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janephillipsblog · 4 years

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My Diary of One Yellow Rabbit’s 34th Annual High Performance Rodeo - January 8 - 26, 2020

Last year I had the opportunity to volunteer for One Yellow Rabbit’s High Performance Rodeo and had such a fantastic time that I decided to do it again this year. The High Performance Rodeo Volunteer Program is proudly sponsored by East Village. There were some differences this year as due to my own theatrical commitments I was not able to attend the volunteer orientation session in November and was also not able to attend as many shows as I would have liked. Even so, I still managed to take in 11 shows and kept a diary a follows:

January 10, 2020

My first show was “bliss (the birthday party play)”, presented by Verb Theatre in The Studio at The Grand, was directed by Karen Hines and performed by Jamie Dunsdon. This was a raw and intimate investigation of ignorance, bliss, self and all the things that we wish we could un-know. The space was set up like a birthday party and the audience were all guests which was very different. I found that Jamie’s performance was thought-provoking and powerful as she took us on a winding road of a journey as she turned back the clock on her life. I very much enjoyed the journey I was taken on, particularly as I had no idea of the destination. I am very much a fan of one-person shows in general and this one did not disappoint.

January 11, 2020

“It’s The End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fucked)” was written and performed by The Rude Pundit, a.k.a, Lee Papa, in Motel Theatre, Arts Commons. It was directed by Mike Creter. This was a journey, through the eyes of the Rude Pundit, through Trump’s America. It was exactly what I expected and I enjoyed his diatribe and anger and a Canadian audience can relate when comparing it to what Jason Kenney and people like him want to do.

January 16, 2020

“The Land, The Animals”, took place in the Big Secret Theatre, Arts Commons and was presented by the One Yellow Rabbit ensemble. Written and directed by Blake Brooker, this piece was performed by Denise Clarke, Christopher Hunt and Andy Curtis. This show was first presented in 1991, however it was new to me. I liked that it was based on a true event experienced by Blake and Denise in 1989, which changed the direction the play was going as Blake was writing it at the time. I felt that it was very timeless. It took me to the downtown working world of Calgary, a world which I had been a part of for many years as an employee, especially as I was a lunchtime runner, as was one of the characters in the play. I also enjoyed the original score written and performed by David Rhymer.

January 17, 2020

“Revolution or Slumber”, presented at and by Western Canada High School, was a special show as it was the first time that a high school production has been in the Rodeo. An original piece, it was written and created by students, directed by Caitlin Gallichan-Lowe. I enjoyed it and thought it was well done. The show was set during a slumber party, where the teens presented their anger, worry and despair at the state of the world, whilst in the world of the usual teenage dramas, love, smoking pot, drinking and eating chips (which set off my craving for chips!) It took me back to when I was the same age and I found I related to it in that regard. Perhaps the generations are not so far apart after all. I also really liked that they had screen printed the play’s logo onto second-hand t-shirts and were selling them.

January 18, 2020

“Footnote Number 12” was presented in The Studio at The Grand by Spreafico Eckly & Theatre Replacement. It was directed by Andrea Spreafico and performed by James Long and Nancy Tam. This was a bizarre, challenging, but interesting piece set around a 2006 magazine article, that questioned what that writer had to say through today’s social context. Interesting use of sound and the modulation of the voice.

January 23, 2020

“Queer Blind Date”, was presented by Spontaneous Theatre at The Studio, Vertigo Theatre. Through improvisation and clowning, the play explores human romance, and in this version, queer courtship. As it is a re-imagined version of Rebecca’s Northan’s “Blind Date”, I could easily see how this would work for every kind of human relationship, whether straight, same sex, trans or gender-queer. The performance I saw featured the saucy but adorable female clown, “Mimi”, played by Julie Orton (there were also performances with the clown “Mathieu” played by David Benjamin Tomlinson which I will unfortunately did not get to see). The performance starts with the actors mingling in the lobby to pick Mimi’s blind date and on this particular evening she picked a young woman, with her consent of course and she was such a good sport! The play starts with their first blind date and progresses through their relationship from there and is often quite naughty, particularly with the use of puppets. I loved it, I felt it was really refreshing and well done and a show you could enjoy several times due to it being different every time.

January 24, 2020

“How To Fail As A Popstar”, A Canadian Stage Production, was presented at the Engineered Air Theatre at Arts Commons. Directed by Brendan Healy, in this piece Vivek Shraya (writer and composer) shares her journey and quest to become a popstar. I found Vivek’s performance to be raw and authentic and incredibly relatable due to the world we live in which often focuses on the destination of complete success, rather than for a person to enjoy and appreciate the journey regardless of where they end up. This was one of my top three shows this year.

