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Friday, November 18, 2011

Thoughts Out of Context - Update for 11-18-11

I know that, once again, it's been a while since I posted something here. I've been really busy these past couple of months. And I legitimately mean that this time. Being involved in York Little Theatre's production of "The Music Man" has taken up a lot of my free time. And to be honest, I wouldn't have had it any other way. So I just wanted to take a moment to make this quick update before heading to the theatre for tonight's performance to let you know what's coming up after the show closes.

My iRiff of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" is still in the works. I am planning to try and have it uploaded and ready for purchase shortly after the new year at the latest. It's been a while since I started working on this project - I know that's probably an understatement at this point - so I may re-write some of the riffs in order to keep things more timely. Not sure what all I will change, but I don't want to use jokes that aren't overly relevant any longer. More updates will follow as I progress.

More "Let's Read..." videos are coming. I recorded one a while back for a My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fan-fic called "Rocket To Insanity" that I meant to post a while ago but just haven't gotten around to yet. I'm planning on putting it up this weekend. And as always, I welcome suggestions for fan-fics to read for this series. The more "infamous" they are, the better... I think.

The Thoughts Out of Context podcast will return in December after "The Music Man" closes. All the familiar recurring segments will return, perhaps a few new segments will be added as well. Plus, I have a multitude of interviews planned for after the first of the year, including one that has been well over a year in the making. Stay tuned for that.

A second podcast, Intelligent TV on DVD Fan, will also premiere in December. The title and format are a take-off/tribute/homage to Smart Wrestling Fan, the podcast which got me turned on to podcasting and also served as my starting point in the medium. The basic idea is I will watch and recap TV shows I have on DVD, or watch on Netflix, or some other way. The recaps will be "intelligent", as will the shows recapped. Meaning some possible candidates include The Simpsons, Futurama, Scrubs, The Office, Daria, and The Critic just to name a few. This also means that televised tripe such as Jersey Shore do not fall under the label of intelligent and as such, will not be included as a possible candidate.

"Oh my God, there he goes again! Bad mouthing Jersey Shore for no reason! You've never watched it, how can you make any judgments about it? You might actually like it if you gave it a chance! Blah blah blah!"

Back to this argument again, huh? Well, yes, it's true, I've never watched an episode of Jersey Show. But I have seen some clips courtesy of Beavis and Butthead. And from what little I've seen, it's clear to me that my negative opinion of this show is not unreasonable. I pray that none of the characters ever procreate because that would only serve to lower the average global IQ by several points. But, I am not going to be entirely unreasonable here.

Since people seem to enjoy watching me torture myself for their entertainment, as can be witnessed by my Let's Reads of "My Immortal" and "Cupcakes", I will consider watching and recapping Jersey Shore. But I'm not going to do it for free, not by a long shot. If someone donates $18, I will watch and recap the first season of Jersey Shore in a special podcast episode.

"$18? That's kind of a strange amount. I don't think that's even enough to buy the first season on DVD."

First of all, there's no way I would buy the DVD set. No way would I want to be seen buying that crap. If I watch this show, I will do so using Netflix instant since I believe the show is available that way. Should I be unable to watch it via Netflix, I'll just find a torrent somewhere and download it. Yes, I am encouraging piracy in this instance. I have no intention of these wastes of space and oxygen make money off of me!

Now my reasoning on the donation amount. According to Wikipedia, the first season of Jersey Shore is 9 episodes long. The "breakout character" of the show Snookie, also known as The Great Pumpkin, is a two-dollar whore. Nine encounters with her = $18. Simple enough, right?

"What? Why'd you call her 'The Great Pumpkin'? That doesn't make any..."

The bitch is orange! Open your eyes!

