Not About the Punchline

We Have Moved!

2009-01-23T14:49:00.004+02:00

Please change your bookmarks, links and feeds. You will now find me here. Go! There's an improv/flashmob video waiting for you!

Everyone I met at the 1st Podcamp suggested I move from Blogger to Wordpress, sooner rather than later. At the time I thought it was too much of a hassle. After all, Blogger suited me fine.

Then, I made a Wordpress account for Και Τώρα... and was blown away! Like I told a friend, it's like Firefox to Blogger's Netscape Navigator...!
The new blog still has some rough edges -- I'm not done tweaking the layout and categories, yet, so bear with me. Once I'm done, though, it'll be smooth sailing.

Both Funny and Not Funny

2009-01-21T19:40:00.006+02:00

Obama's First 100 Days

Edit: More Inauguration Fun: (courtesy of The Onion)

Change I Need to Believe In

2009-01-21T04:04:00.004+02:00

I'm tired of hearing people say that "nothing will change" under Obama. As if they know somebody else who would change everything.

The election of Barack Obama is a historic event in and of itself. No other western country has managed to shatter racial barriers in such a way, and no other western country could, anyway. It's something that confirms my faith in humanity as a whole and fills me with respect and gratitude for the American people.

Separate from the event of his election is Barack Obama, the person. Admittedly, expectations are extremely high. It seems inevitable that he will disappoint. Still, that doesn't change the fact that he appears not only to be a sincerely decent human being, but also an extremely charismatic leader. Someone not afraid to admit he's fallible, yet no less able to inspire admiration and hope because of it.

Over the course of my lifetime, I don't expect to witness many politicians that I feel are better people than me. Much less heads of state of the most powerful country on the planet. If he fails us, and he very well might, then too bad. For now, though, he inspires me. He compells me to become a better person. He's a leader I want to follow. And that's a feeling so rare that I want to savour and hold on to it for as long as I can.

Και τώρα... Και Τώρα!

2009-01-19T04:25:00.007+02:00

Ανέβηκε (επιτέλους) το πρώτο επεισόδιο του podcast που ξεκινήσαμε με τον Διονύση Ατζαράκη.
Είναι αστείο!
Θα το βρείτε εδώ.
(Ψηφίστε εμένα!)

The Bridess Prince

2009-01-12T17:33:00.004+02:00

The cover of the 20th Anniversary Edition of the Princess Bride DVD is absolutely amazing! It reads both ways! I want this so badly. Too bad it lacks the features (and 2nd disc) of the special edition...

(via BoingBoing (via Justin))

Things that renew my faith in humanity #4

2009-01-10T03:48:00.007+02:00

I took part in the Erasmus Freeze at Ermou street in Athens (you can actually see me at 6:15, sitting on the far left) about a month ago. For all I know, it was the first flashmob event of its kind in Greece, after which people started organising "freezes" all over the place (understandable, considering how much fun we had).

I first came across the idea of freezing in place in this video by Improv Everywhere. Over the past few years, they've organised lots of inspired stunts, including pretending to move in slow motion and welcoming random people at the airport. As a matter of fact, today is No Pants 2k9, the 8th Annual No Pants! Subway Ride, where people, well, ride the subway without pants in 24 cities worldwide (the trick is in pretending that everything is normal and not smiling like an idiot).

Besides these events where anyone can participate, they also organise smaller-scale (but larger-scope) missions like the Food Court Musical. Some have elaborate scripts, such as the wonderful Romantic Comedy Cab or the Suicide Jumper. Some, like the McDonald's Bathroom Attendant just make me smile.
Finally - you absolutely have to see this, it's unbelievable - there's The Moebius.

If you still haven't had your fill, there's even more missions on their site.

It's just plain fun!

Tragedy Days

2008-12-29T20:51:00.008+02:00

Ήμουν καλεσμένος στην ηχογράφηση του τελευταίου podcast των Διάτρητων ΑΕ.
Άμα έχετε 61 λεπτά και 4 δευτερόλεπτα να σκοτώσετε, περάστε από εκεί να μας ακούσετε να μιλάαααααμε. Το κομμάτι για το stand-up και τις Νύχτες Κωμωδίας ξεκινάει γύρω στο 13:10, όπου θα βρείτε και μια τέλεια techno έκδοση του theme του Tetris. Πιο μετά μιλάω και γι'αυτό το blog καθώς και για τα μελλόντικά μου σχέδια όσον αφορά τις Μαϊμού Ειδήσεις.

If you could go back to any time anywhere, where would you go and why?

2008-12-22T16:48:00.005+02:00

Sukeile asked me that awesome question in a comment on deviantArt, and I had so much fun coming up with an answer that I decided to post it here, as well.

