Monday, April 2, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
The Walking Dead Resurrected: Top Ten Moments From Season 2
I'll be contributing more stories to The Celebrity Cafe over the next few months so stay tuned for more.
The Walking Dead Resurrected: Top Ten Moments From Season 2
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Royal Flush
To date, I have dropped two cell phones and two iPods in the toilet over the course of my career as a person. That's four separate instances and, at this point, old hat. I remember another iPod moment. Probably the worst one...
It was Mother's Day 2008 and the Doda clan was meeting our extended family at Belmont Park for a fun day of betting on ponies and eating prime rib (made to order omelets as well). For one reason or another, I woke up hung over at Derek and Janine Downing's apartment and I only had 10 minutes to walk out the door with my family. I raced to my burgundy Chevy Blazer, hopped in the the drivers seat and slammed the door shut. It was only when I arrived home that I realized I turned my once proud iPod 8gb Nano into a right angle with said door. Apparently, my urgency to get home clouded my natural instincts to protect my property.
Just this morning I dropped my 32gb iPod Touch in the toilet post-shower but it still seems to work. If this ever happens to you, turn off the device, get some Uncle Ben's rice, a heat lamp, and a blow dryer. Do your best to remove all moisture you can and let it sit in the rice for two to three days. Turn on the device which is now working perfectly, boil up some water, add rice, have a lovely meal. Watch out, Blackberry. You're time will soon come.
Friday, March 9, 2012
The seen and unseen
Without fail, there is always someone that says “Dude, I can’t believe you have not (read, heard, seen) (enter book, song/band, television show/movie here).” The thing about that guy is… I trust him. As soon as he or she walks away, I’m left thinking, “they must know what they are talking about.” In the last few months, I have decided to take the advice of my peers and start crossing off names on my ever-growing list. Here is a brief synopsis of my progress thus far.
Television
I’ve had two experiences that are worth mentioning. Both were equally rewarding in different ways. One was about grimy, in-your-face realities where the struggles of the inner city street corners are rivaled by the red tape that goes along with police work.
The other was an unending series of tragedies centered around a dying man who has betrayed his own morality for capital gain. The fact that HBO’s The Wire and AMC’s Breaking Bad exist make me hopeful for the future. They are works of art for a few reasons. Hyper-realism, the rise of the anti-hero, and the meticulous character development. All of which stem from great writing and directing. These two shows are obviously in two separate categories but I would argue that they should be on the top of everyone to watch list. I have been and continue to be ‘that guy.’
I have also almost caught up to weekly episodes of The Office recently polishing off season 7 on Netflix and watching the current season online. What’s a little copyright infringement between strangers? As far as comedy goes, I have yet to watch an episode of The Office that did not have at least one or two genuine out-loud laughs. The show is still successful and will go down in history with Seinfeld because they do not treat their audience like idiots. The days of the laugh track are over except for maybe The Big Bang Theory. Reruns on TBS have helped their cause.
What ‘That guy’ says:
I’ve been hearing things about a few shows. Shows that people cannot believe I have never seen before. One of which is Mad Men. AMC now has my trust after Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead so eventually I’ll have to dive head first into this one. It’s post-flapper, pre-Jimi Hendrix, right?
More recently, I’ve heard that Alcatraz is the new Lost. I’m going to go ahead and say that is an exaggeration without seeing a single frame. But with JJ Abrams in the writer’s seat, I’m sure a season 2 will be in order.
To be cancelled
Some shows that I said would be cancelled after watching their first promo:
The Playboy Club
The River
Charlie’s Angels
Last Man Standing
The thing about Last Man Standing is that it’s about a man in a female dominated home life. The show’s star Tim Allen works in a sporting goods store. I know I’m not saying anything new here but this sounds like the diet version of Home Improvement. It simply cannot be allowed to survive.
Since bringing up The Walking Dead, I just want to get this off my chest. TWD pilot is probably the greatest thing I have ever seen. I can’t think of anything scarier than being a coma victim waking up in a post-apocalyptic zombie-infested world. Keep in mind, in the universe that graphic novel author Robert Kirkman created, there was no such thing as Night of The Living Dead or any zombie-related fiction.
If there was a zombie walking down my street today… sure I’d be shocked, but I would be able to identify said zombie and know exactly how to handle the situation. After meeting the cast of characters and getting some vital information about the end of days in the brilliant episode TS-19, all of my chips were in the middle. The first season left me with a huge explosion and my expectations were through the roof.
