best comment ever

chitownruler (9 hours ago)
omg nerds its just a computer screen stop fighting

In relation to this story.

WHERE ARE MY HORRORSCOPES!?!!11!1!/!!

This is how the day goes for us

As of this writing, i've got 2700 emails from angry Netscape users.

Most of them are screaming "WHERE ARE MY HORRORSCOPES!!" (their spelling, not mine.)

Some are yelling the more helpful "WHERE IS MY EMAIL?!"

They took long enough to find the "send us feedback" link at the bottom, without seeing the "MAIL" link at the top.

2715 now.

Chase + me = OVER

Chasebank is the worst bank in the history of banks. If it wasn't enough that they charge $10 for access using quicken, today i went in to check a transaction that was supposed to go through today for $500, and they removed $500 from my checking, but only deposited $400 on my credit card.

I'm angry.

Now i've been transferred to seven eight nine different representatives.

I'm more angry.

Chase and I are through as a bank.

59 minutes on the phone so far.

UPDATE:

So no one could tell me WTF was going on with my account. Grande total of minutes taken for them to say "I don't know what the deal is?" 65 minutes.

Update:

On hold again after being called back. 5 more wasted cell phone minutes.

Chase PR, if you're reading this, you owe me something. 65 minutes.
I hope it was all roming so Cingular hates me now.

Word.

Back in NYC.

Thanks to everyone!!!

I'm sending out personal replies tomorrow afternoon/evening.

Later,

Randall

Vid from me

I know this breaks my site design, but frankly, I don't mind.

One of the eight...

I'm too tired to blog this, but you should read this times article.

I feel special too that my chosen career path has lead to a story in the New York Times.

More later.

Ryan Tribute Video

Yo yo.

My homie Christoph is working on a flash player for this vid, but in the meantime, if you want to download it the old-skool way, hit up here:

http://www.dvguru.com/videos/randall/RyanTribute.mp4
http://www.dvguru.com/videos/randall/RyanTribute.mov
http://www.dvguru.com/videos/randall/RyanTributeBig.mov


This is the non-done memorial version. Still some roughness, but pretty good.

Photos are courtesy Scott Peterson, Nepal Plummer, and my Fam of course. Music is courtesy Coldplay, Jimmy Eat World, Badly Drawn Boy and some random mormon band.

Watch it, and watch for a flash player version soon.

Drama

Names have been changed, language has been made more friendly.

See if you can guess which one I am.

[22:30] Agent RBU: word
[22:30] Not me: word
[22:30] Agent RBU: so i just told the girl i'm in love with how i felt
[22:30] Not me: snap
[22:30] Not me: rejected?
[22:30] Not me: jk
[22:30] Agent RBU: needless to say, things could have gone better...
[22:30] Agent RBU: lol
[22:30] Agent RBU: it was "odd"
[22:31] Not me: oh no!
[22:31] Agent RBU: there's so much history/drama
[22:31] Not me: c-razy
[22:31] Agent RBU: yea
[22:31] Not me: you'll have to tell me about it over a pint (of milk.)
[22:31] Agent RBU: LOL
[22:31] Agent RBU: awesome
[22:31] Agent RBU: that literally made me crack up
[22:31] Agent RBU: will you have some tiny violins too?
[22:32] Not me: yeah
[22:32] Agent RBU: so i was hoping my misery helped you along just a little ;)
[22:32] Not me: yeah, not really
[22:32] Agent RBU: i know the rest of my a****** friends will get a big kick out of it
[22:32] Not me: my sister would say "my talk went awesome"
[22:33] Agent RBU: honestly, i had you in my thoughts/prayers all day today
[22:33] Not me: it helped dude
[22:33] Not me: cause i literally put away all the speeches i prepared
[22:33] Not me: and just talked
[22:33] Agent RBU: i do what i can, i was thinking about sacrificing an animal...
[22:33] Not me: and i think it turned out great
[22:33] Agent RBU: good
[22:33] Not me: it just sucked
[22:33] Not me: cause its like
[22:33] Not me: well
[22:33] Agent RBU: there was no way i was going to even suggest anything to you, but i wanted to tell you that
[22:33] Not me: not so much sucked as made me realize stuff
[22:33] Agent RBU: to just "talk"
[22:34] Not me: like i realized that at this second
[22:34] Not me: this very second
[22:34] Not me: before my brother died
[22:34] Not me: our lives were like at a crossing point
[22:34] Not me: like before this week
[22:34] Not me: my life was always looking up to ryan
[22:34] Not me: and after this week
[22:34] Not me: it was going to be as a peer
[22:34] Not me: with the site launching
[22:34] Agent RBU: crazy...
[22:35] Not me: yeah
[22:35] Not me: and here's the more *bleep-a-roo!* part
[22:35] Not me: thursday: site launches
[22:35] Not me: friday: funeral
[22:35] Not me: saturday: I go back home to new york
[22:35] Agent RBU: wow...
[22:35] Not me: (or maybe sunday)
[22:35] Not me: then monday
[22:35] Not me: my life begins
[22:35] Agent RBU: monday, you get to look at my pretty face and it helps
[22:35] Not me: it sounds really overly hyperbolic
[22:36] Not me: to have it displayed that way
[22:36] Not me: and to say something about like "my life begins"
[22:36] Not me: but i really feel like it's the truth
[22:36] Agent RBU: not at all, i feel you
[22:36] Not me: like i feel like everything in my life has been leading up to this moment
[22:36] Agent RBU: well, you know what i mean
[22:36] Agent RBU: that's a big part of why i said something to *REDACTED* tonight
[22:36] Agent RBU: everything changes this week
[22:36] Agent RBU: everything
[22:36] Not me: we're like a crappy plot for a movie
[22:36] Agent RBU: lol
[22:36] Agent RBU: a very crappy movie
[22:36] Not me: yeah
[22:37] Not me: its like traffic
[22:37] Not me: sans the coke, and about nerds
[22:37] Agent RBU: hahaha
[22:37] Agent RBU: yea
[22:37] Not me: "somewhere.. *PROJECT X* is effecting someone else's life."

