What's shaking in March?

I have started a Tumblr for the sole purpose of reminding everyone of things that used to be awesome. It's a lot less stress than Blogspot (whatever that means) but I hate how hard it is to navigate and how limited it seems to change the design. I am not a master of HTML!

I really have been wanting to post here regularly again, but that's just not happening. I've started to be active on weekdays, mostly just performing. I've been doing shows with Bad Data, Iron Ruckus and, occasionally, Daddy at least 3 times a week. That's pretty crazy and I think I've already performed more shows in 2009 than I did in all of 2008. That's an exaggeration but, it's almost true. I'm hitting a bunch of weird bumps in my improv, bumps that I hope will be smoothed out in my Zach Woods 501 that I'm taking at the end of this month. And I'm beginning Sketch 201 with Neil Casey in a week, so I'll have even less free time to blog here!

I've become obsessed with buying 3 3/4" action figures, thanks to the arrival of the X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie figures and the Marvel Universe line. The fact that I can now take pictures like these...


...are enough support for this madness.

Not fit for man, definitely not beast.

It feels like -1 outside and...well that's reason enough for the world to just take the day off, right? I don't want to go out in that! I don't know how to live with that weather!

Iron Ruckus had a show last night at the PIT. It was fine overall, even though I'm still finding my own performance lacking. I seem to be in a phase where I just lock up and can't say anything on stage. That's not good, not good at all.

I bought the first trade of Immortal Iron Fist yesterday and read it while I ate alone at Chili's. Yeah, it's as good as everyone says. I need to get volume two ASAP but I ALSO need to not spend any money whatsoever!

For a brief moment on the drive home yesterday, I felt pretty good about everything. That changed later that night a bit, but...I have to work towards making 2009 great so I can peak again in 2010. I have a theory that I peak ever 4 years, and 2010 is the next such occurrence.

Bad Data has a show tonight at the PIT that I'm excited about and then I'm SHOW-FREE for the rest of the weekend!

Quick and early thoughts!

Okay, 2009, I'm going to worry more about quantity and not quality with this here thing. I have realized that no one reads this thing for it's biting social commentary since, well, there's none of that here. There's nothing here. So instead, here's a scattershot post about some things going on right now done at 7:26 AM, about four minutes before I need to leave for work.

Bad Data might be on Animal Planet.

Insurance probably IS NOT going to cover my wreck.

The eBay buyer who bought my Iron Man poster hasn't paid me yet and it's been a week.

Abra debuted on Harold Night. So awesome!

"Real World" looks great so far and is very entertaining, in the kinda boring way that the first couple seasons were.

I need to start buying "B.P.R.D." comics.

I'm in a new improv duo with Ethan Kaye called Ultimate Alliance.

2009 has been emotionally draining, moreso than most of 2008. Okay, exaggeration.

There's a blog in my brain about Tommy Wiseau, and it'll come soon.

Top 10 2008: Comics

10. SECRET INVASIONIssues #1-8 / Written by Brian Bendis, Art by Leinil Yu

You'll note that this is the only Skrull-related comic in the top ten, mostly because I was absolutely green in the face (PUNZ) after about two months of all the wrinkly-chinned hullabaloo. It got old, Marvel. And yeah, as the flagship series this series weighed way too heavily on slow-paced action and not enough on big reveals or characterization...or plot really. But okay, the art was amazing, the entire creative team was A-list (Mark Morales and Laura Martin rounded out the team, and they're the biggest inker and colorist working today) and the kick-off issue was downright paranoid glee. Good stuff and, as a whole, a bit more sturdy than Civil War. So that's it, no more Skrulls on this list. For the most part.

9. UNCANNY X-MEN
Issues #494-505 / Written by Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction, Art by Mike Choi, Greg Land and Terry Dodson

A lot of Uncanny's 2008 was spent with its wheels furiously spinning around with the car parked in neutral (that car metaphor works, right?). The great "Messiah Complex" storyline of 2007 ended and, well, led into five months of farting around until the fancy and multiple-covered 500th issue. Since then things have been slowly improving, with Fraction (and a bit of Brubaker) bringing in a bunch of slow-burning plots that all seem to be destined to dovetail together in a big ol' Claremont-ian event of awesomeness. Along with having a downright retro feel, the book is also breaking new ground with the current San Francisco locale change which has made a huge impact on the line as a whole. It's not great yet, and Fraction can do great things, so I'm looking forward to 2009.