While the show’s pacing has stayed the same, why does it feel like each episode of season 2 is dragging like a legless walker? It has truly had some very exciting moments (Shane/Otis mission to save Carl, the Sophia mystery finally being solved, Dale’s swan song Judge, Jury, Executioner) but let’s get this squad off the farm and in the pursuit of answers to questions that have plagued me.
Rick swears he sees a helicopter in the pilot episode but the others think he’s crazy. What’s the story there?
What does the good doctor in TS-19 whisper to Rick?
What happened to Morgan and will we ever see him again?
Maybe I’m a bit miffed because those first six episodes have such high replay value and I have yet to fall in love with an episode from this season. Since I have not read the graphic novels of the same name and have heard grumblings about “The Governor” in the press lately, I’m sure my patience will pay off in the long run. What I do know is that I love zombies and would love to meet a few one day.
Movies
If you haven’t already, try your local library for DVD's you haven’t seen. It’s free and all you need is a library card. It was there where I picked up for the very first time Cloverfield (2008), a battleground film between “that movie sucked” and “epic awesomeness” critics. While I do feel like there were some things they could have done better, I was a fan of this film.
Better camera man – I found myself wishing that the camera operator, as terrified as he must have been, could have done a better job at capturing shots of the monster in question. I would have rather seen that than an hour and a half of my friends running and breathing heavily. Also, the jerkiness of the camera prompted theaters to issue a motion-sickness warning stating that watching Cloverfield was equivalent to being on a roller coaster. Not as bad on DVD, but it’s literally a sight for sore eyes.
Better ending – Sure, its fitting and it puts a bow on the whole movie but it left me feeling empty. In a real life scenario where nukes were about to be dropped on a giant sea monster in Central Park, they would not survive. But can I at least see a fighter jet, or the monster or a bomb being dropped in the last scene?
Other than that, what’s not to like about the Statue of Liberty’s head flying through the streets of Manhattan? I grew up on terribly dubbed Godzilla flicks like Godzilla vs. Mothra, Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla and Godzilla King of the Monsters, so I have a soft spot for over-sized, over-radiated creatures. But when it comes down to who is a more badass monster, Cloverfield’s creature vs. Godzilla (1998), Cloverfield wins hands down.
A few other movies I have had time to watch in the past few months are very different but are worth a few words. I was one of those people that saw The Dark Knight before I saw Batman Begins. Now that I have had the pleasure of watching the first installment in this more hard-hitting Batman adventure, I might be first in line to see The Dark Knight Rises this summer. Batman Begins looks and sounds magnificent. It’s a complete deviation from Tim Burton’s adaptation and a bright new look at the origin of one of the most recognizable crime fighters in the world.
Movies that I often recommend
Children of Men – Maybe I’m just fascinated by the end of the world, but Children of Men has to be one of the best films made in the last 20 years. The marathon camera shots, the grimness of England in the year 2027… On the surface, it looks more like 1927.
There Will Be Blood – Paul Anderson’s masterpiece, Daniel Day-Lewis’s exclamation point, and Johnny Greenwood’s opus. The reason I watch this film once every two or three months lies in the coldness and intensity of DDL as Daniel Plainview. There is something to be extracted from each scene like oil from a proven well. I’m still upset that it lost Best Picture to No Country for Old Men.
The Deer Hunter – When my friends tell me that they haven’t seen The Deer Hunter, I question why I hang out with them in the first place. What do we really have in common? This movie runs the gauntlet from buddy flick to war epic to romantic drama to ultimate tragedy. A ride worth taking for anyone interested in American cinema.
In the Q
Very Bad Things – What’s a Vegas bachelor party without a dead hooker?
Downfall – The subject of many parodies on the internet, Downfall chronicles the last days of Adolph Hitler (played by a chilling Bruno Ganz) in his Berlin bunker.
Music
I’ve discovered a few facts recently that I would suspect any popular music fan already knows. There is no one named Jamiroquai or Bon Iver.
That being said, I recently rediscovered the funky, acid-hop thump that is Jamiroquai. With the help of YouTube and iTunes, songs “Alright” and “Cosmic Girl” have kept my brain company for the last few weeks. They are infectious grooves and my current internet-ready jukebox favorite. I’ll be dipping into their catalog more deeply over the next coming weeks.
