I'm not aware of too many things.`

My finger is bleeding. It's coming from under the fingernail. Fucking great.

Haven't had a chance to see Rambo yet, but when I do, I am sure it's going to be fantastic! I hear Sly kills 230 people!

Ministry/Meshuggah show in May in Chicago. Combat boots, Jack and Cokes, rampant dancing and grooving. It's gonna be awesome beyond all recognition!

Still exhausted.

South Hills mall is Pittsburgh's "rich" mall. Jesus Christ, those people are aggravating! It does have the biggest Hot Topic I've ever seen, but they still had less than ten things I'd actually buy.

Lots of exclamation points today!!

Listened to industrial music until 2am Sunday night. Four other people were there besides the DJ, but I still managed to have fun, because the music, man, the music! Goodtimes.

Dance the night away.-BK

Time can't change me.

Exhaustion prevails.

Went out to "heavy metal night" at a bar a few days ago. It was rad to hear music made before 1995 and manufactured bands, i.e. Maiden, Priest, Manowar, Motorhead, Venom, etc.. Good times. Perhaps I will go again.

Depeche Mode DVD watching and laundry doing make an awkward pair. Gotta make the best of my one hour of "homemaking" before I collapse into bed.

Down plays Wednesday night. Oh yes. OH YES!

Moved around my bedroom furniture. I don't really know why. My shins hurt.

Look for me there.-BK

Bastard in a basket!

I've been listening to a new(to me) dance group called Justice. They are unbelievable. It's dance music for Slayer fans!

Goodwill shopping turned up nothing today. Nothing. This is the first time that has EVER happened.

We got to talkin' about who we'd rather fuck at work the other night: Amy Winehouse, or Chelsea Clinton. Everyone else picked Chelsea. Always the weird one I guess.

Today, I went for a long walk in the park. It was deeply introspective.

Got out of mandatory overtime today. Thanks Shawn.

Did I break my back, or is the ground just really hard today?

I guess I'll rock out later, sure.-BK

I really, really hope The Dark Knight is completely done.

Heath Ledger could act. At least he went out like a rockstar, naked on a bed, with nothing but his pills and his demons. Who knows what kind of interesting work he would have done in his career? It's a shame. 28 years old.

So tired.

Just gotta focus on Friday. One day off. Shopping. Movie. Eating out. Car maintenance. Clothes washing. SLEEPING!

Why ski when you can just fishtail your car at 4:45 in the goddamn morning?

8 hours underground today. Totally alone. iPod out of battery in hour two. Ben Kenny was not a happy camper. Ironically, he was dressed and acting much like a homeless person, who are really nothing more than hardcore outdoorspeople. Unfortunately, Ben Kenny was not drunk or panhandling. He was, however, talking to himself in tongues only him and his dog(which lives a thousand miles from him) could understand. Odd indeed, thought Ben Kenny as he wrote about himself in the third person.

It's time to bring this ship into the shore.-BK

Violence in movies, and sex on TV.

Guess what? My NIN collection(all studio albums) is finally entirely complete! I've owned every NIN album at one point or another in my life, but never have I owned them all together, at one time, under one roof. Happy.

No comedy tonight. Back-to-back-to-back double shifts have prevented any slight amount of intellectual stimuli and/or enjoyment from entering my life. To compensate, I farted inside of my heavily insulated "extreme weather" coveralls all day long. Tasty.

I don't know how I scraped the back of my hand up, but I do know it's one of those annoying-ass cuts that opens and closes whenever I make a fist. Painful.

Zero hour: 4:35am.

How I long for eight quiet, peaceful, uninterrupted, and rejuvinating hours of sleep.

Yeah, that's him. I know who you're talking about.-BK

Didn't mean to treat you.

Pizza is delicious.

I bought leather pants yesterday.

A busy week of overtime awaits.

Sleep will be missed, but reacquired on Thursday.

A great weekend was had. A good way to start off the year.

There Will Be Blood is fantastic.

Open up my eager eyes.-BK

Ben Kenny HATED the ending.

My three-day weekend has been kick-ass in nature so far.

Let's just say last night was.... a lot of fun.