Laterr.

Memorial Notes

So... today was the big-ol' memorial in San Luis Obispo. Pretty crazy times indeed (theme of my life right now.)

Order of speakers (for postarity, and uber-zealous people reading this awesome blog)

Rick Bennett
Myself
Nepal Plummer (Ryan's techie homedawg that helped him start MMAWeekly when I told him I was "too busy." Yeah, I'm an idiot, but also don't know as much as Nepal.)
Dave Alles (Ryan's former KSBY colleague. Dave is the sports director of the station, and freaking rocks.)

Rick started off with a bang. He was the one to read the eulogy (or you-googly, if you're derek zoolander) He did a great job summing up some of the greatest moments of the hitman. I wish I woulda taken notes, because I didn't really get a great mental note of his talk.

Then, I stepped up and started rawking. Yeah, it wasn't the best talk ever given by man, but it had it's moments. I started out by trying to read what I wrote. I wrote an awesome talk, but couldn't read it through the tears (literally) so I closed my PDA (HTC Wizard, Cingular 8125 for you gadget freaks) and started yappin'. I felt like i was really talking from my heart, and I was really glad I had prepared because it gave me the ability to express what I was really feeling, since I had preprocessed some of the thoughts.

Some of the parts that really stick out for me in my talk were the parts where I had the chance to open up about exactly how Ryan inspired me, and how my career echoed his. The hardest moment was definetely when I came to a realization in front of everyone: I'm now officially lost and in uncharted territory. I always had my brother to figure out exactly how to do a career, and since I could look at him, it made it easy for me to move around and figure out what I liked and how to get what I wanted most effectively. Now, that major advantage is history, but I also think I don't need it anymore.

Ryan got me to such a point in my career that I've accellerated past where I thought I would/should be at age 21. I'm in a position to help reshape media and journalism, which sounds overly hyperbolic and probably is a little bold of a statement, but it's my blog so tough. This new project i've been basically blessed with will let me express myself in new ways, and I think will let people take control of their media even more.

I'll be sharing more about the new project as it launches (this week, fools!) but till then, let me get back into what my talk was really about: Ryan. It was really easy to start rambling and talking about what I thought was important, and what I knew was important. I tried to emphasize something that I felt in my core: God will answer your prayers.

Lemme try and frame it in an easy to understand context. When you do something nice for someone, you get a really nice feeling, right? Kind of like a "Yeah, that was the right thing to do" feeling. That's God teaching you a princple of the gospel. He's saying, "You did something really right this time, [insert name here.]" God also talks to us that way when we ask. Yeah, it's not as clear cut, and all the physical indicators aren't there so that we really understand exactly what He's saying, but we get a general sense of what's right, and how to implement it in our lives. I want every single person reading this blog entry to try this little excercise, and see how it works out for them. Pray, with an open mind and heart, and ask if God loves you. I know it might sound preachy, but if you believe that there is a supreme being out there, or a power controlling this universe, try it, and see how it works out. Once you get a bearing on how that feels, try praying about other stuff, and see if your outlook on life doesn't change a little.

So, this is a huge blog post, but we're not done yet. As I wrapped up my talk, I felt really good about the things I said, and really good like I knew I expressed the thoughts that needed to be expressed. I sat down, Nepal took center stage, and shared some of the comments rocking off over at the MMAWeekly forums.

Check out what people are saying at MMAWeekly here and here.

I'm tired, and I know I tend to say I'll post about something and then usually forget, but I've got to go to bed. I SWEAR I'll POST ABOUT DAVE'S AWESOME THOUGHTS TOMORROW.

Also: Real quick deets on travel plans. Heading to SLC tomorrow (early, like 6 am) I'll be in SLC for the rest of next week, and then be heading back home (NYC) on Saturday or Sunday. Email is the winner as the way to get a hold of me.

[ps, I'm going to throw up a post of the obituary that ran, the obit I originally wrote that turned into a skeleton for my video, as well as the talk I didn't deliver tomorrow as well.]

Posts that make me happy

http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

I just finished tribute #1.

Expect it on here asap.

evdo = the best

So, blogging from the road in CA. Literally on the road sitting next to my bro Rick as we drive toward Atascadero for the memorial service.

