Russian Meteor

This is one of the best video collections I've seen so far for the Russian Meteor.

I woke up and honestly thought it was a joke. It looks like something Michael Bay would have put together.

And for those wondering why most of the video is shot from dashboard cams, apparently people suing over fake accidents is a big problem in Russia. To protect themselves, tons of Russians have dashboard cams. Also, they really like the show COPS.

My Weekend Off the Grid

If you've already listened to Episode 67 of But You're Wrong -- and some of you just might have -- you already know that I went to West Virginia a couple weekends ago. And West Virginia being the backwards place it is, they had very little in the way of technology. For at least an hour -- probably more like three with the way I had to drive on those untended, snow-covered roads. Seriously, you better have a fucking four wheeler if you plan to go to West Virginia anywhere away from the interstate and the weather says anything above a milometer of snow. There were several times my car barely gripped to the road and I stayed on the shoulder.

Anyway, I didn't have a cell phone. Which is fine since I knew ahead of time to say something. God forbid I forget to call -- between my mother and my fiance, the two would whip themselves into such a frenzy, my last known coordinates would be descended upon by those silent black helicopters and men in heavy boots saying "hut-hut-hut-hut-hut-hut" as they casually repel the sides of mountains.

Shit, I got off track.

So I had no cell phone, something I've had fairly consistently for close to ten years. Even in Europe, thousands of miles away, I had better reception than West Virginia. But knowing I would enter this blackout period, I prepared myself. I got all my affairs in order, let everyone know, paid all my bills, said goodbye to my loved ones in case I got kidnapped by a redneck hill family ready to wear my face as a mask - or, slightly more likely, I saw Bigfoot. I didn't even think I would have internet, so in my mind I told myself I would have to deal without Twitter, Facebook, or any other constant connection social media.

And for the most part it worked. The guys had brought a router for the internet that somehow existed where we were. And for the most part it worked. I was able to send out a message and let loved ones know I was alive, for the moment. No signs of Hill People or Bigfoots. The internet otherwise was fairly spotty, so I only occasionally checked email, otherwise my phone saw little action. I was like a nun on the moon.

For the most part, it was great. I didn't obsess about numbers -- daily downloads, book sales. I didn't get pissed off by comments from people I barely know talking out of the asses. I was free of all the bullshit. I simply enjoyed the moment I was in. And I didn't feel the need to share each moment with the rest of the world.

There was perhaps a downside to this weekend semi-off the grid, which was the feeling of isolation from the people that matter most to me. I was with friends, but I felt cut off from my fiance and my family if I wanted to reach out to them. A slight enough signal to send texts might have remedied this. Not enough to get online. Just enough to say: "Hey." 

Finally, there is something that I'm not sure if it's a downside or an upside. There was very little TV, newspapers, or contact with the outside world where we were. (All TVs in the bar were focused on ESPN.) So when I came back from a Thursday afternoon to Sunday afternoon isolation, I felt like I missed a lot. The deaths of Mayor Koch and Chris Kyle had already begun to filter out of the news cycle. But the out of touch feeling might have been worth the absence of talking head idiots spewing lies and nonsense. I get so angered by the radical views on the news that it's actually quite nice to not be angered by their bullshit for a few days. It almost feels like getting your sanity back.

Minus the couple downsides, I'd suggest everyone take a few days off the grid. It's nice to clear the air of the bullshit fog your brain gets smothered in my all these media inputs. You may even find you spend less time on the internet or watching TV or obsessing over what you have no control over. 

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My phone was also used to take this picture of deer outside our place Saturday morning.

Shut Up About Star Trek Wars Already!

Just when I didn't think I had weekend plans, the internet and the mouse-eared execs delivered. It has been "announced" that JJ Abrams will direct the next Star Wars movie. Episode VII.

Or will he? I'm slightly confused by the official unofficialness of these "reports" everyone sites. In a world when a fake girlfriend's death could get national coverage, you'd think someone would learn to start independently checking these things. But the story is all over the place, so I imagine it may probably almost be true.

Which means that now my weekend will consist of ignoring and avoiding comments and critics from people that think they know the best way to handle Star Wars. They'll be clogging my Twitter feed and destroying my Facebook (this last part might not be entirely accurate, since I know unsubscribe to many on Facebook.) I don't even know where to begin with this pile of bullshit that's already as high as that stupid Mayan pyramid on Yavin.

