It truly is March Madness!!!!

First and formost, today officially starts March Madness. and let me go ahead and just come out with it...

Cal State Fullerton will beat Wisconsin.

I'm not just saying this because I'm a former student of CSUF, I really honestly believe that this time tomorrow everyone will be talking about the Titans. I think this for simple reason that as of this moment, t-minus 6 hours plus until game time, Nobody is.

They didn't even make the cover of SI this week, which has a collage of all the teams in the tourney. Both Play-in teams got on there.

I'm not even rooting for CSUF in their own bracket, because I'm for USC, but I'm just saying that the Badgers are going down.

And speaking of going down, What the fuck is wrong with you, America?

Kristy Lee Cook over Amanda Overmyer? KLC on the Mutha-effin' Idol Tour?

Has America lost their collective minds? Granted, Amanda had no shot at making it past 10th place this year, but this was Kristy's week to hit the bricks, and yet, she stays.

one thing that WAS nice to see was that People see through Randy and Paula's BS and Put Carly Smithson EXACTLY where she belonged...in the bottom three. she was not good this week, and hasn't been good in a while. I'n my American Idol bracket, I'm calling her to be eighth, just above KLC and Chikieze, and just below Michael Johns' Seventh Place Finish.

I'm not gonna recap this week, because I don't want to go song by song, but here is my Master top 12 List, including the Fallen Idols in the places they went out , for your reference:

• 12th: David Hernandez
• 11th: Amanda Overmyer (Really?)
• 10th: Kristy Lee "Should have been gone weeks ago" Cook
• 9th: Chikieze
  
• 8th: Carly Smithson
• 7th: Michael Johns

This is where it gets tough

• 6th: Syesha Mercado
• 5th: Ramiele Malubay
• 4th: "The Daughtry Spot" Jason Castro
  
• 3rd: "The Upset Special/Melinda Doolittle spot" Brooke White
  
• 2nd: "The Clay Aiken/ screaming fans can't save you spot" David Archuleta
  
• 1st: (American Idol Season Seven Winner, in a shocker) David Cook.

And really, the top four are kinda interchangeable. All of them will get a record deal, all of them will be hit-makers. The only two that will really have a career following the show will be David Cook and Brooke White. (Maybe Jason Castro, because he's niche.)

I can't see David Archuleta having a career past AI, because while he is an amazing singer, he's playing for a crowd of screamers who want a pop star like Jordin Sparks, and he is VERY Broadway/Adult Contemporary. (Not a lot of little girls at a Josh Groban concert, is there.) It's the same fate that befell Clay Aiken, and it will be the downfall of David Archuleta.

Mark it down.

BTW, Today is the first day Of Big Mike's One Man Asylum Blog, so go check it out and subscribe. he's attempting One Blog a day, which I tried and failed at last year, so here's hoping El Miguel Grande fares better. Good Luck, Buddy!

Okay, that's all for me. Peas Out Kids!

-G

Oh, what a fine mess...

It's funny how indecisive I have been lately.

One minute, I'm panicking, scrambling to put together scraps of my life, and the next I have too much life and I'm attempting to simplify, to the next where I have simplified, but I'm not sure if the stuff I kept is the stuff I want.

I'll never get happy this way.

It's like I'm on this Roller Coaster, on where I want to be is not at the the top of the coaster, but on the next coaster over, or chilling at the "Dippin' Dots" Stand.

It just that, none of these things seem correct right now.

But none of the options for change seem correct either.

Even the constants seem fluid right now. Can't (and won't) go into details about this, but the point will become clear soon I promise.

One of these days I'll figure this all out.

Hulu.com!!!!

Sign up for it, watch free TV AND full length movies.

So awesome, it gets an unsolicited plug in the circus.

Off to finish watching Big Lebowski.


-G

300 and American Idol.

I just got done watching 300 again, and MAN do I love this flick!!!!

Yes, it has a lot of gore, which isn't generally my bag, but the historical significance, coupled with Frank Miller's storytelling and the beautiful artwork make this a classic to behold.

So enjoyable...So very Enjoyable.

On the exact opposite plain was last nights American Idol...

