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Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in tayls99's LiveJournal:

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    Monday, December 7th, 2009
    5:36 pm
    Season's Greetings! (a holiday card in the form of a newsletter)
    Sean Taylor's Newsletter
    December 2009
    Vol. 23
    DECK THE HALLS (with Pizza)
    Having eaten pizza every day of October, the question I hear the most often are "Which were your favorites?" The answers emerged at the 2009 Slicey Awards ceremony. Part award show, part film festival the Sliceys doesn't require formal attire and the only red carpet happens when someone drops a slice of free pizza.As for the awards, all 31 locations were "nominated" but these are the ones that left with the [personally] hand-crafted Slicey Award.
    And the Winners Are...
    BEST OVERALL -
    BEST NEW DISCOVERY -
    BEST TASTING SLICE -
    BEST PIZZA DAY -
    BEST IN SHOW -
    Keste (review)
    Motorino (review)
    Roberta's (review)
    Paulie Gee's (review)
    Roberta's Unearthed
    by Shawn Amaro

    Video: The making of the Slicey

    BEST IN SHOW video nominees...
    At the Sliceys, ten short videos were screened and an audience vote determined the BEST IN SHOW. Given raw footage from a pizza day, the following ten talented editers spliced together the following ten videos. I love them all and I hope you do too. Click on the link or the thumbnail to see each one.

    Denino's
    edited by NATHANIEL RINK
    "Adorable" Abitino's
    edited by TONY CARNEVALE
    Anselmo's Doubletake2
    edited by ROBIN ROTHMAN
    Knapp Street Pizza III; Balloon Boy
    edited by ALEX MARINO
    Pugsley's Plug-sley
    edited by SHAWN WICKENS
    Elmo Doesn't Go To John's
    edited by ANDREW TUCCI
    Regina Re-mix
    edited by LOUIE PEARLMAN
    Zio Nino Slice Talk Show
    edited by KEVIN HINES
    "More Than I Love You"
    edited by ERIK TANOUYE
    Roberta's Unearthed
    edited by SHAWN AMARO
    Special thanks to NY PIZZA SUPREMA (review from 2008) for providing the pizza for the 2009 Slicey Awards ceremony.

    Pizza Month 2009 videos
    In addition to the 10 videos edited by my friends, I edited 21 other videos from Pizza Month 2009 and put them all into a YouTube playlist.
    31 videos (1-4 minutes each)
    Click here to see 'em all!

    Caption Contest
    Congratulations, Matt Donnelly!
    winner of Nov Caption Contest

    Click to see all captions...
    Have a caption for this photo?


    Click to submit


    If you read this far, check out my first attempt at a documentary

    Current Music: "More Than I Love You" by Erik Tanouye
    Thursday, November 12th, 2009
    2:56 am
    November 2009 Newsletter
     
     Sean Taylor's Newsletter
    November 2009
    Vol. 22 
    GOOD TO THE LAST BITE...

    31 and done - October 31st marked the end to my eighth year of eating-pizza-every-day-of-October. It was delicious! Thank you, everyone who helped make it possible. Also, thank you to the pizzerias.
    Redux & Reviews - Aside from hearing Sinatra sing anytime I shut my eyes, there seems to be no immediate consequences of pizza month '09. I lost a little weight due to my eat-nothing-before-pizza methodology. It helped me crave pizza but probably made me a bit irritable till I got my fix. 31 apologies! All the reviews of the pizzerias are (or will soon be) available at 31daysofpizza.COM.
    And the winner is... - By now we know Bloomberg won his 27th championship and the Yankees are the new mayor of NYC but we don't know which pizzeria served Sean the best tasting slice. We also don't know which pizzeria offered the best overall experience nor which one was the best new discovery?

    These questions will all be answered at the 2009 Slicey Awards Ceremony (Thu Dec 3, 7:30p, @Parkside Lounge).

    RSVP for this free event now and secure your seat and free high quality NYC pizza. Click here for more info.


    Pizza Film/Video Festival - I recorded a lot of raw footage and photos at each pizza place I visited last month and now eleven talented editors are hard at work making videos.

    All will be screened at the Slicey Awards Ceremony (mentioned above) and one will, based on audience votes, be dubbed "BEST IN SHOW."

    This year, the editors include Andrew Tucci, Kevin Hines, Hannah Chase, Alex Marino, Shawn Amaro, Robin Rothman, Louie Pearlman, Shawn Wickens, Nathaniel Rink, and (reigning champion) Erik Tanouye.

     

    RSVP already!

    By the way, in the days counting down until December 3rd, I will be publishing the other 20 videos as fast as my editing skills permit me. Here are the first five (2-3 min) videos. I hope you enjoy them...

     
    Day 1-5: MotorinoLazzara'sPaulie Gee'sLuigi'sTwo Boots

    Caption Contest
    Congratulations, Keith Huang!
    winner of Oct Caption Contest

    Click to see all captions...
    Have a caption for this photo?


    Click to submit

    Sean's TV/web/stage/field guide
    eventdate/time & descriptionvenue
    Fri 11/6 - Sat 11/7: It's the First Annual New York Musical Improv Festival. Beginning at 6:30 with Once Upon A Time (one of my favorite musical improv acts) and including a Friday Night Midnight Jam where anyone can get up on stage and perform musical improv, this is a first time event. Both of the shows I mentioned feature Robin Rothman. She also designed the website and help build it. Check it out nymif.com.Magnet Theater
    Blueballs
    playoffs
    Sun 11/8 @7:30p: My softball team has a realistic chance of winning this year...for real! If you want to see me shag flys or perhaps pitch some, come out to the field and root for the Blueballs!Clinton Dewitt
    (11th Ave & 54th St)
    My BirthdayOn Sunday 11/15 I will do something Chris Farley, John Belushi, and Jesus Christ all did...turn 33 years old. What? Why are you looking at me like that?The World
    The Spotlight with Sean Taylor
    My talk show featuring folks who have been on TV!
    Encore condensed episodes of The Spotlight are available on the Manhattan Neighborhood Network for folks living in Manhattan with Time Warner cable. So, set your DVRs to the upcoming air dates and times...

     

    Thursday, Nov 12th, 2009 @11:30p on Channel 67
    Thursday, Nov 26th, 2009 @11:30p on Channel 67

     

    Want to talk about YOUR appearance on TV? Please click here to submit yourself to be a guest on the show!

     

    Sean's Upcoming shows
    (all shows in NYC unless otherwise indicated)
    DATESHOWDETAILS
    Fri, Nov 06
    9:30p TOMAHAWK & FRIENDS
    @ the Sage Theater
    7th Ave bet. 47th & 48th St.
    $10 at the door / $7 in advance
    212-302-6665
    click here for more info
    Thu, Nov 12
    10p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Wed, Nov 18
    9:30p Comedy Boisterous Celebration
    @ The Creek and The Cave 
    10-93 Jackson Ave (Queens, NY)
    Thu, Nov 19
    7p JV hosts the free mixer then, at
    10p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Thu, Dec 03Pizza Awards
    7:30p 2009 SLICEY AWARDS CEREMONY and
    FILM FESTIVAL
    @ the Parkside Lounge
    317 East Houston Street
    212.673.6270
    free admission & free pizza
    See Sean's full schedule of shows

    If you read this far, check out this dorky picture of me

    2:53 am
    Oct 2009 Newsletter
     
     Sean Taylor's Newsletter
    October 2009
    Vol. 21 

    Let the Pizza begin - For the next 31 days, I'm gonna be eating pizza. If the past seven years are any indicator, I'm in for a delicious month full of good friends, good times, and a lot of reviewing. Pizza Month has a new home here...

     

    http://www.31daysofpizza.com

    It's not too late to get involved in my pursuit of the 31 days of pizza-eating. Please recommend your favorite pizzeria and/or contact me if you want to join me for a slice. If our schedules don't line up during October, don't worry...I eat pizza the rest of the year as well.


    So You Think You Can Edit... - Time to nut-up or shut up! I've always wanted to be cool enough to use that phrase, but applying it to digital editing is probably not quite what the coiners of the phrase had in mind.

    Are Film Festivals cool? I think so. I am having my second annual Pizza Month Award Ceremony / Film Festival in the first week of December.

    How does it work? Well, I video tape a pizza day and give you the footage. You edit it the way you see fit. Erik Tanouye* won Best in Show last year and is one of seven editors already signed up. There are plenty more slots so contact me if you want to nut up.