Yes, Abrams worked on Star Trek. Okay. That's not really an argument. He hasn't already made "His Star Wars" by making Star Trek. The universes have similarities the same way they have similarities to humanity, but they two different, equally popular franchises for a reason. Star Wars deals more with myths and legends than Star Trek. Star Wars is a fairy tale to our world. It's a galaxy where heroes can exist and do amazing things and a lot of stuff is just crazy fucking coincidence. (Oh, you just made out with your sister? Super awkward.) Star Trek is more of a social commentary on the modern time through the lens of the past. (If you don't believe me, rewatch the old episodes. They deal with a lot of heavy shit on any version of the Enterprise.)

Star Wars is very much action and adventure, or at least the original trilogy was. I'm still trying to figure out what the prequels were about. (EDITOR'S NOTE: This is not a joke. He really is confused by all the talk of trade embargos and midichlorians.) Star Trek is action, but with an examination of morals and/or what it means to be a human.

So, yes, you brain dead idiots, Star Wars and Star Trek, both take place in space - so do You Only Live Twice, Apollo 13, and Space Cowboys, but they're all different movies. By the same logic, he shouldn't have made Into Darkness because he already made "his Star Trek." Fucking ludicrous. 

Let's also remember that Abrams is a good-fucking director and all-around artist. Look at his body of work. He's had his hands all-over the place and come up with some great stuff. Not only is there a measure of quantity to his work, but also quality. Zack Snyder was mentioned a week ago and quite frankly I find him overrated because all his movies are in the exact same style. 

So yes, he may have made a movie set in space already (two, if you count Into Darkness) and he might have worked on the sworn enemy of Star Wars nerds, BUT there's something that is getting missed. He was incredibly loyal to the idea of staying as true as possible to the Star Trek lore. He didn't want to discredit anything, he didn't want to change it, he didn't want to piss the shit out of fans. Isn't this the guy you want making a Star Wars movie? After getting dragged over the coals by Lucas, shouldn't it be put in the hands of someone who is trying to hang onto those people that like him grew up pretending to be Han Solo. (Let's face it, no one wanted to be Luke - it meant losing a hand kissing your sister.)

It seems from my "research" of angry men living with their parents that they aren't looking at it from a business perspective. Disney just invested billions into Lucasfilm - mainly Star Wars - and they need a return on that investment. Deals are still inked with Dark Horse for the comics, but they'll be switching over to Marvel eventually. Deals are still inked with the rights for the first films with FOX. Plus FOX owns the first one indefinitely, so something will need to be worked out. So while they will be getting money, they also need something big that will bring people in and cement interest in their future plans. They need to get the bad taste out of people's mouths from that last ridiculous scene in Sith.

What do they do? How do they accomplish this? First, get a talented guy to work on the script -- Michael Arndt, he wrote Little Miss Sunshine and Toy Story 3. Then get a talented director -- JJ Abrams. Which will probably boil down to one thing: get people that know what they're doing, will try to please the fans and stay true to the galaxy we all love.

I've seen a variation of this a few times too. "Abrams is a boring choice. He's a safe choice." To that I say: "Fuck you." Again, not thinking clearly and with an eye towards business. They want someone who has proven themselves with something on this scale. Again, they invested fucking billions. Who should they have gone with? The asshole that directed the Wax Vac commercial? Someone who's movies are a little more on the fringe and haven't made shitloads of money? Maybe Disney will take risks with other projects later, but everyone's looking for something great in this next one and they need people with proven talent. Sorry if you find proven skill talent.

I also saw an article that was upset that one man was essentially being put in charge of all our "myths." Or that a group of people were being put in charge of our "myths." And to that that I say: "Fuck you." Look, there are some really good people out there that want to do great stuff. A few people getting hired to tell nerdy stories isn't a bad thing, because these guys are pretty fucking good. Also, let's think of people not in the Abrams circle: Joss Whedon, Shane Black (Iron Man 3), Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man), and Dan Trachtenberg, who will be directing the adaptation of Y:The Last Man. I'll try to find the article and add it in later, but the gist was pointing to certain people being involved with movies, while negating that people were working on these movies that were not in this nerd illuminati. Fuck you. You can't pick and choose what to look at, this isn't Nancy Grace.

