Finding Comraderie On The Long Commute

Usually on my commutes to and from work I find a seat to myself and either listen to my iPod, read a book or just sleep until I get to my destination. Today something a little different happened. Unlike the usual empty two-seater that I occupied, most of the train was full and I ended up having to share a four seater with someone. By the time we got to Stamford, more people proceeded into the car and there was three of us.  All of a sudden one of the females started to lament about her 2 1/2 hour commute from Manhattan all the way to Bridgeport, CT. My interest was piqued and it was like a valve of pent up frustration was released and throughout the rest of the ride to Grand Central we were all sharing in this same experience of forced commutes because of a bad economy and our desire to live in New York City.

It was a gratifying experience to realize that I wasn’t the only one suffering this miserable plight. Many others are also commuting from New York, to CT for jobs that are secure and are lacking within their residence. We all felt each other’s pain and it made the trip all the more bearable. Once we got to Grand Central we all went our separate ways, strangers once again. But for at least one moment in time we were a temporary community with the same trials and tribulations. And that made all the difference on the rest of my trek back home.

The Reef Knot Changed My Life and It Can Change Yours

Tired of retrying your shoelaces every few hours? Can’t stand double-knotting like a 5 year old? Then you need to learn the REEF KNOT!!! Infomercial intonation side, this simple knot has made tying shoes almost feel like more than just an annoying and necessary chore. I have to thank Jesse Thorn, host of “The Sound of Young America“, for introducing this knot in my life with his new vidcast “Put This On“.   What’s incredible is how easy it is to do. You basically do the Granny knot as you always do (you know the rabbit ears, etc), and instead of looping in a counter-clockwise motion you do it the opposite of what you normally would do it. If that sounds a bit complicated here’s a video to break it down for you: 

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So learn the technique and spread the info. We need to send the Granny knot into obsolescence.

Resparking My Love Of Reading

Roughly two weeks ago I re-registered to the New York Public Library to help facilitate my pledge to myself to read more. After many years and countless hours, TV finally lost some of its luster and I figured it was about due that I start working on my brain’s imaginative abilities again.

Unfortunately for me, all the books of all the authors that I was interested in were unavailable so I was left with no choice but to put them on my hold list and wait. This Monday, I had 4 books waiting for me and within two days I already finished one of them.

The Book in question was “Blood Price” by Tanya Huff. This is the first book of the “Blood” series. I was a fan of the Lifetime show that was adapted from these books called “Blood Ties” and I figured why not give them a read. Obviously, I was quickly drawn in and am looking forward to adding the rest of the series in my queue (after I finish reading the remaining books in my possession).

I’m pleasantly surprised that my reading comprehension and speed hasn’t diminished much in its dormancy and I look forward to developing my gray matter further. Nonfiction would probably be the next best step but I have a short attention-span and very little inclination for that genre of literature. I’m going to have to gradually work myself up to it. Baby steps and all. Not that I’m complaining. After all, I heart fiction.

New Podcast On The Rise

After taking a few weeks off I’m once again getting the bug to record a podcast again. However, I didn’t feel like continuing with “The Julio From NY Show”. Thus a new show was born: The Mundane Chatter Podcast. I’m pretty psyched with this new project even though there are very little variances from the last show.  The big one of course is the title which I’ll go into more detail in the first episode when it launches in a few weeks or so. Also, I decided I’ll be more stringent in the show format. It won’t vary from episode to episode like the last show did. The Mundane Chatter Podcast will be all-talk throughout. There will be no segments between topics and little to no music will be played on the new show. Other than that, the show will  be similar in scope with topics ranging from a variety of personal interests. You can also follow The Mundane Chatter Podcast on Twitter to get the most up to date information of when  a new episode is up and running. Here’s hoping you give it a listen.

Who Am I Kidding

It’s time for me to face reality. I’m no blogger. I aspire to be one but I don’t create much output. I guess I don’t have the motivation or I just keep coming up with excuses or distractions to prevent me from typing anything.

For the past few weeks I had an idea or two that I wanted to blog about but I’ve yet to start any drafts. And the topics aren’t even profound in any way. Mundane irreverent blather really. And yet I’ve not posted anything in all this time. This weekend alone I had some time that I could’ve used for blogging. Instead I wasted it away watching seasons 1 & 2 of Farscape (my favorite TV series).

That’s not to say I haven’t done anything on the Internet in all this time. I’ve been twittering away to my heart’s content. Must be the instant gratification and unfiltering tendency of being limited to 140 characters that make me embrace it with utter abandon.

If not for the iPhone app I probably wouldn’t even be blogging about my non-blogging tendencies (there’s a nice irony). I guess what I’m saying is, if you really want to know what is bouncing around in my head, the best place to follow me is on Twitter.