We're so Into You Incredibly We'd Love to See You Terribly

So yeah, I stalled for two days extra. I'm sorry, but the last week has been absolutely insane.... To make up for it, I'll write something pretty long, pretty uplifting, and pretty sad. Maybe. Wish me luck on this one.

There was not a day this past week when I was just "home": I was usually up at the high school for one thing or another, and there was one night where I was at school then someplace else.

I've been working on an English project that answers the question: What if Ralph and Jack from Lord of the Flies were on a talk show? We answer by bringing you a very 70's cheezy talk show entitled (and long time readers will appreciate this one) The Clay Bodnar Variety Hour. All told, I've probably spent about 10 hours getting the space, filming, and editing - goodness the editing.

If there's something I hate about projects in general, it's editing things. I tend to have an inner need to perfection-edit, which is a process where I spend obscene amounts of time reading something I've done, hating and editing it like crazy. When I see the 'finished product', I usually hate it because it isn't finished or has some tiny editing error in it or whatever. Just a rant.

I've been going back and forth about what to write about, but I didn't want to get into some doom and gloom mode since two of my favourite things stopped existing.

So roughly a year ago, I wrote about a dude that wrote a column named Peter McKay. I liked his Saturday columns, and I kind of thought that I could try and learn his writing style. Then about a week ago I read this in the paper:

So yeah. This explained to me two things: 1) THERE ARE 11 YEARS OF COLUMNS I HAVENT READ and 2) It's gone. His column is gone. The other thing that died was the whole New York trip - due to lack of interest. Blah. So in that sense it was a bad week.

However, there were many things that went pretty well. WPXI came to spotlight our upcoming musical, 9 to 5. Yesterday was spent at the Carnegie Arts and History Museum, which I will say this much about: Remember the whole Devil in the White City thing? Yeah, there were artifacts from that same worlds fair. (And I would've included pictures too! Turns out that taking pictures wasn't allowed there though).

After the expedition to the Arts and History museum, I descended into the depths of it, and into the Library adjacent to it via the magic tunnel. My mission was to check out the Pennsylvania room that I had heard of in a Rick Sebak special... and I think I've found a new place to adventure to. 

Hopefully a more coherent blog next time...

The News We Kinda Knew, but Never Wanted to Admit

Okay, so a while back, I was in the Pittsburgh MVB contest as a nominee. They never gave me the final numbers, but bottom line, we didn't win. So that was that. The important part was that this blog was nominated, and for that, I'd like to thank everyone involved.

I must apologize for not posting in about a month. This blog has been extremely successful and has been great to work with, I just haven't found the time to rant about happenings around the area, and other randomness.

So in September, Carnegie had its arts/heritage fest on Main Street. I had the opportunity to go on a Saturday and possibly meet up with one of my friends. So I waited for her by listening to the Battle of bands, and then helping them clean up (I never stop being a stage techie). For once, the artist (Yours Truly from Pittsburgh) actually gave me a free download of their newest EP. Thank you Yours Truly.

After that exchange with the people from the Battle of the bands, it had been an hour since I was to meet my friend, and the skies started to open up and rain.

To the friend:

I was able to find cover in the booth for the 9th PA reserves (I did a project with them restoring a monument back in May) next to the library. There, I waited out the rain, and my friend that never showed up.

This brings me to the point in a story when normally people write the moral or "Theme" to the story. However, because I am not willing to get graded by my English teacher as to how correct the moral to my own story was, I will say this: The author wants you to think about perseverance, and to ask you to relate.

The friend never showed up because of other plans. Another friend cancelled on a different event because of other plans. Other plans are not bad, but in order to truly get a grasp on priority, we need other plans.

I want to reach out to whoever wants to reach out to me. If you like my work, or what I do, please let me know. 100% of people who don't talk never start relationships or friends.

And no, I won't comment about Steve Jobs...

The end of the MVB, 9/11, and why thats important.

Okay, so I need to kill all of the links on this site telling people to vote for the 2011 MVB contest because the CONTEST IS OVER!!!! :-) Unfortunately, they won't announce the winners until 16th September 2011. I will be the first (and probably last) to tell you what ends up happening.

9/11/01 - Why We Never Forget
I need not tell anyone what happened because you can read the story here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11_attacks. I am not fully ready to prepare a statement on it, but I can share with you a link to vlogger John Green's commentary about the idea of terrorism [see the bottom]. It is horrible, however it cannot be stopped unless people, or society as a whole, can decide to kill it.

To the right is a picture I took at sunset with the American flag flying next to the spinning 9/11 flag. It is kind of like the one I shared last year, only not as symbolic, but as the fact that it is the sunset, but also the promise of a new day.

Regular posts return next week. This is post 98. Post 100 will probably be a vlog debut.

John Green's Vlog: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1cUh3GUMkA&feature=player_profilepage

Off The Internet Stuffs

Okay, so lately I have been working on a lot off the internets, and I am considering starting vlogging (yay, I've tried that all last year!) and I have also been working on the Channel. When I talk about the Channel, I mean two things. The first being WCHS AM (Morning Announcements) and Verizon Channel Local 28. I have tried my hand at designing stuff for both of these. See examples to the sides of these words.