    Maybe some of last year's vids will inspire you...

     
    edited by: Shawn AmaroLouie PearlmanHannah ChaseKevin HinesErik Tanouye*

    Caption Contest
    Congratulations, Jon Bander!
    winner of Sep Caption Contest

    Click to see all captions...
    Have a caption for this photo?


    Click to submit

    Sean's TV/web/stage/field guide
    eventdate/time & descriptionvenue
    1,001 StoriesFri 10/16 @7p: My roommate, Tony Carnevale is reading a story that may or may not mention me! Man, and I thought no one was looking. Anyway, the show is fun and free.the Creek
    Drama Therapy
    workshop
    Fri 10/16 @6:30p: Megan Rees, of the extended Magnet family is announcing the opening of her private drama therapy practice. Congrats! Contact her to set up an session. What is drama therapy? 
    click for answer
    Wmburg or
    Union Square
    The 1978
    Paul Lynde
    Halloween
    Special
    Fri 10/23 @11:30p: If last year is any indicator, there will be many funny celebrity impressions from some of my favorite people. Last year Robin played Charro and sang a song. I played Opie (Ron Howard from Happy Days). Tickets are only $5.Magnet Theater
    Pizza Month
    Annual pursuit of the 31 Days of Pizza
    Here is a running list of pizzerias I am hoping to visit this Pizza Month...

     

    • Co. (Chelsea)
    • Roberta's (Wmburg)
    • L'asso (Little Italy)
    • Italian Village (UES)
    • Supper (E. Village)
    • Lazzara's slice place (Hell's Kitchen)
    • Luzzo's slice place (UES)
    • Vezzo (Murray Hill)
    • Rizzo's (Astoria)
    • Denino's (Staten Island)
    • Motorino (E. Village branch)
    • Nomad (NJ)
    • Keste (W. Village)
    • Anselmo's (Red Hook)
    • Pizza in the Cone (Astoria)
    • Delizia (UES)
    • Zio Nino (Staten Island)
    Please recommend others if I'm leaving some out (that I haven't already reviewed).
    Junior Varsity
    My improv comedy house team at the Magnet Theater
    TNT - (Thursday Night @ Ten) JV will be performing EVERY THURSDAY @10p as part of Thursday Night Out. $5 gets you in to up to five shows and free pizza.

    Tonight JV performs in two different cities at the same time! That's right, most of my team is in Philadelphia for the improv festival but I picked folks that look like my teammates to perform with me as JV2.0. See the new version and drink $1 PBRs. We'll find out tonight whether it's an upgrade or not :).

     

    Tonight's cast Announced!

    JV2.0 ... JV
    Beth Cartier ... Lucia Aniello
    Justin Moran .... Shawn Wickens
    Christian Paluck .... Kevin Cragg
    Marcy Jarreau ... Megan Gray
    Robin Rothman ... Jane Borden
    Erik Tanouye ... Sean Taylor
    Jon Roufaeal ... Jamie Rivera
    Sean Taylor ... Jarret Berenstein

    Hope to see y'all tonight!

    The Spotlight with Sean Taylor
    My talk show featuring folks who have been on TV!
    Encore condensed episodes of The Spotlight are available on the Manhattan Neighborhood Network for folks living in Manhattan with Time Warner cable. So, set your DVRs to the upcoming air dates and times...

     

    Thursday, Oct 1st, 2009 @11:30p on Channel 67
    Thursday, Oct 15th, 2009 @11:30p on Channel 67
    Thursday, Oct 29th, 2009 @11:30p on Channel 67

     

    Want to talk about YOUR appearance on TV? Please click here to submit yourself to be a guest on the show!

     

    Sean's Upcoming shows
    (all shows in NYC unless otherwise indicated)
    DATESHOWDETAILS
    Thu, Oct 01
    &
    7p VARIETY UNDERGROUND
    @ the Parkside Lounge
    317 East Houston Street
    212.673.6270......free admission
    two drink minimum

     

    10p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Thu, Oct 08
    9p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Thu, Oct 15
    9p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Thu, Oct 22
    9p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Thu, Oct 29
    9p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    See Sean's full schedule of shows

    - You read this far so I might as well tell you. I was interviewed by the NY POST about Pizza Month but the article was killed because the Daily News had done an article on some other guy's pizza pursuit a week earlier. We did a photo shoot and everything :(

    Tuesday, September 15th, 2009
    4:20 am
    September: now with more newsletter, less wallet
     Sean Taylor's Newsletter
    September 2009
    Vol. 20 

    Have you seen me? - I lost my wallet again. This happens so often its more of a "good Samaritan" test. Whoever found it this time has, thus far, failed the "good Samaritan" test. There wasn't much cash in it but there were four gold AMC movie passes. Although I'm not a mean guy, I am sort of hoping the movies the "bad Samaritan" chooses to see using the gold AMC tickets formerly known as mine are real stinkers. You know, like GLITTER-bad or SHOWGIRLS-bad. I also hope the person sitting in front of him at the theater blurts out plot points and answers her cell phone during the film. And, it would be acceptable if his popcorn gives him explosive diarrhea. Other than that, I hope he enjoys the show and my relatively new wallet. As for me, I'm working on losing a new one. This one is a blue velcro type. If you see it around, let me know...I probably don't.

    Speaking of Stinkers... - I went to my second Mets game at Citifield to watch them get manhandled by the Braves 15 to 2. I wrote about the catastrophe here. I was just starting to turn the page on the abysmal lost and then "mets.com" shows up in my inbox with a "Game Recap." They say, right after they put up the 15-2 score that they "hope [I] enjoyed the game."

    Geez, Mets, don't send out the form letter on the worst home loss of the season.

    If you click on the "video highlights from the game" you will see my highlight from the game.

    Caption Contest
    Congratulations, Eric Del Pozo!
    winner of Aug Caption Contest

    Click to see all captions...
    Have a caption for this photo?


    Click to submit

    Sean's TV/web/stage/field guide
    eventdate/time & descriptionvenue
    Mom's
    Birthday
    Tue 9/15: Happy __th Birthday, mom! I encourage everyone to celebrate it as she likely will not.Everywhere
    House M.D. 
    is back!
    Mon 9/21 @8p: The Doctor is in (the asylum...according to snakesonacane.com). I love this TV show. If you are not yet into it I have seasons 1-3 on DVD and will gladly loan 'em out. I am not responsible for blown minds.
    Doubledecker
    Party
    Sat 9/26: My roommate, the girls downstairs, and I are going to join forces and have a double-decker (two story) Astoria party. If you haven't already received the Facebook invite, email me back and I'll forward you the info.Astoria, NY
    Pizza Month
    Annual pursuit of the 31 Days of Pizza
    October is National Pizza Month. The past seven years I have celebrated it by eating at least one slice of pizza every day at 31 different locations with at least one guest. I also blog about it with photos and ratings. Last year 8 friends of mine made videos for 8 pizza days putting their own unique flare in the editing process. Check out all the final products here.

    This year, I intend to make it eight years in a row. If you want to be a part of Pizza Month 2008 by either joining me or recommending a pizza place, please click here and let me know.

    Junior Varsity
    My improv comedy house team at the Magnet Theater
    TNT - (Thursday Night @ Ten) JV will be performing EVERY THURSDAY @10p as part of Thursday Night Out. $5 gets you in to up to five shows and free pizza. If you haven't been to see us or the Magnet in awhile, be our guest!
    The Spotlight with Sean Taylor
    My talk show featuring folks who have been on TV!
    Encore condensed episodes of The Spotlight are available on the Manhattan Neighborhood Network for folks living in Manhattan with Time Warner cable. So, set your DVRs to the upcoming air dates and times...

     

    Thursday, Sep 3rd, 2009 @11:30p on Channel 67
    Thursday, Sep 17th, 2009 @11:30p on Channel 67

     

    Want to talk about YOUR appearance on TV? Please click here to submit yourself to be a guest on the show!

