Movies suck, or do they?

Day 20 of the Blog a day brings me to movies. As I type this thousands of females are lined up for Twilight New Moon, the sequel to Twilight. I could care less. I'm fully on board with the Harry Potter books and movies, and have even started reading Percy and the Olympians, but I refuse to read Twilight or see the movies....although the wolves in the new one look badass...NO! I won't. On top of that 2012 is a terrible looking movie. Sandra Bullock is in another movie, this one about Football, but The Blindside is actually based on a true story and the real life guy just got drafted in the NFL this year. So you know that it's a "happy" ending. And look at the movies coming down the pipe the next few weeks. Brothers (no), Fantastic Mr. Fox (pass), Ninja Assassin (uh, maybe), Armored (lol), Old Dogs (uh uh), The Princess and the Frog (what am i, 9?), or even Up in the Air (maybe). Where are all the fun movies? Where are the end of the year Harry Potters or Lord of the Rings? And where are all the buzz trailers for movies to get me interested for next year? Where is the new Iron Man trailer? Am I going to have to wait for the Super Bowl to start getting excited for movies again? I hope not.

And now the news...with YOU!

Day 19 of the Blog a Day. Today brings me to an interesting trend, where normal people (that's you and I) are becoming more reliable sources of news, then the actual news. Or that we are becoming the news itself. Have you watched CNN lately? Or some shows on ESPN? They actively follow their Twitter accounts and Twitter followers for up to the minute opinions about the latest news stories. Or what about the rise of websites like Perez Hilton? Normal people with an opinion and free time on their hands, surfing the web, packaging information for you and then delivering it. Kind of like "The News" does. Except have you watched the commercials for the news? I especially hate seeing Carlos Ceccheto or Barbara Lee-Edwards pop up in commercials during my shows like CSI Las Vegas and The Mentalist. Nothing against them personally, its just that the local CBS commercial is the last commercial in each set before returning to the program and the news they promote is always "scary" or intimidating. Local news sucks. And it's even worse seeing commercials on Fox or NBC promoting the You Local bullshit they are trying to pass off. As if me uploading videos to their website of crash scenes or victims or anything like that is healthy behavior. The whole thing sickens me, while at the same time I don't even watch these shows. Ugh. The future of news is us, and we have a lot of responsibility to live up to. "This just in, I blew my nose while watching Modern Family!"

NovemBeard

Day 18 of the Blog a Day leads me back to my discussions on facial hair. It's my current obsession. I cannot for the life of me grow long hair, the longer my hair gets the more it drives me nuts. I seem to be in the same place with growing a beard. Facial hair on men is not a social disgrace, in fact it can look quite distinguished. So why do I feel like shaving my beard every single morning instead of letting it continue to grow out? Because it itches. It's in this weird place between beard and half beard. Not the best blog topic I know, but I'm obsessing people, deal with it.

Out of Work? Network!

Day 17 of the Blog a Day brings me to job hunting. I have talked about job hunting on this blog before, and typically my outlook is grim. I have been "looking" for that next step in my career for the last 2 1/2 years and along the way I have been expanding my network of contacts in the San Diego market as well as elsewhere. While I have not found that next plateau in my career, I know for sure I am still taking each step of the stairs one and sometimes two at a time and moving forward.

Now in job searching these days, many job search newsletters and advice columns will have you believe that the key to a new job is to network. Now while I believe that to be 50% true, I will also say that it depends on your network. You see I work mostly in the entertainment and event planning fields. Well over the last year I could name off roughly 20-30 people who have not only been laid off, but who are also STILL looking for work like I am. So what do you do if your network is either out of work, or fearing that this Holiday season they will see more layoffs? I think you expand your network even further. Make phone calls to people that you don't normally, reach out to old friends, and reconnect with others. I don't think that networking is the only answer because I think there has to be jobs out there, but the more people that you reach out to, the more people who are helping YOU find a job. If not actively, then at least they may call you when they hear of something. Try it. It's like a great social experiment. And if you hear the phone ringing or have a new email, it might just be from me. ;)

Allergies Suck

Day 16 of the Blog a Day and what had shaped up to be a productive day has drifted into a miserable evening dealing with allergies. I was going to write something more substantive today but I have spent the last three hours miserably sneezing while doing homework. So I'm over it. Willing to try anything to stop this itchy runny nose. I took allergy meds, a spoonful of local honey with a touch of hot sauce, and even sticking tissue up my nose. If you have something that will stop this, I'm listening.