8. ASTONISHING X-MEN
Issues #24-27 and Giant-Size Astonishing X-Men #1 / Written by Joss Whedon and Warren Ellis, Art by John Cassaday and Simone Bianchi

The stellar Whedon and Cassaday run came to an end with a truly epic moment and probably the biggest sacrifice the X-Men have endured since...well, the first death of Phoenix. There's not much more I can say about that part of Astonishing's run that I haven't said before. Whedon ruled, Cassaday did the best art any x-book has seen in a long time, the only problem was with the book's scheduling and the fact that the big climax was ruined in the other titles a month before said issue hit. Following that team's run was going to be hard, but Ellis and Bianchi haven't done...horribly. Okay, Bianchi's art is...odd...but I always appreciate Ellis' insane take on tradition and his seeming respect for continuity. This is no longer the flagship title but under Ellis, it's an okay one.

7. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: SEASON EIGHT
Issues #10-20 / Written by Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, Art by Georges Jeanty and Karl Moline

2008 was split between two storylines, one stellar and one fun, and a couple one-off issues that were all enjoyable. Drew Goddard's "Wolves at the Gate" really nailed the humor, conflict and bloody death that made the best episodes of Buffy memorable. The more recent "Time of Your Life" crossed over with Fray, a series that I just read. This was plagued by a bit of a delay, a fact that hurt the story a lot since I had no clue what Fray was all about. I now do. The storyline was better in retrospect. Big things are coming in Buffy, and I'm stoked.

6. CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI: 13
Issues #1-8 / Written by Paul Cornell, Art by Leonard Kirk

If you had told me a year ago that a series starring Captain Britain and a bunch of D-List English heroes would be in my top ten list of 2008, above two X-Books, I would have said something ridiculously sarcastic, rolled my eyes and walked away asking myself why you even bothered talking to me. And now, here we are, stepping into 2009 and Captain Britain is one of my most-anticipated books each month. Solid art, intricate and careful characterization and some big ol' action with a shot of the UK added in. It's a pretty great read month in and month out and MI: 13 is becoming a ragtag group of heroes up there with the old school X-Factor team. Good stuff.

5. RUNAWAYS
Volume 2 Issues #29-30, Volume 3 Issues #1-5 / Written by Joss Whedon and Terry Moore, Art by Michael Ryan and Humberto Ramos

This book spent most of 2007...um...not coming out, so it was nice to have seven months of Runaways in 2008. Both of the creative teams lacked what the other had and vice versa. Michael Ryan has the strong storytelling that Humberto Ramos lacks, but Ramos makes up for it with tons of attitude and charisma. And while Terry Moore is crafting a story that feels much more like Runaways than Whedon's time travel story, there's no denying that Whedon's run was much funnier and snappier. So, you know, good and bad. Overall I'm ecstatic about where this book is going, especially because it's coming out regularly again. Moore may not be as flashy or buzzworthy as Whedon, but he really appreciates these characters and knows how to craft stories with them. The future is bright.

4. X-FACTORIssues #27-38, Layla Miller and Quick & The Dead one-shots / Written by Peter David, Art by Pablo Raimondi, Valentine De Landro and Larry Stroman

The first half of 2008, X-Factor was experiencing a creative rebirth. Wolfsbane's departure yielded one of the series' best issues and led into one of its best storylines with "The Only Game in Town." That arc was aptly named as it was the only X-Book to really kick the events of "Messiah Complex" into high gear instead of sitting around for five months. The two one-shots spotlighting Quicksilver and the time-displaced Layla Miller were real highlights, especially Layla Miller. And then...well, the team moved to Detroit and lost a lot of its appeal. This coincided with the awkward return of Larry Stroman, a move that was highly anticipated and ended up disappointing. With 2008's close, Stroman has departed and Peter David has acknowledged the series' slide. He promises that things are going to pick up and with Madrox and Siryn's baby being born right now, well, I believe him.

3. ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN
Issues #118-129 / Written by Brian Bendis, Art by Stuart Immonen

Yeah, this is probably the best this book has ever been. Stuart Immonen's art is perfectly suited for the title and the fresh energy he has brought to Spidey has completely rejuvenated Bendis' writing. Venom, Gwen Stacy, last month's arrest of Aunt May...everything is illustrated with a detailed urgency unlike any this series has ever seen. Bagley was great, yeah, but this title really needed an offbeat artist to make it stand out. The teenage angst has never been this palpable. This is the only "Ultimate" book that matters.

