A #Nerd's Decade in Review

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @christopherayan

• Climbing a mountain - Actually I climbed 5, and it taught me I can do anything

• Getting my license - It introduced me to a whole new level of freedom

• Getting laid for the first time - seriously, does this need any explaining?

• Doing my first stand-up gig - And I'm still doing it.

• Going to culinary school - I decided to NOT go to Mizzou and got to culinary school, made great friends, and learned some shit

• Dropping out of culinary school - I realized the friends I made were from restaurants I worked at, and the shit I learned was from restaurants as well

• Getting my first tattoo - It started a life long addiction, that also led to my 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th tattoo

• Making real friends for the first time - The kind of friends that stick with you through thick and thin, and will come pick you up from jail at 3:30 in the morning

• Traveling - I've had a good decade of travel...buy me a beer sometime, I'll tell you stories

• Moving out on my own - Moving away from my family, actually brought me closer to them than I have ever been.

Despite all the good things that happened to me during this decade, getting to where I am now wasn't easy and there were many hurdles to get over: Addiction, depression, loss, fear, low self-esteem, and anger to name a few. I'm still working on it, but I wouldn't have changed those moments because they made me who I am. That is why I am officially naming this decade that we just passed  "The Decade Of No Regrets."

Now that you know some of the moments that helped define me during this decade, here are some things I want to do to further define myself during the next decade. They aren’t resolutions, so much as goals.

• Finish my Bachelor’s Degree – It’s been a long time coming to where I am now with my education, and I am going to go all the way. It’s not for any other reason other than a sense of accomplishment, because a degree isn’t going to get me into the job I want.

• Lose weight - I put a lot of weight on in the last 5 years, for various reasons and it’s time to start getting it off. No quick fixes for me, I’m gonna take the hard road.

• Publish a book – I don’t care if its self-released, I just want to keep putting my words out there for the world to see

• Be more reliable – Not gonna lie folks, I haven’t always been the most reliable guy. I’ve been there in those moments when I am needed most, but I want to be there in those moments where I am not needed, simply wanted.

• Never EVER be afraid to show my true colors – I am who I am, I don’t give two craps whether you like me or not.

• Learn to stop worrying – I need to live in the moment more. I can’t always be looking ahead. (On a side note, I realize it’s ironic that this shows up on a list of goals for the next ten years)

• Fall in love – Maybe a little cheesy to some of you, but I want to find that person that keeps me on my toes and that I am always happy with.

• Keep making people laugh – I’ve always thought that humor makes the world better, and I like to help bring it to people. On a side note I want to start a charity comedy show.

So that’s the plan for the next 10 years. Keep moving forward folks, and I'll see you on the other side in 2020.

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#WhereAreTheyNow: Submitted for the approval of the midnight society

 #TalkNerdyToMeLover's @ChristopherAyan

We all loved it. We were all scared of it, and watched timidly from beneath a blanket. It was our version of Tales From The Crypt, because our parents didn’t allow us to watch that. And it ruled Saturday night Nickelodeon also known as Snick. It was on during a simpler time of TV, back when Pete and Pete, Hey Dude, and Salute Your Shorts were all still on the air. I’m talking about Are You Afraid of the Dark, if you hadn’t guessed. But I am here to answer the question that has been on all our minds, where are they now?

Ross Hull

We all knew him as Gary, the fearless leader of the first Midnight Society. After Are you Afraid of the Dark, he went on to star as Chris Shepard on Student Bodies, as well as appearing in an episode of Stargate Atlantis. But what’s he doing now? Well he went and got a Bachelor’s Degree in Radio and Television Arts from Ryerson University in Toronto. He is currently working as a weatherman for A Channel London, in London, Ontario.

Jodie Resther

She played Kiki, another member of the Midnight Society. In 1996 she got the role of Francine Frensky in the animated TV series Arthur on PBS. She has also been in Vampire High, Undressed, and Fries With That. And here comes the fact that will really throw you for a loop: She has released two R&B albums!

Daniel DeSanto

Daniel was cast as Tucker on Are You Afraid of The Dark in 1993. He was also in the second incarnation of the Midnight Society that aired from 1999-2000. After the Midnight Society was no more, he went on to have a very lucrative film career. He has appeared in over 30 films to date, including most recently appearing in The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day.

Joanna García

Joining the cast as Samantha in 1993, Joanna Garcia is currently most well known for starring as Cheyenne in the CW show Reba. Other notable appearances included Seaquest DSV, Party of Five, and Freaks and Geeks. On December 11th, 2010 Joanna married Yankee’s outfielder Nick Swisher.

Rachel Blanchard

I had such a crush on Rachel’s character Kristen growing up. Since appearing on Are You Afraid of The Dark, Rachel has gone on to play Cher Horwitz on the television series Clueless. She has also starred in the Peep Show, and played Bret’s girlfriend Sally on Flight of the Conchords. She also appeared in Snakes on a Plane, Without a Paddle, and most recently Daydream Nation.

Jacob Tierney

Jacob appeared as Eric in the first incarnation of the Midnight Society, but only for one season (from 1991-1992.) He currently works as a director, screenwriter and actor. His most recent films include, The Trotsky and Good Neighbours, both of which he wrote and directed. Incidentally The Trotsky starred another Are You Afraid of the Dark alumni, Jay Baruchel.

Elisha Cuthbert

Appearing in the second incarnation of the Midnight Society, Elisha Cuthbert is another cast member that went on to have a lucrative career. She appeared in Old School, The Girl Next Door, the television series 24, and most recently He Was A Quiet Man, Guns and the Six Wives of Henry Lefay.

