A Matter Of Opinion

April showers may bring May flowers, but March showers bring baseball season. Today is Opening Day! Another day that should perhaps be a national holiday, albeit a holiday I didn’t always celebrate.

I always liked baseball—as in, playing it at the park when I was little, or playing intramural softball (close enough) in college. But growing up, my parents liked the Braves so much that I somehow felt I had to dislike them equally. You know, to maintain balance, and stuff. This disdain lasted an awful long time—about 24 years, in fact, up until last year's baseball season.

But now I’m 25, and I can fully admit, baseball season is awesome.

This isn’t a one time thing, either. Apparently, stubborn as I may seem, my opinions can change with time, additional information and the wind.


Things I Once Hated That Are Totally Great

• Braves baseball
  
• Shitty pop music
  
• Mushrooms, when cooked properly so the consistency isn’t all gross and slimy
  
• Podcasts
  
• Going dancing, though admittedly, it’s only totally great after a few drinks
  
• Twitter
  
• The taste of IPAs

Among others. Apparently I can be swayed. What hated thing shall I change my mind about next? Bell peppers? (Gross, no thanks.) Nicolas Cage movies? (Not likely.) That annoying new Old Navy commercial with the song about wearing layers? (Not a chance.) Who knows. I’m looking forward to finding out.

Unless it’s the Old Navy song. I really hate that song a lot.

TT.TKO: RT26 Preview

We preview an intense Friday and Saturday. Much is explained! Like why to buy tickets/donate during the 26 hours, what the heck our schedule means and what Mattie's price is to get him rub beards lock lips with another man. YEAH YEAH!

Find us on iTunes or download here

Beware The First Of April

I really think April Fool’s Day ought to be a nationally recognized holiday.

I mean, think of the productivity that would be saved by just telling everyone to not bother going to work on April 1st? Every office has a Jim Halpert type, even if their prankish streak only rears its head once a year. Think of the hours employees will spend hunting for computer mice, trying to change their laptop’s language back to English or emptying hundreds of tiny cups of water strewn about their office floor. Would that time not be better spent at home?

Of course, at home, countless roommates will try to emerge from their bedrooms only to have to claw their way through layers of newspaper. Surely in some less civilized portions of the country, toilets will be tightly bound with Saran wrap. It’s all fun and games until someone splashes pee on themselves.

All that being said, April Fool’s Day is a holiday near and dear to my heart. I missed out on it last year because I quite literally forgot which day was the 1st—and I had a couple of good ones planned, too, for a couple of different people. Those plans may be forever forgotten, lost in the ether, a proverbial sword of Damocles constantly hovering, never to land. A tragedy, that.

But it’s a brand new day, and the sun is high. My next three days may be spent planning, plotting, preparing. Will I stock up on Dixie cups and plastic wrap, or shall I go the more cerebral route? It’s yet to be seen. All I know is that there will be blood.

Or actually, there probably won’t be any blood. It’s just a holiday, after all, and that’s kind of mean. Not to mention gross. And hard to clean up. Maybe there will be shaving cream. Or there will be Silly String. Or at least Saran wrap. There’s always Saran wrap.

RT 26

What is RT 26?

Members of the podcasts Late Nite Jenga Jam and TT.TKO will be streaming live for 26 straight hours. THAT IS TWENTY-SIX YOU READ CORRECTLY YES. We will be bringing in special guests, taking calls, helping a phoenix rise from the ashes, holding contests, issuing challenges, melting faces off, wrestling bears, checking out a movie or two, and there may or may not be nudity (JAYKAY TONS OF NUDITY).

Why?

We will be doing this in order to sell tickets and raise money for the this years RT Philly. Durr. (A new site will be up later this week, along with all the ticketing info.) .... Why should you buy? Well, when we hit certain dollar amounts in ticket sales, different challenges have to be met. For example, Mikey and I will do a bhangra in costume at RT Philly when we hit a set amount.

What do you need us to do?

We need you to do what big foot, the loch ness monster and Amelia Earhart couldn't do and that is be there. We would also appreciate it if you bought tickets, spread the word, and maybe show us some of your sweet dancing skills. (Actually, that last one is mandatory.) Keep up with the site during the week. More details will be coming.