Also, I have attempted to do some philosophical thinking. In other words, thinking great thoughts. Where has that gotten me? Well, literally nowhere. But it does occupy my time.

In completely irrelevant news, I have been watching this vlogger WheezyWaiter. He is one of the John Green clan, and has this (almost)thing called EXPLOSION WEDNESDAY! He's a fun guy, if you want to check him out.

I promise to post about the MVB Contest via a blog or vlog on September 10th (the contest ends the 9th) until then, check out something I have done recently, SUPERMAN III Lapsed!

So You Remember Tally Hall? and notes from a Football Game

So right now, I am keeping my laptop on the network so I can simultaneously burn a DVD of a band performance for Carlynton's Band Director.

Getting past that, this past Friday, I was able to attend a Carlynton Football Game. Normally this means a three hour contest where our home team loses. However, it was quite contrary to that. We won, it took four hours, and I still have to edit all of that for a highlight reel. (I should start working on that)

So, Remember Tally Hall? Anyway, Recently someone posted a video (see it off to the side) of 750 pictures played kind of like in Lapsing Reality, only better. Check it out.

Most Valuable Blogger Contest

So, there are only a few more days left in the contest, and I am hoping that if you are reading this, you'll be nice enough to vote a few more times just for now. I promise to make a vlog if I win. It won't be too exciting, but it will be something.

That'sChurch is DoublePlusGood

Okay, so a while back in the news there was this hugely popular local blog called PittGirl. She got in the news and stuff after some scandal involving the mayor, and apparently started a new blog elsewhere.

Anyway, I was looking through the other nominees in CBS Pittsburgh's MVB Contest. Anyway, this "everything else" portion has some great bloggers. Under my blog (Yay for having a 2 in the name of the blog!) I see this "That's Church" blog. I click about, and it turns out this PittGirl person is the same person as That's Church. Upon further inspection, it turns out that she also watched MONK!

Bottom line, the fact that a high school freshman (yay first day of school!) can be in the same contest with PittGirl, who has a hugely ridiculous local following... just shows the power of the internet.

DoublePlusGood is an expression as used in George Orwell's 1984 to describe something that is better than good, or excellent. Its all a part of this philosophy involving the 'Party' and some other philosophical content I wish not to bore my readers about.

This poster (at left) is a digitized version of my friend Clay Bodnar's poster for 1984. The "Doublethink" wording is in the same font as street signs (Inspired by Cherry Street [details later]). And the three party slogans "war is peace..." is in one of my new favourite fonts called "Typewriter from Hell". I love the internet.

To Read about the MVB and some other stuff click here.

Pont Champlain, Light Boxes, and My New Life.

In my own new fashion, I will start with a quote from Adrianna Flack:

Life= live it fricking epicly

It is an interesting way of putting it, but it is true. I am now addicted to music. I have recently been listening to this song Your Ex-Lover Is Dead by Stars. Now, my ex-lover (do I even have one?) isn't dead, but its a great song. It mentions capturing a taxi and driving across Pont Champlain. I decided to look into this Pont Champlain, and was disappointed to realize that my limited French couldn't tell me that "Pont" really means "bridge". So, Pont Champlain is just the Champlain Bridge in Montreal Canada (yeah!)

I believe that life is kind of like an interstate (Oh, here he goes again), and our adventures are like bridges. I decided to take the one that goes to Canada, and meet some awesome people (See The List) and did some interesting things. In the past month I have:

  - Operated Sound for a talent show
  - Ran for SPL in a boy scouting troop
  - Went to a dance
  - Slow Danced with Two Girls
  - Listened to music
  - Got a combined total of about 20 service hours
  - Decided who I am
  - created The Carlynton Project (In Crystal Clear 1080p High Def!)
  - Ticked some people off (ha)
  - operated lights for a choral concert
  - went at least 10 miles on a track and on a bike
  - Rode a trolley
  - got commended by my superintendent
  - and turned 14.

Now, what have you done? Heck, I have done about 90 times that, but that is what I put in.

Someone once told me to join the band. I did. A year later I quit. That was probably what got me where I am. I love music, I just can't play an instrument worth my life. I got into journalism, web design, video production, people, and high school.

And this is just the beginning. Well, Good luck. I am crossing my bridge, find yours.

Post EIGHTY and Some Randomness

Well, first off, I would like to acknowledge that Marie Popichak (aunt that I rarely talk about) decided to write about my John Green obsession, and that this is post EIGHTY since I started. You can read her post: Just Click Here. I rarely acknowledge that other websites exist, except mine (of course, does a painter acknowledge other works?), but hers is truly something to check out. Never have I seen such a website that had just about as much randomness on it as I do here, so check it out.

Ok, I promised randomness. I want to add a few things to two posts ago (the post before last): it turns out that Canadians, Justin Bieber, and Italians have one thing in common: BAD arguments.

