Sorry for the delay in posting, but it has been quite a week. (Mostly with work and running errands.) The Preshow Nerdmeet in Dallas will be held at Blue Goose (2905 Greenville Ave. Dallas, TX 75206). Which is just up the street from the Granada Theater. Be there at 5:30 to meet your local nerds before the awesomeness that is CHris Hardwick and Chaotic Good.
PS I still have a free ticket. Tweet @KeenanLonell if you are interested. (or if you have any Chaotic Good questions)
Saturday, June 11 Chris Hardwick will be bringing his Chaotic Good comedy show to the Granada Theatre. Info on the show is located here. There are still tickets available, but if you are interested in meeting people you could go for free. Through an uninteresting, yet beneficial, series of events I have an extra ticket. If you are want the ticket and are want to hang out with Dallas’ local nerds, send a tweet to @KeenanLonell with the hash tag #DallasBFF. I’ll pick the winner on Friday, June 10. To improve your chances, put something fun or interesting in the tweet (a cool pic or video). The only condition to winning is you must be available in Dallas for a tweet up prior to the show.
Tomorrow I’ll announce the when and where that the tweet-up will be. Watch for that and tweet for the ticket.
I recorded my set last night. But I am not sharing it. I’m not saying it was bad… It just wasn’t good. Luckily I know what happened, and I have a week to work things out. What was cool, is there were several people who were willing to offer me some kind words and helpful advice. I also learned that I feel the need to over explain and apologize when I don’t have to. It’s fun learning how childhood has screwed me up all these years later. Luckily I’m aware of it and am not stuck doing that for the rest of my life. And maybe it’ll give me something to talk about next time I’m on stage.
SO, yesterday I slept for 12 hours. Then today for another 8. I don’t know why exactly, but I do know that as of right now I feel AWESOME! Which is good, because it’s open mic night again. With 20 hours of sleep under my belt, I expect to be able to stay awake until my set. That’s all I really have to say right now. Come back tomorrow for my posting (good or bad) of my stand up.
I may have missed logging the last couple of days. If you think the subject line of this is a typo, then you are probably not familiar with the Japanese series Kamen Rider. I spent most of my non-working hours catching up on the current series. This year happens to be both the 40th Anniversary and the 1000th episode. Which means little other than it’s been around for a long time. The basics of the show is monsters are attacking. A hero appears fight the monsters. To do so, he uses a belt to transform into a Rider, an armored warrior on a motorcycle. Beyond that, everything else changes from year to year: sometimes there is one rider, sometimes several, sometimes the monsters are outright evil, sometimes they are sympathetic… Airing with Kamen Rider is Super Sentai- which is known in America as Power Rangers. Which turns 35 this year. So, if you want to know where I’ve been, visit TV-Nihon. I may well post my thoughts and love for both series here at a later date.
The other thing that happened this weekend, which I have been very anxiously waiting for is Doctor Who’s series 6 premier. I was sadly born too late to watch the how the first time it aired, but was “lucky” enough to see the FOX produced TV movie in 1996. Sadly it wasn’t until 2005 before there would be another attempt to bring new life to the Doctor. But since they did, the BBC has had me hooked and needing more. Thanks a lot you magnificent, British bastards…
Anyway, due to my love of foreign television, I missed two days of blogging. If it ever happens again, you will at least know I’m not doing anything interesting or cool. If I were, I’d blog about it.
Recently at work I was punished by my manager. She came to me, and interrupted my work by asking why at 6am my duties, which were supposed to be done by 7am, were not yet finished. When I said I was in the process of completing the tasks, her face changed sharply and she demanded I go to the office. Once there she asked my again why my duties were not yet finished, and what I intend to do to see that they were. I told her that I was in the process of finishing my duties, that if I was allowed to go back, everything would be done on time. Instead of letting me work, she spent the next 20 minutes lecturing me about how I need to be more productive.
I’ve been at my job for a year now, in that time I have been taken to the office for two other incidents: the first was an overtime infraction, and the second was incorrectly preparing sandwiches, by using white bread rather than wheat. The overtime incident occurred in September; the sandwich one was in January. Unfortunately for me, the company I work at keeps incidents on file for a year. Which put me at Step 3 of the 4 Step Termination process. It’s called a Day of Decision; a forced day off with pay. This does not pull from my pool of earned paid time off. If you are wondering how that is a punishment, so was I. When I asked, I was informed I would have to write a letter detailing why I want to continue working there.
My first thought was how easy that would be. I want to work here because you pay me, and I need money to pay my bills. I quickly decided this was not the best way to go. Instead, I wrote what is posted below. I removed the name of the company, but am leaving the rest in tact.