2. X-MEN/X-MEN: LEGACY
Issues #207-219 / Written by Mike Carey, Art by Scot Eaton

This is also the title everyone either loved or hated in 2008. I, obviously, fell on the "love it" side. Of course I'm obsessed with continuity, so Mike Carey going back and fixing past wrongs and making every bit of mutant minutiae make sense had me in giggle fits every month. We saw Hazard again this year, people! Hazard! He appeared like, once! Fifteen years ago! Awesome! But seriously, Carey's doing all this while telling a smart story and making Professor X a relatable and complex character. Plus, you know, Gambit came back and didn't suck. So, that was cool. The Legacy setup is ending soon I think, and Carey said the book is going to change into something else that has never been seen in this corner of the Marvel Universe. I'm excited to see where this book goes.

1. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
Issues #546-581 / Written by Dan Slott, Bob Gale, Zeb Wells, Marc Guggenheim, Joe Kelly and Mark Waid, Art by Steve McNiven, Salvador Larroca, Phil Jimenez, Chris Bachalo, Barry Kitson, Marcos Martin, Mike McKone and John Romita Jr.

Thirty-six issues. This one comic alone shipped three times the amount it normally does in a year and somehow managed to make every one of them (of the twenty I read) the most worthy additions to the legendary Spider-Man mythos that I've read in my long tenure reading comics. The writers and artists listed up there are not only among the best in the industry, they're among my personal favorites. Slott and Romita Jr.'s "New Ways to Die" arc was a thrilling read every week, an arc that successfully re-purposed Eddie Brock and brought him back from obscurity. Marcos Martin's page layouts during his two storylines ("Peter Parker, Paparazzi" and "Unscheduled Stop") were divine, his completely unparalleled and unique vision of the webhead surely inspiring artists all over the country to give it a try. And of course, I can't say enough about all of Chris Bachalo's work on the title, especially his arc with writer Joe Kelly. Their two-part "Family Ties" arc was simply, well, amazing. Spider-Man's one-liners had never been so hilarious and his look had never been so abstractly exhilirating. In all of Marvel Comics, there really is none better when you look at the monumental goal they set for themselves by deciding to publish thirty-six issues in a year and see how they succeeded. And no, "One More Day" did NOT need to happen and Peter Parker SHOULD still be with Mary Jane, but "Brand New Day" is the best thing that could have happened to Spider-Man. Things are only going to get better.

Top 10 2008: Songs

This year was somewhat lackluster for me, no matter how hard I tried to give all these new-fangled indie blog Pitchfork bands a chance. Some of'em impressed me and made the list, but you'll still mostly find the same ol' bands in my top 10.

First some honorable mentions, which really make this a top 13 instead of a top 10. But whatever.

The Decemberists "Valerie Plame"
I just bought all the Always the Bridesmaid singles yesterday so I'm a bit late to the game. This is a catchy ditty with another fun Colin vocal along with a fun Colin tune. There's nothing really exemplary here, but I'll take all the pop tunes I can get from this band before they release theirfull-on Decemberists prog-rock-opera in 2009. I fear for the future.


Franz Ferdinand "Lucid Dreams"
I tend to forget how much I like Franz Ferdinand until they release an album, then I get all tangled up in Franz Mania again. 2005's You Could Have It So Much Better was stellar and, despite all the talk about techno/tribal/Devo/whatever inspirations (you know, the same stuff ALL bands say about the album they're recording), this song is classic Ferdinand. Here's a video of some kid playing the drums along with the song.


Frightened Rabbit "The Twist"
My teammate on Iron Ruckus, Drury Pants, told me to download this album. I did. This is a good song from an album that is better than I thought it would be. Honestly, a band named Frightened Rabbit, in my head, plays eight minute long instrumentals featuring a wide variety of objects, none of which are instruments, and names all their songs after unsung political documents of the 1800s. Anyway, this song disproves that notion since it's a high enjoyable song with just the right amount of emotion and crazy (I loves some crazy in my music).


10. The Kills "Sour Cherry"
I read somewhere (probably Pitchfork) that all a Kills' song is is a drumbeat and vaguely sexy/dangerous lyrics. Good enough for me. Thanks to Frank, another Ruckuser (is that what we are? Ironer? Ironer Ruckuser?), for suggesting I download Midnight Boom, which is a lot better than No Wow was when I listened to it years ago.


9. Vampire Weekend "Oxford Comma"
Just like I did with the Strokes in 2001, I came around to Vampire Weekend. I don't like Paul Simon, I don't dig their aesthetic, and I hate how overhyped they were. I managed to hear this album in its entirety numerous times in various places before finally downloading it just a few months ago, which shows how ubiquitous this album was. This is a good song and one of the real standouts from the album. The guitar solo reminds me of Brenda Lee's Christmas songs from the '50s, so that might explain why I like it.