     

    Sean's Upcoming shows
    (all shows in NYC unless otherwise indicated)
    DATESHOWDETAILS
    Thu, Sep 17
    10p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Thu, Sep 24
    10p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Thu, Oct 01
    &
    7p VARIETY UNDERGROUND
    @ the Parkside Lounge
    317 East Houston Street
    212.673.6270......free admission
    two drink minimum

     

    10p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Thu, Oct 08
    9p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Thu, Oct 15
    9p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    See Sean's full schedule of shows

    - You read this far so tell someone else to sign up for my monthly newsletters! Thanks. 
    Wednesday, August 26th, 2009
    1:11 pm
    Best Disabled List in Baseball
    So now that Johan has joined the rest of the Mets on the Disabled List EVERY player us fans can buy a jersey for is on the DL.  According to the prognosis, a good chunk of these players are slated to be back in September, but for what?  So we can hope to remain above Washington in the NL East?  Recently we have miraculously kept the opposition to 3 or fewer runs a couple of times but that is 3 more runs than we are capable of scoring.  The fact that Mets are totally out of it with no indication future seasons will be any different is very depressing.  I mean we still got like 30 games left in the season where other teams are gonna come in an embarrass us and pad their stats.  Ugh.  Sometimes being a fan is tough.

    MetsUpdatedStatusDue BackInjuryNotes
    Beltran, Carlos (CF)08/2315-day DLLikely SeptemberBone bruise in right kneeScheduled to run Aug. 24; start rehab soon after.
    Cora, Alex (2B)08/2260-day DLMay miss rest of seasonLigament injuries to both thumbsMoved to 60-day DL Aug. 19.
    Delgado, Carlos (1B)08/2615-day DLPossibly early SeptemberTorn labrum/right oblique strainSuffered setback in rehab Aug. 12.
    Maine, John (P)08/1915-day DLLikely early SeptemberRight shoulder fatigueStill limited to long-toss.
    Martinez, Fernando (CF)07/1615-day DLPossibly mid-SeptemberTorn meniscusUnderwent surgery during All-Star break.
    Martinez, Ramon (2B)08/0560-day DLPossibly AugustDislocated pinkyPlaced on DL June 3.
    Niese, Jonathon (P)08/10Out for SeasonLikely Spring Training '10Torn right hamstringSlated undergo surgery.
    Nieve, Fernando (P)07/2015-day DLPossibly SeptemberTorn right quadCarted off field after pulling up lame July 19.
    Putz, J.J. (P)08/2560-day DLLikely Spring Training '10Slight ulnar collateral ligament tearSuffered setback, done until '10.
    Reyes, Jose (SS)08/1315-day DLMight miss seasonSmall hamstring tear, knee inflammationNo new injury updates.
    Santana, Johan (P)08/25Out for SeasonSpring 2010Bone chips in left elbowTo undergo season-ending arthroscopic surgery.
    Wright, David (3B)08/2215-day DLPossibly Sept. 1Post-concussion symptomsSlated for baseball activities Aug. 24-26
    Thursday, August 20th, 2009
    6:46 pm
    Insult to injury, thanks "mets.com"
    I was just starting to turn the page on yesterday's abysmal lost and then "mets.com" shows up in my inbox with a "Game Recap." They say, right after they put up the 15-2 score that they "hope [I] enjoyed the game." Geez, Mets, don't send out the form letter on the worst home loss of the season.



    I'm wondering if I click on the "video highlights from the game" it will just be me eating my hot dog. That's the only highlight I can recall.
    2:07 pm
    Mets crushed by Braves
    August 19, 2009

    Braves 15
    Mets 2


    A day after the Mets scored 8 runs in a single inning, the Braves equalled the feat and then some. Not just "some" but "a lot."  Starting pitcher Bobby Parnell seemed to be throwing fastball after fastball after fastball. I guess the other pitches in his arsenal were not working. It was just a matter of time before the Braves timed him and caught up to his 94 mph heat. Unfortunately, that "time" happened in the second inning with Adam LaRoche's no-doubt 3-run homer. While Atlanta "caught up to speed," New York was "just missing." The 8-run second only occurred because catcher Omir Santos "just missed" a foul pop-up and Shortstop Anderson Hernandez just missed throwing out two Atlanta infield hits. The air was so heavy, the dust never actually settled...nor did the Atlanta offense. They continued to batter Mets pitching even scoring the 15th run in the top of the ninth. It was a sad, sad day to realize just how impotent the Mets are this year.

    John O'Donnell and I arrived at CitiField full of optimism on this hot and muggy August night.  T is beautiful. The sunset was idyllic. My Shack-ago Dog from the Shake Shack in center field was amazing. The only thing lacking was competitive baseball. Reminders of what the home team lacked were everywhere. Mets fans donning jerseys of players long since traded and franchise players currently only appearing on Disabled List rosters made the Braves rout even more sobering. Eventually even the most optimistic, hopeful, you-gotta-believe fans need to face the fact that the Mets are not going to win the World Series or even make the playoffs this year. Some folks will blame this on the performance enhancing drug crackdown preventing our players from "recovering."  Some will blame Bernie Madoff for screwing over the Mets owner so hard he couldn't afford to make necessary moves to put his team in contention this year. Even others blame the players for not playing. I just think we're snakebit.

    When our luck turns around we got a team that can bean any team out there. I also like seeing the new guys earn their spot on the team. Tatis and Cora are the two hardnosed ball players that "get the job done." Sheffield, Francouer, and Murphy are our past, present, and future of power production. I also like Angel Pagan. The rest of 'em, better start producing because when the franchise players come back, you're gone!

    Here are some pix from the game...

    still full of optimism (before the game)

    The sunset was the only thing worth watching at Citifield



    A delicious Shack-ago Dog



    John & I hoping for a 13 run rally...didn't happen



     


    Monday, August 3rd, 2009
    1:49 pm
    Whoopee! A Newsletter..
     
     Sean Taylor's Newsletter
    August 2009
    Vol. 19 
    My Niece Breaks Her Grandfather's Whoopee Cushion

    Heartwarming Apology Exonerates Culprit - GRANDPA'S 60TH BIRTHDAY PARTY: Despite inflating and deflating her grandfather's whoopee cushion until it burst , Lori was completely forgiven upon receipt of the apology that accompanied the broken device. But how could a four year old unable to read or write possibly pen an apology? Enter Lori's older sister, Suzi. At 6 years old, Suzi's grasp of the English language was the missing link. Courtesy of stolen sips of Grandpa's soda, the girls worked well beyond their bed time. As Lori dictated, Suzi wrote. Both knew, however, if this apology were to be convincing, Lori would have to be the one holding the crayon. So, Suzi wrote ever so lightly knowing full well Lori would have to trace over the draft. The plan worked beautifully. The apology was so well crafted, it was almost as if my father had completely forgotten he owned a whoopee cushion in the first place! Apologies might not always work, but it certainly did this time. Well done, nieces!

    Yin & Yang - Aside from playing with whoopee cushions I also played 18 holes of golf on a championship course. The photo to the left was the highlight of my round when I hit a rescue club on a par 3 to within one club length of the hole (nearly missing a hole-in-one). The other photo, was the lowlight. I hit two drives on #18 out of bounds to completely ruin an otherwise solid round. Should have stopped at 17.

    Rain Reigns Supreme - Has it ever rained this much in a given baseball season? I finally scored some free tickets to a Mets game. The one drawback is that on a free ticket there is this "no rain checks" clause that mean you don't get to go if it's postponed and rescheduled. So, my buddies and I went ALL the way to citiField just to be disappointed. We did grab burgers at Donovan's Pub (one of the best burger places in the city) on the way home so it wasn't a total waste. Also, I'm still accepting free Mets tickets until the end of the season...which is sadly arriving way faster than I had hoped in the spring.

    Caption Contest
    Congratulations, Corinne Harris!
    winner of July Caption Contest

    Click to see all captions...
    Have a caption for this photo?