“Premium Content”, by David Gagnon Walker, directed by Geoffrey Simon Brown, was presented by The Major Matt Mason Collective in The Studio at The Grand. This is the story of five friends, one of whom makes videos. It explores the relationships between these friends and issues of consent in our internet-fueled voyeuristic world. I loved the use of multi-media and though I only got to see one performance, I also loved the idea that each performance was different and would have different relationship dynamics because the actors rotated roles (each actor learnt three roles).

January 25, 2020

“Tomatoes Tried to Kill Me But Banjos Saved My Life”, was presented by Quivering Dendrites, at Lunchbox Theatre. In this piece, creator and performer Keith Alessi, under the direction of Erika Conway, shares his inspirational true story from a rocky childhood, through corporate success to a battle with cancer, during which his passion for the banjo becomes an integral part of saving his life. This was a very authentic piece and I related to it on many levels. I suspect many other people also do, as for many of us, arts unfortunately sometimes end up on the back-burner as we focus on making a living. Keith bought his first banjo as a teenager and collected many throughout the years winding up with 52 of them in a closet! The cancer diagnosis forced him to finally start to really learn to play the banjo and he started jamming with other musicians. The cancer was cured and this piece created which ultimately led to a Broadway debut. I spoke to him after the show as I have guitars and a violin in my closet – well they were until just before Christmas as I have started playing them again! The advice: get out and play regardless of your expertise. The takeaway from this show for anyone is don’t delay your passion, whatever it may be. This was my favourite show this year.

“Gemini”, presented by Defiance Theatre, took place at The Legion. The play was written by Louise Casemore and directed by Mitchell Cushman. Performed by Louise Casemore and Vern Thiessen, the play is set in a bar and was made more real in this presentation by being performed in the Legion’s second floor pub. It explores the relationship between a young, female bartender and a middle-aged, male regular, who ultimately, perhaps in part due to male entitlement, crosses the line by reading more into the relationship than he should have. This was one of my top three shows at this year’s Rodeo as I found I related to it as I was once that bartender. Both characters had a sadness to them, stuck in their situations. It also raised questions about the treatment of workers in the hospitality industry. Bartenders have so much responsibility due to the liability that they take on from serving alcohol and yet the profession is not respected, with workers making most of their income from tips, a practice, that if you think about it, is rather questionable, because it has trickled down from the class system.

“Certified” by Squid Thinks was presented in the Motel Theatre at Arts Commons. In this show, creator and performer JD Derbyshire takes us on a roller coaster of a ride as we accompany her on her journey through the mental health system. This piece was fast-paced and humourous, though with moment of heart-ache, leaving the audience with questions about the definition of insanity.

For the volunteers, the Rodeo wrapped up with a volunteer party a week later, hosted by the Village Brewery Taproom. This year we were treated to a private talk back with artists Blake Brooker, Denise Clarke and Kris Demeanor. I unfortunately did not get to see Kris’ show “Russell: Straight Up” but he gave us a quick taste and I will definitely see it when it is presented again.

The 34th Annual High Performance Rodeo was fantastic and I wish I could have seen more shows, however the ones that I did attend were enjoyable and intriguing, with many that I would happily see again. As a performer and writer I also garnered a lot of inspiration from the work I experienced. Art is truly limitless!

#calgary #hprodeo #theatre

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stevenuniversallyreviews · 6 years

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Episode 65: Onion Friend

“Good things the kids are keeping themselves busy.”

It’s been exactly fifty episodes since Onion Trade, and it’ll be another forty-five until Onion Gang. Awfulness of the latter episode aside, this seems like pretty good pacing for a character as beautifully bizarre as Onion to get the spotlight.

Steven is largely kept out of the Gems' story throughout the Week of Sardonyx, and that’s never made more explicit than in his romp with Onion. Amethyst’s voice during dinner is drowned out by Steven’s fascination and revulsion with Beach City’s weirdest weirdo, and the episode revolves around Steven putting up with him for Amethyst’s sake. We don’t even see Pearl or Garnet, but we don’t have to: Onion Trade is all about Steven’s separation from the grown-up’s table.