First of all, It's always a dagger to the heart of the contestant when Paula Says " You look beautiful tonight..." it tells them that what's next to come is gonna suck from both her, and Simon right after.

So let me start by saying this...American Idol, with that pretty new stage of yours, you looked beautiful last night.

But the way 80% of the contestants butchered the virtual gimme that was the Lennon/McCartney songbook, wow...just, wow.

It's Lennon/McCartney! It's The Beatles! These are the greatest songs in Rock, and arguably MUSIC history. How so many could fuck them up SO badly is unbelievable. it's brings a tear to my Eye...let's just get started on the review, so I can get over with it.

First of all, did anyone else find it funny that like six contestants said that "Yesterday" was their favorite Beatles song in thier interview packages, and yet NOBODY performed it? Awesome.

I'm not gonna go into a full blown column of who did what here, Because, well I don't want to. I just want to talk in depth about Six of the Twelve contestants: Chikieze, Brooke White, Carly Smithson, David Cook, David Archuleta, and Kristy Lee Cook. The rest we're too on the average side of Good or awful.

First, Chikieze's version of "She's a woman" was exactly the right song to take and put it in a different style. His County-no-just-kidding-Rock version of the song was so much fun I watched again this afternoon and smiled. And since it's plucked right off the Beatles '65 B-Side album... nobody would cry too much if it was twisted a tad. That's the Joy of B-Sides. and I'm okay with interpretations in different styles of music of songs, just as long as the original intent of the song is relayed. "She's a Woman" is a fun song, and Chikieze had fun with it. Kudos!

On the other side of this Coin is the trainwreck Kristy Lee Cook. Her Country-no-just-kidding-Hootenanny verion of "Eight Days a Week" was so bad I just wanted for one of the over produced Pink shooting starts that were going off behind her on the background to miss it's orbit and crack her in the head so she would stop. (By the way, that is the first time that it think the obnoxiously bad backgrounds we're better than the performer itself.) If she just HAD to super countrify a song, she would have been so better off taking one of the beatles already kinda country-esque songs like "Act Naturally" or "I've Just Seen a Face" and rock those out in that style than taking a classic like "Eight Days a Week".

Now I have to apologize to someone here. Carly, I'm sorry. There I said it. I still think you have no business being on this show, but your version of "Come Together" was so good tonight that I will apologize for saying you are awful. It was very reminiscent of (Dare I invoke the Holy Idol Name? Okay, I shall) Kelly Clarkson. Keep doing stuff like that, and you just might win my favor one day... might.

Someone who has already won my favor, and not because she's smoking hot in her Faux-Virginity, but also because I really dig her musical vibe, is Brooke White. "Let It Be" is one of my favorite Beatles songs... and until I saw "Across the Universe", I never thought that anyone could match Paul's Intensity. After that movie, I had two favorite versions of an awesome song. Now, I have three. She poured so much of herself into that song last night that she burst into tears at the end and had to get a hug from Ryan to calm her down. Didn't change the song at all. Just sat at the piano and worked it out. Fan-Fucking-Tastic.

Also really good tonight, and has been since he rocked out the un-rockable song "Hello" last week was David Cook and His rocked-out version of "Eleanor Rigby". I can't wait until he gets a band behind him and go on tour with Daughtry, because that will be one really great Idol-Alum based Rock Tour.

And finally, What the fuck happened to David Archuleta last night? Did we finally see his Achilles Heel? I mean, it's not like he can't kick ass on songs written by a beatle... he Killed singing "Imagine". But then, to go through the ENTIRE Lennon/McCartney Songbook, and pull out one of the weaker songs they had, and then doing the F-ING STEVIE WONDER VERSION of the song? and then, on top of that, he missed quite a few notes and then performs Idol Sin number one, Forgetting the lyrics of the song 3 times???? Et Tu, D-Arch? were you trying to commit Idol Suicide there, kiddo? Or was this just your youth finally showing through. And don't tell me it's the stage, because YOU WON ON STAR SEARCH!!!!!!!!!!!!1111!!!ELEVENT-ONE!!!!!WTFBBQ!

Sheesh!

Okay, quicky comments on the rest:

Syesha Mercado: You are not Jordin Sparks. pick a good song and just fucking sing it. "Got To Get You Into My Life" is not that song, and your smile can't save you forever.