I went to see Cloverfield today and was on the edge of my seat the whole time. A very interesting film. Who needs character development when explosions and running can tell a better story? The ending was a bummer. They took a cheap way out.

Tonight, hanging with some like-minded friends and... more fun?

104 mph on the Parkway.

I will sleep all day tomorrow.

Taxes this week.

Shadow Lounge. Monday night. The return.

Ted Nugent is a compassionate dude.-BK

Kids should be able to be aborted until they're seven years old.

Maybe I could fall
Baby, I could fall apart
To conceal, to protect,
to serve and to reject

I’m turning into something
Go all the way to the right
I’m going past, I’m going past, I‘m going past the next two lights.

Hit the streets They talk to me
A fickle beast who’s nice today
It’s such a waste, another day
Such a waste, But it feels great
But it feels great

It feels great

Everything has taken a turn
In disguise as what I want
I can leave her
I cantilever
But I keep coming back for more

I’m turning into something
Go all the way to the right
I‘m going past, I’m going past, I’m going past the next two lights

But it feels great today

It may be a waste
Another day
It feels great

Fischerspooner rules.-BK

From behind these empty walls.

Exhausted.

I have been on hiatus from "the funny." I just don't really feel "it" right now.

I spent 17 hours underground today. Go fuck yourselves.

Happy like Gilmore-BK

Pus in the crack on my finger.

Nerds everywhere are rejoicing today. Why? That's easy. The first episode of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles was on yesterday, and it wasn't half bad. I especially liked how they dealt with a few blatant continuity problems. Another episode is on tonight, so we'll see if the streak of awesome can continue.

Family Guy was gnarly yesterday. Even I was offended, even though I found the stroke jokes to be hilarious.

Three days ago, I vacuumed my apartment while listening to Erasure in nothing but a hooded sweatshirt and wool socks. I was drinking screwdrivers(Vodka/OJ). It was possibly the most "fabulous" I've ever been at one time.

I feel "off" today. Perhaps it's because I ate nothing but shit food yesterday while working 17 hours in freezing weather on three hours of sleep??? Naw... something must be going around. I'm not sick, I feel fine, it's just that I'm very "unstrong" today.

No. No. No. No. No. None. Not at all.-BK

Three times a lady.

I've been vegetating and watching Nip/Tuck. Goodtimes. That show is crazy.

I have the Pat Benetar of zits on my shoulder, i.e. it's all small and tiny, but the fucker is tough, resiliant, it just keeps coming back! Look for me and my zit playing carnival shows in ten years...

I woke up at 4:28am without the benefit of my alarm clock. No human should ever naturally wake up this early. Alarm clocks serve a very important purpose. Sorry for doubting you, alarm clock.

The overtime death march continues this week.

My car continues to impress me on a daily basis. The Warrior and I beat a Honda Civic in a race last night. I giggled like a school child.

I've been reading a bit.

Life begins again.-BK

Tom Robbins = The Shit!

Nothing spectacular has gone down in the past two days, but I feel the need to spew banality anyways.

I've been driving around town a great deal. I had to search for a Borders in order to spend a gift card, find a high vantage point to take some skyline pics of Pittsburgh(which I promptly deleted), and just clear my mind and align myself/have thinking time.

Other crap I don't regret about 2007:

Keeping veg. I feel better, look better, and am better. Will I ever become a vegan? Highly unlikely at this point. Cheese is too delicious!

Not being such a pussy all the damn time. I've kind of stopped taking random people's shit and it feels good on a very primal level. Look for a giant club and furrowed brow by mid summer.

Meeting new people. New people who I don't directly work with everyday or see when I do comedy has been life-enriching and will continue.

Not going back to school. I never would have finished anyways. I'd rather go to Bible Study every week. Ugh.(Ben Kenny would actually rather go to school, he was just making a point.)

Crap I do regret about 2007:

My affection for bands like Paramore, All-American Rejects, Hinder, Velvet Revolver, and the like. I've worked hard to acquire decent musical taste, and I've let myself go. No more!

Douchebags of the year:
1. Pete Wentz
2. George W. Bush and his administration.
3. Parents who insist the war in Iraq is legit simply because they don't want to deal with the fact that their child died for nothing.

