I'm a NWS Finalist...again...

April 21st, 2006

Almost exactly one year ago I wrote a blog entry announcing my status as a finalist in the New World Symphony audition. You can read it HERE.

A few months ago I auditioned again for the same orchestra, hoping that this time I might improve on my status and actually get a position with them. I received an e-mail today from them. It reads:

"Dear Gustavo: On behalf of Michael Tilson Thomas and the staff of the New World Symphony, I want to thank you for auditioning. After reviewing your audition with the committee, I am pleased to inform you that you have been advanced to the finalist pool for the 2006-2007 season. Our policy is to limit the number of NWS finalists on any given instrument, so you are part of a select group of musicians. Members of the finalist pool are...."

Blah blah blah blah...

Don't get me wrong. I'm very happy about making finalist again. It means I'm doing something right, and I'm actually being considered for the job. But there comes a time when "almost making" is just not good enough anymore. Conceivably I can "almost make" it all my life...and never actually get a job.

Apparently the word that best applies to me this semester is "ALMOST".

1) Alternate, NRO - ALMOST
2) Alternate, Disney showband - ALMOST
3) Finalist, NWS - ALMOST

I've never had a middle name...UNTIL NOW!! Gustavo Almost Camacho.

G-A-C. Gack. That could be my nickname...GACK!! "Hey Gack, what's up dude". "Congratulations Gack, you almost made it." "...and in second place...Gack Camacho!!"

Okay, I'm done sulking. I'll be back to my old weird silly humor in my next entry.

Gack...over and out.

this is the title of this blog

April 18th, 2006

Starting in the late 80's, I think, movies began to use much shorter titles in order to market their movies almost like catch phrases. This sad turn of events has finally culminated in every other modern movie having the very boring and unoriginal title: "The _______". At times, the variation of this format is used: "The ______ _______"

The ________
(Grudge)
(Vanishing)
(Village)
(Sixth Sense)
(Crying Game)
(Hudsucker Proxy)
(Game)
(Matrix)
(Red Violin)
(Rock)
(Transporter)
(Shawshank Redemption)
(Terminator)
(Pianist)
(Incredibles)
(Professional)


There are, of course, exceptions. Some modern movies have really great titles:

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Breakfast on Pluto
Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels
Pulp Fiction
LA Confidential
The Big Lebowski


Notice that the good titles are more than a few times directly proportional to the quality of the movie. The bad titles, however, are not. It's a toss up whether a good title is going to be a good movie or a "should have stayed home and watched National Geographic" movie.

I really wish that movies started implementing longer titles, just like they used to do in the good old days...err...before I was born.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
A ClockWork Orange
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
I am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
The Two Mrs. Carrolls
The Postman Always Rings Twice

Now, don't these awesome titles make you WANT to watch the movies? Nevermind that some of them are actually pretty lame...ahchooooopostmanalwaysringstwicecoughcough....

So I guess what I'm really trying to say is: I've had a lot of free time this morning and I've now wasted it all looking up movies and writing in this blog. Yes, that is what I'm really trying to say.

It was the worst of food, it was the best of food...

April 7th, 2006

How much should you tip a Chinese delivery guy? How much should you tip a Chinese delivery guy if the food is delivered over an hour late? Have you ever been so hungry that you start eating spoonfuls of peanut butter? So hungry that your stomach has given up on grumbling and has moved on to putting in a transfer to another body? So hungry that you start thinking of clever methods of trapping wild jackrabbits out in the desert?

I was that hungry three days ago. And I did what any normal human being might do when faced with hunger fever. I called for a Chinese Food Delivery while I was driving home so that I’d have the food shortly after I got home (minimal waiting time, you see?). I got home, and ate a spoonful of peanut butter…only one because I wanted to stay hungry so that the Chinese food would taste like the GREATEST CHINESE FOOD EVER DELIVERED IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE AND BEYOND!!! But the minutes ticked away, and still no Chinese Food.

I was on the verge of screaming like a heroin addict on their 3rd day of rehabilitation (not that I would know about that), when the doorbell finally rang and a short, older Asian guy handed me a box of cold food. I didn’t say anything. In fact, I was as polite as usual, although inside I wanted to yell out “God Damn It! IT’S ABOUT FREAKING TIME!!!” Then, the time finally came to scribble in the tip on the receipt (I paid with credit card). I tipped $1. I felt I was being generous. I was angry and bitter. A 10% tip is really not so bad. I was actually proud of myself for tipping over…oh…I don’t know…NEGATIVE ONE BILLION DOLLARS!!!!...at least in the current state I was in. But the guy fished around in his pocket for reading glasses…and started looking at the receipt I had just handed to him. Was he actually checking to see how much tip I had given him…in front of me? The verdict…yes, he was. Then he said in an outraged tone, “One Dollah?!?!?” Oh man, that got me mad. I spit out between clenched teeth, “Yesss……it’s been an hour and twenty minutes!!!!” He gave me a look of disgust, and jerked away from the door…and stormed back to his car (which, I might add, was a Lexus SUV).

Then I ate my Chinese Food. The vegetables were cold and hard. Yet, somehow, they were THE GREATEST VEGETABLES EVER EATEN IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE AND BEYOND!!!

This may or may not be my final entry...

April 1st, 2006

Dearest blog readers,

All good things come to an end, and this blog is no exception. The last few weeks have been a roller coaster ride of emotions, culminating in a little office at FireHouse Publishing. In that little office, a small, bald guy with round spectacles and a grey, bushy mustache gave me the shocking news that they want to publish my book titled “French Toast Confessions”. My editor feels that I should stop writing in this blog, since some of the ideas I put in here might show up in my upcoming book.

For all you loyal readers who have posted comments, participated in my silly interactive entries, and just kept up with my ramblings…I thank you. And remember…”French Toast Confessions” will be available in hardcover edition at a store near you. Only $49.99 (it’s a very thick book).

And thus ends my blogging career…not with a bang, but a whimper. No wait…not with a whimper, but a BANG!!!! Geronimo!






Oh jeez, I’m just kidding. Happy April Fools Day!