    Click to submit

    Sean's TV/web/stage/field guide
    eventdate/time & descriptionvenue
    Robin's 30th
    birthday
    Mon 8/17 : Save the date as a day where fun will happen...maybe even a party. Also, singing will likely be involved.TBA, NYC
    ETV 8Fri 8/28 @7p: Improvisers turn into rock stars for a night you won't forget. Robin did it last time and Shawn Amaro and I captured it on video (click here to see Robin sing "Magic Man"). Here's thefacebook eventKenny's
    Castaways
    Softball
    Playoffs
    Sun 8/30 @2pm: My 92Y softball team has clinched a playoff spot, come see what we do with it if you're interested in watching or just enjoying Central Park before the end of summer.Great Lawn
    field #2
    Junior Varsity
    My improv comedy house team at the Magnet Theater
    Boston or Burst - Junior Varsity is excited to perform at the Boston Improv festival in Early September. Also, beginning in September, JV will be performing EVERY THURSDAY @10p as part of Thursday Night Out. $5 gets you in to up to five shows and free pizza. If you haven't been in awhile, please come.
    Variety Underground
    Free once-a-month variety show hosted and booked by me and Shawn Amaro
    Thursday, Aug 6th from 7:30-9pm at the Parkside Lounge, in addition to the improv groups Jurassic Park and The Patsy Decline, Variety Underground's lineup includes musical sketch comedy by Shoes & Socks, a clown act called Butt Kapinski and stand up comedy by Adam Newman and Aaron Putnam. As always, Free admission and a loosely enforced 2 drink minimum.Parkside Lounge

    (click for directions)
    Want to perform at VU? Please submit your act!
    The Spotlight with Sean Taylor
    My talk show featuring folks who have been on TV!
    Encore condensed episodes of The Spotlight are available on the Manhattan Neighborhood Network for folks living in Manhattan with Time Warner cable. So, set your DVRs to the upcoming air dates and times...

     

    Thursday, Aug 6th, 2009 @11:30p on Channel 67
    Thursday, Aug 20th, 2009 @11:30p on Channel 67

     

    Want to talk about YOUR appearance on TV? Please click here to submit yourself to be a guest on the show!

     

    Sean's Upcoming shows
    (all shows in NYC unless otherwise indicated)
    DATESHOWDETAILS
    Thu, Aug 06
    10p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Thu, Aug 13
    10p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Sun, Aug 16
    7:15p DEL CLOSE MARATHON
    @ Urban Stages
    259 West 30th St.
    212.366.9176
    Thu, Aug 20
    10p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Mon, Aug 24Class Performance
    6:30p Level 4 Class Performance
    @ the Upright Citizen's Brigade Theater
    307 W. 26th Street
    212.366.9176......$5
    See Sean's full schedule of shows

    - You read this far but you might not have clicked on the link of Robin singing at ETV


    Tuesday, July 7th, 2009
    2:37 pm
    Sean Taylor's July Newsletter; a new mid-summer classic
     Sean Taylor's Newsletter
    July 2009
    Vol. 18 
    Better Late-r, than GATOR!!!

    If you promise to eat it, I will bayou alligator - I ate gator...in New Orleans, not this cute fellow but someone who looks a lot like him (no offense). I took this picture on Avery Island, Lousiana (home of the Tabasco sauce factory). I also ate frogs' legs for the sole purpose of saying that I ate them. And, well, I just did. So, all bragging aside, I prefer crayfish, shrimp, andouille, and everything else I ate in that delicious town. Did you know that Cajun people are descendants of French peasants displaced from Nova Scotia? Yeah, like pilgrims, they came over to the "New World" seeking a new life away from religious wars and sucky Europe. Ha! You can learn a lot from a newsletter!

    Can I...Play?! - I did my first play in years. You are probably wondering "Did you have an accent?" and "Was there a kiss scene?" and "Were you barefoot and wearing black?" to which the answers are..."Yes," "Yes," and "Of course!" I played Sylvia Plath's husband, Ted Hughes. The play is The Lazarus Yearsby Kate Mulley and was part of the Jamboree! created by Olivia Gilliatt (she played Sylvia Plath). The run is over but there will be more plays in the near future from Odyssey Productions.

    It's Up, and It's Good...in my opinion - Check out the new look to the Magnet website that Justin Moran and I launched this past month. Let me know if something doesn't work and I'll find a way to pin it on Justin. If you like the site, you should see the SQL (pronounced "sequel"). Not every programer will let you see his backend. Nope, I'm a unique member of that array!

    Caption Contest
    Congratulations, Jon Bander!
    winner of June Caption Contest

    Click to see all captions...
    Have a caption for this photo?


    Click to submit

    Sean's TV/web/stage/field guide
    eventdate/time & descriptionvenue
    Dad's 60th
    birthday
    Mon 7/13 : My dad celebrates his 60th year of life. He's a scratch golfer but still has several years before he can realistically "hit his age." I mean, he'd have to shoot 12 under par to get a 60.Reynold's Plantation, Georgia
    Free
    NY Pizza
    Suprema
    Thursdays in July after 9p show: My favorite slice place in the city has offered to supply free pizza to the audiences of Thursday Night Out for the month of July. That means $5 gets you a whole night of entertainment AND pizza!magnet
    Musical Improv ensemblesTue 7/14 & 7/28 @10p: The Magnet Theater debuts its newly developed house ensembles performing off-the-cuff, on-the-spot Musicals! It's a spectacle not to be missed. That being said, I'll be in GA for the debut, but won't miss the show on the 28th.magnet
    The Spotlight with Sean Taylor
    My talk show featuring folks who have been on TV!
    Encore condensed episodes of The Spotlight are available on the Manhattan Neighborhood Network for folks living in Manhattan with Time Warner cable. So, set your DVRs to the upcoming air dates and times...

     

    Thursday, Jul 9th, 2009 @11:30p on Channel 67
    Thursday, Jul 23th, 2009 @11:30p on Channel 67

     

    Want to talk about YOUR appearance on TV? Please click here to submit yourself to be a guest on the show!

     

    Sean's Upcoming shows
    (all shows in NYC unless otherwise indicated)
    DATESHOWDETAILS
    Thu, Jul 09
    10p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Wed, Jul 15
    10p MEGAWATT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Thu, Jul 23
    10p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Mon, Jul 27Class Performance
    6:30p Level 4 Class Performance
    @ the Upright Citizen's Brigade Theater
    307 W. 26th Street
    212.366.9176......$5
    Thu, Jul 30
    10p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    See Sean's full schedule of shows

    - You read this far so watch Robin sing karaoke at 3am on Bourbon St, New Orleans 

    Current Mood: amused
    Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009
    3:34 pm
    It's getting hot outside, so read a newsletter | June 2009
     Sean Taylor's Newsletter
    June 2009
    Vol. 17 
    Summer Launchin'...

    Having a blast! - Justin Moran and I are renovating the Magnet Theater website and launching it on June 12th. The current site I had nothing to do with is located at...

    http://magnettheater.com

    Although we've already rolled out the message board (open to anyone who has ever enrolled in a Magnet Class), the whole new site won't be ready until June 12th. Please check the address above after June 12th and let me know what you think.

    Two Years - I love Robin and she loves steak. Applying the transitive property of equality (which, of course, applies to love) I love steak. Fortunately, there is a steakhouse in NYC with Robin's lastname (+ an additional "n"). The additional "n" must make it not Jewish as the "Rothmann salad" comes with shrimp and bacon (two items that are decidedly non-kosher and decidedly delicious). Anyway, we went here for our two year anniversary.

    (psst...ad campaign) Everything goes well when your relationship is at steak.

    Caption Contest
    Congratulations, Lex Morales!
    winner of May Caption Contest

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    Have a caption for this photo?


    Click to submit

    Sean's TV/web/stage/field guide
    eventdate/time & descriptionvenue
    Stonewall
    Sensation
    Wed 6/3 @10:00p: gay bar American Idol. The aforementioned Robin Rothman is in the top 6 and, like all the remaining contestants, will be singing an ABBA hit and a song from any movie soundtrack. 12 contestants sing to gay/lesbian/drag queen/celebrity judges while we vote (1 vote per soft or hard drink). If you like singing, gay bars, Robin, or drinking, see you on Wed!Stonewall Inn
    53 Christopher St.
    Free
    NY Pizza
    Suprema
    Thursdays in June @~9:15p: My favorite slice places in the city has offered to supply free pizza to the audiences of Thursday Night Out for the month of June. That means $5 gets you a whole night of entertainment AND pizza!magnet
    Ilya's weddingSat 6/6 @5p: A member of my posse (thanks to Erik Tanouye) and 2nd Christmas kin is getting married. Congratulations, Ilya Maga-still-don't-know-how-to-spell-it!Brooklyn
    Variety Underground
    Free once-a-month variety show hosted and booked by me and Shawn Amaro
    Thursday, June 4th from 7:30-9pm at the Parkside Lounge, in addition to the improv group Friends of the Museum, Variety Underground's lineup includes musical sketch comedy by Stuckey & Murray and stand up comedy by Abigoliah Schamaun andJarret Berenstein (who will be celebrating a very special anniversary). As always, Free admission and a loosely enforced 2 drink minimum.Parkside Lounge

    (click for directions)
    Want to perform at VU? Please submit your act!
    Junior Varsity
    My improv comedy house team at the Magnet Theater

    Speaking of websites... - Junior Varsity now has a home in cyberspace. Thanks to Shawn Wickens, you can find out all you every wanted to know about JV and then some right here...
    JVimprov.com

     

    The Spotlight with Sean Taylor
    My talk show featuring folks who have been on TV!
    Encore condensed episodes of The Spotlight are available on the Manhattan Neighborhood Network for folks living in Manhattan with Time Warner cable. So, set your DVRs to the upcoming air dates and times...

