Hey everyone! How’s your summer? Like a fresh orange, I’ve been trying to squeeze every last drop of enjoyment out of mine. Below is a two-part road trip adventure video I co-starred in with my friend Paul shot earlier today, enjoy!:


In the boys’ third road adventure they end up in Lawrenceburg, Indiana! Watch as they walk historic streets, discover a floating restaurant on a river, search for Gremlins, and more!


In the second-half of the boys’ third road adventure they end up in the creepiest antique store ever! Watch as they explore it and even dare to enter a shocking restricted area. From there, it’s back on the road, with stops for caffeine, creeks, and a disappearing sandlot baseball field.

More videos and randomness at our official site:
http://www.reviewtheworld.com/

Thanks for watching! Drop me a line, about anything, I’d really love to hear from everyone. Be well!

I just changed the monthly logo over at Review the World—it’s an image that makes me inexplicably happy, as does the month of July, old Beatles songs, and being in love. I’ve never been much on resolutions, but I do have a goal, to be the best version of myself there’ll ever be.

Hey everyone! I hope your weekend was swell. I’m pleased, if all goes well, this upcoming week will be my final encounter (in an academic setting) with math, easily my worst subject, so keep me in mind, say a prayer, wish me luck, make a sacrifice, or whatever your individual religious preferences designates. Here’s an awesome, two-part special of my new, ongoing series Go! Road Trip:

On their second, spontaneous road trip adventure, Brian, joined by Paul and his girlfriend Beth, meet a kindred spirit in a search for authentic BBQ, run directly into a gay pride parade, and explore one of the most fun and cool, yet simultaneously bizarre and creepy toy stores in the universe.


In the second-half of their impromptu road trip, Brian, Paul, and Beth get lunch at Habits Café, home of famous “potato rags”, as well as a bevy of bizarre burgers, like the Godzilla, ostrich, and more! Next the gang travels to an old-fashioned candy store. And to conclude the trip, a visit to The Fresh Market, where they’ll encounter all sorts of interesting edibles, interview an employee, and do some on-spot reviews!

More videos and misc. random acts of happiness:
http://www.reviewtheworld.com/

Hey everyone! How goes it? After taking a math exam this morning I hit the road with my friend Paul and the results are yours to watch in the video below. Enjoy!



Brian and Paul hit the road in this series' debut. They start off with some beverages, make their way to Cheviot and explore convenience and candy stores, drive into the suburbs of Cincinnati, find a really old pharmacy, sample the goods at a small bakery, visit a sauna-like comic book store, encounter The Cryptkeeper, discover a double-decker White Castle, end up in Cleves, grab a cup of coffee at a diner, and more!

Hey everybody! I just got done posting video footage of an outrageous energy drink competition I participated in earlier this week. It was a blast. Here’s a link to the Energy Drink Challenge, and, below is more information:

Review the World creator Brian and site contributor Paul tackle the first-ever Energy Drink Challenge!

Team Mainstream: (Monster, Rockstar, Full Throttle, Amp, and NOS)
vs.
Team Unknowns: (Killer Buzz, Cocaine, Radioactive, Crunk!!!, and Big Ol’ Can of Whoopass)

It’s a five-on-five energy drink throwdown for taste and packaging supremacy! Who will be the winners? Will Paul and Brian live through the war? Watch it here and enjoy!

Have a great weekend, everyone! I’m looking forward to it. I’m also looking forward to my birthday next month. I may be taking a road trip, having my first birthday celebration somewhere on the roads of North America, that’d be amazing. Drop me a line, about the videos, about your summer, about life, etc. Be well!

Hey everyone! I just posted an article titled A Surprise for a Boy over on my website Review the World. The piece looks at a mysterious, secretive sack I procured for a measly $1 that promised boyish surprises. I had no idea what I was getting into. If you’re as curious as I was, solve the mystery yourself, and click here to see my unraveling and afterthoughts.

In other Review the World news, I’ve been taking photos again, and hope to reinstate Brian’s Daily Picture in a few months as a regular, ongoing feature on the site again. Also, this Monday night, newcomer Paul and myself are recording a video of an epic energy drink taste test. I’ll be editing it personally and hope to get it uploaded and online in the next week or so. Be well!

