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.
Showing posts with label english. Show all posts
Showing posts with label english. Show all posts
January 23, 2009
We Have Moved!
January 21, 2009
Both Funny and Not Funny
Obama's First 100 Days
Edit: More Inauguration Fun: (courtesy of The Onion)
Change I Need to Believe In
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.
January 12, 2009
The Bridess Prince
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))
December 22, 2008
If you could go back to any time anywhere, where would you go and why?
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.
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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...!
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What would you do if you could go back to any time anywhere? I'm certain there's great ideas I missed.
December 16, 2008
December 13, 2008
What I Learned About Stand-Up Comedy In London
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.
December 6, 2008
Christmas Ornaments
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...
November 10, 2008
October 31, 2008
One of my best sets, so far.
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).
read more...
October 15, 2008
October 2, 2008
My favourite song, today.
There's a version sans the unnerving car alarm here but it also lacks comedians...
January 28, 2008
I called it! (or "Wanna bet?")
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?
October 21, 2007
Dumbledore was a queer!
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?
September 21, 2007
Career Opportunities
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?
September 3, 2007
Return of the Barbarians
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.
September 1, 2007
Falling Piano
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.
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