-----
Let me say, first of all, that I'd much rather go forward in time, than back. I'm more curious about what's coming, than what went by.
Even so, the more I think about it, the more I find things I'd really like to witness in the past.
The Big Bang, for one --as you can see, I'm starting at the very beginning-- or even what existed before the Big Bang (not sure how I'd survive, though). There's so much of science I could prove or disprove by going back in time! I'd like to see some dinosaurs and prehistoric men (and, thus, corrobate the theory of evolution and whether dinosaurs had feathers), maybe check out what Jesus was like. Be a pirate on the Spanish Main (although that's probably more fun in the movies). Find out how Machu Pichu, the Stonehedge, the Pyramids and the Parthenon were built. Witness the Byzantine Empire, the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution and the turn of the century (or, simply put, every major event in human history). Meet Socrates, DaVinci, Alexander the Great, Christopher Columbus, Napoleon, Abraham Lincoln, Oscar Wilde and (moving closer to today) Carl Barks, Groucho Marx, Douglas Adams and Mitch Hedberg (though I'm not really sure what I'd say to them "Hey, there, I'm from the future!"). It would be like a super-enhanced museum experience.
Then, there's the temptation to influence past events. Save Anastasia Romanof (I'm not sure why that's the first thing that came to mind), help the Aztecs against Cortez, stop Hitler (see Red Alert) or the A-bombs, help Al Gore against Bush (as soon as I find out how...).
Or maybe just minor events. Go back to my younger self and teach him stuff I wish I had known back then (like how to talk to girls). Not sure I'd listen to myself, though...
The possibilities are endless! Even just introducing modern technology to people from the past would be fun, or I could just mess around with their heads...

To tell you the truth, I would probably try my best not to influence past events, for fear of tearing the time-space continuum, but still, what an awesome question...!
-----

What would you do if you could go back to any time anywhere? I'm certain there's great ideas I missed.

Suited Monkey

2008-12-18T20:33:00.010+02:00

Almost two months ago, Stelios Kouloglou, a Greek journalist, did a series of short videos showcasing some of the comics appearing at the Νύχτες Κωμωδίας Comedy Club in Athens.
Mine has finally been posted online: check it out! (sadly only in Greek)

A couple of thoughts after the jump...

That was probably one of my best sets, so I'm especially happy to have it on video. I think it comes across - it's surprisingly energetic (something compounded by the fact that I talk waytoofast)...
I like how they start with my joke about living with 4 siblings. It's something that describes me accurately and succinctly. They've picked my most palatable material -which conflicts somewhat with my statement, at the beginning, that "my set becomes more surreal with every passing year", but what are you going to do?

... It'd be nice if they hadn't mistyped my name in the accompanying text, though.

~~Now, can anybody show me how to save this and embed it?~~ ... Never mind, found it!

My favourite songs, today.

2008-12-16T15:46:00.002+02:00

:)

(via BoingBoing (via Kottke))

What I Learned About Stand-Up Comedy In London

2008-12-13T16:11:00.006+02:00

Note: I was going to upload this almost a week ago, but other things took precedence.

There is only one comedy club in Athens, where I live. The one I work at. You'd think it would be hard to get booked, but there aren't a lot of aspiring stand-up comedians in Athens, where I live, either (or established ones, for that matter). As a result, I learned pretty much everything I know by watching HBO specials and reading FAQs on the interet.

Attending a live comedy show is a very different experience to watching an hour-long HBO special.
Let me tell you, sitting among the audience, looking at a sparkling microphone lit by a single spotlight on an empty stage and hearing repeated announcements saying "the show will start in 10, 5, 2 minutes" is a lot more exciting than double-clicking on an .avi file...

Then there's the crowd warm-up and audience interaction that you can't really witness anyplace else. Right off the bat, the comedians' experience was obvious. These guys were professionals. Mind you, not all of them made me laugh. After all, a professional isn't necessarily "better" than an amateur, he just does whatever it is he does for a living - and it was clear these guys had put a lot of work into their acts. Years of polishing their material had allowed them to juice every possible laugh from their concepts, coming at them from all conceivable angles.
You could just tell they'd done thousands of shows. Heard pretty much every possible heckle. And, boy, were there heckles. I went to a Friday late show (it started at midnight) and most of the audience were pretty tipsy even before the show had begun. At some point, a German lady sitting in front of me was just yelling gibberish, considerably lessening my enjoyment. Still, the performers handled it like, well, pros.

I was impressed by how quick-witted they appeared, how they made it seem like they had funny remarks about anything and everything at the tip of their tongues. "Oh, so you're a carpenter? Here's a joke about that. And you, sir? Norwegian? Hah! Listen to this!" There's this trick they do where they repeat the audience's answer to every question ("Where are you from?" "Scotland." "Scotland!") which keeps the people who didn't hear interested, while conveniently buying enough time to think of a comeback. Even so, I wish I had attended a second show, just to figure out how much of it was improvised and how much just looked that way.

Even when mocking the audience, though, they'd put "a little more effort" into the joke. At some point, the host made fun of a patron's open-legged stance. "My balls are so big, I can't sit any other way." he said. Some would have stopped there. After all, he got the laugh. Still, he went one step further: "Saturn has been pushed out of its orbit because of the gravitational pull of my enormous balls". It wasn't as funny, but it gave the (false?) impression that he wasn't just going for the easy dick joke.
I found it interesting that, when interacting with the audience, they would stick to a topic even if it wasn't killing, confident that they'd get a good laugh eventually. Long running jokes and callbacks created a sense of "shared experience" and won us over. Combined with the fact that they answered each. And. Every. Heckle, this really strengthened their frame and won our respect. They made it look like they weren't seeking a response. Curious detail: They didn't ask for audience member's names, rather going straight for "where are you from, what do you do".

