Big Apple or Golden Coast?

Lately it seems to feel like time is spinning on this rotating dial, constantly reminding me that my childhood is quickly dwindling into a thing of the past. I've just had my last midterm critique of my art school education and the calendar keeps reminding me that commencement is just around the corner. But what comes next? What is the logical course of action?

I have come to call New York my home, I've even vowed that I will never leave, and yet the more I look for jobs the more I am led towards LA. Is the move worth it? After applying to eight - yes eight - jobs at various production companies in Burbank and Santa Monica, the idea slowly began to grow on me. I began furiously checking Craig's List and the LA Times for real estate quotes and I did the math on how much gas would cost; I could rent a house for what I pay per month ... in Brooklyn.

It went without saying that the cost of living was lower out in La-La Land, but at what price? What about my life back home, where does it all go?

I then couldn't help but wonder, is the industry really only one sided? Is one side of the coin better than the other?

SI PS22 Chorus Sings "Firework"

This is freaking awesome. That little girl's got pipes! These kids are going to be performing at the Oscars this week, and I have to say that I am so incredibly stoked. Check 'em out:



-E

Home for the Holidays

Can you have culture shock in your own home town? I've been back in Virginia for 3 days and I am already baffled, startled, and confused by some of the things that I have seen and heard. Does my disagreement make me a "city slicker" or a snob? I don't think so, but I can't help but wonder if other people do.

I don't care what your politics are; I do care when you are racist and intolerant.

-E

Happy Finals!

It's my penultimate college semester, and if only my life were like this ...

rather than this ...

-E

"It's an insane thing, to write a play."

One day, as we all sat around our lounge, sipping cappuccinos, Michael West said to us, "It's an insane thing, to write a play." There we were, aspiring playwrights living in Ireland, about to start the unthinkable - write a play. We must have been mad, loons, all of us. Needless would Michael know that three weeks later he'd be winning the Irish Times Theatre Award for Best New Playwright. An insane thing, yes.

Sitting in my living room now, six months later and living back in New York City, I think I'm fully starting to realize the extent of those words. Being a writer, trying to create a world. It's an insane thing. I have completed two stage plays in my infant career (a one act, and a two act), and now that I am facing the reality of writing my second full length screenplay, I can't help but go back to those words. Have I lost my mind?

The only thing that is keeping me calm is - I think - the fact that I now personally know a successful writer. I spent 18 weeks with him, I drank coffees and pints with him, I talked about Simba and Hamlet with him. And now his success is becoming a reality. Michael's latest work, Freefall, is premiering at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin later this month, and I can't help but sit here in awe. I know him. I know the flesh and blood man that wrote that play, those words. If you don't know, the Abbey Theatre is the end-all, be-all of theatre in Ireland; it's the National Theatre, the hot tamale of the stage world. 

To think, Michael made an insane thing sane. He wrote a play. He did what I dream to do.  And now, all I can think is how much I want to be there to see it come to a reality, to watch that show grace the main stage of the Abbey in it's full fruition. 

Is truly is, an insane thing.

-E

Happy Election Day, New York!

It's true. The rent is too damn high.

8.4 Million New Yorkers Suddenly Realize New York City A Horrible Place To Live

As a masochistic New Yorker, I undoubtably love this city - despite my over-inflated Brooklyn rent and landlord who shuts off my water for a full day with out notice. But this is just beautiful ... and some days, true.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/84-million-new-yorkers-suddenly-realize-new-york-c,18003/

8.4 Million New Yorkers Suddenly Realize New York City A Horrible Place To Live

'We're Getting The Hell Out Of This Sewer,' Entire Populace Reports

-E

Realistic Sobriety Test

Because College Humor is amazing...

-E

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Apple, you have failed me.

At least momentarily.

So I marched myself to the Apple Store up on 14th Street the other day to have my phone checked out. Basically, it was running slow. Slower than slow. And it kept shutting off, freezing, etc. Needless to say, by the end of my hour there, I left a slightly less-satisfied Apple customer than when I had entered.

My problem wasn't with the Genius Bar - it was with Apple. I have used Apple products my entire life, and I was incredibly disappointed when I was told there was nothing they could do for a problem that they caused. I've had the iPhone 3G for 3 years now, and then now, after one minor software update, my phone reverts from being this wonderful smart phone to just a phone - no - a slow phone. I was frustrated when I was told that my phone was just "too overwhelmed" and was using all of it's energy to function just a phone. That would be nice if I weren't paying for the luxury (and work-related necessity) of a smart phone. If I just wanted a regular phone, I would have stayed with Verizon all of those years ago and kept my basic flip. The solution I was confronted with was for my phone to be rebooted back to it's basic 3G software - the original kind from when I first bought it. So now, after one minor upgrade, I have lost all of the in-between and have been told that I can never update my phone again.

Apparently this is, "a testament to the quality of Apple products, that my hardware as outlived it's software." I think it's crap.

Does anyone else see a flaw in that?

-E

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

In the Next 5 Years

I will be 26 going on 27 and most likely poor.

Now, you might saying to yourself, "well that's cynical," or, "that's pessimistic." No. That's me being a realist. People have been asking me for the past 4 years, "but what are you going to do with that?" That, being writing. My default answer has always been a variating list: a publisher, an editor, staff writer, TV, freelance, etc. But the more I think about it, the more I'm beginning to worry that I'm going to be come my father's prediction of a Target greeter with a BFA (the only reason I wasn't given Wall-Mart was  because there isn't one in the Greater New York area).

And that's really what is comes down to for me, in all honesty. I want to be in New York, but I'm not naive. I will only live here for as long as I can afford to make rent.

