Jeez Jon

Happiness And Cheer

Christmas time is here.  Tom and I put up the tree the day after Thanksgiving.  The lights are up along our balcony and the wreath is on our front door.  Beyond my acting class and the holidays, I don't really have much else going on.  Well, I am coming back for the third season of Urban Basic Cable Competition Show, but without a raise or promotion, like I was expecting.  That is worthy of a post long after I'm finished on the show, as I don't feel like getting into it right now.  It's a fun show with fun people at a cool company, so the lack of promotion is rather annoying.  But, hey, it's a job, and I'm thankful for that.  I don't start on Urban Basic Cable Competition Show until the end of January, so I have plenty of time on my hands right now.  Auditions usually slow down at this time of year anyway, so it's not like I'm going to be super-busy with those.    My days right now consist of sleeping in, picking up some around the apartment, watching some Netflix films, playing with the cats, going to the gym, playing video games, and Christmas shopping. 

Shopping... yeah.  I've done some already, and we did a bunch while we were in Italy.  I do need to pick up the Christmas shopping and get it done sooner than later.   

Coasting, Holiday-Style

Things are kinda moving along in a nice, measured meter lately.  Nothing too horrible to report, nothing too wonderful to report.  I've been sleeping in a good deal, playing video games a good deal, hanging out with Tom a good deal, etc.  I've been making calls to our editor to help do the final passes on the mockumentary to get that finished.  I've been seeing some SAG Nominating Committee screenings of movies lately (that's another post altogether).  I've also been shifting some of my credit card debt to accounts with lower APR's -- not terribly sexy, mind you, but necessary and burden-lifting. 

For Turkey/Tofurkey Day this year, Tom and I are going to be hanging out with our neighbors John and Marcella and a friend of theirs.  Our friend DY/John will join us as well.  It'll be a modest Thanksgiving -- a late afternoon meal with 6 people, with the possibility of hanging out with more people after that. 

Oh, one last thing.  I found out from my commercial agent yesterday that the infomercial is going to be online as well.  So, in addition to me getting a bit more money, it'll be available for you guys to watch.  When that is live on the interwebs, I'll link to it. 

If I don't post beforehand, have a great Thanksgiving!

Everything's All Right, Everything's Fine...

With Webb definitely winning in his Senate race in Virginia, the Democrats are now in charge of Congress.  Tom has just finished working obscene hours on a special for MTV.  My acting class is chugging along well.  I'm continuing to lose weight (albeit very slowly).  So, things are going along well right now [knocking wood].  While I haven't had any auditions lately, I did get some pictures in from the infomercial.  Here's a taste...

Why do I get all the serious roles?

Midterm Midtacular Indeed

The results are mostly in:

• The Democrats have taken the House of Representatives with a sizable majority.
• The Senate is now a dead tie as Democrat John Tester was declared the winner in his Senate race in Montana. 
• The one race that will decide this all will be the Allen/Webb fight in Virginia.  It's still considered too close to call. 
• South Dakota rejected a law banning most abortions, Missouri passed a measure backing embryonic stem cell research, and Arizona was the first state in the nation to actually turn down a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
• In the bad news column, South Dakota, Tennessee, Idaho, South Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Colorado all passed constitutional amendments banning gay marriage.
• Democrats won 20 of the 36 governor races around the country, now giving the majority of the governorships to the Dems for the first time in 12 years.  One notable exception:  The Governator winning his second term here in California by a landslide.

Couple all of this with Rumsfeld stepping down, it's a pretty good day to be a Democrat. 

I'm Shocked, I Tell You. Shocked!

Britney Spears files for divorce.  In other obvious news, the sun will rise tomorrow. 

File This Under Irony

Rev. Haggard is featured in the new movie Jesus Camp, and there's a youtube clip of him railing against homosexuality during a huge church service.  Big thanks to The Daily Show for showing the clip last night [for The Daily Show clip in WMV, click here].  Here's a transcript of the clip:

Rev. Haggard:  "We've decided that the Bible is the word of God. We don't have to have a general assembly in what we believe; it's written in the Bible.  All right?  So we don't have to have a debate about homosexual activity.  It's written in the Bible!" [cut to Haggard looking directly into the camera]
Rev. Haggard: "I think I know what you did last night." [laughter from the congregation] "Give me a thousand dollars and I won't tell your wife!"  [laughter from the congregation. Haggard laughs as well.]
[Chyron: He talks to President Bush and his advisers every Monday] 
Rev. Haggard [to camera]:  "If you use any of this, I'll sue you."  [congregation laughs]

Pretty damn funny.

V.O.T.E.

Mid-term elections are today.  Vote! 

My Current Obsession Song

When I hear new music, I tend to take one song and play it over and over again.  Poor Tom -- he has little patience for this, and it's a habit I am trying to break.  Hell, I even made it one of my 101 in 1001 and knocked it out already.   At any rate, I was at Amoeba Music on Friday, killing time before seeing my friend Holly's improv show when I caught a synth band doing their sound check for their in-store appearance.  I couldn't stay, due to Holly's show, but the sound check alone made me buy the album (that and it was only $8.99). 

So, when you have a sec, check out The Paralleograms' myspace page.  The audio player will kick in when it's all loaded, and the first song will play.  "Bypass To Otherness" has been stuck in my head for days now.  It's very pretty and rather menacing.  They're big on the synthesizers, Moogs, drum machines, etc.  So, right up my alley.  Enjoy. 

White And Nerdy

Do yourselves a favor and check out Weird Al Yankovic's parody of Chamillionaire's "Ridin' Dirty" called "White and Nerdy."  For youtube, check it out here.  Keep eyes out for cameos from Seth Green and Donny Osmond.

Haggard Becoming More Haggard

Rev. Haggard has now confessed to "sexual immorality" and has said that he has confused matters by making "inconsistent statements".  He's said that "[t]here's  a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I have been warring against it for all of my adult life."  On one hand, his amazing amount of self-loathing makes my heart go out to him.  On the other hand, the fact that he has preached against homosexuality and has fought for a Colorado constituional amendment banning same-sex marriage makes me want to slap him around.  Yikes, what an asshole.