Justin Bieber, regretfully for me, hails from Canada. I wish I could pull up a transcript from my fight with Lindsey, but it basically went like this:

I tell her my master plan about Canada, sneaking in a part about finding a nice Canadian girl to hide in the woods from the US government... harmless, right? Well, I guess not. I say some stupid things, and next thing I know Cristy (LONG STORY) is telling me that apparently Justin Beiber is the middle of our fight. Well, news for you Cristy: IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH JUSTIN BEIBER.

Anyway, it appears that "Beiber" isn't a word (ha) according to FireFox, so I saw those red squiggles underneath the word "Beiber." Also, I decided that the part of Canada that Beiber is from is NO LONGER part of Canada, because Canada is too awesome to be a

Oh, the newest in Easysites Videos is here: office WORKER starring clay BODNAR. I am tired of embedding and re-doing Youtube Videos, so click here:
>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1Rb8mCdFOM& <<<

Well, the next one I think might have to do with Butterscotch the bird, mirrors, and Frank Sinatra. 

Questions and ideas in the Doobly-doo!

2011, Communications, and Yelling

Ok, welcome to the 2011 year! Wow, I haven't posted here in a while.
What has changed? Well, not much. I am in the midst of the CarLynTon, BBC, and Project 559 projects. I am also in the midst of redoing ESMP. I am also in the midst of midterms, a confusing ideology, and a troop communications nightmare.
Communications is an interesting concept. It is the idea of communicating ideas, information, and thoughts to a broad group. In other words, broadcasting with text and pictures rather than words, sounds, and a camera. When I signed up to be e-mail guy for Troop 831, I had no idea what I was getting into. At least now they have a working calendar (which I need to update now) and website.
However, information needs to be kept up-to-date, and ideas are ever-changing. A schedule one minute can be changed in fractions of that. Oh well, there is the trade I am in.

One of my new favorite catch phrases is "If I do something, I will get yelled at for it!" Which really holds true for most things. Take today for example:
Troop calendar needs updated, and e-mailed NOW! I don't have my computer on, I get yelled at.
Girl named Cathryn starts a texting conversation (which I am not good at to start with) and apparently her boyfriend gets angry with me... Heck, I am getting Indianonians angry with me!
I am on the computer too long updating my blog... goodnight universe!

Polio, CarLynTon, Halloween, and other stuff

Please note: this post will be written over a period of time!

I'd like to thank all of you for your continued support with everything. My blog is a mishmash of me ranting abou everyday things. My next question: Why must High School come with some much drama?

I was recently approached by my pretty good friend about a video contest. It is concerning Polio, and how it affected life as we know it. I am going into this as my first real video project. I am going to start over. That DnC Show was a great concept, the JSVH a great temporary success, and Total Randomness: COME ON! I only have so many blooper reels. So, with my good friend, I am going into this. I prefer not to talk about it, but I can give only some information. However, I am going to have people with music, stories, and a not-so-professional writer!

Halloween. One of my least favorite holidays. Sure, I put on that whole, "I love Halloween" act. Honestly, it is the one day out of the year where people are given an excuse to act something that they aren't. So, you are telling me that you want to portray SNOOKIE or something like FREDDY CROUTON! Anyway, people, myself included, act like something that they are not all of the time. I can quite frankly be schizophrenic... angry at one point, and break down laughing the next.

CarLynTon: a story of how things became what they are today. My next great project, and the one that may have any potential this year. Yes, I contemplated going onto the "BBC 2 1/2 Forever" mode, but that is just illogical. Much like Disney, I can only hold onto an audience for long. Well, more details to come.

The JSVH and the CBVH

This is the first in a group of posts that I will post focused on the JSVH, but I decided to divide this from my usual rants and scatter-braininess.


I have been working for three months with Jeff Stephan and Clay Bodnar. We are a group of friends that do a webshow. It is only us four who film for 2-3 hours, it is only us who look at every detail on the website, and it is only us who come up with material for the show. Jeff once offered Clay to have the show with him host, Clay kindly denied. That was the way he is.

A friend of mine decided to write a script. He gave it to Jeff, Clay, and after two weeks, me. Clay then calmly tells me he does not like the script. We are currently revising it because Clay is a valued member of our team. I decide to do something, it doesn't happen. I am their producer.

I really don't know what or where this journey and project will take us. I really don't care. What I do care is that this is a group of three friends working on something they love, with a great end product.

Jeff's Show

Jeff, Clay and I have been working on a webshow, The Jeff Stephan Variety Hour:

JSVH Season 1 Episode 1
by alexP525

Vlog Update

Ok so here's the deal, we have a format pegged out for how we are going to do the webshow. We will host sessions, and film "sketches" or short tidbits. Then we will do to development, and create a two-minute show, like a mini Saturday night live. After that we simulcast it HERE and on KIMAELA.SNAPPAGES.COM! This will take up to three weeks to start, so until then,