Now all you need to know is the when:

Starting Friday, April 1st at 8pm all the way till 10pm on April 2nd. A link will be put up on the site so that you may partake.

We can do 26. Can you?

A Gift To Myself

Over the last couple of years I have noticed a trend in my behavior that is on the rise. There are a lot of things on the rise from kickball, to trips up North to meet awesome people but I am specifically talking about one issue, drunk shopping. D.S. is basically buying random crap after a few alcoholic beverages that you wouldn’t normally buy if you were sober.

By no means have I met up with my closest girl friends (friends that are also girls) had a few big sips of a white zinfandel (I have no idea what that is) and hit up the local Anthropologie (now I have been here). Instead I buy stuff that I want but by no means need. The tendency has shown in stores that were walking distance from the place I ended up crashing at but was never an apparent issue until I discovered Amazon and online shopping. Shopping only in underwear is awesome, you should try it.

About half of my D.S. purchases have been video games but some of my best include, watches, countless music on itunes (I’m legit), shoes, hats, jackets and even TTTKO.com. Some of you may see this as a problem but I must disagree with you negative Nancy’s (no offense Nancy). I must say that I see it quite differently. Inebriated Mikey, let’s call him Joey Nasa, really enjoys buying gifts for sober Mikey (still Mikey).

Bottom line is that Joey is the guy Mikey counts on to pull the trigger when his head gets in the way. But really, what is wrong with a gift?

TT.TKO: Side Kicks

WHAOAHASIHOAIHFSIUSDHFASDJOOOOOO (Chewbacca noise)
Bring on the side kicks! A series of battles for ages or about 45 minutes. DO IT!


Find us on iTunes or download here

Spoiler Alert

So I liked to read as a kid, particularly when personal pan pizza was involved. I carried around a book most everywhere I went, read in the car, on the schoolbus, everywhere. But for years, almost every book I completed was read out of order.

That’s right. I was one of those people who read the last chapter or final few pages of a novel before the beginning.

To be fair, I read a lot of series’ as a kid. The Baby-Sitters Club was a staple at my house, as were the Sweet Valley Twins. I had a basic idea of the characters, settings and even the plot before reading that damning final chapter.

But it wasn’t like I was reading a lot of mysteries, where I couldn’t wait to find out whodunit. And I wasn’t like Harry from When Harry Met Sally, whose morbidity prevents him from ever assuming that he’ll live long enough to finish a book. Nope, I was simply impatient.

I mostly grew out of this phase, though I don’t remember when. Maybe around the time the majority of my reading ceased being for pleasure and began being for assignments—I didn’t so much care how they turned out. But to this day, when reading something particularly riveting (currently The Hunger Games trilogy, so you can commence making fun of my penchant for YA lit), I find my fingers twitching to turn to the next page before I’ve finished the present one. I’ll notice my eyes flicking paragraphs downward, only to have to force myself to go back and catch up.

I’m impatient. But I’m improving. And maybe one day I’ll come to the realization that some things, like a really good story, just take time.

This guy...

...has issues.



Seriously? What the hell is your problem, guy?

Sláinte!

Oh, and happy St. Patrick's Day!

Crazy, But It Feels Alright

In the car on the way home from work today, I had an all too common experience. There I sat, minding my own business, fiddling with the radio dial because I can't be bothered to fish through my black hole of a purse to find my iPod, silently cursing traffic. One station to the next, commercial to commercial, and then it happened. I landed on a song I couldn't help but stop and listen to. In fact, a song I couldn't help but sing along to. What's worse, a song I couldn't help but dance to.

That song was Britney Spears' "Crazy."

My questionable music tastes aside, you have to admit it's a catchy tune. If you've seen the video (or the masterpiece 1999 Melissa Joan Hart/Adrien Grenier hit, "Drive Me Crazy"), you may even remember bits of Brit's dance moves. I do, and it's nearly impossible to not break them out whenever the song comes on. Even in my car.