All this being said, could JJ Abrams make a terrible Star Wars director? Yes. Could it be worse than Episode I? Probably not. There's not a lot of information to go off of yet, it's been less than a day since the announcement and already I'm sick of people speculating over nothing, or being cynical and sardonic just because they think it looks cool. Based on the facts, which I have possibly stated here, I think it's probably one of the better choices. I can't think of someone who I know would be able to put together a better movie. Although, since JJ Abrams is involved I know I'll be more likely to try and actually see it around when it comes out. I will also probably have a good chance of getting my fiance (wife by that point - holy shit!) to see it with me. Thanks, JJ!

FINAL THOUGHT: I can't help but wonder if people would be this worked up if Abrams was directing a follow-up to Stargate. I'm guessing no.

My 8 Tips for Happiness

Now, I have some tips if you want happiness in 2013, based on my experience in 2012. If money will make you happy, this list might not be for you, but you should at least read the first one...

#1. Money Isn't Necessarily the Key to Happiness - I know this is a bit cliche, but really, it isn't. Money can make things easier. It can make you more comfortable and reduce some stress in your live, but when you have to start budgeting and prioritizing what you spend your money on, you get a better idea of what's important.

#2. Recharge Your Batteries - Hopefully, you already have, but find a way to recharge your batteries and blow off steam. In a healthy way. And try to stick to some kind of schedule. For me it's finding a creative outlet, weather it's writing, or blogging, or podcasting, I always feel better afterwards.

#3. Friends - I'm not just talking about Facebook and Twitter, although those are nice too when they're actual connections. Make a more concentrated effort to talk to friends and family. My email, or on the phone, or text if you prefer, but actually try to connect with them. If you can, try to do so on a semi-regular basis. If they're going through some of the same stuff you are, it'll be a great support system.

#4. No Regrets - I've always had this idea that you should live life without regrets. Not this YOLO bullshit, so it's an excuse to do dumb shit. I mean, when you do something and you kind of wish you hadn't, or had done something differently, don't dwell on it. Dwelling on it will get you nowhere. Learn from your mistake, but move on. You can't change it. I used to regret the fact that I didn't major in English despite this awesome class I took Freshman year. Thinking about it now, if I had majored in English, I wouldn't have met my fiance, I probably wouldn't have to Boston, I probably wouldn't have worked the job I did there, which means I wouldn't have met Greg or the other friends I made up there. So I wouldn't have made a podcast and I wouldn't sorted a lot of other shit in my life out thanks to the influences of my fiance and those friends.

#5. Self-Evaluation - We all do dumb shit and think in weird ways. We all have these "things" in are mind that can really screw us up. Call them whatever you want: insecurities, prejudices, triggers. Evaluate yourself and try to figure out why you act certain ways, even though those things are detrimental. Once you know the "why," you can figure out how to counteract them and overcome them. That made another huge difference for me in 2012.

#6. Take Control - A lot of what this boils down to, is simply taking control of your life. Start doing what you want to do. Start trying to make yourself happy.  What's the worse that happens? You fail? Okay, well then try again. Trust me, even if it doesn't work out, you'll at least feel better for trying to improve where you're at.

#7. Start - It's the New Year and everyone makes resolutions, because that's what you're supposed to do. But so many people don't stick to those resolutions because they don't actually mean anything. No matter when it is, you can start taking charge that day if you want to. In fact, it's better to start making a change the day you think about it! If you keep putting it off, it'll never get done. It doesn't matter if it's January 1st, June 23rd, or December 31st, take charge immediately and it'll be more likely to be effective. 

#8. Don't Listen to Others - This might be the most important one besides #7. People are going to tell you a lot of stuff as you talk about the things you're doing. I once had someone tell me I should write more books like Twilight and The Hunger Games because they seem so popular. BUT that's not what I want to write about. Maybe one day I will write a book about vampires, but it sure as shit isn't going to be like Twilight. That's not what I'm into. Everyone's going to give you advice, and some of it might even be good, but if people are telling you don't to do something that is your dream, politely nod and then do your own thing. The person you really need to listen to and follow is yourself, because you have to deal with yourself for-fucking-ever and that's someone you don't want to piss off.

So do some stuff in 2013. Create something. Take control of your life. Follow your dreams. Connect with the people important to you. If by the end of the year, it doesn't make you happy, then you can tell me I was wrong.

My Year In Review...

I touched on this at the end of But You're Wrong #56, but I thought I'd go into more detail here. Sorry, if anyone is disturbed by the overlap, but it's my podcast and my website and I can do whatever I want.