EVDO is the best. Word.

We never change.... do we?

Blech.

I feel crappy right now... mainly because it's two am, and I've got to get on a plane in 10-ish hours bound for sunny CA.

Blech.

Also, putting together a tribute video that makes me bawl.

Blech.

And a sequence in it literally makes me sick to my stomach every time i watch it.

blech.

I've still got to write for saturday.

blech.

No biggies, but i still cant freaking stand this situation.

Blech, Indeed.

The new "real world"

So i'm still grappling with reality, and it's crazy that i'm stuck here without the same direction I had before, but now i'm going to pause mourning for a few minutes and talk about the new "real world" i'm about to come into.

So those of you who don't really know me, I work for a division of AOL, and we're launching a new website in oh say... 10 days (crazy timing indeed.) The site is still on the down low, but expect to see it when it launches here. The best part about my job? I'll be working at 8am every day! I know it sounds stupid and whatevs, but it's really exciting because i haven't had a regular 8am-5pm job ever. I've got to get my sleep schedule back down, but once that happens we'll be in business.

I'm going to write more later, like tomorrow, and also give you a preview of what's coming up for Ryan's tribute video. I've got the skeleton script done, and there's much more to come.

Lizzata,

Rizzandall

Big-ups.

Yo again. Big ups to a couple of peeps for being there, and getting the word out about the memorial fund.

Ryan Block, the managing editor of Engadget

Tom Biro, blogger at large for Weblogs, Inc.

C.K. Sample, III, who is lead of my secret (almost launched) project.

I've also set up another email address, if you see any coverage of my brother in your travels on the web, or want to send a tribute letter that might end up in a Ryan Bennett tribute video I might be putting together, hit me up at ryantribute [at] randallatnyc [dot] com

My brother on Wikipedia

Hey,

If you've got any info about my brother, and want to update his wikipedia page, someone just added it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Bennett

I'm going to write in a few days, after I get his obituary done. It's pretty much done, but i'm going to make sure to flesh it out till I like it. I'll probably post it on wikipedia afterward.

Video Tribute at some point

Hey hey again.

http://www.ifl.tv/News.aspx?i=86

If you've got a tivo or some sort of recording device, and fox sports cable channel, and could do me a favor and record this show, I'd really appreciate it. I hear they're going to do a tribute to my brother, but since I'm in a household that doesn't have cable (I know... i didn't think they existed anymore either!) I'm not going to be able to record it. If you can, pllleeasssee DVR it and put it up on youtube or something. I really want to see it.

Tributes

Linkfarm!

Press release from the fight network (Ryan's last employer)
Savage Truth from Sherdog, an MMA publication
KSL's report
MMA Forums postings about my brother
Family Fund info

Paypal donate:

I'll keep updating this post with more links, as I get them.

Clarification

So basically, let me give you a brief summary of what's happened.

Better yet, let me have google news and technorati give you a summary of what's happened.

Google News

Technorati

I'm still kind of too frazzled to write anything. I'm working on an obit, and that seems to kind of pass the time away for me, but i'm having real trouble feeling comfortable blogging on this one. I'm still in that state of shock, fear, and basically every other emotion (sans happyness and joy) you could go through.

He made a mark, on both the mma community, central california, and myself. He's the reason why I got into TV news. He's the reason why I helped start a college radio station. He's the reason I went to Weber State. He's basically the reason why I'm in New York, and he's the reason why i can't go to sleep, and don't really want to.

Ryan Bennett, my brother, my inspiration.

Without being too long of a blog post, let me get into something a little deeper. I miss my family, version 2.0. For those of you not up to date on the affairs of one Randall Bennett, let me help take you a little deeper. My sister (22 years my senior, although she'd probably not appreciate that term =) died when I was 14. 8 years ago, I went through the hell and horror of realizing that my sister was gone, and now my bro-in-law Kent would be left to raise 4 kids all by his self. It was a different situation, she had brain cancer, it was a three year process, but it was just as hard as this is right now.

Fast forward eight years, brother has 4 kids, dies tragically, leaves the kids behind with sis-in-law Tonya. What's different? I am. I have this eery sense of overmind about how i'm greiving, and how i look at myself through some sort of lens. It's probably wrong, and i'm probably sending all sorts of different vibes to others, but i feel like i'm going crazy. I just want to be a normal person, grieving normally (is that possible?) but instead, I'm looking at myself and my family with this sense of disconnect, and I don't really like it. I'll get over it soon, maybe when i go to sleep.

Thanks for your concern, especially Alex and J. You've never met each other, but you guys have a ton in commmon. I hope this makes more sense now.

As for the technorati and the google news stuff, it is really comforting to see everyone's outpouring of support. I really appreciate everyone who's sent support our way, and who continues to do so.

Guess i'm not too frazzled afterall.

Expressing the inexpressible

To try to sum up my feelings right now would be a definite exercise in futility.

In brief: the man who helped me realize my dreams is gone.

I will devote my life to his memory, as well as my living family.

That's all i've got in me for now. More to come, as i get toward utah.