Let’s start with his story before we get into the meat of the Week of Sardonyx implications. His main function, as per usual when he’s paired with Onion, is to serve as the straight man. In true sequel fashion, Onion’s absurd creepiness from Onion Trade gets ramped up: right off the bat he’s hiding in Steven’s cupboard to steal his food (as the latter narrates his own actions to nobody, because this is a silly episode from the start). Even if we learn he didn’t paint them, it’s honestly not even surprising to find portraits of Amethyst in his garage, because it’s hard to be surprised by anything he does.

After a relatively tame dinner scene—Onion is probably too old to be messing with his food, even if his age is hard to pin down, but this is still normal kid behavior to an extent—we reach the nightmare that is his room. We still get a nice blend of regular weird and creepy weird, aided by Zach Callison’s fantastic portrayal of bewilderment. He’s just so confused about Onion bounding on his bed instead of a trampoline, and even if this is hardly the strangest thing about this environment, I love that Steven’s still upset by it.

But like Charlie Brown with the football, Steven keeps up hope. He somehow sees no reason to be suspicious about Onion’s mouse or video tape, which makes their inevitable twists hilarious and super gross. So of course, when he finally decides enough is enough (featuring Callison’s best-ever use of the word “okay”), Onion decides to perform his first unambiguously kind action. Does he do it just to subvert Steven’s expectations? Or does he also consider sharing his snake and birth video “kind”? Even if he could talk beyond Callison mumbling, I doubt we’d ever know. But throwing a wrench into his actions by giving him a moment of true friendship is a great way to keep Onion unpredictable.

While it lacks the narrative oomph of Garnet being revealed as a fusion in Jailbreak, this episode gives a similar sense of satisfaction as all the implications about Clan Onion are confirmed. At first, the only hint that he and Sour Cream are related is the pun we get when combining their names, but more clues start piling up as we start to get a sense of their family. We know the unnamed fisherman who speaks gibberish is Onion’s dad from Onion Trade. We learn in Joy Ride that Sour Cream’s stepdad is a fisherman who speaks gibberish. We meet Vidalia (a type of onion) with Marty (who looks an awful lot like Sour Cream) suspiciously leaving Greg’s van in Story for Steven’s flashback. With this knowledge, we can shape an image of a family featuring Vidalia and the fisherman as parents and Sour Cream and Onion as half-siblings, but it’s never stated outright until Onion Friend. It’s not really a twist, as all the information (save the fisherman’s name, which we learn here is Yellowtail) was already there, but it still allows for that gleeful “I knew it!” moment.

Vidalia is the fifth mother we’ve met on Steven Universe, but only the second we’ve seen interact with her child-aged child (Nanefua’s kid is a grown man, Rose is only accessible by videotape, and Barb was on the job). Vidalia is the polar opposite of Dr. Maheswaran: a chill artist with free range kids and a shotgun in the house. We don’t even know her last name, just as we don’t know Dr. Maheswaran’s first name (although Ian Jones-Quartey says it’s Priyanka). They both love their kids, but where one expresses it through strict control, the other does so with wild freedom.

While neither style is strictly superior—compare and contrast Onion and Connie on your own time—I’m thrilled that the show’s desire to portray different types of mothers extends beyond the Crystal Gems. “Moms are people too” is a refreshing stance to take in a medium where mothers are often the portrayed as the most grounded (read: boring) member of the family.

One thing I find fascinating is that both of these mothers are voiced by women who have worked extensively behind the scenes in animation beyond voice acting. Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (who also played Major Motoko in Ghost in the Shell) is a veteran anime voice director, starting with a bang with the legendary English dub of Cowboy Bebop. And Jackie Buscarino (who also played Pacifica Northwest in Gravity Falls) worked her way from production assistant on shows like Spongebob Squarepants and Dexter’s Laboratory to full producer on shows like…well, like Steven Universe.

There’s nothing wrong with actors who are just actors, but even if it’s just a coincidence, I love that some part of the casting crew went for known industry multitaskers to play family matriarchs. Because yeah, no disrespect to Yellowtail and Doug, but Vidalia and Dr. Maheswaran are obviously running their respective houses.

(If Buscarino wasn’t so great at portraying Vidalia, I would’ve killed to have Wendy Hoopes in the role, because I’m pretty sure Vidalia is who Jane Lane grows up to be.)

As important as it is to see Vidalia as a mom, this episode is also about seeing parents as people outside of that context, which is why Onion and Steven are shooed out for Amethyst and Vidalia to talk. There’s a risk in making an episode about Amethyst talking about her troubles that features only a moment of eavesdropping, but this is another benefit of the Week of Sardonyx’s structure. We know why Amethyst is upset. We hear just enough to know how she’s dealing with it, and how valuable Vidalia’s friendship is. And we know how freaked out Steven is by Onion, making his quiet decision to return to his room surprisingly touching. Surprising not because it’s in any way out of character for him, but because this is otherwise a really goofy episode.

