Coffee Time

On Saturday night Tobias & I hit up Oktoberfest in Torrance with my girlfriend and some other friends. I haven't been to one of these in years, and I've never been to one quite like this. It was awesome! The one I went to before was in a restaurant in Connecticut with all the local breweries set-up at tables. This Oktoberfest at The Alpine Village was huge. Hundreds of people shut into this space together like pigs in a pen looking for overpriced slop to eat and 32 oz. beers to drink. We waited in long lines for food and beer, but it didn't matter, because if you weren't waiting in the wholly unorganized lines you were just standing around drinking and talking anyway. What was really great was that everyone really seemed to be in high spirits. I was almost surprised with all the drinking going on and the mass of people that no fists were seen flying through the air. Then maybe I should have a better judgment on my fellow man. There was a really fun band playing all night. It was a German band. I'm not going to pretend to officially know what the style of music is called, so it was just a German band playing German music. The one thing I was expecting more of was wacky contests, but there was only a stein holding contest. Basically you have to hold your arm out straight for as long as you can while holding a stein full of beer. No arm bending and no beer spilling. That was pretty entertaining. I think we all enjoyed ourselves enough while there to agree that as long as any of us are Californians, the Alpine Village Oktoberfest will be a yearly trip.

Not much really going on this week in the way of Coffee Time Comics news. Both comics are moving along and passed the halfway point. I'm actually almost done writing Coffee Time and completely finished with Across the Way. Once January comes I will be starting on our next project while Tobias keeps moving with this one. By the time he's finished with CT & ATW, it'll be time to delve into a whole new world and Coffee Time Comics will be going into it's third phase. It'll be kind of like we used to do it, but in a whole new way. More on that when the time is right.

I watched Jackass 2 the other night with Tobias and I really think that it might be the funniest film I've ever seen. I like to laugh, and there aren't many things in this world that make me do it, but the guys from Jackass certainly know how. When I watch this flick, I laugh at an extreme level. Probably loud enough for the neighbors to think something might be wrong at Casa Glendale. Every time Johnny Knoxville laughs after an insane stunt, it kills me. He's a madman. The sound of Steve-O regurgitating makes me laugh. That shouldn't make me laugh, but it does. These movies are complete madness. The second one tops the first so i can't even imagine how they plan to top it with the third. I'm almost scared to watch it when it comes out someday.

It was the second time I've seen Jackass 2 now and I think it's incredible that a movie can be that funny on a second viewing. Some of the pranks actually work better because of the anticipation of what's coming. I realize watching it too much would probably result in it eventually not being funny so I don't think I should watch it too many times in my lifetime. It's kind of a special movie that I'll save for those days when a lot of laughing is really needed.

I kind of wish regular comedies could be this funny, and I only say regular comedies because Jackass is more like a test of human endurance. I know that comedy probably isn't my strongest point as a writer, but now that it's in my mind, it's something I really want to work on. Laughter is an important part of our well-being. It may not be right for every project Tobias and I have planned, but there is one in particular that, if we get to it, will be the funniest piece of work we've done together. It'll be a nice change of pace once it comes around too. But that's the future...

It was about a year ago that my father went for one of his check-ups at the doctors and found that cancer had returned to his body. Those were some trying months, but my family got through it, and my dad came out the other side with an awesome recovery. But now the holiday season is upon us and my family is being delivered another punch in the face. My sister Suzanne, at the young age of 31, has been inflicted with lung cancer.

I honestly don't think there is anything I hate more than cancer. Nobody likes it, but I think my hate is stronger than most Americans who hate Osama bin Laden, or George Bush, or both of them together even. There's nothing I can support more than finding a cure for this disease, or helping fight it, or education of it, or helping the people who have it with their finances(which for some can be the biggest burden of all). My sister's sister-in-law Ginny has started a donation page with the American Cancer Society. I would appreciate some of you going to that link and maybe throwing a couple of bucks their way. This money helps in all areas I mentioned previously.

I'm sure some of you know the pain one can feel from personal experience. Whether it's cancer or something else like it, the future is a scary place. My sister is a strong woman, and I know that she'll kick the shit out everything that comes her way. If you can't donate, please keep her in your thoughts or prayers. Every extra bit counts. She had her first chemo session on Friday, so we still have a long road ahead of us. It may seem bumpy right now, but once it's over, the road is going to be the smoothest it's ever been.

Tron: The Last Star Fighter

It's Sunday night as I update and all the stuff above was written earlier in the day. Now it's after midnight and I just got back from seeing a double feature at the New Beverly Cinema with Tobias and our friend Ian. The movies were, obviously from the title, Tron and The Last Starfighter. Now it's probably been about 15 years since I've seen these, and I probably won't see them again for 15 more, but I had a blast watching them again. The special effects were great, the stories were ridiculous, and everything from the acting to the direction was all very much soaked in that 80's attitude where the future looks A-OK. Man, I loved these flicks when I was a kid, and I guess I still do, but in a different kind of way.

It's mostly the nostalgia that comes through for me and helps me enjoy these movies more. Ya know, it takes you back to a more innocent time in your life and it feels kind of good being there for 90 minutes. But you know you can't be there for too long. Nostalgia for the things in our childhood should be a passing feeling. If it's not, we end up with big budget monstrosities like Transformers that don't let our culture move on. Honestly, sometimes i feel that if the nostalgia train doesn't slow down a little, and geek culture stays so "cool", I think future generations will end up being a bunch of overgrown man-children.

How could I turn something so positive and fun into something negative? What's wrong with me...hehe. Anyway, I had a good time(especially with the old guy in the front row who fell asleep and snored the loudest snores you could possible snore. When he sucked in it sounded like he was choking on a noodle.) and like my friend Ian said "I look forward to the Space Camp & Flight of the Navigator double feature."

10/22/07

Oktoberfest

10/15/07

Jackass

10/08/07

This Guy

10/01/07

Cancer is Lame

Tron: The Last Star Fighter

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