I had really high hopes that 2012 was going to go better than 2011. 2011 started off with my unemployment after relocating to Pennsylvania to be with my girlfriend. In February I started a new job in sales and for the first little bit, it went okay. Then things really started to go downhill. The hours were taking a toll on myself and my relationship. Plus I discovered that I wasn't cut out for the sales world. I had worked related to sales, but I'm not meant to push items on people that came in for something else.

I have a hard time convincing someone that this item is something that they have to have. If you're in the market for one, I can sell you on one or the other, or I can push you over the edge, but if you're coming in for something basic, I'm not the guy that's going to convince you to drop another $300 bucks today. Especially in this economic times. Needless to say, I was getting very disheartened. The one big plus to 2011 was that my girlfriend and I moved from her mom's house to renting our own place. This helped the relationship quite a bit.

I made some friendships in 2011 that have turned out to be noteworthy and have lasted through 2012. But those didn't really become an actual friendship until 2012.

But as 2011 came to a close, the deck was stacked in favor of 2012 being a shit year. Then something happened. I started to take control of my life. In January, I finally went through and finished the first massive series of edits on my novel, Work in Progress. Something I had been working on for a long time. At the start of February, I built this website. I got home from a terrible day at work. Sat down at my desk with a bottle of wine and said, "I need to do something that means something." So I built this website and made the decision that I was also going to take the self-publishing route with my novel that I did with my short story collection, Not My Problem. I had gotten such good feedback and encouragement based on the short stories, that I figured the novel could find it's audience eventually.

Then, a few weeks later, I got fired from my job. It wasn't a surprise, like I said, I'm not cut out for Sales. Someday I'll talk more about this experience and what exactly came after. It was dark times that followed. At first it was great, but then as the job hunt started it grew bad. You know how Empire Strikes Back ends on a really down note and you just imagine Luke feeling terrible for a long time? It was kind of like that. But then with some help from my girlfriend and my friends, I decided to really take control of things. And that's what really made the difference.

Somewhere in May, and it might have even been sooner, my great friend Greg DiNicola and I talked about starting a podcast. One day we'll get into our origin story a bit more, but we had met when I was up in Boston and we hit it off. Not only did we have a similar sense of humor, with similar interests, we just found that we had a good time talking to each other. Since I had moved though, we'd send occasional emails, and texts, every few months we'd see each other for a day if I was up in Boston, but we had stopped talking the way we used to. In an idea, borrowed from Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier. I had suggested we start a podcast. It would be a creative outlet for both of us, and get us talking the way we had before. I think we finally decided to do it May and then, later that month we actually recorded when I was up in Boston. The first audio we actually recorded appeared in Episode 30 and Episode 1. Episode 30 was technically recorded first though.

In June, we launched But You're Wrong and have been doing two episodes a week for a while now. It's been an absolute great experience. Especially seeing our fans grow and seeing people from all over the world listening to us.

I also launched my novel via Amazon Kindle in July and have gotten some great feedback on that as well.

Somewhere around this time though, I could have easily slipped back into a dark time. I plan to eventually tell the full story on the podcast, but basically it's this: Pennsylvania unemployment services has this thing where you can come in, take a test to measure your skills and then help you figure out what a good career for you would be. This sounded great because despite being in a creative career, I wasn't sure what a good path for me would be. I took the tests and was told I did fantastic! Lots of high scores. But when they went to measure me up with jobs based on scores and personality - it was a big fat fucking zero. But I decided to make jokes about it. Laugh at some of the more random jobs it said I could do with a little training. (Explosives expert was one of them.)

But I decided to continue taking control of my life and do what I wanted to do. So in August I proposed to my girlfriend and she said yes! I had taken her to look at rings in June. (Also mentioned on the podcast, Episode 3.) I've continued looking for work and decided more of what I wanted to get into for Real Work, and through a connect was able to get an internship in that field. I wanted to get more into marketing and they wanted someone with a little more writing experience. That's been great the last few months and I've learned a lot that will hopefully help me get a job in that field, even if it's entry-level.

So really, 2012 turned out to be a great year for me and a great turning point. There's been a ton of other little things that have happened, that I didn't mention here, but if any of my friends are reading this, I appreciate it all.

Tomorrow, I start of the New Year with some of my personal tips for happiness in 2013.