...OK, I'm better now. So, that's my proposal. Donate $18 and I'll watch, recap and discuss the first season of Jersey Shore. You can either click on the "Donate" button on the blog page, or send it directly via PayPal to dramaguycjm@verizon.net

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I hope all is well with everyone as we begin to enter the marathon time span known as the holidays. Take care and keep reading, watching and listening.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Random Writing Prompt for 10/23/11

Writing prompt courtesy of http://creativewritingprompts.com


Weave a poem that contains all these lines (in no particular order): "I tie the ribbon in a foolish way," "the delicious fragility of this travesty," and "where we still laugh and wish."


I tie the ribbon in a foolish way
hoping the gift will convey the words I can't bring myself to say.
Confidence is something I sorely lack,
but I've come this far, I can't afford to go back.

How I long to be young again
where the brashness of kids trumps the uncertainty of men.
Where we still laugh and wish and dream
and everything isn't as clear cut as it may seem.

But we never can regress,
we must only progress.
And I can not digest the delicious fragility
of this travesty.

So I have to summon up all my strength,
and prove I've gone to a great length.
Show her that she's the one I adore
and hope my affection she won't ignore.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

"The Music Man" And I - A History

"The Music Man" is a well-known, iconic Broadway musical. And it's a show that seems to follow me in some form or another no matter where I go. And frankly, I don't mind that at all. Let me tell you what I mean.

My first exposure to "The Music Man" was in grade school. I don't remember exactly what year it was, but I'll say as a rough estimate it was somewhere between grades 5-8 which would put me between ages 11-14. We had a class in music appreciation and one week the teacher showed us the movie version of "The Music Man". We didn't watch the whole movie, I think we only watched up until "Trouble", but it was enough to stick in my mind. I was still in the mind frame that musicals were stupid at this time, but for whatever reason I didn't mind this one.

My next encounter with the show was sophomore year of high school. I was attending St. Joe's Prep in Philadelphia at the time and it was announced we'd be doing "The Music Man" for the Spring show that year. Since I was familiar with the show, I decided to apply for the position of Assistant Stage Manager much like I had done with previous shows that same year and the year before. I was chosen for the position and really enjoyed the run of the show. It turned out this would the be last show I would do at St Joe's since my family was moving from South Jersey to York, PA that summer. And honestly, I couldn't have thought of a better way to end my time at St Joe's.

In the Summer of 2000, my family and I moved to York, PA. A couple of months later, we went to a local high school production of "The Music Man". I don't remember which school it was but I know we went because one of my dad's colleagues had children who were in the show. A tenuous connection, I admit. But we were familiar with the show so we figured why not go and see it?

The following Summer, my family went to New York for a few days. We saw a few shows that summer and the revival of "The Music Man" was one of those shows. It was one of the first shows we saw together on Broadway and this trip served to be the start of what came to be a family tradition for the next couple of years.

In 2009, York Catholic High School mounted a production of "The Music Man" and Michael, my youngest brother, was in the cast as Oliver Hix, a member of the school board that is transformed into a Barbershop Quarter by the slick talking Harold Hill. It was the first musical he had been involved in as a member of the cast so it was definitely a landmark moment.

And now, here we are in 2011. It's been five years since I'd been involved in any sort of theatrical production since having graduated from college. On a Tuesday evening in late August, I decided - on somewhat of a whim - to audition for a production of "The Music Man" at York Little Theatre. I had auditioned hoping for the part of either Mayor Shinn or Charlie Cowell, a rival salesman. Both are great comedic roles and have very little to no singing associated with them. And since I've never really considered myself much of a singer, I figured those roles would play to my strengths.Imagine my surprise when a couple of days later I received word that I had been cast as a member of the Quartet! And as it turns out, I'm playing Oliver Hix, the same role my brother had when he had done the show a few years ago.

With a little over a month to go before we open, I couldn't help but sit and reflect on how "The Music Man" has been involved with my life and put it to the page. I find it very fitting that the first time I worked on the show, it signified an end to a chapter of my life. And now that I have the chance to be involved with this show again 11 years later, and on the other side of the stage, it marks the beginning of a new chapter. Whatever comes after this, I don't know just yet. But I hope it won't be preceded by another five-year hiatus from the stage.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

A Long Overdue Post

It's been a while since I've posted on here. I'll chalk it up to a combination of busyness and laziness of varying degrees. So now that I'm here, it's time for an update. Get comfortable because I've got a lot to post about.