Besides the Comedy Store, I also went to a much less glamorous show: it took place in a Hotel basement without spotlights or microphone. The show wasn't sold out (about 40 out of the room's 60 seats were full) and the main act mostly joked around with the crowd, probably the wisest choice, seeing as how the next number - who tried to do straight material, really intelligent stuff with lots of double-entendres - bombed miserably

I was surprised by how much every comedian I saw kissed up to the audience (a behaviour you don't see much in HBO Specials where the egos are bigger and the crowds adoring). Rather than ask us to applaud them, they'd tell us to give our love to the mic or applaud ourselves for being such an awesome bunch. I guess it's easier to say "is that all you've got?" when you're not asking for praise on your own behalf.
Being in the audience also made me realize how hard it is to remember the performers' names... even if you intend to! Dimitris is a common name in Greece and getting people to remember it is a riddle I have yet to solve.

All in all, it was a great experience. Turns out that, in many ways, we have it good, here in Greece. It's a lot easier to get booked, and competition among comedians is much less intense. I'm also proud to say we offer a pretty good show, even by British standards. Our problems are mostly on the marketing side. Unfortunately, the smaller market also means it's impossible to make a living just from stand-up...
More than anything else, seeing stand-up shows in London made me realize I owe it to myself to try my luck abroad.

Μαϊμού Ειδήσεις 1: Οργή για τον 15χρονο

2008-12-09T01:19:00.017+02:00

Ακούστε αυτήν την είδηση: mp3

Διαβάστε το πλήρες κείμενο μετά το άλμα...

Αθήνα 08/12/2008

Συνεχίζονται για τρίτη μέρα σε ολόκληρη τη χώρα τα επεισόδια και οι εκδηλώσεις διαμαρτυρίας για τη δολοφονία του 15χρονου Αλέξη Γρηγορόπουλου από ειδικό φρουρό αργά το βράδυ του Σαββάτου, και η ερώτηση στα χείλη όλων είναι: «Πόσο τραγικά ηλίθιος μπορεί να είναι κάποιος, για να πυροβολήσει ένα παιδί; Πόσο τρομαχτικά ανεγκέφαλος; Δε θα 'πρεπε η χρήση βίας να είναι έσχατη λύση κι όχι αντακλαστική αντίδραση; Μήπως λέγονται ειδικοί φρουροί επειδή είναι φρουροί με ειδικές ανάγκες; Κι άμα είναι έτσι, γιατί τους δίνουν όπλα; Κάτσε, δικό μου είναι αυτό το αμάξι που καίγεται;»

Απαντώντας στις κατηγορίες για δολοφονία ανηλίκου, ο ειδικός φρουρός δήλωσε: «Μα φαινόταν τουλάχιστον 18!», χωρίς, όμως, να πείθει ιδιαίτερα.

Σκηνές ωμής βίας περιέγραψε ανταποκριτής του Alpha Radio, με τις δυνάμεις των ΜΑΤ να ξυλοκοπούν διαδηλωτές εντελώς απροκάλυπτα, μπροστά στα μάτια εξοργισμένων περαστικών. Κοινώς, οι αστυνομικοί δεν. Έμαθαν. Τίποτα.
Την ίδια στιγμή, το Mega πήρε το αυθεντικό βίντεο της δολοφονίας και το πρόβαλε έχοντας προσθέσει συνθήματα και ήχους διαδηλώσεων. Προφανώς, θεωρήθηκε πως το αρχικό βίντεο αδικούσε τους ειδικούς φρουρούς και, στα πλαίσια της σωστής και αντικειμενικής ενημέρωσης, αποφασίστηκε αυτή η ανισορροπία να διευθετηθεί. Στη συνέχεια, μεταδόθηκε μοντάζ εικόνων αστυνομικής βίας με μουσική υπόκρουση την Άνοιξη απο τις «Τέσσερις Εποχές» του Vivaldi. «Όπως φαίνεται ξεκάθαρα από το ντοκουμέντο, δεν τους δέρνουν, τους μυούν στην κλασική μουσική.»

Ταυτόχρονα, η κυβέρνηση φαίνεται να έχει παραλύσει εντελώς, ενώ τα κόμματα της αντιπολίτευσης αναλώνονται σε πολιτικές σκοπιμότητες οργανώνοντας 3 διαφορετικές πορείες στο κέντρο της Αθήνας και φωνάζοντας σαν μανάβηδες στη λαϊκή: «Εδώ η καλή πορεία! Όχι τη δική τους πορεία, τη δική μας!»
Το αντιεξουσιαστικό κίνημα, από την πλευρά του, ξεχύθηκε στους δρόμους σαν ποπκόρν σε ανοιχτή κατσαρόλα - κάνοντας τα πάντα χάλια και χωρίς συγκεκριμένο στόχο. Τα αιτήματα τους είναι ακόμη ασαφή: «Ποιος 15χρονος; Εμένα ο μπαμπάς μου πουλάει ασφάλειες αυτοκινήτων» δήλωσε μπάχαλος, σπάζοντας με το κράνος του το παρμπριζ ενός σταθμευμένου Ι.Χ. Λίγο πιο δίπλα ένας συναγωνιστής του αναφώνησε οργισμένος: «Κάδος σκότωσε τον αδερφό μου!»