I also listened to Bon Iver for the first time recently. After reading about them in Rolling Stone and seeing Justin Timberlake impersonate front man Justin Vernon on SNL, the band’s popularity is at an all time high. He is currently a member of the cresting wave of folk acts which include Mumford and Sons and The Avett Brothers. Bon Iver seem more abstract, more outside the lines than anything I’ve heard in folk. While I might not be the biggest fan, I can see why he is headlining act.
Other acts I’m intrigued by include St. Vincent, Skrillex, Das Racist and Gym Class Heroes.
And cheers to Ben Folds Five who have reunited to record a new album and perform at Bonnaroo this summer. And it only took 13 years.
Kind of a scattered post but whatever. Have a nice weekend everybody.
Television
I’ve had two experiences that are worth mentioning. Both were equally rewarding in different ways. One was about grimy, in-your-face realities where the struggles of the inner city street corners are rivaled by the red tape that goes along with police work.
The other was an unending series of tragedies centered around a dying man who has betrayed his own morality for capital gain. The fact that HBO’s The Wire and AMC’s Breaking Bad exist make me hopeful for the future. They are works of art for a few reasons. Hyper-realism, the rise of the anti-hero, and the meticulous character development. All of which stem from great writing and directing. These two shows are obviously in two separate categories but I would argue that they should be on the top of everyone to watch list. I have been and continue to be ‘that guy.’
I have also almost caught up to weekly episodes of The Office recently polishing off season 7 on Netflix and watching the current season online. What’s a little copyright infringement between strangers? As far as comedy goes, I have yet to watch an episode of The Office that did not have at least one or two genuine out-loud laughs. The show is still successful and will go down in history with Seinfeld because they do not treat their audience like idiots. The days of the laugh track are over except for maybe The Big Bang Theory. Reruns on TBS have helped their cause.
What ‘That guy’ says:
I’ve been hearing things about a few shows. Shows that people cannot believe I have never seen before. One of which is Mad Men. AMC now has my trust after Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead so eventually I’ll have to dive head first into this one. It’s post-flapper, pre-Jimi Hendrix, right?
More recently, I’ve heard that Alcatraz is the new Lost. I’m going to go ahead and say that is an exaggeration without seeing a single frame. But with JJ Abrams in the writer’s seat, I’m sure a season 2 will be in order.
To be cancelled
Some shows that I said would be cancelled after watching their first promo:
The Playboy Club
The River
Charlie’s Angels
Last Man Standing
The thing about Last Man Standing is that it’s about a man in a female dominated home life. The show’s star Tim Allen works in a sporting goods store. I know I’m not saying anything new here but this sounds like the diet version of Home Improvement. It simply cannot be allowed to survive.
Since bringing up The Walking Dead, I just want to get this off my chest. TWD pilot is probably the greatest thing I have ever seen. I can’t think of anything scarier than being a coma victim waking up in a post-apocalyptic zombie-infested world. Keep in mind, in the universe that graphic novel author Robert Kirkman created, there was no such thing as Night of The Living Dead or any zombie-related fiction.
If there was a zombie walking down my street today… sure I’d be shocked, but I would be able to identify said zombie and know exactly how to handle the situation. After meeting the cast of characters and getting some vital information about the end of days in the brilliant episode TS-19, all of my chips were in the middle. The first season left me with a huge explosion and my expectations were through the roof. While the show’s pacing has stayed the same, why does it feel like each episode of season 2 is dragging like a legless walker? It has truly had some very exciting moments (Shane/Otis mission to save Carl, the Sophia mystery finally being solved, Dale’s swan song Judge, Jury, Executioner) but let’s get this squad off the farm and in the pursuit of answers to questions that have plagued me.
Rick swears he sees a helicopter in the pilot episode but the others think he’s crazy. What’s the story there?
What does the good doctor in TS-19 whisper to Rick?
What happened to Morgan and will we ever see him again?
Maybe I’m a bit miffed because those first six episodes have such high replay value and I have yet to fall in love with an episode from this season. Since I have not read the graphic novels of the same name and have heard grumblings about “The Governor” in the press lately, I’m sure my patience will pay off in the long run. What I do know is that I love zombies and would love to meet a few one day.
Movies
If you haven’t already, try your local library for DVD's you haven’t seen. It’s free and all you need is a library card. It was there where I picked up for the very first time Cloverfield (2008), a battleground film between “that movie sucked” and “epic awesomeness” critics. While I do feel like there were some things they could have done better, I was a fan of this film.
