A Day In The Life Of A Peanut Butter Cup

Listen Up!
I really have to figure out a better way to update the front page of my website. Right now I have to do it by manually typing in html code, every week, and it's a pain. Especially since I have to convert my blog posts (which are usually very long) to html in order to have them show on my website page. Rant. :: I released the video I've been talking about for the past few weeks, "The Stage", and it's doing a lot better than I thought. Not that I thought it wouldn't do well, I just had no idea people would think it's as good or better than "The Park". But remember, there's still one more video left in this series that I'm not working on. No idea where it's going to be or when it'll be out, but you can guess what props I'll be using for it. :: Job hunting is going strangely. I'm about to say OK ad go work at Strawberry's Pub, since I haven't gotten a hint of a reply from the corporate job I've been working on getting. I don't know what's going to happen. :: As for juggling videos I'm working on NOW, I've got two that I'm editing and will set to release within the next few weeks before 2008. A new idea I had for a video after watching all of the old footage I hadn't used in earlier videos because I thought the trick was too stupid. It's called, "The Stupid Tricks" video, and it's exactly that. As for the other one, well, it's a sequel to one of my first juggling videos I ever made. No I'm not saying any more than that. :: Jugglers On Juggling hit a snag last week, and this week we got back on track. I'm still looking for co-hosts, and a dedicated co-host again, so if you're interested or you think you can do a better job than me, I'd be glad to hear from you. I'm starting to get a better understanding as to how to make a podcast a bit more interesting, so I'm starting to try a few things, and we'll see what works over the next few episodes.

Daily Life:
Well I beat Mario Galaxy and now I'm working on 100%ing the game. It's still great even after you complete it, because there are, like the past 2 Mario games, containing more levels than you can count. So I'm still working on it, and my original review is still accurate. Wouldn't change a thing.

There has been absolutely nothing of interest happening in my life right now that I didn't cover before. I'm sitting here for about 10 minutes and not able to remember anything I can really talk about. Sorry...

Juggle This:
Boxes are awesome. In the past week, I've come up with and made probably 12 new cigar box tricks I'd never done before. Yes, it's tiring as hell, and it'll leave you with a bad back for the rest of the day, but it's worth it. I made what I'm thinking about calling the "Fingerflip" (yes, it's based on skateboarding), which is where you release all 3 boxes, they each complete a half flip, don't exchange, and get caught back in the set position. The direction the middle box spins can make the trick easier or harder. I also did a one handed Heelflip, where with 2 boxes balanced, I flip the top one (from my perspective) one half spin clockwise, and the lower one one half spin counter-clockwise, and catch them back in a balance. Insane.

As for what else I'm doing, I'm still getting better with Diabolo, it seems every day now I can do something better with it. I've noticed, that with alternative juggling props, there is a much faster learning curve than with regular juggling. Where people I know will have a hard time learning to juggle, they can pick up a set of boxes and start doing tricks instantly. I'll have to write something or talk about that at some point.

I haven't really been doing that much normal juggling recently, in fact, I haven't touched my clubs for more than 10 minutes since filming "The Stage". So I'm really sucking with them right now. Rings feel ok, but I'm regressing in how easy a 5 ring cascade feels. Balls are the one toss juggling prop I have been using, and I haven't really been practicing enough to progress anywhere with them. I really do need to practice more. But since I seem to be doing to well with alternative props, I'm thinking about going to Dube and getting some Flairing Bottles. Maybe.

A Day In The Life Of A Peanut Butter Cup ~ Reeses2150

Listen Up!
I just noticed how my weekly blog suddenly became a bi-weekly blog. That stops now. :: "The Stage" is coming out as my next youtube video. Remember I talked about it about a month ago? I'm finally posting it this week, so watch my youtube page for the sequel to "The Park" :: Job hunting right now is more of job waiting. I'm waiting on either a yes or no to come from a very lucrative job (if I can get it), and if it's a no, I have another job waiting. At this point, I'm just waiting to hear the no from the first, because I haven't been able to get in touch with the man who I've been talking to for the past few weeks. :: Just got Mario Galaxy. Review will come later. :: Juggling gigs are running completely dry right now, but that's ok, because once the spring comes around, I'll be doing a few charity shows if all goes well, and then that will lead to more paid gigs. :: I think that's about it, unless you want to hear me be nostalgic about how great Titan A.E. was and how it shaped my life, and my love of sleeveless shirts.

R2150's Reviews For The Intelligent Human:
Super Mario Galaxy - 9.3/10
I only just got it today, and I've only played through about 3 of the 7 sets of "galaxies" in the game, but I'm straight up hooked already. It reminds me of when I was playing the last Mario game, Mario Sunshine back on the Gamecube. This one I think is better so far, but it has some drawbacks. So lets point them out first that way I can go on praising it later uninterrupted.