Ramiele Malubay: Just, No. Way to wreck a gimme like "In My life", One of John's best works.

Jason Castro: I like this dude, and liked his version of "If I Fell"...but it wasn't nearly as good as "Hallelujah" was last week.

David Hernandez: His version of "I Saw Her Standing There" was crappy.

Amanda Overmyer: Blues rock is your thing... but sadly, You can't sing anything else. still " You Can't Do That" was a good song choice for you, even though I didn't understand a work you said.

Michael Johns: "Across The Universe" is a great song. You are awful. P.S. You aren't Jim Morrison, and you vibrato is annoying at best.

Enough Blogging. I'm gonna go do laundry again.

-G

Anybody want to be my rock?

i need to lean on someone right now.

not to give advice

not to judge me

just to be there for me and listen to me hatch my escape plans.

i hope to find it soon.

-g

Behind Green Eyes.

Today was there first day in my life that I have ever felt insignificant.

Also, today is the first day of my life that I feel like I might have slipped off the tight rope a little bit.

There hasn't been a safety net for years.

Everything is slowly starting to implode... giving me just enough time to come up with a plan before my life becomes a burning wreckage.

I can't even say at least I have my health, because I'm not at all healthy.

I need to simplify. I need to not have three jobs. I need to start going through this pile of laundry and jettison things I don't ever wear. I need to donate a few of these trinkets i have lying around...sell a poster or two.

I think I'm having problems with my life because I have too much life and not enough time to devote to it.

And this job that is paying my crap money and giving me no hours but won't let me request to get another job because they still claim to be my "Main place of employment" needs to be gone. It was great when I was 19, Not when I'm 26.

I won't be going back either.

There are no constants anymore. Everything in my life is fluid. EVERYTHING. People, jobs, stability, health. nothing is secure.

One slip off that tight rope and I am screwed.

I almost cried today because of the pressure. It take a lot for me to cry.

I need to fix this, now.

I NEED TO FIX THIS, NOW!!!!!

I NEED TO FIX THIS, NOW!!!!!!!

-G

Sorry for the snap.

I apologize for the snapping at you in yesterdays blog.

I am just under a lot of stress lately and nothing seems to be helping so I just needed to vent, and this seemed like the best place to do it.

In fact, I'm actually kinda GLAD that nobody is reading this blog. Why?

Because in the past I felt like I had to stifle myself in order to appease my readership. well, no readership= no restraints.

I can bitch and moan and yell and cuss all I want, and it doesn't make a difference, because I won't get any backlash.

I spent the better part of my day today searching for jobs on both coasts...I applied to a few out here, and I bookmarked a few on NYC's craigslist.com

Why? I need a job with benefits, stat. I'm gonna talk to my managers soon in a plea to try and find some full time work at the resort, either in my current location or elsewhere.

Or, some in Manhattan.

I'm tired of only getting calls from people I owe money to.

I'm getting in the shower...I have work at 6:30.

-G

What is the fucking point?

Why do I bother doing these stupid blogs.

Nobody reads them. Nobody will ever read them.

I'm just being honest here, but I made a big to-do about making up a personal blog page, and It gets ignored.

27 hits? Are you Fucking kidding me?

I get less hits than the official Barney website.

Do I not have enough insightfulness? Do you not feel what I have to say is important enough to comment so I know you've at least been here? I even made the comments anonymous, so you don't even have to say who you are!!!!

What do I have to do to spark interest in you people? You want racy pictures? fine, here's a racy picture.



For god sakes, just comment. That's all I ask for, so I know I'm not wasting my time.

On Broken Teeth and American Idol.

Hey Kids.

Haven't put Virtual Pen to Paper in a while, so I thought I would jot down some of the goings-on for all to enjoy.

First, I have a broken tooth....I've actually had it for a few weeks, but the other day I was futzing with it and it started to Hurt really badly. REALLY BADLY...to the point where I had to unofficially see a dentist.