Subtlety is also used to shed a new light on Amethyst’s backstory. She’s always been the Gem most interested in humans (outside of Rose), attracted to human things like food and stuff and pop culture. She uses human slang and wrestles with humans and has that sisterly bond with Steven that makes the two feel like close peers instead of a parent and child. While we know she was fascinated with Greg and hung out with him alone, it’s awesome to see more of how he indirectly affected her forays into the human world.

There’s no indication from the two seconds we get of Vidalia in Story for Steven that she and Amethyst would be best buds, but they’re both punky and rebellious and we see so much of how they would’ve gotten along in their photo montage. Vidalia styles Amethyst’s hair to look like Rose’s. Amethyst morphs into Marty so they can make fun of him. It’s kind of amazing how quickly we’re able to accept that these two utterly nonintersecting characters have a history that informs Amethyst’s behavior to this day.

We sadly don’t see much of these two hanging out after this, but we don’t see Purple Puma and Tiger Millionaire wrestling between Tiger Millionaire and Tiger Philanthropist either, and are led to believe they’ve been regularly fighting the entire time. In that sense, I’ll just assume these two are getting into all sorts of trouble when Steven’s not around. Slippers included.

Future Vision!

This is our first look at Sour Cream’s weird backstory with the Crystal Gems, as Amethyst remembers hanging out with him as a baby. We’ll see more in Greg the Babysitter, but Sour Cream has a unexpectedly major role in Steven’s existence and it’s cool to see that referenced so early.

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

Despite the angst behind the scenes, Onion Friend is at its core a comedy showcase. It’s a little too forgettable compared to more well-rounded outings, and not quite funny enough to sit with the bigger comedies, but I’m still a big fan.

Top Fifteen

Steven and the Stevens

Mirror Gem

Lion 3: Straight to Video

Alone Together

The Return

Jailbreak

Sworn to the Sword

Rose’s Scabbard

Coach Steven

Giant Woman

Winter Forecast

Chille Tid

Keeping It Together

On the Run

Warp Tour

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon

Bubble Buddies

Tiger Millionaire

Lion 2: The Movie

Rose’s Room

An Indirect Kiss

Ocean Gem

Space Race

Garnet’s Universe

The Test

Future Vision

Maximum Capacity

Marble Madness

Political Power

Full Disclosure

Joy Ride

We Need to Talk

Cry for Help

Keystone Motel

Like ‘em

Gem Glow

Frybo

Arcade Mania

So Many Birthdays

Lars and the Cool Kids

Onion Trade

Steven the Sword Fighter

Beach Party

Monster Buddies

Keep Beach City Weird

Watermelon Steven

The Message

Open Book

Story for Steven

Shirt Club

Love Letters

Reformed

Rising Tides, Crashing Tides

Onion Friend

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack

Together Breakfast

Cat Fingers

Serious Steven

Steven’s Lion

Joking Victim

Secret Team

Say Uncle

No Thanks!

4. Horror Club 3. Fusion Cuisine 2. House Guest 1. Island Adventure

#onion friend #steven universe #su #steven universally #review

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vileart · 7 years

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Sinatra and Dramaturgy Again: Richard Shelton @ Edfringe 2017

‘BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE’

(Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards) AND CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ACTOR & SINGER

RICHARD SHELTON PRESENTS:

‘SINATRA AND ME…AGAIN’

FRANKENSTEIN PUB (VENUE NO: 304)

4-28 August

What happens to your dreams when you turn 50?

Already a household name on British TV, Richard Shelton turned 50 and decided to ‘up-sticks’, follow his heart and move to L.A., where he knew precisely no one to pursue a dream. Call it serendipity or synchronicity, the events that unfurled all connected with his hero, Frank Sinatra, have been astonishing! Including recording his own album – ‘An Englishman in Love in LA’ in Sinatra’s studio B at Capitol Records with Sinatra’s band mates.

What was the inspiration for this performance?

I have a life long synchronicity with Frank Sinatra which keeps unfurling throughout my life. Having been nominated as ‘Best Actor in a Leading Role’ for playing Sinatra in ‘Rat Pack Confidential’ in the West End, I decided to move to LA and try my hand ion music and acting there. I’ve had some incredible serendipity with Sinatra including his very own tuxedo walking into my life and being one of the last people inside Sinatra’s last home when it was being demolished. I’ve also recorded in his studio B at Capitol Studios with his band mates and at East West Studios, where he recorded ‘My Way’.

