DeMizio's Journal

Omens...

I made it home safely, despite three "omens" that could read to the contrary:

1. While on I-76, heading out of the city, after the South Street exit, there is another left exit. Me: in left lane, doing 50, approaching the exit, not intending to go up the ramp. Him: a pickup truck in the right lane, doing 25 or 30, with right blinker on. He pulls in front of me with no warning, and goes up the exit ramp. This is taking place maybe ten feet from the beginning of the ramp, if that. I slam on my brakes, they squeal, and jam on the horn with my arm while steering left. He continues on his way; no contact, no acknowledgement. I continue on mine, a little bit nervous.

2. While on the George C. Platt Memorial Bridge, the bridge one crosses to get to the Airport or I-95 from I-76. Its a two lane bridge. Right lane is blocked for repairs. A quarter of the way over, I see flashing lights in my rearview coming from the right lane. Philadelphia policeman in jeep points to me to keep still. Behind the jeep is a hearse. I allow funeral procession to pass by, hoping things might look up soon.

3. Probably the simplest of the three, but all traffic came to a halt on I-495 in Delaware for a carfire...worst part of this was that it seemed to have been put out minutes before crossing through. This thick acrid smell hung in the air, like soot and tires and gasoline all mixed together at once. I just merged over, drove on, and prayed everyone was all right.

Other than that, it was a pretty uneventful trip.

What I don't understand

Please excuse the rant...and, as always, not not directed at anyone in particular.

I don't understand, why, when there is a free press that is dedicated to students concerns, that the students would rather file judicial charges than express their own opinions. What's easier and more fulfilling - expressing yourself and getting your point exactly across as you wanted it to be heard, or allowing someone else to come in and and punish with an arbitrary set of rules and punishments that, in essence, will mean nothing. What's better - monologue, the blather of a single voice, or dialogue, the symphony (perhaps...) of multiple voices and ideas being expressed together. Send it in, have it printed (which it will be) and go from there.

It just doesn't make sense to me...take some initiave and take the extra step. You're college students engaged in your own search for knowledge and truth. Why not help everyone else along and share?

rant off

Thats all.

I'm looking at internships now for the Spring Semester. Looking at a couple of production internships at local theater companies. Also looking at one with CampusPhilly, which might let me write for a bit...and its right up my alley in terms of generating content for the old internet. Who knows - otherwise, I'll be stuck on campus for long stretches of time with nothing to do.

In other news:

Collegian went to J-Board. Collegian is found responsible. Collegian is put on probation for one issue. What's accomplished by the hearings?

I can't figure that part out.

Life is pretty good otherwise. Just got off the phone after talking to the fine folks from "40 Shades of Gray" on WEXP. Good, wholesome radio there.

I'm heading home tomorrow afternoon, hopeully by 1 or 2. Nothing planned really...Probably going to Gettysburg with my father on Saturday. I want to hit Center Stage perhaps, and probably see Kill Bill. Not sure what else. Just looking forward to recharging, and enjoying home - as Bro. Gerry put in his email to the Film Seminar Class: "get some rest, some home cooking, some movies."

Indeed.

Homecoming, Wanderlust & Senseless Acts of Beauty

I feel like I'm here, there and everywhere with this update.

• In this universe of universes, randomness of randomness, I was somehow nominated for Homecoming King. I'll find out the 25th, at Homecoming, whether or not I've won. La Salle has a very strange system worked out for it - students only vote to nominate, not to actually choose. I figure my odds are even either way. I don't expect to win, don't really care either way; it really is just an honor to be nominated.
• I've come to the conclusion about what I want to do after graduation. I'd like to backpack around Europe for as long as I want - or for as long as it takes me to figure out who I am and what I want to be. My thought is to purchase a one way ticket over, and somehow get a "coupon" good for travel back with no starting or expiration dates present so that I could stay for a year or more. I don't know what I want to see, or what to do, other than just experience another set of cultures completely different from my own and allow the initial fear of being the "fish out of water" to subside so as to become complacent with whatever I may decide to do in my life. I have no aversion to hostels, cheap hotels, cheap resturaunts, as long as I'm doing and seeing and being my own person. If not Europe, then I want to at least try this with the United States - kind of going from state to state across the US from East to West to East again. I'm more hesitant to do this with the US, however, because I feel that I know much of the cultures anyhow, and the pressures still exist. Either set of travel would grant me this incredible wealth of experience to write from and base things on. The more I think about this, the crazier it sounds, but the better it sounds - the more concrete. I don't percieve actually doing the travelling once I'm there to be the problem, but rather just getting there. It begs the question, "How far do I have to go to lose myself in order to find myself?"
• Rant on: I'm the kind of guy who tries to go out of his way for other people. I'm also the kind of guy who randomly thanks people around him and has learned the value of making them feel special, if only for the smallest things...like complimenting someone on a nice hairstyle or a good comment in class. I (usually) have nothing else behind these comments...no hidden agenda. I just wish people would sometimes take these comments as I intend them and not as anything else - and just thank me for them, damnit...I dunno, sometimes I feel just so outside of these people that I say things to, and just get stared at. It's not a Community Development thing, or a Masque thing, but a genuine Matthew DeMizio thing. Practice Random Acts of Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty. Rant off.
• Good coffee is fantastic any time of the day or night.
• My mind is set very much on going home on Friday night. I haven't been home since August 9th (the day before RA training) and need to recharge my batteries for a few days.

Thats about it. Leave me a kind word if you see this in the comments, or when you see me in passing...I've found that random kindness may be the best kind - when it's unexpected, when it's genuine and heartfelt.

Quickie...One Acts...

The One Acts went really incredibly well.

Pictures I took are here

Enjoy.

This had me rolling earlier today...

This was a personal ad in this week's Philadelphia Weekly Personals:

DOCTOR'S OFFICE Me: reading "Highlights" for children. You: let me try your prosthetic leg. Sorry about the stain. Can I take you to dinner. *667119

My directorial debut is on Friday with the production of "All in the Timing" by David Ives. I'm personally responsible for "Sure Thing," which if you've seen the show before, is the one with the couple in the cafe with the bell. I'm excited. The 'rents are coming up on Friday (first time I'll have seen them since August) and it promises to be an interesting evening. Come on out if you're reading this and able to; it should be fun, only lasts like an hour and there's an Improv 101 show right after.

In other news, life continues onwards. I'm behind in some schoolwork, most notably a paper or two for Harty's Contemporary Drama. I'm also about 3-4 weeks behind on the La Salle Collegian posting, although after Saturday, I should be back on top of it. I'm feeling writer's block now - and this bothers me...I should be writing my one act for class, should be cranking out short stories for submission to grad school...and I need to start thinking about grad school too. Need to sign up for the GRE's and get applications out.

So. That's my stream-of-consciousness rambling for today. I've been trying to memorize Jake La Motta's two monologues from Raging Bull for class tomorrow. I have them down pat, I'm just feeling nervous about having to act in front of the class. My Italiain accent drops into Boston pretty quickly, and I don't have a cigar, but we'll see how it goes.

As La Motta says..."That's Entertainment.

That's Entertainment."