NYC

So, I am in NYC for the first time. Originally it was supposed to be a quick trip, but the oncoming snow might strand me here for a while. I flew in on Monday, and was supposed to fly to DC Tuesday night. On Monday I find out that the office I am visitng on Tuesday is closed until Thursday. Which means, I don't need to go to DC anylonger. So, I cancel flights and hotels (to be honest, work did it, not me) and get a flight out for early Wed. Hoping to beat the snow. Shortly after that flight is booked, it gets canceled, and now I am on a 10 AM flight out. I tried getting out today, but all flights were full.

Though, that meant I got to bum around NY a bit.

Which means, I got to go to the Daily Show. Which.Was.Awesome. My wonderful wife, went online and signed me up for a ticket, almost right away I got the email that I was on the list. It was 3 PM and I needed to be in line by 4, so I had to truck it about 15 blocks. I made it on time, and waited in line. Security comes through and let's you know as long as your name is on the list, you should get tickets. They always overbook, so the audience is full. Though tonight, everyone got in, even the people who didn't put in for tickets. While in line they have different people come out, and give you the rules. No pictures, turn your cell phones off, laugh and clap but don't yell out, or they remove you. They let us know that Jon will do a Q and A before the show, but don't ask him for anything. I waited in line for about an hour and a half, and finally got in. Everyone files through a metal detector.

The studio is not that big. I think I heard them say that it seats 200. The set is no more than what you see. The desk and background. Right next to the desk is the green screen where the "reporters" do their standups. Before the show starts a guy comes out to warm up the croud. Tonight is was Paul Mercurio. He talks about how the audience needs to laugh, as they don't have a laugh track. He hits on some girl, and mocks someone else. Then they bring Jon out. He did about 10 minutes of Q and A. He was really comfortable and open. You can tell he has been doing this awhile, and comes off as just a guy, not Jon Stewart. One interesting question was about his interview on O'Riely, and whose idea it was to put the entire interview up uncut on the internet. He said that it was a condition he had in order to do the interview. He had a feeling that the cut that aired might not be an honest portrail. They then kick off the show. Once they get into the show, it pretty much runs as you see it. They do a section and go to commercial. The commercial portion is a longer break, while they transition. They pump music into the room, and after a song, they get back into the show.

Tonights guest was Newt Gingrich. Which was cool, as he always has spirited discussion with political figures. After running through is alloted interview time, and throwing it to commercial, he continued to interview Newt for another ten minutes, which they will put online.

Overall a very cool experience.

Firsts, A second time...

So, I took a trip to Chicago yesterday. I had a meeting. On my way home, I was listening to a podcast, and they covered an interesting question.

What movie would you want to see again for the first time.

It came from a listener who stated they wanted to see Pulp Fiction again, for the first time. Not know what it was going into it, and experiencing it again. I thought it was a fairly interesting topic, so I figured I would ramble on about it here for a while.

In terms of movies I would want to see again for the first time, I have a couple. For me, one would be Jurassic Park. It came out in 1993 when I was twelve. I still remember the first scene where Sam Neils character first gets to the island and sees the dinosaurs. The awe of seeing these creatures on the big screen was pure enjoyment for twelve year old me. It was true escape from reality.

There are other movies such as The Matrix, Fight Club, and The Usual Suspects, which leave you in a sense of confusion and misdirection through out the movie, with a big payoff at the end. I love movies that tell the story while clouded in mystery, that leave you talking about them, and what they meant for days afterwards.

Otherwise I would want to see films of my favorite directors again. Clerks, from Kevin Smith, Rushmore from Wes Anderson, and Reservoir Dogs from QT. To have the feeling again of wanting to see more of what they have done. I am not tied to any actors, but chomp at the bit to see new works from these three.

Now that the last season of LOST is upon us, I would love to go back and watch the first five seasons again for the first time. I can't ever remember having a TV show that had me this excited. It's funny, as most of the time I am sad that one of my favorite shows is ending, but this time around I welcome and look forward to the end. I want answers, and look forward to getting some.