Is performance still a good space for the public discussion of ideas?

I think performance can be so stimulating. It’s a great way of expressing ideas, bringing them to life, presenting them to an audience which then allows them to interpret what they’re seeing and ponder it. It’s circular.

How did you become interested in making performance?

I’ve always enjoyed performing. I enjoy being able to express the full range of emotions, happy and sad, playing dangerous and unpleasant characters as well as the more appealing within the context of performance. In music, I love being able to influence the mood of an audience. Sinatra was supreme at this and I’ve learned a lot from him.

Is there any particular approach to the making of the show?

This is a combination of my story, my life and the synchronicity I share with an icon. I’ve been careful to select music which tells the story and bring moments of Sinatra’s complex character to life in tandem with my own.

Does the show fit with your usual productions?

I perform jazz. The title track to my swing album, ‘An Englishman in Love in LA’ by the same name, is original and I also feature a new song by a British composer/lyricist called Martin By called ‘Over Like the Roses’. There are pop classics in jazz as well as standards. I also act and had a 2-year run in Emmerdale on British TV and recently co-starred in ‘House of Lies’ and ‘Jane the Virgin’ on American TV. I made a WW2 Japanese movie called ‘Joker Game’ and I was nominated as ‘Best Supporting Actor’ in the short British thriller, ‘Do not Disturb’, shot in LA, at the London and Chicago Horror Film Awards.

What do you hope that the audience will experience?

I hope they’ll be moved and enjoy a rare glimpse into Sinatra’s prowess and vulnerability. I bring Sinatra’s actual tuxedo with me and change into it to sing, ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’ and ‘My Way’. It’s the closest thing you might get to spending an hour with Frank Sinatra.

What strategies did you consider towards shaping this audience experience?

Honesty. My only strategy is to tell the truth.

Nominated as ‘Best Actor in a Leading Role’ (Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards) for playing Frank Sinatra in ‘Rat Pack Confidential’ in London’s West End, Shelton returns to the fringe following last year’s sell-out with his show, ‘Sinatra and Me – Again,’ which looks behind the iconic blue eyes of - whilst knocking you dead with - Sinatra’s timeless repertoire, and charts the course of their extraordinary life linking synchronicity.

‘Fairy Tales do come true it can happen to you, if you’re young at heart.’ – Frank Sinatra, Young at Heart’.

In this show, hear about the unseen guiding hand which has led Shelton to truly remarkable moments, including the day Ol’Blue Eyes very own tuxedo literally walked into Shelton’s life and which is a perfect fit – verified by the late Sir Roger Moore and witness for yourself when Shelton don’s the icon’s tux and gets truly Sinatra ‘Under My Skin’, singing ‘My Way’ – an anthem which takes on a new meaning.

Comprising Sinatra’s timeless hits and a life of truly amazing synchronicity with the icon, Shelton reveals insights into the life of Sinatra and how their lives are intertwined, as he recreates and literally embodies Frank Sinatra on stage.

More importantly – this is a show about hope - what can happen if you dare to dream! Shelton abandoned a secure career to pursue his dreams and now counts awards for embodying Sinatra.

Bearing a striking resemblance to Sinatra, hear about British born Shelton’s fascination with Sinatra from a young age, to portraying him on the London and international stages including for British and European royalty and Sir Elton John. Listen as he shares tales of how he was one of the last people to be inside Sinatra’s final home prior to its demolition; how he discovered that his hands and feet fitted identically into Sinatra’s imprints cast ‘From Here to Eternity’ on the ‘Hollywood Walk of Fame’ on Shelton’s own birthday; how Sinatra’s own tuxedo literally walked into to his life in LA; how when appearing on TV’s Alan Titchmarsh show.

Aside from Shelton’s physical similarities, it is impossible not to be astounded by the uncanny likeness of his voice to Sinatra’s magical tones. His performance on the London Stage as Frank Sinatra in the award winning drama ‘RAT PACK CONFIDENTIAL’ earned him a ‘Best Actor in a Leading Role’ nomination and has seen him invited to perform live for Prince Charles and Sir Elton John. He has also recently recorded his latest album ‘An Englishman in Love in LA’ with Sinatra’s own band mates inside Capitol studios in LA using Sinatra’s own microphone.