Better camera man – I found myself wishing that the camera operator, as terrified as he must have been, could have done a better job at capturing shots of the monster in question. I would have rather seen that than an hour and a half of my friends running and breathing heavily. Also, the jerkiness of the camera prompted theaters to issue a motion-sickness warning stating that watching Cloverfield was equivalent to being on a roller coaster. Not as bad on DVD, but it’s literally a sight for sore eyes.
Better ending – Sure, its fitting and it puts a bow on the whole movie but it left me feeling empty. In a real life scenario where nukes were about to be dropped on a giant sea monster in Central Park, they would not survive. But can I at least see a fighter jet, or the monster or a bomb being dropped in the last scene?
Other than that, what’s not to like about the Statue of Liberty’s head flying through the streets of Manhattan? I grew up on terribly dubbed Godzilla flicks like Godzilla vs. Mothra, Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla and Godzilla King of the Monsters, so I have a soft spot for over-sized, over-radiated creatures. But when it comes down to who is a more badass monster, Cloverfield’s creature vs. Godzilla (1998), Cloverfield wins hands down.
A few other movies I have had time to watch in the past few months are very different but are worth a few words. I was one of those people that saw The Dark Knight before I saw Batman Begins. Now that I have had the pleasure of watching the first installment in this more hard-hitting Batman adventure, I might be first in line to see The Dark Knight Rises this summer. Batman Begins looks and sounds magnificent. It’s a complete deviation from Tim Burton’s adaptation and a bright new look at the origin of one of the most recognizable crime fighters in the world.
Movies that I often recommend
Children of Men – Maybe I’m just fascinated by the end of the world, but Children of Men has to be one of the best films made in the last 20 years. The marathon camera shots, the grimness of England in the year 2027… On the surface, it looks more like 1927.
There Will Be Blood – Paul Anderson’s masterpiece, Daniel Day-Lewis’s exclamation point, and Johnny Greenwood’s opus. The reason I watch this film once every two or three months lies in the coldness and intensity of DDL as Daniel Plainview. There is something to be extracted from each scene like oil from a proven well. I’m still upset that it lost Best Picture to No Country for Old Men.
The Deer Hunter – When my friends tell me that they haven’t seen The Deer Hunter, I question why I hang out with them in the first place. What do we really have in common? This movie runs the gauntlet from buddy flick to war epic to romantic drama to ultimate tragedy. A ride worth taking for anyone interested in American cinema.
In the Q
Very Bad Things – What’s a Vegas bachelor party without a dead hooker?
Downfall – The subject of many parodies on the internet, Downfall chronicles the last days of Adolph Hitler (played by a chilling Bruno Ganz) in his Berlin bunker.
Music
I’ve discovered a few facts recently that I would suspect any popular music fan already knows. There is no one named Jamiroquai or Bon Iver.
That being said, I recently rediscovered the funky, acid-hop thump that is Jamiroquai. With the help of YouTube and iTunes, songs “Alright” and “Cosmic Girl” have kept my brain company for the last few weeks. They are infectious grooves and my current internet-ready jukebox favorite. I’ll be dipping into their catalog more deeply over the next coming weeks.
I also listened to Bon Iver for the first time recently. After reading about them in Rolling Stone and seeing Justin Timberlake impersonate front man Justin Vernon on SNL, the band’s popularity is at an all time high. He is currently a member of the cresting wave of folk acts which include Mumford and Sons and The Avett Brothers. Bon Iver seem more abstract, more outside the lines than anything I’ve heard in folk. While I might not be the biggest fan, I can see why he is headlining act.
Other acts I’m intrigued by include St. Vincent, Skrillex, Das Racist and Gym Class Heroes.
And cheers to Ben Folds Five who have reunited to record a new album and perform at Bonnaroo this summer. And it only took 13 years.
Kind of a scattered post but whatever. Have a nice weekend everybody.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Waking up
I've decided to do some free form writing as a way jump start my brain.
My thesis/capstone project has to be done by December 6 and I am maybe half way done. The sand in the hourglass is quickly running out and I fear that my presentation (or defense) will be lackluster. This is the last bit of school work I may ever have to do in my life, but I'm having a hard time focusing. Here's why:
1) I got laid off from the Queens Courier. Sad, really but that's just small potatoes. Sure it was fun being a beat writer for a small, yet progressive newspaper, but it was definitely not the end all - be all. It's funny, when I was working there and writing about new stop signs and freshly paved roads, I would say to my co-workers, "I have got to get out of Queens." Now that I'm out... wait. I was right.