This keeps me able to deal with daily life until the summer.

Back to work and screaming matches tomorrow. Hanging with a few like minds tomorrow night, barking at the moon and whatnot.

Skinny Legs and All-BK

2009 models.

How did my year go? Well, it didn't really "go" one way or the other. It just... was. There were the usual highs and lows, but nothing so epic it affected my life outlook. I made mistakes this year, and I hope they've taught me a few lessons. I didn't get a dog, and I should have.

I continue to grow as a comedian, as an artist. This is so important to me. Very fulfilling and it makes my life worth living and whatnot. Follow your dreams! It is worth it.

The biggest decision I made this year was to stay in Pittsburgh another six months to a year. It was a bitch to juggle with, but I do not see my life becoming exponentially better returning to Chicago. Working at a shitty airport and living back at home does not appeal to me, and I'm not ready to surrender the freedom I have here. Pittsburgh in 2008 is going to be awesome for Ben Kenny! Why? Because I will make it so! I am tired of moving every year!

On to the nerdy stuff!

I write these "reviews" from a fan's point of view. I consider myself a pretty serious fan, with a good eye for story composition and whatnot, but the basic fact is, I just love watching films! Many of these reviews actually contradict what I wrote on Myspace/Blogspot when the films came out, but, as they say in Nebraska, go fuck yourself!

Best films of the year.

No Country for Old Men - Personally, this was my favorite film of the year. It's rare for me to watch a film(even good ones) without my overactive mind thinking about what I'm going to eat later, who'd be better in the role, did I turn my lights off? etc... But from start to finish, this film held my full and complete attention. It is perfectly shot, acted, and obviously, directed. Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones both give excellent, career defining performances, but the star of this movie is Latin import Javier Bardem as Anton Chigur. Not since Hannibal Lector and Norman Bates has a villain been so utterly evil onscreen. The Coen Brothers also directed what I consider to be close to a perfect film in Raising Arizona. Even though Nicholas Cage is in it, it's a must-see if you consider yourself even an amateur film buff. Watch it. Thrice. Then preorder the DVD of this film.

Every other film is listed in no particular order!

I'm Not There - This is the most imaginative film I've seen in quite a few years. Actors of different age, gender, and race all playing different characterizations of the same man. Somehow, inexplicably, it all comes together in the end. The best thing I can say about this film? I have a new appreciation for Bob Dylan's crazy ass life. It'd be scary to be the kind of person he is and be forced to live the life he has. Killer performances from Cate Blanchett and Heath Ledger.

Atonement - A lie affects the lives of a group of people in Britain. There isn't anything extraordinary about the story, but it's acted so well it's scary. This is most definitely a chick flick about lost loves and dashed dreams, but I saw it in an empty theatre in the afternoon, so no one saw the tears... which doesn't matter, because I guess that secret is now out. I'm only going to admit this one time, ever, but.... Kiera Knightley can act.

300 - "Madness??? This. Is. SPARTA!!!" Over the top, hyper-masculine, ultra violence at it's finest. I loved the narration and coloring. Gerard Butler established himself as a badass leading man/action hero. Turns a real event into a folk tale, and for the better! This is a film meant to be seen on a big screen or on a large television with surround sound. It's an experience. My favorite scene? The opening battle sequence when the phalanx crushes everything in it's path! So violent, so gory, so fucking excellent!

Into the Wild - As an experienced outdoorsman, and a reader of the book that spawned it, I didn't know how I would feel about this movie, despite the hype that came along with it. Let me tell you, Sean Penn knows how to make great movies. His previous works are really good films, but he has defined himself as a director here. Emile Hirsch and Alaska take starring roles, and are great. Eddie Vedder's soundtrack was really good, and quite moving. Sadly, this is the story of a real person's tragic end, but at least he went out to look for his life, instead of expecting it to come to him. If you're a dude and have issues with society, wealth/capitalism, and your parents, you can identify with this film.

Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - Tim Burton + Johnny Depp = Cinema magic! This film is a musical about a barber who kills people. Helena Bonham Carter is electric. It's dark and dreary like all Burton films, and Alan Rickman is perfect in the role of the evil judge. You'll find yourself humming the songs for a week or two. Oh yeah, Sacha Baron Cohen proves he's no one trick pony! His brief appearance is really, really funny, dirty, and scary almost at the same time.

Eastern Promises - Viggo fucking Mortensen. Easily the most under appreciated actor working today. In everything he's in, his performances are spot on, but sadly, he is often outshined by the bigger names. Not in this film. He carries it. He plays a Russian mobster who's dedication is tested, severely. Great plot twist near the end. Naomi Watts is hot! Check out another great film by the director, The Dead Zone starring Christopher Walken. Anthony Michael Hall he's not, but thank God!

Superbad/Knocked Up - I think Superbad is the funnier/better film, but maybe that's based on where I sit in my life experience. It's nice to see "normal" looking people on screen in decent, meaty roles that aren't just fat jokes and whatnot. Could Jonah Hill be the new Belushi/Farley? Can he carry the torch? Should he? I really love Jonah Hill. I hope he continues to be hilarious.

Deathproof - Quentin Tarantino's ode to exploitation/action films. Straight forward story about a guy who kills chicks with his muscle car. Kurt Russell is hypnotic. The closing stunt sequence(which has to run at least ten minutes.), is gnarly-crazy, with no CGI or bluescreen work. It's nice to watch a movie that's shot "old school," with a camera truck and natural lighting. Very cool and underrated. See it.

Transformers - For what this film is designed to be and the audience it's targeted for, it's pretty damn good. No one can insult America's intelligence and visually fellate them like Michael Bay. This is good, as this film has no artistic merit whatsoever. Megan Fox is hot as hell and Bumblee should've stayed a VW Bug!

The Bourne Supremacy - Action, mystery, drama, exotic locations, a thoroughly generic star, this film has it all, and puts it together flawlessly. Joan Allen is great as always. She deserves bigger roles.

Juno - The late entry this year. Is Diablo Cody(ex stripper/hot new screenwriter) Hollywood's new Kevin Smith?? Ellen Page shines!

Under the radar films that were entertaining and not a waste of money.

Shoot em' Up - A really hilarious and exciting action movie featuring Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti. Totally over the top and unrealistic, and fearless. Gunfight during a sex scene? Sure. Rolling over a baby with a car? Fuck yeah! Using your hand as a gun barrel? Why the fuck not? One of the better times at the movies I had this year for sure!

30 Days of Night - Finally a vampire movie that has the guts to take an original story arc!

28 Weeks Later... - One of the more entertaining films of the year for me. The scene where Robert Caryle runs from the infected is heartstoppingly(I made this word up!) exciting. Buy it on DVD.

Sunshine - The best sci-fi movie this year. The entire cast is great, the visual effects are amazing, and the script/story were good enough. You'll either love this film or hate it.

Fido - Great indie horror/comedy about a family in the 50's suburbia that has a zombie butler. Billy Connelly and Carrie Ann Moss star. It came out in 2006, but only reached me this year. Sorry for the lateness.

1408 - A solid, good time at the movies starring John Cusack and Samuel L. "Motherfucker" Jackson. Written by Stephen King. Good!

Ocean's 13 - The best popcorn movie of the year. Al Pacino is terribly underused. Also, it's getting a little cliche. Time to hang it up.

Complete and utterly horrible shit!

Captivity - Not only was this the worst film of the year, by far, but it is quite possibly the worst film I've ever seen. Terrible on all fronts. All existing copies should be destroyed. If you have it queued in your Netflix, stab yourself. If your friends or family own this film, ending your relationship with them is your only option. This is the George W. Bush of movies.

Everything else is just bad. Maybe not to you, but you suck. I do not suck.

Good Luck Chuck - A "date" movie full of tits and dick jokes. Horrible, unfunny, no intelligence. Dane Cook wasn't even the worst part. The worst part, you say??? Even in a movie stock full o' titty, Jessica Alba doesn't show hers. Curses.

Live Free or Die Hard - Bruce Willis takes on a jet fighter while Justin Long slings one-liners. I felt dirty for liking this film. It is so far removed from the original trilogy it's retarded!