Born in Wolverhampton, Richard now resides in LA. He has a long diverse acting career with roles on stage, television and movies. He is well known in the UK for his TV appearances on ‘EASTENDERS’ and for his longstanding role on EMMERDALE’ as the evil Dr Adam Forsythe. More recently he has been seen on American TV playing Mr. Benson in ‘HOUSE OF LIES’ alongside Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell and Arnaud in ‘JANE THE VIRGIN’. On the big screen his credits include, ‘MY WEEK WITH MARILYN’, the Japanese cult movie ‘JOKER GAME’, ‘I CAPTURE THE CASTLE’ with Bill Nighy and David in the movie ‘SPACEMAN’ starring Josh Duhamel.

LISTINGS INFORMATION:

‘SINATRA AND ME…AGAIN’

Venue:

FRANKENSTEIN PUB (VENUE NO: 304)

26 GEORGE IV BRIDGE, OLD TOWN EDINBURGH EH1 1EN

Dates:

4-28 June

Tickets: Free Fringe

www.edfringe.com

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from the vileblog http://ift.tt/2t8TLQt

#Theatre #Blogger #visual art #Edinburgh Fringe #Experimental Critique

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wishingfornever · 5 years

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2/4/2018 – No Contact: I forgot to name this and I’d rather not reread this crap

So… Yesterday, I worked 8 to 12. Came back… fell asleep. Then I caught a stream. Wasn’t productive. It wasn’t that bad. Current time, 12:09. Late, yeah? Or early.

I’ve been catching up on Archer. Or, rather, rewatching the series since the day before yesterday. Really shouldn’t considering I have to watch it on normal speed… and Netflix doesn’t have the latest season. Like, seriously, Netflix is nothing but inconveniences. -,-

Regardless, I often wonder what character people would say I relate with. Archer himself would be the obvious choice. Thick, black hair, tall, charming, but also a terrible asshole that people kind of hate but tolerate. Maybe? I don’t know. Oh, he’s something of a mama’s boy.

Dennis used to call me that. He knew it got on my nerves. His sister did too. I let them, though. Maybe I shouldn’t have? I mean, Dennis was quick to talk about how offended and personal things were. Something of a dramatic, I suppose…

Eh. Bad time to bring up Dennis. I’m trying to work my way to Pam.

I don’t think I relate with Pam that much but she is one of my favorite characters. She is… perhaps designed to be disgusting but she’s also very strong. Not just physically, though that’s been shown but her character as well. At times, at least. This has been inconsistent now that I think about it. Still, while getting tortured she just spits in their eyes and tells them they’d better just kill her.

Bold, to be sure.

Again, I like strong female characters. Though, Pam is more humorous than strong. And, of course, strong female characters tend to confuse strong with getting the shit kicked out of them. Anyone can have the shit kicked out of them. That doesn’t make them strong, it just breaks their ribs.

Rather, a good strong character doesn’t need to take a spot on the battlefield and fight alongside men. No. Rather, they need to be somewhat assertive and confident. Like a queen leading a nation while invaded on several fronts. Standing strong and leading. That’d be fine.

A strong male character doesn’t have to have a machinegun and mow down other men by the hundreds. Action heroes will be less remembered than actual strong male characters. Someone who is assertive, confident, and ready to take charge.

Of course, I do also like physically strong women. Not so strong they’re more muscly than I could ever achieve but just someone who won’t get pushed over. Ariel, for example. Kickboxer, a bit shorter than me, and quick to defend what she loves. She’s fierce in her own way.

Thinking about Dennis again. Talking about strong male characters, I thought about examples (despite not listing them). One Piece, an anime he loves came up. Something I dislike about One Piece is that EVERYONE has a tragic backstory. Fucking… no. God no. That’s dumb. Tragic doesn’t mean good. You can have a good and compelling backstory that isn’t tragic.

Anyways, one of the characters had big lips. I used to drink a lot of soda and that’s pretty unhealthy. Made my lips swell a bit. They were also kind of bright. Dennis used to say I had “big nigger lips” which was actually his words. I want to say he doesn’t hate black people. I would say, “He’s not racist” but everyone is a little racist. He probably said that for shock humor because that’s what I’m usually about. Still, that made me self-conscious. If you manage to find a picture of me, take notice. If I’m not smiling with exposed teeth, then I’m biting my lip or tucking it into my mouth. That’s how you can tell I knew a picture of me was being taken.

The reason I bite my lip is so I feel more confident. I find myself with big lips rather unattractive.