First and foremost, "Thoughts Out of the Context" the podcast is still alive. I'm planning for a return episode next week, so keep an eye out. Coming this fall, I have a lot of interviews in mind. As always, listen to the podcast and check out posts on here for announcements dealing with these special segments.

Next: I'm also contemplating adding a second podcast to my stable You may remember two years ago I did a special "Bonus" episode called "Smart The Office Fan" where I reviewed the first season of The Office on DVD in the style of the Smart Wrestling Fan podcast. And I enjoyed the concept so much that I want to do it again and more often. But since I'm not under the "Smart (pop culture aspect) Fan" banner, I'd feel wrong using that style of name. So since the concept is an homage, my new title will fit that style. That being said, be on the lookout for "Intelligent TV on DVD Fan" coming soon!

Thirdly: In addition to this blog, I have another one that you should check out. It's a collaborative project with my friend Katrina, a weight-loss blog called "10 Pounds From Gryffindor" (yes, we're Harry Potter fans in case you couldn't tell from the name). Please check that blog out at http://10lbsgdore.wordpress.com/

Now, initially this was the part of the blog where I was going to say I was possibly or perhaps officially moving as of October. Well, that is not the case now. The company I interviewed with sent me an e-mail a couple of weeks ago and informed me they were going to continue their search with other applicants for the position. So that's disappointing, but I'll survive. Anyway, I was going to mention the potential move and include a link to my half.com store in hopes that people would visit and buy some of the stuff I have listed in hopes that it would help contribute to rent money and also reduce the amount of stuff I'd need to pack for the move. But since I'm not going to be moving at any time in the near future, I'm still going to include a link to my store. Lots of great quality books, DVDs and even some video games are up for sale. And new stuff is being added every day. Because even though I'm not moving, I've still got bills to pay. Please check out the link at http://shops.half.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?HalfSearch&seller=mcgpa

Finally, because I will not be moving, I will now be able to finally make my return to the world of theatre. Last Tuesday, I decided on a whim to audition for York Little Theatre's production of The Music Man. And I got cast, as a member of the quartet. You can imagine my surprise since I don't really know what my voice is, I don't know my vocal range and I don't know how to read music. But you can believe I'm going to work my hardest at the this role, no matter how much of a challenge it may be. Plus, I think I will surprise a lot of people since people know me as an actor and not necessarily as a singer. I'll keep everyone up to date with the rehearsal process with posts here. I'm really looking forward to being involved in a show again after 5 long years away. I guess this just goes to show you that good things can happen when taking a chance.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Let's Read My Immortal Part 2

Yeah... I'm continuing with this. Why? Honestly, I'm still trying to figure that out. In this edition; Gratuitous and inaccurate Japanese, inexplicable copying and pasting, and all the spelling and grammatical errors you've come to expect from "My Immortal" *shudders* Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Shameless Self Promotion #1 - Rent at York Little Theatre

Rent is coming to York Little Theatre in York, PA July 29-31, August 4-7 and August 12-14. For tickets and more information, go to www.ylt.org

Shameless Self Promotion #2 - The Sweet Translucent Dreams Rocky Horror Shadow-cast at Schuykill Mall Theatre

Friday July 29th, The Sweet Translucent Dreams return to the Schuykill Valley! Schuykill Mall Theatre; 10 PM Pre-party, movie begins at midnight. Tickets just $6! For more info, go to www.schuylkillmalltheatres.com

Shameless Self Promotion #3 - CHIKARASaurus Rex, King of Sequel

CHIKARA returns to Reading and Philadelphia July 30 & 31! Go to www.chikarapro.com for more details!