How goes it? I’ve been pretty scarce on the Internet the past couple weeks. Last week was finals so that ate up some serious time and energy. One of my classes was a math course I was taking for a second time. Generally, school comes relatively easy for me, but math’s always been my toughest subject; I studied and practiced relentlessly leading up to the exam and all of my hard work really paid off. I got my grade over the weekend and after finding out I’d passed, called a lot of people spontaneously, it felt great hearing my parents’ voices when they said they were proud of me, etc. If all goes as planned I’ll be ready to graduate next May.

Tomorrow morning, before the sun comes up, I’ll be driving with Amanda to Dayton to catch a flight to Orlando for a vacation. We’re going back to Walt Disney World for a much needed fun getaway.


Last month a friend of mine held a wrestling show in honor of his deceased son and asked if I’d participate. It was grueling, as evidence above, in a picture that shows me on my knees after getting kicked in the head. I felt like I’d been hit by a car for a few days, but did it out of respect, and am now glad it’s over.

My website Review the World hasn’t seen a lot of activity lately. Now that I’ll have some more free time, I do intend on getting some stuff going, including some new reviews, both in the traditional article format as well as exclusive video content. I’m also getting back into photography, and hope that by the time autumn rolls around, I’ll have enough good material archived to bring back Brian’s Daily Picture to its original prominence.

I feel really exhausted but relieved. This year is already flying by; thus far it’s held some self-discovery, growth, and lots of smiles and memories. How has 2009 been to all of you so far? I’d really like to know. Be well!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter. I’ll use it as a day to celebrate the warmth of the sun, the smiles and laughter of loved ones, and all of our blessings. How fleeting yet astoundingly beautiful it all is! Be well.

Amanda put together and edited her first video. It’s a montage from our past trips to Walt Disney World. Albeit a biased opinion, I think she did a really good job, and we’d both really like to hear any feedback you’d care to share:



Also, it’s April Fool’s Day, so be careful! I was never clever enough to formulate and execute any nefarious pranks. I remember hiding out on the top bunk in my room and dropping stuffed animals on peoples’ heads in my family’s hallway as a youngster, but that’s about the extent of it. Well, hope everyone had a good March, and are excited about the emergence of Spring. I’d like to chat more but fatigue is setting in and I’ve got class in the morning. Be well!

I'm in class as I type this, COM 354, my lone evening class and it's at a campus about a forty-minute drive from my apartment. Nothing too noteworthy to share, enjoyed the freedom of Spring Break immensely, but am focused again and ready to work hard the remainder of the semester. Amanda and I are going to Walt Disney World (fourth time in four years!) this May to celebrate our one-year wedding anniversary. I find myself randomly smiling, thinking of all the ideas I have for Review the World, but, time is tight these days although I hope to get some awesome content up in the weeks and months to come.

I've been watching a lot of stuff lately, as far as recommendations go, recently discovered Judd Apatow's Undeclared on DVD and am currently enjoying the hell out of it. Also, it's horribly bad, yet wildly entertaining as such, and I left the theater with a giant smile on my face: Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li. I've described this film to a few friends as, put it this way, a couple low-budget filmmakers built a time machine, went back to 1990, made a bad Street Fighter II movie adaptation, then brought it back to 2009 with them. The effects, acting, writing, and other facets are patently mediocre, yet Kristin Kruek is adorable, and the film has a wacky charm, so I'm willing to champion it as one of my favorite "bad movies". The fact that I got to go see it with my big brother, who I never get to hang out with, and whom I grew up watching and quoting Brainscan and Hackers with, as well as playing copious amounts of games together, was a major plus. That'll do it for this spontaneous update. Be well!

all i see lately, in the way of others' bulletins and posts, are messages overflowing with negativity..

are things really so bad?

i don't know, for sure, but i really don't think so.. - i'm happy.. - it's getting warmer outside already.. - i even went for a walk by myself today.. - cutting through suburbs i found myself in a park.. - it was quiet and nice there.. - i stretched out on a picnic table..

