it must be the madness http://the-madness.net Funnier than a cup of sand. Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:03:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Dear Old Navy, http://the-madness.net/2010/02/16/dear-old-navy-2/ http://the-madness.net/2010/02/16/dear-old-navy-2/#comments Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:03:07 +0000 Danny http://the-madness.net/?p=2114 You know that I love you but we’ve gotta talk.

I logged onto your site today to check out your New Arrivals section and was appalled to find a plethora of new offerings for spring. In Baltimore, it is currently 26 degrees with snow in the forecast for the next 36 hours (oh, and not to mention the three feet of snow that is already on the ground). Cargo shorts and bright colored polos? I think not!

I wish I was in spring with you guys, but I’m stuck in winter for the time being. Please stop teasing me!

Fondly,
Danny

]]> http://the-madness.net/2010/02/16/dear-old-navy-2/feed/ 0 Valentine Schmalentine http://the-madness.net/2010/02/14/valentine-schmalentine/ http://the-madness.net/2010/02/14/valentine-schmalentine/#comments Sun, 14 Feb 2010 21:01:43 +0000 Danny http://the-madness.net/?p=2112 Another normal weekend spend working! Nothing new to see here!

In other news, I’m loving the winter Olympics. I’ve gotten into it so much more than I have in the past. (Also, I tweet incessantly when I’m watching the games. Follow me!) The NBC Olympics iPhone app is pretty awesome, too. Check it out.

]]> http://the-madness.net/2010/02/14/valentine-schmalentine/feed/ 0 Snowpacolypse Pictures, Part 2 http://the-madness.net/2010/02/09/snowpacolypse-pictures-part-2/ http://the-madness.net/2010/02/09/snowpacolypse-pictures-part-2/#comments Wed, 10 Feb 2010 01:50:01 +0000 Danny http://the-madness.net/?p=2091

]]> http://the-madness.net/2010/02/09/snowpacolypse-pictures-part-2/feed/ 0 2010 Blizzard in Pictures http://the-madness.net/2010/02/06/2010-blizzard-in-pictures/ http://the-madness.net/2010/02/06/2010-blizzard-in-pictures/#comments Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:35:00 +0000 Danny http://the-madness.net/?p=2074 When I went to bed last night, there were two inches of snow on the ground even though it had been snowing for seven hours. Imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning and 25 more inches had fallen overnight! At 5:21 PM EST, there are 31 inches of snow on my deck. This is outrageous! (Oh, and the sun came out as soon as it stopped snowing! When does that happen?)

27 inches of snow when I woke up.

The snow was above my bedroom window. Granted, my bedroom is in the basement but the snow rarely comes up to the window.

I got snow on my ankles on the very first step outside. I thought they were bundled up nicely but the snow still got through (the snow was up to my thighs!).

A winter wonderland? That phrase doesn’t work so well after Christmas.

There was enough snow to make an igloo! It was a lot of fun.

You couldn’t even see most of the younger kids over the piles of snow.

First time I’ve ever seen those trees bent that far over. You can also see in this picture how windy it was – there was snow blowing all over the place.

Final count: 31 inches. We haven’t seen a plow since yesterday, I doubt I’ll be going anywhere any time soon.

]]> http://the-madness.net/2010/02/06/2010-blizzard-in-pictures/feed/ 2 Pink Martini http://the-madness.net/2010/02/01/pink-martini/ http://the-madness.net/2010/02/01/pink-martini/#comments Tue, 02 Feb 2010 02:22:45 +0000 Danny http://the-madness.net/?p=2065 I just discovered the band Pink Martini and I’m deeply in love. I’m not quite sure how to describe their sound, but it’s like jazz/pop/latin/blues music in three different languages. It’s very classy and low-key.

One song that I find particularly striking, however, is Oú est ma tête? (Where is my head?). It’s completely in French but it’s so romantic and beautiful and I really feel this song. Check it out below! (Google for the lyrics in English, they’re not as beautiful as the French but they’re still romantic).

]]> http://the-madness.net/2010/02/01/pink-martini/feed/ 0 RIP Ugly Betty http://the-madness.net/2010/01/28/rip-ugly-betty/ http://the-madness.net/2010/01/28/rip-ugly-betty/#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:33:24 +0000 Danny http://the-madness.net/?p=2060

2006-2010

]]> http://the-madness.net/2010/01/28/rip-ugly-betty/feed/ 0 The Dark Ages http://the-madness.net/2010/01/25/the-dark-ages/ http://the-madness.net/2010/01/25/the-dark-ages/#comments Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:56:37 +0000 Danny http://the-madness.net/?p=2052 You might remember that I lovingly refer to January-March as “The Dark Ages”. This year, The Dark Ages have really been flying by because I’ve been so extremely busy. Up until two days ago, I was working on four shows simultaneously (in addition to school!); I was the LX/followspot op for one show, stage manager for one, stage crew for another and in rehearsal as crew for yet another show. Two of those shows closed in the past two days and the third goes into tech rehearsals tonight.