Although they weren’t stars of the Midnight Society, here’s a list of some guest stars who went on to great careers.

Jay Baruchel

Starred in the short-lived Apatow series Undeclared, as well as appearing numerous other films including starring in the 2010 comedy She’s Out of My League.

Hayden Christensen

Or as I like to call him “The Butcher of Star Wars.”

Jewel Staite

Went on to do Firefly and Serenity.

Ryan Gosling

All you ladies loved him in The Notebook, or you balled your eyes out at him as an addict in Half-Nelson.

Emmanuelle Chriqui

Also known as E’s wife on Entourage.

Neve Campbell

You saw her boobs, and watched her make out with Denise Richards in Wild Things.

Will Friedle

He was the awesome Eric Matthews on Boy Meets World.

 Well, wasn’t that just nostalgic. It wasn’t all the cast members, but it was the ones that we all loved. Whether you were in your late teens or were just a young kid when Are You Afraid of the Dark was on, you were probably scared at least once by that show. Especially the Dollhouse episode. I don’t know a single person who wasn’t scared of that episode.

Click here to watch episodes of Are You Afraid of the Dark on YouTube!

#nerdsunite

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#Randombling: I was a teenage Jackass

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @christopherayan

Randombling: A 5 minute long unedited stream of consciousness produced by a nerd for nerds

I laughed, I cried, I almost puked a couple of times…such is the journey of Jackass 3D.  When I first heard

that Jackass was coming out with not only a third movie but also a 3D movie I nearly crapped myself with joy.

People, I grew up on Jackass. When my friends and I were out skateboarding all day, we would pull pranks, and do stupid shit because we thought it was funny. And then the Jackass guys came and made a show about it, and we kind of realized that we weren’t alone; we are part of a culture of, well, Jackasses. 

But to me, this movie kind of marked an end of an era. It’s been 10 years since the show started now, and I am well into adulthood. As I sat watching a giant dildo fly at my face in 3D AND slow motion I realized something: I was never going to be able to relive those days of my youth. Gone are the days where I could skateboard all day, throw myself down some stairs, and then get kicked in the balls without missing a beat. As I age, I realize there are things that could actually HURT me, and I slow down because of things like medical bills, and lawsuits, and police records.

Don’t get my wrong, I still love to pull pranks, and skateboard, I just do so more… cautiously now. Which defeats the whole purpose of it to me. I started skateboarding because I saw it s a way to channel some of my aggression, to be a place where I could go balls to the wall, and didn’t care what happened. And things just fell into place, I made friends, I gained different interests, I picked up a camera, and I learned that goldfish combined with mountain dew makes AWESOME fake vomit.

I want to reclaim the guy that I used to be, I want to still be as hardcore as I used to be. But I know that I honestly can’t. And it is sad. But I still love Jackass, and I can’t wait until Jackass 4D comes out, which will actually be a live play.

I know this randombling seems a bit off, but as it’s says its an unedited stream of consciousness.

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#RANT I HATE the Office

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @ChristopherAyan

Ok that’s not really true. I actually love the office, but sometimes it is SO difficult to watch, because Michael Scott is a trainwreck of a boss. I often times sit and wonder if he is at all based upon a real boss. Because he is retarded. Not Forrest Gump retarded, but simple jack retarded. You know…full retard.

Having worked in many an office, I can usually relate to the general shenanigans that take place on the show, but whenever Michael comes on it almost hurts my head to watch him. I would probably find the show more enjoyable if Michael Scott was just a bad boss, but even as a person he is just an idiot. Its like every time he comes on screen I just want to #facepalm. 

I have never met anyone so clueless as Michael Scott, and I pray I never do, because I would have to take them out of my misery.

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Life of a #FlipFlopper

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @ChristopherAyan

I am a flip-flopper. I am not ashamed of this fact, because it is freakin AWESOME. I don’t mean that I flip-flop my fandom for the Cubs (I don’t) or that I flip-flop my political beliefs. I flip-flop from major to major.

There never seems to be a major that fits what I am looking for. Or rather, there never seems to be a degree that doesn’t fit what I’m looking for. Except for one problem, they all only fit one part .

See I am a man of many interests. A renaissance man, if you will. I’ve dabbled in a little of everything. And because of my interwebz skillz I gain a lot of knowledge in each one of the things that I dabble in.

I went to Culinary school for all of a semester and a half (and ended up with a big chef tattooed on my forearm) and worked in the industry for about 4 years.  And I loved every minute of it. But ultimately I decided I wanted to move onto the next part of my life, and went back to school. Because that’s what the flip-flop is about, doing what feels good in the moment, not what seems like it might work out 20 years down the road.

Back at college, at the old-age of 22, I dabbled in more things. I was going to be a lawyer, and then a firefighter, and a psychologist, and a social worker, and a filmmaker, and a geneticist. Problem was, I couldn’t be all of these things. Or so they said.

My parents urge me to gain focus, and figure out what I am going to major in, so that I can move to the next step of my life. But I don’t wanna. Not because I am immature, but because I want to do everything.

That’s why I am asking all ye faithful readers to petition your schools, and introduce a new major. The “Renaissance Major” the one that qualifies you to do everything. Not just teaches you a little bit about everything (like a liberal arts degree) but QUALIFIES. Maybe I want to be a doctor or something today, but tomorrow what if I want to do something different?

In the mean time, I am going to enjoy the flip-flop. You should too.

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