     

    Thursday, Jun 11th, 2009 @11:30p on Channel 67
    Thursday, Jun 25th, 2009 @11:30p on Channel 67

     

    Want to talk about YOUR appearance on TV? Please click here to submit yourself to be a guest on the show!

     

     

    Sean's Upcoming shows
    (all shows in NYC unless otherwise indicated)
    DATESHOWDETAILS
    Thu, Jun 04
    &
    7p VARIETY UNDERGROUND
    @ the Parkside Lounge
    317 East Houston Street
    212.673.6270......free admission
    two drink minimum
    &
    10p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Wed, Jun 10
    10p MegaWatt
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Wed, Jun 17
    10p MegaWatt
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Thu, Jun 25
    10p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Thu, Jul 02
    7p VARIETY UNDERGROUND
    @ the Parkside Lounge
    317 East Houston Street
    212.673.6270......free admission
    two drink minimum
    See Sean's full schedule of shows

    - Read this far? well, maybe you missed the compilation video I made for Robin at Stonewall Sensation

     



    Current Music: Robin Rothman compilation
    Tuesday, May 5th, 2009
    4:09 am
    MAY I Speak? | Sean Taylor's Newsletter
     Sean Taylor's Newsletter
    May 2009
    Vol. 16 
    BALLS!

    I got your balls - If you ever hit errant shots on any Reynold's Plantation, Georgia golf hole, my dad and I may have recovered your golf balls. In just one afternoon we found 107 golf balls, nearly half in that greenside pond on #13 (if you don't know what I'm talking about, take my word for it and aim left on your approach!). Our booty (107 balls) did not come without casualties. My dad's leg found the business end of a stickerbush and I nearly twisted my ankle falling in a gopher hole. But we persevered. Sure a lot of these dirty balls pictured look nasty but I assure you they clean up nicely. You want clean balls, you gotta scrub 'em hard! I don't claim to be an expert but you can quote me on that one.

    Caption Contest
    Congratulations, Jon Bander!
    winner of April Caption Contest

    Click to see all captions...
    Have a caption for this photo?


    Click to submit

    Sean's TV/web/stage/field guide
    eventdate/time & descriptionvenue
    Stonewall
    Sensation
    Wed 5/6 @10:00p: American idol as only one of the most famous gay bars in the country could have it. 12 contestants sing to gay, lesbian, drag queen, and celebrity judges. The audience votes (one vote per drink ordered) and hopefully Robin Rothman (my girlfriend) advances. If you like singing, gay bars, Robin, or 80's, see you on Wednesday!Stonewall
    53 Christopher St.
    House
    season 5
    finale
    Mon 5/11 @8:00p: Season finales for the best show on television are awesome and sad. Awesome because the producers and writers of HOUSE always experiment with the medium and blow your mind with interesting stuff. Also, there's drama for the ladies. It's sad though, because it's a long time before the next season begins.FOX
    92Y softball
    Opener
    Sun 5/10 @5:30p: The Central Park softball team I play on has a game at 5:30. If you're out there, stop by.Central Park
    (Great Lawn) fld#2
    Pizza Month
    Annual pursuit of the 31 Days of Pizza

    My first commercial!
    (click here to play)
    Me and my partner-in-pizza (Shawn Amaro) made a 15 second spot that will be seen before movies shown at The Pavilion in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn.
    (note: If you go to Enzo's, please mention you heard about it here)
    Junior Varsity
    My improv comedy house team at the Magnet Theater

    A Cause to Beach About - Junior Varsity helped raise $5,000 to promote the arts for the children of Delaware. The event was held at scenic Rehoboth Beach, Delaware on the first beautiful day of spring. There was enough sun there to prompt me to buy sunglasses (not pictured) and sunscreen (also not pictured) - sunscreen I later had to forfeit to airport security for being over 3 oz.

    The Spotlight with Sean Taylor
    My talk show featuring folks who have been on TV!
    Encore condensed episodes of The Spotlight are available on the Manhattan Neighborhood Network for folks living in Manhattan with Time Warner cable. So, set your DVRs to the upcoming air dates and times...

     

    Thursday, May 14th, 2009 @11:30p on Channel 67
    Thursday, May 28th, 2009 @11:30p on Channel 67

     

    Want to talk about YOUR appearance on TV? Please click here to submit yourself to be a guest on the show!

     

     

    Sean's Upcoming shows
    (all shows in NYC unless otherwise indicated)
    DATESHOWDETAILS
    Mon, May 04Kaleidoscope
    8p The Kaleidoscope and the Half-Blood Prince
    @ the Creek & the Cave
    10-93 Jackson Ave.
    718.706.8783......free
    Wed, May 06
    10p MEGAWATT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Thu, May 07
    7p VARIETY UNDERGROUND
    @ the Parkside Lounge
    317 East Houston Street
    212.673.6270......free admission
    two drink minimum
    Thu, May 14
    10p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Thu, May 21
    10p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    See Sean's full schedule of shows

    - Read this far? well check out my friend Erik's kindle commercial

     

     

    Current Mood: cheerful
    Friday, April 3rd, 2009
    5:11 pm
    Not April Fooling anyone | Sean Taylor's Newsletter
     
     Sean Taylor's Newsletter
    April 2009
    Vol. 15 
    April Tools!

    I got iPhone fever. I do not even own an iPhone but that won't stop me from creating applications (apps) for them. What has slowed me down, however, is having to teach myself Objective-C (the iPhone developer language). I now see why people go to college to learn how to program as listening to13 year olds give tutorials online is tough on my ego. My first app, of course, centers squarely (Sicilianly) on pizza. If you click on the image to the left you will see a fully functioning web version of my forthcoming ALLSTAR NY PIZZA iPhone app. Please beta test (er taste) it out by clicking on the iPhone or going here...

    http://www.seantaylor.us/iphone3.php

    If you like it or find a bug, please contact me. I would also love to hear any feedback you may have about technical or aesthetic improvements.

     


    Speaking of tools...
    I celebrated Saint Patrick's Day with some college friends in Boston, Mass. I had hoped to see the green Charles River but forgot to look (on three separate occasions). Anyway, I was able to wear my hat-that-I-can-only-wear-one-day-a-year. Also managed to play some green beer pong.

     

    Caption Contest
    Congratulations, Megan Gray!
    winner of March Caption Contest

    Click to see all captions...
    Have a caption for this photo?


    Click to submit

    Sean's TV/web/stage/field guide
    eventdate/time & descriptionvenue
    Mets
    home opener
    Mon 4/13 @7:10p: The New York Mets have a brand new stadium (Citifield) and will be playing their first regular season game. I want to attend in person but I don't have a ticket yet.SNY
    CitiField
    The Baroness
    of Vegas
    Sun 4/19 @6:30p: Trudy Carmichael goes solo and off book in a night of completely improvised songs featuring Robin Rothman and Frank Spitznagel. One night only.Magnet Theater
    Blue Balls
    home opener
    Mon 4/20 @6:15p: My softball team has our first home game of the season. We already had a game (we won) but we were the visiting team.Riverside Park
    (@107th st) fld#6
    Pizza Month
    Annual pursuit of the 31 Days of Pizza

    My first commercial!
    Me and my partner-in-pizza (Shawn Amaro) made a 15 second spot that will be seen before movies shown at The Pavilion in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn.
    (note: video from which still above was taken is not yet available to public)
    The Spotlight with Sean Taylor
    My talk show featuring folks who have been on TV!
    Encore condensed episodes of The Spotlight are available on the Manhattan Neighborhood Network for folks living in Manhattan with Time Warner cable. So, set your DVRs to the upcoming air dates and times...

     

    Thursday, April 16th, 2009 @11:30p on Channel 67
    Thursday, April 30th, 2009 @11:30p on Channel 67

     

    Want to talk about YOUR appearance on TV? Please click here to submit yourself to be a guest on the show!