Let's Read "My Immortal" Part 1

I don't know what made me think this was a good idea. No, scratch that, I knew this wasn't a good idea. But for whatever reason, I decided to proceed anyway. Here we go as I trudge through the first quarter of the infamous FanFic known as "My Immortal". Will I escape with my sanity in tact? Will I even be able to read this abomination. Why the hell can't this person spell "gothic" correctly?

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Do you know '90s Nickelodeon shows? Take the quiz! - ad

Do you know '90s Nickelodeon shows? Take the quiz!  - ad
Since classic 90s shows are on TeenNick this week, I thought it would be appropriate to share this quiz. Enjoy!

Monday, July 25, 2011

Overlooked 90s One-Hit Wonders - 1999

OK, last set. Here we go!

Save Tonight by Eagle-Eye Cherry

Yet another pretty big song that VH1, surprisingly, left off its list



Better Days by Citizen King

"I've seen better days", boy is that a lyric I quote fairly frequently.



She's So High by Tal Bachman

Meh

Overlooked 90s One-Hit Wonders - 1998

Are You Jimmy Ray? by Jimmy Ray

This song sucked and Jimmy Ray faded into obscurity... in the US at least. I'd say that qualifies as one-hot wonder material



Flagpole Sitta by Harvey Danger

No, Napster, They Might Be Giants didn't sing this song despite all the mislabeling saying otherwise. Still, a very catchy song.

Overlooked 90s One-Hit Wonders - 1997

Ooh, Aah... Just A Little Bit by Gina G

I recall this song being quite a staple at school-sponsered skating parties the last few years of the decade. Catchy tune. I'm sure it'll be stuck in your head a while. Enjoy.



Lovefool by The Cardigans

Another song I thought would be on VH1's list. And a definite grade A ear worm. I apologize for unleashing this on you



Let Me Clear My Throat by DJ Kool

Oh snap, this my jam. Just imagine that being said in my usual deadpan style. It's more entertaining that way.



Your Woman by White Town

Can you believe this song is a reworking of a song by Bing Crosby? Talk about starkly different styles.



How Bizarre by OMC

Oh God, this song... Talk about overplayed. I honestly think there were maybe 1 or 2 days in the summer of 1997 when I didn't hear this song at some point. And those were great days. Here's a video so you can share my pain



Sunny Came Home by Shawn Colvin

The mellowest sounding song about arson in the world

Overlooked 90s One-Hit Wonders - 1996

Breakfast at Tiffany's by Deep Blue Something

How did this not make VH1's list? Regardless of your opinion of the song, you have to admit it's very catchy.



Missing by Everything but the Girl

Let's be honest, I can't be the only one who thought the chorus was "Like the desert's masquarade". Not like that phrase makes much sense, but that's what it sounded like to me.



In The Meantime by Spacehog

Such a great, but largely forgotten song. I was thrilled when I read it was going to be a playable song in Rock Band 3. And such a perfect choice too for the new keyboard controller



Closer to Free by The BoDeans

It was the theme song to Party of Five, one of FOX's most popular shows of the 90s. Granted, I never watched the show myself but I remember all the commercials talking about how great everyone thought it was. It's a catchy tune that basically says "Everyone is free to do what they want. And that's great!"



Everything Falls Apart by dogs eye view

In contrast to the last song, this one's message is more like "Everything goes to Hell sometimes. Oh well".



Flood by Jars of Clay

Who would've ever thought a Christian Rock band would achieve mainstrean chart success? Look no further than this song,



Children by Robert Miles

I'll just let the music speak for itself. Sit back, listen and enjoy.



Counting Blue Cars by Dishwalla

Again, another omission from VH1's list that shocked me.



I Love You Always Forever by Donna Lewis

A song that still won't leave me to this day. Of course, that's mostly due to the fact that it plays in regular rotation on the in-store music system at my job.



Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand by Primative Radio Gods

Boy, that's a wordy title. Another song that reminds me of its existance thanks to the in-store music system. However, unlike the aforementioned song, I'm really not a fan of this song. But it was inescapable the year I entered my teens, so it's earned its place here.

