I can't stop thinking of how wonderful this is..

brianhavok@hotmail.com — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:29:27 GMT

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.

brianhavok@hotmail.com — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 04:52:29 GMT

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/

brianhavok@hotmail.com — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 01:54:00 GMT

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!

brianhavok@hotmail.com — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 05:30:09 GMT

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!

brianhavok@hotmail.com — Sun, 31 May 2009 02:47:38 GMT

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!

brianhavok@hotmail.com — Wed, 13 May 2009 00:22:57 GMT

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!

brianhavok@hotmail.com — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 05:53:44 GMT

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.

brianhavok@hotmail.com — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 05:51:34 GMT

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!

brianhavok@hotmail.com — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:07:58 GMT

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!

brianhavok@hotmail.com — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 07:09:36 GMT

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

brianhavok@hotmail.com — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 07:00:53 GMT

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

brianhavok@hotmail.com — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 08:17:38 GMT

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!

brianhavok@hotmail.com — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 01:40:11 GMT

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.

brianhavok@hotmail.com — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:36:57 GMT

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!

brianhavok@hotmail.com — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 08:29:11 GMT

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!

Winter Solstice

brianhavok@hotmail.com — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 08:09:05 GMT

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.

brianhavok@hotmail.com — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 03:03:00 GMT

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!

brianhavok@hotmail.com — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:22:37 GMT

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!

brianhavok@hotmail.com — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 02:03:53 GMT

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.

brianhavok@hotmail.com — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:37:10 GMT

Happy New Year everyone! It's been roughly seven weeks since I've last posted anything remotely substantial online. Count me in as one of those that were caught up in the holidays, as time flew by, and I found myself at the mercy of turkey and sweet potatoes, the shredding of gift-wrap paper, and indulging in the company of loved friends and family.

2008 was such a monumental year for me. I got married, honeymooned at Disney World, moved out (again), Amanda graduated college, started her career in nursing, we got our adorable kitten Tomo, and so much more. I really feel blessed and can look back happily at a year well spent.

Today, one of my first free days of the new year, I'd planned to spend it out and about alone, grabbing some sushi, and exploring some deep, introspective thought while I got out of the apartment for a few hours. But, I decided I owed everyone a new article, as it's been over a month and that's just criminal.

Brian's Home Videos #1

In the first edition of Brian's Home Videos, see "Human Jumping", pepper swallowing, car sliding, a brawl in the snow, a short film I shot while on vacation in Tennessee about an inline skater stealing a plush doll, a barely clothed punk rocker, silly string, abandoned houses, obscure dialogue, and much more!

Do any of the images above look enticing, or, potentially disturbing? Well, welcome to my world! I finally got the capabilities to upload video from my camcorder, and would you believe it, I've got a bag of easily fifty tapes worth of footage from the past nine years of insanity I've documented. The majority of the footage was shot from '01 - '03, but man, those were some crazy years for yours truly, and now, for the first time, people outside of my own little group of friends can watch our footage. In the weeks and months to come, I'm going to occasionally upload random footage, so expect more to come as I've got plenty. We hope you enjoy watching some of it nearly half as much as the fun we had making it.

As always, thanks for reading (and watching!), and be well! Any comments, or questions, or if you just want to chat, drop me a comment or shoot me an e-mail. Have a swell day/night.

brianhavok@hotmail.com — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:16:24 GMT

Hey everybody! I’ve got some awesome news. For the first time since September, I finally got around tonight to writing a brand-new article. It felt real good to utilize some of the creative recesses of my brain, as lately its been mostly cramming for school and mindless repetition at work. And, to make it even more special, the subject matter for the article is rather peculiar:

Bologna Bubble Gum

Your eyes aren’t deceiving you; those are circular discs of chewy, sugary, meaty rottenness! Check out the article for my thoughts on this edible oddity. Drop me a comment, or just say hello, I’d love to hear how you all are doing. Be well!

My Halloween In Pictures

brianhavok@hotmail.com — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 07:43:10 GMT

After trick-or-treating was over we ventured to my brother’s for a house party..

THE END

brianhavok@hotmail.com — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 02:07:23 GMT

Halloween’s now merely days away and I haven’t been this excited for it since I walked around the suburbs in costume myself many years ago. In efforts to share some of this spooky spirit, I’ve compiled all of my Halloween-related articles from Review the World in one convenient list for your perusal and enjoyment:

- Toy: Creepy Classics - The Curse of the Werewolf - This is one of my all-time favorite pieces, and one of few I actually did any outside research for.

- Misc.: Boo Berry Lip Balm - I remember getting tons of feedback on this one when it originally debuted. It’s still a really fun article.

- Music: "Horror Fan" by Zero Cool Crew - My cousin and I performing a hip hop homage to horror.

- Drink: Caramel Apple (Jones Soda Co.) - My site and Jones Soda are inextricably linked.

- Candy: Halloween Mix - This is from the early days of my career as an Internet writer.

- Peanuts - Spooky Mask & Tart Candy Necklace - Wow, this is really, really old. It dates back to the pre-dot.com days of RTW.

Enjoy! Have a great Halloween everyone! I’ll be watching It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown tomorrow in preparation and spending Halloween itself out on the streets with all the ghouls, ghosts, and Jack Sparrows themselves.

brianhavok@hotmail.com — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 07:16:31 GMT

Hey everyone! I just posted the newest episode of my show RTW TV: Weekly Round Up. It’s probably one of my favorites thus far. One of the biggest things I want to do is shoot outdoors and at different locations, and while I’ve only been able to do it minimally thus far and really not at all this week, I still think the tone of this episode is definitely in the spirit of the project and what I hoped it could be:

I hope you enjoy it! If you don’t watch until the end when I officially announce it, allow me to fill you in now, the show is at least temporarily changing to RTW TV: Random Round Up. This means no more guaranteed weekly videos, although, on occasion if time permits I will try to get new content up regularly. Also, this will allow me the chance to not have to rush as much, giving the opportunity for more pre-production which should help improve the overall quality of the show. I also want to start focusing on getting more articles posted on beloved Review the World. But don’t fret, I’ve still got an entire closet full of junk I intend on reviewing, be it on video or the site, and I need to document it all to justify some of the ridiculous stuff I’m currently the owner of.

Have a great week! I’ll be back in a couple days with a Halloween-related post. This time only comes around once per year, so I hope we can all find ways to enjoy it in all its spooky splendor. Be well!

brianhavok@hotmail.com — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 04:48:37 GMT

Need a boost of Halloween spirit? Got an hour to kill anytime this week?

Over on my website Review the World, in the Videos section, you can scroll down and access our new Halloween video. Or, you can right click here to download the file directly, but be forewarned it’s pretty huge.

I worked with the guys at Team Sandnut Productions again. They shot it, edited it, etc. and got all the supplies and stuff together—my sole duty was to just goof off on camera and share my enthusiasm for all things spooky. There’s a bunch of stuff on the nearly hour-long video, including reviews on all kinds of candies and decorations, infamous Jones Soda tasting, we discuss our favorite scary TV series’, etc.

And, as always, my own personal video show returns late Saturday night, with the eighth consecutive week of RTW TV: Weekly Round Up over on my YouTube page. Lastly, I know it’s been awhile, but I plan to get a real, honest to goodness text article up on RtW here soon. The Honeymoon in Disney World piece I was working was lost during the virus issues we had last month. Have a good weekend. Get ready for the Great Pumpkin next Friday, but don’t get your hopes up to high, nobody’s as sincere as me when it comes to tricks and treats!