     

     

    Sean's Upcoming shows
    (all shows in NYC unless otherwise indicated)
    DATESHOWDETAILS
    Fri, Apr 03
    8p TRIPLE CROWN comedy
    @ the Triple Crown
    330 W 7th Ave
    212.736.1575......$5
    Wed, Apr 08
    8:30p MEGAWATT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Thu, Apr 23
    10p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Thu, Apr 30
    10p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Wed, May 06
    10p MEGAWATT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    See Sean's full schedule of shows

    - Read this far? well, rock out to this remixed news story -

     



    Current Mood: calm
    Wednesday, March 4th, 2009
    3:58 am
    March Gladness | Sean Taylor's newsletter
     Sean Taylor's Newsletter
    March 2009
    Vol. 14 
    On Your March,
    Get Set...
    GO[oooogle]!

    This "in-like-a-lion" weather has kept me inside affording me ample opportunity to combine my odd desire to computer program with my love of pizza. Now all of my pizza month reviews for the past two years are available on a searchable google map. Integrating PHP, CSS, SQL, Javascript, and HTML has never been so tasty. Please beta test (er taste) it out by clicking on the map or going here...

    http://www.seantaylor.us/googlemap.php

    If you like it or find it useful, tell a potential employer for me! If you don't like it or find a bug, pleasecontact me and I'll fix it. Also, I would love to hear any feedback you may have about technical or aesthetic improvements.

     


    Mindless Drivel - Although most of my computer time was spend coding, I did find time to invent "Conversation Theory" and weigh in on the steroid scandal with my own Op-Ed piece. In short, avoid asking questions that don't provide any information to the responder and A-Rod really disappointed me (details here... Convo 101 | A-roid).

     

    Caption Contest
    Congratulations, Dan Benjamin!
    winner of February Caption Contest

    Click for winning caption
    Have a caption for this photo?


    Click to submit

    Sean's TV and web guide
    eventchannel/descriptiondate/link
    Tony's "blurb"My roommate addresses the write-up for his singer/songwriter debut show in hilarious fashionVimeo video
    WBCThe final game of the World Baseball Classic (Olympics of Professional baseball) is on Monday (March 23rd) from 6-9pm. Hopefully, the United States (inventors of baseball) will be in this game. I'll be tuning in regardless.ESPN/mlbTV
    My sister's weddingMelanie got married and her photographer put together a pretty cool slideshow...even though I'm only in one photo.key=Dasher
    ETVEnormous Television is a rock show that took place this past February 26th with some of my favorite comedians/closet-rockstars including Robin Rothman (my girlfriend). If you were unable to attend, check out the footage provided by Shannon Manning!flip video
    Pizza Month
    Annual pursuit of the 31 Days of Pizza
    Please beta test out the pizza reviews from the past two years here...
    Pizza Month meets Google maps!
    and contact me with any bugs you encounter or creative alternatives to the "1" and the "0" google maps. I'm toying with the idea of using inverted pizza slices but I'd love to hear from you.

    Thanks, in advance!

    The Spotlight with Sean Taylor
    My talk show featuring folks who have been on TV!
    Encore condensed episodes of The Spotlight are available on the Manhattan Neighborhood Network for folks living in Manhattan with Time Warner cable. So, set your DVRs to the upcoming air dates and times...

     

    Thursday, March 5th, 2009 @11:30p on Channel 67
    Thursday, March 19th, 2009 @11:30p on Channel 67

     

    Want to talk about YOUR appearance on TV? Please click here to submit yourself to be a guest on the show!

     

     

    Sean's Upcoming shows
    (all shows in NYC unless otherwise indicated)
    DATESHOWDETAILS
    Wed, Mar 04
    8:30p MEGAWATT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Wed, Mar 11
    8:30p MEGAWATT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Wed, Mar 18
    8:30p MEGAWATT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Thu, Mar 26
    7p @ THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Wed, Apr 01
    8:30p MEGAWATT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    See Sean's full schedule of shows

    - Read this far and on facebook? Let's play scrabble -
    archived at http://www.seantaylor.us/newsletter/2009_03.htm 



    Current Mood: accomplished
    Monday, February 16th, 2009
    12:07 pm
    Thoughts on Conversations
    I have long believed that the world runs on conversation.  Some may say it's based on profession or schooling or love.  I do not disagree I just feel that conversation is key to all of these.  

    Profession - The best doctor in the world still needs to be able to converse with his patients, nurses, fellow researchers, and hospital owners.  The best grades from the best med school doesn't get you a job.  An interview seals the deal.  It's the great equalizer.  A conversation about sailing with a hospital owner who loves boats will give any qualified (not necessarily the MOST qualified) candidate the edge.  

    College - All the top schools require interviews.  And even if your test scores and grades are just that good that you get in anyway, everyone knows you learn more from fellow classmates than from the professor.  Fellow classmates are likely going to be colleagues.  If colleagues can't relate to you then how will non-colleagues?  

    Love - Despite what movies and books depict, a lot of love takes place outside of the bedroom.  If there isn't some sort of Romeo & Juliet thing going on, you are likely to spend A WHOLE LOT of time with each other.  "How was your day?" and "What are you up to today?" and "What do you want for dinner?" are going to be questions (conversation topics) that are going to come up.  If you are unable to answer them, you and your significant other are probably going to fall out of love.  Some say, "I knew fromt the moment I met him, he was the one for me."  This is either revisionist history, a stubborn person, or a very lucky guesser.  The only thing you get from a "moment" could be a crush, lust, or infatuation.  Love happens over time.  Time = conversation.

    So, Live Journal, what am I trying to say?

    Well, the common denominator in all of the items above is "conversation."  Without decent conversation ability, you have created a glass ceiling for your own potential.  Many people will disagree with this thesis, but it's difficult to unprove.  

    If you're still with me, Live Journal, then you are at least interested in conversation theory by Sean Taylor.  This is not a book, just the random thoughts that I can't get out of my head all the time so I figure I'll assault my live journal with them.

    Conversation Postulates
    1.  It takes two to converse.   This means if you are involved in a "boring conversation" you are potentially 50% at fault.
    2. Everyone has something interesting to say.  If you know this is not true then either you have been unable to pry something interesting out of people and/or you have nothing interesting to say.
    3. At least half of a conversation is listening.  If you exceed 50% talking, then you are likely "venting" or "lecturing."  Either way, you are not listening and, thus, not conversing.  Can you teach and also talk?  Yes.

    These are the postulates.  If you do not buy into them, then you are likely not interested in what I have to say about having interesting conversations, icebreakers, knowing your medium, respecting your audience, and finding your conversation partners' expertise.  But, no bother, I'll probably write it anyway!




    Current Music: "You Are My Everything" by Robin Rothman
    Tuesday, February 10th, 2009
    11:34 am
    Help Us, Ryan Howard, You're Our Only Hope
    A-Rod, A-Roid, A-Hole, A-positive-drug-test, or "Alex Rodriguez" - whatever you want to call him, he came clean this weekend about a positive drug test from 2003.  This is bad on all fronts except one.  Alex Rodriguez piece of mind.  His stats reflect a ball player who is one of the best men to ever play the game.  But he cheated.  When you are guilty of cheating, nothing else matters.  A Rod will play the game until he's tired of it and leave, several years shy of his potential.  This isn't fair to baseball fans.  I respect the Hall of Fame but not as a collection of the best ball players to play the game (I can get that from the internet), but I respect it because ball players respect it.  I feel like we dangle "Hall of Fame" potential in front of great ball players so they'll keep playing the game.  Whether it be setting records or breaking records, this keeps our favorite ball players in the game.  But records only happen after the fact.  I watch baseball for the fact, not after-the-fact.  A-Rod's numbers no longer matter so why stay in? He's got his health to worry about now.  After all, no one knows the adverse side effects to extended use of steroids.

    Sure, I'm mad.  It's a manifestation of my disappointment of having to take someone off the "role model" pedestal combined with a preparation for a pre-mature retiring of one of the most gifted ball players to play the game.  But, I'm glad he came clean.  I feel like he's off the stuff now so anything he does between now and retirement will be legitimate.  I am ok that he put his current well being ahead of his Hall of Fame status.  When I watch a game, i want to see good baseball, not someone padding his HoF stats.  I wish Barry Bonds would come clean too so maybe I could see him take a few more at bats.