Overlooked 90s One-Hit Wonders - 1995

New Age Girl by Deadeye Dick

Featured in the Jim Carrey movie Dumb & Dumber. Plus it gave us this gem of vegetarian innuendo, "She don't eat meat, but she sure likes the bone."





Get Ready For This by 2 Unlimited

I am certain that over 15 years later, 2 Unlimited is still recieving royalty checks on a regular basis thanks to this song.




I Wish by Skee-Lo

*dons Forrest Gump outfit, sits on park bench, types about this song*



A Girl Like You by Edwyn Collins

My mom was really fond of this song when it came out. Not really sure why, but to each their own.



Possum Kingdom by The Toadies

Great song! Now this should be DLC for Rock Band

Overlooked 90s One-Hit Wonders - 1993 & 1994

Three Little Pigs by Green Jelly

I think it's safe to say that the video is much more memorable than the song itself. But that doesn't make its inclusion here any less valid



What's Up? by 4 Non Blondes

How did this song get passed up by the VH1 countdown? It was everywhere! Enjoy the ear worm, bwa ha ha ha ha!




Here Comes The Hotstepper by Ini Kamoze

This song got mainstream exposure thanks to it being featured in the movie  Pret-a-Porter (Ready To Wear). I, and many others I know, are more familiar with the song being the entrance music of ECW tag team Public Enemy formed by the late Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge.

Overlooked 90s One-Hit Wonders - 1991 & 1992

Wicked Game by Chris Isaak

Trust me, you know this song.




Life Is A Highway by Tom Cochrane

Much better than that crappy country cover that was used in the first Cars movie.


Overlooked 90s One-Hit Wonders - 1990

Last night I watched VH1's 40 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 90s. It was an entertaining countdown to watch. But I definitely think there were a lot of valid options that were excluded from the list. Also, only 40? That seems like a fairly low number for a "definitive countdown" if you ask me. Why not a top 100 like they've done in the past? It's not as if there was a lack of songs to choose from. So I decided to think of some other one-hit wonders from the 90s that were left off the list and post about them here. Wikipedia's list of 90s one-hit wonders is being used as a reference source and, when able, YouTube will provide music videos. Also just because I list a song on here doesn't necessarily mean I like it. So as far as musical tastes go, proceed with caution. Since this might be a extensive look, I'm going to go one year at a time. So let's get started with 1990!

Joey by Concrete Blonde

I love this song! Every now and then it pops into my head and doesn't leave. And I don't mind in the least.



Groove Is In The Heart by Deee-Lite

If you claim you've never heard of this song before, you're lying. It's totally a guilty pleasure of mine. Give in to the groove!


Hippychick by Soho

Kind of an obscure song, but I remember it very well. And I think it'll come back to you very soon.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Hilarious & REAL Signs you have to see! - ad

Hilarious & REAL Signs you have to see!  - ad
You have to check out these hilarious and REAL signs. What are people thinking?

Friday, July 15, 2011

Minion - ad

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Friday, July 8, 2011

Pokemon Blue - ad

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Monday, July 4, 2011

Name that Fruit Quiz! - ad

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Thursday, June 30, 2011

The Simpsons Rule - ad

The Simpsons Rule - ad
The Simpsons are everybody's fave family. Like them on FB and show your support!

Thoughts Out of Context Podcast Episode Archive List

It took  me a while, but I finally got around to this. Here you'll find a listing of the past episodes of my podcast that are likely no longer available on the website or podcast feed for download. If you're interested in picking up any of these episodes, leave a comment on this entry or e-mail me at chrismcg1983@gmail.com
All right, enough preamble. Here's the list for you.

"Episode 2: I Live; 05/27/09" - The first true episode of the podcast. Topics include the books "The War of Art" and "Pride & Prejudice & Zombies", Wii Fit, XBOX 360 Achievements, The first edition of Rock Band DLC I Want To See, and Luminaire Divided.

