Movie Review Monday: Mike Birbiglia Double Feature

So this week I wanted to highlight what I think will be a unique, smart, heartfelt double feature on Netflix featuring one of my favorite comedians; Mike Birbiglia. The two films available for streaming are 2012's Sleepwalk with Me and 2013's My Girlfriend's Boyfriend.

Sleepwalk with Me is a dramatized story of real events from Birbiglia's life when he struggled with sleepwalking due to stress. It captures moments from when he was just starting out in comedy and was hustling to get gigs wherever and however he could, most coming at a personal cost. It is at times somber, other times awkward, and other times just pure comedy all of these in the best ways. It resonates in a similar way to Birbiglia's comedy, rightfully so since it is a main plot point, and is an interesting perspective into what it can take to achieve your dreams.

My Girlfriend's Boyfriend is a more straight forward stand-up performance from Birbiglia. It has the same characteristics though of being full of genuine emotion, as he tells stories about his escapades in love throughout his life. He is able to authentically showcase the ups, downs, and genuine irrationality that can come with being in love. It all has a fun comedic twist, with Birbiglia finding the comedy in many aspects of his life, which makes it not only entertaining, but able to connected with on a purely human level, since we can all empathize with his struggles.

Check out these two awesome movies streaming on Netflix right now! Hopefully you enjoy my brand of comedic preferences and come back next week for more recommendations!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 03/21/14

Hey everybody! Back to my usual rhythm this week so here's my week in geek!

• Harry's

This is a neat company I just sort of stumbled across recently that provides reasonably priced, all-natural, and social conscious shaving products. You can get a "starter kit" of sorts with a razor, two spare razor heads, and some shaving cream and then set up a revolving cycle of new razor heads to come right to your door based on your shaving habits. They also just opened a cool shop in NYC where you can get a haircut and shave and they'll also keep a database of how you like to get your haircut! It feels like a hip new way for men to keep well-groomed. I'm just wondering if they'll do a female equivalent some day. Perhaps they'll call it Sally's?

• Pocket

I got turned on to this app/website from a coworker at my internship and it is super awesome! It's a simple concept; it is essentially just a consistent, ubiquitous place to save links you find online. I just like it since it can be easily translatable across devices and showcases your links in a fun way rather than just being a mishmash list of URLs. It's free so check it out today if you need to get your mass of bookmarks and such organized.

• Rutgers Geek Week

This one is fairly self explanatory but the week of events is finally upon us. We've been planning for months and I'm very proud of how this year turned out. We have movie nights, trivia, panels, and our annual costume dance party. I am also proud to have simply been a part of it. I was able to gush about the unique effort during my recent interviews and share all the great things this initiative has been able to accomplish in its three years of existence. I look forward to hearing of Rutgers Geek Week's exploits for years to come!

Thanks for stopping by! Have an amazing weekend!

Jedi-Approved Producitivity Tricks for the Business Traveler

I had to share this since it is another fun Star Wars related article from the folks over at Lifehacker on productivity and achieving success; exactly what I'm hoping to do for this blog. Hope you all enjoy!

Movie Review Monday: The Cabin in the Woods

Good day to you all and welcome to another Movie Review Monday! This week, our movie is the 2012 film, The Cabin in the Woods! So this is an interesting on to review since I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen/heard of it. Nevertheless, the general plot of the movie centers around a group of college students who go out for a vacation at, you guessed it, a cabin in the woods. When they arrive, they get far more then they bargained for. As they elude danger lurking in the woods, they soon discover something more sinister is at play. Chris Hemsworth is probably one of the more notable main actors in the movie. While this synopsis sounds like a typical horror movie, Cabin in the Woods is a totally fresh take on it all that is very smart and clever, which you will quickly realize.

Fair warning, this movie does have a lot of gore in it but even so, it is a fun watch since it is not what you're expecting initially. If you're looking for an original movie streaming on Netflix now, this is for you!

Have a great week and enjoy the film!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 03/14/14

Howdy! Check out what I've been geeking out about lately!