8. Tilly & the Wall "Pot Kettle Black"
I love sass and this song sizzles with so much sexy sass that I can't stand it. The chorus is pretty euphoric when it finally erupts after almost ninety seconds of tap-dancing anxiety.


7. R.E.M. "Living Well is the Best Revenge"
I've always been a fan of R.E.M. singles, but I wrote them off a while ago when their singles started being boring or, well, nonexistant. Accelerate was a huge surprise and actually ended up being one of my favorite albums of the year. R.E.M. basically do what I say every band needs to do when their discography starts hitting double digits: turn up the volume. It seems that with age every band gets slower and more introspective, which leads to boring and uninspired albums (like Reveal and Around the Sun). With this song, R.E.M. makes it seem insanely easy to recapture the urgency and sound of a band fresh out of their garage. Plus, Mike Mills' backing harmonies in this song are outstanding.


6. She & Him "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?"
I've avoided M. Ward for a while now based solely on my usual dislike of singer/songwriter types, but pairing him with The Girl Who Sings Real Good From Elf got me interested. This song is pure pop genius. It's like it was unearthed from a time capsule from 1967, and that is just fine with me.


5. The Futureheads "Work Is Never Done"
I love Ross Millard's voice and the fact that this is his only appearance on This Is Not The World is a postpunk tragedy. At least his one contribution is as rambunctious and driving as this one, which has some awesomely overdramatic lyrics that are fun to scream along to. Plus I like how Ross sings the word 'run.'


4. Beyonce "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)"
From being the inspiration for one of the best Saturday Night Live bits this year to causing a veritable storm of people trying to do the choreography on YouTube, there's no way I could keep this song off the list. Everything about this song is joy, even the part where Beyonce quotes Buzz Lightyear.


3. Oasis "The Shock of the Lightning"
Better than "Lyla" and "The Hindu Times," this song got the word out that a very different Oasis was emerging in 2008. No longer the song-based melody makers of 2005's delightful Don't Believe the Truth, the Oasis of 2008 proved to be challenging, difficult and ultimately rewarding. This song itself grew on me until I was won over by the pulse-pounding drums and classicly irrelevant and irreverent lyrics. This ranks up there with some of their earliest and best work.


2. The Features "Still Lost"
For a band that I used to see three times a week, it was odd getting their new album and not being in Tennessee to go to all the release shows and hear them workshop the new songs in concert. "Still Lost" is a tiny song with a big heart, as saccharine as that sounds. The slow build, the back and forth sway of Matt Pelham's vocal delivery and the psychotic squeal of Mark Bond's keyboards all make this song one of the Features' best. It manages to tell a full story in two minutes, to me, with the early wariness of the vocal delivery being replaced by confidence towards the end. The emotions in the song ring so true with me that, I have to admit, it's the only song on this list that has made me work in the waterworks factory. The live version below isn't the best, but at least its something.


1. The Go! Team "Milk Crisis"
The song first appeared on the bonus disc to 2007's spectacular Proof of Youth, but this new version, featuring a new verse in English that is actually understandable, completely dominated my 2008. It's fast, triumphant, unstable, cocky and pretty much how all music should sound. I still haven't gotten enough of this song even if I have listened to it over a hundred times.

How To Make "Chuck" Not Suck

I said in the previous post that I've been watching a lot of television, thus me not writing here that much...or at all. And it's true that most of it is disgusting reality TV (I just got a tad bummed about "America's Next Top Model" not coming on tomorrow...help me, someone), but some of it is scripted television. Sadly, it is only some because I don't think there are enough good scripted shows on network TV to fill a VHS tape in SLP mode. One of those shows I watch weekly is NBC's "Chuck."

I've watched "Chuck" since the first episode, which was actually charming and full of promise. The rest of the first season played out fine, for a first season. The universe was set up, the rules were written, there were some okay turns and surprises. We're now in season two and "Chuck" is still happily trudging along, confined by it's own rules. There have been some big changes (that one government guy getting blown up, Chuck's ex working for Fulcrum) but they haven't amounted to much. As a guy who loved "Alias" and is big on genre comedy/dramas ("Buffy" and "Angel"), this show should be right up my alley. But it's not. It's pretty boring. Here's what should be done to make "Chuck" not suck.

I thought about this on my drive home to keep me from falling asleep.