Damn, I’m exhausted.

I can totally handle working into the night (usually 7 – 11 PM for evening performances, although rehearsals are during the day), but what I don’t love so much is having to be awake at 6 AM for school. My love and passion for my art are keeping me going, though, and I only have to deal with this schedule for five more months (Class of 2010!).

Scheduling craziness aside, I really do love what I’m doing and I’m working with some truly amazing people. Oh, and I finally have some money in my pocket (a nice perk). Oh, and did I mention that I’m in talks to stage manage a show over the summer? I have tons of work in the pipeline, which is definitely a good feeling.

As long as I have my work to keep me busy, the Dark Ages won’t be so bad this year.

]]> http://the-madness.net/2010/01/25/the-dark-ages/feed/ 0 TUAW What We Want to see in iPhone Series http://the-madness.net/2010/01/24/tuaw-what-we-want-to-see-in-iphone-series/ http://the-madness.net/2010/01/24/tuaw-what-we-want-to-see-in-iphone-series/#comments Sun, 24 Jan 2010 22:28:59 +0000 Danny http://the-madness.net/?p=2041 I’ve really enjoyed reading TUAW’s What We Want to see in iPhone 4.0 series and I’m looking forward to Wednesday’s “event”!

(0)]]> http://the-madness.net/2010/01/24/tuaw-what-we-want-to-see-in-iphone-series/feed/ 0 Well, Hello There! http://the-madness.net/2010/01/13/well-hello-there/ http://the-madness.net/2010/01/13/well-hello-there/#comments Wed, 13 Jan 2010 19:04:53 +0000 Danny http://the-madness.net/?p=2036 What a convenient place to park your 18-wheeler! Never mind the fact that it’s hanging out into the road!

tractor

]]> http://the-madness.net/2010/01/13/well-hello-there/feed/ 1 I’m Done. http://the-madness.net/2010/01/08/im-done-2/ http://the-madness.net/2010/01/08/im-done-2/#comments Sat, 09 Jan 2010 04:35:27 +0000 Danny http://the-madness.net/2010/01/08/im-done-2/ Miracle of miracles, look what the night dragged in,
It’s a pocket full of misery and trouble on the wind.
You spoiled the best years of your life, you took them all in vain,
Now you think that you’re forgiven but you can’t be born again.
And you say, “Why?”, you say, “Why?”, you say, “Why?”, don’t ask me why.
I don’t love you anymore, I don’t think I ever did,
And if you ever had any kind of love for me, you kept it all so well hid.
Promises, sweet promises, you kept them from your mind
Like all the lost forgotten things you never seemed to find,
Like all the disappointments you displayed upon your shelf.
Now you’ve got no-one to turn to, you’ve got no-one but yourself
And you say, “Why?” (Why, why, why, why?), you say, “Why?” (Why, why, why, why?)
You say, “Why?” (Why, why, why, why?), don’t ask me why.

]]> http://the-madness.net/2010/01/08/im-done-2/feed/ 0 2009 In Review http://the-madness.net/2009/12/31/2009-in-review/ http://the-madness.net/2009/12/31/2009-in-review/#comments Thu, 31 Dec 2009 22:00:30 +0000 Danny http://the-madness.net/?p=2017 Now that 2009 is coming to a close, I felt that it would be appropriate to take a look back at the past 12 months. As I have done in previous years (2008, 2007, 2006, 2005 [2004 is lost forever]) I’ve listed a few of the most entertaining, influential, impaction, etc. aspects of 2009 as I saw them through my eyes. However, I’m not running it awards-style this year. Why not? Because I don’t feel like it! Let’s just focus on the positive as 2009, truly a year of change, wraps itself up.

On a similar note, I’d like to go ahead and remark that the last decade has absolutely flown by. I remember where I was ten years ago today (Y2K hype, anybody?) and I have changed tremendously since then. I thought of doing a decade-in-review sort of deal but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. For some reason, I’m not quite ready to forge ahead into 2010, a year that will bring about even more change than 2009 did.

But that’s enough of my rambling, here’s my year in review:

Blogs of 2009

  • Cake Wrecks – I still love this blog. The cakes have gotten even more hilarious/disgusting/appalling/etc. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, you haven’t!
  • Bravo Fan – Where has this blog been all of my life? It’s a perfect roundup of news from the entire Bravo universe, and the author, Maria, is hilarious. Oh, and I was a featured reader in August!
  • Another Flight Attendant Writing – Heather Poole is a fantastic writer (looking forward to her books!) with tons of hilarious stories to share.