One of these days I may have to invest in some illegally tinted windows, because I tend to make a fool out of myself on the regular. Now obviously I don't care what these people I'm never going to see again think, but it's always kind of a jarring realization to go from merrily bouncing around to cheesy pop music to noticing you're being pointed and laughed at by the boys in the Jeep up ahead. Even worse if they're cute. My usual coping mechanism is to just keep on doing what I'm doing, but I'll admit to maybe going for the more subdued dance moves when I know I'm being watched.

Britney and her '90s pop compatriots are repeat offenders when it comes to embarrassing me in the car. Other culprits? Anything with banjo and a good beat makes me bounce around a bit. When a wordy song I know all the lyrics to like "It's The End Of The World (As We Know It)" comes on, I probably look like I'm either having a seizure or yelling profusely at someone on an invisible Bluetooth. And when a catchy rap song comes on? I probably look a little bit like Michael Bolton from "Office Space." You know the feeling.

So I'll admit, I get a little embarrassed every now and then in the car. But I'm not going to stop. Because as soon as the shame passes, and a Backstreet Boys song comes on shuffle, you know you'd be rocking out to those '90s beats, too. It's the law.

TT.TKO: March Madness

All things Everything that Virginia can think of about March! Prepare for awesome.

You are more than welcome to join our March Madness bracket pool on ESPN. This is strictly for fun, put in as many brackets as you want and be prepared to lose.DO IT!!!

Password is: greatjustice

Find us on iTunes or download here

Giraffe X-ing

Once upon a time, I solicited requests for construction paper projects. A few challenges were set forth; one was fulfilled a week or two ago. Another such request was for a giraffe crossing guard, one with "sad eyes." Well, apparently I heard "sad eyes" and thought "creepy alien eyes," but whatever.

Here you go, Helen.

PAX EAST

So I want to talk a little about PAX East. BE FOREWARNED: THIS BLOG POST HAS LOTS OF PICTURES IN IT.

Let me start off by saying thanks to everyone who made this weekend so much fun. I met a lot of people for the first time this weekend, and I can honestly say I think Internet is a pretty cool guy. eh kills aliens and doesn't afraid of anything. (Last two sentences were intentional Amy.... just letting you know now. TRUE NERDS GET MY JOKES.) But seriously, to those that I finally met this weekend: YOU ARE AWESOME. THANK YOU.

Next year, TT.TKO should definitely invest in media badges and try to get some interviews. Like I said in my previous post last Monday, I wish I had had the foresight. Next time perhaps.

Anyway, on to the pictures:

This was my view Friday morning. WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE.


This was actually the next day. I waited for a clear day to get a picture. This is the Boston Convention Center


So this little guy was waiting inside the front doors, behind the information desk


Here is a view of the main Expo Hall from the main entrance (I'm looking to the right in these two pictures, but there was also tons of stuff to the left)

Mind you: this is not long after doors opened on Saturday, so it actually was busier than this later on...


Then I descended into the crowd. Here are some highlights























Here's the Expo Hall seen from behind:




This was an area specifically for table-top gaming.

Seems unpopular, right? Here's the same room later


They also had rooms for console freeplay. There were hundreds of games that you could "rent" and go play






There were also classic consoles. Here's TMNT on SNES


Battletoads on SNES


Some Atari games




And some system I've never even seen


There was also an arcade full of old classics (GALAGA4LYFE)


Here's the stage in the main theater. This is right before the RoosterTeeth panel. The whole thing was set up symmetrically, but I was too close to get all of it in one picture, so I just took one side.


RoosterTeeth filled the theater. There were 4000 people in attendance....


Here's the gang


Burnie took some pictures of us


To top it all off, here's Barbara being... Barbara (with Garrett from Mega64; their booth was right next to the RT booth)


I spent a ton of money, but most of it on food, tolls, and parking. I "bought" two shirts and two cds at the RT booth. (The quotes are for a reason.... those who attended know the story most likely. And no, I didn't steal anything.) I was a teensy bit fanboyish and got all the RT guys to sign my stuff

There are not a lot of events like this in the world, and it actually made a significant impact on me. Coming home and typing up this journal... it's hard to really convey what it was like. So much is lost on the reader, and the pictures hardly do justice. They encapsulate only what the eye sees, which in the end is very little of the overall experience

I had an amazing weekend and I can't wait to do it again next year.