Living with Image

Day 15 of the Blog a Day. Every felt like you had to live up to an expectation you didn't even know that people have? First off I would just like to say, that I have some truly great friends, and seeing and hanging out with people you have not seen in a long time really reminds you how cool you really are. See I ALWAYS think my friends are cool, and wish I could spend more time with them. So when I spend time with them and the love overflows back? Makes me feel special.

On to the topic at hand though. Went to two parties last night and ran into two instances of battling my personal identity. Since High School I have always been that guy that has some nickname or another, and for the most part I sometimes don't hear my own name (Jeff) when someone calls it from across the room. For the last 9 years I have been known as Farley. It was weird to get used to at first, but you start hearing it enough it sticks with you. To the point where you don't even flinch when you tell someone's parents that your name is Farley. The great part about a nickname though is that you can almost be someone else while being yourself. Sure Farley and Jeff are the same person, but Farley was more of who I was in the moment for many years, while Jeff was the guy I thought did not have much to offer the world. It's almost like when someone wears a mask or drinks to be social. I would literally become this gregarious, over the top, drinking, being lewd, loud, obnoxious, and fun "character" who would do ANYTHING. Like working a night club the night before Christmas and just tearing the place down with antics and fun, and then on Christmas being the youngest in the family and only boy. Like Superman and Clark Kent.

Well with me having less and less exposure in Radio the last few years I have been struggling with my personal identity. When I would work at a new job and meet someone new, was I Jeff or was I Farley? There the same person in my mind, but how professional is it to be called Farley? You know what I mean? So the first party I was at last night was for my good friend Tiffany and there was a bunch of young kids there that I have never met. I went to introduce myself as Jeff to one cute girl and someone else walks up and says "Jeff? Your fucking Farley!" She replied "Oh my God. Your Farley? I've heard about you. (coyly) Hi." While that reaction is awesome, my reaction is "What the fuck have you heard?!" What do I have to live up to or live down? The second instance was at Noel's birthday at Dave & Busters. I was meeting a girls boyfriend that I have never met, and went to introduce myself as Jeff. If at first you don't succeed....Well the gal says "Jeff? Your Farley." To which my new best friend the boyfriend replies, "Oh shit?! Your the guy who was in that menage a three or whatever! Your a legend!" Menage a trois not with standing, I have to wonder if this guy was messing with me or is there really a story out there about me in a threesome. I mean there is a story out there like that, but not with this particular group of friends. Basically my point is that as I am transitioning my life from Radio into whatever it is I may be doing next in my life, I find myself constantly battling the perceptions of who I am and who I want to be. As to the menage a trois story? What happens in Vegas when I am close to blacked out drunk, stays in Vegas.

A Working High

Day 14 of the Blog a Day. First off I just want to say that today has been a sad day in the Arnold Ave House. Matt and Cindy had to put there cat Tea Pot to sleep because she was really old and her kidneys were failing her. I give them both a tremendous amount of credit because they are taking it really well. The good news is that they found out Miss Pot Pot was probably 15 years old and not the 8 or 9 they thought she was. They found her as a alley cat almost 7 years ago. So she lived a good life.

On to the title of the blog. Many people have been fighting to legalize marijuana the last few years, and fighting an uphill battle with 60 years of drug reform in the US rife with lies and half truths. Friday saw the opening of first US Marijuana Cafe. I know what your thinking, don't they have dispensaries in a lot of states now, including California were they are popping up everywhere? Yes, but those are not Cafes. Cafes allow MJ users to smoke or consume their medicine on the premises of the shop. Where as dispensaries do not. Pot Cafes are very popular in Amsterdam and this is the first one to open in the US. The cafe is called The Cannabis Cafe and it is now open for business in Portland. It's a big deal because they are testing the Obama Administrations will to prosecute federally cannabis cafes in America. Seems like more steam is brewing to make pot legal then it is for gays to marry. Sounds like fun, and road trip sounds a lot better then cross Atlantic flight. :p