AJ's Piece o' The Web

Housecleaning

I'm attempting to clean things up around here and maybe become a bit more active (don't hold me to it). I have flushed my blogroll.

Yep. Flushed. Don't feel insulted that I'm no longer linking to you. I *want* to link to you. It's just that a good amount of my links were dead. If you're not dead, shoot me an email and I'll re-add you to my site.

I've got a couple of posts coming. In the meanwhile, here's some good reading.

So, add me to your reader. I recommend Google Reader.

Keeping it pithy.

We all know that I don't use this blog to pontificiate politically. Personally, I find politics very interesting and political blogs very boring.

However, I get annoyed when pundits try to create political controversy where none really exists. The other day, Rosie O'Donnell used some of her science background to describe how the 9/11 attack must have been an inside job:

"Miraculously, the first time in history steel was melted by fire. It is physically impossible."

Um... how do you think they make steel?

Shaken to reality.

Every so often an event happens to someone you know that shakes you to your core. This event happens and it makes you take a moment, hold your breath and look up at the sky and thank God for all He has given you. This event makes you apologize to the Big Guy for not checking in as often as you should -- but knowing it's all good in the hood upstairs.

This event happens and it makes you want to call up your mom, dad, little brother, aunts, uncles, cousins, old friends and tell them, "I don't say it enough. I love you guys."

This event happens and it makes you realize how selfish you are. How menial your problems are. How much you complain about "problems" that aren't really problems at all -- but selfish inconveniences. You shouldn't sweat the small stuff.

This event happens and makes you realize how, in an instant -- without warning or apology -- fate can step in and suddenly everything is ... just gone.

What to do.

If you're new here, you should start by reading here.

I haven't had much time or energy to write lately. A few projects have been sapping my energy. I still read *your* blog though. Yep, and I read *yours*, too.

But not yours.

Sorry.

Inches.

I came *this close* to hosting my own show on Lifetime. *THIS CLOSE*. I was the production company's first choice. I was the network's second choice.

Guess who won?

Uh huh.

The man.

Ah well. I've got a fantastic new agent and management team behind me. 2007 is looking good.

Gonna try and write more here. But, yeah, I've said that before.

Love you, miss you, mean it.

A quick hello.

Howdy, folks--

There's a lot going on and I'm hoping to have some good news in a few days. In the meanwhile, I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of my ever-growing household.

This is Dominio:

Nerd Alert! Nerd Alert!

Yowsah! What happens when you take LA's funniest bloggers and stick them in a dark room with a crowd, booze, a microphone?

Well... usually someone ends up crying, taking their dolly and going home.

But besides that, hilarity and hijinx are sure to be served!

$15 gets you a piece of history.

Friday, June 16th @ 7:30 PM
Improv Olympic
6366 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90028

A most unusual company memo.

I received this memo from my boss last night:

Some of you asked about the cleaning of the radio studio. As per Martin, it will now be done DAILY at midnight. That's more than we asked for. 

In return, we should try our best to have each of our teams and shows leave the room in the best possible shape. You are still responsible for anything that contains your bodily fluids.

And there is no food allowed in the studio. Please adhere to these rules as a courtesy to each other, and to the janitorial staff.

Does anything seem ... unusual about this memo?

Back in the [blog] saddle.

Where the eff have I been? I know, I know. Last month I moved over to the West Side of LA. Don’t know where that is? I didn’t either. It’s way the hell away from everything. When I took the apartment I figured it wouldn’t be a problem. I typically go out for meetings and auditions in the middle of the day so traffic is usually manageable. My other work can be done from home so why the hell not. I’ll get a nice pad near the marina with a huge patio, a lemon tree, and a parking space. I’ll wake up to the smell of saline saturated ocean air and El Pollo Loco.

Life will be good.

It almost worked.

Back in New York

Hey kids... I'm back in New York visiting with the family and enjoying the brutal cold weather.

I'm also loving-to-death the MTA strike which makes New York that more fun and interesting. Who needs mass transit? When damp, 25-degree Manhattan wind is blowing, I want my skin exposed to that as often as possible. Nothing feels like Christmas in New York like the smells of roasted chestnuts, diesel fumes and homeless.

I'm head-over-heels about JFK airport. Smells of urine, sweaty travelers and Cinnabon... (ok, that last one smells pretty good) Apathetic staff... labyrinthine passages with indecipherable directions. It's a fantasy land. I could spend hours there. Oh yeah. I did. And Catherine Zeta-Jones didn't fall in love with me.

And I'm gaga over the New York attitude that I left behind all those months ago. Nothing says "Merry Christmas" to me like having my parking space usurped by an aggressive lady-shopper who chose to interpret my left-turn-signal not as the customary "I've got dibs on this spot", but rather as "since you're a bitch, go ahead and take my parking space. I'll keep looking. I've got all day. Besides, you're a cow with eight kids so you don't want to have to drag your obese ass across the parking lot. Sure. Take it. Happy holidays. Effing C-Word."

Also, TypePad has been munging/hosing its sites lately. So if you've been checking in here and seeing: missing posts, posts out of order, missing comments, missing images: it's THEM, not ME. Sorry 'bout that. *flips bird to TypePad*

Some bright news... I almost won a blogging award. Nothing like "almost" winning. Check out David Markland's blog here.  I couldn't figure out a way to link directly to the post, so you'll have to scroll down to the "Blogger Who Most Inspired Me To Write" award. David had some nice things to say.

I'm scrambling out here in dealing with the holidays. I have a story or two to write about my journey. But first: Target beckons.

Tally ho!