    Ryan Howard, if you're reading this, please don't ever do drugs.  You now have to be the outright home run leader of all time just so baseball can turn the page on this ugly chapter.  Also, don't hit any homers against the Mets. 

    Current Mood: disappointed
    Monday, February 2nd, 2009
    12:24 am
    Are You Ready for Some Newsletter? | February 2009
     Sean Taylor's Newsletter
    February 2009
    Vol. 13 
    New Administra-Sean
    I was fortunate enough to be amongst the approximately three million people in D.C. for the inauguration. Thanks to Justin Purnell and the keep it fun Fun Bus, 50 others and I were able to take part in the festivities.

    This newsletter marks the one year anniversary of the Sean Taylor Newsletter, the most egocentric newsletter that Sean Taylor has ever written. What better time to introduce a new sec-Sean with less concentra-Sean on Sean. It's called "shows I'm planning on watching this month" or SIPOWTM for acronym lovers.

    Thanks for reading!

     

    Caption Contest
    Congratulations, Matthew Shafeek!
    winner of December Caption Contest

    Click for winning caption
    Have a caption for this photo?


    Click to submit

    Check Out My 15 incher! 
    I got a new 15" Macbook Pro giving me the capability to edit, video chat, and make newsletters on-the-go. It's also capable of so much more but I'm content with it just bringing portability into my life. Now I'm one step closer to potentially leaving my apartment. Click here for a larger version of my new writing partner.

    Shows I'm Planning On Watching This Month
    (SIPOWTM)
    What?When?Where?
    Tony Carnevale's Greatest hits
    My roommate is singing songs he wrote and he's funny
    3 Feb @8pArs Nova Theatre
    My Sister's Wedding
    My sister, Melanie, is getting married...seriously!
    7 Feb @6pIndianapolis, IN
    Made-Up Musical
    Improvisers make up an entire hour long musical off-the-cuff
    13 Feb @10pMagnet Theater
    ETV
    Improvisers become rockstars for a night
    26 Feb @8pKenny's Castaways
    Variety Underground
    Free once-a-month variety show hosted and booked by me and Shawn Amaro
    Thursday, February 5th from 7-9pm at the Parkside Lounge, in addition to a musical improv group Los Banditos del Canto, Variety Underground's lineup includes individual performances by Jason Verlaine and Rob Lathan. As always, Free admission and a loosely enforced 2 drink minimum.Parkside Lounge

    (click for directions)
    Want to perform at VU? Please submit your act!

     

    Sean's Upcoming shows
    (all shows in NYC unless otherwise indicated)
    DATESHOWDETAILS
    Wed, Feb 04
    10p MEGAWATT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Wed, Feb 11
    10p MEGAWATT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Wed, Feb 18
    10p MEGAWATT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Thu, Feb 19
    9p NCCAF
    @ the Arts Center
    North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival
    NCCAF
    Wed, Feb 25
    10p MEGAWATT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    See Sean's full schedule of shows

    - You read this far so you must really want to know 25 more things about me -

     

     

    Current Mood: excited
    Current Music: NFL theme
    Sunday, February 1st, 2009
    10:06 am
    My new computer
    I got a new Macbook Pro. It's awesome. I always wanted the mobility of a laptop but laptops were not robust enough to do video editing. Now they are. This one I'm on now can supposedly do it all. I haven't yet tested it's limits but I've been pretty impressed so far. One of my favorite parts is the trackpad (which is typically my least favorite part of a laptop). With the trackpad, one can point, click (by pushing down on the entire trackpad as opposed to a separate mouse button), rotate and zoom a picture, quickly switch between apps, and shortcut most web navigation buttons. Pretty sweet.
    Here's a pic of Mac & Me...


    One thing that is nice about looking forward to the new computer is that it puts some perspective on the past.  My old computer (pictured just off to the right above) is a 867 MgHz dual processor G4.  It was cutting edge when i bought it.  When did I buy it?  November 2002!  I still use it.  That means my computer I bought over 6 years ago still functions, and, for the most part, keeps up with new technology.  But, it isn't portable.   So, old with the old and in with the new.



    Current Mood: geeky
    Current Music: Make New Friends, But Keep the Old...
    Saturday, January 31st, 2009
    7:12 pm
    My Facebook "25 Things"
    Some people don't like the "25 Things" thing that's been going around Facebook recently.  I love it.  Particularly when people take it seriously.  It is an opportunity to find out "things you probably don't know about" your facebook pals.  Here is mine...
    25 Things
    Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

    (To do this, go to "notes" under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.)

    1.I lived in Izmir, Turkey for fourth and fifth grade (1986-87). As a son of an active duty military officer, I had little say in the matter.

    2.While in fifth grade I was given permission to tour the Izmir American elementary school as a beatboxer for a four man rap group comprised of Marcus Cole, Trevor Hawes, Chris Skells and myself. Marcus, our lyricist, told us he made up all the lyrics and we believed him. When I returned to the states it turned out Marcus had just memorized lyrics to raps on American radio.

    3.Moments before performing in front of the principal, we made the decision that Chris Skells was not good enough yet so we went on with three, while Chris waited in the hall. I feel really badly about this because Chris was better at beatboxing than I was. Chris didn't seem to mind though, he still got out of class.

    4.I used to be amazed by the armed Turkish security guard for our American elementary school. He used to do coin tricks involving flipping coins between his fingers and head. Occasionally he would catch it on his knee and kick it back up to his head. All this while carrying a loaded sub-machine gun. Only in retrospect do I recognize just how dangerous this was.

    5.While in Turkey, I shoplifted constantly from poor Turkish delis. I feel awful about it and will likely never forgive myself despite taking what would probably amount to about $20 worth of stuff over two years. My contraband of choice – gummy coke bottles and soda pop.

    6.I spent nearly six months in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia working at the IT Help Desk for Lucent Technologies. Some nepotism may have played a part in me getting the job as my dad was a top executive for the company. He lived in Riyadh until his compound (Al-Hamra) was attacked by terrorists in May '03 blowing out all his windows and prompting he and any remaining Americans to leave.

    7.The bowling alley at Al-Hamra compound in Riyadh was the only place I ever scored over 200 pins in a game. I did it twice and it's an accomplishment I am proud of but can only mention in a medium such as “25 Things.”

    8.My dad and I played along side each other in the Riyadh Softball League. With him pitching and me at shortstop, our team never lost (17-0). It helped that we were Americans playing an American sport against teams with very few, if any, Americans on them.

    9.I have never hit an over-the-fence home run in any organized game. I've hit the top of the fence three times but never gone over. I've had several in-the-park homers but typically on fields with no fence. 

    10.While playing with some local arabs visiting my father in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) I went from hero to zero when the game shifted from beach volleyball to soccer. I am horrible at soccer. Also, someone kicked my ankle.

    11.Once we went “wadi-bashing” in the UAE desert which means a bunch of Westerners get driven up and down sand dunes recklessly in an SUV by a “certified” teenage driver. I pretended not too be scared but I was.

    12.After several [seemingly] near-disasters we settled in for a dinner on the UAE desert. While chatting with a newlywed American couple they said to everyone, “this guy's funny” referring to me. They meant it too. I liked that couple. Think I'm funny...that's all it takes to win me over.

    13.If I could, I would golf every day. I play to about a 10 handicap but I swear I could drop it below 5 if I played twice a week rather than twice a year.

    14.I always wanted to be a professional baseball player. I realize that I don't have the skill nor the stature to accomplish this in reality but I could definitely do it for the camera. Playing a baseball player on TV or in a movie (even a bench warmer...for which I have credentials) would be at least a partial realization of my life-long ambition and is probably a driving force for me pursuing entertainment.

    15.I've run 4 marathons (Hartford '03, NYC '04, '05, '06) and will likely never run another. I will continue to run but I think 26.2 miles does more harm than good. My target distance I think is 10K – 45 min is much less boring than 4 hours too.

    16.I enjoy computer programming. It's nerdy, time consuming and sometimes a total creativity drain...but I find some aspects of it rewarding and, dare I say, fun.

    17.I was raised mormon but am not practicing since I was about 11ish.

    18.When I was thirteen, my little sister (four years old) accidently killed my gerbil when I was at boy scout camp. My family replaced it before I got home. It wasn't till after college did my mom let it slip what they had done.