What sucks about this game most is the camera. It's ok, but it does get really annoying when you can't manually control the camera at all except for centering it behind Mario by pressing one button. I'd be fine with it, but because of the game's big feature of basically having worlds as planets which you can run around on, it does get annoying a little quickly. Nothing you can't overcome tough. Another thing that sucks about this game is the fact that the levels are REALLY small. In the grand scheme, yes, they are actually normal size, and some are very vast, but the fact that every stage you'll play on is some 3 dimensional shape that you can explore all the surfaces of, it just feels small. Comparing to stages like the Harbor from Mario Sunshine, all the levels here feel ridiculously tiny.

Now onto what's great about this game. It's a Mario game, and I'm not saying that as in "Every Mario game ever made is good, so I can automatically assume this one's good without even playing it", but as in it deserves to be a Mario game. So most of all, I'm absolutely absorbed into the levels of this game, which is key. I was barely able to pull myself away from the game in order to make this post. The level design is as awesome as it is original, and I know anyone who's a Sonic fan is going "but they ripped of the space level from SA2!", believe me. SA2 had come up with the original idea, but Nintendo just took it to the next level and made it actually ENJOYABLE. But back to describing the levels, they have managed to blend seamlessly into each level, 3d play portions, and 2d style portions, and the both of them work great. I was playing the 2d section of one of the levels, and all the sudden I flashed back to world 1-2 of the original Mario Brothers. That's how good it was. What's also great is that they've gone back to the old Mario 64 play style, which I think is still unbeatable to this day. Simple levels, and rapid changing between them. Always making you adjust to a new setting with each star you collect. I normally don't like talking about graphics, but this game looks fantastic, like watching a Disney movie.

But like I said, this is just what I've seen after playing through about 1/4 of the game, so it's only bound to get better. Final recommendation, if you have a Wii, get this game. If you want a Wii, get one, then get this + Metroid 3 + Legend of Zelda TP and you'll be set until 2008.

Juggle This:
Well, I broke a few of my personal records in the past 2 weeks. Yesterday, I got 74 catches of 5 rings, which is amazing considering I haven't barely touched my rings for about a week. I also broke my 6 ball record, and I'm not sure if I mentioned it or not, but now 20 catches of wimpy and 12 of an asynch fountain are my new marks to beat.

Diabolo. I think I'm starting to really like this thing, and get the hang of it too. What I like most about Diabolo so far over regular juggling is how there's no "basic pattern" that you have to maintain. You do a trick, make sure the diabolo is on the string, correct the tilt, and make sure it's still spinning. That's it. I don't have to go back into a cascade or anything. Also, the tricks are much more muscle memory with diabolo than with toss juggling, because in juggling you have to adjust the trick for your base pattern, because nobody's cascade is ever exactly the same every time. Diabolo, you're pattern IS exactly the same, EVERY time. But listen to me going on about it all. The point is I'm starting to experiment with it, and am now to the point of trying duicides and triple half suicides where the last half suicide is tossing the diabolo back over the right handstick while the left stick is still in midair. Strangely, it's all coming really easy to me. Problem with it is, like boxes and other forms of non-toss-juggling is that it wears your arms out like a bitch. I'm still sore and have had to stop practicing it for a day or two to let my shoulders come back to feeling normal.

JoJ is still going, but right now I had to skip last weeks episode because I couldn't find anyone available to host. That's the problem, is that I have to find a permanent co-host that's dedicated enough to stay as long as the podcast keeps running, and that isn't going to be moving or anything. Laura was good for a while, and hopefully she'll be able to come back soon, but for right now she needs to get settled into her new life, so I'm not making her do anything. No idea what happened to Marty, but after this long, I'm pretty sure he's never going to want to do it again, but who knows with him. Steve is, well, I don't know what's going on with him, so we'll see what happens. But if you want to co-host, I won't turn you down, just email me. Otherwise, I've started re-listening to some of the episodes, and I'm going to try and make the next ones a bit more interesting, because after listening to episode 26, I started realizing how dull it really was, and how all the others were. I've got a couple ideas running around, but we'll see what happens. I have to find a second host first. ...

A Day In The Life Of A Peanut Butter Cup ~ Reeses2150

Listen Up!
JoJ is going back to audio episodes now, after 2 straight video specials. Good times had by all. :: School is doing good, I've gotten a lot of good marks on all the tests I've taken so far and things seem to be running smoothly. Let's hope it holds up. :: As you've probably guessed, or maybe forgotten about, I quit my job at Shoprite a month or two ago, and that's why there haven't been any Shoprite stories for a while. I am in the process of getting a new job, and I'll have more details about it later. :: Next week, Mario Galaxy comes out, and I can't wait to play it. :: I haven't had any performances since the last one, except for the MCC talent show, which didn't pay anything. Still, I'm hoping to get something sometime before next year though.

