Footbol Fan's Dilema

No, I did not misspell footbol. And no, because I am in America doesn't mean I have to refer to the world's most popular sport as "soccer." Actually, that is a good place to start. Football, is an American sport that does not even require foot to ball action. Instead, it is what many of my British friends call "Rugby for Pansies."



But, that is pretty off topic. I guess as an American footbol fan, I have a lot of pent up aggression. Being American and a footbol is really frustrating. And this rage has been bubbling since I first started playing the sport at a very young age. But my first major realization was in high school that footbol is a second hand sport. Compared to my other school's sports always had fairly new uniforms. Our footbol team had old, ill fitting jerseys. Our socks were awful and barely fitted over our shin guards. We were one of the stronger teams in our division and one of the better teams at my school.

Here in America, we look down on the sport. Don't get a footbol player or fan started about how people tell them how low scoring the sport is or how boring it is. During this past World Cup, I was watching ESPN to get some game coverage.  ESPN 2 has a program called 1st and 10. The only thing I can gather is it is a round table discussion about sport headlines, spoken as if it was a bunch of fans mouthing off. I mean I hope they weren't being actual sports journalists. They said the goal box should be smaller, that way the goalie wouldn't be able to disrupt shooters. They continued to complain about game length. Not just stoppage time, which even the fans think can be ridiculous, but that 90 minutes is much too long. Because a 4 hour baseball game isn't.

This is really just a whole lot of the same noise that I've come to be used to. As I spoke to fans they all voiced the same issues. Follow that up with the fact that MLS is only shown on cable channels and most international games are shown on premium channels, and it's no wonder the sport hasn't picked up steam. The accessibility to the sport is low.

This is part of the circular fail that is American soccer. By letting ESPN and Fox Soccer Network buy up the game rights to most of footbol games, you make it harder for people to get into the sport. And with schools, like mine, not putting enough backing into their teams, you can't generate local talent.

I don't know where else to go with this. The evidence is there. Americans and Footbol, aren't the best of friends. And the fact that we keep underachieving in recognized big events like the World Cup, we never will get the sport to grow. End of story.

Coming Out: AJ Bryce

Coming Out: AJ Bryce from Amanda Stevens on Vimeo.

Adelaid Windsom aka Geppetta

This is Adelaid Windsome performing at the Women's Center in Albany, NY on Sunday September 19th. This performance was part of the 2010 Trans Fusions Tour which features an assortment of transgender performance artists. She performs under the name Geppetta, as her expertise is in being a puppeteer.

Coming Out: Adelaide Windsome-

Coming Out: Adelaide Windsome from Amanda Stevens on Vimeo.

Sassafras Lowrey @ Capital District Gay and Lesbian Community Center Center

Sassafrass Lowery is the editor and contributing writer of the anthology Kicked Out. Kicked Out is anthology collecting the stories of homeless and formerly homeless LGBT people, with a focus on LGBT youth. She recently did a book reading at the Capital District Gay and Lesbian Community Center in Albany. This is a recording of her sharing an exert from her contribution to Kicked Out.

 

Twitter Smitter Tweeter

Twitter. You may not know how it works, where the bloody hell it came from, or why it is so damn popular but there is one thing you can't ignore. It has invaded your news. We aren't even getting into the realm of entertainment news. That at least makes sense. Celebrities are all about narcissism, so why wouldn't they want you know to about every second of their day. I mean, I can't wait to hear about Paris Hilton going to Starbucks, can't you?

But no, I am talking about how it has leaked into my news. Maybe you have seen it. You go to turn on CNN and there, along side the ticker, is a reminder to follow CNN on Twitter. I mean, there is a real application to the use of Twitter. The spread of news is instantaneous and boiled down. Less room for spin. But, in exchange there is more room for dribble. I mean lets look at CNN's Twitter. They are all boiled down headlines with links to their home site.

That is cool I guess. Except for the whole fact that a lot of users operate their Twitter via cell phone and not everyone can go to that link. But I guess it works. I don't see the useful this that way. I'd prefer seeing some bylines to be honest. You can fit a good amount of information and it makes that 140 character limit.