Oof… this isn’t supposed to be the post where I shit on Dennis. :/

He’s a Patriots fan. Which is dumb. Fucking bandwagon if I’ve ever seen it. Or maybe there is another reason, I’m not sure. They’re going to the superbowl. I hate it. I read somewhere that apparently, they league allowed the Patriots to go there again? I’m not sure if that’s true or not but I’ve basically finished watching football. I don’t have the time for it anyways.

Whatever. Talking about Archer. Not talking about Dennis again.

Archer and I also both love cats and love Dodge cars. Nice to see. Small things. Of course, he’s fit and I’m not. I weighed myself yesterday… 249. I knew I gained. My mom… weakened my discipline maybe. Spent so much money on FUCKING food. And pizza was shit from yesterday, not sure I mentioned that? Disappointing. Like, legitimately tired of Pizza Hut. I’ll stop getting Pizza Hut when I FINALLY have my free large pizza. -,-

Of which, I thought I was closer than I really was to get it. Fucking bullshit.

I’m going to have to really focus. Get back on track. My aunt is coming and she doesn’t speak english. Sometime this month. Fucking hell… I really don’t want to have to deal with my aunt, really. I don’t want to deal with anyone. The only thing stopping me from achieving what I need is myself. However, the thought of other people tends to make me… hesitate.

I’m watching the episode where Archer gets a car for his birthday. I’d love to get a Challenger, too… I hope I can afford one someday but I doubt it. I’d have to write a lot of books just to get a used Toyota. I can dream.

During the Stream I was asked to write a poem. The streamer, his name is NGParadox, lost his campaign. I wrote something sort of for that. It was more specific… people loved it but I didn’t think it was very good. That’s life, though. I’m sharing it with Ariel. I share almost all my poetry with her.

I promised my cousin that I’d drink Kambucha or whatever the fuck it’s called. Both bottles.

Lol, fucking Archer. “What year do you think this is?” “Yeah, good question.” That’s third wall breaking stuff right there. It’s set in the 60’s 70’s and even 80’s with anachronistic details. They never specifically address when this is all taking place. And for those who don’t know, anachronistic means incorrect to the time. Meaning they have the internet and cellphones in the 1800’s for example. You’ll see it a lot in depictions of historical events.

That said, I like how Archer has a sort of repetitive humor. Like, all the characters are working off some hivemind or whatever. I’ve always thought that was funny because it tends to begin with a character saying something that they’d normally say. Then it follows by a character that won’t normally say it but wouldn’t be opposed to saying it. Then it’s followed by a character that won’t say it at all normally. Usually not in the same episode but not always. I think that’s pretty funny, myself.

Oh, that reminds me. Somehow. Easter eggs!

No, not thinking about Easter but sometimes the show does fun easter eggs like that third wall joke (sort of, doubt it’d qualify though because it might fly over the head of someone who doesn’t pay attention). Most people know but an easter egg in the context that I’m using it is just a fun little joke that you have to look out for, usually in media. I’m bringing this up because at work there are easter eggs. Where are they?

In the products. Here me out.

There are these window curtains that are for sale. There are a variety of styles, each with their own names. One such name is “O’Hara” which is the surname of the main character Scarlett O’Hara. She eventually becomes so poor she has to make a dress out of a window curtain to appear still well to do. That’s a fun little touch.

Better yet, while stocking lipstick I discovered yesterday that one lipstick wasn’t called “Lustful Red” or “Tasteful Nude.” Rather, it was called “What’s up, Doc?” which is a reference to Bugs Bunny because he’s always dressing up as a woman and putting on lipstick. That is by far the best thing I have ever seen.

So, I want to start paying attention. There are certainly bound to be more fun easter eggs like that. Just gotta pay attention, is all.

I’m thinking… I know the year Archer takes place. Or at least, I know what year it can’t take place before. The answer: 1974. The reason for this answer is because all the Russian assault rifles you see are AK-47’s which were later replaced by the AK-74. They fire different rounds and have different magazines.

The M16 is also available so it takes place between 1964-1974. Of course, how accurate this is is hard to say. Clearly the cell phone is a thing and that wasn’t invented until later. However, that’s a specific anachronistic detail to more liken it to modern day.

Doing research for my nationstate is great… of which, I’ve neglected it as of late. Gotta work on it a bit… rewrite a lot of lore.

Oh, KGB guy said he was working for the KGB for 30 years. That’d place the time of the show at 1984 if he began the year the KGB started.