    19.My favorite dog of all time was a teacup pug that I used to ride my bike by on Maxwell Air Force base in Montgomery, Alabama. Most pugs are “toy” sized which is cute...but not as cute as teacup sized pugs.

    20.I dislike doctors likely because I was misdiagnosed and, thus, mis-medicated for asthma when, in actuality, I just had bronchitis. In the same year (6th grade), despite passing the eye chart, I was told the shape of my eyes meant I was farsighted. They then dilated my eyes so, for the first time, everything was blurry. Then, under these conditions I was fitted for glasses. The result was a prescription for glasses so thick I could see subatomic particles...but not what was in front of me. I tossed 'em aside along with most advice doctors give.

    21.Despite my love for pizza, I wish humans didn't NEED to eat. I love the social aspect of it and “trying new things” but the dependency on nourishment and routines surrounding it (lunch rush, tea time, sugar fix, pizza fridays, salad-entree-dessert, red wine with this, white wine with that, this fork goes here, no plastic at the table, the “good china”, not eating makes me irritable) make me crave an alternative. My least favorite overheard conversation typically begins with “what do YOU want for lunch?”

    22.I perhaps put way too much emphasis on conversations and constantly build theories based on them. For instance, I feel that it takes two people to have a bad conversation so I feel people that say “she's a horrible conversationalist” should be saying “I don't know how to talk with her.” In addition to the “whatever should we do for lunch” qustion, other conversation starters I wish didn't exist are “So, how are you doing?” and “What do you do?” Both put all the pressure on the responder for the contents of the subsequent conversation without making it clear whether the asker truly wants to know or just has nothing to provide himself. The latter should be reserved for job interviews. Sometimes people that ask “how are you doing?” just want to hear “fine, and you?” Other times this same question means “we haven't spoken in a long time so I would really like to catch up with you.” In my personal opinion, it should be the initiator of the conversation who makes it clear which he is seeking. In most cases, a question isn't even necessary. In the first instance, merely saying, “you look fine” or “I hope you are well” would suffice whereas in the second instance I would prefer, “It's been awhile, I hope to hear good things about [thing we talked about last we spoke].” I could go on...but I won't. After all, you want 25 things, not a whole lot of mindless drivel about conversations. Really, I just like talking about talking!

    23. I love lists. Will Hines articulated this once and it just seemed like exactly what I love to do. Sure, shopping lists, to do lists, and wish lists count but I like listing things, in general. Resolutions, favorite movies, 15 songs with some randomly selected word in it, muppet names, TV shows of the 80's, Newman's Own products, Baseball teams for which Nolan Ryan has played, etc. Maybe everyone likes lists to some extent or “Best of” shows and “Top 10” lists wouldn't be so popular but I love lists all day long. This is a list of 25 things so, obviously, I'm having a ball. If there's one thing I love doing on road trips it's listing things. Making categories and putting things in it. Scattergories and Facts in Five are two of my favorite games. Outburst is fun with a group of people. Oh, I mention these because they all have to do with lists...and are on my list of top 10 board games.

    24.I love people with musical talent. Maybe because deep down I want to have the talent too or maybe you just like what you don't got. Singers and musicians amaze me.

    25.I am the webmaster/admin of a message board for my family and recommend any spread out family do the same. It's also fun to watch witness the older generation gradually become comfortable with computers.
     


    Current Mood: calm
    Current Music: car horns
    Saturday, January 3rd, 2009
    1:01 am
    2009: A New Year, a New Sletter
     
     Sean Taylor's Newsletter
    January 2009
    Vol. 12 

    When in Tampa, do as the Tampons- Ybor City is the part of Tampa built on cigars (not literally). Although I attended junior high and high school in the area, I left before I was old enough to take advantage. This holiday season I was back but have too many New Year's Resolutions to take up another vice. I did enjoy the Ybor brew though.

    In case you 'minze'd it! - Thanks for making 2008's Tree Trimming, the best yet! Ornaments were decorated, Rumple Minze was consumed, and my naked tree was clothed with some of the most creative decorations ever to be placed on a holiday tree. (click here for pix).

     

    Caption Contest
    Congratulations, Jarret Berenstein!
    winner of December Caption Contest

    Click for winning caption
    Have a caption for this photo?


    Click to submit

    Everyone's Talkin' about Rick Roll'n but No One's Doing Anything About It! 
    Since April Fool's Day 2008, an online prank called "Rick Roll'n" has left many unsuspecting point-and-clickers on the receiving end of Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" music video. I have been duped nearly a dozen times by now and have tried to return fire by creating my Rick Roll using footage from the past two years of Pizza eating to splice together the Rick Astley song with my pizza reviews. I call it a Pizza Roll and it's located right here.
    Pizza Month
    Annual pursuit of the 31 Days of Pizza
    Pizza Month 2008 Slicey Awards announced...
      BEST IN SHOW video nominees...
    1. SHAWN AMARO - 00(day)7; Enzo's
    2. JASON CALICCHIA - Adrienne's
    3. SHAWN AMARO - Chuck E. Cheese and Me
    4. HANNAH CHASE - Lucali thriller
    5. KEVIN CRAGG - LPK on Parade
    6. KEVIN HINES - Bellini Tivo
    7. LOUIE PEARLMAN - Pizza on the March; Viva Herbal
    8. ROBIN ROTHMAN - Chicago... and Giordano's
    9. ERIK TANOUYE - Toho Scope
    10. SHAWN WICKENS - Jarrett Goes to Amadeus

     

    The Spotlight with Sean Taylor
    My talk show featuring folks who have been on TV!

    Click the image above to see a 30 minute condensed version of the 55 minute Spotlight show at the Ars Nova A.N.T. Fest featuring beatboxer Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan from the new Electric Company and an original song by Robin Rothman and the Spotlight band.

    Want more? You got it! Click on the picture of Late Show Life Coach and Cash Cab patron Zohar Adner to see the 30 minute condensed version of that Spotlight as well.

     

    Want to talk about YOUR appearance on TV? Please click here to submit yourself to be a guest on the show!

     

    Sean's Upcoming shows
    (all shows in NYC unless otherwise indicated)
    DATESHOWDETAILS
    Thu, Jan 08
    10p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Thu, Jan 15
    10p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Wed, Jan 21
    10p MEGAWATT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Thu, Jan 29
    10p THURSDAY NIGHT OUT
    @ the Magnet Theater
    254 W 29th Street
    212.244.8824......$5
    Thu, Feb 19
    9p NCCAF
    @ the Arts Center
    North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival
    NCCAF
    See Sean's full schedule of shows

    - Read this far and still want more? Ok, here's a sneak peak at the upcoming inauguration -

     



    Current Mood: energized
    Current Music: Crush
    Wednesday, December 31st, 2008
    4:42 am
    Good bye, 2008
    Looking back at this journal entry, I think it was a pretty good year.

    In addition to being lucky in love,

    1. I travelled to...
    2. Got a TV show on the Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN). My half hour slot every other Thursday night has already been renewed for another season. Sure it means I spend countless hours on my computer capturing, editing, exporting then clearing hard drive space but I'm proud of the final product.

    The Spotlight on TV
    Air Dates
    Manhattan Neighborhood Network home page
     

    3. In the industry. In addition to being paid for being a background player on Law & Order, Gossip Girl, and Cashmere Mafia, I was fortunate enough to get a paying gig for improv at Fordham University. More thrilling was booking a corporate gig for my talk show. Maybe I'm not crazy. Maybe I'm marketable after all. Obviously two gigs a year is not a steady job by any stretch of the imagination but it's a start and potentially...a sign.

    4. Invented an Awards Ceremony. Pizza Month featured an awards ceremony this year called THE SLICEYS, complete with nominees, competition, and even a trophy. The personal achievement for me was being able to give some of my talented friends a new means to showcase their talents.

    pizzamonth08.php.jpg


    5. Started spreading the News-letter. An evolution of an email blast took form in a monthly newsletter. It's a whole lot of work but keeps my family and friends informed and me on task. I mean, I don't want to release a newsletter saying "didn't do much last month" now do I? Currently, the multimedia newsletter includes a caption contest, original videos, and links to upcoming shows.

    So, for the reasons above, I shall deem 2008 a fun "journey." Obviously it was not a "destination" as I have not arrived anywhere. The best part was, of course, finally having someone to ride copilot.

    Onward and Upward, Live Journal!


    Current Mood: accomplished
    Current Music: ...was a very good year
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