There should be some acknowledgment that Twitter is in its baby stage as a news outlet. So, it is understandable that organizes aren't sure how to use it right. Or effective. Or maybe...not at all. 

Path to Casual and Top Deck Hero Announcement

Hey folks, I wanted to direct your attention to separate endeavor I have joined up with. I may have mentioned this in passing, but I am really into Magic: The Gathering. Its a collectible card game that you can play against people and it is something I have been doing for a huge portion of my life. A while back during the summer I saw on Twitter that someone I followed was looking for writers for an MTG site he was starting. I jumped on the chance and now, 4 months later, a site has appeared. It's called Top Deck Hero and it is a tips and tricks strategy site for all things MTG. Whether you're interested in casual play, tournament strategy, deck building, or MTG Online, there is something for you. Even new players will be able to enjoy the site, as that is part of my article; Path to Casual. I hope all of you who support me here on Back on the Street will also support me over there as well. I will be posting links to my new articles at Top Deck Hero, but here is the site link.

Batteries not included

Things have been a little weird of sorts lately. I have all these ideas I want to get out and when I come to the keyboard to type it all out, it does worse than vanish. It turns into mindless dribble. I have millions of thoughts and I feel like there is a chain reaction in my mind when I type. They just collide into each other and explode. And what's left isn't really worth writing. This is the problem I am facing and the cause of new posting. However, there is good news and while this blog has never really touched on my personal life, I think exceptions can be made and this may become a common thing for the blog. Well, I currently have a wonderful girl friend and I wonder if the torrent of emotions I have for her are the cause of the torrent in my mind. We'll find out soon enough I guess. I can say with her around there has been a new stream of of energy in me. More positive than before and a little warmer. It has done wonders for my school work and little for the blog. I could just be I need to figure out a way to harness it. But that is neither here nor there. I just wanted to stop in and tell you all everything is alright. The blog hasn't died yet. Neither have I.

I am not dead, just better

So I apologize for the month and a half absence folks. Trust me,it was as much of a downer to me as it probably was to those of you who actually take the time to read my blog. But it was unavoidable. Mainly when you consider the fact that I worked in around 60 hours a week this summer. Yeah, sounds oh so fun doesn't it. Well, that is all in the past now. I figured now was as good as any time to tell you about a few upcoming changes to the content appearing on Back on the Street.

Podcast Reviews

Podcast review by Sage_Gnosis

Review on The Alcoholic

Score: 4 out of 5

There is something to be said about the perception of professional writers. You know, the whole we are all alcoholic, clinically depressed, and/or drug addicts. And The Alcoholic does nothing to change that mentality. Following the life of washed up writer Jonathon A., The Alcoholic is a sobering tale. No, there is no pun intended. But that is what reading this graphic novel is like.

You and Me and Gender

This has been a topic that I have been waiting to discuss for a while. It is something I plan on revisiting as much possible because I think it is something people should talk about more often. So, I hope you guys like it and I hope you like the addition of music intros and outros.

You and Me and Gender by Sage_Gnosis

Origins: Audio Posting

Another Origin story, this time detailing why I started doing audio posts. Hope you all enjoy.

Origins: Audio Posting by Sage_Gnosis

You and Me and Why

Interview with Freeport MC Ron Trotman

Ron is a good friend of mine who I've known for a while. He is a co-worker of mine at the Freeport Rec. What is surprising is how incredible an MC he is. He's been bugging me for interview for ages, so here it is. The aforementioned link will be up later.

Interview with graphic novelist Ethan Feuer

 So way back in the winter, I went to RPI's overall nerd convention Genericon. Equipped with a few rations of food, my Magic cards, and my voice recorder I stayed for the entire three day weekend. I ran into Ethan in the Artist Corner where he was promoting his latest graphic novel Semeurge.

Interview with guitarist Matt Gertler

Just another Muddy Cup interview folk. What more to say?

Interview with Dylan Ebrahimian from Gabriel the Marine

This is a little delayed. Another interview with someone from Gabriel the Marine. This time violinist Dylan Ebrahimian.