She told me I need a root canal and a crown... which would cost a no-insurance bozo like me $1850. I don't have $1850 lying around, so I left, went to the store and got some Toothache gum, which is this beeswax and benzocaine product to temporarily self fill the hole. which worked for a few days until I realized that the stuff is acting like a spacer (those of you lucky enough to have had braces know what a spacer is) and shifting my teeth to one side, which causes way more pain that a stupid toothache.

So I spent the day in Yucaipa, far away from civilization, and I was sucking down Advil like it was candy, and that made me loopy. as soon as I got home, I took a nap, sleeping on the side of the mouth that my bad tooth is on, and i woke up in more pain than necessary, but I have reached the daily allotment of Advil I'm allowed to take.

Long Story Short, I hurt.

On to my other Toe-pick Du Jour, American Idol:

David Archuleta has my vote for president.

Which means he will fall victim to the "Daughtry Constant" and make his exit around 3rd or 4th place.

Your AI7 Winner, folks? How about Jason Castro. when He wakes up from his pot-fog, He is gonna be dangerous...The producers REALLY want us to like Carly Smithson/Michael Johns, but theirs is a Kool-Aid I cannot drink, not just because of their Semi-Pro past, but because, they are both awful. Brooke White and David Cook are workable, too, and Danny N. is slowly headed toward the Sanjaya Mold....but unfortunately, the Tweens, Grandmas, and Soccer Moms are already on the D-Arch Bandwagon, so no prolonged existence for you!

Everybody else better not be hoping for a tour spot...theymight get on, but they better not hope for one.

Okay, the pain is leading me to the shower... peace out Y'all.

-G

No new blogs in a while...

Why, Because I'm Effing tired, that's why... I haven't slept much since Flashback kicked into high gear. Don't worry, kids... flashback is over on Wednesday, and you'll have me all to yourselves again.

Starting Next week, I'm gonna start posting reactions to American Idol, Lost, and any other thing I deem worth of inclusion.

oh, and shameless plug fro my amigo, Big Mike, go check out his blog as well,

http://bigmikesasylum.blogspot.com/

It's worth the price of admission.

Later, Kids.

Today is a Great Day!!!!!!

Why????

Pitchers and Catchers report to Spring Training!!!!!

Baseball is upon us again!

This means, in two weeks I will have split squad scores of a bunch of teams, including my beloved halos, crawling across the bottom of my XM radio, detailed reports from Tempe from guys who put the "Anal" in "Analysis", etc.

I am so ready.

oh, and Happy Valentines Day.

Waiting for the Mail to Come.

I have some time to kill before the mail arrives with my paycheck in tow, and I get to get gas and lunch and head out on my merry way, so I'm gonna type.

I've been in a daze lately. I'm having a hard time focusing on one this or the other...maybe it's the lack of food, or the lack of sleep, but I'm just not all there sometimes.

I have a stack of laundry to do, but i just let it sit there until I absolutely have to have it done. this has the double effect of me not having any clean clothes, and having an atrocious looking bedroom area.

But yet I gravitate to my computer. I stay on it for hours. The web is my gateway to the world...a world I so desperately want to explore. Yet all I have is someone else's pictures.

I've also been sick the last few days, too. Tussin probably doesn't help my focusing situation.

Okay. I'm going to go check the mailbox again.

-G

I'm worried...

...about my best friend. and that he's having a hard time and I'm 3000 miles away and can't do much to help him.

Damn it.

-G

Pros and Cons of NYC.

In a couple of months, I am planning a return to NYC to go see the show that really started my love for musical theater off with a bang, Rent.

Actually, I am not planning anything at all. The trip is being planned. By Fae (Not her real name, BTW, but the one I'm gonna use to protect the innocent). I'm not doing much at all on the overall planning end of it.

I'm going to be focusing on working my tail off so I can go. And, it won't be cheap. Something like $300 or so for the plane tickets and another $100 or so for show tickets.

On top of that, add food (because it's the food capital of the world, natch), and we're looking at probably a good $600 for A WEEKEND.

But, this is not surprising. and the fact of the matter is, I have some unfinished biz that I didn't get to take care of last summer that I want to shore up (Seeing Rent was major on the things I wanted to do and couldn't, because we (meaning I) ran out of money) and I want to do it before it closes.