Still, it's been a distraction because this thesis is taking up all my time and I have yet to look for another gig. For some reason, I have all the confidence in the world that I will land another better paying position. I just have to get this done with.
2) General procrastination is quite a phenomenon. I've always wondered why some people have this innate drive to succeed; to put their head down and pound out the task at hand, while others use that time to type out free form writing blogs about general procrastination. Nothing a little hypnosis can't cure. Maybe I'll set up an appointment tomorrow or the next day.
3) Self Saboteur theory. I've read about what it means to be a self-saboteur and it's pretty harsh:
"The Self-Saboteur is the force behind every three steps you take backwards for every two steps you take forward. The Self-Saboteur is the part of you that snatches defeat out of the jaws of victory, uses gasoline to put out fires, uses a stick of dynamite with which to light your cigarettes."
Dr. Steve Frisch, Psy.D.
Nobody loves life more than Bob Doda. I can tell you that. But I do feel like I have some of these tendencies.
Time to get to work. I have t-minus 12 days to make this the best damn thesis Long Island has ever seen (by the way, it's about news website paywalls and the future of the modern day newspaper).
I'm glad I got to post in the blog in 2011. One more thing I can check off the list.
My thesis/capstone project has to be done by December 6 and I am maybe half way done. The sand in the hourglass is quickly running out and I fear that my presentation (or defense) will be lackluster. This is the last bit of school work I may ever have to do in my life, but I'm having a hard time focusing. Here's why:
1) I got laid off from the Queens Courier. Sad, really but that's just small potatoes. Sure it was fun being a beat writer for a small, yet progressive newspaper, but it was definitely not the end all - be all. It's funny, when I was working there and writing about new stop signs and freshly paved roads, I would say to my co-workers, "I have got to get out of Queens." Now that I'm out... wait. I was right.
Still, it's been a distraction because this thesis is taking up all my time and I have yet to look for another gig. For some reason, I have all the confidence in the world that I will land another better paying position. I just have to get this done with.
2) General procrastination is quite a phenomenon. I've always wondered why some people have this innate drive to succeed; to put their head down and pound out the task at hand, while others use that time to type out free form writing blogs about general procrastination. Nothing a little hypnosis can't cure. Maybe I'll set up an appointment tomorrow or the next day.
3) Self Saboteur theory. I've read about what it means to be a self-saboteur and it's pretty harsh:
"The Self-Saboteur is the force behind every three steps you take backwards for every two steps you take forward. The Self-Saboteur is the part of you that snatches defeat out of the jaws of victory, uses gasoline to put out fires, uses a stick of dynamite with which to light your cigarettes."
Dr. Steve Frisch, Psy.D.
Nobody loves life more than Bob Doda. I can tell you that. But I do feel like I have some of these tendencies.
Time to get to work. I have t-minus 12 days to make this the best damn thesis Long Island has ever seen (by the way, it's about news website paywalls and the future of the modern day newspaper).
I'm glad I got to post in the blog in 2011. One more thing I can check off the list.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Inside the Actor's Studio: Bob Doda
Anyone who is familiar with Inside the Actor's Studio hosted by James Lipton knows that he asks his guests the same 10 questions at the end of every show. I thought I'd take a crack at them.
1. What is your favorite word?
Gumbo
2. What is your least favorite word?
Dollop. Why is a spoonful of sour cream a dollop? This upsets me.
3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
People that go the extra mile to get a laugh. Off-beat comedic timing.
4. What turns you off?
People that take themselves too seriously. It's good to be organized and in control of your life but there is a flip side to that. Ferris Bueller said it best (if you don't know the quote I'm talking about, you just turned me off)
5. What is your favorite curse word?
Horseshit.
6. What sound or noise do you love?
Booming thunder. Especially when it's been muggy all day and a storm is imminent. It's a powerful sound. Madison Square Garden chants/celebrations are crucial sounds as well.
7. What sound or noise do you hate?
The sound of people eating. Chewing, slurping, forks on a plate.... That is the worst. The sound of a double up to lose a game of pong is a close second.
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Bass player in an all-black funk band.
9. What profession would you not like to do?
Barber. There is a lot riding on each and every haircut. Every use of a scissor or buzzer has to have 100% commitment behind it. Also, there is the conversation factor. Do you chat it up and overwhelm the customer or do you say nothing, concentrate, and come off as impolite?
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
"Do you prefer Bob or Robert?"
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