Interview with Freeport MC Chris Mills

While working today at Randall Park in Freeport, I got the priveledge to hear some hot flow from Freeport MC Chris Mills. So, with my voice recorder handy, I was able to get him to give me a little background on who he is, why he flows, and the state of hip hop.

My Take on: The Last Airbender

I am PISSED. How do you take a TV show with amazing Asian tradition, Asian culture, and oh...Asian names and make everyone white. I don't know if it was intentional. But, still. Oh, wait I lie. All of the Fire Nation is Middle Eastern. Because there is not subliminal messaging there.... Oh Hollywood. One word. Fail!!!!

Flash Gordon Theme

So this will be rather quick. Flash Gordon is an awesome movie, comic, and cartoon. I thought I'd share the theme with all of you. Btw, this song was done by the great Queen. Enjoi

Lame Sidekicks

So recently I saw G4’s Olivia Mun give a quick little commentary on the top 3 lamest sidekicks. Now I have an issue with her list. Before I get started, I know the list was possibly created just to get fanboys like me all riled up. Anyway the list was Speedy, Aqualad, and Robin Alright, I’ll admit it. Except for some bad ass magic powers, Aqualad is pretty lame. I want to comment, however, on the number 1 contender Speedy. I will admit that his name was pretty lame and ill conceived. I mean, you hear a name like Speedy and you think he should be the Flash’s sidekick.

Diagnosis Check Up

Starting off right, I guess I should address something. This blog is not just going to be reviews, interviews, and my commentaries. While this blog is an attempt at professionalism, I still think that it can also be a place for me to talk about things in my life. There are a few reasons for this and it will be discussed in an Origin post.

As I have mentioned on Back on the Street numerous times, I am transsexual female. Do any of you understand that means? If not, here is the short version. I am born with male gentiles. So, that means my sex is male. However, what’s in between my ears tells me I am a girl. So, I am working towards becoming how I feel.

Origins: The URL

Origins: The Url by Sage_Gnosis

My Take on: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Hey folks. I am not going to give you guys the back story to the Scott Pilgirm. Sorry, that's what Google is for. What I am going to tell you is how awesome this movie project looks. Lets get started. First off, the casting seems spot on. For once Michael Cera is not playing a slacker high school student. No, he's playing a slacker college drop out. Sooo much classier. But, I am glad that I am not tired of him replaying the role again and again. Based off the trailer, the movie seems to be following the comic series pretty spot on. Which is why I am scared. Kick Ass looked like it followed the comic, till the ending. Granted, that series is still on going. Although, it seems Kevin Smith endorsed it for the same reason I am going to. I feel like I am watching a Scott Pilgrim comic. Which I guess is another point of a good comic book movie. Sometimes it isn't about being continuity accurate, it's about looking like a comic.

Labels

So, I have been dealing with labels a lot lately. People call me tranny, fag, shemale, transsexual, girl, boy, you name it. Let it me phrase it this way. I am human. I exist like you do. I feel as you do. Well, maybe not exactly as you do. But I think you catch my drift. I'm Amanda. Who are you?

Found Moment in NYC

Found moment from Amanda Stevens on Vimeo.

Just a found moment once while walking the streets of NYC.

You and Me and Killing Floor

You and Me and Killing Floor by Sage_Gnosis

Going through the Motions

Hey everybody, sorry its been a while. I am now home for about 52 days. What does that mean for Back on the Street. Well, a lot of things. For one, it means there will be a lot more audio posts since I can do them anywhere with my computer. Two, it means you will be getting bum rushed with posts on a single day. So, if you blink, you may miss it. Last, if you haven't caught the drift yet, it means a slowdown in content. This is just because I am way too busy with work and other things to get around to uploading content like I do during the semester. I do apologize for this. I just hope you all don't lose interest and stop following the blog. Well, I'd like to introduce two new blog tags. The first up is You and Me. These post will tend to be audio in nature and will discuss various topics from video games to identity to just plain silliness. The other tag is Origins, the first one is already up. These will be like a behind the scenes aspect of Back on the Street. It will give insight into how I came up with the blog title, URL, layout, and so on. Also, it will touch upon any major changes. And, because I am such a major nerd, I might even use it to talk about some of my favorite comic characters. Well, I'm off kiddies.