"Episode 3: Feedback Me, Seymour; 06/04/09" - Listener Feedback, Continued Discussion of XBOX 360 Achievements, Graduations and RiffTrax.

"Episode 4: Better Late Than Never; 06/13/09" - E3 '09 recap, Rock Band DLC, Tony Awards Overview, Randomly Suggested Topics

"Episode 5: The Context Strikes Back; 06/28/09" - The week of my Dad's wedding, Rock Band DLC, Movie Sign, Soda History Segment

"Episode 6: Safer Than Firecrackers; 07/04/09" - My Mom's surgery, Rock Band DLC, Movie Sign, Under The Footlights, Soda History Segment

"Episode 7: The Lucky Episode; 07/12/09" - Very video game-centric. 1 vs. 100, Ghostbusters, Rock Band and various XBLA games.

"Episode 8: Hope You Like It; 07/27/09" - Rock Band DLC, More about Luminaire Divided, The Who's Tommy at York Little Theatre, Dr. Pepper Soda History

"Episode 9: For Mandi; 08/09/09" - Dedicated to my dog, Mandi. Food-related bits, Rock Band DLC, iRiffs Announcement, College Story & Advice, The Most Disturbing Product I Ever Heard Advertised on Radio

"Episode 10: The Episode That Almost Wasn't; 08/27/09" - Still dealing with a cough, so voice kind of suffers this episode. Advice for College Freshmen, Luminare Divided Album Debut, Rock Band DLC, Movie Sign, Conclusion of Soda Discussion

"Bonus Episode: Smart 'The Office' Fan; 09/07/09" - Spoof/tribute/homage episode to the Smart Wrestling Fan Podcast. Review and recap of Season 1 of The Office.

"Episode 11: Happy Podcast to You; 09/22/09" - My 26th birthday, Beatles Rock Band, Movie Sign, Under The Footlights

"Episode 12: We've Got A Dozen; 10/07/09" - Rock Band DLC, A review of Watchmen, An Interactive Segment, and I do a lot of driving

"Episode 13: Trick Or Treat; 10/23/09" - First ever "Skype-terview" segment with special guest, Ashley Teatum

"Episode 14: Kinda Disjointed, But Thanks For Listening; 11/21/09" - Movie Sign, Beneath the Footlights, A Rock Band Segment, and discussion of two enjoyable weekends

"Episode 15: Post-Yuletide Podcast; 12/27/09" - Rock Band DLC, Movie Sign, Christmas Discussion, The announcement of an interview coming next episode

"Episode 16: "I AM A PODCAST; 01/10/10" - Movie Sign, Rock Band DLC, An interview with Linkara of Atop the Fourth Wall

"Episode 17: "Would You Like To Host My Show, Conan?; 01/24/10" - Rock Band DLC, Movie Sign, Beneath the Footlights, Discussion of next month's theme episodes

"Episode 18: Ladies Month Part 1 with Yolanda; 02/06/10" - Interview with Yolanda of GIMICK$ Wrestling Tees. Topics include CHIKARA, other pro wrestling, and how the GIMICK$ line came to be

"Episode 19: Ladies Month Part 2 with Ashley Teatum; 02/14/10" - Interview with the returning Ashley Teatum. Topics discussed include her move to the sports department of the local paper, The Super Bowl and its ads, and the (at the time) upcoming MLB '10 season.