Ίσως, όμως, έχει αρχίσει να αχνοφαίνεται μία ελπίδα εκτόνωσης της κρίσης. Καθώς ένας άντρας των ΜΑΤ γρονθοκοπούσε έναν φοιτητή, λίγο πιο δίπλα ένας κουκουλοφόρος πετούσε μολότωφ στην Εθνική Βιβλιοθήκη. Για μια στιγμή, τα βλέμματα τους διασταυρώθηκαν. Μέσα σε αυτήν τη στιγμή, τα πάντα άλλαξαν. Μέσα σε μία, μαγική, στιγμή συνειδητοποίησαν πόσα κοινά έχουν. Ξάφνου, παράτησαν ό,τι έκαναν και όρμηξαν ο ένας προς τον άλλον. Όχι για να πλακωθούν, όχι. Για να αγκαλιαστούν.
Σιγά-σιγά, κι άλλοι ακολούθησαν το αλλόκοτο παράδειγμά τους ώσπου στο τέλος, μπάτσοι και μπάχαλοι, μονιασμένοι, άρχισαν να τρέχουν πίσω από τους πολίτες, μανιασμένοι, για να τους σπάσουν τα κεφάλια.

Christmas Ornaments

2008-12-06T21:17:00.015+02:00

We put up our Christmas decorations today. We've had the same fake tree for the past 20 years, but for the first time in my life, I noticed that we've got some pretty weird-ass ornaments. Notice the welcome sign, above).

I guess everyone's got the various messages of hope and peace and Santa ornaments.
Of course, there's also the home-made decorations we bought from a bazaar for some Cause or other:

At some point, the Christmas associations really start getting stretched...

How about this?

After a while we pretty much stop trying. It's just "things that hang on".

But what about these guys?

This next one has got to be my absolute favourite.

It's a koala bear furry dressed as Santa!

We also have a weird rule in our family:
We never throw christmas ornaments away.
As a result, there are quite a few ornaments on whom the years have taken their toll. Now they're just creepy. Like this empty sleigh.

this bare fireplace,

the pirate santa,
or this:

You'd expect there to be a Dad and Mom sweater as well. Or at least a Daughter one.
Nope. That's all. SON.

But I think this last one is the scariest one of all:

The weirdest thing is that it's always been like that. There never was a body to begin with! I guess that's why Santa doesn't bring gifts to the Voodoo children anymore...

LONDON

2008-11-27T18:50:00.001+02:00

I'm leaving for the UK, to see Coldplay live. I'll be updating my twitter feed whenever I feel like it. See ya!

My favourite song, today.

2008-11-10T22:43:00.001+02:00

One of my best sets, so far.

2008-10-31T22:52:00.008+02:00

These two are my favourites:

I'm not sure what part of my act this is from:

Why, yes, I do come up with all my jokes on my own.

Man, I look like I'm having fun.

... photos by Lucia Rikaki (25/10/08).

Show-starter

2008-10-17T21:36:00.004+03:00

Come see me live! Shows start Oct 23!

Comedy Club @ TrickyTrickArt - Αιόλου 48-50 Μοναστηράκι
Τηλ. Κρατήσεων: 210-3311009 - 6973371601

My favourite song, today. (#2)

2008-10-15T17:35:00.001+03:00

This is a different day than the last one.

My favourite song, today.

2008-10-02T15:06:00.005+03:00

There's a version sans the unnerving car alarm here but it also lacks comedians...

Forced Advertising

2008-09-17T20:14:00.007+03:00

Έχω εθιστεί στο Daily Show. Την περασμένη βδομάδα που είχε break, η μόνη μου παρηγοριά ήταν τo 30λεπτο podcast του Bugle.