Peace, Love, and Ass Kicking.....
                                  Amanda <3 <3

Origins: Back on the Street

Origins: Back on the Street by Sage_Gnosis

Interview with musician Jesse Lyons from Gabriel the Marine

*Audio edited by Machine Should Be's Timothy A. Mahr

On the same night that I got to meet Joe Mach from Hotspur, I got to have a second interview with Gabriel the Marine. The first being at Bayside Haiti Relief Show at SUNY Albany this past Spring semester. This time I got to have one on one time with different members of band. I apologize for all the background noise, it was just a lot easier to do it inside the bar.

Review of Mel Kano (Manga)

Synopsis

Shinjou Shouryuu is a healthy 17 year old high school boy. Many of his kouhais wonder why such a great guy doesn't have a girlfriend. Ask him and he'll tell you that between school, work, and saving his kouhais from bullies doesn't leave him much time to go on dates. So he instead goes online to "F.I.L. GATES". There in the chat room his alter-ego, Kakeru, is infatuated with the girl called Hal. Hal sends a message reminding him that Sunday will be the 6 month anniversary of when they first met (online) and that she wants to meet him in person! And let's just say it's not your typical first date.


# of chapters available: 18
Score: 3 out of 5

Interview with singer/songwriter Sarah Puig

I was at the Muddy Cup on Monday for the Open Mic night when I came up with a decent idea. The idea being to interview the acts I liked. In comes Sarah, an amazing singer/guitarist/songwriter. I enjoy people who are talented. And modest to boot. Hope you guys like our interview. I apologize if it's choppy, this is my first time doing real audio editing.

Interview with Chrisitina Kahrl

Back this past Fall semester, Christina Kahrl came to SUNY Albany and spoke about baseball and her life as an out transsexual sports writer and activist. We had exchanged Facebooks afterward and recently I was given the pleasure to talk her more about those two subjects

From the Muddy Cup

More from the Muddy Cup from Amanda Stevens on Vimeo.

For those of you who don't know, the Muddy Cup is a decently trendy coffee shop in downtown Albany, NY on Western Ave. I frequent it from time to time since it's a short bus ride from campus. The video above is from sometime this past spring semester when a jam band decided to come by and play. Over the next couple of days I will be posting content from interviews I conducted at this past Monday's open mic night. Hope you guys enjoy

Review of: Blassreiter

Faced with an outbreak of demonic blood, which transforms humans into insane and hideous creatures bent on violence and death, only one man can stand against the tide of destruction. Joseph Jobson, the only man able to control his cursed demonic form, must hunt down the man who cursed him and save the world from apocalypse

Score: 3 out of 5

Dan Cox on the move

 Many of you remember Dan Cox, one of my earliest interviews. He, like me, is now heading into the realm of more professional blogging. His has more direction than mine and its call The Nerd Notion. The topics covered over there are based around tech and nerd related news. It be very appreciated if you guys could go and so him support since we all know how difficult starting a blog can be.

Dead Rising Review from PancakeMastr

So, its been awhile since we've heard from my good friend PancakeMastr. Well, I was browsing through his video list so you guys could a taste of what his film making is like. Eventually, I stumbled upon this little gem. It's his review of the video game Dead Rising for the XBox360. And since its been awhile since a review has been posted here, I thought this be a good one to throw up. This belongs to him, not me. So, go say hi to him over on his YouTube channel.

Interview with musician Joe Mach from Hotspur

So, a few weeks back I was given the opportunity to interview Joe Mach from the band Hotspur at a concert back on Long Island. We sat and tried to talk over the sound of the LIRR about college and what Hotspur's musical inspirations were.

Interview with cosplayer Jennifer Wicks

photo credit to  Christina DiSessa

 Jennifer Wicks can usually be found at the local convention scene in myriad of costumes. I met her a few years back at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Genericon. I just had the opportunity to chat with her about what cosplay is and the fun she's had doing it.

