bring the culture to mainstream, has begun to renounce the parts of the movement that made it was it is. The artists have struck back in a vain attempt to justify themselves in a septic environment willing to only listen to the hollering of those who wish to impose their own will upon all, e.g., the Oprahs, Jessie Jacksons, and Al Sharptons of the world, not to help understand why people are truly outraged, but rather perpetuate an idea that originally was false as well as spawn new fallacies while attempting to retain a sense of a hypocritical "holier than thou" appearance (Jackson's "Hymie Town" incident during his 1984 Presidential bid, Sharpton's interesting "verbination" of the word Jew to denote characterize shady/unethical dealings, and Oprah's constant usage of race discussions in her show where she "represents" minorities).

We must all learn to live with our actions, responsibilities, and consequences. The second we look at ourselves and understand why we are truly reacting to the events of our collective lives, the more we will see that we have no one to blame for these situations but ourselves.

Currently listening : Revelations By Audioslave Release date: 05 September, 2006

The Beautiful Trolls of MySpace

On a rather regular basis, I get friend requests from accounts sporting a half-naked woman giving me that dirty look that drives men wild. Knowing full and well it's some porn-related profile, I then proceed to check to see if their profile is real by looking at the url of their profile as well as the content. I have to give these guys credit. They do replicate quite well the bad web-design that most females on Myspace employ on their own sites. However, there's always a link to a web-cam or a picture gallery or want you to visit "their friend's site".

What makes me laugh is that sometimes these profiles have 100s of men as friends, and some of the guys leave comments like, "Hey beautiful" or "Great pic. Please message me." Are we that depraved that we would befriend a porn site?





*sigh* yes

Currently listening : 001 By Dovetail Joint Release date: 26 January, 1999

Nelson V-Log Number 3

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Nelson V-Log Number 3 Current mood: sleepy Currently playing : Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (PS2) Release date: 12 September, 2006

Two Fer One at the Grindhouse!

I saw Grindhouse last night. I cleared my schedule to sit in the theater for 3.5 hours by taking a nap, getting some food delivered via Jirl's Home Delivery Food Service (Subway + KFC mashed potatoes and gravy), and got me my "red" Slurpee and Kit Kat bites for the film's duration.

I won't review the movie as there are plenty of reviews out there. Of the two films, I enjoyed Death Proof more than Planet Terror, however, both movies are fun to watch and quite comical at times. The best part of the presentation were the fake movie trailers. This one hands down in my favorite :

Note: This has some adult-related material. Watch at your own risk.

I love how they totally captured the '70's monotone, low-pitched voice-over with grainy pictures supporting it. I love the "bad editing" employed to give it that retro feel. Bloody brilliant!

"White meat...dark meat...all will be carved..."

Currently listening : Stay Hungry By Twisted Sister Release date: 25 October, 1990

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NV-Log Number 2

NV-Log #2 Part I - Dropping Theatre Knowledge


NV-Log #2 Part II - Thoughts on Don Imus and my MoMo

Note: This was originally posted on MySpace with comments at:
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Look at Me! I'ma Pimp!

Hey Folks:

Lucky you! Here are a couple of videos from our Faceplant show on April 6th that give you a taste of what raunchiness we're exploiting on a weekly basis. I'm the tall dude in a top hat (if I only had a cane, a white robe, and Cadillac )!

Currently listening : Suck Fony By Wheatus Release date: 19 April, 2005

Note: This was originally posted on MySpace with comments at:
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NV-Log Number 1

Hey Folks:

I've updated my technology choices to allow me to bring to you my first in a hopefully long series of video web logs! Enjoy!

Here are links to some of the items discussed in the NV-Log:
Brazilian Wax Museum
FacePlant: A Musical Revuew of the Demented, Twisted, and Wrong

Currently listening : Muppet Show: Music Mayhem & More - 25th Anniv Coll By Muppets Release date: 17 September, 2002

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The Proper Way To Make A Turn When Driving

Back to school, y'all! I get a bit perturbed when I'm driving behind someone and they insist on making the commute a few minutes longer by taking their sweet time to make a turn in their cars. These instructions are meant to school the world on how to make a turn while driving an automobile:

1. While approaching the intersection, signal with the car's blinkers which way the car is going to turn at least 100 feet prior to reaching the intersection.
   
   Note:Avoid being a tool and signaling more than 200 feet before the intersection. Otherwise, the blinking light is annoying because there could be multiple intersections prior to the one being turned at, thus, creating a sense of uncertainty in the driver's actions.
   