and people genuinely want to be happy.. - when someone else, especially a stranger, does something friendly it makes you feel good.. - well, be that courteous somebody for someone else.. - maybe it'll rub off.. - maybe they'll get home that night, rejuvenated by your random act of kindness, and will share it.. - you'll be happy, and, others will benefit from you generosity..

today is day five of ten of spring break.. - i'm going to go get sushi for lunch.. - i'm going to drive around aimlessly.. - i'm going to smile at everyone i meet.. - i'm going to have a good day..

love,
brian

The nice folks at Never Hand Over have just posted my final backyard wrestling match from March '07. It ended a near ten-year stint I had where I'd routinely beat the hell out of my close friends--good times! I'm coming out of retirement, this time in a real, professional ring, on April 25th in Colerain, OH at a memorial show for a friend who lost his child at birth. Here's me (versus my brother) in what was to be my last ever match..

PART 1



The rest of the match is available here.

Be well,
Brian

Forget fancy dinners, chocolates, roses, and cuddling with a loved one (or multiple loved ones, if that’s your preference) because I’ve prepared a Valentine’s Day treat just for each and every one of you: Super Hero Valentine’s Day Cards a brand new article by yours truly on Review the World!

In it, I take a look at Superman, Iron Man, and Incredible Hulk; just how truly romantic are each of these characters? I shed some light on that subject, as I take a look at each character’s Valentine’s offering in a humorous look at cards gone awry.



Have a good weekend everyone! If you have someone special to spend it with, that’s fantastic, and if not, in the least pick up an issue of Aquaman and flip through it to battle off loneliness. Enjoy the new article. Be well!

Yesterday while out scouring local thrift and other assorted dilapidated stores for Review the World content I found this:



I never knew Tetris had its own merchandise! It’s got the official mark of Nintendo and was released in 1989. I had no idea of its existence, but got it for less than a buck, and plan on passing it on to my older brother, as I know he’ll dig it.

I got a bunch of other neat junk, too. Much of it will be appearing in articles in the weeks and months to come. Namely, by sometime this weekend, I’ll be posting my next article—a humorous look at superhero Valentine’s Day cards. Be looking for that, and if you haven’t seen it already, check out last week’s piece on Crayola Silly Scents pencils that I did.

Sometimes I wonder why, at 26, I have such a bad back. Then I remember things I’ve done like this…


Fast-forward to 2:50 into the video and you’ll see what I mean!

I hope everyone is well. We’re in the midst of another bad snowstorm. Last week we were buried in it for almost three days. Today, on the way home from class, cars were off the road in ditches all over the place, I didn’t know if I’d even make it back home. The snow is beautiful but it’s a pain to deal with.



Well, be safe, have fun, and check back this weekend for my special Valentine’s Day article on RtW.

I’ve just posted new article on Review the World. Ever smelled a zombie’s laundry, lobster lips, or ogre ooze? Well, live vicariously through my nose, as I review Crayola Silly Scents pencils!


Crayola Silly Scents pencils

This is probably my favorite article since I re-opened RtW back in June ’08 (right up there with the Old Time Pottery piece—because what other nerd else reviews huge décor and home furnishings stores?) and is full of offbeat humor and irreverent insight. I’d had these pencils sitting around gathering dust for a month or two now, but after being snowed in for two straight days, I finally got to work on doing my first real “review” in nearly two months. I had a lot of fun creating the piece, so if you enjoy it as much as I did crafting it, that’d make me real happy. Waste no more time, go on, and find out what Sasquatch’s sneakers and monkey’s breath really smell like. Have fun, I hope you all are swell, drop me a comment any time. Be well!

I’m really happy right now…

It’s like my favorite author Kerouac said, “life is holy and every moment is precious”. Or better yet, the old, clichéd adage, “You get out of it what you put in”. Sure, on the surface it sounds like another slogan ripe for placement on a mass-produced bumper sticker, but it can be applied in so many ways. Things like going to work, or school, are particularly solid, straightforward examples—but I like using it in the much larger context of life. Each day is what we make of it, or, what we put into it—and that being the case, with all the love and inspiration my Mother has shared with me (she’s the closest thing to a living saint I’ll ever know) over the years, I feel like I have so much to put in! I feel like acts of kindness, as corny as this is surely painting me, can change the world. Or, in the least, bring some of the people in it flashes or moments of real joy and warmth.