"Episode 20: Ladies Month Part 3 with KP; 02/21/10" - Interview with Kristen "KP" Peterman of CallMeKP.com  Topics discussed include Jersey show, Movies 3D and otherwise, The Office and The Oscars

"Episode 21: Ladies Month Part 4 with TRIPLE Kelly; 02/28/10" - Interview with TRIPLE Kelly of WrestleCrap.com  Topics discussed include classic wrestling, current wrestling, Mystery Science Theatre 3000, That Guy With The Glasses, ABC's classic TGIF line-up, Twilight, TV shows on DVD and much more

"Episode 22: DOUBLE DEUCE!!!; 03/28/10" - Short episode after taking a month off

"Episode 23: The Return of the Podcast; 07/04/10" - Rock Band DLC, Movie Sign, and a third interview with Ashley Teatum

"Episode 24: The Bryce Is Right; 07/18/10" - Interview with CHIKARA Senior Official, Bryce Remsburg. Topics include CHIKARA, Saturday morning cartoons and Rita's Water Ice

"Episode 25: The Back to School Episode; 08/21/10" - Interview with my younger brother, Michael. We discuss and compare our respective Freshman years in college.

"Episode 26: More Returns Than Terry Funk; 01/17/11" - A return after a 5-month long hiatus. Rock Band DLC, Movie Sign, CHIKARA Season Premiere preview, and a discussion of things to come

"Episode 27: I Have The Touch; 04/11/11" - Movie Sign, New video game segment called Achievement Hunting, CHIKARA King of Trios 2011 preview, and an interview with a "big name" in the world of wrestling. (Not really)

"Episode 28: Easter Episode; 04/24/11" - TMBG DLC I Want To See for Rock Band, Achievement Hunting, CHIKARA King of Trios 2011 discussion and an announcement about Quotes Out of Context

"Episode 29: The One Where I Talk About Stuff I Didn't See; 05/02/11" - TMBG Rock Band DLC, Achievement Hunting, The Royal Wedding and Jersey Shore

"Episode 30: The Podcast Is Magic; 05/15/11" - TMBG Rock Band DLC, Movie Sign, The debut of Quotes Out of Context, CHIKARA Anniversario weekend preview, and a possibly controversial fandom declaration from me. Or not. It's about My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

"Episode 31: The Theatre Shoot Interview; 05/29/11" - Interview with Denzal Lamar a.k.a. YungDenz. We talk about our experiences in theatre for over 2 and 1/2 hours!

"Episode 32: Reunited And It Feels So Good; 06/19/11" - TMBG Rock Band DLC, CHIKARA Anniversario recap and Mid-West weekend preview, University of Scranton Class of 2006 5 year reunion, and a discussion about Quelf, the most random board game in existance


Chris Talks At Length About... Next To Normal

In this video, I talk about the Tony Award winning musical Next To Normal which I saw on tour in Philadelphia over the weekend. I also talk about some of the topics and themes prevalent in the show and my own personal experiences with them.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Quantity and Quality

So I just noticed that we're almost halfway though the year, and I have more posts on my blog now than I did all of last year! Wow! Now doesn't that sound impressive? Well... not quite.

I had 34 posts in this blog last year. So far this year I have 35 posts, well... 36 counting this one. Now, how many posts (including this one) contain any sort of original content? 10. Yeah, 10 whole posts of actual content. The rest of the posts consist of links to sponsored offers from an affiliate site. Not that I'm complaining. The links are there because I chose to post them.

All the same, it feels like I'm really kind of neglecting this blog. But I'm endeavoring to change that. I have a few ideas on deck, so I'm planning on making an effort to actually post more often. Here's hoping you'll hang in there and check out what I've got to say. 

Jim vs. Dwight! - ad

Jim vs. Dwight!  - ad
Jim vs. Dwight, a fued for the ages. Will it continue now that Michael's gone? Like the FB to keep track!

Friday, June 24, 2011

Ultimate Ghostbusters Quiz - ad

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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

The Urock Radio Network - ad

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Monday, June 13, 2011

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Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Do you know '90s Nickelodeon shows? Take the quiz! - ad

Do you know '90s Nickelodeon shows? Take the quiz!  - ad
FLASHBACK to the 90s and see how well you know some of Nickelodeon's best tv shows! Take the quiz!

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Top 10 Movies About Time Travel - ad

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Check out these great movies about time travel. How many of them have you seen?