1. Kill Captain Awesome. Seriously, someone has to die and it should be Chuck's future brother-in-law Devon, who apparently is credited as Captain Awesome in every episode. I didn't know that. I actually didn't even remember his name is Devon until I looked it up, which doesn't bode well for a character I've been watching weekly for almost two seasons. But yeah, this guy needs to die just to give Chuck and his sister something real to do. Plus, all the great shows I mentioned above made sure to kill someone early on (Francine, Jesse, Doyle) thus letting the viewing audience know that everyone is expendable. As it is, I never believe that any character is in jeopardy. Heck, I never even believe that the status quo is in jeopardy. Which is why...

2. Chuck needs to quit the Buy More. The show is founded on two basic plot points: Chuck is the Intersect and he's an average dude who works a crappy job. You can't get rid of the Intersect plot because, well, no one would watch an hourlong show about a guy who works at a Best Buy, especially when the show used to involve a lot of martial arts and sometimes scantily clad ladies. Still, the nature of episodic television dictates that change happen otherwise things get stale. Right now, the Buy More is getting insanely stale. I say that the show needs a comedic side more than it needs the Buy More. The Buy More is just a setting for the lighter stuff to take place and none of the characters are really that improtant to the show that they can't be ditched for newer characters in a new location. The only character that really matters in this setting is Morgan, who is easily transplantable into any situation that Chuck goes to (it's also in character since Morgan is pretty much a follower). How many more weeks can we see Chuck complain about working at the Buy More and not doing anything with his life? There's no drama in that especially when Chuck ditches his shifts all the time with no consequence. He doesn't really need to get fired or quit, he just needs to start caring. If he doesn't, then he should start going back to school, get an adult job and get a passion that he actually won't want to run away from to play CIA man. And Morgan should follow.

Overall, the comedy part of the show does not need to exist outside of Chuck. If Chuck is not involved in a Buy More plot (or wherever the new comedy setting is) then it doesn't need to be in the episode. Right now it seems like we're watching two shows a week and when none of the Buy More staff is relatable or even enjoyable to watch, it means that half of the show is painful. Give Chuck a setting he cares about and make him want to spend time there with people that both he and the audience enjoy. This is especially the case with Morgan, who I don't think has shared more than 10 minutes of screen time with this entire season. They need to hang out and be buddies.

3. Chuck is NOT a CIA agent. This is one of the biggest mistakes the show has made this season. Chuck is an average guy who is cursed with a bunch of info. Yes, Chuck has to go on adventures, that's why we watch the show. But at no point should the CIA, Sarah or Casey send Chuck on missions. That's happened way too much this season and he's actually been called a CIA agent. No. Chuck is a dude. This is like some sorta okay college football player joining the Tennessee Titans just because he shows up to all the games and sneaks onto the field. That doesn't happen. Ever.

4. The comedic characters don't need to be retarded. Everyone in the Buy More is one note. If these characters and the Buy More in general is going to stay around, I need to care about these characters more. There needs to be some depth added to the trio of characters whose names I don't know and Morgan, as soon as possible. Also, when you're watching Chuck being tortured, Sarah defusing a bomb, Casey driving a car through a building, etc...you can't cut to a scene at the Buy More involving a hastily rigged cage match fight for the new management position. The viewer doesn't care. Extreme example, but it's like someone deciding to show "Two and a Half Men" right in the middle of Hurricane Katrina coverage. I am on edge. People are dying. Stuff's going crazy. I don't need to be made to watch an eating contest. Until the show grounds the comedy and figures out pacing, I suggest they save the insanely goofy Buy More stuff for episodes where they can make it the A plot and focus on it, and give a minor spy plot the B status.

5. Fulcrum needs a face. Right now Chuck and company are fighting the idea of a rogue operation. Fulcrum needs a charismatic leader who has a plan that the audience KNOWS about and can get invested in. This would have been perfect for Chuck's ex, but they just sent her to prison. Oh well. Still, Fulcrum needs to get their plan out there and actually start making strides in completing it, and it needs to be huge.

6. Chuck and Sarah need to do it. Yep. They need to be a straight up couple. No more of this will-they-won't-they hooey. The writers need to commit to it, and play it real. If they break up in a year, they break up. If they go great together, they're great together. Period. This would also help Sarah out who, as of now, is a faceless model agent. Her shirking her responsibilities and dating Chuck outright could lead to a lot of great material, like her generally getting more rebellious, getting replaced as Chuck's handler, etc. Ideally they'd break up in a season, which would lead to a lot more emotional drama.