Interview with nude photographer Richard Rasner (UniqueNudes)

Interview with Usdanite Miriam Manber

Miriam Manber is a recent graduate of Barnard College with her B.A in English. Her passion has always been in the arts and so I decided to talk about the days we spent together at the Usdan Center for Performing Arts and how it impacted her life.

Interview with LGBTQ Activist Nathanael Rey

Nathanael Rey was the 2010 Grand Marshal of the Hudson Valley Pride March and Festival. Recently discharged from the US Military under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, he has been thrown into the Capital District spotlight as an activist of sorts.

Somewhere amongst the rainbow: A look back at the 2008 Northeastern LGBT Conference, Albany Student Press

*Original Printing: Tuesday, April 15, 2008*

I kind of feel like Dorothy swept away in a tornado. This weekend for me was chaos. Chaos in a good way, mind you. This weekend I was a volunteer (read: Slave) for the 2008 Northeastern LGBT Conference hosted here on UA's campus.

Soap Box #1: What's in a Name

So I have been getting a lot of chatter as of late. A lot of people have wanted to know whats going on with this new name business. Which, believe me, I know needs an explanation. I am not that dense. But I want to lay some ground rules a head of time. I am not in the mood for anyone to tell me that I am reading too much into my name. Nor would I like to hear about how pretty of a name Alexandra is or how hard it is going to be for you to adjust. I know everyone is allowed to have their own opinions. I get that. But, I've heard it all before. This isn't the first time I have made a major shift in my identity. Or rather, it's not the first time I have changed my name. It will be the last though.

Bayside Haiti Relief Show, ATV Albany

Watch FRP - Alexandra Stevens - Bayside in News  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

This was a rough shoot. Not only did everything possibly go wrong, but some edits got lost in the upload. I may have to talk to ATV Director JB Biunno about editing it again. It was a great experience to interview Bayside and other bands. This was the type of story I waited for all semester to do. Quick story, I used to go by Alexandra and the change will be part of my first Soap Box message.

Review of: Bloody Monday (manga)

Synopsis

A virus deal clinched in Russia on the Christmas eve. Purpose: unknown. Two clues: a mysterious lady "Maya", one of the gangsters, and "Bloody Monday", the keyword for the project. Then an incident happened in far-distant city of Tokyo. Fujimaru Takagi, a second grade student at Mishiro Gakuin high school, is commissioned to find out the truth by Public Security Investigation Bureau for his great ability as a super hacker. Now, Maya, approaching to Fujimaru, as his high school teacher.

# of chapters available: 96, complete
Score: 2.9 out of 5

Family Matters

“I'm your mother.” That is what the IM window said back to me. I laughed it off. I mean, this was the mid 90's. It was still cool to punk people you didn't know on AOL Instant messenger. I told the person that they weren't funny and closed the window. “How's Lamar doing?” That was when my heart stop.

Review of: Eyeshield 21 (manga)

Kobayakawa Sena is a freshman in high school. Despite his previous decisions to change his life, he finds himself in the exactly same place he was in during elementary school and junior high: a push over and an errand boy. However, this changes when Hiruma, the most feared person in his school and president of the American Football Club, notices Sena and forces him to join the Football Team. Now Sena will become Eyeshield 21, a mysterious running back with lighting fast speed.

# of chapters available: 333(series complete) Score: 5 out of 5

Review of: Saint Young Men (manga)

What if Jesus and Buddha were living on Earth in modern times? What if they shared an apartment in Japan? Saint Young Men is a humorous manga about the daily lives of Jesus and Buddha, with each chapter focusing on some element of modern life, such as Disneyland, rush hour on the train, Christmas, the public pool, carnivals, and more.

Score 4.5 out of 5

Interview with found photographer Bridget Streeter

Interview with nerd girl MaryJane Wegrzyn

MaryJane has always been a sci-fi nerd since a very young age. Starting out as a Trekkie at 7, she went on to complete a BS in physics, a BA in East Asian studies, and a minor in math. She also knows pretty much every line in every Star Wars movie

Interview with film maker PancakeMastr

Interview with concert warrior Katie Murtha

Interview with otaku Dan Cox

Dear SUNY Albany

Interview with rapper Indigo Ali

Introduction