   
2. Once at the intersection, if no on-coming traffic in the opposite lanes is present, please make the turn. If on-coming traffic is present, place the vehicle as far into the middle of intersection as possible. Be careful as to not run into the back-end of the car of person ahead. Even if there is a traffic light turning yellow then to red as you're in the intersection, this is okay. Right-of-way will be given to you.
   
   
3. As the turn is being made, accelerate through the turn. Avoid breaking the entire length of the turn! This is ultimately annoying and wastes time and gas as for every second delay one car makes, it causes a chain reaction of delays behind it due to varying degrees of reaction time.
   
   For example, assume 5 cars are in line all traveling at the same speed while being 10 feet apart from each other with a 1-second reaction time for each driver. If the first car brakes for 0.5 seconds then speeds up again, with the reaction time and speed the cars are traveling, each car will reduce speed even more greatly than the previous driver, then accelerate back up to speed more slowly until the last person in line must stop completely to avoid an accident. Now add more cars to that line, and that gives an idea as to why poor driving causes such havoc in a city like Chicago.
   
   

While avoiding making assumptions about what groups of people need to read this, I do have to admit the stereotypes out there prompted me to write this blog. If you have a friend that can't drive, suggest they either read this blog or stay off the roads.

Currently listening : Vena Sera By Chevelle Release date: 03 April, 2007

To My Indian Brothers

I read an article that the condom industry, which has taken the soul brothers in mind when providing protection for late night, strobe-light filled, beer goggled encounters, has apparently forsaken my Indian bahais. Looks like the extra-medium Magnums just don't do a Desi right. With all their big ambitions like developing/deploying nuclear weapons, fighting over Kashmir with fervor, absorbing the influx of former-American jobs, and reducing pollution emissions to the point they could walk outside without choking, it looks like they are still coming up short in other areas. With their population breaking 1.4 billion, I don't think they mind too much .

Currently listening : Pocket Full of Kryptonite By Spin Doctors Release date: 27 August, 1991

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Cyber-Mogwai : e-Gizmo

I got a call around 7 PM last night from a film director:

---

Director

Uhm, Hi Nelson. You sent us your headshot/resume for this film looking for Latino actors? Did you get my emails with the script?

Nelson V

Uh, no.

Director

Hmmm...funny. I sent you like 4-5 emails on it.

Nelson V

I'm sorry but none of them showed up in my inbox. That's weird

Director

Well, ok. Do you have time tomorrow to audition for a role?

Nelson V

Awww, man. My Tuesday is pretty jacked up. What time were you thinking?

Director

Well, I have times from 1-7 PM.

Nelson V

Hmmm, ok, I think I can make it by around 5:30 PM.

Director

Actually, I have someone at 5:45 PM. Could you make it at 6 PM?

Nelson V

Sure.

Director

(Speaking while thinking) That's really strange. Must've been cyberspace gobbling up those emails.

---

A friend of mine seems to have the hardest time with dealing with cyberspace. Her computer acts strangely at times, emails mystically disappear or never get sent, or she gets a blue-screen-of-death (BSOD) occasionally right as she's writing something. All of those things are normal to me, but it wasn't until I met her did I recognize the user perspective of those things. Casual users see if the computer and the internet are magical boxes of action. When something unexplained happens, it's as if a divine act just occurred, and the only explanation that can be given is "The computer/internet works in mysterious ways". I've tried to explain what really happens behind the scenes when these situations occur, but lately, I've realized that it's much more fun to leave it unexplained/mystified. Basically, no one is at fault for the disconnect, and it leaves the door open to try again

I got the script last night with a different email addy. It should be a fun audition .

Currently watching : Fast Food Nation Release date: 06 March, 2007

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Lazy Days of The Week

I was watching VH1's Top 40 Internet Celebrities show and the famous SNL Lazy Sunday clip came on. The went on to mention that it's been parodied many times on Youtube.com. So, I went to YouTube and saw some of the worst parodies ever created. Most of them reuse the music, style, and flows of the original parody, but it's boring as hell to watch. Every video I've seen does to the "2,4,6,8,10, baker's dozen" line as well as has something to do with eating.

With that said, they all get an A for effort, but get an F for originality.

Currently listening : You Know My Name By Chris Cornell Release date: 19 December, 2006

I Keep Getting Knocked the Fawk Out!

I've been rather exhausted the last couple of weeks. As my shows have gone up, rehearsals have dropped off ,classes were skipped, or the occasional get together has fallen through, I've been using the time to just sleep!

I love sleep. Sleep is such an underrated commodity here in the US. Why do we insist to not invest time in it? Or is it just me?!

Currently watching : Friday (New Line Platinum Series) Release date: 02 March, 1999