Επιτέλους! αναφώνησα μέσα μου όταν μπήκε αυτή η βδομάδα κι αμέσως ύστερα Ωιμέ! γιατί δεν έβρισκα πουθενά τα επεισόδια. Έχει φτάσει Τετάρτη κι ακόμη δεν έχει ανέβει ούτε της Δευτέρας! Έκανα λίγο υπομονή, έψαξα από δω, έψαξα από κει, τελικά βρέθηκα στο επίσημο site της εκπομπής, όπου ανακάλυψα ότι μπορείς να δεις full episodes online και, κυρίως, εντελώς δωρεάν.
Χάρηκα που μου δόθηκε αυτή η δυνατότητα: να δω τα επεισόδια χωρίς να χρειάστει να απευθυνθώ στο θείο μου από την Αμερική κι αμέσως έβαλα το show της Δευτέρας.
Αντ'αυτού άρχισε να παίζει ένα trailer.
Μάλιστα, σκέφτηκα, νέα ταινία του Ricky Gervais. Η Έκτη Αίσθηση σε κωμωδία...; Καλή φάση. Δεν υπήρχε τρόπος να το προσπεράσω, μόνο ένα ρολογάκι που μετρούσε αντίστροφα. Oh well. 35 δευτερόλεπτα μετά, έβλεπα τον Stewart. Τι καλά!
*comedy*
"We'll be right back." *fade out για διαφημίσεις*
Ωπ, να το trailer πάλι. Όμορφα -πριν έχασα την αρχή του.
...
Επιστρέψαμε. Αστεία. Daily Show. Τσάμπα! Νόμιμα! Τέλεια! ... Λες να'χω κανά mail; *Pause*. No messages. *Play*.
Huh? Πάλι οι νεκροί. Τι θα γίνει...;
...
Α, να ο Jon. Χιχι! *comedy* Κάτσε, τι έγινε; Τι είπε; Πάμε λίγο πίσω.
*Trailer*
.......
Stewart πάλι... Χα! Καλό! Ε; ... Κόλλησε. *Refresh* Σκατά. Έπεσε το net. Άαααντε να συγχρονίσει τώρα... Επιτέλους!
*Play*
ΜΑ... ΠΑΛΙ;!;

Anyways. You get the point. Δεν έχω, φυσικά, κανένα πρόβλημα να μου δείχνουν διαφημίσεις -ακόμη και χωρίς να μ'αφήνουν να τις προσπεράσω- προκειμένου να μπορώ να βλέπω μια πολύ καλή σειρά, δωρεάν, όποτε με βολεύει. Στην τελική, μ'αρέσουν οι καλές διαφημίσεις! Ήδη, όμως, ένα 20λεπτο επεισόδιο έχει 3 διακοπές "built in", ήταν ανάγκη να προσθέσουν σποτάκια όποτε μετακινείσαι μπροστά ή πίσω στο βίντεο αλλά και κάθε φορά που πατάς play;

Ακόμη περισσότερο, ήταν ανάγκη να μου δείξουν 7 φορές το ίδιο trailer;

Interrail!

2008-07-23T10:51:00.003+03:00

I'm running around Eastern Europe by train. I'll be posting updates on my twitter feed.

Αυτές οι γερμανικές εταιρίες βρε παιδίμ... Εγγύηση.

2008-03-05T11:58:00.004+02:00

Μόνο το καλύτερο για το μωρό μας.

Firefly στο Μακεδονία TV

2008-03-05T11:18:00.003+02:00

Τρίτη με Παρασκευή στις 00.00 από τις 4 μέχρι τις 25 Μαρτίου.

Πεντακόσια χρόνια μετά στο μέλλον, ένα αρνησίθρησκο πλήρωμα σε ένα μικρό, κινητό, διαστημικό σκάφος προσπαθεί να επιζήσει καθώς ταξιδεύουν σε άγνωστα μέρη του γαλαξία και αποφεύγουν τις διάφορες φατρίες πολεμώντας διαρκώς, καθώς οι πράκτορες των αρχών βρίσκονται εκεί έξω για να τους πιάσουνε!

... heh. Όπως και να'χει, γαμάτo.

The ego-boost I've been hearing so much about

2008-02-25T03:06:00.006+02:00

Όταν κατεβαίνω από την σκηνή, συνήθως δεν είμαι ικανοποιημένος. Ακόμη και τις φορές που μου λένε ότι πήγα καλά, σκέφτομαι ότι θα μπορούσα να’χα πάει καλύτερα. Εστιάζω στα σημεία που δεν έβγαλαν γέλιο.

Απόψε ήταν αλλιώς.
Απόψε πήγα καλά. Απόψε, για πρώτη φορά , είμαι ευχαριστημένος.
Συνειδητοποίησα ότι βρίσκομαι στο στάδιο που πασχίζω ακόμη να δικαιολογήσω την παρουσία μου στην σκηνή. Αυτό που εισπράττω συνήθως είναι η αποδοχή του κοινού. "Χε... καλός αυτός".
Σήμερα εισέπραξα θαυμασμό.

Ήταν, βέβαια, πάρα πολύ καλό κοινό. Δεν είναι ότι έπαιξα τέλεια, ή ότι γέλασαν σε όλα μου τα αστεία, αλλά με έκαναν να νιώσω θεός. Είχα ζήσει την απόλυτη απελπισία του να μην πηγαίνεις καλά, αλλά ποτέ πριν δεν είχα νιώσει αυτήν την ικανοποίηση. Είναι ωραία να στέκεσαι στην σκηνή και να περιμένεις να σταματήσει το χειροκρότημα και να καταλαγιάσουν τα γέλια. Έφυγα από τις Νύχτες Κωμωδίας νιώθοντας λίγο ψηλότερος. Γύρω στο 1,87.

Πρέπει να βελτιωθώ. Πολύ. Θέλω να νιώθω έτσι μετά από κάθε παράσταση.