I understand the artistic "respect" that comes with being a starving artist, but you can't live off of that. Artistic respect doesn't pay the bills. I can practically guarantee that I will write commercial, sellable scripts to get by, and I will apply for all of those big sellout corporate jobs, because yes, I want to write for myself, but I also want to live.

So, what am I going to do in the next 5 years? Who knows?

-E

Baby Got Back!

After a month of internet silence ... I'M BACK! So much has happened, and I'm just that awesome that I'm going to list it all for you to out there on the internet to read. Because I know you're there. Somewhere, you are.

July 4th
Oh the lovely day of Independence! I kept up my tradition of heading to the West Side and hanging out in Hudson River Park. Must say, the fireworks this year completely trumped last years. By a long shot. But then again, having the majority of the fireworks actually be red, white, and blue does tend to actually help. Just a thought.

The World Cup
Spain won and I wanted to punch someone in the throat. This is not an exaggeration. I was going through security at JFK when time was up, and all I heard was this loud rumble of cheer from down below.

Las Vegas
In turn with the above, I was at JFK because I traveled to the fabulous city of sin for my friend Todd's 21st birthday. We sent the week gambling and living in luxury. That is all I'll say, because, well ... it was Vegas. I'm not even going to bother reciting the expected.

Rhode Island
I took another road trip to the lovely New England state of Rhode Island with my friends Abby, Cayla, Lauren, and Elizabeth. After a total of 14 hours in the car, we kayaked, lounged on the beach, swam in a river, drove through Providence, and ended up in good 'old Beantown. All in all it was an amazing weekend, complete with a souvenir sunburn :)

Internship
I got one! Simple enough! I applied to work for MTV Networks a few months back, scored 2 interviews, and was then offered a position with Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. Development and Production team! Literally, the only negative is that my office is in the heart of Time Square, aka Dante's 8th ring of hell. BUT, there is redemption! The studio is amazing AND there is a Starbucks right across the road!

Good Craic
And last, but never least, I spent some amazing quality time with some of my friends from Ireland! We went to this pub down on 1st and 1st called One and One, had a couple of pints, and mused over the dream that was our Irish experience. Conclusion? We all want to go back right now. And see Michael West's play at the Abbey Theatre!

Now, I promise I'll be around more to give my little quips and opinions on random miscellany. Just you wait!

-E

Oh hey, New York STATE.

So I have to go get one of these puppies this week because the state of New York hates me and wants me to give up my Virginia rights. Ok, so I ignored jury duty ... I didn't mean to! So now I have to go in and get yet another license photo and go through all of those fun shinanigans.

Here's to hoping I won't look like the crypt keeper this time ...

-E

Someone passed Pratt and wanted to make a blog about it...

Look At This Fucking Hipster >> enough said.

I have never recognized people on a blog until now. This is just pathetic.

But, on an even sadder note, I actually really like this graphic:

-E

Sunburns are masochism at it's finest.

I don't think anyone can deny that. How can a human love doing something they know will cause them pain? Like hula hooping on the black tar roof of their building during peak sun hours for an entire afternoon. Needless to say, the hours I then continued to spend out on the Hudson did not help the situation. On the plus side: I am somewhat close to my natural, olive based complexion, something I've missed since my little trip to the dreary Eire.

On another fun note, I got called a Rua by some random guy on the street. Weird part: I had never heard that until I was in Galway. After Maire Rua. An Irish woman. From the west coast, not the west side. It was strange. I like it, but it felt weird.

-E

Buh-Bye Southland!

Ventker is headed back home to the big bad BK tomorrow! That's right, this chick is leaving Virginia, once again ... by car ... so it will take 7 hours ... sitting shot gun ... on the Jersey Turnpike.

Not gonna lie, I am so stoked to get back to the City. I LOVE Ireland and I'm really pretty fond of Virginia - but as Bert and Ernie would say - I don't want to live on the moon. 

Y'all come back now, ya hear?

-E

If you didn't catch it, Virginia/Ireland are the moon in that reference.

I reject this news.

Sam Mendes and Kate Winslet are the only thing better than Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. I refuse the accept that fact that they are splitting.

Did the absurdist world that is celebrity go haywire when I left the states?

-E

Strawberry Fields Forever

I've got to say, I took time off from finals and hell, went all the way uptown, and got to celebrate the life of a truly great artist with a couple hundred New Yorkers, and it was worth every second. I didn't get any great photos or videos, but I really had an amazing time. And I got some flowers and a red rose to take home!

"Play Give Peace A Chance or I'm gonna punch someone in the face!"

-Cayla

To top the night off right: it was sudo-snowing when we got off of the G train!

-E

It's that time of year again...

... and no, I don't mean Christmas -- well I do, because Christmas is amazeballz -- finals have officially started. Call on the all-nighters, triple shot cappuccinos, eye concealer, messy hair, and beautifully crafted (or bullshitted) stories!

On top of the work, I'm getting together all of my Ireland paperwork and officially coming to terms with the fact that I leave in 39 days. Three. Nine. Thirty-Nine. Holy crap. I am not ok with this. Well I am, because Dublin is going to kick-ass, but I'm not because it'll mean I'm leaving home for a full six months. I haven't been away from New York for that long since I've moved here, and it definitely is weirding me out... oy.

I might be bald by the 18th, but at least the semester will be over.

-E

Oh, ya know, I see dead people...

So today was just about like any other day. Woke up, bought a cup of coffee, got lost in a cemetery. The usual.

Don't get freaked, dear internet... I went on a field trip to Green-Wood Cemetery with my Brooklyn class and somehow ended up getting incredibly lost, past the point of saving. After walking around aimlessly, Adah and I ended up at an amazingly awesome diner called Nick's on the corner of 32nd and 4th in Bay Ridge. I think I had the best cup of diner coffee of my life. No lies.

Can we talk about the depressing image of the public lots? Just for a hot sec? Seriously?

-E