7. Casey needs to be found out. Quick. Casey was sent to kill Chuck in episode one, right? And the bigwig CIA lady they now answer to was the one who wanted him dead, right? Even in an episode as recent as the season premiere...right? Well then...have him try to kill Chuck. Have him kill Captain Awesome. Have him do something that will put this to rest. This is too big of a plot point to not be addressed more often or just completely ended. I was pretty excited when the guy CIA bigwig was killed because I thought it would lead to a different dynamic between the good guys, but it hasn't. She needs to order Casey to kill Chuck and Casey either needs to attempt it and be sent away and replaced or refuse and overthrow the CIA lady bigwig. Yes, that would get rid of some drama but it would clear up Casey's character immensely by firmly aligning him either with or against Chuck and Sarah. He can still be grumpy, but we need to know he either isn't going to kill Chuck or have him try every episode. You can't just toss a plot point like that in there in the first episode and ignore it 90% of the time. Plus, whoever replaces the CIA lady bigwig would obviously throw a monkey wrench into the show by not understanding the dynamic of Casey, Sarah and Chuck.

So yeah. I guess if I was planning the rest of the season, I would...

• Reintroduce Chuck's ex as the head of Fulcrum
• Have her tell Captain Awesome that Chuck is CIA
• CIA Lady Bigwig has Casey kill Captain Awesome
• Chuck gets depressed and Sarah falls for him, they start dating
• Chuck gets motivated and enrolls in school again, as would Morgan
• CIA Lady Bigwig fears Chuck will go rogue and she'll have Casey sent to kill him
• Casey doesn't, and CIA Lady Bigwig turns out to be evil, she's killed
• New CIA bigwig, fires Sarah and puts her on another assignment
• New handler is a Fulcrum agent

Bam, I don't know, that's just off the top of my head. But if all of that happened over the rest of season two, I think it would move the show into a much more fluid place that would keep the audience guessing.

Blah blah blah, I'm hungry.

My Blog Post For November

You know, I have some spare time. I really do. It's just that I've been spending my spare time watching a lot of television. Like, almost to the levels I watched television at before the MyFaceTwitBlog craze. But unlike my habits back then, I watch mostly junk right now. Seriously, I've been quoting an episode of "Wife Swap" since Friday and I'm way too into "The Pick Up Artist 2." Just be thankful, waning readers, that I haven't felt passionate enough about these shows to do a "Kid Nation" style weekly review. Or maybe I should be doing that. Anything to get me writing again on a regular basis is good.

On the subject of writing, I'm writing a sketch show my friend and new teammate on Iron Ruckus, Frank. It's going along fine, I just have to get some ink cartridges and a suitable work station so I can be productive again. The main excuse I will use that isn't Celebreality related for why I don't write is that I used to do it all at work. Now I can't since work is crazy busy all day everyday. But back on track, we'll be applying for a slot at UCB sometime early next year I'd say, probably Spring-ish actually. But it's happening!

Iron Ruckus performed in Cage Match on October 23rd and had not only our best show ever, but one of the Five Best Improv Shows I've Ever Done. We lost to Hot Sauce but the audience seemed to enjoy us more. Or at least they were very, very into our show. There were people actually sitting on stage, so I'd actually guess that this was the biggest crowd I've ever performed in front of. And, by the way, the five best improv shows I've ever done are...

• Bad Data's 18th show, at the Parkside Lounge on January 13, 2008
• Final ImproVerité: The Documentary class show on May 6, 2008
• First Shannon O'Neill 501 class show (as McCama, currently known as Daddy) on August 12, 2008
• X-Men improv show at Bad Date IV on October 11, 2008
• Iron Ruckus Cage Match on October 23, 2008

This has been a good year for improv. But...well, before 2008 I had only performed a handful of times on an indie team and in class shows. I can't believe I've only been doing this at this level for a year. It seems like an eternity. In a good way. Right?

I'm pretty lukewarm on the new Of Montreal album. The Kills "Midnight Boom" is really good. 2008 has been a pretty lackluster year for music, for me at least. Tell me more things to download.

And lastly, there's a lil' survey going around asking questions about if you were on a team full of seven other yous. So, a team full of eight Brett Whites.

1. What is your team name?
The Stakes

2. What music do you come out to?
"Milk Crisis" by the Go! Team, about six seconds in.


3. What warmups do you do?
Hugtag, Beastie Boys, Any variation on that one where you have to follow multiple patterns at once while making eye contact. This is seriously called like, 8 different things, but I like all of them.