Oh, there is a picture in the background of the same episode of perhaps one of the crew members behind archer atop an image showing off the Soviet dress uniform at the time. I remember in high school, I pasted my face over that same image for computer class. It’s edited a bit, though.

Reusing character assets. The waiter at the Chinese restaurant is the same character and voice actor as the original pirate captain. Oh, and the face on the vacuum cleaner is an actress who shows up in a later season.

Next episode is in Space. Walter helped me out while researching a lot on this one because my shitty cuba ripoff is Spacefaring and super technologically advanced. White space suits are because it’s to keep radiation out or something? Darker colors would be bad for the wearer which sucks because I wanted to do blue, which is my nation’s color (as is the color of every nation ever). One thing to do is to have it be reflective so it’d keep out the radiation that way. So, if I do a dark color it’d have to look somewhat cheap because it’d use reflective crap. Neat stuff, right?

There’s more he told me. He’s super into science. I took some notes that were deleted a while back, but whatever. Desalination plants have to be a thing in my country due to it being small island nation that’s grossly overpopulated. Basically Taiwan.

So, Archer seems to have a very close relationship with anyone who has green eyes. Weird things to notice. Except for Krieger of course.

Episodes later, they mention a T-72. So, that means the minimum year Archer takes place is in 1973 when it started service. :D

Or, an easier way to determine the year Archer takes place in is to just figure out when Archer was born. Then determine his age in the first season. As time passes in the show, you can determine the year of the season. Of course, there are bound to be inconsistencies. We’d have to see to be sure.

One such inconsistency is that it’s 5:30 and just seeing it has made me incredibly sleepy. D’oh! Guess I’ll go to sleep now. Talk to you… well, I want to say when I wake up but I’m not certain anymore. Ta!

Found out my aunt is coming on the 17th. I have 13 days. Need to clean up. Last night, I stayed up doing exercises while occasionally stopping to comment about Archer.

Oh… It would appear the Patriots lost…

HA!!! Fucking suck it. I hate the Patriots and their fans are tools. >:C

Getting close to tomorrow… Six hour stream today. Long. So long. Oof. Ah, well. Part of the fun, I guess. Something I’ve been doing is taking steps on stairs two by two. Usually, I walk up each individual step like a normal person… Esther encouraged me to try doing two by two. She did. And now I’m doing it. I don’t know why I didn’t before… I’m surprised, really. I don’t know what concerned me before.

Thinking about Esther… last Superbowl, the Patriots won. I was with Esther then. She laughed because she won a bet. I apparently got so drunk that I blacked out. Then we had mind blowing sex apparently. I wish I were there for it. That’s actually the first time she spoke to Dennis. He was being a dick to me and I handed him off to her. She sassed him right back and it confused him SO badly. It was pretty funny, actually… I miss Esther. Can you tell?

Things you remember… Or don’t remember. It was a weird night, I think afterwards I was talking to someone who wasn’t there? That scared Esther… but again, it was after the sex. I really should get back into drinking again. I miss talking to people on my days off… people with voices…

Oh, I was sick yesterday. Not sure if I mentioned. Sore throat, nothing drastic. Day before too. And today, I’ve been blowing out tons of mucus. It’s passing, maybe, but my nose is still super clogged. I chopped up an onion today. I’m getting back to my original diet. I feel like I’ll have the discipline to say no to sweets and ultra fattening foods again. I’ve been wanting to get this summer sausage SO badly but I haven’t… it’s really good. But it’s meat, so… sad face. :c

Still, the fact that my impulsiveness HASN’T made me even heavier than I thought I’d be is surprising. I’ve been doing more arm exercises and realized that I’ve gotten so weak, as I mentioned. I can’t believe I thought I could outstrength Dennis… but again, that wasn’t the plan. The plan was to not fight and just show Dennis for something that he isn’t. He’s not confrontational, I doubt he’d ever hit me. Mostly because he’d be afraid that I’d hit back.

I used to be super strong. Like, so strong that it’s crazy. Now? I can’t lift my weights to the side. They only get so far. I’m so disappointed… my shoulders are going to get a work out. I’ll just dick around and watch Archer as I play with my weights. I NEED to get my strength back. Not so I can fight Dennis but so I have some confidence again.

Besides, if I intend to lose weight and enlist, I’m going to need to do a minimum amount of pullups and situps and all that crap. So, I need to be sure I can do at least some of that. I don’t want to be in Adela’s house forever. I don’t want to be in this country forever.

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