Weird Way With Words

2008-02-24T03:00:00.012+02:00

Το πρώτο τραγούδι στο οποίο να συμμετέχουν περισσότεροι από έναν μουσικοί που άκουσα ποτέ ήταν η έκδοση του Perfect Day στην οποία συμμετέχουν - μεταξύ των άλλων - ο Bono, o David Bowie, η Suzanne Vega, o Elton John και o Pavarotti. Όλα αυτά πριν από σχεδόν 10 χρόνια, τον καιρό που το να χωράει ένα 5λεπτο τραγούδι σε 5mb ήταν εντυπωσιακό και που, για να το ακούσεις κιόλας, έπρεπε να περιμένεις μισή ώρα να κατέβει απ'το Napster.
Θυμάμαι ακόμη το filename:

Lou Reed feat. Bono, David Bowie, Pavarotti etc - Perfect Day.mp3

Είναι ωραίο κομμάτι από μόνο του αλλά το γεγονός ότι κάθε στίχο τον ερμηνεύει κάποιος διαφορετικός από τους (λίγους, ομολογουμένως) μουσικούς που ήξερα τότε το έκανε να πάρει επικές διαστάσεις στον νου μου. Φανταζόμουν την ηχογράφησή του: όλοι αυτοί οι τραγουδιστές σε μια σειρά - ο ένας δίπλα στον άλλον - με κάποιο περίπλοκο μηχάνημα να μετακινεί το (μοναδικό) μικρόφωνο από τον έναν στον επόμενο, μόλις ο πρώτος τελείωνε τον στίχο του. Ήταν κατόρθωμα για τον Lou Reed να τους μαζέψει όλους αυτούς και να τους συγχρονίσει τόσο άψογα.
Γι'αυτό μάλλον ο τίτλος γράφει "feat."

Μόλις πριν κανά δίμηνο συνειδητοποίησα τι σημαίνει πραγματικά. "ΑΧΑ!" Μέχρι τότε απορούσα πως μπορεί να θεωρούνται "κατορθώματα" προσπάθειες που περιλάμβαναν όλους κι όλους 2 καλλιτέχνες.

Άλλες εκλάμψεις: "Ρε συ! Οι Beatles γράφονται με 'a' από το beat!" Ή την φορά που είπα σ'έναν θείο μου ότι θα πάω να δω τους Tsopana Rave.
-Χα! Τέλειο όνομα - Τσοπαναραίοι!
-!!!
Το παθαίνω συχνά! Έχω την τάση να λαμβάνω τους αγγλικούς τίτλους σαν ήχους, σύνολα από συλλαβές, χωρίς να φτάνουν ποτέ ως το σημείο του εγκεφάλου όπου αντιστοιχίζονται στις έννοιές τους. Άλλωστε, πολλά όνοματα συγκροτημάτων, εταιριών και προϊόντων δεν "σημαίνουν" κάτι (Dark Horse, Wacom, Firefox και Arctic Monkeys μερικά παραδείγματα εδώ γύρω μου). Δίχως αμφιβολία το μυαλό μου, σε μια προσπάθεια να λειτουργεί ακόμη πιο αποδοτικά, αποφεύγει να ξοδέψει κύκλους μηχανής αναζητώντας νόηματα εκεί που πιθανόν να μην υπάρχουν. Είτε αυτό, είτε ο εγκέφαλός μου, ως ζωτικό όργανο, είναι τεμπέλης.
Το μόνο που ξέρω είναι ότι έγινα ρεζίλι όταν άνοιξα να γράψω CD κι αναφώνησα "ΑΜΑΝ! Ο Νέρωνας! Rome!"

... δείχνει το Κολοσσαίο να φλέγεται, for fuck's sake!

I called it! (or "Wanna bet?")

2008-01-28T22:34:00.001+02:00

I wanted my first post of 2008 (and the first one after this long period of absence) to be something more... substantial. In fact, I'm in the process of writing a post about 2007 (the year, not the number).
Still, I thought this was interesting, in a why-didn't-I-think-of-it-sooner kind of way and I guess this is as good a time as any to resume posting.

This guy is making a site that allows you to bet (albeit using imaginary money) on the outcome of news stories. Is Obama going to win the primaries? Will Best Movie go to Old Men? Will Amy Winehouse manage to kill herself by 2009?
Obviously, it's all about bragging rights -the appeal lies in proving that "you were right" rather than winning money.
Now... wanna bet when the writer's strike'll end?

Nocturnal Monkey

2007-10-31T00:35:00.001+02:00

I'm done with last year's jokes. Done! Yay for this year's fresh, new jokes! There's a video of me performing some of the material from this blog after the jump. A few excrepts from my set at Νύχτες Κωμωδίας last Sunday.
I'm not quite sure why the cameraman decided to use the nightshot function, but it turns out I'm funnier in night-vision.

Dumbledore was a queer!