To Whom It May Concern:
I was asked to write a letter detailing why it is I want to work for *****. This got me thinking about the type of company I want to work for. I want to work for a company that sees their employees as more than trained monkeys, who can’t be trusted to do their job correctly if they are not watched every moment. A company that believes their employees are both capable and intelligent, and can be trusted to accomplish their job. A company that acknowledges hard work and rewards it, even if it is with something as simple as a thank you. A company that rather than punishing their employees for failing to meet expectations works with them to understand why, as well as to help them improve. A company who trains their managers to effectively and efficiently communicate with fellow managers and employees, so that there will be no conflict in the duties, corrections, and assignments that are given by different managers. A company that nurtures their employees helping them to fulfill their potential, so that they can move up in the company, as well as in life. A company that values its employees above numbers on a page; seeing them as the people without whom they have nothing more than an empty building. Those simple tenants make up the company I want to work for, and if that company is *****, then that is the company I want to work for.
Thus ends my frustrated rant. Tomorrow will be more fun.
Last night was probably the worst experience possible with an open mic. By the time I took the stage (I was on last), all but the host and the two first-timers who went on just before were the only people there. It’s funny, but standing on stage with a microphone feels really wrong when the people you are talking to are three feet away, and able to hear you fine without it. As bad as the situation was, I couldn’t help but laugh. I laughed, wanting to just walk out and not look back. Instead I sat there and waited to hear my name called to the stage. It felt good to actually get up on stage and do what I set out to do, even if no one else saw it.
I threw caution to the wind, and decided to start by calling back to both of the sets of the people who stuck around. Which they both laughed at, so at least I got A laugh. Then I did a short version of a bit I planned on doing and vamped for the last minute of my time. When I got the light, I felt like I was a real comedian. As I walked off stage all I wanted to do was call all my friends and tell them… Sadly it was so late, I suspected they were asleep. (I was then jealous of them for getting to be in bed at that moment.) On the drive home, I knew that I would have to go back again next week. I don’t know if this is the path for me or not, but I do know that I have to go back and do it again. Clearly I have that something inside me that is pushing me to at least try.
While I didn’t record my performance this time, I will dig out the FlipCam and buy a tripod, so that I can capture the whole thing next time. Until then, I’ve got a week of wage slavery and comedy writing ahead of me. Also he Series 6 premier of Doctor Who. I love Doctor Who.
This blog has lied dormant for far too long. Tonight I will finally be going up for my first open mic. I will be telling people about me and hoping that they laugh. If they don’t, then I’ll have to fling myself off the tallest building in town. (Which in the town I live in is about three stories.) Seeing as today is 4/20, I have a feeling people will be in the mood to laugh. I brought a tape recorder from the college lecture days, so if things go well, I’ll be able to post a recording for the whole world to laugh either with or at. If they don’t… I’ll just head back to that building I mentioned earlier. Additionally, I am working at a crap job to make money to afford to drive across the country to work with Kevin Smith on his final movie. I’m sad that his career is ending, but I’ll be there to swoop in and fill the slot he is vacating. Time for me to stop waiting and grab life by the short and curlies. Finally, I’m planning to blog my adventure from struggling wage slave to struggling FORMER wage slave. SO, stick tuned to this space for all the glorious tales of debauchery.
-Keenan
After seeing Chris Hardwick at the Addison Improv, I made a fairly odd decision. I decided that I’;m going to try my hand at stand-up comedy. I’ve been told by co-workers that I should try going to an open mic night, but never really took that as anything real. After all, what do they know about comedy or performing? But with the Nerdist Podcast constantly telling me to “go out there and do it”, I started thinking maybe they were right. It all congealed after Chris’s show when I was talking to one of the guys who went on before him, John Tole. We talked a bit and he told me that there are several good places in town to try it out.
I was trying to convince myself to go tonight, but I have nothing more than a couple premises, and was quickly talking myself out of doing it. Then life gave me an out. AND a day just far enough away to expand the premises into jokes, while not being so far as to allow me to change my mind about it completely. SO, two weeks from tonight, I’ll be stepping on stage for the first time.
While putting together my act, I thought it’d be interesting to blog/ podcast my experience. Hopefully it’ll help by giving me both perspective on the whole thing and an outlet to share my journey with the world. Every not and then I may need a little encouragement and support, but I will also need honest criticism to figure out what is and isn’t working. I’d like to thank everyone in advance for all the love and support I know they will bring. I promise to not forget about you until after I am rich beyond all understanding.
Dear Mr. Stephen Moffat,
Please stop making such great shows. Not only are you making everyone else look bad, but you are taking away so much of my free time with repeat viewings. Being an American, I do have access to high quality programming, but even the best this country has to offer is little more than the drek between the toes of the lowliest most worthless character in any of your shows. Additionally, the wait between episodes (or series in the case of Doctor Who) is unbearable. As soon at the show is over, I find I am already excitedly anticipating the next. Luckily this problem can be solved during repeat viewings by way of DVD. BUT STILL!! You have turned me into a simpering fool. A mindless lap dog, awaiting his masters next appearance in his life. In closing I would like to announce my undying devotion to you, and my willingness to sacrifice my life (if it would please you.) Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Keenan
I just thought that was interesting... 