• Veronica Mars Movie

I funded this project back in the day during its highly successful and publicized Kickstarter campaign. I am very proud to have done so, having loved the show and all the people associated with it. I got a digital copy of the film in my inbox as part of my benefits of backing their project and it was just super awesome to be a part of the whole process from funding to fruition. Check it out and check out the whole series. It is a fun ride!

• Baltimore

So I have been staying in this fine city for the past few days as part of a placement conference to hopefully find a job for after I graduate. I'm staying right by the Inner Harbor with a few cohort members from my program and it has been awesome! There are so many cool places around here and the area I'm at is very nice. I look forward to returning soon!

• Student Affairs

Being at the aforementioned conference here in Baltimore hustling to get a job in student affairs, it has essentially been filled with multiple days of geeking out about my field as a whole and the awesome work we get to do everyday. I've just been riding the adrenaline from these great conversations and it is energizing to meet so many cool people doing cool things!

Thanks for stopping by! Come back real soon!

Movie Review Monday: Our Idiot Brother

Happy Monday, folks! Here's another gem on Netflix for you to enjoy! Our Idiot Brother (2011) stars Paul Rudd as the titular idiotic sibling, Ned. He has three sisters (Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, and Emily Mortimer) of whom he, as an eternal optimist and idealist, barges into their lives bringing his folksy, kind aloofness along with him.

Ned as a character is the epitome of my own optimism. I tend to see the good in people and trust them until they give me a reason not to. That is why he and this movie as a whole resonates with me. It's a smart comedy (usually more my cup of tea) that has a nice message to it. After Ned comes through and shakes up all of his sisters' delicate, and seemingly perfect lives, they all realize a bit more what it truly means to be happy.

If you're looking for a lighthearted comedy with a good takeaway at the end. Check this one out the next time you have a lazy day to spare. You'll be glad you did!

Have an awesome week!

Job Negotiation Tips and Suggestions

I'll definitely be taking advantage of these awesome tips!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 03/07/14

Hello! This is a mostly video game filled geek out as I took some time in the past week to finish playing through these fine stories, some additional to the main narrative of already amazing games. Read on to discover my thoughts and praises!

• The Last of Us: Left Behind

I had heard some amazing reviews of this downloadable content after it came out so I knew I needed to jump on it to play as soon as I could. While there wasn't a whole lot to engage in as a player, the cut-scenes that I was guided through in the episode were fantastic and more than engaging enough to keep me hooked. I won't spoil anything for it but just know, if you loved the main game, you'll love this content. If you haven't played The Last of Us, after you're done reading this post, go out and play the game right now!

• Bioshock Infinite: Burial at Sea - Episode I

So I've been a visitor to the fine city of Rapture from the Bioshock series a few times now, but this was a very unique and fun adventure. This content takes place during the peak of Rapture's existence, rather than the unfortunate aftermath so it was cool to see the vision of Andrew Ryan realized. No spoilers here either but it is a fine addition to the compelling narrative strewn across the Bioshock universe!

• Workaholics

This may come as a longshot to some folks but I do love this show. It is some awesome smartly stupid comedy and the show's fourth season has been going strong so far. I just caught up on this season to date and I enjoyed every minute of it. Check it out if you can, you'll have a good time for sure.

Thanks for stopping by! Have an awesome weekend!

The Student Affairs Spectacular Podcast Premiere Episode!

I just want to push out the project I've been working on for a while now to everyone. I've been producing a weekly podcast for The Student Affairs Collective, interviewing awesome professionals from the field. It has been a lot of fun and the premiere episode just went live yesterday. You can find it here. I appreciate your support of this endeavor! It's been a lot of work but it is all coming together and I'm really happy with the end result. Check back every week for a new episode!

Book Review: The I's Have It

So I just blew through this book recently and enjoyed it's perspective not only on introversion but on it's impact on student affairs work. As I get ready to emerge into the field, I look forward to utilizing this text and recommending it to others to more fully understand how I work and operate on a daily basis. It's a quick, fun, easy read for a lazy weekend coming up so check it out and support the author, Amma Marfo, (who is a fellow student affairs professional no less!). I'll keep some book recommendations coming as I begin to read a lot more frequently on my train rides and while waiting for flights and things.