2007-10-21T12:13:00.000+03:00

Ok, this is way too much fun not to mention. Apparently, J.K. Rowling outed Dumbledore!
So that's why he was being all chummy with Gellert Grindelwald. "Think of the fan fiction" indeed!
The rest of this is just shameless gay jokes (I can't help myself). Consider yourselves warned.

My first thought was, well duuuuuuuuuh, didn't you see his look when he was checking out Harry's... wand? How about his Firebolt broomstick?
Personally, though, I'm ecstatic. I think it's a wonderful revelation, it fits his secretive character, and it's just plain fun to watch the conservatives stumbling all over themselves in the comments.

"It's a publicity stunt! A last-minute move to grab some more of that fading spotlight!" Obviously! Rowling is pandering to the homosexuals! 'Cause 300 million books sold and 2 movies yet to... come out means Harry Potter is so five minutes ago.

"Albus Dumbledore gay ? Ridiculous. Until now I thought the worst thing Rowling could do to Dumbledore was kill him." Now she's raping his corpse! With a strap-on!

According to Ambur_Nikole1, "Websters Dictionary says" Gay" means immoral and dissipated and is having to do with homosexuality!! Websters Dictionary says homosexuality is sexual activity with a person of the same sex!!! Not me but someone smarter then me!!! said that." The... let's call it "grammar" and "syntax" are giving me some trouble, but I think what she's saying is that "gay" means "homosexual". According to Webster. I'm not sure, and I think she's not sure either.

Homophobia? Pah! knoxdkm informs us that "'Homophobia' is a foolish word created by left-wing morons. There is nothing ignorant, prejudicial, intolerant, etc. about believing that homosexuality is wrong." ... I mean, seriously, do I sound ignorant, prejudiced or intolerant to you?
Apparently, some things should be left to the imagination... but only as long as we're not forced to picture Harry Potter and the Glistening Bratwurst.
... the Philosopher's Boner?
I'll stop now.

... the Order of the Penis?

If I had a time machine, I'd tell the person who spoiled The Usual Suspects for me how he's going to die.

2007-10-19T15:05:00.000+03:00

Από το Devilogical:
"Σημερα, με ολο και περισσοτερα παιχνιδια να δινουν αρκετη βαση στην ιστορια περα του gameplay η αναγκη να μοιραστεις αυτη την εμπειρια με τους μη gamers φιλους σου γινεται ολο και μεγαλυτερη."

I'd be gaming a lot more, if that were true.
Νομίζω παλαιότερα τα παιχνίδια βασίζονταν πολύ στην ιστορία. Τον καιρό των Monkey Island, του Full Throttle, του StarCraft, του original Half-Life...
Σήμερα, στην εποχή των graphics-heavy action games (τους fans των οποίων αρέσκεται να θάβει ο Yahtzee), λίγα είναι τα παιχνίδια που αξίζουν μόνο για την πλοκή τους ή για τα συναισθήματα που σου δημιουργούν...

Ας δούμε, πχ, τα most popular games του GameSpot, σήμερα.
1. Street Fighter (I imagine it has to do with fighting. On the street.)
2. Bionic Commando (Bionic Commando features a hero with a grappling hook arm used to navigate levels, to take out enemies, rappel down sheer surfaces, and more.)
3. Halo 3 (υποτίθεται πως έχει πλοκή, αλλά meh)
4. Super Mario Galaxy (looks fun as hell, but no plot here)
5. Unreal Tournament 3 (...)
6. Super Smash Bros. Brawl
7. The Orange Box (ok, αυτό είναι που αναφέραμε ήδη)
8. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (wow! it's not WWII anymore!)
9. Too Human (Too Human is a sci-fi action adventure from developer Silicon Knights. - fascinating!)
10. Link's Crossbow Training (for the Wii)
If you didn't notice, that last one was the punchline...

Shows start October 25!

2007-09-28T12:15:00.000+03:00

Check it out! (try to ignore the ugly web design and long-winded text)
The point is: I'm performing again! Come see me live at Aiolou 48-50 (Monasthraki station)...
I'm going to need all the help I can get... I'm already scared shitless...!

(edit: an anonymous tip informed me that it's October 25, after all)

Το ράδιο

2007-09-25T23:21:00.000+03:00

Μου έλεγε η γιαγιά μου για όταν πρωτοείδε ραδιόφωνο. Τους είχε κάνει φοβερή εντύπωση. Ήταν μεσημέρι, κι ο θείος που το έφερε είπε να τους βάλει λίγη μουσική...

- Έλα μωρέ θείο, απάντησε η γιαγιά, δεν πειράζει... μην τον ενοχλήσουμε τον άνθρωπο τέτοια ώρα...

Career Opportunities

2007-09-21T22:52:00.000+03:00

How does somebody decide to open a candle shop?
"I'm scared of the dark, but I don't trust electricity, either..."
Or a funeral home? Who are these people who say "You know what? I want to spend the rest of my life taking care of dead bodies."

I wonder what they answered on those career personality tests.

-Do you enjoy peace and quiet?
-Did you play with dolls, as a child?
-Are you easily startled by sudden movements?
-Do you enjoy dressing people up but hate it when they breathe?
-Do you like people, but only until they start talking?
-Do you wish people would really listen to you?

