Matt and Kim Return to Alaska

Matt and Kim previously played in Anchorage, Alaska back in 2008. The Brooklyn-based duo returned to Anchorage for a performance at the Egan Center on September 26, 2013. The band was also scheduled to play Fairbanks the following night.

Win Win Situation

Win Win Situation. In economics, it's called opportunity cost.

Last night (9/26/13), I had the chance to take photos at the Matt and Kim concert or host a comedy show. I love both: photography and comedy. I couldn't be at both places at the same, so I had to chose between two good things - win win.

I snapped photos and it was a blast. The photo pass helped, but the most exciting moment I captured happened to be in the crowd: Kim crowd-dancing. 

A lucky shot? I don't think so. A little bit of ego is talking, but I'm a firm believer that good photographers know where to place themselves and can anticaptate action. 

After capturing the moment of the night, my feelings of missing a hosting gig disapated. I would love to have done both, but sometimes you have to make a choice. Do one thing properly or two things at a mediocre level.

I hate when this happens because no matter what choice you make, a part of you, will wish you we're doing the other thing.

It happened to me last year when UAA brought up Hannibal Buress, one of my favorite comedians. On the same night, it happened to be a "competition" open-mic for an opening spot for the road comic. As much as I would have loved seeing Hannibal, I knew that I needed to go up because I still enjoy earning my spots.

Colin Quinn in the commentary for Comedian, the Seinfield documentary, says, "comedy is the closest thing to justice in the arts; either people laugh or they don't."

That could be a paraphrase or completely wrong, but it sounded appropriate to insert a quote at that moment in this entry.

A few months ago, a fellow comedian and myself were playing the odds during the open-mica. 14 people sign-up, three new faces, probably four good sets - we had to get a spot. Nope. After about two open-mics, we decided to stop playing the numbers and focus on the only thing that really matters: getting funny.

As for photography, I still love taking photos. I don't do it as much as I should. When I first learned how to take photos, I brought my camera everywhere, everyday. Snapping hundreds if not thousands of photos. Many unseen because they're bad but that's how I learned.

After reading how other people learned or became successful, that's pretty the formula I taught myself. Produce plenty of bad stuff, eventually it becomes decent, and maybe if you keep at, then it becomes quality. Sure talent helps, but having a work ethic is the true factor that will drive success.

Traveling

So I need to do more traveling. And yes, I did not say that wrong - need.

It's something my family did a lot growing up since my day was in the Army. Half of my life I spent moving from place to place until we came to Alaska. It's probably why I spent the other half of my life stationary, going to school and starting my career in a familiar setting. Anchorage has its ups and downs like any other place, but after every trip I go on, I realize that I don't do enough traveling.

The pros outnumber the cons; period.
Pros: Exploring, meeting new people, getting out of your comfort zone, doing exciting things  - creating experiences.
Cons: Expensive, puts work on pause, expensive...

I started looking at luggage, immediately after my August trip to NYC. A backwards approach to traveling. Sort of like buying a helmet before a bike. As of I get one thing, then I'll have to get the other thing, so that I can actually use both things...something like that.

So I plan to cut back on small things and save up for new experiences and it's something I want to do every year. Where I'll go next? I don't know. But I do know that I'm done with excuses for not getting out. 

Heart NYC

Eventually, I'll type up some words, but for now here's a photo gallery..

and so it begins..

Comedy notebook and set list index cards. 

Please stop.  You've heard of a journal, right? Are you really doing this?

Those are some thoughts I have whenever I start typing about myself. Note; typing. No problems writing about myself with ink because you actually have to break into my room, rummage through junk, and figure out my handwriting, which has been described as "cool, interesting, and did you ever do graffiti?" Never have, but do appreciate it, and can't really explain it, except that I probably went outside the lines when I was learning cursive.

Yet, my biggest hesitation against blogging was being pretentious, but guess what - it's my website, so by its very nature all of these entries will scream "hey, I have something to say!"

"Coffee stains" sounds way more intriguing than blog or journal, however this page is essentially that, a place for me to collect my thoughts and ramble for more than 140 characters and less invasive than reading a really long status update. My hand written journals have plenty of coffee stains because like any proper journalist/comedian/(whatever profession that uses handwriting meaning everyone), it happens.

Again, no clear mission statement or agenda (at the moment), but I do hope you follow along and share your thoughts. If you have a page that I should follow, let me know and I'll try to keep tabs on you as well.

And so it begins..my door is open, feel free to holler, and it's alright if some coffee is spilled.