And $600 is NOT unfathomable in the scope of things. If I sock away two mouse checks and work my ass off to get hours, I could easily double that. I also have an IM Check that is not earmarked for rent in that time and I could also save that up...Plus march means no more Flashback to compete for hours with and a whole lot of spring break action. WOOT!

I see this as a positive short term goal. One that I could parly into one HELL of a memorable weekend.

The last NYC trip was kinda gift-wrapped for me on a silver platter, thanks to my voluptuous J. Goodman salary that I never really felt I earned... and I blew through that money ($800, kids) like it was NYC tap water with no REAL itinerary (When you don't work hard for money, you tend to act like it's not there.) But, with Fae at the helm and her knack for making stuff happen, and my peeps in the NYC Hood, We could get a lot done in a weekend for not a lot of money, and I would only have to pack one little suitcase.

Plus, there is the added bonus of getting to see my Best Friend, who I have only spoken to over the phone in the last 7 Months.

Fae seems to think this is too much for me, knowing my past financial habits. But, she fails to realize that I don't ever have money because I choose not to work sometimes, and it really bites me in the ass, then I scramble around until I am blue in the face because I'm out of cash. Fact of the matter is I have TWO JOBS! There's no reason why I shouldn't be able to pull this off and still have enough cash to pay all my bills and past due amounts. This is my chance to actually leave a GOOD impression on people. to show that I actually am trying, not just basically panhandling through life. My chance to show her, my family, my brother who is really genuinely concerned about my well being, etc.

On top of all that, I will get to fulfill a lifelong goal that I have wanted to do since I first heard La Vie Boheme in Ms. Holbrook's Intro the Theater class, Freshman year of High School. ( That would be 1995, for all those curious) I'll get to sit in the theater that Jonathan Larson Built, the Nederlander, somewhere in the vicinity of where Mark throws down the key, and scratch that bad boy off of my Bucket List.

I'll only get one shot at it. If I miss this chance it'll be gone forever.

-G

Why Reflective Circus?

Before I get the flood of comment about my blog name, let me explain.

I was doing an Imagination Machine show, and the game was set in a county fair.

The actress in the game at the time led them into a hall of mirrors, and was trying to say
"Reflective Surface", but it came out "Reflective Circus", which i thought would be a great name for something creative.

So, when it came time to put up this blog (because myspace blogs are being stupid and I just want to write, dammit!) I named it the Reflective Circus.

Awesome, no?

Okay, off to make nachos.
-G

Welcome to the Reflective Circus.

Here is my official blogger blog!!!! Hooray!!!!

Just to kick things off with a bang, here's the list of 10 random things that I promised Sarah a month ago.

the rules are: Once you have been tagged, you have to write a blog with 10 weird random things, facts, or habits about yourself.

1. I am allergic to Strawberries. They give my migraines. I love the taste of strawberry, so occasionally I will sneak one, just so I don't lose a taste for them.

2. I have not been in a relationship longer than 7 months. I also am usually the one who breaks up with the girl.

3. I have been debating a move to New York for a year now. But I don't want to leave my band right now because they are starting to get notoriety. every time I make the attempt to plan to go, something happens here that makes me want to stay.

4. By the end of this year, I will have a tattoo. Maybe two.

5. I have never had more than 1100 in my bank account. I've only topped 1,000 four times and 2 of those times were right after I graduated High School.

6. I am well known for doing anything on stage for a laugh. sometimes I think this has ruined my ability to do a serious play. I haven't done a drama in 6 years.

7. I also have only successfully auditioned for one play in the last 8 years, and that was the murder mystery dinner theater at the maverick. everything else I've done has been someone asking me if I wouldn't mind filling a spot vacated by another actor.

8. I have lived in 2 living rooms, and a patio. I also spent a week in my car once. I am not proud of this, but I know it made me a stronger person. I currently live in a converted garage.

9. I have more hats than I can count. I wear hats because my hair is extremely difficult to style. most of them are baseball caps. I wear a size 7 1/4 fitted cap, usually by new era.

10. I have always felt that I am meant for something great. I have actual dreams where I am a superstar. I never talk about it, and I will usually dismiss anything people say about it, not because I don't believe it's true, but because I don't want to jinx it. I want to be a rockstar so bad.

Til next post,
-Graham