Friday, May 27, 2011

Drink Drink Drink a LOT!!! - ad

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Sunday, May 22, 2011

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Chris Talks At Length About... Luminaire Divided

In this edition of "CTALA...", Chris talks about the rock band Luminaire Divided and their quest to be selected to play at the Warped Tour in Maryland this year.

Please support the cause and vote at http://www.battleofthebands.com/u/LuminaireDivided

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

"Well, That Was Disappointing"

That is my reaction to the most recent episode of the Thoughts Out of Context Podcast. Honestly, I'm very disappointed in it and disappointed in myself for settling with it. There was nothing to the episode. Sure, I continued discussing They Might Be Giants songs I want to see as DLC for the Rock Band series of video games. And I did get some positive feedback for my "segment" about the Royal Wedding.

But then, that's where the wheels fell off.

Closing out the episode was an extended rant from me about that poor excuse for a television show, Jersey Shore. As I said on the podcast, I initially considered watching an episode before talking about it, but all the feedback I heard encouraged me not to bother. I took the advice because, honestly, I really didn't want to watch a single second of that show. So the end of the show consisted of me basically complaining about a show I don't watch.

Now, if I had actually watched an episode of Jersey Shore and discussed it, would this have changed anything? Doubtful. I still wouldn't have a single positive thing to say about the show. The only difference is maybe I'd have moments to point to and say "This is why these people must be forcibly sterilized and never allowed to have children". But then again, I wouldn't be yielding any new insight to this televised cesspool.

Having come this far, you may be wondering what's my point? What am I disappointed about? I feel like I didn't say anything at all. I felt like I had no content, like I was scraping for content. And that I failed miserably. The episode clocked in at less than 20 minutes, shortest episode ever (Note: I do not count the 5 minute Mini Episode in this statement). It's clear to me that there's no way in Hell I can maintain the podcast as a weekly endeavor and churn out mediocre episodes grasping at straws for talking points. So I think it's best I switch back to the bi-weekly model.

I know, I know, I've flipped so many times between release schedule models you'd probably think I was part coin. But I think it's best I switch back to - and maintain - a bi-weekly release schedule. Theoretically, that should give me enough to time to come up with a decent amount of content for the show so I'm not sitting in front of my computer desperately wondering what to talk about before I hit record. It's not fair to you if I haven't done any show prep and throw something out there thinking, "OK, here's another week down. Hope they enjoy it". If I'm not happy with the product, how can I expect others to enjoy it?

So this being said, the next episode will be released on Sunday, May 15th. Content will include: The continuation of TMBG DLC for Rock Band, the proper return of Movie Sign (Yes, I've actually watched a movie in the past week. And may actually watch a couple more between now and Sunday.), Achievement Hunter, the debut of Quotes Out of Context, a preview of CHIKARA's Anniversario weekend, and a discussion of what may be the most controversial opinion ever revealed on this show. What is it? You'll have to download the episode after it comes out on the 15th to find out.

Again, I thank you for your continued support of the podcast despite all the roadblocks and hiccups I've endured. And I hope you'll stay with me as we approach the summer as I have some big plans in mind. Stay tuned, you won't be disappointed.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Watch the Alka-Seltzer Said/Heard Mishaps Contest Winning Video! - ad

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Thursday, May 5, 2011

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Wednesday, May 4, 2011

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Sunday, May 1, 2011

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Tuesday, April 26, 2011

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Friday, April 22, 2011

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Wednesday, April 20, 2011

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Sunday, April 10, 2011

Chris Talks At Length About... Jelly Beans

Welcome to the long-awaited (in my mind, at least) first episode of "Chris Talks At Length About..." or "CTALA..." for short.

In this episode I talk about Jelly Belly brand jelly beans, how they helped me on a weekend long trip to upstate New York, and my two experiences trying absinthe.

If you have any suggestions for future topics, either comment on this video or send an e-mail to chrismcg1983@gmail.com

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Sunday, April 3, 2011

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Saturday, April 2, 2011

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