Daily Life:
Let's see, what happened today. Absolutely nothin worth noting. Great. Well I guess I'll post a few of my more recent forum rants (I seem to be making them a lot recently).

This is the backstory
well at least now I get to lump together my hatred of the Riaa, Mpaa, Television Corporations, and Dick Franco into one pile of disgust at their complete idiocy over what it means to have good PR and promotional material.

I've always hated how they all seem to destroy everything that gives them good advertising. Example, many of the clips of the major show "Family Guy", you may have heard of it, have been pulled from youtube by their "copyright owners". The thing is, for those people who HAVEN'T heard of Family Guy will stumble across it on Youtube much faster than they will channel surfing, think that the clip they saw was funny as hell, and then decide to look up and watch the show. They lose that the second they get rid of the clips from the most well known video portal on the internet. Noone's going to find the clips on the portal that the "owners" run, so they'd be better off just looking the other way. Everyone should, including Dick.

Hell if I made a DVD and people were uploading clips from it, I'd feel flattered and probably commend them for doing so, at the worst I'd do is ask them to put up a link to the DVD on the clip. Another great example, for my video "The Park", I used music from a band that I really liked, called "Maldroid". They're still an up and coming band, but they've got enough fans out there that they're making money. One of the band members commented on "The Park" saying "Thanks for using our music!". I responded back saying "No problem, you guys make great tracks, and I'm happy to use them." Mutual thankfulness. I immediately went out and bought their next album, even though it's just remixes of the songs from the first, which I already have.

OH! There was something that happened! I released my reply video for Madv's "Remember" campaign on Youtube. I first heard he was coming back because I was subscribed to him, as a lot of other people are. I watched and was a fan of his magic videos from back in the day, but I never bothered to subscribe to him or never really be too involved. I regretted not being part of the "One World" campaign ever since I started seriously posting videos. As soon as I saw this new campaign, I knew I had to be a part of it this time. I immediately came up with my message that I wanted people to remember. To have fun and enjoy life, because so many people just take things way too seriously. I see it so often.

So after deciding on that as my message, I remembered back to an old Youtube video I saw that was featured on Diggnation. It was a Japanese video of a bunch of street artists creating a progressive piece of art on a wall, time lapsed over 2 days. It made a great effect, and inspiration struck almost immediately do do something similar. I originally intended to use a white-board, and recorded an entire sequence with a white-board basically less than 2 days later. The problem was, that the markers were nowhere near dark enough, and you couldn't read a single thing on the board. I wanted to use a white-board, and I needed to focus on schoolwork anyways, so I just hung back with the project for a while, and then all the sudden it was November. I was left having to go either doing it on a chalkboard (which I almost despise chalk. Multiple reasons, and a long story I won't bother to get into) or being late with the video. I decided to go for it on the chalkboard, so I recorded the sequence you see in the video on November 4th, speed it up in editing on the 5th, and release it at around 11 PM on the 5th. Despite not being exactly what I had in mind, it resembles it well enough that it's a great video, and the chalk looked a lot better than I think the markers would have ever looked seeing it now. So that's the sotry of that. The video is at the top of this post.

Juggle This:
JoJ feels a bit wierd going back to audio only episodes, but I've been tinkering with the idea of making an audio version, and then having another youtube account so that I could quickly take the audio version and put the videos in, that way if people do happen to be watching at home, they can go right to the video version as opposed to having to download and then time the videos. We'll see whether that comes to fruition or not.

I've been a little bit slopped lately for progress. I am still progressing, but I don't really feel it all that much. I'm basically now working on 645 with rings, running 64 with balls, and getting myself back into doing 360's. The thing is now, eit feels like things such as my 5 ball cascade are as ugly as ever. I can barely stand looking at it, it's nowhere near being a 3d plane. Also, my 5 ring endurance on command seems to be dropping. I'm now only just qualifying on a casual try, and even when I'm really concentrating on it I'm stopping it after about 30 catches or so. Just feels wierd.

Hopefully it goes away soon, but I have no idea. Doesn't help to have a kink in your neck too when you've slept on your head wrong and now every time you lean your head back it stings like 500 bees. Good times.

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Side Notes on Friday the 9th
I just went back tracing through the history of my DeviantART account. I just realized that today is, to the day, 3 years since I uploaded The Burning Sky (basically the photo that I have featured on my DeviantART page for the past 3 years, 1 year since uploading "Upgrade" (the 5th in my Juggling Music Videos line, and until Standard Deviation, my most viewed video on youtube), and 4 and a half years since I joined DeviantART. Mind blowing for me.

A Day In The Life Of A Peanut Butter Cup ~ Reeses2150