I have a friend... #1

2007-09-04T22:08:00.000+03:00

I have a friend. He likes to eat chocolate and bacon pancakes.

It's always fun whenever he orders.
-Hi, what can I get you?
-Hey, I'd like a pancake... with chocolate and bacon, please.
-Right... *writes it down* --Whaaaa?

So we're out together, and he asks for a chocolate and bacon pancake and I'm a curious person and I'm wondering "what does a chocolate and bacon pancake taste like?"
I realize that I'm never going to order any for myself - this is my chance to find out. So he gives me a bite of his chocolate and bacon pancake. And you know what?

It tastes like a pancake. With chocolate. And bacon.

Return of the Barbarians

2007-09-03T10:01:00.000+03:00

Hello there,
I feel we've reached a sort of... threshold of familiarity. I think I'm finally comfortable enough to share some facts about my family.
First of all, I have 4 siblings. Our house is always full. Of noise. Never a dull moment, and all that.

Fortunately, everybody else was gone on vacation these past few weeks. Me? I spent the summer working, therefore enjoying the rare opportunity of having the entire place to myself.
Unfortunately, they're all back, now. And, as if there weren't enough of them as it is, they brought grandma and grandpa along.

So, after 2 months of eating alone (or barely eating) I suddenly find myself having dinner with a party of 8.
We say grace and sit down. I'm pretty starved and the burgers and pasta are making my mouth water. As I'm about to dig in, I realize that whoever set the table gave me 2 knives. And not even the manly kind you can cut with, I'm talking about 2 butter knives.
So I get up from the table and walk all the way to the cutlery drawer to fetch a fork. I sit down again and finally take a bite. It's delicious.
Then, my father asks for the salad. I pass him the salad.
I eat some pasta. It's good pasta.
My sister decides she wants a paper towel. Of course, she can't fetch it herself because she's sitting on the good side of the table. I reach back and stretch as far as I can and hand her the paper towels.
Meanwhile, after all this time, my mouth has dried up. I reach for my glass only to find out that I have no glass. Grandma's claimed it as her own.
So I get up. Again. To get a glass. I fill it at the sink, drink half, fill it up again and sit back at the table.
I've barely picked up my fork when grandpa, aching for some vegetables, reaches for the salad. He hits my glass, instead, and spills the water all over my plate and lap.

At that point, I just left. I waited 'till they were done before going back to the kitchen and eating by myself.

Falling Piano

2007-09-01T19:02:00.000+03:00

This is an idea I've had for a long time. Originally I was going to use a grand piano, but I ended up going with the anvil. First of all: it's easier to draw (and has cleaner lines). Secondly, I think anvils are, much more than pianos, items whose main ability is to fall.

Μου έκλεψαν, πάλι, το κινητό. (part 2)

2007-08-29T09:36:00.000+03:00

(Συνομιλία με το 8011197000, το τηλεφωνικό κέντρο των καταστημάτων COSMOTE)
- Καλησπέρα, δίκτυο καταστημάτων COSMOTE, πως μπορώ να σας εξυπηρετήσω;
- Γεια σας. Μπορείτε να με συνδέσετε με το κατάστημα της Στουρνάρη;
- Εμείς είμαστε το τηλεφωνικό κέντρο για όλα τα καταστήματα. Πείτε μου. Τι θέλετε;
- Μου κλέψανε το κινητό και σήμερα το πρωί πήγα στη Στουρνάρη να μου βγάλουν καινούργια SIM. Μου είπαν ότι θα ενεργοποιηθεί σε 1-2 ώρες. Έχουν περάσει 5 κι ακόμη τίποτα. Από την εξυπηρέτηση πελατών, αφού άκουσα 10 λεπτά το ίδιο τραγούδι ξανά και ξανά (και ξανά) με έστειλαν στο 69710001313 επειδή α, εγώ έχω καρτοκινητό και το 69710001313 είναι που είναι για τα καρτοκινητά. 20 λεπτά αναμονής αργότερα κι αφού μου ζήτησαν όλα μου τα στοιχεία, κατέληξαν στο ότι δεν είναι--
- Μια στιγμή - θα σας συνδέσω με το υποκατάστημα στη Στουρνάρη.
- Καταπληκτική ιδέα!

Θέλω το τηλέφωνό μου πίσω!

2007-08-28T01:10:00.000+03:00

Μου έκλεψαν, πάλι, το κινητό.
Είναι το 3ο που χάνω.
Θα γίνω ανέκδοτο!

- Λέω να πάρω καινούργιο κινητό.
- Γιατί να πληρώνεις; Κλέψε του Duke.
- Μπαααα, δεν μ'αρέσει...
- Ε, κάτσε τότε να του το κλέψει κάποιος άλλος και παίρνεις εσύ το επόμενο...

Funny Monkey

2007-08-28T00:13:00.000+03:00

I'm going to start my comedy blog with a video of the first time I ever played in front of a paying audience.
It's in greek, so those of you who speak (listen) greek, enjoy. The rest of you: laugh at the pauses.