Hostel II - Not as delightfully evil as the original, but for the budget and hype, it still should have been better than it was.

Music of the year.

Back to Black - Amy Winehouse - Forget the cocaine, crazy boyfriend, and blown shows for a minute. This is an awesome album just to sit and listen to, especially if you were raised on Motown like I was. Rehab is the weakest track on the record! Believe the hype! For now, at least.

The Reminder by Feist - 1234 sold a lot of iPods, but Feist's jazzy, soulful shines on a lot of the album's more acoustic tunes. This is my current favorite driving/commuting album.

Down III: Over the Under - Down - Sludgey, Southern, Bluesy, Ball-smashingly loud and aggressive rock and roll music! It's not about how this band looks, their political philosophy, or some sort of "message." I just found out they're playing in Pittsburgh at the end of the month, and I'm so excited I've shat my friend's pants!

Year Zero - Nine Inch Nails - Loud, electronic, pissy music as only Trent Reznor can do! I listen to it at least once a week from start to finish!

Era Vulgaris - Queens of the Stone Age - This album both rocks and grooves. Hard. Buy it. Got it? Good!

New Wave - Against Me! - Punk rock with a soul and a message, but still utterly fun to listen to. Against Me! hasn't sold out, they've simply bought in.

Kala - M.I.A. - There's a reason this album is Numero Uno on everyone's lists. It's like nothing I've ever heard before. Imagine if Bjork, Jimmy Buffet, Dr. Dre, some Sri Lankan dude, and Michael Jackson had a really great, epically debauched orgy.... M.I.A. would be the result!

I listened to a lot of other hip, relatively unknown bands/artists this year as well, but you already know what a music prick I am, so I willfully neglect to share the rest with you.

Comedy

Doug Stanhope - He is the best comedian working today. He doesn't do a nice show that let's you forget about your daily worries, he shoves them in your face and forces you to fucking cope. I love Stanhope!

Web

Hasselhoff YouTube Vid - Easily the funniest thing I saw on the web this year. Why? Simple. I don't care much about his well-being. Stay drunk and recorded, Ben Kenny loves to laugh.

Television

Law and Order: Special Victims Unit - Great story arcs and secondary character development! The guest actors(Ludacris kicked ass!) and insanely weird premises keep me watching religiously!

Criminal Minds - This show is very formulaic, but I'm never disappointed with it. Good acting, I suppose.

Heroes - Even with an abridged season, still the most interesting show for me. The season started a little slowly, but the final three episodes were epic! I understand now why people like Milo Ventiglimia so much. The dude has mad charisma and shit.

The Office - Snarky, American-style, British-influence hilarity. Jenna Fischer is strangely attractive.

30 Rock - One of the funniest shows in the history of television. If I had a statue of Alec Baldwin, I would worship it. Tina Fey is the new Lisa Loeb!

Family Guy, South Park, Kenny Vs. Spenny, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - Low-brow, intelligent, and funny as ever. Watch these shows and prepare to laugh.

As always, keep your shit together, and don't bother me with your spam email.

2007, I bid you adieu.-BK

Upload on 2...

This man now has sole custody of his children. The world laughs at us, my fellow Americans.

Have a better one.-BK

Sleep now.

So Dane Cook did seven hours of nonstop comedy the other night. It must have been something to see 25 minutes of original, funny material. I wish I was there.

Ben o/t

As is fast becoming tradition, New Years Eve rolled by while I slumbered peacefully, again. I didn't even wake up for a phone call from someone special, because I was one tired bastard.

"Best of" list is coming. It's going to be crazy epic and super pretentious. Think of me as your own personal Bono, but instead of being about AIDS awareness and oddly colored sunglasses, I mostly just talk about how bad U2 has gotten, and laugh at/about the handicapped.

Overtime is copious this week, which is a good thing. I need the fucking money. Badly. Shooting for an extra 30 hours, let's see if I get there!

Cheesy broccoli for dinner, epic gas for dessert and late night snack.

Dirty Jobs w/ Mike Rowe marathon all day long today. YES! Fuck Yes!

Until tomorrow comes.-BK