I feel really blessed, to have such a wonderful, strong, beautiful person like Amanda in my life. The courage and determination she’s displayed during her first year of being a nurse humble me beyond words. How great it is to wake up next to someone every morning that supports and encourages you without fail! No, I’ll never take the freedom to stroll through a park on a sunny day for granted ever again…

In Review the World news, lots of new articles on deck, the first, an expose on scientific theologian and possible mad genius John Cleves Symmes, Jr. and his “Hollow Earth” concept, a review of some funky scented colored pencils, my first foray into creative writing in over a year (tentatively loosely inspired by Death Cab for Cutie song “Brothers on a Hotel Bed”), and more! There’s just so much to see, to do, and when face-to-face communication consistently surprises and astonishes me, I find myself spending less and less time near a computer. Be well!

I just watched the film Winter Solstice (its trailer available here). Outside my balcony window the snow fluttered ceaselessly which was a nice backdrop. I found the movie kind of cathartic for me, genuinely, and even found myself tearing up once near the end. Maybe I'm just getting old? Its a quieter type of movie, one about family, communicating, grieving, growing, etc. The theme that most resonated with me was the relationship between the two brothers. Also, the youngest son's (played by Mark Webber who was terrific in The Hottest State--a film adaptation of one of my favorite books) difficultly expressing and accepting the love of his Father, although clearly they both need each other to hold another up. I don't know, I won't try harder to articulate my feelings now, but I recommend it, so if any of you do seek it out and want to talk about it afterwards, I'd really love to hear what you thought.

Hey! I’m back home after a spontaneous road trip over the weekend to the Great Smokey Mountains in Gatlinburg, TN. It was so much fun, lack of cooperation of the weather aside, and a nice getaway. Tomorrow morning classes resume, so I’m off to get my supplies together before bed, but wanted to share the final two video updates I just uploaded from the trip:



In a going out of business toy store in a dilapidated, desolate outlet mall, I serenaded the dying store and our nation’s struggling economy with a raging guitar solo that’d make Hendrix proud (and perhaps feel a little inadequate).



In the second clip, at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, I got the opportunity to hang out with one of my many underwater friends. But, the kid in me be damned, I tried to take the horseshoe crab for a little ride, ending disastrously as I sent him on a downward spiral to his doom.

There are a few more videos, along the lines of personal blogging updates, which I posted in Tennessee on location that are available here on my YouTube account.

That’ll do it for now, have a swell week everybody, and drop me a line if you want to chat, swap Super Mario Bros. accolades, etc. Be well!

Hey! I'm in Gatlinburg, Tennessee! Around 1:30AM, we got the bright idea to, on a little over three hours of sleep, take a five-hour trek into the beautiful, awe-inspiring auspices of the Great Smokey Mountains. We're here now, and thanks to the wonders of modern technology, I've been posting random video updates via YouTube since we've arrived...

To check out my video updates of this random road trip:
http://www.youtube.com/reviewtheworld

Have a swell weekend!

So, today, it's been a pretty good one. I got up at 10:00AM. That's a good sign, classes resume next week, so I need to get my sleep schedule readjusted. It was snowing all day, pretty much constantly, but it wasn't sticking on the roads so I braved it (stir craziness had settled in) and went out for the day. While the snow wasn't making much of an impact on the streets, it left a beautiful dusting on all the tree limbs and greenery. I'm typically cautious about driving during winter conditions, dating back to several accidents that have occurred over time, but today that fear was the furthest thing from my mind as I specifically went to winding, dipping winter roads, full of careening twists and breathtaking plunges. It was beautiful. At one point, I rolled down my window instinctively, while surrounded on both sides by dense forrest blanketed in white snow, instantaneously screaming out my window into the brisk wind, "wooohooo, yeah!"

I don't have a New Year's resolution, per se, I just want to try to be in the moment more often. Well, I've got Zen meditation practice in a little bit (for those that are local--this place is swell) but intended to write a bit more, so I'll be unabashedly optimistic that I will write twice in one day by contributing more prose late tonight. Be well.

This was supposed to post around 6:45PM but LJ was being non-responsive.