TV Shows of 2009

  • Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List – Still hilarious after all these years.
  • Lost – Don’t even know what to say. Lost is still Lost. It’s suspenseful, sentimental, entertaining and an all-around wonderful show. I’m looking forward to the sixth (and final) season in 2010, but I will certainly miss this show!
  • Glee – Love the music, choreography, cast and writing. Can’t wait for it to return in the spring!
  • Parks & Recreation – Amy Poehler is fantastic. I could watch the same episode over and over again and still laugh.
  • The Office – Enough said.
  • Real Housewives of Atlanta, NYC, New Jersey, OC – WHO GONNA CHECK ME, BOO? Love these trainwrecks.
  • (I watch a lot of TV)

Theatre of 2009

  • Footloose – A fantastic learning experience and a wonderful cast!
  • The Music Man – Children! Oh my.
  • High School Musical 2 – Loved the directors I worked with.
  • Annie – My first professional credit. :)
  • A Spell of Cold Weather - A great holiday show, very heartwarming!
  • Sleeping Beauty – A fun show to board op. Cast was very talented.

YouTube Channels of 2009

  • CTFxC – I started out loving Charles & Alli when she was in Spain but I’ve followed them back to the US and still love their vlogs
  • iJustine – She’s hilarious. Everything she does has me laughing out loud!
  • Johnnyboy – She’s pretty funny, too, in a sarcastic way.

iPhone Apps of 2009

  • I Am T-Pain – Good times with this app in fifth period.
  • Jellycar 2 – Not as great as the original but still a lot of fun.
  • Scramble – This game basically was my entire second semester Food & Nutrition class.
  • Lemonade Tycoon – Addicting. That’s all I will say.
  • iheartradio – This was a lifesaver when my car radio pooped out.

To my readers (if there are any of you left): Happy New Year, and may you have a fantastic year to come. Welcome 2010!

happy_new_year

]]> http://the-madness.net/2009/12/31/2009-in-review/feed/ 1 Emo or Stage Manager? You Decide! http://the-madness.net/2009/11/25/emo-or-stage-manager-you-decide/ http://the-madness.net/2009/11/25/emo-or-stage-manager-you-decide/#comments Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:07:43 +0000 Danny http://the-madness.net/?p=2015 I don’t think I know anybody else wears so much black/dark blue. I was doing laundry today and realized that the majority of my clothes are very dark. Oh, well…at least I can pull it off!

]]> http://the-madness.net/2009/11/25/emo-or-stage-manager-you-decide/feed/ 1 Throwback http://the-madness.net/2009/10/17/throwback/ http://the-madness.net/2009/10/17/throwback/#comments Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:00:41 +0000 Danny http://the-madness.net/?p=2011 I don’t even remember how today started, but somehow I ended up having a total blast from the past sort of day.  I revisited GKWC and was kind of disappointed at what it has become. I remembered the Internet Archive thing and then spent a couple hours in 2004 re-visiting GKWC in it’s heyday. I kept having flashbacks and deja-vu moments and stuff…I kind of miss that site.  It’s too bad that it’s all but abandoned now.

I had started a network of websites and forums in 2003/2004 (and remember that this was back in the day when the internet was very different and message boards were still a big thing — this was before Twitter and Facebook and iPhone!) that eventually merged with GKWC in early 2004.  I, along with two other people, were admins on this message board that was just fantastic. There were great people and tons of awesome things going on there (SMP’s Board Wars, TD, etc.).  Eventually, I stepped down as administrator in 2005/2006 (sometime around there).  Even though I’m not still involved (and only stop by once or twice a year), I still feel heavily attached to something that was a huge part of my life for years.

The current state of the site is kind of upsetting, but at the same time it’s important to recognize that the internet is completely different here in 2009 than it was in 2004.  With the advent of Facebook and MySpace, teen-focused forums like that really are going to die out sooner or later.  I just wish that GKWC could have lasted a bit longer. :)

]]> http://the-madness.net/2009/10/17/throwback/feed/ 0 Why Yes! http://the-madness.net/2009/10/07/why-yes/ http://the-madness.net/2009/10/07/why-yes/#comments Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:31:29 +0000 Danny http://the-madness.net/?p=2007

“It’s not easy to break out of your comfort zone. People will tear you down, tell you you shouldn’t have bothered in the first place. But let me tell you something: there’s not much of a difference between a stadium full of cheering fans and an angry crowd screaming abuse at you. They’re both just making a lot of noise. How you take it is up to you. Convince yourself they’re cheering for you. You do that and some day they will.”

]]> http://the-madness.net/2009/10/07/why-yes/feed/ 1 Je Suis Le Meilleur http://the-madness.net/2009/10/06/je-suis-le-meilleur/ http://the-madness.net/2009/10/06/je-suis-le-meilleur/#comments Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:32:35 +0000 Danny http://the-madness.net/?p=2000 french

98% on my French quiz? Go me!

]]> http://the-madness.net/2009/10/06/je-suis-le-meilleur/feed/ 0